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.

Um so may I have my pen back so that I can make sure I'm writing down the order.

Thank you.

Um, so um are there any nominations for chair or slate um of select board?

Go ahead.

I'd like to nominate Oscar Heller as chair.

Okay.

Are there any other nominations for chair?

Seeing none, is there any um concern with closing nominations?

Okay.

Um any discussion about Oscar as our nominee for chair.

Seeing none.

All in favor of Oscar Heller as chair of the select board, please raise your hand and say aye.

Aye.

Okay, that's five.

I'm assuming no abstentions or nays.

So congratulations.

Thank you.

I'm going to pass this to you and remove myself.

I do have.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Thank you, Hillary.

Okay.

Thank you very much, Hilary.

Welcome back, John.

Congratulations.

So well just thank you guys for trusting me with this position.

I'll do my best to live up to it.

So I'd like to move ahead with our other two officers in agenda item B.

So we'll follow the same process that Hillary laid out.

For vice chair of the board I'm going to open it up for nominations.

I'll nominate Amanda Ellis Thurber.

Okay.

Peter nominated Amanda.

Any other nominations?

Okay.

I'm going to close the nomination going to close the nominations.

Any discussion of Amanda Ellis Thurber as vice chair of the board.

Seeing none those in favor of electing Amanda Ellis Thurbert as vice chair of the board, please raise your hand and say aye.

I that is five zero.

Congratulations.

And then let's move on to clerk.

So same process would anyone like to nominate somebody for clerk?

Isaac.

I'd like to nominate Eleanor Nell Mayo as clerk.

No, you've been nominated.

Any other nominations for clerk of the board?

Seeing none any discussion I'm surprised it's not contested.

Yeah that's a popular position.

Sort of like being on a board of a nonprofit and not being there at a meeting and becoming the secretary.

Oh there we go.

All right well seeing no further discussion all in favor of Nell Mayo as clerk of the board please raise your hand and say aye.

Aye.

That is five zero congratulations okay great so we're going to move ahead and John as we go I'm going to I'm doing this for the first time so I'm going to lean on you for backup.

We're moving on to item C Select Board housekeeping.

Before we get to that I'd just like to give everyone on the board who'd like to to make a brief comment we're entering a new session for the select board.

I have a couple remarks one is I'd like to acknowledge that for the first time in seven years Liz McLaughlin is not sitting at this table.

I've been on this board for one year and I know how much work that was it gives me some appreciation for how much time and effort Liz has put into working on the benefit of this town and how dedicated how dedicated you have to be to do this job for seven years.

So I have a great deal of appreciation and respect for the work that Liz has done what I'd love for us to do as a board is get together on a letter to the editor thanking Liz for her service.

I'd be happy to draft something for us to consider at another meeting.

Does that sound like something we'd all be interested in yes great I'm seeing head nods.

And then I also want to acknowledge all the other people everyone who ran on Tuesday anyone who puts their name in the ring to run for this job agree with them or not they really care about what they're doing.

They're willing to do a tough job and I hope that anybody who ran and did not win will stay involved and will run again.

I hope to keep hearing from those people and then lastly I'm just really excited to be here with this group.

This is I think this is going to be a great team we're all set up to have an excellent year.

I'm looking forward to working with every single person at this table.

So for the first time ever I will now go around the board and ask people Isaac do you have any comment you'd like to make sure well thank you to the members of the public who are here in person and who are watching online I'd like to thank everybody who took the time to vote in the election that we recently had.

We're continuing in our service on the board to represent the interests of all residents to Row, all residents of Rattleboro, and that I am deeply committed to listening to all of you and continuing to receive and read your emails, your text messages, your phone calls, and you can find our contact information on the website for the town.

And really look forward to serving for another year.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Amanda, any comment?

Yeah, thank you.

I want to also express gratitude for all who voted and participated in the elections.

And you know, uh the future is bright for Brattleboro, and we have uh worked in the last two days to communicate with one another, to um believe in each other and believe that we are a team that's gonna be cohesive and is going to listen respectfully and take action within the community.

So thank you.

Thank you, Amanda.

The folks to my left now.

Okay.

Um sound a little repetitive, but I'm grateful.

I mean, I'm grateful for everyone who came out here tonight.

I'm grateful for everybody who voted.

I'm grateful for everybody who took the time to reach out to me when I was running, um, those who supported me, those who challenged me.

Um, and a lot of admiration for everybody who ran in the race.

I was really grateful for the relationships that were built there and for the I felt what was a really collaborative spirit and some very clear goals and intentions for our town came forth from the collective of all of us who are running.

Uh, and I look I look forward to pursuing those as a board.

I'm really grateful to be with this collection of people here.

Um it's gonna be a theme.

I'm really grateful to all the people who have a preached approached me in the street over the past few days, you know, and I hope you'll keep doing that.

I hope you understand that I, like everybody else here, um coming with my own ideas and also with the understanding of goal and goal that we're a diverse community, and those needs need to be reflected through all of us.

Um so I appreciate and thank all of you who have given me a chance to serve here, and I hope I do you proud, and I intend to.

Peter?

Yeah, um, you know, new year, largely comprised of the same old board.

Welcome.

Um, you know, I've uh been doing a lot of reflecting the last month or so on um the year we just went through, um, which was confusing, uh, sometimes toxic, sometimes toxic, um, sometimes um charged, and I'm certainly hoping uh for a better year this year of more collaborative uh behaviors and and um more time efficient meetings.

I think most uh everybody at this table um knows and I'll make public this will be my final year serving on the board.

Um I will not I will not sign up for this again.

Um it has it has been an honor um to to be here, and I will honor that by doing my level best in the upcoming year.

Um what I'm truly hoping for is that we can have meetings that don't just kind of serve the same ten people that show up that we can open up and if I had had the opportunity to chair, I guess I I'd sort of had prepared a little something that I was going to read, so I'll just pull the curtain back on this and talk about good time management and what it means to a select board in a public meeting.

Um it's it's essential for heavy uh for healthy civic participation when meetings run efficiently and respect people's times, more residents are able and willing to attend.

Many people have jobs, families, and other commitments.

They simply cannot sit through long, unfocused meetings.

Clear agendas, reasonable speaking limits, and staying on topic allows more voices to be heard and more issues to be addressed.

It creates a more respectful and productive environment for both public and board members.

When meetings are organized and predictable, citizens feel that their participation matters.

In the end, managing time isn't just about efficiency, it's about strengthening strengthening democracy and making it easier for everyone to take part in the process.

And I'm certainly hopeful that we'll be able to hold ourselves accountable to that.

And I'm I'm looking forward to forging ahead with that in mind.

Great.

Thank you.

John, I I would feel bad since you're sitting here if I didn't.

No comments?

Okay.

Well, great.

Thank you all.

So let's move on to item C number one, the 2026-27 Select Board Rules of Procedure.

Um before we dive in, I want to express my thought, which is that there is a lot to chew on in these rules, and that I would appreciate a little more time to um to do that.

So I'm curious if the board would be willing to defer this discussion to a later agenda.

How do people feel about that?

That's fine with me.

Yeah, I'm I'm good with that.

Okay.

I'd be fine if we did it at the next Tuesday?

Yep.

Okay.

Well, we're going to have an agenda setting meeting after this, and we will make that work.

Great.

Okay, excellent.

Thank you all.

So two rotation schedule for reviewing and signing warrants.

John, could you describe this for us?

Sure.

Um each year the select board assigns the responsibility of approving warrants to one member of well, normally you've done it in shifts so that one member is doing it for uh the fifth of the year and then it rotates around.

Um there's but you could do it another way, you could assign it to one person.

Uh I think it's been a best practice for all of you to have uh uh chance to be get really close to the warrant and understand what uh what things are being charged.

So I uh I think that's why they've done it that way in the past.

But you can do it any way you want.

Uh we did provide one possible warrant uh schedule in uh backup materials, and if you wanted to figure out who um who would go in those different slots, that would be helpful.

We we did uh today because uh Louis McLaughlin was the um approver of this this day, it would have been this day.

Um we uh uh had a sitting board member Peter Case who didn't need to be sworn in do it this week, but um we definitely need somebody moving forward, so I would do this tonight if you can.

Excellent.

Yep, I think that's great.

Um I think this strategy makes sense, dividing up the year by five.

Does anybody have a preference?

Would really be the question.

Is there a vacation we want to avoid?

Does somebody not want to go first?

That sort of thing.

I'll I'll finish out.

I'll I'll start.

Okay.

So Peter's gonna take the first session, which goes until May 16th.

I'm happy to fill wherever.

I have no preferences.

And if people want to see dates, I can pass this around.

That would be great.

Okay.

Yeah, thank you.

Oh, Amanda, um, would it be better for you to take the first one?

I just instead of getting into like your planting season and all that.

You know, I didn't even think of that.

I'm eyeing October 10th through December 21st.

That's that's my time.

Anyone else for doesn't matter to me.

Okay.

Why don't you put me down for starting May 17th, and then now can take the July one starting July 29th.

Yep.

Does that work now?

Yep.

Okay, and then that leaves me December.

This is the same thing.

It really is an intimate view of the town finances where you see every dollar that's spent.

So members of the public know that all of that is being checked and double checked and triple checked.

Okay, do we have a motion on this?

You don't need one.

I will just communicate this to the finance and HR staff and they'll just follow it.

Fantastic.

And for anyone who hasn't done this before, before your before your rotation comes up, we'll John or one of us will fill you in.

It's easy.

Yeah, there are instructions and finance and HR staff share with the interview before that.

So fantastic.

Okay.

Then unless there's any other comment, I'm gonna move ahead to three.

Seeing none.

So annual select board assignments, boards, and commissions.

Would you describe this?

Yes, every year uh the select board appoints several positions that are often held by members of the select board.

They don't have to be, but uh there's a list of those in your backup materials.

And um if you want to step through them or yeah, let's step through them.

Okay, that's okay.

Have people I'm hoping people have had a chance to look at the full list, so maybe we'll know if if there are ones people know ahead of time they'd like.

I'll read through the list quickly and then let's go one by one.

How about that?

Just by title.

So we have 11 items on this list.

The board of abatement and board well, board of civil authority, we are all automatically members of the capital grant review board.

We need two appointments.

The hazard mitigation committee, we need one.

Rental housing improvement program loan committee, we need one.

Small business assistant program loan committee, we need one.

Traffic safety, we need one.

Community homelessness strategy team, we need one.

One Brattleboro, we need one.

And Deerfield Valley, just the alternate.

Okay.

We for Deer Deerfield Valley Communications Union, District Governing Board, we need an alternate.

For Wyndham Solid Waste Management, District Board of Supervisors, we need a representative.

And Wyndham Regional Commission, we need a member.

So that is 11 slots, including the two for the Capital Grant Review Board.

Um particular I can just keep the ones that I have now, which are the uh small business review.

Okay.

And um Community Homelessness.

Yeah, community homelessness one.

Unless somebody else wants that one.

Okay.

I am happy to pick up Slack at the end wherever we need them.

So if people have preferences.

Is it possible for us to nominate a member of the public for any of these?

Sounds like it is, if you wish.

It is.

Um at this time.

Um or at another meeting.

Is that person here to accept?

They are.

Okay.

Ross, you're in.

All ten.

I nominate Susan Bellville to be on the Wyndham Solid Waste Management District.

Oh, okay.

Thank you.

And nobody else on the board.

There's nobody else on the board who wanted that spot, it looks like.

John, were you gonna say something?

Oh, I I was just gonna suggest that you might want to uh do this all as a slate at the end, just so that officially do that.

So I'll fill them out and then we'll vote on them as a slate at the end.

How does that sound?

Um I've nominated them, but they don't they haven't responded whether they accept.

I think she said okay, thank you.

Okay, but is that Sue?

Is that Are you okay with serving on that committee?

Yes, I am.

Thank you, sir.

All right, and for the minutes, it's helpful if either Sue can go to the microphone or if you can repeat what she said.

So Sue Belleville said yes, thank you.

Thank you very much.

To the Wyndham Solid Waste Management District Board of Supervisors.

All right.

Okay.

I would like to serve on one Brattleboro.

Excellent.

I was interested in the Capital Grant Review Board and the Rental Housing Improvement Loan Committee.

Okay.

I'll just do notes for now.

Rental housing.

And as I'm writing, if people want me to stop or consider somebody else, please let me know.

Capital Grant Review Board and Rental Housing, right now?

Yep.

Okay.

So this leaves us with traffic safety, a second capital grant review board, hazard mitigation, Deerfield Valley Communications Alternate, Wyndham Regional Commission.

I'm happy to fill, but that's a lot for Isaac.

Yeah, could someone share about what the time commitment is?

I want to be able to honor whatever commitment that I make.

Hazard mitigation is rare, right, John?

Very rare.

Um traffic safety is once a month.

I did it last year.

Some of the time it didn't happen because we didn't have enough need.

So 10 meetings a year.

Yeah, 10 meetings a year.

Um Capital Grant Review Board.

Um has not met in a long time, and I believe the Charter Commission is recommending it go defunct, but recollection.

I can take traffic too, if no one else wants that.

Yeah.

Okay.

Roads.

Okay.

And the Wyndham Regional Commission is one of the open ones.

Meets as needed.

I don't know how frequently that uh served on that my first year.

And I still think I'm waiting for an invitation to a meeting.

Okay, so that one might be slow.

I'm happy to take a few of these that's yeah, I haven't taken any yet either.

The hazard mitigation sounds interesting to me.

Okay.

Um so does Regional Wyndham Regional Commission.

All right, let's but I want to leave something for you.

Okay, so that'll leave me with Deerfield Valley Alternate and Capital Grants Review Board, which I'm content with.

Um if somebody else let me read through what we have and we can see how everyone feels.

This is not the motion, but Capital Grant Review Board, Nell and Oscar, Hazard Mitigation, Isaac, Rental Housing Improvement Program, Nell, Small Business Assistant Program, Peter, Traffic Safety Nell, Community Homelessness, Peter, one Brattleboro, Amanda, Deerfield Valley Alternate, Oscar, Wyndham Solid Waste Management, Sue Belleville, and Wyndham Regional Commission, Isaac.

Do you need an alternate for Windham Regional?

No.

Yes.

Typically, staff have uh Stephen Dotson, the sustainability coordinator has either been an alternate or the representative, and we were proposing him as an alternate here if you wanted to appoint a representative.

Oh, did you first solid waste or regional commission?

Wyndham Regional.

Oh, for the regional commission?

Oh, that is the same story, but it's Sue Phillian, who's typically the um staff representative.

Staff representative.

Okay, great.

Okay.

Any alterations?

Would some how is this motion written?

There isn't really one that we wrote, so if you just move I I would read through them again and just move it as a slate.

Okay.

Would anyone like to read this or shall I?

We can go for it.

Go for it.

Okay.

Okay.

I guess I would just do the titles and the names.

Thank you for clearing that up.

All right.

I move that we uh vote this in as a slate for uh uh Board of Abatem and Civil Authority.

I guess we're just on that anyway.

So that's all of us.

Uh Capital Grant Review Board, Nell and Oscar, Hazard Mitigation Committee, Isaac, Rental Housing Improvement Program Loan Committee, Nell, Small Business Assistant Program Loan Committee, myself, Peter Case, uh traffic committee, uh traffic safety committee, Nell.

Community homeless strategy team, Peter Case, one Bratleboro, Amanda, Deerfield Valley Communications Union District Governing Board, representative.

Eric Lineback as representative, alternate Sioux Phillian, other alternate Oscar.

Windham Solid Waste Management District Board of Supervisors, Sue Bellvell, and Stephen Dotson.

Uh Wyndham Regional Commission.

Um we have a select board staff citizen member Sue Phillian and uh select board representation in Isaac.

Fantastic.

Peter has made a motion.

Would you like me to repeat it?

No.

Shall I?

I think, but uh I'll have to.

I'll repeat it.

It's our first meeting.

We'll we'll cross the T's.

Okay.

Peter has moved to appoint the following members as a slate.

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 Governing Board, Eric Lineback Representative, Sue Phillian Alternate, Oscar Alternate.

Wyndham Solid Waste Management District Board of Supervisors, Sue Bellville Representative, Stephen Dotson Alternate, Windham Regional Commission, Sue Phillian Staff Member, Isaac Citizen Member.

Select Board Member.

Okay.

Any discussion.

Seeing none.

All in favor of the motion, please raise your hand and say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Any abstentions?

Okay.

Five-zero.

Thank you.

Okay.

Final item under C plans for annual select board retreat.

John, would you set this up for us?

Sure.

So for the past several years, the board has held an annual retreat.

It uh typically follows the election of new members and is an opportunity for the board to uh have strategic level conversations about what you want to have an impact on over the course of the year.

It's also an opportunity to help help start um us on the budget process and understanding where uh where emphasis might lie for that.

Um I provided you uh um list of the priorities that your retreat resulted in last year.

That is another big you know an important part of that discussion is to land on the priorities that you want um staff to be focused on over the next couple years, and um it would be helpful to know if you have thoughts on well, whether you want to do one or not, um, what the dates that you might be available to do that and what what the format or content of that meeting might look like.

Fantastic.

Thank you.

Well, board, um start on my right again.

Any thoughts, Isaac?

Yeah.

Um John, I really appreciated the uh select board retreat.

It was an opportunity for us to talk about ideas and just a little bit more space around, a little more relaxed.

Um and I think it's and it's awesome.

And I'd like to see if I realize this would be more work for town staff, but to be able to have one in the spring pretty soon here, and then one either late summer or some point in the fall.

Um, but having two I think could be valuable and potentially increase board um cohesion and you know having this the shared priorities.

Um, you know, we set those really great priorities, and I'd love to have time for us to be able to review some specifics about how like what what that would look like to actually work, you know, what steps we're taking as a as a board towards those, and then to be able to check back and evaluate our progress and see if we need to make any adjustments if yeah.

Excellent, thank you.

Um for the public, we had our retreat last year at the firehouse.

Um, and it was how many hours long, John?

Was it like five or six?

Five or six hours, yeah.

Um or just a normal Tuesday night.

So I mean, I'm game for two, I'm also you know, good for one.

Um April.

I can't remember when we met.

Did we meet?

May May.

May.

I believe it was, yeah.

Um so when the space is available, when the select board's available, when you're available, when staff who's overseeing zoo um was the facilitator last year.

So I think the sooner the better is pretty terrific.

Yeah.

So uh that this month or after we're in March.

I'm April would be well after town meeting.

Okay.

Would make the most sense to me, but I'd like to hear from others.

Yes, let's go to the left.

Peter, any thoughts?

No first.

I'm reading some.

Go ahead and no.

Uh I would agree April.

I think March is pretty packed already.

We're into it.

Um, and I think Amanda's on a good point there of after town meeting just to see where we land with anything that comes out of that.

But uh I before I would have a thought on one or two, I might want to hear if your feelings on that, John, in terms of the implication on staff in town.

Um yeah, they are, I mean, they are time consuming um and it takes a fair amount of preparation.

I would think if you set your priorities in April, I mean, there isn't necessarily a lot a lot of movement on that by summer, you know, the end of summer, you know, there would be some, but um maybe maybe you could sort of see how things are going, or we could report back to a regular board meeting, and then if you feel the need to change any of your priorities mid-stream, maybe something in the fall would be more appropriate, but I don't know.

Thank you.

My off-the-cuff feeling would be that if we could incorporate it such that we keep track of it with during our regular board meetings, that would be sufficient because uh you know, as a member of the public last year, so this is only from that limited perspective.

Um, I wasn't always sure what was happening, you know, just coming from the meetings and seeing.

So I think that could be helpful to people who want to watch the retreat and then see hear about what happens with with those goals.

Thank you.

Peter?

Yeah, um I agree.

You know, the the sooner we put ourselves on some firm footing.

I know that uh as a board we set like housing as uh as a priority.

Uh we set um you know downtown public safety as a priority.

Um I think some sort of quarterly check-in on how we're progressing and what's what's happening um would be good.

I don't necessarily see the need for uh to add another meeting.

I feel it's something that we can work through fairly quickly.

Um I wouldn't mind um if we were to take some of these priorities um and we set five priorities.

Um coincidentally, there are five of us here, um, and that we each sort of champion a priority and that we report on progress on those priorities, but to take some ownership here, not to put all the onus on staff um because we set the priorities.

They didn't.

So I don't feel that that's fair.

So taking some ownership of those priorities and and also come out with a clear understanding in that meeting who will be championing championing those.

That's actually yeah, that's a really good point.

I we certainly didn't do this last year, but there's on other committees, we've certainly used the working group model for things like that.

One or two people so as not to be a quorum going off and doing work outside of meetings and coming back and reporting back, which is a nice way to so that's definitely I like that idea.

Yeah, and we can take some of the things.

It's just a way I think that that puts our puts our meetings in better focus.

Yeah, gives us some more purpose.

And now I'm deaf in this year, so I apologize.

Isaac's used to me having back, it's nothing personal.

I just need to do that.

I'm thinking this way too, thank you.

So that I can hear everything.

Um so yeah, I just think that this is gonna give us a little bit more organizational, a little more personal ownership in it.

Um, and to Oscar's point, I think it's good if you know if one thing like housing, which has been a priority of this board since the time I came onto the board, has always been one of the top priorities.

And as far as I know, it's not been solved yet.

So you know, being able to kind of uh you know pull in somebody else to get some things done, and I think as long as we're not breaking that open meeting law thing, we can do that and be you know much more successful board.

Great.

Um face Nell for a little while.

That'd be awkward.

And I think also we can be light on our feet if uh I I'm hearing we start with one retreat, but if we get into June or July and we're thinking we'd really like to do that again, you know, we can be light on our feet and do that.

Um I think I'm hearing April.

After town meeting.

Yeah, yeah.

After town meeting.

But the sooner the better, so we can have that big conversation.

How does that look logistically?

So um last year I think you did it on like a Friday most of the afternoon.

Is that sort of what you're thinking for this year or I mean that that works for me?

I mean, um well, actually, I'm sorry, Fridays are really tough for me.

So I couldn't commit, I could commit to like a Thursday or something.

Fridays get a little chaotic.

Um Thursdays?

Yeah, I'll take the time off from work.

Let's go for Thursday.

Is there any does it make more sense for staff costs to have it on a weekday?

Is that a motivating factor?

Well, they're here.

Okay.

Well, I was just gonna say for the for the for all the hammering on that's been done about accessibility of meetings.

I was gonna say for people that want to come, I think weekends are better, but if if it it poses an issue to staff, I understand that, and I would say weekday.

Well, and that depends on how many staff you want there in some years we've had all of the department heads available to you.

Um I'm not sure if we did that last year or not.

No, we didn't know.

It was just it was just two and I don't think it's so necessary.

It's like a brainstorming and kind of just thinking things through, and then I think in getting into the nitty-gritty is when it would be important to have the staff and inform more about what policy recommendations and that kind of thing.

I know the first year that John proposed this whole idea, which was really innovative, um, we did have everybody there.

Yeah, the first maybe the first couple years, the depart we did department heads kind of gave you a state of the town kind of uh report, and then the board went into policy discussion after they had some grounding in what the reality is.

But most of you are pretty aware of um the situation, so if you don't need that, that does save us a bunch of time and money.

So I I think it makes sense to take it.

Save some time and money.

Yes, that's and to treat it as more of a brainstorming getting together on the same page.

Yeah.

Um it's our retreat, damn it.

Exactly.

All right.

Do we want to pick a specific date now?

Or John, do you want to well the agenda committee with that feedback could probably come up with a I think if if if we could since we're all five right here, if we could just open up our calendars, take a look.

Does anyone have a thought on what I said about weekends, or are you not not a fan of that?

I just know as an individual, I couldn't come last year because I was working.

It was in the middle of a work day.

And that's been a point that's been made a lot when we've been talking about the format of how the town dates is why I bring it up.

We don't get a whole lot of participation in this.

But it's um and and we have done them on the weekend.

Yes, John.

And um well, and another question would be do you want to record it with BCTV, which costs us extra money, but um we could we could do that like we have in the past.

I think people really appreciate BC TV.

I will say for all the forums and everything that have been held of late.

I know a lot of people that utilize and appreciate BC TV.

You know, it's interesting because I got the I I I felt like that was one of the most important meetings that we had in terms of really thinking about what are our priorities.

And I I saw the least coverage about it in the news, least questions I got about it.

And I wonder if we could if if it would be more economical for us to come out with uh some sort of statement or press release at the end about what our priorities were that we developed.

Um then people can read it in a short period of time, then having to sit and watch the whole thing.

But if it's um if it's not too much money, there's no reason we can't do both.

Because I agree with you.

I don't think somebody's gonna sit through a six-hour recording um and you know, fast forward through their favorite or least favorite parts and uh having you know a couple of paragraphs that sort of summarize what it was.

Um here are the priorities that we walked away with, you know, even saying like if you are interested in subject X, you know, go talk to Amanda.

Uh subject B, go talk to Isaac, you know, on those things and be a little bit more public-facing around those uh agenda items, if you will, those priorities.

I think I think both.

I think I think we're well served doing both.

Great.

So as the question is Thursday or weekend.

Um part of me the idea of pulling in staff on a Saturday does uh hurts a little bit, but I'm happy to be wrong.

I don't think you're wrong.

Um or that's just my showing other points, yeah.

Yeah.

What's everyone thinking?

Yeah, you know, I agree um about the Saturdays because we will have just had uh Saturday town meeting.

Okay.

So that only leaves two Saturdays for um folks to enjoy their recreation or go away.

Um we just can we pick a Thursday?

I advocate for a Thursday.

Yeah.

Um yeah.

That works for me.

I appreciate everybody working with me because that's that's that's for me.

So I appreciate and recognize that.

Okay.

Could we do the the last Thursday of the month to give the 30th?

Uh yes.

Yeah.

The last day of the month.

Does that work for me?

At least tentatively, and uh I just checked my calendar.

It's sitting in the audience.

And then the agenda setting committee you're suggesting, John could could find finalize the date.

Yeah, um we'll check with BCTV to see whether they're available.

I'm having a hard time remembering.

Was BCTV there last year?

They were a remote camera.

Okay.

Yeah, they didn't have people there, but remember okay.

Yeah.

So I'm just putting this in.

Okay.

So we are planning for a retreat on April 30th, details TVD.

Good.

Thank you.

Fantastic.

Okay.

Any other discussion on the retreat?

Seeing none, I'm gonna move us to number three.

So do you have any um you have time?

Do you have any feedback on these rules of procedure, or do you want a presentation on them or anything to um help develop materials for your next meeting?

I think correct me if I'm wrong, board, but I think we just want to move this agenda item to Tuesday.

Okay.

And we're gonna talk about next Tuesday.

Right or the following Tuesday.

The five days from now, Tuesday.

To clarify my understanding, because having read your memo, John, you said this could be approved tonight, or if there are substantiative changes, it could be moved to later meeting.

Are you looking for direction for substantiative changes?

We we sometimes do that, we sometimes have not.

Um, but that's why it's brought to you so the public knows what to expect for all of your upcoming meetings.

Um we have a fairly full agenda for next Tuesday.

We were hoping to warn a meeting for next Tuesday because we have to um you're required to warn a town meeting um immediately.

And so uh that will take up a fair amount of time, but we can we can probably fit a brief conversation in about about this.

But I was just proposing that if you had thoughts on any of this that would help um refine it for next time, it might save time, but it's up to you.

My uh yes, yeah, I feel strongly that we should um discuss it at the next meeting.

Um, just in the circumstances of the election, the economic development summit, the the the concentration of typically we would be sworn in after RTM.

So it's just the it's it's been a pressure filled time that we have time to evaluate it more fully.

John, would it be helpful for us to email you any thoughts in advance of Tuesday?

Sure, yeah, that'd be great.

Okay, okay.

Yeah.

And certainly we should all come.

Yeah, the more we can each prepare our thoughts for Tuesday, the more efficient we can be in that discussion.

Okay, fantastic.

So I'm going to open it up to public comment.

Are there members of the public who would like to speak?

Kate.

My first time ever calling on Kate for public comment.

Thanks, Kate O'Connor Bratterborough.

Congratulations to everybody.

I have lots of thoughts, but you'll hear them in the next year.

Um tonight I just want to make an announcement and let you folks know something on behalf of the Charter Revision Commission, because I know there's a lot of wondering what's happening next with us because we put our work on hold until after Tuesday.

Um we're gonna have a meeting on May 14th, which is a Thursday night, 6.15 here in the select board meeting room.

People can also participate via Zoom and BCTV will tape it.

Um, and we're gonna start the discussion about what to do next because of the results of the vote on Tuesday, but I just want to let everybody know that we'll have an agenda coming out in probably a few weeks, but May 14th.

So thank you.

Thank you, Kate.

Is there anyone else from the public who'd like to speak online?

You've got someone.

Yes, Gary online, Seth.

Well, I just want to be glacious to everyone and greetings and felicitations and remind you to say your name.

Oh, Gary Stroud.

Uh I'm in Brattleboro, District 8.

Uh, I just want to thank another again.

Congratulations and felicitations and hopefully a successful and a prosperous new year with the new board.

Uh one question I guess I wanted to ask.

I don't know if this is the elephant room with regards to I don't know if this is part of what rules you're gonna be making, but as far as public participation is concerned.

As we know in the past, we've had issues with that.

Just wanted to know maybe if you don't know now, you don't have to answer right away.

Uh, that's probably something you can bring up the next meeting or this is part of your uh um big summit that you're gonna be having at some point in discussing that how we're gonna be going forward with public participation in a civil way and respectful for each and every one of us so that we can uh be that shiny example to other towns.

And everyone, you don't have to all answer at the same time.

Just getting in a flushing out an idea about what it looks like to you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Gary.

I think with the board's permission, we'll leave that whole conversation until Tuesday.

But Gary, we'll definitely be discussing all of that then.

Could I say something?

Certainly.

Just having anyone could read the procedure that's in the backup materials tonight, and you can see both the presented version and the edited version.

And there are a few things about you know what constitutes an attack and what constitutes appropriate participation.

So that's a starting point for you, and then we can elaborate on Tuesday.

Great.

Thank you.

Anyone else in the public who'd like to comment?

Seeing none, I'm going to move ahead.

We don't actually do anything under four.

Just well, there's one more motion.

I'm looking to my left.

Uh motion to adjourn.

There's a motion to adjourn.

All in favor, please raise your hand and say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

That is five zero.

Thank you everyone.

Thanks.

Can we dip it right now?

Let's bring it off.