News and information sections, from near to far
AGENDA
Call to Order
Review and Approve Minutes of previous meeting.
Review of Cases/Public.
2020-140 Barbara Gentry.; Rural Residential District; request for Plat Approval to create a new lot on East Bonnyvale Lane; Tax Map Parcel 100318.100
2020-143 Esta B. Smith Life Estate; Rural Residential District; request for Plat Approval to create a new lot on South Street; Tax Map Parcel 110231.100
On Tuesday, November 24, Utilities crews will be working on Greenleaf Street between Country Hill and the lower end of Green Meadow. The road will be closed to through traffic in that area for most of the day. Please seek an alternate route.
If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Department of Public Works at 802-254-4255 or email Mike Earle at mearle@brattleboro.org
• In compliance with Governor Scott’s instructions on November 13 for offices throughout Vermont to “reinstitute, to the maximum extent possible, … telecommuting or work from home procedures,” Town office operations have transitioned this week back to the way in which we operated during the “Stay Home Stay Safe” period in March and April of 2020. Office employees are working from home most of the time. Some employees are coming into their offices occasionally when it is necessary to accomplish a particular task or to provide a needed service to a member of the public. Since Town employees and the public we serve all have learned to transact most of our business electronically or by phone, we have found that the vast majority of our Town office work can be performed at our homes.
• Town field services also are transitioning back to the way in which they operated during last spring’s “Stay Home Stay Safe” period. For now, the way in which the public receives those services is relatively normal, but the work is being done in accordance with many special procedures required by the State of Vermont and recommended by public health officials. As we move into even more restrictive practices for the protection of employees and the public, we will identify those changes in future “COVID-19 Response Status” updates.
In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, all Brattleboro Town offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27, 2020, with the exception of emergency services.
Brooks Memorial Library does not allow in-person visits at this time. Curbside visits and on-line services are available. The Library will close at 5:00pm on Wednesday, November 25, and will be closed on Thursday, November 26. It will re-open for curbside pick-up between 10am and 5pm on Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28. 2020.
The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee will meet on Monday, November 23, 2020, at 12:00pm using Zoom (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19). The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.”
The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, November 23, 2020, at 5:30pm using Zoom (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19). The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.”
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, using Zoom (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19). The Board will convene at 5:15pm and is expected to enter into executive session to discuss the negotiating or securing of real estate purchase or lease options and the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee, and to enter into deliberative session to deliberate on the Hinsdale Bridge takings and eminent domain matter involving the lands of Tullius on Left Bank Way. The Board will reconvene at 6:15pm for the business portion of the meeting. The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.” Information about how to connect to the meeting is also posted on the homepage of the Town’s website. ASL interpreters will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.
Attached please find the following. A response to a concern to the article.
Regarding the article “Brattleboro Senior Meals Director Retires”. This article meant only to honor Chris McAvoy for her excellent leadership of the Senior Meals Program. In no way was the article meant to infer that we are not one hundred percent supported by Senior Solutions.
In 2004 a group of seniors, headed by Greg Propster and supported by Chris, determined – after a great deal of reflection – that Brattleboro Senior Meals should become an independent non-profit 501c3 organization. Beyond the program goals of providing area seniors with regular meals and a link to the larger community, the group wanted to keep their long-time kitchen help and keep their meals prepared on site. In addition, becoming a 501c3 allowed Brattleboro Senior Meals the opportunity to apply for grants and other fund-raising opportunities.
The Selectboard Show was on Tuesday night with a special extended edition.
It was their first consent agenda, with a review of SeVEDS current projects, a talk about renters and landlords, an Energy Committee proposal to align with state emissions goals, and a review of FY22 capital projects and equipment.
With your management and leadership, the program will continue and be even better” The Brattleboro Senior Meals Board
From 1997 to 2020 that what Chris McAvoy has done just that. Brattleboro Senior Meals from 1997 to 2004 the program was under Senior Solutions. In 2004 Senior Solutions decided that they would no longer fund the meals program at this site.
Chris with the help of a group of seniors, headed by Greg Propster, decided to become their own entity and for a non-profit, 501c3. With this accomplished Chris was able move the program with her management and leadership skills.
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
• Governor Scott’s updated executive order earlier today includes the following:
“All businesses, not-for-profit entities, and municipal entities in the State shall reinstitute, to the maximum extent possible, … telecommuting or work from home procedures… [A]ll meetings should be held by telephone or electronically to avoid in person meetings whenever possible.”
In furtherance of this directive, Town of Brattleboro administrative offices will transition next week back to the almost entirely remote operations that we put in place during the Stay Home Stay Safe period last March and April. Starting Monday, November 16, some Town offices will be unoccupied. By Friday, November 20, most Town offices will be unoccupied most of the time. As was true last spring, some employees will come to the offices on some days just to perform tasks that cannot be performed from remote locations. We found last spring that we could adequately meet the public’s needs while performing the vast majority of our work online, via email, and by phone.
Governor Scott issued new COVID-19 executive orders today for Vermonters. The big news is that everyone must limit attendance at all gatherings to members of their immediate household. This includes staying at home for Thanksgiving, with a tiny loophole for family members living alone.
Effective Saturday November 14, 2020 at 10pm it is ordered that multiple household social gatherings be suspended, restaurant hours and seating limits be tightened, and bars and clubs be closed to in-person service.
It is furthered ordered that restaurants and public accommodations keep contact logs, that the public comply with contact tracing efforts, and that recreational sports programs be suspended.
There’s more: all college students returning home in or out of state must quarantine at home, and all businesses shall reinstitute or reemphasize telecommuting and work from home.
The full text of the executive order is below.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will attempt their first “consent agenda” at their next regular meeting. It is an effort to move things along at a slightly quicker pace than before by grouping items that are simple and require no discussion.
Bigger issues for Tuesday’s meeting include an update to inform the board that Community Development Block Grants cannot be used for direct aid to tenants, SeVEDS will give their annual update and appeal for funding, the Energy Committee will offer up their revised goals, and the FY22 budget exploration gets underway with a discussion of revenues, capital projects, and capital equipment needs. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee will meet on Monday, November 16, 2020, at 1:00pm using Zoom (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19). The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.”
The Brattleboro Community Safety Review Committee will meet on Monday, November 16, 2020, at 6:00pm using Zoom (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19). The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.”
The Brattleboro Parking Department would like to advise everyone that the winter parking ban will go into effect, starting Sunday, November 15, 2020. 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.
THIS BAN IS IN EFFECT EVEN IF THERE IS NO SNOW ON TOWN STREETS.
AGENDA
1. Call to Order
2. Site Visit – 73 South Main Street
*There is no on-site or street parking in the immediate vicinity of the property. Public parking is available in the downtown. On street parking may be available further up South Main Street.
3. Recess
4. Re-convene meeting use Zoom – 1:00 P.M.
The Brattleboro Selectboard held a special meeting and public hearing to discuss the taking of lands at 28 Vernon Street for the upcoming Hinsdale Bridge project. The board held off on making any form decisions to give the property owners even more time to respond.
The second installment of the 2020 Brattleboro Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes will be due on November 16, 2020. Payments made after November 16, 2020 will have an additional 1% interest added to the unpaid balance.
The Town of Brattleboro utility bills are also due on November 16, 2020. Payments made after November 16, 2020 will have an additional 1% interest, as well as an 8% penalty, added to the unpaid balance.
Facilitated Brattleboro committee offering multiple ways to share experiences with community safety and policing
Brattleboro, VT, For Immediate Release- The Brattleboro Community Safety Review facilitators and committee are working on collecting as much information about community safety and policing as possible from area residents this month. While listening is open to anyone in or around Brattleboro, the project is working hard to make sure the voices of the people with the most experience of danger & harm, police contact, and safety related interventions are at the center. The project scope includes a systems review of the Brattleboro Police Department, which includes listening sessions with officers and statistical and policy reviews, along with looking at mental health and psychiatric interventions, Department of Children and Families interventions, and other community responses to violence, danger, or harm. The project names anti-racism and anti-oppression as fundamental, and all information shared with the facilitators one on one or digitally will be thoroughly de-identified to protect the safety of people who want to share their experiences. People who work in community safety and support systems are also welcomed to share their perspectives, and are also offered de-identification and confidentiality so they may share freely about the successes and failures of existing structures of community safety and visions for a safer Brattleboro.
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
• Businesses can now remotely fill out and pay for their 2021 Business License. Go Here for the link to the form and to pay online. Check/Money Order also can be mailed to the Town Assessor’s Office at 230 Main Street, Suite 109, or dropped off in the brown “Town Business” drop box in the Municipal Center parking lot. The annual fee is $50.
• Both the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Leagues have voted not to move forward with league play this winter. However, Men’s and Women’s Adult Basketball Open Gym & Pickup Games will be offered at the Gibson Aiken Center located at 207 Main Street. This program is by donation and will be on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 7pm-8:30pm, beginning immediately. Please note that this program is for men and women who are 18 years old and older and all participants must be out of high school. To participate on any specific evening, arrive between 7pm and 7:15pm. No one will be admitted after 7:15pm. Due to COVID-19:
The Brattleboro Community Safety Review Committee will meet on Monday, November 9, 2020, at 6:00pm using Zoom (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19). The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely.
