Town of Bristol

Town of Bristol The Town of Bristol, Vermont, chartered in 1762, is nestled at the foot of the Green Mountains, just

The Town of Bristol, Vermont, chartered in 1762, is nestled at the foot of the Green Mountains, just minutes from a multitude of four-season opportunities.

09/11/2026

Bristol Selectboard Meeting Sept. 14

When: Sep 14, 2026, 7 PM
Where: Holley Hall, South St, Bristol, VT
URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83091801793?pwd=u3kGskjVRwOGoKRJ1eF2XbaGGxIqri.1
TOWN OF BRISTOL SELECTBOARD MEETING
In-person at Holley Hall and via Zoom

AGENDA

7:00 — 1. Call to Order
7:00 — 2. Approval of Agenda
7:05 — 3. Public Forum (5 min. per person, non-agenda related)

7:10 — 4. Consent Agenda

4a. Approval of past meeting minutes (August 24, 2026)
4b. Approval of Check Warrant and any liquor/tobacco licenses
4c. Authorization of Planning & Zoning Administrator for Town social media content access (Facebook, Instagram)
4d. Special Event and Street Use Permit – Bristol Harvest Festival (Town Green, Sept 26)

7:15 — 5. Regular Business

5a. (7:15) Mountain Street stormwater improvements – draft report and figures, with public Q&A (Brian Cote, PE/CFM, SLR International)
5b. (7:45) Access permit – Sumner and Robideau, 640 Hardscrabble Road (Permit 26-707)
5c. (7:55) Planning and Zoning Administrator – report out on permitting and enforcement (AZ Larsen)
5d. (8:10) Selectboard roundtable
5e. (8:15) Town Administrator's report

8:20 — 6. Other Business (6a. Correspondence, reports, and communications received)
8:20 — 7. Executive Session – anticipated, personnel
8:40 — 8. Adjourn

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WHAT'S ON THIS WEEK

The Consent Agenda includes approval of the August 24 meeting minutes and the check warrant, permission for the Town's Planning and Zoning Administrator to post to the Town's Facebook and Instagram accounts, and the permit for the Bristol Harvest Festival on the Town Green on Saturday, September 26.

Under Regular Business, an engineer from SLR International will present the draft report and figures for the Mountain Street stormwater improvements study, with time for public questions. This is a draft, so it is a good moment for anyone with knowledge of how water moves through that part of the village to speak up. The Board will also consider a driveway access permit on Hardscrabble Road, and will hear a report from the Planning and Zoning Administrator on permitting activity and enforcement.

An executive session is anticipated on a personnel matter. No policy readings are scheduled this meeting. The Personnel Policy, the Conflict of Interest Policy and the Social Service Appropriation Policy will each come back on later fall agendas, with public comment welcome at every reading.

Times are approximate, agenda subject to change.
Meeting minutes materials: http://www.bristolvt.org/meeting-minutes
Meeting videos: http://www.youtube.com/ and http://www.neatbristol.com

2028 TOWN PLAN UPDATE"Built to Last: A Collaborative Workshop"Tuesday, September 15th, 6 to 8 PMMount Abe small cafeteri...
09/09/2026

2028 TOWN PLAN UPDATE
"Built to Last: A Collaborative Workshop"
Tuesday, September 15th, 6 to 8 PM
Mount Abe small cafeteria (enter through the main entrance)
Childcare, pizza from Cubbers, and drinks provided. Drop in any time.

Please join us (any time) from 6 to 8 PM on Tuesday, September 15th for "Built to Last: A Collaborative Workshop," part of a series of events that are guiding Bristol's 2028 Town Plan Update. We will be meeting along with the Planning Commission in Mount Abe's small cafeteria - go in the main entrance. Childcare and food (pizza from Cubbers) and drinks will be provided.

Town Plans define a long-term community vision and recommend actions to achieve that vision. They guide local decisions and the adoption of town policies. Bristol passed our first "Development Plan" in 1973. Now updated every 8 years, our last Town Plan was from 2020. You can read it here:http://bristolvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Bristol_Town_Plan_2020.pdf

Much has changed in Bristol since our last Town Plan was approved by voters at 2020's Town Meeting. Please join us on September 15th to share your thoughts about these changes, and what is now important to conserve, revise, or transform as we look to what "Bristol Will Be." Our conversation will explore a range of topics, including public safety, natural feature conservation, transportation, housing, public infrastructure, and more. This will be an open and respectful discussion that welcomes varying opinions.

This workshop is part of a series of opportunities to contribute your thoughts about the 2028 Town Plan Update. Visit the town website to keep informed: http://bristolvt.org/towndepartments/planning-zoning/bristol-town-plan-update/

09/04/2026

Bristol West Water: W Pleasant St Sept 8, Local Traffic

Bristol West Waterline Replacement Weekly Update

Construction on Pleasant Street will begin on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. Work will progress on Pleasant Street from North Street in a westerly direction between North Street and Liberty Street over the next few weeks.

TRAFFIC AND ACCESS

- Individual blocks along Pleasant Street will be open to local traffic only as construction progresses.
- Please pay attention to the construction signage.
- Traffic control personnel will be available to assist residents with access from 7am to 5 pm while construction is occurring.

WATER SERVICE

We are not anticipating impacts to water services this coming week. However, residents should be aware that we are working with 121 year old infrastructure so unknown emergency situations can and do occur. If unexpected circumstances do arise and water service is impacted, we will post a front porch forum update as quickly as possible.

Questions or concerns can be directed to Greg Faust, Town Administrator, at [email protected] or (802) 453-2410.

Thank you for your continued patience as we replace Bristol's water infrastructure.

09/02/2026

BOIL WATER NOTICE LIFTED

The Boil Water Notice issued August 31 has been lifted as of today, September 2.

Affected area: Elm Street, Taylor Street, Pleasant Street, and North Street between Pine and Pleasant/Spring.

Both bacteria samples came back clean. The water is safe to drink and use for all normal purposes. The Elm and Taylor tie-in work is complete, and no further shutoffs are scheduled for these streets.

If you were in the affected area, run your cold water taps for a few minutes to clear standing water in household plumbing. Rinse your faucet screens if you see sediment.

Thank you for your patience.

Questions: [email protected] or 802-453-2410 x1

08/31/2026

Lord's Prayer Rock — where things stand

A statement from Ian Albinson, Selectboard Chair August 31, 2026

There has been a good deal of coverage and comment about Lord's Prayer Rock over the past few weeks, and some of it has left the impression that the Town is considering moving or removing it. I want to set out what the record actually shows.

THE ROCK IS A LISTED HISTORIC SITE. The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation evaluated it in 1977 and added it to the State Historic Sites and Structures list in 1980. The Division's own statement of significance reads: "To the people of Bristol, this is the central landmark in town and is something for which the town is known." The inscription dates to 1891, commissioned by Dr. Joseph C. Greene of South Starksboro, who paid William McGee and a second man to carve it.

BRISTOL CHOSE TO LOOK AFTER IT, BY A VOTE. Dr. Greene maintained the rock himself until he died in 1899. In 1908 the citizens of Bristol voted at town meeting to assume stewardship of it. The Village bought the surrounding land in 1941, and the Town has owned it since the village and town merged in 1995. For most of the time since, the park has been cared for by volunteers: the Boy Scouts, the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, the Home Demonstration Club, and more recently Eagle Scout projects.

THIS QUESTION IS NOT NEW, AND IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ANSWERED THE SAME WAY. Proposals to move the rock, cut a section from it, or blast it away have come before this town in 1941, 1957, 1958, 1974 and 1985. Voters rejected them at village meetings in 1957 and 1974. The others were dropped. In 2011 a bicycle and pedestrian study looked at two sidewalk alignments through the corridor and neither was pursued. The State evaluated the rock in 1977, at a time when road safety at the site was already under discussion, and listed it anyway three years later. In eighty-five years, no board and no vote has ever gone the other way.

NOTHING BEFORE THE SELECTBOARD PROPOSES TO CHANGE THAT. A resident raised road-safety concerns at the Board's meeting of July 13, 2026. A letter asking that the rock be removed was received into the record at the meeting of August 10, 2026. On August 24, 2026, the Conservation Commission presented its draft management plan for Lord's Prayer Rock Park. No action was taken on the rock at any of the three, and there is no proposal before the Board to alter, move, or remove it.

ON SAFETY, HERE IS WHAT THE RECORDS ACTUALLY SHOW. At my request, Police Chief Bruce Nason searched the Town's crash records for the area at and around the rock going back to 2009. He found nine reported crashes in seventeen years. In one of them a vehicle struck the rock. That was in 2012, and the cause recorded by the department was driver inattention: the driver reached for something in the glove compartment and drifted right.

IN NONE OF THE NINE WAS THE ROCK A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. That is the Bristol Police Department's finding, from its own files. The other eight involved backing out of a driveway, following too closely, unsafe passing, a deer in the road, driving too fast for conditions, and, in 2010, a pedestrian in dark clothing whom a driver could not see because of an oncoming vehicle's headlights.

FOR CONTEXT, state crash data for VT 116 in Bristol from 2010 onward records thirty-four crashes in the downtown core, eighteen at the Lincoln Road junction, and fourteen in the Maple Street area. No location on VT 116 in Bristol, the rock included, has recorded a fatality in that period.

TWO THINGS THESE NUMBERS CANNOT TELL US. Crashes never reported to anyone appear in no record. And raw counts are not adjusted for traffic volume, which is far higher through the village than out at the rock. Residents have raised safety concerns here in good faith, and the Selectboard is not dismissing them.

MAKING TRAVEL PAST THE ROCK SAFER IS WORTH PURSUING ON ITS OWN TERMS. At the August 24, 2026 meeting and in correspondence, residents and board members raised signage, pavement markings, and moving the reduced-speed sign further out on the approach into the village. Those are changes the Town can make without altering a historic site, and they deserve a serious look.

All of the correspondence on this is public record and has gone to all five members. Public Forum is open at the start of every regular meeting, five minutes per person, on any topic.

Thank you to everyone who has written or come to a meeting.

Ian Albinson
Selectboard Chair, Town of Bristol

08/30/2026

Bristol West Water: Shut Offs Aug 31-Sep 3 (Elm/Taylor)

Water Interruption Notice

Please note there will be a series of water shut offs from Monday, 8/31/26 through (possibly) Thursday, 9/3/26, that will impact services on Elm Street, Taylor, Pleasant, and North Street between Pine and Pleasant/Spring, as the Contractor and assisting Water Department work to tie in the new waterlines on Elm and Taylor.

Shut-Off Hours

Please anticipate these daily shut offs starting as early as 8 am and lasting until 4:30 pm.

Air and Discoloration

Please note, during the shutdown and when water is restored, we will have to flush air/water/sediment out of the hydrants along these runs. This should alleviate most of the air that enters the system. In addition, you and your tenants may notice a bit of air and discoloration in the water once restored.

When Your Water Comes Back

When water is restored, please run your faucets on cold water until the air is released.
You may also want to remove your screen, rinse off any sediment, and place back on after flushing your sink and avoid running white laundry during this short period of time.

Boil Water Notices

Any applicable Boil Water Notices will be issued the day of the first shut off and cleared several days later once the shut offs are complete and clean bacteria samples can be collected and received back from the lab.

Bottled Water

Bottled water will be available at the Town office for those that need some during these interruptions.

If You Have No Water

If anyone does not have water after service is restored each evening, please call the Town of Bristol at 802-453-2410 x5 with your location.

08/25/2026

Selectboard Recap: Aug. 24 (Video & Minutes)

Dear Residents,

The Bristol Selectboard met on Monday, August 24, 2026. A summary of the actions taken appears below. The meeting video and the draft minutes are available at the links provided.

The Board took the following actions:

- Approved the Consent Agenda, which included the August 10, 2026 minutes, the check warrant in the amount of $141,546.53, and an access permit for the Livingston property.
- Approved installation of a 2-port Level 2 electric vehicle charging station on the Town Green and authorized staff to execute the Green Mountain Power grant agreement and the installation contract. The station is funded through the ChargeVermont and Green Mountain Power grant program at no capital cost to the Town, with up to $500 authorized for any change orders. The Board will review pricing and parking impact after one year of operation.
- Approved a name change for the Saunders River Access to the Saunders Conservation Area, and asked the Bristol Conservation Commission to prepare a full management plan for the parcel.

The Board also heard a presentation from the Bristol Conservation Commission on draft management plans for the Seth Hill parcel and Lord's Prayer Rock, and received an informational report on a Revolving Loan Fund Committee recommendation. No executive session was held, and the meeting was adjourned.

Meeting video (YouTube): https://youtu.be/N-OsmrtMxTk
Draft minutes:http://bristolvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/SB_Minutes_2026-08-24_DRAFT-1.pdf

The Selectboard meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday evenings of the month, and meetings typically run no more than 90 minutes. The agenda lists a time for each item, so you can drop in just for the topic you care about. Residents are welcome to attend in person or to participate remotely by Zoom. We encourage your participation.

Respectfully,
Ian Albinson
Selectboard Chair, Town of Bristol

08/21/2026

Bristol Selectboard Meeting Aug. 24

When: Aug 24, 2026, 7 PM
Where: Holley Hall, South Street, Bristol, VT
URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83091801793?pwd=u3kGskjVRwOGoKRJ1eF2XbaGGxIqri.1

TOWN OF BRISTOL SELECTBOARD MEETING
In-person at Holley Hall and via Zoom

AGENDA

7:00 — 1. Call to Order
7:00 — 2. Approval of Agenda
7:05 — 3. Public Forum (5 min. per person, non-agenda related)

7:10 — 4. Consent Agenda

4a. Approval of past meeting minutes (August 10, 2026)
4b. Approval of Check Warrant and any liquor/tobacco licenses
4c. Approval of access permit – Livingston (SF 26-706)

7:15 — 5. Regular Business

5a. (7:15) Bristol Conservation Commission – Lord's Prayer Rock and Seth Hill management plans, and Saunders River Access direction requests
5b. (8:05) Town Green Level 2 EV Charger – Grant and Contract Award
5c. (8:15) Revolving Loan Fund Committee – recommendation on Bristol Automotive loan request (informational)
5d. (8:20) Selectboard roundtable
5e. (8:25) Town Administrator's report

8:30 — 6. Other Business (6a. Correspondence, reports, and communications received)
8:30 — 7. Executive Session – not anticipated
8:30 — 8. Adjourn

---

WHAT'S ON THIS WEEK

The Consent Agenda includes approval of the August 10 meeting minutes and the check warrant, plus an access permit for the Livingston property.

Under Regular Business, the Bristol Conservation Commission will present draft management plans for Lord's Prayer Rock Park and the Seth Hill parcel, and will ask the Board for direction on the Saunders and Bristol Flats river access.

The Board will also take up, in open session, whether to accept a state grant and award a contract to install a two-port Level 2 electric vehicle charging station on the Town Green. The grant covers the full cost, so there is no cost to the Town.

No decision has been made yet. The Board is bringing this forward at a public meeting so residents can weigh in before the vote, in person that evening or in writing beforehand.

The Board will then be updated on the Revolving Loan Fund Committee's recommendation on a recent loan request.

No executive session is anticipated.

Times are approximate, agenda subject to change.
Meeting minutes materials: http://www.bristolvt.org/meeting-minutes
Meeting videos: http://www.youtube.com/ and http://www.neatbristol.com

08/17/2026

A note about the Lord's Prayer Rock.

There has been a lot of discussion online about the Lord's Prayer Rock over the past two weeks. I want to give residents an accurate picture of where things actually stand.

In July a resident came to a Selectboard meeting with concerns about how close the rock sits to the traveled road. In early August the Town received a letter from another resident raising several objections and asking that the rock be removed. Both are public records. The letter was included in the Selectboard's August 10 packet as correspondence received.

The Selectboard has taken no action on either one. There is no proposal before the Selectboard to alter, move, or remove Lord's Prayer Rock, and nothing is scheduled.

Since then the Town has received a number of letters and emails on the subject. Every one is logged and goes to the full Selectboard. One thing worth knowing, since a number of people have written already. Letters and emails to the Town are part of the public record, and they have been shared as such.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to write.

Ian Albinson
Selectboard Chair, Town of Bristol

08/13/2026

🚧 BRISTOL WEST WATER PROJECT

Maple Street: Water Work Moves South Toward West Street Next Week

Crews are finishing water service line installation on the north side of Maple Street this week. Beginning next week (August 17 to 21), Munson will work south on Maple Street toward West Street to complete the remaining service line installations and prepare for the final system tie ins.

🔧 FINAL TIE INS

The last major step on this phase is connecting the new water main into the existing system. Four tie in locations remain: Elm at North Street, Taylor at Pine Street, Maple at Pine Street, and Maple at West Street. We will have a clearer picture of the tie in schedule after next week's coordination between the contractor, our water operator, and the engineer.

Tie in work will cause short term disruptions, which may include temporary water shutoffs, precautionary boil water notices for affected properties, and full street closures at the intersections being worked on. Affected residents will receive advance notice before any shutoff or closure. No tie in dates are being announced yet, and we will not schedule this work without giving neighbors time to prepare.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE MEANTIME

🕖 Hours: 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday

🚗 Traffic: Crews use a rolling work zone that moves along the street. Expect short delays and follow all flagger and signage directions.

🚧 Access: Residents should expect to enter and exit from one end of the street or the other during service line work. Road closed signage will be posted.

📦 Right of way: Please remove personal items (vehicles, planters, hoses, basketball hoops) from the road right of way ahead of the crew.

🛣️ PAVING

Final paving happens after the tie ins are complete and the new system has passed testing. Streets remain on temporary trench patch until then, and the town will announce the paving schedule once that work is finished.

Questions or concerns can be directed to Greg Faust, Town Administrator, at [email protected] 💧

Address

1 South Street, P. O. Box 249
Bristol, VT
05443

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18024532410

Website

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