News and information sections, from near to far
Upper Dummerston Road Closure tomorrow (Friday) 7:00AM to 5:00PM for Beam Erection.
Upper Dummerston Road will be closed for two more days, perhaps starting Monday, if weather permits.
Cindy Cook
Principal, Adamant Accord, Inc.
Past Vice President, Association for Conflict Resolution
Windham County voters- Please look up the first vote on Wed by the Senate on S.241, the marijuana legalization bill. Our Senator, Becca Balint, voted against it. Jeanette White voted in favor and she has championed this bill from the start. We need to remember this at election time
The section of Black Mountain Road that is between Kipling Road and Dickenson Road is closed and will remain closed until further notice. That section was damaged during last night’s storm and the damage worsened significantly this morning. State and Town personnel are assessing the extent of the damage and will develop a plan for addressing it. In the meantime, all Black Mountain Road traffic will use Kipling Road and Dickenson Road as a short detour around the closed area.
While the very heavy rain and wind last night kept Fire Department and DPW crews busy throughout the night, all other damage to public infrastructure was minor.
Dear Friends,
I have been working on reforming our cannabis laws for over a decade, including leading the efforts to allow its use for medical purposes. Today S.241, “An act relating to personal possession and cultivation of cannabis and the regulation of commercial cannabis establishments,” heads to the Senate floor for debate and a vote.
This bill has passed through many senate committees and been amended many times. While it may not completely represent our goals for cannabis reform it represents a huge shift from no regulation to a regulated and managed product.
Several amendments will be offered today as the bill is debated on the Senate floor. I will be offering one, co-sponsored by Senator Rogers, which would allow for individuals to cultivate for personal use.
The Brattleboro Town Clerk’s office will be closed Tuesday, March 1 for elections. Elections will be held in the Selectboard Meeting Room of the Municipal Center. Polling hours are 7 am – 7 pm.
Annette L. Cappy
Brattleboro Town Clerk
230 Main Street, Suite 108
Brattleboro. VT 05301
acappy@brattleboro.org
ph 802-251-8129
fax 802-257-2312
In lieu of notes, please see the BCTV video link to the Brattleboro Citizens’ Breakfast Selectboard Forum held Feb 12, 2016 and related media coverage, .
The project team is planning to close Upper Dummerston Road tomorrow morning, February 22 at 8:00 am. Due to the weather that may be coming tomorrow night and lasting through Thursday, we MAY open the Upper Dummerston Road tomorrow night and then close it again for a day or two when we can resume erection later this week or early next week. We will keep you posted as plans develop.
Cindy Cook
Principal, Adamant Accord, Inc.
Past Vice President, Association for Conflict Resolution
Town Meeting Members will be asked to vote on a question that asks if they are willing to spend $4,500,000 on the relocation of the police station to Black Mountain Road. The vote will in fact authorize the spending of about $13,000,000 above the five million dollar loan already taken out.
The actual loan, which will include work on the West B. fire station, is in fact anticipated to be $7,760,000. Interest on the loan, for a twenty year option, is an additional $2,740,000. What is not calculated into the final figure is the cost of having the station on the far north end of town. Nearly all the police business and activity occurs in the central, south and west end of town. Not surprising. There is almost no residential population at all in the north end.
Consequent to that location it is therefore necessary for every town vehicle that either originates from or is destined to the police station (every cop on duty, every administrator going to a meeting from or to there, every DPW trip etc etc) is traveling four extra miles and ten minutes every roundtrip. Take out a pencil and paper.
I-91
To reduce congestion on I-91, both Exit 3 on ramps will be closed on Sunday, February 21, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. I-91 will remain open.
Sunday afternoon closures of the Exit 3 on ramps will continue each weekend through the end of the ski season.
Northbound I-91 traffic has been relocated onto the southbound bridge. Traffic will remain reduced to one lane in each direction on I-91 until completion of the new bridge. The new bridge will be 104’ wide and is designed to carry all four lanes of traffic –two northbound and two southbound.
The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee will meet on Monday, February 22, 2016, at 4:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.
The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, February 22, 2016, at 5:30pm at Brooks Memorial Library in the community room.
The Brattleboro Regional Economic Hub Study Group will meet on Thursday, February 25, 2016, at 6:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.
Our local skatepark project got a boost with approval of a $230,000 grant application by the Brattleboro Selectboard at Tuesday’s meeting. If granted, the money will be used for design and construction of the skatepark at Living Memorial Park.
Emergency plans for Vermont Yankee are set to change as the storage situation in Vernon evolves. Maybe. The board also delat with annual approvals of liquor licenses, a Grand List certification, parade permits, and the adoption of a new ordinance for pets.
Due to the weather, the Brooks Memorial Library will close at 7:00 this evening, Tuesday, Feb. 16th. The Audubon Society meeting at the library has been cancelled.
Brattleboro Time Trade: Exchanging services, creating connections, strengthening communities, one hour at a time. See below for more exciting Upcoming Events and learn what Time Trade can do for you!
How Time Trade Works: You do something for someone and earn
time credits for your “bank,” which you can then put towards someone
else doing something for you! It’s that simple – and amazing!
This week’s fabulous listings, brought to you from the arctic depths:
Now anyone can see a listing of all our Offers and Requests: https://brattleboro.timebanks.org/ads?type=1
OFFERS (i.e. things people could do for you):
Holistic Health Coaching
Buddy Help for CW3
Flower and Herbs Seeds – Get Ready for your Next Garden!
Baked Goods Prepared for You
Editing
Snow Shoes Available
Online tax filing might be easier than you think! The library partners with MyFreeTaxes.com, a project of Windham County United Way, to make online tax filing easy and free for qualifying households. Or try FreeFile, another easy online option from the Vermont Department of Taxes. If you need a fast computer, visit the library; we’ll help you get started and give you all the online time you need. Click here for links & more info http://brookslibraryvt.org/search/subject-guides2/tax-prep
File Online: Prepare and file your state and federal taxes online. Both are free to qualifying households. If you don’t qualify for free filing, you can still use the services; you’ll simply be charged a filing fee.
Brattleboro’s proposed skatepark may take a major step forward if the Selectboard approves a $230,000 grant application request from BASIC and the Recreation & Parks department. The grant application would be to the National Creative Placemaking Fund.
The board will approve special event permits, learn about the VY Decomissioning timeline for emergency management, and will hold a second reading and public hearing on proposed changes to ordinances regarding pets.
Attend in person to participate, watch on BCTV, and read about it here the day after.
In observance of Presidents’ Day, all Town offices will be closed on Monday, February 15, 2016, with the exception of emergency services.
Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Sunday and Monday, February 14 and February 15. All other violations will be enforced.
In a weather briefing from the National Weather Service the coldest air mass of the season is expected this weekend, with the coldest temperatures Saturday night into Sunday.
Very cold temperatures combined with strong gusty winds will allow for wind chill values to reach dangerous to potentially life threatening levels between Friday Night and Sunday night. The lowest values will be on Saturday night and will occur across the higher elevations, where wind chill values may be as low as 30 to 50 below zero. Valley areas will see wind chill values in the 20 to 30 below zero range. Actual air temperatures will be below zero across the entire area on Saturday night as well.
The third installment of the 2015 Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes will be due on February 16th, 2016. Payments made after February 16th, 2016 will have an additional 1% interest added to the unpaid balance.
The utility billing is also due on February 16th, 2016. Payments made after February 16th, 2016 will have an additional 1% interest, as well as an 8% penalty added to the unpaid balance.
The Treasurer’s Office will be closed on February 15th, 2016 in observance of President’s Day.
Brattleboro Time Trade: Exchanging services, creating connections, strengthening communities, one hour at a time. See below for more exciting Upcoming Events and learn what Time Trade can do for you!
How Time Trade Works: You do something for someone and earn time credits for your “bank,” which you can then put towards someone else doing something for you! It’s that simple – and amazing!
This week’s fabulous listings, brought to you from hopes of more snow:
Now anyone can see a listing of all our Offers and Requests: https://brattleboro.timebanks.org/ads?type=1
OFFERS (i.e. things people could do for you):
Flower and Herbs Seeds – Get Ready for your Next Garden!
Baked Goods Prepared for You
Editing
Snow Shoes Available
Pet Visits
Citizen’s Awareness Breakfast at the Senior Center
I-91
To reduce congestion on I-91, both Exit 3 on ramps will be closed on Sunday, February 7, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. I-91 will remain open.
Weekend closures of the Exit 3 on ramps will continue each weekend through the end of February. The closures will be on Sunday afternoons; except that on three-day weekends, closures will be on Mondays.
Northbound I-91 traffic has been relocated onto the southbound bridge. Traffic will remain reduced to one lane in each direction on I-91 until completion of the new bridge. The new bridge will be 104’ wide and is designed to carry all four lanes of traffic –two northbound and two southbound.
