In 1857, as it looked to separate from Cambridge, Waltham and Watertown, Belmont’s lack of a commercial center (“village”) was a major issue. More than 160 years later, the town is looking to revitalize its “village” by modernizing its zoning regulations. In this opinion piece, Town Meeting Member Mary Lewis writes that the proposed Belmont Center Overlay will boost local business, provide accessible housing, and improve residents’ quality of life, fostering a vibrant, 21st century community.
Remember that cartoon bill in the Schoolhouse Rock! video? Sitting up on Capitol Hill, singing about the long, long journey to reach Congress? Belmont doesn’t have Congress. But it does have its own legislative body: Town Meeting. Town Meeting is…
Belmont Moderator Michael Crowley details a new citizens petition asking Town Meeting to authorize the Select Board to seek special state legislation that would allow Belmont to hold hybrid and remote Town Meetings on a permanent basis.
In her latest If I May opinion piece, Judith Feinleib calls out the town’s political leadership for what she describes as efforts to dismiss contrary voices and opinions. Feinleib calls on residents to speak up.
The needlessly long and toxic debate over the rededication of the ice rink is sowing anger, discontent and distrust in the Town’s leadership when they can least afford it. The solution to the rink problem? Skip it!
Now that Belmont has approved its plan for the State’s MBTA Communities Act, it faces a critical issue: how to increase commercial development even as it obeys the requirements imposed by the state’s one size fits all law.
In a blatant display of the dangers inherent in concentrating power in the executive, the Select Board eliminated hybrid town meetings for both the May and June sessions citing misleading information, and silenced one of its members, writes Town Meeting Member Judith Feinleib.
Belmont’s Moderator Mike Widmer declared emphatically in a debate Monday evening that, if he is re-elected, Town Meeting Members will not be permitted to speak critically of the Town’s appointed committees, calling criticism of committees “ad hominem attacks” worthy of censorship.
Our research into Article 8 convinces us that the arguments made by the Town Administrator, Police Chief and Select Board for exiting the Civil Service are not supported by the facts. We’ve listed our main reasons for voting “NO” here, with further explanation provided below.
Below is a letter to Town Meeting Members from Precinct 7 from TMM Heather Rubeski concerning the ongoing budget discussions. Heather generously agreed to let us republish it here. I’ve been following the process of Belmont revising the budgets for…