MassVoter.com← BrooklineMunicipal votes · 2018–2019 Board
Brookline Select Board
How the Brookline Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. Same five members after the May 2018 town election. On May 15, 2018 the board elected Neil Wishinsky as Chair "for the term ending in May 2019" (5-0 roll call). The board had no Vice Chair in these years. Covers 52 meetings, May 15 to May 6, 2019.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the Select Board do? It is the town’s executive board. It prepares the Town Meeting warrant (the list of articles voters decide), appoints members of many town boards, hires the town’s top staff, signs warrants to pay town bills, and grants licenses and permits.
Town Meeting, not the Select Board, votes the town budget and town bylaws.
Sources: Massachusetts Select Board Handbook (MMA) · Mass. Division of Local Services: the town budgetYour Brookline ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
Start my ballot →Board years
Coming up
No upcoming meeting is posted yet. Check the official calendar →
Under the state Open Meeting Law, boards post notice at least 48 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays.
Members
Benjamin FrancoMember · Elected townwide · at 51 of 52 meetings
Bernard GreeneMember · Elected townwide · at 50 of 52 meetingsHeather HamiltonMember · Elected townwide · at 50 of 52 meetingsNancy HellerMember · Elected townwide · at 51 of 52 meetings"At X of Y meetings" counts the members the minutes list as present at the start of each meeting in this record. Members who step out are listed on each meeting page.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: Select Board minutes from January 2, 2018 through September 15, 2026, from the town’s CivicClerk meetings portal, which holds Select Board minutes back to 2005 (MassVoter has loaded 2018 on). The minutes are typed files with a text layer. Not here: meetings with an agenda but no minutes online, including December 18, 2018; several May and June 2019 sessions; January, March and September 2020 special sessions; July 26 and 28, 2021; January 23, March 19, April 2, 9, 16 and 17, May 21 and 29, June 11 and December 10, 2024 (for January 23, May 21 and December 10, 2024 the portal holds a copy of another meeting’s minutes instead); November 14 and December 23, 2025; and meetings after September 15, 2026. The Select Board Licensing Hearing Panel (one board member and town staff, whose recommendations go to the full board) is not included. Brookline’s minutes record almost every vote as a roll call naming each member (“Aye: … Against: … Abstained: …”), so we show each member’s vote as recorded. Members listed as absent for a vote are left out of it. Where a roll call names a member the minutes do not show as present, lists a member twice, names someone who is not a board member, or does not match the count written in the minutes, we show the count only (or the result only when no count is written) and add a note. A few votes have no roll call or count written down; we show those as passed or failed with no count. The minutes rarely say who made or seconded a motion, so no mover is shown. Votes taken by other boards at joint meetings (School Committee, Advisory Committee, Library Trustees) are not included. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
Votes where members disagreed
Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.
Apr 30Approve the following contracts for Owner Project Manager services…Motion: On motion it was, Voted to approve the following contracts for…Passed 4–0 · see note
April 30, 2019: Approve the following contracts for Owner Project Manager services with Leftfield, Boston Massachusetts: Baldwin School Owner Project Manager Services, Leftfield, $45,620 Driscoll School Owner...
On motion it was, Voted to approve the following contracts for Owner Project Manager services with Leftfield, Boston Massachusetts: Baldwin School Owner Project Manager Services, Leftfield, $45,620 Driscoll School Owner Project Manager Services, Leftfield, $45,620
Yes: Franco, Greene, Heller, WishinskyHeather Hamilton is listed as absent for this vote.
From the minutes
“On motion it was, Voted to approve the following contracts for Owner Project Manager services with Leftfield, Boston Massachusetts: Baldwin School Owner Project Manager Services, Leftfield, $45,620 Driscoll School Owner Project Manager Services, Leftfield, $45,620 Aye: Neil Wishinsky, Benjamin Franco, Nancy Heller, Bernard Greene Absent: Heather Hamilton.”
Apr 16Approve the application for Pledge of Collateral and appointment…Motion: On motion it was, Voted to approve the application for Pledge…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Franco
April 16, 2019: Approve the application for Pledge of Collateral and appointment of alternate managers for J&Z Food Corp d/b/a Six Po Hot Pot to be held at 1353 Beacon Street
On motion it was, Voted to approve the application for Pledge of Collateral and appointment of alternate managers for J&Z Food Corp d/b/a Six Po Hot Pot to be held at 1353 Beacon Street. Alternate managers are Yuzhu "Jessica" Jiang and Zhongshu "Lily" Zhao.
Yes: Greene, Hamilton, Heller, WishinskyAbstained: Franco
From the minutes
“On motion it was, Voted to approve the application for Pledge of Collateral and appointment of alternate managers for J&Z Food Corp d/b/a Six Po Hot Pot to be held at 1353 Beacon Street. Alternate managers are Yuzhu "Jessica" Jiang and Zhongshu "Lily" Zhao. Aye: Neil Wishinsky, Nancy Heller, Bernard Greene, Heather Hamilton Abstained: Benjamin Franco.”
Apr 16Favorable Action Article 30 as amended by Board Member…Motion: On motion it was, Voted 3-2 Favorable Action Article 30 as…Passed 3–2 · No: Franco, Wishinsky
April 16, 2019: Favorable Action Article 30 as amended by Board Member Greene
On motion it was, Voted 3-2 Favorable Action Article 30 as amended by Board Member Greene.
Yes: Greene, Hamilton, HellerNo: Franco, Wishinsky
From the minutes
“On motion it was, Voted 3-2 Favorable Action Article 30 as amended by Board Member Greene. Aye: Nancy Heller, Bernard Greene, Heather Hamilton Against: Neil Wishinsky, Benjamin Franco.”
Mar 26Enter into a friendly competition between Newton and Brookline,…Motion: On motion it was, Voted to enter into a friendly competition…Passed · see note
March 26, 2019: Enter into a friendly competition between Newton and Brookline, with the objective to get additional residents to opt up to 100% renewable electricity in the Brookline Green Electricity (community...
On motion it was, Voted to enter into a friendly competition between Newton and Brookline, with the objective to get additional residents to opt up to 100% renewable electricity in the Brookline Green Electricity (community choice aggregation) program.
The minutes say the board voted but do not give a count or say how each member voted.
From the minutes
“On motion it was, Voted to enter into a friendly competition between Newton and Brookline, with the objective to get additional residents to opt up to 100% renewable electricity in the Brookline Green Electricity (community choice aggregation) program..”
Mar 26Favorable action on article 19Motion: On motion it was, Voted 4-0-1 favorable action on article 19.Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Hamilton
March 26, 2019: Favorable action on article 19
On motion it was, Voted 4-0-1 favorable action on article 19.
Yes: Franco, Greene, Heller, WishinskyAbstained: Hamilton
From the minutes
“On motion it was, Voted 4-0-1 favorable action on article 19. Aye: Neil Wishinsky, Benjamin Franco, Nancy Heller, Bernard Greene Abstain: Heather Hamilton.”
Mar 19Favorable Action on Article 1Motion: On motion it was, Voted 4-0 Favorable Action on Article 1.Passed 4–0 · see note
March 19, 2019: Favorable Action on Article 1
On motion it was, Voted 4-0 Favorable Action on Article 1.
Yes: Franco, Greene, Hamilton, WishinskyNancy Heller is listed as absent for this vote.
From the minutes
“On motion it was, Voted 4-0 Favorable Action on Article 1. Aye: Aye: Neil Wishinsky, Benjamin Franco, Bernard Greene, Heather Hamilton Absent: Nancy Heller.”
Mar 19Favorable Action on Article 7Motion: On motion it was, Voted 4-0 Favorable Action on Article 7.Passed 4–0 · see note
March 19, 2019: Favorable Action on Article 7
On motion it was, Voted 4-0 Favorable Action on Article 7.
Yes: Franco, Greene, Hamilton, WishinskyNancy Heller is listed as absent for this vote.
From the minutes
“On motion it was, Voted 4-0 Favorable Action on Article 7. Aye: Aye: Neil Wishinsky, Benjamin Franco, Bernard Greene, Heather Hamilton Absent: Nancy Heller.”
Mar 19Favorable action on Article 1 of the April 9,…Motion: On motion it was, Voted 4-0 favorable action on Article 1…Passed 4–0 · see note
March 19, 2019: Favorable action on Article 1 of the April 9, 2019 Special Town Meeting
On motion it was, Voted 4-0 favorable action on Article 1 of the April 9, 2019 Special Town Meeting.
Yes: Franco, Greene, Hamilton, WishinskyNancy Heller is listed as absent for this vote.
From the minutes
“On motion it was, Voted 4-0 favorable action on Article 1 of the April 9, 2019 Special Town Meeting. Roll call: Aye: Aye: Neil Wishinsky, Benjamin Franco, Bernard Greene, Heather Hamilton Absent: Nancy Heller.”
Mar 12Approve an Interim Operating Agreement with Neutron Holdings, Inc.,…Motion: On motion it was, Voted to approve an Interim Operating Agreement…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Heller
March 12, 2019: Approve an Interim Operating Agreement with Neutron Holdings, Inc., dba Lime to participate in the Brookline E-Scooter Pilot Program
On motion it was, Voted to approve an Interim Operating Agreement with Neutron Holdings, Inc., dba Lime to participate in the Brookline E-Scooter Pilot Program.
Yes: Franco, Greene, Hamilton, WishinskyAbstained: Heller
From the minutes
“On motion it was, Voted to approve an Interim Operating Agreement with Neutron Holdings, Inc., dba Lime to participate in the Brookline E-Scooter Pilot Program. Aye: Neil Wishinsky, Benjamin Franco, Bernard Greene, Heather Hamilton Abstained: Nancy Heller.”
Mar 12Approve an Interim Operating Agreement with Bird Rides, Inc.…Motion: On motion it was, Voted to approve an Interim Operating Agreement…Passed 4–0 · Abstained: Heller
March 12, 2019: Approve an Interim Operating Agreement with Bird Rides, Inc. dba Bird to participate in the Brookline E-Scooter Pilot Program
On motion it was, Voted to approve an Interim Operating Agreement with Bird Rides, Inc. dba Bird to participate in the Brookline E-Scooter Pilot Program.
Yes: Franco, Greene, Hamilton, WishinskyAbstained: Heller
From the minutes
“On motion it was, Voted to approve an Interim Operating Agreement with Bird Rides, Inc. dba Bird to participate in the Brookline E-Scooter Pilot Program. Aye: Neil Wishinsky, Benjamin Franco, Bernard Greene, Heather Hamilton Abstained: Nancy Heller.”
From the Brookline Select Board’s official minutes, posted on the town’s CivicClerk meetings portal. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Brookline.News (candidate profiles, 2024 and 2026) and the Michael Rubenstein for Brookline Select Board campaign website.
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