The Brattleboro Selectboard approved a memo of understanding which, once filed, will recognize most remaining non-management staff as union members. This makes the fourth group of town employees participating in collective bargaining.
Brattleboro will have a thorough process for finding a new Police Chief, according to plans presented by Interim Town Manager Patrick Moreland. If all goes well, the search will result in a new police chief by the end of the summer.
Committee members were appointed, grants enlarged, businesses fined, and more in this relatively short, summer meeting of the Selectboard.
Preliminaries
Chair David Gartenstein was not in attendance. Vice Chair Kate O’Connor led the proceedings.
“As everyone knows,” she began,”David Gartenstein took a little spill on his bike. We hope he gets well soon.” She said he promised to watch the meeting from home. “We’re in regular contact, but we want him back.”
O’Connor said that she was late to the previous meeting due to a meeting in Townshend to discuss the $10 million coming to Windham County for economic development. “They outlined the process. It’s long and thorough. The process is outlined on the Agency of Commerce website.” She said that the public comment period has been extended to this coming Friday. “Look at it. $10 million is a lot of money coming to the region.”
“David, if you are watching, I hope you are doing well and get well soon,” said Patrick Moreland. He noted that Brattleboro’s Town Plan had one an award as Town Plan of the Year, and congratulated Rod Francis and Sue Fillion of the Planning Department for their great work.
For Selectboard comments and committee reports, David Schoales said the Windham Solid Waste Management District was looking for someone qualified to evaluate proposals for a solar array on the landfill. He also noted that the new electric car chargers had been installed at the parking garage.
Donna Macomber said that many people had asked her about David Gartenstein, causing her to realize how much leadership, commitment, and dedication he provides. She said that if Mr. Gartenstein was watching, “turn it off. I wonder about people who watch the meeting every week.” She said the entire board looked forward to his full recovery.
John Allen was left with only one thing to say about Gartenstein. “Stop milking it,” he joked.
There was no public participation.
Financial Report With John O’Connor
Finance Director John O’Connor provided the board with their monthly financial report, covering the period ending May 31, 2014.
91.7% of the fiscal year is complete. The General Fund expenditures are at 92.9% of the budget. The Utilities Fund expenditures are at 87.2% and the Parking Fund expenditures are at 91.1% of their budgets.
$751,496 has been spent of the Police and Fire Facilities project.
Just over $4 million has been loaned out, and just under $450,000 remains for grants and loans. The town has 36 current active grants and 14 in the application process.
O’Connor said he was still projecting the $200,000 increase in unassigned fund balance. “Could be larger. Our delinquent taxes are low,” he said. “Doing well.”
Kate O’Connor asked about expenditures that had been transfers.
O’Connor said there were three, the Town Meeting transfer, Elm Street washout, and communication tower move.
“More business licenses taken out,” observed O’Connor.
“Russ does a good job tracking them down,” answered O’Connor.
Labor Relations Agreement
Clerical and administrative staff for the Town of Brattleboro have collected signatures requesting collective bargaining and presented them Tuesday to the Selectboard. The staff petition has been filed with the Vermont Labor Relations Board.
Kate O’Connor said the process began in February when the town was presented with signature cards of employees that wanted union representation. She said the town already negotiates with three unions – one each for police, fire, and DPW/Recreation & Parks. The board, she said, was being asked to sign a memo of understanding agreeing to collective bargaining.
Interim Town Manager Patrick Moreland said that he and Bob Fisher did a review of town staff to make sure everyone with similar positions would be represented. Only a handful of employees in management and close to management (a “confidential employee”) won’t be unionized.
Town Attorney Bob Fisher said that once their memo of understanding was filed with the National Labor Relations Board, the town will have recognized the union, “and then we’ll negotiate a contract.”
“Who?” asked John Allen.
“The Town Manager and I do union contract review,” said Fisher, “and you approve contracts. We’re not reinventing the wheel.”
We haven’t had a new union in quite a while, observed Allen. Moreland said it had been since 1995.
The Brattleboro Selectboard voted 4-0 to sign the memo of understanding.
Police Chief Search
Brattleboro’s Town Manager does the hiring and firing of staff, and Interim Town Manager Patrick Moreland presented the Selectboard with an outline of the process he plans to use to find our next Police Chief.
Kate O’Connor told her fellow board members that if they want to comment on process, or what to look for, this is their opportunity.
Moreland began with an announcement. An Interim Police Chief, our own Captain Mike Fitzgerald, has been appointed and starts June 27 at 5 p.m.
Moreland said four committees would be tasked with the hiring process. There will be a seven member community committee, the Selectboard, a police committee, and an evaluation committee.
The community committee will represent a broad swath of citizen, community, and advocacy perspectives, he explained. As part of their application, citizens will be asked about their motives and affiliations. They will get to ask up to two questions. A request for members will be coming soon.
The Selectboard will form a collective opinion of each candidate. The Police Committee will have five members of their union give tours and interviews, also offering their views.
The Evaluation Committee will narrow the choices for the Town Manager. This committee will consist of the Town Manager, Selectboard Chair, a member of an outside law enforcement agency, Tristan Toleno of the Citizen Police Communication Committee, and Tracy Shriver of the Windham County State Attorney.
Final appointment will be by the Town Manager.
Moreland reminded everyone who might be involved that “this is still a personnel matter, so it will be a strictly confidential process.”
He has revised the job description, developed an advertisement, and determined the salary range to be between $75-85,000.
Ads will be placed with the International Association of Police Chiefs, New England Association of Chiefs of Police, Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council, Vermont League of Cities and Towns, and the newspaper.
Brattleboro could have a new Chief by the end of the summer, Moreland hopes.
Donna Macomber asked how widely the search would go, and whether it was standard to ask for a B.A. degree.
Moreland said some towns ask for a Masters degree preferred, but none seem to require it. He thought that in the modern age of the internet, applications would come from near and far.
John Allen found it odd to discuss these issues with the Chief in the room. “It’s like a living wake. Did the chief have any input?”
David Schoales picked up on this and suggested the evaluation committee have an exit interview with the current Chief. Moreland agreed that it would be a good idea.
Business Personal Property Fines
The Office of the Assessor presented the Brattleboro Selectboard with a list of 31 businesses which are taxable but have failed to file a Business Personal Property Schedule in 2014. As such, they are liable for $100 fines.
Municipal Assessor Russell Rice recommended fining them. The Selectboard agreed. Fines will be issued, added to tax bills in July.
He said the list is smaller than in previous years.
Grant Amendment – GHS Op Enforcement
The Brattleboro Police are adjusting a grant request upward in an effort to direct more resources toward reducing distracted and aggressive driving. The original request was $2,000, and the board voted to endorse the request to raise it to $10,000.
The grant would come by way of the Vermont Department of Public Safety, Governor’s Highway Safety Program, and will help cover salaries and benefits, mileage, checkpoints, and speed checks. The program asked the police to request more, said Mike Fitzgerald. “Unused funds at the end of the year are redistributed.”
“It’s amazing that other towns don’t use all their funds,” said John Allen.
Small Business Assistance Program Loan – Brattleboro Area Farmers Market
The Brattleboro Farmers Market was approved by the Brattleboro Selectboard for a $40,000 Small Business Assistance Program loan. The money will be used to redevelop the former Planet Gas property in front of the summer market location.
The loan will cover the costs of necessary work until another loan, from USDA Rural Development funds, is approved later in the year. This $40,000, plus 3% interest, is expected to be repaid before the year is over.
The building was purchased by the BAFM in December of 2013, according to Finance Director John O’Connor. He said that if the site is found to be clean, or can be cleaned with brownfield money, the USDA will approve their loan.
John Allen didn’t like the odds of finding a clean site. “What if there is huge contamination?”
“They won’t go forward,” replied O’Connor.
David Schoales, a Farmers Market participant himself, said there have been soil exams done already. “It has tapered off to insignificant amounts,” he said, joking that “it doesn’t mean there aren’t some bodies up there….
He said the property would mostly be used for parking. ‘”The building will stay for a while, but may go away.”
3-0-1, with Schoales abstaining.
Disbanding the Skating Rink Committee
The Skating Rink Committee is, by their own request, no more. The group was formed to look at issues with the compressors at the skating rink, and they feel their work has been completed.
“Everything appears to be in good order regarding the current equipment and the personnel,” Chair Rick Sullivan wrote to the board in a letter.
The Brattleboro Selectboard agreed, thanked them, and disbanded the committee.
Resize BASIC Committee
In anticipation of new work by the Skatepark Committee, and in an effort to maintain organization and committee cohesion, the Selectboard was asked Tuesday to reduce the size of the current committee from nine to seven members.
Francine Vallario told the board it would be easier for the group to function. “Some have been unable to get to the meetings.”
Joe Bushey agreed, adding that “we will continue the mission, despite the odds.”
The board voted to reduce the size to seven.
Patrick Moreland said the site selection committee had made a recommendation and the board would be taking up the issue shortly.
Bushey asked if the site selection committee would present their recommendation to the board, then be disbanded. The Selectboard indicated that was indeed the plan.
Food Connects and BAPC Action Team
David Schoales told the Brattleboro Selectboard about Food Connects, a program funded by the Department of Health. Katherine Gillespie Jandernoa of the Farm to School program could not attend.
The Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition is joining forces with the Food Connects program in an effort to prevent chronic diseases.
He said an “action team” is being formed, and the organizations would like a representative from the Selectboard to assist them in implementing “municipal level access to healthy food, practices, and procedures.” He said that anything that related to physical activity or healthy food is within purview of the grant.
David Schoales was nominated and approved to be the representative.
Committee Appointments
More volunteers were appointed to Brattleboro boards and committees.
Ann Wright will again serve on the CPCC (Citizen Police Communications Committee), Hugh Keelen will be on the Arts Committee, Tom Finnell joins the Energy Committee, E. David Wright will serve on the Honor Roll committee, David Cadran to the DRB, Renee Woliver joins the Recreation and Parks Board, and Leo Schiff was appointed to the Traffic Safety Committee.
Patrick Moreland will serve as Collector of Taxes and Steve Barrett will be our Road Commissioner for the coming year.
New union
Congrats to the newly unionized clerical and administrative staff. It was a wise, protective move in this age of budget cutting. It wasn’t really fair that a handful of employees could get their jobs changed on a whim, while others couldn’t be touched due to union contracts. Hopefully this levels the playing field for those sorts of decisions in coming years.
It should also make budget decisions a bit easier, in that almost all employees will be treated more or less in the same manner. The Selectboard won’t have to go on a case by case, job by job, effort each year.