For stories pertaining to the town of Brattleboro at large and its government.
Brooks Memorial Library will open at 2 PM on Thursday, to accommodate a work session with the Trustees and staff. Thank you for your support and patience as we plan for an even better Brooks.
What have you noticed around Brattleboro recently? The little things that aren’t worthy of a full story, but caught your eye?
NECCA circus tent is back up. It’s been up for a couple of weeks now, and again I say that this really marks the location well. Nothing like a circus tent to say “circus!”
Brooks Memorial Library has their new tool-sharing shed and sign up, located between the library and the municipal center.
Golden Cross is back on the agenda with a limited-time offer that will only cost $50,000 a year after the initial 90 day free trial. The Brattleboro Selectboard will, by approving this, “expand the second AEMT provider to 24 hours per day and situate a third ambulance (to be housed at Station 2.)”
They will also discuss liquor licenses, fines for rental housing inspection program violations, Waste Water Treatment Plant and water pump improvements, and more. You can bring up other issues not on the agenda during public participation.
For Immediate Release:
The Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office will be closed from 10:00am to 12:00pm on Friday, June 17, 2022, so that staff may attend an event.
On Tuesday, June 14, the Utilities Division will be installing a new hydrant in the area of 195 Elliot ST. Elliot ST will be closed in the area beginning at 7:30 am through approximately 4:00 pm. Stewart Place and Elliot ST addresses up to #186 can be accessed from the east end of Elliot ST and addresses #190 and higher can be accessed from the west end of Elliot ST.
The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee Meeting will meet on Thursday, June 16th, 2022 at 8:00am over Zoom. Information on how to access the meeting online, including the required “passcode” is available within the attached agenda.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street). The Board will convene at 6:15pm and is expected to immediately enter into executive session to discuss labor relations agreements with employees and contracts. The Board will reconvene after the executive session and immediately adjourn. No action will be taken.
The Town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following committees and boards:
Agricultural Advisory Board
Agricultural Advisory Board Ex-Officio Members
ADA Advisory Board
Arts Committee
Brattleboro Housing Partnerships Board of Commissioners
Cemetery Committee
Citizen Police Communications Committee
The Brattleboro Selectboard held one of their longer meetings in some time. The public was active! Complaints about downtown crime, lack of action on climate change, and open meetings kept the board busy until after 10:30pm.
Of note, the Town acknowledged their violation of open meeting protocols and adopted a new two-part process to make sure it won’t happen again. This wasn’t enough for most people, who wanted a more detailed accounting of the EMS decision making process.
The board changed RTM districts to conform with state updates, adopted Utility and Parking budgets, and poured luke-warm water on a suggestion to bring back the electric trolley.
Rescue Inc Press Release: “Brattleboro – The Brattleboro selectboard sent a request to the Rescue Inc trustees asking for a meeting to discuss mutual aid on May 19th. This was the first communication between the Town and Rescue Inc. since the September 2021 consortium meeting which was attended by then Town Manager Peter Elwell and the Selectboard Chair Elizabeth McLoughlin. The Rescue corporate officers agreed to an early June meeting and replied to the request on May 20th. A June 6th meeting date was confirmed.
Brattleboro’s request for help covering ambulance calls comes after the selectboard unilaterally chose to terminate a 56-year relationship with our nonprofit, community-based organization. This decision was made without any discussions about, or actual consideration of, the impact on the surrounding communities. The Town presented its position during a February 9th meeting when Rescue was told the Town would not pay an assessment fee and that Rescue should provide service for free. The response from Rescue Chief Drew Hazelton rejecting those terms in March has been cited as the reason for the sudden closed door meeting that led to the change in EMS providers.
Robert Oeser sent a notice to the Town of Brattleboro on Friday. The Town has 10 calendar days to respond publicly..
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“To: The Brattleboro Selectboard
Ian Goodnow, Chair
Daniel Quipp, Vice-Chair
Jessica Gelter, Clerk
When I asked him about his goals back on Jan 20, Town Manager Yoshi Manale spoke of creating more open spaces downtown, being open and transparent, and being flexible while solving problems. No mention of wanting to alter EMS services. Yet the impression one might get from official communications is that a new town manager came to town, took aim at EMS, and is walking away.
But that’s not the full story. First off, the Brattleboro Selectboard told him to take on Rescue.
Both the current and former Chair of the Brattleboro Selectboard have confirmed that Town Manager Manale was not acting solo when it came to Rescue Inc actions and decisions.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will emerge from another Executive Session to do something that isn’t done very often – update the boundaries of the voting districts in town, which will change representation at Representative Town meeting. This update is to conform with adjustments recently made by the state.
The board will also take up the Utility Fund, Parking Fund Budget, raises, and the Depot Street parking lot project. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
It is sometimes helpful to look at information in a timeline format. Thanks to everyone who assisted in piecing this together this list of Brattleboro Fire, Rescue, and EMS items from the past year or so.**
Please note any additions or corrections you feel would clarify in the comments if you’d like. This is an in-progress project and will likely be updated. I’ll note any edits to the main timeline list in the comments.
2021
March 22 – Elizabeth McLoughlin becomes Chair of the Selectboard.
The Brattleboro Selectboard held a special meeting to accept the resignation of Town Manager Yoshi Manale and to ratify his severance agreement.
Manale wasn’t in attendance. The board let Chair Ian Goodnow do the talking, which was tightly constrained to pre-approved boundaries by legal counsel.
Here’s the full text of the Severance Agreement and General Release for Brattleboro Town Manager Yoshi Manale.
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SEVERANCE AGREEMENT AND GENERAL RELEASE
This Severance Agreement and General Release Agreement (“Agreement”), made the 19th day of May 2022, between Octavian Yoshi Manale, an individual, hereinafter referred to as “Manale”, and the Town of Brattleboro, a Vermont municipality, hereinafter referred to as “Brattleboro”, is an agreement which includes a general release of claims.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, May 31 , 2022, at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center at 230 Main Street. Directly after the conclusion of the meeting, the Board is expected to meet in executive session to discuss contracts, labor relations with employees and the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee. Everyone will be required to maintain social distance. The public is encouraged to participate in the meeting over Zoom. The attached agenda contains information on how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.” Closed Captions will be available.
The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, June 2, 2022 at 4:15pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center (230 Main Street).
In observance of Memorial Day, all Brattleboro Town offices will be closed on Monday, May 30, 2022, with the exception of emergency services. Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Sunday, May 29 and Monday, May 30, 2022. All other violations will be enforced.
Brooks Memorial Library will be closed on Sunday, May 29 and Monday, May 30, 2022.
Trash, recycling and curbside compost will NOT be picked up on Monday, May 30. All collections for the week will be delayed by one day.
Tomorrow, Thursday, May 26, beginning at 6:00 pm, Highway crews will be milling and paving Main ST between High ST and Grove ST. The work will take place overnight and is expected to be completed by Friday morning at 7:00 am. There will be no on street parking during this project and motorists should expect delays in the area and seek alternate routes.
