The right to name town assets will stay in the hands of the Select Board, Town Meeting members decided Monday night.
Members voted 163-75, with 7 abstentions, to reject a citizen petition filed by Precinct 5 member Tommasina Olson that would have given Town Meeting “the exclusive authority” to name major town assets. Major town assets were defined as “buildings, parks, square, and parcels of land.”
According to Town Administrator Patrice Garvin, 14 town buildings qualify as major assets.
“Naming major public assets is a civic decision that reflects the values, history and identity of the entire community; it is not simply an administrative act,” Olson said in her remarks to Town Meeting. “Such decisions should rest with the representative body of the people.”
Previous Coverage
Olson added that the special Town Meeting in July and heated discussion about the naming of the town ice rink spurred her into action.
“This article was generated from my concern that last year was a terrible experience. We all knew the value that Skip Viglirolo brought to the community, and yet we sat here and debated for four hours after the family had no recourse but to have a special Town Meeting,” Olson said.
Town Meeting should have the authority to name assets because members are “closest to the will of the people,” she said.
The Select Board and the Warrant Committee both voted against supporting the petition.
Some Town Meeting members felt the petition was too ambiguous and could inadvertently exclude community members who could be honored with an asset named after them.
“There are an awful lot of people who are worthy, whether they’re employees, whether they’re residents, anybody who’s done great things for the town,” said Precinct 8 member Ellen Schreiber. “…When you want to look at something like this, you want to consider all of the angles, and you want equity to be able to be involved in all of the angles. When you bring something to Town Meeting, you’re bringing one proposal.”
Elected Official Salaries
Town Meeting members voted 198-0, with 4 abstentions, to accept the annual salaries for Belmont’s Town Clerk, Town Moderator, and Select Board members.
The town moderator will receive $450 in fiscal year 2027; the Select Board chair will receive $5,000, and Select Board members will each receive $4,500.
Town Clerk Ellen O’Brien Cushman will be paid $114,773 in fiscal year 2027. The final vote to approve the salaries came after an amendment to O’Brien Cushman’s salary, increasing the original amount of $113,077 by $1,696 as a “market-based adjustment.”
“[O’Brien Cushman] performs at the highest level, and certainly from a performance point of view, deserves this very modest increase,” said Precinct 5 member Michael Widmer.
Senior Center Improvements
Town Meeting members voted to approve the appropriation of $126,000 for improvements to the Senior Center at 266 Beech St.
The funds, which will come from free cash, will be used to replace the center’s flooring, and any leftover money will be put toward minor improvements, said Select Board member Taylor Yates. Members voted 196-3 to approve the appropriation.
Beagle Award
Precinct 6 member Susanne Croy won the third Beagle Award. Her name was drawn from a pool of members who kept their comments to under 90 seconds. Her prize is preferred parking at the next session, marked by a labeled traffic cone.
