The Advisory Board voted last night to fund the Commercial Areas Coordinator position for the next fiscal year by a vote of 15-7. The Board of Selectmen had already voted to fund the Town Administrator’s budget, including the CAC position. The Advisory Board had also voted to accept the TA budget, but later voted for reconsideration and then voted to only fund the CAC position for 6 months, with a review after that period.
Town Administrator Mel Kleckner urged the AC to allow him time to assess the Planning Department and other departments as a whole without focusing on just one position. Mel also cited the importance of the commercial areas to the town both in terms of financial benefits and quality of life. He pointed out that 16% of the town’s real estate tax revenue comes from commercial real estate, while only making up 9% of the overall property taxed. Commercial real estate is taxed at 173% of assessed value. Mel stressed the importance of a large real estate tax base given its relatively small strain on town services.
The atmosphere during the meeting was more restrained than usual with our Town Administrator, Selectmen Betsy Dewitt, Economics Development Director Kara Brewton, Planning Department Director Jeff Levine, and a cross section of approximately 25 supporters of the position from all segments of the Brookline community in attendance. Mel Kleckner and Kara Brewton spoke on behalf of retaining the Commercial Areas Coordinator position; as did Brookline Chamber Executive Director Harry Robinson who read a statement from BCC President Lea Cohen, and I spoke representing the Coolidge Corner Merchants Association and many non-profits in town. Advisory Chairman Harry Bohrs and Advisory Vice Chair Neil Wishinsky also spoke during the discussion period in favor of retaining the position.
Stanley Spiegel, AC member representing Precinct 2, originally made the motion not to fund the position. This motion was not passed. The Town Administrator sent a letter to the AC requesting additional time to assess all departments. On February 26, Stanley used his right to motion for reconsideration of the previous vote. This motion passed. At the May 4 meeting, Stanley asked the AC Chairman again to reconsider the vote out of what he considered a sense of fair play, given the requests from the guest speakers and the AC Chair and Vice Chair.
It has been pointed out that there have been many hours of testimony to the Advisory Committee from residents, business owners, and non-profits in the last 4 years all supporting the CAC. Last night, the great majority of AC members on both sides of the issue gave fair and balanced comment. Reliable sources have informed this publication that one opponent of funding the position could be seen reading the newspaper during the guest statements. This same AC member ironically commented later that the AC was still not convinced of the value of the position. Two other opponents of the position could be seen texting during the statements.
Now that this issue is hopefully behind our community for one more year, we believe it’s time for different sides of this issue to come together. I believe the vast majority of the Brookline community is against our town being inundated with national chain stores. I also believe that many would like a mechanism that would put Brookline in the best position going forward to keep this from happening, and to help independent businesses that have become a hallmark of our community to succeed. I also believe those on both sides of the Commercial Area Coordinator issue believe in the vital necessity of our non-profits to the humanitarian and cultural needs of community. Local businesses help our non-profits. The CAC in our estimation aids both. What the two sides disagree on is how this should be done. It is this publication’s contention that saving the CAC position is one step toward maintaining our shared community vision. Others disagree. In the next year, we hope to supply a forum for all sides so that we can work together to achieve our common interests.
R. Harvey Bravman