Meeting colors

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Brattleboro Select Board Meeting - October 21, 2026

Selectboard — Wednesday, October 21, 2026

BodyBrattleboro, Vermont

SessionSelectboard

DateWednesday, October 21, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:49:29

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:08

Good evening, everyone.

0:09

Welcome.

0:10

Calling to order the Brattleboro Select Board meeting of October 20th, 6 20 p.m.

0:17

Sorry, we're a few minutes late coming out of executive session.

0:20

John, was the meeting today properly warned?

0:22

Yes, Oscar, it was.

0:24

Thank you.

0:25

Members of the board, any adjustments to the agenda.

0:30

Seeing none, no minutes today.

0:33

Nope.

0:34

Chair's remarks.

0:36

I have only one.

0:37

The Wyndham Regional Commission will hold a public hearing on the final draft of the Wyndham Regional Plan update on Thursday, November 5th, 2026 at 6 p.m.

0:47

The public hearing will be held at the Regional Commission's office at 139 Main Street, suite 505 Brattleboro, and remotely via Zoom to access the public hearing remotely.org and follow the Zoom meeting link.

1:07

That's it from me.

1:08

John manager's comments.

Speaker 2

1:10

Yeah, a couple things.

1:12

On the agenda later on, there'll be an update about the next generation Brattleboro and be mentioning the launch event, but I wanted to just mention it here as well.

1:25

So there's a launch event for NextGen Brattleboro on Wednesday, October 28th from 5 30 to 7 p.m.

1:33

at the Latchis Theater.

1:35

If you were interested in the latest on making Brattleboro a vibrant and affordable community

Unassigned speaker

1:41

for

Speaker 2

1:41

the next generation, please register for this event by searching for next gen on the town website.

1:47

Mike Pichek will be there along with Kevin Chu from the Vermont Futures Project, who will uh kind of zero in on Brattleboro and uh what we can be doing to bring more working age households to our part of Vermont.

2:02

There is a child care option on the registration, and I hope to see you

Unassigned speaker

2:06

there.

Speaker 2

2:08

Ballots for the November 3rd election have been mailed to all active registered voters.

2:14

Please check your mail.

2:16

If you have not received your ballot, please contact the town clerk's office.

2:21

Follow the instructions for marking your ballot.

2:24

You can return it by using the secure drop box at the municipal center parking lot, mailing it in the postage paid envelope that's provided with it, or bringing it directly to the polls on election day.

2:38

If you wish to vote in person, please bring your mailed ballot with

Unassigned speaker

2:43

you.

Speaker 2

2:55

That's all I have.

Speaker 1

2:56

Thank you, John.

2:57

Members of the board with comments, starting on the left, Nell.

Speaker 3

3:03

I'll be at the next gen launch event and looking forward to it.

3:06

So maybe we'll see some of you there.

Speaker 1

3:09

Thanks, Nell.

3:09

Peter.

Speaker 4

3:10

No, I have nothing tonight.

3:12

Thanks.

Speaker 1

3:12

Amanda?

Speaker 4

3:13

Sure.

3:14

Yeah, IR IRS VP'd to the next gen launch event uh via the Brattleboro reformer.

3:21

There was a quick link.

3:22

Um did it this morning.

3:24

It was super easy.

3:25

Four members of my family are going, and I hope a lot of our community comes out.

3:30

Um I wanted to express some gratitude uh based on an article reading in the paper of uh Willie Bullman's um generous four million donation four million dollar donation to the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.

3:44

Um Willie was the founder of uh Swiss precision turning and uh he gave this generous donation and it's just an example of this these powerful transformative moments that are testimonies to of the strength and the um the stepping up that our community can do for one another.

4:07

And um so thank you, Willie, and um yeah, thanks.

Speaker 5

4:11

Thanks, Amanda.

Speaker 1

4:12

Isaac.

Speaker 5

4:14

I wanted to thank a member of the public who had reached out to the town with a concern around the parking app, and there was a discrepancy between the fact that it was saying that um that it was accepting payment on days when it was actually a holiday and we weren't actually parking was not being enforced.

4:36

Um, and so I want to appreciate the our um parking staff who addressed that with the app, the company that runs the app and has um aligned those.

4:48

So now the parking app and the kiosks won't accept payment when it's a holiday when we're not um enforcing parking.

4:56

So just one um uh a reminder of the value of communicating feedback when there's something very specific and actionable that we can improve.

Unassigned speaker

5:05

I think someone had reached out to members of the select board and we passed that along to town staff and it led to an improvement.

Speaker 5

5:12

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Budget Equity Analysis█████████████████████████████29%

Economic Development██████████████14%

Procedural████████8%

Community Engagement████████8%

Fiscal Sustainability███████7%

Public Engagement██████6%

Property Tax Assessment█████5%

Human Services████4%

Committee Appointments████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Brattleboro Select Board Meeting - October 21, 2026

The Brattleboro Select Board held its regular meeting on the evening of October 21, 2026 (the meeting was called to order at 6:20 PM on Tuesday, October 20th and extended past 10:44 PM). The board addressed a full agenda including the adoption of the 2026 Town Plan, amendments to Chapter 11 of the town code, a detailed monthly financial update, a strategic discussion on reserve fund policy, an update on the NextGen Brattleboro initiative, a health order for a condemned property, and the formation of working groups for farm tax stabilization and human services funding.

Consent Calendar

The board approved the consent agenda 5-0. Items included a $64,800 VTrans grant for Elliott Street resurfacing, appointment of Planning Director Sue Fillion as town agent for a tax sale, a parade permit for the Green Mountain Mummers (Oct 31), a revised entertainment license for Rail and River Tavern, execution of paperwork for a $1.7 million VCDP grant for the Detman Drive Bridge, renewal of a liquor license for Marigold LLC, and an additional expenditure of up to $94,878 for tariffs on wastewater treatment plant equipment.

Public Comments & Testimony

Crystal raised concerns about the 3-hour parking limit at Harmony Lot for college students, citing safety at kiosks. The board noted that monthly permits exist for other lots and that a broader parking discussion is upcoming.
Jill Stahlpilot questioned a change in the town attorney's legal opinion on the Charter Review Commission's authority. Town Attorney Bob Fisher clarified the difference between select board-initiated and charter review commission-initiated amendment processes.
Kurt Dimes (Brattleboro Common Sense) urged a vote against Proposition 4 (state equal protection amendment), arguing the language is too broad. Board member Isaac recited the specific text of the proposition in response.
Ken Fay apologized for prior disruptive behavior. He also questioned the “Dead End” sign on Etsy Road. The town manager noted the concern for follow-up.
Kate O'Connor requested financial updates: 1) An accounting of EMS receivables sent to collections, 2) a detailed close-out of $647,000 in funds spent on the police substation, and 3) a report on the $1.3M in ARPA special project funds. Finance Director Sarah Rose noted difficulties in parsing historical receivables.
Heidi Fisher reported nine empty businesses on Main Street and urged the board to consider the impact of taxes and the budget on residents.
Dick DeGray criticized the board for not meeting its 10% reserve fund policy and urged a formal discussion to align the policy. He also raised concerns about infrastructure costs (pool, DPW building) and opposed adding staff to gain two weeks in financial reporting.
Randy Bloggy (Budget Advisory Committee) suggested a risk-based analysis to determine the reserve fund target rather than a flat percentage.
Spoon urged the NextGen initiative to create measurable indicators to track its success over time.
Kate (Downtown Brattleboro Alliance) supported the NextGen initiative’s proactive, collaborative approach.
Gary volunteered marketing expertise and suggested QR codes and utilizing the empty booth by the Commons.

Discussion Items

2026 Town Plan Adoption: A second public hearing was held. Board members commended the Planning Commission. A motion to adopt the plan and forward it to the Wyndham Regional Commission passed 5-0.
Chapter 11 (Licenses & Permits) Amendments: The second reading passed 5-0. Dick DeGray confirmed that no specific fee increases would take effect until the board approves a new fee schedule.
Monthly Budget Update: Finance Director Sarah Rose presented FY27 first two months. General fund revenues and expenses are on benchmark. Parking fund net positive ($44,500). Utilities fund slightly behind revenue benchmark. The FY26 audit is on track for early December. Fire Chief Lynch reported that 5 new firefighters are in training, and a new class of 6 starts Nov 9. He anticipates overtime rates normalizing by May 2027.
General Finance Discussion & Reserve Fund Policy: The board debated the depleted unassigned fund balance (~2% of budget). Isaac and Oscar explored a potential 5% dedicated emergency fund. Peter and John urged waiting for the FY26 audit (December) before making policy changes, advocating for leaving future surpluses in the fund balance to gradually reach the target.
NextGen Brattleboro Update: Town Manager John provided an update on the formalized charter between the Town, BDCC, DBA, and Chamber. The initiative has identified four strategic pillars. A launch event is scheduled for October 28th at the Latchis Theater. Manager noted that a dedicated economic development staff person may be needed for full implementation.
Health Order for 6 Reynolds Drive: A hearing was held. Town Health Officer Chuck presented evidence of life safety violations and a fire safety order deeming the building "unsafe to enter". The board voted 5-0 to issue a health order requiring the owner (Community Restoration Corps) to comply with the fire safety order and secure the property.
Farm Tax Stabilization Program Review: Planning Director Sue Fillion and Assessor Jennifer Vanell proposed a working group to update the program, last significantly amended in 2015. The goal is to streamline applications and clarify roles. The working group aims to complete its work before the end of 2026.
Human Services Committee Process: Manager John laid out the timeline: committee applications due Nov 11, appointments Nov 17. The new committee will design the FY28 funding cycle. The board discussed conflicts of interest, deciding against a blanket ban on members from applying organizations in favor of disclosure.
Committee Appointments: The board appointed Emily Guswa (Conservation), Jordan Laughlin (DRB), Zachary Grace (Energy), and Morgan Grover (Rec & Parks) on a 5-0 vote.

Key Outcomes

Votes:
- Consent Agenda (5-0)
- 2026 Town Plan adopted (5-0)
- Chapter 11 amendments approved (5-0)
- Health Order for 6 Reynolds Drive issued (5-0)
- Committee appointments confirmed (5-0)
Directives & Next Steps:
- Staff to follow up on financial close-out reports requested by Kate O’Connor (EMS receivables, substation costs, ARPA funds).
- FY26 audit results expected early December; reserve fund policy discussion deferred until after the audit.
- Human Services Committee applications due November 11; appointments scheduled for November 17 meeting.
- NextGen Brattleboro launch event scheduled for October 28 at Latchis Theater.
- Farm Tax Stabilization working group to be convened.
- Etsy Road “Dead End” sign to be reviewed by public works.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everyone. Welcome. Calling to order the Brattleboro Select Board meeting of October 20th, 6 20 p.m. Sorry, we're a few minutes late coming out of executive session. John, was the meeting today properly warned? Yes, Oscar, it was. Thank you. Members of the board, any adjustments to the agenda. Seeing none, no minutes today. Nope. Chair's remarks. I have only one. The Wyndham Regional Commission will hold a public hearing on the final draft of the Wyndham Regional Plan update on Thursday, November 5th, 2026 at 6 p.m. The public hearing will be held at the Regional Commission's office at 139 Main Street, suite 505 Brattleboro, and remotely via Zoom to access the public hearing remotely.org and follow the Zoom meeting link. That's it from me. John manager's comments. Yeah, a couple things. On the agenda later on, there'll be an update about the next generation Brattleboro and be mentioning the launch event, but I wanted to just mention it here as well. So there's a launch event for NextGen Brattleboro on Wednesday, October 28th from 5 30 to 7 p.m. at the Latchis Theater. If you were interested in the latest on making Brattleboro a vibrant and affordable community for the next generation, please register for this event by searching for next gen on the town website. Mike Pichek will be there along with Kevin Chu from the Vermont Futures Project, who will uh kind of zero in on Brattleboro and uh what we can be doing to bring more working age households to our part of Vermont. There is a child care option on the registration, and I hope to see you there. Ballots for the November 3rd election have been mailed to all active registered voters. Please check your mail. If you have not received your ballot, please contact the town clerk's office. Follow the instructions for marking your ballot. You can return it by using the secure drop box at the municipal center parking lot, mailing it in the postage paid envelope that's provided with it, or bringing it directly to the polls on election day. If you wish to vote in person, please bring your mailed ballot with you. That's all I have. Thank you, John. Members of the board with comments, starting on the left, Nell. I'll be at the next gen launch event and looking forward to it. So maybe we'll see some of you there. Thanks, Nell. Peter. No, I have nothing tonight. Thanks. Amanda? Sure. Yeah, IR IRS VP'd to the next gen launch event uh via the Brattleboro reformer. There was a quick link. Um did it this morning. It was super easy. Four members of my family are going, and I hope a lot of our community comes out. Um I wanted to express some gratitude uh based on an article reading in the paper of uh Willie Bullman's um generous four million donation four million dollar donation to the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com