For stories pertaining to the town of Brattleboro at large and its government.
Beginning Tuesday, October 10, Northeast Paving (a contractor of the town) will be milling and paving on Flat Street, Frost Street, Elm Street and Lynde Place. This work is expected to take four days to complete, weather permitting.
Crews will be working between 6:00am and 6:00pm (please see schedule below). There will be no on-street parking during this project and motorists should expect delays in the area and seek alternate routes.
The following dates have been scheduled for Brattleboro’s curbside Fall Leaf Collection.
All locations will be picked up each Friday:
Leaf Pick Up Date
ALL RESIDENTS Friday, November 3, 2023
ALL RESIDENTS Friday, November 17, 2023
In observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, all Town offices will be closed on Monday, October 9, 2023, with the exception of emergency services.
Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Sunday and Monday, October 8 and 9, 2023. All other violations will be enforced.
Brattleboro selectboard member Franz Reichsman will resume drop-in meetings with members of the public twice a week beginning Wednesday, October 4 and continuing each Wednesday afternoon and Friday morning. Office Hours will take place at The Works Cafe at 118 Main Street from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and from 8:00 to 10 a.m. on Fridays. No appointment is needed. Topics will include any issues related to town government in Brattleboro or otherwise of general interest.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will delay Town work on Community Safety Review items until the state completes work on Phil Scott’s public safety initiative during their next regular meeting.
They’ll hear about their new website, buy winter sand, plan to realign Melrose Street, consult with the school board, announce committee vacancies, and more. You can bring up other items not on the agenda as long as the Chair doesn’t decide to cut you off as you begin talking.
This spring, Casella Waste Services took over trash, recycling and compost removal for the Town of Brattleboro. During this change, residents have not experienced any interruption in service.
Going forward your pickup schedule will not change, however the title will change. If you were previously following the “A week” schedule it has been renamed to “B week” and if you were previously following the “B week” schedule, it has been renamed to “A week”. (In other words if you were an “A” you’re now a “B” and if you were a “B” you’re now an “A”)
The Town of Brattleboro is in the process of striping bike lanes onto Western Avenue from the intersection with High Street to Allerton Avenue. The project is currently ongoing and is expected to be completed this fall. Drivers should pay attention to the lane shifts and are reminded that no parking is allowed in bicycle lanes.
Starting on Sept. 19, the Department of Public Works began the process of marking bike lanes, installing signage, and adding new crosswalks on Western Avenue at Greenhill Parkway and on Western Avenue at Green Street. A rectangular rapid-flashing beacon will
also be added near Allerton Avenue.
The Town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following committees and boards:
Agricultural Advisory Board
ADA Committee
Arts Committee
Cemetery Committee
Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC)
Design Review Board (Alternate)
Development Review Board (Alternate)
It’s time for your chance to make note of small things you’ve seen around town recently that might not warrant a full story but are interesting nonetheless. Add your observations below.
On Sunday September 24, a large oak tree fell on Union Hill near the intersection of Beech Street. Crews from the Highway division of Public Works identified that a second tree was damaged when the first tree came down. The second tree is a hazard to anyone traveling on Union Hill and the road is now closed.
On Monday September 25, Crews from Public Works, Renaud Tree Service, Green Mountain Power, Consolidated Communication, and Xfinity will be working on to remove the tree and repair wires. Union Hill will remain closed throughout the day.
The Brattleboro Arts committee will meet on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at 5:00pm at The Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street).
The Citizens Police Communications Committee will meet on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 5:30pm at the Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street).
The RTM Human Services Committee will meet on Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 4:00pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room (230 Main Street) and over Zoom.
Jessica Sticklor (she/her/hers)
Executive Assistant
Town of Brattleboro
On Wednesday, September 20 there was a structure fire in Vernon that drew a large response from area fire departments. Fire apparatus drew a large amount of water from one of the hydrants on Route 142. This stirred up sediment in the water mains and has resulted in discolored water in several areas throughout Brattleboro. Residents experiencing discolored water are advised to run the cold water faucet until the water clears.
Bi-annual water main flushing is scheduled to start tomorrow, Friday, September 22.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will be using $1.3+ million of ARPA funds to set up a municipal EMS system. The vote was unanimous to give the emergency medical services ‘contract’ to the Brattleboro Fire Department.
The Town Manager told the board why municipal EMS would be best, the board told the public their decisions as to why they would vote in favor, and then the public was allowed to weigh in with comments.
On Wednesday, September 20, Utilities Crews will be working to repair a road box at the intersection of High ST and Bullock ST. The work will take place between 7:00am and 11:00am. During this time, Bullock ST will be closed and motorists should plan to use alternate routes.
One of the light poles on the back side of the HighGrove lot was struck by a vehicle and had to be removed. Due to this damage all lights along the back wall of the lot are out of order. Local electricians will be working to secure and install replacement parts. Expect the lights to be out and the lot to be unlit until further notice.
Town of Brattleboro Rescinds Warning
After hearing that Kathryn Turnas, a volunteer at the Brattleboro Senior Center, was ordered to stop collecting signatures on a petition opposing the Town of Brattleboro’s recommendation to the selectboard to approve of a municipal EMS system and to instead support Rescue Inc., Steven K-Brooks sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for any law, rule, regulation or other document which forbids Turnas from engaging in the constitutionally-protected activity which she had been pursuing.
The messages pasted below (each sent via email) tell the story:
The Brattleboro Selectboard has one item on the agenda for discussion at their next regular meeting: whether or not to accept the recommendation of Town staff to proceed with a municipal EMS system, or to support a regional system favored by others in the community. During last week’s public forum, the public was encouraged to attend and comment at this selectboard meeting.
You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Charter Review Commission will meet on Thursday, September 21, 2023 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street).
Utilities Division crews will start Fall Flushing of the Town water mains on Friday, September 22 and continue through Friday, October 13. Occasional daytime flushing will continue throughout the week of October 6 through 13..
Customers are asked to check the flushing schedule closely as flushing may cause water discoloration, low water pressure and in some areas, intervals of no water. Users who experience a short period of discolored water or air in the water lines after flushing is complete should run the cold water for a few minutes to clear the lines.
