Town Election 2017: ZBA’s Iannuzzi Looking At School Committee Race

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Photo: Nick Iannuzzi

Nicholas “Nick” Iannuzzi, the long-serving member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, has taken out nomination papers for a possible race for one of the two open seats on the Belmont School Committee.

A founding partner of the Needham-based law firm Orsi, Arone, Rothenberg, Iannuzzi & Turner, Iannuzzi is known for his defense of town residents against commercial business projects such as the proposed boutique hotel on Pleasant Street and placing restrictions on Airbnb rentals. 

In 2010, Iannuzzi ran an independent campaign to represent the third district on the Massachusetts Governor’s Council, eventually losing to long-time incumbent Marilyn Davane of Watertown. 

Iannuzzi is a graduate of Boston College and Suffolk University Law School. He  has been practicing law for about 20 years. Before becoming a member of the Belmont ZBA, Iannuzzi served on the Zoning Board of Appeals in Somerville.

As of Friday afternoon, Feb. 10, incumbent Tom Caputo is the only candidate to by certified on the April 4 Town Election ballot. Incumbent Elyse Shuster and Catherine Bowen, the chair of Sustainable Belmont, have also taken out nomination papers. Candidates must submit signatures to the Town Clerk’s Office by 5 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 14. 

We Give Up: Schools, Town, Library Closed For Thursday’s Nor’easter

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Photo: School’s out for … Thursday!

Belmont has surrendered to tomorrow’s Nor’easter.

With approximately a foot of snow predicted to fall from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, most of Belmont will be shut down for the day.

  • Belmont Public Schools will be closed due to the snow and associated events and sporting contests will be postpone or rescheduled.
  • Town government and other town offices will also be shut tight.
  • The Belmont Public Library has cancelled events for the day and will remain closed until Friday at 9 a.m.

But one scheduled event will take place: Thursday trash and recycling pickup is still “on.”

Belmont Police ‘Not in the Habit’ of Asking Immigration Status

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Photo: Belmont Police badge and patch. 

When asked about the department’s policy regarding persons with illegal status in the country, Belmont Police Assistant Captain James MacIsaac said while the department does not have written guidelines, when it comes to conducting local policing, “Belmont’s officers are not in the habit of asking about the immigration status of a victim, witness, or suspect.”

But while being an illegal immigration will not solely lead to that person’s arrest, if Belmont Police is asked by federal authorities to detain a person not lawfully in the country who is in custody for a crime, “I would expect our officers to cooperate,” said MacIsaac. 

The question of police cooperation with federal immigration law is at the heart of a likely citizen’s petition being prepared by residents which would make Belmont a “sanctuary” community through a vote at May’s annual Town Meeting. 

Belmont sanctuary supporters are pointing to a effort in Arlington, using similar language that would prevent local police from “engaging in or assisting in Immigration and Customs Enforcement in reporting, arresting, detaining deporting, or taking any other law enforcement action unsupported by separate and distinct warrants or probable cause from criminal conduct unrelated to immigration status.” 

Belmont Police’s current policy appears to takes a hands-off approach to the legal status of residents and visitors to Belmont: being an illegal immigrant or migrant is not of the utmost importance for law enforcement. 

MacIsaac said typically Belmont officers will encounter a person whose immigration status would be “questionable” occurs during a traffic stop.

For example, if a driver does not have a license, the officer may discover the person is a foreign citizen who is unable to obtain a Massachusetts RMV license because they do not have legal status in the US.

But that is as far as Belmont Police will go on the person’s status

“[T]he the fact that the immigration status would be questionable does not lead to actual questioning about the status,” said MacIsaac.

“Officers in these circumstances handle their business with a possibly illegal immigrant using state laws about driving unlicensed and then move on,” he said.

MacIsaac said only when a person is arrested would their illegal status officially come to the department’s attention.

As with all who are arrested f0r a crime in Belmont, the arrestee’s fingerprints are transmitted to the Massachusetts State Police and the FBI which assists the Department in identifying the person arrested, if they have a criminal record and determining if there are outstanding warrants.

One of the databases that fingerprint records are checked against, automatically, is one maintained by Homeland Security.

In response to the information that an alien with illegal status is in currently in Belmont PD custody, an official with Homeland Security could send to Belmont Police an “immigration detainer” which allows them to hold the person in custody for up to 48 hours in addition to whatever time they might be arrested for any state charges.

In Belmont, cooperating with the federal government’s request is part and parcel of good policing.

“In the media, one hears the heads of different law enforcement agencies say that they do or do not cooperate with these detainers. For my part, I expect that our officers will assist every US law enforcement agency in the accomplishment of their [legitimate] objectives, just as we would expect the same cooperation from those agencies in the accomplishment of our objectives,” said MacIsaac.

So far, the department has only seen one or two of these detainers, said Macisaac and its cooperation had been limited to providing the detainer to the district court for its action when we transfer a prisoner.

“It has certainly been less burdensome than other forms of civil detention in which the department is involved,” said MacIsaac.

For MacIsaac, the primary job of the department is to protect Belmont’s residents and visitors from crime, no matter the citizenship or immigration situation of the suspect.

“If inquiring into and using the immigration status of a person might help [us] remove from our community a serious criminal more quickly or effectively for the protection of our residents, I certainly support our officers in doing so,” said MacIsaac.

See The Three Plans For The New Belmont Library on Tuesday

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Photo: One of three designs now being considered for a new Belmont Library.

The Belmont Public Library Feasibility Committee is asking residents and patrons to join it in the Library’s Assembly Room for the final Open Public Forum on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m.

Feasibility Chairs Nancy Dignan and Elaine Alligood, Board of Trustees Chair Kathy Keohane and architect Stewart Roberts will walk through the work that went on during the study: what meetings were had, and what feedback they received.

The main portion of the evening will be reviewing of the floor plans, computer modeling, and cost estimating for each of the three options the committee is considering.

The study worked to develop a plan for:

  • A renovation of the existing space,
  • A renovation with an addition, and
  • new construction.

The study is nearing completion and the committee will be making its final recommendation on which of the three is the right fit and most cost effective to the Board of Library Trustees in the near future.

Come and voice your thoughts or bring questions to discuss. 

Library Director Peter Struzziero will be on hand with other members of the Feasibility Committee and Board of Library Trustees for conversation or other questions as well.

Light refreshments will be served. 

Town Warrant Is Now Open for the Next Month

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Photo: Town Meeting

The opening of the 2017 Town Meeting Warrant, which is the list of agenda items to be voted on by the 290 member body opened today, Monday, Feb. 6 at 9 a.m. close a month later at 3 p.m. on Monday, March 6. 

It will close a month later at 3 p.m. on Monday, March 6. 

During this time, the Board of Selectmen will include articles in the warrant that include everything from appropriating money to run the town to proposed bylaws.

Residents can place articles in the warrant themselves, known as citizen petitions. Those submitting a petition must secure at least 10 signatures from registered voters, although the Town Clerk advises petitioners to obtain 15 to ensure they meet the requirement.

The petition will then go to the Bylaw Review Committee which reviews proposals for bylaw changes to make sure they do not conflict with existing statutes.

For more information, contact Town Administrator David Kale at 617-933-2610.

Group Seeking ‘Sanctuary Town’ Status For Belmont

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Photo: Anne Mahon speaking before the Belmont Democratic Town Committee

A group of politically progressive Belmont residents is pushing forward with a citizen’s petition designating Belmont a “sanctuary” community to be voted on at the annual Town Meeting in May.

“We’re not doing this to wave a flag and make ourselves feel warm inside. There are people that are really afraid,” said Anne Mahon, chair of the Belmont Democratic Town Committee who presented the plan before two dozen members at its monthly meeting on Thursday, Feb. 2 at Town Hall.

Mahon said the committee’s move is in response to a ban of travelers from seven majority Muslim nations and halting of the resettlement of Syrian refugees by President Trump. 

“Belmont has residents with green cards and Visas because top scientists, doctors, and engineers are always being recruited from around the world to work at our universities and firms. They come here because we have one of the finest school systems as well as proximity to their job locations. We want our families to all feel safe here,” she said.

Mahon said supporters of the proposal expect an increase in deportations of not only undocumented immigrants but people in the country with a “green” card and student and work visas.

“We have local families that are afraid to visit a sick family member abroad for fear they will be denied access to their return,” she said.

“Imagine how horrible that would be … to have a job and a residence here, a dying parent abroad that they wish to comfort, but worry America won’t let you back in.”

A sanctuary community enacts laws placing limits on how much local police or town officials can cooperate with requests from federal authorities to hold immigrants in custody.

“There are people in Belmont we know who can’t leave the country because they don’t know if they can come back,” she said.

While most in attendance were approving of the measure, the Democrats want to see the petition sponsored by the town’s Human Rights Commission – as it was done in Arlington – to ensure a non-partisan debate at Town Meeting. 

“This is a bipartisan issue. This is just neighbors looking out for neighbors,” she said.

Belmont would join neighboring communities Newton and Arlington which have started their efforts to secure sanctuary status. Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and Amherst have established policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authority.

Mahon said Belmont would use language similar to Arlington’s proposal [see below] which would prevent town police from enforcing federal immigration laws or for them to ask the immigration status of people they meet.

So far, reaction to Arlington and Newton has been mixed. While the language is still being crafted, Arlington’s Board of Selectmen has placed the article into its annual Town Meeting set for April but have yet to vote on a recommendation. In Newton, Mayor Setti Warren is backing one of two ordinances, but he and supporters have seen considerable pushback from those who feel the measure would threaten to shortchange the town of federal funding.

Trump has threatened to take away federal grants from sanctuary communities if they do not help deport immigrants.

Mahon said an analysis by the town’s treasurer found the financial hit to Belmont if the administration bans federal funds would be minimal with the town receiving just about $50,000, mostly in affordable housing grants.

Arlington’s Sanctuary Town resolution

To see if the Town will resolve to become a Sanctuary Town, joining hundreds of municipalities nationwide, providing a safe haven and sanctuary for undocumented residents of our Town, and protecting all residents from hate and prejudice, provided, however that this resolution shall not prevent law enforcement from investigating, arresting or charging someone for a crime or other legal infraction, or take any other action related thereto.

Inserted at the request of the Human Rights Commission

ARTICLE RESOLUTION/SANCTUARY/TRUST ACT COMMUNITY

To see if the Town will resolve to become a Sanctuary Town, joining hundreds of municipalities nationwide, providing a safe haven and sanctuary for undocumented residents of our Town, and protecting all residents from hate and prejudice, provided, however that this resolution shall not prevent law enforcement from investigating, arresting or charging someone for a crime or other legal infraction, or take any other action related thereto.

AND/OR

To see if the Town will vote to adopt a resolution that Arlington serve as a “Trust Act” Community (also known as a “sanctuary community”) to ensure that all immigrants can fully and safely participate in the civic and economic life of the Town by resolving to refrain from among other things: using Town resources for the purpose of gathering information regarding the citizenship, immigration status, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation for discriminatory purposes; engaging in or assisting in Immigration and Customs Enforcement in reporting, arresting, detaining deporting, or taking any other law enforcement action unsupported by separate and distinct warrants or probable cause from criminal conduct unrelated to immigration status; or take any action related thereto.

Comment: A number of simultaneous efforts by Town residents and bodies, including the Arlington Human Rights Commission have expressed great desire to establishing Arlington as a “Sanctuary Town” or “Trust Act” community. I am aware that this matter is separately on your agenda as the Arlington Human Rights Commission plans to present their version of a warrant article (the former above) as part of a wider discussion for your endorsement. If the Board is so inclined, there may be some distinctions between the ultimate Town Meeting motion pursued by like- minded efforts, but overall it is my recommendation that if either or both are pursued, they are presented as resolutions.

I also look forward to the opportunity to discuss some of the distinctions between Trust Act ordinances adopted by neighbors such as Boston and the town’s legislative options.

Town Election 2017: Dash Off And Running After Launch Party

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Photo: Adam Dash in focus.

If you’re going to have a campaign event for more than a dozen people in Belmont, it’s going to be in one of two places: the basement of the VFW Hall on Trapelo Road (where the bar is located) or Patou Thai in Belmont Center.

You will soon discover that while each location has its distinct ambiance, they both have one feature in common: they are the worst locations in eastern Massachusetts to take photos. Let’s just say you haven’t experienced tungsten lighting this harsh since they closed the interrogation rooms of Soviet-era prisons in the Ukraine.

But the light fixtures did not deter the 60-plus Belmontians from showing up to hear from Adam Dash as the Goden Street resident officially launched his campaign for a Selectmen’s seat this spring.

The Somerville attorney was there with his wife and younger daughter and campaign staff including co-chairs Ellen Schreiber and Sara Masucci – whom just so happened to be co-chairs of the Yes for Belmont effort that passed the Prop 2 1/2 override two years ago – and its chairman Ralph Jones.

Jones introduced Dash expanding on the candidate’s themes of vision, experience, and action.

“After last week, experience is needed” on the board, said Jones to a significant amount of laughter, not realizing his reference to the departure of Belmont’s Town Administrator David Kale would also be interpreted as a swipe at the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and his team that bungled a recent executive order.

He noted Dash’s membership on the Warrant Committee, Zoning Board of Appeals, Town Meeting and as vice chair of the Underwood Pool Building Committee, “the best building project this town has ever seen.” 

Dash joked to the audience that he has “met a million people or so” (What? Another swipe?) as he walked the streets knocking on doors and listening to residents who told him there needs to be a better way to conduct important town business “and then do it.”

He explained how he and neighbors including former Selectman Anne Marie Mahoney got the town to stop parking on both sides of Goden during high school football games which prevented vehicles from traveling on the narrowed street. 

“But not everyone is plugged in” as he and his neighbors.  

Action should be “top down rather than bottom up” when it comes to government, said Dash, who added that it was easy to just “kick the can” down the road; he would rather take the more challenging course of “getting the stone rolling for change.”

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Town Election 2017: Bowen Seeking A School Seat? Sami Will Say Soon His Future

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Photo: Will he or won’t he. Only Sami knows.

Catherine “Kate” Bowen, the chair of Sustainable Belmont, has taken out nomination papers for a possible race for the Belmont School Committee.

Incumbents Tom Caputo (who has qualified to be on the ballot) and Elyse Shuster (who has also taken out nomination papers) currently occupy the two seats up for grabs at the annual Town Election on Monday, April 4. Bowen and Shuster have until Feb. 14 to submit 50 signatures of eligible voters to the Town Clerk’s office.

The Bartlett Avenue resident is active in town government – she is an active Town Meeting Member from Precinct 4 – and is involved at the Butler Elementary School which her children attend.

Bowen is a program administrator at Harvard University who matriculated at Hampshire College and has an MFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She also has a background in teaching art and art history at several Boston-area colleges and universities.

Will Sami Run?

“Soon.”

That’s all incumbent Belmont Board of Selectman Sami Baghdady had to say on Monday, Jan. 23 when asked if he would be running to retain his seat on the three-member committee.

While newcomers Adam Dash and Guy Carbone have been certified for the April 4 ballot, Baghdady has not passed through the Town Clerk’s office in Town Hall to pick up the necessary nomination papers.

While the attorney has plenty of time to collect the 50 signatures needed have his name before voters, residents around the coffee shops (especially the politically astute who hang out at the Dunkin’ Donuts on Trapelo Road) and town centers are asking; “Is Sami running?”

Known for his lawyerly demeanor on the board – he recently saved the town several thousand dollars in lost tax revenue when he spotted a possible legal dodge in the sales contract for the new electrical substation – Baghdady has pushed the members to complete long-delayed projects such as the community path.

While there is no indication the life-long resident who has held many roles in town government over the years isn’t running – he has been actively attending events such as the public meeting on Cushing Village this week – the curiosity of voters gets stronger by the day.

Town Meeting Warrant Opens Feb 6, closes March 6

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Photo: The seal of Belmont

The opening of the 2017 Town Meeting Warrant, which is the list of agenda items to be voted on by the 290 member body, has been set by the Belmont Board of Selectmen at its meeting on Monday, Jan. 23. 

The warrant will open at 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 6 and close a month later at 3 p.m. on Monday, March 6. 

Also, the Selectmen voted that the first day of the annual Town Meeting will be Monday, May 1. The meeting will be held in the auditorium of Belmont High School beginning at 7 p.m.

During this time, the Board of Selectmen will include articles in the warrant that include everything from appropriating money to run the town to proposed bylaws.

Residents can place articles in the warrant themselves, known as citizen petitions. Those submitting a petition must secure at least 10 signatures from registered voters, although the Town Clerk advises petitioners to obtain 15 to ensure they meet the requirement.

The petition will then go to the Bylaw Review Committee which reviews proposals for bylaw changes to make sure they do not conflict with existing statutes.

For more information, contact Town Administrator Davd Kale at 617-933-2610.

Town Election 2017: Dash Enters Selectmen’s Race, Shuster Pulls Papers for School Committee

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Photo: Adam Dash delivering nomination papers to the Town Clerk’s Office.

Early Monday morning, Jan. 23, saw the usual hustle and bustle at the Town Clerk’s Office in Belmont: the Town Clerk was upstairs at Town Hall officiating at a wedding, the staff were staying busy in coats and sweaters as the building’s new boiler was on the fritz for the third time in a month, and numerous town officials were stopping by to ask questions.

In among the beehive of activity, Belmont voters were rewarded with a competitive race for the Board of Selectmen. Adam Dash presented Town Clerk Ellen Cushman – back in the office with newlyweds in tow – with 154 signatures from resident registered voters, all but assuring the Goden Street resident will be on the April 4 ballot with Woodfall Road’s Guy Carbone to battle it out for the single Selectmen’s seat up for grabs this year.

“It was fun knocking on doors and speaking to the residents,” said Dash, a longtime resident and an attorney with a practice in Somerville. Dash will officially launch his campaign on Saturday, Jan. 28, 3 p.m. at Patou Thai restaurant in Belmont Center.

Who hasn’t taken out nominations papers? It is the incumbent for Selectman, Sami Baghdady. Baghdady has been steadfast in not being pressured to say one way or another if he will seek a second  three-year term.

Who has taken out papers is Elyse Shuster, one of two incumbents – the other is Thomas Caputo – currently on the board. It’s not known if Shuster – who has been reluctant to make a public announcement on a return to the committee – will be seeking to challenge Caputo for a full three-year term or run for the two years remaining on her seat.

As for Dash, he finally got to meet his very experienced challenger as Carbone “crashed” the dropping off event – actually, he just came to do some research. A handshake, and then another for the cameras. 

“We get to meet. Wonderful,” said Carbone to Dash.

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