Brookline Town Meeting Approves $33M For Brookline High School

BROOKLINE, MA —Some 240 elected legislators logged online Tuesday night for the beginning of what promises to be several nights of fall Town Meeting. The town's legislative body approved an additional $33 million to finish the renovation of the High School and $14.9 million to fund the purchase of part of the old Newbury College property.

The first night elected precinct representatives discussed and voted on only a handful of proposals. Three hours into the meeting Town Meeting had only voted on three topics, and one of the votes was to defer a vote until Wednesday.

But there are more than 40 issues on the table. Last fall there were more than 30 proposals for the legislators to tackle meant the meeting lasted five nights for the first time in recent memory. Generally the meeting begins at 7 p.m. and will last for three or four hours and have spanned two or possibly three days.

Articles that Brookline Town Meeting will likely tackle on Night 1:

Article 1, for Special Town Meeting 1: Proposal to appoint two measurers of bark and wood. (Sponsored by the Select Board)

• Vote: Passes. 209 in favor, 5 opposed 13 abstaining.

Article 1, for Special Town Meeting 2:

Resolution to appropriate additional funds to the various accounts in the fiscal year 2021 budget or
transfer funds between said accounts, including $246,000 for Commissioner of Public Works.

The Brown Amendment.

• Vote: The vote was deferred to Wednesday.
• Amendment vote: Vote was deferred.

Main Motion on Article 1, Special Town Meeting 2: A five part motion on budget adjustments, golf enterprise fund, parks and rec commission, funding for the Davis Path Footbridge and appropriation for transportation network assistance.

• Vote: Passes, 205 in favor, 8 opposed and 9 abstentions.

Article 2, for Special Town Meeting 2: Related appropriating $32.7 million to complete the renovation and expansion of the high school. Requires 2/3 vote.

• Vote: Passes 207 in favor, 8 opposed and 6 abstentions.

Article 3, for Special Town Meeting 2: Related to authorizing the Select Board to use $14.9 million funds for the purchase of the Newbury College property (the town voted on this in November).

• Vote: 212 in favor, 6 opposed and 5 abstentions.

Article 2, from Special Town Meeting 1: Regarding approval of a 2.5 percent increase in salary for collective bargaining agreements with the Brookline Police Department. The MOU includes the first step in having the regarding body cameras (Human Resources) Read more: Brookline Edges Forward On Implementing Police Body Cam Policy

• Vote: Passes, 161 in favor, 52 opposed and 10 abstentions.

Set for a vote Wednesday:

The Brown Amendment

Article 3: Special appropriations. (Select Board)

• Vote:

Article 4: Approval of unpaid bills. (Select Board)

• Vote:

1. Host community payments, what to do with excess money from Marijuana Dispensaries (Select Board)
   1. Vote:
2. In-Car Video and Body-Worn Camera policy for the police department(TMM Donelle O’Neal)
   1. Vote:
3. Amending Brookline's Affordable Housing Requirements and Affordable Housing Trust. (Roger Blood)
   1. Vote:
4. Amending Brookline Affordable Housing (Deborah Brown, David Lescohier, Arthur W. Conquest, III, C. Scott Ananian, Robert Lepson, Luciana Schachnik and Bob Schram)
   1. Vote:
5. Defining Short-Term Rentals (Select Board)
   1. Vote:
6. Proposal to create regulations allowing for short-term rentals (Select Board)
   1. Vote:
7. Who enforces short-term rental regulations (Select Board)
   1. Vote:

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