The Brattleboro Selectboard will be altering the parking system at their next regular meeting at the Municipal Center. Rates are going to go up to help cover the costs of credit card service fees. Parking changes comes after a parking survey that gave them feedback on parking-related issues, and special requests by the downtown organization.
The board will also consider licensing of transportation network companies, requiring app-based ride services to comply with modified local taxi regulations.
Brattleboro will also buy a bunch of trucks, protect us all from the evils of liquor, buy heating oil, and replace Rod Francis on various boards and commissions.
You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
…
The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet on Tuesday, August 7, 2018 in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session at 5:15pm to discuss pending or probable civil litigation, the appointment of a public officer or employee, and the negotiation of a real estate purchase or lease. The Board will reconvene the regular business meeting at 6:15pm. ASL interpreters will be available at the business meeting for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
230 Main Street, Suite 208
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 251-8100
….
BRATTLEBORO SELECTBOARD
SELECTBOARD MEETING ROOM, MUNICIPAL CENTER
TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2018
EXECUTIVE SESSION – 5:15PM
REGULAR MEETING – 6:15PM
AGENDA
1. CONVENE REGULAR MEETING
2. APPROVE MINUTES – July 17
3. CHAIR’S REMARKS
4. MANAGER’S COMMENTS
5. SELECTBOARD COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
6. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS
A. Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition (i) Windham County Planning Primer for Prevention (ii) Update on Liquor License Compliances
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Downtown Parking Matters
(i) Smart Parking: Meters, Kiosks, and Apps
(ii) Parking Rates
(iii) Transportation Center Stair Repairs
(iv) Bicycle Parking on Main Street
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Capital Equipment Bid Awards
(i) Excavator
(ii) Equipment Trailer
(iii) Sidewalk Tractor Plow
(iv) Public Works Pick-up Truck
(v) Maintenance Pick-up Truck
B. Uber/Lyft Licensing
C. Ordinance Amendment – First Reading Chapter 8: Health, Sanitation and Fire Safety Inspections
D. Heating Oil Bid Award
E. Committee Appointments and Organizational Matters (i) Replace Rod Francis on Windham Regional Commission (ii) Replace Rod Francis as Acting Zoning Administrator (iii) Replace Rod Francis on Hinsdale-Brattleboro Bridge Project Advisory Committee (iv) Announce Committee Vacancies
11. CORRESPONDENCE/FYI
A. Warrants
12. MEETINGS
See enclosed Town Calendar
13. ADJOURNMENT
…
MEMORANDUM
To: Selectboard
From: Peter B. Elwell, Town Manager
Re: Administrative Report
Date: August 2, 2018
—–
The following will summarize the proposed motions for the Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, August 7, 2018. The Board will meet in executive session at 5:15pm to discuss pending or probable civil litigation, the appointment of a public officer or employee, and the negotiation of a real estate purchase or lease. The Board will reconvene the business meeting at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room.
7. LIQUOR COMMISSIONERS
A. Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition (i) Windham County Planning Primer for Prevention (ii) Update on Liquor License Compliances The Board will hear a presentation by Cassandra Holloway of the Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
8. WATER AND SEWER COMMISSIONERS – None
9. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Downtown Parking Matters (i) Smart Parking: Meters, Kiosks, and Apps (ii) Parking Rates (iii) Transportation Center Stair Repairs (iv) Bicycle Parking on Main Street A memorandum dated August 1, 2018, from Assistant Town Manger Patrick Moreland provides a detailed update with staff’s recommendations on how to proceed in furtherance of the prior consideration of these matters during Selectboard meetings in May and June. The Selectboard’s notebooks also contain a parking related memorandum from Selectboard Member Shanta Lee Gander who will not be able to attend the August 7 Selectboard meeting.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AUTHORIZE STAFF TO OBTAIN NEW SMART PARKING METERS AND KIOSKS USING THE PROCUREMENT PERFORMED BY THE REGION 14 EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER OF ABILENE, TEXAS, IN COORDINATION WITH THE NATIONAL COOPERATIVE PURCHASING ALLIANCE.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO INCORPORATE THE COST OF CREDIT AND DEBIT CARD TRANSACTIONS INTO THE PRICE OF PARKING.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO DIRECT TOWN STAFF TO PROPOSE A PLAN FOR AN INTERFUND LOAN OF $275,000 FROM THE UTILITY FUND TO THE PARKING FUND TO COVER THE UP-FRONT COSTS OF A TRANSITION TO A SMART PARKING SYSTEM.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO DIRECT STAFF TO PREPARE A PARKING ORDINANCE TO REVISE RATES IN THE MANNER APPROVED BY THE SELECTBOARD AT THIS MEETING.
10. NEW BUSINESS
A. Capital Equipment Bid Awards (i) Excavator (ii) Equipment Trailer (iii) Sidewalk Tractor Plow (iv) Public Works Pick-up Truck (v) Maintenance Pick-up Truck The Board is asked to approve bid awards for the purchase of equipment that was approved by the Selectboard and by Representative Town Meeting in the FY19 Budget. All five items are being acquired at a cost below the budgeted amount, as set forth in a memorandum dated July 30, 2018, from Public Works Director Steve Barrett.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE AWARD OF A BID FOR A ONE TON CREW CAB PICKUP TRUCK IN THE NET AMOUNT OF $27,758 TO SHEARER CHEVROLET OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE AWARD OF A BID FOR A ONE-HALF TON PICKUP TRUCK WITH PLOW IN THE NET AMOUNT OF $32,697 TO SHEARER CHEVROLET OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE AWARD OF A BID FOR AN EXCAVATOR WITH WARRANTY AND AN 18-INCH BUCKET IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $100,683 TO SALEM FARM SUPPLY OF SALEM, NEW YORK.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE AWARD OF A BID FOR A 15-TON TRAILER IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $20,200 TO VASSAR COMPLETE AUTO SERVICE OF GREENFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE THE AWARD OF A BID FOR A SIDEWALK TRACTOR PLOW IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $139,752 TO H.P. FAIRFIELD OF MORRISVILLE, VERMONT.
B. Uber/Lyft Licensing
Town Attorney Bob Fisher will present information regarding the licensing of “transportation network companies” such as Uber and Lyft. The Selectboard’s notebooks contain his memorandum dated July 31, 2018, with several attachments
that document the status of State law on this matter and suggest how the Town’s existing Taxi Ordinance can be modified to apply traditional taxi regulations to the new internet-based services.
NO ACTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
C. Ordinance Amendment – First Reading Chapter 8: Health, Sanitation and Fire Safety Inspections The Board is asked to hold a first reading on the proposed amendment to Chapter 8 of the Town’s Code of Ordinances. The proposed ordinance would adopt the State’s Rental Housing Code (as it may be amended from time to time) in its entirety as part of the Town’s Code. This will enable more efficient and effective local investigation and enforcement of rental housing violations, consistent with new requirements imposed by the State upon all municipal Health Officers.
NO MOTION IS REQUIRED ON THIS ITEM.
D. Heating Oil Bid Award The Board is asked to award the annual heating oil bid to Discount Oil of Keene, New Hampshire, in the amount of $2.289 per gallon. That price is 12 cents per gallon less than the second low bid among the 5 bids received. The petroleum industry has become more volatile of late and prices have risen significantly in recent months. The FY19 Budget estimated heating oil costs using a unit price of $2 per gallon, so if 2018-2019 is an average winter, we will overexpend those particular line items by approximately $9,000 in the General Fund and by approximately $13,000 in the enterprise funds. Ovexpenditures of that magnitude will easily be covered by savings in other parts of the Town’s budget.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO AWARD THE 2018-2019 HEATING OIL BID TO DISCOUNT OIL OF KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, IN THE AMOUNT OF $2.289 PER GALLON.
E. Committee Appointments and Organizational Matters (i) Replace Rod Francis on Windham Regional Commission (ii) Replace Rod Francis as Acting Zoning Administrator (iii) Replace Rod Francis on Hinsdale-Brattleboro Bridge Project Advisory Committee (iv) Announce Committee Vacancies As set forth in a memorandum dated August 2, 2018, from Town Manager Elwell,the Selectboard is asked to appoint Planning Director Sue Fillion to several positions that were vacated by the departure of her predecessor, Rod Francis. Also, since the Board’s last announcement of committee vacancies on June 19, 2018, a resignation on the Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) has been received. The Board is asked to announce that vacancy, along with the remaining vacancies on various other Town committees. It is anticipated that the Board will make committee appointments at its meeting on August 21 or in September.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPOINT PLANNING DIRECTOR SUE FILLION TO REPRESENT THE TOWN OF BRATTLEBORO ON THE WINDHAM REGIONAL COMMISSION.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPOINT PLANNING DIRECTOR SUE FILLION TO BE THE TOWN’S ACTING ZONING ADMINISTRATOR AT ALL TIMES WHEN ZONING ADMINISTRATOR BRIAN BANNON IS NOT AVAILABLE.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPOINT PLANNING DIRECTOR SUE FILLION TO REPRESENT THE TOWN OF BRATTLEBORO ON THE HINSDALE-BRATTLEBORO BRIDGE PROJECT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
NO MOTION IS REQUIRED ON THE TOWN’S COMMITTEE VACANCIES.
some thoughts
I hope the extra credit card processing fees are only added to the rates for those using credit cards to pay for parking. Those paying cash shouldn’t have to subsidize this vanity project. (I say vanity because it isn’t a need, it’s a want…)
Good to see some limiting of Uber and Lyft being contemplated. I hope this also extends to AirbnB folks. (And, by the way, how’s that effort to collect business taxes from AirBnB operators?)
And, where’s that municipal broadband utility update? : )
and...
… those paying cash WILL help subsidize the convenience of tourists with credit cards. (Why do they ask for input on surveys then ignore it?)
Parking should be free. We’ve created a monster that needs to be fed more and more to maintain it. If this were a Brattleboro tire fire pile, we’d talk of raising tire burning fees to cover the cost of accepting credit cards, and how we need to invest in a new tire burning facility, and employ tire burners and tire burner inspectors — an never contemplate getting rid of a pile of burning tires.
Very telling that when asked what other Vermont towns do, the answer was hardly any regulate parking like this.
Every nickel and quarter taken by the Town for parking is less money for merchants, but they cheer this on.
And, again, the Town spends money on an out-of-town service to make it happen. If we could outsource the entire Town gov’t, we’d probably do it. It’s just cost a little more, to cover the cost of credit card transactions.
Wanna bet on if the parking company collects and sells data? They’ll know your license plate, credit card number and your specific location. That’s valuable!