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Select Board approves routine minutes, omnibus items and multiple warrant motions; home-rule housing fee amended
Summary
The Brookline Select Board on April 8 approved minutes and a string of consent and warrant items, accepted a police K-9 donation, advanced Community Preservation Act appropriations and voted to move a Home Rule petition amending a proposed real-estate transfer fee to split revenue between housing and the general fund.
The Brookline Select Board on April 8 approved a series of routine and warrant items, including the March 4 minutes and multiple omnibus consent items; accepted a donation to the Police Department K-9 fund; authorized payment of previously unpaid police bills from a prior fiscal year; advanced Community Preservation Act appropriations; and moved favorable action on an amended Home Rule petition proposing a real-estate transfer fee.
The board’s actions followed staff presentations and public hearings held earlier in the meeting. The meeting record shows roll-call votes on several items and a separate motion to reconsider and approve a collective bargaining-related appropriation after the board approved the corresponding memorandum of agreement in executive session.
Why it matters: Several of the votes approve spending or routine housekeeping that keeps town operations on schedule; the amended Home Rule petition — if approved later by the state legislature — would create a new local revenue option the town could use to fund housing and general municipal needs.
What the board voted on and key outcomes: - Approval of minutes (April 1, 2025) — Passed (roll-call: John Van Schaoyak, Michael Sandman, Paul Warren, David Perlman, Chair Bernard Green voted aye). - Omnibus approval of items 7B–7E (consent items) — Passed (same roll-call). - Acceptance of a donation to the Police K-9 fund (thank-you noted to donor Mr. Weeks) — Passed (same roll-call). - Unpaid police department bills from prior fiscal year (Warrant Article 6) — Favorable action taken. - Community Preservation Act (CPA) appropriations (Warrant Article 10) — Approved as amended (board voted aye). - Two bylaws limiting single-use plastics and regulating plastic bags (Warrant Articles 18 and 19) — Both articles received favorable votes from the board. - Reconsideration and approval of a FY25 engineers’ contract appropriation (Warrant Article 2) after executive-session approval of the agreement — Reconsideration carried and article approved. - Home Rule petition to allow a real-estate transfer fee (Warrant Article 24) — Petitioners offered an amendment dividing revenue 50% to the Affordable Housing Trust and 50% to the general fund; the board moved and approved favorable action on the amended article (Paul Warren moved; roll-call recorded: John Van Schaoyak, Michael Sandman, Paul Warren, David Perlman, Chair voted aye).
Background and next steps: Many warrant articles passed by the Select Board now go to Town Meeting for final action; Home Rule petitions must also be considered by the state legislature before they can take effect locally. The board and staff flagged that some funding items will require additional steps (for example, attorney-general or state approval) before funds may be expended.
