The Brattleboro Selectboard took up issues of farming, energy audits, and downtown improvements at Tuesday’s regular meeting.
The tax stabilization rate for farms was discussed and formalized, but a debate is now brewing over $95,000 in a little-used but popular loan fund for farms. The Selectboard has eyes on it as a way to reduce taxes.
A request to look for ways to save money was tabled, putting the issue of energy audits for municipal buildings on hold for the moment.
Vermont’s downtown program was described in detail, and the BaBB budget and workplan were approved for presentation at Representative Town Meeting.
Preliminaries
After concluding an Executive Session to discuss “a contract matter and potential litigation,” Chair David Gartenstein began the regular Tuesday meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard by saying the holiday season is upon us. He urged all to shop locally and shop often. He also noted that budget meetings are ongoing and encouraged everyone to attend. Their next meeting is Thursday at 7:30 a.m.
Interim Town Manager Patrick Moreland said for the last year and a half SEVEDS has been working to build a comprehensive economic development strategy, a first for the region. It and other matters will be on the agenda for their annual meeting December 5th at Marlboro. The public is invited.
For Selectboard Comments and Committee Reports, Kate O’Connor invited everyone to the tree lighting downtown at Pliny park at 6 p.m. It’s sponsored by Building a Better Brattleboro, an organization she recently resigned from to take her new position at the Chamber of Commerce. O’Connor praised the work of Dick DeGray and Missy Galanes for helping with lights and wreaths around town.
Gartenstein reported that the Traffic Safety Committee is already working with the new traffic calming plan to aid South Street. He encouraged others with concerns to search out the plan and follow the procedures so issues get addressed.
Public Participation
Tim Johnson from Project Feed the Thousands reminded the board that Tuesday was Giving Tuesday, and said that Brattleboro is a giving community. “The need for food assistance continues to rise. Please give your support this year.”
He said the goal is $100,000 and meals for 200,000.
“Giving is slower than past years,” he said. “but the need to support it continues to rise.”
Errors and Omissions to the Grand List
The preliminary Grand List is completed each June, but the final results are accurate only after the Errors and Omissions report is filed. The report includes adjusted property values resulting from grievances, mobile home removal, and other changes worth noting.
The total difference this year to the Grand List after adjustments is -$171,870.
Municipal appraiser Russell Rice made the presentation to the board. He said the amounts were small and this change was smaller than in recent years.
The selectboard voted to approve the report.
Farmland Tax Stabilization Program
Interim Town Manager Patrick Moreland alerted the Brattleboro Selectboard to a discrepancy between existing farm tax stabilization agreements and the current program guidelines.
Brattleboro has used Farmland Tax Stabilization programs since the mid 1970’s. The seven current agreements total about $22,000 in municipal tax value and are set to expire in March of 2014. Stabilization applies to the land, the buildings, and the owner-occupied dwelling, and agreements have been for ten year periods.
At issue is a percentage. The old guidelines harken back to an early time, when the municipal and school tax were each stabilized up to 50%. After Act 60 and 68, the town was no longer allowed to stabilize the school portion of the tax bill and Representative Town Meeting voted to increase the municipal stabilization to 100% of the municipal rate.
Moreland said if 2/3 of their income is from farming activities, a farmer can qualify for the program. He hoped the board would make the changes official.
John Allen asked if it was akin to fixing a typo. Moreland said it was important to fix this in public, so it can be reported.
Ross Thurber, a member of the Agricultural Advisory Board, said the committee had met and discussed the benefits of the program.
“It’s been going on for forty years, and Brattleboro supports farms,” he told the board.
Thurber said that benefits include keeping thousands of acres open, support for farming and agriculture, local food and food security, educational opportunities on farms, and a lower cost for taxpayers than developed land requiring town services. “The board advises to keep it going.”
The board voted to update the guidelines to reflect the 100% rate and eliminate the discrepancy.
Moreland said new applications could now go forward.
Agricultural Land Protection Fund
Interim Town Manager Moreland also found $95,169.
He told the board that an Agricultural Land Protection Fund was approved in 1985 by Representative Town Meeting members to serve as a lender of last resort to protect local farmland from development.
The fund has been used twice – once in 1988 and once again in 1998 – and has a balance of $95,169. Moreland suggested that the Brattleboro Selectboard consider recommending to Representative Town Meeting members that these funds be repurposed.
Gartenstein said he asked for it to be put on the agenda, saying they had been looking near and far for money to help keep taxes down. “It seems appropriate to consider if this should stay in place, or if the funds should be repurposed for a more pressing re-use.” He said that Town Meeting Representatives would have to give the board the authority, “but it could defray taxes for everyone in town.”
Donna Macomber asked if there were other options for farmers who come on hard times suddenly.
“At this point, we have more avenues now than when that was established… to get money to hang yourself,” longtime farmer Charlie Robb wryly reported. “We’re all set,” he said seriously.
“That helps my decision.” said John Allen. David Schoales asked if there were other views.
Jesse Kayan of Wild Carrot Farm said he had different perspective. He said the town fund could be accessed more quickly and could be used as a bridge until slower sources, such as grants, could be obtained. He said that land purchases were especially slow.
“This loan fund is a placeholder for money that might comes from other slower sources. Keep it open with some money,” said Kayan. “Maybe take the interest, but leave the fund intact. It’s harder to start it up again than to let the money continue to accrue.”
Kate O’Connor asked if the loan had more details. Moreland wasn’t sure, since no one had taken a loan out in over a decade. Finance Director John O’Connor said that the Agriculture Advisory Board would review the applications and make a recommendation.
Ross Thurber said his family used the program as a bridge loan to buy property adjoining their farm. “Once we conserved it with the Vermont Land Trust, we paid it back.”
“If we take the money can we leave the program open, then put money back in if someone needs it? Does it have to be there?” wondered John Allen.
“Representative Town Meeting seeded this with a certain amount of funds for this purpose.” said Moreland, implying Allen’s idea wouldn’t work.
“It would be nice to leave it alone, but we could also use the money” said Allen.
Farmer Jay Bailey endorsed the idea of using the interest, but leaving the fund’s original amount in place. “That would leave something for what may come along,” he said. “Land will become available. You never know when it may be needed.”
Gartenstein said he asked for this to be on the agenda because of the significant tax burden facing the town. He said the board really needed to consider the burden of taxes, “an increase this year of 7 to 14 cents.” He said they had to ask Town Meeting Representatives “if excess money, not used in 15 years, should be made available for tax relief.”
David Schoales said he’d make the motion to put the issue before Representative Town meeting, but “it may add two and a half hours to Town Meeting.
Nancy Miller wanted to reiterate what Bailey had said about keeping at least $50,000 in the fund. “A lot of farms have new, young farmers coming along and it may be crucial for them.”
The board voted 5-0 to put the issue before Representative Town Meeting.
Brattleboro Climate Protection Town Meeting Article
Paul Cameron of Brattleboro Climate Protection submitted his annual request for an article to be placed on the Representative Town Meeting agenda for a $10,000 funding request.
As part of his pitch to the board, Cameron noted the many ways he and the Energy Committee have worked to help cut energy costs for the town, such as a 27% reduction in electricity and fuel between 2000 and 2010. LED streetlights, solar projects, and educational outreach are others.
Lester Humphreys said that Cameron had been extremely helpful to the Energy Committee “and saves the town lots of money.”
David Gartenstein encouraged Cameron to take more of a leadership role in town projects and other town committees. “It’s your role to step up and make sure energy issues are front and center. I hope you’ll do that more.”
The board voted 5-0 to add the article to the warning.
Energy Committee Report and Energy Audits
The Brattleboro Energy Committee requested that the Selectboard include $3,400 in next year’s budget for energy audits of Brooks Memorial Library, Gibson-Aiken Center, the Public Works garage, the skating rink, and water treatment plant. The audits would be used to help plan ways to reduce energy consumption and costs.
Lester Humphreys, Chair of the Brattleboro Energy Committee, was joined by fellow members Jason Cooper, Kathleen White, Zoe Armstrong and Tad Montgomery in an effort to educate and convince the Selectboard to fund the energy audits.
Paul Cameron walked the board through the results of a report the energy committee has put together on town buildings prompted by work with Efficiency Vermont.
The report looked at data from 2001, 2010, and 2013. Cameron said that energy use had dropped from 2001 to 2010, but was going back up. He said energy costs have dropped, but the prices have leveled off and “we’re not saving as much.”
Cameron said emissions have gone up. “The Town Plan calls for a 20% reduction. We’re heading in the wrong direction there, but we could turn it around.”
Humphreys said savings increase as energy projects are paid off, citing the Honeywell project and streetlight replacement as examples.
He estimated the total savings from energy projects was about $143,000 in 2013. “The total energy budget is 1% lower due to these projects.”
Going forward, Humphreys said, the committee was looking at good candidates for additional opportunities for savings. The annual energy budgets for buildings, he said, show possibilities. The water treatment plant costs $41,000 per year for energy, the Public Works garage costs us $26,000. The skating rink costs $50,000, Gibson Aiken costs $24,000, the library comes to about $41,000, and the Municipal Building requires us to pay nearly $75,000 each year.
Humphreys said they request energy audits for these buildings to see if savings will justify the work, and to “see if it makes sense.”
Chuck Clerici of Efficiency Vermont said he walked through the buildings and produced a detailed report. “There are three levels of audit. I did level one walkthrough.” He said his report helped inform the committee’s report.
“You have opportunities,” he said, “but most (buildings) are in pretty good shape.” he said that in Wilmington, they did audits which showed costs and savings, “and it helped. We started an energy efficiency fund. It helps attract grants and rebates.”
“You’ll get specifics. You’ll have data to make decisions on,” he told the board.
John Allen asked if the Honeywell project savings matched projections. Humphreys said the savings were higher than what was projected in the contract, possibly due to lower than expected fuel prices.
Jason Cooper said doing audits was important. He told the board he did $80,000 of improvements to five apartment buildings and saw his energy costs drop from $35,000 a year to about $9,000.
Zoe Anderson said it was an opportunity for Brattleboro to set an example on these issues. “It could be a small price to pay to so we can make positive energy choices.”
“It is efficient for taxpayers, too,” said Kathleen White. “It may cost a bit, but we reap savings over time.”
“I understand what you are going through with the budget and hard decisions,” said Tad Montgomery, “but if these decisions had been made years ago, the problems we have now would have been offset.” He suggested they act now to help 10-15 years down the road.
Kate O’Connor asked if there was a specific motion. She preferred there was not, saying that she’d like to think about this request in context with all the other budget issues. John Allen agreed.
“We’re saving money,” said Humphreys. “We’re asking to reinvest a small amount of those savings so we can continue it.”
David Schoales moved that the Town Manager immediately engage the services of an energy auditing company and get the process underway. He said the small cost could be paid with money saved by not having a Town Manager for an extended period.
“We can reduce costs without reducing services,” said Schoales. “I can’t see any reason to wait. Do it right now. We have some funds we can use.”
Patrick Moreland said he knew of some funds that could be spent to fund the Municipal Building energy audit, but also warned that these projects take staff time and resources. He doubted if it all could be accomplished by the end of the fiscal year.
Schoales pressed on. “The water treatment plant — is that an easy building to audit?”
Clerici said his understanding from Steve Barrett was that the water treatment facility was going to have a large capital project in the near future. “That would be the logical time to evaluate it. Cold water runs through a building you are trying to heat.”
“There are things that could be done right now,” added Humphreys. “That facility won’t be replaced for quite a while.”
O”Connor said she couldn’t vote for the motion, especially since it said to take the money from salary “savings.”
“Any notion that we saved money on the Town Manager,” cautioned Gartenstein. “We’ll spend it and then some on Elm Street repairs, and the communications tower costs. The energy audit is a first step, but then we spend the money to do the work.” He also wanted to wait and look at budget as a whole.
“Without the audits we’re blind,” said Schoales. “We can’t make investments. The more we put it off, the more taxes we have to raise. We’re elected to make judgements, and use our best thinking to make decisions about savings, not just to follow established patterns. We make judgements when things come up. We can make a small investment and see returns right away.”
“I also feel an urgency,” said Donna Macomber. “It concerns me that stalling this increases costs to the town. It’s a relatively small amount. If we vote tonight, I’d vote for it. Future selectboards will look at energy costs. If we don’t move soon, costs increase. This is a timely step in an important direction.”
John Allen suggested they wait, look at the full budget before them, then decide. “I know it isn’t a lot of money. I’d like a little more time to look at in the context of everything. Everybody has a cause or concern. This is the year we have to look at where it hurts, and not everyone will be happy with decisions we make.”
Michael Bosworth said that the Town Meeting Finance Committee would “like to see these types of audits take place. It will result in savings. It makes fiscal sense.”
“You’ll get some ideas for simple fixes that lead to savings,” said Jason Cooper. “Low hanging fruit can generate substantial savings.”
“I move to table this until January 7 so Patrick can tell us where the money can come from,” said Gartenstein.
“Beats the heck out of having it defeated,”said Schoales.
The issue was tabled with a vote of 5-0.
Vermont Downtown Program – Leanne Tingay
Leanne Tingay gave the Brattleboro Selectboard an overview of the Vermont Downtown Program, in which Brattleboro takes part. Rod Francis joined her to help setup a few slides.
Tingay has been doing downtown revitalization for 20 years, she said, and coordinates Vermont’s downtown program.
She began with an overview of the downfall of Main Streets in America. After WWII, she told the board, people bought houses in suburbs, and zoning changes created sprawl. Then in the 1970’s, malls came along and stayed open late. interstate highways diverted people from downtowns. This led to a downtown depression of sorts, and the creation of the Main Street program.
She said the program uses a four point approach, looking at organization, economic restructuring, design, and promotion as ways to boost downtown growth and quality of life.
It also allows for the creation of a special assessment district. In Brattleboro, it is the DID (Downtown Improvement District). The organization responsible has committees or departments to address the four areas mentioned above.
The Vermont downtown program allows for tax credits for facade and code improvements and historic buildings, sales tax reallocation for capital projects, transportation funds, traffic calming plans, priority in state grants, technical assistance, and training.
She said Brattleboro has benefited from tax credits for sprinklers, elevators, code improvements, facades, and even one-time flood credits. The Latchis, Brooks House, NEYT, Manley Apartments and others saw improvements worth over $2.6 million, at a town cost of about $523,000. Over 10,000 volunteer hours in downtown work have been donated, too.
Tingay said there are expectations for those participating, such as annual reinvestment statistics, attending meetings, submitting work plans and budgets, participating in program assessment every few years, and assisting with the downtown renewal application.
“Over the last few years, things haven’t seemed so good between the organization and the town as a whole,” said David Gartenstein. “There has been tension from time to time. We’ve seen a streamlining of the organization and refocusing of planning. How do you see us going forward?”
Tingay said Brattleboro wasn’t alone, and that there are normal growing pains. She said she saw a big opportunity in Brattleboro with a new Town Manager coming in the near future, and new leadership at BaBB, the Chamber, and BDCC.
“A lot of new blood,” she said. “It is a super time for Brattleboro. You can look at new ideas and new ways to do things.” She cautioned that it would take heavy lifting, however.
Gartenstein asked if she had examples of towns that ran their downtown organization within the municipality rather than by a private non-profit. “Is a private non-profit better?”
She said most use private non-profits, and participants feel they have an advocate for their issues to go to the municipality for them. “They are a spokesman for the downtown. A check and balance.”
Moreland said he had asked Tingay to attend. “Successful participation comes in two ways. Obviously our BaBB workplan has to work for downtown, and it needs to work in Montpelier.”
“Very helpful,” said Gartenstein. “I’m not sure I’ve heard this sort of presentation here before in recent years.”
Building a Better Brattleboro Annual Budget
Before taking up the issue of the BaBB budget and workplan, Kate O’Connor recused herself. She said she had worked on the budget prior to departure from the organization.
BaBB president Donna Simons was joined by Jake Roberts, BaBB’s new Downtown Coordinator.
“Downtowns change all the time, and our ability to respond creates challenges,” said Simons. “Not everything we do is visible. It’s easy to think nothing is being done.”
She noted that most of the past year had been taken up with selling the River Garden to the Strolling of the Heifers. “We want to partner with them to make sure it is a success for them.”
“Is part of the agreement to remain a Waypoint Center?” asked David Gartenstein. Simons said yes, it would remain a place to draw people away from the interstate down to the Connecticut River and downtown. “It could become a greater asset by tying into local agriculture and bringing people in and out,” she said.
BaBB worked with Dick DeGray and Missy Galanes to institute a four-season flower program. “Our number one planter and cheerleader is Dick DeGray,” said Simons. “We patched a strained relationship. There is a silver lining to every difficult situation.”
BaBB’s plan for next year, explained Simons, was very similar to this year’s. BaBB is asking to be level-funded at $78,000. Total expenses for FY14 are estimated at $85,500.
“One role I have is to engage downtown residents and business owners to hear concerns and ideas they have for improvements,” added Roberts.
“We’re working on a small facade improvement program. We send out a monthly e-card about what’s going on, going to thousands of people on our mailing list. We’ll work to improve our website. It’s on the front burner for the next year to make it informative,” explained Simons.
Communication is also at the top of the list. BaBB would like to keep downtown informed about sidewalk improvements coming next year, and stay in touch with town departments, committees, and other business organizations.
Roberts said communication is critical “so we’re all on the same page.”
Schoales asked for a proposal for communicating. Roberts suggested monthly meetings to eliminate redundancy and brainstorm together. Gartenstein said he was open to it.
The Selectboard approved the workplan and budget and voted to put it on the agenda for Representative Town Meeting. 4-0-1, with O’Connor abstaining.
BaBB sponsors the tree lighting on Friday evening, kicking off Gallery Walk. Santa, ornament decorating, a jazz ensemble and opera company, and snacks will be on hand starting at 6 p.m.
Connecticut River Transit Board Seat
There is an opening on the board of directors for Connecticut River Transit, operators of buses throughout the region.
Patrick Moreland hoped to publicize the opening and accept applications.
Interested citizens can apply to the Town Manager’s office by January 2, 2014 at 5 p.m. Appointments will occur on January 7.
“It’s an excellent opportunity to get personally involved ,” added David Gartenstein. He also threw in a last minute plug for a meeting with legislators next Thursday on regional economic issues.
