TOWN MEETING BEGINS JANUARY 27, 2025 | ARTICLE SUMMARIES HERE

Daily Buzz | School Building Committee Poised to Vote on Fox Hill Option

And, Select Board Chair chastises negative comments regarding Town Counsel

Daily Buzz | School Building Committee Poised to Vote on Fox Hill Option

Good Morning, Burlington!

So much for no interruption in service, eh? Sorry for the lateness of the Buzz today. Apparently when I don’t have to get up at 5:00, I can sleep pretty late!

The Select Board met last night for a very short meeting, during which the Board voted 5-0 to award a liquor license to Fiorella’s Restaurant, which will open in the space vacated by Parm. They hope to open by February! The Board also approved, at long last, the alcohol policy they’ve been working on modernizing and streamlining. And, Members Jim Tigges and Mike Espejo will be meeting with members of the Sculpture Park to discuss the future of the beloved space, as it looks like the police station will be incorporating that parcel in with their current lot when they rebuild.

If you watched until the very end, you’ll have seen Chair, Mike Runyan, express his disapproval with the at-times unruly Town Meeting last Wednesday. Runyan also stated that the town attorney deserves an apology for a comment made that night questioning the motivation behind her advice not to hear the resolution about the Winn View Heights II development.

School Building Committee Poised to Vote on Fox Hill Option

The School Building Committee will be meeting tonight to discuss the outcome of the ThoughtExchange survey and, ostensibly, to vote on whether they’ll be presenting a small, single 325-student school, or a larger “butterfly” 640-student school to the state school building authority. It’s been understood that this vote wouldn’t take place until later this fall, since the final solution won’t be submitted until December.

When asked about the seemingly accelerated timeline, SBC member Christine Monaco said she was surprised to see it on the agenda. Chair Melissa Massardo noted that the project team needs time to put together the actual package they’ll be presenting, which will include the preliminary design for the preferred solution.

Observers are split on which way they think the vote will go. While some community members have been claiming for months that the decision to go with the “butterfly” school has already been made, others think the votes will come out strongly in favor of the smaller school. Still others think the outcome is too close to call.

No matter the outcome, the most recently-elected School Committee Member, Jeremy Brooks, remains “excited to continue work with the elementary school building committee.” He does, however, plan to press the district on creating “a solid plan moving forward that addresses Fox Hill building needs and a codified building and facilities plan capturing major projects, improvements, and other costs drivers in todays dollars for the next 10-15 [years].”

Catch the live vote tonight or a recap in the Buzz tomorrow.

Today in Burlington

Municipal Meetings and Community Events

Note that the Rules Committee meeting (the group that discusses the rules governing Town Meeting) has been postponed. We’ll let you know when it’s back on the calendar!

  • 10:30 AM - Toddler Storytime at the library
  • 10:30 AM - Current Events Discussion Series at the library (Register)
  • Burlington Volleyball fundraising night at the Chateau. Dine in or carryout—let the restaurant know you’re there to support Red Devils volleyball, and your meal will support the team!
  • 6:00 PM - Fox Hill School Building Committee Joint School Committee will meet to review the takeaways from the ThoughtExchange survey, to discuss the outcome of the meeting with the Conservation Commission, and to discuss the school tours members have been on recently. They are also expected to vote on which option they will put forward to the state. (BHS and virtual)
  • 6:00 PM - Free Cornhole Tournament on the Green at 3rd Ave.

Sports and Activities

Our volleyball teams swept Wilmington 2-0 (f),  2-0 (jv), and 3-0 (v) yesterday! Unfortunately, the golf team didn’t have the same fortune, falling in a 34-38 decision against Stoneham. Mixed results in field hockey, as the JV team shut out Arlington 4-0 and varsity took a 0-2 loss.

The golf team kicks off athletics today, as they do nearly every day this week, with a game at Winchester at 3:30. There’s a cross country meet in Wilmington at 4:00. And, finally, the soccer teams are playing Wilmington today, with boys traveling for a 4:00 (JV) and 6:00 (varsity) game and girls hosting Kicks for Cancer with 4:15 (JV) and 6:30 (varsity) games.

That’s all for today. Wish the Buzz luck at this evening’s LION Awards Ceremony!

Nicci

In honor of the Buzz being a finalist for a Community Engagement award, share this with an involved member of our community!