Town News

With the water mains being flushed, I thought it might be fun to get some background information on why we do it and how it gets done. I sent some questions to Director of Public Works Steve Barrett and have the following to share with you.

– What’s the goal of the water main flushing?

The water entering our mains after treatment is of a very high quality, however, over time sediments can build up in the pipes; particularly if the water is slow moving.

If left alone – this could result in customers occasionally receiving discolored water, particularly if there has been a surge in the flow (perhaps because of fire-fighting or a burst water main). Too much sediment can also affect the taste, clarity and color of water. We also operate every hydrant in town to verify they are in good working order. Water valves are also operated & exercised to direct the water flow and ensure they are working properly.

The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, April 25, 2016 at 5:30pm at Brooks Memorial Library in the community room.

The Brattleboro Police-Fire Facilities Building Committee will meet on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 4:00pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.

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

Time for another edition of Noticed Around Brattleboro, where you can add the little (or big) things you’ve noticed recently in and around town.

I’ll get us started with an observation or two:

– Fast Eddies has re-opened on Putney Road.

– Top of the Hill Grill is now open for the season.

The Police and Fire facility projects will be guided by the same team as before. The project manager, architects, and construction management company were all approved for contract signing.

Brattleboro received grants ranging from $240 to $1 million, the All State Music Festival has been cleared for a parade next year, and our financial questionnaires and checklists are in good order.

Architects, advisors, and construction services for the police and fire facilities projects will be contracted by the Brattleboro Selectboard at their next regular meeting at the Municipal Center.

An All-State Music Festival will ask for a parade permit, various grants will be applied for or accepted, and more. You can bring up items not otherwise on the agenda during public participation.

The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 8:00am in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.

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

BrattRock — The Brattleboro Youth Rock Festival — is coming to Brattleboro October 1, 2016!

A celebration of young musical talent, BrattRock’s mission is to provide a venue for area youth musicians and bands to gather, connect, learn, perform, inspire, and be inspired. 

Participation is open to youth musicians and bands with all members under 20 years of age. 

The one-day event features music workshops for youth, offered by local adult music professionals and educators and culminates with an evening concert with performances by participating youth musical acts. 

Registration is now open at www.brattrock.org.

The Brattleboro Parking Department would like to announce the lifting of the winter parking ban. Starting 04/13/16, at midnight, overnight parking will be allowed on all streets EXCEPT in the downtown area. The following streets are never available for overnight parking:

Main Street

High Street

Elliot Street (from School St to Main St)

The following dates have been scheduled for Brattleboro’s curbside Spring Leaf Collection. Whereas in the past leaf pickup was determined by scheduled day of rubbish pickup, all locations will be picked up each Friday:

Leaf Pick Up Date

ALL RESIDENTS Friday, April 22, 2016

ALL RESIDENTS Friday, May 6, 2016

All leaves and clippings must be in brown paper leaf bags and at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on scheduled leaf collection days. Acceptable waste…leaves, grass, clippings, garden waste, twigs, no branches larger than 1″ in diameter and 2 feet long. No other household trash is to be included.

The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee will meet on Monday, April 11, 2016, at 5:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at 4:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at 7:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Are you interested in the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians on Brattleboro’s roads?

Are you interested in road projects in Brattleboro that relate to bicyclists and pedestrians?

If so, please plan to come to Brattleboro: Safer Streets Forum on Thursday, May 5th at the River Garden from 5-7:30. 

The goals of the forum are three-fold:

The Brattleboro Selectboard put off the formation of a new promotion committee. It was a suggestion of the Arts Committee and got mixed reactions from the board.

The Town Manager outlined a series of current and next steps for the police and fire facilities projects, currently moving full steam ahead. The board played a version of Match(ing Grant) Game with the Bradley House project, the end of weekly trash bag pickup was previewed, and more.

Dick DeGray will be sworn-in and the Brattleboro Selectboard will be discussing next steps for the Police and Fire facilities projects at the board’s next regular meeting on Tuesday.

They will also discuss Bradley House renovations and expansion plans, the possibility of forming a Town Promotion Committee. the upcoming change to every other week trash bag collection, numerous grants, and more. You can also bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation. Watch it all on BCTV, attend in person, or read about it here after it is over.

The Brattleboro Energy Committee will meet on Monday, April 4, 2016 at 5:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

The Brattleboro ADA Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, April 8, 2016 at 11:15am at the Marlboro College Graduate Center in the VCIL conference room. PLEASE NOTE – This meeting will not begin at the usual time, the meeting will instead begin at 11:15am.

Town Clerk Annette Cappy presided over the swearing in of two out of three newly-elected Brattleboro Selectboard candidates – David Gartenstein and Kate O’Connor.

The newly sworn-in board members, along with John Allen, chose officers for the coming year. They are the same as last year: David Gartenstein will Chair, Kate O’Connor will be Vice Chair, and David Schoales will be Clerk.

David Schoales was not in attendance. Neither was Dick DeGray. There was no explanation for anyone’s absence.

Two school buildings stay warm with local, renewable heat from wood

BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT: The Academy and Esteyville school buildings in Brattleboro are the first public buildings to participate in the Windham Wood Heat Initiative by switching from fossil fuels to locally sourced wood pellets to heat their buildings. Academy School’s switch will reduce the school’s oil use by 15,000 gallons and generate $50,000 a year in positive economic impact for southern Vermont’s economy. Esteyville will cut oil consumption by 1,100 gallons and contribute $3,700 a year to the economy.

“We’ve got a quiet system providing an even heat and it’s been keeping our building warm,” said Andy Paciulli, principal of the 355-student elementary school.  “A bonus is that many of our students are learning about the importance of reducing our carbon footprint and decreasing our use of non-renewable resources. Heating with wood pellets has helped to deliver that lesson to our young learners. I expect we’ll realize the cost savings which should be significant for us and the taxpayer.”

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special organizational meeting on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 5:30pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center. A revised agenda and an administrative report are attached .

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

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special organizational meeting on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 5:30pm 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, March 28, 2016 at the Brooks Memorial Library in the community room.

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

In a stealth vote in the final moments of Representative Town Meeting today, fairly new RTM member Dylan Mackinnon of District Two proposed the following non-binding resolution:

“I move that the town change, in reference to the second Monday in October, as Indigenous People’s Day in place of Columbus Day.”

K. Daims attempted an amendment to have the Selectboard bring this proposal to a town-wide resolution, but the amendment was defeated 28 to 43.  The proposal passed overwhelmingly, though the exact vote was obscured by a vast WHOOSH! of indigenous spirits flooding the room with silent whoops and hollars.