Town News

On Thursday, February 13, 6:00-7:30 pm, the West Brattleboro Association (WBA) will hold its monthly meeting at The New England House, 254 Marlboro Road. Michael Bosworth, president of the Association, will share discussion by the trustees at a meeting in January as to plans for the WBA this year. There will also be a report of the treasury.

The group will have a quick review of the various projects undertaken by the WBA including traffic safety, the Neighborhoods Project, signage, police/fire facilities, and the status of Brattleboro West Arts and West Brattleboro Partners efforts.

Interstate 91 Southbound between Exits 2 and 3 and the Exit 3 on ramps have been reopened.

Cindy Cook
Public Relations Officer
Brattleboro Bridge Replacement Project

A southbound tractor trailer truck slid off interstate 91. In order to remove the truck, 191 southbound between exits 2 and 3 will be closed for several hours. Southbound traffic will be diverted off I91 at Exit 3, and the on ramps at Exit 3 in both directions will also be closed.

I will send another notice when the closures are lifted.

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Monday, February 10, 2014 at 7:30am in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.

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

Plans for the new police and fire facilities were presented to the Brattleboro Selectboard at their first Tuesday meeting in February. The plans were detailed and raised few comments from the board or the public.

Brattleboro businesses face new fines and possible court dates. That’s the word from the Selectboard regarding those who fail to pay for a Brattleboro business license.

The Selectboard held a discussion of evaluating the necessity of positions if staff retire, provoking minor protest from department heads who felt the budget process allows the board an opportunity for just that. The board disagreed.

Read on for all the details, plus FY13 audit information, grants, liquor licenses, meetings and appointments.

The next “Brattleboro Citizens’ Breakfast” will take place on Friday, February 21,  2014 at the Gibson Aiken Center, downstairs, hosted by Senior Meals. Doors open at 7:30am. 

This year three incumbent members of the Brattleboro Selectboard are all  standing for re-election. John Allen, Donna Macomber and David Schoales all plan to be in attendance at this forum.  There are no declared opposition candidates.

This presents a unique opportunity for a conversation about the  issues facing the Town.

The Brattleboro Selectbaord will see three plans and proposed budget for new Police Fire facilities during their Tuesday meeting at the Municipal Center. 

There will be a discussion of the FY13 audit, they will set a special meeting to discuss the Utility budget and rates, and will hear about adding late fees and fining businsses for not having a Brattleboro  business license.

Four new Police recruits will be sworn in, and the board will contemplate a hiring pause for the Town. 

If there’s something that isn’t on the agenda, you can bring it up during Public Participation.  Attend in person or watch it on BCTV, then read about it here the next day.

BRATTLEBORO 1/31/2013 – After nearly 20 years of service and dedication to Brattleboro Area Affordable Housing (BAAH), Byron Stookey (the Board’s founder), retired from the organization’s volunteer board in November 2013.

Stookey – described by his colleagues as steadfast, tenacious, unyielding, determined, inspirational, resolute, and meticulous – led BAAH from its infancy in 1995 to a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving greater-Brattleboro with a number of initiatives, including three current programs.

1 The Save Our Homes loan program makes no-interest loans to people facing housing emergencies.
2. The Apartments-in-Homes program helps homeowners who have under-utilized space in their homes create a modest and affordable apartment for rental.

The Brattleboro Energy Committee will meet on Monday, February 3, 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 Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee will meet on Friday, February 7, 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 Police-Fire Facilities Building Committee will meet on Thursday, February 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

NOTICE is hereby given that the Brattleboro Town Auditors’ Report for fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, is available upon request and may be picked up at the Brattleboro Town Clerk’s office, 230 Main Street, Brattleboro, Vermont.

The Auditors’ Reports will also be available as part of the Town and Town School District Annual Report which will be available at the Town Clerk’s office no later than February 21, 2014.

Despite the few candidates on the ballot, there are two issues for voters this year when they get to the polls.

The first is non-binding consideration of adding a 1% sales tax to help property owners save money:

“ARTICLE II

Should the Town of Brattleboro provide property tax relief and help defray the cost of Police- Fire facilities renovations by adopting a 1% local option sales tax?

YES
NO”

Unless something unusual happens, the same Selectboard members you see serving the town today will be the same ones serving Brattleboro in the next year.  No one is challenging them this year at the polls.

David Schoales will be running for the 3 year seat. John Allen and Donna Macomber are running for the two open 1 year seats on the board.

Lawrin Crispe is the only candidate for Representative Town Meeting Moderator.

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, January 29, 2014 at 5:00pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session immediately following the meeting to discuss a potential litigation matter.

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

The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Tuesday, January 28, 2014 at 8:30am in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.

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

The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, January 27, 2014 at 5:30pm at the Brooks Memorial Library in the community room.

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

The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee will meet on Friday, January 31, 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 Selectboard spent most of the regular Tuesday meeting adding things to the agenda for Representative Town Meeting in March. They also gave over $30,000 to a regional effort to develop the economy, and firmly set forth their final budget for FY15.

A number of the articles put on the warning were aimed at reducing property taxes. One thing that won’t be on the Town Meeting agenda, at least not this year, is lowering the voting age to sixteen.

In food news, the former Bickfords will become Brattleboro’s latest pizza place, a regional chain called Ramuntos Brick Oven Pizza. Read on for all the details.

It is agenda setting time for the Brattleboro Selectboard, and Tuesday’s regular meeting will result in a slate of issues for Town Meeting and Representative Town Meeting to consider, including a 1% local option tax, transfer of skating rink funds not used, taking money from the Unassigned Fund Balance to apply toward tax relief for 2015, and repurposing of agricultural land protection funds to apply toward tax relief in 2015.

The board will get a request from SeVEDS for about $36,000. They will also approve a liquor license for Brattleboro’s newest pizza restaurant and sign off on an FY15 General Fund budget of $16,284,625 and a Capital plan budget of $1,380,475.