meeting which was an extremely contentious issue became a contentious issue was discussed over the course of the discussion i believe the bush like when was repeatedly described to very negative terms as result in a moment of extreme frustration i made what i thought was a private comment about an individual who cares passionately about this town and its issues private or public frustrated or not i should have not made a comment here for that i i sincerely apologize i post things number one the dedication the reopening of belmont center celebration was on saturday last saturday a very well attended they had a band they had a d j leonard street was closed off all the vendors had a reminder on wednesday september twenty eighth at seven pm at the butler school auditorium cafeteria there will be a public meeting to discuss the because at the playground renovation revitalization margit phase going on september twenty ninth the belmont housing trust in the belmont legal women voters are sponsoring the second of three forms on september twenty ninth at seven p m at the beach street center and so we're asking the board of selectmen to modify the charge to the energy committee there's a lot of red in here which and the vast majority of it is just word there are two big changes in here one has to do with the makeup of the committee when the committee was first formed the thought was that we wanted town and school and belmont light employees these to be members of the committee and one thing we've learned is that we should let staff be staff staff should not be members of a committee when been tremendously helpful to the energy committee in their capacity as staff which should let them do their jobs but we shouldn't ask them to be actual members of the committee so there are three changes in that regard one is we took out the representation from the town staff we took in their capacity of staff we took out the representation of the school staff so there is representation of the schools it's just not school staff that's providing that representation and we took out the requirement that the belmont light representatives on the energy committee  employee so the belmont light should be represented but not necessarily by staff that perhaps somebody from the advisory committee the advisory committee  the second thing is that we originally said that it was desirable to have somebody from the planning board on the energy committee and there's never been somebody from the planning board and the work that the energy committee is doing really it's become evident it is that it's the same thing as with staff when we have a planning issue we should go to the planning board but the planning board has no interest in an electric vehicle program for example and we spent our last meeting talking about the fish and sea and dryers of clothes know that's just not what the planning board it is that you know when we have planning issues we should go to the planning board but the planning board shouldn't be charged with that being a member of the committee in which much if not most of what we do is just beyond never had anyone from playboy and we've never had anybody for in the planning of it and then the third thing the third change in the membership is when the energy committee was first created there was a dedicated spot provided for sustainable belmont because sustainable belmont authored the climate action plan for the town of but sustainable belmont is no longer a committee or work group of the town about you might remember that it used to be a subgroup of the vision implementation committee and it is no longer and the fact is there other environmental groups in town there are some others out front there is the belmont citizens forum and there is sustainable belmont so this provides for representation for of the environmental perspective but that need not and it made that it need not be from sustainable model the the rest of this is simply cleaning up language and taking out language that's no longer is we're going to be you know all of that we're beyond all that so just to clean it up i took it out of the little numbers too many roger there's a lot of work to do but then there's a lot of it because the fact is that the energy committee really divide thing i want to emphasize is we're not seeking to cut staff out and the last bullet here that have an administrator may designate appropriate municipal employees to assist the energy committee as resources permit so we should domenici because he was the school rep right going clancy yeah and those three have enough to do yeah and sometimes sometimes they'll have time to work with us and gerry boyle well without making a person sometimes i have time to work with us and sometimes they they well just like any other committee so and that that's not our decision that's right david's this is ok can i ask one question yes as well ok responsibility is the committee shall promote increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions in belmont or in wider to go solar campaign is a good example of what we did in brown might go solar is going to have ramifications far beyond other people are going to try to do the same thing that we did  d so we thought that we should acknowledge that what we do it's like the award from dio we are from the department of energy resources leading by example one of the things we went down much to do is to lead by example so other communities will do what we do we thought we should acknowledge that it's not just our our little  no i was just confused whether that meant with it whether town resources are going to be put towards you know you know we want belmont resources to focus on belmont and then spillover to other communities and i just wasn't sure whether that meant something beyond that now ok now it  think globally act locally that that's the phrase and so we were going were charged with acting acting locally but we need to understand that climate change is not a belmont issue it is it is beyond dumb what we do has a far broader impact  sector housing transportation municipal and calculate what the greenhouse gas emissions have or are coming out of those sectors in greenhouse gas emissions by twenty fifty and so unless we know where we are we don't know what what to do and the fact that the the new inventory that was just completed this past spring showed that transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in belmont and it's the one that's going up that's one of the reasons that we're interested in electric vehicles won't let it go six years as we have but every three to five years that's going to measure real and that the energy committee by the way has and then i'll be quiet so you guys can get on to your other work there really are three words in here that the energy committee had just took to heart this spring as a result of the down my go solar campaign and it's in their it's called responsibilities and it shall be the responsibility of the committee to end its the next three were or the next four words to facilitate enable and help the town of belmont in its residents but that facilitate enable and help that's what we did with them i got so are we we decided that we had been trying to do too much on our own and our job our role is to facilitate enable and help other people too to do work so we're you're going to be seeing more of us working with the solar advocates with mothers out front where the traffic advisory committee  i tend to agree with roger about stuff you know not serving on the committee but but more or less supporting the committee any thoughts on that  of the preference one way or another well i think i think what he said is probably very political which is is they do their work if staff is needed to provide technical expertise and to help work through an issue that's the best use of their time attending meetings for the sake of attending meetings is just makes our staff who are more weary yeah i think that's right that's absolutely right i mean they're involved julie heller surely hillary has decided to leave the committee so and she ok so we have on the agenda for tonight the conservation committee to at that time to  and you know like it from my point of you appreciate individuals that want to serve them would and through committees they get a lot of time and effort on their part but i do appreciate their interest in doing that but in doing that though they do take up slots for individuals that want to serve in the food we have a lot of applications and so i think no more than to make sense to me and also i think there needs to be some kind of limitation on if we deem it to be residents involved in local government exceptions to these guidelines may be made at the scut discretion of the war select will on a case by case basis to ensure that all volunteer committees meet other police staff with qualified individuals i think that's perfect so move you know what i'd suggest second discussion discussion what i'd suggest as i think both you know these are policy changes that are being made and they're going to affect a lot of people so what i'd suggest is wouldn't it be a better idea to read up get him out in the public see if we get any comments from people and that adopt him at our next meeting that's what i would suggest ok moving away  after a resident has taken a year or more away from serving on a particular committee they can file an application to be reappointed these applications will be expected to follow the same process as new applicants and their applications will be for the boards looking under the same process as prospective new member so those are the two new policy guidelines will post them on our website and for comment and importantly will be yeah i think this is something that the support mucked about for a long time and you know it it's a it's a good idea to get the guidelines out there and in writing and so that they can be used as a junction is a release enough time to get input i think so yes ok two i have a question yeah as i'm reading this have part of the just ready to just comment there's nothing in here this is something we draft or a women legal council but there's nothing in here that talks about that would make or report on this article i think it's important warrant committee report on this article as well should that be in here or is this not the right and i think have a budget committee is considering to but the or should that be you know the word committee is that it's not their business to submit this work it's our business right that's right and it's not the school committee business to submit this war that's our business and control the war then you know just as we framed the question the other night for the transfer of the liquor license to be more of a consideration of the applicant than the transfer itself we don't want this to become we don't want to be framed in such a way that it becomes a referendum on the alternatives presented by the school committee in other words i i i don't see them even in the next sixty days if you know coming up we can have another plan for out here it is the towns up a geisha to provide vocational education by law and i think we will have to you know understand that this is something our school superintendent and school committee in their stores so that those who play keno games can watch the game life in terms of the selection of the numbers so currently you can buy your keno tickets and you can scan to see if you won but you really can't see the game being played so basically these two establishment of working with the lottery have petition to have monitors installed we spoke to the lottery commission today and they work with the vendors and so are they and they have to be in good standing and they have to have other satisfactory satisfying conditions and they have met those and so the board has the opportunity to write a letter within twenty one days to express objection to the installation of these monitors with by fedex i think or u s p s and they realize that it never got delivered to the town it so we got an email last week indicating that even though they sent it they know we didn't receive it however i do think that you know lottery is a statewide program and i'm aware of data that you know this is not favorable but it is a statewide program and you know they're offering these monitors to businesses that sell lottery products and so  an application polemically application request to finish the third of the three tennis courts at the which this one being the grove street tennis courts as you are aware the  we've done one has been completed the other one will be completed ok so this is the third court that is in disrepair i will also say that i believe that the friends of gross street part park based upon the feasibility study that was completed two summers ago and so we will coordinate yes this is a line with every right now it appears that the tennis court can be done without an implication with what they're proposing clearly if during the process it is determined that that isn't the case will come back in go through the c p committee board to basically revise the proposal but right now based on what we've seen it appears that the tennis court can be repaired or should say replaced in concert with the proposal that's being done with  potential growth street friends proposal so again this is the thirty three courts that were had temporary repairs and we've reached the useful life and as you can see the court is starting to deteriorate so and as you also know that the we've lost tennis courts at the middle school with the installation of the modular cell so we were qwest that the board does allow the submission of this application subject to any modifications of the projects that may impact it vote on this but he also the board is sponsoring this right we've come to the board with proposals developed by staff so the board approves them i'm fine with it and i think we need to get a sense of why some of these should be good for twenty thirty years at least twenty mentioned the dedication of the belmont center project happened on saturday we're coming to the close of the project and we've been working with the claflin street watch as more information becomes available on the things that we're trying to implement but also as the macy's former macy's building gets filled up with tenets so i did so this is a work in progress this is in final this is going to require adjustments modifications but i wanted just to tell you things that wear piloting so that you're aware of it so that when we do these things implement more things business holders that we have a plan to improve signage in the claflin street lot to find ways to maybe distribute some of the permit holders to the perimeter to other areas that are available so in terms of recent things that have discussed with the belmont business association as you know that the plan called for two loading docks on each side of leonard street we had a extensive conversation both internally and with this belmont a business association last weight and basically as a pilot we're going to have a loading zone from nine am to three pm on one side of leonard street to start with  basically see how that goes hopefully the business sation will be able to request their deliveries during that time window so that there will be a place for trucks to park so they're not double parking on leonard street but also  m the give and take of the conversation was is that we had initially planned on having three spots for loading zones on each side we're going to take four which basically frees up a few spots in the belmont sent immature and so but again we had a long conversation that's one of the things that we will monitor and get feedback on because we may want to shorten the loading zone time based upon experience in the ability to manage to deliveries  and we may come back and put the loading zone on the other side street if necessary but this was a conversation we had and as a plumber a starting point we'll do ninety three on one side and leonard hopefully that will combination enough space for one or two trucks to make deliveries and keep some additional spots within belmont center online and saint we've been working with c v s to deal with their deliveries which are a significant terms of the size of the tractor trailer to try to get them to come later so we basically don't tie a blended street during peak hours though those have some interesting challenges about the c v s delivery in their is again we're trying to balance something because also what's happened is until the construction behind the macy's building is finished it does have some restraints on the ability to make deliveries and back in that building so again these are one of things w out to see how it works and has of says needs that recently well again if you limit the time then you're asking a whole bunch of trucks come at the same time or if there's not spaces they're going to double park yeah what i'd like to add is and i commend staff for this you know you know david glenn they've been working very closely with the businesses you know to discuss these issues and come up with ideas and you know the business is at the foot soldiers they're the ones directly affected they know when their deliveries are coming and they know when they need loading ad and so it's been a very open transparent collaborative effort and very thoughtful as well a delivering the brooders is expected to park in that spot and then try to prove again i think we'll have to do in force what we have to do the business is will have to work with us to see if they can and they already have trying to manage their deliveries within this window it's going to be an effort by the doing of the right thing to do that the other thing i noticed is that when the truck double parked you know from the earlier conversations we had about the center one of the concerns was that the road would be wide enough to allow people to drive around but that's not the case if you know i've i've been there on many occasions where a truck is double parked delivering the brooders or to the cra beer store in fact there's enough room to you know to drive around the fleet of they snuck up next to the parked cars so i mean it's a complicated question because do you really want to get those trucks you know for double stations will be installed shortly wonderful and work working with the business community would like to begin with a ninety minute window of parking using the metering stations to generate turnover and in talking to them start with a program where you can park for the thirty minutes first thirty minutes free and if you want to spend an extra hour in belmont center over and above that you would pay but i think the strategy is to try to have  street turn over as often as you can so that folks coming to the center who want to park on line history can do that but also be mindful of trying to have people who come to let it street to go to c v s a pick up a pizza basically you'll input your license plate number and get three minutes free and we'll see how that goes that's one of the ones that will be actually go there you don't have to get a ticket you just have to press your license plate number and we'll take it in the machine you don't have to put a tag in your window you can just do it to thirty painting the actual handicapped spots will see what that entails to make it clear we have done significant clean up of the clapham street lot in general in terms of cracking seal and pruning the trees and and business permit holders to make sure they understand that they should not be parking in the free parking spaces which are the first three rows so that way again as an overall strategy to try to get the parking a little more organized especially with business permit holders will be next six point to take on the business permit holders and try to find different locations in around claflin street not on the street but basically try to figure a way to get a permit holders not necessarily in the lot but next to the lot as we will define what businesses are going to the macy's sun to make sure there's enough parking for patrons so again that's a work in progress but the biggest thing is to make sure that the three rows of free spaces are as vailable as often as they can be so that if you want to spend more time in belmont center you have a two hour space that's free and again is it as part of the overall strategy to manage the lot to try to have parking space turned over to on leonard street and then we're also exploring what the business community which was a table that i'm about what we do for the inlets to leonard street in terms of maybe making them consistent holders we're basically trying to organize them a little bit better so that we have the core of the claflin street a lot more available for patrons ok you know i'd encourage both of you tonight on your way home right through the center it's in these underneath you consider seriously you know we have some ideas so back to the border survey i know you've gotten this and i think you wanted just to make sure that the public was aware of the fact that that the border survey in general terms really if they're provided a plan that meets all the regulations of the border survey basically should not reason be withheld approval of something that's been submitted when the border survey is asked to consider waivers to with their regulations and basically the border survey again has the ability to change design or recommend change designs to get to the point where they can approve a waiver if they so choose or not to approve a waiver if in fact it is recommended a change can occur so i guess the point is i'll read a couple this is for roadway so generally the borders serve a general power when the plans are filed is not to reject them but if not satisfied with them to all to such plans and determine  where the street shall be located in the with and the grades thereof and show so designated on such plans and then approved and signed them as change no power is given to prevent the development of property merely because the board does not like the plans they must not only point out their objections but include how the plans must be changed in order to meet thier approval the design of the statute is that when a plan is presented by the land no to if it is not in conformity to the statute and to reasonable rules and regulations it shall be altered so as to be a proper plant and then after approved made a public record so the statute does not contemplate  denials and so again that gets into the conversation about waivers and whether the waivers are a necessity because of the conditions and then again just to add even though the board has some discretion to ny waivers and require compliance with the design standards and apple it can't could challenge such a decision if he or she believes the board's action was arbitrary and capricious or that the board's discretion has otherwise been abused so again i think that the statute doesn't necessarily contemplate denials but the border survey having the authority to manage the design and work with the applicant to basically get to a point where i know of any other waivers that are presented so i yes i think that's been state thank you it's been stated i think at different border survey hearings but i know we have additional application and i think the board wanted just to remind what their level of purview is and what their level of ok thank you jim we're receiving a number of letters about one seventy eight marse three and there seems to be a general understanding that if there's a variance request that the board of survey has the right to say yes or no and i think what you just described david is that we have we have the right to work with the applicant but  down where we said no but then they never came back and then they withdrew eventually because they had i think seven variances and you know we just you know with was another one coming out and we get with the yeah exactly because it was all within within a reasonable so it doesn't mean that that the border survey it's not it's not a permit any type of board it's a different kind of board  i think that you know there seems to be an understanding that it's a permitting kind of board and you know it's not we also know that one seventy eight march is going to the conservation committee before it comes to us now and then  jerk a journal instead of continuing it and then when it's ready that might come back and then we can all talk about it again we may want to do that because now it's just like we had said the twenty seventh they would drift from anything that can't be right there isn't any other first of all call the town manager of lexington concerning the all that matter and yes and he's not returned my call yet but i fully expect to hear from ok when friday is the deadline for c p a fund or do we get that that is what we received from a town clerk that was present when he did i seem to recall a very concrete report yeah jim there i can check my record it was a chore so acting was we're i had