Selectboard Meeting Notes: Um, But We Said To Vote Against It

David Schoales’ recent vote as Brattleboro’s representative to the Windham Solid Waste District was called into question by fellow board members who were shocked to learn that he had voted in favor of something the Brattleboro Selectboard had recently resolved to be against.  His vote has now been scheduled as a discussion topic for a December meeting, and he may be facing removal from his position as representative.

FY18 budget revenues, projects and expenses were the kick-off topics in the annual budget setting process. The board is learning what town staff propose, and are beginning to question and push back on items. Do we really need to replace the fire truck that failed inspection? Budget meetings will continue into January.

The skatepark and dog park projects were approved by the state, with permits granted for work to get underway. Brattleboro may have some permanent micro housing for the homeless, and the new West Brattleboro fire station walls will have better moisture control thanks in part to someone noticing and asking questions.

Preliminaries

Chair David Gartenstein wished everyone a happy Thanksgiving. He said that the skatepark and dog park have received Act 250  and stormwater permit approval, “a significant accomplishment.” The permits are in effect until October 2019, so the projects must begin before then, though they can be phased over a longer period. He encouraged people to start contributing to help support the project.

He said the board would make a decision about whether to use the Windham Solid Waste Management District or a recycling facility in Rutland at the December 6th meeting. More on this in a moment.

Town Manager Peter Elwell mentioned two recent public works projects people may have noticed. New electric vehicle charging stations have been installed in High Grove Lot, maintained and supplied with electricity by Green Mountain Power. New water service for sprinklers at the Municipal Center  has also been completed.

For selectboard comments and committee reports, David Schoales reported that the WSWMD passed a budget that maintains operation of the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) and adds a 20% surcharge to  outlying towns to help even out the costs to users of the system.

Schoales said there was no vote on whether to close the MRF. Instead, the motion to keep it passed. And, he added, there was no vote on the other issue Brattleboro wanted, a fee structure based on population and grand list. “The surcharge was a late entry and won out.”

Gartenstein was calmly in shock, as the board had instructed Schoales to vote against the MRF and in favor of the population and grand list assessment model. Gartenstein said he read about the WSWMD meeting in the newspaper. “We cast our vote in favor of keeping it open?”

Schoales said yes.

John Allen had been absent when the selectboard voted and told Schoales how to vote, but he read about it and came away with the conclusion that Brattleboro would vote to close the MRF.  “You voted not to close it?”

Schoales said he voted for the budget and the 20% assessment. “The vote to keep the MRF open was not brought up.”

Gartenstein was not pleased. “I have a concern that you voted to keep it open. The board voted not to continue operations at the MRF,” he said. “It raises concerns of the vote cast on our behalf.” He explained that the WSWMD budget vote was split 8-8, and Brattleboro’s vote carried the weight of six votes, which tipped it.

“I understand the reason you did this was that it was attached to the surcharge?” he said.

“It resolved other issues,” said Schoales. “From what other town representatives said, no other options would be accepted.”

“I have real concern with us instructing our representative to vote one way and it was voted the other way,” repeated Gartenstein. “It sounds like we said to do it one way and you did it another.”

Schoales said that being on both boards, he had to look out for both the interests of the town and the WSWMD.

“The Town said what our interest were,” said Gartenstein. He then put the issue on the agenda for December 6.

Kate O’Connor reminded everyone that there would be a celebration of and for James Banslabin at 118 Elliot St on Sunday afternoon from 1-3.

“And have a great Vermont day,” said John Allen using Banslabin’s famous phrase.

Public Participation

Tad Montgomery returned to give the board an update on a proposed highway art project. He said he followed their advice, got state regulations, and will be updating the project to reflect Vermont’s sign laws. He said state agencies usually deal with violations, not proposals of possible violations, but were helpful in pointing out resources and laws that might apply. 

Dick DeGray said the annual tree lighting ceremony at Pliny Park in downtown Brattleboro will be Friday the 25th at 6 pm. He said he had it on good authority that Santa Claus would be inspecting things starting at about 5 pm, and there would be hot chocolate and entertainment.

Liquor License – Dollar General Store

Acting as Liquor Commissioners, the Brattleboro Selectboard approved of a second class liquor license for DG Retail, better known as Dollar General, at 23 Marlboro Road.

Merrill Bent of Woolmington, Campbell, Bernal & Bent, P.C. represents the store in these applications around the state. “Brattleboro is more thorough than most towns,” she said.

Police and Fire Facilities Projects Update

The fire station at West Brattleboro remains on schedule. Windows have been installed, slabs have been poured, and interior systems are being roughed in. In the next two weeks more interior work will be done, and installation of exterior doors, siding and trim will happen.

Recent questions about moisture control raised here on iBrattleboro and sent to the Town Manager led to some conferring. Their decision: modifications to the vapor barrier for interior walls will be made, and extra attention will be paid to the building’s insulation and sealing.

Elwell said the concern was that if moisture got trapped, it could cause mold. While the design team felt that their original design using 6 mil poly was adequate and moisture issues had been discussed, they would take the suggestion to use a more permeable vapor barrier. 

“It’s a step up and doesn’t cost anything extra, so we think it is a great improvement,” said Steve Horton, project manager.

John Allen, builder by day, said he wanted people to know that asking five different developers would result in five different opinions.

Tad Montgomery said he was disappointed that r24 walls were planned, as it barely exceeded code.

Horton said that there were trade-offs of cost vs. performance. Taxpayers didn’t want to overspend, but code had to be met. He said they went over-code on the ceilings, since heat rises and trapping it from going up would be better use of funds than trying to better insulate walls, which will have windows and doors in them.

Elwell said reasonable questions were being asked, and the project had good oversight.

The West Brattleboro station should be completed by February.

Central Fire Station work has begun, with excavation for the foundation of the addition taking place behind the existing building. Extra debris has been found while digging, and an unrelated sewer line broke nearby, but neither set the project schedule back. The foundation is expected to be poured the week of Thanksgiving.

History buffs might like to know that while digging they found an old spa well about 10 feet deep, an old auger that had gotten stuck long ago and left, part of an old fuel tank, and concrete.

Black Mountain Road Police Station work is in the competitive bidding process. A maximum price will be determined in December.  Brattleboro has not yet closed on the purchase of the building, but is expected to before November ends.

And, if you wonder how closely details are tracked, the Town Manager notes exceeding an estimate for soil testing by $4. Just so you know everything.

“Couldn’t you just hide that somewhere?” John Allen joked to John O’Connor.

“We don’t hide things,” said O’Connor. 

Monthly Finance Report with John O’Connor

With one-third of the fiscal year complete, Finance Director John O’Connor gave the selectboard their financial update for October 2016.

General Fund expenditures are at 36.4% of the annual budget, which includes some big semi-annual and annual expenses that come due in the first quarter.

Utilities Fund expenses are at 32%. Parking Fund expenses are at 28.4%.

Solid Waste Fund revenues are at 27.2% and expenditures at 29.1% of their annual budgets, keeping in mind that October bag revenue, collection, and tipping fees get recorded one month later.

Brattleboro has loaned out just over $3.4 million and has $683,190 available for additional loans or grants.

There are 42 active grants, and 9 in the pipeline.

O’Connor reported that as of today, the audit was complete and Brattleboro got good grades. In finance terms, that means no findings or significant deficiencies. DeGray congratulated him on “pitching a no hitter” in his time with the town.

In response to some questions from Kate O’Connor about the Parking fund, Elwell said there would be upcoming reports and information about improved parking lots and whether the parking meters should be replaced or upgraded to handle credit cards.

FY18 Budget – Revenues, Capital, Projects, Equipment

This is the first of a series of meetings about the FY18 budget. The topic is revenue and capital expenses and equipment.

Town Manager Elwell gave the board the overview. In addition to taxes, the town is expecting a $120,000 increase in Rooms & Meals tax revenue, a 20% increase in planning permit fee income, new rental income for the police department, and some use of fund balances to cover the expenses in the budget.

That fund balance, some $2.7 million in the bank, above the reserve, was too tempting for selectboard members to ignore. Despite lectures and lessons from the Town Manager about not tapping the fund balance to pay for ordinary annual operating expenses, and only using it for one-time, capital project expenses, most members wanted to at least consider using some to pay for operating expenses, as a temporary form of tax relief but an illusion of long term savings.

Dick DeGray had questions about transfers between funds. Elwell explained that the various enterprise funds pay allocations to the general fun for common services rendered, such as legal services, paying bills for them, handling their payroll. 

DeGray said he didn’t see a need to spend any money on the Municipal Center beyond the life and safety mandated improvements.

Gartenstein noted that consideration of raising Recreation & Park user fees is pretty much a moot point. They did a survey and found that Brattleboro already charges as much as or more than surrounding towns.

DeGray suggested what he called a novel idea. ‘We could try to reduce (the fees) and try to get more participants. Our programs are being hurt by excessive fees. Participation has dropped drastically over the years.”

…

The capital plan is the list of projects and big purchases that fall outside of the ordinary day to day general business of the the town.

Elwell said that the plan presented at the previous meeting had been updated. “An old fire engine failed inspection. The frame is cracked and there is rust in the body.”

After consultation with the fire department over how to replace the reserve pumper, it was decided that the best long-term solution might be to buy a combo vehicle – a pumper and rescue hybrid that would be a bit bigger, but would cut the vehicle maintenance and replacement almost in half.

That led to many pumper questions, and an explanation of our fire truck system by Elwell and Chief Mike Bucossi. We have four pumpers, and two are considered reserve, they explained. They are called out when there are simultaneous events, or a big fire. The risk of having only three is that reliance on the slower mutual aid assistance could impact our safety.

To pay for this, they decided to borrow money, and to pay for the borrowing, cut a bit from the proposed capital plan by delaying purchase of software and thermal cameras.

This irritated Dick DeGray, who was bothered that a budget supposedly presented as lean could suddenly have $65,000 to cut. “Why not reduce it before giving it to us?” he asked, “the budget should be presented as bare bones.”

Elwell responded by saying the cuts were made because the need for a new fire truck outweighed the immediate need for the other items. He said he would like to spend even more, but that it will be a slow path to becoming a stable operation that is simply maintaining things rather than responding to crises.

A new truck, by the way, probably won’t arrive for 18 months, either. Details will follow when the police and fire department budgets are reviewed at an upcoming meeting.

Things were starting to get a bit late, so Elwell quickly reviewed the list of planned projects and purchases, including: energy savings measures at the library, DPW study of facilities, increases in street paving, increases for sidewalk repairs, a plan for improving the Williams Street intersection (Vermont Country Deli), the skatepark and dog park, and work at the Gibson-Aiken center. Purchases include computer hardware, a ladder truck, ballistic vests, body cameras, a dump truck, and street sweeper.

This totals $3.5 million of investment, with $2 million being offset by grants and donations.

Small Business Assistance Program Loan Approval – True North Granola

The Brattleboro Selectboard approved a Small Business Assistance Grant for True North Granola. The seven-year loan is for $37,000 and will be paid back with 3% interest.

The money will be used to buy a Lincoln double rack rotator oven, which they say should help to triple production.

Ingrid Chrisco stayed late to say she and Franklin love their work, have learned a lot in 11 years, and love the community.

DeGray asked if she could respond to being at the Cotton Mill for so long, when it was meant as an incubator space.

She said she thought it was an incubator space when they moved in. “It seemed like an incubator but it isn’t that way, “ she said. “There are businesses there far longer than we’ve been there.” 

She said the Cotton Mill administration helps them. “They aren’t anxious to move us out,” she told DeGray. “We don’t see ourselves being asked to leave anytime soon.”

This was just about the opposite of what the board was told by BDCC earlier this year, when representatives said that the did see the Cotton Mill as incubator space.

VCDP Implementation Grant Application and Resolution – Windham & Windsor Housing Trust

The Brattleboro Selectboard adopted a resolution in favor of applying for an implementation grant from the Vermont Community Development Program, to be used to support the Brattleboro Supportive Housing project for the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust.

This project will convert the Lamplighter Inn into 22 efficiency and one-bedroom apartments for very low income and special needs populations.  It will be a total rehab, featuring energy-efficient windows and insulation. The project combines housing with support services, with help from Groundworks and HCRS.

The new facility is expected to be open by August of 2018.

The location, north of the Exit 3 rotary and next to Panda North, is near stores, banks, a post office, an urgent care clinic and employment opportunities. It’s on the bus line, and there are some sidewalks in some places.

Board members generally applauded the effort to find homes for homeless people, but DeGray had concerns about pedestrian access with no sidewalks, and plans for maintenance. 

Connie Snow explained that the emphasis at this location would be on public transportation, and that they would build a shelter for people waiting for the bus.

Residents will have no restriction on how long to stay, and will be limited to the most vulnerable. No children will be at this location, since the units are about 350 square feet and meant for individuals.

John Allen was shocked at the price – about $197,000 per unit to build.

DeGray noted that homeless people now won’t be homeless if they have housing.

Closeout VCDP Grant for Groundworks Collaborative – Public Hearing

In 2015 the Brattleboro Selectboard approved of a $30,000 VCDP planning grant for Groundworks Collaborative, to be used to investigate a possible project at 39 Frost Street.

Groundworks learned that the process was more complicated than expected and the project would be more expensive than anticipated. It would also require a shift of the organizational focus to that of a property development organization. In addition, it would only help with short-term needs.

Checking with donors, they learned that there was more interest in supporting the program than a capital campaign. There was also some late community opposition to the Frost Street location.

There still remains a need to find a permanent home for the Seasonal Overflow Shelter. And Groundworks needs the help of the entire community to respond to the problem of homelessness.

The group is focusing on the sustainability of the organization before taking on new projects.

“The grant served its purpose and didn’t work out,” said Elwell, noting that planning grants are just that – for planning.