Brattleboro Select Board Meeting - March 6, 2026
Brattleboro Select Board Meeting - March 6, 2026
The Brattleboro Select Board held its annual organizational meeting on March 6, 2026, to swear in newly elected and re-elected members, elect officers, and conduct housekeeping business. The board deferred discussion on the rules of procedure to a later meeting, set a warrant signing rotation, appointed members to various boards and commissions, and began planning for a retreat.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kate O'Connor, representing the Charter Revision Commission, announced that the commission will hold a meeting on May 14, 2026, at 6:15 PM in the Select Board meeting room (with Zoom and BCTV options) to discuss next steps following the recent vote.
- Gary Stroud (Brattleboro District 8) congratulated the new board and asked about plans for improving public participation in a civil and respectful manner. The board noted that the topic would be discussed at the next meeting, referencing proposed rules of procedure included in backup materials.
Discussion Items
- Swearing In: Newly elected and re-elected Select Board members were sworn in by outgoing chair Hillary.
- Election of Officers: The board elected officers via majority vote (all 5-0). Oscar Heller was nominated and elected as Chair. Amanda Ellis Thurber was elected Vice Chair. Eleanor "Nell" Mayo was elected Clerk.
- Acknowledgment of Outgoing Member: Chair Oscar Heller proposed drafting a letter to the editor thanking Liz McLaughlin for her seven years of service; board members agreed.
- Select Board Housekeeping:
- Rules of Procedure (2026-27): The board deferred discussion to the next meeting (Tuesday, March 10, 2026) to allow more time for review. Members were asked to email thoughts to staff in advance.
- Warrant Signing Rotation: The board agreed to a rotation schedule covering five periods. Peter Case will take the first slot (through May 16). Other assignments: Isaac (May 17–July 28), Nell (July 29–October 9), Amanda (October 10–December 21), Oscar (December 22–end of year). Staff will be notified.
- Annual Select Board Assignments to Boards and Commissions: After nominations and discussion, the board approved a slate of appointments by a 5-0 vote. Key assignments included: Capital Grant Review Board – Nell and Oscar; Hazard Mitigation Committee – Isaac; Rental Housing Improvement Program Loan Committee – Nell; Small Business Assistance Program Loan Committee – Peter; Traffic Safety Committee – Nell; Community Homelessness Strategy Team – Peter; One Brattleboro – Amanda; Deerfield Valley Communications Union District – representative Eric Lineback, alternate Sue Phillian, alternate Oscar; Windham Solid Waste Management District – representative Sue Belleville, alternate Stephen Dotson; Windham Regional Commission – staff member Sue Phillian, citizen member Isaac.
- Annual Select Board Retreat: The board decided to hold a retreat on Thursday, April 30, 2026 (after Town Meeting), rather than a weekend, to accommodate schedules. The retreat will focus on strategic priorities, possibly with a working-group/champion model for each priority. Details on timing, format (including BCTV recording and a press release summarizing outcomes) are to be finalized by the agenda committee.
Key Outcomes
- Officers elected: Oscar Heller (Chair), Amanda Ellis Thurber (Vice Chair), Nell Mayo (Clerk) – all 5-0.
- Warrant signing rotation approved as described; staff to implement.
- Slate of appointments to boards and commissions approved 5-0.
- Retreat tentatively set for April 30, 2026; agenda committee to finalize logistics.
- Rules of procedure deferred to next meeting (March 10, 2026).
- Motion to adjourn passed 5-0.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. Um I'm going to call the select board meeting of March 5th, 2026 to order. It is 615. Um John, has this meeting been officially warned? Or properly? Yes, okay. Thank you. Um so the first order of business is for us to swear in our newly elected and re-elected select board members. So if y'all would step over there onto the X's, Amanda, that's you too. That's all that I need. This is what I need. Did you need that? Or if it had a good one. Okay. So you're gonna raise your right hands and be your knee. Um solemnly at room. Execute the Disney Board number. Or do the town for I don't know. Or the period to which I have been elected. And will they? And justice. And justice of all people in the best of my judgment. According to law. According to the law. Under the pains. And penalties for the perjury. Thank you. Okay. So the next item on the agenda is the election of officers. Um so just so that everybody understands the process that we're going to be going through. Um we'll take nominations for chair. Um, I will take those in the order that I see hands raised. Um once nominations are completed, you'll vote to close those nominations, and then we'll hear any discussion on the nom on the nominees if there are any. Um, and then we'll take uh vote uh on each nominee in the order that they were received. Um and as soon as a nominee receives a majority vote, so three votes, um, they will be elected chair um and we'll stop the vote at that at that point, which is why I was saying I don't want to hear anything because I don't want to um call on people in a particular order. Um and then at that point once we have a chair, I will remove myself from the table. Um and the chair will take over for the appointments of um vice chair and clerk. Any questions? Yeah. Thank you, Hilary. Last year we voted on a slate. What would be the process for doing that? Um if y'all want to do that, is everybody okay with doing that? Is there any issues with or concerns with doing that? If everybody sort of gives me head nods that they're okay with that, then if that's the first um nomination that I receive, I'm comfortable with that. Head nods? Yeah. I don't know what the slate is yet. Okay. Okay.
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