The Brattleboro Selectboard plans a regular Tuesday meeting free of FY15 budget discussions for the first time in quite a while, filled instead with the more ordinary business of parade and liquor permits, new bridges, grants, and dog warrants. The outcome of Monday’s special Representative Town Meeting could come up for discussion, and a conversation of what to do with the Police and Fire Facilities project might veer in the direction of the budget, but otherwise the agenda is refreshingly nonbudgemental at first glance.
You can bring up items not otherwise on the agenda during Public Participation if you attend in person. You can also watch on BCTV, and read the full report here the day after.
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The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet on Tuesday, June 3, 2014 in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session at 5:30pm to discuss contractual and personnel matters, and reconvene the regular business meeting at 6:15pm.
ASL interpreters will be available for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
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BRATTLEBORO SELECTBOARD
TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2014
EXECUTIVE SESSION – 5:30PM
REGULAR MEETING – 6:15PM
AGENDA
1. CONVENE REGULAR MEETING
2. APPROVE MINUTES – May 13, May 15, May 16, May 20, May 21, May 22, and May 27
3. CHAIR’S REMARKS
4. MANAGER’S COMMENTS
5. SELECTBOARD COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
6. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS
A. Special Event Permit – Flag Hill Farm, Inc., Strolling of the Heifers Friday Night Event, June 6
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS – None
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Parade Permit – By the People: Brattleboro Goes Fourth
B. Financial Management Questionnaire – Finance Department
C. Award Bid – Cooke Road Bridge Project
D. Sunset Lake Road Bridge Project – Department of Public Works
E. Staffing Level Review – Fire Department
F. Grant Amendment – VDEMHS Communications Grant Amendment, Fire Department
G. Grant Application – 2014 Edward J. Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, Police Dept.
H. Annual Dog Warrant
I. Police-Fire Facilities Project – Discussion, Future Planning
J. Committee Appointments
11. CORRESPONDENCE/FYI
A. Warrants
12. MEETINGS
See enclosed Town Calendar
13. ADJOURNMENT
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TO: Selectboard May 29, 2014
FROM: Patrick Moreland, Interim Town Manager
SUBJECT: Administrative Report
The following will summarize the proposed motions for those items on the Agenda for the Tuesday, June 3, 2014 Selectboard Meeting. It is anticipated that the Board will meet in executive session beginning at 5:30pm to discuss two contract matters and a personnel matter; the regular meeting will begin at 6:15pm.
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS
A. Special Event Permit – Flag Hill Farm Inc., Strolling of the Heifers Friday Night Event, June 6. The Board is asked to approve a special event permit for Flag Hill Farm, Inc. A special event permit allows producers of spirits, malt or vinous beverages to provide free tasting samples as well as to sell their product by the glass or in unopened containers directly to the public at events. This special event is being coordinated with the annual Strolling of the Heifers Friday Night Event to be held on June 6 at the Robert H. Gibson River Garden between the hours of 5::30pm and 8:30 pm. There are currently four other special event permits associated with this event. Brattleboro Police and Brattleboro Fire have reviewed and have no objections.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT FOR FLAG HILL FARM, INC., FOR FRIDAY, JUNE 6, AT THE ROBERT H. GIBSON RIVER GARDEN, BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 5:30PM AND 8:30PM.
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS – None
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Parade Permit – By The People: Brattleboro Goes Fourth. The Board is asked to approve a parade permit for the annual Fourth of July parade. Approximately 50 marching units will be part of this year’s parade, which will begin at 10am and is expected to continue to noon, on Friday July 4th. Event organizer Kevin O’Connor will be present to answer any questions.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE A PARADE PERMIT FOR “BY THE PEOPLE: BRATTLEBORO GOES FOURTH” FOR FRIDAY, JULY 4TH.
B. Financial Management Questionnaire – Finance Department. The Board is asked to acknowledge receipt of the now annual Financial Management Questionnaire, as required by 24 V.S.A. Section 1571. Finance Director and Town Treasurer John O’Connor will be present to answer any questions.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF THE ANNUAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT CHECKLIST AS REQUIRED BY 24 V.S.A. SECTION 1571.
C. Award Bid – Cooke Road Bridge Project, Department of Public Works. On Sunday August 28th, 2011 Tropical Storm Irene severely damaged Brattleboro’s infrastructure. Among the many infrastructure projects that became eligible for FEMA funding, there are two remaining, the Outfall Pipe and Cooke Road Bridge. The Outfall Pipe involves the wastewater treatment plant and is accordingly a project within the Utility Fund. In contrast, the Cooke Road Bridge is an asset of the General Fund. The bridge was completely destroyed during the storm and a temporary bridge has served us well in the intervening years. The project under consideration is to build a permanent replacement bridge. The cost share for FEMA projects relating to damage from TS Irene is 90% federal, 5% state and 5% local. However, this cost share applies only to the approved limit, and all bids exceeded the approved project amount of $357,000. An appeal is underway to FEMA to cover the difference between the approved amount and the actual cost to complete the project. As the Board will recall, the Town committed funds for covering the local obligation for FEMA related work and a balance of $90,000 remains available for that purpose.
The Department of Public Works solicited bids from qualified construction firms for a design-build project and received four responses. Public Works Director Steve Barrett will be present to make a recommendation to the Board. The recommendation is to the lowest qualified bidder, and not the lowest bidder. The difference between the two bids is the sum of $42,171.
POTENTIAL MOTION: T O AWARD A CONTRACT IN THE AMOUNT OF $437,171 TO COLD RIVER BRIDGES FOR A DESIGN BUILD PROJECT TO REPLACE THE COOKE ROAD BRIDGE.
D. Sunset Lake Road Bridge Project – Department of Public Works. A major bridge replacement project is underway on Sunset Lake Road and Public Works Director Steve Barrett will be present to update the Board on the construction schedule. The project is 90%-10% split between the State and the Town of Brattleboro.
POTENTIAL MOTION: NONE
E. Staffing Level Review – Brattleboro Fire Department. A vacancy will occur in the Brattleboro Fire Department. After many years of service to the Town, Henry Scott is resigning his position within the Brattleboro Fire Department. At the present time, Brattleboro Fire has the following staffing structure: 3 platoons of 7 fire fighters; a fire alarm superintendent; an office manager; an assistant chief and chief, for a total of 25 employees. For the purpose of maintaining safe working conditions for fire fighters, a minimum staffing of 6 is agreed to by the Town in the fire fighters collective bargaining agreement. Even with platoons of 7 fire fighters, it can be difficult to maintain minimum staffing due to the use of sick time from injury or illness or from the use of vacation time. While every effort is made to utilize the assistant chief or fire alarm superintendent in order to maintain minimum staffing, a platoon with 6 members will necessarily increase the need for overtime, paid out at 2.16 times regular hourly rate. Furthermore, lowering the staffing levels will result in a diminished quality of response to emergency situations.
POTENTIAL MOTION: NONE
F. Grant Amendment – VDEMHS Communications Grant Amendment, Brattleboro Fire Department. The Board is asked to accept and appropriate a grant amendment from the Vermont Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security in the amount of $1,790, for the purpose of purchasing a mayday decoder. The decoder was part of the original grant application, but was not included in the first round of funding awarded to Brattleboro.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE A GRANT AMENDMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,790 FROM THE VERMONT DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND HOMELAND SECURITY FOR THE PURCHASE OF A MAYDAY DECODER.
G. Grant Application – 2014 Edward J. Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, Brattleboro Police Department. The Board is asked to approve a grant application to the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program in the amount of $21,073 to support officer time and overtime for proactive drug enforcement activities and to purchase an equipment upgrade. The upgraded equipment will allow the department to improve its forensic capabilities when working with cell phones using the Cellbrite system.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE A GRANT APPLICATION TO THE BUREAU OF JUSTICE EDWARD J. BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $21,073 TO SUPPORT OFFICER TIME AND OVERTIME FOR PROACTIVE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES AND TO PROVIDE AN EQUIPMENT UPGRADE FOR THE CELLBRITE SYSTEM.
H. Annual Dog Warrant – Brattleboro Police Department. The Board is asked to approve the annual dog warrant. This warrant contains the names of owners who have failed to license their dogs. Tickets may be issued to owners with unlicensed animals following the approval of the warrant.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE ANNUAL DOG WARRANT.
I. Police & Fire Facilities Project – Discussion, Future Planning.
POTENTIAL MOTION: NONE
J. Committee Appointments – The Board is asked to make committee appointments.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TBD
