Brookline Town Meeting Passes Proposal To Phase Out Tobacco Use

BROOKLINE, MA — Brookline Town Meeting Thursday voted to remove all gendered pronouns in its bylaws, started the process for a new tax exemption for some seniors and approved the phase-out of the sale and use of tobacco in town.

The Warrant Article regulating tobacco use would ban anyone born after a certain date from purchasing cigarettes, rather than putting a set age limit of 21 on the purchase of tobacco, eventually reducing potential buyers to zero.

"This will not impact any of the 3,200 smokers in Brookline, nor our small businesses current customer base. This Warrant Article aims to reduce regret from initiating smoking," said Anthony Ishak who proposed the warrant article.

The town's legislators also asked that a committee to look into what it would take to establish a minority and women-owned business program and voted to prohibit the town from requiring non-disclosure agreements as a condition of legal settlements related to police misconduct or racial and sexual harassment.

On the first night of the annual Fall Town Meeting, Tuesday, about 223 of the town's 248 voting members approved spending an extra $33 million on the renovations at the high school. And then, despite pushback, the 2.5 percent wage increase for the Brookline Police Department. Night 2, Wednesday, focused on adjusting rules surrounding affordable housing. A long-awaited decision about short term rental use in town, such as Airbnb, was sent to be discussed at a moderator's committee.

How Town Meeting Voted Thursday Night:

Article 12: Proposal to join Community Preservation Act

• Vote: Postponed to Monday, Nov. 30

Article 13: Proposal to increase the senior property tax exemption

• Vote: Passes with 182 in favor 35 against and 12 abstaining

Article 14: Proposal to amend the town's tobacco control law.

• Vote: Passes with 139 in favor 78 against, and 11 abstaining.

Article 15: Proposal would establish a minority and women-owned business program

• Vote: Motion to refer to a committee: Passes in 209 favor, 14 against and 5 abstaining

Article 16: Proposal to make it legal in Brookline to have recall elections of townwide officials

• Vote: no motion.

Article 17: Proposal to regulate Election Day signs

• Vote: Passes with 214 in favor, 1 opposed, and 7 abstaining

Article 21: Regarding limiting nondisclosure settlements and posting them on the town website.

• Vote: The Advisory Committee amendment (which cut most except for reporting them) fails with 95 in favor, 121 opposed and 8 abstaining
• Vote: The main motion passes 146 in favor, 66 opposed and 15 abstaining.

Article 22: Gendered Pronoun Change: This proposal would change he/she to they/them in the town bylaws.

• Vote Passes 216 in favor, 2 opposed and 8 abstaining.

Article 23: This would change Brookline general law, as related to Article 22.

• Vote: Passes 211 in favor, 1 opposed and 7 abstaining.

Watch it here, thanks to Brookline Interactive Group:

Read more:

Night 2: Brookline Town Meeting Adjusts Affordable Housing, Eyes Airbnb
Night 1: Brookline Town Meeting Approves $33M For Brookline High School

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how.