Historic Changes Proposed For Belmont Government, Budget Process As Town Facing ’Serious Financial Difficulties’

Photo: The Collins Center’s Stephen Cirillo

Stephen Cirillo did not mince words: an on-going structural deficit will result in Belmont “facing a significant financial challenge” in the next years.

Yet Cirillo’s statement was hardly a Cassandra-like message; everyone knows it’s only so true. In fact, Cirillo has been before the town for the past four years sounding that same alarm and voters passed a Proposition 2 1/2 override in 2015 to fill the town’s coffer emptied by an earlier fiscal imbalance. But in a damning review of the town’s financial structure by the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at UMass Boston presented before a joint hybrid meeting of the town’s major committees and boards on Wednesday, Aug. 3, the ability of Belmont’s leaders to effectively face the current fiscal precipice is hindered by an antiquated governmental framework that mutes any opportunity to come to grips with the issues.

“We are concerned that underpinning the current financial challenges is an overall organizational structure that may be unable to meet these difficulties,” said Cirillo, a staff associate at the Center.

In one example that surprised the reviewers, no where in the town’s bylaws or special acts in the 162 years since the town was incorporated was the Select Board ever declared as head of the executive branch.

“Belmont is one of the most decentralized town structures” of its size existing in the Commonwealth, said Cirillo, in which varying committees, boards and elected officials deals with certain aspects of the town’s financial landscape but not the whole “in an inherently uncoordinated fashion.”

“Individually, none of these is necessarily unusual or problematic,” reads the report, but put together, “[it] creates a significant diffusion of responsibility and authority across the executive branch” which is unusual for a large town such as Belmont.

The initial reaction from the officials and the public was an acceptance with an acknowledgment that the recommendations must be seriously considered.

“I thought the report was incredibly well done. Very comprehensive and pointed,” said Mark Paolillo, chair of the Select Board. “So I welcome these recommendations. They are fairly robust.”

Seven months and 18 interviews

The review was initiated by Town Administrator Patrice Garvin and the Select Board which received a state grant 18 months ago to look at the town’s financial structure with the Collins Center which has assisted the town previously on developing financial policy and revenue forecasts. The report took seven months to complete with 18 of 19 town officials, employees, appointees and a resident on the Center’s interview list participating in hour-long sessions between November 2021 and February 2022.

While the review spotlighted the structure of town governance, it also pointed out the lack of fiscal “best practices” in its budgetary process. Belmont has been able, so far, to stave off the financial crisis of the structural deficit in the past seven years by using non-recurring funds such as free cash and state and federal and state grants, Cirillo said that approach is simply not sustainable “and you’re rapidly approaching the financial cliff” when one-time revenue will not fill the gap between recurring revenue and expenditures. When that occurs, the only option will require cuts to essential services – education, public safety, public works – or seeking a series of overrides to balance the budget.

While the conditions creating the structural deficit remain, Cirillo presented a list of recommendations that would bring historic change to Belmont’s governmental model and budget process since the town’s founding in 1859. The 19 recommendations [see a copy at the bottom of the page] are not radical in any sense, said Cirillo. In fact, they would bring Belmont in line structurally with nearly all cities and towns in the Commonwealth including comparable towns.

Read the 40-page Financial Organization Structure Review here.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Cirillo pointed to three key recommendations as essential to put Belmont on the path towards. One is to revamp the town’s current annual budget process into a formalized financial planning cycle by adopting guidelines and best practices developed by the state’s Division of Revenues’ Department of Local Services.

Calling the new planning cycle ”very simple,” Cirillo said each player – be it the town administrator, the select board or department head – has a specific timeline to do their specific tasks and move it forward to the next step. ”And each person, each committee has their responsibility to make their decisions themselves, independent of a group meeting,” he said.

Another main recommendation is to define and strengthen the powers and duties of the Select Board and Town Administrator via new bylaws, changes in policy and through special legislation so that “everything should flow through the Select Board and the representative Town Administrator,” said Cirillo.

“We believe that the Town’s executive branch is not configured in a way that aligns authority, responsibility and accountability,” said the report.

The third recommendation is for the Select Board to take the lead in determining what policies will guide the budget process. Cirillo said once the agreed-to revenue expenditure forecast is presented and reviewed, the board would issue policy directives such as how much should be spent on capital projects, set department hiring freezes to forestall layoffs or call for draft budgets that show the effects of reductions to their assigned revenue.

”These budget guidelines would flow to the town administrator who would then send a directive to the department heads, including the school department, at the beginning of the budget process,” said Cirillo.

Once the department budgets are returned at a date certain, the Town Administrator will prepare a budget recommendation back to the Select Board and Warrant Committee both who will meet with the individual departments “which should have the right to advocate for revenue … for the services they deliver,” said Cirillo.

”Ultimately, the Select Board will make their budget recommendation to Town Meeting with the Warrant Committee making their own budget recommendation to Town Meeting,” said Cirillo, noting it’s likely those recommendations will be very close in their final numbers ”because all budgeting is incremental in nature.” If there are differences in opinion, the board and the committee should seek to reconcile their differences. If not, the Warrant Committee can bring its budget to the town’s legislative body and the Select Board can ask for an up or down vote, he said.

New finance director to lead new financial management team

Cirillo was happy to see one of the 19 recommendations has been implemented with the “excellent” hire of Jennifer Hewitt as the town’s assistant town administrator and finance director who will chair a new Financial Management Team. The team will hold regular meetings to “create opportunities to develop new ideas and analyze the impact of upcoming fiscal events … and offer early strategies to deal with anticipated areas of concern.”

Other recommendation calls for the transition of the Town Treasurer position and the Board of Assessors from elected to appointed posts as well as finding other sources of revenue from economic development that will attract an appropriate level of commercial and industrial activity.

The Warrant Committee’s Jack Weis said his concern was the school district makes up 60 percent of the town’s budget and while town and schools have worked collaboratively, “there’s no guarantee that could work and there’s been examples where that didn’t work.” While Cirillo said the school committee does control the school department, it remains a department with the town of Belmont and the Select Board and Warrant Committee are responsible for creating the budget for the town.

“They should be working with the superintendent of school … or make every effort to do so and they succeed more times than not,” said Cirillo, noting that the schools will be part of the budget process every step of the way and they will know the fiscal reality the town is working in.

”The budget is driven by the executive and the executive is the Select Board represented by the town administrator and the warrant committee represents the Town Meeting,” said Cirillo.

Much what the Collins Center is recommending is not new. In fact, many of the suggestions were first proposed in a 2011 financial management review conducted by the state’s Division of Local Services. ”We implemented a handful of recommendations, many which we did not,” said Paolillo. ”When reading the report, I was not surprised to see that a lot of the recommendations from 11 years ago were in this report.”

While Wednesday meeting was the release of the report, a subsequent public meeting on Aug. 29 will be used to plan a path forward, said Paolillo.

”We can’t make changes in a vacuum” it will need consensus of town and elected officials as well as the public ”because some of the recommendations, I would say, are maybe controversial,” said Paolillo.

”It’s not the end of the discussion,” said Paolillo. ”It’s the beginning of our deliberations. This will be an ongoing dialogue … so we need your thoughts and input.”

Paolillo Named 2022-3 Select Board Chair

Photo: Mark Paolillo

Mark Paolillo was unanimously elected chair of the Belmont Select Board for the coming year in a vote during the board’s annual organizing meeting on Wednesday, April 6.

Adam Dash steps into the vice-chair role with Roy Epstein, who won re-election to the board the previous night, taking the role of member.

”I certainly appreciate [Dash’s] leadership over the past year and I look forward to working with both you in the upcoming year. We have a lot of work that we need to accomplish,” said Paolillo, who was the board’s vice chair over the past year.

The remainder of the morning meeting was taken up on the board’s liaison assignments with town committees and boards.

Letter To The Editor: This We Agree On, Vote Epstein If You Care About Belmont’s Schools

Photo: Letters to the editor

To the editor:

Over the years the two of us have often found ourselves on different sides of political debates within Town. At meetings of the Select Board, or in the pages of the Citizen Herald we’ve debated and butted heads over any number of issues. Throughout, however, we have always been united by one thing: our love of Belmont and our sincere desire to see our Town and its residents thrive.

That’s why we’re writing to you today to urge you to elect Roy Epstein for the Select Board, and to warn you about his opponent’s stated plan to cut $8 million from the budget for our public schools. If enacted, such a plan would see as many as 160 school staff laid off and deeply degrade the quality of education our children receive. Belmont residents who cherish our public schools must stand, as one, and re-elect Mr. Epstein and refute this noxious proposal. 

Lasseter’s plan? Crippling cuts to schools

The source of our alarm is a statement made by Roy’s opponent, Jeff Lasseter, during the League of Women Voters debate on March 24. Speaking about the Town’s finances, Lasseter stated that the School Committee had budgeted for $69 to $70 million dollars for the next fiscal year but “only needed 59-60 million” if the School Department used “common sense spending.” That’s a $9 to $10 million reduction in school funding – around 14 percent of our budget.

And this was no gaffe. In fact, Roy’s opponent repeated his claim on Saturday afternoon during a forum hosted on behalf of Belmont’s Pan-Asian Coalition and the Belmont Chinese American Association.

Hyperbole by candidates on the campaign trail is nothing new nor is it unique to Belmont. But the plan promoted by Roy’s opponent would have serious implications for our students.

Here are the real numbers for Belmont’s schools

The facts of the School Budget for 2022-2023 are clear and a matter of public record. After months of discussion and planning, the School Department presented a revised budget of $67.2 million as of March 29, 2022. This number is slightly lower than the School Department’s original request for $69.4 million. Those $2 million in cuts have been followed by another cut of $165,000 and a proposed cut of $507,400. 
This final cut has not been approved by the School Committee. Even without the final $507,400, the Committee would need to cut an additional $8.2 million to meet the budget target of $59 million set by Roy Epstein’s opponent.       

Mind you: Belmont’s public schools already run lean. Class size in Belmont is larger than average among our peer districts, while per pupil spending in-district is thousands of dollars per-pupil below the State average. The two of us can, and have, disagreed about the relative importance of such statistics to educational outcomes. What we agree on is that Belmont’s public schools already operate with a much leaner budget than comparable districts.  

Death blow: Cut 120 teachers and 40 aides

What would happen if the School Department reduced its already lean budget to $59 million as Roy’s opponent has proposed? Well, the only areas for substantial cuts are staffing: personnel. We cannot end state-mandated services (which account for $23 million); we cannot cut fixed costs for operations. To find another $8.2 million in cuts, Lasseter has proposed, Belmont would have no choice but to carry out massive layoffs of teachers and professional aides. Salary savings for 160 personnel would be $10 million.  Health insurance savings would be $1.5 million. But unemployment benefits paid for layoffs would be a cost increase of $3.3 million.

By our calculations, to live within a budget of $59 million in FY23, Belmont might close one of its elementary schools entirely, squeezing all of that school’s students into the other three grade schools in Town. But even that logistic nightmare would not be save enough.

If we, instead, spread the $8.2 million in cuts over K-12, we would need to eliminate more than 160 positions in all: 120 teachers and 40 professional aides. The number of teachers in Belmont would be reduced by more than one-third. Class sizes would explode as a result. Elementary grades would see classes of more than 30 students. At the high school, we would need to cut all electives, saving staffing for the core classes required by the state. AP offerings would also be affected. Fees would soar, further hampering working families in town.

Just as troubling as the implications of Lasseter’s proposal for our schools is the fact-free and cavalier manner in which he floated them. The schools, he said, simply needed “common sense spending” to find the millions in savings. He offered no details on what “common sense” entailed, or  where the millions of dollars in cuts would come from.    

Wanted: facts and common sense, not conspiracies

As a town, and a nation, we know well what to expect from politicians who rail against government, while reveling in their ignorance of how it actually works. We know the dangers of conspiracy theories and promises like “only I can fix it!” We’ve seen the chaos that such ill-conceived and ill-informed plans deliver.

Only now is our community emerging from the trial and trauma of the COVID pandemic. Masks are coming off and life is ever so slowly returning to normal. But there is so much more to do. Now, more than ever, we need smart, serious and informed leaders who can lead our Town out of the depths of the pandemic, and put us back on a track to prosperity and common purpose. On Tuesday, Roy Epstein is the candidate who can deliver that. Together, we urge you to vote for him on Tuesday, April 5.

Paul F. Roberts, Town Meeting Member Precinct 8, Chair, IT Advisory Committee

Ralph T. Jones, Town Meeting Member, Precinct 3, School Committee

[Note: Jones is the chair of Roy Epstein’s re-election campaign]

Letter To The Editor: Lasseter Will Welcome Change To Status Quo

Photo: A lawn sign for Jeff Lasseter (Jeff for Belmont Facebook page)

To the editor:

Although I’m too young to vote, I want to express my support for Jeff Lasseter who is running for Belmont Select Board. I’ve met Jeff and was impressed with his depth of knowledge, commitment to the town, and how he listens to residents and thinks about their input, before reaching decisions, leading to action. I appreciate how Jeff hired young Belmont residents to work in his restaurant and his involvement in the community through sponsoring fundraisers. 

In his many years in federal government, Jeff acquired real life experience balancing the books, often needing to do “more with less.” We need to run the town like a business, holding everyone involved with the town’s finances accountable. 

Jeff sincerely relates to parents, seniors, business owners and anyone invested in improving our town for all. Jeff’s ability to relate to all constituents and respect their concerns, is a welcome change to the status quo in Belmont.

Antonio Molle

Warwick Road

Select Board No Fan Of Proposal For Two-Way Traffic On Leonard This Summer

Photo: One or two-way traffic will be coming to Leonard Street this summer

If there has been one town-led change to the Belmont landscape over the past two years that has received overwhelming approval, it’s been the nearly six months that Leonard Street becomes a one-way avenue through Belmont Center.

Devised by the town and Select Board in the spring of 2020 to allow the center’s eateries enough room to install outdoor dining when the Covid-19 pandemic closed down indoor service at restaurants, the opening of Leonard Street with a single traffic lane from Alexander Avenue to Channing Road created a pedestrian-friendly area that attracted strollers, shoppers and diners to the business district. In 2021, additional parking was created along the street as well as flower pots and new railing as the length of the closure was increased from early May to late October.

”People love it,” said Chair Adam Dash. “The only complaint I heard was why can’t you close both lanes. Get rid of the cars.”

So when the Select Board heard a proposal from the Belmont Center Business Association to temporarily close Leonard Street to one lane from May to October, the board was eager to move forward. That was until they heard from the town on what the business group was proposing. Rather than one lane, the association members was seeking two, narrow lanes with a more limited area along the curb given over to restaurants for al fresco dining.

Since no one from the BCBA attended the meeting, it was up to Town Administrator Patrice Garvin to tell the board that earlier in the day town officials had “some additional conversations” with the association and while it wanted the board to approve the dates for closing the street from May 2 through Oct. 25, the association’s “alternatives”was specifically having two-way traffic along Leonard. So far, said Garvin, the town had not even started any preliminary work such as creating a traffic pattern map or even knowing “how that will work.”

“Roy [Epstein, board member] and Glenn Clancy [town engineer] spent a lot of time on moving spaces around … and that worked pretty well,” said Dash, who said he had not heard about the association’s proposal when he met earlier in the day with the BCBA president Gerry Dickhaut, owner of Champions Sporting Goods.

“I’ve never heard anyone say they want two-way traffic,” said Dash.

“One way layout worked fine, but a two way?” pondered Epstein.

Clancy said the alternative would squeeze two-way traffic lane which would include sharing the lanes with bikes, dining, adding more parking spaces, with less pedestrian areas all in the same program package.

”They see an opportunity with two lanes to be able to provide for more parking for some of the businesses that don’t fully support closing even one lane of traffic,” said Clancy, pointing to office owners and retailers who are demanding “better parking facilities.”

It became immediately apparent the three-member select board saw the BCBA proposal as going over like a lead zeppelin. The three members said they would not vote on anything until they saw some details of any likely alternative.

”We need a plan to vote on,” said Mark Paolillo, who even floated the idea of following other towns which shut off traffic to business centers for certain days of the week such as from Thursday to Sunday.

“I don’t know what I’m voting on so I’m not voting on [the dates],” said Dash.

“The one lane worked. It has robust attendance. Cars seem to be moving slow particularly at night,” said Paolillo.

The board deferred the vote until Monday, March 14.

Belmont Select Board Convey Support For Ukraine And Its People

Photo: The Select Board express its support for the embattled Ukrainian people as its country is invaded by Russia

Belmont joins a growing number of communities around the world expressing its support for Ukraine and its people as the European nation is being invaded by Russia.

While saying it’s usually not the place of the town’s executive body to venture into areas outside their purview, Select Board member Mark Paolillo said on Monday, Feb. 28, that “all of us have been watching the events in Ukraine and the attack on democracy. Those individuals that are of Ukrainian descent in Belmont, we stand with them and the Ukrainians as they fight off the aggression by someone that’s trying to destroy democracy.”

“We can say that the leaders of Belmont stands with the Ukrainians against the Russian aggression,” said Select Board Chair Adam Dash who noted that more than 100 years ago the paternal side of his family fled Russian pograms to America from Odessa, Ukraine.

”I agree that [the Russian invasion] is completely out of hand and we maybe are on the verge of World War III. It is completely outrageous and I hope this gets resolved,” said Dash.

In addition, Vice Chair Roy Epstein saluted “the bravery of the individual Russians who have stood up against the Russian government and are paying a frightful consequence” including physical assaults and long prison sentences.

“I don’t know what more we can do as a town of Belmont other than stand strong with our Ukrainian colleagues,” said Paolillo.

A Dozen Candidates In The Mix To Fill School Committee Opening

Photo: The Belmont School District building

It may not be cheaper by the dozen but 12 residents are finalists to fill the Belmont School Committee seat vacated by Andrea Prestwich last month.

The 12 applicants is the same number as the last time a school committee position was filled in 2020, noted Board Chair Adam Dash, for “a thankless job but an important job.”

The candidates were announced at a Nov. 9 joint meeting of the Select Board and School Committee which will vote on Wednesday, Nov. 10, to select the new member.

The candidates are:

  • Diana Cepeda, Trapelo Road
  • Aisha Foxx Telfort, Betts Road
  • Phillip Fremont-Smith, Somerset Street
  • Ralph Jones, Summit Road
  • Marko Labudovic, Carleton Road
  • Frances Leighton, Thomas Street
  • Jeffrey Liberty, Worcester Street
  • Alessandro Miglio, Trapelo Road
  • Glen Robertelli, Bay State Road
  • Jerome West, Trapelo Road
  • Jung Yueh, Waverley Street
  • Amy Zuccarello, Elizabeth Road

A brief mission statement from each candidate can be found at the bottom of the article.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the two sets of members discussed the process of whittling down the candidates until the new member is selected. Following the lead of School Committee Chair Amy Checkoway, the selection will be a two step process. The first step is underway with a review of the application material made up of a statement off interest and the resume.

The second course of action, which the two groups hope will be completed within a two hour window, will take place Wednesday at a public meeting. There will be a “meet the candidate” during which each applicant will make a three minute opening statement which will focus on why they are applying for the role.

After this brief intro, the eight member voting group will reduce the pool to five finalists with a runoff if their is a tie for fifth. Those remaining residents will give short answers to questions from the group. Then a final vote will occur with the best candidate receiving a majority (five of eight voters) with additional rounds if no one reaches that threshold.

What type of skills and experience is the joint election group seeking? You name it! An understanding of the issues before the committee, communication experience, a background in negotiations, teamwork, budget and finance experience, knowing policy development and strategic planning, and being an inquisitive person would be perfect for this position.

Statement of interest from the candidates for Belmont School Committee (Cuts have been made for length)

Cepeda: “I would be a good candidate for this committee because my child attends Belmont High School and a racism incident occurred and I would like to join the committee to be a part of the solution to this issue. I have a background in accounting and want to share my experiences and talents.”

Foxx Telfort: “I worked as an RN for 15 years and currently stay home with 2 children who now attended the Wellington. After many years of nursing and being a mother and homemaker, multitasking, organization, planning, and caring about our community have become a major part of my life.”

Fremont-Smith: “In a time of elevated emotions and uncertainty I believe the School Committee needs people who are experienced, rational and empirical thinkers. Emotion can drive too much of the public discourse today and that can lead to distraction, or worse. In my HR & Talent Acquisition consulting business I have juggled and moderated a wide spectrum of issues serving many varied constituencies over the past several decades. I have developed a specific approach to problem solving over the years that is based on empiricism. I follow a simple MO; Calmly listen, calmly question/consider and then calmly proceed with what needs to get done.”

Jones: “As a former member of the School Committee, I can start immediately. This appointment comes at the start of the budget process for 2021-2022. My 25 years in elected and appointed positions in Belmont Town Government create a unique perspective on how to obtain the best school budget. Equally important is my experience in collective bargaining. During my nine years on the School Committee, I served on the bargaining teams for BEA Units A and B and AFSCME. Prior to my election to the School Committee in 1995, I conducted research for 12 years on the development of legal frameworks for municipal labor relations. I also worked as an apprentice arbitrator and mediator, developing skills in conflict resolution.”

Labudovic: “I believe I can provide leadership and help my community during these difficult times. I am particularly interested in helping with Special Education and Covid related activities. I believe in diversity and I challenge the status quo. I currently lead an organization of 1,000 people and I know how to get things done.”

Leighton: “I have over 20 years of experience in project and program management where I have learned to excel at managing large-scale processes and performing complex problem solving. I foster strong relationships within all levels of an organization, as well as with external vendors and clients. I am incredibly organized, detail- oriented and have strong communication skills.”

Liberty: “The Belmont Public Schools are at an important crossroads, and the Belmont School Committee faces many complex challenges and opportunities. I would like to put my nearly 30 years of experience in education at the service of the Town and the school system that our two children attend. I have broad, national expertise in a number of the areas that the School Committee oversees, and I have good working relationships with a number of the current Committee members as well as good insight into networks of students and families in town as a result of my volunteer activities over the years.”

Miglio: “Navigating modern day challenges requires curiosity, patience, kindness, and a steady hand. These are staples of my day-to-day life both as a manager at work and as a parent of two Belmont school kids.”

Robertelli: “20+ years running and leading life science organizations in the USA and overseas including invasive and non-invasive sensor technologies and diagnostics. Experience dealing directly with the FDA and regulatory authorities in Europe and other regions. Understanding of data and extensive experience presenting said data in front of live audiences and stakeholders including physicians, nurses and hospital executives. Senior Advisor to Metryx and its CEO, Shawn Rubin. Co-author of ‘Pathways to a Personalization: A Framework for School Change,’ in helping this educational startup maximize teacher efficiency and student achievement by increasing the frequency and accuracy of formative assessment in schools using tablet technology.”

West: “I’ve grown up and live around education. My mother was an elementary school literacy specialist, serving children who had fallen behind in literacy education. In the past, I have volunteered my time with the Maize Foundation and other tutoring groups, helping at-risk youth reach their peer goals in academic achievement. Beyond my passion for education, I am a risk management and security professional. This gives me experience in helping organizations implement applicable governance and policy requirements. Likewise, my professional technical and financial background will enable me to understand the budgeting process and drive the board’s decision-making.”

Yueh: “I have previously had the pleasure of working to help the Belmont school system. I served as the Butler PTA treasurer for 2 years and served on the Elementary School Advisory Committee on Hybrid Learning in 2020. When I worked as a pension and health actuary, I calculated the value of benefits in support of my corporate clients in union negotiations. I understand benefit terms, and how they potentially translate to current and future cashflow.
As a trained mediator, I was taught to look for creative solutions to reach consensus. It is often helpful to have someone who can listen to all sides and be able to play the role of a devil’s advocate in order to reach a thoughtful agreement.”

Zuccarello: “I was motivated to apply for this position because I am the right person to fill the open spot. I have more than twenty years of professional experience in a wide array of financial and legal matters which is directly relevant to the work of the School Committee. I work with clients to develop and negotiate budgets, often when substantial cost savings are required. I regularly work with different groups to bring people together to achieve a common goal. These skills will be valuable to the Committee in its work on the school budget and in negotiating with the teachers’ union, as and when needed.

Pair Of Public Meetings This Week: Belmont Middle/High Building Committee And American Rescue Act

Photo: Two public forums will be held this week

The Select Board will be joining several committees and groups for two virtual joint public meetings that will effect the lives of every resident in Belmont.

On Tuesday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m., the Select Board will be joined by the Belmont Middle and High School Building Committee and the School Committee to discuss aspects of the construction of the $295 million 7-12 school that has been in the news. One area that will be brought up will be design and construction concerns at Concord Avenue and Goden Street, the new traffic lights at the intersection, site design review as well as public comments on the evaluation of construction impacts to neighboring properties.

The Transportation Advisory Committee and the High School Traffic Working Group have also been invited to join the meeting.

The meeting will be conducted Via Zoom Meeting. By computer or smartphone, go to:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89055600185?pwd=alNQLzVHOFM3bEZuU2dUWjczaTVYdz09 and follow on-screen instructions.

On Wednesday, Aug. 18, the public is invited to join the Select Board’s joint meeting with the School, Warrant Committee, and Capital Budget Committee also at 7 p.m. via Zoom to discussing the how the town will distribute the approximately $7.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding the town received earlier in the year.

By computer or smartphone, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84474554147

Both meetings can be seen live at the Belmont Media Center:
Channel 8 on Comcast
Channel 28 or 2130 on Verizon
Or watch online at belmontmedia.org/watch/govtv

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Town Administrator’s Office at townadministrator@belmont-ma.gov or call 617-993-2610

BLM Sign Relocated At Belmont Farmers Market After Being Banished For Being Political Speech

Photo: Black Lives Matter sign at Belmont Farmers Market

Since last summer, Black Lives Matter signs have become a familiar feature in Belmont placed on yards, fences, windows and cars showing ones commitment to the current drive for diversity and racial justice.

But last week one of the signs – located on the sawhorse barrier at the market’s entry – was removed by the Belmont Farmers Market at the request of town officials after a patron questioned the political nature of the sign. The reason for its removal is where the market is location; in the Claflin Street parking lot, a town-owned property and the message the sign conveyed was a political statement.

At Monday, July 19, Select Board meeting, representatives from the Farmers Market and its parent organization the Belmont Food Collaborative came to request some guidance on where, and if, it can include the sign that expressed its support for Black Lives Matters.

In its 15th year, Belmont Farmers Market is annually permitted by the Select Board to take about a third of the Claflin lot from the first week in June to the end of October fruit, vegetables, baked goods and other Farmer Market staples.

Hal Shubin said that since the murder of George Floyd and the resulting summer of protests the market to “explicated include our Black friend and neighbors” by placing this year a Black Lives Matter sign at the weekly market located on a barrier inside the market’s boundaries.

While the market voluntarily complied with the request, Shubin told the board when discussing another incident the Belmont Police told the market that while operating on town land, it can enforce its own market appropriate rules, which would include a message on its commitment to civil rights and inclusivity.

Shubin said while he understands that creating a sign placement policy for the entire town will be difficult, “we believe signs at the farmers market and one its equipment reflects our opinion and not the town’s.”

Saying it was surprising that this issue hasn’t come up in any great way in the past, Select Board Chair Adam Dash said a new Belmont sign policy will need to walk a fine line on what is acceptable “because this is going to continue to come up.” Board Member Roy Epstein said one of his main concerns is for the town not to be sued. “I’m all in favor of freedom of expression but I don’t want a scenario that we’ll be part of a law suit,” he said.

Town Counsel George Hall said first, a new sign policy must treat everyone equally on expressive activity on town property. At the market, each of the dozen weekly vendors have the opportunity to place a sign at their workspace, said Hall. But while not wanting to limit what a vendor can post, Hall said it would be in the best interest of the market and the town not to turn the space into “essentially a bill board where it could becomes a competition where lots of different people will want to put up a lot of signs.”

Suzanne Johannet, president of the Food Collaborative, suggested a compromise of placing the placard on the manager’s tent, where the market’s volunteer staff helps customers and vendors.

“That is a even more clear expression that it is our space,” said Shubin Hall said the tent placement is “maybe the best place to draw the line” while the town cobbles together a sign bylaw for public spaces in the next few months.

“That works for me,” said Shubin, a short term solution which the Select Board agreed.

COVID Update: Half Of Belmont Is Vaccinated; Out Pacing State, US

Photo: CDC vaccination card and sticker

Belmontians are outpacing their fellow state residents and US citizen in stepping up and being fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

As of the week ending May 11, approximately 51 percent of all Belmont residents are fully vaccinated, having received two doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine or the one shot Johnson & Johnson dose, according to Diana Ekman, assistant director of the Belmont Health Department. Statewide, 47 percent of Massachusetts residents are fully vaccinated while 37 percent of US citizens have all their shots.

Belmont has recorded a total of 1,139 positive cases of COVID-19 since March 2020 with 80 deaths attributed to the coronavirus.

Nearly 2/3 of all residents (66 percent) and 84 percent of adults over 20 have received least a single dose of the vaccine, which can reduce household transmission of the virus by up to half. In Massachusetts, 63 percent and nationwide 48 percent of adults have had one shot.

For older adults in Belmont, the rate for those 65 and older to be fully vaccinated has reached 82 percent while 88 percent of 65-74 and 90 percent of those 75 and older have had received one shot.

“We got most of the folks in that category,” Ekman told the Select Board at its Monday, May 17 meeting.

While the number of children and young adults representing those 19 and under who have obtained the vaccine remain quite small, “[w]e have heard anecdotally from folks in the schools that there’s been a really good uptake rate in the older group of teenagers that been eligible for a little while and we hope that continues in the 12 to 15 groups as well,” Ekman said.