Town News

In observance of Memorial Day, all Brattleboro town offices will be closed on Monday, May 27, 2013, with the exception of emergency services.

Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Sunday, May 26 and Monday, May 27, 2013. All other violations, including extended parking, will be enforced.

The Brattleboro Selectboard heard sobering news about rental housing for low income citizens at Tuesday’s meeting. Section 8 funds are threatened, said the Brattleboro Housing Authority, which could impact residents and landlords alike.

The board also heard about the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect expected to start eating our ash trees in the near future if action isn’t taken soon. The board discussed bonding, budgets, project architects, and whether it was a good idea to serve liquor outdoors in Harmony Lot.

 After sending out the Brattleboro Reformer article appearing below, I received several emails questioning the sentence reading

the original language of the bill said that “Building a Better Brattleboro, Inc., its successors and assigns, shall not convey this property to a for-profit entity, unless it shall reimburse the town of Brattleboro the sum of $150,000, without interest, at the time of said conveyance, if it ever were to occur.”

And folks are rightly confused!  This language is not in the original bill. That bill, Act 29 (1999)  contained the following wording:

The Brooks House loan will be on Tuesday night’s Selectboard Agenda. The board will also hear about bonding options, invasive insects, retaining walls, online maps, and more. You can bring up other items that aren’t on the agenda during Public Participation.

You can participate by attending the meeting at the Municipal Center, or by watching on BCTV. As always, we’ll have coverage here the next day, too.

Brattleboro Citizens' Breakfast, Gibson-Aiken Center - Brattleboro VT - A “sneak preview” of the Slow Living Summit

Presenter: Martin Langeveld -newsafternewspapers@gmail.com

Mention the “Strolling of the Heifers,” and one ordinarily thinks of the weekend parade, this year scheduled for Saturday, June 8. And for good reason as surveys have demonstrated attendance during the Strolling weekend from 26 states and 400 zip codes. It has certainly helped to put Brattleboro on the map, ranking eighth among the Top Ten Summer Festivals of 2013 -

The Brattleboro Police-Fire Facility Building Committee will meet on Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 4:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

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

Terms of many Brattleboro committees and boards expire on June 30 of each year. The Town is looking for volunteers to serve on the following committees and boards:

Agricultural Advisory Board – 6 vacancies, 3-year term
Arts Committee – 4 vacancies, 3-year term
BASIC (Brattleboro Area Skatepark is Coming) – 2 vacancies
Brattleboro Housing Authority Representative – 1 vacancy, 5-year term
CPCC (Citizen Police Communications Committee) – 3 vacancies, 2-year term
Conservation Commission - 1 vacancy, 4-year term
Development Review Board – 2 vacancies, 3-year term
Development Review Board Alternate – 3 vacancies, 1-year term
Energy Committee – 2 vacancies for 3-year terms; 2 vacancies for 2-year terms
Energy Coordinator – 1 vacancy, 1-year term

The fourth installment of the 2012 Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes will be due on May 15, 2013.  Payments made after May 15, 2013 will have an additional 1% interest, as well as an 8% penalty added to the unpaid balance. 

The utility billing is also due on May 15, 2013. Payments made after May 15, 2013 will have an additional 1% interest, as well as an 8% penalty added to the unpaid balance. 

The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee will meet on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 4:30pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

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

The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 4:00pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.

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

The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 7:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.

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

Strolling of the Heifers Weekend is fast approaching, and the organization is still in urgent need of volunteers to help make it happen.

Stroll Weekend was recently named one of America’s “Top 10 Summer Festivals” by travel-oriented website Livability.com. As always, Stroll organizers say, it will draw tens of thousands of people from far and wide to the area during the weekend of June 7-9. 

“We can’t pull it off without a lot of time and effort  contributed by volunteers,” said Vick Friedman, the event’s volunteer coordinator, “but it’s very rewarding — everyone who comes to our events is in a great mood and they really appreciate all the things our volunteers do.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Brattleboro Selectboard (you remember them, right?) took up issues relating to bonds for the Police Fire Facility Project, including a petition from citizens asking them to be mindful of tight personal budgets.

Discussions of additional solar energy projects for the Town vacillated between calls to work aggressively and  suggestions to go slowly and see how things go with existing projects.

Curbside composting and weekly recycling starts soon, the Heifers will stroll, and pavement will be painted. All this and more in the full report below.

Person–To-Person Contact Increases Success Rate For Smokers Who Want Help To Quit

Windham County — The Vermont Department of Health announced it is launching a campaign to introduce the Vermont Quit Partners to Vermont tobacco users. The statewide network includes 50 Quit Partners and 15 community health teams.

On Saturday May 18^th from 5 to 9 PM, Green Mountain Camp will be celebrating 96 years of memories at their reunion for friends and alumnae! Whether you are 9 or 90, there will be pictures, songs and stories to remind you of your magical time at Green Mountain Camp.

Come see what has changed at the camp and what has stayed the same. It’s a time to reconnect with old friends and make new ones as you enjoy a delicious spaghetti dinner, s’mores, and singing around the campfire. During the evening there will be guest appearances by past GMC directors.