News and information sections, from near to far
The Brattleboro Fire Department is currently developing an EMS study and is seeking community input as part of that process. The Department has launched a brief online survey soliciting input and opinions from the Brattleboro community. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 31.
The Town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following committees and boards:
ADA Committee
Agricultural Advisory Committee – voting and ex officio non-voting members
Arts Committee
Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC)
Conservation Commission
Design Review Board (Alternate)
Some people welcome the cold weather because they enjoy winter sports. Finding some joy in winter is a good thing but there is no joy in thinking about how much it will cost to heat our homes. The average price of a gallon fuel in Vermont as of September is: $5.53 for kerosene, $4.63 for #2 fuel oil and $3.03 for propane. That will strain the pocketbook of most of us and there will too many people who will be on the verge of freezing to death when they have to decide how to pay for rent, medicine and heat in an economy that has not been kind to those who are trying to simply survive and get by.
Nineteen years ago Daryl Pillsbury and I started the Windham County Heat Fund because we thought the price of heating fuel was going to put too many of our vulnerable friends and neighbors in harm’s way during the heating season. We figured we could abandon our project in a few years after the price of fuel dropped.
The Brattleboro Selectboard continued to celebrate their EMS decisions, and voted to make a third ambulance and 24-7 AEMT position permanent.
The board also discussed diversity and inclusion, especially as it relates to Republicans, and contemplated the best way to interview and appoint committee members.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Friday, September 23, 2022 at 8:15am in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. The Board will convene at 8:15am and is expected to immediately enter into executive session to discuss the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee. The Board will reconvene after the executive session and immediately adjourn. No action will be taken.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will approve a $50,000 annual increase in fees to Golden Cross at their next regular meeting. This will cover a 3rd ambulance and a second full time AEMT provider.
The board will also discuss a “Declaration of Inclusion,” authorize sewer repairs, continue with committee appointments. You can, additionally, bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
Utilities Division crews will start Fall Flushing of the Town water mains on Friday, September 23 and continue through Friday, October 7. Occasional daytime flushing will continue throughout the week of October 11th through 14th
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. You may experience a short period of discolored water or air in the water lines after flushing is complete in your area. Running the cold water for a few minutes should clear the lines if this happens.
The Brattleboro Human Services Committee will meet on Thursday, September 22, 2022 at 3:30pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center.
AGENDA
1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Minutes –August 18, 2022
3. Public Participation
4. Monthly Report on Pedestrian and Bicycle Incidents – For August
5. Monthly Report on Traffic Data Collection – for August
The Walk/Bike Action Plan has generated over 200 comments on the challenges and opportunities for better walking and biking in Brattleboro through an interactive map that can be accessed at www.brattleboro.org in the News section or at https://arcg.is/1Oe04q.
Please join us at a virtual public meeting on Thursday, September 22 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm for a discussion of the locations in Brattleboro most in need of attention from a pedestrian or bicyclist’s perspective – and some potential solutions. This will be the first of two public meetings for the Walk/Bike Action Plan. The goal is to share what we have heard so far and start determining how best to prioritize and fund the projects and maintenance required to keep bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit riders safe and comfortable as they get around town. Although virtual, this will be an interactive meeting that includes two-way discussion about potential targeted solutions through live polling and audience questions.
The Brattleboro Selectboard got into a rather detailed discussion of DV Fiber’s plans to provide high speed internet throughout southeastern Vermont. It stated out as a simple request for some closet space, but expanded into a description of the network and coming plans for service.
The board also approved a grant application for housing assistance and accepted a grant for bike paths.
No sense trying to explain why Blog88.org has been AWOL. To say I’ve been stalking a hot story which needs to be kept under wraps for another 6 months or more, might sound like an excuse.
In case you missed it and it is of interest (Wednesday, August 31, 2022), fyi:
Scott administration announces abrupt halt in rental assistance for more than 8,000 Vermont households
(via Vermont Public):
A light agenda awaits the Brattleboro Selectboard at their first meeting in September – accept grant money for bike lanes, assist Windham & Windsor Trust, and help out DV Fiber.
You can add weight by bringing up other matters not on the agenda during public participation.
Beginning Tuesday, September 6, All States Construction (a contractor of the town) will be milling and paving in the area along South Main Street. This work is expected to take approximately three weeks to complete.
The streets being paved include South Main Street (from Canal Street to Old Guilford Road), Estabrook Street, Lawrence Street, Valgar Street, Cotton Mill Hill (between the Cotton Mill Complex and Route 142) and Old Guilford Road (from South Main Street to University Way). Crews will be working between 7:00am and 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. There will be no on-street parking during this project and motorists should expect delays in the area and seek alternate routes.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The Brattleboro Cemetery Committee is established for the purpose of advising the Selectboard in matters of care and maintenance of all Town owned cemeteries.
It establishes policies, rules and regulations for operation of the cemeteries; sets prices for services provided; lays out plots, drives and paths and prices for burial plots. No policy making decision of the Committee is valid unless approved by the Selectboard.
In observance of Labor Day, all Town offices will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2022, with the exception of emergency services.
Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Sunday, September 4, and Monday, September 5. All other violations will be enforced.
6:00 Call to Order
6:00 – 7:15 Making Middle Housing Happen
Presentation and Discussion with Brandy Saxton, PlaceSense, on the forms of housing typically built in Brattleboro and contemporary versions of those forms that could create ‘missing middle’ housing.
A. Call to Order
B. Approve Minutes of July 28
C. Old Business
1. Ongoing Invasive Species Mitigation Updates
Agenda items:
Approve Minutes
Shade Tree Ordinance
Fall Maintenance/Planting
Planting Sites
