At its regular Monday evening meeting, the Brandon Selectboard agreed to replace old police radios, apply for a Better Connections planning grant, and once again tackle the topic of enforcing safe e-moto use.

Town Manager Seth Hopkins presented a purchase order to the board for new officer-worn radios. The agenda mistakenly stated "officer-worn cameras," but the selectboard amended the agenda to clarify "radios."

The current radios, Hopkins said, are in their 14th year of use. The typical lifespan of the equipment is seven years.

Police Chief David Kachajian received three quotes for Motorola radios, the same brand currently used by the department. Burlington Communications Services submitted the lowest bid at $27,442. Hopkins noted that they had also received a quote for Kenwood radios, but the chief reported that other police departments had experienced problems with them.

Selectboard Co-Chair Doug Bailey stated concern about using the 1% fund for the equipment, saying that instead funds should come from the Brandon Police Department budget. The selectboard approved the purchase directly through the police department’s current operating budget.

Deputy Town Manager Bill Moore read from his proposal to apply for a Better Connections planning grant from the state. Brandon was invited to apply. If awarded, the project would start in March 2027 and continue for a year.

The competitive grant program offers Vermont municipalities between $38,500 and $75,000 for projects coordinating land-use decisions with transportation investments. The grant covers planning costs rather than any resulting implementation work.

The grant requires a 10% local match, so Brandon's maximum match requirement would be $7,500. The project will identify the most promising places for future housing development that can also connect to the existing walking/transportation infrastructure, according to Moore’s proposal.

Selectboard member Brian Coolidge expressed skepticism, saying it appeared similar to the Forest Dale Shared Use Path study. "I don't think it's a good use of town money," he said.

The selectboard agreed to apply for the grant, with Coolidge opposed.

Hopkins said that a mason doing restoration work at 31 Center Street is coordinating with municipal management to ensure safety compliance. The work is scheduled for the first two weeks of November. Scaffolding with protective measures, he said, would extend six feet onto the sidewalk. The notable building was formerly home to businesses such as Sweet Sappy's, the Watershed Tavern, and LaDuke’s.

Hopkins thanked the wastewater department, particularly Ray Marcoux, for detecting a hazardous inflow of diesel fuel about to enter the sewer collection in a local mobile home park and said that their observations and quick response saved the town from costly disruptions to the wastewater plant.

He also announced that the town received a letter from the Vermont Agency of Transportation confirming that a traffic study will be conducted for the Neshobe School zone, followed by a hearing in April or May 2027. If approved, this would reduce the 35 mph speed limit near the school to a yet-to-be-determined limit.

Moore said that the Brandon and Middlebury recreation departments are hosting a trip to Boston to see the Celtics on January 27, 2027. Also, registration is open for the annual Brandon Recreation Department fundraiser, the "Neshobe Pie Gobbler Fun Run," to be held on November 22. The next silent film screening at Town Hall will be "The Navigator" (1924), starring Buster Keaton and featuring pianist Jeff Rapsis, on November 7.

Public comment was dominated by concerns over the safety of e-moto use, as has been the case in previous meetings.

Resident Eric Mallory recounted a near-miss incident involving a child wearing black clothing on a scooter without proper lighting. "Where is the enforcement on this issue?" Mallory asked.

Hopkins said Chief Kachajian recently confronted youths riding e-motos in the Dunkin' parking lot and warned them he would confiscate the bikes. A parent was contacted and removed the vehicles, and was told that future violations could result in significant fines.

Mallory asked the board how much police enforcement Brandon currently had during evenings and weekends. Hopkins reported that the police chief works three evenings per week and will transition to a rotating schedule, with officers providing weekend coverage. A cadet graduating from the academy will soon join the force as well.

"We're just trying to get enforcement at the time," Selectboard Chair Cecil Reniche-Smith said regarding the difficulty of catching violators in the act, adding, "Some things that we're working on is getting the information to the parents."

Reniche-Smith handed out fliers from the Burlington organization Local Motion that were presented to the selectboard on Sept. 28, outlining the differences between e-bikes and e-motos. E-bikes all require operable pedals; everything else is considered an e-moto, which is legally a motor vehicle and is not allowed on sidewalks or shared-use paths.

"We are trying to solve this problem," Bailey emphasized. "We need more people to work with us."

Moore added, "If you see something, you say something. This is a small enough community that you've got to know somebody who knows somebody who knows that kid and get to that parent because that parent is the one that's going to make that change."

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