Hello, Hive!

Thanks to the small but mighty group who came out to Friday’s Coffee Hour. We had deep and animated discussions about the topics of housing in Burlington, the benefits and drawbacks to knee surgeries, and everything in between! Would you like to see a Coffee Hour (morning) or a Cocktail Hour (evening) next month?

Since we last talked, the town had a birthday, a controversial position was posted in the schools, and the presidential primary election and spring sports state championships happened. Top of mind during the coming weeks will be May Town Meeting and the election coming up on April 6.

We’ll talk about all that and more in today’s Roundup:

• TownVote Issue of the Week
• Election Matters
• Town Matters
• Money Matters
• School Matters
• Health Matters
• Art Matters
• Athletic Matters

TownVote Issue of the Week

Last time, we asked what you thought candidates should be prioritizing in their campaigns. Every single respondent to the Select Board question and 2/3 of respondents to the School Committee question said upcoming capital projects should figure heavily in conversations. Note, though, that the number of responses was very small, and we hope that the more we use this platform, the more usage will grow.

This week, our question is about housing in Burlington. I wanted to ask a question more directly related to the Housing Authority, which is subject to another contested election, but since that body has such a narrow purview, I decided to expand the question to housing in general. Head over to VoteLight to weigh in on what you think the town should prioritize in conversations about housing in the near future.

And here’s a refresher on TownVote in case you need it.

Election Matters

Candidates have been all over town campaigning in the last two weeks, holding kickoff events, displaying their signs in conspicuous places, and talking with constituents either directly or via the various news outlets in town. BCAT has already begun gathering profiles and receiving Letters to the Editor, and their debates will be occurring over the next couple of weeks.

The Buzz has been hard at work interviewing each candidate for the podcast, and you can hear from our two candidates for Town Moderator a week before non-members.

Election - April 6, 2024

Candidate Interview: Bill Beyer for Town Moderator

Mar 9, 2024

Hello, Burlington! Bill Beyer, 7-term Town Moderator, is running for re-election. The moderator is responsible for ensuring the smooth running of Town Meeting and for appointing many of the Committees that help the town and its Town Meeting members make informed decisions.

Read full story →

Election - April 6, 2024

Candidate Interview: Adam Senesi for Town Moderator

Nicci Kadilak • Mar 9, 2024

Hello, Burlington! After many years of being involved in town government, and even a run for School Committee in 2020, Adam Senesi is running for Town Moderator this year. The moderator is responsible for ensuring the smooth running of Town Meeting and for appointing many of the Committees that help the town and its Town Meeting members make informed dec…

Read full story →

Town Matters

As a part of our election coverage, we are reviving some of our earliest posts about how town government works, starting with Why is Burlington a Town? We’ll be cleaning up and re-posting many of our town government profiles, especially those outlining what each elected Board and Commission does, as Election Day (April 6) approaches.

Another hot topic that will likely remain so for quite some time is the MBTA Communities multi-family housing zoning requirement and what it would mean (and what non-compliance might mean) for Burlington. It was discussed at length at this week’s Planning Board meeting and will be revisited on March 21 as the Planning Board finalizes the Warrant Article for this May’s Town Meeting.

Money Matters

Two big announcements with water. First, billing is going to be switching to quarterly. This is a condition of our agreement with the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA), with which we have been working on connecting our water supply for the last few years. The idea is that more frequent billing will encourage residents to pay more attention to how much water they’re using. Second, water rates are going up. This is due to a lower-than-expected revenue from receipts, especially commercial receipts, since the pandemic.

Speaking of money, we talked about one way to make money—the town’s summer Job Fair, taking place on March 20—and one resource to help you save money and be sure you’re taken care of in your retirement and in the case of unexpected events. Burlington Community Financial Center offers financial literacy and planning workshops for folks at any point in their financial independence journey. Read more and get out to one of their workshops!

School Matters

The school district continues working on a few major things and a million minor things.

The math curriculum review is still underway and the report is expected this summer; this is the beginning of a multi-year process to ensure all students can engage with the curriculum and that it gives students what they need starting in kindergarten to have opportunities to take challenging classes and succeed through high school and beyond. The district has also been looking at the science and social studies curricula and will be working with a consultant to review the English language arts curriculum in the near future.

The curriculum reviews, according to both School Committee Chair, Martha Simon, and Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Lisa Chen, involve looking at curriculum with an “equity lens,” and a new position for a “Lead Instructional Coach” focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion was recently posted. Equity advocates felt excluded from the process and see the title as a downgrade, while district representatives say this posting is responsive to the needs of the district and its teachers and students.

The Fox Hill and High School Building Committees continue to keep these projects in the public consciousness. the Board of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA, the state authority that is expected to subsidize the Fox Hill project) voted to move the Fox Hill project forward at their February 28 meeting, but the project is still not a done deal; the schematic design will be underway this summer, and borrowing for the project is expected to be on the September Town Meeting Warrant. If it passes, there is likely to be a town-wide ballot for a debt exclusion (a temporary increase in taxes until the project is paid off).

The high school is still in the feasibility stage and has chosen the designer to lead them through this process. The Committee will meet again this Thursday.

And, the district is in the process of whittling down the capital requests that will be presented to May Town Meeting along with the district’s operating budget. Among the things the district will likely be asking for: Additional funding to complete the Pine Glen HVAC project that was proposed in 2022, semi-permanent risers to address accessibility issues in the high school music room, and more.

Health Matters

Hazardous waste cleanup has been underway in the town center at 179 Cambridge Street and 18 Terry Ave. after chlorinated volatile organic compounds (Cl-VOCs) were found in groundwater. While the source of the contamination hasn’t been determined, the cleanup and mitigation efforts have been successful in decreasing the presence of these compounds in the groundwater and improving indoor air quality in businesses located at these addresses to acceptable levels.

Art Matters

The last couple of weeks have seen a number of arts-related stories here in Burlington. The the Voices storytelling show focused on stories centered around the South Asian immigrant experience. The Dragonfly Plays, which closed last night to a full house at the Burlington Players’ Park Playhouse, featured plays written and acted by members of the Asian American-Pacific Islander community. And, planning for the Sculpture Park’s summer installation continues with selection of a logo created by BHS junior, Dove Jimenez.

Athletic Matters

Burlington athletics had a big week, and though it didn’t turn out how anyone had hoped, we can’t diminish the amazing seasons played by the boys’ basketball team and the girls’ hockey team.

Boys lost their Round of 16 game to Mansfield on Wednesday to finish the season 14-7, winning 11 of their last 13 games. Girls lost their Elite Eight game to Marshfield on Thursday but finished with a 17-1-2 record, blowing the top off of all past seasons.

Coming up: all the spring sports, including track and field, baseball and softball, tennis, and more.

That’s it for this roundup. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, and don’t forget to listen to the candidate interviews!

Nicci