Belmont’s Memorial Day Ceremony, Parade on Monday, May 26, At Belmont Cemetery

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Photo: Memorial Day ceremony at Belmont Cemetery

On Monday, May 26, Belmont will honor the men and women who made the supreme sacrifice in defense of our country at its annual Memorial Day Celebration and Parade.

The traditional observation will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Belmont Cemetery – across from the Grove Street Playground – with speeches, the Belmont High School marching band playing the National Anthem, decorating of graves, reading the names of Belmont residents who died in service of their country during conflict, and the playing of taps.

This year’s parade will step off immediately following the ceremony and will march down Grove Street to Bright Road. The parade will turn left on Concord Avenue, and travel to the new Veterans Memorial at Clay Pit Pond.

‘Statement’ Win As Belmont High Girls’ Lacrosse Edge Defending State Champs, 13-12

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Photo: Belmont High’s junior midfield all-star Niamh Lesnik

What better way is there to prep for prom than taking down the defending state champs at home? Ask the members of Belmont High Girls Lacrosse because they did just that edging Central Catholic, the Division 1 2024 state champions, 13-12, on Thursday, May 15, at Harris Field.

Four consecutive goals over five minutes in the fourth quarter – the final pair from junior midfield all-star Niamh Lesnik – and four minutes of shut down defense allowed the Marauders (11-6, 14th in the MIAA Power Rankings) to pick up its biggest win as the season heads to the home stretch this week.

For Head Coach Dan O’Brien, it was a lot more than putting the program into double digits in wins.

Belmont High’s senior defense Keira Healy

“This was a statement win not just for the season, but for the program,” said O’Brien, as it not only came against a top 10 squad – CC is 7th in the MIAA Division 1 power rankings – the Marauders came from behind for the vistory, coming back from two goals down (8-10) with two minutes to go in the third quarter to outscore a perannial top playoff seed five goals to two.

“We had a ton of confidence in the forwards. We have eight different goal scorers against a top 10 team. We don’t have to rely on just one player,” said O’Brien. One of the goals came from an unlikely source, senior defender Tyler Mayall, who celebrated by jumping up and down to her teammates delight.

On the break: Belmont High’s senior mid Anna Santos

Lesnik – who scored her 200th career point in a win over Woburn on Tuesday, May 13 – continues to brings a spark to O’Brien’s lineup. After a slow start, Lesnik ended the game with five goals, a lot of ground balls, and, when needed, winning critical center draws. Junior goalie Brooke Whalen once again collected double digit saves as Mayall, juniors Julia Leveroni and Ellie Baird, and seniors Bailey Cumbo and Keira Healy were stellar in the defensive half.

Central Catholic is the sort of elite opponant O’Brien scheduled throughout the season. “You get to be the best by playing the best,” he said, noting he continues to up the quality of opponent the squad takes on. And accepting that challenge has begun to pay dividends.

“We are holding our own against top teams like Andover (7-9), North Andover (9-10), losing on a last second winner) and Westford (9-11). And at this point of the season, we are executing our game plan to where we are now in the position to win.”

Belmont goes against one loss Lexington on Monday, May 19, and finishes the season against Winchester and Billerica.

Belmont High’s sophomore attack Natalie Merrow
Game winner from senior mid all-star Niamh Lesnik

Breaking: Select Board Agree On Aspects Of COA Memo On Senior Center’s Future;

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Photo: Karen Donelan, Chair of the Council on Aging

The Belmont Select Board moved to support the leading aspects of a memorandum authored by Karen Donelan, Chair of the Council on Aging, on the future of the Beech Street Center, the town’s senior center. The memo will transition three recreation department staff members into the Beech Street Center on a “trial” basis beginning this summer. 

“So, let’s give it a try,” said Donelan, who reported that the COA had approved the memo unanimously earlier in the afternoon. 

This spring, the proposed staff move has been a highly controversial issue, resulting in heated meetings and a citizens’ petition. It is unknown how this partial agreement will affect the citizen’s petition, which will be the first article at the Special Town Meeting on Wednesday, May 21. 

At the Select Board meeting held before the fourth night of the 2025 Town Meeting, Donelan said the “rules of moving forward” regarding the town’s effort to move the recreation employees are that the town will maintain “senior” hours—currently 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (with one day a 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. shift)—at the Beech Street Center and maintain a senior-based parking scheme. 

In return, the town and COA agree to evaluate the move to determine its impact on the senior services and elder patrons. The Select Board also agrees to abandon the plan to build a separate entry for recreational operations.

“This gives everyone a breather,” said Matt Taylor, the board’s vice chair and COA representative.

[This is an ongoing article and will be undated.]

Town Meeting Day Three: Clean Sweep For CPC Proposals

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Photo: Chair Aaron Pikcilingis, Community Preservation Committee  

It was CPC Night on the third session of Belmont’s annual Town Meeting as six of the eight applications from the Community Preservation Committee were overwhelmingly approved by the members at the meeting held Monday, May 12, at the Belmont High School auditorium. One proposal was removed for future consideration, and another will be voted on at the Special Town Meeting on May 21.

“The main thing we do is review applications for funding of the Community Preservation Act,” said the committee’s new Chair, Aaron Pikcilingis. 

He pointed out that this year “is a little unusual, due mainly to a change in our policy about how much money – about $5 million – we hold in reserve. There is more money available this year … In future years, we’ll return to having about a year’s revenue available.”

Pikcilingis said CPA funding has reached $20.5 million since voters passed the measure in 2011 – $15.5 million from the real estate surcharge and $4.5 million in state contribution—with the CPC sending $4.9 million in projects this year to the Town Meeting. 

The list of Community Preservation Committee projects (italics indicates project not receiving a vote; Bold indicatesa vote on Wednesday, May 21)

Amount10 percent Reserve Project NameCategory
$ 2,000,000$ 200,000Chenery Park Renovation – Phase 2Open Space/ Recreation
$ 100,000Clay Pit Pond Walking Path – Full Design with Construction Document and DrawingsOpen Space/ Recreation
$ 429,433$ 42,900West of Harris Softball FieldOpen Space/ Recreation
$ 650,000Predevelopment Planning for Redevelopment of Belmont VillageCommunity Housing
$ 60,000Complete Restoration of “Burial Hill” Original Cemetery – DesignHistoric Preservation
$ 550,396$ 55,000Homer Building Restoration (Town Hall Annex)Historic Preservation
$ 750,000$ 75,000Restore Failed Retaining Wall, Town HallHistoric Preservation

The night began with a visit from State Rep. Dave Rogers who discussed the upcoming Fiscal ’26 state budget – thatincludes critical local aid to municipalities – and how it will be affected by “a high level of uncertainties” coming from the Trump administration and slower than expected state growth. “Things were level funded that might have otherwise gottenincreased,” said Rogers.

That being said, Rogers said his year’s House Budget has increased Chapter 70 funding for K-12 received a 5.6 percent increase via the new “millionaires” surtax passed by voters last year. He also highlighted his efforts to increase funding for immigrant legal defense to hire attorneys to represent those in deportation proceedings, including “some whose due process rights may not be being observed.”

Rogers said he tries to find a few bucks in the budget to direct to the town. “While I can’t get a ton of money, I fight for earmarks for Belmont,” Rogers said. These include:

  • $75,000 for renovations – adding a fifth court – to the Winn Brook tennis courts.
  • $75,000 to expand the town’s tree canopy.

There were also two earmarks from the state’s supplement budget – that’s the millionaire’s surtax – including:

  • $75,000 for sidewalk safety improvements.
  • $100,000 towards the Chenery Park revitalization.

Warrant Committee Chair Paul Rickter gave a standard overview of the fiscal ’26 budget, including how the $166.2 million budget is segmented (education receives 43 percent or $70.9 million) and some historical context, such as the fact that exempted debt has increased by 247 percent in the past 12 years, from $4.8 million to $16.6 million. 

But what Rickter stressed in his report was the importance of the “revenue-first balanced budget” process, first used by town and school budget writers for the fiscal ’25 budget, a development he and the committee were “overjoyed” to see being used as it created a disciplined approach to the process.

“Keep doing it,” advised Rickter. 

The projects

The CPC approved and sent to the Town Meeting a request for $650,000 allocated to Belmont Village, one of Belmont’s three public housing projects. The funds will go to complete the conceptual design for the revitalization of the nearly 70-year-old development, with the opportunity to double the number of units to 200 apartments on the 6.6-acre site. In 2020, the Town Meeting approved $173,000 in an initial request. 

With the funding, site planning work will kick off in the summer with a study draft by the end of the year. An additional $1.2 million will then be needed for final architectural and engineering plans, consultants’ fees, and extra costs to finish the pre-development phase.

Gloria Leipzig, chair of the Belmont Housing Trust, which sponsored the measure, told the members that their support for the redevelopment efforts at Belmont Village and Sherman Gardens “will provide housing for our residents, seniors, those with disabilities, and families. And very importantly, we’ll also create additional and much-needed affordable housing here in Belmont.” 

Matt Zajac of the Cambridge Housing Authority—which has partnered with Belmont as a co-developer of the Belmont Housing Authority’s sites since 2021 —said that after the study is completed, the BHA/CHA can begin to leverage state and federal financing sources. He said that it will take three, five, or ten years before construction will take place.

During the questions, members asked about spending funds on a project in which millions of dollars in funding will be required to upgrade units and construct new structures that have not been secured. “Is there any visibility for funding sources to carry out these plans? Otherwise, this is income transfer to white-collar professionals, not improvements in the affordable housing conditions,” asked Liz Allison (Precinct 3). Zajac replied that the most likely potential funding source will be the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program.

Some members were disappointed that the CPC wasn’t banking the funding remaining in this year’s housing “bucket” for future housing requests. Angus Abercrombie, Precinct 8, said he would vote against the other CPC measures—despite being in favor of their approval—as a symbolic protest against the town’s inaction. 

The measure passed 222-6-3.

Laura Burnes and Nicole O’Connell, Friends of Chenery Park

The biggest ticket item before members Monday was $2 million—$200,000 from the CPA and $1.8 million from the undesignated fund balance—to renovate the dilapidated Chenery Upper Middle School grounds and play area. This request came on top of a $1 million CPC request approved by the Town Meeting last year for construction costs and $300,000 for the project’s design and engineering.

Laura Burnes and Nicole O’Connell, the co-chairs of the Friends of Chenery Park, said the groundwork for this application to redo the nearly quarter-century-old field and playground with outreach to the community, sports leagues, and the town to develop an overview of the project. When the first chunk of funding was received in 2024, the Friends began holding community engagement events to collect data and comments on what the public wanted to see in the project.

On Monday, the Friends presented a final design dubbed the Play Sandwich, in which sports programming is the “bread” and the play area is the “middle” filling. “We’ve got lots of multi-sports use … tennis as well as street hockey and soccer and basketball, but the space can also accommodate volleyball and badminton,” said O’Connell. The main field holds two renovated softball diamonds. 

While the request totals a whopping $3.3 million, the project had broad support. Many members said visiting the site would convince those initially skeptical to support the measure. Just as crucial to its passage was Burnes and O’Connell’s well-planned public participation blueprint, which allowed the wider community to enthusiastically buy in on the project. Future large projects would be wise to use the Friends playbook as a template for a successful campaign.

The Chenery playground renovation – which begins this summer – passed 222-5-1.

Facilities Director Dave Blazon says the Homer Building restoration will allocate $550,396 to repair and replace deteriorating architectural elements. The bill passed 222-7-6.

Restoring the failed Town Hall retaining wall so the ramp and stairs on the Concord Avenue entrance don’t collapse, said Blazon. Members, by a 231-6-4 margin, thought spending $850,000 for the job was a good thing.

The commissioning of a design to completely restore the “Burial Hill” area of Belmont Cemetery got out of the CPC by a single vote, 4-3-1, which usually spells trouble for a measure. However, the request was initiated by resident Ron Sacco, who told DPW Director Jay Marcotte this past August of his difficulty finding an ancestor’s grave in the northeast corner of Belmont Cemetery, which holds its oldest internments. Upon inspection, the steep incline was overgrown and deteriorating, making identifying the exact locations of graves impossible. 

When Sacco asked the DPW if it could “start digging,” Marcotte said he had a better plan and approached a consultant. A design plan focusing on headstone repairs and restoration, searching for missing headstones, erosion control, and vegetation options would cost $60,000. This would be followed by a CPC request in 2026 for the still-to-be-determined cost of the construction.

What closed the deal was that Sacco’s relative is buried among veterans. When a member didn’t believe the request was “a wise use of funds because somebody can’t find this relative” as it would “[set] a precedent which is not good,” Ann Marie Mahoney (Precinct 1) rose to say “as the daughter, spouse and mother of veterans, we owe these people no matter how many hundreds of years ago they were down for we owe them the restoration and the appropriate care.”

“It’s also for the respect for everyone that made a commitment and the expectation that they will be taken care of basicallyforever. And it’s just respect for the dead and to care for those that entrusted us to take care of the burial site forever,” said Mahoney.

The measure passed 218-10-8.

The issue with the Clay Pit Pond Walking Path is that while nearly 2/3 of the trail has been completed, the remaining path clashes with an established asphalt lane bordering Belmont Middle and High School. The town didn’t believe the Town Meeting would approve the Conservation Commission’s request to seek a parallel footpath. For allowing the town to remove the request, the town is proposing to an request seeking a parallel footpath. For allowing the town to remove the request, the town is proposing to allocate an equivilant amount towards improvements at Rock Meadow Conservation Land.

Fundraiser For Arlington-Belmont Crew After Club Lost Nearly A Dozen Shells After Wild Police Chase

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Photo: The aftermath of the truck/trailer chase on Blanchard Street(Credit: Jay Connor)

After having 11 racing shells “destroyed” in the aftermath of a wild police chase through three towns on Saturday night, May 17, that left boats, vehicles, and property damaged, a police officer injured, and a Belmont roadway closed for an hour, the Arlington-Belmont Crew is seeking funds to get the club that attract local high school athletes to the sport back in the water.

Donations can be made directly to the team’s fundraising page.

The incident, that ended on Blanchard Street Saturday night, began at the crew’s Pond Lane clubhouse located at Arlington’s Spy Pond after the team returned from a last-minute replacement meet after its scheduled USRowing Regional Championship regatta in Lowell was cancelled Friday.

In an note to supporters on its website, Salpi Der Stepanian, president of the club’s board of directors, said the trailer was to be unloaded by team members at their practice on Monday. But shortly after the pickup truck and trailer was parked at 8:45 p.m., the suspect jumped into the truck, “and drove it up a wooded embankment and onto the [nearby] Minuteman Bike Path,” wrote Der Stepanian. Arlington Police reported three vehicles were involved in accidents with the truck.

According to a media report in Cambridge Day, Cambridge Police spokesperson Bob Reardon said the suspect entered Cambridge along Route 2 around 9 p.m. Soon afterwards, Cambridge Police “received reports of hit-and-run crashes at multiple locations in West Cambridge, all involving a pickup truck towing a trailer of … boats.”

“The truck, which it was learned had been reported stolen to the Arlington Police, was said to have been involved in several hit & run crashes at multiple locations – including the rotaries where Concord Avenue meet Fresh Pond Parkway and Alewife Brook Parkway – resulting in non-life-threatening injuries and significant property damage” as well as leaving one of the shells in the middle of the road, according to a Cambridge Police social media post. Reardon said.

During the chase, Cambridge Police reported the stolen truck also hit a Cambridge police cruiser. “The police officer driving the cruiser was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries,” according to police.

After leaving a trail of destruction in Cambridge, the pickup and trailer were located entering Belmont turning onto Blanchard Road towards Route 2. The chase ended near the MBTA commuter rail tracks when the trailer “ultimately flipped, and the truck was stopped … by Belmont Police,” said Der Stepanian. The suspect was arrested and will be arraigned in Cambridge on Monday, May 19.

“The suspect’s actions caused damage to several other vehicles and destroyed most, if not all, of the 11 boats on the trailer,” said Der Stepanian.

“We extend our thanks to the Arlington, Belmont, and Cambridge Police Departments and all agencies involved for their swift response in stopping the vehicle and for their continuing assistance. We are working with the police in their investigation to determine exactly how this terrible incident occurred. We extend our sympathies to anyone affected by this event, including property owners, drivers, pedestrians, and other members of the Arlington, Belmont, and Cambridge communities,” Der Stepanian said.

In an account reported by the media site Your Arlington, a parent of one of the athletes wrote of the team’s shock of the incident on Reddit:

“I’m a mom of one of the rowers whose boat was snapped in half during this reckless incident. The team is devastated. It’s been a tough season for them due to all the rain. Yesterday’s race was originally scheduled for this entire weekend in Lowell but the river wasn’t safe (again) and it was canceled late Friday. Coaches worked hard to find another race they could participate in and the kids got up at 4am to get there and didn’t get home till 7pm—only for this to happen two hours later.”

Special thanks to the independent media sites Your Arlington and Cambridge Day for its reporting on the incident.

Not Again! Town Day Rained Out: Postponed ’til Sunday, Sept. 14; Garden Club Flower Sale Still On

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Photo: It’s a three-peat of rainouts for Belmont Town Day

For the third consecutive year, a forecast of noon-time spring showers has caused the postponement of the annual Belmont Town Day that was to take place on Saturday, May 17, in Belmont Center along Leonard Street.

Hosted by the Belmont Center Business Association and sponsored by Watertown Savings Bank, the event has been moved to Sunday, Sept. 14.

The annual Belmont Garden Club Flower and Plant Sale remains a “go” on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to noon outside the Belmont Lions Club at the WWI memorial on Common Street and Royal Road.

Glenn Clancy, Belmont’s Long-Serving Town Engineer, Has Died [Update]

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Photo: Glenn Clancy

Glenn Clancy, who spent nearly five decades serving the residents of Belmont, died on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.

Clancy, 61, died after a long-battle with cancer, according to his family.

On leave since late last year, the Quincy-native would have celebrated his 40th anniversary working in Belmont this June.

“Glenn was a dedicated public servant, whose career in Belmont spanned four decades and many roles, including long-time Director of the Office of Community Development and Town Engineer,” wrote Select Board Chair Elizabeth Dionne in an email to Town Meeting members.

“Glenn was a consummate professional. His work was meticulous and always reliable. He was a true gentleman, treating everyone—from town leaders to his professional colleagues to the most obstreperous members of the public—with unfailing courtesy and respect, not to mention a ready smile and flashes of wry humor. His passing leaves a tremendous hole in all our hearts,” Dionne noted.

Clancy’s presence was missed at this year’s Town Meeting, as he was a familiar presenter of town-sponsored articles. With a wry smile and “Ah shucks” demeanor, Clancy would expertly maneuver some of the most contentious issues before the meeting with a thorough understanding of the subject and facts.

For decades as Town Engineer, Clancy was the town official who managed the town’s notorious roads and sidewalks. But he took the job understanding resident’s complaints, but also seeing it as an opportunity to “gently” educate citizens on why their streets were on a waiting list for repair. One year at a community get-together, Clancy sat a table with a handwritten sign proclaiming: “Ask me about the roads,” and answered a night’s worth of queries.

The Flag of the United States of America at Town Hall was lowered to half-staff on Wednesday to honor Clancy. On what is expected to be the fourth night of the annual Town Meeting, Monday, May 19, Town Moderator Michael Crowley will lead the Meeting in a moment of silence to remember Clancy and mark his passing.

Clancy is survived by his wife Kathryn Condos Clancy of Quincy, his son, Aaron Clancy of Quincy, and his daughter, Sarah Clancy of Dallas, TX. He also leaves his brother Steven Clancy, and his wife Paula of Oak Ridge, TN, and sister, Lynn Liscio of Nashua, NH.

Visiting hours is on Sunday May 18, 2025 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock St., QUINCY. A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home at 9 a.m. on Monday May 19 prior to the Funeral Mass in St. John’s Church, Quincy at 10 a.m. Burial will be at Pine Hill Cemetery, Quincy. 

According to Dionne, working in conjunction with his family, Town leadership hopes to recognize Clancy at the Special Town Meeting in October.

With No Rain In The Forecast, Belmont’s Town Day And Garden Club Sale Set For Saturday, May 17

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Photo: This Saturday, May 17. Belmont Center. It’s Belmont’s Town Day

After May showers caused it to be pushed back to September for the past two years, the weather forecast for the weekend is looking good for the 36th annual Belmont Town Day, hosted by the Belmont Center Business Association and sponsored by Watertown Savings Bank.

Town Day will take place on Saturday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. along Leonard Street in the heart of Belmont Center.

The Belmont Lions Club will get things underway with a pancake breakfast at its clubhouse, 2 Common St., from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

There will be multiple tables and tents with local groups, non-profits, retailers and restaurants, along with kiddie rides, basketball hoops, and a always popular dunk tank which the proceeds go to Belmont Helps. There will be mini-race car driving, robots, and drone flying for kids.

On Saturday, the Belmont Garden Club is holding its annual Perennial Sale from 9 a.m. to noon, and they’ll be doing it rain or shine at the Lions Club, 1 Common St., across from the WWI memorial and the commuter rail station. Elsa from “Frozen” (10 a.m. to noon) and Spiderman (noon to 2 p.m.) will be at the Watertown Savings Bank tent. Musicial groups will play all day at the main stage.

Also on Saturday, the Belmont Garden Club is holding its annual Perennial Sale from 9 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. There will be an assortment of sun and shade perennials, including dozens of native plant species, all dug from Garden Club members’ gardens. Cash or Visa/MC/debit card for purchases over $25. The proceeds fund the Club’s community plantings, scholarships, and other activities.

First Week ’25 Town Meeting: New Moderator Passes Day One Test; No ‘Nos’ On Second Day

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Photo: Town Moderator Mike Crowley leads 2025 Town Meeting on first night of annual gathering

It’s a notice that no one had on their Town Meeting BINGO© card.

“We’re having technical difficulties. Town Meeting will resume shortly.” 

That menacing message flashed on the big screen at the Belmont High School auditorium minutes after the start of the 2025 annual Town Meeting on Monday, May 5. Zoom dropped off, the sound system shut down to be replaced by an echo as electronic and internet gremlins played havoc with the town’s ambitious attempt at a hybrid meeting.

It was an inauspicious beginning for the first night of the annual gathering and for Mike Crowley‘s start as the Town’s Moderator. But Belmont Media’s Jeff Hansel and the town’s IT crowd chased the electronic elves off, and Crowley was finally able to have a successful—with a few hiccups, but nothing to remember—first night in charge of the Belmont Town Meeting.

“[The delay] was a good thing for me,” said Crowley on Wednesday. “I was able to relax at the podium for those extra minutes, and it helped,” he said. He added that he appreciated having the Town Clerk’s staff and a slew of experienced town employees and elected officials to help guide the way.

Before the night’s business got underway, the Select Board presented a proclamation to the former moderator, Mike Widmer, for his 40 years of “extraordinary” public service including 17 years as moderator, a town meeting member and his contributions to state – a quarter century leading the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation – and local finance. Widmer told the meeting that while he was proud of what he accomplished, “but nothing good in life really gets done alone,” acknowledging the cooperation of town employees and committee members.

“I love democracy,” he said, returning to a favorite theme as moderator. Noting that 288 residents ran for Town Meeting, and come out to the annual gathering “is a marvelous thing for this town and this country that were built on this democratic experiment. So don’t take it lightly the fact that some of this become routine. And don’t take lightly the privilege of stepping to the microphone and being able to say what you feel without the fear of recrimination,” said Widmer, to a standing ovation.

State of the Town: alot good, some not so

Elizabeth Dionne, Select Board chair, gave an unofficial ‘State of the Town’ address, with the familiar phrase as title: “The Best of Times, The Worst of Times.” On the best side of the ledger, “honest, competent local government” that allowed the town and schools to work collaboratively to produce a balanced budget that, for the first time, saw agreed-on spending limits. On the worst side, clouds loom over the fiscal year 2027 budget process, which will be a “more difficult” exercise. 

Dionne highlighted Belmont’s commitment to meeting the recommendations of the 2022 Collins Center report, which pointed out the town’s financial challenges: hiring Jennifer Hewitt to the town’s newly created Financial Director’s post, an appointed treasurer, and a board of assessors, and starting a multi-year Budget Advisory Committee. 

Dionne also praised the ramping up of the Information Technology Department under Chief Innovation Officer Chris McClure, a refocus on Planning and Economic Development to attract commercial and industrial activity, and the reorganization of the Community Services Department.

But while town continues to do more with less, “we have hit the outer limits of efficiencies on the municipal side,” as Belmont ratepayers are weighed down by “one of the state’s heaviest property tax burdens,” she said.

“Persuading voters to add to their already heavy tax burden will be an uphill battle, which means that we must demonstrate ongoing fiscal discipline before asking voters for another override,” said Dionne.

First Night: 800 Apples heading to the schools

Monday’s first night of Town Meeting saw Crowley complete more than half of the 20 articles in the warrant, many profunctory, such as elected officials’ salaries. Tomi Olsen (Precinct 6) did suggest Town Clerk Ellen Cushman receive a raise citing the office’s workload and professionalism.

Town Meeting approved two new revolving funds: for the new skating rink and solid waste management. Select Board Vice Chair Matt Taylor explained that the funds raised through fees would endure, and the money is used for specific activities; solid waste management would include mattress removal. Vince Stanton (Precinct 2) asked if the money in a revolving fund could be invested in, for example, money market securities to reap the benefit of increasing rates. Taylor responded, saying those funds work by taking in revenue and distributing it when needed over the year. Also, there are lots of governmental restrictions when investing town funds. (222-18-2)

The meeting approved the School Committee’s four-year lease-to-own financing contract with Apple for 800 iPads for Belmont’s youngest students, replacing the current inventory that is coming to the end of its useful life. The contract came before Town Meeting as it had exceeded the state’s three-year limit for such agreements. The members responded positively – actual cheers – when it was revealed that the funds came from the school’s budget rather than another source, such as free cash. (231-3-0)

Finally, Town Meeting approved an article asking the state legislature to pass home rule legislation that will allow the town to ban second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, better known as rat poison. Rodents partake of the toxic bait but, unfortunately, pass it on to the rat’s predators—like hawks, owls, and eagles—which kill them. The article passed 222-5-2.

Night Two: Roads? Yes, yes, yes, etc, etc

In a report to the Town Meeting, Library Building Committee Kathy Keohane told members that while the $39.5 million new library project is on budget with enough contingency funds to offset any foreseeable cost hikes, the project’s timeline for substantial completion has been pushed back a week to November 1. 

“That puts us moving into the building in November and December, with the hope that we’ll have some targeted services open in the library in December with a brand new opening in January,” said Keohane. “We don’t want to compete with the holidays, so we’re going to wait for the quiet month of January and celebrate the heck out of that month.”

The articles 

If you saw the final tallies on Wednesday night’s articles, you’d probably think you saw the results of some authoritarian dictatorship. For seven of the eight times it voted on either an article or appropriations, not a single Town Meeting Member cast a ‘no’ vote. In fact, one member voted against allowing Assistant Town Clerk Meg Piccioneto to substitute for Town Clerk Ellen Cushman, who couldn’t attend Wednesday. Go figure.

Want a surefire way to start a conversation in Belmont? Bring up roads and sidewalks. That’s what happened on Wednesday night as a line of members formed before the two microphones on the auditorium floor and on Zoom when the total appropriation of $2.513 million—$2 million for streets and $512,266 for sidewalks—was brought before the meeting. While the article was to appropriate funds, many members took the opportunity to express, once again, their frustrations with Belmont’s infamous roadways and sidewalks. 

After being told by National Grid that two small gas leaks on her street had to be repaired before 2027 but the town scheduled road repairs in fiscal ’24, Corinne McCue Olmsted (Precinct 1) wondered if there was any coordination with the gas utility and the town so streets would not be dug up after the repair, Assistant Town Engineer Wayne Chouinard said while there is communication between the parties, sometimes the utility will miss a scheduled monthly meeting or something will fall through the cracks to create issues with ripping up the road. 

“National Grid is the bane of my existence,” said DPW Director Jay Marcotte. While the town has a five-year moratorium on any work after a repair, it does not apply to the utility. “We can work with them with the best intentions to figure out how they can get in and do their gas work to repair leaks, they may not get around to it. It’s extremely frustrating on our end.”

Rosemary Burke (Precinct 2) told the meeting that $2.5 million is “nowhere near what this town needs to spend on roads and sidewalks.” She contends that “all the roads are a mess … and there isn’t anyone that lives anywhere here that doesn’t have a terrible street.” 

“What kind of plan will the town come up with … to more substantially address the town’s serious infrastructure problem?” Burke asked. Marcotte said his department works with consultants who rate the town’s roadways and prioritize those streets that fall below a set standard, basically selecting the worst of the lot. 

Here’s a first for the Town Meeting: Emily Peterson called the question via Zoom. The appropriation passed 218-1-1

The answer: 157. Question: How many trees did the DPW plant in the past fiscal year? And that was nearly twice the average (80) of replacement trees placed throughout town, mainly on the green strips next to sidewalks, according to Marcotte. Town Meeting approved the Comprehensive Capital Budget Committee’s request of $35,000 for tree planting in FY ’25.

Article 3: Updating the 2004 Belmont Floodplan District zoning bylaw by modifying existing sections to meet new federal requirements and incorporating new definitions and use regulations. (233-0-0)

Article 12: Approve $3.1 million in funding for the water main replacement program. Now four decades on, the program has replaced 35.5 miles of the 39 miles of unlined steel water mains laid before 1929. Best part, a loan from the MWRA to do the work is interest free. (242-0-0).

Article 18: The quarter-century-old roof of the Chenery Upper Elementary School needs to be replaced. The first part of the three-year plan is installing new HVAC systems for $3.7 million. Possible rebates, grants for updated heating and cooling equipment, and any remaining funds from this year’s work will go towards the $4.2 million to replace the roof in fiscal ’27. (207-0-1)

Article 17: Capital Expenditures, totaling $668,000, included:

  • Council on Aging: An accessible van at $75,000. (216-0-0)
  • DPW: Tree planting and purchasing a dump truck for $135,000. (239-0-1)
  • Fire Department: $118,000 towards a $545,000 new ambulance, $90,000 for breathing apparatus (239-0-1)
  • $250,000 in Information Technology infrastructure upgrades and cables (213-0-0) 

Town Meet will reconvene at 7 p.m., Monday, May 12 at the Belmont High School auditorium.

Performing Arts Company Present Student Directed One Act Plays, May 8-10

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Photo: One Acts will take place in the Belmont High School Black Box Theater

Join the Belmont High Schoool Performing Arts Company for its annual Student Directed Festival of One Act plays. Featuring eight short works directed by PAC Juniors and Seniors, One Acts are a mix of comedy, drama and everything in between.

Performances: THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY at 7 p.m.

MAY 8-10 in the Belmont High School Black Box Theater

TICKET INFO:
ADULTS $10 / STUDENTS $5

TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED BELOW

https://belmontpac.booktix.com/dept/BHSPAC/e/1ACTS25