For stories pertaining to the town of Brattleboro at large and its government.
Amidst all the hoopla and excitement of a contract with a new Town Manager at the Selectboard meeting Tuesday night, the board neglected to inform the public of any details of the contract.
Here’s your quick overview:
$120k salary
$5k for transportation
10 sick days
A long night of budget talk, with nods to McNeill’s. Plus, Interim Town Manager Patrick Moreland admits he forgot to add in repayment of a bond in the preliminary budget.
Should we fill more potholes? Should we build a year-round pool? Will homes get re-assessed soon? Is it called global warming? These are the issues of the day.
One of our favorite places to hang out when we first moved to Brattleboro was McNeill’s on Eliot Street. Having moved up from Boston/Cambridge, home of many gritty, grubby Irish-style pubs that were not then or ever going to be fern bars (remember those?), we were happy to grab a pint at Brattleboro’s equivalent spot whenever we had a free evening. Although many of our new Brattleboro compatriots seemed to prefer fern bars, we never found the clean scene that inspiring. Despite pressure to transfer our allegiance to places shiny and new, we continued to frequent McNeill’s, where an affordable pint was always available and the ambience was right.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will continue their journey through the FY24 budget planning season at their next regular meeting. In this installment, they will hear from the DPW, Assessors, and Rec & Parks departments with a special mention of the Living Memorial Park project financing.
The board will approve the contract with new Town Manager John Potter and will discuss ARPA funds, Fossil Free Facility Funds, and more. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation. Another reminder: you can run for office to become a member of the Selectboard. Contact the Town Clerk for details.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Monday, December 5, 2022 at 5:45pm and is expected to enter immediately into executive session to discuss the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee. The Selectboard will reconvene the business part of the meeting at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center at 230 Main Street.
Brattleboro, VT—The Brattleboro Selectboard has chosen John R. Potter as the new Town Manager. Mr. Potter will assume his new responsibilities on December 30, 2022.
“On behalf of the Brattleboro Selectboard, I congratulate John Potter on being selected as our new Town Manager” said Ian Goodnow, Selectboard Chair. “We considered many well qualified candidates during our nationwide search. The Selectboard conducted this process with care and diligence, and we are very pleased with the result. We are confident that John Potter has an enthusiasm for good governance and for Brattleboro that he will bring to his new role. We look forward to working with John for the benefit of the people of Brattleboro.”
“I really appreciate the Selectboard offering me an opportunity to serve as Brattleboro’s next Town Manager and look forward to earning the trust of the town. My wife Marie Elena and I are excited to move back to New England and become active members of the Brattleboro community. Brattleboro’s reputation as a thoughtful and progressive community drew us to this special place, and it will be great to work together with the many active community leaders and partners in town.”
Petitions for Brattleboro Town Officers, Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) Board Members, and Town Meeting Members are now available at the Town Clerk’s office. Town elections will be Tuesday, March 7 at the American Legion, located at 32 Linden St., Brattleboro, VT 05301.
Annual Representative Town Meeting will begin on Saturday, March 25, 2023. The location and format will be announced at a later date.
Petitions for Town Officers and WSESD Board Members must contain at least 30 valid signatures of registered Brattleboro voters and be filed in the clerk’s office no later than Monday, January 30 at 5 P.M. to have their name placed on the ballot.
The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, December 1st, 2022 at 4:14pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center at 230 Main Street. The public may also participate in the meeting over Zoom. 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 Brattleboro Human Services Committee will meet on Monday, November 28, 2022 at 12:00pm over Zoom.
The Brattleboro Human Services Committee will meet on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at 11:00am over Zoom.
The Brattleboro RTM Finance Committee will meet on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at 6:00pm in the Brattleboro Co-op Meeting Room.
In Observance of Thanksgiving all Town Offices will be closed on Thursday, November 24, 2022, and Friday, November 25, 2022, with the exception of
emergency services.
Brooks Memorial Library will close at 6:00pm on Wednesday, November 23, 2022. They will be closed on Thursday, November 24, 2022, but will remain open during normal business hours on Friday, November 25, 2022.
Trash and recycling WILL NOT be picked up on Thursday, November 24, 2022. All trash and recycling pick-up will be delayed by one day all week.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at 5:45pm and is expected to enter immediately into executive session to discuss the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee. The Selectboard will reconvene the business part of the meeting at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center at 230 Main Street. The public may also participate in the meeting over Zoom. 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 Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at 5:00pm in the Brooks Memorial Library Community Meeting Room.
The Brattleboro Human Services Committee will meet on Wednesday, November 23, 2022 at 11:00am over Zoom.
The Brattleboro Parking Department would like to advise everyone that the winter parking ban will go into effect, starting Tuesday, November 15, 2022. Overnight parking is forbidden on all streets in the town of Brattleboro. Vehicles parked for longer than one (1) hour between 11:00pm and 07:00am may be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense.
THIS BAN IS IN EFFECT EVEN IF THERE IS NO SNOW ON TOWN STREETS.
The Brattleboro Human Services committee will meet on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at 12:00pm, over zoom.
Jessica Sticklor (she/her/hers)
Executive Assistant
Town of Brattleboro
1. Minutes – October 20, 2022
2. Public Participation
3. Monthly Report on Pedestrian and Bicycle Incidents – For October
4. Monthly Report on Traffic Data Collection – for October
5. Street and Sidewalk Safety Policy Safety Action Requests
The Brattleboro Selectboard will discuss cost increases, delays, and supply chain issues at the Water Treatment Plant at their next regular meeting. This is in addition to kicking off budget season in earnest, with an overview of the FY24 General Fund Budget, revenue, and capital project and equipment expenses.
They will consider free parking for Holly Days, hear the annual presentation from the downtown alliance, and learn about marketing initiatives. The board will also cross into school matters as they take up the issue of appointing a new member to the WSESU board. You can, as always, bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The fourth installment of the 2022 Brattleboro Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes will be due on November 15, 2022. Payments made after November 15, 2022 will have an additional 1% interest.
The Town of Brattleboro utility bills are also due on November 15, 2022. Payments made after November 15, 2022 will have an additional 1% interest, as well as an 8% penalty added to the unpaid balance.
In observance of Veterans’ Day, all Brattleboro Town Offices will be closed on Friday, November 11, 2022, with the exception of emergency services. Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Friday, November 11. All other violations will be enforced.
Brooks Memorial Library will be closed on Friday, November 11, 2022.
The Brattleboro Human Services Committee will hold a meeting over Zoom only on Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 3:30pm. The login information is included in the agenda.
