The Conservation Commission and Open Space Plan Committee have scheduled an additional public forum to solicit feedback as the Town shapes its 2025 Open Space & Recreation Plan during a series of listening sessions.

A hybrid forum will be held on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at 7:00 p.m., in the Municipal Service Center, 870 Hammond Street, Brookline, MA 02446.

The committee held one public forum on April 8, 2024, and will host additional events on Monday, May 6, 2024, at 7:00 p.m., in Town Hall, Room 111, 333 Washington Street, Brookline, MA 02446, and on Thursday, May 23, 7:00 p.m., in the Brookline Senior Center, 93 Winchester Street, Brookline, MA 02446.

All residents are welcome to attend.

Meetings will provide an opportunity for community members to offer input, share issues, and discuss opportunities with regard to parks, nature sanctuaries, and other open spaces in Brookline.

All meetings will be held in a hybrid format. Those who cannot attend in person are encouraged to join via Zoom by following the registration links on the Open Space Plan website.

The meetings will include a brief introduction and informational session on the existing Open Space Plan, published in 2018, including what it is, how it is utilized, and why it needs to be updated. An open discussion will follow so that the Open Space Plan Committee may hear the community’s desires, concerns, and ideas as it pertains to the 2025 update.

Residents also are encouraged to fill out the 2025 Open Space Plan survey by visiting here.

For further information, please visit the Open Space Plan website or call Conservation Administrator Tom Brady, at 617-730-2088.

The Town of Brookline announces that increased parking rates will begin to go into affect in mid-March.

Rates are increasing to $2 per hour. 

On January 30, 2024, the Select Board voted to approve an increase in the Town’s parking meter rates, the first increase in over eight years. Rates were last increased in 2016 and, while scheduled to be increased in 2019/2020, were put on hold due to the pandemic.

Brookline’s current rate of $1.25 is significantly below standard parking meter rates in the surrounding area. Of the 2,288 meters in Brookline, 1,716 are currently set at $1.25 per hour, 135 meters are already set at $2 per hour, and 415 are set at $.75 per hour. The rate of $2 per hour aligns with the parking meter rates around the Town of Brookline, including adjacent neighborhoods such as Cleveland Circle, Commonwealth Avenue, Allston, and the Longwood Medical Area.

The Town estimates that the new rate will generate approximately $1.4 million in new revenue that can be used to replace the increasing number of meters that have reached their life expectancy and to further the Town’s sustainability goals.

The Town will roll out the new rate within the next few weeks. Parking meters in Brookline accept quarters, credit cards, and payments via the Passport Parking app.

Poorly maintained dumpsters with holes, missing or loose lids, or overflowing trash are some of the worst violations of the Town’s Solid Waste Regulations. These oversights create an easily accessible food source for rodents, thus exacerbating an already challenging problem for the town. Poor storage and maintenance practices of regular trash and recycling toters also violate the state sanitary code and local regulations.

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The Brookline Department of Public Health and Human Services and the Brookline Department of Public Works highlight new language in the Solid Waste Regulations that modifies dumpster use and maintenance standards within the Town of Brookline.

Residents and businesses are encouraged to review and adhere to the updated regulations and, in doing so, help the community address an important health issue. Violators will face potential enforcement actions and monetary penalties. The updated Solid Waste Regulations can be downloaded here. 

Here are some highlights of the changes specific to dumpsters:

• Regular maintenance and upkeep must occur for each dumpster.
• Direct action must be taken to ensure the dumpsters remain sanitary and free of pests.
• There shall be no holes in the dumpsters themselves, and they must remain covered with a tight-fitting, heavy lid.
• The Brookline Department of Public Health may require that specific dumpster sites be completely enclosed. 

These measures prevent odors and further mitigate rodent activity.

The updated regulations also require the name, address, and contact information of the owner, as well as the name of the permitted private hauler who services the dumpster, to be affixed on one side of every dumpster. All dumpsters must be placed on flat areas with smooth concrete or asphalt. They cannot be located on sites that block the view of traffic or on public property without prior approval.

Finally, dumpsters have to be large enough and serviced as frequently as necessary to prevent any likelihood of overflow or attracting pests. If the Brookline Department of Public Health deems a larger dumpster or more frequent pickups necessary, the change must be made promptly.

John King, the Town’s Environmental Health Supervisor, is available to answer any questions about the updated Solid Waste Regulations. He can be reached via e-mail at jking@brooklinema.gov or by phone at 617-879-4908.

The Brookline Office of Emergency Management, in cooperation with the Brookline Department of Public Health & Human Services, is pleased to offer a program for elder residents on how to create an effective emergency communication plan.

The event will take place on Monday, March 4, 2024, at 11 a.m., at Brookline Senior Center, 93 Winchester Street, MA 02446.

In an emergency, residents will need to communicate with their family. Traditional means of communication, such as phones, cellphones, computers, as well as electricity could be disrupted. Planning ahead of time will ensure all members of households, including outside caregivers, know how to reach each other and where to meet up in an emergency.

The program will cover the importance of having a communication plan in the event of an emergency, what goes in a communication plan, and how to collect the information that will go in a plan.

Taking time now to design a communication plan will help to give residents peace of mind and ensure that they have access to essential information, and can reunite with their loved ones in the event of an emergency. 

This program is offered as part of the Emergency Preparedness Buddies Program (EP Buddies).The EP Buddies program was developed to assist Brookline elders and adults with disabilities who live alone to prepare for and respond to emergency situations. More information is available here.

The EP Buddies project is supported with federal funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI).

Members of the media who are interested in attending this program should RSVP to Robert Mills at robert@jgpr.net in advance of the event.

Fire Chief John F. Sullivan is pleased to report that the Brookline Fire Department received a $34,959 grant from the Department of Fire Services Fiscal Year 2024 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program. 

Fire departments across Massachusetts were invited to apply to the Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant program, which provides reimbursement on purchases of 135 different types of eligible equipment. Eligible items include hoses and nozzles, turnout gear, ballistic protective equipment, gear washers and dryers, thermal imaging cameras, hand tools and extrication equipment, communications resources, hazardous gas meters, and more. In many cases, the purchase of this equipment will help departments attain compliance with Occupational Safety & Health Administration or National Fire Protection Association safety standards. This is the fourth year that funding has been awarded through the program.

The Brookline Fire Department will use the funding to purchase to increase its capabilities in the areas of firefighter safety including acquiring additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as Nomex hoods, 45-minute S.C.B.A. cylinders, and thermal imaging cameras, as well as hazardous materials detection and identification meters.

“We are very grateful for this funding, which will help to protect the members of our department as they work to keep our community safe,” said Chief Sullivan.