A Juneteenth eve Selectboard meeting stated late and went long. The board raised parking rates – 44% by one member of the public’s estimates – and voted to end free downtown parking on Sundays. They also voted to make it easier and quicker to raise rates in the future.
Winston-Prouty campus housing was discussed as was public feedback on trash, recycling and compost.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will raise your parking fees at their next regular meeting. How much they go up will be the primary discussion.
They’ll also hear about some projects that received grants, get an update on Winston-Prouty housing, and begin wading into the solid waste discussion of what to do about trash, recycling, and compost. Specifically, they will be discussing the results of their public feedback. You can also bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Selectboard heard two overviews at their short Tuesday meeting. The first was regarding the very long process of relicensing the dams along the Connecticut River. They got the overview and agreed to send a letter to FERC outlining local desires for the relicensing plan.
The second overview was about the major changes to trash, recycling and organic waste collection in Brattleboro after July 1. The sole bidder for the collection contract, Casella, wants to use one-person trucks that use joystick-controlled grabbers to pick up new, special trash receptacles. Town staff will be gathering information from residents about how much more they are willing to pay, and if they’d like to contract directly with Casella, if all waste should be picked up every other week, what to do about already-bought bags and containers, and other important issues.
Th Brattleboro Selectboard has a low impact agenda planned for the next regular meeting. One of the two big issues will be approving a letter regarding their opinion of relicensing the Vernon Dam.
The other issue is, heh heh, who will pick up the trash? The board only got one bid, from current provider Casella. Assistant Town Manager Patrick Moreland will suggest they punt this one down the road and gather input from the community before making any decisions.
You can bring up other items not on the agenda (as long as you are respectful) during Public Participation.
The Brattleboro Selectboard set EMS rates and policies, settling on a $1400 cost for a ride in their new ambulance service. Your insurance will pay for most of it, and if you get a bill you can ignore it completely or enter into a payment plan or pay it all at once. It is compassionate, they agreed.
The Town will embark on a search for a new waste management partner, someone who will listen and be responsive, and perhaps take long walks or watch movies together.
The big item for the Brattleboro Selectboard at their next regular meeting will be setting the billing and collection policies for the Town’s new EMS service. The board is setting the rates to be charged and what to do if someone doesn’t pay, among other things.
Also, the Water Treatment Plant’s engineering costs are over-budget and will cost an additional $303k. ARPA funds will be used to cover staff salaries, bids will be accepted for trash collection in town, motions will be assigned for reading at Representative Town Meeting, and you can bring up other items not on the agenda, perhaps, during public participation.
I’ll be live-blogging the meeting again, so follow along and feel free to ask questions. They’ll be getting started soon, and I’ll be adding regular updates in the comments below.
