By STEVEN JUPITER
BRANDON—The Brandon Selectboard convened for its regular meeting on Monday evening.
Town Manager’s Report
Town Manager Seth Hopkins delivered his report to the Board.
In addition to his written report, Mr. Hopkins noted that there will be a meeting of the Brandon Planning Commission and the Rutland Regional Planning Commission in the Selectboard meeting room at the Town Hall at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13 to discuss the revision of Act 250.
Mr. Hopkins also thanked Selectboard member Ralph Ethier for his help in connecting town management with the VT Dept of Labor’s job posting website, which the town will begin using to fill its job openings.
Finally, Mr. Hopkins notified the community that the Trustees of Public Funds will hold its next public meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 1 in the Selectboard meeting room at the Town Hall. This is a change from its announced location at Naylor & Breen.
Community Development Report
Deputy Town Manager Bill Moore delivered his Community Development report to the Board, the full text of which is reprinted in this issue. In addition to his written report, Mr. Moore noted that there will be a ceremony to dedicate playing fields at Pittsford Rec to Randy Adams at 9:30 on Saturday, May 3. Mr. Adams is a former Rec Director in Pittsford.
Renovation of 30 Conant Square
Mary Cohen, CEO of the Housing Trust of Rutland County (HTRC), explained to the Board HTRC’s plans to renovate the subsidized housing it operates at 30 Conant Square.
The building was originally constructed in the 1820s and was used as a tavern. Ms. Cohen also stated that the building was a stop on the Underground Railroad and still has tunnels connecting it to other historic structures in the area. It was converted to subsidized apartments in the 1980s and was purchased by HTRC in 2006.
The building encompasses 19 units (studio, 1 bedroom, and 2 bedroom) at subsidized rents. HTRC has determined that the building needs both interior and exterior rehabilitation and will begin the process shortly. The work will entail new heating, new electrical systems, a rehabbed elevator, new windows and doors, new kitchens and baths, and a new roof, among other improvements.
Ms. Cohen also assured the Board that the work will be undertaken with sensitivity to the historic character of the original house.
In response to a question from an attendee, Ms. Cohen stated that current residents will continue to pay their rent even while relocated to hotels during the renovation but will not incur any additional expenses. She added that residents will not lose their right to return to the building after the renovation and that HTRC planned to hold a similar presentation for all tenants to advise them of the project and their rights as tenants.
SolarFest August Festival
Mike Bailey of Brandon’s SolarFest let the Board know that the clean-energy organization based on Steinberg Road will be holding a Festival on August 8, 9, and 10 that will include musical acts, classes, and 50 vendors. It will be SolarFest’s first event of this size in the four years that the organization has been based in Brandon.
“We couldn’t be happier in Brandon,” said Mr. Bailey. “We’re thrilled to be part of the Brandon community.”
Mr. Bailey also stated that SolarFest had received grants for the completion of a pathway connecting downtown Brandon with Estabrook Park that will traverse the organization’s property. The portion of the pathway on SolarFest’s land will be maintained by the organization, he said.
An attendee asked whether SolarFest planned to use proceeds from its festival to repay the grant it received for the pathway from the Trustees of Public Funds. Mr. Bailey responded that the path and the festival are unrelated.
Police vehicle sale and purchase
The Board discussed a proposal from Mr. Hopkins to sell two of the Brandon Police Department’s police cruisers and purchase a new cruiser with funds from FY2025 police budget that are now available because of the departure of several officers. Mr. Hopkins stated that the departures have made approximately $70,000 available and that the cost of a new cruiser will be comparable.
The two vehicles proposed for sale are a 2014 Taurus that has been deemed uninspectable and a 2016 Explorer that is still in inspectable condition. This would leave a 2020 F-150 in relatively good condition and a 2022 Explorer in very good condition.
Board member Brian Coolidge expressed concern that a mechanic had not been consulted to determine which vehicles to keep and which to sell. Gerad Lowell of Thunder Towing was in attendance and offered his opinions of the vehicles, since he has worked on them. Mr. Lowell stated that the 2016 Explorer had over 100,000 miles and would pass inspection, though it would likely begin showing signs of metal corrosion on its undercarriage from the years of road salt and heated garages.
Board member Ralph Ethier proposed retaining the 2016 vehicle in case new officers were hired and additional vehicles were needed.
Ultimately, the Board voted unanimously to retain the 2016, 2020, and 2022 vehicles and provide them with undercoating while attempting to sell the 2014 Taurus, which Mr. Hopkins joked might have a successful new life in the demolition derby.
No-match grant for EV minivan
The Board voted unanimously to accept an Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant of $62,653 from the State of Vermont to purchase a 2025 all-electric Volkswagen minivan. The minivan would primarily serve the Rec Department but would also eventually be used to assist Brandon residents in traveling from outlying homes to downtown. The minivan would replace a vehicle once owned by the Rec Department that had failed inspection and been discontinued.
In response to questions from the Board, Mr. Hopkins stated that there might be situations in which he would use the minivan for official town business but only if it wasn’t already being used for other purposes. The minivan would not be wheelchair accessible.
Mutual aid agreement
The Board unanimously approved an agreement between Brandon and the Rutland Regional Planning Commission for mutual aid among participating towns in the Rutland area. The agreement would allow these towns to borrow equipment from one another so as to avoid having to purchase expensive equipment that the towns may need for only specific, short-term projects. The full text of the agreement is available in the Selectboard packet for 4/28/25 on the Town website.
Appointments
The Board unanimously approved the appointments of Jack Schneider and Lisa Peluso as Brandon’s representatives to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission (with Ms. Peluso acting as alternate). The Board also approved the appointments of Jeremy Disorda and Brian Kilpeck to the Rutland Regional Transportation Advisory Board (with Mr. Kilpeck as alternate).
Legal counsel retainer
The Board unanimously approved the retainer of the law firm of Carroll, Boe, & Kite of Middlebury to handle the upcoming sale of tax-delinquent properties. The full text of the retainer agreement is available in the Selectboard packet for 4/28/25 on the Town website.
Public comment
Brandon State Representative Todd Nielsen addressed the Board to update the community on his work in Montpelier. Nearing the end of his first legislative session, Mr. Nielsen said the office was “the toughest job” he ever had and that he was trying his best and learning a lot. He also stated that through his work on the Human Services committee, he felt that he was helping Vermonters while saving taxpayers money.
A member of Indivisible Brandon informed the community that the organization would be participating in a “National Day of Action” on Thursday, May 1 in Central Park to protest actions taken by the current presidential administration that the organization deems illegal and counter to the U.S. Constitution.
David Martin of the Brandon Energy Committee informed the community that the Committee would be holding another “Repair Fair” at the Brandon Library on Sunday, May 4. Anyone with a small appliance or piece of furniture they would like to have repaired can bring it to the event for free.
An attendee asked the Board to press the Trustees of Public Funds to focus its activities on sanitation, as per the original bequest from Shirley Farr. He also asked the Board to request documents from the Trustees regarding the grant of $10K for the feasibility study for the proposed Valley Community Center, which is the subject of a pending ethics complaint before the Board.
Finally, the Board discussed implementing a tracker to prevent pending business from slipping through the cracks.
Warrants
The Board unanimously approved a warrant in the amount of $147,253.01 to cover the Town’s obligations and expenses. It also unanimously approved the disbursement of $1,412.49 to the Vermont Treasurer’s unclaimed monies fund, where it can be reclaimed from the parties to whom it belongs. The Town had tried to return the funds to their owners but the owners did not come forward to claim them.
