Greetings everyone,
First, to all mothers, grandmothers, and step-mothers, we wish you a Happy Mothers Day! On this day we celebrate the mothers in our lives and thank them for their critical role in shaping who we are, and also remember the vision of Anna Jarvis who, in memory of her mom who had been a peace activist, campaigned for the Mothers Day holiday. Jarvis’s goal was to create a day for people to express their love and appreciation for their mothers and to be a day of peace and goodwill.
This week is light on meetings and action items as the Town recovers from the recent election and gears up for the Spring Town Meeting, which will be “in person” for the first time in three years and which begins next Tuesday, May 23 at 7:00 PM in the High School Auditorium and continues for up to six additional nights at the same time (May 24, 31, and June 1, 6, 7, 8). Members of the public are welcome to attend at the High School, of course, and can also view it live at this link. You can also find videos of prior meetings here.
Watch this space next week for Brookline for Everyone’s endorsements on Warrant Articles that will be considered at this TM which we think are important to our goal of making environmentally sustainable, economically thriving, and racially inclusive by helping create more housing of all kinds. We’ll also include information on reaching out to your Town Meeting Members (TMMs) on our priorities (or anything else!).
Two Meetings This Week to Consider:
- There will be a Joint Meeting of the Transportation Board and its three Advisory Committees (the Pedestrian Advisory Committee, the Bicycle Advisory Committee, and the Shared Mobility Advisory Committee) on Wednesday, May 17, at 6:30 PM. Starting at about 7:30 PM (after preliminary business and a few specific requests), the agenda includes an overview of the missions of all three Advisory Committees, and discussion and possible adoption of the Bicycle Advisory Committee’s Green Route’s Bicycle Network Plan, the Pedestrian Advisory Committee’s Walkable Streets Priorities Plan, and the Safe Routes to School Task Force Project Priority Plan. The full agenda with approximate times is HERE, and the Zoom link to attend (no pre registration required) is HERE.
- We encourage all tenants to join Brookline Equity Coalition next Sunday, May 21st, from 3:00-4:45 at the Coolidge Corner Library, 31 Pleasant Street, for the second of two “Tenant Talks.” This session focuses on the “Right to a Safe & Sanitary Home & Getting Involved,” including how to demand needed repairs, how to give legal notice to a landlord, preparing for a visit from inspection services, and options if conditions don’t improve. You will also hear from local leaders on how to get involved to support tenants in Brookline. In person only, no RSVP is required, but you can see the flier with more details here.
Recommended Reading: As Brookline continues to debate its response to the MBTA Communities Act (MBTA-CA), which requires local communities to rezone to allow multifamily housing near transit, we urge you read legendary environmentalist Bill McKibbon’s article in The New Yorker from a few weeks back titled A Massachusetts Town Leads a Way Out of the Housing Crisis. The magazine’s subtitle is telling: “Fifty years after an integration plan in Lexington was defeated, the town approves a new vision.” And for those looking for more details, here’s a detailed article in the Lexington Observer about the proposal and town meeting vote. Thanks, Lexington, for leading the way with sensible rezoning to comply with MBTA-CA and encourage more multifamily housing.
Thanks and have a great week,
Jonathan Klein, on behalf of the Brookline for Everyone board