32 months, 32 Notable Actions

Serving on the Select Board is not a solo act. It requires conversation, collegiality and consensus. With that in mind, credit for this list goes to the 5-member board on which I’ve served since 2020. The list is a representative sample of actions,, large and small, that I was proud to have a hand in during my first term..

  1. We backed up Brookline’s commitment to climate change goals by adding ground source heat pump technology to the Driscoll School project.

  2. We committed to an ongoing partnership with the Brookline Housing Authority to seek funds to improve the conditions of BHA units.

  3. We celebrated the use of linkage monies from the Welltower development (Fisher Hill) to add units as part of the BHA’s renovation of its Marion Street housing.

  4. We completed the purchase of the Newbury parcel on Fisher Hill and won voter approval of the Community Preservation Act – good investments in Brookline’s future.

  5. The Hebrew Senior Life proposed project on Centre Street received approvals.

  6. We set in motion the update of the Housing Production Plan.

  7. With Town Meeting approval, we recouped the costs of three Town-purchased townhouses on Oak Street by offering them for sale.

  8. We celebrated the appointment of Jennifer Barber as our Poet Laureate.

  9. Construction is underway on the Carlton Street footbridge (after a process that took decades!)

  10. Our Treasurer borrowed millions for school projects at record low interest rates.

  11. We showed solidarity with local Jewish and AAPI communities in the face of racist harassment and violent attacks.

  12. As part of Covid relief efforts we appropriated funds for the Brookline Safety Net and Brookline Food Pantry as well as the BHA.

  13. We highlighted the delivery of the excellent Urban Forest Climate Resiliency Master Plan.

  14. Under the guidance of Select Board Chair Heather Hamilton and Town Clerk Ben Kaufman, the Redistricting Committee completed the work on a new 17-precinct map for Brookline, based on 2020 census data.

  15. We bade farewell with thanks for service to these excellent public servants who retired or took other career opportunities: Dr. Swannie Jett; Allison Seinfeld; Joslin Murphy; Jeana Franconi. We welcomed Jake Auchincloss (Congress); Tom Barasso (Sustainability); and Richard Allen (Acting Police Chief) and now Jennifer Paster (Acting Police Chief), with deep gratitude to former Acting Chief Mark Morgan.

  16. We oversaw the municipal logistics of the return of the US Open to The Country Club, and approved mitigation measures benefitting the Town.

    17. We bid proper farewell to Brookline’s indispensable Town Administrator of the past 12

What we’ve done (partial list)

years. At a farewell event, Mel Kleckner was honored with a ceremonial rocking chair and words of appreciation (including good-natured roasting by Fire Chief John Sullivan).

18. Town Administrator Chas Carey was hired in August after a nationwide search, assisted by a volunteer screening committee, and a public listening session with three excellent finalists.

19. Elevated job titles and responsibilities were approved for Melissa Goff (Deputy Town Administrator) and Devon Fields (Assistant Town Administrator for Operations).

20. We approved adding to the administrative team Charles Young (Assistant Town Administrator for Finance), and Tyler Belisle-Toler (Budget Analyst/Grants Administrator).

21. Lincoln Heineman was hired as the Town’s Finance Director, after Norfolk, MA hired Justin Casanova-Davis to be their Town Administrator.

22. We welcomed Sigalle Reiss as the Town’s new Director of Public Health and Human Services and Joe Callanan as our new Town Counsel.

23. We joined the public works and health departments in launching the Rodent Control Action Plan, or RCAP. The town reallocated $200,000 in federal COVID testing funding to pay for the first six months of the plan.

24. We completed Round 1 of the ARPA process and launchd Round 2. Notable grants: Steps to Success, Women Thriving, Black ‘n Brown Club, Food Pantry, Teen Center. Chamber of Commerce.

25. We backed the successful debt exclusion ballot question for repair of fire stations.

26. Through the Transportation Board, we launched the Vision Zero process for achieving zero traffic-related deaths.

27. We kicked off a series of Select Board “summit retreats” to improve the board’s priority-setting.

28. We approved the Library Trustees’ hiring of Amanda Hirst, our new director of libraries.

29. We achieved continued funding for the Beacon Street Bridle Path project.

30. We awarded ARPA premium pay to Brookline’s frontline COVID responders.

31. We boosted pay to attract and retain midlevel managers.

32. We successfully backed Town Meeting measures to reduce paperwork and save on costs of legal notifications.

AND THE LIST COULD GO ON… AND ON …