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Heat. Heat.

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Good evening. It is Tuesday, September

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22nd. Welcome to our regular select

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board meeting. Our first agenda item is

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to uh have a question to move into

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executive session. I will go ahead and

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move that we go into executive session

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pursuant to Mass General Laws chapter

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30A section 21A6

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purpose six for the purpose of

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considering the purchase exchange lease

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or value of real property specifically

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26 Pleasant Street and for uh Mass

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General Law Chapter 38 21A6 purpose 6

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for the purpose of considering the

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purchase exchange lease or value of real

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property specifically the Coolage Corner

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Theater located at 280 290 Harvard

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Street. Bernard,

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>> yes.

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>> Michael,

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>> yes.

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>> Amanda,

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>> yes.

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>> Anthony,

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>> yes.

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>> And I also vote yes. And once we

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conclude executive session, we will come

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back into open session.

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» Recording stopped.

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Bang.

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Heat.

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Thank

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you.

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Hey.

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Hey.

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Heat. Heat.

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Yeah.

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Heat.

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Heat.

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up

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here.

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Good evening again. We are back from our

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executive session. In executive session,

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we took a vote regarding the lease

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agreement at the Koolage Corner Theater

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and we would like to take that vote

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again now in public session. So I move

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that we execute the modification to the

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Coolage Corner lease agreement.

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>> Bernard,

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>> yes.

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>> Michael,

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>> yes.

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>> Amanda,

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>> yes.

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>> Anthony,

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>> yes.

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>> And I also vote yes. I want to thank the

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uh Koolage Corner Theater for uh working

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with us toward this agreement. and we

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very much look forward to continuing to

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see uh documented the continuing

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community benefits that the Koolage

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Corner Theater provides.

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» I want to thank um as well from town

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council's office John Bukite who has

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been working on this process now for two

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years, three years. Um it's been a long

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time. So um thank you to the Koolage.

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Thank you as always to town council's

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office and John your work here. Um,

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we're very grateful uh have the Koolage

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as a community partner. I don't know if

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you want to say a few words or anything.

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>> That's okay with you.

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>> That's fine. Yes.

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>> Oh, we we have to have you have to come

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to the microphone for our best

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>> come up to the podium.

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Uh my name is Michael Maynard. I am a

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board member at the Koolage Corner

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Theater for many years as board chair as

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we went through the expansion with a

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enormous support and uh encouragement of

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the town. Um, and it's been uh a

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wonderful success for us and I think

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it's also been a wonderful success for

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our patrons. Our best year ever prior to

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COVID was about 250,000 people or almost

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250,000. Our first fully operational

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year um with the expansion open we uh

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were just shy of 300,000.

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So the it's it's a more userfriendly

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experience for our patrons. We have more

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screens. Uh we've been able to expand

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our programming. And I think perhaps

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from Brookline standpoint, hard dollars

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and cents, but also from a cultural and

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a community standpoint, we started the

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education program and we're at it now

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for just over two years. We have almost

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3,900 kids in in the program in total

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now. Uh and Brooklyn has almost 900 uh

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kids are participating in the program

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and that has been enormously successful

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uh and I think good for the community

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but it's been it's been great for us

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too. There's been a lot of hunger for

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education over the years but we didn't

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have the space or the screens and now we

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do. So, I just want to thank the um all

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of the departments in town and you folks

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uh for your support and we very much

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appreciate your affirmation

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of of the modification lease agreement.

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So, thank you again. Thank you.

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All right. So, with that we will move to

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our next item which is announcements and

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updates. Do any board members have

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announcements or updates to provide?

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>> Amanda,

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>> I have two if that's okay. Um, the first

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one was uh an announcement that Governor

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Moraley said at the beginning of the

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month that 278 million in state and

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federal financing will support the

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creation of more than 2500 homes in 20

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communities. The Brooklyn Housing

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Authorities 10 Walnut Street was one of

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the 29 projects awarded funded. Um 10

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Walnut Street is the first phase of the

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redevelopment of VHA's Walnut High

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Apartments. The project will demolish 32

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obsolete federal public housing

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apartments that were first constructed

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in 1961 and replace them with 96 units

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of family oriented affordable housing.

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You can read the full statement from the

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BHA, but this is great news for the town

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and our soon to be new neighbors. Um and

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then the second thing that I had to say

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was a followup to my vision zero

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questions from 3C last week. Uh if

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anyone else is curious in the steps that

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the town is taking uh on new municipal

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vehicles that we acquire. Um I was just

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going to read the answers I got to them.

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Um the first is that all replacement

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trucks in our fleet um come equipped

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with speed alert systems which sound an

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incab alarm when the vehicle se exceeds

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a preset threshold. These systems are

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standard on our replacement trucks. We

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do not currently utilize this feature,

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but we do rely on standalone GPS

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monitoring systems which cross reference

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a map speed limit database and alerts

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management to specific instances of

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excessive vehicle speed. Second one is

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on direct vision. The excavator is a

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high vision truck of our class 7 to8

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trucks. Only the trash trucks are

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considered high vision. Other class 78

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trucks are classified as low vision and

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for these we now specify extra convex

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mirrors to improve driver visibility.

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We've also added a lower window on the

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passenger side door to improve sight

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lines to the side of the vehicle. All

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vehicles are additionally equipped with

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standard safety devices including backup

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alarms and backup cameras. And the last

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piece is on lateral protective devices.

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Uh, our current specifications require

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that all vendors quoting on the Town of

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Brooklyn vehicles include lateral

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protective devices in their pricing. In

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addition, we have an ongoing capital

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improvement program to retrofit existing

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vehicles that do not currently have

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lateral protective devices installed.

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Right now, the majority of our fleet

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already meets the best practice

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standards for this installation. So, I

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thought that would be generally interesting to everyone here.

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Yes, thank you for sharing those items.

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Anyone else, Anthony?

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>> Um, I just want to point out that during

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our last town meeting, u we passed

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warrant article 17, under article 17,

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the town voted to amend its general

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bylaws to add a new article, uh, civil

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immigration enforcement activities on

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town property that prohibits the use of

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town facilities for federal civ civil

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immigration enforcement in the absence

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of a valid judicial warrant or court

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order authorizing such use. the attorney

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general uh approved that warrant article

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um earlier this week.

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>> Thank you. Anybody else? Chaz,

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>> couple of small announcements. Um one uh

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ex good news, bad news announcement.

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Good news. Um Brookline Day is this

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Sunday. Um it's 27th. Um we're very

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excited. It's in Koolage Corner. uh as

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it has been the last couple of years.

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Starting at 11:00 a.m. and going to 3M,

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there will be a huge number of um uh

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participants. All your town hall

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departments um our friends from across

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the town and the state and the county

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will be there. Um I will say, however,

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that we also have a potential uh wrinkle

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in this. This is the bad news, which is

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we have a fall nor easter scheduled to

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come through town uh this weekend. We do

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not yet have visibility from the weather

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service on the direct risks to Brooklyn

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day. We always say that Brooklyn day is

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rain or shine, but what we have we did

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not specify that Brooklyn day is gale

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force winds and shine, which is the um

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more dangerous um issue here. We really

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don't want to be in a situation where

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people's safety is in jeopardy outdoors.

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we will need to make a call on whether

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or not to um uh cancel Brookline Day and

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look into how we would reschedule in

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community events. Um but obviously we

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want to be cognizant of the community's

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um you of of the community safety first

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and foremost. So we will update the

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community on whether Brookline Day is

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proceeding on Thursday morning. Um so I

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know folks are always concerned, you

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know, when do you make a call? How when

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do you make a call to close school

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because of weather events? When do you

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make a call to call these things off?

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There are a number of things that go

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into that decision. So, I just want to

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let people know that the the pivot

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point, the the decision point for

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Brookline Day, the next available

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decision point is on Thursday. Although,

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at any point, if there are issues that

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involve the safety of the participants

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or of residents, um we can make that

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call um as as we get closer to the date.

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But more to come on this. Please keep

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Brookland Day on your calendars for now

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and in the event that we do need to move

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it um we will let you know and we'll

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make that announcement. One other uh two

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other small uh updates from the public

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health department that um the

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commissioner asked me to read. Um one is

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flu shot clinics. Um Brookline Public

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Health is offering both flu and

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highdosese flu vaccines at three

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community clinics. Um all residents six

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months and older may be vaccinated. Um,

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adults 65 and older are the ones

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eligible for that highdose vaccine. So,

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the clinics will be held at the Baker

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School on September 24th, Brookline High

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School on October 4th, and the Driscoll

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School on October 7th. We also have a

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program for folks who cannot leave their

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homes uh for the homebound flu program.

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Um, you may visit bricklinemma.gov

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flu clinics again.govlu

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nic

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01:19:43,520 --> 01:19:45,199
uh in order to have more information or

277
01:19:45,199 --> 01:19:46,960
to schedule an appointment. Please get

278
01:19:46,960 --> 01:19:49,840
your flu shots. Um it's going to be a

279
01:19:49,840 --> 01:19:51,520
rough flu season and we always want to

280
01:19:51,520 --> 01:19:54,159
be sure that you're safe. Um last, the

281
01:19:54,159 --> 01:19:56,000
community health equity survey uh for

282
01:19:56,000 --> 01:19:58,239
the state is now open uh for Brookline

283
01:19:58,239 --> 01:20:00,640
residents aed 12 and older. So the

284
01:20:00,640 --> 01:20:02,640
feedback that is received there helps

285
01:20:02,640 --> 01:20:04,480
Brooklyn then identify community needs,

286
01:20:04,480 --> 01:20:06,400
guide programs and services, and inform

287
01:20:06,400 --> 01:20:08,719
funding decisions for health and equity.

288
01:20:08,719 --> 01:20:11,120
So it's anonymous, takes it takes some

289
01:20:11,120 --> 01:20:12,800
time. It takes around 15 to 30 minutes.

290
01:20:12,800 --> 01:20:14,480
It's available in multiple languages,

291
01:20:14,480 --> 01:20:16,159
but it is really important. Uh the

292
01:20:16,159 --> 01:20:17,360
information that we get from this, it's

293
01:20:17,360 --> 01:20:20,159
a state-run survey, is used to try and

294
01:20:20,159 --> 01:20:22,640
figure out where our unmet needs are and

295
01:20:22,640 --> 01:20:24,239
how we can prioritize serving the

296
01:20:24,239 --> 01:20:26,239
community. So, please fill it out if you

297
01:20:26,239 --> 01:20:28,719
have the opportunity. Um and to

298
01:20:28,719 --> 01:20:31,199
participate, you go to mass.gov/halths

299
01:20:31,199 --> 01:20:33,199
survey, all one word. Thank you very

300
01:20:33,199 --> 01:20:35,840
much. Thank you.

301
01:20:35,840 --> 01:20:39,040
Anyone else?

302
01:20:39,040 --> 01:20:40,960
All right, then we will move to our next

303
01:20:40,960 --> 01:20:42,880
agenda item, which is public comments.

304
01:20:42,880 --> 01:20:45,280
Melanie, if you can go over the rules.

305
01:20:45,280 --> 01:20:46,880
Thank you for joining us for public

306
01:20:46,880 --> 01:20:49,040
comment. This is an opportunity for us

307
01:20:49,040 --> 01:20:50,800
to hear your perspective on the issues

308
01:20:50,800 --> 01:20:53,280
in Brooklyn that matter to you. Each

309
01:20:53,280 --> 01:20:55,199
person speaking tonight is limited to

310
01:20:55,199 --> 01:20:57,440
three minutes. You don't need to use the

311
01:20:57,440 --> 01:20:59,360
entire time, but you may if you like.

312
01:20:59,360 --> 01:21:01,679
Once 15 minutes has been met, there's an

313
01:21:01,679 --> 01:21:03,199
opportunity at the conclusion of the

314
01:21:03,199 --> 01:21:04,880
select board's business for additional

315
01:21:04,880 --> 01:21:07,120
comments. Members of the public

316
01:21:07,120 --> 01:21:09,040
sometimes raise questions during public

317
01:21:09,040 --> 01:21:11,280
comment. We may be able to provide a

318
01:21:11,280 --> 01:21:12,960
quick answer to a question, but are more

319
01:21:12,960 --> 01:21:14,560
likely to work with staff to get a more

320
01:21:14,560 --> 01:21:17,199
thorough answer and respond over email.

321
01:21:17,199 --> 01:21:19,120
The on-screen timer will flash orange

322
01:21:19,120 --> 01:21:21,120
when you have 60 seconds remaining and

323
01:21:21,120 --> 01:21:23,440
red when your time is nearly up. Please

324
01:21:23,440 --> 01:21:25,600
conclude your remarks at that time. If

325
01:21:25,600 --> 01:21:27,280
you have more to say, you are welcome to

326
01:21:27,280 --> 01:21:28,719
send an email to board members

327
01:21:28,719 --> 01:21:30,080
expressing your thoughts in greater

328
01:21:30,080 --> 01:21:33,280
detail. Any person wishing to speak must

329
01:21:33,280 --> 01:21:34,960
begin their comment by identifying

330
01:21:34,960 --> 01:21:37,120
themselves with their full name, either

331
01:21:37,120 --> 01:21:39,040
their Brooklyn precinct number or street

332
01:21:39,040 --> 01:21:41,360
address, and the specific topic on which

333
01:21:41,360 --> 01:21:43,679
they wish to speak. The board encourages

334
01:21:43,679 --> 01:21:45,760
but does not require that remote users

335
01:21:45,760 --> 01:21:50,149
turn their video on when commenting.

336
01:21:50,159 --> 01:21:51,760
» So, do we have any members who have

337
01:21:51,760 --> 01:21:52,320
signed up?

338
01:21:52,320 --> 01:21:54,239
>> Yes, Ann Lusk is first.

339
01:21:54,239 --> 01:21:59,189
>> All right, go right ahead.

340
01:21:59,199 --> 01:22:00,880
I see you have handouts for us as

341
01:22:00,880 --> 01:22:37,270
always. Thank you.

342
01:22:37,280 --> 01:22:39,360
tell me when. Ready.

343
01:22:39,360 --> 01:22:40,080
>> Okay.

344
01:22:40,080 --> 01:22:42,639
>> And lust precinct five. The Brookline

345
01:22:42,639 --> 01:22:43,920
Building Department Planning Board

346
01:22:43,920 --> 01:22:45,600
Zoning Board of Appeals did not follow

347
01:22:45,600 --> 01:22:47,440
or enforce its zoning bylaws concerning

348
01:22:47,440 --> 01:22:49,360
installation of heat pumps at 16 Hart

349
01:22:49,360 --> 01:22:51,360
Street. The town administrator and the

350
01:22:51,360 --> 01:22:53,040
select board members are bosses of the

351
01:22:53,040 --> 01:22:54,480
individuals in the planning and building

352
01:22:54,480 --> 01:22:56,320
departments and these departments should

353
01:22:56,320 --> 01:22:58,080
follow and enforce the zoning bylaws

354
01:22:58,080 --> 01:23:00,320
that Brookline residents have written to

355
01:23:00,320 --> 01:23:03,199
ensure quality of life in Brooklyn. Mike

356
01:23:03,199 --> 01:23:05,199
and Clare Wolf, owners of 16 Hart Street

357
01:23:05,199 --> 01:23:06,719
did not include drawings of their two

358
01:23:06,719 --> 01:23:08,639
heat pumps in their all electric house

359
01:23:08,639 --> 01:23:10,639
additions plans. The building

360
01:23:10,639 --> 01:23:11,600
department, planning department,

361
01:23:11,600 --> 01:23:12,800
planning board, and the zoning board of

362
01:23:12,800 --> 01:23:14,960
appeals did not tell them they needed to

363
01:23:14,960 --> 01:23:16,800
include drawings of their heat pumps.

364
01:23:16,800 --> 01:23:18,560
Mike and Claire did have a drawing of a

365
01:23:18,560 --> 01:23:20,639
storage porch under the upstairs bedroom

366
01:23:20,639 --> 01:23:22,000
that has the same floor as the

367
01:23:22,000 --> 01:23:24,080
all-season porch. When Mike and Clare

368
01:23:24,080 --> 01:23:25,040
presented to the zoning board of

369
01:23:25,040 --> 01:23:26,719
appeals, I even asked if they would

370
01:23:26,719 --> 01:23:28,400
install a solid wall in the opening of

371
01:23:28,400 --> 01:23:30,480
their storage porch beside me. Mike and

372
01:23:30,480 --> 01:23:32,239
Clare had the opportunity and did not

373
01:23:32,239 --> 01:23:33,920
reveal that they needed their not yet

374
01:23:33,920 --> 01:23:35,679
installed heat pumps to breathe. They

375
01:23:35,679 --> 01:23:37,360
received five special permits for their

376
01:23:37,360 --> 01:23:39,360
addition. After their addition was

377
01:23:39,360 --> 01:23:41,520
built, Mike and Clare put a stacked

378
01:23:41,520 --> 01:23:43,280
two-can heat pump inside their storage

379
01:23:43,280 --> 01:23:45,760
porch. The sound was extremely loud in

380
01:23:45,760 --> 01:23:47,840
my front walkway, my back front, my

381
01:23:47,840 --> 01:23:49,440
front door, and inside my house. Even in

382
01:23:49,440 --> 01:23:51,360
the winter, I went to the town each week

383
01:23:51,360 --> 01:23:53,679
and wrote countless emails. Because

384
01:23:53,679 --> 01:23:55,520
their two stacked fans were less than

385
01:23:55,520 --> 01:23:57,280
two feet from the property line, the

386
01:23:57,280 --> 01:23:59,120
town suggested they put their two heat

387
01:23:59,120 --> 01:24:00,719
pumps in the backyard away from me.

388
01:24:00,719 --> 01:24:02,560
Instead, Mike and Clare put two separate

389
01:24:02,560 --> 01:24:04,400
heat pumps back inside their storage

390
01:24:04,400 --> 01:24:06,400
ports with the two fans facing me. I

391
01:24:06,400 --> 01:24:09,280
live 5 feet away. Zoning bylaw specified

392
01:24:09,280 --> 01:24:11,360
that heat pumps are to be in the side or

393
01:24:11,360 --> 01:24:14,000
rear yard and ground mounted. The new

394
01:24:14,000 --> 01:24:16,159
bylaw allows heat pumps by right to be

395
01:24:16,159 --> 01:24:17,920
two feet from the property line and yet

396
01:24:17,920 --> 01:24:19,280
Mike and Clair's plans were part of the

397
01:24:19,280 --> 01:24:21,920
permitting process. On August 31st,

398
01:24:21,920 --> 01:24:24,960
2026, I sent Polyelco an email.

399
01:24:24,960 --> 01:24:26,320
Therefore, because you reviewed Mike

400
01:24:26,320 --> 01:24:28,560
Sinclair's house, their house was not a

401
01:24:28,560 --> 01:24:30,320
built by right. Dan Bennett said they

402
01:24:30,320 --> 01:24:31,600
could put their heat pumps in whatever

403
01:24:31,600 --> 01:24:33,600
location they wanted by right. You

404
01:24:33,600 --> 01:24:35,040
cannot have a house addition that is not

405
01:24:35,040 --> 01:24:36,719
built by right and install the heat pump

406
01:24:36,719 --> 01:24:38,880
within the addition by right. The house

407
01:24:38,880 --> 01:24:40,639
is either built by right or not built by

408
01:24:40,639 --> 01:24:43,679
right. Polyelco wrote correct. Zoning

409
01:24:43,679 --> 01:24:45,280
bylaws also specified that heat pumps

410
01:24:45,280 --> 01:24:47,199
are to pass a decibel level test. Mike

411
01:24:47,199 --> 01:24:48,639
and Clare had a decibel level test

412
01:24:48,639 --> 01:24:50,560
conducted but that I pointed out to the

413
01:24:50,560 --> 01:24:52,159
planning and building department staff.

414
01:24:52,159 --> 01:24:53,840
This test was conducted by the

415
01:24:53,840 --> 01:24:56,320
contractor's young apprentice carpenter

416
01:24:56,320 --> 01:24:59,600
who presumably took a course from COAC.

417
01:24:59,600 --> 01:25:01,840
I called CHOHC and learned their course

418
01:25:01,840 --> 01:25:04,320
was for industry. They did not teach how

419
01:25:04,320 --> 01:25:06,719
to conduct a decibel test for house. The

420
01:25:06,719 --> 01:25:08,320
town approved my coninclair certificate

421
01:25:08,320 --> 01:25:10,480
of occupancy based on a decibel level

422
01:25:10,480 --> 01:25:11,920
test that did not include proper

423
01:25:11,920 --> 01:25:13,440
measurements including where the

424
01:25:13,440 --> 01:25:15,760
measurements were taken. All heat pumps

425
01:25:15,760 --> 01:25:18,639
also get allowed with age. I contacted a

426
01:25:18,639 --> 01:25:20,800
lawyer and as a start I would have to

427
01:25:20,800 --> 01:25:23,760
spend 2,500 to litigate the issue. I

428
01:25:23,760 --> 01:25:25,120
should not have to spend money or listen

429
01:25:25,120 --> 01:25:26,719
to their heat pumps when the town did

430
01:25:26,719 --> 01:25:28,719
not follow zoning bylaws. Mike and

431
01:25:28,719 --> 01:25:30,320
Claire should be put projected to put

432
01:25:30,320 --> 01:25:31,920
their two heat pumps near their own

433
01:25:31,920 --> 01:25:33,360
walkway in front of their windows in

434
01:25:33,360 --> 01:25:35,120
their back of their back room. Heat

435
01:25:35,120 --> 01:25:36,560
pumps in this location are farther from

436
01:25:36,560 --> 01:25:39,360
the abutter of 14 up street than on my

437
01:25:39,360 --> 01:25:42,239
side if the floor area ratio allows. My

438
01:25:42,239 --> 01:25:43,280
>> your time is up.

439
01:25:43,280 --> 01:25:46,790
>> Thank you.

440
01:25:46,800 --> 01:25:50,320
Right. Who is our next speaker?

441
01:25:50,320 --> 01:25:52,159
>> Nobody signed up prior.

442
01:25:52,159 --> 01:25:54,080
>> Anyone else in the room like to be heard

443
01:25:54,080 --> 01:25:57,040
now?

444
01:25:57,040 --> 01:25:59,199
Anyone online?

445
01:25:59,199 --> 01:26:00,880
>> You can use the hand raise feature on

446
01:26:00,880 --> 01:26:05,990
Zoom if you'd like to be heard.

447
01:26:06,000 --> 01:26:07,840
» Seeing none, in that case, we will move

448
01:26:07,840 --> 01:26:09,520
to our next agenda item, which is

449
01:26:09,520 --> 01:26:12,400
miscellaneous.

450
01:26:12,400 --> 01:26:14,719
Are there any particular miscellaneous

451
01:26:14,719 --> 01:26:17,760
items that members would like to discuss

452
01:26:17,760 --> 01:26:18,639
first? Anthony,

453
01:26:18,639 --> 01:26:21,520
>> I have 7J and 7K. Two quick questions

454
01:26:21,520 --> 01:26:24,400
for 7J. The question of approving an

455
01:26:24,400 --> 01:26:25,920
authorization to hire request for town

456
01:26:25,920 --> 01:26:27,840
council. Associate Town Council. Is this

457
01:26:27,840 --> 01:26:29,280
a backfill or the creation of a new

458
01:26:29,280 --> 01:26:29,520
position?

459
01:26:29,520 --> 01:26:31,520
>> Uh, it's a back, it's a backfill. Um,

460
01:26:31,520 --> 01:26:33,280
uh, one of our associate town councils

461
01:26:33,280 --> 01:26:34,880
is unfortunately departing for a

462
01:26:34,880 --> 01:26:36,159
position with the state. We wish you the

463
01:26:36,159 --> 01:26:37,840
best. Uh, but we need to hire a new, uh,

464
01:26:37,840 --> 01:26:38,400
attorney.

465
01:26:38,400 --> 01:26:41,360
>> Okay. And then 7K, uh, Porchfest. I'm

466
01:26:41,360 --> 01:26:43,440
assuming that also might get cancelled

467
01:26:43,440 --> 01:26:44,560
>> potentially. Yes. Thank you.

468
01:26:44,560 --> 01:26:45,920
>> Very sad.

469
01:26:45,920 --> 01:26:49,120
>> And, uh, what would be the timing around

470
01:26:49,120 --> 01:26:50,880
when a postponement would be announced?

471
01:26:50,880 --> 01:26:52,239
>> Same time on Thursday.

472
01:26:52,239 --> 01:26:54,800
>> Okay.

473
01:26:54,800 --> 01:26:55,840
Amanda,

474
01:26:55,840 --> 01:26:58,480
>> I have a question about 7B. Um, I can

475
01:26:58,480 --> 01:26:59,360
ask now or

476
01:26:59,360 --> 01:27:01,120
>> go ahead 7B.

477
01:27:01,120 --> 01:27:03,679
>> Um, High Street is on the Vision Zero

478
01:27:03,679 --> 01:27:05,280
high priority network and so I'm

479
01:27:05,280 --> 01:27:07,920
wondering if we have any Vision Zero

480
01:27:07,920 --> 01:27:10,000
improvements planned in the course of

481
01:27:10,000 --> 01:27:12,719
repaving.

482
01:27:12,719 --> 01:27:15,679
>> I will follow up with DPW on that. I

483
01:27:15,679 --> 01:27:17,520
believe the answer is yes, but I will

484
01:27:17,520 --> 01:27:19,520
double I want to be positive that I have

485
01:27:19,520 --> 01:27:22,719
the um the exact improvements that are

486
01:27:22,719 --> 01:27:24,560
being made there. Dan Murphy's online.

487
01:27:24,560 --> 01:27:26,719
>> Oh, Dan is online. Yes, there we go.

488
01:27:26,719 --> 01:27:28,960
>> Dan, if you could answer. Thank you.

489
01:27:28,960 --> 01:27:31,920
>> Yes, I can. Uh, yeah, we high street uh

490
01:27:31,920 --> 01:27:34,159
the we're basically planning to do 10

491
01:27:34,159 --> 01:27:37,360
and a half foot lanes and use whatever

492
01:27:37,360 --> 01:27:39,440
remains for the shoulders divided

493
01:27:39,440 --> 01:27:41,920
equally on the sides. And there are two

494
01:27:41,920 --> 01:27:44,239
uh rapid rectangular flashing beacons

495
01:27:44,239 --> 01:27:46,719
planned as well.

496
01:27:46,719 --> 01:27:49,199
>> So, they don't currently exist where the

497
01:27:49,199 --> 01:27:52,000
rapid flashing beacons are being added.

498
01:27:52,000 --> 01:27:54,960
>> That's right. Okay.

499
01:27:54,960 --> 01:27:57,840
>> All right. I have Bernard. Go ahead.

500
01:27:57,840 --> 01:28:00,320
>> Let people know that I made some edits

501
01:28:00,320 --> 01:28:03,600
to the minutes. Uh first was changing

502
01:28:03,600 --> 01:28:05,679
long-term strategic direction to

503
01:28:05,679 --> 01:28:08,159
medium-term. Is that correct?

504
01:28:08,159 --> 01:28:09,920
>> I always thought that roadmap was

505
01:28:09,920 --> 01:28:10,320
medium.

506
01:28:10,320 --> 01:28:11,120
>> Yes, that's correct.

507
01:28:11,120 --> 01:28:13,440
>> Okay. The other thing is uh I think it's

508
01:28:13,440 --> 01:28:17,199
important to add um the uh goal of

509
01:28:17,199 --> 01:28:18,880
increasing the racial and economic

510
01:28:18,880 --> 01:28:21,360
diversity of Brookline households which

511
01:28:21,360 --> 01:28:23,920
was goal five in our road map.

512
01:28:23,920 --> 01:28:24,239
>> Yeah.

513
01:28:24,239 --> 01:28:25,760
>> And you know I think this summary should

514
01:28:25,760 --> 01:28:26,400
include that.

515
01:28:26,400 --> 01:28:28,560
>> Absolutely.

516
01:28:28,560 --> 01:28:30,560
>> Anyone else?

517
01:28:30,560 --> 01:28:32,400
>> All right. So why don't we vote 7A

518
01:28:32,400 --> 01:28:34,880
separately? So I move that we approve

519
01:28:34,880 --> 01:28:37,199
the meeting minutes from September 15th

520
01:28:37,199 --> 01:28:39,920
subjects to the revisions provided by

521
01:28:39,920 --> 01:28:42,560
Michael, Amanda, and Bernard.

522
01:28:42,560 --> 01:28:43,360
>> Yes.

523
01:28:43,360 --> 01:28:43,920
>> Michael,

524
01:28:43,920 --> 01:28:44,480
>> yes.

525
01:28:44,480 --> 01:28:45,199
>> Amanda,

526
01:28:45,199 --> 01:28:45,600
>> yes.

527
01:28:45,600 --> 01:28:46,159
>> Anthony,

528
01:28:46,159 --> 01:28:46,560
>> yes.

529
01:28:46,560 --> 01:28:49,920
>> And I also vote yes. And then I move

530
01:28:49,920 --> 01:28:55,120
that we approve items 7B through 7M in

531
01:28:55,120 --> 01:28:56,639
omnibus fashion.

532
01:28:56,639 --> 01:28:57,360
>> Bernard,

533
01:28:57,360 --> 01:28:57,920
>> yes.

534
01:28:57,920 --> 01:28:58,560
>> Michael,

535
01:28:58,560 --> 01:28:58,960
>> yes.

536
01:28:58,960 --> 01:28:59,679
>> Amanda,

537
01:28:59,679 --> 01:29:00,159
>> yes.

538
01:29:00,159 --> 01:29:00,719
>> Anthony,

539
01:29:00,719 --> 01:29:05,360
>> yes. and I also vote yes. So with that

540
01:29:05,360 --> 01:29:08,400
we move to boards and commissions

541
01:29:08,400 --> 01:29:13,430
interviews.

542
01:29:13,440 --> 01:29:17,120
First we have Brooklyn commission for

543
01:29:17,120 --> 01:29:20,080
the arts. There are three vacancies

544
01:29:20,080 --> 01:29:23,840
and we have Jin man by

545
01:29:23,840 --> 01:29:25,920
>> online.

546
01:29:25,920 --> 01:29:27,679
>> All right Jin man whenever you are

547
01:29:27,679 --> 01:29:30,159
ready.

548
01:29:30,159 --> 01:29:31,199
Hello.

549
01:29:31,199 --> 01:29:32,719
>> Yes, I'm here.

550
01:29:32,719 --> 01:29:33,920
>> All right. So, if you'd like to

551
01:29:33,920 --> 01:29:37,120
introduce yourself, tell us about why

552
01:29:37,120 --> 01:29:39,360
you decided to apply for Commission for

553
01:29:39,360 --> 01:29:41,600
the Arts and what it is about your

554
01:29:41,600 --> 01:29:43,760
experience or interest that makes you

555
01:29:43,760 --> 01:29:45,360
believe you would be a good fit for this

556
01:29:45,360 --> 01:29:47,280
commission.

557
01:29:47,280 --> 01:29:49,760
>> Sure. Yeah. So, my name is Jin Man Bay.

558
01:29:49,760 --> 01:29:53,920
I'm a designer by trade. I've been in

559
01:29:53,920 --> 01:29:57,440
the Boston area uh as a resident uh

560
01:29:57,440 --> 01:30:00,960
since 2008. and I've been a Brooklyn

561
01:30:00,960 --> 01:30:03,199
resident for I'm on my fifth year as a

562
01:30:03,199 --> 01:30:07,280
Brooklyn resident. And um yeah, I'm

563
01:30:07,280 --> 01:30:11,440
looking to a just kind of exercise uh

564
01:30:11,440 --> 01:30:13,280
being a good citizen and give back to

565
01:30:13,280 --> 01:30:16,080
the community that I live in. And I sort

566
01:30:16,080 --> 01:30:18,480
of have a personal hobby interest in the

567
01:30:18,480 --> 01:30:20,719
sort of beautifification and design of

568
01:30:20,719 --> 01:30:27,920
cities. I think I I believe that um the quality and the beauty of spaces

569
01:30:27,920 --> 01:30:30,159
um has a high correlation with you know

570
01:30:30,159 --> 01:30:32,800
yielding good results for the soul of

571
01:30:32,800 --> 01:30:34,400
the people and the good of the town. And

572
01:30:34,400 --> 01:30:39,440
so um yeah I think I am again being a

573
01:30:39,440 --> 01:30:41,280
designer by trade. So I I started out my

574
01:30:41,280 --> 01:30:45,679
career in graphic design um and branding

575
01:30:45,679 --> 01:30:47,679
and moved into sort of user experience

576
01:30:47,679 --> 01:30:49,840
and product design. And so I I come from

577
01:30:49,840 --> 01:30:52,239
a wide sort of variety of artistic

578
01:30:52,239 --> 01:30:56,480
experiences and I'm excited to be become

579
01:30:56,480 --> 01:30:58,400
um a part of this group.

580
01:30:58,400 --> 01:31:00,800
>> All right. Thank you. A question I have

581
01:31:00,800 --> 01:31:03,920
for you. I see in your application that

582
01:31:03,920 --> 01:31:07,440
you are a fan of architect Theaster

583
01:31:07,440 --> 01:31:09,040
Gates and I'm wondering if you could

584
01:31:09,040 --> 01:31:12,000
talk a little bit more about uh what it

585
01:31:12,000 --> 01:31:15,840
is regarding Gates's uh architecture

586
01:31:15,840 --> 01:31:18,960
that you would maybe want to bring with

587
01:31:18,960 --> 01:31:22,400
you to the Commission of Arts.

588
01:31:22,400 --> 01:31:24,880
Yeah, I I think he so we used to live in

589
01:31:24,880 --> 01:31:28,320
Chicago uh which is where he lives and

590
01:31:28,320 --> 01:31:32,239
his whole thing is that he he buys up uh

591
01:31:32,239 --> 01:31:34,560
abandoned buildings in the south side of

592
01:31:34,560 --> 01:31:36,400
Chicago and he will redesign and

593
01:31:36,400 --> 01:31:38,800
renovate them into community spaces. And

594
01:31:38,800 --> 01:31:41,920
so I think for him it's um he has a

595
01:31:41,920 --> 01:31:43,360
quote that says that beauty has the

596
01:31:43,360 --> 01:31:45,120
right to live anywhere. And so it's more

597
01:31:45,120 --> 01:31:47,120
his philosophy

598
01:31:47,120 --> 01:31:50,000
uh and his will to use his artistic

599
01:31:50,000 --> 01:31:53,440
talents um to better the community.

600
01:31:53,440 --> 01:31:56,159
Um and so I I think it's just the the

601
01:31:56,159 --> 01:31:58,080
intent with which he designs, which is

602
01:31:58,080 --> 01:32:01,120
just to make every space better and more

603
01:32:01,120 --> 01:32:03,760
usable for people. Um not just

604
01:32:03,760 --> 01:32:06,080
aesthetically, but just for for the will

605
01:32:06,080 --> 01:32:07,760
and the good of the people. And so, uh,

606
01:32:07,760 --> 01:32:09,679
I've just always been a fan of his

607
01:32:09,679 --> 01:32:11,280
philosophy and his approach to design

608
01:32:11,280 --> 01:32:13,679
and something that I'm hoping to pursue

609
01:32:13,679 --> 01:32:16,239
hopefully in my career as well.

610
01:32:16,239 --> 01:32:17,679
>> Right. Anyone else have questions?

611
01:32:17,679 --> 01:32:19,040
Michael,

612
01:32:19,040 --> 01:32:21,520
>> uh, thank you very much for your

613
01:32:21,520 --> 01:32:25,520
application. Uh, I'm interested to know

614
01:32:25,520 --> 01:32:28,400
uh, just in the cont first of all, one

615
01:32:28,400 --> 01:32:31,440
question. Have you uh, participated or

616
01:32:31,440 --> 01:32:34,080
uh, looked uh, sat in on meetings of the

617
01:32:34,080 --> 01:32:37,199
Brooklyn Commission for the Arts?

618
01:32:37,199 --> 01:32:39,280
uh to date. No, I have not sat in on an

619
01:32:39,280 --> 01:32:41,920
actual meeting uh for the for that

620
01:32:41,920 --> 01:32:42,800
commission.

621
01:32:42,800 --> 01:32:45,920
>> Thank you. Um and my second question is

622
01:32:45,920 --> 01:32:48,320
um following up on David's question

623
01:32:48,320 --> 01:32:51,760
about um and your answer about

624
01:32:51,760 --> 01:32:54,320
reutilizing different spaces. Um are

625
01:32:54,320 --> 01:32:57,360
there spaces um that you see within the

626
01:32:57,360 --> 01:33:00,400
town of Brookline that would be ripe for

627
01:33:00,400 --> 01:33:02,480
this kind of treatment or

628
01:33:02,480 --> 01:33:04,880
transformation?

629
01:33:04,880 --> 01:33:08,320
Um I you know Koolage Corner I think has

630
01:33:08,320 --> 01:33:10,880
always been so I I look at Koolage

631
01:33:10,880 --> 01:33:12,400
Corner as a great sort of inspiration

632
01:33:12,400 --> 01:33:14,159
just because they do a lot of events

633
01:33:14,159 --> 01:33:15,920
where they block off the streets like

634
01:33:15,920 --> 01:33:19,199
Brooklyn Day and make it a more walkable

635
01:33:19,199 --> 01:33:22,320
place. I think uh I'm a big nerd about

636
01:33:22,320 --> 01:33:24,560
this kind of stuff. So I I read a lot of

637
01:33:24,560 --> 01:33:27,199
books about why old European cities are

638
01:33:27,199 --> 01:33:30,800
so beautiful um universally considered

639
01:33:30,800 --> 01:33:32,800
beautiful and and it's about making them

640
01:33:32,800 --> 01:33:37,280
more human scaled and walkable um and so

641
01:33:37,280 --> 01:33:40,960
more opportunities to sort of uh create

642
01:33:40,960 --> 01:33:43,840
uh the sort of walkable spaces I think

643
01:33:43,840 --> 01:33:46,320
throughout um and and less sort of car

644
01:33:46,320 --> 01:33:48,560
centric I think is always better for the

645
01:33:48,560 --> 01:33:51,040
town and so um that's the sort of thing

646
01:33:51,040 --> 01:33:53,600
that I would hope to happen more and

647
01:33:53,600 --> 01:33:54,800
more.

648
01:33:54,800 --> 01:33:56,480
>> Thank you.

649
01:33:56,480 --> 01:33:58,639
>> Anyone else?

650
01:33:58,639 --> 01:33:59,840
All right. Well, thank you very much for

651
01:33:59,840 --> 01:34:02,480
your interview. We don't typically uh

652
01:34:02,480 --> 01:34:04,880
vote the same day of an interview. Uh

653
01:34:04,880 --> 01:34:06,639
but you will hear back from us when we

654
01:34:06,639 --> 01:34:08,960
do make our selections.

655
01:34:08,960 --> 01:34:11,280
>> Thank you so much.

656
01:34:11,280 --> 01:34:13,600
>> All right. Next, we will move to

657
01:34:13,600 --> 01:34:15,920
interviews of candidates for

658
01:34:15,920 --> 01:34:18,080
transportation board. And

659
01:34:18,080 --> 01:34:20,159
>> let me clarify one thing. So there are

660
01:34:20,159 --> 01:34:21,760
still three more openings for the

661
01:34:21,760 --> 01:34:23,600
Commission on Arts even after the number

662
01:34:23,600 --> 01:34:26,159
that we nominated like a month ago.

663
01:34:26,159 --> 01:34:27,040
>> Yes.

664
01:34:27,040 --> 01:34:28,239
>> Okay.

665
01:34:28,239 --> 01:34:30,320
>> How many people are in this commission?

666
01:34:30,320 --> 01:34:31,760
Give me one second. I'll give you that

667
01:34:31,760 --> 01:34:33,120
information.

668
01:34:33,120 --> 01:34:35,600
>> Just wanted to understand the scale of

669
01:34:35,600 --> 01:34:52,229
what we need to fill.

670
01:34:52,239 --> 01:34:54,800
10 members

671
01:34:54,800 --> 01:34:57,840
>> and there are three vacancies.

672
01:34:57,840 --> 01:34:59,280
>> All right. So now we will move to

673
01:34:59,280 --> 01:35:01,120
interviews of transportation board and

674
01:35:01,120 --> 01:35:03,280
our first candidate to be interviewed is

675
01:35:03,280 --> 01:35:13,750
Greg Wheeler.

676
01:35:13,760 --> 01:35:14,639
Good evening.

677
01:35:14,639 --> 01:35:17,280
>> Good evening. So, as I said to the uh

678
01:35:17,280 --> 01:35:19,120
candidate for Commission of the Arts, if

679
01:35:19,120 --> 01:35:20,880
you can tell us a bit about yourself,

680
01:35:20,880 --> 01:35:23,199
your background, your interests, and

681
01:35:23,199 --> 01:35:25,520
what makes you feel you would be a good

682
01:35:25,520 --> 01:35:27,040
fit for transportation board.

683
01:35:27,040 --> 01:35:28,719
>> Absolutely. Um so, good evening

684
01:35:28,719 --> 01:35:31,199
everyone. Uh my name is Greg Wheeler. I

685
01:35:31,199 --> 01:35:32,719
live on Kent Street with my wife

686
01:35:32,719 --> 01:35:34,880
Charlotte and our two year two two and a

687
01:35:34,880 --> 01:35:37,040
half yearear-old daughter Ella. Uh I am

688
01:35:37,040 --> 01:35:39,040
a town meeting member in precinct 3 and

689
01:35:39,040 --> 01:35:40,719
I want to thank you all for uh giving me

690
01:35:40,719 --> 01:35:42,080
the opportunity to interview here

691
01:35:42,080 --> 01:35:45,600
tonight. Um I'm a very firm believer

692
01:35:45,600 --> 01:35:47,600
that our transportation network can

693
01:35:47,600 --> 01:35:50,239
empower people to live and move about

694
01:35:50,239 --> 01:35:52,960
town uh safely, affordably, and

695
01:35:52,960 --> 01:35:55,120
sustainably. And I think that my

696
01:35:55,120 --> 01:35:56,880
experience can uh help the

697
01:35:56,880 --> 01:35:58,480
transportation board in the town

698
01:35:58,480 --> 01:36:00,560
continue advancing in these um these

699
01:36:00,560 --> 01:36:03,520
really critical objectives. Excuse me.

700
01:36:03,520 --> 01:36:05,600
Uh my most uh relevant professional

701
01:36:05,600 --> 01:36:07,440
experience comes from my time working at

702
01:36:07,440 --> 01:36:10,320
the MBTA where I was a senior director

703
01:36:10,320 --> 01:36:12,320
on the green line transformation team.

704
01:36:12,320 --> 01:36:13,920
Uh you might be familiar with their work

705
01:36:13,920 --> 01:36:16,560
as a number of my former colleagues uh

706
01:36:16,560 --> 01:36:18,239
are leading the accessibility

707
01:36:18,239 --> 01:36:19,920
improvements on the C branch this summer

708
01:36:19,920 --> 01:36:23,360
and into the fall. Um I joined the TE at

709
01:36:23,360 --> 01:36:25,199
a particularly difficult time for the

710
01:36:25,199 --> 01:36:28,239
organization. It was uh at the time when

711
01:36:28,239 --> 01:36:29,920
the agency was just beginning to

712
01:36:29,920 --> 01:36:32,320
identify and try to respond to decades

713
01:36:32,320 --> 01:36:35,120
worth of deferred maintenance while also

714
01:36:35,120 --> 01:36:38,560
trying to advance um really critical

715
01:36:38,560 --> 01:36:40,400
longer term capital projects. And I

716
01:36:40,400 --> 01:36:41,840
think that parallels to some degree with

717
01:36:41,840 --> 01:36:43,920
what Brookline is looking to do with its

718
01:36:43,920 --> 01:36:46,159
transportation network. Um my time at

719
01:36:46,159 --> 01:36:47,840
the T gave me a great deal of experience

720
01:36:47,840 --> 01:36:49,840
orchestrating large construction

721
01:36:49,840 --> 01:36:52,560
projects under what I would call

722
01:36:52,560 --> 01:36:55,600
moderate degree of public scrutiny. Um,

723
01:36:55,600 --> 01:36:57,760
and um, I think that would, you know,

724
01:36:57,760 --> 01:36:59,520
help serve the transportation board and

725
01:36:59,520 --> 01:37:01,679
I would love to contribute. Um, in what

726
01:37:01,679 --> 01:37:04,960
little spare time I do have, I produce

727
01:37:04,960 --> 01:37:06,880
um, datadriven stories on housing and

728
01:37:06,880 --> 01:37:09,199
transportation. Uh, my most recent story

729
01:37:09,199 --> 01:37:12,000
was on a deep dive in the Vision Zero

730
01:37:12,000 --> 01:37:13,600
efforts in Somerville, Cambridge, and

731
01:37:13,600 --> 01:37:15,360
Boston. Um, because I was interested to

732
01:37:15,360 --> 01:37:17,440
see what Brooklyn could learn from those

733
01:37:17,440 --> 01:37:19,679
communities. Um, I have a couple of

734
01:37:19,679 --> 01:37:21,040
charts from that report. I don't want to

735
01:37:21,040 --> 01:37:22,560
give you any extra reading any more than

736
01:37:22,560 --> 01:37:24,000
you already have. Um, but if you're

737
01:37:24,000 --> 01:37:25,600
interested, I have a couple handouts for

738
01:37:25,600 --> 01:37:28,080
you. Um, happy to take questions. Thank

739
01:37:28,080 --> 01:37:28,639
you.

740
01:37:28,639 --> 01:37:30,800
>> All right. Who would like to go first?

741
01:37:30,800 --> 01:37:32,320
Amanda.

742
01:37:32,320 --> 01:37:34,400
>> Yeah. Um,

743
01:37:34,400 --> 01:37:36,480
can you outline the number of ways that

744
01:37:36,480 --> 01:37:39,440
you, uh, typically transverse the town,

745
01:37:39,440 --> 01:37:41,360
either through it or around it on a

746
01:37:41,360 --> 01:37:43,040
regular basis, and how might that

747
01:37:43,040 --> 01:37:44,639
influence the perspectives you might

748
01:37:44,639 --> 01:37:46,080
bring to the T-board?

749
01:37:46,080 --> 01:37:47,840
>> No, that's a good question. I I think

750
01:37:47,840 --> 01:37:50,000
um, having a broad perspective of the

751
01:37:50,000 --> 01:37:51,280
different modes of transportation is

752
01:37:51,280 --> 01:37:54,000
really critical. Um, I would say I use

753
01:37:54,000 --> 01:37:57,280
as many modes as I as I can. I My family

754
01:37:57,280 --> 01:37:59,840
own a car, so we do periodically drive.

755
01:37:59,840 --> 01:38:01,920
Um, I have a cargo bike and I ride with

756
01:38:01,920 --> 01:38:03,520
my two-year-old daughter to daycare and

757
01:38:03,520 --> 01:38:06,159
to the grocery store. Um, I walk and run

758
01:38:06,159 --> 01:38:08,880
around town. Um, I've tried to get to

759
01:38:08,880 --> 01:38:10,800
every corner of the town by foot or

760
01:38:10,800 --> 01:38:13,119
bike. Um, because I think um, being out

761
01:38:13,119 --> 01:38:15,119
in the open and in the town gives you a

762
01:38:15,119 --> 01:38:17,119
different perspective as well. Um, and

763
01:38:17,119 --> 01:38:19,199
as a parent of a toddler, taking our

764
01:38:19,199 --> 01:38:22,400
stroller uh on our sidewalks has been an

765
01:38:22,400 --> 01:38:24,639
illuminating experience for me as well.

766
01:38:24,639 --> 01:38:27,600
Um, obviously I take the tea. Um, having

767
01:38:27,600 --> 01:38:30,560
worked for them as well. So, I think um

768
01:38:30,560 --> 01:38:32,239
I have a a pretty broad perspective of

769
01:38:32,239 --> 01:38:36,400
the different modes and and needs for different users around town.

770
01:38:36,400 --> 01:38:37,119
>> Thank you,

771
01:38:37,119 --> 01:38:40,000
>> Bernard. So, uh, at the Executive Office

772
01:38:40,000 --> 01:38:42,639
of Health and uh, human services. Yeah.

773
01:38:42,639 --> 01:38:45,760
uh you worked on um uh providing

774
01:38:45,760 --> 01:38:47,280
protective services to people with

775
01:38:47,280 --> 01:38:50,880
disabilities. Uh how is has that infor

776
01:38:50,880 --> 01:38:52,639
how it let me see what's the question

777
01:38:52,639 --> 01:38:55,520
how has that informed your uh your

778
01:38:55,520 --> 01:38:57,679
understanding of some of the needs uh

779
01:38:57,679 --> 01:38:59,679
with respect to transportation systems

780
01:38:59,679 --> 01:39:02,880
here in Brooklyn or elsewhere and what

781
01:39:02,880 --> 01:39:05,520
suggestions do you you have? No, I I

782
01:39:05,520 --> 01:39:08,159
think um you know, I've worked um in

783
01:39:08,159 --> 01:39:09,920
some capacity in my my current role at

784
01:39:09,920 --> 01:39:12,719
the executive office um around

785
01:39:12,719 --> 01:39:14,480
protective services for for people with

786
01:39:14,480 --> 01:39:17,199
disabilities um which doesn't tie

787
01:39:17,199 --> 01:39:18,480
necessarily directly into the

788
01:39:18,480 --> 01:39:19,840
transportation needs of of that

789
01:39:19,840 --> 01:39:21,520
community. But I think my the biggest

790
01:39:21,520 --> 01:39:24,719
factor I take away is that the needs of people with disabilities are very

791
01:39:24,719 --> 01:39:28,080
broad and and varied. Um and there's not

792
01:39:28,080 --> 01:39:32,239
a you know um there's a lot of different

793
01:39:32,239 --> 01:39:34,639
needs. So I don't think that there's um

794
01:39:34,639 --> 01:39:36,239
I think our transportation network needs

795
01:39:36,239 --> 01:39:38,080
to take into account if it's a mobility

796
01:39:38,080 --> 01:39:39,679
need and and the different mechanisms

797
01:39:39,679 --> 01:39:42,400
that we have to help accommodate um both

798
01:39:42,400 --> 01:39:44,159
at the town level or with the TE's

799
01:39:44,159 --> 01:39:46,880
paratransit service um for vision

800
01:39:46,880 --> 01:39:48,320
impairment disabilities. There's

801
01:39:48,320 --> 01:39:49,440
different types of disabilities that

802
01:39:49,440 --> 01:39:51,679
have different types of um of

803
01:39:51,679 --> 01:39:53,440
transportation needs. So I think that's

804
01:39:53,440 --> 01:39:55,360
just a perspective I've I've gotten a

805
01:39:55,360 --> 01:39:56,880
greater appreciation for in my current

806
01:39:56,880 --> 01:39:59,360
work.

807
01:39:59,360 --> 01:40:02,080
You mention in your application that you

808
01:40:02,080 --> 01:40:04,080
are a certified public accountant, that

809
01:40:04,080 --> 01:40:05,520
you maintain your license, and I'm

810
01:40:05,520 --> 01:40:07,360
curious whether there's anything you

811
01:40:07,360 --> 01:40:09,119
bring from your background as an

812
01:40:09,119 --> 01:40:10,960
accountant,

813
01:40:10,960 --> 01:40:13,199
uh whether that would inform at all your

814
01:40:13,199 --> 01:40:14,960
role on transportation board.

815
01:40:14,960 --> 01:40:16,320
>> Yeah, I don't I don't typically lead

816
01:40:16,320 --> 01:40:18,000
with that, my uh my accounting

817
01:40:18,000 --> 01:40:20,159
background, but um no, absolutely. I

818
01:40:20,159 --> 01:40:22,480
think the you know, we talk a lot about

819
01:40:22,480 --> 01:40:23,760
infrastructure, we talk a lot about

820
01:40:23,760 --> 01:40:26,080
projects. It's coming back to the the

821
01:40:26,080 --> 01:40:28,880
budgets um is is obviously a huge

822
01:40:28,880 --> 01:40:33,440
factor. Um I live in spreadsheets. I um

823
01:40:33,440 --> 01:40:37,360
love digging into details. Um and you

824
01:40:37,360 --> 01:40:39,920
know I have experience with with company

825
01:40:39,920 --> 01:40:42,560
financial statements um financial

826
01:40:42,560 --> 01:40:44,880
information at the state level. Not as

827
01:40:44,880 --> 01:40:46,639
familiar with municipal finance, but

828
01:40:46,639 --> 01:40:48,080
that's that's obviously something I'm

829
01:40:48,080 --> 01:40:51,280
excited to dig into. So um definitely.

830
01:40:51,280 --> 01:40:55,760
>> All right. Anyone else? Michael. Sure.

831
01:40:55,760 --> 01:40:58,480
I mean, as a as I know you're you're

832
01:40:58,480 --> 01:41:00,639
aware because I've seen your

833
01:41:00,639 --> 01:41:03,440
participation in in various in various

834
01:41:03,440 --> 01:41:06,480
ways uh around uh considering our

835
01:41:06,480 --> 01:41:10,320
transportation infrastructure. Um

836
01:41:10,320 --> 01:41:14,560
our our our our public way system and

837
01:41:14,560 --> 01:41:16,159
you know thinking of it as an entire

838
01:41:16,159 --> 01:41:17,840
system you know has lots of needs

839
01:41:17,840 --> 01:41:19,760
pushing and pulling on it from all

840
01:41:19,760 --> 01:41:22,080
directions um in all the modes that you

841
01:41:22,080 --> 01:41:24,239
talk about as well as you know the needs

842
01:41:24,239 --> 01:41:27,119
of our business community for people to

843
01:41:27,119 --> 01:41:28,960
be able to access their businesses

844
01:41:28,960 --> 01:41:31,440
people uh who are coming to and from

845
01:41:31,440 --> 01:41:34,639
home schools other town services etc. Um

846
01:41:34,639 --> 01:41:37,199
I'm wondering in the course of your

847
01:41:37,199 --> 01:41:40,000
digging in are there partic any

848
01:41:40,000 --> 01:41:42,320
particular insights or learnings that

849
01:41:42,320 --> 01:41:45,360
you think uh could apply in your work as

850
01:41:45,360 --> 01:41:47,119
a transportation board at the

851
01:41:47,119 --> 01:41:50,639
transportation board um that would sort

852
01:41:50,639 --> 01:41:52,400
of broadly

853
01:41:52,400 --> 01:41:54,560
uh influence your consideration of the

854
01:41:54,560 --> 01:41:55,920
public way?

855
01:41:55,920 --> 01:41:57,520
>> Yeah, that's a good question. And I

856
01:41:57,520 --> 01:42:00,480
think um you know one thing I would come

857
01:42:00,480 --> 01:42:03,199
back to is the town has I think pretty

858
01:42:03,199 --> 01:42:05,920
clear sets of plans and objectives

859
01:42:05,920 --> 01:42:08,000
around transportation and

860
01:42:08,000 --> 01:42:10,400
sustainability. Um and I that would for

861
01:42:10,400 --> 01:42:11,840
one be something that I would want to

862
01:42:11,840 --> 01:42:15,840
anchor. Um the decision-m making process

863
01:42:15,840 --> 01:42:17,520
around in terms of our climate action

864
01:42:17,520 --> 01:42:19,199
resiliency plan, our vision zero plan

865
01:42:19,199 --> 01:42:22,880
which we hear a lot about. Um and I

866
01:42:22,880 --> 01:42:24,719
think the the three priorities I listed

867
01:42:24,719 --> 01:42:27,520
in my introduction um and particularly

868
01:42:27,520 --> 01:42:29,520
safety would be kind of an anchoring

869
01:42:29,520 --> 01:42:31,600
point. Um I think a lot of our

870
01:42:31,600 --> 01:42:34,000
objectives in in the transportation

871
01:42:34,000 --> 01:42:37,119
needs are complimentary. Um we do often

872
01:42:37,119 --> 01:42:38,639
hear about whether they do come into

873
01:42:38,639 --> 01:42:41,119
conflict um or there's conflicting

874
01:42:41,119 --> 01:42:43,520
needs. um definitely would want to hear

875
01:42:43,520 --> 01:42:45,280
that through. But but airing on the side

876
01:42:45,280 --> 01:42:47,360
of safety and and learning too from what

877
01:42:47,360 --> 01:42:49,679
Somerville and Cambridge have have have

878
01:42:49,679 --> 01:42:52,080
paved the way on as well um is another

879
01:42:52,080 --> 01:42:53,199
thing that I would I would certainly

880
01:42:53,199 --> 01:42:55,840
want to to learn from.

881
01:42:55,840 --> 01:42:56,880
>> Thank you.

882
01:42:56,880 --> 01:42:58,880
>> Just one other question I have. Uh how

883
01:42:58,880 --> 01:43:00,639
many transportation board meetings have

884
01:43:00,639 --> 01:43:02,159
you attended?

885
01:43:02,159 --> 01:43:05,199
I have attended at least every meeting

886
01:43:05,199 --> 01:43:07,440
going back at least to the spring uh of

887
01:43:07,440 --> 01:43:09,920
the transportation board um as well as a

888
01:43:09,920 --> 01:43:13,040
number of advisory committee meetings um

889
01:43:13,040 --> 01:43:17,760
because I'm I have a lot to learn and I would love to if I'm appointed to this

890
01:43:17,760 --> 01:43:19,119
position hit the ground running as much

891
01:43:19,119 --> 01:43:21,520
as possible. So um I've done as much as

892
01:43:21,520 --> 01:43:23,760
I can to to catch up on past work that

893
01:43:23,760 --> 01:43:25,360
the transportations board has done,

894
01:43:25,360 --> 01:43:26,639
their current priorities and where

895
01:43:26,639 --> 01:43:28,480
they're where they're headed.

896
01:43:28,480 --> 01:43:31,119
>> All right. Thank you.

897
01:43:31,119 --> 01:43:34,400
Uh so uh as I explained to the prior

898
01:43:34,400 --> 01:43:37,280
applicant, we don't typically vote on

899
01:43:37,280 --> 01:43:39,920
the day of an interview, but uh we will

900
01:43:39,920 --> 01:43:41,360
get back to you when we're ready to make

901
01:43:41,360 --> 01:43:42,239
a decision.

902
01:43:42,239 --> 01:43:44,000
>> Thank you.

903
01:43:44,000 --> 01:43:53,669
>> Our next candidate is Brian Hawklutener.

904
01:43:53,679 --> 01:43:54,560
» Hi there.

905
01:43:54,560 --> 01:43:56,639
>> Hello. Uh so as I've said to the other

906
01:43:56,639 --> 01:43:58,400
candidates, uh please tell us a bit

907
01:43:58,400 --> 01:44:00,159
about your background, what it is about

908
01:44:00,159 --> 01:44:02,560
your experience and your interests that

909
01:44:02,560 --> 01:44:04,400
you feel would make you a good fit for

910
01:44:04,400 --> 01:44:06,560
the transportation board.

911
01:44:06,560 --> 01:44:08,880
>> Sure. Um my name is Brian Hook Lightner.

912
01:44:08,880 --> 01:44:12,880
I live at um on Elm Street, Precinct 6.

913
01:44:12,880 --> 01:44:15,280
Um I'm a former town meeting member from

914
01:44:15,280 --> 01:44:17,920
Precinct 6. I've served on a few

915
01:44:17,920 --> 01:44:20,480
different boards in the town, including

916
01:44:20,480 --> 01:44:25,040
um predecessor to the diversity, equity,

917
01:44:25,040 --> 01:44:28,159
um community relations commission. Um I

918
01:44:28,159 --> 01:44:30,159
served on a commission that wrote zoning

919
01:44:30,159 --> 01:44:32,080
for the Emerald

920
01:44:32,080 --> 01:44:35,920
Isle or sort of Brooklyn Avenue area. Um

921
01:44:35,920 --> 01:44:37,920
a committee that advised the select

922
01:44:37,920 --> 01:44:40,480
board on eminent domain for 22 Tapen

923
01:44:40,480 --> 01:44:43,840
Street. Um I'm a real estate lawyer by

924
01:44:43,840 --> 01:44:46,400
trade. So that's my my expert that I

925
01:44:46,400 --> 01:44:49,280
think I bring. I I represent clients on

926
01:44:49,280 --> 01:44:51,199
real estate development projects

927
01:44:51,199 --> 01:44:54,560
primarily in greater Boston, um Boston,

928
01:44:54,560 --> 01:44:56,639
Cambridge, Somerville,

929
01:44:56,639 --> 01:45:00,639
um River, um Newton. Um I don't do a lot

930
01:45:00,639 --> 01:45:03,119
of work in Brooklyn. My clients are not

931
01:45:03,119 --> 01:45:04,880
sort of Brooklyn developers, so I don't

932
01:45:04,880 --> 01:45:07,199
think that would be an issue. Um but I

933
01:45:07,199 --> 01:45:09,760
do have a lot of experience in

934
01:45:09,760 --> 01:45:12,159
representing clients before

935
01:45:12,159 --> 01:45:15,600
um board of appeals um type decisions

936
01:45:15,600 --> 01:45:17,440
and a lot of transportation issues that

937
01:45:17,440 --> 01:45:19,679
come up. So an example of a project that

938
01:45:19,679 --> 01:45:21,199
I'm working on right now is the Suffach

939
01:45:21,199 --> 01:45:24,320
Downs project in East Boston and River.

940
01:45:24,320 --> 01:45:26,159
It's the largest project that's been

941
01:45:26,159 --> 01:45:28,960
permitted in greater Boston, 16 million

942
01:45:28,960 --> 01:45:31,520
square feet. Um, it's going to be

943
01:45:31,520 --> 01:45:33,360
developed over 20 years. And there's all

944
01:45:33,360 --> 01:45:35,040
kinds of transportation issues that come

945
01:45:35,040 --> 01:45:37,600
up. Another project I'm working on is a

946
01:45:37,600 --> 01:45:40,719
project in East Boston, 160 MLEN, which

947
01:45:40,719 --> 01:45:45,840
is a um multimodal sort of industrial

948
01:45:45,840 --> 01:45:47,440
facility with a lot of transportation

949
01:45:47,440 --> 01:45:49,760
issues. So, I I do come across a lot of

950
01:45:49,760 --> 01:45:53,679
transportation stuff in my in my um my

951
01:45:53,679 --> 01:45:56,080
work and I think I could bring that to

952
01:45:56,080 --> 01:45:58,080
the board.

953
01:45:58,080 --> 01:46:00,480
>> All right. Any questions from members?

954
01:46:00,480 --> 01:46:01,440
Amanda,

955
01:46:01,440 --> 01:46:03,440
>> I'll give you the same question I just

956
01:46:03,440 --> 01:46:06,639
gave, Gregory. Um, can you outline the

957
01:46:06,639 --> 01:46:09,440
ways in which you transverse around and

958
01:46:09,440 --> 01:46:11,199
through the town on a regular basis and

959
01:46:11,199 --> 01:46:12,320
how might that influence the

960
01:46:12,320 --> 01:46:14,560
perspectives you bring to the T-board?

961
01:46:14,560 --> 01:46:18,800
>> Sure. So, I I am um I I I'm very

962
01:46:18,800 --> 01:46:21,280
balanced, I guess. I take the tea to

963
01:46:21,280 --> 01:46:24,239
work. I also bike to work sometimes and

964
01:46:24,239 --> 01:46:28,320
um carpool to work. So, I've I work

965
01:46:28,320 --> 01:46:30,400
downtown and so I've used all of those

966
01:46:30,400 --> 01:46:33,600
methods to get downtown. Um, I walk

967
01:46:33,600 --> 01:46:37,600
around Brookline a ton with my dog. Um,

968
01:46:37,600 --> 01:46:40,719
so I I sort of traverse the streets that

969
01:46:40,719 --> 01:46:43,520
way. Um, I just we just bought a new

970
01:46:43,520 --> 01:46:46,320
car, which was our first plugin. So, I

971
01:46:46,320 --> 01:46:48,560
just have kind of gone from, you know,

972
01:46:48,560 --> 01:46:51,199
just a gas powered car to now we have a

973
01:46:51,199 --> 01:46:53,840
gas powered car and a plugin. So, um,

974
01:46:53,840 --> 01:46:57,360
but I I I um am sort of an avid

975
01:46:57,360 --> 01:46:59,360
pedestrian, I guess, is sort of I I

976
01:46:59,360 --> 01:47:00,880
think what I think of the most. It

977
01:47:00,880 --> 01:47:03,679
really is what drew me to Brooklyn. Um,

978
01:47:03,679 --> 01:47:05,440
living in Brooklyn Village and being

979
01:47:05,440 --> 01:47:07,600
able to walk around is something that I

980
01:47:07,600 --> 01:47:09,600
think is really important and that I've

981
01:47:09,600 --> 01:47:11,440
seen on the transportation board when

982
01:47:11,440 --> 01:47:14,320
I've observed their meetings. Really

983
01:47:14,320 --> 01:47:16,400
balancing those things I think is is

984
01:47:16,400 --> 01:47:20,320
important. thinking about the needs of

985
01:47:20,320 --> 01:47:23,119
drivers, parking, pedestrians,

986
01:47:23,119 --> 01:47:25,840
bicyclists, and really focusing on

987
01:47:25,840 --> 01:47:27,679
safety, but also really thinking about

988
01:47:27,679 --> 01:47:29,520
all the ways those things come together.

989
01:47:29,520 --> 01:47:31,920
And I I've been very impressed with the

990
01:47:31,920 --> 01:47:33,840
transportation board and the way that

991
01:47:33,840 --> 01:47:35,760
the members have brought really

992
01:47:35,760 --> 01:47:39,280
thoughtful solutions to that and I think

993
01:47:39,280 --> 01:47:41,520
have done a pretty successful job for

994
01:47:41,520 --> 01:47:43,040
the most part in balancing those

995
01:47:43,040 --> 01:47:46,239
different needs.

996
01:47:46,239 --> 01:47:48,800
>> All right. Yeah. Um you mentioned in

997
01:47:48,800 --> 01:47:50,960
your materials that you think that your

998
01:47:50,960 --> 01:47:53,520
real estate background will

999
01:47:53,520 --> 01:47:55,600
uh will be very helpful on the transport

1000
01:47:55,600 --> 01:47:59,199
transportation board. Um as a real

1001
01:47:59,199 --> 01:48:01,760
estate lawyer representing large real

1002
01:48:01,760 --> 01:48:05,119
estate developments. Tell me how that

1003
01:48:05,119 --> 01:48:07,600
background would would play on the

1004
01:48:07,600 --> 01:48:09,520
transportation board. I can think of a

1005
01:48:09,520 --> 01:48:11,119
number of ways but tell me what you

1006
01:48:11,119 --> 01:48:11,760
think.

1007
01:48:11,760 --> 01:48:13,600
>> Yeah. So, I think it's given me some

1008
01:48:13,600 --> 01:48:16,320
great exposure to what other cities and

1009
01:48:16,320 --> 01:48:18,719
towns are doing and just being able to

1010
01:48:18,719 --> 01:48:21,840
appreciate some of the innovations that

1011
01:48:21,840 --> 01:48:23,360
are happening in Cambridge and

1012
01:48:23,360 --> 01:48:25,760
Somerville, you know, Newton. A lot of

1013
01:48:25,760 --> 01:48:28,000
these projects are really trying to find

1014
01:48:28,000 --> 01:48:31,040
ways to get people out of their cars and

1015
01:48:31,040 --> 01:48:35,040
um and find ways to,

1016
01:48:35,040 --> 01:48:37,440
you know, sort of reduce single

1017
01:48:37,440 --> 01:48:39,760
occupancy vehicle stuff. That's that's a

1018
01:48:39,760 --> 01:48:43,440
big focus that our clients or my clients

1019
01:48:43,440 --> 01:48:45,199
are sort of dealing with on a regular

1020
01:48:45,199 --> 01:48:48,960
basis. Um, you know, trying to figure

1021
01:48:48,960 --> 01:48:51,760
out how to build in a relatively dense

1022
01:48:51,760 --> 01:48:55,040
area in a way that's not going to create

1023
01:48:55,040 --> 01:48:58,320
more traffic and more, you know, sort of

1024
01:48:58,320 --> 01:49:04,000
conflicts, I guess. So, I think it's been helpful to see that. Um, I do

1025
01:49:04,000 --> 01:49:06,639
think that Brooklyn

1026
01:49:06,639 --> 01:49:10,000
is has some room to grow in in in that

1027
01:49:10,000 --> 01:49:11,679
regard. I don't think we're sort of

1028
01:49:11,679 --> 01:49:14,480
caught up to where some of these other

1029
01:49:14,480 --> 01:49:16,159
cities and towns around us have been

1030
01:49:16,159 --> 01:49:18,000
sort of like been able to sort of

1031
01:49:18,000 --> 01:49:21,119
progress in terms of um moving the

1032
01:49:21,119 --> 01:49:24,000
needle. But I think, you know, we're getting there. We're starting in

1033
01:49:24,000 --> 01:49:25,280
that direction and we're making

1034
01:49:25,280 --> 01:49:28,239
progress.

1035
01:49:28,239 --> 01:49:29,199
Michael.

1036
01:49:29,199 --> 01:49:31,040
>> Um,

1037
01:49:31,040 --> 01:49:33,520
so, uh, you started to answer the

1038
01:49:33,520 --> 01:49:35,280
question that I was going to ask you,

1039
01:49:35,280 --> 01:49:39,119
which I asked Greg before about, um, you

1040
01:49:39,119 --> 01:49:42,639
how you think about, uh,

1041
01:49:42,639 --> 01:49:44,719
the all balancing all the broad uses of

1042
01:49:44,719 --> 01:49:46,480
the public way. Uh, you know, and you

1043
01:49:46,480 --> 01:49:48,800
tal you enumerated several of them and

1044
01:49:48,800 --> 01:49:53,840
you talked about the balance between them all. Um, I wonder if you

1045
01:49:53,840 --> 01:49:56,639
can drill down to that a little bit, you

1046
01:49:56,639 --> 01:49:59,119
know, in terms of

1047
01:49:59,119 --> 01:50:01,840
uh in terms of what balance looks like

1048
01:50:01,840 --> 01:50:06,080
to you or um how you would approach

1049
01:50:06,080 --> 01:50:10,000
questions uh on the public way um with

1050
01:50:10,000 --> 01:50:12,400
regard to the balance that you think is

1051
01:50:12,400 --> 01:50:14,320
needed.

1052
01:50:14,320 --> 01:50:16,239
Yeah, I think the example that I think

1053
01:50:16,239 --> 01:50:19,920
of is um the Washington Street project

1054
01:50:19,920 --> 01:50:21,760
as as there was a lot of discussion

1055
01:50:21,760 --> 01:50:22,719
about,

1056
01:50:22,719 --> 01:50:24,400
>> you know, it's not every block on

1057
01:50:24,400 --> 01:50:25,679
Washington Street where you have these

1058
01:50:25,679 --> 01:50:27,760
issues, but when you get to the village

1059
01:50:27,760 --> 01:50:29,679
when where when where there's really a

1060
01:50:29,679 --> 01:50:33,440
crunch and the idea was how do we

1061
01:50:33,440 --> 01:50:36,000
preserve some parking for the businesses

1062
01:50:36,000 --> 01:50:38,320
in and around Brookline Village? um

1063
01:50:38,320 --> 01:50:40,560
particularly sort of think of the block

1064
01:50:40,560 --> 01:50:43,600
from where we are right now to

1065
01:50:43,600 --> 01:50:45,360
um

1066
01:50:45,360 --> 01:50:47,119
where where kind of Washington Street

1067
01:50:47,119 --> 01:50:49,440
and Harvard Street intersect and that's

1068
01:50:49,440 --> 01:50:51,440
where I felt like it was really crunched

1069
01:50:51,440 --> 01:50:53,760
and there was a a a meeting of the

1070
01:50:53,760 --> 01:50:55,040
transportation board where they were

1071
01:50:55,040 --> 01:50:57,760
looking at right how do we fit a bike

1072
01:50:57,760 --> 01:51:01,520
lane in this space preserve parking as

1073
01:51:01,520 --> 01:51:03,920
many spaces as we can for for businesses

1074
01:51:03,920 --> 01:51:07,679
to allow some parking in this area while

1075
01:51:07,679 --> 01:51:11,119
also maximizing pedestrian safety. And I

1076
01:51:11,119 --> 01:51:14,320
felt like it was one of those situations

1077
01:51:14,320 --> 01:51:18,159
where nobody was really thrilled with

1078
01:51:18,159 --> 01:51:19,920
the results. There wasn't one group that

1079
01:51:19,920 --> 01:51:22,239
was like we won, but I felt like the

1080
01:51:22,239 --> 01:51:24,239
balance, they found the right balance on

1081
01:51:24,239 --> 01:51:28,719
that um in that conversation. And um I

1082
01:51:28,719 --> 01:51:30,320
think that's just a going to be the kind

1083
01:51:30,320 --> 01:51:32,320
of challenge that I look forward to

1084
01:51:32,320 --> 01:51:33,920
being part of on the transportation

1085
01:51:33,920 --> 01:51:35,440
board, helping to find that kind of

1086
01:51:35,440 --> 01:51:38,159
middle ground that works for different

1087
01:51:38,159 --> 01:51:41,119
users and kind of you know the Goldilock

1088
01:51:41,119 --> 01:51:43,760
solution. I I think think of it as

1089
01:51:43,760 --> 01:51:46,880
>> Thank you. A question I have uh how

1090
01:51:46,880 --> 01:51:48,800
would the uh climate action and

1091
01:51:48,800 --> 01:51:51,199
resiliency plan and vision zero help

1092
01:51:51,199 --> 01:51:54,560
inform your thinking on uh various

1093
01:51:54,560 --> 01:51:56,560
proposals that are coming before

1094
01:51:56,560 --> 01:51:59,119
transportation board?

1095
01:51:59,119 --> 01:52:01,440
>> Well, I think vision zero I just think

1096
01:52:01,440 --> 01:52:04,400
of that as you know sort of the focus on

1097
01:52:04,400 --> 01:52:07,599
safety and really prioritizing

1098
01:52:07,599 --> 01:52:11,199
um safety. And I guess I I don't have a

1099
01:52:11,199 --> 01:52:13,360
ton of background on I haven't sort of

1100
01:52:13,360 --> 01:52:16,000
dug into the actual

1101
01:52:16,000 --> 01:52:18,480
um climate resiliency plan for

1102
01:52:18,480 --> 01:52:20,719
Brookline, but my understanding would be

1103
01:52:20,719 --> 01:52:22,800
that you know the vision zero is

1104
01:52:22,800 --> 01:52:24,080
certainly about safety and I think

1105
01:52:24,080 --> 01:52:25,199
that's got to be the number one

1106
01:52:25,199 --> 01:52:27,599
priority.

1107
01:52:27,599 --> 01:52:29,199
>> Okay,

1108
01:52:29,199 --> 01:52:31,760
any other questions?

1109
01:52:31,760 --> 01:52:32,560
>> All right. All right. Well, thank you

1110
01:52:32,560 --> 01:52:34,239
very much for the interview and as I

1111
01:52:34,239 --> 01:52:35,760
told the others, we'll get back to you

1112
01:52:35,760 --> 01:52:38,239
when uh it's the day for making a

1113
01:52:38,239 --> 01:52:38,880
decision.

1114
01:52:38,880 --> 01:52:42,390
>> Thank you.

1115
01:52:42,400 --> 01:52:46,480
» All right. With that, we will now vote

1116
01:52:46,480 --> 01:52:48,880
on some reappoints.

1117
01:52:48,880 --> 01:52:52,719
Uh I move that we reappoint Len Holy for

1118
01:52:52,719 --> 01:52:54,960
a three-year term to transportation

1119
01:52:54,960 --> 01:52:56,080
board.

1120
01:52:56,080 --> 01:52:56,400
>> Yes.

1121
01:52:56,400 --> 01:52:57,760
>> Bernard Michael.

1122
01:52:57,760 --> 01:52:58,159
>> Yes.

1123
01:52:58,159 --> 01:52:58,880
>> Amanda,

1124
01:52:58,880 --> 01:53:02,480
>> yes. And I also vote yes. I believe

1125
01:53:02,480 --> 01:53:05,119
Anthony does as well. It was going to

1126
01:53:05,119 --> 01:53:06,800
tell me.

1127
01:53:06,800 --> 01:53:12,629
Yes. Let's add Anthony as well.

1128
01:53:12,639 --> 01:53:15,199
All right. Now we will move to our next

1129
01:53:15,199 --> 01:53:18,560
item which is the cable ascertainment

1130
01:53:18,560 --> 01:53:22,000
hearing. public hearing on RCN license

1131
01:53:22,000 --> 01:53:23,840
renewal for the purpose of allowing the

1132
01:53:23,840 --> 01:53:26,880
public an opportunity to comment on town

1133
01:53:26,880 --> 01:53:30,320
and public cable related needs in RCN's

1134
01:53:30,320 --> 01:53:32,080
performance. So, I'm going to go ahead

1135
01:53:32,080 --> 01:53:34,719
and open a public hearing. This is a

1136
01:53:34,719 --> 01:53:37,280
public hearing uh as part of the license

1137
01:53:37,280 --> 01:53:40,000
renewal process. Brookline's RCN cable

1138
01:53:40,000 --> 01:53:44,000
license expires on April 27th, 2028.

1139
01:53:44,000 --> 01:53:46,480
Federal and state law require holding a

1140
01:53:46,480 --> 01:53:48,400
hearing to allow the public an

1141
01:53:48,400 --> 01:53:50,320
opportunity to comment on town and

1142
01:53:50,320 --> 01:53:53,280
public cable related needs and RCN's

1143
01:53:53,280 --> 01:53:55,599
performance. Notice of this hearing was

1144
01:53:55,599 --> 01:53:57,599
posted twice in the Boston Herald as

1145
01:53:57,599 --> 01:53:59,920
required and on the town's website.

1146
01:53:59,920 --> 01:54:02,000
Copies of the legal advertisements are

1147
01:54:02,000 --> 01:54:04,400
entered into the hearing record. We will

1148
01:54:04,400 --> 01:54:06,159
provide any interested members of the

1149
01:54:06,159 --> 01:54:08,000
public and other interested persons with

1150
01:54:08,000 --> 01:54:10,560
an opportunity to submit input about

1151
01:54:10,560 --> 01:54:12,480
what cable related needs are important

1152
01:54:12,480 --> 01:54:15,040
to Brookline and about how RCN has

1153
01:54:15,040 --> 01:54:17,679
performed under its existing license.

1154
01:54:17,679 --> 01:54:19,520
Before proceeding to public comments, I

1155
01:54:19,520 --> 01:54:20,880
would like to thank Brookline's

1156
01:54:20,880 --> 01:54:22,880
community television access provider,

1157
01:54:22,880 --> 01:54:25,599
Brookline Interactive Group, and RCN for

1158
01:54:25,599 --> 01:54:27,520
their participation and assistance in

1159
01:54:27,520 --> 01:54:30,400
the ongoing license renewal proceedings.

1160
01:54:30,400 --> 01:54:31,920
In this hearing, the board will hear

1161
01:54:31,920 --> 01:54:34,560
comments on all RCN cable related

1162
01:54:34,560 --> 01:54:36,800
matters to include customer service,

1163
01:54:36,800 --> 01:54:39,040
license administration, and important

1164
01:54:39,040 --> 01:54:40,719
local studio needs, community

1165
01:54:40,719 --> 01:54:44,000
programming, PEG access, and Comcast

1166
01:54:44,000 --> 01:54:46,639
support for Brookline's local channels.

1167
01:54:46,639 --> 01:54:48,400
Please try and keep comments limited to

1168
01:54:48,400 --> 01:54:50,480
3 minutes. If members of the public or

1169
01:54:50,480 --> 01:54:52,480
other interested parties wish to provide

1170
01:54:52,480 --> 01:54:54,400
comments following this hearing, they

1171
01:54:54,400 --> 01:54:55,920
can send their comments to the town of

1172
01:54:55,920 --> 01:54:58,320
Brooklyn care of Charles Young,

1173
01:54:58,320 --> 01:55:00,639
assistant town administrator. Before

1174
01:55:00,639 --> 01:55:02,480
proceeding to public comments, I also

1175
01:55:02,480 --> 01:55:04,800
want to welcome RCN's representative,

1176
01:55:04,800 --> 01:55:07,440
David von Morates, and ask David to make

1177
01:55:07,440 --> 01:55:10,480
some introductory comments on behalf of

1178
01:55:10,480 --> 01:55:13,199
Comcast.

1179
01:55:13,199 --> 01:55:15,599
>> RCN, excuse me.

1180
01:55:15,599 --> 01:55:17,760
And it looks like David is not here

1181
01:55:17,760 --> 01:55:19,599
tonight or wasn't able to make it. So,

1182
01:55:19,599 --> 01:55:22,320
thank you for recognizing him um chair,

1183
01:55:22,320 --> 01:55:24,320
but uh but there will be no comments

1184
01:55:24,320 --> 01:55:27,360
from RCM tonight.

1185
01:55:27,360 --> 01:55:29,199
>> All right. I will note our um our

1186
01:55:29,199 --> 01:55:32,960
council um firm um cable access matters

1187
01:55:32,960 --> 01:55:34,719
uh Bill August is online if there are

1188
01:55:34,719 --> 01:55:37,360
questions on the technical details or

1189
01:55:37,360 --> 01:55:40,639
the um legal uh requirements involved in

1190
01:55:40,639 --> 01:55:45,750
cable license.

1191
01:55:45,760 --> 01:55:47,679
I guess now we'll go to public comment

1192
01:55:47,679 --> 01:55:49,280
if there is any.

1193
01:55:49,280 --> 01:55:50,960
>> We have two people signed up. We have

1194
01:55:50,960 --> 01:55:53,360
Jessica Smiser and Kathy Seedman.

1195
01:55:53,360 --> 01:55:55,040
Jessica's here.

1196
01:55:55,040 --> 01:56:00,310
>> All right. Go ahead, Jessica.

1197
01:56:00,320 --> 01:56:02,320
» Hi everyone. Thank you for the

1198
01:56:02,320 --> 01:56:03,679
opportunity to speak tonight regarding

1199
01:56:03,679 --> 01:56:05,840
the renewal of the RCN franchise

1200
01:56:05,840 --> 01:56:07,840
agreement. My name is Jessica Smiser.

1201
01:56:07,840 --> 01:56:09,360
I'm executive director of Brookline

1202
01:56:09,360 --> 01:56:11,840
Interactive Group aka BIG. For those who

1203
01:56:11,840 --> 01:56:13,599
don't know, BIG is the independent

1204
01:56:13,599 --> 01:56:15,520
nonprofit community media center for

1205
01:56:15,520 --> 01:56:18,000
Brooklyn. A member organization and a

1206
01:56:18,000 --> 01:56:21,119
501c3 nonprofit, BIG offers extensive

1207
01:56:21,119 --> 01:56:22,800
multimedia training and access to

1208
01:56:22,800 --> 01:56:24,719
highquality equipment. We provide

1209
01:56:24,719 --> 01:56:26,400
discounted professional media services

1210
01:56:26,400 --> 01:56:28,800
to local nonprofit organizations,

1211
01:56:28,800 --> 01:56:30,719
education partners, and Brooklyn

1212
01:56:30,719 --> 01:56:32,960
businesses. BIG also produces local

1213
01:56:32,960 --> 01:56:34,719
government coverage, including select

1214
01:56:34,719 --> 01:56:36,239
boards, school committee meetings, and

1215
01:56:36,239 --> 01:56:38,320
the annual town meetings, and airs this

1216
01:56:38,320 --> 01:56:39,760
coverage on our cable channels and

1217
01:56:39,760 --> 01:56:42,080
online. We also have a community channel

1218
01:56:42,080 --> 01:56:43,599
where local residents can produce

1219
01:56:43,599 --> 01:56:45,199
community service, educational and

1220
01:56:45,199 --> 01:56:46,880
entertainment programming. Our

1221
01:56:46,880 --> 01:56:49,119
programming is funded through grants,

1222
01:56:49,119 --> 01:56:51,920
donations, membership fees, fee for

1223
01:56:51,920 --> 01:56:53,599
service contracts, and importantly for

1224
01:56:53,599 --> 01:56:55,599
this hearing, cable franchise fee

1225
01:56:55,599 --> 01:56:58,400
passroughs. In 1985, Big was

1226
01:56:58,400 --> 01:57:00,000
incorporated as a nonprofit called

1227
01:57:00,000 --> 01:57:02,320
Brookline Community Cable Trust. During

1228
01:57:02,320 --> 01:57:03,920
this period, as the advent of cable

1229
01:57:03,920 --> 01:57:06,239
television began, the federal government

1230
01:57:06,239 --> 01:57:07,599
mandated through the cable

1231
01:57:07,599 --> 01:57:10,480
communications act of 1984, that cable

1232
01:57:10,480 --> 01:57:12,239
companies must have franchise agreements

1233
01:57:12,239 --> 01:57:14,400
with municipalities in order to use the

1234
01:57:14,400 --> 01:57:16,480
public right of way to run cable.

1235
01:57:16,480 --> 01:57:18,880
Section 622 of the act states that

1236
01:57:18,880 --> 01:57:20,880
municipalities are entitled to 5% of

1237
01:57:20,880 --> 01:57:22,400
gross revenues derived from the

1238
01:57:22,400 --> 01:57:24,639
operation of the cable system aka the

1239
01:57:24,639 --> 01:57:26,960
cable subscription fee for the provision

1240
01:57:26,960 --> 01:57:29,040
of community cable services such as

1241
01:57:29,040 --> 01:57:31,119
public educational and government access

1242
01:57:31,119 --> 01:57:34,080
TV channels and media education. This

1243
01:57:34,080 --> 01:57:36,000
act also provides for an annual capital

1244
01:57:36,000 --> 01:57:37,840
investment in the cable operation of the

1245
01:57:37,840 --> 01:57:39,920
town community media center. The town of

1246
01:57:39,920 --> 01:57:42,000
Brooklyn has for many years passed

1247
01:57:42,000 --> 01:57:44,080
through just 2% of that 5% to support

1248
01:57:44,080 --> 01:57:46,639
bigs operations. Because the act dates

1249
01:57:46,639 --> 01:57:49,520
back to 1984, it did not include revenue

1250
01:57:49,520 --> 01:57:51,360
from streaming services or internet

1251
01:57:51,360 --> 01:57:54,159
service only cable TV subscriptions.

1252
01:57:54,159 --> 01:57:56,400
Because of this, gross revenues and sub

1253
01:57:56,400 --> 01:57:58,719
subsequently the pass through have been

1254
01:57:58,719 --> 01:58:01,360
in decline. Cord cutting is a term used

1255
01:58:01,360 --> 01:58:03,440
by cable companies, but it's a misnomer

1256
01:58:03,440 --> 01:58:05,040
because it's actually the same cord that

1257
01:58:05,040 --> 01:58:06,560
brings internet and streaming services

1258
01:58:06,560 --> 01:58:08,320
into homes, and that cord still uses the

1259
01:58:08,320 --> 01:58:10,560
public right of way.

1260
01:58:10,560 --> 01:58:13,119
RCN has a much smaller share of cable

1261
01:58:13,119 --> 01:58:14,639
subscribers in Brooklyn. However, they

1262
01:58:14,639 --> 01:58:16,320
still support two cable channels in

1263
01:58:16,320 --> 01:58:18,080
Brooklyn local programming. These

1264
01:58:18,080 --> 01:58:20,159
channels run seven days a week, 24 hours

1265
01:58:20,159 --> 01:58:21,679
a day, bringing Brookline residents

1266
01:58:21,679 --> 01:58:23,840
local information and community created

1267
01:58:23,840 --> 01:58:25,840
programming. They are very responsive

1268
01:58:25,840 --> 01:58:27,679
partners in those channels and have a

1269
01:58:27,679 --> 01:58:29,199
significant enough market in Brooklyn

1270
01:58:29,199 --> 01:58:30,800
that many of our members and viewers are

1271
01:58:30,800 --> 01:58:34,000
RCN customers. As with Comcast, they pay

1272
01:58:34,000 --> 01:58:36,000
a quarterly franchise fee based on a

1273
01:58:36,000 --> 01:58:38,719
snapshot of cable subscriptions. As an

1274
01:58:38,719 --> 01:58:41,119
example, Big's latest payment from RCN

1275
01:58:41,119 --> 01:58:44,159
was $9,26.87,

1276
01:58:44,159 --> 01:58:46,880
which covers the second quarter of 2026.

1277
01:58:46,880 --> 01:58:48,560
This fee has been getting smaller due to

1278
01:58:48,560 --> 01:58:50,320
the decline in cable subscriptions. To

1279
01:58:50,320 --> 01:58:52,400
illustrate this, the payment in August

1280
01:58:52,400 --> 01:58:56,719
2025 was $10,6768.

1281
01:58:56,719 --> 01:58:59,840
This represents a decrease of over 15%.

1282
01:58:59,840 --> 01:59:01,520
As BIG continues to work towards a more

1283
01:59:01,520 --> 01:59:03,280
diverse revenue mix, we value the

1284
01:59:03,280 --> 01:59:04,880
existence of RCN in the Brooklyn

1285
01:59:04,880 --> 01:59:06,800
community, not just because they're good

1286
01:59:06,800 --> 01:59:08,480
technical stewards. They're very

1287
01:59:08,480 --> 01:59:10,159
vigilant at keeping our cable channels

1288
01:59:10,159 --> 01:59:12,080
up and running, but because at this

1289
01:59:12,080 --> 01:59:14,560
stage for us, every penny counts. We

1290
01:59:14,560 --> 01:59:17,040
fear the loss of RCN would mean a loss

1291
01:59:17,040 --> 01:59:19,280
of all those cable customers as folks

1292
01:59:19,280 --> 01:59:21,440
would choose to forgo cable rather than

1293
01:59:21,440 --> 01:59:23,599
go to Comcast. We also know what a

1294
01:59:23,599 --> 01:59:25,760
monopoly can create a very different

1295
01:59:25,760 --> 01:59:27,920
dynamic and in this case we feel a

1296
01:59:27,920 --> 01:59:29,599
little competition is healthy for

1297
01:59:29,599 --> 01:59:33,360
everyone. Thank you.

1298
01:59:33,360 --> 01:59:35,199
>> Thank you. And our next speaker

1299
01:59:35,199 --> 01:59:38,400
>> we have online Kathy Sman.

1300
01:59:38,400 --> 01:59:39,760
>> All right. Go ahead whenever you're

1301
01:59:39,760 --> 01:59:45,510
ready.

1302
01:59:45,520 --> 02:00:00,550
One second to promote her.

1303
02:00:00,560 --> 02:00:03,040
» Hi, thank you for taking my comments.

1304
02:00:03,040 --> 02:00:04,560
Um,

1305
02:00:04,560 --> 02:00:06,639
my name is Kathy Seidman. I'm a town

1306
02:00:06,639 --> 02:00:08,800
meeting member in precinct 2. I serve on

1307
02:00:08,800 --> 02:00:10,480
the Brooklyn Commission for the Arts and

1308
02:00:10,480 --> 02:00:13,040
a board member of Brooklyn for Everyone.

1309
02:00:13,040 --> 02:00:15,840
I'm also an RCN customer, but tonight I

1310
02:00:15,840 --> 02:00:19,040
speak only for myself. I want to be sure

1311
02:00:19,040 --> 02:00:21,040
everyone in Brooklyn recognizes the

1312
02:00:21,040 --> 02:00:23,199
incredible value BIG provides our

1313
02:00:23,199 --> 02:00:25,360
community. BIG supports teaching

1314
02:00:25,360 --> 02:00:27,440
valuable broadcast and journalism skills

1315
02:00:27,440 --> 02:00:29,520
to our high school students. BIG

1316
02:00:29,520 --> 02:00:31,440
archives all the recordings of town

1317
02:00:31,440 --> 02:00:33,920
boards and commissions that many of us

1318
02:00:33,920 --> 02:00:36,080
used to find out what happened in one

1319
02:00:36,080 --> 02:00:38,960
committee when we attended another. BIG

1320
02:00:38,960 --> 02:00:41,199
is available to record town events and

1321
02:00:41,199 --> 02:00:44,400
ceremonies. There are live broadcasting

1322
02:00:44,400 --> 02:00:47,040
this meeting as we speak and they make

1323
02:00:47,040 --> 02:00:49,119
town meeting accessible by providing a

1324
02:00:49,119 --> 02:00:51,280
live broadcast as well as the technical

1325
02:00:51,280 --> 02:00:53,440
support for a hybrid town meeting

1326
02:00:53,440 --> 02:00:56,239
format. Besides all of that, they

1327
02:00:56,239 --> 02:00:58,400
provide those services at a cost far

1328
02:00:58,400 --> 02:01:01,440
below commercial production rates. But

1329
02:01:01,440 --> 02:01:03,199
most importantly, without big,

1330
02:01:03,199 --> 02:01:04,880
Brookline's complicated and fairly

1331
02:01:04,880 --> 02:01:07,119
opaque governance structure would be

1332
02:01:07,119 --> 02:01:09,360
much harder for those who work full-time

1333
02:01:09,360 --> 02:01:11,840
or have small children or simply can't

1334
02:01:11,840 --> 02:01:13,360
attend all the various boards and

1335
02:01:13,360 --> 02:01:16,400
commission meetings we have every week.

1336
02:01:16,400 --> 02:01:18,320
To get a sense of how much value BIG

1337
02:01:18,320 --> 02:01:19,920
provides Brookline's town meeting

1338
02:01:19,920 --> 02:01:22,320
specifically, I suggest you watch the

1339
02:01:22,320 --> 02:01:24,639
video I put in my submitted comments.

1340
02:01:24,639 --> 02:01:26,800
It's under four minutes. It's a video

1341
02:01:26,800 --> 02:01:29,040
created by big interns about all the

1342
02:01:29,040 --> 02:01:32,080
effort required to produce town meeting.

1343
02:01:32,080 --> 02:01:34,719
I urge you to do whatever it takes to be

1344
02:01:34,719 --> 02:01:37,760
to make sure BIG has continued funding

1345
02:01:37,760 --> 02:01:40,560
to do the work we expect it to perform.

1346
02:01:40,560 --> 02:01:43,119
Thank you.

1347
02:01:43,119 --> 02:01:46,080
>> Thank you. Would anyone in the room like

1348
02:01:46,080 --> 02:01:48,880
to be heard for the cable ascertainment

1349
02:01:48,880 --> 02:01:51,199
hearing?

1350
02:01:51,199 --> 02:01:53,440
Seeing none, anyone online?

1351
02:01:53,440 --> 02:01:55,520
>> Jonathan Golden has his hand raised.

1352
02:01:55,520 --> 02:02:07,750
>> All right, go right ahead, Jonathan.

1353
02:02:07,760 --> 02:02:09,119
» Great. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank

1354
02:02:09,119 --> 02:02:10,960
you for the opportunity to speak at this

1355
02:02:10,960 --> 02:02:12,880
hearing. Jonathan Golden, town meeting

1356
02:02:12,880 --> 02:02:15,520
member, precinct 17. I largely come

1357
02:02:15,520 --> 02:02:17,840
online to echo what Jessica and Katha

1358
02:02:17,840 --> 02:02:20,159
have just shared. Big I see is

1359
02:02:20,159 --> 02:02:22,000
indispensable to our community and to

1360
02:02:22,000 --> 02:02:24,159
our democracy, the way which it brings

1361
02:02:24,159 --> 02:02:26,159
transparency and accessibility to our

1362
02:02:26,159 --> 02:02:28,159
form of government. I the privilege to

1363
02:02:28,159 --> 02:02:31,360
be a board member of BIG in the past and

1364
02:02:31,360 --> 02:02:33,280
know well all the financial challenges

1365
02:02:33,280 --> 02:02:35,840
that Jessica described. I'm glad to hear

1366
02:02:35,840 --> 02:02:37,440
that she mentioned examples of

1367
02:02:37,440 --> 02:02:41,199
partnership with RCN. It's good that is happening as well. And it's that

1368
02:02:41,199 --> 02:02:42,880
spirit of cooperation is why I feel

1369
02:02:42,880 --> 02:02:45,440
compelled to speak to see how can we

1370
02:02:45,440 --> 02:02:48,239
work together to to help big meet the

1371
02:02:48,239 --> 02:02:49,599
structural challenges that have been

1372
02:02:49,599 --> 02:02:51,760
ongoing now for many years given the

1373
02:02:51,760 --> 02:02:53,360
dynamics described about the cable

1374
02:02:53,360 --> 02:02:55,679
industry. There must be ways that we can

1375
02:02:55,679 --> 02:02:59,440
work together to help and support uh big

1376
02:02:59,440 --> 02:03:01,280
so they can continue to support our

1377
02:03:01,280 --> 02:03:02,880
community with the wonderful broadcast

1378
02:03:02,880 --> 02:03:05,040
and community work that it does. So I'll

1379
02:03:05,040 --> 02:03:06,400
leave your remarks there. Thank you for

1380
02:03:06,400 --> 02:03:09,520
your consideration and your time.

1381
02:03:09,520 --> 02:03:14,390
Thank you. Anyone else?

1382
02:03:14,400 --> 02:03:15,360
» No one.

1383
02:03:15,360 --> 02:03:18,080
>> Seeing none, I will close the public

1384
02:03:18,080 --> 02:03:20,639
hearing.

1385
02:03:20,639 --> 02:03:22,400
>> What will be our next steps on this?

1386
02:03:22,400 --> 02:03:23,440
>> Charlie, you want to talk a little bit

1387
02:03:23,440 --> 02:03:26,639
about the next steps here?

1388
02:03:26,639 --> 02:03:28,880
>> Absolutely. So, thank you to the board

1389
02:03:28,880 --> 02:03:30,480
for holding this public hearing. Thank

1390
02:03:30,480 --> 02:03:32,400
you to our speakers who came out to talk

1391
02:03:32,400 --> 02:03:35,599
about the town's cable needs. Um, we are

1392
02:03:35,599 --> 02:03:39,360
starting our renewal process for our RCN

1393
02:03:39,360 --> 02:03:42,239
cable license or rather for RCN's cable

1394
02:03:42,239 --> 02:03:44,880
license, which expires in April 2028.

1395
02:03:44,880 --> 02:03:46,800
So, we're a little ahead of the game.

1396
02:03:46,800 --> 02:03:48,639
Um, and we're doing this with we're

1397
02:03:48,639 --> 02:03:50,239
starting with the ascertainment hearing

1398
02:03:50,239 --> 02:03:51,840
because it's legally required, but also

1399
02:03:51,840 --> 02:03:53,840
because it helps inform those

1400
02:03:53,840 --> 02:03:57,199
negotiations. Um, and so town staff will

1401
02:03:57,199 --> 02:04:01,040
be looking to meet with RCN, with our representative, David von Mortz, who

1402
02:04:01,040 --> 02:04:02,719
couldn't be here tonight. We're going to

1403
02:04:02,719 --> 02:04:04,320
provide the recording of this hearing

1404
02:04:04,320 --> 02:04:06,719
and tell them uh all the great comments

1405
02:04:06,719 --> 02:04:08,400
we heard about Brookline Interactive and

1406
02:04:08,400 --> 02:04:09,920
how important it is that the license

1407
02:04:09,920 --> 02:04:12,719
continue to support them. Um and at some

1408
02:04:12,719 --> 02:04:15,119
point we'll be back uh for another

1409
02:04:15,119 --> 02:04:19,360
hearing and uh to look at hopefully a uh

1410
02:04:19,360 --> 02:04:22,000
a license uh a renewal license uh for

1411
02:04:22,000 --> 02:04:23,679
the board to consider. That's the that

1412
02:04:23,679 --> 02:04:26,320
is the end goal.

1413
02:04:26,320 --> 02:04:28,639
>> All right. Thank you. So with that we

1414
02:04:28,639 --> 02:04:30,400
>> Thank you. So with that, we will now

1415
02:04:30,400 --> 02:04:32,880
move to our next agenda item, warrant

1416
02:04:32,880 --> 02:04:36,080
articles, public hearings. Uh we are not

1417
02:04:36,080 --> 02:04:38,560
going to be addressing article 7

1418
02:04:38,560 --> 02:04:40,560
tonight. We will pick that up at a

1419
02:04:40,560 --> 02:04:43,440
subsequent select board meeting. So that

1420
02:04:43,440 --> 02:04:46,320
will bring us to article 8, prohibit

1421
02:04:46,320 --> 02:04:47,840
public meetings on election day.

1422
02:04:47,840 --> 02:04:48,800
Bernard, you have a question.

1423
02:04:48,800 --> 02:04:52,159
>> Yeah, I understand that also article 17

1424
02:04:52,159 --> 02:04:54,159
will not be taken up.

1425
02:04:54,159 --> 02:04:56,880
>> That's correct. Article 17 and 18 will

1426
02:04:56,880 --> 02:04:59,280
not be taken up today either. uh for

1427
02:04:59,280 --> 02:05:00,800
various reasons including that the

1428
02:05:00,800 --> 02:05:04,239
petitioners are not available.

1429
02:05:04,239 --> 02:05:08,950
>> Go ahead, Janice.

1430
02:05:08,960 --> 02:05:12,080
» Thank you very much um to the select

1431
02:05:12,080 --> 02:05:14,480
board for holding this public hearing. I

1432
02:05:14,480 --> 02:05:16,400
am Janice Khan, town member from

1433
02:05:16,400 --> 02:05:19,040
precinct 15 and a member of the advisory

1434
02:05:19,040 --> 02:05:21,360
committee. I'm also a former president

1435
02:05:21,360 --> 02:05:22,800
of the League of Women Voters of

1436
02:05:22,800 --> 02:05:24,400
Brooklyn.

1437
02:05:24,400 --> 02:05:26,960
Warrant article 8 very simply codifies

1438
02:05:26,960 --> 02:05:29,520
in our general bylaws that boards,

1439
02:05:29,520 --> 02:05:31,360
commissions, and committees subject to

1440
02:05:31,360 --> 02:05:33,599
the public the open meeting law are

1441
02:05:33,599 --> 02:05:35,520
prohibited from holding meetings on

1442
02:05:35,520 --> 02:05:38,800
federal, state, and local election days.

1443
02:05:38,800 --> 02:05:40,800
There are two exceptions, one for

1444
02:05:40,800 --> 02:05:43,520
emergencies and a second for bodies that

1445
02:05:43,520 --> 02:05:46,159
need to meet um for the administration

1446
02:05:46,159 --> 02:05:48,080
of elections.

1447
02:05:48,080 --> 02:05:51,679
So why this article and why now? Four

1448
02:05:51,679 --> 02:05:54,000
weeks ago, Ben Kaufman, Brooklyn's

1449
02:05:54,000 --> 02:05:56,719
elected town clerk, came before this

1450
02:05:56,719 --> 02:05:58,880
board during the public comment period

1451
02:05:58,880 --> 02:06:00,719
to speak on behalf of the voters of

1452
02:06:00,719 --> 02:06:03,119
Brooklyn to object to the select board's

1453
02:06:03,119 --> 02:06:05,760
decision to hold their regular public

1454
02:06:05,760 --> 02:06:08,239
meeting on September 1st, the day of the

1455
02:06:08,239 --> 02:06:10,480
Massachusetts primary election and

1456
02:06:10,480 --> 02:06:12,159
during hours when the polls were still

1457
02:06:12,159 --> 02:06:14,960
open. The select board after some

1458
02:06:14,960 --> 02:06:16,800
consideration and additional push back

1459
02:06:16,800 --> 02:06:19,199
from members of the community were able

1460
02:06:19,199 --> 02:06:21,199
to move their meeting eliminating the

1461
02:06:21,199 --> 02:06:24,480
conflict. So much gratitude for that.

1462
02:06:24,480 --> 02:06:26,800
But it raised a concern that in the five

1463
02:06:26,800 --> 02:06:29,280
decades that I have called Brookline my

1464
02:06:29,280 --> 02:06:32,239
home, it's something I never even

1465
02:06:32,239 --> 02:06:35,920
considered was an issue. We all continue

1466
02:06:35,920 --> 02:06:38,880
to watch with increasing concern norms

1467
02:06:38,880 --> 02:06:41,199
being broken at the federal level,

1468
02:06:41,199 --> 02:06:42,880
particularly those threatening our

1469
02:06:42,880 --> 02:06:46,560
national elections. In this moment, it

1470
02:06:46,560 --> 02:06:49,679
is with some urgency that I feel we need

1471
02:06:49,679 --> 02:06:52,239
to pass legislation to codify

1472
02:06:52,239 --> 02:06:54,560
Brookline's norm of not holding public

1473
02:06:54,560 --> 02:06:57,199
meetings on election days and to affirm

1474
02:06:57,199 --> 02:06:59,040
Brookline's commitment to support the

1475
02:06:59,040 --> 02:07:01,520
rights of voters and others who wish to

1476
02:07:01,520 --> 02:07:03,920
engage in the electoral process. So I

1477
02:07:03,920 --> 02:07:07,840
thank you for hearing this article.

1478
02:07:07,840 --> 02:07:10,239
>> All right. So let us let's open the

1479
02:07:10,239 --> 02:07:14,079
public hearing for article 8. Would any

1480
02:07:14,079 --> 02:07:16,000
members of the public like to speak on

1481
02:07:16,000 --> 02:07:18,719
warrant article 8.

1482
02:07:18,719 --> 02:07:20,079
Again if you're online you can use the

1483
02:07:20,079 --> 02:07:27,350
hand raise feature.

1484
02:07:27,360 --> 02:07:29,360
» All right seeing none we will close the

1485
02:07:29,360 --> 02:07:31,360
public hearing on warrant article 8.

1486
02:07:31,360 --> 02:07:32,560
Now, how about discussion amongst

1487
02:07:32,560 --> 02:07:34,480
ourselves here? Any select board members

1488
02:07:34,480 --> 02:07:36,239
have thoughts?

1489
02:07:36,239 --> 02:07:37,360
Bernard?

1490
02:07:37,360 --> 02:07:39,040
>> Um,

1491
02:07:39,040 --> 02:07:41,599
I I I would urge voting no action on

1492
02:07:41,599 --> 02:07:43,920
this. I

1493
02:07:43,920 --> 02:07:46,960
no one actually was inconvenienced.

1494
02:07:46,960 --> 02:07:50,960
The few people who attend our meeting um

1495
02:07:50,960 --> 02:07:55,360
for unlikely inconvenience. Um it was a

1496
02:07:55,360 --> 02:07:58,000
period between 5:30 or actually 6:30

1497
02:07:58,000 --> 02:08:00,880
since we had a executive session and 8

1498
02:08:00,880 --> 02:08:04,239
talk when there was an overlap of of the

1499
02:08:04,239 --> 02:08:08,159
voting and um our meeting.

1500
02:08:08,159 --> 02:08:10,800
I mean, I I'm a little concerned about

1501
02:08:10,800 --> 02:08:13,119
some of the language that, you know,

1502
02:08:13,119 --> 02:08:15,760
we're being associated or or compared to

1503
02:08:15,760 --> 02:08:18,079
the breaking of norms at the federal

1504
02:08:18,079 --> 02:08:20,320
level. I mean, that's just not what's

1505
02:08:20,320 --> 02:08:23,599
going on here. Um, so I'm I'm just

1506
02:08:23,599 --> 02:08:25,360
uncomfortable with the with the sort of

1507
02:08:25,360 --> 02:08:28,560
tone of of of this warrant article uh

1508
02:08:28,560 --> 02:08:32,159
given that u the the actual injury was

1509
02:08:32,159 --> 02:08:37,119
very minor if if at all.

1510
02:08:37,119 --> 02:08:37,920
Michael.

1511
02:08:37,920 --> 02:08:41,360
>> Um I would act

1512
02:08:41,360 --> 02:08:44,880
I'm a little bit torn um because on the

1513
02:08:44,880 --> 02:08:48,079
one hand I actually um agree with the

1514
02:08:48,079 --> 02:08:49,840
petitioner in some cases that the

1515
02:08:49,840 --> 02:08:52,800
codification of norms actually helps our

1516
02:08:52,800 --> 02:08:57,520
governance move forward. Um and I'm I I

1517
02:08:57,520 --> 02:09:01,760
would hesitate to decide a priority

1518
02:09:01,760 --> 02:09:03,679
which norms should be codified and which

1519
02:09:03,679 --> 02:09:05,840
ones shouldn't um as they get

1520
02:09:05,840 --> 02:09:08,480
identified. Um I think it is it is a

1521
02:09:08,480 --> 02:09:10,400
reasonable question to ask as to whether

1522
02:09:10,400 --> 02:09:13,119
or not they should be they should be

1523
02:09:13,119 --> 02:09:16,320
codified through legislation or policy

1524
02:09:16,320 --> 02:09:22,159
or or um practice. Um

1525
02:09:22,159 --> 02:09:26,079
that said, um I'm also curious um

1526
02:09:26,079 --> 02:09:30,560
whether or not uh the petitioner has

1527
02:09:30,560 --> 02:09:34,480
identified uh is this she said that um

1528
02:09:34,480 --> 02:09:37,599
this has not been a concern over 50

1529
02:09:37,599 --> 02:09:40,639
years. Um I'm wondering has this ever

1530
02:09:40,639 --> 02:09:43,920
been a concern is she aware of in other

1531
02:09:43,920 --> 02:09:47,360
Massachusetts uh municipalities? Um, is

1532
02:09:47,360 --> 02:09:51,040
this a one is this a one-off response to

1533
02:09:51,040 --> 02:09:52,960
a particular

1534
02:09:52,960 --> 02:09:55,520
uh scheduling event that occurred

1535
02:09:55,520 --> 02:10:01,040
roughly four weeks ago? Um, or is there any sort of broader context in

1536
02:10:01,040 --> 02:10:07,350
which this is this is substantial?

1537
02:10:07,360 --> 02:10:11,520
» I'd like to respond. So, um, so I would

1538
02:10:11,520 --> 02:10:13,920
say that, um, with many years of

1539
02:10:13,920 --> 02:10:17,360
experience writing and voting on bylaws,

1540
02:10:17,360 --> 02:10:19,520
general and zoning bylaws, it's my

1541
02:10:19,520 --> 02:10:22,639
experience that we do this in relation

1542
02:10:22,639 --> 02:10:24,880
to something that has happened. You

1543
02:10:24,880 --> 02:10:26,960
know, we are not preient, right? There's

1544
02:10:26,960 --> 02:10:29,119
an issue that arises that we maybe never

1545
02:10:29,119 --> 02:10:32,000
thought of. We create bylaws, general

1546
02:10:32,000 --> 02:10:34,719
bylaws, and we create zoning bylaws in

1547
02:10:34,719 --> 02:10:38,079
order to make our our government, I

1548
02:10:38,079 --> 02:10:41,360
think, more sensitive and more um

1549
02:10:41,360 --> 02:10:46,480
responsive to our local culture, um

1550
02:10:46,480 --> 02:10:48,800
things that are important to Brookline.

1551
02:10:48,800 --> 02:10:51,760
And I would say that um this is not

1552
02:10:51,760 --> 02:10:54,320
really a condemnation of this board and

1553
02:10:54,320 --> 02:10:57,360
this decision. It's really that it it

1554
02:10:57,360 --> 02:10:59,280
raised an issue that I hadn't thought

1555
02:10:59,280 --> 02:11:02,239
about that maybe it's a good idea for us

1556
02:11:02,239 --> 02:11:04,960
as a very forwardthinking community to

1557
02:11:04,960 --> 02:11:07,679
take this action and um whether other

1558
02:11:07,679 --> 02:11:10,800
communities do it that is related to

1559
02:11:10,800 --> 02:11:13,520
their own priorities, their own thoughts

1560
02:11:13,520 --> 02:11:16,079
about their their communities. But I

1561
02:11:16,079 --> 02:11:18,000
think for Brooklyn, this is one where we

1562
02:11:18,000 --> 02:11:21,119
have an enormous amount of of public

1563
02:11:21,119 --> 02:11:23,119
participation in our government, whether

1564
02:11:23,119 --> 02:11:26,880
it's volunteering for boards or um or

1565
02:11:26,880 --> 02:11:29,599
running for office. I mean, this is a

1566
02:11:29,599 --> 02:11:34,560
very active community. And I think that passing this legislation would just

1567
02:11:34,560 --> 02:11:38,800
honor the community that we have. And um

1568
02:11:38,800 --> 02:11:40,719
so I this is not meant to be a personal

1569
02:11:40,719 --> 02:11:43,119
attack. It's just the way our laws

1570
02:11:43,119 --> 02:11:45,599
emerge in Brooklyn. It tends to be

1571
02:11:45,599 --> 02:11:47,840
something happens and then we have a

1572
02:11:47,840 --> 02:11:52,229
response and we take action.

1573
02:11:52,239 --> 02:11:54,320
» Maybe something just to add to that is

1574
02:11:54,320 --> 02:11:55,920
that the secretary of state has said

1575
02:11:55,920 --> 02:11:58,320
that there are some some bodies that are

1576
02:11:58,320 --> 02:12:00,079
not allowed to meet on election day by

1577
02:12:00,079 --> 02:12:03,920
law. Um and those are um uh public

1578
02:12:03,920 --> 02:12:06,560
hearings for held under zoning acts. Um

1579
02:12:06,560 --> 02:12:08,079
so boards of appeal, zoning board of

1580
02:12:08,079 --> 02:12:10,159
appeals, planning boards, etc.

1581
02:12:10,159 --> 02:12:12,480
>> Those may not be held on election day.

1582
02:12:12,480 --> 02:12:14,159
And then there's a state there's some

1583
02:12:14,159 --> 02:12:15,599
state bodies that can't meet on election

1584
02:12:15,599 --> 02:12:18,239
day, too. Um, the Secretary of State's

1585
02:12:18,239 --> 02:12:20,719
office recommends that communities not

1586
02:12:20,719 --> 02:12:22,880
hold meetings on election day. Um, but

1587
02:12:22,880 --> 02:12:24,960
there's no state order. And I know some

1588
02:12:24,960 --> 02:12:27,040
communities have codified that into

1589
02:12:27,040 --> 02:12:28,719
official law and some communities have

1590
02:12:28,719 --> 02:12:31,599
not. But in general, it is good practice

1591
02:12:31,599 --> 02:12:33,840
in the absence of, you know, a pressing

1592
02:12:33,840 --> 02:12:36,000
need. And in this case, I know you, you

1593
02:12:36,000 --> 02:12:37,280
know, this is this is something that

1594
02:12:37,280 --> 02:12:38,880
just comes up. But you know I think in

1595
02:12:38,880 --> 02:12:39,840
this instance

1596
02:12:39,840 --> 02:12:44,320
>> there was this question of what norms do we

1597
02:12:44,320 --> 02:12:45,760
>> when there's a conflict between norms

1598
02:12:45,760 --> 02:12:47,760
what do we follow um and so I think it's

1599
02:12:47,760 --> 02:12:49,040
a good opportunity to have this

1600
02:12:49,040 --> 02:12:50,480
conversation because one of the norms

1601
02:12:50,480 --> 02:12:52,000
that you follow is the select board

1602
02:12:52,000 --> 02:12:54,480
meets on Tuesdays Tuesday nights it's a

1603
02:12:54,480 --> 02:12:56,719
presumption of regularity people come to

1604
02:12:56,719 --> 02:12:59,040
expect it when we moved this meeting to

1605
02:12:59,040 --> 02:13:01,280
Monday Bernard pointed out you don't

1606
02:13:01,280 --> 02:13:04,159
often have a vast audience you know

1607
02:13:04,159 --> 02:13:05,679
concurrently a lot of people watch the

1608
02:13:05,679 --> 02:13:06,960
meetings more people watch the meetings

1609
02:13:06,960 --> 02:13:09,360
after the act. Um but it's not always

1610
02:13:09,360 --> 02:13:10,960
easy to see, you know, who's watching,

1611
02:13:10,960 --> 02:13:13,040
you know, concurrently on um big

1612
02:13:13,040 --> 02:13:14,960
streaming, for example, either on cable

1613
02:13:14,960 --> 02:13:18,480
or over um YouTube. Um so the total

1614
02:13:18,480 --> 02:13:20,480
number of people we think watch these

1615
02:13:20,480 --> 02:13:22,880
meetings can vary, but we do know that

1616
02:13:22,880 --> 02:13:24,400
it dipped pretty significantly when we

1617
02:13:24,400 --> 02:13:27,520
held that meeting on Monday. Um and uh

1618
02:13:27,520 --> 02:13:29,599
again, not to cast dispersions, but none

1619
02:13:29,599 --> 02:13:30,960
of the people that I saw raise

1620
02:13:30,960 --> 02:13:32,320
complaints about it came to that

1621
02:13:32,320 --> 02:13:35,520
meeting. Um, so it wasn't a matter of,

1622
02:13:35,520 --> 02:13:38,639
you know, it it it it was I I understand

1623
02:13:38,639 --> 02:13:40,320
what the norm is and I I want to be

1624
02:13:40,320 --> 02:13:42,000
clear that I value that norm. I don't

1625
02:13:42,000 --> 02:13:44,239
think we should ordinarily be meeting on

1626
02:13:44,239 --> 02:13:48,000
election days. But I also wonder whether

1627
02:13:48,000 --> 02:13:50,239
it is necessary to prohibit the meeting

1628
02:13:50,239 --> 02:13:51,840
on election days. And I think one of the

1629
02:13:51,840 --> 02:13:53,840
things that the petition does, the

1630
02:13:53,840 --> 02:13:55,920
Warren article does that is wise is it

1631
02:13:55,920 --> 02:13:57,360
exempts, you know, true, you know,

1632
02:13:57,360 --> 02:13:59,440
emergencies under the open meeting uh

1633
02:13:59,440 --> 02:14:01,840
law, which I think is smart. Um and

1634
02:14:01,840 --> 02:14:03,599
maybe that's maybe that's sufficient for

1635
02:14:03,599 --> 02:14:05,840
your purposes in terms of balancing. Um

1636
02:14:05,840 --> 02:14:08,079
but yeah, I think that question is how

1637
02:14:08,079 --> 02:14:09,199
do you how do you deal with those

1638
02:14:09,199 --> 02:14:10,719
competing norms which is there is an

1639
02:14:10,719 --> 02:14:12,320
expectation among the people who come to

1640
02:14:12,320 --> 02:14:14,320
this board regularly that it be held on

1641
02:14:14,320 --> 02:14:17,119
Tuesday nights. Um and when it deviates

1642
02:14:17,119 --> 02:14:19,760
from that there is a dip in attendance

1643
02:14:19,760 --> 02:14:22,320
versus the concern that you want to give

1644
02:14:22,320 --> 02:14:24,560
people the opportunity to vote. So it's

1645
02:14:24,560 --> 02:14:25,920
just a balance it's a balancing

1646
02:14:25,920 --> 02:14:27,599
question. Amanda,

1647
02:14:27,599 --> 02:14:30,000
>> I just wanted to ask uh and I don't know

1648
02:14:30,000 --> 02:14:33,920
if anyone knows this, but uh I know this

1649
02:14:33,920 --> 02:14:36,880
is the the first meeting that the

1650
02:14:36,880 --> 02:14:38,560
petitioner is aware of, but that doesn't

1651
02:14:38,560 --> 02:14:40,480
necessarily mean that there haven't been

1652
02:14:40,480 --> 02:14:43,280
election day meetings in our past. Um

1653
02:14:43,280 --> 02:14:44,719
>> I'm aware of at least two that have

1654
02:14:44,719 --> 02:14:46,639
happened on election days prior to that

1655
02:14:46,639 --> 02:14:49,440
scheduled meeting. um of both cases. I

1656
02:14:49,440 --> 02:14:53,119
believe it was on um um I'll get I'll

1657
02:14:53,119 --> 02:14:57,040
get the exact dates, but yes, we have we went to the archives and we found at

1658
02:14:57,040 --> 02:14:59,440
least two in recent memory um that were

1659
02:14:59,440 --> 02:15:02,000
held um

1660
02:15:02,000 --> 02:15:04,320
uh on an election day. And I know that

1661
02:15:04,320 --> 02:15:06,880
other boards and committees do tend to

1662
02:15:06,880 --> 02:15:09,440
hold their meetings on, you know, not

1663
02:15:09,440 --> 02:15:10,960
all of them, but boards and committees

1664
02:15:10,960 --> 02:15:12,480
that meet during the day on Tuesdays

1665
02:15:12,480 --> 02:15:14,079
will sometimes still hold their meetings

1666
02:15:14,079 --> 02:15:15,920
on an election day. So, it's not just

1667
02:15:15,920 --> 02:15:17,679
the select board that uses that. There

1668
02:15:17,679 --> 02:15:19,040
are other boards of committees that do

1669
02:15:19,040 --> 02:15:21,679
so. It's just not as not as many. Um, in

1670
02:15:21,679 --> 02:15:23,679
general, I think people try and honor

1671
02:15:23,679 --> 02:15:25,599
that request that we try not to meet on

1672
02:15:25,599 --> 02:15:28,560
election day when we can avoid it.

1673
02:15:28,560 --> 02:15:31,599
>> Was uh was there a reason for those uh

1674
02:15:31,599 --> 02:15:34,159
select board meetings to be held on that

1675
02:15:34,159 --> 02:15:36,159
day, for example, emergency or

1676
02:15:36,159 --> 02:15:37,599
>> there was no emergency there was no

1677
02:15:37,599 --> 02:15:39,199
formal declaration of the need for an

1678
02:15:39,199 --> 02:15:40,719
emergency meeting. We can pull the

1679
02:15:40,719 --> 02:15:43,280
agendas and figure out why. Um, but in

1680
02:15:43,280 --> 02:15:45,040
those both of those instances, they

1681
02:15:45,040 --> 02:15:47,360
passed without incident. No one no one

1682
02:15:47,360 --> 02:15:48,880
raised I looked at the minutes, no one

1683
02:15:48,880 --> 02:15:51,040
raised an objection.

1684
02:15:51,040 --> 02:15:54,880
>> Well, I agree with uh Bernard. I'm with

1685
02:15:54,880 --> 02:15:57,840
respect to a little bit of skepticism as

1686
02:15:57,840 --> 02:15:59,920
to how many people are genuinely

1687
02:15:59,920 --> 02:16:02,079
impacted in terms of an hour and a half

1688
02:16:02,079 --> 02:16:05,280
overlap. Nevertheless, uh it can

1689
02:16:05,280 --> 02:16:06,960
inconvenience some people. And

1690
02:16:06,960 --> 02:16:08,719
specifically, there was an email I

1691
02:16:08,719 --> 02:16:10,880
received from town meeting member Cat

1692
02:16:10,880 --> 02:16:14,239
Anderson about pole workers. And pole

1693
02:16:14,239 --> 02:16:16,960
workers more often than not tend to be

1694
02:16:16,960 --> 02:16:20,719
very engaged in local government. Uh I

1695
02:16:20,719 --> 02:16:22,320
know four personally who are definitely

1696
02:16:22,320 --> 02:16:24,400
very engaged. And for those four at

1697
02:16:24,400 --> 02:16:26,320
least, and there probably more, if

1698
02:16:26,320 --> 02:16:29,040
they're assigned to work the polls from

1699
02:16:29,040 --> 02:16:32,319
open to close, then they are forced to

1700
02:16:32,319 --> 02:16:35,120
make a decision. do we participate in

1701
02:16:35,120 --> 02:16:38,399
the uh municipal government meeting or

1702
02:16:38,399 --> 02:16:40,479
do we work the polls? And so for that

1703
02:16:40,479 --> 02:16:42,319
for for that it's a small group but it

1704
02:16:42,319 --> 02:16:44,880
is a group. We're inconveniencing them

1705
02:16:44,880 --> 02:16:48,160
at a minimum and beyond that we know

1706
02:16:48,160 --> 02:16:50,000
years in advance in some instances

1707
02:16:50,000 --> 02:16:51,920
depending on the election what election

1708
02:16:51,920 --> 02:16:54,399
day will be and so it shouldn't be too

1709
02:16:54,399 --> 02:16:56,880
difficult for us to work around that

1710
02:16:56,880 --> 02:16:59,760
when we are scheduling our meetings and

1711
02:16:59,760 --> 02:17:01,280
when other bodies are scheduling their

1712
02:17:01,280 --> 02:17:05,359
meetings. So from a policy perspective,

1713
02:17:05,359 --> 02:17:07,920
uh I think that this Warren article is

1714
02:17:07,920 --> 02:17:10,479
reasonable. There's plenty of time to

1715
02:17:10,479 --> 02:17:12,639
plan around it and that way we're not

1716
02:17:12,639 --> 02:17:15,439
inconveniencing anyone. One slight worry

1717
02:17:15,439 --> 02:17:18,719
I have is I would like to see election

1718
02:17:18,719 --> 02:17:21,599
day defined a little more clearly. I'm

1719
02:17:21,599 --> 02:17:22,960
pretty sure I know what you mean. You're

1720
02:17:22,960 --> 02:17:24,559
referring to the main day that people go

1721
02:17:24,559 --> 02:17:26,559
and vote, but in this era of early

1722
02:17:26,559 --> 02:17:28,000
voting, there are actually multiple

1723
02:17:28,000 --> 02:17:30,240
election days now. And that could become

1724
02:17:30,240 --> 02:17:32,000
a little bit problematic because we

1725
02:17:32,000 --> 02:17:33,599
don't know if in the future there will

1726
02:17:33,599 --> 02:17:36,080
actually be eight election days per

1727
02:17:36,080 --> 02:17:38,399
cycle and that could be trickier if we

1728
02:17:38,399 --> 02:17:40,880
can't meet on any election day including

1729
02:17:40,880 --> 02:17:43,120
early voting days. So if that could be

1730
02:17:43,120 --> 02:17:45,120
clarified I think that would be helpful.

1731
02:17:45,120 --> 02:17:48,479
>> Okay. Thank you very much. Um

1732
02:17:48,479 --> 02:17:53,439
>> Bernard um yeah we we can plan our

1733
02:17:53,439 --> 02:17:56,800
meetings far in advance to avoid any

1734
02:17:56,800 --> 02:17:58,800
problem because At

1735
02:17:58,800 --> 02:18:01,280
least since I've been when I was chair,

1736
02:18:01,280 --> 02:18:04,639
we started meeting not every uh Tuesday

1737
02:18:04,639 --> 02:18:08,240
but uh uh three or or mostly three

1738
02:18:08,240 --> 02:18:10,399
Tuesdays per month. So we can plan

1739
02:18:10,399 --> 02:18:13,359
ahead. My my concern is just the idea

1740
02:18:13,359 --> 02:18:17,120
that you know as was said this is voter

1741
02:18:17,120 --> 02:18:19,599
suppression that you know it's violating

1742
02:18:19,599 --> 02:18:26,240
some norms like at the federal level. I just hope we we're not,

1743
02:18:26,240 --> 02:18:28,160
you know, using this as sort of a cudel

1744
02:18:28,160 --> 02:18:30,559
against the select board in some way.

1745
02:18:30,559 --> 02:18:33,359
But yes, we can plan around it around

1746
02:18:33,359 --> 02:18:35,040
it. And I don't think there's a need for

1747
02:18:35,040 --> 02:18:37,280
a warrant article to do that. Just, you

1748
02:18:37,280 --> 02:18:38,880
know, an appreciation by the select

1749
02:18:38,880 --> 02:18:42,559
board that uh we plan around election

1750
02:18:42,559 --> 02:18:46,960
days as we see them coming up.

1751
02:18:46,960 --> 02:18:48,960
That's my opinion. Amanda,

1752
02:18:48,960 --> 02:18:51,359
>> I just wanted to add one point to the

1753
02:18:51,359 --> 02:18:54,000
competing disenfranchisement argument I

1754
02:18:54,000 --> 02:18:57,760
guess that Chaz was making. Um, and that

1755
02:18:57,760 --> 02:18:59,760
if we do move our our meetings, I

1756
02:18:59,760 --> 02:19:02,000
actually ran into the problem when we

1757
02:19:02,000 --> 02:19:03,519
had our Monday meeting before election

1758
02:19:03,519 --> 02:19:05,200
day that a poll worker reached out while

1759
02:19:05,200 --> 02:19:06,960
I was in the select board meeting and I

1760
02:19:06,960 --> 02:19:08,880
didn't get to it until too late to

1761
02:19:08,880 --> 02:19:10,719
address his concern where he was trying

1762
02:19:10,719 --> 02:19:12,479
to figure out how he was going to access

1763
02:19:12,479 --> 02:19:16,000
the polls in the morning. um and he had

1764
02:19:16,000 --> 02:19:19,439
no concept that we would be meeting on a

1765
02:19:19,439 --> 02:19:22,719
Monday night. Um and so I do think there

1766
02:19:22,719 --> 02:19:27,200
is always an unintended

1767
02:19:27,200 --> 02:19:30,160
consequence. Um and I am a little bit

1768
02:19:30,160 --> 02:19:33,439
concerned. I I'm kind of splitting the

1769
02:19:33,439 --> 02:19:35,599
case. I I do think that as a general

1770
02:19:35,599 --> 02:19:37,439
policy, we should not meet on election

1771
02:19:37,439 --> 02:19:39,760
days. Um and our our boards and

1772
02:19:39,760 --> 02:19:41,280
commissions, except for emergencies,

1773
02:19:41,280 --> 02:19:44,080
probably should not either.

1774
02:19:44,080 --> 02:19:48,319
Um, but I I do think it's a much more

1775
02:19:48,319 --> 02:19:51,040
complicated answer and I kind of wish

1776
02:19:51,040 --> 02:19:54,319
that this current Warren article maybe

1777
02:19:54,319 --> 02:19:57,040
turned down a few of the whereas clauses

1778
02:19:57,040 --> 02:19:59,040
um to make it more clear that this was

1779
02:19:59,040 --> 02:20:03,280
trying to codify a a norm to make

1780
02:20:03,280 --> 02:20:06,960
clearer expectations and less of a

1781
02:20:06,960 --> 02:20:08,800
fingerpointing exercise for lack of a

1782
02:20:08,800 --> 02:20:12,389
better term.

1783
02:20:12,399 --> 02:20:16,240
Um, so the may I respond? So the law

1784
02:20:16,240 --> 02:20:18,080
itself is really simple and doesn't have

1785
02:20:18,080 --> 02:20:20,560
any of the nuances that that people have

1786
02:20:20,560 --> 02:20:22,399
been raising concerns about. That's in

1787
02:20:22,399 --> 02:20:27,680
the explanation. The law is really quite simple that no meeting of

1788
02:20:27,680 --> 02:20:29,200
any board, committee or commission in

1789
02:20:29,200 --> 02:20:30,880
the town subject to the open meeting law

1790
02:20:30,880 --> 02:20:32,960
shall be held on any day in which a

1791
02:20:32,960 --> 02:20:35,120
state or municipal election or primary

1792
02:20:35,120 --> 02:20:38,000
is held. And I I take the chair's

1793
02:20:38,000 --> 02:20:41,680
clarification point. um

1794
02:20:41,680 --> 02:20:44,319
in in mine and then it se the other

1795
02:20:44,319 --> 02:20:46,640
section just has the exemptions. So

1796
02:20:46,640 --> 02:20:51,600
there's no there's no um nuanced

1797
02:20:51,600 --> 02:20:54,640
about that. You know, there's no um you

1798
02:20:54,640 --> 02:20:56,399
know, I think it's the formal election

1799
02:20:56,399 --> 02:20:58,080
day when people actually go to the polls

1800
02:20:58,080 --> 02:21:01,600
is what this is is talking about. And I

1801
02:21:01,600 --> 02:21:04,319
think that's pretty clear,

1802
02:21:04,319 --> 02:21:06,080
>> Bernard. And that includes special

1803
02:21:06,080 --> 02:21:07,840
elections. for example, if we were to

1804
02:21:07,840 --> 02:21:12,479
have a override election in July.

1805
02:21:12,479 --> 02:21:13,040
>> True.

1806
02:21:13,040 --> 02:21:14,080
>> Okay.

1807
02:21:14,080 --> 02:21:19,280
>> We want people to participate freely in the process. Yeah. So, as I was

1808
02:21:19,280 --> 02:21:21,280
suggesting before, I would be a bit more

1809
02:21:21,280 --> 02:21:24,560
comfortable if this clearly spelled out

1810
02:21:24,560 --> 02:21:26,560
that we're not referring to early voting

1811
02:21:26,560 --> 02:21:28,720
because early voting

1812
02:21:28,720 --> 02:21:30,960
can be over multiple days and that

1813
02:21:30,960 --> 02:21:33,680
really could create a logistical crunch

1814
02:21:33,680 --> 02:21:36,319
for any board if suddenly early voting

1815
02:21:36,319 --> 02:21:38,160
counts as an election day. So, I'd

1816
02:21:38,160 --> 02:21:40,319
rather not have any ambiguity.

1817
02:21:40,319 --> 02:21:42,560
>> I will I will have a conversation with

1818
02:21:42,560 --> 02:21:46,000
the town clerk and and work on

1819
02:21:46,000 --> 02:21:50,080
clarifying that. Thank you. Thank you.

1820
02:21:50,080 --> 02:21:53,200
All right. So, uh with that we will move

1821
02:21:53,200 --> 02:21:56,319
to our next agenda item

1822
02:21:56,319 --> 02:21:58,640
which is the memorandum of agreement

1823
02:21:58,640 --> 02:22:15,670
with win companies.

1824
02:22:15,680 --> 02:22:19,120
Good evening. I'm Amy Uaz. I'm the

1825
02:22:19,120 --> 02:22:20,880
housing and community planning director

1826
02:22:20,880 --> 02:22:22,720
in the department of planning and

1827
02:22:22,720 --> 02:22:24,800
community development.

1828
02:22:24,800 --> 02:22:27,040
And I'm here because at the last select

1829
02:22:27,040 --> 02:22:30,560
board meeting on September 15th, um the

1830
02:22:30,560 --> 02:22:34,080
board allocated up to $4 million for the

1831
02:22:34,080 --> 02:22:36,319
project at 99 Kent Street to

1832
02:22:36,319 --> 02:22:38,319
substantially re rehabilitate that

1833
02:22:38,319 --> 02:22:40,399
property and extend the affordability

1834
02:22:40,399 --> 02:22:43,120
restrictions for 99 years. The condition

1835
02:22:43,120 --> 02:22:46,720
of that approval was approval of the MOA

1836
02:22:46,720 --> 02:22:49,760
between wind companies and the town. Um

1837
02:22:49,760 --> 02:22:54,240
that MOA outlines the town's support for

1838
02:22:54,240 --> 02:22:56,640
um the extension of an air rights lease

1839
02:22:56,640 --> 02:22:59,040
with the MBTA. It outlines the support

1840
02:22:59,040 --> 02:23:03,200
for um the use of excess parking at the

1841
02:23:03,200 --> 02:23:05,359
existing parking garage located between

1842
02:23:05,359 --> 02:23:07,359
99 Kent Street and uh Village at

1843
02:23:07,359 --> 02:23:10,479
Brookline. And it also outlines what

1844
02:23:10,479 --> 02:23:13,040
will happen um when the current

1845
02:23:13,040 --> 02:23:15,040
affordability restrictions at villages

1846
02:23:15,040 --> 02:23:18,720
at Brooklyn expire in 2024 and how wind

1847
02:23:18,720 --> 02:23:21,760
has wind companies has agreed to

1848
02:23:21,760 --> 02:23:24,000
actually it's a village at Brooklyn the

1849
02:23:24,000 --> 02:23:28,399
um has agreed to um extend that those

1850
02:23:28,399 --> 02:23:30,960
reapply for the affordability uh

1851
02:23:30,960 --> 02:23:34,080
restrictions available through a housing

1852
02:23:34,080 --> 02:23:36,640
um a HAP contract for the projectbased

1853
02:23:36,640 --> 02:23:39,680
vouchers that are there and what would

1854
02:23:39,680 --> 02:23:41,600
happen if that funding weren't

1855
02:23:41,600 --> 02:23:43,280
available, how the town would

1856
02:23:43,280 --> 02:23:46,000
participate kind of in a 50/50 split

1857
02:23:46,000 --> 02:23:47,760
with extending those affordability

1858
02:23:47,760 --> 02:23:50,479
restrictions. I have Michael Alperin

1859
02:23:50,479 --> 02:23:52,000
with me. He's been our consultant

1860
02:23:52,000 --> 02:23:54,080
working on this. He's with Terara Living

1861
02:23:54,080 --> 02:23:56,399
Partners and he's been invaluable to

1862
02:23:56,399 --> 02:24:00,399
this process. And I al also on Zoom is

1863
02:24:00,399 --> 02:24:04,880
um Lauren Camperryi who is the senior um

1864
02:24:04,880 --> 02:24:07,600
project director for the project at 99

1865
02:24:07,600 --> 02:24:10,479
Kent Street. So there's no need we we're

1866
02:24:10,479 --> 02:24:12,240
seeking approval tonight, but there's no

1867
02:24:12,240 --> 02:24:15,439
need for the MOA to be signed tonight.

1868
02:24:15,439 --> 02:24:18,080
Um but approval of the MOA will allow us

1869
02:24:18,080 --> 02:24:20,880
to through a letter probably from um the

1870
02:24:20,880 --> 02:24:23,840
town administrator to fully support Wind

1871
02:24:23,840 --> 02:24:26,319
company's application for funding for

1872
02:24:26,319 --> 02:24:28,560
from the executive office of housing

1873
02:24:28,560 --> 02:24:31,520
livable communities.

1874
02:24:31,520 --> 02:24:33,280
So we're happy to answer any questions

1875
02:24:33,280 --> 02:24:35,920
you have. Um

1876
02:24:35,920 --> 02:24:38,960
>> Michael is our expert. Michael,

1877
02:24:38,960 --> 02:24:42,000
>> I'm just wondering, we did discuss this

1878
02:24:42,000 --> 02:24:44,720
last week um and sort of went through it

1879
02:24:44,720 --> 02:24:46,560
extensively and don't necessarily feel

1880
02:24:46,560 --> 02:24:48,720
the need to to rehash that. I'm just

1881
02:24:48,720 --> 02:24:50,720
wondering between then and now, has

1882
02:24:50,720 --> 02:24:52,640
there been any either substantive change

1883
02:24:52,640 --> 02:24:56,880
to the MOA um or other consideration

1884
02:24:56,880 --> 02:24:58,240
that we should be made aware of

1885
02:24:58,240 --> 02:25:00,640
following that conversation?

1886
02:25:00,640 --> 02:25:02,399
Um, I think there there was a minor

1887
02:25:02,399 --> 02:25:05,359
change. Um, nothing nothing significant,

1888
02:25:05,359 --> 02:25:06,960
>> but we did want to reach agreement

1889
02:25:06,960 --> 02:25:08,720
between their legal counsel and ours

1890
02:25:08,720 --> 02:25:10,560
before we brought it back to you.

1891
02:25:10,560 --> 02:25:14,000
>> But I I thought that there were some not

1892
02:25:14,000 --> 02:25:16,479
major changes, but some changes that

1893
02:25:16,479 --> 02:25:18,319
needed to be made in order to make the

1894
02:25:18,319 --> 02:25:22,000
MOA uh complete. And you're saying that

1895
02:25:22,000 --> 02:25:24,479
those are just minor? I believe those

1896
02:25:24,479 --> 02:25:27,040
happened right before the last select

1897
02:25:27,040 --> 02:25:28,720
board meeting, but I'd have to go back

1898
02:25:28,720 --> 02:25:31,280
and look at the there have been many um

1899
02:25:31,280 --> 02:25:33,680
iterations of this. You may be correct.

1900
02:25:33,680 --> 02:25:35,680
I'd have to look at the timing because

1901
02:25:35,680 --> 02:25:37,439
there were some significant changes

1902
02:25:37,439 --> 02:25:39,120
right around the time of the select

1903
02:25:39,120 --> 02:25:40,560
board's last meeting.

1904
02:25:40,560 --> 02:25:42,720
>> Um but then after those you reviewed it

1905
02:25:42,720 --> 02:25:44,160
that at that time and we came to

1906
02:25:44,160 --> 02:25:45,600
resolution on those and then there were

1907
02:25:45,600 --> 02:25:47,680
just some a couple minor changes after

1908
02:25:47,680 --> 02:25:50,800
that point.

1909
02:25:50,800 --> 02:25:52,000
>> Sure. Go right ahead.

1910
02:25:52,000 --> 02:25:53,280
>> Thank you. Thank you.

1911
02:25:53,280 --> 02:25:54,080
>> Welcome back.

1912
02:25:54,080 --> 02:25:56,479
>> Thank you, Bernard. Sorry. Sorry. Um

1913
02:25:56,479 --> 02:25:58,399
again, last week for trying to do this

1914
02:25:58,399 --> 02:26:00,479
via Amtrak train for during the day

1915
02:26:00,479 --> 02:26:03,359
meeting time. Um so just to reiterate

1916
02:26:03,359 --> 02:26:04,800
what Amy just

1917
02:26:04,800 --> 02:26:06,080
>> I'm sorry. Could you I

1918
02:26:06,080 --> 02:26:08,960
>> I'm Michael Alrren. I am a consultant in

1919
02:26:08,960 --> 02:26:11,600
this capacity for Terara Living Partners

1920
02:26:11,600 --> 02:26:15,040
engaged by the town of Brooklyn. Um and

1921
02:26:15,040 --> 02:26:16,960
used to be the executive director of the

1922
02:26:16,960 --> 02:26:18,800
housing authority in Brooklyn and town

1923
02:26:18,800 --> 02:26:20,560
meeting member and many boards

1924
02:26:20,560 --> 02:26:25,520
throughout town. Um so um

1925
02:26:25,520 --> 02:26:28,640
when and the town agreed on all the

1926
02:26:28,640 --> 02:26:31,040
terms that town council proposed and

1927
02:26:31,040 --> 02:26:33,920
that Amy and I proposed as well. There

1928
02:26:33,920 --> 02:26:36,880
was a minor change since what was uh

1929
02:26:36,880 --> 02:26:39,280
agreed to the day of your meeting last

1930
02:26:39,280 --> 02:26:42,080
week, which was that the metropolitan

1931
02:26:42,080 --> 02:26:44,560
fair area market rent was changed to

1932
02:26:44,560 --> 02:26:46,960
small area fair market rent, which is

1933
02:26:46,960 --> 02:26:48,399
how the Brooklyn Housing Authority

1934
02:26:48,399 --> 02:26:50,399
currently calculates its voucher payment

1935
02:26:50,399 --> 02:26:53,359
standard. So that's the minor change and

1936
02:26:53,359 --> 02:26:54,720
I think you are absolutely right,

1937
02:26:54,720 --> 02:26:56,960
Bernard. There were substantive changes

1938
02:26:56,960 --> 02:26:58,640
that were asked for on behalf of the

1939
02:26:58,640 --> 02:27:00,479
town and town council. All of those were

1940
02:27:00,479 --> 02:27:05,190
accepted by Wyn and the owner.

1941
02:27:05,200 --> 02:27:05,920
Amanda,

1942
02:27:05,920 --> 02:27:08,080
>> I'm wondering if um just for the

1943
02:27:08,080 --> 02:27:10,240
purposes of folks who might not turn

1944
02:27:10,240 --> 02:27:12,319
have tuned in to our last meeting, if

1945
02:27:12,319 --> 02:27:14,720
someone could give a highle summary of

1946
02:27:14,720 --> 02:27:17,520
what the MOA protections are for the

1947
02:27:17,520 --> 02:27:23,270
village.

1948
02:27:23,280 --> 02:27:25,920
» Um and War and Lauren can jump into if

1949
02:27:25,920 --> 02:27:27,600
there's any clarification the owner

1950
02:27:27,600 --> 02:27:30,479
wants to provide or developer. Um, any

1951
02:27:30,479 --> 02:27:33,120
tenants in good standing who are income

1952
02:27:33,120 --> 02:27:35,680
qualified at the village, who live in a

1953
02:27:35,680 --> 02:27:39,280
unit that is expiring use, which means

1954
02:27:39,280 --> 02:27:42,080
is subject to the 40T notice the town

1955
02:27:42,080 --> 02:27:45,120
received, um, will be held to rent

1956
02:27:45,120 --> 02:27:48,000
increases no more than 10% over the

1957
02:27:48,000 --> 02:27:52,479
coming years. Um, uh, or CPI plus three.

1958
02:27:52,479 --> 02:27:56,000
Um, and that is consistent with 40T and

1959
02:27:56,000 --> 02:27:57,760
above and beyond what's required by the

1960
02:27:57,760 --> 02:28:00,960
state statute. Um, most of the tenants

1961
02:28:00,960 --> 02:28:02,960
who are in good standing and income

1962
02:28:02,960 --> 02:28:05,680
qualified today also have a voucher. So,

1963
02:28:05,680 --> 02:28:07,520
they will be protected from any rent

1964
02:28:07,520 --> 02:28:09,760
increases that impact the tenants

1965
02:28:09,760 --> 02:28:12,000
themselves. There are two households

1966
02:28:12,000 --> 02:28:14,560
we've identified that are subject to

1967
02:28:14,560 --> 02:28:16,800
that agreement and in good standing and

1968
02:28:16,800 --> 02:28:20,160
qualified uh on an income basis. There's

1969
02:28:20,160 --> 02:28:22,960
then further protections if households

1970
02:28:22,960 --> 02:28:26,240
do income qualify that have not income

1971
02:28:26,240 --> 02:28:27,840
qualify to date and are in good

1972
02:28:27,840 --> 02:28:30,560
standing. Um and then there are

1973
02:28:30,560 --> 02:28:33,120
provisions about

1974
02:28:33,120 --> 02:28:37,600
the HAP units in 2044 that protect um 39

1975
02:28:37,600 --> 02:28:39,920
of the tenants that live at the property

1976
02:28:39,920 --> 02:28:42,560
today to have affordable rents at or

1977
02:28:42,560 --> 02:28:45,439
below 50% of area median income. the

1978
02:28:45,439 --> 02:28:47,680
owner will reapply for that HAP contract

1979
02:28:47,680 --> 02:28:49,600
to the housing authority on

1980
02:28:49,600 --> 02:28:52,160
substantially similar terms um no less

1981
02:28:52,160 --> 02:28:56,640
than 80 87% of the same economics um

1982
02:28:56,640 --> 02:28:59,120
that are in place today um on a

1983
02:28:59,120 --> 02:29:01,040
timeadjusted basis based on HUD's

1984
02:29:01,040 --> 02:29:03,760
published um rent schedules that's very

1985
02:29:03,760 --> 02:29:05,600
technical and sorry for saying that in a

1986
02:29:05,600 --> 02:29:07,680
bunch of jargon but basically tenants

1987
02:29:07,680 --> 02:29:10,399
will be insured if that HAP contract is

1988
02:29:10,399 --> 02:29:12,640
renewed their rent does not rise the

1989
02:29:12,640 --> 02:29:14,960
owner continues to receive revenues And

1990
02:29:14,960 --> 02:29:17,520
then as Amy described, if the owner is

1991
02:29:17,520 --> 02:29:19,680
unable to receive a HAP contract through

1992
02:29:19,680 --> 02:29:21,359
the Brooklyn Housing Authority on

1993
02:29:21,359 --> 02:29:24,319
similar economic terms, there's an

1994
02:29:24,319 --> 02:29:26,720
agreement between the owner and the town

1995
02:29:26,720 --> 02:29:28,880
to attempt to preserve affordability on

1996
02:29:28,880 --> 02:29:32,240
an ongoing basis in a 5050 share of the

1997
02:29:32,240 --> 02:29:34,880
costs of doing so relative to what the

1998
02:29:34,880 --> 02:29:37,439
rents are in other market units at the

1999
02:29:37,439 --> 02:29:39,520
property at that time.

2000
02:29:39,520 --> 02:29:40,319
>> Thank you.

2001
02:29:40,319 --> 02:29:44,399
>> No problem. Anyone else?

2002
02:29:44,399 --> 02:29:48,319
All right. With Oh, go ahead.

2003
02:29:48,319 --> 02:29:48,800
>> Somebody else.

2004
02:29:48,800 --> 02:29:50,560
>> Oh, that's fine. I was just gonna agree

2005
02:29:50,560 --> 02:29:52,560
with agree with Michael and say that

2006
02:29:52,560 --> 02:29:55,120
we're also, you know, committing to to

2007
02:29:55,120 --> 02:29:59,040
renovating um units that have reached

2008
02:29:59,040 --> 02:30:00,960
their end of their useful life as part

2009
02:30:00,960 --> 02:30:02,960
of the agreement as well.

2010
02:30:02,960 --> 02:30:05,200
>> All right. Thank you. So with that, I

2011
02:30:05,200 --> 02:30:07,280
will move approval of a memorandum of

2012
02:30:07,280 --> 02:30:09,359
agreement with wind companies related to

2013
02:30:09,359 --> 02:30:12,080
existing incomequalified tenants at 77

2014
02:30:12,080 --> 02:30:14,399
Village Way, support for Wind Company's

2015
02:30:14,399 --> 02:30:16,160
efforts in extending their air rights

2016
02:30:16,160 --> 02:30:18,880
lease with the MBTA for 99 years, and

2017
02:30:18,880 --> 02:30:20,800
support for the ability to rent excess

2018
02:30:20,800 --> 02:30:23,040
parking spaces in the existing parking

2019
02:30:23,040 --> 02:30:24,319
garage. Bernard,

2020
02:30:24,319 --> 02:30:24,960
>> yes.

2021
02:30:24,960 --> 02:30:25,600
>> Michael,

2022
02:30:25,600 --> 02:30:26,080
>> yes.

2023
02:30:26,080 --> 02:30:26,800
>> Amanda,

2024
02:30:26,800 --> 02:30:27,280
>> yes.

2025
02:30:27,280 --> 02:30:30,800
>> And I also vote yes.

2026
02:30:30,800 --> 02:30:32,720
>> All right. Thank you very much.

2027
02:30:32,720 --> 02:30:33,120
>> Thank you.

2028
02:30:33,120 --> 02:30:34,560
Amy. Thank you, Michael.

2029
02:30:34,560 --> 02:30:36,160
Thank you to Lauren and the wind team,

2030
02:30:36,160 --> 02:30:38,240
uh, and to the whole planning team and,

2031
02:30:38,240 --> 02:30:40,880
um, town council's office. Um, we look

2032
02:30:40,880 --> 02:30:43,280
forward to sending that letter.

2033
02:30:43,280 --> 02:30:44,640
>> Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

2034
02:30:44,640 --> 02:30:46,160
Everyone, have a good night.

2035
02:30:46,160 --> 02:30:48,640
>> So, with that, we will move to our next

2036
02:30:48,640 --> 02:30:50,880
agenda item, which is update and

2037
02:30:50,880 --> 02:30:53,040
possible vote on revised boards and

2038
02:30:53,040 --> 02:30:54,399
committees handbook.

2039
02:30:54,399 --> 02:30:56,000
>> Yes. Thank you, and I apologize to the

2040
02:30:56,000 --> 02:30:57,760
board. We were working on this up until

2041
02:30:57,760 --> 02:30:59,120
the 11th hour, so I don't think it's

2042
02:30:59,120 --> 02:31:00,720
wise to take a vote until you've had the

2043
02:31:00,720 --> 02:31:02,160
opportunity to review the most recent

2044
02:31:02,160 --> 02:31:04,479
red line. Um but I did want to flag that

2045
02:31:04,479 --> 02:31:07,760
it is in the packet. Um it and the most

2046
02:31:07,760 --> 02:31:09,359
substantive change based on the

2047
02:31:09,359 --> 02:31:11,359
conversation that we had last week was

2048
02:31:11,359 --> 02:31:14,000
to the um code of conduct section. Um

2049
02:31:14,000 --> 02:31:15,760
that section as Michael suggested now

2050
02:31:15,760 --> 02:31:17,520
doesn't have that box around it. So it's

2051
02:31:17,520 --> 02:31:19,280
it makes clear that it applies solely to

2052
02:31:19,280 --> 02:31:20,880
boards and committees appointed by the

2053
02:31:20,880 --> 02:31:22,800
select board. Um and it changes the

2054
02:31:22,800 --> 02:31:24,479
format. Um previously I just think

2055
02:31:24,479 --> 02:31:26,160
because it's been revised so many times

2056
02:31:26,160 --> 02:31:28,399
over the over the revisions and as many

2057
02:31:28,399 --> 02:31:29,840
hands have touched it, it just kind of

2058
02:31:29,840 --> 02:31:31,359
developed a sort of life of its own

2059
02:31:31,359 --> 02:31:33,280
where bullets said the same thing in

2060
02:31:33,280 --> 02:31:35,120
different ways and so forth. And so we

2061
02:31:35,120 --> 02:31:37,280
consolidated it so that it tries to be

2062
02:31:37,280 --> 02:31:39,920
very clear and concise about the here's,

2063
02:31:39,920 --> 02:31:41,439
you know, here's what a board and

2064
02:31:41,439 --> 02:31:43,520
committee member does. They're they are,

2065
02:31:43,520 --> 02:31:46,080
you know, almost to a person volunteers.

2066
02:31:46,080 --> 02:31:47,600
They need their time and expertise

2067
02:31:47,600 --> 02:31:49,439
should be respected. Here's what is

2068
02:31:49,439 --> 02:31:52,160
expected of them. Here's what they what

2069
02:31:52,160 --> 02:31:53,359
they should be doing. Here's what they

2070
02:31:53,359 --> 02:31:55,040
should not be doing. And then at the

2071
02:31:55,040 --> 02:31:57,120
end, there's language um that I think

2072
02:31:57,120 --> 02:31:58,640
resolves the issues that you were

2073
02:31:58,640 --> 02:32:00,720
discussing regarding what happens after

2074
02:32:00,720 --> 02:32:03,120
a vote is taken. um whether or not an

2075
02:32:03,120 --> 02:32:05,280
individual, you know, how an individual

2076
02:32:05,280 --> 02:32:06,960
can continue to express disagreement

2077
02:32:06,960 --> 02:32:09,200
with the with the position if they are

2078
02:32:09,200 --> 02:32:11,760
on the losing side without actively

2079
02:32:11,760 --> 02:32:13,760
sabotaging the implementation of that

2080
02:32:13,760 --> 02:32:15,120
decision from a public policy

2081
02:32:15,120 --> 02:32:17,920
perspective. So, um using your language,

2082
02:32:17,920 --> 02:32:20,240
David, I think we kind of thread that

2083
02:32:20,240 --> 02:32:22,319
needle. The other big substantive change

2084
02:32:22,319 --> 02:32:24,240
that's in there as opposed to stylistic

2085
02:32:24,240 --> 02:32:26,000
is the one we talked about about

2086
02:32:26,000 --> 02:32:27,520
boarding committee members doing uh

2087
02:32:27,520 --> 02:32:29,040
independent research, reaching out to

2088
02:32:29,040 --> 02:32:31,120
third parties, other municipalities,

2089
02:32:31,120 --> 02:32:33,439
contractors. And the proposed solution

2090
02:32:33,439 --> 02:32:35,280
there is that the if a board or

2091
02:32:35,280 --> 02:32:36,960
committee member wants to do that kind

2092
02:32:36,960 --> 02:32:38,800
of work that they first speak to the

2093
02:32:38,800 --> 02:32:40,560
assigned staff person and ask that

2094
02:32:40,560 --> 02:32:43,359
person to do that outreach and only then

2095
02:32:43,359 --> 02:32:45,040
if they don't get what they want or if

2096
02:32:45,040 --> 02:32:46,880
they don't get a response or so be you

2097
02:32:46,880 --> 02:32:48,880
know whatever there's at least a record

2098
02:32:48,880 --> 02:32:50,160
that they reached out to the staff

2099
02:32:50,160 --> 02:32:51,840
person and said hey I would like to do

2100
02:32:51,840 --> 02:32:54,160
this can you help me or you know can I

2101
02:32:54,160 --> 02:32:56,800
can you arrange this contact so that

2102
02:32:56,800 --> 02:32:58,960
there is a point a connection somewhere

2103
02:32:58,960 --> 02:33:01,200
and staff know that that contact is

2104
02:33:01,200 --> 02:33:02,640
taking place But it doesn't prevent it

2105
02:33:02,640 --> 02:33:04,479
from happening. It just tries to make it

2106
02:33:04,479 --> 02:33:06,319
so that in the first instance there's a

2107
02:33:06,319 --> 02:33:08,720
clear line of communication in terms of

2108
02:33:08,720 --> 02:33:11,200
you know who is who is the interlocator

2109
02:33:11,200 --> 02:33:14,479
for the town in this regard. So um

2110
02:33:14,479 --> 02:33:16,160
preserves the ability to do it makes

2111
02:33:16,160 --> 02:33:17,920
sure that in the instances that were

2112
02:33:17,920 --> 02:33:19,359
concern people were concerned about

2113
02:33:19,359 --> 02:33:22,000
where either they didn't people don't

2114
02:33:22,000 --> 02:33:23,359
get back to them or what have you

2115
02:33:23,359 --> 02:33:24,800
there's still the opportunity to do

2116
02:33:24,800 --> 02:33:27,280
that. But at the very least it creates a

2117
02:33:27,280 --> 02:33:29,520
paper trail that the board member says

2118
02:33:29,520 --> 02:33:31,040
hey I would like to do this. Is that

2119
02:33:31,040 --> 02:33:34,479
okay? Um, and then there's no um there's

2120
02:33:34,479 --> 02:33:40,560
no concern that board members are are freelancing, right? You know, are purporting to represent the

2121
02:33:40,560 --> 02:33:42,240
authority that they don't have when

2122
02:33:42,240 --> 02:33:43,920
speaking on the town's or trying to

2123
02:33:43,920 --> 02:33:47,670
speak on the town's behalf.

2124
02:33:47,680 --> 02:33:50,000
» One one comment in the code of conduct

2125
02:33:50,000 --> 02:33:52,479
section. Um,

2126
02:33:52,479 --> 02:33:54,800
right now we have the line that says

2127
02:33:54,800 --> 02:33:56,720
members must not hold themselves out as

2128
02:33:56,720 --> 02:33:58,319
having authority to negotiate or enter

2129
02:33:58,319 --> 02:34:00,800
into agreements on the town's behalf.

2130
02:34:00,800 --> 02:34:03,840
Um, I think we were proposing something

2131
02:34:03,840 --> 02:34:06,319
more like proactively stating that they

2132
02:34:06,319 --> 02:34:09,760
do not have the ability. Um, so that

2133
02:34:09,760 --> 02:34:11,760
even if they do not present themselves

2134
02:34:11,760 --> 02:34:14,080
as having negotiating authority, it is

2135
02:34:14,080 --> 02:34:16,560
not presumed by a third party that does

2136
02:34:16,560 --> 02:34:18,000
not understand the inner workings of

2137
02:34:18,000 --> 02:34:20,560
town governance. I agree with Amanda. I

2138
02:34:20,560 --> 02:34:22,319
think part of that discussion was we

2139
02:34:22,319 --> 02:34:25,600
discussed maybe having a mandatory uh

2140
02:34:25,600 --> 02:34:28,800
disclosure in writing that needs to

2141
02:34:28,800 --> 02:34:31,840
accompany any outreach that is direct so

2142
02:34:31,840 --> 02:34:34,000
that it's very clear. I think that the

2143
02:34:34,000 --> 02:34:36,319
current language where it's just

2144
02:34:36,319 --> 02:34:38,720
contacting a staff member that might not

2145
02:34:38,720 --> 02:34:41,200
be sufficient because that doesn't

2146
02:34:41,200 --> 02:34:43,840
necessarily prevent the member from then

2147
02:34:43,840 --> 02:34:45,920
subsequently having a conversation that

2148
02:34:45,920 --> 02:34:47,760
could be misconstrued even if that's not

2149
02:34:47,760 --> 02:34:48,880
the intention.

2150
02:34:48,880 --> 02:34:51,040
>> But if there's a written disclaimer that

2151
02:34:51,040 --> 02:34:52,960
goes along with any such communication

2152
02:34:52,960 --> 02:34:54,960
then it's abundantly clear.

2153
02:34:54,960 --> 02:34:56,240
>> We can make that clear. Yeah,

2154
02:34:56,240 --> 02:34:58,000
absolutely.

2155
02:34:58,000 --> 02:35:01,359
Um, I haven't because of the the the

2156
02:35:01,359 --> 02:35:04,240
late hour I haven't had any opportunity

2157
02:35:04,240 --> 02:35:06,640
to review it. So, I'm going to just

2158
02:35:06,640 --> 02:35:08,000
reserve the right to do so,

2159
02:35:08,000 --> 02:35:08,560
>> of course.

2160
02:35:08,560 --> 02:35:12,399
>> Um, but I I had one sort of larger

2161
02:35:12,399 --> 02:35:15,280
question. The town currently has, and

2162
02:35:15,280 --> 02:35:18,160
it's accessible from the select board's

2163
02:35:18,160 --> 02:35:21,280
uh web page, a Town of Brookline code of

2164
02:35:21,280 --> 02:35:21,840
conduct.

2165
02:35:21,840 --> 02:35:26,479
>> Yes. that applies both to employees and

2166
02:35:26,479 --> 02:35:30,319
to members of public bodies. And so I

2167
02:35:30,319 --> 02:35:35,359
just I'm wondering whether um

2168
02:35:35,359 --> 02:35:39,600
whether this should in in any form

2169
02:35:39,600 --> 02:35:43,040
either supersede that or

2170
02:35:43,040 --> 02:35:44,720
uh the code of conduct should be an

2171
02:35:44,720 --> 02:35:50,479
employee code of conduct and then the um public bodies is handled

2172
02:35:50,479 --> 02:35:53,600
independently um or how how they sort of

2173
02:35:53,600 --> 02:35:55,040
cross reference each other.

2174
02:35:55,040 --> 02:35:57,040
>> It's a great question. the so the code

2175
02:35:57,040 --> 02:35:58,800
of conduct that was initially passed by

2176
02:35:58,800 --> 02:36:01,439
the board in December of 2022, right?

2177
02:36:01,439 --> 02:36:04,319
>> Um was passed

2178
02:36:04,319 --> 02:36:06,720
>> as as I understand and this is right

2179
02:36:06,720 --> 02:36:08,560
when I first arrived in town. It was one

2180
02:36:08,560 --> 02:36:10,479
of the earliest projects that I

2181
02:36:10,479 --> 02:36:13,040
>> took on and I what I was realized at

2182
02:36:13,040 --> 02:36:15,280
that time was in the board's passage of

2183
02:36:15,280 --> 02:36:17,520
that code of conduct. It was never the

2184
02:36:17,520 --> 02:36:20,240
board did not express a clear intent

2185
02:36:20,240 --> 02:36:22,960
that it be a mandatory document. It was

2186
02:36:22,960 --> 02:36:24,800
basically sort of a set of community

2187
02:36:24,800 --> 02:36:27,760
guidelines because it was it was meant

2188
02:36:27,760 --> 02:36:29,439
to provide guidance both to people that

2189
02:36:29,439 --> 02:36:31,200
the board had jurisdiction over and

2190
02:36:31,200 --> 02:36:32,319
people the board did not have

2191
02:36:32,319 --> 02:36:35,040
jurisdiction over. So when issues

2192
02:36:35,040 --> 02:36:37,840
started to arise about members of the

2193
02:36:37,840 --> 02:36:39,120
what happens if a member of the public

2194
02:36:39,120 --> 02:36:41,760
violates the code of conduct position we

2195
02:36:41,760 --> 02:36:43,280
took with those members of the public

2196
02:36:43,280 --> 02:36:45,040
was this is an opportunity for

2197
02:36:45,040 --> 02:36:47,120
education. We can send you a copy of the

2198
02:36:47,120 --> 02:36:49,040
code of conduct. Please you know we

2199
02:36:49,040 --> 02:36:50,960
encourage everyone to follow it. When it

2200
02:36:50,960 --> 02:36:53,120
came to employees, there was the

2201
02:36:53,120 --> 02:36:54,800
argument that was made. Certainly, we

2202
02:36:54,800 --> 02:36:56,479
didn't collectively bargain it, so it

2203
02:36:56,479 --> 02:36:58,160
didn't apply to the unions. And then

2204
02:36:58,160 --> 02:37:00,240
non-UN employees raised the issue, well,

2205
02:37:00,240 --> 02:37:01,920
if it doesn't apply to union employees,

2206
02:37:01,920 --> 02:37:04,080
why should it apply to us? Um, with

2207
02:37:04,080 --> 02:37:06,319
mandatory force. And so, ultimately,

2208
02:37:06,319 --> 02:37:09,600
that code of conduct has been viewed as

2209
02:37:09,600 --> 02:37:12,240
um a state a statement of goals or

2210
02:37:12,240 --> 02:37:14,000
statement of policy, but not as an

2211
02:37:14,000 --> 02:37:16,720
enforcable code of conduct with regard

2212
02:37:16,720 --> 02:37:19,280
to employees or members of the public.

2213
02:37:19,280 --> 02:37:21,680
Okay. And so I do think it is worth in

2214
02:37:21,680 --> 02:37:23,439
this instance what you are creating is

2215
02:37:23,439 --> 02:37:25,520
an enforcable code of conduct for boards

2216
02:37:25,520 --> 02:37:27,120
and committee members. So I think there

2217
02:37:27,120 --> 02:37:30,880
is because you say in this um handbook

2218
02:37:30,880 --> 02:37:32,560
failure to follow the guidance of this

2219
02:37:32,560 --> 02:37:34,640
handbook can results in you know you

2220
02:37:34,640 --> 02:37:36,560
being not reappointed or asked to to

2221
02:37:36,560 --> 02:37:39,760
step down. Um, so I do think there is a

2222
02:37:39,760 --> 02:37:41,280
difference between this document and

2223
02:37:41,280 --> 02:37:43,120
that document and I think it's worth

2224
02:37:43,120 --> 02:37:45,120
revisiting that code of conduct in a

2225
02:37:45,120 --> 02:37:47,280
broader context especially since we are

2226
02:37:47,280 --> 02:37:49,840
now going coming up on a new cycle of

2227
02:37:49,840 --> 02:37:52,960
negotiations with our main unions.

2228
02:37:52,960 --> 02:37:56,399
>> Um, you in your explanation said members

2229
02:37:56,399 --> 02:37:59,280
of the public and I'm just want a

2230
02:37:59,280 --> 02:38:01,760
clarification. Did you mean members of

2231
02:38:01,760 --> 02:38:04,240
the general public or members of public

2232
02:38:04,240 --> 02:38:05,040
bodies?

2233
02:38:05,040 --> 02:38:07,200
>> All all of the above. you know, someone

2234
02:38:07,200 --> 02:38:09,920
comes into a public building yelling and

2235
02:38:09,920 --> 02:38:12,000
screaming, calling someone names. You

2236
02:38:12,000 --> 02:38:14,160
know, we were, you know, we've we've had

2237
02:38:14,160 --> 02:38:15,760
some success actually in, you know,

2238
02:38:15,760 --> 02:38:17,600
calming people down, talking through and

2239
02:38:17,600 --> 02:38:19,920
say, "Hey, look, on the wall on every

2240
02:38:19,920 --> 02:38:21,520
floor of town hall is this code of

2241
02:38:21,520 --> 02:38:22,960
conduct says you're going to treat we're

2242
02:38:22,960 --> 02:38:24,080
going to treat you with respect. You

2243
02:38:24,080 --> 02:38:25,680
treat us with respect. Can you please

2244
02:38:25,680 --> 02:38:27,200
stop shouting and tell us what it is

2245
02:38:27,200 --> 02:38:29,200
that we can how we can help you?" Um,

2246
02:38:29,200 --> 02:38:32,080
and you know, so that we we do try and

2247
02:38:32,080 --> 02:38:35,040
deploy that code of conduct broadly. say

2248
02:38:35,040 --> 02:38:37,040
this is kind of the compact we're trying

2249
02:38:37,040 --> 02:38:38,560
to make with the public. You know, we

2250
02:38:38,560 --> 02:38:39,920
make these commitments to you, you make

2251
02:38:39,920 --> 02:38:41,840
these commitments to us. Um, but it's

2252
02:38:41,840 --> 02:38:43,359
not enforceable. You know, it's not

2253
02:38:43,359 --> 02:38:44,479
something that we can discipline

2254
02:38:44,479 --> 02:38:46,960
somebody over. Um, and it is not

2255
02:38:46,960 --> 02:38:49,040
something that we can use in the

2256
02:38:49,040 --> 02:38:50,960
abstract to say, you know, to a border

2257
02:38:50,960 --> 02:38:52,960
committee member, hey, you know, I have

2258
02:38:52,960 --> 02:38:54,399
definitely said to some boarding

2259
02:38:54,399 --> 02:38:55,920
committee members, hey, listen, here's a

2260
02:38:55,920 --> 02:38:57,359
copy of the code of conduct. Do you

2261
02:38:57,359 --> 02:38:58,640
think that your behavior is following

2262
02:38:58,640 --> 02:39:00,640
this code of conduct? Um, but I haven't

2263
02:39:00,640 --> 02:39:02,319
I have no authority to discipline them

2264
02:39:02,319 --> 02:39:03,200
over it.

2265
02:39:03,200 --> 02:39:06,080
>> Right. I'm I'm just the thing I'm

2266
02:39:06,080 --> 02:39:08,960
concerned about is is the confusion of

2267
02:39:08,960 --> 02:39:11,120
language. If you use code of conduct in

2268
02:39:11,120 --> 02:39:13,520
an enforceable sense within the handbook

2269
02:39:13,520 --> 02:39:16,640
and not in an enforceable sense in the

2270
02:39:16,640 --> 02:39:20,000
broader then then maybe we should not

2271
02:39:20,000 --> 02:39:22,080
use the same language to mean two

2272
02:39:22,080 --> 02:39:23,760
different things in two different cases.

2273
02:39:23,760 --> 02:39:28,800
>> I can think of a different term for this set of enforceable guidance.

2274
02:39:28,800 --> 02:39:32,160
>> Yes, I think that's the right choice.

2275
02:39:32,160 --> 02:39:33,680
Anyone

2276
02:39:33,680 --> 02:39:36,000
else?

2277
02:39:36,000 --> 02:39:38,000
>> All right. So, it seems that

2278
02:39:38,000 --> 02:39:41,120
>> I question in the um actually in this

2279
02:39:41,120 --> 02:39:43,120
version that you sent around today,

2280
02:39:43,120 --> 02:39:45,600
there's some language that is in boxes

2281
02:39:45,600 --> 02:39:49,040
and I thought that that related to um

2282
02:39:49,040 --> 02:39:51,120
those things that don't apply to select

2283
02:39:51,120 --> 02:39:54,399
board appointed uh public bodies. Is

2284
02:39:54,399 --> 02:39:56,160
there a reason why we can't take that

2285
02:39:56,160 --> 02:40:00,000
out? And because it's very um it

2286
02:40:00,000 --> 02:40:01,760
clutters up the the handbook.

2287
02:40:01,760 --> 02:40:03,439
>> Let me take you let us take a look at

2288
02:40:03,439 --> 02:40:05,680
that. You know, we we we were trying to

2289
02:40:05,680 --> 02:40:08,160
because because the document is helpful

2290
02:40:08,160 --> 02:40:10,240
to bodies that are not select board

2291
02:40:10,240 --> 02:40:11,439
appointed, it can be helpful to

2292
02:40:11,439 --> 02:40:12,880
highlight to them like, hey, here are

2293
02:40:12,880 --> 02:40:14,319
the sections that we think might apply

2294
02:40:14,319 --> 02:40:17,359
to your operations. Um, but if you think

2295
02:40:17,359 --> 02:40:19,040
that's if if you as a board think that's

2296
02:40:19,040 --> 02:40:21,040
cluttering, we're happy to, you know,

2297
02:40:21,040 --> 02:40:22,960
dispense with that that formatting

2298
02:40:22,960 --> 02:40:25,040
>> or or there may be a clearer way to

2299
02:40:25,040 --> 02:40:26,560
present that

2300
02:40:26,560 --> 02:40:28,160
>> than a than a box.

2301
02:40:28,160 --> 02:40:28,479
>> Yeah.

2302
02:40:28,479 --> 02:40:29,840
You might even just be able to

2303
02:40:29,840 --> 02:40:33,520
have a cover sheet that says 3.1, 3.6,

2304
02:40:33,520 --> 02:40:36,560
whatever it is applies to all bodies.

2305
02:40:36,560 --> 02:40:38,399
Um, regardless of whether

2306
02:40:38,399 --> 02:40:39,840
>> I think sometimes, as you can see, it's

2307
02:40:39,840 --> 02:40:41,200
like, you know, even like with within

2308
02:40:41,200 --> 02:40:42,560
the introduction, you know, there's like

2309
02:40:42,560 --> 02:40:44,880
there are boxes, you know, paragraph by

2310
02:40:44,880 --> 02:40:46,240
paragraph. Some of them apply, some of

2311
02:40:46,240 --> 02:40:47,359
them don't. Um,

2312
02:40:47,359 --> 02:40:53,280
>> I mean, you you could just highlight or in bold type say this applies to

2313
02:40:53,280 --> 02:40:55,680
nonflight board.

2314
02:40:55,680 --> 02:40:59,280
>> I think that makes it more easily read

2315
02:40:59,280 --> 02:41:01,439
and less confusing.

2316
02:41:01,439 --> 02:41:03,040
>> I agree.

2317
02:41:03,040 --> 02:41:05,680
>> Okay,

2318
02:41:05,680 --> 02:41:08,240
>> we will we will consult our formatting

2319
02:41:08,240 --> 02:41:09,439
team.

2320
02:41:09,439 --> 02:41:14,319
>> All right. Anyone else want to comment?

2321
02:41:14,319 --> 02:41:16,880
Okay, then we will vote on this at a

2322
02:41:16,880 --> 02:41:19,120
subsequent date as you've received some

2323
02:41:19,120 --> 02:41:19,920
more feedback.

2324
02:41:19,920 --> 02:41:20,960
>> Thank you.

2325
02:41:20,960 --> 02:41:22,399
>> And thank you for all the work that's

2326
02:41:22,399 --> 02:41:25,200
got into this. We will now move on to

2327
02:41:25,200 --> 02:41:27,680
our final item of the evening, long

2328
02:41:27,680 --> 02:41:30,240
range and strategic plans progress

2329
02:41:30,240 --> 02:41:32,160
discussion of cadence for updating the

2330
02:41:32,160 --> 02:41:34,319
board on the progress of long range and

2331
02:41:34,319 --> 02:41:36,160
other strategic plans.

2332
02:41:36,160 --> 02:41:37,920
>> Thank you. I will I'll take this as well

2333
02:41:37,920 --> 02:41:40,000
and I'll share my screen with you all.

2334
02:41:40,000 --> 02:41:41,840
Um

2335
02:41:41,840 --> 02:41:45,120
you can see here um this is our internal

2336
02:41:45,120 --> 02:41:50,960
tracker of board um uh uh plans.

2337
02:41:50,960 --> 02:41:52,000
>> That any bigger?

2338
02:41:52,000 --> 02:41:54,640
>> Can I make that any bigger? Yes. Is it

2339
02:41:54,640 --> 02:41:57,520
going to help you? I don't know. I will

2340
02:41:57,520 --> 02:41:58,479
do my best.

2341
02:41:58,479 --> 02:42:02,469
>> Thank you.

2342
02:42:02,479 --> 02:42:05,040
» Um so you can see here um the list that

2343
02:42:05,040 --> 02:42:07,120
we are creating in terms of long range

2344
02:42:07,120 --> 02:42:09,520
or mid-range strategic plans. We have

2345
02:42:09,520 --> 02:42:11,359
the name of the plan, the department and

2346
02:42:11,359 --> 02:42:13,200
division that it belongs to, a link to

2347
02:42:13,200 --> 02:42:16,080
the plan itself, um the time horizon of

2348
02:42:16,080 --> 02:42:18,720
the plan, when it is updated, the

2349
02:42:18,720 --> 02:42:20,960
importance of renewing it on time, the

2350
02:42:20,960 --> 02:42:22,800
update cadence that we are suggesting

2351
02:42:22,800 --> 02:42:25,600
for the select board, um the method of

2352
02:42:25,600 --> 02:42:27,840
which we would recommend um updating

2353
02:42:27,840 --> 02:42:30,080
you, and then the contact person for

2354
02:42:30,080 --> 02:42:32,160
when you have questions about what was

2355
02:42:32,160 --> 02:42:33,840
going on with a particular plan or

2356
02:42:33,840 --> 02:42:36,240
policy. I wanted to share this with you

2357
02:42:36,240 --> 02:42:38,080
here in advance of publishing it more

2358
02:42:38,080 --> 02:42:39,760
broadly and sharing it with both you and

2359
02:42:39,760 --> 02:42:42,560
the public to double check one if there

2360
02:42:42,560 --> 02:42:44,399
is additional information about these

2361
02:42:44,399 --> 02:42:46,960
plans that you would like covered

2362
02:42:46,960 --> 02:42:51,200
besides these um these uh uh columns you

2363
02:42:51,200 --> 02:42:55,840
see here and um to um just have a

2364
02:42:55,840 --> 02:42:57,840
discussion more generally about the

2365
02:42:57,840 --> 02:43:00,560
cadence of these um presentations. One

2366
02:43:00,560 --> 02:43:02,000
of the things that I want to avoid, you

2367
02:43:02,000 --> 02:43:03,359
know, it's good. It's, you know, we

2368
02:43:03,359 --> 02:43:04,319
talked a little bit earlier about

2369
02:43:04,319 --> 02:43:06,319
codifying norms and practices and so

2370
02:43:06,319 --> 02:43:08,160
forth. It's really great that we are

2371
02:43:08,160 --> 02:43:10,479
moving into, you know, in on a

2372
02:43:10,479 --> 02:43:12,319
department by department basis increased

2373
02:43:12,319 --> 02:43:15,120
strategic planning and long range um

2374
02:43:15,120 --> 02:43:18,640
policy um focus. Um what we don't want

2375
02:43:18,640 --> 02:43:20,240
to do is wind up in a situation where

2376
02:43:20,240 --> 02:43:21,680
all of our time is spent updating our

2377
02:43:21,680 --> 02:43:23,680
plans. Um we want to be implementing the

2378
02:43:23,680 --> 02:43:26,880
plans. So um you can see here that we

2379
02:43:26,880 --> 02:43:31,200
have um 22 uh plan Sorry, 21 plans

2380
02:43:31,200 --> 02:43:36,960
listed here. Uh, of which, um, some are, plans that were, for

2381
02:43:36,960 --> 02:43:40,000
example, the strategic asset um, and

2382
02:43:40,000 --> 02:43:42,000
major parcel study was commissioned as

2383
02:43:42,000 --> 02:43:44,640
part of the 2018 override. Um, and there

2384
02:43:44,640 --> 02:43:46,640
was never a proposal made to update it.

2385
02:43:46,640 --> 02:43:48,240
Um, it's included here for sake of

2386
02:43:48,240 --> 02:43:50,880
completeness. Um, but it is one of the

2387
02:43:50,880 --> 02:43:53,040
odd plans out in the sense that it

2388
02:43:53,040 --> 02:43:55,439
provides valuable guidance to us, but it

2389
02:43:55,439 --> 02:43:58,080
doesn't actually have um, a cadence for

2390
02:43:58,080 --> 02:44:01,200
updates to the board. Um similar and you

2391
02:44:01,200 --> 02:44:03,600
know you can see similarly with um the

2392
02:44:03,600 --> 02:44:05,120
2022

2393
02:44:05,120 --> 02:44:07,600
um uh transportation and mobility plan.

2394
02:44:07,600 --> 02:44:09,840
There is no um language in that plan

2395
02:44:09,840 --> 02:44:12,640
about when the next major update is. But

2396
02:44:12,640 --> 02:44:14,399
obviously one of the things that's

2397
02:44:14,399 --> 02:44:16,080
happened since that plan was published

2398
02:44:16,080 --> 02:44:17,680
is that we have been updating the data

2399
02:44:17,680 --> 02:44:20,479
in underlining under underlying it on an

2400
02:44:20,479 --> 02:44:23,359
annual basis. And so the publication of

2401
02:44:23,359 --> 02:44:26,800
the plan itself is a um a starting

2402
02:44:26,800 --> 02:44:29,200
point, but then every year you will see

2403
02:44:29,200 --> 02:44:31,279
the commissioner come in with an updated

2404
02:44:31,279 --> 02:44:34,000
version of that um you know now

2405
02:44:34,000 --> 02:44:35,840
ubiquitous graph about if we spend x

2406
02:44:35,840 --> 02:44:37,040
amount of dollars the quality of the

2407
02:44:37,040 --> 02:44:38,640
roads goes up. If we spend x amount of

2408
02:44:38,640 --> 02:44:39,920
dollars the quality of the roads is

2409
02:44:39,920 --> 02:44:41,359
maintained. If we spend less than x

2410
02:44:41,359 --> 02:44:42,560
amount of dollars, the quality of the

2411
02:44:42,560 --> 02:44:44,720
roads goes down because we update that

2412
02:44:44,720 --> 02:44:46,800
number every year, which we were not

2413
02:44:46,800 --> 02:44:50,399
always doing prior to the catalyst of

2414
02:44:50,399 --> 02:44:52,640
that transportation and mobility plan.

2415
02:44:52,640 --> 02:44:56,880
Um, so there are, you know, I we when we

2416
02:44:56,880 --> 02:44:58,399
circulate this document, I think the

2417
02:44:58,399 --> 02:45:06,720
feedback that would be helpful for us is this too much information? Is there too much going on here? um you

2418
02:45:06,720 --> 02:45:08,479
know where possible we've tried to

2419
02:45:08,479 --> 02:45:09,680
identify when updates can be

2420
02:45:09,680 --> 02:45:11,279
consolidated or put in writing. For

2421
02:45:11,279 --> 02:45:13,200
example, there are a number of emergency

2422
02:45:13,200 --> 02:45:15,439
management plans on here and the EM team

2423
02:45:15,439 --> 02:45:17,520
is happy to consolidate updates of these

2424
02:45:17,520 --> 02:45:21,359
with other either with other plans um or

2425
02:45:21,359 --> 02:45:22,800
um with other emergency management

2426
02:45:22,800 --> 02:45:24,240
functions. So, it's not as though we

2427
02:45:24,240 --> 02:45:26,800
need to be updating all 21 of the all 21

2428
02:45:26,800 --> 02:45:29,520
of these in person with you on even on

2429
02:45:29,520 --> 02:45:31,200
an annual basis. Um there's the

2430
02:45:31,200 --> 02:45:34,880
opportunity for consolidation, but um we

2431
02:45:34,880 --> 02:45:36,800
want to hear from you if there's too

2432
02:45:36,800 --> 02:45:38,319
much in here, if there are things that

2433
02:45:38,319 --> 02:45:39,920
you were expecting to see in here that

2434
02:45:39,920 --> 02:45:42,560
are not in here. Um and if the

2435
02:45:42,560 --> 02:45:44,800
overarching cadence of this is um

2436
02:45:44,800 --> 02:45:46,800
appropriate, at which point we will

2437
02:45:46,800 --> 02:45:50,560
start building out your annual calendar

2438
02:45:50,560 --> 02:45:54,000
um with regular updates based on this

2439
02:45:54,000 --> 02:45:56,000
framework. So,

2440
02:45:56,000 --> 02:45:59,439
>> so my initial thought is that your your

2441
02:45:59,439 --> 02:46:02,240
uh projects or sorry your reports

2442
02:46:02,240 --> 02:46:03,760
essentially fall in a few different

2443
02:46:03,760 --> 02:46:06,000
buckets. There are those that we need to

2444
02:46:06,000 --> 02:46:08,560
have a formal updating of the report on

2445
02:46:08,560 --> 02:46:11,200
some regular cadence every five to 10

2446
02:46:11,200 --> 02:46:14,880
years for either internal purposes or or

2447
02:46:14,880 --> 02:46:17,840
for state funding. Um there are others

2448
02:46:17,840 --> 02:46:20,319
that I could see something like the Karp

2449
02:46:20,319 --> 02:46:23,040
where the update is not you need to redo

2450
02:46:23,040 --> 02:46:25,040
the whole plan. You just need to report

2451
02:46:25,040 --> 02:46:27,200
back on the progress that has been made

2452
02:46:27,200 --> 02:46:28,640
against said plan.

2453
02:46:28,640 --> 02:46:31,279
>> Um and so like the the cadence and the

2454
02:46:31,279 --> 02:46:33,359
type of feedback are different

2455
02:46:33,359 --> 02:46:35,840
>> in that regard. Um, and then maybe the

2456
02:46:35,840 --> 02:46:37,359
third category is what you were talking

2457
02:46:37,359 --> 02:46:40,160
about where there's a few one-off

2458
02:46:40,160 --> 02:46:42,479
uh reports that have been done and I

2459
02:46:42,479 --> 02:46:45,120
think when thinking about them, we

2460
02:46:45,120 --> 02:46:47,520
should view it in the context from which

2461
02:46:47,520 --> 02:46:52,080
they started. Um, so if the goal was to

2462
02:46:52,080 --> 02:46:54,479
identify major parcels that might be

2463
02:46:54,479 --> 02:46:56,319
ripe for development, theoretically the

2464
02:46:56,319 --> 02:46:59,200
update should come from our long-term

2465
02:46:59,200 --> 02:47:02,240
economic development team um, in the

2466
02:47:02,240 --> 02:47:04,080
context of whatever other updating

2467
02:47:04,080 --> 02:47:05,840
they're they're doing on a regular

2468
02:47:05,840 --> 02:47:08,160
basis. Um, so maybe even like thinking

2469
02:47:08,160 --> 02:47:10,080
about them into three different

2470
02:47:10,080 --> 02:47:13,279
categories. Um because you're right, I

2471
02:47:13,279 --> 02:47:16,560
can very much see way too much staff

2472
02:47:16,560 --> 02:47:19,040
time being put into words smmithing

2473
02:47:19,040 --> 02:47:21,359
documents that no one is going to read.

2474
02:47:21,359 --> 02:47:25,040
Um where I would rather know, especially

2475
02:47:25,040 --> 02:47:28,640
for things that um we have talked about

2476
02:47:28,640 --> 02:47:30,960
hitting milestones on a regular basis. I

2477
02:47:30,960 --> 02:47:33,439
would rather just have them spend their

2478
02:47:33,439 --> 02:47:36,720
time making progress and then saying

2479
02:47:36,720 --> 02:47:38,479
x amount of the vision zero high

2480
02:47:38,479 --> 02:47:40,560
priority network has vision zero

2481
02:47:40,560 --> 02:47:42,880
improvements. That's a much more valid

2482
02:47:42,880 --> 02:47:44,800
number to me than like rewriting the

2483
02:47:44,800 --> 02:47:46,319
whole vision zero plan.

2484
02:47:46,319 --> 02:47:48,640
>> And also a natural point at which many

2485
02:47:48,640 --> 02:47:50,319
of these departments and divisions are

2486
02:47:50,319 --> 02:47:52,000
going to deliver updates to you about

2487
02:47:52,000 --> 02:47:54,000
this is as part of the budget process,

2488
02:47:54,000 --> 02:47:55,760
right? you know this is when they

2489
02:47:55,760 --> 02:47:58,240
present to advisory that's really the

2490
02:47:58,240 --> 02:48:04,080
deep dive the digging into the the the lines and and so forth. This is you

2491
02:48:04,080 --> 02:48:05,439
their opportunity there are updates to

2492
02:48:05,439 --> 02:48:07,040
you on the select board are really an

2493
02:48:07,040 --> 02:48:09,600
opportunity to talk about goals and and

2494
02:48:09,600 --> 02:48:12,880
achievements and progress um and what

2495
02:48:12,880 --> 02:48:14,399
their hopes are for the coming fiscal

2496
02:48:14,399 --> 02:48:16,479
year. So as part of that they can build

2497
02:48:16,479 --> 02:48:19,040
these longer range plans some of these

2498
02:48:19,040 --> 02:48:21,279
longer range plans into that update. But

2499
02:48:21,279 --> 02:48:22,720
for some of them, I do think that you

2500
02:48:22,720 --> 02:48:25,279
are going to want standalone updates on

2501
02:48:25,279 --> 02:48:27,120
how things are going because of the

2502
02:48:27,120 --> 02:48:29,680
centrality of the plans to the overall

2503
02:48:29,680 --> 02:48:32,960
um goals and objectives of the town.

2504
02:48:32,960 --> 02:48:37,279
>> Um a couple of thoughts. Um

2505
02:48:37,279 --> 02:48:39,279
with regard to sort of the categories

2506
02:48:39,279 --> 02:48:42,960
that that Amanda laid out, um uh I was I

2507
02:48:42,960 --> 02:48:46,080
was sort of thinking thinking along

2508
02:48:46,080 --> 02:48:48,960
somewhat similar lines. Uh in

2509
02:48:48,960 --> 02:48:52,399
particular, uh I would like to know

2510
02:48:52,399 --> 02:48:54,640
which of these

2511
02:48:54,640 --> 02:48:58,479
um which of these plans have trackable

2512
02:48:58,479 --> 02:49:01,200
goals embedded within them and which

2513
02:49:01,200 --> 02:49:05,520
ones do not. Um and for the ones that

2514
02:49:05,520 --> 02:49:07,680
have trackable goals, you know, in the

2515
02:49:07,680 --> 02:49:12,720
case of the road map, you know, we've had we there's been some

2516
02:49:12,720 --> 02:49:16,240
discussion of of the stages of progress

2517
02:49:16,240 --> 02:49:18,720
and I know that such also exist in the

2518
02:49:18,720 --> 02:49:19,120
car.

2519
02:49:19,120 --> 02:49:19,520
>> Yeah.

2520
02:49:19,520 --> 02:49:23,520
>> Um I think that that kind of common

2521
02:49:23,520 --> 02:49:26,160
progress marker to the extent that it

2522
02:49:26,160 --> 02:49:33,359
can be adopted across more plans um in presentation will help streamline our

2523
02:49:33,359 --> 02:49:36,880
ability to absorb the information. So

2524
02:49:36,880 --> 02:49:40,640
building building out some some form of

2525
02:49:40,640 --> 02:49:44,560
consistent progress indicators

2526
02:49:44,560 --> 02:49:46,720
um for those plans that have specific

2527
02:49:46,720 --> 02:49:48,319
goals

2528
02:49:48,319 --> 02:49:50,560
um and

2529
02:49:50,560 --> 02:49:53,840
for that set of plans

2530
02:49:53,840 --> 02:49:56,880
um I'm not sure how much how how much

2531
02:49:56,880 --> 02:49:59,680
sort of detailed uh words smmithing is

2532
02:49:59,680 --> 02:50:04,880
necessary but certainly to know if a

2533
02:50:04,880 --> 02:50:08,160
particular goal or action that is being

2534
02:50:08,160 --> 02:50:10,640
uh measured along the along that

2535
02:50:10,640 --> 02:50:13,279
implementation or execution pathway

2536
02:50:13,279 --> 02:50:16,399
makes progress. Um I would actually like

2537
02:50:16,399 --> 02:50:22,640
to be able to see that information just that that one metric updated on a

2538
02:50:22,640 --> 02:50:25,439
quarterly basis. And the reason is

2539
02:50:25,439 --> 02:50:29,600
because because since there are so many

2540
02:50:29,600 --> 02:50:32,479
PL um of so many items that are being

2541
02:50:32,479 --> 02:50:36,000
tracked along that mechanism um by the

2542
02:50:36,000 --> 02:50:37,520
time you know if you look at this

2543
02:50:37,520 --> 02:50:39,200
annually and you try and look at all of

2544
02:50:39,200 --> 02:50:41,600
the things that people have worked on.

2545
02:50:41,600 --> 02:50:45,840
It's it's very hard to absorb

2546
02:50:45,840 --> 02:50:48,880
um and respond to and reflect on, you

2547
02:50:48,880 --> 02:50:51,279
know, what could be several hundred

2548
02:50:51,279 --> 02:50:54,319
action items that have been made that

2549
02:50:54,319 --> 02:50:56,720
we've made progress on and if there was

2550
02:50:56,720 --> 02:51:00,160
a

2551
02:51:00,160 --> 02:51:03,920
slightly faster rhythm specifically just

2552
02:51:03,920 --> 02:51:06,000
to indicate those items in which

2553
02:51:06,000 --> 02:51:09,120
progress has been made. Um I think that

2554
02:51:09,120 --> 02:51:11,279
would be helpful both for us to be able

2555
02:51:11,279 --> 02:51:13,920
to digest it and for broader

2556
02:51:13,920 --> 02:51:15,760
communication to the public.

2557
02:51:15,760 --> 02:51:18,319
>> So for clarification you would say on a

2558
02:51:18,319 --> 02:51:20,399
quarterly basis take the carp and be

2559
02:51:20,399 --> 02:51:22,560
like these three items we made progress

2560
02:51:22,560 --> 02:51:24,319
on this quarter and not talk about the

2561
02:51:24,319 --> 02:51:24,880
rest of them.

2562
02:51:24,880 --> 02:51:26,880
>> Right. And this one moved from planning

2563
02:51:26,880 --> 02:51:28,800
to implementation and this one moved

2564
02:51:28,800 --> 02:51:31,200
from implementation to complete and this

2565
02:51:31,200 --> 02:51:33,439
one moved from pre-planning. Now we've

2566
02:51:33,439 --> 02:51:35,520
started planning.

2567
02:51:35,520 --> 02:51:39,040
When when saying tracking, do you mean

2568
02:51:39,040 --> 02:51:41,439
measurable or beyond measurable?

2569
02:51:41,439 --> 02:51:47,120
>> Well, from my examination of plans, um I

2570
02:51:47,120 --> 02:51:49,279
to answer your

2571
02:51:49,279 --> 02:51:52,319
the your question, I think I'm talking

2572
02:51:52,319 --> 02:51:56,640
about trackable. Um if we have uh if we

2573
02:51:56,640 --> 02:51:58,560
are trying to track goals that are not

2574
02:51:58,560 --> 02:52:02,240
themselves measurable or we have a sense

2575
02:52:02,240 --> 02:52:04,000
of like sort of where they are in the

2576
02:52:04,000 --> 02:52:06,479
execution pipeline

2577
02:52:06,479 --> 02:52:08,560
um then I think that's a problem with

2578
02:52:08,560 --> 02:52:10,720
the goal and that should be that should

2579
02:52:10,720 --> 02:52:15,439
potentially be called out. Um

2580
02:52:15,439 --> 02:52:18,319
but but the the other piece of this that

2581
02:52:18,319 --> 02:52:20,479
makes that makes some of these goals

2582
02:52:20,479 --> 02:52:23,600
more complex is that some of the goals

2583
02:52:23,600 --> 02:52:26,720
as they're specified in plans are oneoff

2584
02:52:26,720 --> 02:52:31,120
goals like you know we want to uh we

2585
02:52:31,120 --> 02:52:33,680
want to reduce our vision zero deaths in

2586
02:52:33,680 --> 02:52:37,200
town to zero per year right and you know

2587
02:52:37,200 --> 02:52:39,760
we have all these sub goals and you know

2588
02:52:39,760 --> 02:52:42,880
the uh the the percentage of

2589
02:52:42,880 --> 02:52:44,640
implementation of bicycle network etc

2590
02:52:44,640 --> 02:52:47,279
and so forth. Um some of them are a

2591
02:52:47,279 --> 02:52:49,120
single goal that goes from beginning to

2592
02:52:49,120 --> 02:52:52,080
end. There are other goals however which

2593
02:52:52,080 --> 02:52:55,760
are ongoing where that cycle of

2594
02:52:55,760 --> 02:52:57,680
implementation

2595
02:52:57,680 --> 02:53:02,160
um is actually annual you know like

2596
02:53:02,160 --> 02:53:04,560
uh I can't think of an example off the

2597
02:53:04,560 --> 02:53:06,319
top of my head but many of the goals for

2598
02:53:06,319 --> 02:53:08,399
example in the carp say or the road map

2599
02:53:08,399 --> 02:53:11,120
say ongoing which means that you know

2600
02:53:11,120 --> 02:53:13,120
you you get it done in one year and then

2601
02:53:13,120 --> 02:53:15,840
you need to get it done in in a in a

2602
02:53:15,840 --> 02:53:19,520
future year. Um, and maybe for that set

2603
02:53:19,520 --> 02:53:22,160
of for that set of ongoing goals,

2604
02:53:22,160 --> 02:53:24,640
there's a different kind of cadence, but

2605
02:53:24,640 --> 02:53:27,120
I'm particularly interested in both for

2606
02:53:27,120 --> 02:53:28,560
our understanding and for the

2607
02:53:28,560 --> 02:53:30,479
understanding of the public when we

2608
02:53:30,479 --> 02:53:34,080
establish long range goals that have

2609
02:53:34,080 --> 02:53:36,399
multiple stages in terms of their

2610
02:53:36,399 --> 02:53:39,520
execution that we get more reporting on

2611
02:53:39,520 --> 02:53:40,399
those.

2612
02:53:40,399 --> 02:53:42,720
>> So, I I agree with your uh proposed

2613
02:53:42,720 --> 02:53:44,240
formulation.

2614
02:53:44,240 --> 02:53:47,120
uh I would propose maybe adding one

2615
02:53:47,120 --> 02:53:49,359
additional layer which would be to the

2616
02:53:49,359 --> 02:53:53,120
extent that the goals are quantitative

2617
02:53:53,120 --> 02:53:56,479
to provide that data as well where where

2618
02:53:56,479 --> 02:53:58,240
there's something that is tangibly

2619
02:53:58,240 --> 02:54:00,800
measurable as opposed to a qualitative

2620
02:54:00,800 --> 02:54:04,479
goal. So some of our goals are more

2621
02:54:04,479 --> 02:54:06,720
uh open-ended and subject to

2622
02:54:06,720 --> 02:54:08,479
interpretation. And so those can

2623
02:54:08,479 --> 02:54:10,240
certainly be tracked in terms of what

2624
02:54:10,240 --> 02:54:12,240
stage we're in similar to what we're

2625
02:54:12,240 --> 02:54:14,319
doing with the road map. But where there

2626
02:54:14,319 --> 02:54:16,479
is a goal that uh there's a specific

2627
02:54:16,479 --> 02:54:19,359
number having that specific number as a

2628
02:54:19,359 --> 02:54:21,279
data point I think would be helpful.

2629
02:54:21,279 --> 02:54:24,560
>> Sure. Yeah. And and for the for the

2630
02:54:24,560 --> 02:54:29,359
items which are uh maybe the term is

2631
02:54:29,359 --> 02:54:32,399
aspirational as opposed to measurable,

2632
02:54:32,399 --> 02:54:35,680
right? because um

2633
02:54:35,680 --> 02:54:38,319
you know I think I think I'm less

2634
02:54:38,319 --> 02:54:42,800
concerned personally about quarterly

2635
02:54:42,800 --> 02:54:45,040
progress on aspir on those aspirational

2636
02:54:45,040 --> 02:54:48,160
goals. I mean, they may still be they

2637
02:54:48,160 --> 02:54:50,640
may still be quantifiable in the sense

2638
02:54:50,640 --> 02:54:52,319
that, you know, if we if we, for

2639
02:54:52,319 --> 02:54:54,960
example, have a goal that says we want

2640
02:54:54,960 --> 02:54:58,160
2400 units of new housing by 2035 or

2641
02:54:58,160 --> 02:55:00,960
whatever number comes up in whichever

2642
02:55:00,960 --> 02:55:06,479
plan, um that that goal is relevant. Um,

2643
02:55:06,479 --> 02:55:08,640
I mean it certainly would be worthwhile

2644
02:55:08,640 --> 02:55:11,520
at some point having,

2645
02:55:11,520 --> 02:55:13,120
you know, knowing where we are along

2646
02:55:13,120 --> 02:55:15,520
that number, but that's that's a

2647
02:55:15,520 --> 02:55:18,640
different tracking piece than the

2648
02:55:18,640 --> 02:55:21,120
tracking piece of where we are in the

2649
02:55:21,120 --> 02:55:23,439
execution plan. And I think those two

2650
02:55:23,439 --> 02:55:26,080
things are distinct um, and may be

2651
02:55:26,080 --> 02:55:31,269
subject to different kinds of reporting.

2652
02:55:31,279 --> 02:55:33,600
» All right, anyone else?

2653
02:55:33,600 --> 02:55:34,399
Amanda,

2654
02:55:34,399 --> 02:55:37,840
>> uh, just one uh point. I I actually

2655
02:55:37,840 --> 02:55:39,920
liked your quarterly tracking, but I'm

2656
02:55:39,920 --> 02:55:42,800
thinking about staff workload for some

2657
02:55:42,800 --> 02:55:46,800
of those. And I don't want the tracking

2658
02:55:46,800 --> 02:55:48,960
to update us on a quarterly basis to

2659
02:55:48,960 --> 02:55:50,640
take the place of actually doing the

2660
02:55:50,640 --> 02:55:51,600
thing.

2661
02:55:51,600 --> 02:55:53,840
>> And so if that is too heavy a burden,

2662
02:55:53,840 --> 02:55:55,760
I'd rather go to less frequent updates.

2663
02:55:55,760 --> 02:55:57,200
>> And you know, all of this feedback I'm

2664
02:55:57,200 --> 02:55:59,760
writing down, we have our regular

2665
02:55:59,760 --> 02:56:01,200
department heads meetings. I'm going to

2666
02:56:01,200 --> 02:56:02,319
take this feedback back to the

2667
02:56:02,319 --> 02:56:04,319
department heads and get get comments

2668
02:56:04,319 --> 02:56:05,840
from them. I'll bring it back to you.

2669
02:56:05,840 --> 02:56:07,920
This is this is a dialogue. So, we will

2670
02:56:07,920 --> 02:56:09,200
continue to have this conversation.

2671
02:56:09,200 --> 02:56:11,359
>> Right. I I I want to make really clear

2672
02:56:11,359 --> 02:56:15,200
that that I'm not trying to get words

2673
02:56:15,200 --> 02:56:17,200
details on every goal quarterly. Right.

2674
02:56:17,200 --> 02:56:20,000
I'm trying to get a very specific metric

2675
02:56:20,000 --> 02:56:25,349
that we can track over time.

2676
02:56:25,359 --> 02:56:28,240
» All right. Anything else?

2677
02:56:28,240 --> 02:56:30,479
>> Oh, one other point. I think you have it

2678
02:56:30,479 --> 02:56:32,240
in your spreadsheet, but the ones that

2679
02:56:32,240 --> 02:56:35,200
we are tracking because like I'm

2680
02:56:35,200 --> 02:56:37,760
thinking the OSRP that you need to

2681
02:56:37,760 --> 02:56:39,760
submit in order to be eligible for

2682
02:56:39,760 --> 02:56:42,319
funding and therefore like it important

2683
02:56:42,319 --> 02:56:44,240
to do it at whatever cadence is

2684
02:56:44,240 --> 02:56:44,800
dictated.

2685
02:56:44,800 --> 02:56:46,080
>> Yes. One of the you know one of the

2686
02:56:46,080 --> 02:56:47,359
things that department head suggested as

2687
02:56:47,359 --> 02:56:49,040
we were building this was you know why

2688
02:56:49,040 --> 02:56:51,120
do we need this you know is it just why

2689
02:56:51,120 --> 02:56:53,040
do we need to update this document is it

2690
02:56:53,040 --> 02:56:54,640
and the answer could be we don't or the

2691
02:56:54,640 --> 02:56:56,720
answer could be we must or we don't get

2692
02:56:56,720 --> 02:56:58,399
the money. Um, so yeah.

2693
02:56:58,399 --> 02:57:00,640
>> And yeah, and that the answer to that

2694
02:57:00,640 --> 02:57:02,640
also helps like if we can consolidate

2695
02:57:02,640 --> 02:57:03,520
any plans,

2696
02:57:03,520 --> 02:57:03,920
>> right?

2697
02:57:03,920 --> 02:57:06,960
>> Um, because I am all for streamlining so

2698
02:57:06,960 --> 02:57:08,479
that you're not updating three different

2699
02:57:08,479 --> 02:57:09,600
plans with the same thing.

2700
02:57:09,600 --> 02:57:10,960
>> Yes.

2701
02:57:10,960 --> 02:57:12,960
>> Um, and and I'm sure there are also

2702
02:57:12,960 --> 02:57:17,760
cases where um uh specific plan goals

2703
02:57:17,760 --> 02:57:21,680
are either uh redundant or conflicting.

2704
02:57:21,680 --> 02:57:25,120
And you know that's once we once we have

2705
02:57:25,120 --> 02:57:27,439
the full list and we can to see that

2706
02:57:27,439 --> 02:57:30,399
then maybe identifying some of those

2707
02:57:30,399 --> 02:57:34,000
points will also be helpful.

2708
02:57:34,000 --> 02:57:36,640
All right.

2709
02:57:36,640 --> 02:57:38,960
Okay. So, that wraps up that item. But

2710
02:57:38,960 --> 02:57:40,479
before we close for the evening, a

2711
02:57:40,479 --> 02:57:43,120
couple matters. Uh Kate, for purposes of

2712
02:57:43,120 --> 02:57:46,319
the minutes, Anthony contacted me and in

2713
02:57:46,319 --> 02:57:49,040
addition to voting yes to reappoint Len

2714
02:57:49,040 --> 02:57:51,840
Holy, he also would like to register a

2715
02:57:51,840 --> 02:57:55,920
yes vote for the Win Village MOA.

2716
02:57:55,920 --> 02:57:58,080
>> Okay. Thank you.

2717
02:57:58,080 --> 02:57:58,800
>> Um would

2718
02:57:58,800 --> 02:58:02,479
>> is that allowed then to send in a vote?

2719
02:58:02,479 --> 02:58:05,359
>> I I I I would really like opinion from

2720
02:58:05,359 --> 02:58:07,040
council on that question as well.

2721
02:58:07,040 --> 02:58:08,720
>> I think we've done it before, but sure

2722
02:58:08,720 --> 02:58:09,359
we can check.

2723
02:58:09,359 --> 02:58:10,080
>> Good answer.

2724
02:58:10,080 --> 02:58:12,080
>> We will um county council is online, but

2725
02:58:12,080 --> 02:58:14,000
I I don't think Joe, I don't know if you

2726
02:58:14,000 --> 02:58:15,279
have a have a have an answer up your

2727
02:58:15,279 --> 02:58:18,560
sleeve for this one. Um

2728
02:58:18,560 --> 02:58:20,240
>> so I don't think it counts as an

2729
02:58:20,240 --> 02:58:22,560
official vote, but you can record his

2730
02:58:22,560 --> 02:58:24,319
sense that if he was president, he would

2731
02:58:24,319 --> 02:58:25,760
have voted that way. So I think that's

2732
02:58:25,760 --> 02:58:28,160
permissible. But counting it as like

2733
02:58:28,160 --> 02:58:30,160
four, you know, you know, if it was

2734
02:58:30,160 --> 02:58:33,200
probably 40 instead of now 50, like no,

2735
02:58:33,200 --> 02:58:34,880
that's not permissible. He needs to be

2736
02:58:34,880 --> 02:58:36,399
present. But you can put in the minutes

2737
02:58:36,399 --> 02:58:38,960
that if president, you know, uh, you

2738
02:58:38,960 --> 02:58:41,520
know, Anthony would have voted in favor.

2739
02:58:41,520 --> 02:58:44,710
>> Okay.

2740
02:58:44,720 --> 02:58:46,319
All right. Would anyone like to be heard

2741
02:58:46,319 --> 02:58:48,479
in public comments before we close our

2742
02:58:48,479 --> 02:58:51,040
meeting?

2743
02:58:51,040 --> 02:58:53,040
>> There's no one line. I make a

2744
02:58:53,040 --> 02:58:54,560
>> Sure. Go ahead, Amanda. Um, mainly

2745
02:58:54,560 --> 02:58:56,399
because I'm still on the pole worker

2746
02:58:56,399 --> 02:58:58,240
emails. Uh, Brookline is still in need

2747
02:58:58,240 --> 02:59:00,000
of poll workers for the November

2748
02:59:00,000 --> 02:59:04,000
election. Um, so contact I think it is

2749
02:59:04,000 --> 02:59:06,560
poleworker bricklinem.gov

2750
02:59:06,560 --> 02:59:08,000
if you are interested.

2751
02:59:08,000 --> 02:59:11,520
>> We are not meeting on that.

2752
02:59:11,520 --> 02:59:13,520
>> And I would like to uh add a thank you

2753
02:59:13,520 --> 02:59:16,560
to Mrs. Rubenstein for fetting us

2754
02:59:16,560 --> 02:59:18,319
>> delicious apple cake tonight.

2755
02:59:18,319 --> 02:59:20,640
>> Please uh Ms. Scavenish.

2756
02:59:20,640 --> 02:59:21,600
>> Miss Scavish.

2757
02:59:21,600 --> 02:59:23,600
>> Yes. for uh the delicious apple.

2758
02:59:23,600 --> 02:59:25,680
>> Whoever it was, it was delicious. I

2759
02:59:25,680 --> 02:59:27,279
mean, it was incredible.

2760
02:59:27,279 --> 02:59:27,920
>> Okay. All right.

2761
02:59:27,920 --> 02:59:29,680
>> Thank you. And you can record that in

2762
02:59:29,680 --> 02:59:31,439
the minutes.

2763
02:59:31,439 --> 02:59:33,760
>> And that David, are you going to attend

2764
02:59:33,760 --> 02:59:36,720
the uh opening of the Wonder restaurant

2765
02:59:36,720 --> 02:59:38,880
thing tomorrow?

2766
02:59:38,880 --> 02:59:40,000
>> What time is that?

2767
02:59:40,000 --> 02:59:41,680
>> It's 5:30 to 7:30.

2768
02:59:41,680 --> 02:59:42,240
>> Yeah.

2769
02:59:42,240 --> 02:59:43,760
I was planning on being there.

2770
02:59:43,760 --> 02:59:45,760
>> Yeah, I was going to go, too.

2771
02:59:45,760 --> 02:59:46,560
>> All right.

2772
02:59:46,560 --> 02:59:48,240
>> I mean, you don't have to go. I'm

2773
02:59:48,240 --> 02:59:49,520
curious, but

2774
02:59:49,520 --> 02:59:50,479
>> I'll try to make it.

2775
02:59:50,479 --> 02:59:53,200
>> Okay. You know what it is? It's new

2776
02:59:53,200 --> 02:59:53,600
concept.

2777
02:59:53,600 --> 02:59:54,319
>> Yeah,

2778
02:59:54,319 --> 02:59:57,760
>> they they sent me a request for an RSVP.

2779
02:59:57,760 --> 03:00:00,720
I don't know if they sent one.

2780
03:00:00,720 --> 03:00:02,080
>> All right. Well, that concludes our

2781
03:00:02,080 --> 03:00:03,520
meeting for the evening. Okay.

2782
03:00:03,520 --> 03:00:06,760
>> Thank you.