News and information sections, from near to far
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
• Here are links to 3 important COVID-19 financial relief programs offered by the State of Vermont for renters, landlords, and sole proprietor businesses:
o Emergency Mortgage Assistance- https://www.vhfa.org/documents/images/vt_map_flyer.pdf
o Rental Housing Stabilization Fund – https://www.vsha.org/rental-housing-stabilization-program/
o Vermont Sole Proprietor Stabilization Fund – https://www.vermont-cdbg-cv.com/
The next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard will be devoted to a single topic – the continued discussion of a potential police review process.
The previous conversation left off with two competing proposals – one from the board and one from community groups working with these issues – and a request that the selectboard’s proposal be withdrawn. The board wanted time to consider merging the two proposals.
You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
Handy Stations were the primary topic of a special virtual meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. The board approved spending $3,600 on three artistic devices to help people sanitize their hands downtown. If it works out, they may spend even more on keeping people safe.
It was admitted that some hand sanitizer taped to the wall might be significantly less expensive, but a motion-sensing, artist -decorated, musical hand sanitizing station to be adopted and maintained by businesses was the preferred idea. There was also an interesting discussion about the Civil War monument.
Hydrant Flow Testing in the Town of Brattleboro
On Thursday, July 16, beginning at 9:00pm through approximately 4:00am Friday, July 17, Utilities Crews will be conducting flow tests of the hydrants around town. Residents may see water in the roadway and/or have discolored water in their homes. If you experience water discoloration, you should run the cold water for a few minutes to flush your pipes which should take care of the issue.
Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), the Vermont State Housing Authority and the Vermont State Housing Finance Agency today announced $30 million in housing assistance to those affected by COVID-19. The programs, first proposed by the Administration and amended and passed by the Legislature, utilize federal CARES Act funding to provide relief for those tenants unable to pay rent, landlords suffering from a loss of rent payments and those lower income homeowners needing assistance in paying their mortgages.
“Landlords, renters, homeowners and those experiencing homelessness have all been impacted by this virus and need assistance, which is why we’ve worked closely with the Legislature to provide this relief,” said Governor Phil Scott. “As we continue to fight this virus, keep Vermonters safe and restart our economy, we know our recovery starts with everyone having a safe and secure place to call home.”
The Brattleboro Selectboard is holding a special meeting to take care of the business not attended to at the last meeting. It looks like a short agenda, but who really knows?
You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
Brattleboro Energy Committee
Monday, July 13, 2020
5:00 PM
NOTE: Per the “Stay Home – Stay Safe” order issued by Governor Scott, this meeting will be held with no physical location using GoToMeeting.
The Brattleboro Selectboard didn’t get to new business until after 11 pm. Old business of Representative Town Meeting scheduling, second thoughts on an already-approved budget, and competing proposals for police reforms filled the lengthy meeting.
In the end, no new RTM was set, the board was told the budget cannot be changed but can be ignored selectively, and competing proposals for police reforms will fill a new meeting schedule for July 21.
In observance of the July 4th holiday, all Town offices will be closed on Friday, July 3, 2020, with the exception of emergency services.
Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Saturday and Sunday, July 4 and July 5, 2020. All other violations will be enforced. Parking enforcement will resume on Monday, July 6, 2020.
Brooks Memorial Library curbside service will be closed from Friday, July 3, through Sunday, July 5, 2020.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will consider a re-imagined, two-part Representative Town Meeting at their next regular virtual meeting. The plan calls for an online portion on one day, and voting by Australian ballot on another.
A “police review” process is being proposed to look at funding and whether social services might be able to relieve the police of some responsibilities, new bike lanes and pedestrian safety measures will be discussed for Putney Rd., a new Exit 2 to downtown bike lane possibility will be studied, the board will offer up thoughts on the rebuilding of Rt 9 to Wilmington, and you can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
AGENDA
Meeting Called to Order (Planning Commission Chair)
Announcements (Planning Commission Chair)
Public Comment (Planning Commission Chair)
Approve Minutes of June 22, 2020 Meeting (Planning Commission Chair)
The Brattleboro Parking Department would like to remind everyone, starting July 1st, 2020, payment will once again be required at all street meters and kiosks in parking lots in the downtown area. If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Carol at 257-2305.
Montpelier, Vt. – As state data and expanded testing and tracing capacity continue to support reopening, Governor Phil Scott today announced he will expand the number of states covered under Vermont’s county-by-county quarantine-free travel policy, which allows direct travel from designated counties without a 14-day quarantine requirement.
In early June, the Governor, in close consultation with the Vermont Department of Health, opened up travel to and from counties in New England and New York with less than 400 active cases of COVID-19 per one million residents without a quarantine requirement. Effective July 1, this policy will be expanded to counties below this threshold in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. Quarantine requirements remain in place for those traveling to and from other regions.
Brattleboro Development Review Board
July 15, 2020
7:00 P.M.
NOTE: Per the “Stay Home – Stay Safe” order issued by Governor Scott, this meeting will be held with no physical location using GoToMeeting.
June 23, 2020 Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont Department of Labor today announced changes to the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program that will reduce employers’ UI tax rates and increase the maximum weekly benefit amount for UI claimants.
“This tax relief will help reduce the burden on employers who’ve had to make difficult decisions to protect the health and safety of their workers and help limit the spread of COVID-19 in Vermont,” said Governor Scott. “We know Vermonters made a tremendous economic sacrifice in order to respond to this virus, and we will continue to pull every lever we can to help workers and employers recover from this pandemic.”
There are moments in your life and in history that one never can forget. They change the course of your life, of the planet’s history. We are living in such days right now in June of 2020. For me ,as I was watching my carrots grow in Walden, Vermont, a wake up call came to my life on June 22nd 1984. The State of Vermont conducted an early morning raid on a peaceful community of Bible believers. The search and detention order had no names of the children to be seized, no names of accusers and the clear charges that they were making on that day against those parents. When Judge Frank Mahady saw all those parents and children in Orleans County Court, Newport, Vermont that day he is quoted as saying,”In all my years as a family and child judge I have not seen such a close bond between parents and children as I do today! There is something deeply wrong with how these people and the way they choose to live their faith is being viewed by the State of Vermont”.
This document presented to the Brattleboro Selectboard by the Civilian Police Review Board Steering Committee in April 2004 is part of a long process to create a CPB in Brattleboro, Vt. Information on CPB is drawn from www.nacole.org, and leading researchers on the issues of CPB.
Brattleboro Civilian Police Review Board Proposal
Presented by the
Steering Committee for the Brattleboro Civilian Police Review Board
Montpelier, Vt. – As state data and expanded testing and tracing capacity continue to support reopening, Governor Phil Scott today announced the state will raise occupancy limits for event venues, arts, culture and entertainment venues, as well as restaurants.
Beginning June 26, these venues can expand capacity for events and dining to 50% of approved occupancy size or one person per 100 square feet of customer facing space. This change will allow for indoor events of up to 75 people and outdoor organized events of up to 150.
It’s summer. It’s Brattleboro. Time to list the little things that grab your attention and share them with others.
Parklets are being set-up for some restaurants in town to serve outdoors. Cement barriers have been dropped in parking spaces to mark boundaries.
The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, June 22, 2020 at 5:30pm via GoToMeeting. In keeping with Governor Scott’s “Stay Home – Stay Safe” order, this meeting will be held with no physical location using GoToMeeting. A copy of the agenda is attached and it contains information about how to access the meeting remotely.
