Letter To The Editor: Belmont’s Poll Workers and Election Staff are Amazing

November 6, 2020 By Franklin B. Tucker 1 Comment

Photo: Election workers

Dear Neighbors and Voters of Belmont:

While many Americans are focused on the results of the Nov. 3 Presidential Election, I call special attention to our fellow Belmont neighbors who served as election workers to guarantee the rightful exercise of our treasured right to vote, even in the midst of a global pandemic. They did a fabulous job and need to be recognized for their work:

The Official Election Results for Belmont have not yet been finalized, but the official results will be certified by Nov. 18.

Exactly 81.99 percent of Belmont’s voters cast ballots in the Nov. 3 election. That’s 15,038 people – of whom more than 12,100 voted during the fourteen days of the In-Person Early Voting period or Voted by Mail. The conclusion: a vigorously active electorate and even more amazing election workers and staff. We enjoyed expert assistance from many town departments, but most particularly the Police, Public Works, Fire, Library, Council on Aging, School Department, Facilities, Treasurer, Information Technology, Community Development, Select Board’s office, Health Department, Emergency Management and others. Lastly, the members of the press/media covering Belmont, each of our media outlets, got the word out to our residents to let them know the details of voting which really made a difference.

More than 200 election workers were trained and ready to go; 116 actually wound up working during the Early Voting Period or on Election Day itself along with the fantastic, hard-working staff of the Town Clerk’s office :

Rising before the sun to arrive at the polls by 6 a.m. and be open to voters by 7 a.m.:
Happily greeting every voter;
Checking in and out thousands of voters and processing absentee and early voting ballots, some routine, some needing extra help;
Researching voter information so voters who needed to go to a different precinct or community to vote could do so;
Helping voters who needed a little physical help or extra time;
Expertly responding to hundreds of phone calls from precinct election workers and voters from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Election Day and many days before and after;
Opening and tabulating more than 10,000 Early Voting ballots, while ensuring a secret ballot for all voters;
Posting signs, now-famous blue arrows to direct voters along with COVID-19 reminders;
Giving up hours at home with family in the evenings and even holiday weekends;
Scheduling the workers like an air traffic controller;
Processing and mailing more than 2,000 Absentee Ballots, including hundreds to Members of the Military and Overseas Citizens;
Registering 1,973 new voters since Jan. 1, 2020 and deleting many more so they could vote in their new communities;
Keeping everyone’s spirits buoyed, even when face-to-face with an angry voter when we made a mistake;
Closing out the polls, accounting for every ballots and all the legal requirements so we could post Belmont’s results to the website;
Most importantly, enjoying one another’s company and looking forward to working the next Belmont election.

We are extremely proud of the work these folks accomplished to make Belmont’s election a huge success with accurate results and we thank them sincerely for their efforts, their attitude and their willingness to participate so wonderfully in this open election process.

When you see them around town, we encourage you to thank them in person.

With thanks and in awe of:

Alana	Aubin
Annah	Abrams
Bruce	Alger
Katherine	Anderson
Angela	Carini
Claus	Becker
Jessie	Bennett
Irina	Berlin
Woody	Bishop
Irene	Bocella
Sarah	Boyle
Liane	Brecknock
Carol	Burt
Catherine	Byrne
Laura	Caputo
Laurie	Carlson
Heather	Charron
Alyson	Conover
Elaine	Crisafi
Liam	Cushman
Angus	Davison
Margaret	Decker
Amy	DeDeo
Hildy	Dvorak
Brenda	Dzierzeski
Naomi	Ellenburg-Dukas
Anya	Epstein
Renee	Eurdolian
Eileen	Farrell
Ernie	Fay
Debby	Fenn
Jared	Fernandez
Lynn	Findlay
Angelo	Firenze
Jenna	Flanagan
Harris	Foulkes
Virginia	Grant
Suzanne	Greenberg
Ilana	Gut
Viktoria	Haase
Brian	Hanley
Kaleigh	Hannigan
Jane	Haverty
Kelly	Higgins
Stephen	Hodgdon
Priscilla	Hughes
Brian	Iler
Melissa	Irion
Audrey	Jerome
Barbara	Johnson
Gary	Kelly
Maura	Kelly
Janice	Knight
Julia	Kostro
Andrew	Kramer
Pam	Larson
Chuck	Laverty
David	Lind
Larry	Link
Warren	Logan
Rosemary	LoRusso
Geoffrey	Lubein
Paula	Lyons
Katharine	MacIsaac
Zenda	Mancini
Kristen	Masoud
Beth	Maury
Camille	Mayeux
Gretchen	McClain
Marshall	McCloskey
Karey	McKenna
Glen	Mohr
Robin	Moore
Paulina	Muratore
Holly	Muson
Kent	Newton
Laura	Noerdlinger
Rachel	November
David	Nuscher
Laurel	Obermueller
Christine	O’Neill
Diane	Orfanos
Charis	Palandjian
Christopher	Piccione
Andrea	Prestwich
Kathy	Quirk
Sarah	Richards
Ann	Rittenburg
Judy	Rizzo
Ilyse	Robbins-Mohr
Phil	Rossoni
Kathleen	Rushe
Brian	Saper
Dennis	Simenson
Barbara	Skelly
Caroline	Sokol
Sharon	Sprague
Clare	Stanley
Heidi	Steinert
Holly	Stratford
Scott	Stratford
Matthew	Sullivan
Joyce	The Voice
Susan	Titus
John	Umina
Paula	van Horn
Ann	Verrilli
Mark	Wagner
Jen	Waldron
Marjorie	Wayne
Michael	Wissner
Ian	Wright
Joe	Zarro
Roseann	Zelny
Victor	Zelny
Erica	Zidel

Town Clerk’s Staff Members

Dan	Cane
Nancy	Casale
Meg	Piccione

Ellen O’Brien Cushman, Town Clerk and Fellow Members of the Board of Registrars of Voters: Robert McGaw, Paul Minor and Stephen Shestakofsky

Water/Sewer Bills Coming Monthly

November 6, 2020 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: The old bill will be replaced with a combined one with Belmont Light

After sending out water and sewer bills to the public four times a year “for more than forever,” Belmont is prepared to shake things up starting Jan. 1, 2021 when water and sewer remittances will be coming to customers on a monthly basis.

That was the announcement on Monday, Oct. 26 from Department of Public Works Director Jay Marcotte to the Select Board at its Monday, Oct. 26 remote meeting.

The change in billing frequency comes as the Water and Sewer department nears completion of the town-wide smart meter program. The four-year installation plan – replacing older models which required visual reading of the meters with the latest generation of systems that can be “read” online – is nearing 97 percent complete with approximately 400 residences that have yet to give their permission to remove the old meters.

When the automated system is up and running in the New Year, the department will replace its antiquated quarterly billing system and dove-tail into Belmont Lights’ invoice account.

“Once fully implemented, the ability to go to monthly billing is going to be a reality,” said Marcotte.

Before the Jan. 1 turnover, the department will undertake a comprehensive outreach and education program to inform residents of the change, how it will work, tools for on-line payments and viewing of real use consumption by homeowners.

The old system, which will be needed for the 400 customers whose meters have not been replaced, will incurring a fee to the water and sewer department to maintain and staff that system in order to accurately bill for consumption.

Public Works will waive the cost during this time of COVID-19 and will take up what the fee will be with the Select Board next spring.

Record Free Cash Level Likely To Lower Override Dollar Ask

November 6, 2020 By Franklin B. Tucker 1 Comment

Photo: Free cash isn’t free

The holidays came two months early to Belmont Town Hall as the Massachusetts Department of Revenue certified the town’s fiscal year 2020 free cash account – officially known as the Unreserved Fund Balance – at $11,239,464, a record high level for the budget line.

“The free cash amount this year is good news all around. The town was diligent in its conservative practices and we are seeing the fruits of our efforts,” Town Administrator Patrice Garvin told the Belmontonian.

Free cash is made up of receipts – taxes and fees – in excess of revenue estimates along with unspent amounts in departmental budget line items known as “turn backs” for the previous fiscal year, plus any unspent free cash from the previous year. Before it can be used, free cash must be certified by the state.

The size of this fiscal year’s amount dwarfs the average account over the past decade ranging from $5 to $7 million. The $11.2 million outpaced last fiscal year’s robust $8.1 million in free cash which allowed the town to balance the fiscal year ’19 budget without the need of a Prop. 2 1/2 override.

“I’m pleased to see that the town and school’s efforts earlier this year to proactively freeze hiring and curtail spending, combined with our focus on maximizing federal reimbursement for COVID expenses, has substantially improved our free cash position,” said Select Board Chair Tom Caputo.

It comes as no surprise that both town and select board are viewing to use some of this fiscal year’s bounty to reduce the $12.5 million the town is seeking in a Prop 2 1/2 override which will be on the ballot at the annual Town Election set for April 6.

“While this healthy free cash balance doesn’t address the structural deficit that we will confront in the coming fiscal years, it does give Belmont some more flexibility as we look to an April override,” said Caputo. “The free cash may be available to help stabilize the budget for a few years and reduce the size of the required override.”

And Garvin isn’t wasting any time presenting scenarios how the fund can be used, going before the Financial Task Force II on Friday, Nov. 6 meeting and presenting a preliminary free cash plan to the Select Board on Monday, Nov. 9.

“We are currently running models to see what can be used from free cash to lower the override request,” said Garvin.

Yet it’s unlikely the select board will attempt cut the lion’s share of the override with free cash. For more than a decade, town policy is to maintain a level of free cash that will help secure the town’s Triple-A bond rating. In 2018, that goal was set at four percent of the current fiscal year’s General Fund Revenue Budget.

“I will tell you that I have had many conversations regarding the town’s Undesignated Fund Balance, and its impact on the bond rating. This work is ongoing and answers are forthcoming,” said Garvin.

Four factors for free cash

The increase in free cash reflects the town’s conservative budgeting practices and our response to managing the financial impacts created by COVID-19, such as controlling spending, freezing hiring and maximizing available Federal and State reimbursements.

“This level of free cash gives the town greater flexibility to reduce an operating override request, without reducing services,” said the press release announcing the record free cash level.

The factors leading to this favorable result include:

Proactive management of the Town and School hiring and spending at the end of Fiscal Year ’20
COVID-19 slowdowns in spending, resulting in large turn backs (underspent budgets) from departments;
Federal Assistance for COVID-19 through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security(CARES) Act Reimbursement for Town and School Expenses, of approximately $1 million;
Accounting adjustments for prepaid property taxes in prior fiscal year.

The line items contributing to the Free Cash balance are:

ITEM	AMOUNT
FY’19 Rollover Unreserved Fund Balance (Free Cash)	$425,160
Prior Year Reserve for Subsequent Taxes (Prepay that should have been reserved last year)	$2,151,248
Reserve Prior year bond premium	$18,000
Reverse prior year reserve for continued appropriations	$1,711
Tax Deferral Redeemed	$274,899
Tax Title Redeemed	$489,099
Estimated Receipts Surplus (Revenue)	$1,430,258
Turnbacks from Departments	$6,405,517
Prior Year Fund Deficits/etc.	$43,567
CERTIFIED FREE CASH as of July 1, 2020	$11,239,464

The line items in the table are explained in more detail as follows:

FY19 Rollover Unreserved Fund Balance (Free Cash)

The FY20 budget included a high use of Free Cash. This drawdown reduced the FY19 Unreserved Fund Balance (Free Cash) to $2.4 million. A subsequent review of our accounting revealed the need for two additional adjustments related to classification of property tax and water and sewer revenues. These were one-time adjustments. The effect of the adjustments reduced the FY19 rollover to $425,165.

Prior Year Reserve for Subsequent Taxes

Tax payments by residents sometimes cross over the fiscal year, which begins on July 1. $2.1 million of FY20 Free Cash represents tax revenue that was prepaid and not estimated in the FY20 Fiscal Year. This $2.1 million should have been part of the FY19 Certified Free Cash.

Tax Deferral Redeemed

The Town has tax deferment programs that delay the collection of taxes. Free Cash is credited for the taxes in the Fiscal Year they are actually paid. For FY20 $274,898 of tax deferments were collected.

Tax Title Redeemed

Free Cash is also increased when delinquent taxes are finally paid. The Town Treasurer works diligently to collect delinquent taxes.

Estimated Receipts Surplus (Revenue)

The Town budget estimates revenue receipts for the year. Actual FY20 revenue exceeded the estimate by $1.4 million. Most of this excess can be attributed to investment income on amounts borrowed for the new middle and high school. The Town saw a reduction is some local receipts due to COVID-19, but the investment income resulted in a surplus.

Turnbacks from Departments

Turnbacks, underspent department budgets, returned to Free Cash, totaling $6.4 million are the largest contributor to the increase in FY20 Free Cash. This amount almost doubled from the previous year. Turnbacks can be generated by vacancies in positions, and spending less on supplies and services. COVID-19 is the main explanation for the FY20 turnbacks. The Town realized in March that the pandemic would significantly impact revenues and wanted to make sure we capitalized on every dollar. The Town was also mindful of the budgetary challenges and the potential need for an operating override. We started to slow down spending beginning in March and April. The Select Board imposed a hiring and spending freeze for May and June. Also, the COVID-19 CARES Act reimbursement enabled Belmont to receive reimbursement of over $1 million for Town expenses associated with COVID-19.

Prior Year Fund Deficits/etc.

$43,567 remains of Prior Year Fund Deficits, which are created by not expending the entire amount of available funds.

Election Day In Belmont: Biden Takes Belmont As Mr. Kelley Goes To Town Hall To Vote

November 4, 2020 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Nicole Howkins voted at Precinct 7.

It took several minutes for Fred Kelley to move up the ramp into Town Hall. Moving quite slowly with the aid of a walker, the 86-year-old Beatrice Circle resident was visibly struggling to make it into the building. The former Navy flyer and recruiter had to stop twice on the ramp, straining to catch his breath.

But living 63 years with diabetes and a frail body did not stop Kelley from coming to his precinct polling station to vote in person.

“I’m still around,” said Kelley, as he exited the elevator to the second floor of Town Hall. “When asked when was the first time he voted, Kelley looked up and said, “I really don’t know.”

But with the help of family. poll workers and Belmont Police Lt. Kristin Daley, the veteran was able to mark his ballot and then slip it into the recorder.

When asked why did he made this herculean effort just to register his vote, Kelley leaned forward and after taking three hesitant breaths said in a steady voice, “I want good government and I wanted true government.”

“I want government that helps, not hurt. To do good and avoid evil. I always lived my life that way and I hope to die that way.”

With the exception of a single incident where a voter at Precinct 7 got huffy when asked to remove a mask which promoted a presidential candidate, election day in Belmont was peaceful with short waits and a “I Voted” sticker waiting at the end of the process.

It was also when registered voters took extraordinary advantage of mail-in, absentee and early voting as 12,100 of the town’s 18,341 registered voters cast their ballots before Nov. 3, according to Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman.

At the close of the polls at 8 p.m., 15,038 Belmontians voted, which is 82 percent of eligible voters. In comparison, 82.4 percent voted in the last presidential election in 2016.

It surprised no one that blue Belmont gave its overwhelming support to former VP Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris for president and vice president with more than three-quarters of voters filling the oval beside their names. Incumbent President Trump saw his support in the Town of Homes fall from 21.4 percent in 2016 to 19.6 percent (3,106 votes in 2016 vs 2,920 votes).

The only vote which Belmont was an outlier to the statewide vote was on Question 2 which would allow ranked choice voting in state and local elections. The question lost statewide 54 percent to 45 percent.

Unofficial results, Nov. 3, 2020

President/Vice President	votes	percent of vote
Biden/Harris (D)	11,605	77.7
Trump/Pence (R)	2,920	19.6
Jorgensen/Cohen	175	1.2

US Senate	votes	percent of vote
Edward Markey (D)	11,411	77.4
Kevin O’Connor (R)	3,240	22.0

US House of Rep, 5th CD	votes	percent of vote
Katherine Clark (D)	11,188	77.0
Caroline Colarusso (R)	3,330	22.9

Senate in the General Court	votes	percent of vote
William Brownsberger	11,762	98.2

Rep. in the General Court	votes	percent of vote
David Rogers	11,506	98.6

Question 1 (Right to Repair)	votes	percent of vote
Yes	11,085	78.0
No	3,120	22.0

Question 2 (Ranked-Choice Voting)	votes	percent of vote
Yes	8,556	59.9
No	5,733	40.1

Question 3 (Alternative Energy)	votes	percent of vote
Yes	10,305	76.0
No	3,254	24.0

Belmont Votes: 2020 Presidential Election

November 2, 2020 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Go out and get your sticker

Voting in the Massachusetts Presidential Election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters wishing to cast their ballot on Election Day must go to their assigned voting precinct.

All voters are requested to wear a mask when entering the polling place to keep our election workers and other voters safe. Please be alert to the changes in the flow of access for each precinct as the layouts have been changed to support proper social distance. In most cases, one-way access has been instituted. Please be patient as a limited number of voters will be permitted in the polling places at any time.

Belmont’s voting precincts:

Precinct One: Belmont Memorial Library, Assembly Room, 336 Concord Ave.
Precinct Two: Belmont Town Hall, Select Board Room 455 Concord Ave.
Precinct Three: Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
Precinct Four: Daniel Butler School Gym, 90 White St.
Precinct Five: Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
Precinct Six: Belmont Fire Headquarters, 299 Trapelo Rd.
Precinct Seven: Burbank School Gym, 266 School St.
Precinct Eight: Winn Brook School Gym, 97 Waterhouse Road, Enter From Cross St.

Inactivated Voters

Voters who have been informed that their voting status has been changed to Inactive should be prepared to present identification before being permitted to vote.

If You Requested a Vote By Mail Ballot But Prefer to Vote In Person

Voters who have requested an absentee or an early vote by mail ballot should expect that the precinct will check with the Town Clerk to determine if a ballot has already been received for that voter.

All the information you need to know about elections in Belmont can be found here.

Yellow Alert: Belmont Enters State’s Moderate COVID-19 Risk Level

October 30, 2020 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: COVID update

On the day U.S. infections hit a new daily record of more than 91,000, Belmont entered the ‘yellow’ or moderate level of coronavirus risk, according to the state’s Department of Public Health on Thursday, Oct. 29.

Municipalities in the ‘yellow’ category are those with an average daily case rate between 4 to 8 cases per 100,000 population over the past 14 days. Belmont’s rate is currently at 4.2.

In the past month, Belmont has seen a distinct spike in positive COVID case rates:

Date	Average daily case rate between per 100,000 population
Oct. 9	2.35
Oct. 16	1.83
Oct. 23	2.9
Oct. 29	4.2

The total number of positive cases in Belmont since the beginning of the pandemic has reached 293 as of Oct. 29. Deaths remain steady at 60 since the last reported fatality in May.

And town officials saw the spike in cases coming. Belmont’s Health Department Director Wesley Chin told the Select Board on Monday, Oct. 26, the town recorded seven positive cases just in the past weekend.

“Belmont is not immune to [the national] trend,” said Chin, referring to the outbreak over the weekend as “a pretty big jump for us.” Chin said the rising number of cases is not due to a single source, such as a “super spreader” event.

Belmont had been a green community with a daily case rate below 4 since the state implemented its color coded system in early August.

With cases on the march, Chin reminded residents to practice social distancing, wear masks, wash their hands and stay home if they are feeling ill.

One Week To Vote: A Q&A With Town Clerk On Early Voting, Election Day

October 27, 2020 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Early voting at Town Hall continues to Friday

There are mailers filled with voter requests stacked behind the plexiglass on the front desk of the Belmont Town Clerks office at Town Hall. Across the hall, volunteers are helping residents with the early voting process while other voters are jump out of their vehicles to place mail-in ballots into the town’s official “drop box.”

With the 2020 presidential election one week away, it was expected that the small full-time staff and Town Clerk Ellen Cushman would be busy with a myriad of tasks; from answering requests, preparing Belmont’s eight polling stations, having everything prepped for Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Now add to the usual election preparations a coronavirus pandemic, running an early election operation in Town Hall and an explosion in mail-in ballots, it’s about as busy as Santa’s workshop the day before Christmas in the Clerk’s office.

For Ellen Cushman, Belmont’s Town Clerk, the goal of her office in the coming seven days is to make the process of voting as smooth and worry free as possible. The Belmontonian spoke with Cushman at Town Hall to ask her view of the upcoming election.

Belmontonian: Across the country, there have been extraordinary numbers in states and cities in regards to early voting. What has been the experience here?

Cushman: In Belmont, we have 18,000 registered voters, and we’ve mailed out more than 11,000 ballots. To date, we have 9,000 of those in hand, so we’re about at 50 percent of all voters having cast their ballots and are done. We still have about 2,800 ballots that are floating around out there and they’re deciding whether they’re going to turn them in, or they’re going to vote on Election Day. Then there are the remaining 7,000 who haven’t made a mail-in request or have early voted.

Q: So how many, so how much longer do people have before. Do they have to vote, either coming in, either early voting like we have here, or via mail,

Cushman: If you want to file a vote by mail request and receive a ballot to be mailed to you. You have until Wednesday, October 28 to file that request at 5 p.m. To request a ballot by mail, go online on to the Secretary of the Commonwealth portal – it’s also a great place to check whether your ballot has been returned, whether you’re a registered voter and where you would vote. You can just also go to that same site, print the “vote by mail application” and then you would have to fax it to us, email it to us, or drop it in our Dropbox out in front of Town Hall. Any of those three is acceptable. But again by the deadline is Oct. 28.

You can also vote by coming into Town Hall and do early voting in person. Early continues until Friday, Oct. 30. The schedule is

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday; 8 a.m. to noon

And if you miss those two early options, you can always show up on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3 at one of the eight Belmont precincts based on where you live.

Q: Due to the average age of election workers, somce towns are having trouble getting enough staff for Nov. 3. What is the situtation in Belmont?

Cushman: We’ve been doing great. We have a lot of wonderful seasoned workers for have been here for a long time but who were not able to do so because they were in higher-risk categories due to COVID. We were down definitely before our June Town Election so we put out a call to people and we got a tremendous response who heard that maybe the election was going to be compromised in terms of our ability to recruit and keep poll workers. In the end, we’ve got 210 qualified election workers. I think we’re going to be deploying about 120 of them on election day.

Q: This could be a record turnout for the country in term of voters. What do you think the percentage is going to be in Belmont?

Cushman: I am not going to predict but I will tell you if you looked at the past, Belmont is a very heavy voting community particular if you look at the state election two years ago. In 2018, Belmont was at 74 percent, one of the highest in the state. Our presidential elections in November usually hangs out somewhere in the lower 80s, 85 percent. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s in that zone; it certainly feels that way to us there’s a tremendous amount of interest, a lot of energy, people are excited to get involved in the process.

Q: With the volume of ballots and new procedures, have any issues cropped up from the public?

Cushman: We have had only a couple of people who are unhappy with what they’re finding as they’re going through the process. They thought they could requested a ballot by mail and then came here in person and be able to put their ballot through the voting machine. Massachusetts laws only allows voters to do that on Election Day. So we’ve only had a couple of those sort of intersections which were less than fulfilling but that’s what happens when you have 18,000 people trying to vote.

Q: Any final words for the voters week before the election?

Cushman: The polls at the precincts are open on Election Day at 7 a.m. and close promptly at 8 p.m. If you are in line at 8 p.m., you will still be able to vote.

And prepare to be patient. This is a very unusual year. All of our polling places had to be reconfigured for the June and September elections and we’re using the same sort of configurations: one way in, one way out as much as we can and all of the voting booths are at least six-feet apart. Some of our polling locations had to be diminish or cut back on the number of booths that we’re offering, so the number of people who will be allowed in the polling place to vote will likely be smaller. So bring a Sudoku or crossword puzzle, headphones or a book. People are used to just picking their time, walking in walking out.

It might be a reset of what their expectation is and that’s where we are.

Town Adminstrator Re-Ups ‘Til 2024 With New Contract

October 20, 2020 By Franklin B. Tucker 14 Comments

Photo: Patrice Garvin

With enthusiastic backing from the Bemont Select Board, Town Administrator Patrice Garvin will be sticking around Town Hall for a few more years.

The town’s chief administrative officer was offered a new three-year contract commencing Jan. 15, 2021 at the Select Board’s Monday, Oct. 19 meeting. The agreement came after a month-long review process and negotiations during which the Chelmsford resident received praise for her resourcefulness, work ethic, and organizational skills from the three-member board.

“You could not put more effort into this job and I think she is as conscientious and as smart as they come doing this type of work,” said Board Chair Roy Epstein.

Garvin was sworn in as Belmont’s first female town administrator in Jan. 16, 2018 after a long search to find a replacement for David Kale, who served for four years.

Under the new contract, Garvins’s base pay will increase from her current $181,778.69 to $190,500 on July 1, 2021. Garvin will receive annual increases of a minimum two percent or the general pay increase for department heads, which ever is greatest.

In addition, board will hold annual performance reviews on May 1 wih possible merit increases to the base salary. As part of the performance review, Garvin and the Select Board will define the goals for the next fiscal year that they determine necessary for the Town, and the Board shall further establish a relative priority among those goals.

In her benefits package, Garvin will see her annual vacation leave increase from four to five weeks and she’ll have the standard 12 holidays including a “floating holiday” with pay to be used at any time during the calendar year. And effective July 1, 2021, the Garvin will be allowed to sell back to the town each year a maximum of 80 hours of vacation time. The town will make a $625 per month car allowance, which will be taxable.

Want To Vote Nov. 3 In Belmont? Here’s What To Do

October 19, 2020 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Ellen Cushman, Belmont Town Clerk, at the town’s drop box for voting.

The presidential election 2020 is just two weeks away but there is still time for residents to register and actually cast your vote, according to Belmont Town Clerk Ellen O’Brien Cushman.

Voter Registration Deadline is Oct. 24

The deadline to register to vote and qualify to vote Nov. 3 is fast approaching. If you would like to register and have a Massachusetts Driver’s license or State-issued ID, you can register online at www.RegisterToVoteMA.com Alternatively, a mail-in voter registration application can be downloaded from the State’s website:

In– Person Early Voting Dates and Times

In-Person Early Voting Statewide will be available from Saturday, Oct. 17 through Friday, Oct. 30. In Belmont, all In-Person Early Voting will take place at Town Hall. Belmont’s In-Person Early Voting hours can be found here.

Vote By Mail Early/Absentee Ballots

The deadline to submit your Vote by Mail application is Wednesday, Oct. 28. More than 10,000 Vote By Mail Ballot requests have been fulfilled.

We encourage those voters who have received their Vote by Mail Early/Absentee ballots to vote them as soon as the voter has made their choices and return the ballot immediately. Your returned voted ballots will be secured in our vaults and included in the Election Day results.

Voters can watch the status of their ballot request and returned ballot at www.trackmyballotma.com ; it can take up to three days to be recorded.

Vote by Mail Early/Absentee ballots may be returned to

the Town Clerk by mail to 455 Concord Avenue, Belmont, MA 02478 or
In the Town Clerk’s drop box located at the base of the steps to Town Hall on the left side of the driveway.

The Town Clerk is the only one with a key to the drop box. Ballots placed in the drop box are treated the same way as Early Voting ballots cast in person.

If you requested and received a Vote by Mail Early/Absentee ballot and want it to count, it must be returned to the Town Clerk drop box at Town Hall by 8 p.m. Nov. 3. Ballots that are mailed must be postmarked in the US by 8 p.m., Nov. 3 and received by the Town Clerk no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6. Ballots mailed outside the US must arrive by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13. Ballots cannot be delivered to your voting precinct. The US Post Office recommends mailing all ballots by Oct. 27.

Where to Obtain Applications to Register to Vote or Vote by Mail

All applications mentioned above can be found at the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Elections portal www.sec.state.ma.us/ele,. Print, complete and sign and drop the signed form in the Town Clerk Drop Box at the base of the Town Hall steps on the left side of the driveway. There is also a small box on top of the Town Clerk Drop Box that contains paper voter registration forms and Vote By Mail Applications.

In Person Early Voting: Saturday, Oct. 17 To Friday, Oct. 30 At Town Hall

October 14, 2020 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo:

According to the Town Clerks webite, In-Person Early Voting begins in Belmont on Saturday, Oct. 17, and lasts until Friday, Oct. 30. Registered voters can come to Town Hall to cast their ballots; it is the only location where early voting for the 2020 Presidential election will take place.

The schedule for Early In-Person Voting is:

Saturday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 18, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 19, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 22, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 23, 8 a.m. to noon.
Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 26, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 29, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 30, 8 a.m. to noon.

Early In-Person voting ends at Noon on Friday, Oct. 30.

The Belmontonian

Belmont's Independent Media Outlet Covering the 'Town of Homes'