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Purpose
The primary function of the Advisory Committee is to review and make recommendations
on all matters to be considered by Town Meeting. This includes all Annual and Special Town
Meeting articles, including the Annual Appropriations Article with the proposed operating
and capital budgets for the coming year. In carrying out these duties, the Committee
"...may examine the books and records of any board, committee or officer of the Town
so far as permitted by law." In addition to its advisory role to Town Meeting, the
Advisory Committee is the only authority that may approve transfers from the Reserve Fund,
established to address unforeseen or emergency expenditures.
Organization
The Committee consists of between 20 and 30 registered voters of the Town with at
least one elected Town Meeting Member appointed from each of the sixteen precincts. No
more than eight members may be at large. All members are appointed, by the Moderator for
three-year staggered terms.
At its annual organizational meeting in July, the members of the Committee elect a Chair
and Vice-Chair for the upcoming fiscal year. One of the Chair's responsibilities is to
assign each member of the Committee to one of seven subcommittees. The Chair selects a
member from each subcommittee to serve as its chairperson. A list of current officers,
members, subcommittees, and responsibilities for FY2008 is included herein.
The Advisory Committee office has moved to Room 208-A of the Old Lincoln
School. The office is staffed by a part-time Executive Assistant,
Michele Earley (617-730 2115;
michele_earley@town.brookline.ma.us).
Committee Procedures
The Warrant for Annual and Special Town Meetings is closed 75 days before the opening
session of the meeting. Once the Warrant is closed, the Advisory Committee begins its
review of articles. The Chair of the Advisory Committee assigns the articles to the
appropriate subcommittees. The Subcommittee Chairs then schedule and preside over public
hearings on the articles. Notice of the public hearings is posted outside of the Town
Clerk's Office at least 48 hours before the hearing. An effort is always made to notify
petitioners and other interested parties. The public hearings provide an opportunity for
both proponents and opponents of various issues to offer oral and written testimony in
support of their views and for subcommittee members to ask questions.
The warrant for the Annual Town Meeting always includes an article to appropriate funds
for the following year's operating and capital budgets. Review of the budget begins once
the Town Administrator's Financial Plan is released in mid-February. The various elements
of the proposed budget are assigned to the appropriate subcommittees and the same public
hearing procedures mentioned above are followed.
After the public hearings take place, the full Advisory Committee schedules the issues for
discussion. These meetings take place on Tuesday and Thursday nights in Room
208 of the Old Lincoln School, 194 Boylston Street (Rt. 9). Notice of the meetings is posted outside of the Town
Clerk's Office and an attempt is made to contact interested parties, particularly those
individuals who attended the earlier public hearings. Meetings of the full Advisory
Committee are open to the public but are not public hearings. At the Chairman's
discretion, a nonmember may be asked to comment or provide clarification on a matter.
The Subcommittees report on the results of their review, including any comments made at
the public hearings, and then present their recommendations to the full Committee. The
Committee takes a vote on each Warrant article and the votes become the basis for written
recommendations which are presented to Town Meeting in written form 15 days prior to the
start of Town Meeting. The recommendations of the Board of Selectmen, who conduct a
concurrent review of the articles, are also distributed at this time.
FY2008 Advisory Committee Membership with Subcommittee
Assignments, Precinct Representation, and Home Telephone Numbers
Chair: Harry K. Bohrs, Precinct 3, (617)566-3556
Vice-Chair: Neil Wishinsky, Precinct 5, (617)739-0181
Administration and Finance:
Advisory Committee, Conditions of Appropriation, Debt & Interest, Finance, Information
Technology,
Selectmen, Town Clerk, and Unclassified.
Stanley L. Spiegel (Chair), Precinct 2, (617)739-0448; Roberta Ornstein,
At Large, (617)232-5252; Michael S. Traister, Precinct 10, (617) 839-8900.
Capital:
Building, Capital Improvements Plan, Public
Works, Recreation.
Carla Benka (Chair), Precinct 13,
(617)277-6102; Michael Berger, Precinct 16, (617)734-6139; Frederick Lebow,
Precinct 1, (617)739-1930; Fred Levitan, Precinct 14, (617)734-1986; Charles
Moo, At Large, (617)232-8796.
Human Services:
Council on Aging, Health, Human Relations-Youth
Resources, Library, Veterans Services.
Estelle Katz (Chair), Precinct 7, (617)566-3457; Francis G. Caro, Precinct
8,
(617)739-9228; Sytske V. Humphrey, AL, (617)277-1493.
Personnel:
Collective Bargaining, Human Resources, Personnel Benefits.
Neil Wishinsky (Chair), Precinct 5, (617)739-0181; Pamela Lodish, Precinct 14, (617)566-5533; Sean M. Lynn-Jones,
AL, (617)738-6228.
Planning and Regulation:
Economic Development, Legal Services, Planning and Community Development,
Zoning.
William B. Powell (Chair), Precinct 9, (617)731-0013;
Nadine Gerdts, Precinct 4, (617)731-0420; Neil Wishinsky, Precinct 5, (617)739-0181.
Public Safety:
Fire and Police.
Harry K. Bohrs (Chair), Precinct 3, (617)566-3556; Janice S. Kahn,
Precinct 15, (617)739-0606; Karen Wenc, Precinct 11, (617)232-4983.
Schools:
Leonard A. Weiss (Chair), At Large, (617)277-8403; Shaari S. Mittel,
Precinct 14, (617)277-0043; Donald Weitzman, Precinct 12, (617)738-7864; Christine M. Westphal,
Precinct 6, (617)738-7981.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Harry K. Bohrs, Chair
Pct. 3 (Exp. 2010)
Neil Wishinsky, Vice Chair
Pct. 5 (Exp. 2010)
Charles A. Baker
AL (Exp. 2008)
Carla Benka
Pct. 13 (Exp. 2010)
Michael Berger
Pct. 16 (Exp. 2008)
Francis G. Caro
Pct. 8 (Exp. 2010)
Nadine Gerdts
Pct. 4 (Exp. 2008)
Sytske Humphrey
AL (Exp. 2008)
Janice S. Kahn
Pct. 15 (Exp. 2008)
Estelle Katz
Pct. 7 (Exp. 2009)
Frederick Lebow
AL (Exp. 2009)
Fred Levitan
Pct. 14 (Exp. 2010)
Karen D. Lieff
Pct. 1 (Exp. 2009)
Pamela Lodish
Pct. 14 (Exp. 2008)
Sean M. Lynn-Jones
AL (Exp. 2010)
Shaari S. Mittel
Pct. 14 (Exp. 2009)
Charles Moo
AL (Exp. 2009)
Roberta Ornstein
AL (Exp. 2010)
William B. Powell
Pct. 9 (Exp. 2009)
Stanley L. Spiegel
Pct. 2 (Exp. 2010)
Michael S. Traister
Pct. 10 (Exp. 2008)
Leonard A. Weiss
AL (Exp. 2008)
Donald Weitzman
Pct. 12 (Exp. 2010)
Karen Wenc
Pct. 11 (Exp. 2009)
Christine Westphal
Pct. 6 (Exp. 2009)
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