The Select Board approved the establishment of a revolving fund for vaccines, a critical step to ensure the town can continuously use reimbursements from its vaccine program to purchase additional vaccines, expanding beyond just flu and COVID-19.

The department’s ongoing projects focus on community health assessments and improvement plans, with a notable emphasis on harm reduction strategies, such as the distribution of naloxone and harm reduction kits to combat substance use issues. The department also updated the Select Board on collaborative efforts with public works and the Building Department to tackle rodent control.

In terms of infrastructure and environmental sustainability, the Building Department’s presentation was notable for its focus on electrification in town and school buildings. The department emphasized the need for additional personnel to support its initiatives, including a local building inspector and a strategic preventative maintenance support coordinator. The advancement of electrification, the adoption of an electric fleet, and the implementation of solar installations were outlined as departmental goals. The digitization of plans and documents for capital projects was stressed as crucial for improving efficiency and management.

The discussion on the useful life of town buildings touched upon the potential for state program involvement, particularly for Public Safety buildings. The exploration of the state’s role in funding new buildings set by the state building school authority was also a focal point, with attention paid to the conditions and clarity required for categorizing expenses as town or school-related.

A significant portion of the meeting was devoted to the question of calling a special town meeting to address the potential removal of the police department from the provisions of the Civil Service laws. This matter was considered urgent due to possible legislative changes that could impact communities’ authority in this regard. The Select Board decided to call a second special town meeting to deliberate on this issue, with a public hearing scheduled for the following week. The motions to call the special town meeting were passed.

Beyond these issues, the meeting also recognized the successful completion of the Boston Marathon by Team Brookline runners, who raised $319,000 for local nonprofits. The national Community survey was discussed, with a push for resident participation to gather valuable feedback for the town’s services and initiatives.