Brookline Makes History In The Bathroom At Town Meeting Night 2

BROOKLINE, MA — Brookline just became the first municipality in the country to require menstrual hygiene products in the town's public bathrooms. Proponents of a proposal to have the town include the products in town-owned bathrooms said menstrual hygiene products - tampons and pads - are just as important as toilet paper. The cost to the town? About $7,300 the first year.

"Let's stop treating menstruation as if it's something to hide or make fun of," said Town Meeting member Hadassah Margolis who spoke Thursday night at Night 2 of Town Meeting in support of bringing free feminine hygiene products to public restrooms and ending the stigma that surrounds periods.

There was some concern about cost, or that people might take more than one item at a time. But the students from Brookline High School who were behind the idea said, "so what?" The whole point, they said, was to make sure anyone who needed a pad or a tampon could have it. The plan would also put dispensing machines in men's restrooms, too. The argument for that: Not all female-bodied people identify as women.

Rebecca Stone who brought the article forward, told Patch that schools, prisons and shelters have required something similar here and there but, "No other municipality " has.

Town Meeting voted unanimously to adopt the proposal, but the town has until July 1, 2021 to adopt it.

Thursday night Town Meeting also approved a proposal to create an overlay zoning district that would allow Chestnut Hill Realty to build an apartment, hotel project in Coolidge Corner where the Waldo-Durgin garage is situated. The other option was to allow a 40B there.

A proposal that would allow for allocating money from parking meters in Brookline Village to beautifying the village, passed despite more than an hour of discussion. Some expressed concern about equity.

"The parking benefit district can be used to promote equity," said Chris Dempsey who brought the idea forward.

Susan Healey, owner of a business in Brookline Village, said customers are often late to appointments because they can't find parking. It's something that deters customers. But She supports a Brookline Village Parking Benefit District because it could help people get excited come to the village.

For those keeping track at home: Town Meeting members voted on nine articles night 1, and seven articles night 2. That leaves 15 articles to split between on Tuesday, May 28 and Thursday, May 30.

Still left to discuss: Dog park enforcement, a proposed ban on flavored tobacco and an apology to fired firefighter Gerald Alston.

Here's How Town Meeting Voted Thursday, Night 2:

Article: 11: This asks for the legislative body's approval for the town's agreement with the MBTA to expand the high school over the MBTA tracks.

Vote: Passes.

Article 12: This would allow for widening the sidewalks and planting trees at 20 Boylston Street, where a mixed use development is being built.

Vote: Passes unanimously.

Related to Waldo-Durgin Project:

Article 13: The Select Board proposes a new Waldo-Durgin zoning district for a portion of Coolidge Corner. The district would include three parcels owned by Chestnut Hill Realty.

Vote: 205 in favor, 4 against.

Article 14: This is related to the Waldo-Durgin and would approve an agreement with the town and Waldo-Durgin and work in concert with related articles.

Vote: Passes unanimously.

Article 15: Also related to the Waldo-Durgin development. The current proposed developments are either a hotel or a residential building, but future uses could include buildings exempt from taxation, so this article would assure the town and Waldo-Durgin would enter into a "Tax Certainty Agreement," to ensure the town would collect taxes for 95 years.

Vote: Passes unanimously.

Article 16: This proposal asks the town to establish a Parking Benefit District in Brookline Village that would allocate revenue from parking meters to be used in Brookline Village on “projects and improvements such as enhanced winter lighting, flowers and greenery, public art, and improvements for pedestrians and cyclists,” according to the warrant article.

Vote: Passes, with 124 voting yes, 84 voting against, and 10 abstaining.

Article 20: This asks the town to provide free feminine hygiene products in public restrooms owned or leased by the town.

Vote: Passes unanimously.

Check out the live tweet highlights from the night:

Watch it live on Brookline Interactive here:

Here's a quick look at what was voted on Night 1 of Town Meeting: Brookline Town Meeting Night 1: How they voted

Catch the play-by-play by searching #brooklineTownMeeting on Twitter:

Previously:

Brookline Town Meeting What's On Tap?

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).