The Brattleboro Selectboard adopted a resolution recognizing freedom from domestic violence as a human right. They heard a presentation and had a discussion about the impact and effects of domestic violence in the community, and talked about making changes to end it. Men were encouraged to get involved.
The board was also zoom-bombed a few times, which hadn’t happened in a while. They bought police equipment, heard about changes to bike regulations, and got more questions about EMS in Brattleboro.
Preliminaries
Elizabeth McLoughlin and Jessica Gelter appear remotely this evening. Jess says she “is still COVID positive.”
They get started late. Video problems, it seems. The board room camera goes off, then they try coming back on another account but there are latency problems. Interpreters ask if all is ok. “They are working on it.” What was to be a relatively short meeting is stretched out. BCTV tech work continues. Liz says Patrick says “hang in there we are trying…” Jess says it is an audio issue. The board is back but the audio is garbled. It’s 6:25. We can now hear the board but they can’t hear the remote viewers. And… it is fixed.
Chair Ian Goodnow – so, uh…everyone can hear me? Great. It is 6:26 and we had some technical difficulty and everything is fixed now. Thanks for your patience. I have one remark from our Town Clerk. Election Day is Nov 8 at American legion from 7 to 7. All voters have been mailed a ballot. Call the Town Clerk’s office if you didn’t get one. You can return your ballot via mail, the drop box at the municipal center, or at Town Clerk’s office, or even at the polls. All must be received by 7 pm on Election Day. Bring your mailed ballot if voting in person. See you at the polls.
Interim Town Manager Patrick Moreland – a couple of things. Reminders. Everyone knows the BFD is working with AP Triton and they are establishing the feasibility of an all BFD EMS service. There is a survey that can be found at the BFD fire dept web site. It was down a few days ago and is back up and people can share their thoughts on that survey. The consultants will be in town next week, and will bet at the selectboard mtg and then hosting a community forum at the central fire station at 6 pm on the 19th. There will be a rough draft of the report in early November, then they will be back with a final report in December. We are moving forward. Second item, like everyone here I get a lot of email and I got one recently from a Town Mtg Rep and was asking about the community safety report. More are probably interested in this answer: since taking on Interim Town Manager role, the board told me it is a priority for the town. I respect that. I am confronted by a range of responsibilities that are unfamiliar to me, and I’m doing it without an assistant. Some capacity issues. As we work on budgets and the day to day management, and searching for a new town manager… things aren’t progressing as we’d like. It’s an honest answer. I was at a conference about VT Criminal Justice Council. I’ll meet with the Chief about this. The work is progressing, but more slowly than we’d like and we ask for your patience.
Tim Wessel – last week the board chair and I had some miscommunication and I missed a deadline to get something on the agenda. Some background. I’ve been doing travels lately and all the towns I visit… many are grappling with their ARPA funds and those discussions are going on a lot. There is an ARPA committee in many towns. I’d like to get ARPA on the agenda. If we wanted a committee to advise us, that will take some set up time. And we’re all very busy. I want to have some space to start a brief discussion about it. I have a couple of ideas for ARPA funds. There was a drop on funding for Meals on Wheels, and have a $45k shortfall. We could use ARPA funds for that. That’s just one idea. I also proposed an idea to dedicate half of ARPA funds to go to housing. I will request it be on next week’s agenda.
Ian – we’ll consider that for the next week’s agenda. Thanks.
Jessica – First, I want to share that we are having a wonderful process of searching for a new town manager and the difference now is Sally Nix and Patrick are helping. As we meet and review folks, if you have questions for us to ask, or topics, please reach out to us. Info on the Brattleboro web site. I’d love to hear from folks. The other thing is the Bratt Lit Fest starts in two days and I hope everyone gets out to hear readings this weekend.
Ian – my first board meeting with two remote members. Public comments?
Audrey Garfield – I have some questions about the survey referenced earlier. I’m wondering about the purpose of the survey. On the Brattleboro town page, it’s called an EMS survey. AP Triton calls it a strategic plan. The Town Manager refereed to it as feasibility for the transition. Can someone clarify the purpose of the survey.
Ian – can’t speak to the purpose of the survey, but my understanding is the AP Triton report is to study the feasibility of Brattleboro having a full EMS model. AP Triton or the BFD told us in other communities where they have done this survey, they do surveys to get feedback for the community. So, it is to get community feedback.
Audrey – OK, who can fill out the survey.
Daniel – anyone with access to it.
Audrey – so someone with no connection to the community can fill it out.
Daniel – Ian’s description is accurate. I don’t quite know how the questions were decided, and not sure if BFD and AP Triton have an arrangement. I wonder if questions would be best answered next week but the BFD and AP Triton.
Audrey – the survey is poorly crafted. I encourage people to use the comment boxes to answer, or offer their thoughts on anything related to the transition. For instance, if someone doesn’t want them to transition, they could write in in in any comment box. If someone has an objection to the process, they could input that as well. It is so poorly crafted, it might call into question the quality of the report. Where would I find info about the RFP process for securing the consultants and the payment.
Ian – payment would be in the minutes and back up materials for the contract.
Patrick – The RFP process – I can’t answer it at this time. I can’t recall. I can get an answer to you.
Audrey – I’m wondering if the RFP was public. The other thing about the survey, internally there are people afraid to speak out for fear of backlash. It might not be the board’s intention, but the process was ham-handled and the board created fear and secrecy around this process, and it is antithetical to democracy. Anyone on the board have reservations about this willing to break ranks and speak on behalf of the community? It would be appreciated.
Ian – thank you very much. Happy to answer some direct questions, but I do try to keep public comment short because it isn’t wanrned.
Daniel – not to Audrey, AP Triton will be in town for a public meeting at the fire dept at Central Fire so please participate then. These questions will be answered in full then. Your questions are reasonable. All our public statements have been made and we’ll move forward at whatever speed is comfortable for the town.
Audrey – there is disagreement on that…
Tim – the trade is not speed. This is a deliberative process. The survey – I’ll get that info later. It is one small part of the overall decisions we’ll make. The train is plodding along now. I haven’t looked at the survey to put in my answers to skew it. It’s just a thing. If it was poorly constructed I’ll be the first to point that out.
Audrey – one more..
Ian – I’m moving on. Back to the room. No one. Ok Audrey again… Bob Oeser? OK make your last point.
Audrey – I want to be clear that Tim says the community is being asked for input and it may not be used for the decision making process. I want to be clear that’s what I heard.
Tim – I don’t know how much weight I’ll give the survey myself. I’ll evaluate it when I see it.
Bob Oeser – to follow up on that a little bit. This survey is the major way that the community will be able to give their opinion with respect to this issue. I’m taken aback by statement about not knowing what weight will be given to the survey. The other day, I sent an email to the Chief because the survey wasn’t working. It was confirmed there was a glitch. It wasn’t a Survey Monkey error. We don’t know if it was done by AP Triton. Why was the survey down? When people try to access it for input and they can’t access it means they might not try again. It has a chilling effect on participation. Almost like you saying you don’t know what weight you’ll give it. You might want to extend the deadline, or emphasize the error and let people know it is working again. I’m also not sure who can take the survey. The first question asks about people outside of town – it seems odd. The question was structured so it doesn’t matter where you live, even uncertain as to where you live, and take the survey. My takeaway is anyone can take this survey. Question 2… check yes and all that apply, and someone raised the issue that when trying to following the instructions
Mark Zuckerberg – (a zoom bomber swearing)
Bon – you can only select one answer.
Ian – okay we will follow up on that.
Tim – it is not our survey.
Ian – we’ll make sure they correct it. AS for it being down, you can ask them next week. The survey is up and you can take it currently.
Jay (zoom bomber moaning)
Ian – can people unmute themselves?
– there have been questionable names…
Daniel – so, I want to say – some of what he raises… the functionality – thanks for letting us know…
Zoom bomber – there bones!
Daniel – the survey is the principle way people can weigh in. It is an avenue, but your comment here is as well heard. It’s not the only way to speak to policy decisions made by the board. I see this as a piece of the feasibility study. The question is it feasible for BFD to have EMS services housed in that department, and the survey is a parallel path – experiences with services in the community. The public is speaking about desirable, which is different from feasible. I want to have solid info to make a good policy decision. I will certainly consider all opinions, but I’m looking for info about feasibility to transition.
Consent Agenda
A. Reappoint Deputy Health Officer – Brian Bannon
B. FY23 Sand – Authorize Purchase from Northeast Paving at $13.25 per CY
C. Utilities Vehicle 101 – (as Water & Sewer Commissioners) Authorize $28,145 Purchase
D. Community Development Block Grant – 47 Flat Street, Accept & Appropriate
E. FY24 Budget Schedule
Ian – I tried to get through this without speaking about each last time, but the board revolted.
Patrick nails it… a quick read of each item, what it is for and the cost!
(They finally did it!)
Tim pulls an item – the final item, the Budget Schedule – to ask a simple question. It will be at the end of the agenda.
So consented!
Liquor Commissioners
Epsilon Spires Entertainment License
Patrick – they are seeking an entertainment license.They’ve had a lot of events, but they hadn’t gotten a license for them. This will authorize the continued good entertainment at Epsilon Spires.
ES – we’ve been operating since 2019, we do films, ambient music, art, and rental space for outside groups.
Daniel – this fell through the cracks? It should have been renewed?
Patrick – no – it was unlicensed entertainment.
Daniel – I went to some and I participated!
ES – didn’t realize I needed one.
Ian – thanks for hosting events there.
Liz – just want to mention it is an overlooked item, as no liquor license was involved.
Approved!
….
The Brattleboro Third Class Liquor License
Patrick – The board approved a first class license in August, but there was a paperwork error and they wanted a 3rd class license as well. This comes back to the board to add the 3rd class license and we recommend approval.
Jed – it was probably my error, so I apologize that we have to come back.
Daniel – there is an empty checkbox – now there is an amendment?
Patrick – yes… all taken care of.
Jed – we’ve been open a month and it has been busy and look forward to many years of this.
approved!
SBAP Loan to W.R. Metalarts – Authorize $37,5000 Loan (Warned wrong... actually &35,700)
Patrick – from the town’s revolving loan fund, this would be a loan to W.R. Metalarts. The SBPA committee recommends approval. $35,700 amortized over 7 years at 3% per annum with a monthly payment of $495.50. Security will be a UCC on a 3D printer and a personal guaranty from Will Nevins-Alderfer.
Jess – this was great. My first loan committee application. very exciting to hear from a local business doing some really cool things. It was exciting to see how the committee works, determining the amounts, and we decided this was the right amount, though they asked for more. They are getting loans from other sources as well. Also, the purchase of the equipment means a full expansion of their business, so more jobs for Brattleboro.
Will Nevins-Alderfer & Kristin – I’m owner and found and she is studio manager. I started it 7 years ago and it has been lovely journey and we do boutique and custom jewelry and we try to push and reevaluate our values, and with that we discovered how detrimental gold mining can be. Number one polluter of mercury and contributes to deforestation. People use recycled gold, but the issue is that no one throws away gold. We rescue any gold we have. We want to focus on positive mining of gold and want to shift our practices. We want to get a 3-D printer so we can work in house and source things from Fair Mines. We can tell what gold comes from what mines, and we can Fair Mine silver as well, and no one does that in the US. new to market. A number of designers are reaching out for help casting their designs.
Ian – wow. Excellent.
Tim – how big is the printer?
Will – 2-300 pounds. Many 3-D printers print in resin. This will cast in wax, and we are trained in working in wax, so our operations can stay as is. Just faster. $54k. We’ll need to hire multiple people. A metalsmith and marketing and admin staff. Every time we buy an ounce of gold, we mark it and have a traceability code, and we can track alloys, but it is more admin work. Any designer buying gold from us gets tracked and they can track what they buy from us. Fair Mines is run by ARM and we’re on their map.
Daniel – I don’t recall the last time.. this loan.. security will be a UCC on the 3D printer Please explain…
Ian – like a lien on the printer…
Daniel – so if they default we get the printer
Ian – we sell it…
Patrick – this is a standard sort of security commitment for loans of this type.
Ian – how is the fund?
Patrick – good use of the fund. It is a worthwhile project. I’m not a commercial loan officer. You find yourself saying – we run it through the applications, had to make some changes to make it fit the program, and seems like a worthwhile investment.
Liz – I applaud this company and know something of artisan gold mining and the horrors of it. In the past these loans have been renegotiated rather has people being foreclosed upon.
Ian – excellent point – the goal is to support local business.
Jess – how the process gets started or someone applies?
Patrick – start by reaching out to the finance department…
Will – we didn’t have cashflow to do this and BDCC has a webinar, and BSL recommended it.
Liz – The purpose is to augment other loans. makes sense those two would recommend it.
Will – we also have a tent loan to support incubating at the Cotton Mill, and a BSL loan to purchase gold.
Liz – got a showroom?
Will – no, but we set up appointments to show it off.
Ian – plug yourself…
Will – wrmetalarts.com and everything is there, and on instagram.
approved!
Resolution Recognizing Freedom Against Domestic Violence
Ian – Kelsey Rice and Shari will give the presentation.
Patrick – (sound cuts out) make a presentation o domestic violence in our community, and a resolution for you to consider.
Kelsey – thanks for getting us on an agenda in Domestic Violence Month. I’m going to shared lived experience. The resolution speaks for itself. I’ll do my best to keep this to 15 minutes. Bevity is not my strength. So this is a snapshot. I need to speak generally to protect anonymity. I was born and raised here. I serve children and families. I have a child. Brattleboro is my town. I help people less fortunate than I am. I analyze the services I’ve received. Absolutely, the outrage has expedited my experience. It has been this hard for me, and for those without the privilege I have it must be harder. It is going all around us. I’m not the only survivor here tonight, most likely, though I will talk about it. I have had to work through shame, lose family and work , trying to access help… I’ve never lost sight of those who don’t have my navigating systems. There is intervention happening in my family right now. I want to highlight that I as a victim have relied on law enforcement and the DCF, and am grateful for the protections I have been granted, and it isn’t the answer for everyone. I remember every positive encounter I’ve had with them. My experiences speaking publicly is that people have questions and worry they will offend my. I look at the intention of the question. People also want to reach out later on, and you can do that. This is my favorite conversation topic – work or personal – and go to the Womans Freedom Center.
Domestic violence isn’t limited to lower socio economic classes. I’ve had three professional women reach out to me – one in a department I collaborate with, one from the primary woman’s mental health place in town, and an insurance agent. I tried to assure all of them that the Woman’s Freedom Center protects anonymity – but they were to ashamed. As a visitor, I’ve experience stalking, sexual, psychological violence… I’ve lost family and lifelong relationships. I needed to rely on systems. I had a strong understanding of the cycle of abuse, and to accept that reality it was incredibly difficult. I couldn’t turn to most family. My brother Austan was there for me. Abusers sabotage relationships. People don’t have safe supports. I have family support now. I can’t be four places at once. That what it requires to maintain the home and meet their needs.
I need to mention working for Easter Seals – brings me to tears thinking of the support I’ve received. They’ve seen the layers of discrimination I face. They don’t look away. They see us for who we are. It’s vital. To be seen what we are capable of. When we leave the relationship, we have to relearn how to engage in life. It’s harder out than in it. In it, it is dangerous, but it is a known chaos. When you get out, you realize there is no end in sight.
We need training for everyone touching domestic violence. It’s often unintentional discrimination. People need to believe in people’s ability to change. No place in public service if you don’t see this. You are meeting people in their living hell, they are in crisis. I’d like to say every person can shoot the trajectory. Nonjudgemental support.
Social stigma – it continues for me. It comes up socially and professionally. More than one situation where individuals have made missteps and they attempt to manipulate the situation to make me feel my perceptions are inaccurate. This happens sadly often. Every 3-6 months the burden becomes too heavy and I can’t go on and a weekend is wasted. My family takes over and I try to turn the pain into purpose. I think about not giving up, but also the women I hold space for. I can’t imagine being homeless with kids, or dealing with substance abuse, or more unhealthy relationships. No one can fathom what it is like in that situation. I wasn’t poor or abused as a child. If it is this difficult for me… survivors deserve so much respect.
Economic impact – the long arc of recovery. I’ve had loans and credit cards taken in my name, fraudulent claims on taxes, sharing relief during COVID, not safe to file for child support, eligible for food benefits despite working full time which can be cut off if finances change. Its a worry, but nothing compared to what others are experiencing in the community. There are court dockets with my name on them. My abuser has done time in jail, and extradited back from Alaska. All the help is financed by you all. I can’t work harder. I can’t function at full ability. It’s amazing other women are still standing.
As mothers we cannot fully sever ties with abusers… they harm us through our children. We have to coparent with them. Abuse doesn’t stop despite years of separation. I do this every day. With privilege comes responsibility. I’m tired of privileged people looking the other way. They have resources to keep it quiet.
I’ll sum it up by saying I do this for victims and survivors, and for those who do harm. I couldn’t do this if I didn’t believe in change. Police and courts can’t do more. How can men step into leadership? Why not invest in group support for teen boys? New need more, and for men to stop looking the other way. People who cause harm need to be held accountable by those they respect. It will take getting men involved to make a change. We are spending millions after violence has happened. We need to invest in prevention. The problem isn’t going anywhere.
Ian – thanks for the presentation.
Shari – hello and thanks. I’m the community outreach advocate at the Women’s Resource Center. We’ve done this for 40 years, and work with all genders. Thanks to the community. Crisis service remained intact during the pandemic. We supported over 600 survivors in the last year and over 2000 hotline calls. Beyond that, we provide justice and wellness workshops for teens and adults. We help train organizations in what to look for and safety planning. Our goal is to be a 24-7 resource for the community – reach out if someone is being harmed. One in three women experience domestic violence in their life. Despite all the progress, the least safe place for women is in the home. We are all impacted. Survivors surround us, and many are silent. Fear and stigma are enormous barriers, so any effort to reduce those will send a lasting message. Victims might confide in someone they know, not a professional. One might be saved by calling police while another may face greater harm. An informed community is best. So, tonight’s resolution – our mission hasn’t changed. We’re still inspired by the questions – what will it take where this is no longer tolerated? As advocated, the language we use makes a difference, so framing domestic violence as a human rights issue put the proper focus on it. October is DV Awareness month.There is work to be done about learning and unlearning. Adopting this means reaching farther and aligns us with others who have adopted this ethical stepping stone.
Ian – board?
Liz – I am so grateful to Kelsey and the WFC and have respect for your work. I fully support this resolution and hope we could become more skilled to help woman and children in crisis.
Daniel – that’s for the presentation. I admit to be resolution skeptical and it has been a learning experience tonight – I fully support what you are trying to achieve. I feel conflicted about resolutions… it feels flimsy, but making space for this conversation and it being heard and reported on by the press… we’re all impacted by hearing these stories. I support this resolution, but then what kind of thinking can come out of this? What policy could we do… we have public safety departments in Police and Fire, providing EMS services, when you go out into homes you might see some things. Public work is out interacting, too. What training do these departments have to identify domestic violence. I assume the police and fire have training, but would like to hear that confirmed. As to economics, the state police are looking to weed out people who aren’t qualified to help, then they train recruits to do this work skillfully. Then the larger point… the people impacted by domestic violence has a ripple out effect. If we go on a call… many relate to generational poverty and abuse. As an organization, we can seek to do work that aims at eradicating domestic violence. In my amateurish way, I’d like to be a part of that. I seek to be an ally in these matters. men do need to take more of an active role. There is work going on in our schools related to this, having young men working on these issues. It wasn’t talked about when I was a kid. Men need to be more visible in these conversations.
Shari – the Freedom Center is open to training the Fire Department… any organization doing home visits or interacting with both members of a relationship. Safety planning is for bystanders and home visitors. How to get info to people you want to help? Conversations are ongoing. We can all learn from each other.
Tim – (the picture freezes) – I share skepticism about proclamations, but Curtis Reed said we need to walk the talk. Men have a special responsibility. I attended an IDEA committee today regarding inclusion, and Police and Fire were there. I’m sure they’ll be involved with this. How do I walk the talk? I’d like to discuss with you, as a leader an in everyday life.
Patrick – in order to answer the question, I need to speak to the Chief…
Chief Hardy – yes, not only do we participate in statewide training for domestic violence and answering calls and giving help, but also we have a relationship with WFC and communicate often. I’ve set up training sessions with survivors and officers, so they can learn from past mistakes. We are actively working and participating on this.
Jess – I echo what others have said about sharing stories and the work WFC does.
Gary – anyone who hears this, this is a wake up call and it is real and people need to come together and work together as a family, to bring peace and harmony back.
Ian – thanks so much for the presentation. I’m not as skeptical about resolutions. The board is a space for us to put information to the community that people need to be informed about. The board, as policymakers, need to hold many values in our arms and when we make resolutions that are signed and part of the markup of our town documents and pour universe, it helps us to remember and to hold on to. I value this time and the resolution. This is a policy direction we will be making and prioritizing, and this will be a clear direction from us with this resolution.
Patrick – understood.
Bill Pelz-Walsh – from Dummerston. I thank them for the presentation and for the board taking this up. For 28 years I’ve worked with over 2000 men who have caused harm to their partners. We’re finally in an area where accountability is an issue, and the resolution is an important statement. Full support, and would love to see more men stepping up. We could bring men into being mentors to men who caused harm.
(they read the resolution, in part…) ” … Freedom Against Domestic Violence is a fundamental human right…”
So resolved!
Ian – break time, back at 8:40.
Brattleboro Code of Ordinances Chapter 4, Proposed Changes – First Reading
Ian – so, okay, we reconvene.
Sue Fillion – I didn’t fade up like usual. New laptop is running faster. We’re here for a first reading to changes to the bike ordinance. Alice Charkes point out that our ordinances were out of date, so she worked on changes with Chief hardy and the Traffic safety Committee. Mostly they come into compliance with state law. One major one is to eliminate the requirement to register bicycles. No more fines for unregistered bikes. Police Chief says bike registration is helpful for tracking stolen bikes. Other changes – some modes have been changed – riding with two hands, etc. ,- some changes about hand signaling. some changes to the signals, clarification about the use of lights on bikes. That’s the summary of changes. It’s been reviewed and in line, and we’d like to update them to be consistent with state statute.
Liz – I am the Traffic Safety Committee member this year and was there when it was discussed and I support it. Can’t be wrong being in sync with state statute.
Daniel – hmmm…
Tim – you can ride on the handlebars?
Sue – yes, not subject to a fine.
Tim – it makes for a good double mint gum commercial, it seems like a bad idea to me.
Liz – when have we made a gum commercial
Tim – the operating in a dark part – lamps must be visible front and rear. I wasn’t aware that was required. It would be great to have a social media awareness campaign, for safety.
Daniel – when I was on the committee, we did have some discussion about small funds available for reflective equipment and lights. I saw some of it at the police department in storage. Maybe they could be out in cars and give it to people who need to be made safer. If we spot them at night, rather than fine, we could give them what they need to cycle safety. That’s my request.
Tim – thanks for the hard work on this…
Ian – yeah, Alice, thank you for this work. We should align other statutes with state statutes. We should have a process.
Tim – we’ve been plugging away.
Patrick – we have 20 chapters….they are woefully out of ate, not consistant with state statute always. It’s a top priority on my list before Elwell came on board and still is.
Ian – it could be a committee…
patrick – there are professional consultants that specialize in this, and we should talk to Bob, and consider our capacity issues. Elwell had other things to do as well. They should be reviewed, but it is a technical task to match state and federal law.
Daniel – we have the choice to enforce ordinances or not… if it is ridiculous and obsolete, i could not be actively enforced…
Tim – like “don’t throw stones”
Ian – or if it countered state statute.
Radio Replacement – Brattleboro Police Department
Patrick – we ae seeking to spend $90k for 19 new police department radios. Radio replacement is not in the operating budget. It is in the capital program. We have our equipment in a 25 year program. These radios are due to be replaced in FY26. I wondered a bit when I heard about this – did we go to long? FY26 is a couple of years away. What has happened is that in the equipment replacement program, the intention is to keep the increase in expenditures to be as slow as possible. To ensure one year in one department doesn’t cloud out another. From time to time, some items get pushed out a bit. It is to be replaced in FY26, two years ago they were to be replaced in FY24. WE had pushed it out for the budget, but we didn’t get lucky and have an urgent need to replace equipment,, unplanned. We seek your approval to spend those funds now and we’ll move the replacement back to FY24, and have an RTM article to approve your decision. It is important we take this action tonight.
Chief Hardy – the radios are at end of life dos they can’t be serviced, they aren’t fully working, batteries won’t hold a charge, and it depends where you are. Motorola says they can’t be serviced or get new batteries. This is a way to get on duty officers and dispatch and extras with these 19, then we’ll buy more so everyone has a radio.
Patrick – this is an issue of officer safety. We had a situation where someone needed to call for backup and could not do so. That’s a threat to safety.
Tim – I support it. Should these be in operating and not capital Limited lifespan?
Patrick – you buy them in quantity, like computers.So, yes.
Liz – we know how important it is to communicate, and to keep officers safe, I support it.
Daniel – I support it. I did have questions about process. This was planned for FY26 – what amount were we to spend.
Patrick – it was to be FY24 and got pushed out further. We have a good idea of the estimate now. In FY26 it was 125k but it will be 140k.
Daniel – so we want to buy some tomorrow…
Patrick – it’s like when the animal control officer’s vehicle died a year before replacement. We purchased it then funded it in the next year to pay it back. The same thing would happen here. We’d get the minimum number of radios for now, fund it in FY24, and allow the full amount to be bought then.
Ian – fully in support. I appreciate keeping them going as long as you have. Clearly a safety issue. is there anything we could do in our capital plan to annotate changes that are made to capital items that get moved further out, so we have them in mind.
Patrick – it is possible it was bumped more than once, or bumped once for two years.
Ian – if bumped multiple times, it would be good to know.. we might decide to bump something else.
Patrick – need to keep our mind on it.
Tim – that’s a departmental task
Patrick – the Town manager’s office… it is a value-added department. each department has their requests, and the Town manager and Finance Dept need to move things around to find a way to make increase in costs steady. We used to have years when we’d swing wildly into debt and crowd out other purchases. The long term plan was a way to work in cash, real-time and try not to let anyone down. Sometimes things get inched up a bit. Need to keep our eye on expected life of items.
Ian – the room’s not as full as before the break…
approved!
Pistol Replacement – Brattleboro Police Department
Patrick – less exciting – this was funded in FY20 and so it doesn’t have the same gymnastics.
Chief Hardy – I’d like new duty pistols. The ones we currently have are over 12 years old. Slated to be replaced in FY20, and so the ones we have now, they are showing wear and tear from practicing, weather, laying in holsters… and this is the perfect time to transition to a lighter less expensive 9mm, rather than 40 caliber weapons. It will save us funds. 40 caliber is harder to get and is becoming antiquated, which is more expensive. These will be smaller, lighter, and more available in the bulk we need.
Liz – I support this, to give the police what they need.
Ian – the move to 9mm… is that a decision the department supports?
Chief – absolutely. I let everyone in the dept fire a 9mm at a range, everyone got to decide. They are all for it and pretty hyped about lighter weight on their hips.
Ian – thanks. This kind of decision would be an important one and am glad the department was involved and supportive. I fully support it.
approved!
final bits
Final step is to announce committee vacancies and answer a question for tim about budget meetings. I’m going to go eat dinner… at 9:15.
Thanks Grotke!
And I also thought the survey was useless.