By STEVEN JUPITER
BRANDON—The Brandon Selectboard convened for its regular meeting on Monday evening.
David Atherton
At the beginning of the meeting, Board Chair Doug Bailey asked for a moment of silence in memory of former Brandon Town Manager David Atherton, who passed unexpectedly last week. Mr. Bailey recognized the work that Mr. Atherton had put into the mammoth Segment 6 renovation of downtown and into reviving Brandon after Tropical Storm Irene.
“More than any other town manager, Dave got things done,” said Mr. Bailey.
Board Vice-Chair Cecil Reniche-Smith added, “I knew Dave as someone who really cared about Brandon. He encouraged me to run for Selectboard, and if not for him I wouldn’t be on the Board today. He was someone I could always talk to, even when we disagreed.”
Town Manager report
Town Manager Seth Hopkins delivered his biweekly report to the Board, the full text of which is reprinted in this issue.
In addition to the written report that had been submitted before the meeting, Mr. Hopkins presented several updates:
- The town will work with Lafaso Electric of Rutland to “inspect the current traffic signals with an objective of improving traffic flow on US7.” The traffic signals at the intersections of Route 7, Union, Carver, and Park Streets have been the subject of steady criticism since they were installed during the Segment 6 project several years ago.
- The town will request a grant from the Brandon Trustees of Public Funds to assist with the costs of the Historic Preservation Committee’s update of the Brandon Workbook. Attempts to secure funds from the Vermont Community Fund and the Walter Cerf Fund were not successful. In a later email to The Reporter, Mr. Hopkins stated that the town will likely ask for $12,000 from the Trustees and that the request is still in line with the principle that the trust should fund municipal projects only.
- The repeal of the “pool hall ordinance” on July 14 was not challenged by town residents and took official effect on September 15.
Community Development
Deputy Town Manager Bill Moore delivered his report to the Board, the full text of which is reprinted in this issue.
After his report, Board Vice-Chair Cecil Reniche-Smith asked whether it was true that Brandon would host the 2026 Whoopie Pie Festival that is normally held in downtown Rutland. Mr. Moore confirmed that the Chamber and Economic Development of the Rutland Region had asked whether Brandon could host the popular event next year, as it was uncertain whether the downtown streets could be reserved. No final determination has been made, but Mr. Moore did say that the event would bring hundreds of people to Brandon.
Budget meeting recap
Board Chair Doug Bailey offered a recap of the Budget Workshop that had been held on 9/15, noting that it had been an informative meeting even if poorly attended by the public.
At that meeting, the Board had heard from some of the town’s department heads: Police Chief David Kachajian, Highway Chief Jeremy Disorda, Rec & Comm Development Director Bill Moore, and Town Manager Seth Hopkins. The department heads each gave the Board a brief overview of their budgets for the previous and current fiscal years and a sense of what the department will need for the next fiscal year.
Of particular note at the budget meeting was a discussion with Mr. Disorda regarding the need for a new garage for the Highway Department. The current facility is too small and in suboptimal condition. A new garage would require that the town borrow funds for the construction.
On Monday night, Mr. Hopkins shared a chart with the Board that shows that Brandon’s financial condition is secure enough to take on a bond for the construction, if the Board chooses to put the question before voters. He commended town leadership for leaving Brandon in a strong financial position, especially compared to other towns its size.
Reporting non-operating expenses
Town Manager Seth Hopkins asked the Board to reconsider the town’s current accounting process with regard to non-operating expenses. He used as an example the recent repaving of Town Farm Road, which was paid for with money from the 1% Local Option Tax fund but which was accounted for in the Highway Department’s operating budget. This made it appear as if the Highway Department was significantly overbudget when it was not.
Mr. Hopkins suggested that the Board adopt a different accounting method by which all non-operating expenses would be accounted for in the funds from which the monies were actually drawn. For example, the Town Farm project would not be included in the Highway Department’s operating budget but rather in the 1% fund.
The intent is to make clear to residents how departments are managing their budgets and where money for projects actually comes from.
The Board unanimously agreed to make the requested change.
Designating a new newspaper of record
Because The Reporter will cease publication on October 1, the town is obligated to designate a new “paper of record.”
Vermont law stipulates that every municipality must have a paper of record in which it publishes legal notices, in addition to the posting of those notices elsewhere. The Reporter had been serving this purpose for years, with The Rutland Herald as an alternative.
Town Manager Seth Hopkins presented the Board with a comparison of circulation and costs for The Rutland Herald and The Addison Independent. A typical legal notice that might cost $39 in The Reporter would cost $129 in the Herald and roughly $60 in the Independent. The Herald’s circulation is substantially larger than the Independent’s, however.
An attendee expressed concern that the Independent is twice as expensive as The Reporter per issue.
Ultimately, the Board unanimously agreed to designate The Addison Independent as Brandon’s new paper of record, with The Rutland Herald as an alternative.
Wastewater capacity study
Town Manager Seth Hopkins presented the results of a wastewater capacity study that had been undertaken by Elaine Smith in the Town Office. The purpose of the study was to measure the actual maximum capacity of properties currently using the municipal sewer system in order to determine how much additional usage the system could handle.
According to Mr. Hopkins, the town’s wastewater system was designed to handle up to 750,000 gallons per day. According to the results of the study, the current maximum capacity of properties using the system is 500,000 per day. However, the actual output of those properties is only 250,000 per day.
This means that the town has significant unused capacity that could allow additional development without straining the wastewater treatment system.
A discussion ensued between the Board and an attendee regarding the best way to charge wastewater customers for their usage. Currently, the town charges a flat fee with a relatively low per-gallon usage rate. This is to ensure a steady flow of revenue to support the wastewater department, which is expensive and also carries debt that needs to be serviced.
Board Chair Doug Bailey suggested that the topic is sufficiently complex to warrant a public meeting on its own.
Public Comment
An attendee asked for a follow-up regarding Town Manager Seth Hopkin’s request at the 9/15 Budget Meeting for a waiver from the town’s normal purchasing policy to allow him to investigate the possible acquisition of an electric police cruiser.
Mr. Hopkins said that the circumstances that had prompted the request no longer applied and the waiver wasn’t necessary, as the cruiser could not be obtained before the deadline for certain grants.
The same attendee also cautioned against the town issuing its own summaries of its meetings in the absence of The Reporter, which will cease publication on October 1.
Another attendee suggested that the town make more use of the News & Notices section on its own website.
Warrant
The Board unanimously approved a warrant in the amount of $426,617.08 to cover its obligations and expenses. The amount of this warrant was especially high because it included the yearly service for the town’s debt.
