Brookline Town Meeting 2004: Discussion of the Warrant Articles
by Jon Garfunkel on November 16, 2004.
Politics
Building/Consensus
Brookline
Here are the 25 Warrant Articles for the Annual Town Meeting. Also, here are the Town Meeting Members, which include 240 elected members and 8 at-large.
The articles sure to generate the bulk of the discussion are #7 Underground Utilities, #11 on the cell tower (even though it recommends passing to a committee), and #21, a study to overhaul the 2-hour parking limit. I'm leaning against $7 for the cost. The Griggs Park Neighborhood Association is in favor of it. I'm willing to hear both sides.
I thought I'd list all the amendments below, even though most don't need any debate. I've added some comments to them, but I really can't do justice to most of them, as I'm cramming here. Several of them simply pass a decision onto a committee. Feel free to comment on them or add your viewpoints (that's why I wrote this software). The Town Meeting commences in about 17 hours, but it could well go on to a second evening as it usually does.


Article 13: Make Planning Board Elected, refer to comm. -- YES
"Thoughtout the country almost all Planning Boards are appointed. Only in Massachusetts, and wome what less in neighboring New England staes, are any Planning Boards elected." The chair of the board today is Ken Goldstein, whose lawyers I play frisbee with over the summer (when I'm not writing or politicking).
Referred to Committee on Town Organization and Structure.