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I apologize. I forgot to hit record. Oh, I knew I was missing something. Recording in progress. Now you may begin. Good evening. I'm Bernard Green, chair of the Brookline Select Board, and this is the regular meeting of the select
board for September 9, 2025. First order of business is uh executive session. I move that the select board go into executive session for the purpose of discussing strategy related to a lit to a litigation matter. The litigation
matter must be discussed in executive session because an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigation position of the town and the chair so declares an executive session therefore to be necessary. So all in favor please
indicate by saying I. John Vancoyak I. Paul Warren I. David Pearman I. Michael Rubenstein I. And chair votes I. We will return after our executive session to an open session. Thank you. [Music]
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one. Good evening. I'm Bernard Green, chair of the Brookline Select Board, and this is the regular meeting of the select board for September 9, 2025. Uh, let's start off with um um
statements, updates, or announcements by select board members. And um I'd like to take the privilege of the chair and make a couple of statements of my own. Um, I heard the other day that our our esteemed board member Paul Warren is uh
not planning to run. Uh, and you know, we've seen a lot of uh comments on on uh social media media praising him for the incredible job he did uh to organize the town uh to support the MBTA Communities
Act uh Warren Articles. And we thank you for that. But I want everyone to know that Paul has done a lot more than just MBTA. I may not always agree with him on some of the things, but he he has he has identified issues that many of us have have overlooked. Uh and he's been very
very uh good in terms of getting to the bottom uh of of issues and and helping us uh come to conclusions that are uh very helpful. So, it's not just the MBTA Communities Act that we thank you for, Paul, but the many many many other
things that you you pro you've done for this board and the town. So, we'll miss you, but you're still around. You're going to be like u like uh Steven Coar, you're around until uh May. So, so maybe for some some context, Bernard,
um Bernard's alluding to the fact that over the weekend I made an announcement that I would at the end of my term, which ends in May, right? um I would not be seeking re-election. Um and the primary reason is to spend time with my children who are eight and 11. Um and I'm I'm finding
that um my early years of service to the town and town meeting and even serving on this board um our our circumstances have changed and my children need extra time. I'm missing soccer and dance recital and baseball practices and such.
So, um, my time is, uh, is really needed at home. Um, there's still seven and a half months left. Um, and there's a great great board here and I know lots of people that would want to serve. So, I am I'm very grateful, as I said in my note, uh, the trust and confidence that
the voters have put in me and it's been it has been and continues to be my honor and privilege to serve the residency of Brookline. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. my uh second statement and um it's a little long. I'll try to shorten it, but uh it's responsive to a
lot of concerns and fears that I've heard in the community regarding the situation that we're in in this country. So, you know, summer's winding down, schools are opening, and Chicago is
facing a blitz. remember that term from the Second World War, Blitz or Lightning War. Um, Boston is under a similar threat and Brooklyn residents are concerned. But I want to assure residents that we are prepared and we
hear your concern. We have a police department that is faithful to the US Constitution to which they have sworn an oath and to the policies of the department approved by the select board. Those policies include general order number 43, which restricts
the police from turning people over to ICE pursuant to a mere civil detainer order. The general order also limits any involvement by the police in ICE raids. They can only control the crowd to protect the safety of our residents,
which signifies to people, visitors, workers, residents, and others that we prioritize and focus on their safety and well-being. Town Council has provided training and instructions to school personnel regarding their rights to keep
all children safe and he has provided his number to call if there is a threat to be able to give them guidance. School and town personnel have no obligation to cooperate cooperate with or answer questions from ICE, but should remain
calm, avoid unnecessary verbal interactions. ICE cannot enter private property or non-public governmental property unless they have a valid judicial warrant. Town Hall and other town properties have signs indicating the non-public areas
that we can prevent ICE from entering without a warrant. The immigration advancement subcommittee of the diversity, equity, inclusion, and community relations commission is taking a leading role in providing immigrants and their supporters with training on
their rights. I urge people to go to their web page for information, including a link to their know your rights pamphlet, legal and other resources for immigrants and their supporters, and information on a free legal immigrant
uh legal clinic on Monday, September 29th from 1 to 5:00 p.m. We are prepared. Um, and those are just a few ways in which we are responding to protect our community. uh in in the
midst of this situation that is very unfortunate. But I'd like to suggest some action steps including rules of engagement as I'm calling them for concerned residents as we defend against this and and and we can should call it a
blitzkrieg waged by our own government. We must confront ICE loudly and strongly. But when confronting ICE, make sure you are not obstructing them, which may result in criminal penalties under
federal law. All persons in America have a constitutional right not to help ICE by keeping silent. If a threatened attack on Boston occurs, it may spill over into Brooklyn. If people organize demonstrations, I urge
people to make sure that as many people as possible know about them because a strong response slows down or deters hostile actions. There will be a nationwide no kings demonstration on October 18. I urge people to prepare to
participate in a local no kings demonstration as was done a few weeks ago with thousands of people at Kulage Corner. A core principle behind all no king's events and a wise principle for all of our responses to the splits is an
agreement to engage in nonviolent action and a commitment to deescalate all potential confrontations. When demonstrating, talk to any soldiers deployed against us with their chance and with their signs. Urge them not to
turn their guns on Americans. We have to let them know that we understand their predicament as soldiers required to obey legal orders. But we also need to remind them and ourselves that they swore an oath to the constitution that they are subject to the mandatory principles of
behavior established by the Nuremberg trials and that they are not allowed to follow illegal orders under their uniform code of military justice. If if if they know that we expect them
to behave as good American soldiers, I think we'll be safe. Let me end by saying that Brooklyn will work with legitimate federal authorities in legally apprehending and arresting criminals, whether immigrants or the
more problematic American criminals. We will work with the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and other federal agencies in investigating criminal actions. We will continue to
use UASI money uh subject to select board over oversight for training and equipment for crime fighting. Our community policing model, similar to models in Boston and other communities, is the effective way to fight crime.
Tough guy bullying and threats of a blitz of a blitzkrieg give comfort to criminals because they know that cha that chaos is the atmosphere in which crime is best able to grow. So thank you for listening.
It's my opinion. If other board members have alternative or different opinions, uh please uh state them. So any other comments from the select board? Uh Paul? Yep. I just I have an update um that I want to offer first. Thank you for your
your comments, Bernard, and your words. Um so, as many in the public know, uh the MBTA is uh working to um upgrade our sea line, which is the Beacon Street
historic Beacon Street corridor. Um and um I actually believe they're under some order to make the stations ADA compliant. many of the stations are not ADA compliant. So it prevents um individuals with uh mobility issues or seniors from actually accessing uh the
and and ride public transportation on the sealine. So they have been uh working through a number of public hearings and public meetings to communicate with the community about what the scope of uh the project is. There's going to be some stations that are consolidated, some upgrades to
others. Um, but as part of this process, there are some uh public shade trees that will be removed. And under our uh bylaws, um, it's required that there be a public hearing uh on a public shade tree removal held by the tree planting
committee. Um, and so that's actually going to take place tomorrow evening, September 10th at 5:00 p.m. Um, it's important to check uh the town calendar for the information on this, but it will focus on two stations which uh the MBTA
is seeking approval to move forward with. Uh, one is the Tapen Street station um and the other is uh Englewood. there are uh a number of trees that are being removed. Uh but also there's uh um counterbalancing that's going to take place where trees
will be planted to make up for the trees that are removed. Um we're told that these trees need to be removed so that the MBTA can make the stations ADA compliant and also prepare for um the arrival of the new uh type 10 I think uh
type 10 uh uh trains which are wider and lower. Um there's actually a beautiful tree um that is very old and beautiful, but it's actually will be in the way of the new trains and the trains won't be able to run by it um because of its
proximity to the rail. So, uh, folks that are, uh, passionate, uh, and want to understand what's going on with trees and the sea line, um, I'd recommend that they attend the meeting tomorrow to understand the full context of what's being proposed and why and, um, how how
we'll mitigate, uh, the removal of any trees. Uh, John, did you have your hand up? Yes, I did. Thank you very much. Um, this will be real quick. uh on September 11th, that's Thursday, and I think uh just saying the words
September 11th um will bring to mind for most people what this is all about. Uh the um annual observance uh that has been held in Brooklyn uh and other places ever since the tragic events of
September 11th. um is going to be held this Thursday, September 11th, at uh uh 9:00 a.m. at Fire Station 5 on Babcock Street. Um uh and actually this year um and a change from recent years um David
Pearlman is going to be the um person who sort of oversees and introduces speakers at this um observance. It's solemn. Um it's meaningful. Uh and I encourage people u especially people who
have not attended this before to um take some time on September 11th uh at 9:00 am at the Babcock Street Fire Station to join in this observance. And uh for those who attend faithfully, I'll look forward to seeing them there and I'll look forward to seeing David there as
well. Thank you. Any I'm sorry, Michael. Um, yes. I'd like to encourage everyone and invite everyone. I'd like to invite everyone to join
members of the select board at Brookline Day. um which is happening this Sunday, September 14th, from 11:00 am to 3 pm. Um as in past years, um there will be
members of town departments there, there will be vendors there, there will be uh local businesses there. Um this all happens uh at Koolage Corner, up Harvard Street, up Babcock Street. um and is a
great time to come out, meet friends, meet neighbors, find out other interesting and new experiences that we can all participate in the town. Um and um also participate in learning about
various things that are happening within town government as well. So again, that is Brookline Day, Sunday, September 14th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Coolage Corner. Thank you. Any other statements,
comments? Okay, let's move on to public comment, if any, let's lay out the rules. Thank you for joining us for public comment. This is an opportunity for us to hear your perspective on the issues in Brooklyn 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's 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're welcome to send an email to board members expressing your thoughts in greater
detail. Any person speaking tonight should begin their comment by identifying themselves with their full name and either their Brookline precinct number or street address. The first individual who signed up in advance is Linda Elki. Linda's online. Linda, I'm promoting you now.
Okay, Linda, you may begin. Thank you. Uh, good evening. I'm Linda Olsen Pelky, town meeting member of precinct 17, member of the advisory committee on the land use zoning and sustainability subcommittee and vice chair of the comprehensive plan steering
committee. I'm here to comment on your discussion and vote from August 19th on your letter to Mass Housing about the 429 Harvard Street 40B. Your 3-2 vote supporting the project was disappointing and discouraging to those
of us who want to see our leaders stand firmly behind the communitydriven land use planning process we began in 2022. After a near unanimous town meeting vote, we started with the planning process study committee which created the RFP for the comprehensive plan. A
consultant team was chosen and we funded the plan through the 2023 override. Next, the town allocated $250,000 to hire a state-of-the-art formbbased zoning consultant who codified a contextsensitive upzoning for Harvard
Street in the context of the MBTA Communities Act. Debate ensued. Public engagement was sought. Negotiations were undertaken. A broader set of issues such as concerns for existing businesses, historically significant buildings,
naturally occurring affordable housing, and the lack of adequate setbacks and stepbacks all needed to be addressed. The compromised reasonzoning proposal that emerged was widely supported in the community and at town meeting because it offered by development and predictable
outcomes benefiting both developers and the neighborhood. Acceptance of the potential for larger buildings on Harvard Street was contingent upon all of the parameters embedded in that compromised zoning. Since then, it seems some of you have lost your resolve to
see this important democratic process through. What I saw on the 19th was an eagerness to override the will of town meeting and an abandonment of our communitydriven planning process. 40Bs are sought in part because of their greater profit potential. They are an
understandable result of the drive for profit and the unlimited demand to live in Brooklyn, but 40Bs are not a cipher for what is wrong or right about our zoning. There are means used by developers to bypass the town's local regulations, allowing them to build
primarily expensive market rate housing and a few so-called affordable housing units that are really anything but. You conditioned your acceptance of the proposal by asking for a project that was kind of sort of like the zoning we painstakingly outlined. By picking and
choosing the elements of the formbbased code you thought mattered, you were rewriting the hard one framework on the fly. Myself and others had expected a strong defense of our hard one zoning consensus by town leadership, but we were disappointed.
Thank you. Thank you. The next speaker is uh Eli Litman. Eli, are you in the room? Let me check online. Eli, I'm promoting you now.
Hello. Hi, Eli. You can begin your time when you're ready. Okay, perfect. Uh, good evening, members of the select board. My name is, uh, Ellie Litfin. I live at 133 Beaconsfield Road in precinct 14 uh which is just
steps from the Beaconsfield station on the Green Line D branch. Um I wanted to talk to you uh first of all I sent you um an overview a few about an hour ago of issues affecting Beacons Field of Butters and I also CC the select board
on an email uh that I sent on behalf of Beacon Field of Butters to the general manager of the MBTA uh and I wanted to speak about that more tonight. For nearly seven years, our neighborhood has been subject to ongoing and intensifying disruption from MBTA construction
projects, beginning with the track and signal replacement in 2018, followed by accessibility upgrades and now the latest GLTPS and power system work. Despite the project names and timelines changing, one thing has stayed the same. Beacons Field is treated as a permanent
overnight construction yard by the MBTA and our residential community is left to absorb the noise, the disruption and the disregard. Since August 6, portaotties have been placed at Beacons Field, Massive deliveries have occurred during the night. Music and shouting from
workers goes on until 4 or 5:00 a.m. And we were told by the MBTA that no work is actually taking place at Beaconsfield during this September 3rd to 11th shutdown. were used as a staging ground by the MBTA. Uh this isn't a temporary inconvenience. It's become a chronic
quality of life crisis since 2018. Residents have documented years of overnight noise from idling trucks, heavy machinery, and construction crews. A road infestation that coincides with construction periods has not been addressed. No clear communication from
the MBTA, no newsletters, no advanced notice of projects, and no community meetings. and a repeat pattern of project redoss and real replacements that suggest deeper issues with the planning and oversight. When residents raise concerns, we're often met with vague answers, unreturned calls, or
silence. This isn't just about a construction project. It's about how uh the MBTA treats the people who live beside its infrastructure and whether we as a town are willing to protect the residents when things go too far. So, tonight I'm asking the select board to help us secure five critical steps
forward. Number one, cease the use of Beaconsfield Station as a staging yard. Uh, number two, implement meaningful noise mitigation, including 247 on-site supervision and enforcement of no idling rules. Number three, request an
independent audit of MBTA branch expenditures and project planning since 2018, particularly Beaconsfield. Number four, coordinate a health inspection through the uh Department of Public Health to assess rodent activity linked to construction. And number five,
restore transparent communication by the MBTA. These are not unreasonable requests. They're foundations of good governance. Thank you very much. Thank you, Eli. Um, there are no other individuals who signed up in advance of the meeting. Uh, if there's anyone else
who wishes to speak online, please raise your hand using the raise the hand feature at this time. Or if there's anyone else in the room, please um make your presence known. Okay, there are five individuals in the room and 21 online and it looks like no
one else wishes to speak. Okay, thank you. Paul, did you Yeah, I just have a quick question for the town administrator. We did experience um um some limited or no communication from the MBTA on uh the
Mammoth uh court street court. I mean Mammoth Court. Yeah. Uh access to the Dline. Yes. Um there was no communication. Have has there been any communication from the MBTA to us or with us about Beaconsfield act using Beaconsfield as a staging area?
Again, very limited. Uh unfortunately, this is as the resident noted um it's an it's an unfortunate pattern of behavior that even though the MBTA has gotten better in some ways, it has got it has remained the same at a project level when it comes to coordination with the town. We have the DP DPW Commissioner
Aaron Chute and I have raised our concerns to the highest levels of the MBTA. We are in regular communication with leadership there. The concern that we have that we have repeated to them is that despite the good uh messages that leadership sends out, it's not reaching the project managers. It's not reaching
the people who are actually responsible for the decisions on the ground. And so that needs to change. So, we're having discussions now with senior leadership about who are those people, how do we get in touch with those people and how do we re how do we make sure that the concerns including the concerns that the
residents of Beaconsfield just relayed here are actually reaching the people who are responsible for mitigating them. Um, so that work is going on right now both in terms of the Mammoth Court work. Mammoth Court is also being used for access to this project and on Beaconsfield at the Beaconsfield Road station. Right. And and if I recall, uh, with
Mammoth Court, um, the MBTA does need an easement to cross our our public sidewalk. Correct. The MBTA has that easement. Yes. Is it a permanent easement or It is It is permanently recorded. Yes. Okay. So, it is they have a similar easement up in Beaconsfield,
I believe. So, I don't actually know the details of where that where that easement is, but I will double check on where that It would be great if they could if we could maybe reinforce that somehow through maybe this body makes a communication a request. Yeah. How important it is for for proactive communication to our community.
Uh because it it can be very disruptive. We'd be happy to bring that up. Bring bring that forward to the board. I think that would be great. Thank you. And it also makes it difficult for the town to do some of the things where we do have power and they need our help.
Beacon Street uh work is one example. But anyway, okay. Any um okay, let's move on to our miscellaneous agenda. First question of approving the meeting minutes from August 19th, 2025.
All in favor, does anyone have any corrections? Actually, I did have one question. Um, I believe the uh opening um of the meeting when we went into ex uh executive session records a vote and I apologize
for not checking this but I think there were only four votes on that but there were five recorded on the minutes. Um and I would just ask that you check that. Okay. Okay. With that uh uh amendment, if it's
needed, uh I move approval of the August 19, 2025 minutes. All in favor? John Vancoyak? I. Paul Warren, I. David Crowin, I. Michael Rubenstein, I. And chair votes I. Next, I'd like to
take items 5B through 5N in omnibus fashion, unless someone would like to pull out one of those items and have further discussion. Uh yes, David. I I would I do have some questions regarding 5C, the change order credit
amount for unfinished punch list items. Sure. Um Lapenne, our um the director of capital projects is here. Good select wood. Lapan uh building department director of capital construction. How can I help you? I just got I'm
running the building commission meeting right now. So they kindly excuse me for a couple minutes. All right. All right. So, just very quickly, we have before us the question to approve a change order in the amount of $161,783.35 for unfinish punch list items at
Driscoll regarding defective work and insurance for non-completed work. And my question is, do you think this is really the appropriate approach or shouldn't we be holding uh to task essentially
Gilbani for completing this? Uh we we've tried that approach long long and hard. Um, I think this is the most expeditious approach for the town because we've already have a plan to to finish it off
and and I think this is probably the um the most appropriate way that the town can get these things done at a proper cost to Gilbane's contract. So, uh I do think it's an appropriate uh
approach to to finish out Gilbane's contract. So Gilbane would be paying for this essentially. It is a credit change order and 161,000 that we're basically taking money back away from Gilbane's contract. Yes, Michael. Um
I I was looking at some of the details of this question and I was um curious as to of the 161,000 um how much has Brooklyn decided to accept uh in terms of the work that that
Gilbane has provided. So for example, something that was not done to standard, but the town has decided to accept the work as completed versus work that needs that is not up to standard and not accepted and then therefore needs to be
redone by some third party, right? Uh there is a giant spreadsheet which I can distribute to the which itemized cost by cost of these items that for example I one of the items here is the they use pressure treated wood instead of a better AOIA wood which is
is more resistance to uh to wear and tear. Uh originally they offered only $2,200 for it. I said that's not an appropriate cost. We asked for $5,000 and it was a struggle but we got the $5,000 cost. the architect has agreed that that is an appropriate cost that we
should get back from the town for using inferior product and yes sir yeah lab um I have a little bit of a different perspective on this when I read this I was like wow that's a short list of re reasonably minor issues so I
just want to congratulate you because dented doors and you know I mean I I understand that uh that we are getting a credit but um that's a remarkable list before I got a longer list but to get it on to these six items uh is is well job well done. Thank you. Thank you, sir.
Okay. Unless anyone has any further comment on 5C, I'd like to move approval of 5 B through N. The comments. Okay. Uh all in favor, please indicate by saying I. John Bencoyak. I. Paul Warren. Hi.
David Pearlman. I. Uh Michael Rubenstein. Hi. And chair votes I. Next, I'd like to move item 10, which is um the roof deck. Let me find it.
Item 10, entertainment license application um uh for D2 restaurants on Beacon Street. Uh I'd like to move that up to uh discuss it. And is there someone in the audience
that Stephanie Bedau is online? Okay. Good evening. Yep. Sorry. Um so this is on the um entertainment license
um for D2 Restaurants LLC. Sorry, I'm Stephanie Budau from RL Law here representing D2 Restaurants LLC. Um we were before um the board a week or two ago on a expansion uh of the license um
the alcohol license to cover a outdoor roof deck patio. Um and we are now here for the same patio just seeking to expand the entertainment portion of the license. Um, as the application um
dates, we're looking for entertainment from Sunday to Saturday, radio taped music primarily. I know we had put 11:00 in there, but we are happy to reduce that to 10:00 based on what we understand are some concerns of the board. And then as far as any um
instrument instrumental music um or vocal music, the idea is to possibly have some light um music to play on occasion while diners are eating. Nothing um no like bands or major
productions are anticipated. Um, I have uh my client here with me this evening if the board has any questions and we're asking for approval of the application. Thanks, John. Um, yes. Um, Stephanie, thanks
very much, but uh I I confess you you um confused me just a little bit. I heard you say um that you have no problem with um 10 p.m. as the sort of closing hour, if we can use that expression. Um, but uh then you made a distinction um for
the as far as I can tell Sunday to Saturday. Are you also saying that the client agrees to 10 p.m. as being the the closing hour for uh s Sunday to Saturday? The the the type of music that will be allowed then? As far as music, yes, I I think that the
10 the 10 p.m. for all all nights. Um and David, you you're I know you're here. I don't know. I I I I know that 10 p.m. was the agreed upon time and they don't anticipate being later open later than that and certainly not playing music later than that and if if things
change and they decide that geez there's really a market for that we would come back before the board. Thanks any further discussion. Okay then I
you raising your hand or discussion. Okay then I uh Paul, are you raising your hand or No, I was coughing. Okay. Yep. Okay. I move then approval of the entertainment license application for D2
Restaurants LLC doing business as as Manny's or as Mai uh located at 1306 Beacon Street um with respect to entertainment on their deck. All in favor, please indicate by saying I. John Vansy. I'm sorry, David. Can can we put
into the language of the vote u you know 9:30 to am Sunday to Saturday 9:30 a.m. to excuse me 10 p.m. S Sunday to Saturday etc because what we have in front of us um actually is the 11 p.m. closing and so either there has to be an
amendment proposed or um okay so so I'll move amending um well I'll move approval of the license as amended to uh limit Saturday Sunday to
Saturday um radio and tape music to 10 p.m. as well as 10 p.m. for other types of music. That's for and for the common Vic, right? I mean, so are you saying that you Well, that's not on the on our agenda.
It's only the entertainment. No, this entertainment it it covers it's an amendment of their entertainment license to cover indoor and outdoor. So, we should probably clarify that their um entertainment indoors can remain the same. Right. Right. Okay.
That clear? Yes. Yeah. It's It's actually more complicated than the DC one change. Okay. May May I make a proposal? Sure. Um counter my proposal. Uh uh I move that we amend the entertainment license for
D2 restaurants LLC DBAs located at 13 Business Street to cover the indoor space for radio and tape music from Sunday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. at 2:1 p.m. and radio and
taped music from Sunday to Saturday from 9:30 to 1000 p.m. for their newly approved roof deck, as well as instrumental, flute, guitar, harp, violin, and vocal music for special events between Sunday
and Saturday between 10:00 a.m. and 10 p.m. for both their indoor space and their newly approved roof deck. Yeah, Miss Burdau, is that um acceptable to you? Is that what you
you're intending? Yeah, I mean I I don't have the current entertainment in front of me. My our thought was to keep the current entertainment as is. Um but as far as the exterior, yes, that's what we were intended. Okay. So, all exterior activity stops at 10 p.m.
Right. Yeah. Your your your amendment or your motion talked about indoor, right? Because indoor goes until 11. 11 because that's that's the same as the current.
Okay. Tiffany, I would suggest just amending the entertainment license to retain the current hours of entertainment for the common Vixler indoors um and then include the outdoor space but um with
the hours that we just talked about 9:30 to uh 9:30 a.m. Mm. All activity. Yeah. All entertainment and activities. And I can I have one just one comment. Um and this doesn't need to go into the license, but this is a new thing for us. This is the first of its kind. Um it
would be really helpful if we could just monitor this and be sensitive to this that there are um as John had uh rightfully pointed out, there are some residences nearby. We don't know, you know, what a roof deck um restaurant would be like in Brooklyn. They had this roof deck restaurant for
for years. No, no. Scot hops and scotch. Uh oh. Well, they had No, they had the indoor part. It was the only indoor. This is the first time it's outdoor burnout. Yeah, this is brand new. So, we just I'm just saying let's be let's be conscious that this is new and we may get feedback and
just let's be sensitive as with as with outdoor dining generally. Yes, we keep an eye on this stuff. Um because right there's the issues of balancing quality of life. So, yes, absolutely. Yeah. Okay. And we're we're committed my client's committed to, you know, being a good neighbor and they've been there for a long time and we do not anticipate
problems, but we will certainly work with any neighbors who have any concerns. We want it to be successful. Stephanie, thank you. Okay. So, I move approval. Well, why don't you make the motion, M? Well, Tiffany, I thought Tiffany just
did it for us and she can make a motion. I think you can. Yeah, you can move. You can move. Can I move Tiffany's uh Okay. Description. I thought it had to be a select board member. I move Tiffany's uh uh motion. All in favor, please indicate by saying I. John Vanscoy. I Paul Warren. Hi.
David Pearlman. I. Michael Rubenstein. Hi. And chair votes I. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks, Stephanie. Okay. Go going back to the uh regular order of our calendar. Um 2025 special
fall town meeting warrant. Um is uh Melissa. Yep. She's Good evening. Good evening. Hello everyone about this warrant. What's interesting on it? Melissa Gooff, deputy town administrator. Uh so last Thursday the
warrant for the special town meeting closed and we had 17 articles that were filed. Uh those articles are in your packet. Uh you may recall that the last time we met we talked about potential warrant articles and there were two articles in particular that we talked
about um that we would hold and see how the board felt about sliding them into the warrant. Uh there's a memo in your packet that uh has a vote prepared if you choose to um to add either one or both of those articles. Uh one is around
the um elimination of the HR board. um the HR director, I think she might be online if you want to talk about that further. Uh there have been issues with the quorum and um trying to keep the the uh the board staffed and so um this is a proposal from the HR director. And then
the other article is uh from the town administrator. Uh this is in response to um some issues that arose when we were revising the handbook around advisory committee service on committees that have um the bu bill built building
project committees and um this would allow for uh their continuation of service which has been the the practice of the town. Okay. Um the latter article um uh duplicates or or is on the same subject
as warrant article number one of the warrant articles. Correct. Okay. It's on the same subject and I think it's a question of the board's discretion. you know, they don't do identical things. Um, one, um, one the petitioner proposes, uh, to define the
terms, uh, you know, what it means to have custody and, uh, control over the money in question. And in the other, the the one that was proposed by staff in response to the advisory committee concerns raised is um, a more limited exemption solely
for um, service on a building project committee. Um so one is a broader definition and one is more narrow. Um and the board can um certainly take the the uh the petition the broader one uh
and you know adopt it if they see fit. Uh you can put both on the warrant and you can not move your motion. Um it's entirely up to you. And the uh warrant the staff has put together doesn't address the concerns of
the petitioner for the other war. No. Correct. So um that that creates a little bit of a conflict there. What do people think Paul? So Bernard, I think I I probably raised uh the greatest concerns at the last meeting about about this. Um, and I um I
appreciated the drafting of uh the article that staff brought forward because it addressed this very specific issue around um serving on on building commissions um which is which is really kind of in the wheelhouse of of advisory. This other uh article
that's being brought um is is really we're starting to split hairs a little bit about financial control. um you know so for example on the cemetery commission which I believe this individual the petitioner serves um they you know they have oversight of funds and how funds should be allocated
whether they're actually writing the checks or not I don't know but there is you know influence uh certainly because they're overseeing it through policy and decision-m um I think that we actually had a situation where we were trying to hire someone and and the the commission said you can't you can't increase the
salary for that person so they had direct control um So, I'm I think with that we should actually put our article on. Um, and I'm supportive of our article. I'm not supportive. Well, we can get cross that bridge when we get to it, but it's I think it's a much different article that's being brought
by the other petitioner. Michael. Um, I have a question as to whether or not anybody's asked the moderator whether or not we can either with a substitute motion or an amendment amend
the filed warrant article to uh be the one that we are uh that staff has drafted. So, I'm curious. Sorry. Go ahead, Melissa. Sorry. The procedure that I've laid out for you is how the board has has been able to we're essentially waving the
notice requirements for opening the warrant. So, and then the board is opening the warrant and putting these articles into the warrant, closing it, and then you'll be executing it. So, it really is something that town council, and I've reviewed this with Jonathan Simpson, um this is something that we,
you know, we've done several times when we've needed to make amendments to the warrant before executing it. But the moderator is aware that two articles are potentially going to be filed. I think what Michael was asking is could the petitioner's article be modified by the select board to limit to have to
include our language? Would that be within scope or would that be an expansion of scope? No. The articles that you're filing are select board articles. So these are petitioned articles and we we I don't think we've ever u modified a petitioned article. That would be done through the town meeting process. You could you
could but if your question is would that amendment be in scope? Um again I think you you need a ruling from the moderator. We haven't asked that. Reading that article it does say it does describe those one you know it has two carveouts. It says you know the commission should be described as
something that meets regularly and is a permanent commission. So that would exempt building commissions. So the the the public the public petitioned article does what your proposed the staff proposed war article does. It just then does something else too. So you wouldn't
even necessarily need to amend that article in order for it to have the practical impact that the your article does. It would just it's just be you know it then has that additional language in there about how to describing what it means to have control
of the funds. Okay. I guess in the absence of a ruling from the moderator, I would agree with Paul that we can always put it into the warrant and choose not to move it. I I'm I just feel like in order to um simplify this for
town meeting that it might be simpler to describe this as an amendment if we can work out what the right amendment would be rather than figuring out what the voting process is for two separate warrant articles and how they get ordered and all of the
potential misunderstanding that could arise. Yeah. I I I don't think that we're at any risk uh if we go ahead with our version of the article while the petitioner goes ahead with her version of the article. I
mean, ours is an attempt at a at a fix for a problem that has arisen for advisory committee members. The advisory committee is going to weigh in on these articles and they will say, do they think that our proposal fixes the problem as they see it? They can also
weigh in on whether the sort of additional um fix that is added by the petitioner should be added to you know the fix as we proposed it. Um and so I just think we should go ahead with ours and you know let the petitioner go ahead
with the petitioners. David, what do you think? Yes or no? I I agree with Paul and Michael. Okay. So um what's the vote we need to take? Um, so you might want to because there's there's a joint vote in your packet. Sorry, Melissa, I'm stepping.
No, I I would just, you know, um I think I just need to know whether or not you want to add one or two articles to the warrant because we you haven't really talked about the HR board proposal. Yeah, I thought that we didn't have any objection to that, did you? When we last talked about it? No, I Well, I I actually do. I don't
really like the idea of moving away from citizen participation in the hiring process. I understand that it's mostly of a cosmetic nature, but even so, I think that it's helpful to have that type of public input in job
descriptions and in looking at uh human resources decisions from a broad-based policy perspective. I like having that outside input. What do other people think?
I'm willing to go back. um personnel. Well, I so I I I was okay with with with u going with the recommendation of staff to to get rid of it. I don't think that they're trying to exclude uh the public. I think they have a practical problem that this thing has almost, you know,
limited function, right? Um and value and you know, why have a committee that's not really adding value? And Ann's hand is up. Oh, Ann. Okay. Good evening. Ann Braga, HR director for
the town of Brooklyn. Um, we we have put forward this article um after several years of um challenging times to recruit and retain um the five
member board. Um I will note to um David's um comment uh around public participation. This would on the town side mirror image how um grievances and
um HR policies are dealt with um on the school side as well as in many of our comparable communities. Part of the information um that would be presented as part of consideration would be a multic community
comparable um study as far as how these three main tasks of HR policies class and comp and grievances are handled uh across the communities that we compare ourselves to for collective bargaining by size and and some of how
uh the communities are structured. Um, so I I appreciate um, select board members um, Pearlman's concern. Um, but I do hope that part of a conversation on this would answer some of those questions and alleviate um, the fears
and concerns of of the select board as well as um, understanding that the opportunities particularly on grievances would be um, still available to all of the union members. um and the unions as
far as the uh three levels of grievances as well as those that have arbit binding arbitration and um and JLMC available to them depending on the issue. John. Oh, wait. No, no, I didn't have my other
gonna make just one more point and just for David and I do appreciate David raising the concern. This still has to go before town meeting and town meeting could say, you know what, we really want we really value the participation. So, we're not going to support this warn and I agree with you there. I don't want I'm not trying to suggest that I would
stand in the way of a broader electorate that being town meeting that determination. But in terms of the current construction of this Warren article, to the extent that the real concern was about not meeting quorum, then maybe the consideration is reduce
the membership to three. Uh so that's my hesitation in voting to approve this. I it's not just about meeting quorum. It's also about the you know consistency of grievance procedures. It's about the fact that other community you know coming in line with other communities in the schools and it's about um you know
streamlining some of those processes. is, you know, one of the complaints that we hear from the unions is it's hard to get a hearing in front of the HR board, um, you know, because it only meets once a month under ideal circumstances and then, you know, you have this, it kind of gums up the the works of the grievance process for them. So, it's
it's not just about getting a quorum. It is about kind of modernizing the process more broadly. I will say the other thing, you know, and has had conversations with the current HR board members and, you know, none of this is to denigrate their service. they've done incredible amount of service for the
community a on a volunteer basis some of them for decades. Um so it's not about not valuing community input or the work that they specifically have done. It's more about you know trying to streamline good governance procedures. The one other thing I would note on this is you
know it's my you know I make hiring decisions. I I make hiring recommendations to you for all department heads. It's ultimately your role and responsibility to hire department heads. Um, but as part of that process, for every department head that we've hired, I bring in members of
the public to be a part of that process, um, I really do value the input of the community in determining how this is done. And that actually trickles down to department heads. I know at the division head level, department heads are also relying on community input to make
decisions about who is hired uh, and what direction things should go in. So, um I'm happy to um you know have those discussions with the community, but I definitely think there is a robust um public process um for hiring currently
um that I agree with you is really crucial in making sure that the people who work here reflect the values of the community. Michael, I guess I would just say number one, in general, I agree with all all the things
that Paul said um with regard to the benefits. Um and I think that the the streamlining factors and all of the efforts that the select board takes in terms of of streamlining our operations.
um especially when we're in the context of um asking for overrides and um many people are expressing concerns. I believe that all of those efforts um in order to make our operations more efficient are important.
Okay. Um, sounds to me like we have agreement that we do go forward at least two articles. Anyone object to that? Maybe not consensus, but certainly I think enough support. Yeah. Oh, what I would say I I have no objection to putting the two warrant
articles on the warrant. That's what we're voting on today. As to the underlying merits, still an open question for me on the eliminating the HR board, but but no objection to adding these two articles. you might be able to give that minority speech at uh at the
meeting. Okay. Um all in favor of putting the two articles on. So um I have the vote outlined in a memo. I can just read it for you, Bernard, if that if that helps. Read it and I will accept it. Sure. Uh pursuant to the authority
granted in section 2.1.4 four of the town's bylaws. The board waves the requirements of section 2.1.3 of the t of the bylaws for the sole purpose of adding two new articles to the warrant for the November 18, 2025 special town meeting as outlined by deputy town
administrator Melissa Goff. The warrant is henceforth closed. Okay. All in favor, please indicate by saying I. John Vancoy. Hi. Mh. Paul Warren. Hi. David Fearman. Hi. Michael Rubenstein. I chair votes I. Thank you.
And so the last the last part um is that we actually need you to execute the warrant. Um I will say that um the warrant has also um been added to your packet with these two articles. We will uh change the numbering a little bit. So we'll put um
the HR board as article number five and then um the advisory committee article um I'm sorry not the advisory. Yeah, the advis the advisory committee building project committee article will follow the naming committee article which is currently not number nine. Um so I will
amend the warrant that you have in your packet to insert those two items. Um I will also note that we um received a request from the the moderator to uh have a hybrid meeting. So that is also reflective in the warrant material as well.
Okay. So I I guess the uh motion is I move approval of the warrant as to be amended um as indicated by Melissa Goth. Um, and all in favor that is that a good way
of doing it work. Melissa, you guys will hybrid. Pardon me. I would just say to execute the warrant as presented with the uh with the amendments uh previously voted, right? And the hybrid meeting is a separate issue.
Okay. I would think it's actually because now it's reflected in the modified version of the warrant. The warrant says now um that you you whereas if it was not a hybrid meeting, the warrant would just say meeting at the high school auditorium. The revised version of the warrant that's now in
your packet says meeting also via Zoom. Okay. So by voting for the warrant, we vote for all three things. Okay, great. Two warrant articles and hybrid meeting. Yeah. Okay. Uh I move approval of the warrant as so amended. Um all in favor, please
indicate by saying I. John Vanskoak. I. Paul Warren. Hi, David Pearlman. Hi, Michael Rubenstein. Hi. And chair. Thank you. Thank you. Next, naming committee guidance. Discussion of questions from the naming
committee to provide guidance to that committee as they work to update guidelines. So, yep, we have Pam Roberts in the audience who's going to explain to us, you know, what this is all about.
Um, I sent you all a letter on August 26 stating that we Oh, excuse me, Pam Roberts, town meeting member, precinct 2 and chair of the naming committee. Um, you know, when when the um it came the
the change of the name from the Heath School to the Ha Hayes School came before us a year or so ago, we looked at our guidelines and realized that they were kind of outdated. Um, there were things in there that didn't apply to
anything anymore. Um, there were there was language that really needed to be updated. So we decided to undertake that task and we've been going through things. David Mark Goldstein is our uh hero because he took
the whole thing and went through everything with a red pen and question marks and stuff like that. Um and we would we have some outstanding questions for the school committee which only they can answer. We have some
outstanding questions for the um uh public parks and recck department which they kind of just have to approve what we have or change it whatever. But we had some questions in here for you because we weren't comfortable going
forward without your guidance. Um so uh I think you would see the first one the guy. Do you want me to read these to you or do you have them there? Okay. The guidelines specify have them front list, but why don't you
The guidelines specify conditions for naming something after an employee which currently state that they need to have 25 years of service and the committee will wait two years after receiving any request to name after a staff member. The committee requests clarity on
whether this should remain as is or if there should be additional requirements such as waiting at least 2 years after retirement. Naming members did not think this provision should be removed altogether.
Does that make sense what I'm asking? Okay. I mean why is it limited to retirement? I mean when I mean someone who passes away or uh goes on to higher office.
That's a good question because we don't have we don't have anything in there about that. Would you like us to add that language? Well, that that's what I'm thinking. Okay. But ask us all you Yeah. I just I just Pam I'm just curious
what's um what's precipitating this other than David Mark being the hero of reviewing the language um did you bump into this with did someone we want to name something after somebody and we bumped up to retirement I mean what's driving this Paul we're trying to anticipate issues
and we started thinking what if someone retired left in a blaze of glory and Then stories started coming out. I don't think like to think that would never happen in Brooklyn, but what if it did?
We we were thinking there needed to be a slight little cooling off period between immediately naming something after someone. Does that make sense? Because it's harder to take a name off than to just wait a little while and put a name on something. Yes, Michael.
Yeah. What? Um, so when I read the question Yeah. Um, I thought that your concern was actually, um, somebody might have 25 years of service, you might wait two years, but they might actually still be on the payroll,
right? So, so that was the case of consideration. It is part of it, right? Right now, it's their language, right? We and maybe the question of retirement, maybe it shouldn't be a question of retirement, but maybe it should be a question of leave the service of the
town of Brooklyn. All right. um to cover all of those other possibilities. You know, they go on to higher office, they go on to to whatever. Um or you may specifically want it want it to be um retirement um for any
I like work. Yeah, I like leave the leave the service of the town of Brooklyn. Yeah, it's good. Okay. Um so that that was one recommendation that I Okay. Um and I presume that when you said you did not um want to remove the
provision alto together, what you're saying is that um there should be a provision in the guidelines for in general naming something after a staff person. Yes. Yes. I just have one other Sorry, John. Go
ahead. Well, may may I make a suggestion at this point? Um, I think before this, you know, is all decided, we're going to have to see a proposal from the naming commission that cites the current guidelines and then kind of with
redlinining, um, cites what, you know, what would be changed in the current guidelines. We're giving them some guidance as to what that Yeah. Yeah. But we have a we have a meeting set to finalize all that and we will pass it along to you. But we didn't we didn't feel like we could go forward without
getting these questions answered. Are you willing for us to Yeah. that Yeah. Yeah. because it all feels very hypothetical right now like um uh you know would you I mean if you don't want to answer it now you can just look at the oh without the current guidelines in in
front of me I can't sort of see you know what are what kind of a departure would this be and what is the exa actual language and how would we achieve this through revised language of the of the guidelines that were previously voted that is the exact so I I was um I was actually going to
bring up John's exact point I'm going to just make a little amendment to it. Um I agree it's So tonight we're giving you guidance. You're asking for guidance so that you can so that you can go back and then provide us with a redline version
to say this is this is these are the new guidelines we'd like you to support and explain them fully. But right now you're just looking for guidance. Yes. In a sense I'm appealing to your wisdom to we're not approving anything. We're giving you guys Okay. We we'll give you whatever wisdom we can give you. I like the cooling off. I like the
cooling off period the way she phrased that. Um that was my my terminology not be in the guidelines and we will provide more guidance once we see okay the paper you know of the guidelines on paper but I think it is uh useful to go
through your the four items you have in the materials or in your letter y and just you know give you whatever thoughts we have. So, okay, we we we dealt with uh someone leaving the employee of the town and
then uh street renaming. Yeah. The reason we brought up street renaming is there's nothing mentioned in our guidelines about street renaming. And while we have ideas about it, we we actually think that there should be some guidelines. We think that perhaps there
should be a certain percentage of re owners on the street who uh agree to the street name because street naming a street is a big deal. Um especially if it's a long street. Uh and we don't know
how to make that percentage, how to come up with a concrete. If you'd rather, we can bring this back to you in the final thing and you can bicker over it. But this was just asking you now. What do you think about it? Yes. And Michael, um, so I I have an actually an opinion
on this. Um, and my opinion is is that the public way belongs to the entire public, not to specific property owners. Um, so I would actually caution against privileging some community members over
others in addressing okay the public um whether it's the public way or public buildings. I mean such such property owners certainly have the the right and the incentive to participate in the public process potentially more than
others. Um but I don't think that the guidelines themselves require any sort of privileging or quota um quotas um with regard to privileging specific property owners except the cost to those individuals is
going to be very high could be very high. Uh I think uh David I was going to just make the point you made that the the reason to uh weigh the opinions of the owners a bit more is they're bearing some very direct costs to any changes in the street name. They
have to change their deeds. They have to change their address uh in terms of mail. So there are some real costs that are associated with the street name change that general users of the byway don't necessarily bear uh in the same manner that owners do. I completely
agree with you, however, that uh the general public should absolutely be involved in that process. But I do see u a need to have some kind of protection in place for those who actually live on that street or work on that street who are going to bear real financial costs
that others who are driving through won't have to bear. M I kind of thought we had reached a consensus uh um sort of an unspoken consensus when we went through you know sort of a wave of questioning of names
of this that or the other thing and then changing the name that the one thing we wouldn't change is street names. So I mean if there's going to be a policy on street names my suggestion is simply that streets should not be renamed. It it it just creates too many problems. um
you know, especially especially with GPS now and you know um who who wants to have to figure out you know how to find a location when the change the street name keeps changing. Um, so it it's it doesn't make sense to
me to even be considering. I I agree with that. I mean, because my my fear is that, you know, in this town, people are going to look at Washington Street and say George Washington was a slave owner. And of course, that's a state highway, I think. But, you know,
streets like that, you we're going to have just tons and tons of street renamings, and it's be very disruptive. I think that I agree with John that you know maybe we should exclude street namings except that you know in Boston there is a renaming of sort of I think a
symbolic renaming of a street for uh this rock group uh from the 70s I think and I forgot the name new edition but that those are temporary that's like you know we celebrate them this weekend by temporarily
permanent but so we we we need allow for that type of of u you know name change even though the official name may remain you know whatever street Paul Pam how do we um and do the guidelines
currently enable the naming of a square or a corner to honor somebody does that guidelines we um someone comes before us with a proposal okay um and we um look at the merits of it
Okay, I agree. We shouldn't be renaming streets. So, okay. Um, okay. Guidelines with the check to war or veterans. Yeah. Identifying. We're going to have a lot of wars going forward. So, maybe we should not mention specific wars.
Yeah. Yeah. We we figured that maybe you might want to just pass this back on to the veteran services director, but we thought we'd bring it before you anyway. Well, that's my opinion. and and you know if Bill McGuardi has a different view I would defer to him. Y
but um what was your opinion again uh that we should not identify specific wars uh in in naming um things after veterans. Yeah. Our guidelines right now in name
about five or six different wars. Um and we started realizing boy is this outdated. uh unfortunately and then there were previous wars like the civil war is not mentioned uh revolutionary war so we just wanted to get rid of um
specific wars. Yeah. Okay. I'm I would also add to that that the use of the you use of the term veteran and people's um taking on of that title is not limited to people
who've served in the armed forces during wartime. Right? There are people who do uh valiant and important work within our armed forces, not in wartime. Um, and I think that they should have equal opportunity for honor.
Yeah. Especially those people who are prevented from going to war. Yeah. Okay. Um, moving right along. The the fourth one is, you know, we have some very fuzzy language in our current
archaic guidelines that say the naming committee may do something. um you know active in looking into changing the name of something and we don't really know what that means. Do
people really want us to look at changing names? I mean, uh, we found this, uh, built by Brooklyn, this old, uh, uh, um, thing put out by the the, uh, it's a survey of buildings and properties built and owned
by the town of Brooklyn from, um, well, it's all typewritten, so it's kind of old. And there's all these parks and squares and schools and everything in here that is named and isn't yet named. And we were going through like, why is
this named that or why doesn't this have a name? I mean, we were thinking we could go through this and start updating some of these or or putting some names. Um, you know, I know Paul and and Lisa Shatz have wanted to name something after Aaron Fstein. We're we're trying
to be a little proactive, but we don't know if you want us to do that or not. If you want us to wait for people to come to us, that's the question, David. I would encourage being proactive at least with respect to identifying
places not yet named. Okay. That could receive a name and perhaps then also include a list of people who we think ought to be honored. Okay. Uh renaming I think is a lot more complicated than naming something that doesn't have a name yet. So that would be more my focus area.
Yeah. Yeah, I'd agree with that. Michael, um I think that before I uh sort of weigh in on that question, it would be helpful for you to develop a set of criteria um for determining how to be
proactive in general. I mean, you've you've described one um but there may be others that would uh more likely compel you to be proactive. Um and I think that having that criteria
is necessary so that everybody has a common understanding of the sort of uh goalposts around or signposts around what is what you are looking to work on. Okay,
great. Any other question? Uh yes, David, I just have a question for Michael. So to that point, would you be suggesting that it's a certain minimum square footage that is going to receive a name or is it a broader point? Um, it's broader. I am not specifying
the criteria. What I am saying is that the naming committee should develop criteria back to us as opposed to saying, you know, we think we should be more proactive or or something that is more nebulous. Yes. Something more
specific that other people can hold you accountable for as to whether you are following those aspects of the guidelines. Thank you. Any other questions? Any other requests for any other questions for you to ask for
questions? No, we don't have any more questions. I think you've all you had any thoughts? How's that? So, um in in my walk down Beacon Street, we are we started the process of adding benches. Um, but we still have a long
ways to go. And kind of speaking towards this issue of you mentioned square footage, like what should be named, what can be named, is there is there any overlap or partnership with the DPW to get more things with someone's name on it in honor of or in memory of uh to
help support getting more people recognized, but also other facilities available uh within within town. Well, that's a uh that's a great idea. Um except that naming benches benches that is the DPW that's under
their purview, but we could offer to help them and give them you know I mean people come to them and say I would like to name a bench after somebody and and they take care of it. Um I've just never heard that. Is there an active program to be able to do that? If I wanted to get a bench in there and a
cost maybe we need to advertise it. Yeah, must be a nice B. All right. All right. Well, thank you very much. I really appreciate you taking a little time to uh noodle with us and we will come back to you with um something you can mark up or not mark up as you see
fit. How's that? Thank you. Great. Great. Great. Thank you. Okay. Next, speaking of naming, next is a public hearing on a warrant article discussion and possible vote on warrant
article 9. Um, the name a baseball diamond located at the northwest corner of Brookline's Warren Field to Campa Diamond after Joseph Compana. Okay. Um, is that Melissa going to talk
to us about that? Nope. Nope. You should have a petitioner there. Okay. All right. Did we do this on purpose to have the naming discussion of how we're Yes, we did.
It's like poetry. It rhymes. So introduce yourself and tell us I will I will a little bit about this proposal. My name is uh Mel Diamond. I live at 90 Marian Street in Brooklyn
and uh just by quick way of introduction um I'm an architect developer. I've uh started my practice I raised my family in Brooklyn. and I started my practice in Brooklyn at 73.
And some of the projects I've done that you might know are the waterworks at Chestnut Hill, Kendall Crescent, um the Nickerbacher on Beacon Street, and I'm doing uh couple of projects now. One of which is overlooking the Brookline Reservoir called Solair. Um
I've been uh before this board of selectmen for I think 50 years different boards and um you know I it's always a privilege coming before you uh but when
I look back on all those projects that I did and my appearances here um they I guess at my age now they seem to fade. in importance and my appearance here tonight
particularly at my age is more important to me than any of the appearances here I've made in the past. Um I in your packet is what I wrote um with the
assistance of both Pam and um Charlie uh who's both great um in guiding me through the process. So I want to thank them. Um I don't see very well. I'm happy to uh read you try to read what I
wrote. Um or if you've uh you know if you wouldn't mind Pam I think you'll do better than I will that we could read it together. Petitioner's article description. This Warrant article asks town meeting
to consider naming the baseball diamond at Brookline's Warren Field to honor one of the state's coaching legends, Brookline's Joseph Compana. The petitioner proposes the name of the Bose baseball diamond to at Warren Field be named Kana Diamond. Joe Compana, until
recently a lifelong resident of Brookline, has had an outsized impact on generations of the town's youth. Teaching the game of baseball for over three decades, Coach Kapana's career spanned coaching little leaguers who were just learning that life isn't
always fair to coaching and advising young men and women about to move forward with their post high school lives. Further, to limit his influence to just baseball would not do Joe's justice, for his background includes coaching youth football and hockey. But
baseball has always been his passion. And even today and after his retirement from coaching, Coach Compana hosts a summer baseball camp focused on improving the skills of Brooklyn's young people. His high school coaching career began as the varsity baseball coach at
Trinity High School in Newton while simultaneously coaching the Brooklyn High freshman football team and serving as the BHS assistant varsity coach football coach. In 1993, Coach Kana became the varsity baseball coach at Brooklyn High School and carved his name
into local history until until 2020. Almost three decades of coaching baseball and teaching life's lessons while receiving regional recognition and a plethora of awards. These awards include, but are not limited to the
following. 1996 D1 Coach of the Year by the Boston Globe, 2015 Mass Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, 2018 Brookline High School Athletic Hall of Fame, 2020 Brooklyn High Coach of the Year, Bay
State Conference Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to coaching, some of you may know Joe Compana as the longtime sports reporter from the for the Brooklyn tab. He has also served as the Brooklyn High School assistant athletic director and
was a member of the school's hall of fame committee. For the last 11 years of his coaching year, Coach Kana was the Bay State League baseball coordinator. You did so much better than Thank you.
Um I guess happy to answer any questions or um if the board has any. Michael. Um, I have one question. Um, and maybe this is a question directed to Miss
Roberts. Um, is this the first time that Brookline has named a public baseball diamond? Um, I believe Can you speak it to the mic, please? I I believe it is. I'm not sure. I can't verify that. I mean, we have different
fields. I mean, there's Downs Field, um, Robinson Playground, but I don't think there's been a diamond named after any him. I mean, I to us it was kind of ubiquitous. It's the Downs. It would be Warrenfield. I mean, it's right now it's
Yeah, it it we're proposing it be the Compana Diamond at Warren Field. Yeah, we're not proposing to change the name Warren Field, but um there are several diamonds and other uh recreational facilities. We can speak at the mic, please. I'm sorry. Um there are other facilities
at Warren Field, so we thought um it was appropriate to name the varsity baseball diamond in honor of Joe Compana. Does anyone object to not just on the board, but in the public? Does anyone
object to to this uh naming you imagine? Is there can you think of anyone who would just have to ask? No. Okay. Um this is a public hearing. Why don't we open the hearing? Sure. There are no individuals who
signed up in advance um to speak on this warrant article related to the companion diamond. If there's anyone online who wishes to speak, please raise your hand using the raise the hand feature at this time. or if anyone in the room, please make your presence known. Okay, there are three individuals in the
room, 17 online. It looks like no one is indicating their desire to speak. Okay, I'll close the hearing. Uh Paul? Yep. Uh sorry, I think John had his hand up. Paul can go and and then Yeah. Yeah. Uh Mel, first, thanks for bringing this forward. I'm I'm curious. Can you tell
me a little bit about your relationship? Why are you bringing this? Um, that's a good question and one I thought about and was was going to uh include part of my uh presentation.
Um, you'll find all of you as you get older, your circle gets narrower and narrower. And um to my surprise, I found that my circle after all these years of people I really cared about that had you
know that I see socially that had a huge influence on my kids. Both of my boys I raised three kids in Brooklyn, but both of my boys played baseball for Joe. Um
and um I I I consider him to be um one of my best friends. Uh and I think he's an amazing individual. He he exemplifies
just about every quality you would want in a baseball coach. and uh you know I he I have a an eclectic collection of friends. Uh he fits right in. Uh but he's he's just great. And if any of you
have had kids that played for him or know him, you know what I'm talking about. He is truly a Brooklyn legend. So that that's why you you know when it gets to town meeting, people will be investigating that claim. Which one?
That that he's a great guy. Yeah. Well, okay. He's a good guy. All right. Okay. John, um, so, uh, do we have any kind of guideline that would stand in the way of this? Uh,
I'm not aware of any guideline that we have. In other words, this notion of do you have to wait until after a person has passed away? You know, any of those things? not under current rules. They
just have to have been left the service of Brooklyn for two years which which has happened which has happened. Okay. Okay. And um this has already gone Wait talk into directly into the mic. It's not it's not us hearing you. It's our
it's already gone before and been approved by the parks and recreation commission. Um so they they talked about this too. Um, we are still waiting on the naming committee recommend formal recommendation. Correct. We can't do it until you approve it. Oh, approve the Warren article.
Uh, that's what David Mark told me. I think that we have to approve the the when you by you approving this, it then it comes back to us and we give a final stamp of approval. If if I could just weigh in here. Sorry. Um
Pam, I I used to staff the naming committee, so I'm very familiar with the process. Um Okay, good. Maybe I'm wrong. So t typically the um you know, a lot of the proposals have come to the naming committee first and then the naming committee has traditionally filed a lot
of these articles, but the petitioners are able to file it without going through that first. So, um, the board can either take a vote tonight or wait for the committee, the naming committee's recommendation. It usually the advisory bodies that, you know,
provide service to the board weigh in on warrant articles and and that information is helpful for the board to make their decision. So, I I think that you probably waiting for the board to execute the warrant so that then you could actually have your formal vote on the now that it is a warrant article. Um, but once you've taken that, you can
forward your recommendation to the board and then they can um take that into consideration when they're making their decision. Okay, Paul. Yeah. Yep. Bernard, I have to say my thing. Well, I mean, I didn't finish. I'm sorry. I did get to speak a little bit. Um, so how would this be recognized in
terms of like uh a marker somewhere or home plate? Um, how would this be indicated? Well, um I think you know certainly if this gets approved uh by you folks and
town meeting um I I would uh propose also that there be some kind of marker. I whether that's a a sign on the back stop or a freestanding sign or whatever. Um I think that would be great. I mean,
I haven't thought about, you know, where an identifying marker might be. Uh, but I will. Yeah. You should also work to put together a group to finance it, but I don't I don't think that the town's going to do that.
To finance the sign, the marker. Oh, I'll pay for it. That'd be a nice gesture anyway. That would be my honor. Well, yeah. I was just going to say uh first I I really appreciate you bringing this forward um and explaining your connection. Um it would it would be
helpful for me to hear from advisory and let it go to the naming committee um and then you're going to vote on this. Okay. Well, we typically don't vote the night an article comes for us. So, we'll take this up once we get those reports in.
But thank you for for bringing the article and for appearing for us. Could you kindly tell me what the next step for me is? The next step for you would probably be to appear before the various boards that are taking up the articles. Naming
committee, the advisory committee, uh I can't think of anyone else, maybe Park and Wreck. Um and you know, they'll pre present their recommendations to the select board if we haven't voted by then. And we'll take them into consideration in
our vote. And then when it comes before town meeting, be prepared to uh to present at town meeting. And as you're the lead petitioner, they the board should be reaching out to you to make sure that you're you're that it works with your So I don't need to contact these various
boards. They would contact me. Yeah. Right. Okay. Great. And you're going to give this speech, you know, 10 times or five. Thank you. It's a good speech. I'll have uh Pam with me to read. You'll have it memorized by then. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Thank you.
Thank you, Merryill. Yeah. Okay, we've already done item nine, item 10. Next is the real property asset board. A discussion and possible vote on a revised charge for the real property
asset board. Um is who's going to Cara? Are you going to present on that? No. Yes. Uh so my name is Cara Brutin, director of planning and community development. Just for some context here, um we're not
asking for a slate of names to be voted on tonight because of the discussion that you all had um in early August. Um just kind of backing up a little bit for those that haven't heard of the real property asset board and wondering what
we're talking about. um back at your spring work session, which at least one of you were not even at because you weren't a select board member at the time. Um and granted it was after four hours in of discussing all kinds of other things. Um the select board discussed and voted a charge for the
real property asset board. Um that idea was this board would make recommendations to the select board about number one, what kinds of needs that the town has that can't be accommodated by existing assets. for example, additional active or passive public open space and secondly to
recommend to make recommendations to the select board on um any strategies relating to selling or leasing property. Um so for example, one of the single family properties that came up for lease in the last couple years um around the
large Anderson property after the usual kind of request for proposals process went through um some of the subboard members were surprised and what those results were and wondering whether some other public goals like affordable housing or even other highest best uses
shouldn't be more extensively pursued moving forward. Um, so the board that the board charge that you all voted back in the spring included both some intermittent tasks like making policy recommendations, recommending a prioritized list of properties um to potentially acquire,
updating the property database that's in the strategic asset plan, that kind of thing. But also ongoing tasks like recommending to the select board how best to use public land and buildings. um recommendations uh to develop more communication to kind
of the general public about what the town's doing regarding capital improvements and maintenance as well as periodically making uh recommendations about the properties that the town wants to acquire. So, at your August 5th meeting, um, and then through individual conversations that some of you either
had with myself or with, um, with Town Administrator Kerry, um, it sounds like the select board may not want to create a committee at all, which is okay if that's the case after you guys discuss it more. Um, at the very least, it sounds like the select board may, if you
do move forward with a committee, may want to narrow the tasks that it takes on to just those one-time tasks, which I can bring up the charge in a second if you'd like, but basically a version of those first three tasks, which are kind of one-time tasks. And the other idea that came up in that conversation was
maybe the committee would automatically expire in say a year so you don't have to worry about the committee going too far a field or getting in front of um where the sleptboard would like to head. Um some members didn't thought it would be uh better for staff to bring policy or
property recommendations directly to the select board um and didn't see the need to create another board which I understand. So, um, after you all discuss it more, we can move two different ways. If we don't move forward with the committee, I'd be more than happy to work with other departments in
the town administrator's office and bring you back, you know, an updated and expanded property database as well as maybe as a starting point a potential policy for leases. And then maybe after we get closer to finishing the comprehensive plan, we could work towards some of those other kind of
one-time tasks that were originally in the charge, but have staff bring those to you. Of course, I would probably reach out as an individual to some of those individuals that were on that slate because many of them have deep knowledge in real estate or historical knowledge of town properties and I would
rely on them as I do many residents in town. Um, and if you decide you'd like to move forward with the committee, then um I'd like to hear more of your discussion and we would come back to you at a future meeting with a revised charge. So, looking for direction and I also pause here. Chaz, is there anything
else you wanted to add? No. Okay. Okay, John. Well, okay. Um I I you know, I I I initiated the idea that we needed to discuss this further. Excuse me. And I think that um you know, there's a number
of ways this could go. Um I think if there's sufficient doubt among other members of the select board uh as of tonight as to whether we got it right with the mission statement that we voted previously.
One of the things we should consider doing, not tonight because it's not listed as a vote um on the agenda, but you know, at some future meeting, is to begin by rescending the vote we took um uh so that we can sort of start fresh
and um have a wide-ranging discussion of uh um this this whole area of resources that are under the control of the town that maybe um should have a different future um than they than their present
use. Um and in addition to that um how does the town play the part of a proactive player in the whole you know real spot spot some real estate
opportunity in the town that might be so good for the town if we pursued it that you know we want to actually take some action to negotiate um and then appropriate and then purchase purchase some property that we
don't currently have control over. That latter um portion of the of the mission as I see it, I don't see it as as being pursuable by a board um that was created by the select board but doesn't have the
authorities of the select board. And I don't see it um as a pursuit that can uh be under t open meeting law. So, I think we'd have to work all of those questions out. Um on the on the former topic, the
topic of buildings and properties that are currently under our control, um it feels to me like one of the uh every single year, one one of the items on the select board agenda year after year after year after year should be to
always be looking at whether properties that were once used um fruitfully by lots of people for for for purposes that were sort in alignment with um the priorities of people in the town suddenly have sort of drifted out
of use, have become um somewhat derelictked in their condition and it's time to assess. Uh do we still want to have this property? And if so, how can we find a use for it that would justify
putting some money into bringing it up to a much better condition? um it feels like something we should be doing as a board on a regular basis year after year and I worry that um it would drift away from us uh and create a little bit confu
of confusion as to who's making the decisions in the town about items as essential as what what do we do with a property that is languishing or what do we do with a rumored opportunity to acquire a property that might be soon on
the market. So th those those reflect my concerns. I don't have the answers. I just sort of know that I'm not ready to vote on the mission that we voted on previously in which I freely confess. Um I joined in the vote, but it was on at a
meeting where I didn't feel that it ever got the kind of discussion it deserved. Thank you. Any other thoughts? The John's proposing number one resend our previous vote which approved the uh the committee and its charge and number
two take this up at a later date. Michael. Um so first of all, John, thank you for bringing this to the attention of the board again. Um and I appreciate you
taking that step. Um um director, you enumerated a number of uh what I guess I would call information assets um that um require
management and updating um and pre uh presentation to the board in order to make those considerations. And so I guess um
I guess my question is is a staff working group effectively as the select board handbook lays them out a reasonable mechanism by which you
could continue to maintain those assets? Um and um could you provide us with an enumerated list of those assets? Um, and I'm assuming that the strategic asset plan and the major parcel study, um,
which at least you and I have talked about the need to keep up to date and use as a basis for identifying the opportunities, um, that my fellow select board member uh, referenced um, would be
an important part of that. Um so um I guess as as an initial step in terms of teasing out the various roles and responsibilities, I would I would recommend
um probably taking the step that John recommends to start fresh. Um and also to as a next step identify the the assets the information assets that we're talking about and uh developing some
sort of plan or policy for maintaining those assets. Um and then from there um look at the opportunities. Um the other question that I have and I would really
direct this to member Warren um is whether any of these questions or pieces of information have gone to the comprehensive plan steering committee and sort of what is the relationship of
that committee to uh either identifying these opportunities, incorporating these opportunities into a comprehensive on or utilizing those information assets. Um so well first I would say that I I
actually have the list there is a list of the assets. Um there are 67 I think 87 rows in the spreadsheet. People will be amazed when they see they'll be amazed at those. So but let me so the the answer is no. this the the
comprehensive plan is not getting into, you know, should we repurpose one specific parcel uh versus another. I don't think we're we haven't discussed that, Michael. Um I think that the issues that that John raised are valid.
Um and I would and I do appreciate him raising them as well. I I share many of the concerns that John uh that John raised um initially about this. Um I I want to go kind of go back to where I think this thing started which was when
we were leasing uh two houses at Lars Anderson to the country club and we raised questions. Why are we doing that? Should that be used to be rental properties to teachers or firemen? Um and at that point there
was a a request a discussion to inventory all of the pro the rental properties that we have to understand how are we using them? What kind of leases and and what and setting a policy
around them. So in a couple years when some of these leases come back to us do we want to renew them or do we want to purpose them repurpose them? So that's I'm just giving you some context. That's that's how this all started. Um I admit it
might have been late in the day. I don't know how that turned into a public body uh another committee um that I too approved the charge for, but um am thinking that we need to take a step back. So I would agree with rescending
it um and then having a broader conversation similar to what you're asking um and answer those questions to go for. Um, I just wanted to be clear. Um, and I apologize for the confusing use of the
word asset um, in two different cases, but when I was talking about the assets that I was referring to director Brutin for her management, I actually wasn't talking about the real property assets of the town. I was talking about the information assets such as the strategic
asset plan itself, the major parcel study, the list of leases, the list of rental properties, the the list of easements or the list information arrangements. So those information assets, you know, this also came up when we talked about 16
Williams. You know, there there was a right of first refusal we had and I believe somebody posed the question of like, well, what are the other rights of first refusal that we may have in other places around the town and who's managing that piece of information or that information asset? So, having
having those things with a policy or a working group would be helpful. Maybe tacking on to what you're saying, Michael, regarding information assets. Uh if you recall back to the Baldwin 9 school days, it wasn't immediately known
that National Park Service uh actually had a grant restriction on that property. So there are all kinds of inventories that I think we need to make. Uh what types of federal restrictions do we have, if any, like that NPS restriction? Uh and having all
those lists, I think would be very helpful. So to me the overall work that we were looking to accomplish from the initial charge I think it's critically important work. The question is how do we best undertake it and who should be
undertaking it and if it's going to be a staffdriven effort. I do have a little bit of concern around bandwidth. I always want to make sure that we're not overwhelming staff with too much. But by the same token, even if there were a public body that were formed, staff
would still have to do most of this type of work anyway. It's not as though members of the public can be uh digging into some of this information. Uh so I just want to make sure that we prioritize uh these efforts and we've discussed it
in various ways at our workshops consistently. But if we're going to do that, let's create the time, the space, and the uh economic resources necessary for staff to be able to handle it and bring it back to us to the extent that
uh many of you up here want to be sure that the select board is exercising authority in these decisions and not putting it off on some other board. I think it would be helpful if we dedicated a significant portion of one
of our workshops to really diving in to this work. I it's quite macro level, but it's also very important and I think all five of us would have an interest in doing that. I love that idea. Well, yeah, and I and I agree, David. I think that the thing that the step that I
think we missed was the what, right? The charge is the how. And I don't think we're on the same page about the what. And um I think that's the conversation we need to have. But importantly, and John touched on this briefly, having
this be a public body, right, that's that's subject to open meeting law. Um you know, all the things that go along with that. Um there's this isn't as much it's important about the assets that we have, but I think as important is what
we may be targeting and why. And you don't want that to be public. Um, I don't believe you want that to be discussed in public because that's going to have implications on your ability to acquire. Um, it may drive prices up. It may, you know, cause speculation, etc.
So, my primary issue is the public nature. Um, there's many ways we could skin this cat, so to speak. You know, we could fund a consultant, give Chaz some money to go bring someone in and get all the information that we need and set set some strategic direction and then advise
us. Um, or we could ask volunteers to do it. Yeah. Yeah. And I I agree with just about everything that's being said here. I want to add another uh sort of uh facet to this which is it's not just the
danger that discussion of possible acquisitions can create a lot of complications. Um it's also the discussion of properties already under our control. um where you want to have, you know, kind of a frank discussion
every now and then of is this or that department getting maximum value out of this or that asset that they currently, you know, uh hold sway over. Um and that
that's that's not a discussion that is easily held in public. you had held it at great risk of setting off alarm bells. You know, oh, they're going after, you know, this or that. You know, they don't think that we are getting enough use out of it, but they don't understand blah blah blah blah blah.
There's a lot of discussions that have to be very very frank, you know, and um uh hopefully within the boundaries of the open meeting law, you know, can be achieved. uh we can we can come to some
kinds of conclusions about assets now under our control that we should be getting more value out of than we are. Um I'm wondering if you could um recount the portion of our conversa the
conversation that you and I had um with regard to um how this body or some other body might affect our need to produce uh or to empower study committees to study
specific proposals. if there was, for example, um a real property asset board that could do that work on a more um consistent or regular basis in terms of how they um how they approach those
kinds of studies. Do you recall this? Yeah, I do. I um I think this is stop me if I'm going in the wrong direction, but um I've talked about this with Chaz as well as some individuals. Um there it's very periodic but often when
something like the Babcock Street parking lot right went to town meeting and there was a resolution that it should be used to develop affordable housing. There was discussion about the Kent Street parking lot about um and even an RFP that went out to have that
be for senior housing. And often but not always in the past each of those activities has a separate committee. And um one idea was that if there was a standing group of people that was, you know, people turn over as volunteers on
any board, but if there was a standing group, core group of people that didn't have to all learn all of the property rules, all of the Brookline quirks every single time, that that um that could produce more forward stepping work
rather than bringing everybody up to speed every time um a a single property is discussed either for acquisition or or selling. Uh David, it's covered. Okay. Okay. Well, I I just wanted to um and you I know
you're going to go here. Um we're not going to solve this tonight, right? Um if we could just be a motion. We we we John proposed that we rescend our vote. I was gonna I was going to second that or make the motion. Okay. Why don't you make a motion? I move to rescend our vote from August
Oh, from March. March. March. March. Even worse. Um March. Yeah, it was a March workshop at the March workshop. Uh where we approved the charge of the uh real asset. You had a date in March for for the
record, our permanent record. Anyway, we we don't need right now. I think it's March 18th. Scratch the rest. Okay. Just make sure it's in the minute. Uh all in favor. But do we have an agend agenda problem? I think I know the answer that we we we didn't say
discussion and vote but no we don't have an agenda problem. You have that catch all language and I don't think there's in that case. Yeah. Voting I on receiving. Okay. Um Paul I uh David I Michael I
you want to think about it? Uh, yes, I did because I wasn't there, so I'm not sure what I'm Good point. Good point. Well, it's on the web page for the No, yeah, I think it's legit. I could I could find it.
Okay. So, you'll come back to us with some ideas. It will. Yeah, it may be a new committee. It may be a working group of staff. It may be something else. What I'm hearing is the first step is to bring back the data and the information kind of collapsing all these different reports different
records and then secondly just while I have your attention on this in the meantime if particular properties come up and we're given a heads up on you know it's usually through Chaz's office or or mine or DPW director um sometimes
building commissioner can come through all kinds of interesting avenues will of course bring that to the town administrator and if it's interesting enough we'll ask you all to meet in executive session. Okay. Paul read from some list of property. Could you make sure that we
get that list number one, but more importantly that it includes other property interests that we have like rights of first refusal. Um so that list doesn't exist. We have a right of first refusal list for affordable housing for example, but it
gets scattered pretty quick. Okay. So, what what I think what we should do is I should forward you it's Tiffany's list that she put together for you all um of all of the properties in town who the current user agency is connected with that and as well as information about
current leases and that's information that Tiffany pulled together and then over the coming months we can expand that with a bunch of other um resources interests. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. But I mean the contingent interests are going to be on file um
somewhere that should be well don't we have a one place where deeds are filed different departments for different reasons but but not not in one place I mean it in the recorder of deeds not not the departments yes but that's hard to search
really it's an information asset that we need is Michael right so that's it's going to take us some time to do that digging but we will okay many states This is not that hard to know. It shocks me. But anyway, okay. This is a great discussion and thank
you. This is one less committee, but also we're going to get you what you need. So, thank you. Okay. Uh, next. Diversity hiring discrimination policy by annual update. I think Anna is still Yep.
Good evening everyone. Ann Braga, HR director for the town of Brookline. Um, you have in your packets a uh slide deck of uh the hiring and exits of town
employees in the last eight months. So, January of 25 through the end of August of 25. And um let me just pull up the actually I'm I'm not going to
um do this from Yes. Would you pull it up for me, please? Y I haven't had very good luck doing these remotely for select board. So what I will say is the the overview
shows that our employment is staying relatively static um as far as the number of people who have um started working for the town in um 2025. Um
and um our applicants for those who identify their backgrounds um we haven't seen um real change in that um over time from 2024
where we still have about 35 38% of our folks who apply for positions in Brooklyn don't identify by um gender or race. Um can you go to the next slide?
In our new hires, um we had 61 new hires across 16 departments, including three firefighters. Um we did not have any new hires in 2025 for the police department because we did have a group of laterals that were hired at the end of um 2024.
our mid managers. Um we hired 11 across 10 departments and three department heads um and two dispatchers. One of the requests from the board was to have an understanding of the number or percentage of employees that live in Brooklyn. Of the 61 new hires, 20% of
them um do live in Brooklyn. Next slide. Um background for new hires. Um we are seeing a relatively stable uh number of um applicants um by racial
breakdown. We've seen a little bit of a swap between black and Hispanic applicants where it was higher um in the last calendar year. um it was in the in the double digits whereas the um black um new hires um was lower and we are
seeing a steady decline in the number of white new hires. Um and then on the right hand pie chart you can see the breakdown of where our um
hires are in the collective bargaining representation. So um obviously the largest percentage in ask me I did separate out ask me library and school traffic supervisors asked me
part-time employees have um signed cards to join the union. So that that number is a bit bigger and we do see a more significant um activity in that area. Next slide. Um departures.
So we had 72% moved on to new opportunities or moved um locations um some across the country um and we had 22% of the folks um retired during that period and then we had the remaining
amount um about 6% had other reasons for leaving um which included as a result of disciplinary action and we also did have um an employee pass Okay, quitting and job openings. Um, continued trends on this where the quit rates are
going down. Um, our job openings while they continue to increase, they are at a lower rate of increase than they have been in last calendar year. Um, and part of that is as a result of looking at um
more critically what positions we're filling um and um what positions are being left open a little bit longer to see if the um work can get done in in other means.
Um, the positions that are out there that are longer to fill include our driving positions, particularly with CDL licenses. Um, but also, um, some of the more technical positions are requiring multiple postings.
Um, we haven't done any contracted recruitment. Um, aside from the library director which is being um organized and and funded by the board of library trustees, um, we have not done
contracted uh, recruitment um, but are looking at different opportunities through social media in coordination with the communications officer to use better use of of those resources, those existing ones to um, get the information
out to potential both passive and active applicants and the continuing activities are um not changed from previous uh time periods.
That's all I have for you. I will take any questions and there'll be a more comprehensive report at the end of the calendar year um to look at year-over-year um in a more um in a larger way. Thank you, Paul.
Yep. Thanks. And and that was going to be um my question. It would be really helpful to see this over time. Yes. Um I'm going to pull a page out of the uh John Vancoyak handbook of employee tracking is how many employees do we
have? Are we the headcount? Is it increasing? um our turnover rate, are we high, low, average amongst our peers, um attrition rate, and there was one. So anyway, it'd be helpful to have this information over time. And the the one
thing I found it confusing quick rate quit rates are going down, job openings continue to increase. Yeah. How do those two things go together? It's confusing. Quit rates are um so we
had the great um resignation in 22 2022 and 2023 and quit rates mean that somebody left a job with no future plans. They just left um as opposed to a resignation. So that has changed
particularly with the um the increase in inflation and the tightening of the economy. um more on a larger perspective. Um so we aren't seeing people say, you know what, I I just don't want to work anymore and I'm just going to quit. Um so we're seeing that
particular activity um drop. Um we still have um you know, we we have those those positions where where folks are like, yes, I'm moving to Oregon or I'm moving to Florida or wherever else. Um and those
Let me I'm sorry to interrupt. I'm just trying to understand like why is this important for me to know this? Quit rates are going down but job openings continue to increase. Like what what what do you do with that that piece of information? So
one of the things we do is as we get notification that employees are are leaving, we don't always in HR have a reason. Um and so we've followed up either with departments um or um with employees
after they've gone to their new employer um because the the tension of an active employee sort of in their two weeks notice period being able to have a conversation with um whether it's HR or
even the department to give some um I'll say unfiltered answers as to to why they're they're moving on is less likely when they're they're still actively working. Um where our vacancy rates have
have um continued to rise as I as I noted earlier the rate of increase is um slowing um but we have turnover in similar positions. So whether it's um we usually have a higher turnover in for
example public works operating positions as we go into the winter months um whereas in the summer when it's relatively nice out and not too hot, people stay where they are. Um this time of year we don't do a lot of hiring but um there are vacancies that get posted.
Um and it takes there's an eb and flow to fill vacancies. Um and during the last nine months for the economic reasons and some of the internal controls we put in um that that rate of increase has declined. I don't know if
that really answers your question. I will try to get you a better answer the next time. Yeah, I'm not I'm I I'm I'm No, that's okay. Thank you. Yeah. What wasn't the quit quit rate very high during the pandemic? And if it's going down now, that's a
sign that we're beginning to come out or recover from the pandemic. Yes. So that was 2022 and 2023 as we were coming through the tail end um of that and um but we had people making
what's what's called um an employee employee value proposition change and that their decision making around what will keep them out of their house and away from their family has changed. And there was a significant
period in that 22 23 period where it was a fast rate of change and they um you know we were seeing that happen throughout the country um where people are like you know what I'm going to be home that that quit rate piece um was
I'm going to be home. I'm going to be with my family and um you know going to sit it out for a while. People had money available to sort of live off their reserves. they don't right now. So, we're not seeing people leave without a
place to go um nearly as much as we had in that in you know during the time the two three years ago. Great. Thank you. Uh any other discussion Mike? Um I just had one quick question. You made a reference to not using contract
recruitment and I just wanted to confirm you're referring to what are colloquially known as head hunters. Is that right? Um that's correct. Does that does that also prelude the use of things like message boards or things like Indeed or Monster or are you posting in those
environments? So um thank you for the question. Um when we post on the town's website on the town's job site um it gets what's called scraped across um Indeed Monster
uh government careers um state websites what's called handshake which is the college and university career offices um and a variety of other uh locations and then in hard to recruit positions we will have either the departments or HR
our post or the the town through Christina, our communications officer, post on social media um are hard to recruit positions um where it's it's able to be picked up by by passive applicants in particular. Um so that's
always being done. Um but we use that that is um what we pay for through our applicant tracking system. So there's no additional cost to do those things. Um it's part of the service. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Unless there are any
other questions. Thank you uh Ann for uh that presentation and uh we look forward to your next uh presentation to update this. Thank you. Okay. Next uh uh town unfunded
liabilities policy. Remember this was something we discussed at the uh workshop and there were some proposals to revise it to clarify and that uh those changes are in our folder or packet and and in addition we have
Lincoln to explain uh these changes to us. Thank you, Chair Green. And um I know Melissa Goff um deputy town administrator Melissa Goff and I and other folks obviously worked on this so we can tag team it as it were. Uh so
Lincoln Heinman, I'm the town's director of finance. Um so before you is are the current recommended changes to the unfunded liabilities policy. Uh if the board recalls,
um the intention here is to further clarify that when the entirety of the unfunded liability for the pension system is paid off, currently expected uh to be fully paid off in fiscal year
2031 or 2030, excuse me. um that the uh that that the intention of the town, the aim of the town is that that runoff so to speak uh would go towards the unfunded liability for OPED other post-employment benefits in the case of Brookline being uh health insurance for
retirees and their surviving spouses and their spouses. So, um, included in the current version in front of you are the is the feedback, um, from board members at your work session on July 29th and those clarifications. And I bring your
attention in particular to the final sentence of the first paragraph and the final paragraph of the reverse revised policy. Um I I think that word smithing um was done to rep you know to represent to reflect the conversation of the board
and the input from the board members. So obviously uh myself and other folks are here and available to answer any questions or concerns. Anyone have any questions? John as best you can estimate. Um
will are we um binding ourselves um by these changes to you know future uh commitment to funding uh you know OPEDs that uh have are you able to project uh
how that will impact uh what what what are what our shortfall will look like with and without this commitment or or you know maybe um some optional alternative levels of commitment.
So uh the for OPED um for the other post-employment benefits that unfunded liability is calculated yearly and for the pension system every two years. So I I think you know we can provide some idea of the magnitude of it as of today.
Um that will change some as time goes on and we have our new actuarial reports as we get closer to the expected um full funding of the unfunded liability for pension for the pension system. Um so
but um the to give you a sense of the magnitude so the the um the unf the uh the the pension schedule as it's currently constructed uh would rise 7.85%
from the general appropriation of the town uh up to $50.2 2 million in fiscal 29 and then dropping to $20.9 million in 2030 and then down to um what's known as the normal cost, the ongoing cost the
town will continue to have which is estimated currently at $8.3 million in 2031. So that is to say, as of the current actuarial assessment, yes, excuse me, um there there would be
approximately $42 million delta across two fiscal years of savings that would no longer be going towards the pension system unfunded liability. Does that help answer that? But but then we would then we would carry forward that amount um for the for
the other purpose, right? So for OPED, so currently um the total again at the last actuarial assessment and and that assessment is done every year for OPED. The current um the current unfunded
liability for OPED is $31.7 million of which $14 million is funded. So approximately $200 million is not funded of the OPED liability. Yeah. So compare that with the runoff we're talking about
cumulatively 42 million. If I could just add to that um to kind of address John's question, we do have that built into our forecast. So those assumptions that the runoff from pension is going to be devoted to to OPEDs. That's currently the way it works in in
our forecast. And so when we um when we present the forecast, we'll be at the point where we're going to be looking at that out year. Um and we can talk about, you know, what what that does and and what it would look like if we change that. But right now, that's the way that it's built into our forecast.
Uh and are are we binding ourselves to a commitment that can't be from which there is no retreat? So there's currently no funding obligation for OPEDs. So these are policy decisions that the select board
are making and obviously um you know the select board can change their policy whenever they feel like. Um but then also ultimately it will be the decision of town meeting as to whether to follow the funding recommendations. And forgive me for continuing my questions. Um uh and is there any and
are are are we under any burden of uh a legal requirement or a state law requirement visav O opeds like we were with pensions? Not currently. So we we should have flexibility to you
know draw out the pay pay down to x number of years or x plus y or x plus y plus w number of years. Do we have scenarios as to, you know, how each of those would impact available revenues for other
purposes? I'm sure there are a lot of people that are targeting this as something that they would like to have access to. Um, if the board would like to put it put together some scenarios that you'd like to see us play out, we're happy to do that. I will say that's a one-way ratchet, right? Once that money goes, it's
impossible to get back, right? Um that's really why we from a financial standpoint are recommending that we we move with not not dogmatically, not reflexively, not 100% towards everything
that's going to the pension goes into opeds. In fact, we're saying some of that should go into the reserves so that we can shore up the other things that are visible to us. Um, but you know, the the caution that we really want to put out there is that if this goes into operating expenses,
anything then that then anything that you want to then change in the absence of new revenue is going to be an operating cut. Um, and as many of you have pointed out, once you start providing a service, it's very hard to stop a service. So that's that's really
the caution here that we want to we want to take with this. Good point. And you you talked about the impact on our credit rating too. Yes. Okay. Yes. Uh Paul, I may be the only one experiencing this, so forgive me. Um I maybe that I just
turned 60 and I'm starting to been there, done having these problems with my continuity of memory. Um I'm just having a hard time when we have these conversations over time connecting what it is that we're trying to decide. There's something that that advisory does that I find really helpful. A little summary on
each warrant article. This is what we're asking you to do. If you adopt this, this is what it means. If you don't, this is what will happen. It's just very simple terms. What is it that we're proposing to do? What does it mean
financially? And what happens if we don't do it? We are clarifying language that was previously in here, the talked about in sort of more abstract and um academic terms that when the pension the outstanding pension obligation is
satisfied as opposed to the ongoing pension obligation that the the position of the select board is that money will roll into paying for opeds. Not all of it but as much of it as possible. Okay. And the and the and the amount of
that money we anticipate is 42 million. Is that what so over time uh currently approximately $42 million. Okay. Remember that that that that payment is going to fall off gradually in the last couple years. I understand. Okay. And then and then so
that's and by doing that we keep the money from leaking somewhere else for one but two we tackle this big obligation that we have that's kind of a bit of a a noose around right okay um sorry for the reference I mean wait
um so and if we don't clarify the policy what happens it it then it then leaves it leaves uncertainty it leaves more of an open door. Um, this is very clear and it sets out a marker early before the
serious discussions in 2030 about, okay, here we are. We've made it. Um, we can point back to this and say we had a discussion all the way back in 2025 and and we've continued to review it going forward as part of our fiscal policies. We are reaffirming that this is what has
happens to this money. And I apologize for the the very simple question. Why do we feel we have to do this now? What is there a triggering event or it's just something that we need to clean up? I think it actually dubtales well with the qu some of the questions that expenditures and revenues is asking. Okay, there's this question about the
long-term fiscal health of the community. Do we need you know what other sources of revenue are out there? Why you know you know people I think there's a there are questions out there and certainly there are as Melissa said there are people out there looking at this and saying this is you know we why
do we need to satisfy our opeds? there's no legal obligation that we do. So why why can't we just okay let it sit out there? So we're getting questions we're looking at revenue expense. So these questions are coming up and we need some clarity. Okay. Thank you. And we're also saying or taking out that
in my opinion unnecessary statement that there is currently no legal requirement to cond that's not this but very helpful what what we just this exchange. Um, I also want to make make sure I understand when you referred
to that $42 million, you were, I believe, just referring to the runoff for fiscal years 2030 and 2031 that those two totaled 40, correct? And then there will be
additional runoff the following year and the following year and the following year that would be subject to this policy as well until the point where our oped liability is completely resolved. Right? So if
or change the or the policy changes or the policy changes. Right? So all things being equal Yes. you know, right? If if the VA if the vast majority of this quote unquote runoff money from pension goes to OPED over time, yes, the
OPED the outstanding unfunded OPED liability would also be fully funded. Right. Right. Um I would also just add in terms of what um the town administrator said with regard to like we said this way
back in 25 um that I think it is very valuable uh gift to future select boards that we put this marker down so that when they receive that pressure that it is
actually a conscious act to change the policy as opposed to um sort of manipulating through an ambigu through ambiguity to raise your hand.
No, I'm I'm looking Oh, John. I'm sorry, John. Well, um th this is um a somewhat uncharted territory for a lot of communities that are going to be, you know, uh facing the same decision- making. And I I' I'd love
to have some information at some point in the future um as to how other communities are handling this. Uh because I just keep thinking of this in the most simple terms. You know, if if you go out in the market to buy a house, you can have a 20-year mortgage or you can
have a 30-year mortgage. Either way, you got to pay off that mortgage. Uh the payments are less on the 30-year mortgage than on the 20-year mortgage. And we're going to be that's, you know, periodically going to the voters for overrides.
And uh I think we owe it to them that we can say with great certainty um yeah we're sacrificing a lot um to pay off this um you know unfunded liability
in our in our opeds. But this is this is the only way we can do it. We've got to do it this way. We got to do it, you know, at this level of pain or that level of pain or that level of pain. But um I I haven't heard that yet. I haven't
heard that we have a clear way of calculating what is the best way to draw out the pay down of the OPED liability that is also fair to those who are going to be crying for resources in the
meantime while we're paying it down. Right. Um, following on your analogy with regard to mortgages, um, it is true that if you have a 20-year mortgage and a 30-year mortgage, that the monthly payments on the 30-year mortgage, all
other things being equal, will be lower. Yeah. However, the total interest payments that you will be paying on that 30-year mortgage are higher. Absolutely. Um, and so what we are doing is we are trying to reduce the overall interest
payments. Um just to to follow that analogy. Um and um you know in my consideration of of why it is important for us to do this um I think about the
um the reason that we have these unfined liabilities themselves which in my best understanding comes from previous um select boards in financial management
um not being sufficient iently fiscally responsible and incurring unfunded liabilities that are now in our lap. Um and you know it is it is that it is that
set of choices um some of them generating from fiscal challenges generated from um the implementation of Proposition 2 and a half. So it's not just on the town but it is those decisions that are in our lap now. Um
and I think as a demonstration of our uh the improvement of our financial management um is part of the argument for this so that we are not ourselves also passing this liability on to future
generations to deal with with more pain than we are trying to manage at this moment. Yeah, good point. Okay, thank you. Oh, we have to vote. have to vote. I was going to ask if we could make a motion. Would you like to make
I would love to make a motion. Make a motion. I move adoption of the uh unfunded liabilities policy as amended. Uh all in favor, please indicate by saying I. John. I I am going to vote I. Um and in case people are wondering why, it's because
of the argument that was made during this discussion that future select boards can always revisit this. And it's a painful level of, you know, pay down. That's for future select boards to decide. This this doesn't can't handcuff
any future select boards. Yeah. I sorry Paul I um David I Michael enthusiastically I um chair both I because not only u well because we don't want to saddle future
select boards with the type of uh debt obligations that the past select boards have saddled us with for sure and um you know if we if we don't address it u aggressively it will get worse and worse and worse over time. So,
okay. So, um you have your vote. Thanking. Thank you. All right. Before we dig into the next item, can I make a just a quick uh appeal to my peers uh for future meetings? Um, if we do discuss
the goals and objectives again, which we may have to, if we could put it at the beginning of the agenda as a we always talk about these at the end of the day of whatever we're meeting. Um, and it seems to be one of the lowest points of
a meeting. Um, and I'd love to commit a little more of my alertness to this particular subject, which it starts at the beginning of the meeting. It's not a deal. The other thing I think we ought to set a policy of taking a break at a at a
certain point in the meeting and now is a good time if no one objects. Well, I'd rather get the meeting over with. Okay. If you don't mind push on forward, I just speak for myself. Yeah. Yeah. Anyone can get up and go. Yeah. Anybody need a fivem minute break?
I mean, if you're ask if you're mentioning it, do you No, I I don't need it. Okay, let's go. Press. Okay. I I got up and was able to walk around a little bit. Uh so I'm I'm okay. Uh okay. Next, select board goals and objectives.
Um and we have two versions of our goals and objectives. Yes, you have a couple of things in front of you. Um if if I may proceed. Sure. Okay. Great. Uh Tiffany Oliva, assistant town administrator for operations. I did print out a couple of things um because
Paul Paul called me earlier um and asked if I could show uh the version that you all saw in August which was actually an Excel form. Um so this is the word version of that. Um I didn't print out for you the track changes version because when I printed it out it's not
easy to see all that was deleted. Um and then I also printed out for you the version that I put together um from that. And then you also have a version that um select board member Michael Rubenstein has put together um which I
received on Sunday night. So still need to do some work to incorporate this and um I'll allow member well I would ask that member Rubenstein to to speak on that um um a little bit more. But um so that's what you have in front of you.
Um, and actually, um, member Warren, you started where I was going to start to say I usually put this at the end because I know I'm going to be here as long as you're going to be here, but I agree. I think this, um, should be top of the next meeting. Um, assuming that it's going to get carried over. Um, so a
couple of things. Perhaps I just walk through the version that's in front of you right now and you all can flag the language um, that doesn't feel right. Um and then um uh select board member Rubenstein, I would go to you and um you
can talk through your thinking on um the new kind of setup. So um we have the same categories as before in planning for the future. Um I'll also note you'll notice that it's a lot more concise now than it was in August. Um, I've tried to
make it more concise while still retaining um the different key words and items that were important to every single one of the select board members and also all retaining some of the language that was important to staff when we had conversations with staff. Um, so it is shorter um but I've tried
to do my best with language here. So the first one in planning for the future is to support implement and fund elements of the comprehensive plan, open space and recreation plan, comprehensive health improvement plan, vision zero plan, and climate action and resiliency plan. Um this has incorporated uh the
plans that you've mentioned throughout the conversations we've been having. Um it it does remove the begin reporting on metrics identified um just because there's going to be multiple processes for metrics that might be managed by different boards. So um just pull that language from there. Um and you all of
course will kind of continue to stay a breast. Number two is streamlining uh streamline permitting, licensing and funding applications. Continue efforts in the select board office and health and human services. Um and then expand those efforts to building public safety public works transportation division and
planning and community development regulatory division. Um this also just makes it more concise but I think keeps the essence of the earlier version but has also break broken it out at um member Rubenstein's suggestion to have a separate item which is number three to
review and adjust fees fines and enforcement related to permits and licensing um and also mentions that hearing officer if ultimately approved actually u I might be having a blame brain blip but was the hearing officer on the warrant for town meeting.
No, no, no. Okay. So, um perhaps last town meeting I think was yes and it'll come back but not but not this one. Okay. Um so, so it can stay on for fiscal 27, but thank you. I just had a brain blip in reading that. Um, number four is synergize processes
for parking improvements. Availability of parking, hours, and fee structures to continue efforts to revitalize and improve commercial areas in a way that preserves neighborhood character, fosters vibrant, vibrant, thriving business districts and aligns with the various parking plans and studies. We probably could make that one still a
little bit more concise. Um, but I think still retains the essence of an earlier version. Um, the next one is plan for the next two actions. resoning, sale of land, etc. That would each bring in at least 500,000 additional property tax revenue per year, prioritizing
commercial growth. And then the last one in this category is strengthen townwide accountability for climate action by aligning municipal policies, operations, and planning documents with Brookline's long-term sustainability vision and broader state and regional climate initiatives. So, that one um removes
some specific res uh references that was in the August version, but it's I think still keeps the spirit of the original uh version you saw in August. Is it okay to ask a question, Tiffany, or Yes, I I No, let's let's go section by section. So, we just finished planning for the future and I'd love to get some feedback on this section.
So, I Bernard, can I ask a question about this section? So, thank you. And I I like I like the simplified language. Um there's a lot of words in August. there's less words now, which I think is is really helpful. Um I just I wonder about six
um being called out specifically because it's included in one implementing uh the climate action resiliency plan. um we actually don't know what the plan's going to ask for and six seems to be specific
um to the plan and I'm just wondering if it might be beneficial to just have fold six in or get rid of six y because it's part of one. Does that make sense to everybody or have it have such a specific goal? It
seems like we're double we're double counting here. Yeah, it seems to make sense to me. Huh? seems to make sense to me. I like all those. So, I'm proposing to consolidate six wrap six into one. Okay. I would address that in the context of
looking at the document that I put forward. Well, okay. Well, let's what's Okay, yours. Um, we could talk about your document, too. Um, if we could focus on this one right now. Yours is a huge departure from what this is. Um, and I can't even get my head around that yet.
if we could settle on this and then maybe there's some way uh to to incorporate that feedback into yours. But um I guess I'd like to propose that six get folded into one. Does anybody would that be okay, Bernard? You sounds good to me, but what do other
people think? That would be fine with that. Yeah. Okay. So, we have three votes. Okay. Okay. Okay. Can I I'll I'll hold my comments. Uh I have a comment about uh five. Uh, so it says plan for the next two
actions, reszoning, sale of land. Not even sure what that means. That would each bring in at least $500,000 additional property. That's a million per year, right? So, a million a year. Um, I think you Let's give ourselves a break. Um,
that I would say at minimum that would each aim to bring in because we don't we have no idea whether you know we can bring in by reasonzoning or whatever. uh $500,000. Um I think you brought this up. Is this Chestnut Hill West? Is this what you
were thinking or? No, this is actually something John raised where we were talking about we need to have some kind of concrete metric and I think John said he sort of threw out that number. I just pulled number out of the air, you know. But when we discussed this last time, I
like that idea because this is a very concrete goal. To your point, Bernard, I think that endeavor to aim to does make sense. We have no way of being absolutely certain that we will be able to pursue two projects that each will
generate at least 500,000, but it's definitely a worthy goal and we really need to be pressing uh for revenue growth overall. Uh so I like the goal, but I'm certainly fine with refining the language. What's a what would be a a similar what generates 500,000 in in property tax?
Kar actually did this and I'm looking for it now in my because it's hard for me to get my head around what we're talking about. Karen said this over the summer to talk about some that's a big project. I I I don't I I just don't know what um it's big. It's it's
and you know how often do we have big projects in town? What is Waldo Duran supposed to generate in tax revenue? Significantly more. Significantly more than that. Yes. Would is a million 1.5 or something? might
might I suggest um if you can find it um on my do it says uh for the a replacement is to say add a million dollars of currently unplanned new growth to town revenue prioritizing commercial growth which captures the
amount but gives staff more flexibility in terms of how that is how that is accomplished. if you're concerned about the about this. So, I like the I like I like the phrasing that you have. My concern is
similar to Bernard's to say we're having a target of a million um you know what is that what does it take to have an additional million dollars in in revenue uh in in in one year. But but also not
only what what does it take but is it possible to do that given that the context is much broader than just we want a million dollars in tax revenue. I mean it's you know interest rates it's it's what's going on in the you know world economy. It's a whole lot of other things.
I agree. Hello. Sorry. Well, nobody thinks that we can make development, new growth happen just by waving a magic wand or putting it in a statement. Okay. Um but I think that
what I like about this idea and I I as I have admitted before the original number of 500,000 uh but twice um which Michael translated to a million which is fine um that came out of you know just out of the air but what is it what is our
number that we say you know we need uh over and above the new growth that occurs without us ever lifting a finger without us ever doing anything There's always a certain amount of, you know, renovation work going on in the town. There's and we have we have kind of a
baseline new growth number and we know that it's not as big as we want it to be or we need it to be in order to help us with these ongoing revenue shortfalls. um but what would be an appropriate
target so that we're beginning to approximate um a tax base that grows at a rate that puts off the need for an override for another year or another two years or three years. So each year we we we have in our
revenue forecast we assume two and a half percent and then we have new growth. What is the average new growth Jazz Melissa? That's really the it's usually it's it's less than 1% right. It's it's 1.52 million generally and then well so our base is around 1.8 and then
you know that can go up if we have additional properties. So um you know we have we don't have anything really in the pipeline in the in the foreseeable future. And so, you know, I think it really is about
what what that level of growth will mean in terms of what the development is because it's fine to have the goal, but if it means that we're now building highrises everywhere, that's not what you want either. So, Melissa, what's so just as an example for for this year, um what what was we
had two and a half, right, which is the baseline from Proposition two and a half. And what was our what was the new growth on top of that? It got us to like 3%. Yep. The new growth in fiscal 26 is estimated currently at 2.5 million. Um
but in 25 it was 3.1. Okay. So John, you're So you're asking to um just as an example, it's 2.5. You're saying let's increase it to 3.5. Um
yeah I mean let's come up with with ideas that perhaps maybe that's the think it's important to differentiate between new growth capital N and capital G which is a formula that is that the state allows us to then increase the tax levy by versus
revenue um which is what I think you're talking about. Yeah. Well revenue from new growth. Yeah. Okay. Well, isn't that new? So, isn't new growth because we've added properties typically or expanded properties, right? We've added we've added to the value of the community,
right? So, so basically I think what John is asking I think it's a great idea, John, but John is saying beyond two and a half, right? We have a new growth number. This for 26 it was 2.5 million. John's saying we want to increase that new growth number
intentionally, right? That's that's what you're asking to do. Yeah. focus on doing what we can do that might nudge that number up, you know, a little bit. And I mean, quick example, um, you know, just I I came across this today by watching a recent zoning board
of appeals meeting. Um, there are two developments right on in the pipeline right now um that are going to add a total of I think it's 14 housing units uh in Brooklyn. One of them is in a what was once a residential
property on Beacon Street that then was incentivized to become office property and now is in the hands of a developer who's going to go back and make it housing. And this discussion was fascinating because
essentially you had this developer telling to the zoning board of appeals and nobody disputing this that the co that that office growth is is just debt. I mean there's going to be other office properties just like this one that are
not going to find tenants. You know he was saying this with great certainty and he decided I'll do something about it. Um and he got he he got approval from the zoning board of appeals for this plan to convert what once had been housing back to housing again. Um in in
the other instance uh on lower Boilson Street, you've got a developer who's um adding 10 units of housing over and above uh singlestory just like we want to incentivize on Harvard Street. But how many other opportunities are there
for um owners of singlestory properties to He didn't have to go to four. You know, he figured out a way to add just two um uh layers of housing on top of the commercial on the first floor. Uh, and I think one of the other things that we're I'm sorry to throw this out of the
blue, but I really think we're at a point where we have to question our um mandate of commercial um always on the first floor of every development if we're starting to see, you know, development after development
um uh open with vacant uh first floor commercial space. And I I have a feeling that's going to be the case. We already have one that's longstanding and is an embarrassment frankly. When are we going to sort of revisit
where is it appropriate to insist that the first floor be commercial space and where are we simply creating an unrealistic expectation and a burden on the developer to find a commercial space lee in in a market
where people are abandoning commercial space. But aren't they abandoning office commercial space? Not not more retail that we're really focusing on. Well, how come nobody's figured out a use for the one at two Brooklyn place, you know? Well, that's that's that's the owner.
There's a lot of complex issues going on there, John. So, but it's a you raised a good point. So, I'm I'm going to I have Michael's document in front of me. Um, so Melissa, if I can ask a Is it okay, Bernard, if I ask a question? Melissa, what is the for in the It's early, but
if you were going to forecast, is it possible? What would the assumption be for FY27 for new growth? Is there any way million? It's what? 2.1 million right now? Two 2.1 billion. Okay. So, um, if we were to if we were to, um, go in the
direction that John and Michael, they're wording here is to say we want to, um, we want it above. So, that it's currently 2.1, we want it to be 3.1 is what we're saying, right? So why don't we put a hard number in there and say that we want to target 3.1
million in new growth for FY27 even if it's just scout exercise and and but but what but John the reason why I like what what you've got us thinking here is it's going to cause us to go scour where where are these projects where like what's holding them up what you
know who's banging on uh on some developers doors that may be projects that haven't moved forward and why. Yeah. um it'll shake the tree. So, I mean, I like that. I just want it to be specific so that it's not just add a million because Melissa's already counting 2.1 million. We should say we
want three million in new growth, something like that for FY27. That's just numbers out of the air. and and really what we're really seems to me what we really should be saying is we we have a goal of doing X Y and Z in order
to increase new growth with the aim of 3 million of whatever amount. But I mean just saying that we we want new growth of $3 million is like I mean it's like smoking stuff. I it's not it's not going to mean anything. Michael.
Um, so in producing this document previous to this, I had an excellent conversation with the town administrator. Um, and first of all, I want to thank you for that conversation because it helped clarify my thinking as to the purpose of
this document, which is one of the things actually that I believe that we are talking about. It's like what is the purpose of this document and therefore uh what kinds of goals should be should be part of that document. Um and one of
the things that he that we discussed was the fact that this what we are trying to put together now is a set of goals that can be then taken by staff um and then
used to help staff uh create a fiscal 27 financial plan which should um reflect these goals. Um, and so the reason for example that I wrote the
gold strategy as I did is because that gives staff in this case I think it is the uh planning department um the opportunity to come back to us and say so if you want a million dollars more than
whatever our run rate is you know here are some ways that we could do that. um here is the likelihood of that opportunity be uh occurring and we can have that conversation through the
through the creation of the budget and and those con and the presentation of the budget to the select board by the various departments. Um okay. So, I I agree with Paul's point, but I don't think that it is uh
incompatible with the wording from Michael's version. So, Michael says add 1 million of currently unplanned. Yeah, that's I I agree with that, but I think and I'm I'm going to um channel Melissa a little bit here. We
cannot put this into the plan, right, and say, "Well, we're going to magically move new growth from 2.1 to 3.1 million, right? That would be crazy because we haven't figured out even how to get it." But we can have a zoning in place. We would need the zoning in We need Melissa, you're not
going to you're not going to let us inflate uh uh new new growth. I I believe that that that's probably true. But I do think we whether we can get it next year, we need to find to have a specific goal to try to identify this so that we can shake the tree to figure out
how to do it. Maybe it's zoning, maybe it's moving projects forward, maybe it's lowering the barrier to some permitting of some projects. I don't know, Melissa, but um I certainly don't want you to inflate new revenue by a million bucks because we're saying we got a goal to do
it. No, the the new growth number comes from the assessor and I I you know I really you know we have a lot of conversations about what he's seeing on the ground, what is potentially coming online um and we are trying to be conservative in those estimates as we're putting them together. I will say that
he's very focused on um personal property and potentially engaging with a vendor to try and capture more growth in that area. Um but you know short of another zoning proposal that provides some kind of development um you know 3.5 is the highest I have in my forecast
file for new growth. So um you know and that's with Brookline Place, that is with Hancock Village, that is with the Red Cab site, that is with the um Hilton Garden in as well. Um you know, so we've had a lot of development here. Um but
nothing that is bringing you know anything you know well one way one way to really really help make this happen is to make the goal about Chestnut Hill West uh to move that along
now it's going to be a couple of years out but that you know that project is um has been hampered um and if we set a goal to get it get get the zone voning done uh
in FY27 um or 26 that would help move things along. I would agree that that there are many ways to skin this cat. Um obviously Chestnut Hill West is one and you know
looking at the major parcels uh study and identifying properties there that the the town may be able to help support develop is is another one. Um and you know this is where I think um separating
our goals and separating sort of the what I'm calling either the strategies or the objectives um that that can be supported by the planning department um will help make this more real faster.
Um, so, so you know, to the extent that I hear you saying having a more general goal to shake the tree to this degree and we're saying a million dollars, I think it's a it's a fair number. Um, I
think that I think that's the right goal. So, I don't know if you're agreeing with me or I'm agreeing with you, but I think we're I don't know. It sounds like Bernardo doesn't want a million bucks in the uh What? Berno, what? So are you you don't like the million-dollar target because it's too
No, I don't mind a target, but just remember this is just coming out of right knows. But you know what what we're really trying to say is that we have a goal. We we're aiming for we this is a target, right? And that that enables us to then
identify the steps that we need to take in order to maybe get to that goal, right? you know, zoning, um, or whatever else, but all the steps that go into achieving a goal that, um, you know,
that we're looking to achieve. So, I think we can reconcile this with the language between Michael and Paul, what you have shared, and also with the language of endeavor or aim in that goal, um, will probably make it feel better to the entirety of the board.
And and when we say endeavor, it's a great word. um to achieve this amount of new growth. Then the next question is how are you going to endeavor right and that and and so maybe that's really the goals we have for fiscal year 27 you
know we I don't know what they are you know and to Michael's point that's that's the that's the work that we do we on staff do between now and the financial plan I guess the only thing in closing is I would just for this particular item for me is I the number should be something
that we think is actually achievable if you if it's so high and you never get there Um, you know, so maybe it's a range or something. I want to have that conversation with Cara about what is $500,000 look like. Yeah, she gave some good examples and I'm having trouble finding y
I Oh, go ahead. So, we can determine the number later, right? And I I have two comments. Number one is this is just my opinion but the concept of endeavoring or trying or setting setting an objective uh sorry
setting a goal um is inherent in the word in labeling something a goal right these are the things that we're trying to do um so if you want to start every goal with endeavor to and so you're saying endeavor to add a million dollars
of currently unplanned etc etc We can do that. I you know it sounds redundant to me but but but that's that's looking at from the standpoint of your your materials and I think we're well just in general you said I I I I'm talking about the definition
of the word goal. I have an exercise goal each day. I endeavor to achieve it. I do not. Exactly. Exactly. Okay. Are you you sufficiently I think so. Yes. I think I think we've got what we need to have additional staff conversations and um revise this
for um okay next section um ensuring better greener income diverse housing. So um number seven is reach one-third of multi and single family housing units with energy efficiency education as part of the town's community first partnership grant leveraging mass save support to connect residents including
renters, landlords and income qualified households with no cost assessments, upgrades and resources. We can probably make that a little bit more concise as well. Um, number eight is evaluate the suitability of town-owned properties with caretaking agreements to provide public employee housing in the 80% and
100% uh area and median income. Number nine is priorit or produce a prioritization of strategies to increase the number of deed restricted income housing serving households between 80% and 100% AMI. This one was changed to um
remove mention of some of the boards. I apologies that some of these printed kind of funny. Um number 10. Um so this language has changed a couple of times and I know at least one member is going to mention um the changes here. So happy
to workshop this one. Um but modify Harvard Street zoning to promote utilization when interest rates drop to a point where multifamily non-40B development construction starts to resume in the area. Generally, I think that word modify came in uh different
from an earlier version in the interest of making this more concise, but perhaps doesn't capture um what the full board wants stated here. So, that's the end of that section. So, happy to take comments, questions on this section. So, with number nine, I would rather see
something more concrete uh rather than just a general let's increase the number of deed restricted income housing. That could mean one unit. I'd prefer that we look for s for targets uh similar to what we just did in the conversation we just finished having regarding uh
500,000 or whatever the right value might be to maybe ask staff what would be the appropriate goal for that increase not just a blanket increase. So what would be the steps to to towards
achieving that no matter what it is? Well, could look historically look historically at how many units we've added. What were the barriers to adding these units? How would we facilitate adding more? And in looking at those metrics, figure out what would be the
appropriate target. A general increase doesn't really say much. It probably goes up every year regardless. Slow. Very slowly. Yeah. I right I would say sorry go ahead Michael so so number one uh by and large I agree
with you that we need that specificity um when when the town administrator and I were discussing this kind of question um one of the things that we purposefully
talked about is that every single one of these goals should have quantifiable specific metrics that tell us whether whether or not we've succeeded on these goals. Um, but again, those metrics are should come up
in the conversation with staff because we want those metrics to be both aspirational and realistic. You know, it's just like the million-dollar number um is is to some degree a metric that we are that we want staff to validate. Um
so the reason why in my case I did not include that metric um in number nine in my uh in my version um is that I specifically was trying to leave the space for the metrics sort of underneath
objectives for staff to come back and say well we think we can increase them by 400 units or 200 units or 10 units or whatever it is. I think this is as long as as long as they know that the the thing that we are trying to do
specifically is to increase the amount of 80 to 100% AMI housing. That's the level that the select board is being directed. Right, David? I just want to make sure though that we know what that target is and that the public knows what that target is. So my
thinking is if staff could come back at some point and tell us is it the 400 units, is it 200, what's the number and we put that in here so it's very transparent what it is we're aiming for. I understand why you don't have it today because we don't have that number but I would like to have that number at some point. I
this number might be in the housing production plan or a proxy for this numbers in the housing. I and but I also think that in terms of this one in particular that the number is going to vary based on your tolerance for various policies
um which is where it's it's tougher to say in in some ways because there are a broad paniply of strategies that could get you to new growth. It's easier to kind of put an aspirational number here. we talk about new deed restricted
housing. Um, if you're talking about 10 units, that's very different than if you're talking about even 20 units, 50 units, let alone 100 units, because then what you're talking about is a real wholesale shift away from how the town currently conducts housing
policy. And so rather than us accidentally backing you, if you tell us come back with a 100 units and we say we come back with a policy that radically shifts housing policy in Brookline, I don't want you to feel like we're backing you into a corner saying, "Well,
this is what you wanted, isn't it?" Um, I think what if I can just finish the point, I think what I'm saying is not so much that we are imposing a number. I want to hear a suggested number from you and then that becomes our target. And I think that's the that's the conversation. What does 25 look like?
What does 50 look like? So I so the I think when you start talking about specifically this, it might even be the prior goal too. Talking about it on a like for next year, this really needs to be develop a a five-year plan to increase by X percent
or the number of units that the time horizon here has to increase. um because I think it's going to be very difficult for us to influence this number in in of one fiscal year and indeed this is this is part of that roadmap discussion right the road map
has about this that on a five-year horizon okay so so this so sounds to me like what Paul is saying is that this should come out of here and and we should come up with some goals that are that do have a fiscal year 27 impact
okay Um I would I would make two two comments. One is to member Pearlman's uh comment about this the the um staff coming back to us. Um one of the things that uh I discussed with the town administrator was actually the title of
this document. Um and you can see I've amended the title of this document. Um guiding goals, strategies, and objectives for creating the fiscal year 27 financial plan. This I believe is what we agreed to. Um and the reason is specifically to handle the issue that
you talked about David. Um because at some point later um there will be a financial plan that is then sent to the advisory committee that becomes the budget and within that financial plan there will be uh the uh fiscal year
financial goals from the select board. And I believe that the process that the town administrator described to me was that that that information would come back to us. This document plus that
information would form the basis of what the select board puts into that public document. So I think that the process that the staff is contemplating and has used in the past will will bring those things together. Um but the thing that
we are working on approving now is are the guides to the staff which um which they can use then to determine what metrics and objectives they need to bring back to us.
One quick thing on this guy I know we want to move on. Um to your point B I don't necessarily think this needs to come out. I think it's actually helpful to say this is year one of a multi-year process. So you have in the road map this goal on a fiveyear horizon. The
first year of this is about establishing what those metrics are. Um and so we're so so the goals are the metrics to develop the metrics. The goal is to I guess my my concern I just want to make sure that we have uh discrete pieces that can go into fiscal year 27 y
and that you know aren't things that really go over into fiscal year 28. So I have two I have feedback two items to give feedback on this section. Um for item number seven I would suggest that we end the goal after the first period.
So just one sentence um and take out as Michael says these are kind of strategy. This is how but the goal is to reach onethird of the multi and single family housing units with energy efficiency blah blah blah. So I'm just suggesting get rid of the next sentence. Um, and
then number 10. Um, I'm struggling a bit with this one, but our goal is to modify the Harvard Street zoning. Um, I'm I I don't think we should set a goal of modifying the
Harvard Street zoning. Um I think we had a conversation with um during the 40B on Harvard Street to say tell us what barriers you have to developing housing on Harvard Street or development on housing street and come
back to us with that. Um you know that could be policy around first floor commercial. It could be policies around um you know requiring on-site affordable housing. Um, it could potentially be zoning, but I'm I'm not comfortable committing to modifying zoning FY27 on
Harvard Street. Yeah. I think I think also this sort of cart before the horse in that, you know, before we can talk about modifying Harvest Street zoning, we need to know what the impediments to Yeah. uh, development are there.
And that's that would be a goal. Yeah. I I if I may speak, sure. Um I agree with you both of you and the language that I put in for you number 10 um specifically
uh broaden that goal to not be specific that modifying the Harvard street zoning is a is a strategy for achieving the goal that I think both of you are talking about namely to promote mixeduse development along Harvard Street in accordance with community development
standards. Um, that's that's how I articulated that goal without like being specific about zoning because promoting mixed use development could be done in as you point out other ways. So promote so um I I like the direction
you're going in Michael. Um instead of promote support mixeduse development along Harvard Street in accordance with um existing formbbased zoning. So, let's see if we can break down the barriers along Harvard Street. Now, I
would It's easier to start with policies. There could be something with our policies that are preventing uh something happening there. Um it could turn into modifications to zoning, right? Um we've heard, you know, the the the planning board would like to modify some
of the Ford formbbased uh zoning code to make it more flexible, right, and maybe cost-effective. So, um, so I'd be I I would be supportive with language like that, but just I I we got to get rid of the modified coverage
street zoning. So, that's my my request. Can change it after I go. Okay. Um, can I add one more thing? What's missing from here, I think it probably would be in this section, is the um racial uh diversity issue that I
that I've raised or marketing um and a process for marketing Brooklyn to a diverse set of black and Hispanic uh families. We talked about that. You talked about a process of um of uh engaging a a consultant to help us with
that because I mean, we can't do it ourselves. Uh, so I'm not sure where that went, but I would like to make sure that it's somewhere. David, if I can just go back to uh number nine for a moment. So, in terms of discrete goals for FY2027,
could we consider modifying uh your version, Michael, to say uh develop metrics to increase the number of deed restricted income in FY27? Something to that effect. I want something that we can actually complete this year. And if
because increase alone doesn't really mean anything. It always increases. Um if you look at the objective underneath that strategy. Yes. Um that is I believe something that can be completed in a year. Um, I did make a
comment that I mean it's sort of obvious that before you before you implement a strategy you like you got to know what the steps are. Um, which is sort of what that says. But when you go down when you get down to
the level of deciding the actions that you're actually going to take, you know, that's where I think staff can be helpful. I I I don't think I don't think that we as select board members at this point in
the process as we talked about um need to be any more specific than the descriptions of our goals to increase housing in that specific range. Um and leave it back leave it to staff to tell
us the best ways to do that or to tell us what they think can be done within a year within fiscal year 27. Oh, you want I just I just wanted to say that I think Carara and Cara Brutin and Roger Blood
um could advise us on this because of the housing production plan. There was a whole change in thinking about how to measure um deed restricted affordable housing. So, true affordable housing in Brooklyn versus how the state measures it. Um and I and they have goals in
there. It's a it's a it's a percentage. So, maybe they could come back and make a suggestion. to us. Okay. Um, by the way, um, here's a problem that um, we're giving Tiffany and that is we have two goals and
objectives. One that the select board worked on during the um, workshop and another that Michael put together uh, subsequently. So, how are we going to if we are meld those two together? I think we're doing some of that right
now. Um, and then the other bit, right? I I I still haven't given all of my spiel. Just a little just Yeah. I just my my um one I I think yours is a great reference for how to maybe articulate some of the the goals,
but um yours is a structural rewrite of of the entire goals document. It's a lot. Um, I f I found it to be a little bit too much actually, Michael. Um, I like I
like the format that Tiffany's brought, the simplification of the wording. I like some of the wording that you have to help clarify the goals and make it more target and specific. But to go to this level of restructuring, I think it's just too much uh detail and complexity for our sections. Goals,
strategy, strategy, strategy, goal, strategy. Um, that's that's my that that's my feedback. I think it's a reference for some wording, but I don't think we should use this format for our goals for maybe that's something we take as part of our five-year planning
process. We say, do we need to for the next year modify how we're articulating goals? Um, but I I think this is a bridge too far for for this particular goal setting. A a a a shorter bridge. Um, and and I take your
point of of the uh it's a lot. Um, a shorter bridge might be simply to consider that just the goal lines, not looking at this necessarily the strategies or the objectives. Um because
the goal lines and it's possible that some of the strategies are also useful um will can serve as the guides for staff to direct them for uh to give us the information that we need. Um
I mean one of the things that I tried to do specifically was to not change not make substantive changes to the content um of that Tiffany has distributed. So you will see for example
the plans the the numbering is the same. So if you look at goal number two on the two that they're that they're referring to the same thing. Um, but just another piece of this, the the the
language that I used for the goal line specifically, I think better articulates why we want these these uh some of these goals to be met. Um and some of the things that we are talking about as
goals are actually deeper levels of implementation or metrics that we as select board members don't need to provide in this document to staff and I
can give examples of that but but but again I take your I take your point about there being a lot so I guess that goes goes back to where we were three or four years ago when staff would put together goals and objectives that were very vague and
basically we did nothing with them but presumably staff would then figure out whether there ways to implement these goals. Um I I I guess what I see on on your document is you
know broad goals but then the strategies to achieve those goals which is what we're talking about in terms of fiscal year fiscal year uh fiscal year 27 goals that you know we want staff to work on not not you know not requiring
them to achieve these goals but these are what we want you to work on. So I I don't think that we we we I guess I disagree with you. Well, in the sense that goals are are are important, but it's the strategies that
that is what we're working on here. That's clear. And okay, so I was responding to Paul's um uh point that this is this is a significant structural change. Um I
agree with and I agree with him as well. Um to to your point, I also agree that it is helpful when we are giving directions to staff to to provide goals and to provide proposals of strategies that we believe
would would assist them. The the problem I have with some of these goals, and I will start with goal number one to say that I have a problem here, is that there's nothing in this goal which actually communicates to the public. Um,
and more broadly why we want to fund all of these plans. Um, and to not have that kind of statement um, associated sort of the top level of every single one of our goals, I think um,
it makes it harder for the public to understand why why we're executing these goals. It becomes a little bit of inside baseball. Um, but it also makes it harder for staff to understand sort of the details of like
what they should come back to us with. Perhaps somewhat curiously, I'm going to disagree with uh your position that what you wrote is a major departure. I actually see it as as you mentioned earlier contentwise it's quite similar.
It's just Michael is phrasing it in a way that at least I find to be a lot more digestible. Starting with the goal line, it makes very clear what is the goal and then the strategies that are underneath much of that material comes from Tiffany's document. So, Tiffany has it
all in the same paragraph and it might not be clear to members of the public. Well, which part was the goal and and which part is the implementation? What which part is the what? Which part is the how? Which part is the why? The why. Exactly. And Michael breaks
that out in his version. So, I find it very helpful, but I don't think it's necessarily adding anything that wasn't already embedded in the original. It makes it easier to follow. Uh, so I like this way it's structured in Michael's version. I don't see it as
a major departure, which is not to take away from what uh, Tiffany produced. I just think that in terms of discussion and with the broader public, it's a bit easier to follow. And I mean, that's just why this discussion happening. You know, I think Tiffany did a great job. You know, Tiffany has to has the unenviable task
trying to synthesize five people's ideas. Yeah. Into one document. and this preferred structure from five people into one document which is tough it's tough and so I think that's a that's a you know when we try and reach
consensus among the board sometimes that simpler argument holds sway I do think it's very helpful to break these things out and to think about what is the goal what is the objective and then to think about and then for us to go back and think about how do we then develop that
in that way But in the absence of consensus on the board of how to do that. Um we've st we've strove for in this in this draft for simplicity. But I also think you know having that conversation with Michael on Friday about this about
this and then you know having this come back and see it is is helpful to us too. It's you know the input that we need and gives you the fuel for the conversation. You're not just debating. And I just want to reiterate the point you made that Tiffany had the very unenviable
task of trying to synthesize all this and it's partially the fault of the five of us because we've had this discussion multiple times. We go back and forth in some things and so it can be difficult to please everybody and also the changes we have meeting uh by meeting. But I
think something concrete that's coming out of tonight's discussion is that we do want discrete FY27 goals. And to the extent that what we're looking to accomplish cannot be uh completed
exclusively in FY27 to sort of have an accompanying five-year plan that perhaps breaks out more of the specifics, but I think we can do both. Can you do that, Tiffany? Well, yes. She needs our guidance, though.
Yes. Yes. But um I think I think to uh to administrator K's point and um to member Pearlman's point um I think uh what Michael's put together here is very good for the 2030 roadmap. I think more conversation needs to be had around um
the exact goals, but I think we've been historically very focused on on these fiscal year um level conversations on what are we actually doing? What's the deliverable? What's the task? And I think this is the last year of it being wonky in that way. Um because we'll have
that roadmap to kind of funnel down from in the future. So I think um I think we're getting there. I just think it's the last year that it's going to look a little bit different. May I propose a a a potential path forward? Um so this evening we we
covered planning for the future. Um, I think we in we covered ensure better greener income diverse housing. I think we covered that one. Yes. Um, and could I propose and likely some of your wording has been incorporated
into how we're thinking about those goals in the first two. for our next meeting. Can I suggest that we we continue with discussing the next two at the beginning of the meeting, the next two sections, and see if we can refine the wording and the goals with specifics
like you mentioned. Um, and and complete it that way. Um, taking into consideration some of Mike's Michael's excellent feedback on wording. Um, but not necessarily adopting the structure at this time. I would just say
one thing this at this point we're we're happy to bring this back again but I think we because of the budget cycle yeah we do need this document so when I think it would be by Tuesday next Tuesday okay so we can can we complete this exercise by next Tuesday I I think I think so but I would I would
just well I would just hope that we have the if if that's the case and we're going to come back to the latter half that the board come prepared and even I would say any comments that you might have to send in advance to Tiffany so that we can put them in the packet, circulate them. You have a sense of each
other's positions coming into it. And then when we go in on Tuesday, bright and early in this agenda this time, do we want to power through and do the next two? So, I was going to say we really need the vote next Tuesday. So, if we make those edits, we also need to take the vote because the next meeting is not
until September 30th and that's going to really push back the process. We need to push through. We need we Yeah, it doesn't mean that everyone has to talk and talk and talk. There's still time between now and next Tuesday. So, I definitely would welcome additional comments and things that I
can workshop until I put this in for next Tuesday. Agreeing, but what I'm saying is that we tonight finish the hopefully in the next half hour we finish 11 through 7. Okay. Yes. I will say that I did hold back
comments on the first two sections based on the expectation that you know we would have the conversation about the structure of the document etc which sort of leaked out over the process. So I also have comments on the first two sections. So I don't know if we want to
why don't you put them put them on excuse me put them on paper and send them to uh Tiffany. Okay. And I I don't want to go back through the first two sections again and spend another hour on them.
Okay. Okay. So, move on. Number 11. All right. Number 11 is focus on preservation treatments for streets in fair to good condition and rehabilitation of roadways with more significant deterioration based upon a costbenefit value model for the town.
Setting a trajectory to raise the overall pavement condition index by FY29. Um there's not a lot of significant change there from um from the last time you saw this. Uh number 12 has been
significantly shortened to just expand access to DC fast charging infrastructure for both town fleet and the public through public private partnerships. Number 13, evaluate and refine the Beacon Street bridal path plan to optimize available space within the
Beacon Street corridor as the town moves through the 25% design process. So, this one's just been made a bit more concise and also mentions the fact that we're um I think concluding here soon the 25% design phase. So, it will come before you. Um is that in fiscal year 27?
Um the 25% design space will happen in fiscal 26. Um and then I think there'll be some bleed over of implementation into 27. Is that right, Chaz? Yes. Okay. Uh and then number 14 um we've done some
significant reworking of this one um with um planning and community development director u carin and also with commissioner Aaron Chup. Um, and this one now says, "Cocoordinate with the city of Newton to identify, prioritize, and advance multimodal
safety improvements." And it specifies bike and ped bike and ped in the Chestnut Hill commercial study area and other shared corridors of interest. Collaborate to develop joint recommendations from Mass DOT and state reps. So for that one, I would
specifically replace the goal language there with the goal with the more succinct goal language because this one contains details of implementation that I don't think are necessary in the goal. Can you just Which one are you referring to? Uh I'm referring to number 14.
Okay. So what why does multimodal is multimodal limited to bicycle and pedestrian? We we had to figure out how to deal with those cars that that are going to be zoomed down the um
yeah in the previous version we did lay out bike cars ped um we also talked about tree canopy improvements I think that just kind of happened in the con making it more concise but we I think we just take out bicycle and pedestrian everybody knows multimodal
means they should I agree with you well we're Um, that's fine. There was I wanted to trim a goal. I think it was
so number 12. Can we just Can we drop um through public private partnerships and just say expand access to DC fast charging infrastructure for both town and public and the public? It could be through partnerships, but we may want to
install. I mean, is that is that the only strategy that we have for I think it's um the more likely way forward in fiscal year 27 because of um limited federal grants now and also um where space where these
might be able to go. So I think that's really the most feasible f path forward from fiscal 27 and talking to the commissioner. Um what what if Tesla wants to come in just as a private company and put in a bunch
of charging stations? It's a way of kind of excluding that. Well, but I mean that's inherently a No, no. I mean we, you know, there are things we can do to either encourage or discourage them. That I think if if that's the case, then that is a public private partnership.
You know, if they do it on their own, that's that's fine. U you know, they have the they have a private lot they have access to. But given that they have a big supercharger station on the other side of uh uh the Newton border, um I don't necessarily know if they would put one here.
Well, I'm saying we we don't know who else could do it or would do this. So, why limit it to public private? I think we were just focusing on what we could be a part of or control. So there's always what private entities
might want to do. But as a as just to follow on um the chair's point um you know there there could be cases where for example somebody comes in um and wants to make a leasing
arrangement with a private party that requires some town zoning action. You know we may want to work with them to facilitate that whole arrangement. Um, but that would not be a public private partnership. I mean, this
I I think we So, I it doesn't it wouldn't limit Oh, sorry. those. Sorry. Well, I I think he's I was going to just reinforce what he's saying. I mean, I' I'd like to just drop public private partnerships and say we're going to expand the infrastructure if
Is that what you're about to say, Mike? Um, well, I think that's what he said. Yes. An Okay. Okay. So, so we we we agree on that. Let's go forward. Yeah, that's fine. I just have one. So, once again, I would hope that at some point, if not in this
document itself, we would have be a little more specific. So, we are expanding access to DC fast charging by what? Because expanding could mean you put in one new charger somewhere. And is that really a meaningful impact? Right. That's where I think metrics from
the staff should we should uh we should work hard to get them. Okay. All right. And then the last section is preserving our financial health. And so number 15 is determine
which expenditure and revenue study committee recommendations to implement. Recommendations may include, but are not limited to, a new town school split, memorandums of agreement on shared services. This one was also significantly reduced. We can put it even more and just drop it at
recommendations to implement. Um, number 16 is increase the town's available fund balance ratio to within 8% of the median reserve position in Moody's AAA rated municipalities. This one's the same as the last time you saw it. And then the last one which was an addition um was
develop and implement a transition plan for the expiration of ARPA funds in December 2026 and ensuring continuity of critical services and programs while striving to identify sustainable funding alternatives for successful pilot initiatives. Any comments? Um I think it would be
helpful to preface each one of these goals with some statement of why we are doing each things each of these things there. These things are very specific um specific actions. Um and so if you for example look at the goals that I
wrote for each one of these I think they answered the question as to why we're doing those things. And I think that that is a worthwhile preface to each one of those goals. I agree 15, 16, 17.
There may be others, but yeah, those are good examples. Just a question I have number 16 that we see a very discreet goal, which I like to see. Just wondering how did we arrive at the 8%. Um so this one um has gone through a
couple of well there was a um it went through a couple of revisions. So, I think this one originally came in from Chair Green. Um, I had multiple conversations with the finance director um to clarify what might what might
actually be um a real a goal that's that might stretch us a little bit but is still within a a reasonable realm of of possibility. So, that was workshopped with Lincoln Heinman. Okay. Okay. Okay. Any um more comments? Okay, Tiffany, you have your work cut
out for you. Any and I guess we would really value any additional comments you may have on this. You know, sooner rather than later, so we can, you know, it's a tight turnaround between now and next Tuesday. So, any additional thoughts you have? I have one question. Um if if there is a
um operating override ballot question, is that is that going on the ballot for FY27? If if if there were an operating override question on the ballot, FY27 would be the first year in which it would apply. Yes.
Okay. Um, it doesn't say anything about it doesn't um, and there's a it's that's intentional in some ways because the process of determining whether or not an override is on the ballot is a goal for this this year, this fiscal year.
The question of what to do with it is uncertain. Um, and you know what's going to happen as a practical matter is we're going to prepare two budgets this year. We're going to prepare if the if the recommendation of the committee is an over is some form of operating override
and if that recommendation is accepted by the select board then we will prepare two versions of the budget. One that assumes an override passes and one that assumes it doesn't. Um and we want these goals now being developed to be agnostic of
that question. So okay I do Bernard is it okay if I ask a couple of questions about this because this is really important right? Um, is is the revenue and expenditure study committee
coming back to the board with option, you know, with a recommendation that shall include an operating override where we could decide not to put it on or or could they come and say don't do it? They could come and say don't do it because I think
it's we have the final say. Yeah. So, Yeah. So, Well, that's so that's what my point is. So, so and I don't I I forget who's all on this and their vote may determine whether something comes to us or not. Um I'm not comfortable with that. Um what I would
rather have is um clarity about what the forecast is, what the gap is, and if you wanted to close the gap through an operating override, you would place this on the ballot. If you wanted to close the gap by restructuring our town staff
or some other activities, you would do that. But to have the revenue and expenditure study committee come back without an option for an operating override, I would hope that that's not going to happen. I think there's a difference between the option and the recommend. No, no, no. Say okay. But that but we
there would be some clarity to us that says you know if you wanted to pursue this path which is to close the gap through increasing revenue through an operating override this is what you would put on the ballot. I have a sense that that's likely where this where I again I don't want to speak for that committee but based on the conversations
that are taking place now that seems to me to be the shape of the tenor of the discussions that if you were to do this okay that's but that's a separate question then whether you should do it right they may say this is what you could do we're not recommending you do it because that would be a bigger problem but that's a that's a separate question
correct okay thank that's really helpful thank you okay next uh boards and commissions reappointments uh start off with question of reappointing Sean K. O'Neal as a member of the housing advisory board in the tenant representative
category. Um we also have question Deborah Riser Thompson and David Lashinski as members of the small business development committee. And finally question of appointing Jack Curtis from an exofficial membership to a full voting membership on the Martin
Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee. Uh we can take those uh together unless someone objects. But I'd like to say something about Jack Curtis. Um you know, Jack uh is a journalist. Uh he's been a member of the committee when he lived in Brooklyn. He moved out of
Brooklyn, but was still committed to the committee and was an incredibly valuable uh member of the committee. um you initiating and and carrying out a number of our programs, not just the programs on Martin Luther King Day, but the other
programs during the year that we have. Um now that he's moving back to Brookline, we'd like to include him as a full member of the committee. We do have an opening on the committee. Correct, Tiffany? Uh uh this committee is not limited by
membership, so you can appoint members as you wish. So, we'd like to include him as a pool member. Um, and as I said, his his contributions to the committee have been extensive and uh he has a skill set as a journalist that has been very very valuable and will be valuable
in the future. I just want to make sure that I I gave you a sense of why, you know, this this this uh person who many of you don't probably don't know is being recommended. So, um, unless there are any questions,
I'd like to move approval of, uh, the three appointments for re reappointments and appointments to, uh, the boards and commissions. All in favor, please indicate by saying I. Um, Michael, I will note that there are actually four reappointments.
Uh, we have uh, yeah, separate one for the housing advisory board. No, no, I'm referring to 15. Oh, I'm sorry. Okay. three committees. All right. Um all in favor please indicate by saying I. John Vanoyak I Paul Warren
I David Corman I. Michael Rubenstein I and chair votes I. Next question of appointing William Fan as a member of the housing advisory board in the tenant representative
category. Any questions about uh this appointment? Okay. Move of approval. All in favor, please indicate by saying I. John Benoyak, hi. David Paul Warren, hi. David Pearlman, I. Michael Rubenstein, hi. And Cherai, Mr. Chair, if I can also just point that
Mr. um Fagan stuck it out with us this whole meeting. Congratulations. Congrat. Um, thank you for sitting. I'd like to make a speech. Uh, thank you for sitting through this uh um
ordeal. Pardon me. Our deal, right? There should be some reward if you sit through the entire Yeah, I was going to say I wish I had a medal. That's something right the opportunity to make public comment. Oh, some something of higher value.
Okay. Uh that unless there is any uh public comment uh introduce yourself. Maybe I I should know you, but I'm an interested incess. Oh, okay. Okay.
City. I I was afraid that you were one of our newly hired department heads or something and I didn't recognize you. Okay. But you're still interested in doing business with Brookline after all this. Excellent. Okay.
Okay. So, that ends the meeting. Thank you everyone. Thank you.