Brookline Fall Town Meeting 2019: What It's All About

BROOKLINE, MA — In less than a month the town's legislators will gather to vote on more than 30 issues that could impact everything from how old someone has to be to vote in a town election to whether the Driscoll School gets money to get a makeover as a four-section school to stricter regulations on how marijuana businesses can operate here.

The regular Fall Special Town Meeting will technicality be three special Town Meetings lumped together after residents too late to submit proposals to be included in the original Town Meeting were able to collect enough signatures (10 are required) to get their proposals set up for their own meetings.

The main meeting has more than 30 proposals on the table, including whether money should be set aside to make renovate Driscoll to become a four section school, whether to raise the stipend for those who are elected to town office, a resolution to hold off on further piloting of electric scooters in town until the State legislators get a more clear sense of state laws on the matter, a motion to prohibit gas-powered leaf blowers in town. There's also a proposal to prohibit the town from using face-recognition surveillance and several regarding proposals to rename the Coolidge Corner School (formerly the Devotion School).

The second meeting within the main meeting will have legislators consider whether to lower the voting age in town to 16. The third focuses on three proposals to tighten restrictions on cannabis retailers.

The fall Town Meeting is set to happen Nov. 19. It will start at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at the Brookline High School.

Town Meeting is Brookline's Legislative arm of government. It consists of 240 elected Town Meeting members, plus the members of the Select Board, and any state representative or state senator who lives in Brookline. The Town Moderator, Sandy Gadsby presides and the Town Clerk Pat Ward acts as secretary, and both are voting members.

The 240 are elected by precinct, with 15 members elected from each of the town's 16 precincts. The members are elected for staggered three-year terms so that five members are elected from each precinct each year in the May annual town election.

Town Meeting is responsible for passing a balanced annual town budget, and enacts all town bylaws. An Annual Town Meeting is held in the spring to enact the following year's budget, plus whatever other matters are placed on the Town Meeting warrant, either by the Select Board or by citizen petition. The Annual Town Meeting is usually held the last week in May or the first week in June. A special Town Meeting is held each fall, usually in November, to deal with any budget changes, zoning by-law amendments.

Here's what's on the docket for the original Special Town Meeting:

1. Approval of unpaid bills. (Select Board)
2. Approval of collective bargaining agreements. (Human Resources)
3. FY2020 budget amendments. (Select Board)
4. Appropriation for a four section Driscoll School (Ananian TMM10, et al )
5. Authorization for the disposal and sale of the real property at 15-19 Oak Street..
(Nobrega, TMM4, et al)
6. Resolution pertaining to the annual stipends received by members of the Select
Board and other committees. (McClelland TMM11, et al)
7. Resolution pertaining to the maintenance of pavement markings. (Miller)
8. Legislation authorizing the Select Board to offer a senior discount program for water
and sewer rates. (Select Board)
9. Resolution pertaining to the establishment of a real estate transfer fee
(MacMillan,TMM4, et al)
10. Amend Article 4.9 of the Town’s General By-laws to dissolve the Committee on
Campaigns. (Select Board)
11. Authorization for the termination and relocation of certain sewer and drainage
easements at Kerrigan Place. (DPW)
12. Authorization to enter into Solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for rooftop
solar photovoltaic installations on certain Town properties. (Select Board)
13. Amend Section 4.07 of the Town’s Zoning By-Law to allow Accessory Ground Mounted Solar Photovoltaic Installations. (Planning Department, et al)
14. Amend Section 6.04 of the Zoning By-law pertaining to electric vehicle parking.
(Ananian TMM10), et al)
15. Amend Section 6.02 of the Zoning By-law to eliminate minimum parking
requirements and establish maximum parking ratios for storefront uses within the
Transit Parking Overlay District (TPOD). (Pehlke, TMM2, et al)
16. Resolution pertaining to E-Scooters and other micro-mobility devices (Warren,
TMM1, et al)
17. Resolution pertaining to Open-Air Parking Licenses and Electric Vehicle Charging
Outlets. (Ananian, TMM10, et al)
18. Amend the Town’s Zoning By-laws to change the definition of “lodger” and permit
certain short term lodging. (Gladstone, TMM16, et al)
19. Amend the Town’s Zoning By-law to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (Blood)
20. Amend the Town’s Zoning By-law to allow Micro Unit Dwellings in the Coolidge
Corner General Business District. (Zuker)
21. Adoption of a new General By-Law prohibiting new fossil fuel infrastructure in
major construction. (Gray TMM10, et al)
22. Amend Article 8.31 of the Town’s General By-laws to prohibit the use of gasoline
powered leaf blowers. (Warner)
23. Amend Article 8.31 of the Town’s General By-laws to prohibit blowing leaves and
debris onto public property. (Warner)
24. Amend Article 3.14 of the Town’s General By-laws pertaining to the Commission for
Diversity, Inclusion and Community Relations and Citizen Complaints (Conquest,
TMM6)
25. Adoption of a new General By-law prohibiting the Town from using Face
Surveillance. (Hummel, TMM12)
26. Rename the Coolidge Corner School the “Florida Ruffin Ridley School” (School
Committee, et al)
27. Rename the Coolidge Corner School the “Ethel Weiss School” (Ruttman)
28. Rename the Coolidge Corner School the “Robert I. Sperber School” (Selwyn,
TMM13)
29. Resolution pertaining to an Economic-Equity Advancement Fund (O’Neal, TMM4)
30. Adoption of a new General By-Law pertaining to the establishment of a Brookline
Community Engagement Plan (Brown, TMM1, et al)
31. Resolution pertaining to the Town’s response to Climate Change. (Milner-Brage
TMM12, et al)
32. Amend the Town’s General By-laws to replace “Chairman” and “Chairperson” with
“Chair”. (Gordon, TMM1, et al)
33. Amend the Town’s General By-laws to replace references to “inhabitants” and
“Citizens”. (Gordon, TMM1)
34. Amend the Town’s General By-laws regarding eligibility for membership on boards,
commissions and committees. (Gordon, TMM1)
35. Reports of Town Officers and Committees. (Select Board)

Special Town Meeting 2

1. Lower voter age for municipal elections to 16.

Special Town Meeting 3:

1. Would amend the bylaw regarding the maximum range of hours for Marijuana Retailers. The change would be to 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays, and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

2. Would require Marijuana Retailers in town to be appointment or reserve ahead only.

3. Asks that the town not issue new operating licenses for Retail Marijuana Establishments until such time as: (1) the Select Board appoints a study committee, which shall include, among others, representatives from impacted neighborhoods, to assess the effectiveness of Brookline's marijuana bylaws and policies given Brookline's recent experience with the sale of recreational

marijuana including NETA's operation and its neighborhood impact, and (2) the
appointed study committee submits its findings and recommendations at a public hearing
held by the Select Board no later than March 1,2020.

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