The Brattleboro Selectboard has some spelling-challenged items to take care of at their next meeting. They plan to approve the 2025 “Fical” Year property tax rate and hear about a new proposed “pollical” sign policy.
The board will also discuss changes to the parking ordinance, things they’d like to have the State of Vermont help with (transportation funding, the Grand List, community development, municipal revenue, and public safety and public health,) and their own goals for the year – community safety, child safety zones, and enhanced state revenue sharing.
You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
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The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center (230 Main Street, Room 212) and over Zoom. Prior to the special meeting at 5:15pm, the Board will convene in the Selectboard Meeting Room to conduct interviews with prospective members of various Town boards and committees. The interviews are open to the public. After committee interviews, at 5:45 the Board is expected to enter immediately into executive session to discuss contracts and pending or probable civil litigation or prosecution, to which the public body is or may be a party. The attached agenda contains information on how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.” ASL interpreters will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members. The backup materials for this meeting will be available on the town Website Brattleboro.gov/Selectboard by the end of today.
Jessica Sticklor (she/her/hers)
Executive Assistant
Town of Brattleboro
230 Main Street, Suite 208
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 251 – 8115
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BRATTLEBORO SELECTBOARD
TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024
COMMITTEE INTERVIEWS – 5:15PM
EXECUTIVE SESSION – 5:45PM
SELECTBOARD MEETING ROOM + ZOOM
SPECIAL MEETING – 6:15 PM
The physical location for this meeting will be the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center
at 230 Main Street.
Selectboard Meeting materials can be found on the Town’s website, Brattleboro.gov/Selectboard.
If you join the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone, please use this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86067892659
The “Meeting ID” for this meeting is:
860 6789 2659
Passcode: 12261753
You also can call in using your telephone
by dialing any of these toll-free numbers in the United States:
833-548-0282
877-853-5247
888-788-0099
833-548-0276
(*6 Mute/Unmute – *9 Raise Hand)
The meeting also will be carried live on BCTV:
On Cable TV: Channel 1079
Streaming Online: https://www.brattleborotv.org/channel-1079-livestream
Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/brattleborotv
AGENDA
(please note that all times are approximate)
1. CONVENE REGULAR MEETING (6:15 PM)
2. APPROVE MINUTES – June 13 and June 18, 2024
3. CHAIR’S REMARKS
4. MANAGER’S COMMENTS
5. SELECTBOARD COMMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
6. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (6:25 PM)
7. CONSENT AGENDA (6:30 PM)
A. Second and Third Class Liquor Licenses – Retreat Farm
B. Tobacco Substitute Endorsement Permit – SKJ Sales II Corporation
C. Replace DPW Vac Truck
D. Propane Bid Award
E. Award 2024 Municipal Planning Grant Contract
8. OLD BUSINESS (6:35 PM)
A. Selectboard 2025 State Legislative Agenda (6:35PM)
9. NEW BUSINESS (7:05 PM)
A. Parking Ordinance– First Reading (7:05PM)
B. Political Sign Policy (7:30PM)
C. Fical Year 2025 Property Tax Rate (7:50PM)
D. Selectboard 2024-26 Priorities (7:50PM)
E. Committee Appointments (8:50PM)
10. CORRESPONDENCE/FYI
A. Warrants
11. MEETINGS
See Town Calendar
12. ADJOURNMENT (9:00PM)
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MEMORANDUM
To: Selectboard
From: John Potter, Town Manager
Re: Administrative Report
Date: July 5, 2024
———————————————————————————————————————————–
The following will summarize the proposed motions for the special Selectboard meeting on
Tuesday, July 9, 2024. The Board will convene the special meeting at 6:15pm in the Selectboard
Meeting Room and on Zoom. All times listed below are approximate, and interested parties should
monitor the meeting if they do not want to miss an agenda item.
Join the meeting from a computer, tablet, or smartphone, using this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86067892659
The “Meeting ID” for this meeting is:
860 6789 2659
Passcode: 12261753
You also can call in using your telephone
by dialing any of these toll-free numbers in the United States:
833-548-0282
877-853-5247
888-788-0099
833-548-0276
(use *6 to Mute/Unmute, *9 to raise Hand)
The meeting also will be carried live on BCTV:
On Cable TV: Channel 1079
Streaming Online: https://www.brattleborotv.org/channel-1079-livestream
Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/brattleborotv
7. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Second and Third Class Liquor Licenses – Retreat Farm
B. Tobacco Substitute Endorsement Permit – SKJ Sales II Corporation
C. Replace DPW Vac Truck
D. Propane Bid Award
E. Award 2024 Municipal Planning Grant Contract
In a memorandum dated July 9, 2024 Town Clerk Hilary Francis discusses the Second and Third Class Liquor License applications for Retreat Farm, located at 45 Farmhouse Square. Town staff recommends approval of these licenses. Ms. Crowell will be in the meeting to speak with the Board and the public, should this item be pulled from Consent. By approving the Consent Agenda, the Board will approve a Second and Third Class Liquor License for Retreat Farm, located at 45 Farmhouse Square.
In a memorandum dated July 9, 2024 Town Clerk Hilary Francis discusses the Tobacco Substitute Endorsement Permit request for SKJ Sales II Corporation located at 328 Marlboro Road. The application has been reviewed by Town staff, who recommend its approval. Mark Grossjung will be in the meeting to speak to the Board and the public should this item be pulled from Consent. By approving the Consent Agenda, the Board will approve a Tobacco Substitute Endorsement Permit for SKJ Sales II Corporation, located at 328 Marlboro Road.
In a memorandum dated June 10, 2024 Public Works Director Dan Tyler discusses the bid process for the replacement of the Department’s Vacuum Truck. Included in the memo is a discussion of the various uses for this truck. By approving the Consent Agenda, the Board will authorize the replacement purchase of DPWs VersaVac Vacuum Truck with a Camel Max 900 DB Vacuum Truck, from Tri-County Contractor Supply, of West Springfield, MA for a cost of $497,893.40.
In a memorandum dated June 25, 2024 Fire Chief Leonard Howard III discusses the propane bid process for a two-year contract. By approving the Consent Agenda, the Board will award the propane bid to L&G Propane of Keene, NH for a 2-year contract at $1.369 a gallon.
In a memorandum dated June 25, 2024 Planning Director Sue Fillion discusses the 2024 Municipal Planning Grant Contract. In December 2023 the Town was awarded a $45,000 Municipal Planning Grant with a $5000 match that will be split three ways between the towns of Brattleboro, Wilmington and Rockingham. The grant project is a Cultural Plan that aims to strengthen and grow arts and culture in the region. By approving the Consent Agenda, the Board will award the bid for consultant services for the 2024 Municipal Planning Grant to Cultural Planning Group for a lump son cost of $47,170.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA, AS PRESENTED.
8. OLD BUSINESS
A. Selectboard 2025 State Legislative Agenda (6:35PM)
In a memorandum dated June 14, 2024 Town Manager John Potter discusses preliminary 2025 State Legislation issues and requests feedback from the Selectboard. Included in the list of possible priorities are: Transportation Funding, the Grand List, Community Development, Municipal Revenue, and Public Safety and Public Health.
POTENTIAL MOTION: NO MOTION REQUIRED FOR THIS ITEM.
9. NEW BUSINESS (7:00 PM)
A. Parking Ordinance– First Reading (7:05PM)
In a memorandum dated July 2, 2024 Assistant Town Manager Patrick Moreland discussed the proposed changes to the Brattleboro Code of Ordinances, Chapter 16 and Appendix C. This is a first reading. The Board is asked to consider these changes and make recommendations, if necessary.
POTENTIAL MOTION: NO MOTION REQUIRED FOR THIS ITEM.
B. Political Sign Policy (7:30PM)
In a memorandum dated July 1, 2024 Planning Director Sue Fillion discusses the Town’s proposed pollical sign policy, including a discussion of placement of political signs on public property.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE LANGUAGE REGARDING THE PLACEMENT OF POLITICAL SIGNS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, AS PRESENTED.
C. Fiscal Year 2025 Property Tax Rate (7:40PM)
In a memorandum dated July 3, 2024 Finance Director Kimberly Frost discusses the proposed FY25 property tax rates. The Board is asked to consider these rates and formally set the property tax rate for FY25.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO APPROVE A MUNICIPAL TAX RATE OF $1.4540 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION WHICH INCLUDES 1.4527 FOR GENERAL FUND OPERATIONS AND 0.0013 FOR THE LOCAL AGREEMENT, AN ADDITIONAL $0.1300 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION FOR THE DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, AN ADDITIONAL $4.0573 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION FOR THE MOUNTAIN HOME SPECIAL ASSESSMENT; AND TO RATIFY THE STATE- MANDATED EDUCATION RATES OF $1.9356 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION FOR HOMESTEAD PROPERTIES AND $1.7928 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION FOR NON-RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.
D. Selectboard 2024-26 Priorities (7:50PM)
In a memorandum dated July 1, 2024 Planning Director Sue Fillion provides an update on the 2024 Selectboard Retreat held on June 13th, 2024. She also discusses the Board’s priorities for 2025-26.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ADOPT THE FOLLOWING 2025-26 SELECTBOARD PRIORITIES: COMMUNITY SAFETY; CHILD SAFETY ZONES; AND ENHANCED STATE REVENUE SHARING.
E. Committee Appointments (8:50PM)
In a memorandum dated July 5, 2024 Town Manager John Potter discusses the committee application and appointment process, as well as the committee interviews scheduled for the contested seats on the Development Review Board and the Tree Advisory Committee. The Board is asked to make appointments to the Development Review Board and the Tree Advisory Committee.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TBA
