Brookline Town Meeting Votes To Block Funding Alston Litigation

BROOKLINE, MA— Town Meeting voted Night 3 of the annual Town Meeting in Brookline to block the Town from spending any more money to litigate the appeal of a civil service case. The vote comes as the legislative board considered the proposed budget of $317,669,708, amid a year when the the town is scrambling to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and a racial justice movement.

As a condition of passing the police budget, the some 240- member body also moved to require the police department report what type of riot gear equipment they use and any time civilians are injured to the Select Board.

They discussed at length an amendment that would prohibit the Town from using Town funds to continue to appeal the court case of firefighter Gerald Alston, a black firefighter who said he was illegally fired. Read more: Brookline Racism Case: Federal Court Rules In Favor.

Alston has been reinstated to the town payroll and paid backpay for the years after he was fired in 2016. It will cost the Town about $1.9 million to continue paying him benefits and salary through his retirement, according to Christine Westphal of the Advisory Committee.

Proponents stressed that Town Meeting last year had voted to apologize to Alston, and this was a way of putting their money where their mouth was. Critics and Select Board members and Town Counsel said because the case was precedent setting it could have larger implications.

Town Meeting voted in favor of the amendment with a vote of 110 to 104 and 20 people abstained.

"This is a great vote for Brookline," said Town Meeting Member Michael Burstein. "Let's hope there is follow-through."

A look at the budget

This year's budget assumes a $12.2 million shortfall because of the impacts of the pandemic. After submitting their original proposed budgets, the budget proposal was revised and trimmed.

"This year, allocating money in a way that is both responsive to priorities and fiscally responsible has been painfully difficult," said Mike Sandman, who chairs the Advisory Committee, Brookline's financial board Wednesday night.

Much like other departments the police has had its original budget trimmed already, but two proposals would trim either another $1 million or $2 million from its budget and redirect the funds toward social programing and the schools in town.

The Spring Warrant originally included more than 40 warrant articles before more than a dozen were deferred to the November Town Meeting.

Still, the meeting appears set to last four days.

Tuesday night the discussion largely centered on what to do about the former Newbury College property. The articles include proposing a special zoning district in Fisher Hill, that would allow Welltower, the developer, to create a senior living community on a portion of the old Newbury College campus. In the end, Town Meeting gave the green light to allow the select board to acquire the western portion of the property for $14.8 million, provided an override to get that funding passes the voters at large.

Wednesday, the body gave the green light to the select board to authorize the sale of three condos next to the Baldwin School, that the town bought last year in anticipation of a (now failed) attempt to renovate and expanding that school. Read more: Brookline Town Meeting Night 2: Oak Street Condos Can Be Sold

The discussion on the town's FY21 budget and the question of proposed cuts to the Brookline Police Department budget is set to begin Tuesday, the fourth and final night of the meeting.

The tentative schedule:

• Tuesday, the legislative body reviewed routine "housekeeping" articles and 1-15.
• Wednesday Town Meeting addressed Articles 16, 18, 19, and 25. And started presenting on the budget.
• On Thursday, Town Meeting reviewed some conditions to appropriations, Free Cash and some of the School Budget.
• Tuesday the body is set to review proposed cuts to the police department's budget:
• On Tuesday, Town Meeting is set to finish the budget.Watch the meeting: