Safety has a price and the Brattleboro Selectboard will begin to hear some of the new costs for downtown safety at their next regular meeting. Brattleboro Police will request hiring of additional staff and officers plus the creation of a parking garage satellite office for police use. It is part of their downtown safety action plan. They will also discuss their HEAT mapping and how this impacts deploying resources to problem areas.
Esteyville bandstand plans will be discussed. The result of the public input is that people want the bandstand, but not way up in the air as it currently sits. The selectboard will also set a plan for this year’s budget process. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
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The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, August 20, 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 regular meeting, at 5:30pm, the Board will convene and is expected to enter immediately into executive session to discuss contracts. 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, AUGUST 20, 2024
EXECUTIVE SESSION – 5:30 PM
SELECTBOARD MEETING ROOM + ZOOM
REGULAR 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 – August 6, 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. Transportation Center Waterproof Membrane – Award Contract for $115,300
B. Central Station HVAC – Award Contract for $73,000
8. NEW BUSINESS (6:35 PM)
A. FY26 Budget Process (6:35 PM)
B. Brattleboro Police Department’s Data Project (6:55 PM)
C. Brattleboro Police Department’s Downtown Safety Action Plan (7:35 PM)
i. Discussion of Proposed Public Safety Measures
ii. Consideration of Security Services
D. Planning Annual Safety Fair and Forum (8:05 PM)
E. Esteyville Park Gazebo Update (8:25 PM)
9. CORRESPONDENCE/FYI
A. Warrants and Department Reports
10. MEETINGS
See Town Calendar
11. ADJOURNMENT (8:35 PM)
MEMORANDUM
To: Selectboard
From: John Potter, Town Manager
Re: Administrative Report
Date: August 16, 2024
———————————————————————————————————————————–
The following will summarize the proposed motions for the special Selectboard meeting on
Tuesday, August 20, 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. Transportation Center Waterproof Membrane – Award Contract for $115,300
B. Central Station HVAC – Award Contract for $73,000
In a memorandum dated August 9, 2024 Public Works Director Dan Tyler discusses the Brattleboro Transportation Center (BTC) Waterproof Membrane project. This project is aimed at helping to rehabilitate the BTC to lease spaces on the first floor located at 77 Flat Street. This work aims to remove and install the water barrier membrane that separates the parking deck from the retail space. No bids were received during the formal bid process but following the bid closing our construction manager suggested two contractors who do this kind of work along with quotes. Town staff recommend accepting the quote from PCS Specialty Contractors from Maine, the lower quote at $115,300. By approving the Consent Agenda, the board will authorize the replacement of a waterproof membrane on the Transportation Center parking deck directly over the retail space and accept the quote from PCS Special Contractors in the amount of $115,300.
In a memorandum dated August 13, 2024 Fire Chief Leonard Howard III discusses recent issues with the Central Fire Station’s current HVAC system and the suggested improvements designed to fix it, including replacing existing controls and adding new controls that will allow for on-site control of the system for better efficiency. A $75,000 grant from the Department of Energy will help fund this project. By approving the Consent Agenda, the board will authorize the repair of the heating, ventilation, air conditioning controls (HVAC) system at Central Fire Station with Control Technologies of Williston, VT for $73,000 and an additional $7,300 contingency amount from assigned Special Projects Funds for a total allocated sum of $80,300.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA, AS PRESENTED.
8. NEW BUSINESS (4:35 pm)
A. FY26 Budget Process (6:35 PM)
In a memorandum dated August 11, 2023 Finance Director Kimberly Frost discusses the proposed FY26 budget process.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ADOPT THE FY26 BUDGET PROCESS, AS PRESENTED (OR AMENDED).
B. Brattleboro Police Department’s Data Project (6:55 PM)
In a memorandum dated August 16, 2024 Assistant Police Chief Jeremy Evans discusses the HEAT Data Program, related to enhanced data sharing and the use of relevant, actionable data to help deploy our resources in the most effective and efficient ways possible.
POTENTIAL MOTION: NO MOTION REQUIRED FOR THIS ITEM.
C. Brattleboro Police Department’s Downtown Safety Action Plan (7:35 PM)
i. Discussion of Proposed Public Safety Measures
ii. Consideration of Security Services
In a memorandum dated August 16, 2024 Town Manager John Potter discusses the Brattleboro Police Department’s Downtown Safety Action Plan. This plan could become a part of the Selectboard’s larger agenda to address public health and safety, if accepted. Included in the board’s materials is a memorandum from Police Chief Norma Hardy outlining the Downtown Safety Action Plan. Chief Hardy will make a presentation on this plan at the Selectboard’s August 20, 2024 meeting.
POTENTIAL MOTIONS:
1. MOVE TO FORMALIZE THE BRATTLEBORO RESOURCE ASSISTANCE TEAM AND HIRE TWO (2) TEAM MEMBERS TO REPLACE THE CONTRACTED SECURITY OFFICERS DOWNTOWN, AS PRESENTED.
2. MOVE TO ADD THREE ADDITIONAL CAMERAS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA BY THE END OF THE YEAR USING THE REMAINING COMMUNITY SAFETY FUNDS.
3. MOVE TO DEVELOP FY26 BUDGET ALTERNATE COST ESTIMATES FOR:
A. HIRING THREE (3) ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS
B. HIRING AND TRAINING TWO (2) ADDITIONAL BRATTLEBORO RESOURCES ASSISTANCE TEAM MEMBERS.
C. HIRING AN EMERGENCY SERVICES DATA ANALYST AND
D. DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BRATTLEBORO TRANSPORTATION CENTER TO INCLUDE A SATELLITE OFFICE FOR THE BRATTLEBORO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ITS BRATTLEBORO RESOURCE ASSISTANCE TEAM.
D. Planning Annual Safety Fair and Forum (8:05 PM)
In a memorandum dated August 13, 2024 Assistant Town Manager Patrick Moreland discusses the proposed Downtown Safety Fair and Forum, a joint effort of the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance, Groundworks Collaborative and the Town. The board is asked to consider this information and provide feedback on the proposed plan.
POTENTIAL MOTION: NO MOTION IS REQUIRED FOR THIS ITEM.
E. Esteyville Park Gazebo Update (8:25 PM)
In a memorandum dated August 12, 2024 Planning Director Sue Fillion discusses the Fuller Park/Esteyville Bandstand project, including the results of outreach to the community and next steps. She discussed two takeaways from the outreach: most people would like to preserve the bandstand and lower it closer to ground level and they would like additional park amenities.
POTENTIAL MOTION: TO ENDORSE A PROJECT TO REHABILITATE THE
ESTEYVILLE BANDSTAND AND PLACE IT AT GROUND LEVEL IN FULLER PARK.
New warning
Re-warned to take out “public safety from executive session topics…
“The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, August 20, 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 regular meeting, at 5:30pm, the Board will convene and is expected to enter immediately into executive session to discuss contracts. 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. “
Today's Reformer article on the BPD safety plan proposal seems essential reading
There are some hard numbers dating back to January 2022.
I was encouraged that the foot patrol is to be unarmed.
Over the past two weeks two foot patrolmen seem to be making the presence felt around the Preston Lot where much of the downtown gathering is done. I wonder why two not one but am glad to see them out rather than in their vehicles.