The Brattleboro Selectboard held another virtual meeting Tuesday night. Utility rates are set to rise, the General Fund end-of-year looks pretty good, the FY21 Parking and Solid Waste budgets were discussed, preliminary options for holding Representative Town Meeting were presented, and dogs were warned of their illegality. Read on for the details.
The Brattleboro Selectboard had a long discussion about their long discussion last week about face coverings. Is it too strict? Not stick enough? What about the children? They then moved on to a discussion of raising water and sewer rates to help pay for the new water filtration plant. Is 6% a year too much? Is 2% too low?
The final discussion was of the parking system, and how with no income and continued expenses, the budget doesn’t look so good. Should the Parking Fund remain an enterprise fund or be rolled back into the General Fund? And who has the best ceiling?
The Brattleboro Selectboard passed a resolution at their Tuesday meeting requiring face coverings to be worn by customers and employees in all retail establishments. It was part of an expanded discussion of COVID-19 and business issues.
Many agenda items relating to Utility and Parking budgets were postponed to a special meeting next week.
The Brattleboro Selectboard held their regular virtual meeting Tuesday night to discuss war monuments, COVID-19, the Town financial outlook, a new water treatment plant, a new pump station, a new purchase of property, and an overview of additional planned Utility Fund expenses.
The new water treatment plant is estimated, currently, to cost about $11 million.
The Brattleboro Selectboard discussed COVID-19, manholes, electricians, monthly finances, emergency management plans, roads & bridges, and the library’s Board of Trustees.
The virtual selectboard meeting is becoming more routine. Read on to see just how smooth everyone is now.
The Brattleboro Selectboard met virtually to discuss updates regarding COVID-19, staff furloughs, putting Representative Town Meeting on further hold, and other matters. Board members urged landlords to pause rents and banks to pause mortgage payments. And licensed electricians may be required for most rental properties repairs.
It wasn’t the smoothest technological feat, and it took a while to get things working semi-smoothly, but it sufficed.
The Brattleboro Selectboard held its first-ever virtual public special meeting. It’s also the first time the newly-configured board has taken up new business. They discussed… you guessed it… coronavirus, of course.
Notes from this historic meeting are below.
The Brattleboro Selectboard held their regular meeting, but it was anything but “regular” Tuesday. Board members were absent. Those attending sat apart from one another (not quite 6 feet…). COVID-19 was influencing almost every article on the agenda. And Brattleboro’s Skatepark was approved to begin construction.
The COVID-19 update and discussion was the main item. Groundworks got an additional grant to begin construction on their new building, the town finance report looks good up until last week but may show deficits before the fiscal year is over, and Representative Town Meeting is postponed.
The Brattleboro Selectboard held a quick meeting to approve the FY21 budget, Town Meeting warning, and Representative Town Meeting warning. They also discussed a planned sidewalk for the new Hinsdale Bridge and changes to RT 142.
During public participation, citizens questioned the police chief about the recent uptick in vehicle break-ins.
The Brattleboro Selectboard discussed some final issues related to the FY21 proposed budget, approving raises for non-union employees but delaying pool improvements for up to a decade, and settled on a final number that… increases property taxes.
The Current is going away, to be replaced entirely by spotted Moovers. All this and more…
The Brattleboro Selectboard held a special meeting to discuss final proposed FY21 budget items, accessible parking on Main Street, and erosion in the Connecticut River.
The board dove in to talk about upgrades at Living Memorial Park’s pool. There was also a big stink about diapers.
The FY21 proposed budget inched closer to becoming the FY21 official budget at the first meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard for 2020. The board ran through a list of final loose ends, heard from the human resources committee and police department, talked loans and grants, discussed public toilets, and were offered both CBD joints and liquor.
A citizen stood up for war crime whistleblowers, select board goals were reviewed, and more. A few budget meetings remain in January, but the board skipped the review of their upcoming meetings schedule so any meetings are theoretical at this juncture.
The Brattleboro Selectboard had their final meeting before Santa’s visit next week, discussing municipal broadband, finances, the Grand List, a housing grant, and FY21 loose ends. Was it enough for them to stay on the “nice” list? Read on to find out.
At their special meeting this week, the Brattleboro Selectboard decided to reverse a decision they made just last week and instead remain IN a second, national opioid lawsuit. A lawyer told them opting out wouldn’t be so smart.
Health and safety issues at local apartments, an effort to reduce the speed limit in West Brattleboro along Route 9, and discussions of the FY21 Police and Fire budgets rounded out the special meeting.
The Brattleboro Selectboard decided Tuesday night to enter into an opioid lawsuit similar to the one that Bennington is undertaking. With strict warnings that local pharmacies could be added in the future if anything notable arises, the board decided not to sue local pharmacies for now.
SeVEDS gave an account of their work year and asked for their annual contribution from Brattleboro, big projects are planned at Living Memorial Park, yes we’re getting another new fire truck, the police have requested some hybrid vehicles for the first time, and the first local option sales taxes shows that things cost about $200,000 more in Brattleboro than in surrounding communities for the first quarter reported.
The Brattleboro Selectboard started their meeting a bit late and ended it quite early, with a rare move of taking nearly everything major off of the agenda and moving it to next week. The reason? Two absent board members.
Almost the entire agenda will be added to next week’s agenda, making next week’s special meeting a whopper.
A Brattleboro Selectboard quartet decided Tuesday night to proceed on a path toward suing opioid manufacturers and providers. The board didn’t see any need to spare local pharmacies from potential litigation, and wasn’t sure about suing local doctors.
The board continued their discussion of municipal broadband, bought winter salt and sand, heard a report on progress at WSWMD, and got a final financial report from retiring John O’Connor.
The Brattleboro Selectboard learned the tales of five nearby municipal broadband projects and expressed varying levels of support for something local, along with many questions. Some answers will come at their next meeting.
The Work Today program is being delayed until spring 2020, the parking garage will get a new elevator cab, the DPW will get their generator, and the Town hopes to get some volunteers for committees.
The Brattleboro Selectboard decided once again that there is no climate emergency worth declaring. The proposed declaration was “a mess” and existing efforts were deemed ample.
The board had their expectations managed about possibilities of self governing anytime soon, budget season is lurking, and the possibility of a bike lane on Western Ave will be further investigated.
With just three members, the Brattleboro Selectboard said farewell and thank you to Martha O’Connor, who passed away earlier this week.
The reduced board discussed the small issue of rising waters with the Hinsdale Bridge project, the failed search for a marketing firm, and efforts to become more compassionate in town. The Windham and Windsor Housing Trust got the go-ahead for a grant application to help homeowners, a citizen volunteered to shadow the Town Manager at state meetings of VLCT, and the meeting was done by a very reasonable hour.
