The Brattleboro Selectboard approved of a few items for their FY22 budget recommendations, raising the amount for paving and agreeing to the increases for BCTV and Human Services. They also continued their discussion of the community safety report, and will continue to continue that discussion next week and in the future.
Here’s the Executive Summary from the Community Safety Review report, followed by a pdf of the full report. You can also download this and other related materials on the Town of Brattleboro website. This report will be reviewed and discussed at the next meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, using Zoom (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19). The Board will convene at 5:15pm and is expected to enter into executive session to discuss the negotiating or securing of real estate purchase or lease options and the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee, and to enter into deliberative session to deliberate on the Hinsdale Bridge takings and eminent domain matter involving the lands of Tullius on Left Bank Way. The Board will reconvene at 6:15pm for the business portion of the meeting. The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.” Information about how to connect to the meeting is also posted on the homepage of the Town’s website. ASL interpreters will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.
The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, September 28, 2020, at 5:30pm by Zoom (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19). The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely.
The Brattleboro Selectboard held a special meeting to accept the recommendation of Representative Town Meeting and increase the Human Services budget, giving every applying organization extra money.
They spent the bulk of the meeting interviewing prospective candidates for the Community Safety Review Committee, then voting on them. The Committee is now formed.
The Brattleboro Selectboard approved a proposal for a Community Safety Review facilitation team. They chose a local proposal, created a committee, and decided on how much to pay for stipends.
Other issues before the board involved the Department of Public Works, some grants, and gathering data on housing to aid town planning.
Five proposals for community safety review facilitation have been received, twenty six applications to be on the committee are in hand, and the perhaps re-organized Brattleboro Selectboard will decide next steps at their next Tuesday meeting. Committee members will be interviewed and appointed at a special meeting.
Grants and bid awards are also on the agenda, as is the purchase of a new salt shed. You can add other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Citizen Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, August 24, 2020 at 5:30pm via GoToMeeting (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19). The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
The Brattleboro Selectboard approved an edited version of the community RFP for police review and public safety at their Tuesday meeting. The Town-edited proposal was discussed at length and a few final tweaks were made before it was unanimously approved. Next steps: facilitator proposals and the formation of a committee.
The revised Request for Proposals for a Facilitator of Community Safety Review will return to the board’s agenda at their next regular meeting. It has gone through a revision process by Town staff and should be ready for approval, but the possibility of a long discussion remains.
The board will consider revising the Agricultural Advisory Committee and talk about local and regional food planning, a new hazard mitigation plan committee might be formed, summer paving bids will be approved, and more. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during Public participation.
The Brattleboro Selectboard held another special meeting via Zoom to discuss an RFP for review of police and community safety. It was long meeting that resulted in sending the draft RFP to town staff for further changes and possible approval at the August 18 meeting.
Good Morning –
Attached is the proposed RFP submitted by the community members for review at this Thursday’s Selectboard meeting. This document has been posted in the section of the Town’s website where Selectboard meeting backup materials are posted. Also posted there for easy reference are the related documents that the Selectboard has reviewed at its meetings on July 7 and July 21.
Please assist us in advising the public that these documents are all available for review in advance of the August 6 Selectboard meeting.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold two meetings next week. The first is their regular Tuesday meeting at which they will approve water and sewer construction contracts, set a date certain for Representative Town Meeting 2020, set property tax rates, buy winter sand, resume water shutoffs for commercial and industrial customers, and more.
Their second meeting of the week will be on Thursday, to review the Community Safety RFP.
You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, July 27, 2020, at 5:30pm via GoToMeeting. In keeping with Governor Scott’s “Stay Home – Stay Safe” order, this meeting will be held with no physical location using GoToMeeting. The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely.
Here’s the full text of the document discussed at the July 21, 2020 meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard:
…..
July, 21, 2020
Collaborative Community Statement Regarding the Brattleboro Policing/Community Safety Review Process
Summary Statement
We are seeking a review process focused on a comprehensive examination of community safety and policing in Brattleboro to determine whether the police force effectively meets the communities’ needs, and to determine how to best fund and support community safety.
There was just one topic for the Brattleboro Selectboard meeting this week: the police review process.
It took hours, but they approved a community-led writing of an RFP to detail a community safety program to be voted on in early August.
A special meeting to discuss Representative Town Meeting will occur next Tuesday.
The next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard will be devoted to a single topic – the continued discussion of a potential police review process.
The previous conversation left off with two competing proposals – one from the board and one from community groups working with these issues – and a request that the selectboard’s proposal be withdrawn. The board wanted time to consider merging the two proposals.
You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Selectboard didn’t get to new business until after 11 pm. Old business of Representative Town Meeting scheduling, second thoughts on an already-approved budget, and competing proposals for police reforms filled the lengthy meeting.
In the end, no new RTM was set, the board was told the budget cannot be changed but can be ignored selectively, and competing proposals for police reforms will fill a new meeting schedule for July 21.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will consider a re-imagined, two-part Representative Town Meeting at their next regular virtual meeting. The plan calls for an online portion on one day, and voting by Australian ballot on another.
A “police review” process is being proposed to look at funding and whether social services might be able to relieve the police of some responsibilities, new bike lanes and pedestrian safety measures will be discussed for Putney Rd., a new Exit 2 to downtown bike lane possibility will be studied, the board will offer up thoughts on the rebuilding of Rt 9 to Wilmington, and you can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
This document presented to the Brattleboro Selectboard by the Civilian Police Review Board Steering Committee in April 2004 is part of a long process to create a CPB in Brattleboro, Vt. Information on CPB is drawn from www.nacole.org, and leading researchers on the issues of CPB.
Brattleboro Civilian Police Review Board Proposal
Presented by the
Steering Committee for the Brattleboro Civilian Police Review Board
