All Brattleboro Town Offices, EXCEPT THE TOWN CLERK’S OFFICE, will be closed on Friday, August 10, 2018, from 11:30am to 1:00pm for the annual employees’ picnic.
The Town Clerk’s Office will be open on Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm for early voters and voters’ registration. The office will also be open on Saturday, August 11, 2018 from 9:00am to 12:00noon.
Below is information that might be helpful to know for August 14thPrimary elections.
Polling place for all three districts in Brattleboro is the Selectboard Meeting Room, second floor of the Municipal Center, 230 Main Street, Room 212, from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm.
The center rows of the parking lot at the Municipal Center will be reserved for voters on election day. There are handicapped parking spaces close to the back entrance.
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 Town Democratic Committee will be holding a forum for candidates seeking nomination by the Democratic party to run for the Windham District 2-1 seat in the Vermont House of Representatives on Friday, August 3 at 4:30 p.m. at the Hooker-Dunham lobby. There is no charge to attend.
At the event, citizens can bring questions about any matter which will be offered for time-limited responses. The event is expected to last one hour, so attendees can step outside and enjoy Gallery Walk at 5:30 p.m.
The Brattleboro Selectboard began discussing a repeal of a 2011 Town Charter change to stop counting local write-in votes unless the write-in candidate had declared an intention to serve.
The board heard a semi-annual update from the Downtown Brattleboro Alliance, approved of paving, police cars, body cameras for police officiers, and disc golf improvements. Snow sports at Living Memorial Park will continue, we have a new road in town, and new members were appointed to committees.
At the next meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard, the police will ask for approval of a contract for body worn cameras. Axon, of Scottsdale, AZ is the proposed vendor.
The board will buy some police cruisers, hear a semi-annual report from the designated downtown organization, approve of grants for disc golf improvements and paving, review goals, and name a road. They will also begin a discussion election write-in procedures, and more.
As always, you can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 at 1:00pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room at the Municipal Center.
The deadline for filing as an independent candidate for Justice of the Peace is rapidly approaching – Friday, August 17th. The Town Clerk and current Chairman of the Board of Civil Authority urge you to consider becoming a candidate for Justice of the Peace (JP) on the November ballot.
While a historic back page in the election process and often the subject of humorous anecdote, JPs serve a vital role in the conduct of critical town responsibilities. A JP is a member of the Board of Civil Authority (BCA). Along with the Selectboard members, and Town Clerk, they function as the Board of Elections by assisting in the maintenance of the voter checklist, determining key issues related to election day and voting, and serve as polling place officials on these days.
Join us for a week at The Drawing Studio in Brattleboro and learn about yourself as a painter. We will explore color mixing, light, materials, composition and creativity in a clear and integrated way. During our lunch breaks, we will look at painters from art history who loved what we will be learning about.
For absolute beginners or painters looking to revisit the fundamentals in an inspiring and whole-hearted way.
Although this story came out (in Fodor’s of all places) almost a year ago, it’s an interesting read and especially so since it’s about our very own Brattleboro, Vermont. “The Magic of Brattleboro, Vermont, According to King Tuff,” by interviewer Rachael Roth, describes our town through the eyes of a young musician who was raised here and still maintains strong ties to the area. is his name, and he makes good music, if you haven’t heard him already. He’s signed to the major indie label Sub Pop Records out of Seattle.
With Sue Fillion’s appointment to become Planning Director, I got to thinking about just how many women are in key postions of Town government. I took a look. The majority of town offices in Brattleboro now have women heading them.
Town Assessor – Jenepher Burnell
Library – Starr Latronica
Sue Fillion will succeed Rod Francis as Planning Director for the Town of Brattleboro. The transition will take place on Friday, July 6, as Francis completes his service to the Town of Brattleboro after more than 10 years as Planning Director. Francis will hold a comparable position in the Town of Norwich, Vermont, beginning on Monday, July 9.
Taxes are going up, as they always seem to do. The Brattleboro Selectboard adopted the FY19 tax rates for property owners that were approved by Representative Town Meeting representatives earlier this year. The $14.8 million budget includes both the essential items suggested by the Selectboard as well as some optional extras added in by the representatives.
There’s also a new community collaboration that you can be a part of. Project Care is a new effort in Brattleboro to help addicts recover and do well.
And, in case you are curious, setting the tax rate during a heat wave calls for casual attire.
The Brattleboro area continues to be under a heat advisory as hot weather continues to have a grip on the region. The National Weather Service is forecasting much of the same through out the rest of the week and warn that heat and humidity will lead to dangerously high heat indices in excess of 100 degrees.
In observance of the July 4th holiday, all Town offices will be closed on Wednesday, July 4, 2018, with the exception of emergency services.
Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Wednesday, July 4. All other violations will be enforced.
Brooks Memorial Library will be closed on Wednesday, July 4.
…Brattleboro chickens are laying omlettes and the cows are giving powdered milk.
It’s day three of the heat wave. The forecast shows 90+ degree days all week until Friday, with heat indexes even higher. As I type this, there is a Heat Advisory, Hazardous Weather Outlook, and Air Quality Alert underway.
I thought it might be fun to tell you about a project (in-progress!) I’m working on with the Brattleboro Historical Society. It’s an exhibit all about Brattleboro that will be on display at the Vermont Historical Society in Montpelier, from August to January.
BHS hired me on to do exhibit design and project manage, two things I enjoy doing. I also love Brattleboro history.
Early/absentee ballots for the Primary Election to be held on August 14, are now available in Vermont town clerks’ offices. Anyone wishing to vote prior to August 14, may apply for an early/absentee ballot until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, August 13. Early/absentee ballots may be voted in person in the clerk’s office, mailed to the voter by the clerk’s office, picked up by the voter or if a voter is in need can be delivered to the voter’s residence by two Justices of the Peace.
Brattleboro Time Trade www.brattleborotimetrade.org has an opportunity to win a grant WITH YOUR VOTE. Just follow this link:
https://www.mlb.com/redsox/community/impact-awards/form
to the voting page for the Red Sox Foundation’s “Impact Award” – an award which would help BTT regain financial stability:
Anyone know why the Brattleboro Retreat employees were out protesting today?
