So this is confusing. There are two Article 1s because there are two Town Meeting warrants: May 28, 2024 ANNUAL TOWN MEETING and May 28, 2024 SPECIAL TOWN MEETING. Here, you get a sense of my process after I wrote up an opinion of Article 1 for Brookline Pax, and then saw a different Article 1 altogether in the warrant. If/When I do this again, I should probably come up with a plan to separate similarly numbered articles.
The "SPECIAL" Article 1
is easier to take seriously:
Special Town Meeting Article Explanations
What it does
Permit the Town of Brookline to have a geothermal system under the Pierce School Playground's baseball field and to commence construction of the system.
What I think
Heat pumps are like magic. With 1 watt of electricity, they can bring 3 watts into a house, cutting emissions and costs, even when the electricity they use is generated with fossil fuels. Elimination of a furnace or boiler improves the indoor air quality of spaces, which has shown benefits to health and learning. By using electricity to heat a space, heat pumps also avoid a commitment to the consumption of fossil fuels over the lifetime of a new system. With improvements in cold weather performance, heat pumps are cost-competitive with conventional furnaces/boilers.
Using the ground as a thermal reservoir allows for better performance, presumably paying for itself. Furthermore, an underground system should be quieter and make better use of the limited space in Brookline once constructed. Installing a state-of-the-art HVAC system in the new Pierce School is worth the temporary loss of use of a field. I'd be excited to do this in my yard if feasible.
How I'll vote
I'll vote yes, the plan's already made, the money's already allocated, and the plan seems like a good one. Let me know if you have questions about systems like these, how they save money, their environmental impact, or the specifics of this project.
The "ANNUAL" Article 1
is a rhyming couplet that's almost shorter than its explanation:
To see if the Town will establish that the number of Measurers of Wood and Bark be two,
to be appointed by the Select Board, or act on anything relative thereto.
The appointment by the "Select *Board*" is itself a pun.
What it does
This is a celebration of an old law and an old system of government, but maybe also a reminder not to take ourselves too seriously and that we can trust each other's good intentions.
What I think
It took me a bit to see what this was for and respect the effort. I think of myself as busy and that I don't have time for this sort of thing, but it's better than the alternative of wasting time leaning into conflict.
How I'll vote
I'm not sure it matters; I'll try to adhere to tradition and give space for this part of the process.
