News & Information

News and information sections, from near to far

Community Meeting on Revitalizing Brattleboro’s Downtown

by Not Signed In | Town Plan

The public is invited to take part in a town hall meeting on revitalizing Brattleboro’s downtown. The meeting will take place on Monday, September 9th at 5 p.m. at the Latchis Theater.

Because of the hardships downtown Brattleboro suffered as a result of Tropical Storm Irene, the State of Vermont has chosen Brattleboro, along with six other towns, to receive consulting assistance through a federal Disaster Relief Grant. As the designated downtown organization, Building a Better Brattleboro has been asked to help implement the project.

West Brattleboro Power Outage?

by cgrotke | Other

People have been calling to see what’s going on in West Brattleboro. Power went out a while ago.

Green Mountain Power’s outage center says Brattleboro has 3 separate problems, affecting 3252 customers. Not much other information to share.

Windham Regional Commission Statement on Announcement by Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee That the Plant Will Close in 2014

by Not Signed In | State News

The Windham Regional Commission has always maintained a neutral position as to whether or not the Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee power station located in Vernon should continue operation. We have taken this position so we could facilitate discussions among those on all sides of the issue. The Commission has, however, been very involved in Vermont Public Service Board dockets since 2007, arguing not for whether or not the plant should continue operation, but rather for what is in the best interest of the region when the plant does eventually cease operation, whenever and for whatever reason that occurs.

Brattleboro Labor Day Closings

by Not Signed In | Town News

In observance of Labor Day, all Town offices will be closed on Monday, September 2, 2013, with the exception of emergency services.

The Brattleboro Treasurer’s office will also be closed for renovations on Tuesday, September 3. Anyone wanting to make a payment will be asked to see the Finance Director in Suite 208 on the second floor of the Municipal Center.

Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Sunday and Monday, September 1 and 2, 2013. All other violations, including extended parking, will be enforced.

Brooks Memorial Library will be closed on Sunday and Monday, September 1 and 2, 2013.

Trash, recycling and composting WILL NOT be picked up on Monday, September 2, 2013. All pick-ups will be delayed by one day all week.

SeVEDS/BDCC Statement On The Announcement That Entergy Will Close Vermont Yankee In 2014

by Not Signed In | Business

from:
Jenna Pugliese, Chair of Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS)
Stephan Morse, Chair of SeVEDS Post Vermont Yankee Task Force
John Meyer, President of Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation

We are deeply concerned about the loss of over 650 highly paid jobs and the impacts that will have on the lives of the VY employee families. We are equally concerned about the overall impact to the regional economy and the impact to the many contractors and other businesses that do business with VY.

The announcement that Entergy will close Vermont Yankee in 2014 significantly exacerbates the economic challenges facing Southeastern Vermont. This adds even more urgency to our need to act to implement existing and developing strategies.

Entergy Press Release on Closing VY

by cgrotke | State News

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) today said it plans to close and decommission its Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station in Vernon, Vt. The station is expected to cease power production after its current fuel cycle and move to safe shutdown in the fourth quarter of 2014. The station will remain under the oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission throughout the decommissioning process.

“This was an agonizing decision and an extremely tough call for us,” said Leo Denault, Entergy’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Vermont Yankee has an immensely talented, dedicated and loyal workforce, and a solid base of support among many in the community. We recognize that closing the plant on this schedule was not the outcome they had hoped for, but we have reluctantly concluded that it is the appropriate action for us to take under the circumstances.”

Entergy FAQ on Closing VY

by cgrotke | State News

From the Entergy site:

Frequently Asked Questions

When will Vermont Yankee close?

The company anticipates shutting down the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station in fourth quarter 2014, with the exact date still to be determined.

Why was this decision made?

Vermont Yankee has an immensely talented, dedicated, and loyal workforce (about 630 employees) and a solid base of support in the community. We recognize that closing the plant on this schedule was certainly not the outcome they had hoped for, but we have reluctantly concluded that it is the appropriate action for us to take under the circumstances.

The decision to close Vermont Yankee in 2014 was based on a number of financial factors, including:

Report Focuses On Getting More Food To Vermonters

by Not Signed In | State News

(MONTPELIER, VT) While Vermont is a national leader in the local food movement, there are still many in our state who don’t have access to, can’t afford, or don’t know how to make use of the food produced here. This includes one in five Vermont children who are food insecure because their families can’t reliably meet basic nutritional needs.

A new report from the Vermont Community Foundation highlights some successful efforts underway to bridge this gap and bring local food to a lot more Vermonters. At the same time groups are working to develop stable year-round markets for Vermont farmers at nearby schools, hospitals, and senior centers.

Predictive Policing – A Closer Look at Looking Closely with i2 Software

by cgrotke | Police & Fire

According to a recent report to the Brattleboro Selectboard, the Brattleboro Police are using i2 software to help predict and prevent crimes. While the police and the board may know what the software is capable of, the public hasn’t been given much information about how it is used, or what it is capable of doing.

The first thing to know about i2 is that it is a suite of software packages that can be tailored to specific uses in law enforcement, banking, defense, health care, insurance, and even retail. IBM sells custom packages and add-on functionality so users can purchase and use the tools most suited to their purposes. 

India Palace Closing, To Expand?

by CarlyC | Business

Last night Bunti from India Palace told my sister they are closing today. I had no idea! He said they’ll expand the store.

I really like the people there and will miss being able to get Indian food without having to cook it!  

Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee Meeting Agenda, Site Visit

by Not Signed In | Town News

The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Tuesday, August 27, 2013.  There will be a site visit at the intersection of Putney Road and Harris Avenue at 8:00am.  Following the site visit, the regular business meeting will reconvene at approximately 8:30am in the Selectboard meeting room at the Municipal Center.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100

Selectboard Meeting Notes: Unmentioned Police Surveillance Powers, Delinquent Taxes Increase

by cgrotke | Town News

Some news from Tuesday night’s Selectboard meeting wasn’t mentioned at all during the meeting. In the written departmental report from the Brattleboro Police to the Selectboard were listed two items that neither the Police nor the Selectboard spoke about during the presentation to the board: powerful software to gather and evaluate intelligence of potential criminal activity, and live, remote access to private video systems in town.

From the Finance Director we learned that delinquent taxes increased by $100,000 in 2013. The Police Fire Project gained a Construction Management firm, the swimming pool will get some much-needed attention, and angels will begin appearing around Brattleboro in September.

Read on for full details.

Deconstruction Still an Option in Brattleboro VT

by ewkruger | Business

With the closing last month of ReNew Building Materials & Salvage, some may be under the impression that building materials reuse has gone back to the informal economy.  And while this is true for sourcing used materials, it need not be for building deconstruction and salvage services. 

Slowly and quietly deconstruction is alive, in the form of Deconstruction Works, a start-up firm hoping to create a niche as an employee-owned cooperative in the next few years.  While Deconstruction Works is currently a sole proprietorship, as work grows- so will the team. 

Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – August 20, 2013

by cgrotke | Town News

The Waste Water Treatment Plant is substantially complete. So the Brattleboro Selectboard will hear at their next regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting at the Municipal Center on Main Street. The pump stations still need a bit of work, but work the main facility is at the finish line.

Also on the agenda: the Police Fire Facility Project committee will make a recommendation for “construction management services,” we’ll learn of plans to fix the swimming pool at Living memorial Park, the board will hear about a new public art project, there will be a report from the Brattleboro Police Department, the board will accept and approve some grants, and they will create a PACE district in Brattleboro by adopting a resolution that allows VEIC to manage the program.

All this and more at Tuesday’s meeting. You can watch on BCTV, on TV or online, and read all about it here the day after.

Brattleboro Taxes and Utilities Due

by Not Signed In | Town News

The first installment of the 2013 Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes will be due on August 15th, 2013. Payments made after August 15th, 2013 will have an additional 1% interest added to the unpaid balance.

The utility billing is also due on August 15th, 2013. Payments made after August 15th, 2013 will have an additional 1% interest, as well as an 8% penalty added to the unpaid balance.

Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting – Contractual Matter

by Not Signed In | Town News

A special meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard is scheduled on Thursday, August 15, 2013 at 2:00pm in the Hanna Cosman meeting room at the Municipal Center. It is anticipated that the Board will enter into executive session to discuss a contractual matter.

Jan Anderson
Executive Secretary
Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office
(802) 251-8100