Brattleboro Selectboard Agendas and Notes – August 4 and 5, 2016

Brattleboro’s first Comprehensive Review of Town Operations will be presented for approval at the next not-so-regularly scheduled meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard.

Property tax rates will be set for FY17, grants will be discussed, appointments to committees will be made, and more. Watch on BCTV or attend in person and participate. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.

There is also a special meeting scheduled to hold a deliberative session the next day.

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The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet on Thursday, August 4, 2016, at in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session at 4:30pm to discuss contracts, arbitration or mediation, pending or probable civil litigation, and the appointment of a public officer or employee, and then reconvene the regular business meeting at 5:30pm. ASL interpreters will be available during the regular business meeting for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community members. NOTE THE NEW DAY AND TIME – THE REGULAR MEETING PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED ON TUESDAY (8/2/16) HAS BEEN MOVED TO THURSDAY (8/4/16 at 5:30pm).

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The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Friday, August 5, 2016, at 8:30am in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into deliberative session at 8:30am to discuss site visits and public hearings held on June 28, 2016, re: (a) Minshall Street, (b) Bittersweet Lane, and (c) Wickopee Hill Road / Gulf Road. No public matters will be discussed at the meeting.

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

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BRATTLEBORO SELECTBOARD
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2016
EXECUTIVE SESSION – 4:30PM
REGULAR MEETING – 5:30PM
SELECTBOARD MEETING ROOM
AGENDA

1. CONVENE REGULAR MEETING

2. APPROVE MINUTES – July 19 and July 26

3. CHAIR’S REMARKS

4. MANAGER’S COMMENTS

5. SELECTBOARD COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS

6. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

7. HEALTH COMMISSIONERS

A. Re-Appoint Deputy Health Officer – Fire Captain Leonard Howard

8. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS – None

9. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None

10. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

A. Police-Fire Facilities Project Update

11. NEW BUSINESS

A. Set FY17 Property Tax Rates
B. Authorize Grant Application and Approve Local Matching Grant – Public Hearing, VCDP Planning Grant, Westgate Housing, Inc.
C. Authorize Enhancement Request – VCDP Scattered Site Grant, Windham-Windsor Housing Trust
D. Comprehensive Review of Town Operations (CRTO)
E. Committee Appointments
F. Deliberative Session – To discuss site visits and public hearings heldon June 28, 2016, re: (i) Minshall Street (ii) Bittersweet Lane (iii) Wickopee Hill Road / Gulf Road

12. CORRESPONDENCE/FYI

A. Warrants

13. MEETINGS

See enclosed Town Calendar

14. ADJOURNMENT

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MEMORANDUM
To: Selectboard
From: Peter B. Elwell, Town Manager
Re: Administrative Report
Date: July 28, 2016

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The following will summarize the proposed motions for the Selectboard meeting on Thursday, August 4, 2016. The Board will meet in executive session at 4:30pm to discuss contracts, arbitration or mediation, pending or probable civil litigation, and the appointment of a public officer or employee. The Board will reconvene the business meeting at 5:30pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room.

7. HEALTH COMMISSIONERS

A. Re-Appoint Deputy Health Officer – Fire Captain Leonard Howard, III

The Board of Health (made up of the local Health Officer and the Selectboard) is asked to recommend to the Vermont Department of Health the re-appointment of Fire Captain Leonard Howard, III, to the position of Deputy Town Health Officer for a term to expire on July 31, 2019.

POTENTIAL MOTION: TO RECOMMEND TO THE VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH THE RE-APPOINTMENT OF FIRE CAPTAIN LEONARD HOWARD, III, TO THE POSITION OF DEPUTY TOWN HEALTH OFFICER FOR A TERM TO EXPIRE ON JULY 31, 2019.

8. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS – None.

9. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None.

10. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

A. Police-Fire Facilities Project Update

Town Manager Elwell will provide the Board with an update on the overall status of this project and will propose to the Board a policy related to authority thresholds and approval processes for any changes in the scope of the contracts for various services being provided to the Town for this project.

POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE “POLICY FOR USE OF OWNER’S CONTINGENCY AND/OR REDUCTION IN PROJECT SCOPE” AS PROPOSED BY THE TOWN MANAGER IN HIS MEMORANDUM DATED JULY 28, 2016.

11. NEW BUSINESS

A. Set FY17 Property Tax Rates

The Board is asked to set the Property Tax Rates for Fiscal Year 2017 in accordance with the memo and materials to be provided by Finance Director John O’Connor on August 3, 2016. Mr. O’Connor will be present to discuss the methodology by which the tax rates are calculated.

POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE A MUNICIPAL TAX RATE OF $_____ PER $100.00 OF ASSESSED VALUATION FOR GENERAL FUND OPERATIONS, AN ADDITIONAL $______ PER $100.00 OF ASSESSED VALUATION FOR THE DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, AN ADDITIONAL $_____ PER $100.00 OF ASSESSED VALUATION FOR THE TRI-PARK SPECIAL ASSESSMENT, AND TO RATIFY THE STATE MANDATED EDUCATION RATES AT $____ PER $100.00 OF ASSESSED VALUATION FOR HOMESTEAD PROPERTIES AND $_____ PER $100.00 OF ASSESSED VALUATION FOR NON-RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.

B. Authorize Grant Application and Approve Local Matching Grant – Public Hearing

VCDP Planning Grant, Westgate Housing, Inc.

The Board is asked to authorize the submission of a Planning Grant application in the amount of $27,000 to the Vermont Community Development Program to support the Westgate Housing Restructuring Project. If the Board approves the submission of the application, it is also asked to approve a Town grant in the amount of $3,000 from Program Income to Westgate Housing, Inc., to be paid only if VCDP approves the requested $27,000 planning grant.

POTENTIAL MOTION #1: TO AUTHORIZE THE SUBMISSION OF A PLANNING GRANT APPLICATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $27,000 TO THE VERMONT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN SUPPORT OF THE WESTGATE HOUSING RESTRUCTURING PROJECT.
POTENTIAL MOTION #2: TO APPROVE A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $3,000 FROM PROGRAM INCOME TO WESTGATE HOUSING, INC., CONTINGENT UPON A $27,000 PLANNING GRANT BEING AWARDED TO THE TOWN OF BRATTLEBORO FROM THE VERMONT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN SUPPORT OF THE WESTGATE HOUSING RESTRUCTURING PROJECT.

C. Authorize Enhancement Request –

VCDP Scattered Site Grant, Windham-Windsor Housing Trust

The Board is asked to authorize the submission of an enhancement request to increase the existing 2013 VCDP Scattered Site Grant by $394,237 to support Windham & Windsor Housing Trust’s Home Repair Program and Counseling Advocacy Services program.

POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AUTHORIZE THE SUBMISSION OF AN ENHANCEMENT REQUEST TO INCREASE THE EXISTING 2013 VCDP SCATTERED SITE GRANT BY $394,237 TO SUPPORT WINDHAM & WINDSOR HOUSING TRUST’S HOME REPAIR PROGRAM AND COUNSELING ADVOCACY SERVICES PROGRAM.

D. Comprehensive Review of Town Operations (CRTO)

Town Manager Elwell will present the Comprehensive Review of Town Operations that has been completed by the Town’s management team. The Board will be asked to review and discuss the draft document, and then either to approve it (with or without changes) or to provide direction to staff regarding any additional information the Board may need before considering formal approval of the document.

POTENTIAL MOTIONS:

TO APPROVE THE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF TOWN OPERATIONS AS PROPOSED BY TOWN STAFF IN THE DRAFT DOCUMENT DATED JULY 29, 2016.

or

TO APPROVE THE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF TOWN OPERATIONS AS PROPOSED BY TOWN STAFF IN THE DRAFT DOCUMENT DATED JULY 29, 2016, SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING CHANGES:
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

or

TO DIRECT THAT STAFF ___________________________________ AND RETURN TO A FUTURE SELECTBOARD MEETING WITH A REVISED DRAFT C.R.T.O. DOCUMENT.

E. Committee Appointments

The Board is asked to appoint members to the ADA Committee (for a one-year term) and the Brattleboro Housing Partnerships Board of Commissioners (for a five-year term).

POTENTIAL NOMINATIONS: FOR ADA COMMITTEE:
RUEBEN TAMLER (SCHOTTLAND) FOR A ONE-YEAR TERM ENDING JUNE 30, 2017

FOR BRATTLEBORO HOUSING PARTNERSHIPS BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS:
LAURIE FAVREAU FOR A FIVE YEAR TERMING ENDING JUNE 30, 2021.

F. Deliberative Session – To discuss site visits and public hearings held on June 28, 2016, re: (i) Minshall Street (ii) Bittersweet Lane (iii) Wickopee Hill Road / Gulf Road. The Board may enter into deliberative session to discuss requests to reclassify the noted roads. The Board has sixty days from the date of the public hearings to provide written decisions, so those written decisions must be provided by August 27, 2016.

POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ENTER DELIBERATIVE SESSION.

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BRATTLEBORO SELECTBOARD
FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2016
SPECIAL MEETING – 8:30AM
DELIBERATIVE SESSION – 8:30AM
SELECTBOARD MEETING ROOM, MUNICIPAL CENTER
AGENDA

1. CONVENE MEETING

2. DELIBERATIVE SESSION – To discuss site visits and public hearings held on June 28, 2016, re: (a) Minshall Street (b) Bittersweet Lane (c) Wickopee Hill Road / Gulf Road

3. ADJOURNMENT

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