Selectboard Meeting Notes – Water & Sewer Rates Up, Parking Meters To Come Down But Rates Likely To Rise

brattleboro selectboard june 4 2024

The first meeting of June for the Brattleboro Selectboard and they decided your Water & Sewer Rates are going up 5%. 

The board spent quite a bit of time, though, talking about raising your parking rates, too.  Remember the great meter system that the Town staff insisted be purchased a few years back? Fast forward a bit and now the Town staff wants to cut down every meter and replace them with a handful of credit card powered kiosks. They’d like to get rid of any coins or cash in the system. And Town staff suggested merely doubling current rates.


Putney Central School Leadership Council Meeting May 9, 2024

Teacher appreciation week- PTO keeping staff room stocked with food and drinks and snacks for staff
-PCS Principals Awards- Acts of kindness, positive influences on our community, Partnered with Coop to give selected students awards.
-Teachers nominate students monthly, announced at all school assemblies. Is there a way to publish this publicly for the community?


Windham Southeast School District Board Meeting Minutes – May 28, 2024

Summary
● Recognized the Unifed Basketball Team for winning the State Championship
● Discussed the idea of holding special meetings during the hiring season to meet the need of approving hires in a timely manner
● The recipient of the Darrow Scholarship was selected during Executive Session, and approved via vote.
● Three resignations were accepted and four new hires were approved for the 2024-2025 school year.
● The Board approved amendments to the meeting notes from 5/14/24, and approved the consent agenda.
● Five policies were presented for a first reading.
● Policy F26 Participation of Home Study Students in School Programs and Activities was re-adopted by the board.


The Most Important Vote Ever

The November presidential election will be the most consequential election in the history of the American republic. We’ve heard that before, but this time it’s for real. If a convicted felon, who also happens to be a deranged egomaniac intent upon turning this country into a dictatorship, wins this election the United States will head into uncharted territory.

Those who support the orange maniac don’t see any problem with this new direction. It is clear to me and many others that those who follow Trump are the worst kind of cult followers. It still confounds me how the U.S. congress Republican majority still supports him. They have made it clear that all they care about is votes and they have decided that following him is their best bet for grabbing more power.


“Brattleboro Goes Fourth” Seek Independence Day Parade Entries

“By the People: Brattleboro Goes Fourth” is seeking parade participants as it prepares to celebrate the town’s 51st Independence Day event on Thursday, July 4, 2024.

The all-volunteer citizens committee will begin the day at 10 a.m. with a parade from Flat Street to Main Street and the Common. The shorter route comes after requests from older marchers and challenges finding enough volunteers and public safety patrols to monitor a longer distance.


May 2024 Precipitation Report

A dry month for a change with 3.32″ measured compared to the NOAA normal of 3.64 inches. Much of the month was even dryer until the last 6 days when just over half of the month’s total fell. For the calendar year still well above average with 24.32″ measured compared to the NOAA average of 17.81 inches. All numbers from my location in the S.E. corner of Brattleboro and can very considerably from location to another.

Gary


Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – June 4, 2024

Newly increased water rates will be adopted and the FY25 Parking Fund will be presented for approval at the next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. Part of the discussion will be the adoption of a grant for downtown parking system improvements. A slightly more unusual part will be to choose between parking fund revenues of $654,500 or $1,029,500, which most likely means a decision about raising parking rates.

There will be a small affordable housing grant for BAAH, and an application for a grant to improve sidewalks and add a path to the backside of the Common. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.


Construction Update Brattleboro-Hinsdale Bridge – May 30, 2024

Last week’s operations of installing deck panels, forms for drainage scuppers within the deck, and brackets and forms for overhangs continue to progress westerly to reach the Vermont abutment. Tensioning of the bolts on cross-braces and steel diaphragms is being finalized. Cleaning and removal of the components of the water treatment system used at Pier 1 remains on hold.


Brattleboro Parking Garage Construction Scheduled

On Monday June 3, the Transportation Center will have a partial closure of the third-floor deck from 07:00am to 2:00pm to allow for construction. This affects all parking spaces on the Flat Street side and area of the west stairwell on the third-floor deck. Motorists should plan on using alternate parking during the closure. 


Peter Amidon on “Here We Are”

Brattleboro’s Traditional Music maestro, Peter’s been singing, dancing, teaching, producing and performing music that reverberates through our town and beyond for over 40 years.   Listen in for some great stories: early days with Mary Alice, Bread & Puppet Theater, Pete Seeger, Hallowell singers, and his mega-musical family.


June 17, 2024 Brattleboro Development Review Board Agenda

Review of Cases/Public Hearings to be reviewed under the Brattleboro Land Use Regulations.
 2024-50                Megan Talbot; Residential Neighborhood 3600 District; request for Waiver of Dimensional Standards Approval to construct 4th floor where 3 stories is a permitted dimensional standard, converting the building from 8 units to 13 at 33 Oak Street; Tax Map Parcel #275253.000

 2024-56                Tri-Park Cooperative Housing; Residential Neighborhood 5400 District; request for Flood Hazard Approval to re-deck the Winding Hill Bridge at Mountain Home Park; Tax Map Parcel #60159.200


I Miss A Parade

Brattleboro used to have a healthy number of local and visiting parades; nowadays not so much.

Some of the earliest parades were put on by the volunteer fire brigades around town. There were lots of volunteers firefighters in the 1800’s and if the reports are correct, they liked to parade around town at least once a year to show of their uniforms, equipment, hoses, and in-house musical bands. Coronets were popular for a while.

Brattleboro marched up and down Main Street to celebrate the railroad arriving in town for the first time.


Brattleboro 2024 Abstract Grand List and Grievance Scheduling

Pursuant to title 32, Vermont Statutes Annotated, section 4111(g), “A person who feels aggrieved by the action of the Listers and desires to be heard by them, shall, on or before the day of the grievance meeting, file with them his or her objections in writing and may appear at such grievance meeting in person or by his or her agents or attorneys. Upon the hearing of such grievance the parties thereto may submit such documentary or sworn evidence as shall be pertinent thereto.”


Keith Murphy and Band, Album Release Concert: Bright As Amber at Next Stage on 6/21

Next Stage Arts and Twilight Music present an album release concert for Keith Murphy and Band’s “Bright As Amber”, at Next Stage on Friday, June 21 at 7:30 pm.

For many years, Keith Murphy has been forging a distinctive sound in the world of traditional song. He grew up surrounded by the rich tradition of his native Newfoundland and over the course of his later travels has incorporated elements of many other traditions including the repertoire of his adopted home in Vermont. He is a noted instrumentalist and well known for his playing with Nightingale, Childsplay, Boston Revels, Tony Barrand, Hanneke Cassel, Yann Falquet and his most enduring collaborator, his wife and fiddler, Becky Tracy. He is also the founder and artistic director of the Brattleboro Music Center’s Northern Roots Festival.