Selectboard

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – July 19, 2022

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet Tuesday, for the most part, to finish what wasn’t completed at their previous meeting. The consent agenda has been updated, but just about everything else is the same.

Of note this week is the change to the item “Resolution on a Woman’s Right to Choose” which is now presented as “Resolution on a Pregnant Persons Access to Abortion,” and that an EMS Update by the Assistant Fire Chief has been added.  You can choose to bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Minute By Minute – Brattleboro Boards Having Trouble Abiding By Open Meeting Law

by cgrotke | Town News

Brattleboro has had two recent minute-related incidents that were slightly out of the ordinary. In one case, a school board member requested that something not discussed at a previous meeting be added to the official minutes to clarify something. In the other, a selectboard member held back approval of minutes until they could be edited for stylistic changes. The selectboard has also struggled to meet required deadlines for posting of minutes.

Let’s look at the school board. According to the minutes for the June 21 WSESD board:

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Much Nothing About Ado

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard july 5, 2022

It was a really long Brattleboro Selectboard meeting with not much getting done! They heard about downtown safety issues, but took no action. They approved a mural design they couldn’t see. There will be more places to buy liquor. The preferred bridge design was selected. And then it was 10:30 pm with discussions of a woman right to choose and EMT issues, among other things, still awaiting ample discussion. They ended up postponing much of the agenda to a future meeting.

Brattleboro Selectboard – Agenda and Notes July 5, 2022

by cgrotke | Town News

A packed agenda of important items awaits the Brattleboro Selectboard for their first regular meeting of July. It’s going to be a long meeting.

There will be new liquor licenses, Commonwealtth Dairy wants to nearly double its water and sewer use, rental housing fines will be set, and the board will choose a bridge design for Melrose. There will be a discussion of downtown safety and a new mural for High Street. The board will discuss a woman’s right to choose. There are emergency repairs to authorize.

The firefighters get a “recently concluded additional collective bargaining agreement,” and the Fire Chief would like the board to approve additional funds to meet requirements of becoming a paramedic-level service.

But wait, there’s more!  There will be a first reading of a new ordinance regarding wastewater allocation approvals, there will be a new contract for the Interim Town manager, a new street name will be approved, and the FY23 tax rate will be set.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Free Ambulance Offer Accepted

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard june 21 2022

The Brattleboro Selectboard agreed to the Golden Cross contract addendum of a free 90-day extra staff and ambulance offer, which the Fire Chief explained came at his suggestion.

They also held a first reading about fines and penalties for rental housing violations, heard public comments about cameras, announced a possibility of a downtown police substation, learned about Tri-Park’s current situation, and more.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – June 21, 2022

by cgrotke | Town News

Golden Cross is back on the agenda with a limited-time offer that will only cost $50,000 a year after the initial 90 day free trial. The Brattleboro Selectboard will, by approving this, “expand the second AEMT provider to 24 hours per day and situate a third ambulance (to be housed at Station 2.)”

They will also discuss liquor licenses, fines for rental housing inspection program violations, Waste Water Treatment Plant and water pump improvements, and more. You can bring up other issues not on the agenda during public participation.

Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting Executive Session

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street). The Board will convene at 6:15pm and is expected to immediately enter into executive session to discuss labor relations agreements with employees and contracts. The Board will reconvene after the executive session and immediately adjourn. No action will be taken.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Brattleboro Acknowledges Executive Session Open Meeting Violations

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard june 7 2022

The Brattleboro Selectboard held one of their longer meetings in some time. The public was active!  Complaints about downtown crime, lack of action on climate change, and open meetings kept the board busy until after 10:30pm.

Of note, the Town acknowledged their violation of open meeting protocols and adopted a new two-part process to make sure it won’t happen again. This wasn’t enough for most people, who wanted a more detailed accounting of the EMS decision making process.

The board changed RTM districts to conform with state updates, adopted Utility and Parking budgets, and poured luke-warm water on a suggestion to bring back the electric trolley.

Brattleboro Meets With Rescue, Asks for Uncompensated Mutual Aid

by Not Signed In | Town News

Rescue Inc Press Release: “Brattleboro – The Brattleboro selectboard sent a request to the Rescue Inc trustees asking for a meeting to discuss mutual aid on May 19th. This was the first communication between the Town and Rescue Inc. since the September 2021 consortium meeting which was attended by then Town Manager Peter Elwell and the Selectboard Chair Elizabeth McLoughlin. The Rescue corporate officers agreed to an early June meeting and replied to the request on May 20th. A June 6th meeting date was confirmed.

Brattleboro’s request for help covering ambulance calls comes after the selectboard unilaterally chose to terminate a 56-year relationship with our nonprofit, community-based organization. This decision was made without any discussions about, or actual consideration of, the impact on the surrounding communities. The Town presented its position during a February 9th meeting when Rescue was told the Town would not pay an assessment fee and that Rescue should provide service for free. The response from Rescue Chief Drew Hazelton rejecting those terms in March has been cited as the reason for the sudden closed door meeting that led to the change in EMS providers.

Brattleboro Selectboard Instructed Town Manager to Take On EMS; Board Warned of Pandora’s Box By Manale

by cgrotke | Town News

When I asked him about his goals back on Jan 20, Town Manager Yoshi Manale spoke of creating more open spaces downtown, being open and transparent, and being flexible while solving problems. No mention of wanting to alter EMS services. Yet the impression one might get from official communications is that a new town manager came to town, took aim at EMS, and is walking away.

But that’s not the full story. First off, the Brattleboro Selectboard told him to take on Rescue.

Both the current and former Chair of the Brattleboro Selectboard have confirmed that Town Manager Manale was not acting solo when it came to Rescue Inc actions and decisions.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – June 7, 2022

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will emerge from another Executive Session to do something that isn’t done very often – update the boundaries of the voting districts in town, which will change representation at Representative Town meeting. This update is to conform with adjustments recently made by the state.

The board will also take up the Utility Fund, Parking Fund Budget, raises, and the Depot Street parking lot project. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting Agenda – Town Manager’s Resignation and Severance Agreement

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, May 31 , 2022, at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center at 230 Main Street. Directly after the conclusion of the meeting, the Board is expected to meet in executive session to discuss contracts, labor relations with employees and the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee.  Everyone will be required to  maintain social distance. The public is encouraged to participate in the meeting over Zoom. The attached agenda contains information on how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.”  Closed Captions will be available.

Brattleboro Selectboard Chair Suggests Mutual Aid Agreement With Rescue, Inc.

by cgrotke | Town News

Dear Ms. Hege,
After some initial staff level discussion on the issue of mutual aid between the Town of Brattleboro and Rescue Inc., Chief Hazelton made clear his preference for direct Board to Board communication. We are happy to honor his request. It is our view that a mutual aid agreement between our two organizations is in our shared best interest. I hope that you agree.

Some Thoughts On Being In The Spotlight

by cgrotke | Op/Ed

It surprised many that Town Manager Yoshi Manale resigned after just a few months. But it isn’t that surprising.

Brattleboro is unusual. For a small town, there is a tremendous amount of media. Two newspapers, three radio stations, citizen journalists, and others pay close attention to what goes on in town government. Add in social media, discussions in offices, and conversations on the street and you end up with a rather active core population that follow the details of town government.

There are big cities with less coverage of their municipal governments and fewer news outlets. And big city news is often dominated by crimes, fires, and other distractions, making municipal news a smaller piece of the overall newscast or front page headlines.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Openness, Transparency, Parklets, and Housing

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard may 3, 2022

Members of the public scolded the Brattleboro Selectboard again for poor communication regarding their recent EMS decision. After, the board discussed removing some mentions of transparency and openness from their goals while patting themselves on the back for already having an open and transparent process.

They discussed other goals, then heard presentations about some exciting, possibly large housing projects going through the planning process. They also discussed improving the parklet program.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Goodbye Rescue, Hello Golden Cross

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard april 19, 2022

The Brattleboro Selectboard voted to enter into a one year contract with Golden Cross Ambulance, effectively ending five decades of Rescue, Inc. collaboration with the town. There was much public discussion, mostly against the way this was handled, but it was approved 5-0.

The board also went back on their previous decision about the ski jump sculpture, now allowing it to be downtown year round but unlit most of the year, sort of like the Valentines hearts that hang year round downtown.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – April 19, 2022

by cgrotke | Town News

When you think of the River Garden, you probably think “there’s not enough liquor there.” Well, the Brattleboro Selectboard will take care of that at their next regular meeting.

A new ambulance contract will be signed to officially end the Rescue, Inc. era. The board will also reconsider their decision from their last meeting about whether the downtown metal ski jump sculpture should stay or go in off seasons. And they’ll handle a few financial and administrative matters. 

You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.