Special Town Meeting Warrant Article Roundup

The Special Town Meeting will be held on November 15, 2011, where 18 Articles will be discussed and voted on. On September 13, 2011, the Board of Selectmen implemented the Warrant of Articles for the meeting. They will be voted on at at 7 p.m.

Article 1: Unpaid Bill From Prior Fiscal Year

• Yes Vote Means: Unpaid bills from the previous fiscal year would be paid during the Town Meeting.
• No Vote Means: Unpaid bills would remain unresolved.

Article 2: Funding for Collective Bargaining Agreements

• Yes Vote Means: Any collective bargaining agreements must be approved by the Town Meeting.
• No Vote Means: The Town Meeting may not approve collective bargaining agreements.

Article 3: Budget Amendments

• Yes Vote Means: Reallocate state funds to the town and school budgets. The town budget would receive $506,183 and the school budget would receive $56,844.
• No Vote Means: The town and school budgets would not get these additional funds.

Article 4: Withholding Federal Income Tax

• Yes Vote Means: Town of Brookline would be able to withhold tax funds of town employees under certain criteria.
• No Vote Means: Current law regarding the withholding of federal income tax could remain unchanged.

Article 5: Neighborhood Conservation District

• Yes Vote Means: Will establish a Neighborhood Conservation District, which will regulate the conservation of historic areas as well as new building sites and landscaping in each district.
• No Vote Means: Will not establish a Neighborhood Conservation District.

Article 6: Hancock Village Neighborhood Conservation District

• Yes Vote Means: A Neighborhood Conservation District will be established for Hancock Village.
• No Vote Means: A Neighborhood Conservation District will not be established for Hancock Village. 

Article 7: Tobacco Sales

• Yes Vote Means: Will ban the sale of tobacco products in healthcare institutions, including pharmacies, and educational institutions, such as schools and university campuses.
• No Vote Means: No ban would be put in place. 

Article 8: Criminal Background Checks

• Yes Vote Means: Town would be able to fingerprint applicants of certain types of licenses.
• No Vote Means: The current name-based check within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s probation records will remain in place.

This article has been  by the Selectmen. 

Article 9: Leaf Blowers

• Yes Vote Means: Community members would only be permitted to use their leaf blowers between March 15- May 15 and September 15- December 15.
• No Vote Means: The law would remain as it is and may be reconsidered in the future.

Article 10: Taxi Medallions

• Yes Vote Means: Establish a separate fund in the books of the town to deposit revenue made with taxi medallions, which are sold by the town.  
• No Vote Means: Current law regarding taxi medallions and its fund would remain the same.

Article 11: Removal from Norfolk County

• Yes Vote Means: Ask the state to remove Brookline from Norfolk County.
• No Vote Means: County inclusion would remain as is.

This article has been by the Selectmen.

Article 12: Resolution-Abolishment of Norfolk County Government

• Yes Vote Means: Would place request for the abolishment of Norfolk County government.
• No Vote Means: Town of Brookline would not request the abolishment of Norfolk County government.

This article has been by the Selectmen. 

Article 13: Resolution- Cross Walk Signals

• Yes Vote Means: Require the Town to look to improve the pedestrian crossings at Green St. and Harvard St in Coolidge Corner.
• No Vote Means: The resolution would remain unresolved.

Article 14: Resolution- Multi-Space Parking Meters

• Yes Vote Means: Ask the Town to improve or remove the multi-space parking meters that were placed in April.
• No Vote Means: The resolution would remain unresolved. 

The article has been by the Selectmen. 

Article 15: Resolution- Day Care Centers & Park Usage

• Yes Vote Means: Ask the Town to work out a schedule or system with day care centers around the area on visiting local parks.
• No Vote Means: The resolution would remain unresolved. 

Article 16: Resolution- Town Meeting Schedules

• Yes Vote Means: Town Meeting schedules in the spring, would be held Tuesday and Thursdays, in two consecutive weeks if necessary, instead of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
• No Vote Means: The spring Town Meeting schedule would remain the same.

Article 17: Pledge of Allegiance

• Yes Vote Means:  Would ban the Pledge of Allegiance in Brookline classrooms.
• No Vote Means: No ban would be placed on the Pledge of Allegiance in Brookline classrooms.

This article has been by the Selectmen. 

Article 18: RoboCalls

• Yes Vote Means: Require those running for office to be judicious in their use of robocalls.
• No Vote Means: The resolution on robocalls may not be up for vote in the future. 

This article has been by the Selectmen.