Winter Town Meeting Likely Put On Ice As Skating Rink Pushed Up Against Party Primaries

Photo: Jack Weiss speaking to the Select Board on slowing down the process of approving a new skating rink.

The prospects of Town Meeting Members putting on their heavy coats and boots early in 2020 to attend a rare winter Special Town Meeting to approve two important requirements for a new town skating rink appears to have been put in the deep freeze.

The “special” scheduled for Monday, Feb. 24, 2020 to approve a public land sale for the rink as well as the approval of a new zoning bylaw to allow for a recreational building to be constructed will likely be shelved at the Select Board’s meeting this Monday, Oct. 7, due to the town needing to prepare for the 2020 Massachusetts Presidential Primary set for Tuesday, March 3.

According to town officials, the dates are too close to allow proper preparation for either events in such a short time frame.

It now looks likely the issue of the public/private agreement and the new bylaw will be taken up during the annual Town Meeting which will convene in late April 2020.

The date change to next spring for the new skating rink proposal [see what the new rink will be comprised of here] to come before Town Meet is in stark contrast to the lightning speed town and school officials had initially hoped the proposal to have taken place. The first version called for the bid to be accepted, a lease created, the Town Meeting vote and a contract awarded by December 2019.

Town and school officials pushed for the fast track approval process as the town’s existing ice surface, the nearly 50 year old ‘Skip’ Viglirolo Skating Rink adjacent Harris Field off Concord Avenue, is on the verge of failing. Without a replacement, the town would need to secure ice time for the high school hockey programs at a considerable hit to the school department budget.

But after listening to residents – such as Jack Weis and Bob McGaw – who warned at a public meeting last month that a project done in haste could result in costly mistakes, the Select Board in September extended the procurement of a public/private partnership by an additional 15 weeks. Rather than a mid-December date for the school committee signing a final lease with the winning bidder, the new date for the lease signing will be in late March 2020.

But this latest delay will now push the final lease signing into May 2020.

The additional two months will also allow residents who questioned the rink’s location, traffic generation and hours of operation to campaign for restrictions to be placed in the lease to mitigate those concerns.

It is reported that residents led by Anne Paulsen are seeking town wide support to locate five tennis courts on the new Middle and High School property in the general area of the proposed rink.

Three ‘Modest’ Proposals Frame New Regs For Town Meeting Roll Call Votes

Photo: Moderator Mike Widmer discussing changes to the roll call bylaw with the Select Board

The most impassioned moments of the 2019 annual Belmont Town Meeting didn’t involve a vote but how they were reported. And next week, Town Meeting members and residents will hear and comment on changes to the roll call bylaw sponsored by three mainstays of town government.

At this year’s Town Meeting a group of members sought roll call votes on the outcome of several articles including measures that passed overwhelmingly on a voice vote.

Unlike the usual aggregate vote when just the grand total of yea and nay are presented to the meeting, a roll call requires each member’s vote to be recorded and made public. With electronic voting in Belmont, member’s names are projected on the main screen for the assembly to see how each member voted.

While roll call proponents said knowing how a member voted is an expected part of representative government, others called out the rarely invoked process “harassment” and “vote shaming” by revealing who may have voted against “popular” measures.

The town is holding a public meeting to discuss proposed Roll Call Bylaw changes on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 7:15 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

It culminated with a vote favored by the pro-roll call caucus going down to defeat during the roll call after initially passing with an aggregate tally. Soon after, there was some confusion on who could ask that the article be reconsidered, resulting in a decision by the moderator that left Town Meeting in a kerfuffle for a few days.

At a recent Select Board meeting, representatives of the Town Clerk’s Office, the Town Administrator and Town Moderator presented an initial draft article which they will bring to the fall Special Town Meeting in November supporting, as moderator Mike Widmer describes it, three “modest” proposals that will clarify and codify what constitutes a roll call vote.

“The proposal is based on the informal survey of Town Meeting members after the annual meeting … and we have done our best to reflect the will of the majority of members,” said Widmer.

Assistant Town Clerk Meg Piccione announced the proposed changes to the bylaw:

  • a roll call will be automatically conducted for the final action on any article or motion that requires a 2/3 majority vote.
  • an automatic roll call will be done when a motion or article is passed by fewer than 10 aggregate votes.
  • If a member requests a roll call vote for any other article, the measure will require 50 supporting members, up from 35.

Widmer noted the bylaw change also includes redefining reconsideration – when a matter that was voted on is brought back before the Town Meeting for a second time – which was also an issue at the annual meeting. The new bylaw will only allow a member who voted in the majority be allowed to request a motion to reconsider.

Widmer said he does expect some to question the group’s bylaw change and possibly challenge some aspects of the new bylaw.

“We’re under no illusion that there won’t be any amendments to this proposal,” said Widmer. “But our hope is to have …the one article so we can make it a smoother process rather than having one citizen’s petition for an article and another for something else.”

State Rep Rogers Announces October Office Hours

Photo: Dave Rogers

State Rep. Dave Rogers, who represents the “ABC” district (Arlington, Belmont and Cambridge) announced his October office hours:

  • Tuesday, Oct. 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m at the Beech at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.
  • Friday, Oct. 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Black Bear Cafe (Belmont Books), 79 Leonard St.

Feel free to contact Rogers’ office at any time with questions: by phone at 617-722-2013 or by email at dave.rogers@mahouse.gov

Discover Rock Meadow With Belmont Historical Saturday, Oct. 5 at 1 PM

Photo: Rock Meadow Conservation Land

The Belmont Historical Society invites the public to explore one of Belmont’s great open spaces with a Walking Tour of Rock Meadow this Saturday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. The walk is free and open to the public.

Learning about the history of Rock Meadow by walking the conservation land with Anne-Marie Lambert. Discover the history and uses of the land off Mill Street which include:

  • wetland habitat for fish and beavers,
  • hunting and fishing grounds for the Pequosette,
  • hay meadow,
  • bird watching area,
  • key part of McLean Hospital Farm with its wells, orchards, pastures and piggeries
  • a place for respite for immigrant workers and
  • site of the Victory Garden.

Participants will meet in the Rock Meadow lot off Mill Street with addition spaces across the street in the Lone Tree Hill parking lot. Bring water, closed shoes, and weather appropriate clothing.

High School Solar Panels Survive Value Engineering Cuts … This Time

Photo:

The installation of solar panels on the roof of the new Belmont Middle and High School will stay on the builder’s “to do” list … for now.

While the photo-voltaic cells were spared in this round of cuts, the head of the Belmont Middle and High School Building Committee said the group will return for a second and possibly third look at possible savings with an eye on big-ticket items that will likely include the solar panels.

At a civil but still contentious meeting held last week at the Belmont Gallery of Art, solar supporters including residents and many students clashed with several members of the building committee who the previous week advanced a plan using the $2.9 million set aside for roof solar arrays to close a $19 million deficit laid out in the second value engineering

After the previous meeting, the committee experienced push back on removing PV cells from environmentalists and local supporters of zero net energy. Before and during the early morning meeting last week, more than 50 residents and students came holding signs and distributing a fact sheet that contends solar arrays more than pays for itself by reducing energy costs by $170,000 annually.

Bill Lovallo

Committee Chair Bill Lovallo began last week’s meeting with an overview of the $295 million project reaching one of the committee’s goals of constructing a “high-performance building” that uses non-fossil fuel sources, innovated designs and automation resulting in the school being net-zero energy ready. Lovallo said even without PV panels, the building’s design that includes geothermal wells and other energy-efficient technologies, is “nothing like something that exists in Belmont … or what MSBA has in design now.”

But with the project’s budget set in stone, questions of what expense items are necessary to meet the teaching and learning mission of the school said Lovallo. And that may necessitate reducing the number of solar panels on the roof to save other items that residents are not advocating.

“I am for PV cells. We promised that. But we have to keep in mind that other costs are just as important,” said Lovallo.

Those campaigning to delay solar installation contend the move would close the deficit while preserving threatened educational programs such as classroom equipment and not scrimp on the quality of building material.

Bob McLaughlin

“We heard a lot about the promise that this building would have solar on the roof and that’s absolutely true,” said Bob McLaughlin, who spearheaded the drive to reinvest funds set aside for solar to restore interior items taken out. “But the mother of all promises, however, is that we will build a first class school and provide the best possible education experience.”

He believes panels can return as a post opening project which would be have the support of town meeting and will likely see a marked decrease in overall cost due to innovation and technological changes.

“There are so many things you have to do now [including tiles, flooring, and lighting]. And if they don’t get done now, they’ll never get done,” said McLaughlin. And solar’s $3 million can restore a great number of important items, he noted.

Ellen Schreiber

Committee member Ellen Schreiber countered McLaughlin’s suggestion of Town Meeting involvement as a step too far for taxpayers to take.

“I think that we have a pact that we made with the voters. And I think it’s very easy to say right now we’ll take that to [the meeting] because the next time we ask for something they won’t believe us,” she said.

Speaking in favor of retaining the panels in the construction budget, Belmont High senior Madeline Kitch – who helped bring out students to the first value engineering process in May and last week collected more than 200 signatures from high school students in support of the PV cells – said that “truthfully, I don’t have to be here. I refuse to believe that you don’t know the right choice because the very fact that you’re here is a demonstration of your investment in education and your investment in the future.”

“I can’t believe that you can’t see that the world is changing,” she told the committee. “In our time, we’re faced with incredible opportunities. We face decisions much like these, ones that dictate the lives of future generations who, I hope, will look back proudly and say to our faces about a vote much bigger than school and the community,” said Kitch.

Madeline Kitch

After the speeches and presentations the meeting moved the to the heart of the matter: examining 85 large expense line items selected by the building’s design team in which the committee either placed in the “it’s cut” category, the “under discussion” column and a subset of expenses which should be rebid in an attempt to generate more savings.

Many of the decisions had been determined during the first three value engineering meetings. Some were “easy” such as changing the base of the building from cement to masonry, reducing the ceiling finishes and casework in classrooms and simplify the audio playback system.

Others expenses that were “under discussion” were reconsidered such as removing skylights – it will now just be reduced in size – while town officials said they would reject the idea of trading asphalt curbing for granite.

By the end of the meeting, the arrays costs – having been separated into two line items totaling $1.2 million – were not touched. By the end of the meeting, the committee was within $150,000 to its goal of reducing the total cost by $19.2 million.

But Lovallo said discussions on PV cells and other large expense items will most likely be discussed in November as the Building Committee will conduct a third value engineering exercise, on 90 percent of its construction documents, which could reveal another shortfall, all at a time when the project’s contingency fund has been reduced from $19 million at the start of the project to about $7 million today.

Another area that the design team believes savings and be found is through the creation of a “relief valve” account which are accepted bid alternates of many big-ticket items.

But it’s likely that solar panels will be high on the list of expenses that will be forward to a “release valve” account which is a list of expenses that will be rebid. One example Lovallo suggested – to wide approval from the committee – is to remove the operable windows throughout the building “which we could do if the numbers are not looking good” with the budget. Another item could be the PV cells, either looking about both line items or just one while delaying the other.

In addition, the solar panels will be the final item put out to bid in 2023, said Lovallo, “so we have a long way to go to keep that money [in the budget] but there are a lot of things that are going to happen before then.”

Gallery Of Art Hosts Talk On Why Climate Change Is True On Sunday, Sept. 29 @ 2PM

Photo: David L. Marino

Join the Belmont Gallery of Art’s a special hour-long family friendly event with Science Communicator David L. Marino: “Climate Change: How We Know It’s True.”

The talk will take place at the Gallery on the third floor of the Homer Building (located off Moore Street in the Town Hall complex in Belmont Center on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 2 p.m.

Marino’s presentation will address the difference between weather and climate, how we know what we know, and possible solutions to the warming trend.

A principal of DLM Communications, Marino has written and produced presentations most recently for the Museum of Science, Harvard, MIT and the Union of Concerned Scientists among others.

The talk coincides with the gallery show: “Impact Climate Change: Contemporary tapestry from Tapestry Weavers West and Tapestry Weavers in New England.” The show continues until Oct. 13 than opening in San Francisco’s Mills Building on Dec. 16.

Students through adults are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. And it’s free.

Yard Sales In Belmont This First Weekend Of Fall

Photo: Belmont is the place to find yard sales.

Yard sales in the Town of Homes:

171 SCHOOL ST09/28 (Sat) 
& 09/29 (Sun)
10:00am4:00pm(none)
155 CHILTON ST09/28 (Sat)9:00am3:00pm(none)
19 SHAW RD09/28 (Sat)9:00am1:00pm(none)
200 LEWIS RD09/28 (Sat)9:00am2:00pm(none)
35 SHAW RD09/28 (Sat)9:00am1:00pm(none)
16 UPLAND RD09/28 (Sat)9:00am12:00pm(none)

Phone Threat To Belmont High Result In Increased Police Presence

Photo: Belmont High School.

A threatening phone call to Belmont High School resulted in an increased police presence at the school on Thursday, Sept. 26.

According to an email to the greater Belmont High community, District Superintendent John Phelan said an unknown person stated “We are coming to get you” to a main office secretary.

“The Belmont Police were immediately informed, and are investigating the call. At no time during this process were our students and staff in danger,” wrote Phelan. As a precaution, officers were posted along with the School Resources Officer at the school throughout the day.

Phelan revealed in the past few days, officials several communities received threats to “shoot up” and plant bombs at their schools. The threats are being investigated by state public safety authorities although Belmont has not receive similar emails.

“Student and staff safety [is] our top priority, and we will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to keep everyone safe,” said Phelan.

Residents, parents, and students with questions can call Phelan at 617-993-5401.

The FBE APPLE RUN Is Less Than Only Two Weeks Away

Photo: The race is underway.

The newly named Foundation for Belmont Education’s APPLE RUN 5K (3.1 miles) and 1 mile races will be held on Sunday, Oct. 6, at 9:30 am starting at the Belmont High School Track at Harris Field.

REGISTER NOW! Free race shirts for the first 500 registrants.

Join your friends, family, neighbors, classmates and teammates at this great community event! Run, walk, or stroll as an individual or register with a team.

Last year, more than 800 runners from Belmont and across the Bay State raised $25,000 to support education in Belmont, helping the Foundation for Belmont Education make a difference in the Belmont Public Schools.

And this race will include the FBE APPLE RUN SEGMENT CHALLENGE! Awards will be given for the fastest runners up Orchard Street (https://www.strava.com/segments/21336383) and down Goden Street (https://www.strava.com/segments/21336407).

RUNNING NOT FOR YOU? Learn about volunteer opportunities and donation options at www.fbe-belmont.org/run.

REGISTER/VOLUNTEER/DONATE

We greatly appreciate the support of our event sponsors:

  • CitySide Subaru
  • Belmont Orthodontics
  • Didricks | Local Root Belmont
  • Dental Restorative Group

Soccer Night In Belmont Kicks Off With Varsity Doubleheader Sat. Sept 21

Photo: Soccer Night in Belmont

The Belmont High School Boys and Girls Varsity soccer teams will headline the 4th annual “Soccer Night in Belmont” this Saturday, Sept. 21, starting at 4:30 p.m. at Harris Field

Joining the high school teams will. be hundreds of players from the Belmont Soccer Association, their coaches, and other members of the Belmont soccer community.

Soccer Night in Belmont will feature a doubleheader under the lights at Harris Field vs. Middlesex League rival Winchester: the girls’ will play at 4:30 p.m. followed by a boys’ game at 6:30 p.m.

Belmont youth soccer players will participate by parading out with players during the pre-game ceremonies, acting as ball-boys and ball-girls, and competing in mini-games on Harris Field during halftime of both games. Winchester Soccer Club youth soccer players will also participate in the pre-game ceremonies and other activities.

“This event showcases our varsity teams and recognizes the role of Belmont Youth Soccer in nurturing the talent that makes up these teams year in and year out,” said event organizer John Carson.

“We hope to match last year’s crowd of 2,000 for another really fun night that builds bonds between our “little kid” players and “big kid” high school players, virtually all of whom came up through the Belmont youth program. In fact, one great highlight is always that our high school players wear wristbands during the game that match the color of their Belmont youth soccer team.”

Admission to Soccer Night in Belmont is free. Concessions including pizza, hot dogs, snacks and drinks will be available for purchase, provided by Parents of Music Students (POMS) so families can come for the games and feed the kids at the same time.

Soccer Night in Belmont is sponsored by the Belmont Soccer Association, People’s United Bank Foundation, Belmont Boosters, Parents of Music Students (POMS), Phoenix Landing, and Friends of Belmont Soccer (FOBS), with special thanks Belmont Athletic Director Jim Davis.