For stories pertaining to the town of Brattleboro at large and its government.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Thursday, July 15, 2021 at 7:00pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. Please see the attached agenda.
Jessica Sticklor
Executive Assistant
Town of Brattleboro
The first “hybrid” meeting using a combination of in-person and zoom participants had no real technical issues to speak of, but many interesting details to discern.
Big news was the agreement being worked out with owners of the nearby Connecticut River dams. They will be changing their operations to create a more natural water flow, which is good news for the river banks, all sorts of critters, recreation, and even the company’s plans for the future.
New land use amendments were approved, as was a mural project. The board also heard of two new places in town to get drinks more easily – Retreat Farm and craft experiment at the River Garden.
At their first meeting in July, the Brattleboro Selectboard will make it easier to buy liquor downtown and at Retreat Farm with the granting of two new liquor licenses. They will also buy pick-up trucks, approve a new mural for a parking lot, contemplate repairs on the Elliot Street bridge, adopt new Land Use regulations, discuss their summer meeting schedule, review their goals, approve of dams, and more.
You can bring up other items not on the agenda during hybrid public participation.
The Brattleboro Town Offices Will Be Closed Monday, July 5, 2021, in Observance of the July 4th Holiday.
In observance of the July 4th holiday, all Town offices will be closed on Monday, July 5, 2021, with the exception of emergency services.
Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Monday, July 5. All other violations will be enforced.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Monday, June 28, 2021 at 4:30pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. The public can also connect to the public session of the meeting using zoom. The Board will convene at 4:30pm and is expected to immediately enter into executive session to discuss the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee. The Board will reconvene after the executive session and immediately adjourn. No action will be taken.
The Brattleboro Citizens Police Communication Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, June 28, 2021 at 5:30pm in the Brooks Memorial Library Main Reading Room. The RTM Finance Committee will meet on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 at 6:00pm at the Brattleboro Co-op Outdoor Café. The Brattleboro Tree Committee will meet at 6:30pm at 9 Southern Avenue in Brattleboro.
It’s the summer 2021 edition of “Noticed Around Brattleboro” – your seasonal catch-all for little things not worthy of a full story but certainly worthy of making note of for the history books.
• Exit 2 I-91 bridge work is ongoing. Looks like a new surface for the upper level.
• Hermit Thrush Brewery has a sign up where Silver Moon used to be.
Update to the Community from Brattleboro Town Manager Peter Elwell:
There is no longer a COVID-19 State of Emergency in Vermont.
All Town of Brattleboro government facilities have reopened for public visitation without an appointment. Some offices will still require face coverings or other special precautions until further notice. For example, masks will be optional in the public spaces throughout the Municipal Center, but anyone who needs to go behind the counter or into the vault at the Town Clerk’s Office will be required to wear a mask.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Friday, June 18, 2021 at 3:30pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. The Board will convene at 3:30pm and is expected to immediately enter into executive session to discuss the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee. The Board will reconvene after the executive session and immediately adjourn. No action will be taken.
The Brattleboro Selectboard held their final Zoom meeting Tuesday night. Their next meeting, July 6, will be in person (with a hybrid mix) at the Municipal Center in the Selectboard Meeting Room. The Governor says it must be so.
Water shutoff will resume, in November. The board also approved of a financing plan for the water treatment plant on quite favorable financial terms, Tri-Park finances were re-financed, a process for gathering information for a new town website was presented, and committee members were appointed.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will be discussing water and sewer finances, including paying for the new water treatment plant, at their next regular meeting. They’ll also consider reinstating water shutoffs for delinquent accounts and Tri-Park loan refinancing.
There will also be COVID matters, committee members, and a process for creating an RFP for a new town website. You can bring up other matters not on the agenda during public participation.
Due to additional necessary work, the closure of the lower floor of the Brattleboro Transportation Center will be extended until Saturday, June 11, 2021. The Brattleboro Transportation Center was due to open on Saturday, June 5, 2021, but due to the additional work the closure has been extended. The Flat Street entrance/exit to the Transportation Center will be closed to all traffic. Vehicles will be allowed to enter and exit through the Elliot Street entrance only.
1. Call to Order
2. Agenda Review
3. Approve minutes
4. Announcements 1a. Town webpage
5. Reports: 5a) Subcommittee on Survey 5b) Subcommittee on Internal Rules
The Brattleboro Selectboard approved a plan to let Brattleboro Police switch from an understaffed three shift system to a two shift system that will reduce hours and stress. Brattleboro will go without patrol staff for certain hours of the week.
The water treatment plant is going ahead with approval of a firm to build the new plant, despite a bad reference and previous bad town experiences with the company. The local mask mandate will be lifted on Friday. And State Senator Becca Balint described the huge piles of money coming to Vermont in the near future.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will take up matters relating to COVID at their next regular meeting. State Senator Becca Balint will give an update on ARPA and other funding sources, the board will discuss what to do about the mask order in town, they’ll talk about in-person meeting possibilities. and whether to continue deferring Small Business Loans.
Hiring a firm to help find Brattleboro a new Town Manager is up for discussion, as will approving a nearly $12 million big to build a new water treatment plant. You can bring up other items not on the agenda, and/or ask for your $12 million, during public participation.
Agenda items:
Approve minutes
Public participation
Planting sites
Guidelines for Memorial Trees
Goals for 2021
In observance of Memorial Day, all Brattleboro Town offices will be closed on Monday, May 31, 2021, with the exception of emergency services.
Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Sunday, May 30 and Monday, May 31, 2021. All other violations will be enforced.
Brooks Memorial Library will be closed on Sunday, May 30 and Monday, May 31, 2021.
Trash, recycling and curbside compost will NOT be picked up on Monday, May 31.
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
Brattleboro Utilities and Parking Budgets for FY22 were adopted by the selectboard Tuesday evening. They also had an extended discussion of dependent care and reimbursing selectboard members for costs incurred.
Some DPW purchases were approved, a new ski jump skier statue will be manufactured and given to the town for winter display, and more.
The Brattleboro Town Manager’s COVID-19 update today says the following:
“WEARING FACE COVERINGS REQUIRED
At its meetings on May 19 and May 26, 2020, the Selectboard adopted the following resolution. The resolution was reviewed and reaffirmed at the Selectboard meeting on June 16. On May 13, 2021, the United States Government issued new guidance that says fully vaccinated people can safely choose not to wear face coverings indoors or outdoors. Today, Governor Scott reiterated that guidance to Vermonters. The updated guidance states that “fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.” The Town of Brattleboro’s face covering order remains in effect at this time. Moreover, it is important to remember that many people are not yet fully vaccinated so individual businesses may choose to continue to require face coverings on their premises even after government-issued face covering orders have been rescinded. “
