News and information sections, from near to far
Rescue Inc sent a letter to the Brattleboro Selectboard asking them to use correct numbers when discussing their services. In it, they calculate that the net cost to the town for FY26 EMS services would have been $255,846.00.
Full letter below:
7:00 – 7:30 Town Plan 2026
• Town Plan Survey – Review responses collected.
• Community Conversations – Identify targeted demographics we want represented in discussions. Identify potential organizations to reach out and arrange conversation with.
• Community workshop – Discuss community land use workshop, agree on a potential date, and discuss the need for any additional workshops
The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room and over Zoom. The agenda includes information on how to access the meeting remotely. Either ASL interpreters of closed captioning will be available in the meeting for deaf and hard of hearing community members. The backup materials for this meeting will be available on the website early next week.
The Brattleboro Finance Committee will meet on Monday, April 28, 2025 in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room at 6:00pm.
The Town of Brattleboro’s winter parking ban has been lifted. Overnight parking is allowed on all streets EXCEPT in the downtown area.
The streets listed below are not permitted for overnight parking:
Main Street
High Street
The Brattleboro Selectboard held another in their month of many meetings to focus on decisions around solid waste and to hear the results of their budget decisions thus far. Those results were not good. They also warned a special Representative Town meeting to vote on the revised FY26 budget, which will face further revision.
As with last week, I’m watching this second meeting of the week but not typing up every word. I’ll summarize again.
The Brattleboro Selectboard continued their month of many meetings with a discussion of potential service reductions in public safety.
It was a long meeting, mostly because the police and fire departments were given hours to speak of the value they provide to the town. After that, the public spoke about how much they valued the police and fire departments. In the end, no changes will happen and the town may end up hiring more fire department staff. To save money.
Thanks to everyone who has sent a donation to support coverage!
South Newfane Vermonter turned entrepreneur, April Wachtel, was featured on NPR’s April 10th, 2025 episode of How I Built This: Advice Line with Guy Raz and Peter Rahal (founder of RXBAR and David). Her interview begins at 27:17. April grew up listening to NPR. A 2004 graduate of Boston University, she spent her college and post graduate years in Boston in hospitality and the spirits industry – bartending, learning and teaching others how to make craft cocktails. She previously appeared on the Grey Goose Entertainment- Sundance Channel on November 1, 2010: “Beyond the Bar – April Wachtel”, a You-Tube commercial for Grey Goose Vodka.
April is the founder and CEO of Cheeky, a manufacturer of craft cocktail/mock-tail mixers in Brooklyn, New York.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room and over Zoom. Information on how to log onto the Zoom meeting can be found in the agenda. ASL interpreters will be in the meeting for the deaf and hard of hearing. The materials for this meeting will be available on the town website later this week.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room and over Zoom. Instructions on how to access the meeting remotely can be found in the agenda. ASL interpreters will be in the meeting for deaf and hard of hearing members of the public. The materials for this meeting will be posted on the town’s website by the end of the day.
The Brattleboro RTM Finance Committee will meet on Monday, April 21, 2025 at 5:30pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room.
I won’t be doing the usual transcription-style tonight. It’s too many meetings to type that much. But I will watch and give you highlights. And I’ll make a rare pitch – if you’d like to make a donation to help underwrite all of this, it does help. On to the show.
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First off, they instituted a new sign up per topic list for those in the room, adding another level of confusion/intimidation for members of the public who must now anticipate what will be said and if they might like to respond.
The Brattleboro Selectboard, meeting for some regular business and a discussion of the evolving FY26 budget, were able to agree on a few structural budget issues – to have a long term financial plan once again and to have a capital equipment and a capital infrastructure plans as well.
The new fire chief praised his amazing staff, and all town departments. He also gave the first accounting of what EMS services were costing the taxpayers. Solid waste and mural discussions were postponed. And the 12% tax increase was really just 6% if you average it with some other numbers.
The Town of Brattleboro Water Department’s annual Consumer Confidence Report / Water Quality Report for 2024 is now available. This report can be viewed online at www.Brattleboro.gov under Water Supply. Printed copies are available at the Department of Public Works, Tri-Park CO-OP Office, Guilford Country Store, Town Clerk’s Office and Treasurer’s office (both located in the Brattleboro Municipal Center) and at the I-91 Welcome Center in Guilford.
Senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch and representative Becca Balint issued a statement on the arrest of a green card holder going for a naturalization interview. Mohsen Mahdawi was in Colchester when detained by ICE agents.
“BURLINGTON, Vt., April 14 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Rep. Becca Balint (Vt.-AL) today released the following statement on the illegal detention of Mohsen Mahdawi by the Trump Administration:
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street, Rm. 212) and over Zoom. The attached agenda contains information on how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.” ASL interpreters will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members. The backup materials for this meeting will be available on the town Website Brattleboro.gov/Selectboard as soon as possible.
At 9:58 p.m., the Brattleboro Fire Department was dispatched to a first alarm house fire. Engine two arrived on scene at 10:02 p.m. reporting heavy fire. Captain Emery (Engine two officer) established command and upgraded to a second alarm.
After arriving on the scene, Captain Emery and Brattleboro Police Officers confirmed the structure was unoccupied and crews stretched handlines to the front of the structure. Access to the house was delayed due to debris spread across the front entrance and yard, blocking firefighting progress.
At 10:03 p.m., Chief Symonds assumed command. As further Brattleboro Fire Department units arrived, the crews used multiple handlines to contain the fire at 52 South Main St. Due to the structure being unstable and conditions inside of the structure, all fire suppression operations occurred from outside of the structure.
The Brattleboro Selectboard continues their month of many meetings with a regular meeting on Tuesday where they will approve of some paving grants, approve a new mural, discuss tax stabilization for a farm, and get financial and fire updates.
The big item should be the budget discussion about solid waste options.
You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Finance Committee will meet on Monday, April 14, 2025 at 6:00pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room.
The Charter Revision Commission will meet Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 7:00pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room and over Zoom.
The Brattleboro Selectboard held a rare listening session Tuesday evening. It was held at the Library and the topic the FY26 budget.
The board was quiet; some took notes as they heard from many community members responding to three pre-set questions which enabled a wide-ranging discussion and quite a few passionate, eloquent arguments for various desired outcomes.
