Town News

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, all Brattleboro Town offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 27 and 28, 2014, with the exception of emergency services.

Brooks Memorial Library will close at 6:00pm on Wednesday, November 26, and will be closed on Thursday, November 27. It will be open for regular hours on Friday and Saturday, November 28 and 29.

Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Thursday and Friday, November 27 and 28. Parking will resume regular enforcement hours on Saturday, November 29. All other violations, including extended parking, will be enforced.

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Monday, November 24, 2014 in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session at 5:00pm to discuss labor relations agreements with employees, and reconvene the business meeting at 5:20pm.

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at 5:00pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

Enginer Gary King is retiring from the Department of Public Works after 30 years of service.

The West Brattleboro Scoping Study was accepted and endorsed, with five varying options described, ranging from nothing to new bike and people paths through the backyards of West Brattleboro properties. Likely, a more simple approach of bike lanes and sidewalks will be attempted.

Brattleboro signed on to help the Windham and Windsor Housing Trust apply for a grant to do energy improvements at five local properties that they own, Brattleboro will apply for brownfield site planning funds, and a sustainable energy program feasibility study vanished from the agenda without explanation, but with discussion.

Numerous opportunities for public comment exist at the next regular Brattleboro Selectboard meeting. Attend in person at the Municipal Center on Main Street to offer comment on plans to improve Western Avenue for bike riders and pedestrians in West Brattleboro, or to weigh in on the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust plans to rehab local buildings.

You can join the discussion of a large scale district heating plan, plans to get a grant to do brownfield studies in town, applications for special event permits, town finances, staffing levels, or anything else not on the agenda during Public Participation.

Watch it all on BCTV as it happens, then read about and discuss the meeting here after.

The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee will meet on Monday, November 17, 2014 at 6:00pm at 528 Goodenough Road. It is anticipated that the Committee will enter into executive session at 6:00pm to discuss agencies’ financial records exempt from the access to public records.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The Brattleboro Pay-As-You-Throw Advisory Committee/Working Group will meet on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at 5:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at 4:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at 7:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The Brattleboro ADA Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, November 14, 2014 at 10:00am at the Marlboro College Graduate Center in the VCIL conference room.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The next monthly meeting of the West Brattleboro Association (WBA) will be held at the New England House
on Thursday, November 13^th at 6:00 PM. The meeting will start with a review of the treasury and other ongoing items such as progress on the planned welcome signs for the village and whether to continue to pursue Vermont non-profit status. The group will also discuss how much to spend for the holiday party at the New England House on Thursday, December 11 at 6:00 (held in lieu of the regular December business meeting), and will discuss holiday lights and where they might go in the village.

In observance of Veterans’ Day, all Brattleboro town offices will be closed on Tuesday, November 11, 2014, with the exception of emergency services.

Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Tuesday, November 11. All other violations, including extended parking, will be enforced.

The Election Day edition of the Selectboard meeting was held in the studios of BCTV, one floor up from the polling stations that had taken over their regular meeting space. The board pressed on in their atypical surroundings, covering budgets, staffing, and development.

The budget discussion began with an optimistic sounding 1 cent increase, but then covered future FY16 financial issues, such as the cost shifting of garbage pickup. the need for new police and fire vehicles in addition to new facilities, and the possibility of cutting back on library or recreational services. By the end, budget reality had set in, and the selectboard was again looking to citizens for advice on hard decisions.

Five buildings in town may get an overhaul, you can have beer or wine with your pizza, and whispers of outsourcing aspects of the DPW rounded out the evening.

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. – The work of the Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies is the topic of a talk by the center’s director, Dr. Henry “Hank” Knight, Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. at the West Village Meeting House.

Located at Keene State College, the center was founded in 1983 by Dr. Charles Hildebrandt and is devoted to the memory and study of the Holocaust and genocide.

The program is co-sponsored by the Brattleboro branch of the American Association of University Women, the Brattleboro Area Jewish Community and All Souls Unitarian/Universalist Church.

Tuesday night is election night, but the Brattleboro Selectboard will be devoting their evening energy to their regular Tuesday meeting. The meeting will be held in the BCTV studios on the third floor of the Municipal Center (elevator available).

Rather routine business on the agenda, including staffing level reviews of the Police and Public Works departments, some discussion of the FY16 budget, a liquor license for House of Pizza on Canal Street, and a hearing about plans to do some major building rehabilitation at five of the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust properties in town.

You can bring up other items not on the agenda during Public Participation, and add your wisdom to the conversation in general. Watch on BCTV, and read the details here the next day.

The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee will meet on Saturday, November 8, 2014 at 10:00am in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The Brattleboro Police-Fire Facilities Building Committee will meet on Thursday, November 6, 2014 at 4:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting ad hoc Futures Committee will meet on Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 6:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The Brattleboro Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) Advisory Committee/Working Group will meet on Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 5:00pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

The Brattleboro Energy Committee will meet on Monday, November 3, 2014 at 5:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center. Attached is the second revised agenda.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

Cars were diverted from route 30 today, due to an accident that occurred close to the construction project near the 91 overpass. My boy and I saw the black cadillac that was severely damaged,on the back of a tow truck. We asked the tow truck driver what happened to the car, and he replied that the car struck the ledge near the bridge. The top of the car was basically shredded and looked like it may have been travelling at a high rate of speed. Of course, a ledge is an unforgiving and immovable object, so maybe high speed was not a factor.