News and information sections, from near to far
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at 12:00pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. The Board will convene at 12:00pm 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.
he following dates have been scheduled for Brattleboro’s curbside Fall Leaf Collection.
All locations will be picked up each Friday:
Leaf Pick Up Date
ALL RESIDENTS Friday, October 21, 2022
ALL RESIDENTS Friday, November 4, 2022
A. Call to Order (5:15)
B. Approve Minutes of August 30 (5:15 – 5:25)
C. New Business (5:25 – 5:45)
1. Discussion: Advice Requested for Conversion of Mowed Area into Meadow (5:25 – 5:45)
6:00 Call to Order
6:00 – 6:05 Announcements
6:05 – 6:10 Minutes of September 7, 2022
Discussion of Edits, Motion to Approve
6:10 – 7:20 Bylaw Modernization Grant – Planned Unit Development
The Brattleboro Art committee will meet on Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at 5:00pm at the Brooks Memorial Library Community Room.
Ana Saavedra, financial advisor at Edward Jones Investments, recently assumed the role of President of the Youth Services Board of Directors, taking the reins from Cathy Coonan whose two-year term ended in July. Saavedra has been on the agency’s Board of Directors for the past 15 years in a number of leadership positions.
During her tenure on the Youth Services board, Saavedra has held the position of Vice President and has served on the Executive and Gala committees. She has chaired the Development, Endowment and Planned Giving committees for a decade or more.
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.
