Brattleboro Selectboard Meeting January 12, 2021 – Agenda and Notes

Outstanding FY22 budget issues will be discussed at the next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. How much paving should be done? Should board members get more compensation? Should one local media outlet (BCTV) be favored with funding from taxpayers? How much should Brattleboro spend on Human Services?

The board will also continue discussion of the Community Safety Review report and extend a contract for financial services. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.


Brattleboro Committee Vacancies

 The Town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following committees and boards: 

Agricultural Advisory Board 

ADA Advisory Board 

Arts Committee 

Conservation Commission 


Selectboard Meeting Notes – Community Safety Committee Presents Findings and Recommendations

brattleboro selectboard jan 5 2021

Marginalized populations of Brattleboro were a common theme for the Brattleboro Selectboard at their first meeting of the new year. They struggled with Human Services funding requests, then listened to an extended overview of the Community Safety report.

Everyone is encouraged to read the full report then return next week for more discussion of this and other topics.


Brattleboro Community Safety Review – Final Report

Here’s the Executive Summary from the Community Safety Review report, followed by a pdf of the full report. You can also download this and other related materials on the Town of Brattleboro website. This report will be reviewed and discussed at the next meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard.


Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda & Notes – January 5, 2021

To kick off the new year, the Brattleboro Selectboard will hear a report and recommendations from the Community Safety Review Committee. The board will also consider an increase to Human Services funding, contemplate mailed ballots for Town Meeting Day, and call for volunteers to serve on committees.


Noticed Around Brattleboro – Winter 2020-21

It’s time to look around and jot down things you’ve noticed around Brattleboro. Such as:

Temperatures in the 50’s and river flooding after heavy rains, for Christmas.
Potholes getting an early start…
Print Town book has been published…


Brattleboro VFW Reality Sets In

The recent situation with COVID has resulted in some hard truths for the Brattleboro VFW. Clubs have taken a beating financially, along with a lot of other businesses.

We have had to cancel all our functions since March. No dinner/dances, birthday parties, wedding receptions, regular bingos, cancer or Brattleboro Firefighter’s fundraising bingos, banquets, holiday parties, etc. etc.

We had to shut down completely for three months starting in March, but still the bills came in. Some grants from the government helped pay some, but not all of those bills.


Brattleboro Community Safety Review Committee Meeting Agenda

The Brattleboro Community Safety Review Committee will meet on Monday, December 28, 2020, at 6:00pm using Zoom (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19).  The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.” 


Vermont Guidelines for Safe Holidays

Here’s what the state of Vermont says about gathering during the holidays:

For the period from December 23 – January 2, one household may gather with one other trusted household. That is a maximum of two households gathering during this period.
Staying home and with people you live with is still the lowest risk. Gathering with people you do not live with is not recommended for people who are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 or people who care for them.
If you do gather, the Health Department strongly encourages getting tested 7 days afterwards.
If you gather with anyone from out of state, everyone in both households must quarantine for 14 days, or 7 days with a negative test.
The travel policy has not changed. If you travel outside of Vermont, you must follow quarantine requirements.


Brattleboro Town Holiday Closures

In observance of the Christmas holiday: 

Brattleboro Town offices will close at 12:00pm on Thursday, December 24, and will be closed on Friday, December 25, 2020, with the exception of emergency services. 

Brooks Memorial Library is closed to the public at this time. The curbside service will end at 12:00pm on Thursday, December 24, and will not be available on Friday, December 25. Curbside service will resume at 10:00am on Saturday, December 26, 2020. 


Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting Agenda – December 22, 2020

Shall the voters of Brattleboro be allowed to vote to opt-in to retail sales of cannabis? The Brattleboro Selectboard will decide it the question will be asked on March 2 ballots at their next special meeting.

They’ll also accept a planning grant and continue with their review of the FY22 budget, which is a great time for Representative Town Meeting Reps to pay attention and report back to all of us about what the budget will contain.


Brattleboro Committee Meeting Agendas

The Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee will meet on Monday, December 21, 2020 at 4:00pm using Zoom (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19).  The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.” 

The Brattleboro Community Safety Review Committee will meet on Monday, December 21, 2020 at 6:00pm using Zoom (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19).  The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.” 


Downtown Brattleboro Snow Removal

The Town of Brattleboro would like to remind everyone that the snow emergency ban is in effect.   

Snow and ice will be removed from the streets in the downtown area this evening.   

Parked vehicles in the downtown district must be removed by 11:00pm or they will be towed at the owner’s expense.


Brattleboro Committee Meeting Agendas

The Brattleboro Community Safety Review Committee will meet on Monday, December 14, 2020 at 6:00pm using Zoom (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19).  The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.” 

The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Review Committee will meet on Thursday, December, 17, 2020 at 8:00am using GoToMeeting (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19).  The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely.


Brattleboro Selectboard Agenda and Notes – December 15, 2020

There is a monster on the agenda for the next regular meeting of the Brattleboro Selectboard. It’s a channel monster grinder in need of some love and attention.

The board will also discuss non-monster items, such as the 2nd reading of the rental housing ordinance, a radio tower agreement, a new solar site designation, and more of the FY22 budget. You can bring up other items not already on the agenda, be they monster or non-monster, during public and monster participation.


Brattleboro Seeks Public Input on Update to Hazard Mitigation Plan

The Town of Brattleboro is in the process of updating the Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). The purpose of the HMP is to identify hazards facing the Town and to develop strategies to reduce the risks from those hazards. Hazards such as flooding, wildfires, landslides, blizzards, straight-line winds, ice storms, and droughts have the potential for inflicting economic loss and personal hardship.

As mandated by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, all municipalities must have a local Hazard Mitigation Plan in order to qualify for Federal Emergency Management Administration funding should a natural disaster occur. The Brattleboro Hazard Mitigation Committee will provide feedback required for the Plan update, including the ranking of hazards and identification of strategic, cost-effective mitigation activities that may reduce future losses.


Brattleboro Selectboard Special Meeting Agenda – December 8, 2020

The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, December 8, 2020, at 6:15pm using Zoom (with no physical location due to the ongoing social distancing requirements of COVID-19).  The attached agenda contains information about how to access the meeting remotely, including the required “passcode.”  Information about how to connect to the meeting is also posted on the homepage of the Town’s website.  ASL interpreters will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.