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Whole set. [Music] [Music] When you hop on the Wi-Fi, do you use broken net or PSB? Usually broken, but is it not working for you? No, I just um I'm just so used to using PSV. Oh, I always use bricknet. Yeah, but
Bernard was having an issue with Hello. Hi. [Music] You're in the right place. But there's a problem. What is it? Doors downstairs.
[Music] It's locked. Let me check on that. Thank you for letting me know. Interesting. Thank you for letting me know. I'll go check on that.
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[Music] recording in progress. And we'll begin in five, four, 3 2 1
Good evening. I'm Bernard Green, chair of the Brookline Select Board, and this is the regular meeting of the select board for August 19, 2025. First item is uh going into executive session. Mule that the select board go
into executive session for the purpose of discussing um matters related to litigation strategy for various opioid settlements negotiated with Perdue Pharma and the SACA family and with various opioid
manufacturers. This litigation matter must be discussed in executive session because an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigation. uh position of the town and the chair so declares an executive session therefore
to be necessary. All in favor please indicate by saying I. John square I. Um Paul Warren or is he on? Paul is not on yet. Okay. Uh David Corman I. Michael Rubenstein. Hi. And chair voti. Uh the select board will
return after the executive session. Thank you. [Music] [Music]
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[Music] [Music] All right, it's six o'clock, so we're
coming back in 5 4 3 2 1 Good evening. I'm Bernard Green, chair of the Brookline Select Board, and this is the regular meeting of the select board for August 19, 2025. And this will be our last meeting of the
of the month, right? Yes. Before the war closes, too. Yeah. Okay. So, we will not be back next week. Um, let's start off with u announcements or updates from the select board. Any select board members uh have anything to
say? John, a couple short ones. Um, first of all, I just want to say if if people are, you know, watching tonight and have not yet, um, experienced the farmers market. Um, uh, it's it's continuing for several
more weeks and it is really one of the great sort of features of summers in Brooklyn and, um, it's in the center center street parking lot. Uh, it's on Thursdays. Um, and I just urge people who haven't yet experienced it or people
who haven't experienced it for a while um to um, you know, check it out. Uh, and you'll find lots of great opportunities to buy fresh vegetables, fresh produce, fresh everything there. And um, and ice cream. So, you know,
can't can't fail to mention ice cream. Um uh the other thing I want to mention is that um our kids and and I'm talking about years ago that our kids were um part of this but many years ago they were part of uh the Brooklyn music
school's offerings um in Brooklyn um for for any parents of children especially children aged six to nine and I'll explain that in a minute. Um the Brooklyn Music School is one of those uh aspects of Brooklyn that is is just a
treasure. Um and it has been so for gen literally generations. Um brought kids into contact with um the world of music, the world of um musical instruments. um and it has um I'm sure graduated many
many people um who then became um you know uh part of the world of instruments and of music for life. I don't know whether that means on the stage in any cases but um they will continue they will continue to be enriched for the rest of their lives because of the
initial musical training um and introductions that they got at the Brooklyn Music School. And the reason I bring it up right now is that um from August 25th to 28th, uh there is a program for k young kids um aged six to
nine. Uh I urge people who are parents of children in that age group um to look up Brooklyn Music School. They have their own website. Learn more about the Meet the Instruments program um that's coming up August 25th, 28th. Uh, and
hopefully if some are interested and haven't yet registered, there'll still be a chance to register. Um, and that's all I've got. Thank you. Any other comments? No. And look at look and see if Paul wants to say anything, but apparently
not. Okay, let's move on to public comment. Uh, Tiffany, let's lay out the rules and hear from the public. Thank you for joining us for public comment. This is an opportunity for us to hear your perspective on the issues in Brookline that matter to you. Each
person speaking tonight is limited to three minutes. You don't need to use the entire time, but you may if you like. Once 15 minutes has been met, there is an opportunity at the conclusion of the select board's business for additional comments. Members of the public sometimes raise questions during public comment. We may be able to provide a
quick answer to a question, but are more likely to work with staff to get a more thorough answer and respond over email. The on-screen timer will flash orange when you have 30 seconds remaining and red when your time is nearly up. Please conclude your remarks at that time. If you have more to say, you are welcome to
send an email to board members expressing your thoughts in greater detail. Any person wishing to speak must begin their comment by identifying themselves with their full name and either their Brookline precinct number or street address. The first uh individual who signed up in advance for
public comment is Kevin McKenzie. Hello, my name is Kevin McKenzie. I am a town meeting member for precinct 13 and chair of Brooklyn's Commission for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Community Relations. Though I am not speaking in that capacity, I am asking you as the select board to vote favorably to allow Victory Programs to
purchase the property at 16 William Street. I also want to thank all members of the board and town administrator Carrie for keeping all protected classes and their rights in mind during your deliberations and in how you have engaged with members of the public. Thank you for your service to our community.
Thank you. The next speaker is Kim Rach. Let me see if Kim's online. Yes, Kim, I'm promoting you now. And you can start your video if you're comfortable and begin your three minutes. All right. Are you able to hear me?
Yes, we can. All right. Hi, thank you for taking my comments. I'm Kim Reichelt at 87 Koolage Street and I'm here to speak about the 40B proposal for 429 Harvard. Others have spoken before about many issues. The congestion, the parking, the
massing, the architecture of the rodents, etc. I'm going to focus on just two, mostly one. The first is that this board worked very hard to develop zoning for Harvard Street that fits the town and that the town overwhelmingly supported. I ask you to work with this
zoning and enforce it to the best of your ability. Why do we pass it if we were going to abandon it the moment it was challenged? If you find it needs adjustment, then go through that process again deliberately and building consensus. Since you've gone through this process, it makes little sense to cast that effort aside so readily. So, I
encourage you to support here a proposal that fits within our regulations. Second, and the issue I want to focus on is the trees, the healthy mature trees that the owner removed from this site. At the last meeting, you heard from us that the owner had made no effort to
reach out to the neighbors at all and you encouraged them to do so. They did hold a meeting last week in which they presented their proposal and heard our concerns. A sizable group gathered and among us many mentioned the trees that the developer had cut down. The follow-up summary the owner sent after,
however, did not even mention the tree removals. When asked at the meeting why they cut down the trees after being asked several times, actually, the owner finally answered and said they were diseased, that they were a liability, dropping branches on the sidewalk.
There were four trees. Only one of them was not healthy. The others were beautiful, healthy, and mature. And if any had actually dropped branches, obviously pruning them would have been a reasonable step. When the neighbors had checked with the tree warden, he said he had nothing to do with this because the
tree permits, given the regulations at that time, were not required. Neighbors, therefore, took photos documenting the trees. They they were beautiful. So, I am not saying that the tree removals were unlawful. Unfortunately, they were allowed at that time. What I am saying
is that the owners were not being transparent with us. I believe the truth is the trees were taken down because the owner knew that soon he would not be able to take them down so easily as regulations were being developed. So, we rushed to do it while the regulations still permitted it. Maybe a good business decision since it was legal to
and to his advantage. I just wish he had admitted it. Now, the owners will tell us not to worry about all the problems with the design. They'll work with us. So you and we are being asked to trust that this owner will listen to us and deal with us in good faith and be honest with us and that does not appear to be
something we can count on. Thank you. Thank you. The next speaker is Orit Ay Bur. After or will be Susan Freed. Good evening. My name is Dr. Orit Ane Bon. I'm a psychiatrist and a women's
mental health uh specialist. I'm a former Harvard psychiatrist. Uh I started my own um women's mental health service at Brighamin Women's Hospital and was the uh founding and acting director for nine years. I'm also a
resident of Brooklyn over 22 years now and I live on William Street precinct 9 and I'm here to talk about the plan to put a sober house on William Street specifically. Um, I think you've heard a lot of concerns about the sober house. I
want to start with compassion. I think that as a psychiatrist, I know firsthand that addiction is a disease. It's not a moral failure. It's not I don't think anybody here passes judgment on uh potential residents. Uh however uh
compassion should include risk uh and and looking risk in the eye and assessing uh what the risks are for women in this program and people outside of this program neighbors uh the elderly people who live in the neighborhood the
young children who go to school across the street and the kids who go to um I think an afterchool program also across the street um as a psychiatrist I'm a mandatory reporter and I've had the very unfortunate situations where I had to
report a mother uh more than once but in particular I remember one mother who uh was a very devoted mother who uh succumbed to substance abuse and I had to report her because she put her child in danger. Women in particular, when
they lose custody of their children, their addiction problems are more severe on average than other people who suffer uh from addiction. Uh they have more on average, they have more trauma in their past. They have more depression, they
have more PTSD, and they're more vulnerable to relapse. I'm concerned about what I've heard about uh the victory programs. I heard that there's no drug checks, which is standard of care when it comes to addiction programs. I've heard that there's no um
consequences for relapse, which is standard of care um for these programs. And I am very concerned about the risk for the children actually in this program. Uh the women's themselves and I know victory programs um are very highly
kind of they're reputable. um they do their best, but those kind of components are of concern when they're not present. The women are at risk, the children who are live with them may be at risk, and the neighborhood as well uh could be at
risk. I don't think anybody here thinks that those people are bad people. I mean, people future residents if the sober house takes place and I urge you to listen to us. We're not just crying wolf. Uh we're concerned and there's studies that show that we're right. Thank you.
Thank you. The next speaker is Susan Freed. After Susan Freed will be Bomb Moran. My name is Susan Freed. Sorry, can you bring the mic closer? Can you start my time over? Yes. My name is Susan Freed from 50 Winchester Street. From the beginning,
our group has been wrongly accused of being anti-l lowincome housing, racist or elitist. These are baseless and deeply hurtful claims. We have always supported keeping 16 William Street as lowincome housing. It was only
when we learned the site would become transitional housing for individuals recovering from substance abuse that we voiced our concerns. Our concerns grew as we learned more about victory programs, including published reports about management issues and most
recently about crime. And I have handout of just a quick summary of crimes that have occurred at Victory House programs. Our worries are not rooted in prejudice. They are practical concerns raised by older residents and parents of young children who expect their voices to be
heard. We have stated repeatedly, we are open to solutions. We have questioned why the funds already in the town budget were not considered for alternatives more aligned with the lowincome housing mandate. We've submitted questions and proposed sensible conditions that could
allow this project to move forward with neighborhood support. We offered suggestions suggested provisions to the agreement well within the board's purview regarding occupancy and license requirements. Instead, our requests have been ignored. The current proposal
addresses none of our issues. Our concerns have been dismissed as overreactions, but refusing to even engage with us isn't public service is a disservice. If your well-intentioned but dogged pursuit of protect the underserved, you have marginalized these
groups of protected citizens. As an elected body, you're expected to listen to all residents, not just those who agree with you. Tonight, I'm asking you to show us that our voices matter. work with us to find safeguards to protect vulnerable populations while respecting
families living nearby. That's what true leadership looks like and that's what our community deserves. I have a copy of our petition with 300 signatures. I'm happy to leave them with you and I will send them to you electronically as well. Thank you. The next speaker is Bob
Maran. My name is Robert Moran. I live in precinct 11. The board is looking at the victory programs proposed transitional residence for recovering drug addicts through rosecolored glasses. What could possibly go wrong? Everyone knows the
answer. That is the reason 300 members of the neighborhood have signed a petition opposing the facility. Listen to the people. It is their neighborhood. The neighborhood opponents are not a wellorganized special interest group like PAX. They are a diverse group of
people who have come together to protect their neighborhood. They are shocked the select ward wants to shove this project down the throats of the people. That is why there clear and present danger. That is why the neighborhood
filled with elderly persons in near an elementary school is opposed to the facility. Increased crime. There's a strong correlation between drug use and crime. Probability. The residents will relapse. This is neither bias nor
stigmat stigmatization. It is data facts. Please protect the residents of the neighborhood. That should be the primary goal of the select board. red herrings. Ne neither the Fair Housing Act nor the Dover Amendment mandate that
the town assign its right to purchase to victory programs. Neither the report of the staff nor the advisory board mention that at all. If the town assigns its right to BCDC or elects not to exercise its rights to
purchase, this will not be a violation of the Fair Housing Act or the Dover Amendment. The town has a choice. Fiscal crisis. The town is projected to have a deficit of 7 million dollars next year. I just learned this six days ago. The
town cannot afford to keep 16 Williams off the tax roles. Two condominiums will generate $100,000 in tax revenue each year. Victory programs pilot payments will be peanuts, maybe $5,000 per year.
The town needs to expand revenue. It cannot afford to pass up putting 16 William Street on the tax roles. Hold their feet to the fire. The board has leverage. It has the upper hand in negotiating with
victory program. I was hopeful that the board would insert meaningful protections into the agreement. It did not. No ban on arsonists, no ban on sex offenders, no mandatory random drug testing, no one strike in, you're out, and reducing the minimum size
requirements of the lodge lodging house regulations, allowing more people. Competing sober houses such as Vanderberg Sober Living in Beverly, Marble have these restrictions, including bans on arsonists and sex offenders in mandatory
drug testing. 2021 murder at 6 Virginia Street. I just found out about it today. Thank you. That concludes your time. Taylor never mentioned it. That concludes time for public comment at the beginning of the meeting.
Thank you, Tiffany. Next, let's go to the miscellaneous calendar. Sorry, I did want to just for the record know that there were two individuals who also signed up and that was um Carrie G and um
uh and Anthony B or G. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, next our miscellaneous calendar. Let's start off with approving the meeting minutes from August 5th, 2025. Any corrections from the select board?
Okay. I move approval of the minutes from August 5, 2025. All in favor, please indicate by saying I. John Bencoyak, I. Paul Warren, I. David Pearlman, I. Michael Rubenstein, I. Chair votes I. Next, I'd like to take
items 5B through 5M in omnibus fashion, unless someone would like to pull something out for further discussion. Yes, I do have a question about 5D. Okay. regarding the uh credits change order, right? That refers to
fiscal. Yeah. Right. I I do have a question about that. Okay. You want to Sure. So, essentially, I'm a little bit concerned that offering a credit for unfinished work, what guarantee do we have that it'll be quality work? Who
will be doing it? Who's going to follow up and making sure that happens? Why isn't it being completed by the original contractor? Uh Melissa, do you have the answer or um Chaz is raising his hand? So in uh sorry, Chad Car, town
administrator, and I apologize. Um the uh my camera is off here. I'm trying to preserve bandwidth. Um so a credit change order is historically for items that were not needed to be completed or they came in under budget. So, it's not that we're asking we're we're taking this money from Gil Bane and giving it
to another contractor. It's that it's being taken it's being taken out of their budget because it's not needed. So, um that's not a situation where we're going to be um asking someone else to take to utilize that money,
but it says for defective work. So, for unfinished punch list items, defective work and credit from insurance for non-completed work. So, it's work they didn't it's work they didn't do um or work that we asked them not to do or
work that didn't necessarily meet our standards in either of those cases um you know regardless of whether or not Gilbane uh so Gilbane is not going to complete either Gilbane will complete that work and not charge us or another contractor will complete that work but
it's not a situation where um you know for if if we needed to complete that work at greater expense and there was a contractor fault involved then yes we would pursue the contractor for the difference between the amount of money we had to spend to complete the work and the amount of money that the contractor was due to have the work done for.
Did I see a quizzical look on Michael Urban's face? Uh, so, Administrator Kerry, I'm I'm confused now um as to whether or not this work uh is unfinished and due to be completed
or there is no remaining work to be completed. Could you clarify? I am not sure on this particular set of work what whether it remains to be completed. I would assume the answer is no, but I would defer to the project lead on that. Um I can ask Lap Yan to comment on that when he comes to speak uh about the um
um about the other projects and I will make sure that that gets back to you. Okay. So you want to pull uh pull that off the agenda? I'd like that. Okay. And um Lapan is coming at to our next meeting, not tonight, right?
That's correct. I believe. Okay. And I assume there's no um deadline that has to be met on this. Oh, I don't believe so. Okay. Okay. We'll take that up at the next meeting. So, any other items?
Thank you. Um, so I move of approval and I'm of discussion of items 5B through 5 C and 5E through 5M. All in favor please indicate by saying I. John Benoyette I. Paul Warren I. David Pearlman.
I. Michael Rubenstein I. And chair votes I. Okay. Next our regular calendar. Um if I may, uh could you individually announce the minutes that we're releasing for executive session for the public? Yes.
Sorry. Okay. Okay. Uh so we're announcing um the decision of town council with respect to the release of executive session meeting minutes from January 1st
uh through July 1st, 2025 uh for purposes of disclosure. So, um, January 14, we are releasing. January 28th, we are releasing. February 11, uh, we're withholding.
March 25th, 2025, we're we are withholding page 1 and releasing page two. April 1st, 2025, we're withholding. April 8, 2025, we are releasing page one and withholding page two. April 15,
2025, we are withholding. May 13, 2025, we are withholding. June 4, 2025, we are withholding. June 10, 2025, we we are withholding page 1 and releasing page two. June 17, 2025, we
are withholding. in June 24, 2025, we are withholding. Any questions from the board on that? Okay. So, we've already voted that and uh let's go on to boards and commissions
interviews. Um we have one interview for the housing advisory board. Uh William Fagan. Is he in the Okay, come up to the microphone or podium. And um before you start, I just want to, as I've done before, I'd like to begin with what we
should be looking for in a candidate for town boards and commissions. In general, I think each select board member should be looking for four things. Does the applicant have the skills and background that is required to be successful on the board or commission? Does the applicant
have good ideas and perspectives on the work of the board or commission? Does the applicant bring re relevant diversity to the board or commission to ensure that all communities are represented in the work the board or commission does on behalf of the town?
And four, can the applicant work effectively and respectfully with other members of the board or commission and with the town staff that will be working uh with them uh to evaluate candidates. will gather information on these areas from the application submitted the
interview and from town staff or current members of the particular board of commission. So introduce yourself with your name and why you're interested in being a member of the housing advisory board. William Figgan uh High Street Precinct 5. Could you talk directly into the mic?
Sorry. Can you hear me? Yep. Uh William Figgan precinct 5. I'm interested in in working on the housing advisory board uh because home uh I'm a lifelong resident essentially a lifelong
resident of Brooklyn. Uh live in Brooklyn housing authority development, high street veterans. Uh I've worked for a number of nonprofits that help people with rental assistance and homelessness prevention. Uh
I have a a very deep interest in town government. I have followed the annual reports and financial plans for almost two decades. Uh I believe I can contribute in areas uh such as research and ideas maybe
reaching out to benefit uh public housing or uh maybe working with private foundations and other sources of of funding other than CDBG and and government. Uh, and in general, I'm a pretty
easygoing person. I'm relatively easy to work with and just looking to make a contribution. Uh, I seem to remember from your resume that you served as an administrative assistant for a bunch for a number of agencies.
Yes. You um sort of described your work and how that could be relevant to the housing advisory board. Well, I think I could bring um organization and detailed research. I think um I'm excellent with uh computer
applications. Um have experience with grant applications and things like that. Uh but I think in another aspect I'm also a good team player and I've worked with
many different types of people, many different personalities. Uh I'm diplomatic and and easygoing and I believe uh that's essential to making a team work. Any other questions?
Um I think Michael. Um first of all, thank you very much for your service and also for your application. Um, I know that the housing advisory board has a lot of conversations about both policy uh and
about how to get input from the community and I'm wondering whether you could share any ideas about those two challenges of the uh housing advisory board. I believe uh a website, a web portal
would be a great conduit to gather information and people's opinions. Uh I think surveys, uh data collection, what issues are important to people, whether they're in uh BHA properties or
uh other types of low-income, middle-income housing. Um, thank you, John. Um, I'm just looking for some clarification. Um, and maybe Tiffany could provide it or or maybe maybe
others. Um, we have uh at least one position on housing advisory board that's reserved for H housing. We have two. We have two. And um is William applying for one of the tenant positions? Correct.
That's okay. That's the only vacancy on the housing advisory board right now. Yeah. Great. Great. Um so, uh if you don't do you call are you call? Yeah. Okay. Phil, thanks. Um Bill, do you want to comment just in
particular on uh you know the particular role that uh someone from the housing authority uh who's a tenant of the housing authority can play? Board. No, no, no. He he he's authority tenant. Yeah. can play um as a member of the
housing advisory board. Well, I think in terms of uh knowledge, I've gone through the Brookline school systems, the elementary school, the high school. Um I've watched the community grow and change over the years. Um,
and I think my knowledge and interest, uh, you know, ever since I I know it was built in 1950, my development, uh, it was the old Eliza White estate, and
I know it was laid out by the Mstead Company when it was designed. That's one of the things that stuck out to me was that there's always been a large amount of green grass, trees, foliage. Yeah.
Um, but in terms of I think I'm very would be very good at at collecting opinions and and gathering information and being sort of a conduit between the tenants and the town. Great. Thank you,
Michael. I'm sorry, David. I I notice in your application you talk about how you're interested in performing an in-depth analysis and study of the current housing stock and how to uh expand affordable housing opportunities. Can you talk a little bit
about what your uh past experience is in engaging in that effort or uh what it is specifically you would want to do to pursue that analysis? Um I believe conducting surveys again would
be essential. Uh getting input from tenants um researching and and uh working with developing uh knowledge of 40B programs. Uh I know there's that
it is when a developer builds housing that a certain amount of um apartments have to be uh reserved for people within a certain income. Um, I know
perhaps pursuing things like that, uh, in terms of funding for the Brooklyn Housing Authority, uh, researching, reaching out to things, educational foundations for residents, for, uh, children, for educational opportunities,
technology, uh, those kind of things. Thank you, Paul. Thank you, Bernard. Uh, Bill, thank you for coming forward in your application. Um, I want to ask you a question related
to local preference. Um, local preference is a policy. I believe it's put forward by the the housing advisory board where a certain percentage of uh deed restricted affordable units are
reserved uh or not reserved but the first preference would be for Brooklyn residents. So, if it's a a senior that is looking for affordable housing, they would give a preference or or somebody else that lives in Brooklyn. Uh some time ago, it used to be, I think, 75%
Brookline preference and 25% outside of Brooklyn. Um a few years back that was reversed. Uh it's now 25% is a preference for for Brooklyn residents and 75% for folks outside of Brooklyn. I'm curious, do you have a perspective
on that? Do you think that's the right balance? Would you Is it something you'd want to look at? Do you think it should change? Uh, I believe that uh connections to the town should count for something. Uh, I think if you're a
town employee, if you're uh work for the the town of Brooklyn, uh, and that should count, it should carry some sort of weight. Um I believe that um
I myself am a four generations of my family have lived in Brooklyn and worked uh some for the town and I think that's important although you do today have to uh allow people from
outside the community uh and and just on on that note I notice that we have to work to include those people who come to the comm to housing to Brooklyn from outside the community. Uh
I think that's very important because I see a lot of disconnect you know what is town meeting what is the select board um kind of educating uh and getting people involved in the process.
Okay. Thank you. Okay. Any other questions? Okay. Thank you, Bill. And u we will make our or have our vote at a later meeting. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks, Bill.
Thank you. The next uh alteration, this is a public hearing scheduled for 6:45, so we're 10 minutes early. Why don't we go to the uh Well, the next item is a public hearing, too. Climate leader communities. Yes. Let's go to the climate leader communities and
then go back. Uh hopefully we'll catch up with the clock. Alexander's online. Alexander, I'm promoting you now. Alexander, you've been promoted. Alexander, are you there? We might just need a moment then. What about item 15? I think we can take care of that one pretty quickly. The um
Okay. Select board sponsored warrant articles. Um, this is an item that we normally put in front of the board before the warrant closes just to make sure that there aren't any warrant articles that the board might be working on with a committee that may be um filed on behalf of the board. Um, at this time
I'm not aware of anything that would be filed outside the norm. Um, but just wanted to give that opportunity for the board to share anything that might be coming uh this fall. Anything Paul? Oh, that's not your hand. I see
Chaz is stands up. Yes. Go ahead, Chaz. Thank you. Um, I have two potential warrant articles that I wanted to discuss with the board. The first is a slight housekeeping warrant article and it deals with the advisory committee. The advisory committee has a provision
in its the bylaw that says that members of the advisory committee may not serve on a border committee that has commander uh uh uh control over public funds and that's to avoid the potential for self-deing or even the appearance of selfdeing. Um the uh the moderator and
the heads of the advisory committee have asked in response to us talking to them about this um that we uh offer an exception to that for serving on a committee dealing with um a public building. Uh in particular this would
affect uh school related projects. Um, historically, members of the advisory committee have served on school project committees, uh, and they've been valuable members. And so, both the moderator and members of the AAC have asked the select board endorse
submitting a Warren article. Just to uh clarify that members of the advisory committee um while not being permitted t typically to serve on bodies that have control of public funds may serve on committees that um deal with building or
renovation of public buildings. Okay. Any discussion? John? Uh this is a question for um our town administrator. My understanding is that um there is also uh a question that has been raised as to whether there should
be an exception for the council on aging um on the basis that it does not have fiduciary uh responsibilities. Is that being looked into as a possible additional aspect to this war article? Um Mr. town administrator, if I can chime in here because we actually met
with town council on this today um while you were out. Um and so um town counsel um uh the senior center director Emily Williams and I met to discuss um whether there was true fiduciary responsibility involved with the council on aging. Um
and based on that information, town council is working on sending out um an adjusted determination there. Um town council is online if town council wishes to speak. So, um, Joe Calan, town council, I agree with everything said. We had a meeting about this, uh, earlier today, and I'll
be notifying the individual by email later, too. I'm sorry. You you'll be notifying who? The the individual involved who served spoke on the consul. Okay.
And um I guess you and Chaz will sort of coordinate what type of war articles coming out of that discussion. Okay, Chaz, I'm sorry. Paul, you have your hand up. Yes. Uh thank you, Bernard. So I just I want to just explore this concept of
kind of the conflict. Um so the advisory committee has significant influence over the budget. They submit the budget at town meeting uh including uh the CIP uh which you know is included for for buildings and and maintenance of
buildings and allocation of funds for grounds associated with the buildings. Um and we just recently saw in the past year or two significant advocacy and conflict out of the advisory committee related to school buildings and school
grants. Um you know I I think that's a healthy um barrier frankly. uh between the advisory committee and comm other other boards that or working groups or
whatever that allocate funds. Um you know this is it I think it's I think we really should not touch that. Um because once you start coming up with an exception it's going to be first it's going to be buildings and it's going to be parks and it's going to be and suddenly the advisory committee has populated you know many of these uh
infrastructure uh committees. So I I'm I'm opposed. I'm not supportive of of this type of change. Um, you want to serve on the advisory committee, you have tremendous influence and input into the budget, uh, the CIP and the warrant
articles. If you want to serve on buildings and parks and other things, then serve on buildings and parks and other things, but I don't believe we should be allowing both. Okay. Thank you. Um, someone have their hand up here? I'll put my hand up. Oh.
Um, and I I'm just wondering if maybe there's a little bit of misunderstanding uh in front of us right now as to building we have a building commission uh we and then we have um school building project committees
um and we have the advisory committee and uh as I understand it the possibility here and that's all it is is a possibility is that there will be a um suggested warrant article to deal with uh making an exception for advisory
committee members to serve on building project committees which essentially you know once a building project has been launched. Um the building project committee meets periodically to hear reports on the con project on the pro
excuse me progress of construction any issues that arise you know um any lag in meeting timets any items that go over budget but um you know expertise that is part of one's responsibilities on the
advisory committee having to do with appropriations of funds for uh building maintenance and upkeep and future um capital projects. Um I is important and and it's also one of the key pieces of
expertise that we hope to bring to school building project committees, but I'm not sure there's a conflict of interest in those two things. That's just my opinion. Paul might have a different opinion and that's why we need to discuss this before it becomes a warrant article.
Yeah. So John, is it okay if I speak for a Thank you. Uh John, I I appreciate that that there is uh there is expertise on the advisory committee and that's one of the reasons why we we asked them to be serve on the advisory committee. But the advisory committee has tremendous opportunity to show up at any public
meeting, provide that expertise through public comment or the advisory committee can hold a a subcommittee or ad hoc subcommittee on a specific topic to give specific feedback. But but to actually sit on the body that's going to be making the decision. This isn't just
tracking progress. They make decisions on scope, size, uh you know, budgetary uh you know, input, uh decision making. Um I think it's just there's too much there uh to be on both the the committee that is is appointed and voting to do
something and then also on the advisory committee that would then vote again to to fund something. I I think it's too much of a conflict for certainly for an appointed position that's not elected. Yeah. Done. May May I suggest that we could resolve
this for now? Um uh Paul will forgive me by by by remaining sort of agnostic on on whether we think such an article should be adopted by town meeting. But um th this is on our agenda uh in case you know
there are proposals we haven't heard yet that might be come from town administration and I don't think we're ever going to get to have a full discussion of this unless town administration brings us a proposal you
know with the case uh being made as to why a possible exception should be made for advisory committee members to serve on building project committee. cities and if we think as a result of that being brought to us, we can then decide if we think it's not a good idea. Um,
but I I would hate to see it just sort of stopped cold. Um, when the town administrator maybe has a good idea for uh why why there should be at least consideration given to this um at the upcoming town meeting.
Can we can we um put together a placeholder warrant article? So, because we're not meeting before the warrant closed. We can we can file it and if you don't want to have it included in the warrant, we can pull it before you execute. That's probably a good compromise.
Okay. Time to discuss this. Yeah. I mean, you know, f So, first of all, once you file it, anybody can move it. So, you know, I I'm you're asking staff to spend time on something. You know, I and I think that, you know, the purpose of this discussion to see if we
want them to spend time to file an article on our behalf. The town administrator just said we were asked by so and so to come and ask if the select board would like to put this on the warrant. So, it is up to the select board. Um, and again, I I I think the
second you put it on, uh, any can move it. And I don't think the select board should sponsor such a thing. It's I think it's there's a significant conflict uh between serving on the advisory committee and serving on any other body that allocates funds. Yeah. If if we don't do something, it's
like a veto of the idea, a veto of John's concerns. Alth although I would say it's possible for others others could put this on the warrant, right? This is the another reason why we're having this discussion now. Um, you know, it's certainly possible that if the select board's not
in alignment on this and we don't want to, you know, we don't want to rush into it. Um, we can obviously work with if other people post it, you know, town council can look at the language, um, you know, evaluate it for as to form and substance and then it would be on the warrant. Someone else proposed it. It's
just a question of who the who the, um, sponsoring party is. So, the select board need not submit this if someone else does. Um, so you don't you wouldn't be vetoing it now. Um, it's just a question of whether or not you want to be the ones to submit it, which is absolutely your prerogative.
Um, I just have a question about the process for clarification. Um, if I understood uh Deputy Administrator Goff's comments,
the select board has an option if the town administrator presents a warrant article for us to dis for us to discuss it in a meeting and decide whether or not to put it on the warrant. And if we
decide not to put it on the warrant, then would anybody else be able to move that article from the warrant or would they have to have filed it independently of the select board? So, the select board could choose before
they execute the warrant if they don't want the article on, they could they could remove it. that that doesn't mean that someone else might file the same or similar article in, you know, worrying that that might happen. They may want to just do that just to be sure that that an article is on the warrant.
Right. So, I I believe based on that that member Warren's concern that if we put the article on the warrant um that's that we could decide not to move it, but somebody else could, is obiated by the fact that we don't have to actually put it on the warrant.
I think I think the fact that we have that we won't be meeting again before the warrant closes means we put it on the warrant. Right. Yeah. That's how I understand it. Um if I may, I just want I offer a little background as to how how this came about
as I understand it because I've been getting calls about this. Um uh it was the select board or at least it was our t town administrative staff and good for them. um in the course of reviewing appointments to the advisory committee
to all of the what we call BBC or BCC's boards, committees and commissions um came across um a provision of the advisory committee bylaw that raised a question as to whether there should be notifications sent to certain advisory
committee members that if they served on the advisory committee, they could no longer serve um on on certain other committees. And that happened and and and it was initiated in the town administrator's office and the select
board oversees the operations of the town administrator's office and we've now been approached or at least I have by several people who say do you really want to do this? Do you really you know can can you talk to the administration try to work out something? and good for
the administration. They have um been on the case and they have seen the need if we're going to work out anything is going to require a town meeting um action at least in the case of the advisory committee. Uh and I I think we
need to just give that the go-ahhead tonight and then we'll get to discuss the merits of the issue later. But um it's clearly of concern to people who are serving currently um at least in one case, you know, on a school building project committee and on the advisory
committee. And um uh I I think we owe them an explanation as to why we would or would not go ahead with some kind of warn article that would repair this um because because people have been serving on these school building project committees even though they served on
the advisory committee in the past. So we do need to get this stuff squared. Well, John, I'm not aware of it. David, just Paul, if I could try to understand where you're coming from a bit better. So, are is your position essentially
that it's an inherent conflict to be both on advisory committee and on any other commission that's making a financial decision? Yeah, you're putting too much hands into people who are appointed and not elected. Okay. So, if they're serving on the advisory committee, they submit the
budget. They vote on budget line items. They vote on the CIP. They vote on warrant articles that impact the budget. If you then have that member who's on that very very powerful committee, this the advisory committee also serving on a board or commission or even an ad hoc,
you know, committee for a building or a anything. They're now double dipping. Um I think it's I think it's a significant conflict. And you know, there's we have plenty of expertise in Brooklyn. Uh the reason why everybody should you go to a meeting you see the same faces over and
over and over is because we churn the same people. Um you know there's tre there's a tremendous amount of uh capability within the town of Brooklyn uh for expertise. Um I just again I see conflict um I've seen it I' I've watched it uh sitting in this chair uh for the
for the past two years. So I I I'm I'm not supportive of of us putting a warrant on the article and if such a article was put on, I wouldn't support it for those reasons. I I appreciate that concern. I share it. For me though, it's a question of line drawing because I think we have other
similar potential conflicts where somebody can be both a town meeting member and sit on one of these commissions. And as a town meeting member, you're ultimately responsible for the budget, but you're also making recommendations on your commission. So, we have a lot of that. It's not just
advisory committee. So, I hear what you're saying, Paul, but I think if we're going to address this, and this is also to your point, John, we might want to consider broadening it to not just advisory committee, but anyone who has potential overlap.
Ju briefly, Bernard, David, a town meeting member is not equivalent to an advisory committee member. A town meeting member can vote. They could file an amendment, but they do not submit the budget, right? They don't they can't call a public meeting or a public hearing to propose a specific change to
a line item, right? That that's that's totally at the advisory committee. Um the advisory committee has tremendous influence and power over the finances of the town both operationally and capital and if they're going to serve on the
independent advisory committee which is supposed to be independently advising town meeting to have them also serving on other committees that allocate funds that that they may have to vote on and approve at the advisory committee. They're no longer independent.
So again, I think there's a it's an inherent conflict. Um, and I think it's a good uh policy that is already within our bylaws. It says that they can't serve on something where money is being allocated. Shame on us for not catching it earlier. Jazz, you want to flag for because I
think David raises a good point that I think the law talks a little bit about. Town meeting members and advisory committee members are treated differently under the law. Um, under the conflict of interest law. Under the conflict of interest law, advisory committee members, finance committee members are typically considered to be
employees as far as that is concerned and that they have a fiduciary, an independent fiduciary responsibility to the town. And so they are treated differently when it comes to what they can and can't do. Town meeting members are treated more like members of the public. Um there are some restrictions in what they can and can't do, but
they're much more limited than in the example of an advisory committee member. It's the difference between the appointment to uh a smaller public body that has fiduciary responsibility and then the broader legislative body. Um
under state law the broader legislative body is just not treated as um stringently. And I think a part of that is because in some communities they have an open town meeting. You know if you vote at an open town meeting um you know and you know if you vote for something for example that it would have a
positive impact on you know your own property. um are you creating a conflict of interest and so forth and so for representative count meetings like what we have the state has looser restrictions on what you can and can't do with the advisory committee it is stricter. Where does state law stand on this?
Because it sounds like the proposal would be for us to exempt advisory committee members. It sounds like that's the direction this would go in. So does state law opine on this? The state law does say that you if you have a conflict or the appearance of a conflict that you
can't do this. Brookline bylaw has taken a step further. We we go beyond what the state conflict of interest law requires and says that you can't serve at all if you're an advisory committee member and you also want to be on a committee that then has control over public funds. Um
and so that's in our bylaws. That's not in the state's laws. And so we could loosen that. But even then, advisory committee members would still be bound by the state conflict of interest law, which would prohibit them from, for example, taking a vote in something they had a direct interest on, even if they
served on such a committee. Uh, John, go ahead. Just to uh get us past this, uh, I I I would like to propose um that we do request that the town administrative staff uh put a placeholder on the town
meeting warrant. um and then bring to us their recommendation as to whether action is required that would deal with the question of whether um serving on a school building project committee is um a fiduciary conflict for members of the
advisory committee and should we stick with the bylaw as written or shall we, you know, possibly amend the bylaw to allow for participation on school building project committees of members of the advisory committee. That's my proposal. Can I
Yeah. Raise one point, Bernard. So I just what John's requesting is that we file warrant article, right? And put it on the warrant. Now we now we would have to execute the warrant. We could for us to say no, we're not going to now approve something
on the warrant. We've already filed it. Um you know, we essentially John is asking us to vote tonight to put something on the warrant without even seeing it because we're not meeting again before the warrant closes. Okay. Melissa. So, I think um as a another way to
approach it, what we could do is um and we've done this before. We can we can have the warrant and and have the articles filed as is and then we can create an article but not file it. And then when you are looking to execute the warrant if you want to insert it, you can open the warrant back up, insert it,
and then close the warrant and then execute it. um it's you know that way you know for sure that it's not filed and then you'll have a vote on whether or not you want to put it in. Um that's the you know that's something that we've done before with um you know an article that may have been filed incorrectly you
want to make a correction we can you know that's the mechanism that we use to correct our things as well. I assume we could also do a special town meeting within the spe within the special, right? Yeah, probably not this. Well, you know, on that on that topic,
um, you know, there there is a potential that we will be asking for a special within the special um, one for the budget amendment. I think, you know, it depends on the volume that we're going to be getting for warrants. Um, we have segregated the budget amendment article um, when we've needed to make sure that
we have, you know, closed business pretty pretty swiftly. Um but then also in talking with the planning director about the ADU work that's going on right now. Um I don't think that the working group is quite ready to file a warrant article, but they may be ready in another month or so. Um and you know, as
long as they feel that they've done sufficient engagement in order to be able to time it within the existing special town meeting, um that might be something that we'll we'll look into in October. Okay. So, so Chaz, under that proposal, Chaz would put together um the idea and
um if if we're willing to after discussing it at our next meeting, willing to include it on the warrant, we can open up the warrant and that seems like an easy or good solution without, you know, committing ourselves, you know, early. Does it require a vote right now?
We can put a vote on the war on the the docket when we are ready to execute the warrant. We'll have that as another Yeah. Okay. Okay. It doesn't require a vote now um other than to just ask that that if everyone is agreeable to that. Yeah. We typically don't take votes for this particular item. It's really just a
way to make sure that there's nothing floating out there that you aren't all aware of. Okay. Paul, are you okay with that? Uh I think three of my colleagues at least three of my colleagues are say yes. We don't need to vote on it. Well, not the vote, but the approach.
Yeah. As long as as long as there we have a a place to make a decision to go forward or not. Um Okay. Right. Sounds good. Yeah. Michael, I just want to be clear that the thing that we're asking the town administrator to produce is a warrant article for us
to consider as opposed to like an idea or proposal, but it would be formalized and an explanation or justification for it. Yeah. Yeah. Great. Okay. Okay. You had another one. One more. Um uh and this one also I
think can follow the same pattern if that's what the board would like to do just to have some more breathing room. Um currently you have a human resources uh board that uh the town has a human resources board which is a creature of the bylaws that create that serves two
primary purposes right now. The first is it approves alterations to job descriptions and titles. Um the other thing it does is it um serves as an intermediate step in the grievance process in all of our union contracts. Uh that is typically a a grievance will
go first to the department head then to the HR board and finally to binding arbitration. Um there have been uh the H the members of the HR board have served uh really admirably uh some of them for decades. Um and we are now at a point where we are down one member of the five
member board um and another member is preparing to retire. Um we have advertised that opening on that five member board for a year and have gotten no qualified applicants. The qualifications as you might understand are stringent. uh you know professional requiring them to be an HR professional,
requiring them to live within the town, requiring them to have that level of expertise. Often what we found is that when we approach people asking their interest to serve on the AHR board, they feel they're conflicted out uh because they might have business before the town or they might, you know, for example, if they're labor attorneys, they might
represent an employee at some point uh and so they feel that they can't serve on the HR board. So we are in danger of about of losing a quorum on the HR board and given that the work that the board does while significant um is work that
can be done in terms of the uh job descriptions uh by the HR department and ultimately by the select board since it is you who ultimately approves authorizations to hire um and that the opt uh interim step or the intermediate
step in the grievance process can be handled more efficiently. One of the complaints that we have gotten from the unions is that it takes too long to get in front of the HR board. Um we are considering uh with your permission filing an article to uh disband the HR
board uh and move that function inhouse uh so that we don't run the uh risk of h losing that functionality um if we lose a quorum which seems that we are likely to do in the next year or so. Um, and so I wanted to put that in front of you.
And I would suggest given the kind of the breadth of the last discussion that we have a similar uh uh path forward here where we don't file that, but we prepare an article for your discussion and we notice the public that we have been we're considering this so that you
have the opportunity to hear about it before you decide whether or not it goes on the warrant. Okay. Okay. Say about me. Sounds like a plan. Good. Okay. Um, David, could you take over for a second? Sure.
All right. So, now we will move to a public hearing alteration of premises. Question of approving the application for an alteration of licensed premises for an all alcohol restaurant license for D2 restaurant LLC doing business as
ESM at 1306 Beacon Street. The alteration of premises is to construct a roof deck to include 1,000 square ft with 45 occupancy and is seeking to amend its license to include the deck under the description of licensed
premises. Good evening. Good evening. Hi, Stephanie Budro from our law. With me is David. Sorry. Can you just be sure to speak directly into the mic? Thank you. Sure. Is that better? Yes. Okay. Uh Stephanie Budau from our law on
behalf of D2 restaurants LLC doing business as Esmemes. With me is David Ing the manager of record for Esmemes and the manager of the LLC. Um David has over 30 years of experience in the food and beverage industry and has brought his wealth of experience to Brooklyn
where has been working since 2007. Um tonight we're on the board uh on Esme's request to alter the premises for the purpose of adding a new roof deck at the premises. Originally Hopsson Scotch, the license he changed the name of the restaurant to Esme about a year ago. Uh
the restaurant was named after Mr.'s daughter and to quote the owner was reimagined to create a place that felt like home any time of day. Restaurant now serves a wide selection of lunch and dinner cuisine with craft cocktails, beer, wine, as well as daily tea time.
The idea of the roof deck was conceived over 7 years ago, and the process to get the owner here today has been a bit of a journey. plans were drafted, approved, codes changed requiring additional bathrooms. Um, and there were other delays, but ultimately the town approved
the revised plans for a 30x30 roof deck, and construction of the roof deck is now near completion. Um, as amended, the restaurant would consist of a two-story commercial premises with total interior of 4,400 square ft plus a 1,000 ft roof
deck. The first floor is a bar, dining area, and kitchen. Second floor is a small dining area, small kitchen and the roof deck will be located adjacent to the sec on the second floor. Total occupancy with the roof deck will be 134
with 45 occupancy on the roof. Um the legal ad was placed in the Herald on August 8th. Notice to all of the butters was provided. Um if there are concerns about noise, the closest residents are a building that are six to seven storefronts away and across the street
from the dry cleaner. So, we don't think noise will be an issue. Um, notably, this roof deck is a bit revolutionary for the town because it will be the very first roof deck restaurant in Brooklyn. Uh, recently Brooklyn's economic development leaison came to visit the
store and we're very pleased with the roof deck and plan to use Esme as a barometer for consideration of other roof decks in the town. Um, in close, we request approval of the town of the license amendment and that it be submitted to the ABCC for their approval as well. Uh, and again, David is here
for any questions the board might have. All right. Thank you. Any questions, John? Um, thanks very much. Uh, and, uh, I think we're all excited about this proposal, but there's a couple things about it I'm not 100% sure of. Uh I is
there going to be access to the roof deck from the second floor? In other words, you don't climb up to the roof of the second floor. You you go step out. Correct. The stairs there's the staircase going right upstairs and you just go right outside. You can go right outside. Correct.
Um and it does your license um allow for the possibility of you know music to be or we have music but we intend absolutely intend on being a conservative roof deck. We're moving away from the bar liquor business, if you will, just by
the need, if if you will, over the last five years, moving more towards food. And my wife is a classically trained chef. She's got a she's a undergrad and graduate of uh uh Johnson Wales, and she's cooked around the world, a year and a half in Hawaii, three years in
France to that effect. So, we're moving more towards the food aspect of it and not the whole bar aspect of it. Yeah, if that makes sense. But but in terms of uh music um you put you planning on there being like performances on the deck? Not performances. No.
Uh or or music piped into the deck like Yeah. If uh surrounding uh speakers if you will. Yeah. And I wonder does the current license allow for that or would there have to be an amended license? If I can chime in here administrator for operations. Yes. We would need the applicant to revise the entertainment
license to include the outdoor deck for any music to be outside. And I Tiffany, I'm sorry, but I didn't clearly understand what you said. Oh, sorry. I said that very quickly. Um, yes. Uh, so the current entertainment license wouldn't apply to the outdoor area. They would need to revise that to
include the outdoor area and that music would be there. And so that is not in front of us right now. No, that would have to go to the licensing panel. But we did want to bring normally this resumes would have gone forward to the licensing panel first and then to you all. but we wanted to bring it directly to you all because it's the first application of um a roof
deck and because we had interest among the board um in knowing more about roof deck roof deck opportunities. Okay. And so for now um if we say yes to this tonight, will that include um they have permission to serve food on the
roof deck? Um uh or will that also await further uh permit? No, this would be the only um application for that. It's just the entertainment piece. It would allow for serving of food but would not allow for there to be, you know, music piped out to the people on Correct. Yeah. Okay. Okay.
Thanks. Yeah. Would it be possible because the entertainment is not public notice to apply make a motion now to have that voted on and I will submit a application uh following the hearing? Uh the entertainment license actually doesn't
require a public notice component to it. It's only the all alcohol. Right. Right. Right. So that's what I mean. Could could the board vote on it now and then we would submit the application tomorrow? I I don't think it's our practice to vote on something sight unseen, but it's
something that we could certainly take up in the near future. Thank you. Yeah, but I and I feel like there needs to be uh a regular Wednesday meeting of the licensing review that the public can know that there is going to be consideration given to allowing, you
know, entertainment in the form of music. um on the roof deck so that anybody wants to have a comment on it can have a comment. We don't um for entertainment licenses like this, we don't typically require an abutter notification. Um the way they receive public notice on an entertainment license is because it's
been posted to the licensing panel agenda, right? Um I would suggest probably having the applicant submit it directly to the select board. Um because it sounds like there's some urgency in the request here. Um and the licensing panel meeting is tomorrow and so um there wouldn't uh
be enough time to get that onto the agenda for tomorrow. Also, town administrator Kerry has his hands raised. Um and I'll allow him to chime in because he does normally That was exactly it was exactly what I was going to raise. Unfortunately, um even though right we don't typically allow it's not a public hearing. An
entertainment license is not a public hearing. We do still have to notice them. So we couldn't take you couldn't take that vote tonight. Um and we couldn't notice it for tomorrow. Uh but the board's next meeting will be on September 9th, I believe, and we can put that on the board's agenda for then. That's perfect. Thank you.
A question that I have, uh is there a mechanism for the mobility impaired to get to your roof? We have we have a elevator. There's a absolutely it's all is that all being considered an elevator up there that the pathway is absolutely uh ABA compliant the whole way through.
All right. Thank you. And Paul's had his hand raised. Yep. Uh thank you, David. Um and first, thank you for your investment. long investment in Brooklyn. It's appreciated. Um hopefully you're getting the support that you need. I I my understanding so you've been in operation right as is for a while.
So Esme is a year old. Half it's a year old. Yeah. Half of the shop was 12 years old. So uh this this round of it and we had the liquor store next door for a little six or seven years before that. So I've been in town on that block for about 20 years now. Um Okay. So I guess my my question is um so
have you closed? Is the restaurant currently open or not? No, it's not not currently right now it's um not open. Not not not operating. Okay. And how long has it not been open? Uh all the way through through uh July and then uh the first week of August. So
now now where we are right now in the place is it's just the outdoor deck needs to be rectified. Yeah. So so I guess my only my my I'm going to ask the town administrator this question. Chaz. I know that when when things stop functioning um how long do
they can they not function before they um have to kind of relic is does this count? Is that what we're doing now or? It's a good it's a good question. The answer is uh not in this case, right? It really is case by case. For example, if somewhere someone closes their operations because they're remodeling
the the structure like they're doing here, that's not grounds for taking the license. If if there's no economic activity at all, if someone is sitting on the license and has no intention of using it, that's a pocket license and that's something we go after. Yeah, I wasn't suggesting taking the license. I just I knew that sometimes it
could trigger some building code stuff, which I have some experience with that around the corner for me. Um, okay. No, that's great. And so, just to clarify, you're adding 45 additional seats with the roof deck in addition to the capacitor. Correct. And we took away some seats from the interior and we added the
bathroom upstairs as well. Okay, great. Okay, thank you so much. Continue. All right, any other questions by board members? All right, seeing none, this is a public hearing. So, is anyone uh signed up to
speak for this? There is no one who signed up in advance. Is there anyone online who wishes to speak on the alteration of premises? Um, if so, please raise your hand using the raise the hand feature or if in the room, please make your presence known. All right, we have about 14 individuals in
the room, 34 online, and no one is indicating their desire to speak. All right, so how about discussion by the board? What do we think? Sounds good to me. Yeah, it's a great restaurant. May I say a few few words? I'm so sorry.
It's it's been a long hall and sometimes I my wife questions if I'm sane or not for even going through the process. And um somewhere along the way, you know, with the wonderful help of Bobby's office and the town itself and you know, all the all the um economic lons and
stuff, it was a very much a use it or lose it moment, right? It was one of those moments of like let's either we build it or just let it go because it's been driving us crazy. And now that all the technicalities out of the way, we are hoping to bring a very wonderful experience to the town, you know, conservative, very wonderful dinner,
just for the and our neighbors as well. And I know I drive I was driving my curtain my neighbors crazy for a few weeks. I told him, "Please hold tight. Please hold tight. It'd be great for all of us and bring more more traffic to this corner." And literally transparently that is the intention here. Yeah, that's great. And you have some uh
spectator support too. Appreciate it. Thank you. I really appreciate it. Come up to the microphone if you want to speak. This is Emma residence. I'm sorry. Um I might miss it. Um the where is the where you
located the restaurant? Right across the street. Right across the street from Trader Joe's. Can you see the mic? Right in Koolage Corner. Right across the street from Trader Joe's. It's called Esme. It used to be called Hops and Scotch. The address is 1306 Beacon Street. Yeah.
Yeah. All right. So I move All right. So I move that we approve the application for alteration of a licensed premises for the all alcohol restaurant
license for D2 restaurant LLC. All in favor? All in favor? I. Bernard. Uh John I. Paul I. Michael I. And I also vote yes. Congratulations so much.
I hope to make you guys proud honestly. Okay. Okay. I'm back. Uh, next 7 PM noise bylaw waiver public hearing. Uh, Amy English um is online. Amy,
you've been promoted. Good evening everyone. Um, this is a request for a waiver of the um the nighttime work bylaw. Um it's the project is essentially a rectangular
rapid flashing beacon. You guys have seen the the flashing on either side of the crosswalk um installation on Beacon Street near Strathmore. Um the reason we have to do this is um the parts of the construction that involve work really close to the track uh the NBTA Green
Line track uh they want us to do that work when it's when the train is not in operation. Um and so that is you know a very small window of time and that is at night. So that's the reason for the request. Um we do actually have we should have two representatives here
from the contractor um who will be uh performing the work as well if you have specific questions. Any questions from the board? Paul I see your hand up. Yep. Thank you Bernard. Uh hi Amy. Just a quick question of the construction work. Are we jackhammering or what's the
what is the why do we need a not a noise bylaw waiver? Um so there will be an excavator mini excavator will be part of um the work that'll happen overnight. Um and then some trucks truck noises that kind of thing. No jackhammers.
Correct. Okay. Okay. Any other questions? Okay. This is a public hearing. If any open the public hearing. Now that the chair has opened the public hearing, there are no individuals who signed up in advance. Is there anyone
online who wishes to speak on this public hearing? If so, please raise your hand using the raise the hand feature. Uh or if online, please make your presence known. There are approximately 20 people in the room and 35 online and
no one is indicating their desire to speak. Okay, then I will close the public hearing um and close all public hearings and um any further discussion by the board. [Music] Okay.
So, so I'm I'm just interested in knowing um I'm not sure if this is specific to the noise by lever, but I'm seeing this is happening over basically the next two weeks. Um, is there any risk of uh during the intermediate days
any sort of debris or danger or concern about the site because that's a pretty heavily traffked area? Um, no, I don't think so. Um, it, you know, it shouldn't be too different from some of the sidewalk work that we see in
other places. um just you know putting putting the the pole into the into the sidewalk and then also the um getting the power there and all those things. But yeah, it shouldn't be super disruptive. Thank you. Well,
yeah. Amy, um just curious, how many uh public notices were mailed to a butters? The number I don't need the exact number, but I mean was it five? Was it 25? Um I'm not 100% sure that the number uh but
we usually do yeah like out like I think a block or two in either direction. Okay. But those notices did go out. Correct. Okay. Thank you. Mhm. Okay. Any other discussion from the select board? If not, I move approval of
the uh noise bylaw waiver request from the Department of Public Works um related to rectangular rapid flashing beacons on beacon at Strathmore Street inbound uh by Dagel Electrical Construction Corp. All in favor, please indicate by
saying I. John Vanscoyaki. Paul Warren. Hi. David Pearlman. Hi. Michael Rubenstein. Hi. Chair. Thank you, whoever that was. Thank you. Okay. Um, next, climate leader
communities. I see that our um, director of sustainability, um, Alexander Veio is at the mic. Please tell us what this is about and what you want us to do. All right. Good evening, everyone. Alexander Veio. I'm the director of sustainability and natural resources.
Um, so I'm here this evening to give you an overview of a new state program. It's called the climate leaders communities program. Uh this is really just an overview this evening. There's no action needed from the board tonight and it's just forformational purposes. Um but as you'll see as I walk through the presentation, I'll be coming back to you
all with um some uh requests for action um in the future in order to meet the program requirements. And so um wanted to give you a little bit of background and an opportunity to ask any questions before we went too far down a path for the program requirements. Thank you.
All right. So um the climate leaders communities program uh was launched in 2025 by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and really this program builds upon the green communities program. That's another state program
which uh Brookline is a member of and has been for a number of years. Uh the goal of the program is to provide a framework for communities to meet climate action goals specifically to help um communities uh move towards the statemandated goals around uh clean
energy and energy reduction. So right now um the program has uh just uh accepted its first group of participants that included 19 different communities. Um they had another application round that closed um I believe is closing this month. Um, and then the next round will
be in December. And so, um, as you'll see, there are some requirements that we have to meet in order to be eligible to apply for the program. Uh, which is why I'm suggesting that Brookline target their application for the December 2025 deadline. So, why do we want to be a part of this
program? Why does it matter? Um, money. That's why it matters. Uh so this program um becoming a certified climate leader community opens up some resources, technical resources um and grant funding for any participating community. Um and those grant funds can
help support um numerous different uh climate priorities that are part of the state's plan but also align with Brookline's goals as well. So that includes energy efficiency measures, uh heating and cooling projects, energy management services, uh local energy
generation, that would be uh rooftop solar panels for example, um and and many other things. So as you all know, Brookline's currently developing our climate our updated climate action and resiliency plan. And um just looking into my crystal ball, I think a lot of
the goals that'll be coming out of that plan are going to be dependent on us um having some resources to implement those. Um and this state program really aligns very closely with some of the actions that I think we'll are are starting to develop in the the planning
process. Um so essentially in order for us to meet our climate goals um we really need to be looking um at different places for funding and this is a new opportunity that we can pursue. In particular uh the GL the grants that are available for climate leaders
communities essentially um fall into two different buckets. One they're calling a decarbonization technical assistance grant. So this is really money that would allow us to hire vendors that then could do assessments to determine um uh what kind of documentation we may need
to move forward with any sort of construction project. That could be design and engineering type of documentation. Could also be assessments for you know which projects are going to give us the best return on our investment. Um which projects are going to be u most uh uh helpful for us to meet our climate goals moving forward
and the most economical. Um then we there are also grant funds available up to a million dollars uh for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions for municipal operations. And so I should clarify that these grants are specifically for municipal operations.
Um that means our building stock, our fleet in particular. Um so that could be anything from renewable energy generation on site, installation of heat pumps, um any other uh electrification measures that really move us towards our decarbonization goals. Um essentially
moving us off our reliance on fossil fuels. The requirements um for uh participation in the program is uh that and as you'll see here, many of these we already have met and then a couple we have in progress. So we have to be a green community in good standing of which we
are. Um as I mentioned that's the kind of precursor program to the climate leader community program also a state program. We have to have created some sort of local body that advises us on clean energy and climate activities. Brookline has that. It's our zero
emissions advisory board or ZAB. And then we have to demonstrate a municipal decarbonization commitment. And so um we have a couple of different places that we've done that through various warn articles and um different policies all that focus on our effort to be a uh net
zero community currently um by 20 240. The fourth requirement is that we develop a municipal decarbonization roadmap. And so that's one of the ones that we are working on right now. Uh the municipal decarbonization roadmap we actually applied for a grant to help uh do that analysis and that's underway.
I'll talk a little bit more about that in a minute. We also have to adopt a zero emission vehicle first policy. Um, again, this is something that's in process. We already have a fleet purchase policy here in Brooklyn. Um, and this would really be tweaking that
um, uh, just so that it aligns more closely with the state's goals for zero emission vehicles first. And then, uh, we have to adopt the specialized stretch any energy code which client has also already done. So, um, we're well on our way. and the other two that we requirements that we need to meet to be
eligible for the program application are in process. So I'll talk a little bit more about those two. So the municipal decarbonization roadmap as I mentioned our sustainability and natural resources division did receive um apply for and receive a grant to help us create this road map. Uh the goal is
essentially to look at our building stock, particularly our top emitters um and help us figure out uh which ones we should target um to move the community towards um electrified buildings and what that process would look like uh and
some set some realistic benchmarks along the way. So that analysis is currently underway right now. We anticipate having uh the road map available um in just a couple months. Then the zero uh excuse me the electric vehicle purchase policy which um
prioritizes um a zero emission vehicle first uh is really uh something that we have some language around this already in our vehicle purchase policy. Um we just need to strengthen that a little bit so it lines more closely with what the state's looking for. Um and that
isn't to say that every vehicle that's purchased uh needs to be an electric vehicle. it is um based off of what is available on the market and what is feasible for our operation. So the state understands that in some cases for example a firet truck um that you know
we don't have uh uh alternatives out there right now um that still meet the requirements for that vehicle to to perform its everyday function. Um so from my perspective um from what I've seen over the last few years we're actually really doing this in practice.
Um we've really pushed forward um a lot of uh EV purchases over the last few years in our fleet wherever practical um and so I think uh this will be an easy step for us to put into practice. So, what does the timeline look for
this? Um, essentially, uh, providing you all this overview this evening so that I can return in the fall with that municipal decarbonization roadmap as I talked about, as well as the zero emission vehicle policy. Um, and then the application deadline, which would require that we have all six of those
requirements met, will be due in December of this year. Um, hopefully that application would be successful and approved. So then we would be eligible for some of those um grants that I was talking about um by next spring, summer depending on the application deadline for those. Um so we'd be looking to to
turn that application in this year and that aligns quite nicely as well with our climate action resiliency plan timeline and that we are hoping to have a finalized plan um in 2026 uh which will help outline you know some of our priorities and in particular guide which of those uh grant proposals we would
want to push forward through the climate leaders program. Uh, so that's all I have for you this evening and I'm happy to take any questions on the program. What is that? That was not me. Hey, I just wanted to sort of hint to
someone to turn off their whatever that uh Paul. Uh, thank you Bernard. Thank you Alexandra. A quick question about the road map, the decarbonization road map. Are there any other requirements associated with that? either a time frame or a percentage of your buildings
um or is it just to have a road map? It's to have a road map that does um take an approach that basically whenever there are any um triggering events uh which the state classifies as you know uh you're already going to be replacing a roof or you're replacing an HVAC
system in the building um that you're using those as the impetus um for removing away from fossil fuels um and towards building electrification and decarbonization. Um so it does give you they take a a zero overtime approach is what they call it um to allow for um
some flexibility there understanding that it's not going to happen all at once um but really asking communities to have a prioritization plan of which buildings they are targeting um and which ones will really have the the highest impact as well. So we would so we would map any lands
that perhaps the the the building commission or uh building commissioner has or renovating buildings, roofs, HVA systems. We would map that onto our decarbonization plan and associate those things. Yes, the input for the the
technical assistant grant for this uh decarbonization road map was a very robust spreadsheet with a lot of information including um the age of some of our systems, the age of our roof, the last year it was replaced, warranties, um all those sort of things. So, we've been working um very closely with the
building department um and uh getting that information collected as part of the input. So, that is all taken into account as they build out that road map. Thank you, Michael. Um, first of all, thank you very much uh for putting this together and your
timing is excellent um as usual. Um, one of the reasons um why I'm thinking about the timing of this is we have later on in the agenda tonight the discussion of fiscal year 27 select board goals and objectives. Um, and I would hope that
the work that you are teeing up between this grant and the community action resilience plan would also serve as input and influences on that conversation as well. Um uh in particular um when you talked
about municipal decarbonization um one of one of the things that I know that the town is thinking about uh is uh the consideration of its various real estate assets including its land and its
buildings. Um, and I would hope that you um would be able to supply this information to whatever ongoing efforts the town has to consider those questions um as to whether uh the buildings that
we have are suitable for uh adoption to um to uh less greenhouse gas emitting technologies um or not. and how we might uh manage those assets accordingly. Um I
have one quick question with regard to the climate action and resiliency plan. You said in 26 um and given that we're discussing fiscal year 27 goals. Um are you talking about within fiscal year 26 or are you talking within calendar year
26? um so that we can take the results of the clim climate action resiliency plan and actually incorporate the goals there from into our fiscal year 27 goals. Sure. Thank you. Uh so the climate
action resiliency plan uh actually be returning to you all probably next month to give you a bit of an overview on where we stand with that project. Um but the hope is that we will have a uh final plan for the board's review and adoption early in calendar year 2026. Um and that
that would be uh finalized um for any future planning efforts including um any of your strategic planning efforts as well as um any funding um efforts that we have underway. Thank you. Uh
David, I I have a question regarding the zero emission vehicle first initiative. Do we have any departments or divisions that uh you anticipate we will need to uh be procuring a new fleet of vehicles in the
near future? um and it well we have our vehicle replacement schedule um as part of our um kind of general uh procurement of of our vehicles and so you know the vast majority of those vehicles uh sits
within within DPW um so that's kind of a a a process that happens over time um but I think and is how we've been approaching um our adoption of of electric vehicles so essentially when you know something's coming out of
surface. Is this um eligible to be an EV uh replaced vehicle? Um and so we have to take into account both obviously the cost associated with that, but really the functionality of that vehicle as well. So um I point that out just to say that I think that some of the vehicles
might be um in need of replacement uh because of their lifespan, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they would automatically be replaced with a zero emission vehicle. um it would depend on the functionality of that vehicle. So if something's needed for emergency services like snow response or um uh our
fire trucks, different things like that, if we don't have something um that we're able to still perform that same function that is um available to us, then we would opt to continue on with an internal combustion engine or vehicle.
You just referenced the fire department. So you have ongoing conversations with school department, police departments, out outside departments, not just within DPW. Yes. So um the fleet purchase policy and procurement of those vehicles happens in
coordination with DPW, but any uh transfers or changes, shifts to the fleet, um would happen in conversation with all of those different departments that it would affect. Yeah, exactly. Great. John uh Alexandra, thank you so much for the work you're doing on this and also for
congratulations on the grants that already, you know, have been acquired by the sustainability uh division. Um I just want to ask you about um something that's known as Berto BDO, building emissions reduction and disclosure
ordinance. Does does anything in the climate leaders program obligate us to put in place um some sort of berto ordinance? It does not. Um the focus really for the climate leaders program is really on in-house. So um our building stock and
our vehicles um whereas uh Berto is really looking at uh private and commercial buildings. Um so it wouldn't uh necessarily touch a Berto- like policy as part of this program. Um, but I will say I do know that's something that um the Zero Missions Advisory Board
is is certainly interested in in talking about what that uh what something like that could look like, but nothing that would relate to the requirements of this program. Great. And and since you mentioned the Zero Emissions Advisory Board, um what what role do they play in this climate leaders um initiative?
Sure. So um they they heard about this program um uh several months ago um and I asked for their support both in you know uh pursuing uh the climate leader certification um and then they are helping both with changes to the policy
itself um for the zero emission vehicle first policy um and then also we'll be reviewing um the content that comes out of that uh municipal decarbonization roadmap. So, um, very aware and, um, they're really doing the technical review and, uh, drafting on these
concepts before they come before the the select board. Great. Great. Great. Any further discussion? Thank you, Alexandra. Thank you all. Appreciate your time. We'll see you back here in a few weeks. Can't get rid of me. Yeah.
Well, we don't want to. What you're doing is very important. Okay. Okay, what do we have next on the agenda here? Oh, 16 William Street Lodging House. Um, let me start off
by saying Cara, are you coming up? Okay. Uh, many of the concerns of neighbors uh to 16 William Street are very very important and we have and we will continue to address them. But this discussion
tonight or this discussion around 16 William Street has brought out some sentiments by residents that I find a little troubling. Uh for example, unwelcoming statements about nonbrookline people. For example,
questioning whether the program will serve will serve enough Brooklyn residents. In my view, everyone outsiders and insiders have a right to live in and enjoy the benefits of our community. So the question of how many
Brookliners there are in the program, I consider irrelevant. Uh statements that uh imply that victory will bring various problems from the inner city to Brooklyn. Um find that a little offensive uh and I hope people don't um
continue making them. and assertions that allowing victory residents in this neighborhood will drive down property values. Ironically, if people say that enough, it may well drive down property values, but I'm not sure that that's really a
relevant issue uh in this discussion. I will note that our assignment of the right of first refusal uh to victory, I've just been given some materials Pardon me.
Oh, this is the petition. Okay. Um Okay. I will note that our assignment of the right of first refusal will have some conditions attached such as the house being subject to our lodging house
regulations which Victory has agreed to and maybe others sometime next week. And separate from that, when Victory has ownership of the property and applies for a lodging house license, there will be license conditions that will apply to
their operations. And of course, if residents have suggestions for reasonable reasonable license conditions, please write the select board with those suggestions as we put together the license conditions for uh
this lodging house. So, uh, those are my thoughts. Uh, this is an opportunity for other select board members to give their opinions or comments before we move on to a vote. Uh, Michael, did you want to say something?
First of all, sorry, can you speak into the mic? Thank you. Um, first of all, I would like to thank Victory Programs for responding to Brookline's request for information and their presentation at the last select board meeting. Uh, second, I want to
thank Carrie Goldberg uh, and the eight other neighbors of 16 William Street who were willing to meet with me and share their concerns about this matter in person. The select board and other public servants often decide whether to permit
or license a particular use of property as per our general and zoning bylaws as well as state and federal laws. Here we are being asked whether to exercise, convey or relinquish a property right that the town has acquired. A different
kind of question with different process rules. This process must comply with open meeting law but does not require the town to affirmatively notify anyone in particular nor incorporate specific stakeholders such as abutters or
neighbors in the process for deciding the town's action. The select board elected as the executive leadership of the town is empowered to take action. However, the public has had opportunity to weigh
in on this matter and the select board has thoughtfully considered the many letters received from members of the public as well as remarks delivered at this and other public meetings. I believe that the opportunity has been sufficient to express one's opinion and
be heard. Others may legitimately disagree. Like many hard choices, this decision comes down to weighing values that are simultaneously legitimate and in tension with each other. In this case, the
values of maintaining the current housing and providing necessary housing to people with a disability outweigh the value of ameliorating the risk of danger or the risk of loss. We cannot either
from a legal or a moral perspective discriminate based on the speculation of harm. Thus, I will support the conveyance of the town's right of first refusal to victory programs. Finally, to the question of whether I would weigh these values similarly if I
were about to live adjacent to a victory program's poris house. I try my best to hold values steadily regardless of my personal circumstances. I value such steadiness as a hallmark of good public service.
Thank you. Um David uh just today similarly at our last hearing where we addressed this matter we heard from many neighbors who felt that they are not being heard. We do
hear you. We've heard you in two meetings. We've also heard you in private conversations that uh you have had with some of us outside of meetings. We've also read many of your emails. And some of these emails and some of these
conversations actually underscore divisions within the neighborhood about how to proceed. So for example, just today uh I believe all of us may have received this email from center communities of Brooklyn and I'd like to read it. Statement from residents of
center communities of Brooklyn on Victory House proposal. We are residents of the center communities of Brooklyn at 100, 108, and 112 Center Street. Recently, some nearby Kulage Corner residents have suggested that seniors
living here need to be quote protected from the proposed Victory House residents at 16 William Street, which would provide temporary housing for mothers in recovery and their children. We want to state clearly, we do not feel threatened by Victory House. On the
contrary, we strongly support this proposal. Mothers working to overcome addiction and reunite with their children deserve the chance to rebuild their lives in a safe and supportive environment. As seniors, we know the importance of community, compassion, and
second chances. We welcome Victory House to our neighborhood and gladly stand in support of it. And this is signed by uh nine named individuals and then it mentions and others. So there are multiple opinions about this even within
the neighborhood. Beyond that, it's important to understand that there are certain legal constraints here. As uh Michael alluded to in his remarks, under the Fair Housing Act and the American Disabilities Act, we cannot discriminate
with housing on the basis of disability. and those with substance use disorder qualify as being disabled under those two federal acts. So, we cannot be discriminating against them. In terms of
the broader concerns about specifics of the victory program and how we can allay what some of you have said, I'm going to continue to have open ears. I'm going to continue to welcome that type of dialogue. Uh Susan Freed, I believe you
in particular, you spoke about the importance of guard rails and I appreciate that and I think that's where the focus will transition to. Uh I believe that the board is likely to approve uh victory programs tonight, but that's not the end of the discussion or at least I'm not going to let it be the
end of the discussion. It's important that we always engage with the neighborhood. It's important that we always hear from neighbors both while debating something and then in the aftermath. And so, uh, to the extent that you have concrete ideas beyond the
ones you've already articulated that you want us to follow up on, we will listen and we will do our best, uh, in accordance with what we can do legally, uh, and, uh, proceed appropriately in that manner. So, I don't want anybody to feel like they're being ignored. We do
value what you say. Uh, as for the specifics of uh, this proposal, I do think it serves a very important need, including for the Brooklyn community. We heard about two Brooklyn families who have benefited from victory programs at
their Jamaica plane location. But even beyond that, as Bernard said, lots of communities help people regardless as to uh, where they may originate from. And Brooklyn has a long-standing tradition of progressive values and of trying to
lift everyone in our society, whether they have a specific Brookline connection uh or not. Uh a town meeting member in precinct 9 did bring to my attention a uh homicide that took place
at a victory programs location in Dorchester. We do have uh the chief counsel from uh Victory here and I'm wondering if you could just speak to that to provide some more context for
the community because I I don't want people who wrote to us about that to feel like we're ignoring it. We also have Chief Pastor online if uh she wants to add anything to that uh discussion.
Uh good evening everyone. Uh thank you for inviting me back. Um my name is Taylor Mley. Uh I am the chief operating officer and general counsel for Victor programs. Um so what I can talk about in terms of that in incident um is still protected by our confidentiality
policies uh and the obligations we have to our clients. Um but that is um a rare and oneoff incident for our programs. Um, you know, I checked in with our director of co recovery who oversees that program. Um, and what I can share
is it um, it was an individual who's having a mental health crisis at that moment um, who committed the act. Uh, there have not been any um, similar incidents or any violent incidents of um, nature that would harm somebody's life uh, in our programs since then. Um,
but again, the Poris family home is not our recovery homes. We operate six recovery homes where that um and that incident occurred at one of those six homes. It's a different population. It's a different stage of somebody's recovery journey. So, it is a very different
environment uh than the Portis family home is. Can uh Paul, I see your hand up, but can I ask uh chief pastor to um of course add anything that she thinks is appropriate? Sure.
Hi, can everyone hear me? I apologize for being in the car. Um, but I I would just add that I, you know, when I saw this article, I reached out to my counterparts in Boston PD. The case has not yet gone to trial, so we're all limited in what we can say. Um, but I
can liken it to maybe an incident that we had here in Brooklyn at a rooming house for uh adults with developmental disabilities back in I think it was 2004, 2005. um or or even liken it to other cases that we've had involving homicides or uh
you know assault with intented kills um in domestic violence situations. And I think there's nothing in the case that we can see so far that um would lead us to believe that this is something different than what you know we've had already in a rooming house type
situation regardless of um the reason for being there regardless of a substance use um misuse diagnosis. Um, you know, when you have family members living together, roommates living together, um, you know,
things can get heated and and violence unfortunately sometimes happens. But I don't think that we should use that incident um, you know, as a reason to prevent this housing from going forward. And I'll add that they Boston police confirmed that there have been no incidents of violence related to the
Victory House programs in that area since this incident in 2021. So um one thing I think is important is that you have your own internal confidentiality requirements. I think what what Chief Pastor is saying is that because this
case has not gone gone to trial. There are additional restrictions on what can be said which I assume is why this hasn't come up before or is it? Well correct. Um so victory programs uh
both due to HIPPA and state confidentiality requirements can only share so much. Um and again internally our policies around protecting our client data even when things go wrong um does limit our ability to comment on it. Um you know in in terms of our response
in the RFI um you know it it really is not lip service to say it is a completely different program. Um and there was no intent not to be transparent. Um there was you know there was not a section in the RFI where we
could have shared any you know incidents to on an unrelated program. Um so again it was not there is no intention not to disclose it. It is of course um in the public sphere and news um but an opportunity to address it hadn't arisen
till tonight. Okay. Uh Paul. Yeah. Uh thank you Bernard. Um and I do want to speak about that point in a moment but first I want to address uh the many um abutters the folks that have raised concerns about this. Um you know
I am extremely sympathetic. You should I want you to know I've read every email that you sent to us. I've read every email that's gone back and forth between the TMMA and PAX. I think there's been a hundred of them or more. Um, I've read every thread on at least two to maybe
three uh threads um on social media about this. Um, and I I I want you to know that that your concerns, you should not be told that you're crazy, that you're making stuff up. Um, your concerns, your concerns, and you know, um, whether there's a lot of data behind
them or not, um, it's it's how you feel and and there's fear and uncertainty and doubt about about this situation. So, I just want you to know that I hear you. Um I I do want to mention that um you know this evening although we can't speak about it because it was an
executive session we the topic was the op opioids opioid settlement um you know there are opioids have ravaged um our community including Brooklyn my wife is a transplant surgeon she understands the
impact that addiction has on human beings um it's devastating and much of this is accidental. It happens over time. Um, it's also a disease. There's a whole bunch of reasons that happen, but it doesn't automatically mean that
because you got addicted to opioids because you had something happened with health uh that you know really turns you upside down um means that you're a criminal. Um there's not an automatic. I know there was some data that was shared
that shows some relationship. Um, you know, there's also the number one problem in our community is not opioids, it's alcohol. Alcohol is devastating uh our community. Um, if you don't think that you've got big problems in your neighborhood already with alcohol, I
assure you, you probably do. Um, and you know, folks that could be addicted to alcohol could quickly uh get into a situation where they would perhaps have to leave their children or have their children taken away for a time. And again, I there's just a human
aspect here of understanding that to to have an opportunity, a safe opportunity for a family to be united, reunited, and to have those children have that opportunity to be with their birth parents, their caregiver, and have that
healing happen. I I can't think of anything that's that is would be more rewarding than to help have that happen in a safe, effective um you know environment uh that is open and transparent. So that's really why I I
feel pretty strongly about supporting this. Um for those that are worried about uh their real estate prices, I live in one of the most expensive areas in Brooklyn and it's across the street from transitional housing uh where folks are have come through there. I've known
some of them. I've seen them. I've interacted with them. They're lovely people. Um, you know, they're have come out of homelessness sometimes. Sometimes I have some additional issues, but I can assure you my property value has not gone down one bit. Um, so I I I don't
think this idea that there's going to be a correlation to your property values and what's happening. Um and I I feel pretty confident that um that as time passes this will be just integrated and we'll say well what were we so worried about? But I do want to speak go back to
this issue about transparency. Um I did get a phone call today and I did get a bunch of emails about this the information that came out um I think it was from from one of the other program hosts uh about the harm. I do think
that, you know, the the very very important lesson that Victory needs to needs to hear from this is you have to proactively be engaged with this neighborhood, with this community. Um, you have to share information. You have to be transparent. I think that there
was a violation of trust. Uh, because I do believe at the last meeting someone asked was there any violent actions and the answer was no. And in fact, no. you're talking the the context of this specific uh type of uh of program that
you have, but it did happen within uh your overall program. Uh, and I think it's really really important, I can't emphasize this enough, that that victory work and be transparent and overcommunicate and be available to the
neighborhood and the community because that's how we've seen other lodging houses effectively work with the communities. Uh, transitional housing or not, um, communication is really important. So, um, just again to those folks who who have raised a lot of
concerns, I I've heard you. Um, but I think that this is is a needy program and I'm committed as David said, Michael, I'm sure John Bernard will say, we're going to find a way to make sure that this we have the provisions and the licensing operational components uh,
tight and communication happening so that uh, so that we're ahead of anything that may happen. So, um, thank you so much. Hey, any other any other quot John? U just to add to what my uh colleagues
have said. U you know I I will confess that uh it didn't take long for me to decide you know once I saw u that Victory was an applicant and once I had sort of learned some basic stuff about the programs that Victory offers um that
you know this was a yes for me. Uh and and I say that and at the same time I acknowledge um that it's one thing for us from afar um who don't live on this block of
William Street um to say it's an automatic yes, you know, because out of compassion um you know, out of support for these types of programs, it's quite another to be the resident of a house next door, of a house on the block, of a
house around a corner um to have children uh to maybe live alone and worry about your safety. Um so I think we all have to concede that these are not easy issues. Uh but in the end uh
and actually from the very beginning there's been no doubt in my mind that the right thing for Brooklyn to do is to uh welcome this program. um welcome the uh those who receive services via this program recognize um I'll put it in this
phrase there but for the grace of God go I um this could be any one of us um either individually or through a family member or a relative or a neighbor um at some time point in the future is going
to need the services of support for those with addictions and that's basically what this is all about. Um it's a it's a category of people who need an extra level of support and maybe an extra level of compassion um in in
their struggle with addictions. And I I look forward to Brooklyn uh having a relationship with victory programs um that will last and last and last and that will also um deal with uh uh
without hesitation um and without without any judgment um the concerns of neighbors. Um, these are legitimate concerns and uh I think the neighbors have done their best to express them in in a u responsible way and yet at the
same time I think the final decision is uh Brooklyn should welcome this program and we should make it work for everybody neighbors uh and the program uh residents themselves. Thank you.
Cara, are you up here some reason to this? No, I think you all My name is Cara Burton, director of planning. Also with us tonight is associate town council John Bai um or the head of our housing community planning division one. I have any initial questions but I think you've
covered all the topics. Um tonight I'm asking you all to authorize board chair to execute an agreement and related documents to assign the town's right of refusal sorry the town's right of first refusal to purchase 16 million street in Brooklyn to victory program.
Okay. Thank you. Yes. I I would have said this sooner, but I I saw Cara standing there and I thought, well, she's going to go over this, so I won't I won't step on her, you know, what she has to bring to the discussion. Um, but uh I hope everyone
listening tonight will go to the agenda and the item uh that we're discussing right now and recognize that there is a memo from Cara and there is also Cara, help me with the language. What do you refer to them as? stipulations. U there's obligations um in the in the
assignment that cover the topics that you all went over. Yes. So um there is a lot of work has been done to incorporate uh into our dealings with victory programs um many of the concerns that have been brought
to the table by neighbors and others and you'll find them on this uh page called obligations. uh and I think um that'll make us all better informed as to what we have already recognized ought to be reasonable uh requirements of going
forward with this program at this location. Uh thank you John for bringing it up. That's very important that that is those will be obligations within our assignment right first refusal. In addition, when they come up for licensing, we'll have additional
conditions of the license. And that's what I'm urging people to let us know what you think are important uh conditions to put in license uh conditions. Chad, thank you. I just wanted to flag um
because I know this is of concern to the public that some of those obligations people have asked, oh, it doesn't say you regulated. It's actually stronger than that because it includes requirements of a lodging house and in some cases goes beyond those
requirements. So rather than saying you agree to be regulated as a lodging house and if those rules change or challenged in some way uh as a broad mechanism um the house is no longer subjective. We put the specific requirements in there
so that it's not just don't be regulated as a logic house. have the specific requirements of lodging houses as part of this obligation and as part of that licensing process. As the chair said, I do just want to make sure folks understand the framework of this conditions of licensing have to be
reasonably related to the license being issued and we have to treat all applicants equally. Um, which is not to say we have to treat everyone the same, but we have to treat everyone equally in terms of what we the rubric we use in
terms of determining how a license is issued and what the restrictions on or conditions on that license are. So there's more to come on this, but I do just want to make sure that people's expectations are set in terms of how to frame out a request for uh a license uh
uh condition and then it has to be reasonably related to the service being provided and then it has to be in line with how the town does with other likeminded uh licences. Great. Thank you. Any further discussion from the select
board? Uh his hand still. Okay. Okay. So then I'd like to make a motion. Um I move that the select board approve the assignment of the town's right of
first refusal related to 16 William Street to the Victory Programs, Inc. program with such conditions as the town administrator and planning director determined to be appropriate. I assume that's what we've been discussing. Uh
including that the house be subject to the town's lodging house regulations as uh town administrator described that that uh a good description of what we're moving. Are we authorizing somebody to do something as a result specifically?
Select board chair execute agreement related documents. Okay. Okay. Sorry miss um it's not in my notes. uh and authorize the select board chair to sign the documents related to uh this transaction.
All in favor, please indicate by saying I. John, I Paul Warren David I. Michael Rubenstein I thank you and thank you to the community for your inputs into this process.
Next project eligibility letter application for 429 Harvard Street. Uh here we are being asked to uh give our opinion as to a proposed project
eligibility letter that um the um 429 Harvard Street project would like to be issued by uh Mass Housing. Um Cara, do you want to sort of introduce this this and
and then I I'll talk about you know what we're going to vote on on Okay. Um again, director of planning and community development. Um the select board talked heard a presentation um from the development team at your last
meeting and reviewed a draft um letter. I asked for comments based on your discussion and there was a um basically one question that needs a little bit more discussion of how you all want to um frame the letter and with that chair we spoke earlier I think you're ready to
walk through those those choices. Yeah. Okay. Uh let me start off by um first of all I want to give everyone an opportunity to discuss you the issues that they think are important and maybe articulate where they where their
thinking is uh before we vote. So, I'll start off with my comments. Um first, I'll start off by saying that I'm going to oppose the project. Uh meaning that we're going to I propose that we ask the
u mass housing not to uh issue a PL. Um, even though I can appreciate the project's right to try to get in under the 10% uh subsidized housing inventory window and legitimately circumvent our
Harvard street zoning. Uh, that zoning provides an as of right process for developing the site which would be more efficient and economical than the protracted struggle that they will encounter under the comprehensive permits process.
And related to this uh regular inclusionary zoning requires 50% uh area medium income uh restrictions for rental units as this project has but the Harvard Street Zoning District which they have not agreed to act under
increases AMI for rental units to 70% which would provide housing some workingass and middle inome families uh a demographic that we really need here in Brookline. Uh so, you know, that's it's their choice. Um and it's my
decision to um vote uh to not urge approval of the PEL by mass housing. Um any other comments or John? Yeah. Yeah. Um well uh Cara has uh
provided a very useful memo with um actual um optional uh different forms of a couple parts of the phrasing of the vote tonight. And uh what that is all about u is that uh
there's a there's always going to be a question hanging over uh so-called 40b projects uh as to whether u the nature of the 40b process is that the state deems uh a
community in this case Brookline to have fallen behind in in its obligation to provide for subsidized housing units. And therefore, the state essentially intervenes whenever the state whenever the town or local community is in a
position of having fallen behind. The threshold is 10 10% uh of the inventory u be subsidized. Um and um the me the mechanism that the state has
adopted to um address that is they they then essentially take control of the approvals process through something called a comprehensive permit and they uh allow for developers to get um
certain certain uh uh allowances, excuse me. um in terms of height massing uh uh setbacks, landscaping, etc., etc., etc., uh and get relief from what is the
normal requirement at the local level under our zoning laws and and our other provide our other regulations of local development. So uh if the state is going to take over the whole decision-m process because we have fallen below a
certain threshold, do we then as the select board simply say to the state um flat out you shouldn't approve this because it doesn't conform to uh what we believe to be the proper height limits
and other limits for development on Harvard Street or does the local select board say um what you should approve is something that is more in conformance with our um express uh preferences as to
height, massing, etc. And that and what we mean by that is and then we you know provide for a brief explanation of you know what the prevailing uh consensus in the town is as to how
housing development should take place on Harvard Street and we have a very clear indication of what that consensus is. It couldn't be more clear cuz we went through a process of developing something called this form based zoning plan.
I like music too, but maybe not right now. Um and uh at the end of that process um there was a vote of town meeting and it has not had much time yet
to prove it to prove its value in terms of development that has actually ensued um under our form based zoning. Uh but certainly the the thought behind that was that there would be housing
development spurred and the thought was that it would be housing development that would conform to neighborhood desires and expectations as to Brooklyn's quality of life. Um so can we get that result by
simply saying no in this instance or can we get that result by saying um that we would we would agree with the state in allowing a development under these and such conditions. I'm in the
latter camp. I I think we owe it to the state not just to say no but to say what we would what we considered yes. And I think we can give them an indication of what we consider to be yes while at the same time saying what is in
front of them isn't isn't what we think should be allowed. Um and and so I I prefer the the suggested the optional wording that is uh that the state approve this only if certain conditions
are met and they're defined in car suggested vote. That's where I'm at. Thank you. Paul, thank you. Thank you, Bernard. Um, so I want to say touch upon a couple of
subjects. The first is I challenge this concept that we've fallen below 10%. Um, I asked the building commissioner to come hopefully could answer some questions about this. But you know, the the only reason why we're below 10%, my understanding is is
because given their certificate of occupancy, yet they've been given a temporary certificate of occupancy and there's people living in there and if they had the certificate of occupancy, we would be below above 10% we wouldn't be even
having this discussion. So before I talk about a broader issues that maybe touch upon what John and Bernard had said, I'm hoping that maybe Dan could just talk a little bit about what's going on with Stone. Why do they have a a temporary co
not permanent and what what's the requirements for them to actually get to a permanent one? Is that okay to ask? Hi Dan. Yes. Um sure I can do my best to answer those questions. Dan Bennett, building
commissioner. Um, so right now we've got 540B projects that are active and the one that's most close to being done is the pudding zone and there are 250 units. there is a temporary certificate
of occupancy and it is um uh I I issue TCO three months at a time and they phased that construction in so we could move people in over the last I'd probably say maybe a year 8 months 8 to 12 months and they've reached full
capacity and they have not uh submitted the documentation for a full CO uh there is one minor um issue that the plumbing and gas inspector has with the garage um of a
the um garage heater, the intake and exhaust um vent material. We've been in discussions with the engineer and um they are um working on it, but it's just been very
slow. And now the engineer works for the uh the developer and um we're doing our best to kind of push this along. Uh the TCO to renew all 250 will cost about $37,500
which I've let CHR know. Um but the plumbing and gas inspector recently I spoke with him. He is expecting this to be completed um by Friday or Monday. Um now again that's
just a normal schedule. Tradesman out there working an engineer letter is going to come in after that and you know they could take as long uh they could do it as fast as they want or slow as they want if they feel that
there's some benefit to delaying a full I don't know the inside you know story there. So why don't just to be clear if it's okay I ask you a couple questions first I really appreciate you have a you do you have a hell of a difficult job to deal with all this
but but but essentially we're waiting on the developer to tell us when they would like the the final co is that correct yes because they have to submit the paper so so the situ so the situation so we're
waiting on that so the situation is it's the devel velopers who actually decide when the window opens and closes. So they wait and wait a little bit. And right now we saw we've seen what two or three at least two. We saw the one at Chest Hill West and now we're seeing
this one that are just coming in while this other thing we're monkeying with the vent over at this is lunacing to me that that there's no impetus. There's no requirement. There's no trigger for the for the
developer to actually close the window. We're dependent upon them to close the window for submission to 40bs. We should not be we should really have a discussion about this. We should we should not be issuing temporary cos. We should because they're generating
revenue for another three months, right? this we're not going to solve this tonight but I just want to put this on the radar of the board of this situation that's going on by a lot of respect for they're
currently in control as to when the window opens and closes for this 10% and that to me we're not in control of it at all and I think we have to address that from a longerterm policy perspective Dan I appreciate you uh answering your question really it's just a vent or
something that's in the way but back to um back to the issue of um kind of what John said and what Bernard said. Uh John, I happen to agree with you that that we have very clear requirements that the state should
understand we have and what we want the state to have them ask this developer to do to adhere to. It's called the form based zoning that we just passed at town meeting two years ago, a year and a half ago. um through significant community
input, major negotiations, a huge amount of money that our planning uh team and community development team put in place to create all the form based zoning. Um I mean this was a herculean effort by so many people and so many groups to
rally around this consensus plan that passed town meeting over like 85%. And the way that we communicate, I believe we communicate to the state that this is what we want the developer to do
is we say no. Don't take any of what this developer is bringing to you because the the letter only says that they have to kind of be close to, you know, our zoning uh with six stories or four be close to four stories. It
doesn't take into all the formations. There's so much to it. There's green space. There's setbacks. There's first floor commercial decks. There's parking requirements. There's vegetation for parking. There's administrations for how the buildings need to be designed. Why
on earth would anybody bother participating in the comprehensive plan or any comprehensive zoning reform in the future if the select was just formed to say, "Ah, the window's open because some developer delayed it." and we're just going to override let the state
decide what should go in this law. I I don't think that's the right way to do it. I'm completely aligned with Bernard. We should say no. Uh we're asking for the PEL to be denied and ask this developer to come back and conform to the voting that the community and
town meeting went through extensive process of consensus to develop. That's what the town wants. we've upon the whole corridor. Um, and that's what we should ask the state to ask the develop to conform to by denying the that's my
position. I'm really hoping that we could come to agreement on this. Thank you. Uh, David, if we were over the 10% threshold, then I would agree with what Paul's saying, but this application is not to have the
project proceed under existing Brookline zoning. it's under 40B and they don't need to comply with Brookline's outing. That's just the underlying reality and you stated that in your remarks as well. So, we have two approaches we can take. We can acknowledge that reality but try
to get them as close to our direction as we can in the manner that Sean described. or we can just say flat out no and be ignored as we always are by mass housing because inevitably the PEL gets approved because again this is
about 40B it's not applying within our Brooklyn zoning. Uh you referenced Bernard specifically the under the Harvard street zoning that can be 70% AMI. This proposal though is for 50% AMI. So that would actually be
reaching out to a group of people who have lower incomes and that's a component that I see as a positive to this proposal. Another positive, the 15 parking spaces. So they're not trying to take a lot of space for parking and this
is an area that is bicycle friendly. So that's a positive. Even though under 40B there's no commercial requirement, they are at least in this first draft respecting that there will be first floor commercial. So there are positive
elements I want to acknowledge, but at the same time uh we have received some very detailed lists of uh negatives with the current design. Uh, I thought that Linda Pel sent us some very constructive
criticisms of the design and I think that many of those criticisms are incorporated in the draft that John is favoring. So I don't think any of us so far who are speaking are saying yes to this proposal as is. None of us are
saying that the difference is in the approach that we take in order to try to get something constructed that is if we remain over if we remain under 10% as close to our zoning as we can and if we
uh get over 10% then they're going to have to work with us. But either way this creates a path forward. Go ahead. No, sorry. Could I speak briefly for a moment? Yep. Briefly. So, uh, so D, first, um, you just completely misrepresented Linda Pel and
I think I'm pretty confident in in in her ability and she's saying, "Oh, please speak up." Um, Linda Pelky is absolutely opposed to this. Um, she doesn't want it to be close to the zoning. She doesn't want you to be near the zoning. She wants it to be exactly
conforming to the consensus for based zoning that was just approved by town meeting a year and a half ago for Harvard Street. It's not it's not up to us to just negate entirely what the community said they want along Harvard Street. They just did it. And what
you're saying is you have you know better than what the community and town meeting and all the boards and commissions that agreed to do it. You know better. Um and frankly I don't think he I don't think he does. Um the other point is I think that
I don't I don't but I I do think that we that we should not override what I think every board and commission 85% of Tom members the the unanimous select board at the time uh approved for the
consensus plan. But I also wanna I also want to plant a seed with my colleagues um if we send a letter that denies it asking to deny it. If they do approve of it, I'm going to suggest that we challenge this because I think I think
the regulations on how this is done is absolutely upside down to right now we are over the 10%. There are 250 units. I don't know how many people are living in that building, but I know it's a lot. So, these these
units are already being lifted, and we're not getting credit for it. And we're waiting for the developer to allow us to get credit for it. And while that developer is waiting to let us get credit for it, other developers are coming along and sneaking under the
wires to file their 40DS. This is wrong, wrong, wrong. And I think we should specifically ask for the state to deny that theel so when it gets to the ZBA the ZDA feel empowers to say we're not going to approve this because this is wrong. We should be we should be getting credit already for those 250 units
because that's the right thing to do. So I don't think we should be getting close. This is not car. Uh what do what do the state regulations say with respect to when a certificate of occupancy is u is u u
going to put something on the shi so it simply says certificate of occupancy um and um I was speaking with town council Joe Kelly about this earlier today and we've known this was probably going to come up for 10 years now
there's going to be some point like this um I don't know if Joe wants to speak more But but when if and when an application is filed with the ZBA, as Paul Bourne mentioned, that will be the time for the town to say we think we're
above or in a safe harbor or not. Um and so we're preparing for that, for the ZBA to use that if they want to or not. Um to make the argument, depending on where we're at, we may get above a 10% anyways before a full application is filed.
Remember this process takes about 90 days with the state and we're about 20 days in. So, um there's a lot to unravel in the next couple weeks, but what what Paul was mentioning was the the timing and the place to
make the assertion of where safe harbor would be when the CDA receives a full location. Right. Thank you. Any other Yeah. So, a few things. So, just just to uh put a pin on the point that you just made,
the the timing of the application to Mass Housing and the request for this project eligibility letter. Um what I'm hearing from you is that the timing of that is really distinct from the determination of whether or not we're
over the 10%. So my understanding in developer behavior in this regard is that they will line something up with an application like this and then often seek extensions or optimal timing in
front of the ZBA as opposed to waiting for the mass waiting to do the mass housing project eligibility letter step. Right? They're just putting their ducks in a row for some future future uh optionality. Is that is that
right? That's been you're talking about when developers do things. That's been my experience as well. Okay. Okay. So, that's point number one. Um point number two um is within the letter and and sorry if I'm burrowing into the details
of the letter, but I would like to try and move this along. Um there is a statement here that says regardless of the outcome of this PEL application the select board looks forward to collaboration between the developer the town and members of the community to realize infield development in this
location and I notice uh director Brutin that you did not flag that as optional in the various versions that we're considering and thus um I am operating under the assumption that regardless of whatever other choices we make within
the letter that that line is still a reflection of the select board's position. Um, in which case, um, regardless of the outcome, I would be in favor of sending this letter because I think that that statement from the select board is actually the most, uh,
relevant factor to the considerations that both the developer may make over time as well as what Mass Housing may or may not choose to consider their criteria of this letter. Right? because as we know our even our commenting on
this is is optional to the process and so that's issue point number two. Um, and point number three, um, to the the point that Paul made, uh, I remember Warren made, um, originally
about, um, the very long list of of, uh, features within our Harvard within our zoning bylaw that impact this property. Um a number of those features as member program pointed out are actually
addressed in the design that's been presented um by the developer and is part of this application. So, for example, the amount of frontage um that is devoted to commercial space, the fact
that there's parking um entrances not on Harvard Street but on a side street. Um and I'm sure there are many more. And while I agree with both uh the intent of Linda Pel's letter that these are
important and the fact that Paul has raised this, the fact that the developer has proactively addressed those concerns only tells me that we don't have to raise those concerns in the context of this specific application because the specific application includes that
design. Um and finally, you know, to this question of should we flat out say deny um or uh say something else?
Um I guess the reason that I am more in line with uh John and Paul's position um is because yes, my position that And now your
position, my apology, um David, we're all having trouble with names. Apparently, um with David and John's position, is that you know, I believe that mass housing has a relatively strict set of criteria that they will
use in terms of of judging this matter. And the from my perspective, the objective there there are two objectives here. One objective is the creation of housing, which we know is a deep need in this
town, um, and affordable housing as well. Um, and the other is to, um, have that housing conform with what the neighborhood requires. Um, and while I agree and appreciate all of the effort
that went into um the creation of the development on Harvard Street, we also have data um that indicates that that effort is not leading to significant
creation of housing. Now, it is possible that there are reasons totally independent of the Harvard Street uh uh zoning bylaws that are causing that, economic reasons, interest rate reasons, etc. And we understand that. Um, but I
think the most important thing is for us to continue to signal are the fact that we need to be making this effort in engaging neighbors, developers, and town requirements um on all of these factors
um in order to satisfy all these constraints. Um, some of that may involve what some people in letters have suggested, which is going back into the zoning code and making modifications and going through that process again with its rigorous community engagement. Um,
and I think that that is also a signal that is coming from this letter and from from the feedback from the community. Um so to the extent of to the to the desire of moving this along, the place that I
would agree with with other select board members is sort of the middle position um which is of the two options being very specific for the two options of the third paragraph to ask to say that the town respectfully
requests mass housing only approved with conditions to identify the conditions that the developer has specifically not met yet. Um, particularly the fourtory scale constraints and the tree canopy
issues um that were that were not met um by the developers design and most particularly include uh include that that other statement of our interest in collaboration. So for the sub option
within the second section of closer to and consistent with I would be willing to support consistent with in the in the effort to move that along and to be consistent with what you're talking about Paul and what Linda is talking about. Um but that is my
revised position based on what I've heard from uh my colleagues and the information that I've gotten from. Let me be clear. You're suggesting that we select option two, which is not to
object or not to um refuse to uh accept P. Um well, the decision of whether or not to accept the PL is not our decision. It is massous. But it is our mass
that that mass housing only only approve the project letter for this project with a set of conditions that include consistent with as opposed to closer to the four story scale constraints and the true canopy. So you with John's
position? Um I don't know if John articulated a position on a closer to a consistent with option within that second option. But for the first questionist with I'm saying I would prefer closer to but I'm willing to I would prefer closer to
but I'm willing to accept consistent with in the spirit of compromise and meeting the broader concerns of consistenc. Yeah. So, I just I want to um I want to take a step back and and I think the
first question we should be asking ourselves and we should vote on before moving forward is whether we want this letter to um to ask them to deny the law. And and I think, you know, look, I spend an exorbitant amount of time on
comprehensive plan, this whole consensus plan for for for Harvard Street. Um and I think we are about to absolutely break trust with the community. We went to Tom meeting and we went to town meeting with
all kinds of community engagement negotiations. The reason why the thing passed it 85% or more was because the community said this is the right package. this is the right zoning to create housing, to
create commercial, to make it fit in the scale of the neighborhoods. That's what we did. Okay? And for us now to just unilaterally say we're not going to design on the fly, that's what Michael's doing right now. We're going to design on the fly what the the zoning should be
for this site. I I think I if I'm a res I'm not going to trust anything that comes out of zoning out of this out of this government because the first chance you had to break it, you broke it. And I think this is a huge mistake. We're setting a very very bad precedent.
We're sending a terrible message to the community that that we can't be trusted. We cannot be trusted um as a board and as a just this is my view. I'm not talking about you and I. We can't they can't trust their government if they're going to say this
is the package. This is the zoning that's right for Harvard Street. This is what's going to make us comp with the law. And the second that someone says, well, we have an opportunity to break it, we're going to support it. the way. So that's all I would like I
would like to further have a discussion in a vote whether the whether the letter that we're sending should say that we're asking them to deny the PEL but we would still like to work with the developer to conform with the the zoning that we passed on street. Okay. I'm happy to do that.
Okay. Let's be clear. um zoning whether it's Harbor Street zoning or any other zoning in town can be ignored under 40B and to to the extent that we're under 10% they have every right to ignore the
underlying zoning including Harvard Street. Now that's my position that they shouldn't have done that you know uh but you know let's not you know suggest that if that those board members who don't want to ask housing to reject PL that
they are somehow going against the sentiments of of um of town meeting and and res that's just not true. Okay. Well, I I Okay, here here's what I want to
um I'd like to move um Okay. How do we say this? Option two. No, I want option one. Okay. Oh, yeah. So, so um let let me uh I move that we do not approve a
project uh I'm sorry, not approve that we do not ask Mass Housing to approve a project eligibility letter to 429 Harvard Street and that the letter to Mass Housing reflect that decision. Thus, the letter that we approve will
one select the first option on page one of the revised draft. Number three on the red line copy, which I think everyone's looking at, right? Yeah. Uh number two, will not include the language on page two that starts with thus the town also respectfully
requests. That was another option that gave us and three will select the first option on page five of the revised draft which also you know, is in line with rejecting um
to to the the mass. So, is that clear? Can we both And I like the language I like the language that that Michael highlighted that stay in the language that says we're going to work with this developer like we should always work with the developers, right? And that work may
result in them coming to you know four stories and figuring out how to use our zoning or it may result Michael and us bringing changes to meeting to change the zoning to make it work. So motion on the floor all in favor of that motion
which is to uh not tell uh mass housing to issue the pal. Um all in favor please indicate by saying I gent no no um Paul Warren. Yes. David Crowman. No.
Um, Michael Rubenstein. No. No. Yes. Yeah. Oh, no. I I thought David here. [Music] Okay. Um, so someone make a motion for
the second option. Uh, may I? Sure. Yeah. Well, this is, you know, pretty straightforward. Um I move that we go with option two in in each of the cases where there are two options for wording. Um in front of me John could you
actually use the word so I can understand what is to the comp. Okay. What what John is asking and this is his motion um that we um select the second option on page two which says the
town respectfully requests mass housing only approve a project eligibility letter for this project with a design of the building that the proposed site layout and I think they agree with the fourstory scale constraints of the
Harvard Street zoning district and consistent with the design requirement. outlined in 760 CMR 56.044C and the related comprehensive permit guidelines dated December 2014.
It also would include in this letter uh the following sentence. Thus, the town also respectfully requests Mass Housing only approve a project eligibility letter for this project for a design that includes
mitigation for this significant tree loss. And finally, uh, this option, uh, would include language on page five, which says, "The select board concluded that the development proposal on this
site should only be granted a project eligibility letter with massing constraints consistent with the four-story scale constraints of the Harvard Street Zoning District and with requirement to mitigate significant tree loss and meet existing sustainability
design standards. Did Michael have one other edition? Well, or is that already are you talking about the one where uh regards the gap in this that that as as far as I'm
is consensus [Music] amend can I make a I'd like to make a suggestion to the letter. So, and I don't have the words, but I
first present the concept. I would like to have to have us add the concept that we believe we are already above the 10% threshold because we have a what temporary whatever you want to call it
uh certificate of occupancy for 250 units and and communicate that we believe we're already above the 10%. We challenged them that were below 10%. Can we put that in? Can we put that in in Y? Absolutely.
Okay. And you'll put it where we had the safe harbor language last summer when we did the same thing. Oh, okay. But it was different. Do you remember the language? Um, not off hand. Are people willing to accept the fact that Cara can put together the
appropriate language? Yeah. Well, I'm just I want to be sure we're not contradicting ourselves in in you know depending on which uh where you look. I mean I'm assuming that the the
the designation uh that we are the window is now open for developers because we are below 10%. If we don't even agree with that um there's nothing left to discuss. you know, we have
their right to even even intervene in this case. This this is my point, John, that we can't challenge this until it gets to the CBA. So, there should be some statement that just says, look, we we believe that this is an accounting issue
of how we account for these things. And I don't know, maybe we had discussion, I can't remember before in the past, whether this has actually been challenged before, but you know, There needs to be a certificate of certificate of occupancy. We've issued one. It's just temporary.
Temporary isn't just a meaningless statement in a circumstance unless it's true that we are above 10%. Um I believe that it is a meaningless
statement regardless of whether we are above 10%. Because Mass Housing in their consideration of a project eligibility letter doesn't look at that information. That information is not considered until it comes to the ZBA
or presumably it would get considered if the ZBA makes a ruling and then that re ruling gets appealed to the state zoning board of appeals. Is that the name of that? Hackous board. The housing board. So, so
we could we could also say, you know, there aren't enough seats in this room. Come on, Michael. Michael, please that that you know, you're actually demeaning the point that I'm trying to make. It's not equivalent to how many chairs. It's not equivalent to how many shares
that that's true. But he does make a relevant point, and that is he could say that Mass Housing is going to cross it off and say, "Let's read the rest of the letter." I I I think it will damage our credibility as a thoughtful body to put in a statement that we know that they
will not consider. Consider amendment from the amendment. Can you can you articulate your amendment? Yeah. My amendment is for for for we to
have the directive of Cara Brutin insert the safe harbor language that was before but reference the existing project that has a temporary occupancy. Could I could I suggest a specific sentence? Yes. at the uh very first paragraph the
last sentence would there would be the sentence added that says the select board believes we are in a safe harbor now due to 10% of the units have a certificate of occupancy and why why would
that be that we don't actually let her answer the question asked her question she's gonna answer So the state in their regulations does take into account the local housing
efforts the town has made. This is why we mentioned where we were where we thought we were worth percentage of land last summer. They care and weigh how how much has the town moved in addition to what's being proposed. So that is why I
drafted the letter along the same lines of the case in East which was very rare that relied on the fact and the regulations that local significant housing production includes
things like as of right multif family zoning. Okay. So, so mass housing the question is you're saying mass housing will take into consideration or look at that sentence. Um, it reflect it reflects the housing
production the recent there's a whole section in in the letter about recent housing. Yeah. Are they are they going to investigate whether that's a true statement or not? I don't think they'll care whether that's true. That's the ZBA and then the housing appeals committee decision to be
made later. But it it does reflect the recent reduction that the housing has made towards housing needs. David, I think it's important for us to be accurate in our statements. But I do agree with Paul's broader point that it
is concerning that we allow developers to control the timeline of when we're in the safe harbor or not. I am not opposed to having language to that effect in this letter. Uh but I do object to the precise construction of it as being
presented now because it's not accurate that we have 10% of the certificate of occupancy. If we wanted to spell out in detail the exact situation we're in, the delay because of the venting system that
uh we have met the spirit of 10%. Something like that. I just want to be truthful. Okay. Uh Paul has a motion on the floor. Let's vote on that. It would be it would be the sentence that carrier starts to all in favor
John. No. No. Paul Warren. Yeah. Of course you got to say yes. Come on. Uh David, no. Um Michael, no. No.
And no. Okay, now back to John's original motion. Um, everyone clear on what that is? Yes, amend John's original motion and just say what I'm hearing is that you all are comfortable with using the phrase consistent with instead of closer to
throughout the letter. Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Um, unless anyone has any further discussion or questions. Uh, all in favor of John's motion. I
Paul Warren. No. David Burman. I know which way the wind's blowing, so I'll vote I, too. Welcome to the club. No. No. I'm not in your club. Okay. Thank you.
Okay. Thank you. Justice. Yes. Before we move on though, I do want to reassure the neighborhood, similar to our to our uh discussion with 16 Williams, we are listening. This is an ongoing process. The first draft is a
first draft. There will be more changes. Uh we have a dispute here about the best strategy to take in a letter to mass housing, but essentially we're still saying even in the letter that got approved that uh the PEL should only be
approved if it's consistent with Harbor Street Zoning is essentially what it's saying. We're just we're just not flat out saying rejected. So David, you do you do realize that that they can but they can approve whatever they want because you're not saying deny it. They can say well thanks
for asking for story. We can make it five. They can always approve whatever they want. They always approve. We've had no credibility as a board just outright rejections. I think it's time for a change in our practice and see if it works better. Okay. Um so we had to vote. Let's go on
to the next item of uh on the agenda. Information technology policies. Uh is F on Zoom? Yes. Okay. Hello F. Hi. Good evening. Good evening. Talk to us about these policies and and
then the various 34 is it guidance guidances that we're not we're not being asked to read. Let's make make that clear. No, you're not asked to read the 34 policies and guidelines. Only the three I'm presenting and that's in your
package. So, um hi, I'm the chief information officer, information technology department. Good evening every members of the board, Mr. Kerry and Miss Golf. Um I um let me uh bring my slide up. I
only have a very few. So um it's getting late. I know it's it's been a long night for you guys. Um Tiffany, am I able to share? Yes, you should. Okay, great. Okay.
Are you able to see my slides? Okay, great. So, um well, these policies, the three of them, um have um that I'm going to present. Uh hold on one second. Let me move this window aside.
Okay. So, um have been reviewed by the information technology um advisory committee, office of town council, HR, town minister's office, and by chair green and the board uh the select for members. Thank you all for your valuable feedback. In particular, I would like to
extend my sincere appreciation to Mr. Michael Rubenstein who spent a great deal of time um reviewing and revising the three policies that were developed at different times to make sure the terms we're using are defined well and
are consistently used across all three policies and the language is simplified for general users. So thank you for your experience and fresh set of advice. So the three policies are information technology resource use policy uh the
general uh gener generative artificial intelligence use policy written information security policy. So I'll start with the first one. The existing ITR use policy was adopted by the select board in 2000. The policy framework is
good. Most of the updates are in the acceptable use section. It outlines user responsibilities, acceptable and unacceptable use, email and public records law, network security in the sense in the context of users and
enforcement and disciplinary action. It provides clear definition of terms, defines roles and responsibilities. So that's a revision of an existing policy. And then the next the second one is a new general policy.
Excuse me. We talked about a um revision or an amendment to use number one which I think is very important. So just make sure people are aware of that before they vote.
Yes. So the uh change that you're referencing is uh is uh the unacceptable use number one. If you look at page two of the first policy, uh let me read the original language and then let me tell you what the change that was proposed by
children. So sending, receiving, downloading, displaying, forwarding, printing or otherwise disseminating material that is profane, saying, harassing, fraudulent, offensive or defamatory other than uh for legitimate
work related matters. So, Chair Green was recommended to use um instead of work related matters uh uh to say limited law enforcement and similar or and other similar matters. Uh so that
was the the change that's recommended. I I thought that you know the language is a little too open-ended that um uh you know I what is legitimate workrelated um uh matter in terms of downloading I
don't know pornography or or other things. I I think we I thought we had to be a little more precise there that you know this is limited to law enforcement of course but al also other legitimate uh purposes like HR um I assume the
library does monitoring of uh the usage of their equipment and things like that. You have a question? Yes, I have I have a question. Um, I'm wondering how this applies to the incorporation
of material. Uh, okay. Okay. Let me be specific. I'm thinking of a use case where, for example, somebody produces educational materials um on a relatively sensitive matter, sexual health for example. Um,
and they include some material that may be graphic. Um, and some people may consider that material obscene or profane and others may not. Um, and I'm just as concerned about um what the
validation process or verification process is for a use case like that so that we don't end up self censoring um our educational any educational materials that the town might produce in that regard. Yeah.
Um, I think that's separate from you what I'm suggesting we add here, but how do we deal with that generally in in the policy? Well, um, well, I think it would be if someone was violating the policy, there'd be an
investigation. So, I would assume that that would be the determination of the investigator. um in terms of whether or not the content was inappropriate and and in violation of the policy. But if anyone if um you know I'm not
sure if you've had you know uh use cases that you might be able to refer to on how this particular section uh might have been dealt with but I would assume that during you know the investigation it would be something that would be addressed. Yes. So we we haven't had this case. Um
um um in general um you know if there's a complaint about violation of the policy um HR conducts investigation and then uh so has her hand up so probably I will let Ann answer that question
and you muted it. Thank you. Ann Braa, HR director for the town of Brooklyn. Um when there is an allegation of inappropriate use of um IT resources or any town resources, um we
would look at the um total situation. So in the case that was was defined where it was um used for sexual health and there were um graphic anatomic pictures that kind of thing um there would there
would be warning of that for whoever's participating. But in in that particular use case, if it's being used for a legitimate workrelated purpose, um then that just on that narrow scope um as provided for a use case wouldn't be
found in violation because the the generally accepted definitions of obscene and profane are that there is no um redeeming value of of the um of the content. And in this particular case, if it's used um appropriately for
educational purposes, I'm not talking about, you know, showing porn or something like that, but um where you're you're using it for educational or training purpose, then um you know, while there might be an allegation of, you know, inappropriate
use um in that particular case, and then as with anything else, they're all FT specific. um we'd be looking at, you know, the the training focus and where the intended audience is. And hopefully people would reach out um to HR um or um
it if they were going to present on something that is sensitive um that they were looking for guidance on ahead of time, right? That's why I'm sorry I don't have your specific language in front of me but I I
know law enforcement and other related um and and other similar work related and that be HR the schools for example library but but not for example public health
public health I guess yeah the Point is is that there had a person accused of downloading something that's inappropriate would have the burden of proving or showing that they have a legitimate reason for downloading that. And I think what what
Ann is saying is that HR is sort of our writer of that, right? And I my concern is that is that the more restrictive language if you don't spell out like all the all the places that that somebody might
inadvertently self censor their own activity in in a less productive way in anticipation of like being caught up by this policy. The town administrator has his hand raised. Pardon me.
The time administrator has his hand raised. I think the language that Bernard has proposed deals with this. You know, other legitimate workplace uses. Um, you know, it does limit it specifically to to the law enforcement contact. It provides an
example. Um, and then or what I would hope in this instance would be that to Ann's point, right, if someone is doing something that would approach a line, people know, all right, generally speaking, I shouldn't be downloading, you know, you know, anatomy pictures
without uh without cause. They would go to HR in advance and say, "Hey," or to it in advance and say, "Hey, I need to do this for a public health reason. Can we just make sure that people know and that it's not flagged and we don't waste time on this? And so when those things
happen when we are available and it's very easy for us to do that in advance. Um and so I would hope I don't think people would self censor I don't think the open-ended language at the end uh would cause someone to self censor. I just think it would make sure people say
all right is my is my work cover this I better check be sure. Okay. And you have your hand. Um and and that presupposes that um the filters that are already in place through it would allow you to actually
download those things. Okay. So if you need to download them, you want to ask it to release. Yeah. Okay. Okay. [Music]
Um okay. Yep. Yep. Okay. So um the second policy is the new generative AI policy. Well artificial intelligence is not a new concept. It was uh first named in
1956. So AI crisis of machine learning, robotics and natural language processing. Many systems have been using this technology for a while. But since uh November of 2022 when open AI launched D AI has gained unprecedented
attention generated AI is a type of AI that creates new content as text, images, audio, video and software code. So the rapid um technological advancement and ever increasing unsanctioned and ad hoc use of AI tools
by users without approval uh creates governance challenges for many organizations including local governments like us. So this generative AI policy is intended to provide clear guidance to our users. Uh to prevent
misuse or unintended consequences, to minimize organizational risks, to provide transparency and create public trust and to promote innovations in safe and ethical ways. And then the third um policy is called
written information security policy. Um data governance is important very important and critical u is extremely important and critical with the advancement of AI technology is even more so. So the third this policy WISP
uh this is an overarching policy that is designed to protect um the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information data. It outlines highly framework for managing
information security risks. It is also a set of documented policies, guidelines, protocols, procedures to protect sensitive information and uh chair mentioned this 34 list which is in in the back of this policy u that that's
the list of documented uh guidelines and policies. Um and separating that actually it's a Mr. uh Rubenstein's good idea to separate that from the policy the high level framework policy um gives
you know um the uh departments the agility and also you know change the guidelines uh when technology changes you know because we know technology changes very fast. So this is makes the high level framework um longlasting but
also the subsequent guidelines that uh that are much easier for for departments to change. So so we're more you know efficient and more agile if you will and also written information security policy is a requirement of masterless data
privacy regulation and it applies to all departments and users. So um the policy revision uh that we talked about the new policy development and adoption are a very important part of our holistic cyber security program
as it is improving and maturing as you can see from our national cyber security review. Uh we have made huge progress in the past few years due to the understanding of the importance of cyber security by town leadership like you all and the funding provided via grants
during co that accelerated our digital transformation but also accelerated our um you know building up of our cyber security program and also the funding IT operating budget and also of course your dedicated IT department staff.
So the the uh NISK framework version 2.0 pulled out governments um out of the five categories identify, protect, detect, respond, recover uh to emphasize its importance in uh in this increasingly fast changing digital
landscape and the three policies are part of that. Um so um since this these three policies have been reviewed by all the governing bodies um extensively. So
I highly recommend you um approve the three policies tonight. So um with that said that concludes my presentation and um if you have any comments or questions. Okay. I I'd like to do this by just
asking anyone or asking if anyone objects to just approving policies or do you want to have a more discussion? Pardon me. I'm ready to say yes. Um I just have one clarifying question. Okay.
Um thank you so much um uh director for this work. Um, I really appreciate the framework that you're putting in place. Um, I just I have one question and this will probably be answered in one of the
34 policies. Um, probably having to do with data classification. Um, but I wanted to understand um, with regard to publicly available data that is provided on the town's website um, whether that
is uh, spreadsheets or documents and so forth. Um I just want to make sure that um the IT department's perspective, none of that data um in the form that it is presented on on
the town's website is considered privileged or is it considered privileged information in any way. so that if somebody uses that data within the context of their town work that they can be confident that that data um doesn't run a foul of um privacy
concerns etc. All the information that's published on the town website should be public information so I uh don't believe any sensitive data is published on the town website there might be restrictions related to the use of the town though because that
is under the perview of the town. Yeah. Okay. The the other thing is not on the town website, but we receive uh attorney confidential material. Yes. That of course has to be kept in
confident. No, I'm thinking about privilege. I'm thinking about things like um like the the the assessments or the list of town meeting members and so forth. the list of town
members I think is publicly available and I believe all their addresses and emails do have to be. So that one is um live on the website. Sorry Tiffany assistant administrator for operations but I do get the train of thought that you're thinking on for example with licensing um folks are able to search
all of the licensed facilities but there is protected information that's blocked out of that portal um that's personally identifable information and not public. There are also technical materials in connection with I don't know building committees and things like that and
there's a specific um specific exception to the public records act for those types of things. Right. Right. Anything else? Any other questions? Okay. Then I move approval of all three of the policies. the information
technology resource use policy, the generative artificial intelligence policy, and the written information security policy. All in favor of approve one minute. I think we can also approve the IT security program policies and guidelines list.
That's not part of the other three. Um, is that something we were supposed to approve? because I thought that those were the sort of day-to-day details that that implement these policies as and and and those can change you know as as
technology changes etc. I was just acknowledging the fact that this list exists as as part of our policies. I I I could be wrong. I think it's similar to when Christina had her policies. There were the the operating guidelines that are separate
from the policies and so this would function the same way. Yeah. I would recommend not including it in in those three policies in our voting. Y and that that was uh providing us with information as to the existence of those policies.
Thank you. Um okay. Did I finish my motion? I think I did. All in favor, please indicate by saying I. John Van. Paul Warren. I David. Michael.
Hi. And chair. Hi. Thank you. Thank you very much. Okay. Hey. Uh, next select forward goals and objectives. Okay. Tiffany, you want to lead us through this discussion?
Yes. I'm happy at night. I'm happy to start us off. Well, this is a preliminary review of course and we just digested information that you gave us from the work work session last time again. Sorry, assistant administrator for operations.
Um, so just a recap of kind of process since the work session. So um obviously at the work session we went through the list of fiscal year 26 goals and objectives and we went one by one and decided um are we going to carry it over to fiscal 27? Are we going to pull it up
and out to the 2030 road map or are we going to uh remove it because it might be completed um within fiscal year 26? Um with that we narrowed down the carryover from fiscal year 26 to six items, six or seven items. Um and then
we generated a list of 25 potential additions for fiscal year 27. Um since the work session, we met um individually and also in groups with department heads. Um we met individually with planning and community development
director Cara Brutin who's online and also individually is in the room and also individually with um department of public works commissioner ch um and then we met in groups with the remaining department heads uh with the exception
and we did not meet with um the director of office of diversity, equity, inclusion and community relations and we did not meet with the interim director for public health and human services um due to scheduling Um so with that said uh between the feedback you all provided and um the
discussion with department division heads I've put together a list of 16 um fiscal year 27 goals and objectives. Um one major thing that I left out was reference to the community health improvement plan and I caught that um
while speaking with our council on aging director um yesterday. So, I have not had the chance to actually go in and add that one in there, but I just want to note that was a major read out that I definitely want to go go back and add because you all discussed it during the work session. Um, I'm going to pull the
goals and objectives up on the screen. Let me ask a question. Uh, you're going to meet with um the diversity director and the health director before our next meeting. Before the next meeting. Yes, we'll follow up with them. I assume I just wanted Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Um and so just a
note here um the first column has the drafted language and then the third column um has kind of notes changes that references the original language you propose any questions um that came up as we were hashing these out and we've highlighted several of the goals and
objectives in blue a lot of those are housing and planning community development related which is um why I also asked um the director bey uh to help us answer any questions and guide discussion there. So, um
interested to hear your reactions to the goals and objectives, what was left out, what needs to be changed, and what technical questions you might have in particular for um director or commissioner. Um, okay. So, first of all, thank you,
um, uh, Tiffany and all the others that you met with to, uh, bring this list. Uh, there's obviously a lot of work here. Um I I am a little concerned that there's there's a very long list here um
lots of detail but we have an amazing staff so that um I tr I trust their uh ability to both filter um their capacity uh and to uh help guide us through this. Um looking at the first item in planning
for the future um let me focus my comments there. Um, we had a pretty we had somewhat of a robust discussion about the real estate asset board um in an earlier select board meeting and
I'm wonder I'm not sure if I saw that board specifically referenced here in any place. Um, but is it proper to assume that that real estate asset board is involved in the completion of the first objective given
in the charge? Um, and the second comment I have about this item is that, um, if that is the case, um, there are a number of other plans aside from the three that are listed, the comprehensive
plan, the open space and recreation plan, and the climate action and resiliency plan that I believe need to be incorporated into the consideration of, you know, how we use our assets and sort uh
how we uh manage the implementation and funding of all those various plans. So I'm a little concerned that if we just have those three in the list, then all the other things that we might also have on that list um would be uh relegated in a way
that we don't necessarily want to signal. Um, as for your question on the real property asset board, the only mention of the real property asset board, if I'm recalling correctly, um, is on row 11. And this was one that, um,
director Brin Buger, sorry, it's getting late. um car came up with um and it says assign the real property asset board to review use of town owned properties caretaking agreements as a potential option for public employee housing in
the 80 to 100% area median income range. So um focusing less on the real property asset board overall charge which we think is um kind of more addressed in the fiscal year 26 objectives. Um this
is more focusing on an item that uh chair green had brought up with respect to public employee housing. Um but uh director Brutin I know has been working on taking in some feedback related to the real property asset board. I don't know if you can better address the questions or vice chair Pearlman also I
know has been working on um taking that feedback from staff and other sources together to come up with some language for the real property asset board. Am I better address your question? Right. Specifically in the context of this
uh with permission. So the uh director of planning I hear your specific question Michael about making sure that we're listing all the specific studies and then Tiffany if you could go back up to the top for a second. I'm wondering if a helpful
catch all would be um and other plans um by that coming out other summarized prioritiz prioritized by the comprehensive plan because the comprehensive plan certainly is a wide net that has all of these plans floating
around are going to be trying to prioritize a lot of those those items including um a work plan that comes out of it. That might be just a helpful reference that would capture all of those plans that are listed on that website.
Um there may also be others of course. Do do you want to make it broader than just uh the ones that it looks like that that um I'm looking at the first phrase of this determine a phased approach for implementing and funding elements of the
compreh of the comprehensive plan parentheses open space recreation plan and climate action resiliency plan. Yeah. which is an important goal. Um if if I were to think for example like
where does you mentioned the community health improvement plan um we also have a housing production plan we have a vision zero plan etc etc um and and so I'm just I'm concerned that if we have a body
um that is looking at implementing and funding elements that they that they also have an equally wide net. Are you thinking you'd want to add and any recommendations from the real estate
asset board? Does that get to what you're think he's worried about missing not referenced in the goal? Yeah. Yeah. I'm I'm wondering if so like the first item on that global objectives does not specifically mention the real property asset board. So I think we're starting
to intermingle those efforts. um which are slightly different and I think the real asset property board as first envisioned started with um real property like like land that has a building on it our town assets that have a building on
it and the comprehensive plan is going to address far greater than that. So I don't know that we should intermingle real property asset board with that first solar objective. Um, I think we could broaden and out, but I think as a reminder, um, the fiscal year 27 goals
and objectives don't need to touch every single plan that we're working on. May maybe I can propose an alternative. If this goal is specifically talking about implementing funding elements of the comprehensive plan, then it may make more sense to remove the reference to
the other two plans so that this this goal is like specific. And if we want to take up the the implementation and funding of elements of other plans, then that would be separate and independent goals. And we can we can separate
we can separate prioritize those debates independently because that that I actually feel is a significant select board role. Okay. Um commissioner has a comment and also look like member also has stand up.
I don't know if it's about the same discussion commissioner of public works. I I think one point I was going to get to is I think that the the real property question and um consideration of priorities and implementation of these
plans are separate uh in terms of overall as a goal and I think the reason why these came together and they certainly don't need to around the comp plan, the open space plan and the climate action resiliency plan is that those are all um
going to be sort of very new uh plans for the select board that you'll be um looking at and uh hopefully adopting in the coming year. We see the open space um recreation plan will be coming before
you uh in uh 2025 and probably the the carp the climate action resiliency plan in 2026. So just seeing those kind of the having some type of road map and keeping the momentum going is something that we were talking about and those are all feeding into the uh comprehensive
plan as well. So, so I think it's certainly fine to um eliminate those in your goals for 2027 and we can revisit that um in the future, but they may be very contemporary uh goals that uh
members of the community have worked on and we thought those may be things that you want to highlight as you move into 2027. Okay. Oh, yeah. Um, I just I wanted um Tiffany, could you put the Yes,
the list back up. Thank you. Uh, I just I wanted to suggest that we not specifically say mention the um the real asset board. Okay. And just make it and just make it an
objective that's review if you need to see where it is. So, yeah. So get rid of I'm suggesting that we get rid of sign the real property asset board. I'm suggesting we eliminate that and just say review use of town owner properties agreements etc.
And who does that? It may be a real asset board. I know we're still having a discussion about what is a real asset board and do we need one? So, you know, I'm suggesting let's take that let's take the assignment out of the goal. We just have the objective which is review
use of town owned properties, etc., etc. Okay. Okay. And then to if you scroll up to Michael's point um and I think which Aaron just spoke to um I think the the spirit of this goal is to instead of having plans that just
sit on a shelf that we're actually starting to execute through uh funding right so what are the phases to find I think that's what we're trying trying to get at um I think it's okay to list them but um I think the key statement here is determine a phase approach and
implementation and funding elements or the following. It could be comprehensive plan and these other things but I think the key is phasing funding so stuff doesn't sit on the shelf. Okay,
good. Any other comments, questions? Especially on the ones that were in blue. Um I can go through those. So one was to continue to work with planning and community development staff to enable funding and select board support for the
next two town actions in parentheses reszoning sale of land etc. that would enable significant additional property revenue or new growth partheses which would bring at least 500,000 additional property tax revenue per year. Um sorry let me enlarge this a little bit bigger.
Okay. Consulting funding from the general fund for planning and community development will continue to prioritize projects that add to commercial property growth. There was initial language that was proposed by select board um member Voyak on this one. Um
how do we like this current language um director? I don't know if you have anything you'd like to add or share on um the shaping of this goal and how you arrived at this new language. I think we talked about what types of projects this might mean. I think that's that's just to give a little bit of
context. Um, if you don't mind and where did we come up with the number 500,000 that was proposed by John? I think it was off the top of my head.
And also just a note that Paul has. Okay. No, go ahead. I found um the direction that was going very helpful to have you know something about something big enough that we're talking about a half million dollars like like that's
actually very helpful direction that that's what kind of project you're you're talking about because this is an objective just for one fiscal year. We're coming to you every year saying, "Here's the next two or three projects that we see in the pipeline that might shift around based
on political support funding and property owners being willing to actually do something." We'll continue to do that. I thought it might be helpful for for you all to have this be about, you know, funding. What's the next step to help these things actually happen? And as everybody
knows here, any one of those projects that are a product of that size is what will most likely require resing and will most likely take 10 years. So I think the idea hopefully is to keep the pipeline going, right? Not rest on our laurels, but okay, what's the next
one? What's the next one? When we got we got What size project generates $500,000 in property tax? Is that a You say it's a large project. Large. So, uh, the children's hospital expansion years ago
was brings 2 million, right? Brings 2 million a year. Um, half a million dollars. I don't think I wrote the numbers. I went, sorry, had this ready to go. I don't know. But, but something like 80 units, residential units, something like that.
And how often do we get those? Residential we don't get unless it's a 40. Yeah. Um in commercial we do get with resoning. So we've had multiple hotels. Um and those come in every you know three to five years.
Okay. My hand is David. Just regarding you gave an example on the residential side of 80 units producing 500,000 in revenue growth. What about on a commercial side? What
type of project would lead to that? not good at doing this on the fly. Um, let me come back to you. I have these in notes, but I think it's something like 75,000 ft of commercial something something like that. A huge commercial site, right?
But, you know, remember that the Porsche dealership just uh doubled or tripled in size. That's bringing in new commercial growth. These these things do happen. Sometimes they're just not as controversial. So, are we talking about TJ Maxx size commercial to get to 500,000 or
uh see a grocery store is about 200,000 or about 150 200,000 ft. That gives you a sense of of size. Okay. Anything? Yes. So, so
I'm I'm noticing in the wording that it sounds like it's very important that the goal include uh enable funding and select board support, right? So, I mean this is a list of select board goals. Um
I mean I guess that seems redundant with the select word function. So, so I'm wondering if we can actually focus the goal language on the specifics because I think we can acknowledge and it's true for this one. Uh, it's also true with
the first one. It's also true with 100% housing one that all of these things are going to require funding and select board support. Um, and so in a sense, what I'm what I'm hearing from you, Tiffany, and you, Cara, is that that
you're asking us to make to make funding and support and focus decisions through this through this process. This is well if I could chime in here I think it is helpful to understand where the priorities lie so that when we do need
to make funding decisions we have a clear sense of where to put the the limited resources that we do have. So as an example the discussion that the board has had over the last couple of years around street rehabilitation and the priorities that need to be happening there that has been very helpful as
we're building the CIP and trying to allocate resources. So, you know, if everything's a priority, nothing is a priority. So, we need to make sure that, you know, and I think that's really where the road map is going to help as well because those will kind of be broader broader priorities and then
we'll have some more specifics with the year-to-year goals. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Um the other ones we highlighted in blue we we talked a little bit about um re removing the reference to the real property asset board in this one to be
just review use of town owned properties caretaking grievance as a potential option for public employee housing in the 80% area union income range. Um we if there are additional comments on that um please let us know. Um there are a
couple that we added kind of or that Cara added through the sense of the board at the last work session. So um one is direct the planning board and housing advisory board to report on a prioritized list of strategies to increase the number of deed restricted income housing serving households
between 80% and 100% AMI. This could range from incentivizing or buying restrictions on existing units to new construction. We also added ask property owners and the development community to give advice on whether and in what way the Harvard street zoning needs to be
adjusted to be more utilized if interest rates drop to a point where multif family non-40B development construction starts to resume in the area. Um I have an error here. I apologize for that. Um and then work with the housing advisory board and planning board to create
inclusionary zoning incentives or other zoning incentives for households in the 80 to 100% area median income range. So it would be helpful to get feedback from the board today or even after today on um if this language is right in the
direction that you were going for. Um are there other questions that you were hoping to get answers to? I was just about to say or which one of these is most important like you know I was just trying to give language to give a little more specificity about the this idea behind
uh 80 and 100% what do we want to do next? Um if it's row 12 13 or 14 is a higher priority. Not that we can't do two things, but it would be helpful to get feedback from you all of, you know, one, two, three. If one of those isn't actually something that you feel like
it's a top priority for Yeah. are do we really have to prioritize those three? It seems like they sort of go together, don't they? If if you want them all, that's also feedback. I'm just I'm saying that
uh working with uh sleptboard's office we were thinking of like three different ways that that could be articulated. Correct me if I'm wrong, but rows 12 and 14 work ultimately towards the same goal. Is that right?
So yes, I I have heard some people in general talk about the harbor street zoning because it requires on site affordable units and the option to do a little bit higher% AMI that that could be another action that helps meet that
80 to 100% AMI goal. Sure. Sure. But but I mean I I certainly agree that identifying ways to serve households between 80 and 100% AMI is an important goal and I also agree
that working with the housing advisory board and the planning board to figure out ways to do that is is worthwhile. I mean I I I guess I in terms of like operationalizing it seems like 12 and 14
are the same goal to me and I'm I'm trying to understand if they're different I would say one is asking the the HAB for their um expertise in this world and
bring you some options whereas 14 is saying we don't need the the lecture we want you to create more more units So, one's about the policy and one's about. Yeah, go ahead. Sorry, my bandwidth is really wonky, so
I'm hearing every other word. Um, just let me know if you can't hear me. Um, did these come out of our workshop or I only heard every other word. Where did these come from? these three we spoke specifically during our
workshop about these methods. Okay. I think sorry. So um at the workshop you all discussed a couple of different things and then so uh 12 and 14 um more so came out of this um request to increase the availability
of affordable housing up to 100% and marketing the town's available 80 and 100% options to employees. Um so this was one of the contributions from chair green. Um, and I think also us trying to navigate the carryover from fiscal 26 related to the previous goal and
objective of support development of new mixed income multifamily residential housing in areas um in the consensus plan. Um, so based on what we heard in the workshop um and based on what was submitted after the workshop, we revised some of this language to try to get a
better sense from you all on direction today. I'm not sure that you Yeah. I just um I guess the one where we're I think it's I don't necessarily think it needs to be one of our goals to talk to developers to find out how we
should make the changes on Harvard Street. Um I think that could just come as a natural course, but should it be a select board goal um to propose new zoning? It sounds like we're going to propose new zoning on Harvard Street potentially. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean that that's for me
that feedback is just to strike that road. That's that's fine. I just I mean that that may come out I mean I know we're going to proate that's a topic of comprehensive plan isn't it? Um and would be coming out of the comprehensive plan priority if that's anything they wanted to do.
Yes. So I don't take it out of our goals and objectives and then put it in comprehensive planning slap or planning and community development slap. I mean I mean I mean if you're going to do that excuse me go ahead
if if you're going to do that in this case there are a number of other things that would would equally fall under the comprehensive plan. So I guess the question is should the select board have a set of goals you know for the for the
sake of ensuring better greener income diverse housing that that we recognize are worthy of town staff work um independent of or in parallel with the comprehensive plan. I believe the answer
is yes, but others may disagree. And and it's yes because these are goals that have a time frame that is fiscal year 27. Right. Right. And I mean that that I think that was what we're trying to do
is identify fiscal year 27 goals as opposed to other goals that have a longer time span in the um what's road map. Yeah. I just my only my only point is is that you're leaprogging the
comprehensive plan. So you're essentially saying we're going to priorit I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I'm just saying it's a thing that if if you're saying prioritize these three four things for the community development team and uh when the comprehensive plan is done which can be
done to towards the end of this year um you know you there may be a different set of priorities that come out of from the community and you're already chasing these that that's all I mean car would know better she's closer to with the consultants but these two things could
conflict Um, that's all. Is that true? They could Sorry, if you could keep bringing up that one. Um, so so wrote 13 that talked about having
conversations with property owners. We're doing that now. We've been doing that. We'll continue to do that. I don't think that take much more of your your time here tonight. Um, the road before that that invites the hat to have a more interactive conversation with you all about how to
get to the 80% AMI I think would be a very productive next step for FY27 and and wouldn't risk straying too far from probably the community will end up whereas the 14 is more about creating
units and I think that's where I it would be helpful for me to get feedback from you all whether creating units is a goal that you want to set down for FY27 in that income range. Um because that would influence things like what do we
do with Babcock Street? What do we do with Kent Street? What do we do with Fisher Hill? That's how that that would be folded into the work that we're doing. Um but if you were to take it out, then that would leave the window for the comp
plan to finish up over the winter. It would be sorry. No, I was just going to follow that real quick, Michael, that you know, it' be great if we could get Walden, which would cover a lot of would help
with a lot of our goals she commercial space, resial space. We had that as a goal. What would be the goal? Get moving
to talk to get moving. Please get moving. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think that fits it. I think that fits it pretty well under row seven that enable significant additional property revenue, new growth, which
would bring in at least 500,000 additional property tax revenue per year. Obviously, I think it's safe to say that Waldo would fit in that category. So, so I think I think we're covered with that.
With regard to rows 12, 13, and 14, I think it would be good for the select board to say to the planning and community development department that we are looking for you to create these,
you know, to to create these incentives and bring them back to us. um and to um to work on Harvard Street and you know bring that bring that back to us. I I don't know I don't think that that's that's
ultimately in uh in conflict with the comprehensive plan and I would hope that it would be additive to the comprehensive plan. Yeah. Okay. Okay. That's helpful feedback. Thank you. Um the last one I highlighted
in blue um was related to um one that I think there was some mixed opinions about at the end of the work session um related to guard rails for prop 2 and a half. Um we've refined it a little bit and um the language we've come up with
and would really appreciate some additional thoughts perspective on it. continue on the work of the expenditures and revenue study committee by evaluating and implementing um recommendations including but not limited to a new town split memorandum of agreement on shared services guard
rails related to future proposition 2 and a half override considerations um etc whatever other recommendations come out and then if proposed recommended by senators and revenues um study committee um oh sorry actually that was just repetitive apologize that
would be end of it So, any thoughts on POP two and a half and if that's something um the swiper wants to explore guard rails for? What would be a guard rail for two and a half? I mean, not as if we have any
control over it. Uh or do we do? Well, I think this was around policies around the um you know, we have we have policies within the levy on what our debt burden can be, but we've had conversations about, you know, what that will be outside the levy. But I think
one of the things that we worried about is, you know, setting a policy that would look like it would be binding a future board, which obviously is the board's prerogative to set these levels. Um and so trying to figure out a way to to kind of change that a little bit. So
that's why we got some of the additional language in there. My recollection is at the workshop John had raised the point that taxpayers want some type of certainty about how much their taxes will increase year-over-year
or in segments of five years. Some sense that we would not exceed a certain level. So that was the context discussion came up in and as you just mentioned there was some concern about binding a future board from uh taking
some kind of action which we cannot do but my interpretation of John's remark was more what would be sort of our general policy what would we try to avoid what type of guarantee would we try to give to the taxpayers so they have an understanding of what's coming
and uh when would we support or oppose property tax increases on that basis. If if you tell people that this is what we're aiming for and you know the world falls apart can't reach that then some
people will say well you violated you violated the agreement with with the taxpayers by raising taxes higher and you trying to keeping below Bernard, I may speak. Um, so we already have a tax certainty agreement. It's
called Proposition 2 and a half and it could only be overridden by the voters. So there's already a guard there. So what what the community might find helpful is if we could forecast out
beyond this override and get to the next one and say if growth continues to happen the way it is you can you know we would anticipate all things being equal we didn't add additional commercial space whatever um you know this is what the deficit would look like in the next
years um to forecast it but I I I think we got to be careful and saying that we're going to have a policy that says we can't go beyond that. We already have that policy. It's called Proposition 2 and a half. Michael,
um I'm just reading the text of line 21 again. Um and I just want to make sure that we're debating the thing that's that's actually referenced in the in the text. I mean this talks about the work of the expenditures and revenue study committee you know and town school
split memorandums of agreement on shared services a number of topics that have been taken up by the expenditures and revenue study committee in order to help us manage and make our finances more predictable and I and I think what this goal is asking is whether the select
board has as its goal to continue and enhance that work. Not the question of not the question of are we are we putting
limitations on our ability to collect revenue or to ask for oversight. I mean these these things town school split the memorandum of agreement on shared services are mostly guard rail are mostly issues of expense
not of revenue. So, so it seems why don't we why don't we focus it why don't we focus it Michael on I think you're right it's not about two and a half but what if we just more
focus this goal on the town school partnership um and can continue I know there's more work to be done there and and focus on that you know you know school 220 or something okay that's helpful feedback. Thank you.
Um I did ask um Commissioner to join us tonight just in case there was any um follow questions related to the DPW goals and objectives. Um like I mentioned planning and DPW were the ones we discussed the most. So are there any other followup questions for her on items you brought up at the work session
or what you see on proposal objectives drafted related tow? I'm fine. Okay. Okay. All right. So um I'll take the feedback from today and um work with staff. We'll meet with um Lloyd and um John with um diversity inclusion
community relations and then public health. Um and then I also failed to mention there was one other major ad that we wanted to add for fiscal year 27 which is um in the fiscal health category just relates to thinking about um the close out of American Rescue Plan
Act funds um and then the um plan for stability there. So, we'll add some language related to that since that will happen um right in the middle of fiscal year 27 is a pretty um big one. That is okay. Okay. Thank you.
Thank you. Okay. Next on the on the agenda is um boards and commissions reappointments. Um, why don't we do those anonymous session
16 A through 16F. Anyone have any questions about anyone any one of them? Hearing none, let's uh vote. I move approval of the appointments in items 16A through 16F
uh to the various uh uh committees um in our agenda. All in favor, please indicate by saying I. Jonathan, Paul [Music] was a David. Hi.
Hi, Michael. I chair both. Next, boards. Boards and admissions appointments. Question of appointing. Uh, let's see. I'll just read. Ruby de Brun and Virginia Simpson Gunner to the
Brooklyn Youth Council as members representing precincts 5 to 8. I think that is something that John had a hand in. I made a suggestion just to hooked me up on good suggestion.
Um why don't we do those do that separate because it's a new council. Um not sure there's a good reason to do it separately but we'll do it. Okay. I have approval of um Ruby Dub and Virginia Simpson Gunner of the Brooklyn
Youth Council. All in favor, please indicate by saying I Paul Warren. David, I before moving on, um I just had a question. Okay. Um, I believe that Alec
Neit in his recommendation letter had a couple of other recommendations and I didn't know whether those were reviewed or considered. I'm just wondering what the status of those recommendations is. Um, it's it's it's admittedly been a
since I looked into them related to this one, but um for Ruby and uh for precincts 5 through 8, there were at least one other individual was at least one other individual who was recommended. However, there are not more seats available um on the youth council.
Um so, and and there are no more at large seats or not unless you appoint additional associate member uh seats, which you could um but I I I hesitate to recommend you to go
down that path because there were a lot of other also applied um so it starts to get a bit more right. Yeah. Okay. Next question of appointing Bruce Erlic as an alternate member on the
preservation commission. All in favor please indicate by saying I. John I. Paul. I David. Michael I. Next council on aging reappoints promotions and new appointments. Um,
let's just go down one one or let me just read them and then we can vote them together. Uh, citizen member reappoints, Sher Lee and John. Associate member reappoint, Sue. Associate to citizen member promotions,
Marsha Goldstein and Enid Le and Rosalyn Low. New associate member appointments, Mark Chadorn, Janet Gilbert, Margaren. Um I move approval of those reappoints. Um
promotions and member appointments. All in favor, please indicate by saying I. John. I Warren. Hi. Hi. David, I just have a question if I may first. So for new associate member appointments,
did we interview them? That's handled by by the council on aging itself. Yeah. Okay. And oh, Michael. Hi. Hi. And that is the end of our agenda unless
someone in the audience or on Zoom would like to I just want to make sure that we voted 178 because I think the question was happening in the middle of the vote. So, I just want to make sure it's a blur for me. Yeah, we
you got it. Okay. I'm saying it's a blur for me. So, it's a blur. It's a blur for you. Okay, we can do it again. I remember voting it. So, question of appointing Ruby D. Brun and Virginia Simpson Gunner to the Brooklyn Youth Council as members representing precincts 5 to 8. Just to
confirm, um, all in favor, please indicate by saying I Paul Warren. Hi David. Hi and hi. And you do still have public comment waiting in the room. Okay.
Neither are we. Is this someone? I don't want to. I can just be there. Okay. Okay. Okay. Great. Thank you. Okay. So, almost there. Um, once again, I'm just Oh, do you want to start? Okay. Once
again, I'm just channeling others in this public comment. Uh, you've heard enough from me lately, and to be honest, I've had enough of being called despicable and offensive in the various threats. So, uh, first I'm channeling Dr. Antonio Gardulo, who was here
earlier. He's a leading gynecological surgeon at Briam Women's and a resident in the neighborhood for 30 years. He's in strong opposition to the victory program's plan and he says quote urban planning best practices advised against
placing high impact or high needs facilities immediately adjacent to sensitive uses such as schools and elder care residences. This is not a rejection of recovery housing itself, but a call for responsible sighting that balances the goals of such programs with the duty
to safeguard the well-being of our most vulnerable residents. Second, just a factual note on crime. According to an AI search, it's not just the 2021 homicide at a victory program site. Just in the last year, one resident of Port
House, which is the parallel house to what we would be doing, was involved in a threat of bodily harm and they also had a case of shoplifting. We would know more about crime records if we could get them, which we have not been able to. Lastly, I'm now the neighbors who met
outside a few minutes ago. Select board members telling us we hear you when in fact virtually nothing neighbors passport is incorporated into the draft agreement is just not very helpful. I've I've personally had conversations with
most of you but there have been scores of emails sent to you by others that never got any response at all. How can you expect people to feel heard when they're not responding to in going forward? neighbors most want to be
actively included in the licensing discussions in a way they were not included in the selection committee and could have possibly changed the outcome there and they want to understand what the options are for input and to actually see some effects of their requests.
Finally, to end on a little personal note, I've long argued that it didn't matter if the select board consisted only of men. I thought you were such good men. It should be no problem. I think I was very wrong. You are
extraordinarily good men, but you clearly just don't get it. You you you don't you don't feel in your gut the feelings of threat that women live with our entire lives and how important safety is to us. I'm not into
any excessive simplistic focus on identity, but I now believe that if there were even one woman on this board, it would make an important difference. Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone else online you wish to speak?
If so, please raise your hand. Okay. I'll just I'll just add that um as I mentioned earlier um when the licensing conditions uh come before us uh we will take into consideration the
uh suggestions that people make but it's our decision to add you know the specific conditions but you know we have our ears open and and and that's where you know those suggestions uh come into play not with the
to the um to the assignment of the right refusal. David question about the uh part of the public comment around the selection process. Do we have any precedent for including members of the public for a
selection process and right of first refusal or something parallel? I don't know. Yeah, this is a kind of a rare instance. It's not Also, I mean, it's, you know, we're lucky that we've had that written agreement and it
was because we have contributed housing trust funds. Uh, but nothing I've been here just at my 19 year anniversary and I don't think we've had an assignment like this in my tenure here. We're under a deadline that required us
that fast and so we did it. Michael, first of all, thank you again for your comments. I I note that you do not identify yourself. I know who you are, but identify yourself.
For the record, I am Carrie Goldberg, precinct, several feet from the house in question. Um, and the second comment I would make is that um I think that your comment about feedback and response to the letters um is is well taken. And um
one of the things that we might consider whether it's within the context of fiscal year 26 or fiscical year 27 is to develop some sort of select board office policy that would at least provide automated response or some sort of
feedback. We got we have such a policy. It does send automatic feedback right now but it's not respon it's a blanket statement. Yeah. knowledgeable and many of the comments came to us individually as opposed to through the select board office. So you know that
that as a matter of practice any comment that I've received that has gone to all five of us as a practice forward to select so that it gets through that process but then I realize of course the acknowledgement
comes back to me and not and not the original petition but but maybe maybe look if I could say the school committee does it the school committee answers They right David like they basically
someone is assigned each week to answer all emails and they do. Thank you. Okay. Okay. And that ends the meeting. Thank you. [Music]