How I voted on key issues facing the Town (Spring 2022)
Article My Vote Why
Acceptance of legislation to increase certain property tax exemptions Yes Positively impacts surviving spouses, low-income elderly, the blind and disabled veterans
Authorize the acceptance and granting of easements in the areas of 19-21 Brington Road and 22 Tappan Street Yes Be fair to the residents impacted by the BHS building project abutting their properties
Expand budget by $147K for sidewalk repair Yes We need better sidewalks for all people in the Town
Refurbishment/replacement of Skyline Field with Plastic Turf Yes (did not pass, majority voted No) Not in favor of plastic fields from the PFAS, heat zone, and recyclability perspectives
Amend the Town’s General By-Laws to restrict the sale or distribution of products containing Fluorinated Hydrocarbons or PFAS Yes PFAS exposure is a known environmental issue. Volunteered to be a member of the Moderator’s PFAS Committee
Resolution to create an Athletic Field Surface Task Force No (did not pass, majority voted Yes) This task force may be focused on increasing the prevalence of plastic fields in Town.
Amend Article 4.8 of the Town’s General By-Laws to adjust calculation of Living Wage Yes Support our Town employees with fair wages
Transfer of funds to support developing of Comprehensive Plan for design in Brookline Yes Brookline Growth Planning Study (Promoted by Brookline by Design)
Authorize the acceptance and granting of easements in the areas of 19-21 Brington Road and 22 Tappan Street Yes Be fair to the residents impacted by the BHS building project abutting their properties
Home Rule Petition to expand local voting rights to sixteen and seventeen year-olds No Young adults are not uniformly vote-ready at this age.
Amend Article 4.07 – Table of Use Regulations of the Town’s Zoning By-Laws to provide a minimum depth to required ground floor non-residential space in multifamily buildings that are located in Local Business (L) and General Business (G) Zoning Districts. Yes Promote better use of the first floor’s of new buildings and support improved setbacks.
Amend Article 6 of the Town’s Zoning By-Laws to increase the requirements for electric vehicle-ready parking spaces Yes New development should promote more EV parking for residents, not to the exclusion of other vehicle parking needs
Amend Articles 2 and 6 of the Town’s Zoning By-Laws pertaining to Bicycle Parking and Design Regulations Yes New development should promote bicycle storage for residents, not to the exclusion of other vehicle parking needs
Amend the Town’s General By-Laws to ban single use plastics Yes We need to reduce our plastic waste footprint.
Amend Article 8.31 of the Town’s General By-Laws pertaining to leaf blowers No It is not time to ban all gas leaf blowers from Brookline, electric units are still not adequate for Town DPW or all residential users
Resolution regarding eliminating the parking requirement at the Kent/Station Street Senior Affordable Housing Development No (did not pass, majority voted Yes) The employees in the area will be displaced by the project, the developer reasons that the underground parking required is too expensive.