Search Results for: civil service

Select Board Backs Belmont Fire Chief After Being Cleared Of Alleged Residency Violation

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Photo: Belmont Fire Chief David DeStefano in July 2021

The Belmont Select Board rallied to the side of Belmont Fire Chief David DeStefano Monday night, April 26, after an independent investigation found DeStefano has not violated the residency clause in his three-year contract requiring him to live no farther than 15 miles from Belmont.

“I’m sorry that you have to continue to be subjected to these kinds of accusations and I want to thank you for your strong service to the town,” said Board Chair Mark Paolillo.

The complaint by former Belmont assistant Fire Chief Angus Davison alleged DeStefano had violated his work contract by not establishing a primary residence 15 miles from Belmont within six months after signing his contract in February of last year.

The residency allegations against DeStefano is the latest in a series of actions by Davison and others questioning his selection to lead the fire department and the process of hiring candidates from outside of Belmont when there are several “inside” applicants with equivalent leadership experience.

“Even before my official appointment as fire chief, a small network of individuals has worked to undermine the fair process by which I was selected as the most qualified candidate to be the fire chief,” said DeStefano. “Since my appointment, the same individuals have attacked and tried to undermine my leadership by attacks on my character.”

“I’m tired of all of the innuendo. I really tired of the continued sort of attacks if you will by certain individuals against our fire chief about not only residency but other sort of matters as related to the appointment process,” said Paolillo.

Using fuel receipts and mileage usage from DeStefano’s town-owned vehicle obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, Davison attested DeStefano’s daily mileage total – averaging 150 miles – was well beyond the distance needed to reach the Dedham address the fire chief claimed is his current residence. Davison suggests the distance is associated with round-trip to Cranston, RI where DeStefano was living when he was hired.

Since the mileage has not dropped since his hiring, Davison alleges that DeStefano “has not moved and is not abiding by the the residency clause” and thus is unable to meet the “essential functions” in the job description which requires him to respond quickly to serious incidents and fires as well as medical emergencies and fire investigations.

“Proximity to Belmont is a concern of the town the the ability to respond quickly is of the utmost importance. Responding from Rhode Island doesn’t meet that criteria,” contends Davison.

Davison said if the board did not address his allegations, he would bring them to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and request a fraud investigation be brought against DeStefano.

Presented with what Paolillo called “this serious claim,” the board asked the Boston law firm of KP Law PC to review the charges. Brian Maser, who is Belmont’s labor counsel, pointed to the admitting broad definition of residence by the state’s Civil Service Commission as the physical location of the employee’s house or other dwelling place. So confirming if a location is a residence would include having property records such as a lease or mortgage in your name, a voting record at the location, utility bills, excise tax records and a motor vehicle registration for that address.

Maser said DeStefano has provided the town a lease for a property 15 miles from the town, utility bills in his name and a driver’s license for the address in Dedham. In addition, DeStefano has verbally represented to Belmont officials that his primary residence is in Dedham.

“It’s our opinion that despite not being required to do so, the chief has voluntarily presented sufficient documentation to rebut the spurious allegation advanced against him related to his residency and has been in compliance with this employment agreement,” said Maser.

“Mileage is not an indicator of residency,” said the board’s Adam Dash. “Chief DeStefano has been doing an outstanding job and we’re lucky to have him.” DeStefano stated that in his first year leading the department, he’s revitalized training programs, updated countless policies, will start an EMS bike unit and trained for active shooter incidents as well as push to replace the department’s aging air packs.

“So I reject the pettiness and unsubstantiated claims of one or two individuals who favor the status quo and favoritism over progress and fairness.” he said.

Q&A With Roy Epstein, Seeking Re-Election To The Select Board

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Photo: Roy Epstein

Roy Epstein is serving his first term on the Belmont Select Board. A 28-year resident who lives on Cushing Avenue, Epstein is a consulting economist and adjunct professor of finance at Boston College. He previously was chair of the town’s Warrant Committee. Epstein matriculated at Wesleyan (economics) before earning his PhD in Economics at Yale.

Q: If reelected, what are some issues facing the town that you would bring to the fore that may have been neglected or set aside due to more important concerns such as the town’s fiscal condition or Covid?

A: Covid slowed down some work but we’re getting back up to speed.  

Progress on a new rink is one example.  

The town would benefit from certain changes in the management of our pension assets to increase investment returns and decrease administrative expenses.  I hope the Retirement Board, which is independent of the Select Board, will be receptive to taking suggestions for increased efficiency from the Select Board.  

Many of our peer towns made the correct decision to leave Civil Service to promote efficiency and diversity in hiring new police and firefighters, and I expect we will explore new avenues to get there.  

Our fiscal condition will continue to absorb a great deal of my time, in any scenario. We need to face the reality of our looming structural deficit in FY2024 or 2025 when one-time ARPA funds run out.

Q: There has be talk in the past of reconstituting the select board as a policy body and giving more of the mundane necessities – approving annual business permits and approval of the water rates – to the Town Administrator. Could you support that change?

I could support handing off tasks that are mostly clerical, like approving business permits or other licenses, as long as it’s permitted by state law and that there is an appeal process that could bring a contested decision back to the Select Board for review. Water rates or any other decision that could involve a significant amount of money should stay with the Select Board for deliberation and also to allow for sufficient public comment. The items that could be handed off generally don’t require much time in the grand scheme, so the potential for streamlining the work of the Board in this way is rather limited.

Q: What is your guiding philosophy of good governance? Do you have an example of one?

I’ve always combined thorough research, public input, knowledge of financial impacts, and critical thinking in making my decisions. Examples from my first term include my work that led to more senior housing units at the McLean development, making the Light Board an independently-elected body, and finding a cost-effective way to do more pick-up of trash in the parks and business areas. I would also add that regulations should have a clear rationale, be easy to understand, and be easy to enforce. I hope to demonstrate those principles with a leaf blower bylaw in a few weeks.  

Q: What do you wish residents would know about the Select Board they may have a misconception? 

First, we really do pay attention to the huge volume of emails we get from residents. Second, nearly all things related to the schools are under the control of the independently elected School Committee, not the Select Board — that’s determined by state law. Third, we take the Open Meeting Law and all ethics matters very seriously. We share a commitment to transparency and accountability in all we do.

Q: One town official said too many town and elected officials “just can’t say no.” Should the select board say “no” and can you tell a time you did so.

I don’t know which official you’re referring to. The Select Board is often unanimous but not always. We had a split vote on the $12.5 million override in July 2020. We also had a split vote on recommending the new Light Board. We also just had a split vote on the traffic plan for Leonard Street this summer.

Q: What do you “enjoy” about being on the board?

I care deeply about Belmont and our residents, and for me it’s a pleasure to find solutions to hard problems. I enjoy the challenge of trying to find common ground when there are so many different opinions in town. I also enjoy working with our highly capable Town Administrator, department heads, and fellow elected officials, who are all genuine public servants.

Opinion: Protect Our Town Employees and Seniors With A ‘Yes’ Vote On The Override

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Photo: A vote to pass the override will ensure seniors and town employees are protected

ln his guest column in a local publication dated Feb. 18, “Please Join Me ln Voting ‘Yes,” former Selectman Ralph Jones suggests ways of reducing town expenses including asking town employees to help pay for them. He wrote “reducing compensation through union negotiations would depend on the expiration dates of existing contracts.”

ls it fair or appropriate for Jones, or any elected official or administrator in town including the Select Board or the town administrator, to expect town employees, through a reduction in compensation or benefits, to help pay for the ongoing increases in town expenses?

Residents, administrators and elected officials regularly advocate for new services and facilities but we are reluctant to pay for them and are dismayed when we receive our new real estate tax bills. We, as a town voted, through our town meeting members, for an expensive new high and middle school. Now we have to pay for it.

Regarding additional school services, Jones writes “increasingly, schools also are not simply educating students, they are also caring for their social and emotional needs. This expands the type of employees that must be part of the school system.” I agree with him and will be voting for the override in April.

As residents, we Belmontians want excellent services and top flight facilities and we have them. We want our schools to be among the best in the state. As taxpayers many of us are shocked and angry at how expensive our excellent quality of life costs us.

The town has a limited commercial tax base so we residential taxpayers have to rely on ourselves to fund the facilities and services we choose to have. Going forward, I see overrides every several years as an uncomfortable but routine aspect of living here.

For years there has been talk of helping seniors, who may be having trouble paying their real estate taxes, stay in their homes but I’m not aware of any follow through regarding this issue. ln order for overrides to be successful I believe this issue needs to be effectively addressed.

Our town employees are an integral and valued part of our community. They contribute to our quality of life in ways we often do not notice. I’m in favor of the police and fire department employees keeping their Civil Service protections and of fair compensation and benefits for all town employees.

Dick Madden
Retired Town Meeting Member
Pleasant Street

Opinion: Systemic Racism in Belmont; Three Resolutions For 2021

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Photo: Participants at a rally in Belmont’s Cushing Square condemning the murder of Henry Tapia

By Joe Bernard

One month has passed since Henry Tapia was murdered in Belmont. More than 100 of his friends and neighbors attended the vigil to honor his life and condemn racial violence, during which Kimberly Haley-Jackson, vice chair of the Belmont Human Rights Commission, memorably captured the weight of the moment with four sobering words: “Yes, Belmont, you too.”

At this point in our country’s history, it might be naïve to call a racist hate crime “shocking”, yet it undeniably sent shockwaves through Belmont. It should not have taken a murder for us to recognize that racism exists in our community, but that is what happened. 

What do we do next?

Prosecuting the racist who killed Henry Tapia is necessary, but it is not enough. Condemning overt racism and hatred is necessary, but it is not enough. Calls for justice will fall short of their goal if we do not acknowledge and disrupt systemic racism. We must find the ways that our structures and systems protect White supremacy, and we must resolve to change them.

Resolution 1: Empower a Diversity Director for Belmont Public Schools

Belmont Educators of Color and Allies (BECA) is a group of Belmont educators that was established in 2018 with the end goal of eliminating racism in our schools. During 2020, BECA conducted research and surveys with the specific intention of creating action items for the future of Belmont Public Schools. On Sept. 15, they presented their recommendations to the School Committee and heads of the School Department.

One of their recommendations was to hire a Diversity Director. This recommendation is foundational, provided that the position is granted sufficient power within the administration to implement the other recommendations: improving staff diversity, decolonizing the curriculum, arranging antiracist training, and more.

In the proverbial “American dream”, education is intertwined with character values like perseverance and grit. Conventional wisdom uses this paradigm to judge students and their families. Yet, for decades, Black and Brown students have faced more challenges and fewer opportunities, creating the feedback loop of White superiority and the model minority myth.

The impact of this cannot be ignored. In fact, it must be used affirmatively in future hiring decisions. In the words of Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, “The people closest to the pain should be closest to the power.” Accordingly, Belmont Public Schools must commit to hiring a Black or Brown candidate for Diversity Director, whose lived experience can inform their approach to the real equity work of undoing and healing generations of violence, trauma, and inequity (for further reading, see We Want To Do More Than Survive by Bettina L. Love).

The good news is that the School Department’s preliminary FY22 Position Plan includes this position as one of 10.6 new full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) to be hired for the upcoming school year. But I have heard questioning from influential town leadership and town committees about whether or not to fund all new FTEs in the final FY22 budget, even before the presentations were made showing them as conditional upon a successful override vote.

As of now, there is no certainty that a Diversity Director will be hired anytime soon. Furthermore, there is no certainty that the Diversity Director will be given sufficient power to lead meaningful change, without which the position falls flat, little more than a token hire to check off a to-do list.

To address systemic racism in Belmont, we must ensure that the Diversity Director position is treated as the number one priority — not subjected to funding delays or budget cuts — and is promptly filled by hiring and truly empowering a person of color.

Resolution 2: Allow affordable housing, in addition to Affordable Housing

Chapter 40B, the state’s Affordable Housing law, is a frequent topic of conversation in town. For example, last September’s Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved, by a vote of 256–5, the McLean zoning amendment that will allow a new 40B residential development to proceed. This was great news, as research has shown that segregation is reduced by building a mix of housing types and ensuring that it is affordable to a more diverse set of residents.

But while we continue to acknowledge and act upon the importance of (uppercase) Affordable Housing, let’s not sleep on the impact of (lowercase) affordable housing. That is, allowing the construction or conversion of modest two-family dwellings in place of single-family dwellings, to make our town more accessible to moderate and middle-income residents, welcoming more diversity without using Chapter 40B.

Single-family zoning laws in America have origins in blatant racism. Across the country in the early 20th century, suburbs used this type of zoning to segregate their neighborhoods without the explicit racial zoning that the Supreme Court had ruled unconstitutional (for further reading, see The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein). Yet despite such disgraceful roots, single-family zoning is still venerated by some as the source of suburban “character”, vital to the very existence of suburbs. Similar rhetoric is commonplace in Belmont, and is even written into our Zoning By-Law, which states the purpose of our General Residence Zoning is “controlling density and preserving the character of the associated neighborhoods”.

The construction of a two-family dwelling is not allowed by right anywhere in Belmont. In Single Residence districts, it is strictly prohibited; in General Residence districts, it is allowed only under a Special Permit from the Planning Board, a deliberate extra hurdle. This zoning is a textbook example of what the Brookings Institution and the Boston Foundation recently called out as intentionally restricting the dynamic functioning of the Greater Boston housing market. “Greater Boston’s persistent residential segregation, both racial and economic, has been caused in part by legal prohibitions against the construction of diverse, lower-cost housing options like townhomes, duplexes and small apartment buildings.”

But while the Planning Board possesses a lot of power as the decision-making body, they are not making unilateral decisions to force housing production outcomes. Quite the opposite, I have observed that they are eager for public input and appreciative to receive it from any perspective. Therefore, it seems that some permitting decisions are simply reactions to the voices that they heard the loudest, which means that we need affordable housing advocates to be actively organizing petitions and attending public meetings.

To address systemic racism in Belmont, we must recognize that our 40B Affordable Housing projects are not “enough”, and actively advocate for more multi-family options that will allow an affordable housing market to function.

Resolution 3: Withdraw from Civil Service

The Civil Service system was established by state law in 1884 to eliminate favoritism in the hiring and promotion of public safety employees by providing a merit-based system for all municipalities that choose to participate. Belmont adopted Civil Service for our firefighters and police officers in 1915. The core components of the system are: 1) administering entrance/promotional exams and 2) restricting hires/promotions to a ranked list of candidates. Exam results are combined with other distinct criteria to generate the ranked list, from which a municipality is required to hire/promote from the top.

On its face, this may seem to be an equitable system. However, upon closer inspection of the criteria that are used, it becomes evident that the ranked list is more biased than objective. The demographics of law enforcement and firefighters skew heavily towards White males, which the Civil Service system does more to preserve than to change. Even departments that recognize their own lack of diversity and want to change cannot do so when they are legally bound to the restrictions of Civil Service.

In a July 2020 report and webinar titled The Diversity Deficit: Municipal Employees in Metro Boston, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) detailed key findings and best practices from an analysis of municipal employee demographics. MAPC is a regional planning agency established by state law in 1963 to promote smart growth and regional collaboration among the 101 cities and towns of Metro Boston, including Belmont. Among the best practices they found to address barriers to diversity in municipal workforces was withdrawal from Civil Service.

Why does the Civil Service system have a discriminatory effect? One reason is the veteran preference, which ranks veterans that pass the exam above nonveterans who scored higher. Despite any merits of this preference, the fact is that our veterans are overwhelmingly White males: 72 percent of veterans aged 18–34, compared to 36 percent of the total population aged 18–34, according to statewide census data. Another reason is the residency preference, which gives preference to a candidate that lived in Belmont for a full year before taking the entrance exam. Considering the annual base salary for an entry-level firefighter or police officer in Belmont is approximately $50,000, the lack of affordable housing and the residency preference work hand-in-hand to perpetuate existing demographics in public safety departments.

Withdrawal from Civil Service does not necessarily mean that a veteran preference or residency preference have to be eliminated. Such preferences can be included in the hiring policy that would replace it. But this policy can weigh other important factors as well, and removing the strict legal requirement to adhere to a ranked list effectively addresses the barriers to diversity while providing a larger applicant pool.

Belmont’s withdrawal from Civil Service has already been considered very recently, when the Select Board placed a question to that effect on the warrant for Town Meeting in September 2020. Vocal opposition to this warrant article was heard across town, particularly from our local police and firefighters unions. But it doesn’t have to be so adversarial and divisive. Many other cities and towns have withdrawn from Civil Service in recent years, so Belmont has plenty of examples to use for mapping our path forward.

While we can hope that town and union representatives find a mutually agreeable way to do so, to address systemic racism in Belmont, we must withdraw from Civil Service one way or another.

Renée Graham, during her keynote speech at Belmont’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Virtual Community Celebration, observed that people tend to think that racism is a problem elsewhere, not in their own community. Well, the fact that racism is a problem in our own community was brutally exposed. And yet, beyond the hatred of overt racism, we must also see that seemingly race-neutral policies and decisions are not harmless.

Belmont’s systemic racism will not be eliminated by inaction or good intentions. Antiracist progress must be made with deliberate policy decisions. The three that I have outlined here are not an exhaustive list nor the end of the road — there will be more work to be done — but we cannot let the magnitude of the problem discourage us from taking steps towards progress. These steps must be taken in 2021.

Joe Bernard is a Town Meeting Member from Precinct 3. As the father of two Butler School students, his favorite community involvement is coaching youth sports, as well as volunteering for the PTA. He is an active member of Community Organized for Solidarity and Belmont Against Racism.

State Fire Union’s ‘Threatening’ Letter Limited Candidates For Belmont’s Chief Job

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Photo: Fire Headquarters on Trapelo Road.

Belmont missed out on a number of outstanding candidates to be its next fire chief after the state’s fire fighters union sent a “threatening letter” to its membership in the fall, according to town and elected officials.

The allegation of outside interference was revealed at the end of Wednesday Jan 20 Warrant Committee meeting as the group discussed the nationwide selection process to find the replacement for David Frizzell as chief of the department.

“There was a letter that was sent by the state fire union discouraging applicants” to apply in Belmont, said Town Administrator Patrice Garvin referring to the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts. Select Board Chair Roy Epstein said the letter’s ‘threatening tone” caused several applicants to withdrew their resumes while others simply did not submit applications.

“There were people who dropped out because of it,” said Garvin.

But the approach by the PFFM of “warning” possible applicants from applying for leadership positions was not used to single out Belmont. In fact, the state union uses its muscle to secure the selection of a specific type of candidate into the job.

And the union would have been interested in Belmont’s search. Discussing the selection process, Daniel Halston, a member of the Warrant Committee and Fire Chief Screening Committee, said 21 applicants responded to the initial job notice: 8 from Massachusetts, 2 from Rhode Island and 10 from states across the US.

All then proceeded to an assessment center where each was graded on five “exercises” – role playing with different sets of real life scenarios – over three days. The Screening Committee, working hand-in-hand with a consulting firm who led most of the process including setting up the assessment center, then interviewed each applicant who also submitted an essay.

“It was extremely rigorous process for the candidates,” said Roy Epstein, chair of the Select Board which will choose the next fire chief. “And I can say that the three survivors are all extremely qualified candidates.”

When Christine Doyle, the Warrant Committee’s vice chair, asked about the track record of the consulting firm in forwarding candidates with diverse backgrounds, Halston said he was told not many females or minority applicants apply for the Belmont job “and that’s unfortunately somewhat consistent with what they’ve seen in other [situations].”

The three finalists – Belmont acting Fire Chief Wayne Haley, Waterbury Conn. Battalion Chief James Peplau and North Providence RI Battalion Chief David DeStefano – are white males.

Elizabeth Dionne brought up the issue of doing away with Belmont’s civil service requirements – which the town broached in the fall only to retreat due to resident concerns – by doing so would allow the town to “diversify the pool of … women or minorities who can get into fire or police departments to gain that experience” to gain the opportunity to reach elite positions.

It was here that Garvin revealed the letter from the PFFM, noting that she didn’t know the full extent of it on the candidates who though of applying.

“But a letter did go out and it was sent out widely to [local] fire unions across the state,” she said, acknowledging that once the letter was issued, some strong candidates dropped out of the process.

Asking what promoted the letter in the first place, Garvin said the union sought by keeping away strong applicants to give any internal candidate a significant advantage in the selection process.

And the PFFM – which is considered one of the most active and effective public service unions in the state – doesn’t try to hide its intentions.

In its notice (which can be found on the union’s Facebook page), the PFFM says it believes “there are worthy and qualified candidates within the Belmont Fire Department who could fill this vacancy.” And to secure that outcome, “we ask the PFFM members … refrain from applying for his position in Belmont.”

The PFFM sent a similar letter in October concerning the chief’s opening in Haverhill and a letter calling for a protest at Lowell City Hall in August when the mayor selected an outside candidate for the Fire Chief’s post.

Once hearing the letters resulting impact on the process surprised and worried several members of the committee.

While both Halston – who helped whittle the candidates down to three finalists – and Epstein – who will possible select the new chief at Thursday’s Select Board meeting – said they were never threatened by the letter, they believe the letter was threatening to its own members, resulting in a reduced pool of applicants and depriving the town of a true choice.

Belmont Special Town Meeting; Session 1, Sept. 21

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Photo:

The first session of Belmont’s 2021 Special Town Meeting resembled halcyon days of the legislative assembly as each article presented to the 290 members easily passed muster while only a few comments turned any heads.

Monday’s remote Zoom gathering may well seem like a floating nest in the Aegean as the body prepares to reassembles in two days time when the storm clouds gather to announce the pending clash over the future of civil service where the debate could make civil hands made unclean.

But on Monday, the eight articles and 11 votes were allowed to meander like a later summer walk with a good friend; taking their time with easy conversation with points made in polite chatter.

Under the expert hand of Town Moderator Mike Widmer, the meeting included a video tour featuring “Mayor” Stephen Rosales (Pct. 8) of the newly renovated DPW facilities – on budget and on time – a view forward of budgets to come as well as remembering two members who recently passed in Penny Schafer (38 years) and Henry Kazarian (29 years) and honoring Fred Paulsen for serving 62 years on Town Meeting, “obviously an all-time record probably never to be broken,” said Widmer.

“Serving as a town meeting member has been a rewarding part of my life in the Belmont community,” said Paulsen in a letter to the members. “I hope that I have helped to make Belmont the wonderful community that it is.”

The night would see four/fifths of the meeting done in little more than four hours.

Article 2: Carleton Circle adoption: It’s been 37 years since the last time the town accepted a private way – that being Middlecot Street in the Winn Brook neighborhood. So it’s not that common when a street is “adopted” as a public way.

The residents who are along Carleton Circle requested in 2018 that their road be accepted as a public way. And it was only when National Grid made upgrades to the street as well as each homeowner abutting the road pitched in $1,400 did the road meet the town’s standards of a public way.

The only question – from Jeanne Mooney (Pct. 6) – was if the adoption of the street will increase the property values – and it will, likely over time.

The vote: 237 yea and two opposed.

Article 3: Authorization for Temporary Easement – Wellington Elementary School Safe Route to School Project
This article authorizes the Select Board to grant eight temporary easements and one permanent easement for a transportation improvement for several approaches to the Wellington Elementary School as part of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s “Safe Routes to School” program. The project, worth $1.4 million, includes sidewalk reconstruction, traffic signal reconstruction at the intersection of Common Street at Waverley and School streets, ADA compliant wheelchair ramps, pavement milling and overlay, pavement markings, signs, and minor drainage improvements.

All questions from the body were supportive. Lucia Gates of the Shade Tree Committee did ask if there could be funds to plant replacement trees for the ones which will need to be cut down.

The vote: 237 yes, 2 no and 2 abstained

Article 4: The five Community Preservation Committee Projects approved in the spring by the CPC. Each Special Town Meeting vote is next to the project.

  • $680,624 Town Field Playground and Court Restoration. (241-5-4)
  • $100,000 Homer House Window Restoration Project. (237-11-3)
  • $173,000 Feasibility study for the redevelopment and creation of new affordable housing units at Belmont Village. (228-17-1)
  • $100,000 Belmont Police Station Front Steps Historic Preservation (228-13-3)
  • $100,000 Supplement to Emergency Rental Assistance Community Housing (221-20-2)

The most debate was directed to the $100,000 the Housing Trust would add to the $250,000 the CPC previously allocated in rental assistance to residents impacted by the COVID-19. Betsy Lipson (Pct. 6), co-chair of the Housing Trust said the money request is due to “the unprecedent need the pandemic presents.” This amount will assist between 25-30 additional residents – the assistance program already has qualified 37 applicants – seeking help to pay their rent and maintain housing stability.

While voting for the measure, Jack Weis, Pct. 2, didn’t question the use of the funds but questioned the Community Preservation Committee backing a short-term measure that didn’t support the larger goal of creating affordable housing.

“I find it very frustrating that the [Community Preservation Committee] does not act as stewards of the CPA money on behalf of the town” and “they’re the only committee that does not recommend, advise, or guide Town Meeting as to whether or not they think that the proposed action is prudent and warranted.”

Elizabeth Dionne (Pct. 2), CPC chair, said it was important for the CPC to be challenged at Town Meeting. She would vote against a permanent rental assistance program because long term housing is the much higher priority.

“We’re considering this a one-time emergency event,” said Dionne.

Article 5: Purchase Police Station Modular Units (Trailers) Using Water Retained Earnings
This article seeks to use Water Retained Earnings to purchase for up to $320,000 the modular units currently being leased for the Police Station Project located on DPW land off Woodland Street. Purchasing the units will alleviate severe space constraints for the Public Works Department and other town departments.

Ariane Goodman-Belkadi (Pct. 3) who lives on Woodland Street, expressed concern that the Select Board would have carte blanche on future uses of the modulars at the site located between the Light Department on Prince Street and the Water Department at the end of Woodland. She was worried about the possible overuse by town vehicles – many heavy trucks – of the private way and dead end.

Goodman-Belkadi said she and her neighbors want a commitment from all town departments that only Water Department vehicles and those owned by Water Department employees will use the roadway.

While the town is supportive of meeting with residents to address concerns, it’s unknown if the town can make those commitments.

Other questions included the durability of the structures. When asked the life span of the trailers, Belmont’s Director of Facilities Steve Dorrance said it would last for “decades” if the buildings are properly maintained over that time.

The vote: 212 yea, 19 nay and 5 absent

Article 6: Transfer Remaining Water Capital Balances
This article transfers the remaining funds from prior year(s) capital in the Water enterprise fund will be re- appropriated to be used for the FY21 Water Main Replacement. The total is $137,641.09.

This is an annual accounting clean-up.

Vote: 221 yup, 2 nope

Article 7: Transfer Remaining Sewer Capital Balances
This article transfers the remaining funds from prior year(s) capital in the Sewer enterprise fund will be re-appropriated to Community Developments Sewer & Drain fund $25,581.20 that is used for maintenance repairs and replacements to the Town’s sewer and storm water system.

Just like Article 6 but replacing water for sewers.

Vote: The first unanimous vote of the night: 228 oui, 0 non

Article 8: Amend Zoning By-law: Grammar in Zoning
Town Meeting adopted a revised nonconforming Zoning By-law for the Single Residence B Zoning District in 2019. It later came to the attention of the Planning Board that certain language in the by-law was ambiguous. The article makes the necessary revisions to state the intent of the bylaw more clearly.

Who needs Grammerly when you have Bob McGaw, who initiated this amendment?

Vote: 228 yes, no opposition and three abstained.

Select Board Pegs McIsaac To Be Next Belmont Police Chief (VIDEO)

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Photo: Belmont Assistant Police Chief James MacIsaac

Assistant Police Chief James MacIsaac could soon be leading his hometown police department as the Belmont Select Board unanimously selected the life long resident to succeed Richard McLaughlin as Belmont’s next police chief.

“I hope to continue to serve the Town of Belmont [in] the capacity of Police Chief,” MacIsaac told the board after an hour-long presentation during a public meeting at Town Hall on Monday, Dec. 9.

MacIsaac and Belmont Lt. Chris Donahue – who addressed the board and a handful of residents on Monday – were the finalists from an original group of five selected by the Police Chief Screening Committee chaired by former Selectman Mark Paolillo.

While saying that the town “seems to have an embarrassment of riches” with two outstanding candidates for the job, Select Board’s Adam Dash believed “while Chris Donahue sounded like a great cop, I think James MacIsaac sounds like a great leader.”

MacIsaac will take command of the 108 member (with 49 sworn officers) department – pending contract negotiations with the town – from McLaughlin who is retiring on Dec. 31.

Once a contract is squared away, MacIsaac will be Belmont’s 12th full-time chief since David Chenery, Jr. was named Superintendent of Highways and Police Chief in 1877, according to the late town historian, Richard Betts.

In their presentations, Donahue and MacIsaac agreed on the need for additional support on traffic – 42 percent of all calls to Belmont Police involve traffic related incidents – assisting the elderly and strong school/police relations. Each pointed to strategies to protect victims of domestic violence which make up 90 percent of the assault and battery calls to police.

Belmont Police Lt. Chris Donahue.

They also agreed that civil service, which provides preference to residents in entry-level officer positions, has hurt Belmont’s ability to attract an increased diverse pool of candidates.

In his presentation, MacIsaac said that “attempting to maintain the status quo within the department is not an option.” He noted that his philosophy is that all organizations are “always growing even if you’ve reached that top pinnacle.”

“So we are going to build on success that Chief McLaughlin has created,” said MacIsaac.

Among the first acts under MacIsaac’s watch will be filling the vacancies of assistant chief and captain, create strong lines of communication with an emphasis on collaborative partnership between Command staff and officers as well as be cognitive of the fiscal limitations placed on the police budget.

McIsaac will also commit to a six month evaluation of 21 specific areas of policing including staff levels, whether there is too many supervisory positions, reviewing the IT function including the possibility of adding a software specialist to the force and if the department should continue a K-9 unit.

“You need to be willing to try new things. As long as it doesn’t endanger somebody or endangers civilians or cost a lot of money, I’m willing to try just about anything … to improve the organization,” he said.

The Select Board were more supportive of MacIsaac’s approach and specifics to issues. While there were many similarities to the finalists approach to the job, “the principle difference is the fact that MacIsaac’s has been assistant chief for some time and I think he is more attune to the issues on the management side of things,” said Roy Epstein.

And Board Chair Tom Caputo said while the town would benefit with either candidate in the job, “I was engaged and excited to see the depth in which he seems to understands the issues … and the manner in which he was able to provide specific examples to almost take it to a strategic level.”

“While we have two very good candidates, the nod for me is to Jamie,” said Caputo.

Obituary: William Monahan, Long-time Selectman from the Old School

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William P. Monahan, a popular selectman who represented the “Old School” of Belmont politics, but whose business involvement with the Boston mob would tarnish his reputation, died on Friday, Oct. 31.

Monahan, who lived for 50 years in a modest Cross Street house, was 80.

Flags at all Belmont Municipal Buildings will be flown at half-staff in honor of  Monahan through Thursday morning.

Winning a seat on the board in 1978 on his fourth try for the office, Monahan was one of the last of the “Old School” Belmont politicians, where strong personalities – in the tradition of James Watson Flett who served four decades on the board – and the will of the Belmont Citizens’ Committee set town policy with little community interaction.

In fact, in 1978, Monahan was himself a victim of a long-standing Belmont tradition: the poison-pen letter delivered days before the Town Election, attempting to smear his reputation and politics.

Monahan, a no-nonsense, at times gruff, attorney who was born in West Roxbury and raised in South Boston, said his greatest responsibility on the board was to preserve the “small town” feel of Belmont, protecting it “against urbanization.” He was a leader in efforts to keep property tax rates low to allow “old timers” the ability to reside in their hometown during a time of increasing housing values.

He would use his conservative approach to town finances – Monahan was a loyal Republican – to question other’s “fiscal responsibility” on concerns of inadequate funding for capital projects and school buildings.

“It was a much more fiscally conservative town,” Monahan said in a 2002 Boston Globe interview when describing his hometown when he arrived in the mid-1960s.

In later years, Monahan sought to increase town revenue with the creation of a new hub on South Pleasant Street where new police and fire department headquarters would be adjacent to a commuter rail station with a 200-vehicle garage.

Monahan was known for “flying solo,” as reported in the weekly Belmont Citizen newspaper, using his Selectmen’s position to advocate citizens and neighborhoods. Many times, Monahan negotiating one-on-one with entities such as the city of Cambridge for Payson Park-area residents during the renovation of the nearby reservoir, then come before the board with the “solution.”

Monahan also gave private assistance on zoning issues to the leadership of the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints community during its successful effort to build a temple on Belmont Hill.

Residents soured on this approach, most notably when he appointed a four-member “committee” to privately negotiate a purchase agreement with O’Neill Properties for the Belmont Uplands. When brought before Town Meeting in 2001, the deal was criticized for its favorable terms to the developer while providing no guarantees to the town on revenue or environmental safeguards. The measure was voted down.

The state Attorney General also criticized the board for violating the state’s Open Meeting Laws during the multi-year settlement with McLean Hospital.

Changing town demographics and a more active – and liberal – population base would view Monahan’s approach to governing more critically. Many at the time contend Monahan’s defeat by Ann Paulsen in 1992 for an open State Representative seat had much to do with “newcomers” flexing their political muscle.

Monahan’s world view was brought out in the 2002 Globe interview when he said when he was first elected, “[i]t was fashionable, almost, for the mom to stay at home. It’s no longer fashionable, which, you know, I find extremely difficult to accept. I think the most important profession in the world is motherhood.”

Monahan made national news when he initiated a rally for Mitt Romney after the Belmont resident successfully rescued the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. On a snowy day in March 2002, Monahan handed Romney a pair of running shoes and led the chant, “Run, Mitt, run,” referring to then possible Romney candidacy for Massachusetts governor.

But many residents took exception to the rally that used town resources to promote what they viewed as partisan political efforts, a charge Monahan would decry at a Selectmen’s meeting.

Many believe the negative impact of the rally and the Belmont Uplands proposal contributed greatly to his defeat for a 10th term by Paul Solomon in April 2002.

When asked the difference in Belmont between the time he was elected and his defeat, Monahan pointed to the “[l]ack of sense of community,” in the Globe interview.

“You know, sometimes you don’t speak to [your] next-door neighbors. We’re all so busy pursuing whatever our interests are. I think not just in town government, but I think in our world, there’s been a drastic reduction in the sense of the need for civility,” he said.

During his tenure, Monahan would serve as Selectmen chair from 1983-86, 1989, 1995-97 and 1999-2001. He was also a Town Meeting member from 1974 to 2002.

Soon after becoming governor, Romney appointed Monahan chairman of the state’s Civil Service Commission in July 2003 at a salary of $80,000.

Monahan abruptly resigned in August days after the Boston Globe revived a Dec. 1992 Belmont Citizen article that Monahan and a partner secured a $180,000, 10-year loan in 1980 from Gennaro “Jerry” Angiulo, a former New England mob underboss to purchase a bar in Boston’s theater district. The real estate firm that sold the bar to Monahan, Huntington Realty Trust, was later determined to be a front for the Angiulo’s illegal gambling enterprise.

Monahan said while knowing of Angiulo’s involvement in the mob; he told the Boston Globe at the time that “It was bad judgment. No serious harm came of it, but I never should have gotten involved in the thing.”

In 2009, Monahan sued Romney in federal court for wrongful termination without due process but the suit was dismissed.

While most people in town remember Monahan for this community service, the long-time Cross Street resident was a well-respected member of both the legal and academic world.

After serving in the US Coast Guard during the Korean War, Monahan matriculate at Boston State College, obtain a Masters Degree in counseling psychology from Boston College and a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University School of Law. He served 20 years as an assistant professor and later as an associate clinical professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University Medical School.

Monahan is survived by his wife, Edith J. Monahan (Mungovan). He is father to Julie Brady and her husband Brian of Belmont, Marianne Monahan MD and her husband Timothy Busler of Greenwich, Conn, Maureen and her husband Mark Bobbin MD of Belmont and William P Monahan Jr and his wife Kathleen Srock M.D. of Denver, Colo. His grandchildren are Brian, Marykate, John, Caroline, Connor, Teddy and Colleen. He was the brother of the late John J. Monahan and Mary Mahoney. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St Josephs Church, 128 Common St., Belmont on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 9 a.m. Burial will be at Highland Meadow Cemetery in Belmont.

Donations may be made in his memory to the Wounded Warrior Project P.O. Box 758517 Topeka, Kansas 66675.

What’s Open/Closed On The Martin Luther King Day Holiday; Trash/Recycling Pickups Delayed A Day

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Photo: Dr. Martin Luther King (credit: National Archives and Records Administration)

Now celebrating its 38th year as a federal holiday, Martin Luther King Day – observed on the third Monday in January – honors the civil rights leader and (the youngest at 35) Nobel Prize for Peace recipient who advocate for nonviolent social change leading to the enactment of such landmark federal laws as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. His writings and speeches continue to inspire people and groups to strive in promoting racial equality and humanitarian rights for all.

Belmont will be holding its 30th Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Virtual) Community Breakfast on Monday, Jan. 15, at 9 a.m. Sponsored by the Belmont Human Rights Commission in support of the METCO Program and METCO Support Fund, this year’s keynote address will be by Danielle Johnson, founder/CEO of Spark FM Online and a Belmont Public Schools alumnae. Register for this free event here.

Trash and Recycling Pickup is delayed by a day

What’s open and closed on MLK Day:

  • Belmont Town Hall and town departments/offices are closed
  • Belmont Public Schools: closed
  • United States Postal Service Offices at 405 Concord Ave. and 492 Trapelo Rd.: closed
  • Federal and state offices: closed
  • Banks: closed

MBTA schedules:

  • Buses, subway and The Ride: Saturday schedule
  • Commuter rail: Weekday schedule

Stores:

  • Most retail and drug stores, pharmacies and businesses will be open on the holiday.

Memorial Day In Belmont: Remembering Those Who Gave Their Lives For The Country

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Photo: Memorial Day in Belmont, 2023

Memorial Day Monday arrived in Belmont under a brilliant blue sky as residents, town officials, and veterans came to the Grove Street Cemetery to commemorate the war dead since the Civil War two years after Belmont was incorporated.

For Select Board Member Roy Epstein, those sacrifices include the men and women who fell outside of the wars this country fought. In his speech before the hundreds at Grove Street Cemetery, Epstein told the story of US Army Air Corp Captain Billy Phelps, a pilot who flew B-17 Flying Fortresses over Germany during WWII, surviving the war after his plane was shot down and he was held as a POW.

Three years after that war ended, in June 1948, the Soviet Union, in an attempt to force the American, British, and French forces out of Berlin, blockaded all the roads and railroads to the western sectors of the city to ultimately claim most of post-war Germany for themselves.

“They cut off the supply of food, electricity, and coal to hold the civilian population hostage. President Truman responded by trying to break the blockade by air. This was the Berlin Airlift, which began almost exactly 75 years ago.”

“Amazingly, Phelps volunteered to go to occupied Germany for the Airlift, to fly coal to Berlin instead of bombs. It was again desperate, dangerous work. New Soviet jets harassed the flights and sometimes tried to force American planes down in the Russian zone. Coal dust in the planes caked the controls and blinded the pilots. In letters home Phelps wrote that their planes had become ‘flying wrecks.’ Twice his engines caught fire and he was forced to crash land.”

The few loads of food and supplies grew to a massive unbreakable lifeline thanks to the determination of American and British crews. They eventually delivered millions of tons. It was the Soviet dictator Stalin who gave up and called off the blockade in May 1949.

Epstein remarked that “the Berlin Airlift changed the course of the Cold War. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created at the end of the crisis. The security created by that alliance has preserved Europe from again becoming a battleground. Our commitment to that alliance is still being tested.”

“In Germany today, memorials fittingly honor the Airlift by calling it ‘a gigantic operation that turned former enemies into friends.’ Do not forget what Germany had been. The Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany, where Anne Frank and countless others perished, was only a few miles from Phelps’ airfield. The Airlift had much more than military importance.”

“Showing we could and would stand up against aggression and injustice helped Germany renounce the inhumanity of the Nazi past. It took another 50 years, but Berlin finally became the capital of a peaceful, united, and democratic Germany.”

“Captain Phelps was part of a small and very special group of pilots in the history of the Airlift. Here’s why. In December 1948, he had a few days left before rotating home to his wife and two new babies. He had to fly another mission after making three round trips the day before. A mile after taking off, his heavily loaded C-54 banked in the rain and fog – and plunged to the ground. Phelps, his copilot, and his flight engineer were all killed.”

Just like in 1948, “[a]s we confront problems in the world today, let’s remember and draw inspiration from people like Billy Phelps. Let’s hope that the American ideals, generosity, and sacrifice that made the Berlin Airlift possible will always be a beacon for those who struggle for freedom, dignity, and human rights,” said Epstein.

This year’s observance included speeches, prayer, and the Belmont High Marching Band accompanying the marchers from the cemetery to the Veteran’s Memorial at Clay Pit Pond.

Belmont Veterans Agent Bob Upton and Kip Gaudet, Jr., Waverley VFW Post 1272’s commander, hosted the annual event recognizing the town’s fallen heroes. “We remember those of Belmont who have served those who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Upton.

United States Army veteran and the newly installed pastor of the Open Door Baptist Church Tim Robinson, gave the day’s prayer, thanking those who had fallen for their courage, selflessness, and devotion to duty and praying for those who have lost loved ones and service to this great nation that you would continue to comfort them with the peace that only a supreme being can bring.

State Sen. Will Brownsberger and State Rep. Dave Rogers read a proclamation together from Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy, saying it was appropriate that all Massachusetts citizens remember the bravery of those who gave their lives so that their sacrifices serve as a reminder of the cost of our freedom.

Keynote speaker retired US Marine Colonel, combat veteran, and lifelong Belmont resident Mike Callahan spoke on learning more about those to sacrificed their lives for future generations.

“So as we read the names and play taps, and again recall stories of features that never played out,” said Callahan, the Belmont Veterans Memorial Committee chair. He encouraged residents to learn more about the men from Belmont who gave their lives, like James Paul White, for which the Field House at Harris Field is named, who was killed during the Battle of the Bulge, and MIA Jerry Burns, who was presumed died in the Korean War. There are Belmont football teammates Edward Teddy Lee and Walter Donny Ray, who both died in Vietnam, and Jonathan Curtis, who died in Kandahar nearly 13 years ago today.

“As we reflect on their ultimate sacrifice to the friend, the freedoms that we all enjoy each day, and freedoms that far too many Americans take for granted, let us pledge to keep their memories alive. Doing this is as much for them as it is for future generations. For if we are to retain our freedoms, that has been one for us, then similar sacrifices will almost certainly be required in the future.”