For stories pertaining to the town of Brattleboro at large and its government.
The Human Services Committee seeks applications from organizations focused on how they meet the many issues and concerns facing our community. The Representative Town Meeting established a grant allocation of up to $461,276 for FY 2026. Grants will be disbursed in July, 2025.
The timeline of the application process has changed from previous years.
The Brattleboro Charter Review Commission will meet on Monday, September 16, 2024 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room.
The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Thursday, September 19, 2024 at 8:00am in the Selectboard Meeting Room and over Zoom.
Public Works Crews are working to repair a broken water main on Marlboro Road in front Hamshaw Lumber. Initially water was interrupted to much of West Brattleboro while the 16” transmission main was shut down and water rerouted.
A few residences in the immediate area are still without water while the emergency repair work continues. We expect to have water restored to all customers by 7:00 AM.
The Brattleboro Human Services Committee will meet on Thursday, September 12, 2024 at 6:00pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room.
The Brattleboro Trustees of Public Funds will meet on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at 4:30pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room at the Brattleboro Municipal Center (230 Main Street, 211).
The 2020 Community Safety Plan is on the agenda again after quite a long time. “Final Staff Recommendations for Implementation” will be presented and acted upon.
The Town wants to adjust Town Ordinances regarding “Acceptable Community Conduct” and will hold a first reading of some proposed changes. Some new housing on Elliot Street, plans for the Safe Fair, and a Health Order for 6 Reynolds Drive, round out the agenda for the evening. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during Public Participation.
The Brattleboro Human Services Committee will meet on Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 5:00pm at the Municipal Center.
The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 4:15pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room.
The Utilities Division will be replacing a sewer line on Upper Forest Street beginning Tuesday, September 3 through Friday, September 6. Upper Forest Street will be closed in the area of house number 61 during this work. Work will begin at 6:30am and end by 5:00pm daily. Accommodations for access for residents of Thorn Lane will be made available though there may be some delays. Emergency Service access to 61-72 Upper Forest St and Thorn Lane will be via Upper Forest Street and 35-55 Upper Forest will have access via Chestnut Hill/Acorn Lane.
On September 3, 2024, LaRock Construction (a contractor of the Town) will begin replacement of a retaining wall near the eastern intersection of Brannan Street and Williams Street. The work is expected to take several weeks.
When work commences, Brannan Street will remain closed from the east intersection with Williams Street to the intersection of Brannan Street and West Streets. This closure will continue through the completion of the project. Following the completion of the retaining wall, pavement repairs will be made on Brannan Street, Crosby Street, Strand Avenue, West Street and Highlawn Road that will create minor traffic restrictions.
In observance of Labor Day, all Town offices will be closed on Monday, September 2, 2024, with the exception of emergency services. Parking is free at all metered spaces and in the pay-and-display lots on Sunday, September 1, and Monday, September 2. All other violations will be enforced. Brooks Memorial Library will be closed on Sunday, September 1, and Monday, September 2. Trash, recycling and composting WILL NOT be picked up on Monday, September 2, 2024. All curbside collections will be delayed by one day all week.
The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at 5:00pm in the Brooks Memorial Library Community Meeting Room.
The Brattleboro Selectboard voted in favor of many suggestions by Police Chief Norma Hardy at their regular Tuesday meeting: using community safety funds to purchase surveillance cameras, plus authorizing a move forward on un-budgeted hiring of three more officers, hiring two unarmed police staff, and one police data technician. They also will move ahead with locating a police satellite office downtown.
This came after a presentation on police data that showed that the majority of police calls in town were not for crimes, and many incidents with police involve a handful of known actors.
Safety has a price and the Brattleboro Selectboard will begin to hear some of the new costs for downtown safety at their next regular meeting. Brattleboro Police will request hiring of additional staff and officers plus the creation of a parking garage satellite office for police use. It is part of their downtown safety action plan. They will also discuss their HEAT mapping and how this impacts deploying resources to problem areas.
Esteyville bandstand plans will be discussed. The result of the public input is that people want the bandstand, but not way up in the air as it currently sits. The selectboard will also set a plan for this year’s budget process. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Charter Review Commission will meet on Thursday, August 15, 2024 at 6:15pm in the Selectboard Meeting Room.
The Brattleboro Traffic Safety Committee will meet on Thursday, August 15, 2024 at 8:00am in the Selectboard Meeting Room and over Zoom.
Most Brattleboro Town Offices will be closed on Friday, August 16, 2024 from 11:30am to 2:00pm for the annual employees’ picnic. The Brooks Memorial Library will open at 2:00pm on Friday, August 16, 2024. All emergency services will remain in full operation.
The Brattleboro Selectboard got an earful from people in town that definitely do not feel safe downtown. Things have reached new levels of awfulness for people of all ages. The board is considering making downtown a “safety zone” to take care of this problem once and for all. What that means exactly remains to be determined. But progress is being made! And the Youth Council created a cool map.
The board also learned that come September, people in the hotel and motel program will begin to be kicked out of their lodgings and will require sheltering of some sort.
The first installment of the 2024 Brattleboro Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes will be due by 5 p.m. on August 15, 2024. Payments made after August 15, 2024 will have an additional 1% interest added to the unpaid balance.
The Town of Brattleboro utility bills are also due by 5 p.m. on August 15, 2024. Payments made after August 15, 2024 will have an additional 1% interest, as well as an 8% penalty added to the unpaid balance.
Payments can be mailed to the Town of Brattleboro, 230 Main Street, Suite 111, Brattleboro, VT 05301. An official postmark of August 15, 2024 will be considered as an on-time payment.
Brattleboro will take possession of the new park at 250 Birge Street during their first regular meeting in August. The floodplain has been restored and the work is complete.
Emergency housing, water treatment plant construction, and “safety zones” will also be discussed. You can bring up other items not on the agenda during public participation.
The Brattleboro Tree Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 4:15pm in the Hanna Cosman Meeting Room.
Please be advised. Property owners are responsible for trimming and maintaining vegetation on their property if it may interfere with the public right of way. Overgrown vegetation creates an unsafe situation for pedestrians who may have to walk in the roadway to get by. It also impacts the sight distance for vehicular traffic. Please inspect and trim your vegetation accordingly. The town ordinance reads as follows:
