The Brattleboro Selectboard will meet for a special meeting on Friday, May 17, 2024 at 2:00pm at Holton Hall at the Winston Prouty Center (4th floor, 204 Austine Drive). The board is expected to recess around 6:00pm until Saturday, May 18 at 9:00am. This meeting will be carried on BCTV after the conclusion of the meeting.
Jessica Sticklor (she/her/hers)
Executive Assistant
Town of Brattleboro
230 Main Street, Suite 208
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 251 – 8115
…
SELECTBOARD RETREAT
FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024 –
SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2024
HOLTON HALL, WINSTON PROUTY CENTER
4TH FLOOR, 209 AUSTINE DRIVE
SPECIAL MEETING – 2:00 PM
The meeting will also be carried on BCTV after the conclusion of the meeting
AGENDA
(please note that all times are approximate)
1. CONVENE SPECIAL MEETING (2:00 PM on Friday, May 17)
A. Welcome, Purpose, and Logistics (2:00 PM)
2. NEW BUSINESS (2:10 PM)
A. Plan Action Review (2:10 PM)
B. Department Head Meetings (2:30 PM)
(i.) Department Values
(ii.) Efficiencies / Savings / Reduction of Services
(iii.) Priorities for This Year and for the FY26 Budget
***The meeting will be recessed around 6:00 pm until Saturday, May 18 at 9:00 AM***
C. Selectboard 2023-25 Priorities from Last Year (9:00 AM on Saturday, May 18)
(i.) Review Progress on the 2023-25 Priorities
(ii.) Discuss “Operationalizing” vs. “Focusing”
D. Selectboard 2024-26 Priorities for This Year (9:45 AM)
(i.) Each Selectboard Member’s “One Big Idea” and “Please Consider Ideas”
(ii.) Build Consensus List of 3 – 5 Priorities
(iii.) Refine Expectations
(iv.) Discuss 2025 State Legislation Priorities
E. Selectboard Process Improvements (12:15 PM)
(i.) Community Engagement
(ii.) Meetings and Communications
(iii.) Committee Relationships
F. Action Items and Wrap-Up (1:00 PM)
3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (1:15 PM)
4. ADJOURNMENT (1:30 PM)
Select Board
So the Select Board retreat how wonderful and at times that the public would have a hard time attending.
heh
You, pesky public, have 15 minutes at the end of the two day retreat to offer up comments. This comes after all decisions have already been made, of course. : )
It is designed so that public won’t attend, though they can in theory. It’s the board’s chance to get away from the public, sort of, and be free to contemplate. Sort of like the way they used to do budget meetings at 7 am on weekdays.
It also seems designed, looking at the agenda, to limit selectboard input. “Their” retreat starts with a day of being lectured by town staff on what has to happen. Then they can each offer up an idea, then that list gets pared down if necessary.
If it were me… I’d hold it when people could attend, start with public ideas, then selectboard ideas. Skip town stuff entirely. That’s for the Town Staff retreat, not the board. ( Sue Fillion knows how to hold public meetings. They should have her design these.)