Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda & Notes – December 15, 2015

It’s time for another Selectboard meeting, and time for them to make some decisions about the Waste Management District budget, changing from weekly trash pickup, and single stream recyling.

They’ll also ponder the Police Fire Facilities project, award a bid for Elliot Street bridge repairs, approve some grants, and hear the annual report from the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance (formerly the Downtown Alliance, formerly Building a Better Brattleboro).

You can bring up other issues not on the agenda during public participation. Attend in person, watch on BCTV, or read about it hear after the meeting.


Open House for Jerry Carbone

LIBRARY OPEN HOUSE FOR JERRY CARBONE

The public is invited to an Open House at the Brooks Memorial Library on Friday, Dec. 18 from 4 to 7PM to celebrate Jerry Carbone’s work for and at the Library.

Jerry Carbone has been a leader in Vermont public libraries for 37 years.  Under Jerry’s leadership, Brooks Memorial Library broadened and deepened its mission to become a community hub, a resource for lifelong learning, and a center for multimedia literacy for the 21st century. 

In his 23 years as Director, Carbone worked tirelessly to sustain public and private library funding and inspired a major bequest that will help ensure the library’s continued role as a model for public library service in Vermont.  He started working at Brooks on November 4, 1978 as a Reference Librarian and became the Director in 1993.


Selectboard Special Meeting Notes – Money, Sirens, & The Continued Question of Public Input

“Our 200th meeting in a row,” said John Allen, commenting on the more-than-weekly nature of recent board meetings.

Town Manager Elwell made note of an excellent audit result, in which the state’s Department of Public Safety looked at about $236,000 worth of grants given to the town and found Brattleboro to being looking good. All praise to Grants Manager Kim Ellison.

In response to public inquiry, Elwell said the engineer looking into downtown traffic flow for cars and pedestrians should have results for the town soon, and that favorable bids had been received for the Green Street retaining wall project, to be discussed at next week’s (201st) meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard.


Notice of Application to Brownfields Reuse and Environmental Liability Limitation Program

Please take notice that Brattleboro Museum & Art Center whose address is 10 Vernon Street, Brattleboro, VT is applying to the Vermont Brownfields Reuse and Environmental Liability Limitation Program (10 V.S.A. §6641 et seq.) in connection with the redevelopment of property known as 11 Arch Street in the Town of Brattleboro.

A copy of the application, which contains a preliminary environmental assessment and a description of the proposed redevelopment project is available for public review at the Brattleboro Town Clerk’s Office and at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation offices in Montpelier.


Valgar Street Fire Investigation Continues, Reward Offered

The investigation into the arson fire that caused extensive damage to four apartments at 16 – 38 Valgar St. continues to be a very active, joint effort by the Brattleboro Police and Fire Departments. Both agencies, along with assistance from the VT State Police, have been working persistently since the morning of the fire, conducting dozens of interviews to gather information about the incident. At this time the investigation is continuing and the agencies are again asking for anyone who may have seen anything unusual before the time of the fire or may have any information about the fire to call the Brattleboro Police Department at 802-257-7946 or the Brattleboro Police Tips Hotline at 802-251-8188.


I-91 Closings December 8 & 9 – Reminder

Reminder:

I-91 between Exits 2 and 3 will be closed to complete preventative maintenance before the winter season begins in earnest.

On Tuesday, December 8, I-91 SOUTHBOUND will be closed between exits 3 & 2 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

On Wednesday, December 9, I-91 NORTHBOUND will be closed between exits 2 & 3 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

Traffic officers will be on hand to detour traffic onto Route 5.


Noticed Around Brattleboro – December 2015 Edition

Lots of little changes going on around town, and it is time for us to catalog them. Here are a few to get us started:

– Robert at Zephyr Designs on Main Street is retiring, according to a sign in the window.

– Main Street has some nice, large lit stars on display at night in addition to all the decorated windows. They look to be about 8 or 10 feet across, each.


Brattleboro Time Trade Listings – Week of December 6

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 first nighta:

OFFERS (i.e. things people could do for you):

Meditation/ Visualizations etc.
Yard Work
New Parent Support
Dog Sitting in Our Home
Spanish for Travelers Class
Help with Fall and Winter Chore’s – Many T.T Reference’s
KidsPLAYce, Come and PLAY!
Vegan Raw Cookbook
Use of Dehydrator
Use of Pottery Studio by Experienced Ceramist


Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting Agenda & Notes – December 8, 2015

Say goodbye to the Vermont Yankee emergency warning sirens. The Brattleboro Selectboard plans to endorse the idea of removing them at their next regular special meeting.

They will also recap their latest impressions and feelings about the Police Fire Facilities meetings, will review departmental FY17 budgets for the Library, Assessors, Town Clerk, Finance, Fire and Planning departments, and will again discuss postponing their Windham Solid Waste Management District Budget vote. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during Public Participation.

Watch on BCTV and read all about it here after the meeting.


Brattleboro Committee Meetings and Agendas

The Brattleboro Energy Committee will meet on Monday, December 7, 2015 at 5:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 4:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 7:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.


West Brattleboro Association Holiday Party Is December 14th

On Monday, December 14, at 6:00 pm, the West Brattleboro Association (WBA) will host its annual Holiday Party at The New England House, 254 Marlboro Road. This is a time for people and businesses in West Brattleboro to get together socially and to celebrate the Association’s numerous accomplishments in this past year. The evening will feature a cash bar with hors d’oeuvres prepared by the restaurant. The WBA suggests a voluntary donation of $5 toward the food, although no one will be turned away.

 In addition to this being a time to enjoy each other at this festive season, there will be a couple of short presentations.  The Association’s board president Michael Bosworth will give a brief “state of the Association” report after which the group will present the West Brattleboro Community Leader of the Year to a deserving person or entity. Come to our party to help us celebrate this worthy recipient! Previous winners have been Bill and Judy Daley of the Vermont Country Deli,  Ahmad and Kat Rashed of Rashed’s Garden Center, the staff and board of the Brattleboro Housing Authority, and Todd Darrah of the Chelsea Royal Diner, each for their many contributions to our community.


Brattleboro Committee Vacancies

The Town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following committees and boards:

Agricultural Advisory Board
ADA Advisory Committee
Arts Committee
Citizens Police Communications Committee (CPCC)
Conservation Commission
Development Review Board Alternate


Selectboard Meeting Notes: Single Stream Savings Dry Up, Precision Stabilization Offered

Major changes to Brattleboro’s trash and recycling were discussed, but decisions were delayed in order to gather more information from the public and solid waste district. And the prospect of savings from a switch to single stream recycling proved elusive.

BDCC and GS Precision received a decade of tax breaks along with loans and some property adjustments as a reward for staying in town, keeping and creating many good-paying jobs, and and supplying grandlist enhancing facilities.

Grants, an emergency compressor, committee vacancies, and more were also up for discussion.


Brattleboro Winter Parking 2015-2016

The Brattleboro Parking Department would like to advise everyone that the winter parking ban will go into effect, starting Saturday, December 5, 2015. Overnight parking is forbidden on all streets in the town of Brattleboro. Vehicles parked for longer than one (1) hour between 11:00pm and 07:00am may be ticketed and towed at the owners expense.


I-91 To Close Tuesday Dec 8 and Wednesday Dec 9 at Exit 2 and 3

I-91 between Exits 2 and 3 will be closed to complete preventative maintenance before the winter season begins in earnest.

On Tuesday, December 8, I-91 SOUTHBOUND will be closed between exits 3 & 2 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

On Wednesday, December 9, I-91 NORTHBOUND will be closed between exits 2 & 3 from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.


Happy Thanksgiving

I’m thankful for all of you, your thoughts, views, opinions, news, ideas, jokes, and so on. Have a great Thanskgiving Day.

Making anything good that we should all stop over and try?


Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda & Notes – December 1, 2015

Ready to go to every other week garbage collection? How about single stream recycling? The Brattleboro Selectboard will take up these and other waste-y issues at their regular Tuesday meeting on Dec. 1.

Tax stabilization, loans, and land transactions with BDCC and G.S. Precision will be discussed and approved, the DPW will buys some vehicles, Elliot Street bridge repairs will be discussed, and more. Watch on BCTV or attend in person, and read about it here after the meeting.


Brattleboro Selectboard Schedules Two More Police Fire Info Sessions

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting and public information session on Monday, November 30, 2015 at 6:00pm in the Academy School gymnasium. This is the second of three public information meetings to present information and hear public comment about the proposed alternatives for the Police-Fire Facilities Project. This meeting will be taped and rebroadcast by BCTV. ASL interpreters will be available for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.