meeting of the FL board for May 28 2024 i' like to start off with um announcements and updates from the board I'd like to start by saying that later on in the agenda we're going to take up new development warrant articles 10 11 and 19 specifically whether they there are any further amendments or changes we the action or act of petitioners of proponent of mendor the tabling motion which I view as a procedural matter governing whether the town meeting will hear a resolution that softly before it's not appropriate for the select board and informal actions will sign on to make a recommendation a motion without debate on Article 19 and to stop any consideration of that article so for us to vote on a saing note would be side of a debate through the back door so however I suggest that select board members take this opportunity to make individual people can make their views known and we can post that to toiss anyone object to that yes yes okay there are at least two of us and I have no idea what they is that we should be able to um look at all of the options that are reports there's AAL action action table definely popon of that and I realiz but um we should have an opportunity to say something about any of those if there's someone to make motion to v a particular choice then we should well we can wait until we get to that point the agenda I just want to give people the opportunity to have statements at this point if people I I I com uh public comment right hold on a second uh okay uh anyone to read the rules I guess I'm gonna read the rules right rules here okay thank you okay thank you for joining us for public comment this is an opportunity for us to hear from your perspective on issues in Brooklyn that matter to you each person speaking tonight will be limited to 3 minutes you don't need need to use the entire time but you may if you'd like once 15 minutes has been met there is an opportunity at the conclusion of the select board's business for additional comments members of the public sometimes raise questions during public comment we may be able to provide a quick answer to a question but are more likely to work with staff to get a more thorough answer and respond over email we will let you know when you have 30 seconds remaining and when your time is up please conclude with your remarks at that time the first person to sign up for a public comment is Beth Miller who is here in attendance hi there thank you dear board members my name's Beth Miller ask question the can actually see her can yeah we did discuss that thank you lived on Chestnut Street in Brook line for over 30 years I'm a newly elected Precinct town meeting member and one of a signers of the Warren article number 19 I want to to speak for a couple minutes about this motion to lay on the table this part parliamentary maneuver is just the latest attempt to cyle discussion and decision making on an issue of great interest to our community while it may be legal it's intend is to abgate the free speech of all those who care deeply about these issues the quote from the understand a town meeting Bible town meeting time through the years the motion to lay on the table has lost its original purpose of temporarily deferring a debate and has come to be used as a motion to kill without further debate the moderator doesn't recall the use of such a mo Motion in his 25 years of service but perhaps it was used to stop a discussion of slavery in a past town meeting or perhaps the SAR resolution of 17 of 1965 petitioners fa such a threat what about book Line's first resolution in 1776 supporting the American Revolution we faced difficult issues before on which not every citizen agree and then further quoting from town meeting time it quotes Roberts on page 108 this complete revolution in the use of the motion to lay on the table renders all the practice of Congress in regard to this motion useless for any ordinary deliberative assembly it is the extreme of a gag law and is only justifiable in an assembly where it is impossible to attend to on Tenth of the bills and resolutions introduced is a gag law what bookine wants to offer the world when our community faces challenges local or Global now I want to be clear well a ceasefire vote resolve this conflict of course not but will it matter absolutely both locally and to our delegation and theyve made that clear to us we can't any of us alone resolve this horrible situation but we all must do what we can democracy is in crisis in our country this is the moment when we need to strengthen our commitment to having the difficult conversations to holding voting in the highest esteem you have 30 seconds even when feelings Run High even when not everyone agrees I ask your support in moving forward with an open Fair process this is your opportunity to De to demonstrate trust in brookly and in democracy I ask you to oppose the motion to Table in thank you chair there are eight people in attendees and nobody has raised a hand and Regina froley is here in person to speak um I was only going to speak to two things but I just want to affirm everything that my colleag said um in the research I did actually said that in most use of the in parl just the delay Moder day when they really the me other and the of having said that I want to remind you all what I said to you before Jun is coming up and doing a proclamation of some kind I urge you that you include indigenous people and Native because they also so don't think it's only about black that's unfair and unjust and un so that's the point point um I thought that my version of what I'm was that either the Town Council or the moderator should Define not just the history or maybe mention it of how he intends to use it and if there is going to be a and another day when they discuss that we need to have that on the tableend so that the the but to do nothing with it to to kill we need to have his has have two different I should assuming thank you nobody is using the hand raised feature we indicating that they would like to speak at this time sorry okay let's move on [Music] to [Music] [Music] approval sorry okay that's okay yes please um I have one and really mark your calendar announcement um because withe occupying attention for next week maybe be on people might not fully be aware of these two eventss that are coming up and I hope we a lot of attention I think they are the first one is that on June 12 made l is having this annual meeting and it's going to give out um leadership awards to I'm not going to name the people because you know I think others deserve to have the opportunity to expose leadership award is on june3 starts at 7 and it's in the the other event coming up is on the 16th and um it is at Mar as the 20th anniversary of friends of the line of Rose Garden um 1M June 16 um people who have maybe not yet visited the n roard bookline are for most satisfying experien coming thank you and thank you for remind that any other now we'll get to next i' like to move under this items 3B through 3 any it like pull out no um it it does not relate to any increased costs for that yeah it's just part of the rou analysis um your direction to us that we looking for ways that does not do not change the fundamental envelope um we're having a team meeting about that tomorrow hope information back possible thank other approval it okay next review War quickly okay we're going to review any developments on 10 Bud Amendment 11 C Appropriations Amendment 19 resol um sure so the advisory committee I believe voted uh similar to you no action Thursday apart from that I don't believe action school committee um so there's no new developments no subsequent amendments to the amend yeah and that's and the school committee did not take school committee has not did not notice meeting okay um any further I just note that interestingly enough the same thing just happened again mentioned that this happened and over this happened swampit last week a late file budget amendment that unbalanced budget uh it initially passed swamp's town meeting and then SW meeting decided to reconsider it V it down um so this is two is a trend three two is potential Trend three is really interesting pattern this does seem to be a pattern Statewide late motions offer Town meetings to increase School budgets without any losses so um over the past few days there's been some list with respect to this item and um you know suggest is that taken out of Consultants uh consultant money um or perhaps uh reserves um my sense is that these are all onetime sources of funds that would not give us the ability to have predictability around how to find billion dollar change and we have to find something operating the town oper in order to go to fund is that still our decision that's correct and I think the other yeah the point there about Consultants sure there are they're outside Technical Services budget in every Department I don't think you could cut you could find a million dollars here uh those budgets are us and be honest we already cut those budgets to the maximum point that we were comfortable pting to fund the police there's no more money and these and these types of funds foral services are you help uh determine and deliver the appropriate level of services for example have services that profession Services figure out how design the roadway school we may have services to help with figuring out how to make sure that we have geal but these are all part of the Professional Services for transportation right if we cut them it would just be one time yeah I I so you there's not enough money in the operating budget side Serv make got that Gap even you got all of it um I don't think you get to that number and point about reserves that's correct um that's one thing um and we've discussed repeatedly in this this context the reason why you know two years of higher than expected money that was then been able to but our res does not suggests that there is that we are dramatically overestimating or underestimating revenues or projections in such a way that would uh suggest that there's money left T okay Mike um thank you um I have a had a text with Andy I believe speaking on this for for the school committee and he he said school committee hasn't met specifically the amendment by that um had nothing to do with it um didn't encourage it not express support with it would not commit to using the money for world langage and look forward to working with partnership years [Music] all other want follow I think that's a really important point that Mike just made we have no ability to require the school committee to spend us and in fact speak to this when the school committee was going through the process of determining how to meet the budget level we come through partnership there was a whole bunch ofs that they were prioritize in fact they may want to put the money towards those I would just also add that one of the considerations that went into eliminating portion of Ro language was that even at that 1 million Mark there wasn't enough money to fund a program with the Staffing that would been necessary to make it as robust as meaningful of a program as the program review suggested need to be and as many school committee members wanted it to be and so even if the schools were to be given this extra million for one mentioned there's no guarantee to be allocated toward that and for two even if it were all it would be doing after Bab what had already been a program is significant shortfall St that was the reason why there was program review that's why the school committee wanted to take some time to revisit what it offer are for and I I have the expectation that okay move on to item 11 is a yeah I want to I'm sure you read the explanation but I'm not going to that um I want to emphasize that I prepared file it long before any conversation on any item came up it's not about any understanding is C committee initially documentation asking for BS thinking that it is good process I've spoken with the executive director of community preses Org the grade group and he also agrees that it's much better process to get a vote on each item strictly because you one Foster conversation about the item which is useful it is Town meetings decision after all um two it doesn't have kind of rigorous and bus process that Capital items in the CB or operating it in the budget article 10 and and three it does provide feedback to the CPA committee and frankly the community at large which items are enthusiastically supported and which are techically supported and which are somewhere in between including providing suits including giving the names of the people who aren't yes votes in town meeting to for followup and and search for feedack I think that dividing the question we do wonders in town meeting to provide some clarity to the CPA committee about just what it is town meeting wants to spend the money on single vat vote does none of that single vat is guaranteed to pass nearly unanimously because frankly the best item in there is the bigest uh the brookly Housing Authority affordable housing budget items are Max they're extremely well beded they're broadly widely popular and why would anyone risk that over uh smaller dollar items in a single vote it's it's why a single vote doesn't serve the needs of town meeting individual vot to do I would add since uh it looks like we will not have a detailed debate waren Article 13 and we might not debate all about chis frankly it'll take about 25 minutes and I think it's time while I would hope that this select board uh would recommend favorable action on dividing the question and so I I do think it's appropriate for Bo to weigh in motion for all the re that Tom said wish we thought of this before bring our attention um I do think it would be very helpful to provide additional insight and information to the CPA um meeting going forward by having on ofs I do think that there's been a sufficient question on some of the that and perhaps this board may want to reaffirm maybe I don't know but to support I spoke with David Le and Nancy of this I don't want to characterize their remarks Al both explicitly said this right I believe the vot was 22 to Z I simly believe that dividing 11 Tre issues them all one of them I certain support um sorry to interrupt um if we can just speak up a little bit more some folks are some voices are coming through better than others so is my voice coming through now it is um okay so I guess motion to for favorable action on the motion to divide um reconsideration I don't think you need to move to reconsider because again it's not it's not an amendment it's a procedural motion you can we'll have a debate yeah you want to be safe that's F can't main motion to divide up article 11 Amendment Creations um based on the representation that c committee two members two members committee including the chair are okay with thisis I'm willing to Mo approval of question uh I was just thinking that U if there's an opportunity to if we were looking Fork so what what's on theable are there new are new amendments or okay so I'm going to speak to the on to lay on the table um first of all I to say that I've heard several times from several people say well we shouldn't be cycling debate most people lay on the table requires the two3 uh and there's nothing in my mind UND Democrat about two3 of people saying that they want to put something that they want to put something off that they don't want to speak about um so uh uh I would say since it requires a three grade vote it's not a problem to uh it's a way for a town meeting to decide whether or not it wants to take this up if it doesn't that's basically the priv that go good of the am if it does then obviously we should have a full discussion as well the amendment of the various Amendment proposed and we'll have a full discussion the addition procedural end um I also want to say that there has been an offer to um host a community a mediated community meeting following Town meetings during the month of June so that people who um feel like they are um denied the ability to talk to town meeting or for Happ not MERS of town meeting but would like to have as say mediated conversation this whole topic we'll have opportunity to do so so there even if the motion there is an very likely to be an opportunity to have a community conversation in a non-adversarial setting and I think that non-adversarial setting is remarkably would be superior to what we may very well experience here any other comments [Music] John um I I want to U just take Pi a couple and my own um you know I I do think that this uh motion to table has taken on the aspect of of a an attempt which one side doesn't want to Happ but the other side on on Article 19 clearly would like to express themselves I think there's a there's a clear difference difference between when there are occasions when Town meetings go work and work and work and people are very SP of view Express their points of view and then it just becomes exhausting it doesn't seem like there's any consensus possible and then they vote to put something on the table develops out of the consensus in the room putting people on this side of the question that side of the question the other side of the question that we're just going to get anywhere with this so let's put this on the table that's not what's Happening Here What's Happening Here is that we have months and months of discussion of an issue that many people is one of the most important that they will ever face as the count and within that discussion there are people who who have worked very hard to bring a for toting it's known as Article 19 who believe in it who want art make the case for it and I think they recognize I they think I don't think it's going to pass I don't think they think it'll as written however what what happened as a result of their introduction of that article is that others introduced their versions of something that they think might affect a majority of count leaders and put Brook um in the position of actually having something to say to our Congress person and to our US senators and to our elected presidents that role that a town meeting can speak to a congress person can speak to a senator can speak to a president is one of the essential rle of town meetings it's how change happens atal level is when people rise up in community after community that me and make sentiments known that then cause people in Congress to change their minds on a given topic it's an essential role of town meeting there are people who want to play that role on this issue that this town need and I don't know a single one of those people who thinks we should lay this on the table but I do know a lot of people think to lay it on the table who want to see Article 19 defeated so I I don't think this would F your average lay on the table is an attempt by one side to preempt the discussion that they don't want their the individuals on the other side to be able to have they don't want people to be able to express themselves who are going to question you know the views of the people who have put this motion lay on the table and you know questioning each other as to our views is what time of it's all about so I understand and respect John's hesitation have similar hesitation one point what changed my mind was setting up this forum for June which is really better suited for being able to have detailed truly meaningful conversation on the issues so that town meeting members and other interested uh members of the community have an opportunity to learn about it in a non-adversarial way that's not limited to three minute sound bites where people are talking P each other it's precisely because it's such an important issue for so that it ought to be treated with uh the respect that town that the town meeting for had really can't afford it and if this forum does not end up being a sufficient mechanism by which to have that meaningful discussion I could understand bringing it back after but that hasn't happened yet and My worry is that this will only create more dissension if we force a conversation within the confines of what town meeting minuts in terms of people speaking past each other with limited minutes and we don't really have an opportunity to inject to offer Nuance perspectives and to provide content and a forum does a much better job of that and the moderators who are going to be running it I understand are extremely experiencing this and that really should be the first step and so I support to so the for that might talking about really separate from the discussion of one 19 completely not the opposite but completely unrelated it's a form to help people or give people opportunity to express their fears their concerns Etc about the general environment here in our community that has been precipitated by the so I mean that don't don't don't don't think you can substitute a discussion for foreign Artic the 19 with a for as I don't see it necessarily as substitution I see it as some an important First Step because there's a lot of ignorance in the community I don't say that to be insulting a lot of us are't experts in the isue and so having a forum where people can really learn about the history of Israel and Gaza and the situation there and be able to distinguish between fact from fiction that's an important preliminary step before just talking past to each other at town meeting and this for will provide that opportunity so you and that's the phans want to have that type of discussion Paul yeah so uh thank you Bernard and I first I appreciate uh Beth's comments um and um I respect your position on it um I understand John John has you know been been very adamant that he believes in the transparency and the debate the open debate tell meing and its value I respect that I I get a little concerned when I hear motivation described assigned to people why they're doing things why they're laying on the table to kill it or to not do this you know I'm not going to go that far because I don't know individual intentions I can only go by what folks have said um I agree with much all of what they just say um town meeting is a venue where we debate we talk at each other it's not a conversation it's three minutes sometimes five if the moderator lets you have extra time um and and frankly there's a tremendous amount of misinformation that is presented to town meeting uh the rules of town meeting don't even let you interrupt to correct Miss um and so I I agree with David that this community needs to have a conversation um a meaningful conversation about the issues and what's taking place in the Middle East I do think that Article 19 created the situation for much of the division that's going on within the community right now her feelings I understand the intent of what it's trying to do but I'm also seeing what's transcribed with individuals and parties and groups and the feelings um and the anxiety and the stress that has created for both for all parties um so I believe that a community conversation is a much better Vue I don't separate Article 19 I do think that Article 19 and the community conversation are actually related um and I I do think a community conversation would be much better than the great town meeting we've had hours of public testimony about this article I think we took 90 minutes at the select board um we had followup uh uh testimony during public comment as we considered other items the advisory committee has had meetings on this many many times I'm sure the school committee has have folks come and speak to a b but I Haven um so I think I think the betting of this has been done and so I would fully support the select board moving favorable [Music] action my view is that add for this they didn't ask for a during a select board commity they ask for a debate Le whether that's a good thing or bad thing the idea that we're going to tell them that we're going to gag them and say we're not going to listen to what you want it's something that I find very very troubling and something that will never it never has and never will end up with a good outcome um look and the debate's going to be very difficult the conversation leading up to how need been very difficult big boys and girls you can handle it we have difficult conversations on a number of issues that come in for on um you know my main concern is the idea that we are shutting up debate I sent an email inadvertently sent to All including usting members um where I talked about you know history right you know Columbia University is where a lot of the firmo is happening if you go back in 1968 you see what happens when you try to shut people up it never turns out best and history looks doesn't look favorably on those who try and I think that you know we should we should consider that um the idea of of laying it on the table and stopping debate without any discussion is so repugnant to me um whether you know if we don't lay on the table um it ever gets to the war Article 19 there another matter it probably won't we'll probably pass something that you know is not going to be in favor of favorable to the petitioners but least still have an opportunity to have the discussion the debate they ask for and I'm not willing to say we're going gag you or we're not going to let you have that that I guess I just two things for um if I may one I don't think I know for myself I'm not looking to ganging so that the language that we using right now is pretty strong probably um and the other thing is both you and John now have suggested that adults can handle a debate but the children in the room can't um I also find that pretty disturbing so I'm either a child um I'm a big boy I can have theate but I also have beliefs about what I believe is right for the community and where this type of conversation get better be Su but any I think it's a conversation Comm conversation with you not on the Flor on me that's my view I I think I've been pretty consistent about that consistent about that since December when we to have um I want to thank the chair for comment not I value I think is as good as we're going to get for expressing ourselves in a democratic way on issues of both both small importance and issues of large import a forum does not require the participants in the Forum go out and run for election and to be um elevated as representatives of the views of their pring at The Forum a forum set up by whoever set up Mike David does does not incorporate in it all of the rules by which a town meeting off which are intended and time honored at people Gathering and working their will collectively on issues and then having the authority the authority to speak legisl on behalf of the town I I don't assign to um the role of speaking on behalf of the town to a for created by couple of people being appointed themselves to set up a for and hire a media you know I I rely on the elected representatives of our town meeting which has been in been how we govern ourselves for it's 304 years um to continue to be how we govern ourselves and I sort of feel that my colleagues who have argued otherwise um whether they realize it or not they're Mak you case for charge because they're telling people that on an issue that is of the greatest consequence for them um and have great consequence to people in the Middle East on both sides of this wring and pric concept um that on those kinds of issues you can't rely on town meeting to be your decision maker for for where you stand as a past but you should instead rely on somebody who we can't even name who at some future point will set up a form with a couple of mediators to be venue where you decide issues of this consequence um you you might as well just tell people if you think how meaning is an and kind of you're right because we we basically decided we don't want to use it to speak out on this one issue that is of extreme importance from the every single day it's of the moment so I'm not going to sacrifice our Reliance on as the venue where you make these decision have these discussions and do it in a meaningful way and but what we haven't discussed is okay there are three people who think one thing and there two people who think another but are we going to take a decision as a on this P knowing that we are as divided as we can be on whether whether there should even be because a 32 majority in favor of the P motion did not speak for me didn't speak for Bernard um and furthermore in case you haven't thought about it you won't even get to make your presentation you won't even get to debate that because you've been preed even making your presentation and that that so uh two two things first of all um think Mis [Music] characterizing community community conversation is about bringing people together who have come to public comment period in the hearing of the select board and spoke the subcommittee rary committee and really spoke at each other there was very little conversation there wasn't any any discussion between them because those two are situations in people stand up minutes that's not the purpose of mediat small group multiple mediators working with each group and um and people will hopefully have an opportunity to listen to each other and uh and convey their U their feelings their their beliefs and here the the the other side in very different what we're mostly concerned about is that we had a foraste of the adversarial nature that we're likely to have in community and if we can avoid having that uh that and doing the damage to then we should um I do take the point that Bernard that um and yours as well that 3 to2 is is a very uh recommendation and I early on I signed up to speak on behalf of the select board and I I had written something out that I was just looking at and it's um I mean it says we're tring and I would certainly not convey anything except that when I I speak on behalf of really it's not going to be very easy to figure out say for the five of us when we are very split um just the same I think we uh we if we're if they are that do what you okay I think we' thought uh I move well did you want to make the motion or would you me out of respect for my deep respect for my the minority opinion on it's my colleagues I do the favorable action on the motion to all in favor pleas keep say I no Warren i v no okay that's the end of uh our agenda now go to town meeting [Music] andn by way remember Vietnam was a so way more