Plenty of Town Meeting Positions Waiting for Candidates

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With two weeks remaining for residents to throw their hats into the ring, a boatload of Town Meeting positions in several precincts remain waiting to be filled by candidates.

According to Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman, as of the Jan. 27th deadline for incumbent Town Meeting members to announce their intentions to seek election to the 290-member legislative body, there remains several open seats in each of the town’s eight precincts. (see below)

While traditionally-active precincts such as 1, 6 and 8 appear likely to have enough candidates to have contested races – more than 12 candidates for the dozen seats up for election – others are in serious need of residents willing to run to represent their neighborhoods.

“Right now, we have deficits of three candidates in Precinct 3 and six in Precinct 7,” said Cushman on Friday, Jan. 30. Precinct 3 is west of Concord Avenue and east of Trapelo Road, around Town Field and along Pleasant Street and up Mill Street. Precinct 7 is the Grove Street Playground neighborhood east to the Cambridge town line between Washington and Belmont streets.

If there remains a deficit of candidates on the Town Election ballot on April 7, the remaining Town Meeting slots will be selected with “write-in” candidates.

Cushman hopes to remind residents of the importance of Town Meeting as it is the legislative body of Belmont that approves or rejects new bylaws and determines the annual town budget.

“I would remind residents in Precinct 7 that their precinct is where a citizen’s petition to limit the height of residential houses will be voted at Town Meeting needing a two-thirds vote,” said Cushman.

Next deadline is Feb. 17, at 5 p.m. for all nomination papers for town-wide offices and Town Meeting members.

PRECINCT 1: 10 candidates for re-election, 2 residents took out nomination papers, 12 three-year seats available.

PRECINCT 2: 9 candidates for re-election, 4 residents took out nomination papers, 12 three-year seats available.

PRECINCT 3: 7 candidates for re-election, 2 residents took out nomination papers; 12 three-year seats available.

PRECINCT 4: 10 candidates for re-election, 3 residents took out nomination papers; 12 three-year seats available.

PRECINCT 5: 11 candidates for re-election, 2 residents took out nomination papers; 12 three-year seats available AND 1 one-year seat available with 1 person taking papers out for that position.

PRECINCT 6: 10 candidates for re-election, 3 residents took out nomination papers; 12 three-year seats available AND 1 one-year AND 1 two-year seat available.

PRECINCT 7: 7 candidates for re-election, 3 residents took out nomination papers; 12 three-year seats available AND 4 two-year seats available.

PRECINCT 8: 10 candidates for re-election, 6 residents took out nomination papers; 12 three-year seats available AND 1 one-year seat available.

Belmont’s Partial Parking Ban Is An Odd Situation

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Due to the higher than predicated snowfall from Monday’s Groundhog Day snowstorm, Belmont has modified its snow emergency parking ban as Department of Public Works crews and private contractors play catch-up on clearing the more than foot of new snow that blanketed town streets and roads.

According to Belmont Police and town officials, vehicles will be allowed to park on the odd-numbered side of the street beginning at 7 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 3. and will remain in effect until revoked by the Town Administrator David Kale. This rule is for most secondary and side streets in Belmont.

During the new rules, town and private crews will begin removing and move snow on major roads, intersections and around schools that has been piling up since last week’s blizzard. 

“If cars park on both sides of the street, then the street may become too narrow for a fire truck or ambulance to get by on the way to an emergency call,” said a notice on the town’s web site. 

There are exceptions to this rule:

• A small number of streets have posted signs NOT allowing parking on the odd-numbered side at any time. On those streets, parking will still be allowed on the even side of the street.

• On roadways with “No Parking” signs, parking will NOT be allowed on the odd-numbered side.

• The following public and private streets and roads are exempt from this emergency parking rule and remain subject to normal parking rules:

  • Belmont Street (entire street)
  • Bright Road (entire street)
  • Brighton Street (Cambridge line to Flanders Road)
  • Concord Avenue (Cambridge line to railroad bridge)
  • Channing Road (Leonard Street to Claflin Street)
  • Claflin Street (Channing Road to parking lot)
  • Claflin Street (Alexander Avenue to barrier)
  • Common Street (Belmont Street to Payson Road)
  • Cross Street (Broad Street to Waterhouse Road)
  • Grove Street (entire street)
  • Leonard Street (entire street)
  • Lexington Street (Church Street to Trapelo Road)
  • Moore Street (entire street)
  • Park Avenue (Knox Street to Frontage Road)
  • Pleasant Street (Concord Avenue to Leonard Street)
  • Trapelo Road (entire street)
  • White Street (Sycamore Street to Trapelo Road)

In addition, the town wants residents to be aware that drivers must park their vehicles so that the tires are no more than 12 inches from the curb or the edge of the road, even when snow piles make it impossible to get your car that close to the curb. Police officers apply some discretion with this rule during the winter and don’t usually ticket people for this violation during the winter, but during parking bans, the rule will be enforced. 

 

No School Tuesday Due to Snow, Partial Lifting of Parking Ban at 7AM

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The larger-than-expected snow fall from the Groundhog Day storm has forced the Belmont Public Schools to be closed once again tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 3. This marks the fourth snow day to be called in the past week.

According to the Belmont Police Department, the snow emergency parking ban will be partially lifted at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Belmont Police reported that parking will be allowed on the ODD side of most street in town. Exceptions will include business centers such as Waverley and Cushing squares and Belmont Center.

Town Offices will be open and trash and recycling will be picked up on Tuesday as scheduled.

The Belmont Public Library and the Beech Street Center will be closed.

Schools Closed Monday, Parking Ban In Effect at Midnight, Trash Will Be Collected

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The Belmont Public Schools will be closed on Monday, Feb. 2, due to a pending snow storm that is expected to drop up to a foot of snow on the town. In addition, the Belmont Public Library and the Beech Street Center will be closed on Monday.

Beginning at midnight, Monday, Feb. 2, the town is declaring a snow emergency during which there will be a parking ban on on-street parking and in the three town municipal and six public school parking lots.

Trash and recycling pickup will occur on Monday despite the storm. Also, Town Offices will be open on Monday.

Town Meeting Warrant Opening For a Month for Citizen’s Petitions

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Always wanted to change Belmont? How about requiring new homes to be painted one of only eight colors (an actual petition in another state), force model aircraft operators to be licensed pilots (another one) and make dogs wear pants (that hasn’t been petitioned … yet).

Your chance is coming next week when the town warrant – the document which Board of Selectmen approved to call a Town Meeting – will be open for residents who wish to add their own article to be heard and voted by the 290-member Town Meeting which will begin this year on Monday, May 4.

“Citizens are welcomed to submit petitions,” said Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman, who said the warrant will be open on Monday, Feb. 2 at 9 a.m. and will remain so until Monday, March 2, no later than 3 p.m.

Under Massachusetts law, residents may place articles on an Annual Town Meeting warrant without approval by the Selectmen by petitioning the Town Clerk to insert the article. Officially, it only requires 10 signatures on the petition from residents to secure a place on the warrant (although Cushman suggests getting 15 to be on the safe side.)

While not all petitions are successful, a good portion have succeeded before the Belmont Town Meeting. In the past few years, citizen’s petitions on banning smoking in town playgrounds, combining school and town building supervision, restricting yard sales and requiring residents to shovel snow from sidewalks have passed Town Meeting muster and included into the bylaws.

In fact, a citizen’s petition before this spring’s annual Town Meeting restricting the height of residential homes near Grove Street Playground was inspired by the successful passage of a citizen’s petition in 2013 halting for a year the tear down of single-family homes to build two-families structures in the Waverley Square neighborhood.

For those residents thinking about putting their stamp on the town’s bylaws, Cushman advise petitioners to do their homework and be prepared to work with town officials and government groups to construct their appeal to have the chance of a favorable vote before Town Meeting.

For those seeking changes to the town’s zoning bylaws should meet with the Planning Board and the town’s Office of Community Development while those looking to alter the town’s budget priorities need to get in touch with the Warrant and Capital Budget committees and the town’s financial departments, said Cushman.

With all petitions, the town counsel, George Hall, is required to review them, so they do not violate the state or US constitutions.

“So it’s important that citizens start the process earlier than later to receive advice in drafting their petitions and getting the support they need to give themselves a good chance before Town Meeting,” said Cushman.

Clearing Out: What to Know the Day After the Blizzard in Belmont

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While the snow emergency parking ban will be lifted at noon today, Wednesday, Jan. 28, Belmont Department of Public Works Director Jay Marcotte is asking residents to keep their vehicles off of town streets for a bit longer.

“It would be great if our crews could have clear streets to finish plowing,” Marcotte told the Belmontonian on Monday, Jan. 26, hours before the storm hit.

That is just one request from Marcotte and other town officials who are looking to finish

Today, plow operators will begin “widen out” all streets by pushing the accumulated snow back towards the curb line and clearing the intersections. For that reason, Marcotte would like the widest possible clearance for the plows.

In addition, here are some things to know while clearing out the nearly 20 inches of snow that has settled in Belmont:

  • When clearing driveways, snow should be kept on the owner’s property, the tree lawn or in the gutter. Snow should not be deposited onto the street or sidewalk, or across the street onto a neighbor’s sidewalk. It’s actually the law: Section 60-800A of the Town’s General Bylaw.
  • Here’s a tip: Whenever possible, it is best to pile snow to the right of the driveway (as you face the street) to reduce the potential of having it redeposited at the driveway opening when the plows pass.
  • Prevent street flooding by clearing catch basins near your home to allow rain or melting snow to enter the drainage system.
  • At the urging of Belmont Fire Department, residents should shovel and clear fire hydrants of snow in your neighborhood.

“We do our best to shovel out each and every hydrant in town, but doing so takes several days,” said Belmont Fire Chief David Frizzell.  “If we need to use a hydrant that hasn’t been shoveled out yet, it significantly delays the time it takes for the firefighters to get water on the fire.”

And the clock has started on residents clearing sidewalks adjacent to their property. Belmont’s general bylaws requires paved public sidewalks adjacent to residential property to be cleared and made safe for pedestrians. Residents have until 8 p.m. the day following the end of the storm (Thursday, Jan. 29) to clear the sidewalk of snow, slush and ice. For enforcement information, call the Belmont Office of Community Development at 617-993-2664.

Snow Emergency Ending Noon, Wednesday; Town Offices, Library Remain Closed

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Belmont’s Snow Emergency Parking Ban will be lifted at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 28, according to the Belmont Police Department.

The removal of the ban – put in place on Monday at 6 p.m.  due to the nor’easter that arrived on Tuesday, Jan. 27 – will allow residents and commuters to park on the street as well as the town’s commuter and school parking lots.

While the roads will be open, town offices, the Belmont’s schools as well as the Belmont Public Library will remain closed.

All Hands on Deck: Belmont DPW Throwing Everything into Blizzard

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Jay Marcotte, Belmont’s newly-installed Director of Public Works, said this past Saturday’s snowfall “was a chance for the department to shake the rust off” its response in preparing and handling the inevitable task for any New England town’s DPW in clearing roads of the white stuff.

“It was only four-and-a-half inches in Belmont and we didn’t have a single resident’s call on our snow hotline,” said Marcotte as he introduced himself to the Belmont Board of Selectmen on Monday morning, Jan. 26.

The Belmont Department of Public Work’s Snow Emergency Hotline: 617-993-2698.

But as a potentially historic nor’easter was barreling towards the region and Belmont, Marcotte – who took over the reins of the department from the retiring Peter Castanino – wasn’t expecting his department to have as easy a go of it as three days previous.

“I suspect the hotline will have a few more calls,” he said, with a smile.

To handle the blizzard, Marcotte and Highway Division Manager Michael Santoro will be marshaling all the division’s assets as well as an army of private contractors to keep at least the main thoroughfares passable for first responders and other essential vehicles.

“It’s all hands on deck,” said Marcotte.

The Highway Division has put out 20 pieces of town-owned equipment clearing roads, including dump trucks, pickups and spreaders beginning at 6 p.m. on Monday. In addition, 37 vehicles from private contractors will be hitting the streets during the height of the storm and afterwards, said Marcotte.

In addition, a tree service is on standby to remove branches and trees that could topple during the storm and heavy equipment from James W. Flett Company and FE French Construction are ready “just in case we need them,” said Marcotte.

The DPW’s primary goal will be “to keep the main drags plowed and treated so medical and other emergency services” can get to their destinations, said Marcotte.

Plowing and treating of secondary and side roads are accomplished “as soon as the department can get to them, he said.

The planning, for tackling a storm “, is the same whether it is 2-inches or 24-inches,” said Marcotte.

“We treat [storms] accordingly to what is expected but we make sure we have a plan ready to go,” he said.

 

Belmont Declares Parking Ban Beginning at 6PM Monday

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With a Nor’easter ready to blow into town, Belmont’s Department of Public Works has declared a town-wide parking ban beginning at 6 p.m., Monday, Jan. 26. 

During the ban, NO ON-STREET PARKING is allowed on Belmont street to allow the Highway Division to do a better job clearing the roadways. In addition, no parking is allowed in the town’s three municipal lots – Belmont Center, Cushing and Waverley squares – or in the six public school parking lots.

Vehicles that are in violation of the parking ban will be towed.

The ban will be lifted when the DPW determines Belmont roads are passable.

No Trash and Recycling Collection Tuesday due to Blizzard

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You know Belmont is taking this storm seriously as for the first time in decades, a snow storm will halt curb-side trash collection. But only for one day.

“Due to the impending snow storm there will not be any trash or recycling collection on Tuesday, Jan. 27.  Trash and recycling collection will resume on Wednesday, Jan. 28.  Collection for all days remaining this week will be delayed one day.”