News and information sections, from near to far
Because of schedule conflicts for a great many of the regular West Brattleboro Association folks, the monthly meeting previously scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 8th is canceled.
The next monthly WBA meeting will be held on Thursday, Nov. 12th. More info will follow as that day
draws nigh.
The north end “mystery property” has been revealed. According to documents on the town web site, Brattleboro will be considering an option to purchase the Brattleboro Reformer’s building at 62 Black Mountain Road to renovate as a police station.
The north end option would be secured initially through March 31 with a $20,000 payment. Total cost, if the town decides to make the purchase, would be just under $750,000. Total cost with renovations would be just over $4 million.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will be discussing options for going forward with the Police and Fire facility upgrades at their regular meeting Tuesday night.
“The news” is reporting that the Vermonter, our Amtrak connection, derailed about near Northfield/Roxbury, VT, 10 miles or so south of Montpelier. Minor injuries, no fatalities reported. 98 people on board. Brattleboro rescue folks going to help.
Landowners and land managers have a direct impact on flooding and the capacity of land to withstand storm events through their land management practices. Well managed lands help reduce flooding and its impacts by stabilizing soils, thereby minimizing erosion, and retaining water onsite, which reduces peak runoff and the damaging energy of floodwaters.
Join us for a land management workshop on Saturday, October 17, 2015 from 10am to 3pm to learn about best management practices (BMPs) for flood- and erosion-prone lands and the programs and resources that are available to help landowners conserve their properties. Designed for landowners, farmers, foresters, and other land-based professionals, this workshop will create a framework for understanding river dynamics, healthy vs. impacted streams, the essentials of managing forest and agricultural lands and the basics of riverbank restoration.
After much work to reduce costs of the proposed Police and Fire facility projects, the new price tag for the three projects has a price range, depending on the path chosen, from $12.5 to $15 million. The options and corresponding price tags were previewed this week at the Brattleboro Selectboard’s special meeting, and will be discussed in more detail at their next meeting.
Brattleboro’s connection, or lack thereof, to the Connecticut River was the recommended art project chosen as the winner of the National Endowment for the Arts Our Town public art competition. “From the River, To the River” is a multi-artist, multi-media, multi-site installation with numerous opportunities for the community to become involved.
Are you moving? Just need to pack stuff up?
Come on by Everyone’s Books and take all the bubble wrap! We have boxes and boxes of it, along with kraft paper and used (but free!) mailers and, of course, heaps of cardboard boxes. It’s all free, just stop by the front desk and ask for it!
😀
Your friendly booksellers who really want to get rid of packing material…like, a lot. A lot, a lot, a lot. *puppy eyes*
Once again, this has been a very busy week on the Main Street Sidewalk Replacement Project! Several of the new street lights on the northern end of the project are installed, functional, and the old ones next to them removed. They look great and work into the viewscape quite nicely. By the end of the day today, we will be finished removing sidewalk and the remainder of the curbing (from High Street to the south end of the project) will be installed. The concrete crew will continue to work their way south with the new sidewalks and we anticipate that operation to be complete by next Friday if the beautiful weather holds out for us.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, September 29, 2015 in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session at 5:30pm to discuss contracts, pending or probable civil litigation to which the public body is or may be a party, and the negotiating or securing of real estate purchase or lease options. The Board will reconvene for the business meeting at approximately 6:00pm.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The Brattleboro Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC) will meet on Monday, September 28, 2015 at 5:30pm at the Brooks Memorial Library in the local history room.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The quantity and quality of water in our region has direct impacts on all of us. Flooding causes a huge financial burden on municipalities, businesses, and individuals while threatening public safety. Droughts lead to crop failures, inadequate domestic water supplies, and stressed ecosystems. Water quality degradation diminishes ecosystem health, domestic water supplies, and recreational opportunities. New Vermont Clean Water Act legislation reinforces the need for all of us to treat water as a valuable resource.
Green Infrastructure (GI) is a suite of design tools and structural techniques that address all of these water issues by employing strategies that help to maintain natural hydrologic processes. GI presents significant opportunities for Vermont municipalities, businesses and individuals to reduce the impacts of stormwater on budgets and assets while protecting vital natural resources. As we adapt to the impacts of climate change, it is essential that we seek strategies to protect life, property, and our region’s natural resources.
In order to see the entire frog in “Photo Fun”, you have to click on it
Fortunately this week has presented us with perfect weather for construction! All the crews are moving full steam ahead and as you may have noticed, the majority of the sidewalks from High Street to Walnut Street are poured and opened!
We were able to get the small ditch on the street side of the new curbing paved earlier this week that will make parking and walking much easier on that portion of the project. The crew installing the brick strip is also moving right along (the picture above is an example of their work in the High Street bump out). We’ve gotten many questions about the purpose of the brick strip. Not only is it a decorative feature that ties together with our historic brick structures on Main Street, but it will allow us access to the underground electrical conduits in the future.
The Brattleboro Arts Committee will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at 4:00pm in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The Representative Town Meeting Human Services Review Committee will meet on Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 6:00pm at the Brattleboro Food Co-Op in the community room.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The Brattleboro Regional Economic Hub Study Group will meet on Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 6:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
The Brattleboro NEA Our Town Grant Selection Committee will meet on Friday, September 25, 2015 at 8:00am at the Latchis Theatre on Main Street.
Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100
To reduce congestion on I-91, both Exit 3 on ramps will be closed on Sunday, September 27 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. I-91 will remain open. Sunday closures will continue through October to manage leaf-peeping traffic.
I-91
Please see above re Sunday closures of Exit 3 on ramps.
Northbound I-91 traffic has been relocated onto the southbound bridge. Traffic will remain reduced to one lane in each direction on I-91 until completion of the new bridge. The new bridge will be 104’ wide and is designed to carry all four lanes of traffic –two northbound and two southbound.
The Brattleboro Selectboard began a preliminary discussion of the future of the Municipal Center, somewhat unintentionally, while discussing necessary repairs to bring the building up to current fire safety codes. It began with John Allen questioning the large investment in the structure, meandered through talk of responsibility and stewardship, and ended with a plan to spend the necessary funds one way or another.
Parking ordinance changes were approved. Most of the rest of the evening involved discussions of money.
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. – To celebrate its new solar-powered branch on Putney Road, Brattleboro Savings & Loan has launched Brattorama, a community-based game that charges area residents with collecting game pieces from various businesses to win prizes, now through Wednesday, Sept. 23.
The new location in Black Mountain Square on Putney Road, Brattleboro opened on Monday, Aug. 31, and is the latest entirely solar-powered bank branch operated by BS&L, which became the first completely solar-powered bank in Vermont earlier this year.
I-91
Northbound I-91 traffic has been relocated onto the southbound bridge. Traffic will remain reduced to one lane in each direction on I-91 until completion of the new bridge. The new bridge will be 104’ wide and is designed to carry all four lanes of traffic –two northbound and two southbound.
Route 30
Night work adjacent to Route 30 will continue this week, but will not affect traffic.
The speed limit on Route 30 near the work zone has been reduced to 40 mph. Project-related truck activity on Route 30 will continue. Route 30 will be reduced to a single lane intermittently both day and night, with flaggers regulating traffic within the work zone.
