News & Information

News and information sections, from near to far

Selectboard Meeting Notes – FY21 Finals, Finances, and Fund Balances

by cgrotke | Town News
brattleboro selectboard january 2020

The FY21 proposed budget inched closer to becoming the FY21 official budget at the first meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard for 2020. The board ran through a list of final loose ends, heard from the human resources committee and police department, talked loans and grants, discussed public toilets, and were offered both CBD joints and liquor.

A citizen stood up for war crime whistleblowers, select board goals were reviewed, and more. A few budget meetings remain in January, but the board skipped the review of their upcoming meetings schedule so any meetings are theoretical at this juncture.

Windham County Delegation Statement on Retreat

by Not Signed In | State News

The Windham County Delegation has been aware of ongoing financial challenges being experienced by the Brattleboro Retreat related to multi-year, inadequate medicaid reimbursements, unexpected census declines, and the increasing cost of contract RNs and MDs due to national and state-wide workforce shortages.

The Brattleboro Retreat is a 150 year old private mental healthcare institution providing quality, compassionate healthcare to the most vulnerable Vermonters.

As we see play out every day across the country and our state, adequate funding for public healthcare remains an unsolved challenge.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – January 7, 2020

by cgrotke | Town News

For their first meeting of the Roaring Twenties, the Brattleboro Selectboard will take up unfinished business related to the FY21 Proposed Budget. The Human Services Committee will come answer questions, a body-worn camera contract will be questioned, yearly goals will be reviewed and more.

Duo Restaurant has a new owner applying for loans and licenses, a new neighborhood designation area will be presented, and you can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Brattleboro Committee Meeting Agendas

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Energy Committee will meet on Monday, January 6, 2020, at 5:00pm in the Mezzanine Room at Brooks Memorial Library.

The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, January 9, 2020, at 6:30pm in the Community Room at the Brattleboro Food Co-Op, located at 2 Main Street.

The Brattleboro ADA Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, January 10, 2020, at 9:00am in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.

Downtown Brattleboro Street Snow Removal

by Not Signed In | Police & Fire

The Town of Brattleboro would like to remind everyone that the snow emergency ban is in effect.   

Snow and ice will be removed from the streets in the downtown area this evening.   

Parked vehicles in the downtown district must be removed by 11:00pm or they will be towed at the owner’s expense.

Downtown Brattleboro Parking Lot Snow Removal

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Town of Brattleboro would like to remind everyone that the snow emergency ban is in effect.  

Snow and ice will be removed from the parking lots in the downtown area this evening.   

Parked vehicles in the downtown parking lots must be removed by 1:00 am or they will be towed at the owner’s expense.

Christmas Closing

by SK-B | Business

Except for the difficulty of moving in the ice and snow, a real estate closing this time of year can feel like a magical gift. This was especially true for Walter when the title problem for the land he had put under contract just before Easter was resolved, and he closed a few days before Christmas. [This all happened in 1998.]

Walter was a Vietnam War veteran who had finally received disputed benefits more than 20 years late, and he wanted to use the money to purchase land and build his home. He found a tiny parcel at a low price, but the closing was delayed when Walter’s attorney discovered that, somewhere in the chain of conveyances for the land an heir had filed a copy of the Will rather than of the Probate Judgement in the local land records. While the Will did name the heir, it was logically possible that the Will might have been disputed and overturned. Therefore, only the Final Report and Account of the Court could establish the legitimacy of the previous owner’s deed.

Census 2020 – Every Person in your Household Counts!

by Dselector | Other

With the US Census just around the corner, many people have questions as to who they should count on their census form.  With 675 Billion dollars in federal aid programs on the line – the answer is – Everybody!

The US Census Bureau estimates that in 2010, more than 1,000,000 children were undercounted in the Census, and it is important that this does not happen again.  School lunch programs, special education funds, and other benefits that flow to our communities are based on the numbers returned in the 2020 Census.

Brattleboro Christmas and New Year Closings

by Not Signed In | Town News

 In observance of the Christmas holiday: 

Brattleboro Town offices will close at 12:00pm on Tuesday, December 24, and will be closed on Wednesday, December 25, 2019, with the exception of emergency services. 

Brooks Memorial Library will close at 12:00pm on Tuesday, December 24, and will be closed on Wednesday, December 25, 2018. 

 Town of Brattleboro Announces Appointment of New Sustainability Coordinator 

by Not Signed In | Town News

Stephen Dotson will be the first Sustainability Coordinator for the Town of Brattleboro. Town Manager Peter Elwell announced the appointment at the Brattleboro Selectboard meeting on Tuesday evening. Dotson’s first day in his new position will be February 3. 

During more than a decade of providing services to a wide variety of sustainability and social action projects and programs (sometimes as an employee and often as a consultant or contractor), Dotson has most often served in communications roles but also has led or materially assisted in analytical and management work that has been essential to the success of those efforts.

2020 Creeps Up

by cgrotke | Other

Probably because of all the other distractions of the world, 2020 is sort of sneaking up on us. It’s the turn of a decade and the start of our third decade of the 21st century. It has the symmetrical 20’s in there, too. One would think we’d be growing in decade-related hype by now.

2000 ushered in some big changes, and those 20 and under have lived with them just about their entire lives.

Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – Dec 17, 2019

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard has a short agenda awaiting them at their next regular meeting. There will be an update on municipal broadband funding, financial reports, updates to the grand list, a grant close out hearing, and consideration of FY21 budget loose ends. You can, as always, bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

Brattleboro Committee Meeting Agendas

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee will meet on Monday, December 16, 2019, at 5:00pm in the Mezzanine Meeting Room at Brooks Memorial Library.

The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Thursday, December 19, 2019, at 8:00am in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.

Water Quality Partners Address Clean Water in Windham Region

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

Windham Regional Commission (WRC) and the Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District (WCNRCD) are pleased to announce expanded outreach and services to municipalities and the public to improve tactical basin planning efforts for the West, Williams and Saxtons River and Direct CT River Tributaries (Basin 11/13). In addition to the basin planning efforts, the WRC and WCNRCD will also support overall water quality efforts throughout Windham County.  The work is supported through a grant provided by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Activities began this fall and will extend through September 2020.

The Shirley Squires Nativity Museum Is Now Open

by RDavis | Town News

If you are overwhelmed by the crass commercialism that has overtaken the holiday season a trip to see Shirley Squires’ 1500 nativity sets in her Guilford home might be just what you need. She has been collecting nativity sets since 1993 and as the collection grew, in 1997 she decided to share it with anyone with an interest in visiting.

As the years have passed Squires has given up most of her living spaces to the Christmas displays. The only traditionally functional areas of her home are the kitchen and a small area in the living room where she has a day bed. She spends time every year preparing for visitors and her family and friends help her during the busy visitor season. Most years between 250 and 300 people come to see the nativities display.