News and information sections, from near to far
As we have had little snowfall this winter and there are storms predicted in the coming days, the Department of Public Works would like to remind everyone that the winter parking ban is in effect.
*Overnight parking is forbidden on all streets in the town of Brattleboro.
Public restrooms were a major topic of discussion for the board at the regular Tuesday meeting. Nothing, of course, was decided. The board also allowed the Assessors ask Representative Town Meeting Representatives to agree to a town-wide re-appraisal of taxable properties.
There were financial and EMS updates, and a discussion of further revising meeting agenda formats to reflect anticipated times of agenda items. (Good luck with that… says this reporter.)
The Brattleboro Town Manager’s Office will be emailing out a poll to Representative Town Meeting Members regarding their interest in Town provided childcare for RTM. This email will come from executive assistant Jessica Sticklor (email address: jsticklor@brattleboro.org). Please be on the lookout for this email and please return the poll as soon as possible, especially if you are interested in Town provided childcare for RTM.
The Brattleboro Town Clerk’s office would like to notify the public that on January 24, 2023, our land records system will be down for maintenance, both on-site and remote. This will impact all recording and land records searching capabilities through the system. We will be back up and running on Wednesday, January 25, 2023. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please reach out with any questions – 802-251-8157 or townclerk@brattleboro.org
We took some time to ask Brattleboro’s new Town Manager, John Potter, a few questions about his return to New England and thoughts about the town and his new job.
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Welcome to Brattleboro! It’s always fun to catalog initial impressions. When you look around Brattleboro, what do you see and how does it look to you?
The last time I was in Brattleboro before interviewing for the Town Manager position was around thirty years ago when I came to town to buy a couple of draft horses for a woodlot operation I was running in Massachusetts. When returning this winter, the town looks very similar to what I remembered from years ago — a classic Vermont river town with kind and welcoming people who really care about their community.
1. Call to order
2. Approve minutes
3. Review existing charter with town attorney
4. Follow up discussion
1. Minutes – November 17, 2022
2. Public Participation
3. Monthly Report on Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Traffic Incidents– For November and December
4. Monthly Report on Traffic Data Collection – for November and December
5. Street and Sidewalk Safety Policy Safety Action Requests
(a) Poor Lighting at intersection of Spruce and Western Avenue – David Sullivan
The Brattleboro Selectboard will take an almost-final look at the proposed FY24 budget at their next regular meeting. Items of interest – the FY23 budget may be overspent, the Town Attorney gets a raise to $120,563, construction of some sort of public bathrooms might get approved, and more.
You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Board of Library Trustees of Brooks Memorial Library seeks an enthusiastic and dedicated library user to fill a two-year position on the Board.
Candidates should have an interest in maintaining a strong, dynamic and visionary library in Town. Trustees must be residents of Brattleboro.
The Board, which numbers nine trustees, meets at the Library at 4:45 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month. Members are asked to chair or serve on two or more committees that convene as needed.
For Immediate Release:
In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, all Brattleboro Town Offices will be closed on Monday, January 16, 2023, with the exception of emergency services.
Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Monday, January 16. All other violations will be enforced.
I just learned this sad fact. Even if it’s been posted here already it’s worth saying again. The insurance system doesn’t support independent pharmacies–they don’t pay Hotel what medications cost, for cryin’ out loud. Hotel’s hung on as long as it could; word is we’ll lose their welcoming downtown presence in about 2 weeks. Many of us support our local vendors and producers. It’s a sorry state of affairs to see any of these businesses go. We’ll miss all the folks who were part of that fabric.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at 5:15pm and is expected to enter immediately into executive session to discuss contracts and labor relations agreements with employees. The Selectboard will reconvene the business part of the meeting at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center at 230 Main Street. The public may also participate in the meeting over Zoom. The attached agenda contains information on how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.” ASL interpreters will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.
The Town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following committees and boards:
ADA Committee
Arts Committee
Brattleboro Housing Partnerships
Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC)
Conservation Commission
Design Review Board (Alternate)
The Brattleboro Charter Review Commission will meet on Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 6:00pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street).
The Brattleboro RTM Finance Committee will meet on Monday, January 16, 2023 at 6:00pm in the Central Fire Station Meeting Room (103 Elliot Street).
The Brattleboro Selectboard held their first regular meeting of the new year, and new Town Manager John Potter was on hand to answer questions and advise the board.
They discussed changes to the liquor license application requirements, backing off a previous BAPC suggestion that hasn’t had the desired results. They also had an extended discussion about the type of Representative Town meeting to hold this year, and heard from the public about homeless people and cold weather.
The regular meeting will be preceded, in the same room, by a public hearing of the tree removals at Pliny Park at 3:30 followed by the first public input, if any, concerning the Shade Tree Ordinance at 4:15. All board members are encouraged to attend these
hearings. The regular Board meeting will immediately follow the completion of public input on the Shade Tree Ordinance.
Another edition of “Noticed” where you can make note of little things you’ve seen in and around Brattleboro.
Retreat Meadows had ice before xmas, but it has warmed up and skaters are being warned to stay off.
Theory Wellness opened up.
Goodwill opened up.
Add your observations below. (And thanks!)
The format for the next Representative Town Meeting – in-person, online, or hybrid – will be up for discussion at the Brattleoro Selectboard’s first regular meeting of 2023. They will also revise the liquor license process and review flagged items on their FY24 General Fund budget list.
You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation throughout the New Year!
The Brattleboro Fire Department is advising you to stay off the ice on the Retreat Meadows for the Last Night Celebration and Fireworks display on Saturday, December 31, 2022.
The ice thickness at the Retreat Meadows on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, ranged between 3 to 4 inches with extremely thin ice along the edges and westerly portion of the Meadows. The National Weather Service of Albany has advised that daytime temperatures starting Thursday will be in the mid-forties for the next several days and at night the temperature is going to stay above freezing.
Theory Wellness (“Theory” or “the Company”) will open its doors to their adult-use dispensary in Vermont this Friday, December 30th at 9 am. The new retail location is located at 768 Putney Road in Brattleboro, in the Fairfield Plaza Shopping Center. This newest location will be their eighth location, but will have a different approach from their operations in Massachusetts and Maine.
“Vermont is one of the most interesting regulatory models on the East Coast for cannabis,” states Brandon Pollock, CEO of Theory Wellness. “The emphasis on streamlined licensing for craft farmers will allow for a terrific mix of top-quality products in our dispensary. By focusing on retail, we look forward to showcasing this unique network of local cultivators, many of which have been producing high-quality flower for years.”
