The Brattleboro Selectboard got off to a late start then quickly put their meeting on hold for technical reasons. Forty-five minutes later, the meeting was postponed until Thursday to give BCTV and Facebook time to fix themselves.
Those interested in discussing EMS and downtown safety will have to wait.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will be spending most of their first regular September meeting discussing town safety and EMS options for Brattleboro. They will review the EMS proposals received and learn about EMS insights from other communities. They’ll also discuss wrapping up the process, holding a public meeting, and then making an EMS decision.
Twelve items are packed into the consent agenda – a possible record, and good thing! You may bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, August 30, 2023 at 5:00pm. They will convene in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street) and are expected to enter immediately into executive session to discuss contracts. Invited into the executive session are HR Director Sally Nix, Finance Director Kimberly Frost, Town Manager John Potter and Assistant Town Manager Patrick Moreland. Once they have exited executive session, the Board is expected to immediately adjourn. No action will be taken.
The Brattleboro Selectboard held their August public EMS discussion at their regular meeting on Tuesday. The board is happy with their progress though one member said that the public doesn’t understand what decisions are to be made,. They will make their EMS decision in late September. Two more public meetings will be held prior.
The Town Manager said the EMS project web page has had over 1600 page views since May. (This site averaged 7,750 pages viewed per day in August for comparison). The board had questions about the Fire Department’s large overtime budget and the public had questions about downtown cameras and sheltering people without homes this winter.
Brattleboro’s Town Manager will suggest changes to the budget process at the next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. One proposed change to the schedule is intended to increase public participation.
EMS discussions continue, with one more chance for the public to weigh in on aspects of pending EMS decisions. The board will also hear a financial report and will spend nearly $60,000 for a Pool Engineering Feasibility Study. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
OK. One final kitten update, then I’ll cover the EMS portion of the Brattleboro Selectboard meeting tonight for you.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will be holding their July moments of public participation for anyone wishing to provide feedback and comments on the EMS plan.
They will also approve new land use regulations, and hear a report on plans for improvements to Living Memorial Park. You can sometimes bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation, if the Chair allows.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 at 5:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street). Prior to the business part of the meeting, at 5:15pm, the Selectboard will conduct a committee interview with a candidate for the Development Review Board. The Board will then make appointments to the Development Review Board during the business part of the meeting. Following Committee Appointments, the Selectboard is expected to immediately enter into executive session to discuss contracts, real estate and the evaluation of a public employee. After exiting the executive session, the Board is expected to immediately adjourn. No action will be taken in executive session.
Tim Wessel brings his dynamic enthusiasm to everything he does – his years at BCTV, the Brattleboro Selectboard, “House Hunters” on HGTV, a run for the State Senate, his video production business….and now, Brattle-Boosting ! Tim’s the real deal……
The results of the Brattleboro Selectboard board retreat will be discussed at their next Tuesday meeting. Hint: they have established their five top goals of the year to be good transportation center parking, the town pool, the community safety plan, safety zones, and housing.
Tax rates and utility rates will be set, housing and land use will be discussed, and you can bring up any other items not on the agenda if the Chair allows under Public Participation.
In observance of the Fourth of July holiday, the July 4, 2023 Selectboard meeting has been cancelled.
Please find the Selectboard summer schedule below:
• July 4-Cancelled
• July 11 – Special Meeting
• July 18 – Cancelled
The Brattleboro Selectboard approves union and non-union pay raises and contracts for town employees at Tuesday’s meeting, they will talk finances and financial software, and they will approve enterprise fund budgets and a rate decrease for those who use water.
I’ll skip that stuff and give you a kitten update, then join the board for their discussion of EMS after 7 pm.
Brattleboro employees will get raises and taxpayers will get a 5% reduction in water bills at the next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard.
Parking and Utility budgets will be approved, the monthly EMS update will be given, and the public’s chance to weigh in at the 2nd meeting in June regarding EMS services will be on the agenda as well. You might also be able to bring up other items not on the agenda.
1. CONVENE MEETING
2. CONFIRM MEETING OFFICIALLY WARNED
3. EXECUTIVE SESSION
A. To Discuss Contracts and Collective Bargaining
4. ADJOURNMENT
At their first regular June meeting, the Brattleboro Selectboard will hire two outside security firms to patrol parts of downtown.
They will also discuss utility budgets, financial software, traffic safety, and committee vacancies. You might be able to bring up other items not on the agenda if the Chair allows.
There was an error in the 06-03-23 Brattleboro Selectboard Retreat agenda. The Retreat will not be live on BCTV, but it will be available for viewing after the Retreat has concluded.
A combative public greeted the selectboard to kick off their Tuesday night meeting. The quick version: downtown is unsafe and your website sucks.
After that was out of the way, the board was treated to a discussion of I-91 exit 1 bridge repairs next spring and summer, emergency housing plans, and about EMS transition items such as potential municipal revenue, the RFI process, and a new project-related website.
At the May 2 Selectboard meeting, the board endorsed a proposed schedule of information-gathering prior to deciding on Town EMS services in September.
The board thought they had a good plan, but what they presented turned out to be confusing to anyone trying to follow along. Sadly, in an effort to be extra open and transparent, the board ended up making things murkier.
The Official Path – Meetings and Correspondence
Town Manager John Potter presented the official EMS decision-making schedule, which gives time for public discussion on the topic at the second Selectboard meeting of each month. This is the official time for the public to come and weigh in on warned EMS agenda items. There will also be a public forum scheduled just prior to the board’s vote in September.
Municipal EMS potential revenues will be open for limited discussion at the next Brattleboro Selectboard meeting. The board begins their official EMS decision making process, which they continue to call a “Fire-EMS transition,” and will ask potential 3rd party EMS contractors to give the town information. They’ll also announce a new project website, a new taxpayer-sponsored and government-generated news program, and an email address!
The board will also discuss emergency housing, cemetery changes, and a new plan to fix the I-91 pile of rust… er,. bridge at Exit 1.
You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation, if the Chair doesn’t read your mind and forbid you from speaking on issues he doesn’t want discussed.
Brattleboro Selectboard endorsed a plan put forth by Town Manager John Potter that offers an aggressive summer schedule for gathering input from board members, staff, EMS providers , other towns, and the public. It kicks off at the next board meeting and will be a regular item for the second meeting of each month until decisions have been made.
Brattleboro will celebrate Juneteenth henceforth. The Agricultural Loan Fund has been updated to serve more people and the board held a first reading to find out the details. And green burials and properly-oriented Muslim burials will soon be options at the local cemetery
