2012 Town Meeting Full Results

Town Meeting season is over, votes cast and decisions made. 

A number of subjects, ranging from to , came before Brookline's annual Town Meeting for discussion. For information on the 30 warrant articles, and what Town Meeting's vote on them means, scroll through the list. 

See the Full results document from the Brookline Town Meeting Downloads page to the right, as well as the 2012 Town Meeting Honor Roll, remembering Town Meeting Members who have passed.

More coverage on last night's Town Meeting to come later today. 

Article 1: Measurers of Wood and Bark

Submitted by the Board of Selectmen

• Two Measurers of Wood and Bark will be appointed as a tradition.

Article 2: Collective Bargaining Agreements and Salaries

Submitted by the Human Resources board

• Yes Vote Means: The town will fund various unions without contracts and pass salary increases for town employees.

Article 3: Compensating Balance Agreements

Submitted by the Treasurer/Collector

• Yes vote means: The Town Treasurer can enter into agreements between banks and patrons who agree to waive interest deposits in exchange for other bank services. This will be accounted for in the town budget and it is addressed at town meetings.

Article 4: Special Appropriations

Submitted by the Board of Selectmen

• No action: No special appropriations to make.
  

Article 5: Unpaid Bills

Submitted by the Board of Selectmen

• No action: No unpaid bills to resolve.

Article 6: Property Tax Exemptions

Submitted by the Board of Assessors

• Yes vote means: The town will raise property tax exemptions for widows, the elderly, the blind and disabled veterans. This has been approved at town meetings for more than 20 years.

Article 7: Year-End Budget Adjustments

Submitted by the Board of Selectmen

• Yes vote means: Adjustments to the year-end budget, including the Pierce School Auditorium project which requires additional funding because it came in over-budget, are approved. 

Article 8: Next Year’s Budget

Submitted by the Advsiory Board

• Yes vote means: The town will approve budget items for fiscal year 2013. This is the . This includes an .

Article 9: Open Meeting Hearings

Submitted by Jonathan Davis, Pct 10 TMM and Regina Frawley, Pct 16 TMM.

• .

Article 10: Weybridge Road Local Historic District

Submitted by the Preservation Commission

• Yes vote means: 26 Weybridge Road becomes part of a new local historic district.

Article 11: Weybridge Road Preservation Restriction

Submitted by the Preservation Commission

• Yes vote means: Preservation restrictions on the property at 26 Weybridge Road are established.

Article 12: Raise Tobacco Sales Age to 19

Submitted by Eric Dumas, Brookline High School student

• Yes vote means: Tobacco will not be sold to people under the age of 19. 

Article 13: Small-scale Fitness Clubs

Submitted by the Department of Planning and Community Development

• Yes vote means: Zoning will allow by-right use of small-scale fitness clubs in small storefronts (500 to 2,500 sq-ft), rather than requiring the full permitting process for larger clubs.

Article 14: Doggie Day Care 

Submitted by the Department of Planning and Community Development

• Yes vote means: Doggie day care facilities would be allowed in certain business and industrial districts by special permit. This is a use that does not yet exist.

Article 15: Floodplain Overlay District (Update)

Submitted by the Department of Planning and Community Development

• Yes vote means: The town updates the floodplain overlay district zoning bylaw and corresponding maps. Norfolk County is updating its flood maps, this vote corresponds with that update.

Article 16: Zoning - Dimensional and Parking Review

Submitted by Michael Oates, TMM Pct 12

• Referral to Zoning Bylaw Committee. 

Article 17: Zoning - Public Benefits

Submitted by the Department of Planning and Community Development

• Yes vote means: Zoning bylaw will be updated to clarify that, for projects with "public benefit," that benefit must not be something required by any zoning or codes in order to receive the floor area or height bonus for public benefits.

Article 18: Zoning - Time Extensions

Submitted by the Department of Planning and Community Development

• Yes vote means: Zoning bylaw updated to allow for time extensions on projects without requiring planning board approval first. Special permits will be allowed a year extension, six months for variances.

Article 19: Olmsted Hill Road Acceptance

Submitted by the Department of Planning and Community Development

• Yes vote means: The town accepts Olmsted Road as a public way, which serves a development off of Fisher Avenue.

Article 20: Retiree Minimum Retirement Allowance 

Submitted by the Retirement Board

• Yes vote means: The minimum monthly allowance for member survivors increases from $250 to $500. There are less than 25 such people currently in town.

Article 21: Retiree COLA Increase

Submitted by the Retirement Board

• Yes vote means: The base from which cost of living adjustments are calculculated is . Approval will increase unfunded pension liability to $2.2 million. 

Article 22: Retirement Board Stipends

Submitted by the Retirement Board

• No vote means: Retirement board members remain unpaid. 

Article 23: Contraflow Bike Lanes

Submitted by Lee Selwyn, TMM Pct 13

• Referred to Transportation Board.

Article 24: Removal from Norfolk County

Submitted by Frederick Lebow

• Yes vote means: Ask the state to remove Brookline from Norfolk County.

Article 25: Resolution-Abolishment of Norfolk County Government

Submitted by Frederick Lebow

• No vote means: Town of Brookline would not request the abolishment of Norfolk County government.

Article 26: Resolution on Runkle School

Submitted by Stanley Spiegel, TMM Pct 2.

• Yes vote means: The town will allocate some funds to attempt to address the .

Article 27: Resolution Regarding Slavery in Brookline

• Yes vote means: past and publicly expresses regret for that past. 

Article 28: Clean Construction Standards

Submitted by Catherine Marris, Jake Wolf-Sorokin, and Pema Doma, Brookline High School.

• Yes vote means: The town will limit the emissions coming from construction vehicles during projects, and will step up enforcement of the No-idling bylaw. 

Article 29: Resolution on a Constitutional Amendment to Reverse Citizens United

Submitted by Frank Farlow, Pct 4 TMM, David Klaftler, Pct 12 TMM and Heleni Thayre.

• Favorable Action: The town will publicly support a constitutional amendment dedicated to reversing the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, calling upon Congress to allow state and federal agencies to regulate campaign spending.