parking

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Solid Waste and Parking Budgets Approved, Homelessness and Energy Discussed

by cgrotke | Town News

Groundworks Collaborative gave the Brattleboro Selectboard a report on the seasonal overflow shelter. They admitted they don’t have the resources to develop a temporary work program, though a new effort by Youth Services might be able to pull it off, perhaps by fall. Youth Services might get a new name, too, but that’s for another time.

The board adopted the FY19 Solid Waste and Parking Budgets, but left some decisions about parking meters, apps, and credit cards for a later discussion. Progress on energy audit matters was detailed, citizens pressed for more to be done, the skatepark is close to the fundraising finish line, grants have been applied for, and citizens were appointed to various Brattleboro committees and boards.

Also, two mentions of John Allen.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – June 5, 2018

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro skatepark project will receive $15,000 from the Thomas Thompson Trust, and Brattleboro Goes Fourth will get a permit for a parade at the next regular meeting of the selectboard.

The board will continue with the FY19 parking budget, hear a report from Groundworks Collaborative, review energy efficiency projects and town investments in renewables, and hire a roofer and a tree remover. Grants for child protection services, Bradley House, and intralibrary loans will be discussed, and annual committee appointments and dog warrants will be announced. You can add to the fun by bringing up other items not on the agenda during Public Participation.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – May 15, 2018

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard has a full agenda for their next meeting, having postponed a number of matters from their previous meeting. Financing of the fire truck purchase, improvements to the new police station and Union Station, and reviewing Solid Waste and Parking budgets are among the topics.

Brattleboro’s Town Plan gets a second public hearing and possible adoption if no one objects. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during Public Participation.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Downtown Parking, Utility Rates, Town Plan, and a Mouse

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard scheduled too many weighty issues for their Tuesday meeting at the Municipal Center. As the meeting went on, agenda items were jettisoned in repeated attempts to keep the length of the meeting somewhat reasonable.

Those issues that were discussed were discussed in detail. The board learned about the Utilities Fund budget and possible rate changes in coming years, discussed goals for the coming year, received a presentation on the results of a Downtown Parking Survey, and held a public hearing on the Town Plan revision. They attended to Department of Transportation paperwork, settled a lawsuit, changed the name of a street, applied for grants, and more.

Also, a mouse.

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – May 1, 2018

by cgrotke | Town News

Brattleboro’s Police Department might be getting a carport. It’s one of the final recommendations of the Police-Fire Facilities Committee and will be up for discussion at Tuesday’s meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard.

The board will learn of improvements to the Union Station train station in the near future. They will discuss the FY19 Utilities Budget, initiate final designs for the waste process water line at Pleasant Valley, hold a public hearing on the revised Town Plan, learn about the downtown parking study, review the Solid Waste budget for FY19, and more. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation, too.

Brattleboro Winter Parking Ban Lifting

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Parking Department would like to announce the lifting of the winter parking ban.  Starting 04/15/18, at midnight, overnight parking will be allowed on all streets EXCEPT in the downtown area.  The following streets are never available for overnight parking:

Main Street

High Street

Elliot Street (from School St to Main St)

Selectboard Meeting Notes: Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, Signs, & Climate

by cgrotke | Town News

Brattleboro’s Town Manager revealed the results of his summer explorations of issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity. He got generally good reviews for the summary of his report, but more than a few requested some additional specifics be included. Brattleboro seems to be in a good position to make progress over the long term, but benchmarks and budgets might help.

The pesky panhandling sign returned in a semi-uncertain form, with wording in question and sponsoring organizations and services asking for their logos to be removed. The private effort was to be a collaboration, but appears to have offended a few too many.

The board also signed a statement in support of other climate agreements being signed around the globe.  (For Kate O’Connor’s sake, I’ll say here that Brattleboro has been working on climate issues for a long time, is committed to action, and will continue to be so.)

All this, and possibly more.

Gibson Aiken & Harris Parking Lots – Project Update

by cgrotke | Town Plan

A significant project to improve the Gibson Aiken and Harris Parking Lots is about to get underway. The scope of the project includes replacing all pavement, new sidewalks and curbing, improved drainage, and fresh paint. The public should expect these lots to be closed for public parking throughout the majority of the estimated four week project.

Representative Town Meeting in Brattleboro – Part 1: Its Origins and Adoption

by cgrotke | History

Why does Brattleboro have Representative Town Meeting? Why not a regular, open Town Meeting like the rest of Vermont? These questions led me on a search through old newspapers and town records to look at Brattleboro’s town meetings in the 1950’s to see if there was some obvious answer. It turns out, there was no single reason that led to the “representative form of government” in Brattleboro. There were many factors, personalities, and coincidences unique to Brattleboro that contributed to its adoption.

Arguments made in favor of representative town meeting were sometimes specific to Brattleboro, such as outgrowing the public meeting hall. Other times they were more lofty, arguing that representative government would be more fair and better able to deal with complex issues, while giving voters a greater say in how the town operates.