Brattleboro Selectboard Organizational Meeting Agenda
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold an organizational meeting on Monday, March 27, 2023 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street) and over Zoom.
For stories pertaining to the town of Brattleboro at large and its government.
The Brattleboro Selectboard will hold an organizational meeting on Monday, March 27, 2023 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room at the Municipal Center (230 Main Street) and over Zoom.
The Brattleboro Board of Listers will meet on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 10:00am in Suite 101 at the Brattleboro Municipal Center (230 Main Street).
This year DPW has changed how we inspect and report the conditions of Brattleboro’s gravel roads during mud season. The updated report will not be sent daily as in past years. Starting this week, you will see a sign at the beginning of each gravel road. The sign will have a color-coded section that indicates the current condition of the road and QR code that will take you directly to Maps-on-line for the conditions of all roads. Instead of waiting for all of the roads to be checked to report each road be entered immediately which should speed up the reporting significantly. Attached is a press release explaining the new procedure.
Below is my recollection of remarks at tonight’s meeting.
The preliminaries are usually unremarkable and brief. But yesterday Jessica Gelter said that she mentioned the suppression of Kurt Daims/BCS written testimony in the notes of the previous meeting. Also two members were leaving the board. They all appreciated each other’s their devotion to democracy and fairness. Such flattering speeches are not usually brief. It was a good time to comment like this:
The Brattleboro Selectboard held a very long first meeting of Spring.
Despite pleas from the public, they pressed on with many issues they felt could not wait for new board members. From Community Safety to ARPA, the board ignored suggestions to improve their public perception and to increase public input.
Brattleboro is facing Dunnellen, New Jersey in the first round bracket of the Strongest Town Contest, with voters from across the continent deciding which will advance to the Elite Eight round of this March Madness-style tournament.
The Strongest Town Contest spotlights and celebrates communities that are continuously becoming more resilient and prosperous through bottom-up action.
Vote for Brattleboro at https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2023/3/20/stc2023-r1-dunellen-brattleboro
Time for the regular “add your own” observation column. What’s going on around Brattleboro this spring?
Renaissance Jewelry is having a big sale and seemingly going out of business after quite a while on Main Street.
Rt 30 work is starting up again – some new guardrails installed near the edge of town. The bigger observation is that flaggers are going to become a job of the past, replaced by robotics.
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.
The Brattleboro Board of Listers will meet on Monday, March 20, 2023 at 9:00am in the Assessor’s Office (Suite 101) at the Municipal Center (230 Mian Street).
The Brattleboro Selectboard will set aside over $2 million of the $2.7 million in ARPA funding for EMS related projects and potential start-up costs, leaving a much smaller amount for the public to discuss how to spend. This comes after promises of community outreach and public input to best determine the ways to spend the funds. Related, the monthly EMS update has been relegated to the Consent Agenda.
The board will also discuss how to spend the $300k in community safety funds. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
Due to the winter storm, which has caused power outages in the community, the March 15, 2023 Development Review Board meeting is cancelled. It will be re-warned for Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at 7:00 p.m.
The winter storm continued overnight with additional snow and downed trees. There is an estimated 9% of Brattleboro without power but surrounding towns have as many as 90% of residents without electricity, as of this briefing. Green Mountain Power has been working hard overnight to clear roads and re-establish service.
1. Minutes – February 16, 2023
2. Public Participation
3. Monthly Report on Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Traffic Incidents– For February
4. Monthly Report on Traffic Data Collection – For February
5. Other Business
The Brattleboro Selectboard will decide on a way to make decisions about EMS services at their next regular meeting, with decisions expected by September.
The board will also hear some ideas on how to spend some of the ARPA funds, endorse a walking and biking action plan, and more. You can bring up other issues not on the agenda during public participation.
Brattleboro Town Selectboard will hold 2 pre-town meeting information forums.
Wednesday, March 15 at Academy School beginning at 7:00 PM,Representative Town
Meeting articles will be discussed, including the budget.
Wednesday, March 22 at Academy School beginning at 7:00 PM, Representative Town
Meeting Bond Vote articles will be discussed.
Executive Director Josh Davis and the Groundworks Collaborative Board of Directors are pleased to announce that former Brattleboro Town Manager Peter Elwell has joined the Groundworks staff as Interim Deputy Executive Director. Elwell’s appointment is timely as he will assist Davis and the Groundworks team as they continue to navigate a period of significant transition coming out of the pandemic. Additionally, Davis will be taking intermittent leave over the next few months to support his family through a significant health issue.
“Personally, it’s clear that I need to take some time to support my family; and we are grateful to have Peter stepping into active Groundworks staff work during this critically important time for the organization,” said Davis, who noted the substantive upcoming changes to the emergency motel program converging with Groundworks’ continued innovation to address basic needs in the community.
AGENDA
1. CONVENE MEETING
2. CONFIRM MEETING OFFICIALLY WARNED
3. EXECUTIVE SESSION
A. To Discuss Contracts and Labor Relations with Employees
4. ADJOURNMENT
The Town of Brattleboro is looking for citizens to serve on the following committees and boards:
ADA Committee
Arts Committee
Citizen Police Communications Committee (CPCC)
Design Review Board (Alternate)
Development Review Board (Alternate)
Fence Viewers
Below is information that might be helpful to know for March 7th local elections. The Windham Southeast School District Annual Election of School Directors will be held in addition to the Annual Town Meeting Day elections.
The polling place for all three districts in Brattleboro is the American Legion, 32 Linden St., from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm.
Masks are no longer required to enter the American Legion for voting, but they are certainly welcome and will be provided along with hand sanitizer.
PRESS RELEASE
On Thursday, March 2, the Town of Brattleboro Highway Division will be removing 3 hazardous trees on Upper Dummerston Rd, Senator Gannett Drive and the intersection with East Orchard Street. The work is scheduled to begin at 8:00 am and continue through approximately 11:00 am. There will be periods of one lane traffic and periods where the road will be completely closed for up to 20 minutes at a time. Motorists should seek alternate routes and expect delays.