Boards and Committees

Boards and Committees Application

Boards and Committees are made up of individuals from the community who are volunteering their time to help maintain and improve the town. If you would like to volunteer with one of these groups, it may be helpful to sit in on meetings to become familiar with the process and issues. To apply for an open position, please fill out the Board and Committee Application.

All meetings are open to the public, unless there is an executive session, which is specified in the agenda. You can find a schedule of meetings on the calendar; they area also posted on bulletin boards in the Municipal Center and Brooks Memorial Library. Some of the meetings (Selectboard, Planning Commission, and Development Review Board) are televised on BCTV.

Area of Interest

Learn about the Town's boards and committees by area of interest in the drop-down menus below.

Housing & Planning

Cemetery Committee — Establishes the policies, rules and regulations for operation of the cemeteries; sets prices for services provided and burial lots; and lays out lots, drives and paths.

Design Review Committee — Reviews and makes recommendations on development applications within the Historic Resource Overlay district as depicted in the Brattleboro Land Use Regulations (LUR). Reviews building designs for compatibility with neighborhood character, building height, massing, materials, and historic preservation standards.

Development Review Board — Reviews site plans, conditional uses, planned developments, subdivision applications, and other aspects of land development as set forth in the town zoning and subdivision ordinances. It also considers appeals of decisions of the zoning administrator.

Fence Viewer — The viewers arbitrate disputes between property owners over the location of fence lines and the apportionment of maintenance costs.

Housing Partnerships — Administrates all federally subsidized housing in town and the management of three tax credit properties.

Inspector of Lumber, Shingles and Wood — Arbitrates in matters of quantity and quality of firewood, bundles of shingles, and lumber when purchaser believes the delivery does not contain quantity or quality as billed.

Planning Commission — Sets the overall policy and goals for land development and use in town. Prepares and amends the Town Plan and the Land Use Regulations. State law provides planning commissions with broad authority to plan for the future needs of their communities.

Finance & Economics

Human Services Review Committee — Reviews Human Service funding requests and recommends appropriations to be voted into the Town Budget at annual Representative Town Meeting.

Representative Town Meeting Finance Committee — Reviews proposed and actual expenditures by the town, town school district, and such other budgets, and makes recommendations to RTM voters.

Trustees of Public Funds — Manage and invest all funds held by the town and in trust for various purposes.

Local Government

Charter Revision Commission — The Town Charter helps guide our community's decision-making. Every 15 years, the Selectboard appoints a commission to review the charter and make adjustments.

Representative Town Meeting Steering Committee — Reviews the rules, procedures and structure of Representative Town Meeting for the purpose of enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the body.

Public Safety

Traffic Safety and Control Committee — Establishes regulations governing parking, traffic flow, pedestrian safety, the designation and marking of throughways and dangerous intersections, the placement of traffic lights, among other areas of focus.

Citizen Police Communications Committee — Facilitates mutually respectful communication between citizens and the Brattleboro Police Department regarding information concerning police procedures.

Recreation & Leisure

Arts Committee — Strengthens the bonds among the Town of Brattleboro, the community of Brattleboro, and the arts community to enable mutual understanding, as well as appreciation for the aesthetic and economic contributions made by the arts.

Brooks Memorial Library Board of Trustees — Determines library policy, approves the library budget, and employs a librarian. Operating policies and procedures are established by the library trustees and executed by the librarian and staff.

Nelson E. Withington Fund Advisory Committee — Makes grant decisions related to the Nelson E. Withington Fund, which supports many of the green spaces in Brattleboro.

Recreation & Parks Board — Oversees all parks, recreation programs and facilities.

Sustainability

Conservation Commission – Identifies lands with historic or cultural value, recommends land purchases for conservation, inventories and conducts studies of the Town’s natural resources

Energy Committee – Assists Brattleboro’s residents, businesses, organizations and town offices in improving energy efficiency and to help us to achieve the goals of the Global Climate Solutions Act.

Tree Advisory Committee – Works with the Tree Warden to promote the improvement and preservation of a healthy environment in the town as it relates to public trees.