2020-20212019-2020 AnnualAnnual ReportReport AnnualAnnual TownTown MeetingMeeting -- MarchMarch 2,3, 20212020 AnnualAnnual RepresentativeRepresentative TownTown MeetingMeeting -- MarchMarch 20,21, 20212020 TownTown ofof Brattleboro,Vermont Brattleboro, Vermont Town of Brattleboro Fiscal Year Budget (7/1/20 to 6/30/21) TownTown and Townof Brattleboro School District Fiscal FiscaYear lBudget Year Audits (7/1/21 (7/1/18 to 6/30/22) to 6/30/19) Town of Brattleboro Fiscal Year Audit (7/1/19 to 6/30/20) 1 2 HOW TO USE THIS BOOK The Annual Town Report is released each year prior to Town Meeting and Representative Town Meeting so that the public and Representative Town Meeting members can familiarize themselves with the materials that they are asked to consider during Town Meeting and Representative Town Meeting. It is filled with information about the operations of the Town of Brattleboro. You will find: • Table of Contents, located immediately following this page, provides a summary of the information contained in this book. The corresponding page numbers indicate where to find the information. Some significant items are as follows: • Essential Steps to Participate in RTM on Zoom, includes instructions for RTM Members on how to set up a Zoom account and provide notification to the Town. It also contains a list of meeting dates. • Warning for State-wide Town Meeting Day (March 2, 2021) contains articles from the Town and Wind- ham Southeast School District that will be voted upon by registered voters of the Town of Brattleboro, including the hours and location of the polls. • Warning for Representative Town Meeting (March 20, 2021) contains articles from the Town that will be voted upon by Representative Town Meeting members. Immediately following the Warnings are sections with additional information about certain articles. • Proposed FY22 Budget materials contain the Town Manager’s Budget Message, a Budget Summary, the entire proposed FY22 General Fund Budget, FY22 Capital Requests, the 5-year Capital Project Plan, and instructions on how to electronically access the 25-year Capital Equipment Replacement Plan. • Town Officers (prior to the 3/2/21 elections) • Town Meeting Members (prior to the 3/2/21 elections) • Town’s Departments and School contact information • Town’s audit for FY20 • Minutes from Representative Town Meeting on September 12, 2020 All meetings (except for the State-wide Town Meeting Day) will take place using Zoom (see Zoom joining information below and “Essential Steps to Participate in RTM on Zoom” above): • Tuesday, March 2, 2021 - State-wide Town Meeting Day. Polls for all three Brattleboro Districts are located at the American Legion, 32 Linden Street, and will be open from 7:00am to 7:00pm. Items to be voted upon are contained in the Warning for Annual Town Meeting. Early/absentee voting begins on February 10 and voters may contact the Town Clerk’s Office (251-8157) to request a ballot or may request one online at https://mvp.vermont.gov. There is no in-person early voting this year due to the pandemic. Members of the public who are eligible to vote and have not yet registered may contact the Town Clerk’s Office in advance and request to be added to the voter registration list or register online at https://olvr. vermont.gov. Any eligible person interested in voting, but not on the voter registration list, may also go to the polls on voting day and register to vote. They must bring their Vermont Driver’s License number or the last 4 digits of their social security number with them to the polls (if they do not have a Vermont Driver’s License). • Wednesday, March 10 – RTM District Caucuses and Informational Meeting (using Zoom): Caucus for District 1 – 5:15pm to 5:45pm Caucus for District 2 – 6:00pm to 6:30pm Caucus for District 3 – 6:45pm to 7:15pm RTM Informational Meeting – starts at 7:30pm Members of the Selectboard, the Town Manager, and other members of the Town’s management staff will present the proposed FY22 budget and other information that will come before RTM. Town Meeting Mem- bers and members of the public are invited to attend and ask questions. • Saturday, March 13, 8:30am – Technical and Logistical Information Meeting. This meeting will give participants an opportunity to familiarize themselves with how RTM will function on Zoom. This session will provide a refresher for continuing RTM members and a tutorial for first-time RTM members. 1 HOW TO USE THIS BOOK • Wednesday, March 17, 7:30pm – Representative Town Meeting (“RTM”) Informational Meeting on the Water Treatment Plant Facility Project. This is a separate article that will be discussed at RTM and voted upon by ballot. It is a significant capital investment so a separate information meeting is scheduled to summarize the proposed replacement Water Treatment Facilities Project. Ballots will be mailed to all RTM Members by March 12. Ballots must be received at the Town Clerk’s Office by 5:00pm on Friday, March 26 (See Article 11 on the RTM Warning). • Saturday, March 20, 8:30am - Representative Town Meeting. The topics to be addressed are con- tained in the Warning for Representative Town Meeting. Representatives from the Town’s three districts who were elected on Town Meeting Day or appointed by caucus at the Informational Meeting are instruct- ed to attend. Members of the public are also invited to attend although only Representative Town Meeting members are allowed to vote. The meeting generally lasts most of the day, with a lunch break in the early afternoon. Due to the complexity of holding RTM on Zoom and the length of this year’s Warning, RTM may recess at 5:00pm on Saturday, March 20, and continue on Sunday, March 21, at a time to be deter- mined by RTM Members. The Annual Town Report also contains annual reports from the Selectboard, Town Manager, and all Town Departments with information about the work performed by each of those entities throughout the year. Informa- tion on the human services agencies that requested funding from the Town is contained in Human Service Agen- cies’ Narratives. Reports from other local agencies are contained in Other Narratives. The Town’s Auditor’s Report for fiscal year 2019 completes the information from the Town. Zoom joining information for the Town’s Informational Meetings, Caucuses, and Representative Town Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86448680971 Meeting ID: 864 4868 0971 Passcode: 12261753 Toll Free Call In Number: 833 548 0282 US Toll-free 877 853 5247 US Toll-free 888 788 0099 US Toll-free 833 548 0276 US Toll-free Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kvLyGAUZU * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Windham Southeast School District The Brattleboro Town School District ceased to exist during 2019 due to the enactment of the State’s Act 46. The former Town School District is now part of the unified Windham Southeast School District. Information about upcoming meetings and other school activities is available on the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union website (wsesu.org), by mail at 53 Green Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301, or by telephone at (802) 254-3730. Important dates for the Windham Southeast School District: • Tuesday, February 23, 6:00pm - Public Information Meeting on the WSESD’s Proposed FY22 Budget, using Zoom (see Zoom joining information at wsesu.org) • WSESD Elections and FY22 Budget Vote – Town Meeting Day (March 2) Ballot 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS TOWN OF BRATTLEBORO Page Page How to Use This Book…………………………………. 1 FY22How Townto Use Budget This Book…………………………………. Documents…….…………………84 1 FY22 Town Budget Documents…….…………………84 Table of Contents………………………………………. 3 Table Town of Manager’sContents………………………………………. Budget Message………………..84 3 Town Manager’s Budget Message………………..84 RTM Schedule and Essential Steps to Participate RTMBudget Schedule Summary and Essentialby Type of Steps Revenue to Participate & Budget Summary by Type of Revenue & in RTM on Zoom …………………………………… 4 in Expenditure……………………………………….92RTM on Zoom …………………………………… 4 Expenditure……………………………………….92 Town Departments and Other Services…………….. .7 TownFY22 Departments General Fund and Budget………………………..94 Other Services…………….. .7 FY22 General Fund Budget………………………..94 Town Personnel …………………………………….... ..8 TownFY22 Personnel Capital Request……………………………..113 …………………………………….... ..8 FY22 Capital Request……………………………..113 Town Officers (prior to 3/2/2021 elections) …..….......9 TownCapital Officers Project (prior Plan to (2022-2026)…………………1143/2/2021 elections) …..….......9 Capital Project Plan (2022-2026)…………………114 Town Meeting Members (prior to 3/2/2021 TownCapital Meeting Equipment Members Replacement (prior to 3/2/2021 Program Capital Equipment Replacement Program elections) …..….…..…..….…..…..…..…..…..….. .10 elections) (2022-2046)……………………………………..115 …..….…..…..….…..…..…..…..…..….. .10 (2022-2046)……………………………………..115 Warning, Annual Town Meeting March 2, 2021…… .11 Town’sWarning, Independent Annual Town Auditor’s Meeting Report, March 2, 2021…… .11 Town’s Independent Auditor’s Report, Warning, Annual Representative Town Meeting, Warning, June 30, Annual 2020………………………………………116 Representative Town Meeting, June 30, 2020………………………………………116 March 20, 2021……………………………...….. ..12 March 20, 2021……………………………...….. ..12 Article 10…….…………………………………..…... ...15 Article 10…….…………………………………..…... ...15 Article 11……………………………………..…..….... 15 Article 11……………………………………..…..….... 15 Article 14… …………………………………………….16 Article 14… …………………………………………….16 Article 15 ……………………………………………….16 Article 15 ……………………………………………….16 Article 16…………………….…………………..…….