News and information sections, from near to far
Greetings iBrattleboro people,
My name is David Longsmith with the 2020 Census here in Windham County. I’m now a Census Response Representative and my job is to assist members of our communities with responding to the census questionnaire.
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
The Brattleboro Police Department (BPD) has transitioned to Level III of its Emergency Response Plan for COVID-19, as follows:
• BPD is still patrolling the roadways, walking downtown, and visiting merchants that are open, adhering to social distancing best practices when encountering people face-to-face.
• BPD is answering life safety calls involving physical harm or the threat of harm to individuals. Non life safety calls for service are being handled via appropriate technology (i.e. phone, email, etc.) Patrol Commanders are determining whether or not a physical response is warranted.
• Dispatch is fully staffed 24/7 and is screening for COVID-19 on all calls.
• BPD Clerks are working from home. Public Records requests are being accepted by email, but the majority will not be able to be processed until the “Stay Home – Stay Safe” order is lifted.
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
There are no new “bullets” of information today, but I do want to share this with the community:
In keeping with the Governor’s “Stay Home – Stay Safe” order, this is the first full day of Town operations with most employees working from home. While we are not in our usual places interacting with the public in the usual manner, we are here for you during these extraordinary times. We have made arrangements for many administrative employees to conduct most or all of their usual activities from their homes. Some will continue to come to the office occasionally to complete tasks that can only be completed there. Importantly, all email communications and most telephone communications are functioning exactly as they do during normal office operations. Field crews will be performing limited ongoing field work to ensure that health and safety concerns are promptly addressed, and all field employees will be on call every day for addressing urgent maintenance issues (like a water main break, a snowstorm, etc.).
Vermont Legal Aid Service Update:
Following the Governor’s State of Emergency declaration on March 14, 2020, Vermont Legal Aid will continue to serve its clients via telephonic and electronic means. While we have discontinued in-person access to our offices, clients may still contact our intake helpline at 1-800-889-2047 to receive assistance. Clients with a legal or benefits problem related to the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak also may receive assistance by going to https://vtlawhelp.org/ .
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
In compliance with the “Stay Home – Stay Safe” order issued by Governor Scott yesterday, most of Town government’s non-emergency services and administrative support functions have been suspended. Here are the details:
• Emergency services are still being provided by the Police and Fire Departments, but both departments have instituted policies that adjust their normal procedures to reflect COVID-19 best practices advice from public health experts.
Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today issued a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order and directed the closure of in-person operations for all non-essential businesses.
These restrictive measures are in place to minimize all unnecessary activities outside the home to slow the spread of this virus and protect the public. These actions were implemented in consultation with the Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health and his evaluation of the latest data.
“I want to be very clear about this: We need everyone to limit activities outside of the home and to practice social distancing at all times to slow the spread of this highly contagious and potentially deadly virus,” said Governor Phil Scott. “We all must do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19 to minimize infections – particularly for those who are elderly or have underlying chronic health conditions – and prevent it from overwhelming our healthcare facilities. The more Vermonters who take this seriously and stay home, the faster we can return to normal.”
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
• In furtherance of the Governor’s announcement yesterday that all businesses should implement work-from-home practices “to the maximum extent possible” and his suggestion that additional restrictions on people’s movement will be announced tomorrow, the Town has increased the number of employees who are telecommuting and is finalizing plans for full closure of certain non-emergency services and administrative functions.
• The status of each separate area of Town government will be announced in detail if it does become necessary to fully close any functions or services.
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
• Town staff continues to be available for remote communications with the public during normal business hours. However, in keeping with increasingly restrictive social distancing requirements and advice from State Government and public health experts, fewer Town employees are reporting to their usual workplaces. It may become necessary for the Town to reduce the number of hours that non-emergency Town functions are “open” for communication with the public. If that does become necessary, we will explicitly identify the operating hours that will remain in effect.
I almost forgot that we needed a new “Noticed” for the new season. This should be an interesting one. I expect some of these observations to change as time goes on.
…
I noticed some people at St Michaels’ today loading up a truck. Looked like volunteers working to make some deliveries.
• Some residents have asked the Town to suspend the pay-as-you-throw program so that no onewould have to buy the yellow and purple bags until further notice. Our pay-as-you-throw systemis required for the Town to comply with a State-mandate to have “variable rate pricing” for garbagecollection and disposal (i.e. the more one throws away the more one pays). The Town has askedthe State if we can temporarily suspend the pay-as-you-throw system. We have not yet receivedthe State’s permission to do that.
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
• REMINDER: A special Selectboard meeting will be held on Monday, March 23, at 5:30pm in theSelectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. The Selectboard will appoint Ian Goodnow tothe seat that became vacant upon Dave Schoales’ resignation and will elect Selectboard officers.Please note that the Municipal Building will be open to the public on March 23 from 5:15pm until 15minutes after the special Selectboard meeting is adjourned.
Town of Brattleboro Planning Services
March 20, 2020
All Planning Commission, Conservation Commission, and Development Review Board Meetings will be canceled until further notice.
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
A special Selectboard meeting will be held on Monday, March 23, at 5:30pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. The Selectboard will appoint Ian Goodnow to the seat that became vacant upon Dave Schoales’ resignation and will elect Selectboard officers. Please note that the Municipal Building will be open to the public on March 23 from 5:15pm until 15 minutes after the special Selectboard meeting is adjourned.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a special meeting on Monday, March 23, 2020, at 5:30pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center. An ASL interpreter will be available for deaf and hard-of-hearing community members. The building will be open to the public at 5:15pm on that day.
WHAT IS NEW TODAY
• Selectboard member Dave Schoales has resigned so that Selectboard member-elect Ian Goodnow can be appointed. This will allow the composition of the Selectboard to change in the manner decided by the voters at the same time when that transition normally would take place. The Town’s Charter states that “newly elected Selectboard members’ terms shall begin on the first Monday following the final adjournment of the annual Representative Town Meeting.” Due to the postponement of this year’s Representative Town Meeting, the commencement of Ian Goodnow’s service would have been delayed indefinitely. Instead, a special Selectboard meeting will be held soon so that the continuing 4 Selectboard members can appoint Ian Goodnow to fill the vacancy created by Dave Schoales’ resignation.
Some of you may be new to working at home. Lise and I have been running our web design business like this for over 20 years, and it took some getting used to. Here are a few tips and tricks we’ve learned over the years:
Have a dedicated work area
If you can keep your work and play separate, it helps. Try to find a bit of space that can be for “work” so that you can get away from it later on.
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.
Dear Business owners and employers,
We understand that news is coming in fast as the circumstances around COVID-19 change. In order to make sure the region’s businesses have access to vital information necessary to navigate a turbulent economy, BDCC is making the most up-to-date information available on our website
The Town of Brattleboro has some excellent resources being compiled. Here are the links to the Town’s pages:
Town Updates
Resources for Businesses
Resources for Individuals and Families
Due to the COVID-19 health concerns, and the guidance from Governor Scott to limit gatherings to 50 people, the Brattleboro Selectboard decided at the March 17 Selectboard meeting to cancel the March 21, 2020 Representative Town Meeting. The goal is to reschedule this meeting when it is safe to do so. The public will be informed when a new date is set.
