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

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.


Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agenda and Notes – June 4, 2024

Newly increased water rates will be adopted and the FY25 Parking Fund will be presented for approval at the next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. Part of the discussion will be the adoption of a grant for downtown parking system improvements. A slightly more unusual part will be to choose between parking fund revenues of $654,500 or $1,029,500, which most likely means a decision about raising parking rates.

There will be a small affordable housing grant for BAAH, and an application for a grant to improve sidewalks and add a path to the backside of the Common. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.


Selectboard Meeting Notes – Vacant Building Permits and Municipal Housing

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.


Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting – Agenda and Notes – May 21, 2024

At their next regular meeting, the Brattleboro Selectboard will consider a number of ordinance changes, and in one case an “ordnance ” change. Water and sewer rates, liquor licenses, and vacant buildings are the topics.

They will also hear about the suitability (or “suitablity”) of municipal properties for potential housing, and list the various committee vacancies that are awaiting members of the public to apply and serve. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.


Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting June 20, 2023 – Agenda and Notes

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.


Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting – Agenda and Notes – September 20, 2022

The Brattleboro Selectboard will approve a $50,000 annual increase in fees to Golden Cross at their next regular meeting. This will cover a 3rd ambulance and a second full time AEMT provider.

The board will also discuss a “Declaration of Inclusion,” authorize sewer repairs, continue with committee appointments. You can, additionally, bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.


Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting Agendas and Notes – Regular and Special 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.


Brattleboro Selectboard – Agenda and Notes, June 16, 2020

Brattleboro utility rates will be going up at the next virtual meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. New water and sewer rates, the parking and general fund budgets, and salary increases will be approved.

The Town Manager will give a COVID-19 update, Brattleboro will consider joining a communications district, the Municipal Center renovations will inch forward, and more. You can bring up other items not on the agenda, of course, during public participations. 


Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – June 2, 2020

The Brattleboro Selectboard will approve their own budget for the first time, due to a special act of the Vermont legislature to bypass Town Meeting Representatives this year in an effort to get the budget approved prior to the new fiscal year on July 1. The board will also discuss options for convening a Representative Town Meeting at some point.

Water and sewer rates will be raised, downtown parklets for businesses will be purchased,  the Solid Waste Fund will be discussed and might be folded into the General Fund, another COVID-19 update will be given, and even more will happen during this packed agenda. Prediction: watch as Selectboard members mention that they hate the dog warrant language again this year! “It’s the owners, not the animals…”  You can bring up other items and animals not on the agenda during Public Participation. Just don’t ask your questions in the chat room of the virtual meeting.


Selectboard Meeting Notes – Water and Sewer Rate Increases, and Face Mask Review

Brattleboro Selectboard Virtual Meeting

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?


Brattleboro COVID-19 Update March 18, 2020

WHAT IS NEW TODAY

Due to the Governor’s order prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 people, the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) scheduled for March 21 has been canceled. It will be re-warned when it becomes legal and prudent to do so. The current plan is to re-warn RTM on April 7 and to hold RTM on May 9.

• The Selectboard voted last night to allow businesses who are repaying loans to the Town’s Small Business Assistance Program to defer their monthly payments until further notice.

• The Selectboard also voted last night that until further notice the Town will not shut-off water service to any customer as a result of that customer becoming delinquent on payment of water+sewer fees.


Main Street Water Main Repair Details

The Brattleboro Department of Public Works Utilities Crew will be conducting work in front of 181-183 Main Street beginning today, April 9th, 2019, in order to install a new water main gate valve. The order of events will proceed as follows:

April 9th, 2019 – 11:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. – Saw cuts will be made in the northbound lane of Main Street to prepare for excavation
April 10th, 2019 – 7:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. – Utilities Crew will dig trench necessary for valve installation. Steel plates will be placed over the trench until the following day.


Main Street Water Main Project Begins April 9

Work on the Main Street water line replacement project will be starting Tuesday April 9thwith pavement marking and cutting.  Parking will be prohibited on the east side of Main Street between 133 and 167 Main Street starting at 6:00 a.m. during this pavement cutting period.  Traffic will be restricted in the area.


Selectboard Meeting Notes – Steve Barrett Night

selectboard march 5

The Brattleboro Selectboard met on Town Meeting Day 2019 and spent most of the time discussing issues of water and sewer.

This included a rather substantial presentation by an apartment owner requesting a reduction in an abnormally high water bill, some discussion of the Hinsdale Bridge, some notes on odors and energy, and a hint that water and sewer ates may hold steady for a year.


Clark Street Closing for Sewer Repairs

Clark ST will be closed on Friday, May 18, 2018, beginning at 7:00 a.m. The road will be closed in the area of 81 Clark ST while Utilities crews repair a sewer line. Local residents can access residences at the northern end of Clark ST via Lawrence ST.

Motorists should plan to use alternate routes during the construction period. Signage will be in place to remind motorists of the road closure.