For stories pertaining to the town of Brattleboro at large and its government.
What have you noticed? Little things matter.
Add any items that have caught your eye recently… such as:
– The Estey Organ Museum is featured in the AAA Explorer magazine. They got a nice photo, a few paragraphs of praise and even a mention of their program to give away organs.
New Brattleboro Selectboard members Oscar Heller, Amanda Ellis-Thurber, Isaac Evans Franz were sworn in by Town Clerk Hilary Francis to begin the organizational meeting.
Peter Case nominated a slate of candidates: Elizabeth McLoughlin as Chair, Oscar Heller as Vice Chair, and Isaac Evans-Frantz as Clerk. The board voted 5-0 to approve the slate.
Returning Chair Liz then took comments from the board and public participation.
Following the Representative Town Meeting’s (RTM) vote not to approve the Town of Brattleboro’s proposed FY26 budget, the newly seated Selectboard will begin work to revise and resubmit a new budget proposal.
“We stated our reasoning and knew it was an uphill climb,” said Selectboard member Peter Case, “but we live in a community that still respects democracy, so now it’s back to the drawing board.”
The original FY26 budget included a combination of strategic investments to address community safety concerns and build long-term capacity. It proposed funding for additional police officers to respond to sustained increases in crime, while also supporting the behind- the-scenes work needed to launch One Brattleboro—a collaborative initiative that brings together public safety, social service providers, and community partners to reduce future reliance on police through prevention, outreach, and coordinated response.
Due to reduced staffing, meetings with the Town Manager’s Office will be by appointment only for the foreseeable future. Please contact Jessica Sticklor at 802-251-8115 or email her at jsticklor@brattleboro.gov to make an appointment. You can also email the Town Manager directly at townmanager@brattleboro.gov.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold an organizational meeting on Monday, March 24, 2025 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center (230 Main Street, Room 212) and 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. There is no backup for this meeting.
The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 5:00pm in the Brooks Memorial Library Community Meeting Room (224 Main Street).
The Charter Revision Commission invites Brattleboro residents to a discussion on the form of Brattleboro’s annual town meeting.
The meeting will take place on Monday, March 31, 2025, 6 to 8 p.m. in the Main Reading Room at Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main Street, and will be broadcast live on BCTV Channel 1079, BCTV’s YouTube Channel, Facebook Page and website, Brattleborotv.org.
The Charter and information about the Charter Revision Commission, including a summary of the forms of annual town meeting and a Frequently Asked Questions sheet, are available at Brattleboro.gov.
Due to the ongoing thaw and potential for continued rainfall, drivers are advised to exercise caution on gravel roads within Brattleboro. Muddy and soft road surfaces can lead to uneven and challenging driving conditions. The Brattleboro Department of Public Works will be monitoring these roads and providing status updates daily through roadside signage, which will be placed at the end of gravel roads throughout town. Drivers are recommended to avoid driving on gravel roads, if possible. If you must drive on a muddy road, go slow and use extreme caution.
CAZ CLARK fills a place in our town we didn’t even know we needed. Working at our Food Co-op, Caz interacts with folks in need and finds ways to help connect them to many local organizations. Caz has a view of Brattleboro that’s gritty, real, timely and hopeful.
A Canal Street Corridor Plan is in the works to improve pedestrian safety and other things along that route. The Brattleboro Selectboard will learn about this project at their next special meeting.
The board will also hear about new permit fees, a change to zoning relating to municipal water & sewer service, recent work of ONE Brattleboro, EMS reimbursements, and a safe neighborhoods project. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Charter Revision Commission will meet on Monday, March 17, 2025 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room (230 Main Street, Rm 212) and over zoom.
The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 8:00am in the Selectboard Meeting Room (230 Main Street, Rm 212) and over Zoom.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a Special Meeting on Monday, March 10, 2025 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street, Rm. 212) and 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 backup materials for this meeting will be available on the town Website Brattleboro.gov/Selectboard by the end of today.
The Brattleboro Town Report is ready and available for pick up at the Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street). Town Reports can also be picked up at the Town Clerk’s Office and the Town Manager’s Office at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street). Town Reports will also be available to RTM members at the March 12, 2025 Informational Meeting.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold a pre-Town Meeting informational forum Wednesday, March 12 at Academy School beginning at 7 p.m. Representative Town Meeting articles will be discussed, including the budget.
At 5:45 p.m., prior to the informational forum, Town Meeting members for each district will be available to meet with constituents to offer residents an opportunity to share their views and discuss articles to be voted on at the annual meeting. Also at that time, all three districts have the opportunity to elect their District Chair for the year.
All three districts are currently full, and there will be no need to hold a caucus in any district to appoint Town Meeting Representatives.
At a special meeting on Monday, the Brattleboro Selectboard will meet with NH counterparts to discuss the island and now un-used bridges over the Connecticut River.
Their other meeting, moved to Thursday to avoid Town Meeting Day conflicts, will feature issues such as Living Memorial Park’s need for an additional $80,000, the vacant building ordinance, a decision to approve the plans for the eventual bridge repair on Western Ave, a new mural for Harmony Lot, and a discussion of Health Care and Rehabilitation. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Finance Committee will meet on Wednesday, March 5 and Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 6:15pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room.
The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 4:15 in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room.
The Brattleboro Town Clerk’s office will be closed Tuesday, March 4th (for the election) and Wednesday, March 5th. We will resume normal business hours of 8:30am to 12:00pm and 1pm to 5pm beginning on Thursday, March 6th.
Snow and ice will be removed from the parking lots in Brattleboro’s downtown area tonight, Feb. 27, 2025, after 11 p.m.
Vehicles parked in the downtown lots must be removed or they may be towed at the owner’s expense.
The Town of Brattleboro is announcing the resignation of Brattleboro’s Assistant Town Manager, Patrick Moreland, who served in the role since August 2011. Moreland will be stepping down from the position on March 24, 2025, to pursue an opportunity leading DV Fiber as its new executive director.
During his career with the Town, Moreland worked with four town managers and served as interim town manager twice. He’s played a part in numerous initiatives, including routine projects like budget development and special projects such as the transition to municipal EMS services and the launch of the pay-as-you-throw system.
“I oversaw the expansion of curbside organics collection, which is really unique,” Moreland said, adding that the success of the program led to Windham Solid Waste Management District expanding its capacity to receive more organic materials.
On Wednesday, February 26, Green Mountain Power will be replacing a utility pole at the intersection of Clark Street and Estabrook Street. Clark Street will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is advisable for residents to make the necessary arrangements and utilize the southern entrance of Clark Street for ingress and egress. Emergency services are aware of this closure and will implement a plan to continue to provide any services needed beyond this closure.
