For stories pertaining to the town of Brattleboro at large and its government.
In observance of the Christmas holiday:
Brattleboro Town offices will close at 12:00pm on Tuesday, December 24, and will be closed on Wednesday, December 25, 2019, with the exception of emergency services.
Brooks Memorial Library will close at 12:00pm on Tuesday, December 24, and will be closed on Wednesday, December 25, 2018.
The Town of Brattleboro would like to remind everyone that the snow emergency ban is in effect.
Snow and ice will be removed from the parking lots in the downtown area this evening.
Stephen Dotson will be the first Sustainability Coordinator for the Town of Brattleboro. Town Manager Peter Elwell announced the appointment at the Brattleboro Selectboard meeting on Tuesday evening. Dotson’s first day in his new position will be February 3.
During more than a decade of providing services to a wide variety of sustainability and social action projects and programs (sometimes as an employee and often as a consultant or contractor), Dotson has most often served in communications roles but also has led or materially assisted in analytical and management work that has been essential to the success of those efforts.
The Brattleboro Selectboard had their final meeting before Santa’s visit next week, discussing municipal broadband, finances, the Grand List, a housing grant, and FY21 loose ends. Was it enough for them to stay on the “nice” list? Read on to find out.
The Brattleboro Selectboard has a short agenda awaiting them at their next regular meeting. There will be an update on municipal broadband funding, financial reports, updates to the grand list, a grant close out hearing, and consideration of FY21 budget loose ends. You can, as always, bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee will meet on Monday, December 16, 2019, at 5:00pm in the Mezzanine Meeting Room at Brooks Memorial Library.
The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Thursday, December 19, 2019, at 8:00am in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.
The board discussed final tidbits relating to the FY21 proposed budget, and consider other items as well, such as giving themselves a raise, giving election workers a raise, demanding an overhaul of the health care system, and then some wondering about who is getting raises and why they are getting them.
If you are overwhelmed by the crass commercialism that has overtaken the holiday season a trip to see Shirley Squires’ 1500 nativity sets in her Guilford home might be just what you need. She has been collecting nativity sets since 1993 and as the collection grew, in 1997 she decided to share it with anyone with an interest in visiting.
As the years have passed Squires has given up most of her living spaces to the Christmas displays. The only traditionally functional areas of her home are the kitchen and a small area in the living room where she has a day bed. She spends time every year preparing for visitors and her family and friends help her during the busy visitor season. Most years between 250 and 300 people come to see the nativities display.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, December 10, 2019, at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. ASL interpreters will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.
The Brattleboro ADA Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, December 13, 2019, at 9:00am, in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.
The Brattleboro Selectboard had an extended discussion of the appropriateness of giving the new sustainability coordinator $10,000 for community programs and outreach. Was this what Representative Town Meeting intended? Will the line item grow out of control?
Brattleboro is joining with other Vermont municipalities and VLCT to request some time, some authority, and some money when and if commercial cannabis operations are legalized. It is expected in the coming legislative session. The board continued discussions of FY21 and signed on for some training.
The Town of Brattleboro would like to remind everyone that the snow emergency ban is in effect.
Snow and ice will be removed from the streets and parking lots in the downtown area this evening.
Parked vehicles in the downtown district must be removed by 11:00 pm from the streets and vehicles parked in the parking lots must be removed by 1:00 am or they will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Municipal authority over commercial cannabis will be discussed for the first time by the Brattleboro Selectboard at their next regular meeting. The last time the board discussed legal cannabis was probably the 1920’s.
The board will learn what “unconscious bias and cultural humility” training is and whether they should accept a proposal to undertake it., continue their discussion of the FY21 proposed budget, and listen to whatever else you’d like to tell them during Public Participation.
The Brattleboro Energy Committee will meet on Monday, December 2, 2019, at 5:00pm, in the Community Room at the Brattleboro Food Co-Op (2 Main Street).
The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee will meet on Tuesday, December 3, 2019, at 1:00pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.
The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, December 5, 2019, at 6:30pm in the Community Room at the Brattleboro Food Co-Op (2 Main Street).
At their special meeting this week, the Brattleboro Selectboard decided to reverse a decision they made just last week and instead remain IN a second, national opioid lawsuit. A lawyer told them opting out wouldn’t be so smart.
Health and safety issues at local apartments, an effort to reduce the speed limit in West Brattleboro along Route 9, and discussions of the FY21 Police and Fire budgets rounded out the special meeting.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, November 26, 2019, at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. ASL interpreters will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.
The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee will meet on Monday, November 25, 2019, at 5:00pm in the Mezzanine Room at Brooks Memorial Library.
The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, November 25, 2019, at 5:30pm in the Meeting Room at Brooks Memorial Library.
In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, all Brattleboro Town offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 28 and 29, 2019, with the exception of emergency services.
Brooks Memorial Library will close at 6:00pm on Wednesday, November 27, and will be closed on Thursday, November 28. It will re-open for regular hours on Friday and Saturday, November 29 and 30. 2019.
The Brattleboro Selectboard decided Tuesday night to enter into an opioid lawsuit similar to the one that Bennington is undertaking. With strict warnings that local pharmacies could be added in the future if anything notable arises, the board decided not to sue local pharmacies for now.
SeVEDS gave an account of their work year and asked for their annual contribution from Brattleboro, big projects are planned at Living Memorial Park, yes we’re getting another new fire truck, the police have requested some hybrid vehicles for the first time, and the first local option sales taxes shows that things cost about $200,000 more in Brattleboro than in surrounding communities for the first quarter reported.
It is a night for lawyers at the next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. They plan to enter into one or more opioid-related lawsuits, settle a lawsuit with Penny Witherbee, and even start off the night with an executive session that has additional pending or probable civil litigation.
Green Street parking changes, financial updates, a review of proposed FY21 capital projects and equipment, some grants, and appointments will fill out the agenda. You can bring up other items during public participation.
