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Selectboard Meeting Notes – Deep Budget Cuts To Everything Except Personnel, Roads, Police…etc.

by cgrotke | Town News
FY26 General Fund Budget / Possible Reductions

T’was the week before Christmas and all through the town, not a creature was stirring except for the Brattleboro Selectboard discussing FY26.

The board used Town staff suggestions and assumptions as a starting point. They boldy saved items from being cut but also agreed on cuts worth close to $2 million.  Police will get new uniforms, for example, but snow cleanup, arts, and human services will see cuts.  Members of the public cautioned that these were superficial, one-time, unsustainable cuts and told the board they pushing taxpayers over a cliff in years to come.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Contract With Casella Adds Costs- Staff Told To Cut Costs

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard nov 17 2024

After much discussion, the Brattleboro Selectboard chose the only serious solid waste option presented to them: to have a 5 year contract with Casella to haul trash, recycling and compost for the Town. This decision added a significant amount to the budget and to Brattleboro property taxes.

The board told Town staff that the budget was too large now that the costs of their decisions this year have been factored in and asked to see a version reduced by 10%. This punted any significant FY26 decision-making away from the board until mid December.

Just about everyone had complaints for the Windham and Windsor Housing Trust and their planned “Chalet” development of affordable housing units.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – What Services Would You Like To Cut?

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard nov 5 2024

The Brattleboro Selectboard discussed the “base budget” – a budget with no changes to services from current levels – at Tuesday’s Election Night meeting. As is, they said, it would be a 22% increase. Board members agreed it was a difficult budget, but none had any big ideas for getting the increase to a more manageable level.

Citizens attending had ideas – eliminate raises, cut Municipal Center hours to 32 hours a week for most employees, cut positions, and throw it all out and build up from what is truly necessary were suggested.  Personnel costs, they noted, were the big numbers.

In a flashback to the era of Barb Sondag we heard the Town Manager ask the board to simply tell him what services they’d like to cut from the people of Brattleboro…

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Solid Waste and Substations: A Million Here, A Million There

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard oct 15 2024

It is the second Selectboard meeting of October, and more potential tax increases were considered. The cost of trash, recycling and compost will be going up substantially to cover the costs of the new automated robot arm collection system.  The Town says it isn’t that the new system is expensive, it is that the old system was way too cheap. Hints that the costs will skyrocket more after signing on were given.

The board discussed a million dollar plus plan to put a police substation, four public bathrooms, a community room, and new parking system offices at the Transportation Center.  They also heard from members of the public saying these costs were too much.

The board’s “Review of Debt Management Guidelines” was postponed to another meeting.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Big Sticks and Ass Kicking Approved As Motel Program Winds Up

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard sept 17 2024

A divided Brattleboro Selectboard voted in favor of expanding an ordinance of acceptable behavior that criminalizes aspects of life for those who may be unhoused.  The decision came despite pleas to have professionals review the changes.

The board then added hundreds of thousands of dollars to this year’s budget to fund additional downtown policing. They estimate $200 a year increases for most taxpayers to cover this expense. It was cheered on by a pro-policing faction that wanted big sticks and ass kicking, and criticized by those who were watching all their work for alternative community safety options go down the drain.

Finally, the board praised Turning Point for exceptional work with addiction and recovery, on a budget less than the annual cost of the new police expansion.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Brattleboro To Expand Police and Surveillance

by cgrotke | Town News
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.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Public Says Downtown Brattleboro Has Never Been This Bad

by cgrotke | Town News
youth council map of brattleboro hot spots

The Brattleboro Selectboard got an earful from people in town that definitely do not feel safe downtown. Things have reached new levels of awfulness for people of all ages. The board is considering making downtown a “safety zone” to take care of this problem once and for all. What that means exactly remains to be determined. But progress is being made! And the Youth Council created a cool map.

The board also learned that come September, people in the hotel and motel program will begin to be kicked out of their lodgings and will require sheltering of some sort.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Rising Parking Costs and Property Taxes

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard july 9 2024

A hot July evening, and the Brattleboro Selectboard approved new property tax rates. , The Town’s Finance Director told the board 75% of the increase is because of education. Dick Degray called it an unsustainable increase.

The new parking ordinance had a first reading. The costs to business owners and employees on Main Street was a concern to some and an outright horror to others.

The board made a list of things to discuss with legislators, adjusted rules for political signs, and discussed parking enforcement at the Vermont Country Deli.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Parking Rates Hiked, Free Sunday Parking To End, and Solid Waste Collection Questions

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard june 18 2024

A Juneteenth eve Selectboard meeting stated late and went long. The board raised parking rates – 44% by one member of the public’s estimates – and voted to end free downtown parking on Sundays. They also voted to make it easier and quicker to raise rates in the future.

Winston-Prouty campus housing was discussed as was public feedback on trash, recycling and compost.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Water & Sewer Rates Up, Parking Meters To Come Down But Rates Likely To Rise

by cgrotke | Town News
brattleboro selectboard june 4 2024

The first meeting of June for the Brattleboro Selectboard and they decided your Water & Sewer Rates are going up 5%. 

The board spent quite a bit of time, though, talking about raising your parking rates, too.  Remember the great meter system that the Town staff insisted be purchased a few years back? Fast forward a bit and now the Town staff wants to cut down every meter and replace them with a handful of credit card powered kiosks. They’d like to get rid of any coins or cash in the system. And Town staff suggested merely doubling current rates.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Vacant Building Permits and Municipal Housing

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard had a first reading of a new ordinance regarding vacant buildings around town. If a building is vacant for 180 days, it must get a permit, and the cost of the permit doubles each year. Will it finally put some pressure on the empty Home Depot building? Not as written. It will be exempt.

In a discussion about possible municipally-owned properties that could be candidates for new housing developments, Liz McLoughlin mentioned a confidential plan that might include both the Municipal Center and the High Grove parking lot. She didn’t explain further.

And, your water rates will go up 5% rather than 1% this October.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – I See Those Rates and Raise Them , Too

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard may 7 2024

The Brattleboro Selectboard is contemplating just how much to raise Utility rates, specifically the cost of water. Rather than a 1% increase in FY25, they are thinking of raising it 5%, and 5% every year until 2030. But, it might go up even more because of the new expert study of utility rates they will commission for $75,000.

In good news, all the major roads of Brattleboro that the state has a hand in will be repaved in 2025-2026. And the Charter Commission is taking a deep dive into all sorts of issues related to Town Meeting and asking for your input.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Trash Talk

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard heard two overviews at their short Tuesday meeting. The first was regarding the very long process of relicensing the dams along the Connecticut River. They got the overview and agreed to send a letter to FERC outlining local desires for the relicensing plan.

The second overview was about the major changes to trash, recycling and organic waste collection in Brattleboro after July 1. The sole bidder for the collection contract, Casella, wants to use one-person trucks that use joystick-controlled grabbers to pick up new, special trash receptacles. Town staff will be gathering information from residents about how much more they are willing to pay, and if they’d like to contract directly with Casella, if all waste should be picked up every other week, what to do about already-bought bags and containers, and other important issues.

Selectboard Meeting Notes: We Don’t Like the Cost of the Bridge We Ordered

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard april 2 2024

The Brattleboro Selectboard took issue with new costs of a bridge project requested by an earlier board, and sent VTrans back to their offices without an approval for their design of the Western Ave bridge replacement near Melrose. VTrans is invited back when the project won’t cost the Town quite so much. No one mentioned the increases that will inevitably occur between now and 2028 when the bridge is scheduled to be completed.

The board also took up some start-up and general housekeeping issues. New Chair Daniel Quipp pledged earlier meeting end times and more public participation in the coming year.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Brattleboro Ambulance Rides To Be $1400

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard feb 20 2024

The Brattleboro Selectboard set EMS rates and policies, settling on a $1400 cost for a ride in their new ambulance service. Your insurance will pay for most of it, and if you get a bill you can ignore it completely or enter into a payment plan or pay it all at once. It is compassionate, they agreed.

The Town will embark on a search for a new waste management partner, someone who will listen and be responsive, and perhaps take long walks or watch movies together.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Some Interesting Updates

by cgrotke | Town News

A possibly short meeting with potentially interesting topics ahead was actually not so short due to technical difficulties, but it certainly was interesting. A respite from budgets, for sure.

Sustainability, food security, downtown safety, bridge fixing, and more were all discussed. Some with slide presentations!

Selectboard Meeting Notes – We’ll See Your $80k, and Raise You $80k

by cgrotke | Town News
selectoard jan 16 2024

The Brattleboro Selectboard heard a request from two organizations for an $80,000 a year part time position (and some data collection) and decided to double it. They gave them $160,000 and two years for a “proof of concept” showing that this investment attracts new businesses to Brattleboro.

The board went on to discuss their ARPA plans and FY25 budgets.

Selectboard Meeting Notes: The Last UDAG

by cgrotke | Town News
selectboard jan 2 2024

The Brattleboro Selectboard were, until Tuesday night, the last keepers in the United States of something called an Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) Program grant. Before them was $2.3 million that has matured, and the board voted to transfer all of it away from UDAG into the Town’s Revolving Loan Fund.

The board was also pleased with their progress on a number of issues, and happy to hear the monthly fire department report.

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Hey Buddy, Can You Spare A Sign?

by cgrotke | Town News
dec 5 brattleboro selectboard

The Brattleboro Selectboard bravely took no action against a non-existent problem at their most recent meeting. Panhandling isn’t a problem to be solved, and existing laws cover any other potential issues.  Perhaps we will make… a sign!

The Library has a strategic plan, housing development is lackluster, the town might get McNeill’s property to pay off demolition of his building, the public wondered about unusually large raises for department heads given an expected increase in property taxes, and an exhaustive search led the Town to hire Golden Cross’s billing service for EMS billing.