Public meetings confirmed for police-fire facility project discussions
BRATTLEBORO — BRATTLEBORO - The Selectboard confirmed the times and locations for three public meetings on the Police-Fire Facilities Upgrade Project.
The town hopes to move forward with making life safety improvements to its two fire stations and police station.
The project, aimed at solving structural and health hazards in the three buildings, has repeatedly taken one step forward, three steps back since Representative Town Meeting approved $14.1 million for the project in 2012.
In its latest incarnation, staff and architects have proposed a number of paths forward. One alternative includes purchasing property on Black Mountain Road - the current location of the Brattleboro Reformer - and moving the Police Station to North Brattleboro.
Moving forward with the project has proved difficult for Brattleboro. Some community members have decried as unaffordable the property tax increase related to the project. Other community members say the work must happen because the town's emergency responders are working in dangerous buildings.
The Selectboard says it hopes community members will attend the three public meetings to learn more about the project and provide feedback.
Meetings are:
• Saturday, Nov. 21, at 9 a.m. in the Green Street School gymnasium.
• Monday, Nov. 30, at 6 p.m. in the Academy School gymnasium.
• Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. in the Brattleboro Area Middle School (BAMS) multipurpose room.
The board also agreed at its Nov. 3 meeting to spend $2,389 to send a postcard notice to all residences and businesses in Brattleboro announcing the three meetings.
Town in 'sweet spot' for economic development activities
BRATTLEBORO - The Selectboard held a long-awaited discussion on economic development at its Nov. 3 meeting.
The discussion focused on what role the town should play in ensuring, supporting, and generating economic vitality.
Town Manager Peter Elwell has reviewed the town's role in economic activity over the past six months. Given the municipality's resources, the town's economic development structure is a good one, he reported.
He explained that towns approach their investment in economic development along a spectrum. On the passive end is “reliance on the free market or other organizations” to expand the economy. On the aggressive end, towns create their own economic development departments that actively recruit new businesses.
Brattleboro is in the middle, he said.
“Town staff believes our current approach strikes an appropriate balance in the context of the town's current needs and resources, building upon the capacity provided by other organizations without relying on those organizations to protect Brattleboro's interests,” Elwell said.
Building partnerships is an important activity for the town, he said, citing the work of local organizations active in economic development, such as the Brattleboro Development Credit Corp. (BDCC) and with state, regional, and federal agencies.
The town also has two initiatives that could help the town's economic future, Elwell said.
The Selectboard charged the Regional Economic Hub Working group with studying the impact on Brattleboro as an economic regional hub town. The idea is that Brattleboro bears extra infrastructure costs because so many people travel through it but don't pay property tax.
The working group is expected to release recommendations to the board in 2016.
Selectboard chair David Gartenstein arguably has championed an image of Brattleboro living a downtrodden, beleaguered existence as a hub town. He and fellow board members traveled to Montpelier to ask Gov. Peter Shumlin to help the municipality recoup costs. The trip was not successful.
The second initiative is the town's small business assistance program, which provides grants and low-interest loans to help launch or expand businesses in Brattleboro.
“Our current division of labor is efficient,” Elwell said. “This is critically important in our current economic environment, where any additional expense on these activities would have to be justified by a reasonable expectation that such expense would be exceeded by the financial payback on that investment.”
That kind of payback is unreasonable and doesn't justify the municipality taking on economic development staff, Elwell added.
Board members added in conversation that it's important Brattleboro's regulatory and business environment make it easy for new businesses to establish themselves.
An advantage Brattleboro enjoys over larger urban areas is its relative lack of bureaucracy, Elwell and the board members agreed.
Limited hours at the Transportation Center
BRATTLEBORO - The parking enforcement office in the Transportation Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until further notice.
According to Town Manager Peter Elwell, the limited hours are due to staffing issues in the department.
Drivers visit the Flat Street office to pay parking fines, obtain parking smart cards, and purchase parking permits for parking lots around town.
Elwell said the office will be almost continuously staffed during hours of operation. Should staff need to step away they will leave a note saying when they expect to return.