News and information sections, from near to far
Brattleboro Citizens’ Breakfast
April 19, 2013
Gibson-Aiken Center – Brattleboro VT
Curbside Composting
Presenter: Moss Kahler
The Town of Brattleboro wanted to save money and found it could do so by boosting it’s recycling rate.
What are the options for the Police/Fire project? On the one hand the project can, without further ado, go forward with its $14.1 million dollar budget. This item alone will add 9-10 cents onto the tax rate next year (beginning July 2014). On the other hand, well, anything is possible. For instance: only doing the fire station now with an extra story or two, moving the town offices there and simply making some renovations to the Municipal Bldg to get police department functions out of the basement. Postpone West Bratt for now. This would dramatically cut immediate costs. However I put this one idea out only to open the door to brainstorming. There are probably ten thousand other possibilities.
The Windham Foundation has awarded Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity a $5,000 grant to support its 2nd Annual Vermont Vision for a Multicultural Future Conference. The conference will be held November 7th – 8th, 2013 at the Grand Summit Hotel at the Mount Snow Resort in Dover, Vermont.
The Vermont Vision conference allows leaders from different sectors to generate actionable ideas in a participant-driven process. The conference’s unique format, facilitated by Adrian Segar, engages participants in deciding what is discussed and presented, by whom, when and how.
“As I drive around town, I’ve noticed that there seems to be a growing number of vehicles that have very faded Vermont license plates. They are so faded that you can’t possibly read them. They seem to be more recent plates. The one I’ve had on my car for 15 years is still bright and readable. Are these plates made of some material that fades rather quickly in the sun maybe?
I just wondered if this is a problem for the police, who I would think would have considerable difficulty reading the plates. And would these drivers be able to get a newer copy of the same plate somehow?”
Regarding license plates, Vermont law section 511 of Chapter 7, Title 23 requires that, among other things, “The number plates shall be kept entirely unobscured, the numerals and the letters thereon shall be plainly legible at all times.”
The Brattleboro Area Farmers’ Market opens for the season Saturday, May 4th! Join us in welcoming new and returning vendors, market friends and customers, and the many signs of spring– including the traditional Maypole Dancing, with Andy Davis and friends, from 11 to 1. Families are welcome!
The market is open outdoors on Rte 9 in West Brattleboro, rain or shine, every Saturday from 9am to 2pm. EBT and debit cards are welcome. Enjoy our picnic tables, children’s area and take advantage of our ample parking or Frequent Walker/Biker Program.
The Brattleboro Police Fire Facility Committee will meet on April 25th at 4pm in the Hanna Cosman room.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
Over 700 households have signed up for Brattleboro’s upcoming curbside compost program.
Distribution of curbside carts and kitchen containers will be held at the Nelson E. Withington Ice Rink at Memorial Park Saturday, May 4th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, May 8th from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday May 11th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Those who wish to participate, but have not signed up, are welcome. All participants must currently have their trash and recycling picked up by the town. Those living in buildings with 5 or more units cannot participate – they should speak with their landlord about recycling and composting options.
WATER MAIN FLUSHING TO START
Utilities Division crews will start Spring Flushing of the Town water mains on Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 10:00 p.m. and continue through Saturday, May 11, 2013.
NOTE!! Some daytime flushing will continue throughout the week of May 13, 2013.
Please note that water main flushing will occur at night and also during the day.
Customers are asked to check the flushing schedule closely as flushing causes water discoloration, low water pressure, and in some areas intervals of no water.
The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 8:30am in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The Brattleboro Citizens Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, April 22, 2013 at 5:30pm at the Brooks Memorial Library in the community room.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
Starting Monday, April 22 through Thursday, April 25, the Library’s Front Entrance on Main St. will be not be accessible due to installation of new doors. The book drop (NOT VIDEO DROP) on Main Street will be accessible all day throughout the construction.
The Library’s Back Entrance next to the Municipal Center parking lot will be open and will accommodate wheelchairs. Handicap parking is in the Municipal Center lot.
As reported early this week, The Tavern at the Colonial Motel will be under new ownership come May. There are also a few other restaurant changes in the Brattleboro area.
Gillies Seafood is closed and the windows are bare. This was a go-to seafood restaurant in West Brattleboro staffed by friendly people, with good food and seemingly big crowds not too long ago. They also featured a fish market next door.
Lacking two members, the Brattleboro Selectboard took up a relatively light agenda in their absence. A liquor license was approved for The Tavern, Selectboard goals were approved, and new members were appointed to town committees.
Town Manager Barb Sondag took advantage of the reduced work load for the meeting and took time to educate new board members, and the public, about budgets, committees, and other various reports that Selectboard members receive.
The class was short but informative, and the meeting’s business was done within an hour.
The Town is planning to install new sidewalks on the east side of main Street, starting at the Gilbert Memorial Bridge and continuing north to Walnut Street. Some sections of this sidewalk were recently replaced as part of a VTrans project.
The Downtown Sidewalk Project will replace the sections that have not yet been upgraded. The project is intended to improve safety for pedestrians and create a more attractive Main Street.
We invite you as a resident of Brattleboro, property owner, or business owner along the Downtown Sidewalk Project route to attend a public meeting on April 25, 2013 at 6:00 pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center located at 230 Main Street.
The Brattleboro Police-Fire Facility Building Committee will meet on Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 4:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The Brattleboro Selectboard will adopt their annual goals at the next regular Tuesday meeting at the Municipal Center on Main Street. They’ll also take up committee appointments and vacancies, hear about new ownership of the Colonial Motel, get the latest on the Waste Water Treatment Plant Project, and revisit the decision to allow a Selectboard member voting rights on a committee.
You can bring up other issues that aren’t on the agenda during public participation if you attend. If not, watch the full proceedings on BCTV and read about it hear the next day.
There was a tornado vortex in Southwestern Vermont today.
Brattleboro’s 2013 Water Quality Report is now available. We are once again proud to report no violations and few contaminants detected in the water we supply. This Federally mandated report contains information and test results on the water supplied to Brattleboro residents during the past year. It also includes general information about your water supply and its sources and a little water department news.
The ADA Advisory Committee previously scheduled on April 12 has been cancelled due to the inclement weather forecast. The next meeting will be May 10.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
