Selectboard Meeting Notes – Brattleboro To Expand Police and Surveillance

selectboard aug 20 2024

The Brattleboro Selectboard voted in favor of many suggestions by Police Chief Norma Hardy at their regular Tuesday meeting: using community safety funds to purchase surveillance cameras, plus authorizing a move forward on un-budgeted hiring of three more officers, hiring two unarmed police staff, and one police data technician. They also will move ahead with locating a police satellite office downtown.

This came after a presentation on police data that showed that the majority of police calls in town were not for crimes, and many incidents with police involve a handful of known actors.


Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – August 20, 2024

 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.


Heat Advisory Starting June 18

Hot temperatures combined with high humidity are forecasted to occur Tuesday through Thursday, with the most oppressive conditions on Wednesday and Thursday. There is a great potential for this heat wave to continue into Friday and Saturday. The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures in the upper 90s and a heat index over 100. Please stay safe, and check on your family, the elderly, and neighbors.

The following locations in town can be utilized for cooling sites:


Brattleboro Heat Advisory

The Town of Brattleboro urges everyone to drink plenty of water, wear light clothing and stay out of the heat as much as possible during this current heat wave.

People who need some cool air can visit the Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street) or the Central Fire Station (103 Elliot Street).


Town of Brattleboro Press Release: Heat Advisory

The Town of Brattleboro urges everyone to drink plenty of water, wear light clothing and stay out of the heat as much as possible during the current heat wave.

People who need some cool air can visit the Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street) and the Central Fire Station (103 Elliot Stree).


Heat Sensors in Brattleboro

What are those funny boxes that appeared downtown and elsewhere?

Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather related death in the United States, a problem that can affect urban and rural communities across the country including in northern climates. To better understand the variability and magnitude of extreme heat in Vermont communities, faculty in the UVM Transportation Research Center (TRC), with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), are leading a research effort to collect heat variability data in towns and cities across the state during the summer of 2022.


Brattleboro Heat Advisory Notice

 The Town of Brattleboro urges everyone to drink plenty of water, wear light clothing, and stay out of the heat as much as possible during the current heat wave. 

People who need some cool air can visit the Senior Center at the Gibson Aiken Center (207 Main Street), Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street), the Central Fire Station (103 Elliot Street), or the West Brattleboro Fire Station (16 South Street). 


Heat Fund Appeal

It’s the time of year again when the Windham County Heat Fund reminds all of the generous people in the county that our less fortunate friends and neighbors will need your help once again as we approach another heating season.

The Windham County Heat Fund was created in 2005 by Richard Davis and me to help people in Windham County Vermont who were not able to buy enough heating fuel to make it through the winter. In 2010 the Heat Fund was incorporated as an IRS 501 C 3 non-profit entity. At the time, oil prices were escalating and we thought our efforts would only be needed for a year or two.


Whew !

The temperature reached 130 degrees yesterday in California’s Death Valley.

(The hottest temp on earth since 1913)


Hot Weather Advisory from the Brattleboro Fire Department

The National Weather Service is warning that hot temperatures in the mid to upper 90’s combined with high humidity levels are expected to create dangerous heat conditions Friday, Saturday & Sunday with the most oppressive conditions expected Saturday.Early morning low temperatures in the 70s will not provide much cooling.

The Brattleboro Fire Department would like to remind citizens of these few simple rules to remain safe and healthy


Things To Remember In Hot Weather

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.


It’s So Hot In Brattleboro…

…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.