Good Morning, Burlington!

It’s great to be back after ten whole days away. We’re already midway through the month, and the Burlington Buzz + People Helping People membership drive is in full swing. If you’re able, take a moment now to upgrade to a paying Hive membership. You’ll be supporting the operations of your favorite award-winning news site and helping out area families in need at the same time! A huge THANK YOU to those of you who have already taken advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

Police Station Building Committee Gets Green Light

At Select Board last night, the Police Station Building Committee was officially created, after another discussion of whether that Committee, currently proposed to have 13 members, will be too large to be productive. The Board landed on the idea that the Committee is intended to advise the Select Board, rather than make final decisions, and so size wasn’t as much of an issue. Four residents applied to be on the Committee, leaving one more space for an interested resident. Get in touch with Lyn Mills at the Select Board office if you’re interested!

• Resident Members: Mike Kelly, Bob Hogan, Maynard Suffredini, and Joseph Renzella (I hope I spelled this correctly!)
• Planning Board: Barbara L’Heureux and Brenda Rappaport
• Zoning Bylaw Review Committee: Cathy Beyer
• Ways & Means: Mike Hardy
• Capital Budget: Gary Kasky
• Land Use Committee: Dan DiTucci, Jr.
• Select Board: Mike Espejo and Jim Tigges

Also at Select Board:

• National Grid was granted an extension on the town’s moratorium on opening up roads. The utility has been replacing gas lines on Wilmington Road and Middlesex Turnpike for months, and the two projects are just about finished. Wilmington Road will be done by the end of this week, according to the project’s construction manager, but the crew needs a few more weeks to complete Middlesex Turnpike. The Board granted a one-month extension on the November 15 moratorium, with the addition of certain conditions laid out by the DPW—including stopping in the case of heavy snow.
• Town Pantry, located at 85 Wilmington Road, has been granted a Beer & Wine license. There was a liquor store in that plaza until a few years ago (where Nobby Nails is now located); the business will remain a convenience store, just with the addition of beer and wine. The license is the town’s last, but the state seems to grant more when they run out, and members of the Board wondered aloud whether or not granting a license to a convenience store will begin a slippery slope where all convenience stores apply for a liquor license. Ultimately, the Board decided to revisit the issue if it comes before them again, and also agreed that since (a) there was previously a liquor store in that location and (b) this particular store is a bit away from the others in town, it was a good candidate.
• Barbara L’Heureux from the Planning Board was appointed to take Select Board Member Mike Espejo’s place on the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.
• The Town received a grant of $1,000,000 from the state for the PFAS filter project, and one of the requirements of that project is to have a Civil Rights Coordinator; the Board appointed Joanne Faust, the Human Resources Director for the town, to that role.
• The updated taxi & livery policy will be reviewed at the next meeting, as the Board requested a red-lined version to see the changes more clearly.
• At Public Participation, community member Arthur Macdonald expressed concern about crosswalks and yellow Pedestrian Crossing signs in the Winnmere area. He was offered a meeting with the Traffic Advisory Committee and reassured that the town is working on a crosswalk plan.

Today in Burlington

Municipal Meetings and Community Events

• 4:00 - 4:45 PM - Autumn Wreath Craft - Grades K-5 - Kids can design and create a classic seasonal paper wreath. (Library; Register)
• 7:00 PM - Board of Health (Special Meeting for Supervisory Nurse Interview has been cancelled) will hear an application for an unattended food establishment and . (Town Hall and Virtual)
• 7:00 PM - School Committee will vote on a strings stipend, MSBA Districting Enrollment Certification, discuss the Owner’s Project Manager for the BHS Building Committee, and more. (BHS and Virtual)

That’s it for today! See you again bright and early tomorrow!

Nicci

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