How Brookline Town Meeting Voted On Surveillance & Nondisclosure

BROOKLINE, MA — Brookline Town Meeting was back in session Tuesday night at the high school. For those new to town, Town Meeting is where some 240 elected Town Meeting Members representing the town's 16 precincts come together to vote on town business from the approval of the new FY19 budget to whether or not to have Cypress Field be turned into turf grass instead of live grass. The items voted on are larger than what can be decided by elected officials like the Select Board, but smaller than what you might find on a General Election ballot.

Sometimes the changes Brookline looks to make at Town Meeting attract attention from outside of town.

Last week on Night 1 of the Brookline Town Meeting TV news camera crews set up shop in the back of the room - until they heard the vote regarding the renaming of the Devotion School wasn't going to happen.

The three hot topics for Tuesday night were the renaming of the Devotion School, which, it turns out, is named after a town benefactor who happened to own slaves. Proponents now say that since the school is under renovation and times have changed it's time for a change.

The other hot topics? How the Police Department uses surveillance in town, and prohibiting the town from having folks sign non-disclosure contracts when settling a lawsuit.

Article: 23: Renaming the Devotion School:

• Vote: Passed 147 in favor >> Read about this now

Article 26. Legislation authorizing an Override and Debt Exclusion tax exemption for seniors
(Rodriguez, Goodwin)

• Vote: Passed sent to moderator's committee

Article 27: Amendment to Article 4.8, Section 4.8.5 of the Town’s General By-Laws—requiring publication of living wage exempt positions in the Town’s Financial Plan. (Connors, TMM3)

• Vote: Passed

The following three articles were referred to Selectmen to put a committee together to look at.

Passed unanimously after the Rosenthal motion (to refer it to the Diversity Inclusion committee failed with 128 votes against it

Article 28. Amendment to the Town’s General By-Laws adding new Article 4.10 - Community Control over Police Surveillance and Militarization. (Ananian, TMM10)

Article 29. Amendment to the Town’s General By-Laws adding new Article 3.24 - Community Advisory Committee on Military and Surveillance Equipment. (Ananian, TMM10)

Article 30. Resolution regarding the Town’s use and approval of Military and Surveillance Equipment (Ananian, TMM10)

Article 31. Amendment of Article 8.32 of the Town’s General By-laws – Sustainable Food Containers and Packaging (Solid Waste Advisory Committee)

Vote: Passes unanimously.

Article 32. Amendment of Section 3.13 of the Town’s General By-Laws prohibiting NonDisclosure Agreements (Brookline Justice League)

Vote: Fails 31 in favor, 157 opposed and 9 abstained. (total voters? 197 out of 240 Town Meeting Members)

Check out the discussion on this one:

Article 33. Resolution seeking review of the Town’s practices regarding non-electronic communications (Gordon, TMM1; Doggett TMM13, Doughty TMM3)

Vote: Passes by a majority vote.

Article 34. Resolution honoring Brookline WWI soldiers. (Petition of Neil Gordon, TMM1)

Vote: Passes unanimously.

Article 35. Resolution to prevent nuclear war (van der Ziel, TMM15, Loechler, TMM8)

Vote: Passes 167 to 2

Article 36. Resolution pertaining to the renaming of Washington Street (Bolon, TMM8)

Vote: No action was moved. Look for this at a later date.

Article 37. Reports of Town Officers and Committees. (Select Board)

Vote: No action.

Previously on Patch:

• Brookline Town Meeting May 2018 Night 1: Grass V Turf War, Decided.
  
• Brookline Town Meeting Night 2: A Different Kind Of Grass Debate,Marijuana

Photo at top by Jenna Fisher/Patch

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Photo at the top by Jenna Fisher/Patch