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Established 2002…


The Montello Business Association ("Association") is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help businesses grow and prosper in the Montello area of Brockton MA. The Association exists to cultivate strong working relationships with local businesses, community leaders, and city officials. Membership dues are tax-deductible and support the Association's administrative and outreach efforts to resolve business concerns and help the community. 

RECENT NEWS

By Greg Belcher March 6, 2025
MONTELLO BUSINESS ASSOCIATION MEETING MINUTES FOR MARCH 5, 2025 IN ATTENDANCE: Scott Dwyer President, Greg Belcher Treasurer, Lisa Waitt Belcher Secretary, Richard Gowell, Brendan Weeks Deputy Chief BFD, Councilor Win Farwell, Councilor Phil Griffin, Cpt. Bill Hallissey BPD, Al Davis, Gale Lutz-Henrickson and Lee Henrickson, Derek Salamone BPD, Atty. Jay McLaughlin, Councilor Shirley Asack, Councilor Jack Lally, Sam Audi Bassam. See below added names invited to join and/or speak. Special guest Jeffrey Smith of the Community Court system was invited. Scott opened with Old Business, see last month posting. Snow parking regulations have led to midnight shift issuing some tickets. Policing issue brought up of trying to get a full-time dedicated traffic enforcement. Hopefully as well some new officers could be added to Brockton, academy sending some names over. Residency requirement may be holding back some out-of-town qualified officers. Treasurer Greg report. ARPA funds as well need applications to get money for loss of revenue due to street work. Documentation, get your facts and figures from your CPA at this time and apply. Jeffrey Smith introduced himself from District Attorney Cruz office. Grant-funded $900,000 for 4 years with other entities to establish Community Court. This will streamline homeless getting cited and will try to help them get services and resources. Case manager at Old Colony Y will try to coordinate their case charges to see what can be done for this population. Police reports: homeless still under bridges. Cleaned by DPW 3 times a week. Issue is what offenses are arrestable. Crimes, yes. Loitering, probably not. Law department has no clear guidelines regarding Constitutionality. Win Farwell suggested that unions ask law department for clarification in writing to protect officers from liability. Greg questioned current police station being left available when new building becomes occupied. Win said 54 North Main St. proposal of purchase by City for $1Million is in question. Also that a new purpose of the building should not attract the same homeless loitering as ever has been and at Perkins Park as well. Scott brought up all-day parking on North Main St. which should be addressed. By whom? Police vs. parking authority. Shirley will contact parking authority and question why they only monitor downtown parking garage. Jack said they DO have authority over the whole city but they need more resources to expand beyond downtown. Brendan said new recruits for fire department are coming in but there are also many retirements coming up. The firetrucks are mostly up to date and we will likely get 3 more this year. Scott said YMCA at 320 Main St. is up for sale. Question where are the entities going to end up which function there. Shirley said she will keep us posted on Pires Auto license application process. School departments are reviewing contracts for employees per Scott. Shirley brought up form-based code meeting recently at North Jr. High School. Stop N Shop leaving the North Montello St. store closed and still paying the lease will be approached to see if they will allow other tenant[s] to be there. Jack and Shirley will work on this. Membership renewal has been announced! Meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m. “MAKE Brockton BETTER before you make it BIGGER” credit Win Farwell.
By Greg Belcher March 3, 2025
Date: March 5th 2025 Wed. 6 PM NEW Location Tinrays 9 Winter St Brockton, MA Time: 6PM Guest Speaker : Jeffery R Smith with Community Court Coordinator Second Speaker Amanda Gomez with Lamacchia Realty
By Greg Belcher February 6, 2025
Montello Business Association is proud to announce our newest member Westgate Lanes Pub & Grille 65 Westgate Drive, Brockton Ma 02301
By Greg Belcher February 6, 2025
MONTELLO BUSINESS ASSOCIATION MEETING MINUTES FOR Feb. 5th 2025 IN ATTENDANCE: Scott Dwyer President, Greg Belcher Treasurer, Lisa Waitt Belcher Secretary, Fran Fistori, Richard Gowell, Councilor Win Farwell, David Lynch, Cpt. Bill Hallissey BPD, Al Davis, Gale Lutz-Henrickson and Lee Henrickson, Derek Salamone BPD, Sam Audi Bassam, Atty. Jay McLaughlin, Shirley Asack Ward 7 Councilor, BFD Deputy Chief Brendan Weeks, Vinny Colarusso, Mike Dadak. See below added names invited to join and/or speak. Scott Dwyer opened with Old Business, see last month posting. Last meeting was the Christmas party in December with a good time had by all and a good collection for Toys For Tots. Ed Williams honored as well at the time. Treasurer Greg report. Memberships to be renewed soon. Shirley Asack spoke with regards to Pires Auto Repair at 744 North Main St. regarding their operational status. City offices have been contacted including Inspectional Services to make sure all licensing is being done properly. Their operation has been very busy with extra cars overflowing into the One Hour Parking spaces on North Main St. The numbers of cars allowed to be worked on is questioned by Scott and Shirley confirmed this as an issue with permitting and license renewals. Pires also bought Harborone Bank at 820 North Main St. which Citizens Bank is rumored to be leasing the property soon so the parking situation will be monitored. Issues of overnight parking are arising with the winter season in full swing. Snow parking bans for street parking are in force at this time. Manny Buginga from MJM Construction was invited to speak regarding truck parking issues. He will be speaking to invite the big trucks to utilize space on his property in West Bridgewater. Manny spoke regarding his parking availability on Manley St. in West Bridgewater with 7 acres of parking. He brought brochures to be distributed for the big trucks illegally parked in Brockton to have a place to go. Scott invited Francine Kaiser from Westgate Lanes to join us as a new prospective member. Greg spoke regarding inviting Rob May to attend regarding the form-based code. He presented concerns about Montello MBTA station approved for form-based code which will override current zoning. The congestion for traffic, concentrated housing, and public safety needs as well as the school system being strained was spoken about. Fran from Westgate Lanes spoke regarding the homeless encampments, rubbish being left on the property from them and their abandonment of items, and in general commercial trucks dumping full loads on their property and on other properties in the Westgate Mall area. When police are contacted with plate numbers the station says the trucks are registered out of Brockton so they cannot help. Jay McLaughlin advised to have businesses file complaints at Brockton District Court with the same information to get these parties to have to come to court. Win Farwell and all agreed that the drug and mental health issues and free needle programs all contribute to the societal problems. Police understaffing as well is an issue. Pot shop taxes questioned by Gale, Win said there are city programs and school programs which are supported but he does not have exact figures. Some shops owe money to the state for their licenses and the Cannabis Control Commission regulations are not clear. Win spoke about the Fairgrounds property: zoning overlay district is being worked on, 1500 to 2000 upscale residences are being proposed. Important: Project development agreement will be required by the city so that all permitting is in conformance with the agreement. Win also stated that our city has dedicated more than enough for social services, drug problems, and homeless issues. “MAKE Brockton BETTER before you make it BIGGER,” stated Win. Keep your eyes and ears open so we do not keep losing the battle. All agreed, well said. Win as the usual informative source of government process is trying to make us aware of how things work. Education concerns like McKinney-Vento ruling on the federal level regarding major costs of education and transportation were mentioned as well. Membership renewal has been announced! Meeting adjourned at 7:08 p.m.
By Greg Belcher February 3, 2025
Date: Sept. 4 2024 Wed. 6 PM NEW Location Tinrays 9 Winter St Brockton, MA Time: 6PM Guest Speaker : Manual Buginga with MJM Construction Meeting will Discuss: Trucks, Zoning, Ordinances
By Greg Belcher December 31, 2024
Happy New Year 2025 from Montello Business Association. We will resume our next meeting on February 5th at Tinrays 6 P.M.
By Greg Belcher December 13, 2024
Montello Business Association is proud to announce our newest member Dan Trout and family owner of Dairy Queen at 1136 N .Main St. Brockton.
By Greg Belcher December 7, 2024
We would like to thank Senator Michael Brady, Councilors Winn Farwell, Shirley Asack, and Jack Lally for making our Christmas Party a success and for honoring Deputy Chief Edward Williams with citations from the Mayor. the State, and the City Council. The food was excellent thank you to our member Joe Murray owner of Tinrays. In attendance Firer Chief Brian Nardelli , Chief of Police Brenda Perez, former Fire Chief Ken Galligan, Scott and Sue Dwyer , David Lynch, Greg & Lisa Belcher, Sam Audi, Rich and Lori Gowell., Captiain William Hallisey, Esq Jay McLaughlin, David LaChance, Conner Lachance, Vinny Colarusso. Merry Christmas to all our members and a safe New Year.
By Greg Belcher November 7, 2024
MONTELLO BUSINESS ASSOCIATION MEETING MINUTES FOR NOV. 6, 2024 IN ATTENDANCE: Scott Dwyer President, Greg Belcher Treasurer, Lisa Waitt Belcher Secretary, Fran Fistori, Richard Gowell, Cpt. Bill Hallissey BPD, Al Davis, Derek Salamone BPD, Gale Lutz-Henrickson and Lee Henrickson, Inspectional Services Bill Forte, Atty. Jay McLaughlin, Vinny Colarusso. Deputy Chief Ed Williams BFD arrived later. Scott Dwyer opened with Old Business, see last month posting. Greg walked with Nathan from the DCR in the area regarding the tree projects. Brockton Police reps attending saying protective patrols are now along North Main St. to monitor drivers. The new paving and striping looks great but will need to be watched as drivers tend to speed. Greg mentioned Form Based Code coming into the Montello area with the MBTA stations nearby creating parks as well. Scott said we need balance to get homeless out of the parks and focus on building with purpose. Parade planning brought up, City Hall Mayor’s office in charge, no one knows what is happening, there is no parade committee. Stop N Shop now closed on North Montello St. Giant commercial trucks parking all night on East Main, Lansdowne, Rosseter Streets among other area streets including residential areas. Bill Forte Deputy Commissioner announced inspection coordination for the City so that code enforcement is more effective. Building, electrical, plumbing, gas, health are the five components working better together now. Many immigrants are trying to just live and the conditions here are much better than in their home countries however they may be substandard and not in legal compliance here in the U.S. Father Bill’s is making progress in the intake center to help homeless people get placed. Civil rights balance with cleaning up the streets is a challenge. Mitigation fees to the city put on developers would help with the added societal burdens. Zoning if done correctly should work with infrastructure to improve the economics of the City. Planning Board key to this future. Zoning system antiquated in Brockton, needs updating for modern purposes. 69 North Montello St. will be demolished soon. 46 Montello St. application for permit done, MBTA needs to approve 46 residential units. Building, wiring, health, planning, zoning. Ed Williams commended for his great service to the City of Brockton and will be missed upon his retirement shortly. ADU accessory dwelling units in 2025 for up to 900 square feet allowed in MA moving forward. Not necessarily owner-occupied; this will change the single family residential units into 2-family units. SeeClickFix one way for small issues to be reported. Citizenserve is an online portal to report as well. Complainant not named unless the issue goes to court. His contact: wforte@cobma.us 508-897-6404 if urgent situation George DePina, inspectional enforcement gdepina@cobma.us for ongoing issues. Perpetual open dumpster not allowed, should be covered overnight 10 feet from structure and not overflowing. When construction permit issued the project finish should end the dumpster permit. Case numbers being issued and follow-through includes investigation, enforcement, fines. Ed Williams announced new Ladder 4 and new Ladder 2, all models made in this century now in Brockton stations, modern not necessarily better made though. Eight new people coming onto the Fire Department. Lithium ion batteries started a recent fire in Brockton. He is retiring on December 4. Christmas Party in place of December meeting…bring an unwrapped toy and a friend! Wednesday December 4 at TinRay’s at 6 p.m. Meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m.
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MEETINGS

Tinrays Pizza and fine food


By Greg Belcher March 6, 2025
MONTELLO BUSINESS ASSOCIATION MEETING MINUTES FOR MARCH 5, 2025 IN ATTENDANCE: Scott Dwyer President, Greg Belcher Treasurer, Lisa Waitt Belcher Secretary, Richard Gowell, Brendan Weeks Deputy Chief BFD, Councilor Win Farwell, Councilor Phil Griffin, Cpt. Bill Hallissey BPD, Al Davis, Gale Lutz-Henrickson and Lee Henrickson, Derek Salamone BPD, Atty. Jay McLaughlin, Councilor Shirley Asack, Councilor Jack Lally, Sam Audi Bassam. See below added names invited to join and/or speak. Special guest Jeffrey Smith of the Community Court system was invited. Scott opened with Old Business, see last month posting. Snow parking regulations have led to midnight shift issuing some tickets. Policing issue brought up of trying to get a full-time dedicated traffic enforcement. Hopefully as well some new officers could be added to Brockton, academy sending some names over. Residency requirement may be holding back some out-of-town qualified officers. Treasurer Greg report. ARPA funds as well need applications to get money for loss of revenue due to street work. Documentation, get your facts and figures from your CPA at this time and apply. Jeffrey Smith introduced himself from District Attorney Cruz office. Grant-funded $900,000 for 4 years with other entities to establish Community Court. This will streamline homeless getting cited and will try to help them get services and resources. Case manager at Old Colony Y will try to coordinate their case charges to see what can be done for this population. Police reports: homeless still under bridges. Cleaned by DPW 3 times a week. Issue is what offenses are arrestable. Crimes, yes. Loitering, probably not. Law department has no clear guidelines regarding Constitutionality. Win Farwell suggested that unions ask law department for clarification in writing to protect officers from liability. Greg questioned current police station being left available when new building becomes occupied. Win said 54 North Main St. proposal of purchase by City for $1Million is in question. Also that a new purpose of the building should not attract the same homeless loitering as ever has been and at Perkins Park as well. Scott brought up all-day parking on North Main St. which should be addressed. By whom? Police vs. parking authority. Shirley will contact parking authority and question why they only monitor downtown parking garage. Jack said they DO have authority over the whole city but they need more resources to expand beyond downtown. Brendan said new recruits for fire department are coming in but there are also many retirements coming up. The firetrucks are mostly up to date and we will likely get 3 more this year. Scott said YMCA at 320 Main St. is up for sale. Question where are the entities going to end up which function there. Shirley said she will keep us posted on Pires Auto license application process. School departments are reviewing contracts for employees per Scott. Shirley brought up form-based code meeting recently at North Jr. High School. Stop N Shop leaving the North Montello St. store closed and still paying the lease will be approached to see if they will allow other tenant[s] to be there. Jack and Shirley will work on this. Membership renewal has been announced! Meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m. “MAKE Brockton BETTER before you make it BIGGER” credit Win Farwell.
By Greg Belcher March 3, 2025
Date: March 5th 2025 Wed. 6 PM NEW Location Tinrays 9 Winter St Brockton, MA Time: 6PM Guest Speaker : Jeffery R Smith with Community Court Coordinator Second Speaker Amanda Gomez with Lamacchia Realty
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EVENTS

By Greg Belcher October 25, 2024
Thank You for Joining the 38th Annual Holiday Parade! Inbox Search for all messages with label Inbox Remove label Inbox from this conversation Courtney Henderson Mon, Oct 21, 10:15 AM (4 days ago) to Courtney, bcc: me Dear Participants, Thank you for confirming your participation in the 38th Annual Holiday Parade! We are thrilled to have you join us, whether you'll be walking or featuring a float this year. If you're receiving this email, it means you have confirmed your spot in the parade. For those planning to have a float, please note that the dimensions of the flatbed are approximately 20 feet long and 96 inches wide. Each float can safely accommodate 10 to 15 people, so please do not exceed this number. Additional participants are welcome to walk alongside the float. Flatbed reservations are on a first come, first served basis, so we encourage you to contact Lynch's Tow at (508) 586-7577 as soon as possible. When calling, simply mention that you're reserving a flatbed for the parade and arrange a time to decorate. Lynch's Tow is expecting your calls and is prepared to start taking reservations. There is no cost for reserving the flatbed, gas, or driver. The only expenses you’ll need to cover are any decorations you wish to add to your float and any items you plan to distribute to the crowd. We are looking forward to a fantastic parade and are excited to see your creativity shine! Best regards, Courtney -- Courtney Henderson Director of Immigration Affairs Office of Mayor Robert F. Sullivan Brockton City Hall 45 School Street Brockton, MA 02301 508-897-6812 She/Her/Hers
By Greg Belcher October 17, 2024
Hello neighbor, Thursday evening (10/17) will be my fifth time hosting trivia night at Brockton Beer. Over the years my thing has been DJ-ing - with trivia I’ve found a new calling and it’s been a blast! Trivia night has always been one of the most popular nights at Brockton Beer. We use a company called King Trivia whose games are in-play across the US and as a result the questions they provide always span a wide range of topics, culture and generations - everyone has a chance to win some points across seven rounds. I’ve recently added a Brockton trivia round to spice things up. I try to create questions that not only historians will know, but anyone who’s been observant living or working here might know the answer to. I also try to create questions that educate folks about Brockton. Some recent questions: How many golf courses are in Brockton? (1 pt.) Massachusetts has 351 cities & towns. How many Brockton streets share a name with a Mass. city or town? (1 pt. for answers within 20 of the correct answer) What Brockton street is named a historic district in the National Register of Historic Places? (1 pt.) Cape Cod Pizza & Home Cafe are examples of what style of pizza? (1/2 point for short answer; 1 point for longer answer) How many voting precincts does Brockton have? (1 pt.) During WWI, what Brockton company was one of the largest makers of boots and shoes for allied troops in the world? (1 pt.) I hope you’ll join us on Thursday. We start around 6:30 pm and the game usually runs to last call just before 9 pm. We’ve had teams range in size from individuals to five people - it’s your call. PS I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the last monthly Friday bike ride of the year for Brockton Bikes. Flyer attached. Thanks! Jed
By Greg Belcher August 29, 2024
Below is the tentative schedule for this week. We’ll send you look-ahead e-mails for future weeks, as well. Monday (9/2) No work – Labor Day Tuesday (9/3) Wilder Street pavement milling Wednesday (9/4) North Main Street pavement leveling course (East Battles Street to Avon Town Line) Thursday (9/5) North Main Street pavement leveling course (East Battles Street to Avon Town Line) Friday (9/6) North Main Street pavement leveling course (East Battles Street to Avon Town Line)
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MINUTES

By Scott Dwyer May 2, 2024
Attendance: Scott S. Dwyer, President Jack Lally Councilor Ward 6 Jay McLaughlin ESQ Capt. Hallisey, Brockton Police Derek Salamone, Brockton Police Al Davis Dave Lynch Sam Audi Fran Fistori Gale Lutz and Lee Henrickson Guest Speaker Euclides M. Goncalves BRA Edward Williams Deputy Chief Greg & Lisa Belcher Topics of Conversation: The Montello Business Association meeting was called to order at 6:01 p.m. Police recruit update by Derek Salamone: 4 graduating soon, 2 graduating in July, 12 starting academy then 2-5 starting in August. 10 retirements coming up. 5 SGT and 3 LT upgraded rank recently. To expand recruitment base, advised to delete residency requirements. Fire department not short on staff; Greg Belcher commended Deputy Chief Ed Williams for his excellent service in code enforcement for Brockton Fire. Progress being made slowly at new Public Safety building on Warren Ave. Traffic patterns discussed. Tommy Doyle's at Oak St. Ext. having trouble in parking lot and people in woods using his restrooms without patronizing the restaurant. Environmental police will be aiding city to clear out encampments in woods. Groups of cars from Boston burning rubber in local parking lots including Woodward's and Westgate Lanes. Rosseter St. illegal parking and dumping mentioned. Councilor Jack Lally gave an extensive update: A.R.P.A. funds recommendation from Troy Clarkson is that Montello Business Association present as a group evidence to support loss from 2023 road work. School reports: D.E.S.E. paid Open Architects to report Brockton Schools financial damage assessment. City is looking over school budget as well. Rounds of budget cuts will be done on the city side for the budget to be presented in June. City side of budget not in deficit. Grant employee funds are being reviewed where grants ended and employment continued. Education mandates that are unfunded need to be reviewed, i.e. transportation from any distance for current students who leave the area. MGL Ch. 71 allows municipality to merge responsibilities with the school department. Examination of combining functions and positions to save funds is being looked at, i.e. personnel and human resources as example. Which leads to the school bus issue: move transportation department TO the city FROM the school department to administer oversight and contracts with drivers. City negotiates stronger than the school department does. Example: D.P.W. might be better to find space to park buses; administer control of the drivers to the city and away from the school department. North Main Street repaving schedule questioned. Consultation with Pat Hill recommended. Euclides Goncalves was introduced as Business Outreach Coordinator for Brockton Redevelopment Authority. He presented: state level business funds and local level home funds, emergency rehab funds to get homes up to code at no cost to homeowner; lien stands when house is sold; Jodi Beckman works with the residential side. B.R.A. does work with other non-profits. They do serve for-profit businesses as well with such programs as facade improvement zero-percent loans. Euclides has private equity and market research background and offers free consultation. Applications validated for state by Mayor, B.R.A. or elected city officials help to get better results. Deputy Chief Ed Williams spoke about two recent enforcements in the city. Meeting adjourned at 6:53 p.m.
By Greg Belcher March 7, 2024
Attendance: Scott S. Dwyer, President Phil Nessralla ESQ Jay McLaughlin ESQ Capt. Hallisey, Brockton Police Derek Salamone, Brockton Police Al Davis Dave Lynch Sam Audi Rich Gowell Gale Lutz and Lee Henrickson Guest Speaker Councilor Alex Hoxie Mary Waldron Topics of Conversation: The Montello Business Association meeting was called to order at 6:01p.m. Scott read the letter about getting a list of names of Businessesthat lost revenue due to the construction detours on North Main St. We will need to get the last three year of sales to show this year's loss. The Association will then need to start a Committee. Trying to get this all done by the end of March. DUES ARE DUE!!!! This evening not in attendance Ward 6 Councilor Jack Lally Ward 7 Councilor Shirley ASack no other City Councilors Mayor's Office Economic Development Bob May Fire Dept Ed Williams We have been having some street issues that were told to Captain Hallisey AS follows: 1. Herrod Ave Parking 2. 756 North Main St. There are a lot of vehicles for sale out there but no license. 3. Between 544 -554 North Main St a lot of big trailers for storing property doesn't look kept up. Houses are run down. 4. 147 Battles St where there was some digging, property filled in a large hole that had been left open, No dumpster for yard waste, or boulders. Case that some child may get hurt, no tape or block this off. 5. Between 287 - 311 North Montello St there are too many cars on the lots, and parking on the street. There are some blue tubs out back, you can see from the street, the possibility of someone living in them. 6. Porter St parking on both sides of the streets, a small street in which school buses go down there. 7. Snow Ave No Parking signs on both sides of the street, a small BAT BUS has been parked on the street, cars parking right under no parking signs. Street sometimes not passable, for small vehicles probably won't be able for emergency vehicles to get down there. 8. Linden St parking on both sides of the street, cars parked out of the small lot., cars parked right at the corner to North Main St. Cars Parked to the corner on North Main st and Linden St. clearly marked for signage and stripes on street 9. Broad St and North Main St what is going on there and the property? We have a guest speaker Alexander , with Clean City Crew ( 508-203-0081), Alex introduced himself as being homeless, living in a tent city, and on drugs years ago, and went into rehab and got clean. He hooked up with a church at 30 North Main St, L Street church yard filled with needles and started cleaning them up. He had heard at a meeting that Irving's Hardware wanted to move due to a shooting. He said give him a week and clean the drugs and gangs away from there. The gang Leaders and the gangs soon moved from the parking lot and the park nearby, to the area on Montello St near the :Library in that park. He was told by the City he was doing a good job getting the places cleaned up and literally cleaning up the city. He got a person with a van to help him and went back to City Hall to look for money that was promised to him. But at the meeting he was told no money to help him clean up in front of the businesses and the downtown area. He had moved from West Bridgewater to Brockton to help clean up the City and he was not given a chance for a meeting or money or anything. He was given some help by Irving's for the help he did for them. He has a flyer out that will join this message if any Business wants some help cleaning, he is ready, willing and able to do it. President Dwyer had asked him to see Crown LInen Company; they had just asked Pres. Dwyer about cleaning around their fence. He mentioned a few other places that might need help with outside cleaning also. President Dwyer asked Captain Hallisey if he had anything to talk about, he just said the issue of BHS and the Police Calls and fights. Captain Hallisey applauded the Principal for starting to turn the school around. It is not going to happen overnight, but he has brought back inhouse suspensions and on Saturdays. Are the teachers safe ? was a question asked to the Captain, the school is run by the Administrators not by the police. He also said the principal is trying and he thinks he will be doing a good job. Mary Waldron spoke about Alex the speaker and how good the job he is doing. Also wanted to thank Pres Dwyer for the name of Adams Ironworks on Ames and North Montello St for the great work for the Iron doorway of the Edison building so homeless people weren't sleeping and other things on the steps of the building. Mary also said More working cameras have been added and better lighting. Motion to adjourn the meeting was made.
By Greg Belcher February 8, 2024
Attendance: Scott S. Dwyer, President Greg Belcher Lisa Waitt Belcher Capt. Hallisey, Brockton Police Derek Salamone, Brockton Police Al Davis Troy Clarkson CFO of Brockton Dave Lynch Sam Audi Jay McLaughlin Esq. Fran Fistori Rich Gowell Vincent Colarusso Gale Lutz and Lee Henrickson Deputy Chief Ed Williams Rob May COB Planning Guest Speaker Councilor Jack Lally Phil Nessralla Esq Topics of Conversation: President Scott opened the meeting at 6PM. Clerk Greg Belcher read minutes of the last meeting and the financial report. Greg mentioned Jamie Holmgren CPA filed the 990 with the IRS. Massasoit College hosting a POLAR PLUNGE for Special Olympics on Feb. 19th . Greg mentioned repairs on Snow Clock with a grant and reimbursement to help repairs. Derek Salamone talked about 25 new cadets. The police dept. did have to go out of the city for prospects. MBTA no response for the unhoused living under the bridges. Boise Idaho legal precedent that unhoused have rights. Councilor Lally and CFO Troy Clarkson talked about the ARPA funds and how they can help the businesses affected by the North Main St. Water and Gas project. Atty. Nessralla brought up damages from the projects preventing some businesses from being open. Overall Commissioner Hill has been doing a good job communicating with businesses. Mr. Clarkson mentioned the MBA form a subcommittee to see who was affected and get numbers for a realistic loss. We will meet with him in a week. Rob May talked about the economic development. Rob talked about businesses need properties rehabbed for new purposes. Many need to be updated for food production, manufacturers, precision machine, and health care. K Mart plaza still an eyesore with empty space. BREA could be interested in redeveloping that area but the lease is holding the project. Harbor One property sold but no usage as of yet. Parking a problem. Also President Scott Dwyer talked about businesses that have to many cars but permitted for less on their property. Councilor Lally suggested that we question those not following the city ordinances. Authority is being questioned. City Clerk gives out those Licenses. Meeting was adjourned at 7PM
By Greg Belcher December 7, 2023
Attendance: Scott S. Dwyer, President Greg Belcher Lisa Waitt Belcher Capt. Hallisey, Brockton Police Derek Salamone, Brockton Police Al Davis Joe Murray Dave Lynch Shirley Asack Ward 7 Jay McLaughlin Esq. Fran Fistori Lori and Rich Gowell Vincent Colarusso Gale Lutz and Lee Henrickson Deputy Chief Ed Williams Rob May COB Planning Guest Speaker Councilor at Large Winthrop Farwell Jr. Senator Mike Brady Jimmy Valentin Brady's Assistant Topics of Conversation: President Scott opened the meeting at 6PM. Clerk Greg Belcher read minutes of the last meeting and the financial report. Featured guest speaker Win Farwell touched on subjects which opened comments by attendees and gave the experts an opportunity to share with the group worthy information. Councilor Win began with the topic of safety and security at Brockton High School. A few hundred students out of control with no consequences are compromising the learning atmosphere there for everyone. Immediate attention is warranted there as all students deserve a safe and secure environment. He addressed that traffic enforcement in Brockton is another daily concern which brings up the lack of police on the force. Derek Salamone commented we are 33 police officers short and need qualified applicants to complete training academy; he did mention the complicated process involved. Greg mentioned Councilor Teixeira who owns Mattress Maker said his business is down 43% due to unhoused people using drugs and loitering in the area of School St. and Montello St. Many other businesses there are in the same situation. Sgt. Hallisey did attend a meeting on Zoom which involved MBTA and that No Trespassing signs will be placed on MBTA property. This may aid police to have some power to better the area. The used drug dirty needle subject brought up the Brewster Ambulance collecting and disposing via the Brockton Fire Department number to report needle pickup at 508-583-2323. This info from Capt. Williams. Court case affecting unhoused Martin v. City of Boise, Idaho ruled unhoused people simply being on public property are not committing any crime. The legal outcomes at different levels of government are yet to be known. Mass. Law Chapter 111 Section 122 does require Board of Health to investigate public health issues. Health hazards can lead to getting financial aid from the state. Greg mentioned that social services in downtown area should be out in the streets directly offering help to the unhoused; he asked about the PILOT program to request non-profits to donate to Brockton to help with services already provided in lie of taxes. Councilor Win said under former late Mayor William Carpenter the only organization to donate was Fr. Bill's/Mainspring out of all the non-profits. Greg again brought up the police details being covered by retirees; Derek and Win said there would have to be union negotiation. Shirley Asack read proposed local ordinance to give police rights to enforce pedestrian and traffic issues for the safety of people and drivers. This will be the subject of a vote at Brockton City Council Meeting Monday December 11. Stay tuned, maybe attend, watch meeting online to see outcome. Win said winter is coming fast and for 55 snow plow routes in the city which formerly had 110 vendors there are only 72 pieces of snow equipment available at this time. Expect significant delays in school and office openings if this does not get better coverage. Dave Lynch said there is significant liability and insurance cost which scares off new or former vendors. ARPA grants for businesses who have suffered economically can be applied for; contact Councilor Jack Lally for information. Brockton fairgrounds property for sale: City will get a study done to investigate whether it is beneficial for Brockton to buy it or not...stay tuned. It was a lively discussion, very amicable, and we all want better for Brockton. To summarize: Brockton must be a clean and safe city both inside our facilities and outside on all property to promote economic development.
By Greg Belcher November 2, 2023
Attendance: Scott S. Dwyer, President Greg Belcher Lisa Waitt Belcher Capt. Hallisey, Brockton Police Dereck Salamone Brockton Police Al Davis Joe Murray Dave Lynch Shirley Asack Ward 7 Jay McLaughlin ESQ Dave LaChance Fran Fistori Gale Lutz and Lee Henrickson Deputy Chief Ed Williams Atty. Philip Nessralla Jim Plouffe Building Inspector William Forte Inspectional Service Officer Rich Gowell Rita Mendes Stater Rep. Jimmy Valentin Senator Brady's Assist Mary Waldron DBA Pres/Old Colony Chair Rob May COB Planning Topics of Conversation: President Scott opened the meeting at 6PM. Clerk Greg Belcher read minutes of the last meeting and the financial report. He said he attended the Campello Business Association meeting. Mary Waldron was there as well and said Downtown Brockton Association is having a "State of Downtown Brockton" meeting Wed. Nov. 8 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Brockton Public Library Main Branch. All are encouraged to attend. Rob May said Gov. Healey is working on a grant to aid the Campello section of Brockton. Dave Lynch said Ross Messina bought vacant land on East Ashland St. to rent out for trucks and construction materials to be stored. Shirley Asack said City Finance information is on YouTube and that Fr. Bill's is starting a day center for homeless people soon. All over the city people are urinating, defecating, leaving needles and rubbish out in public. Some issues occur at housing complexes. The state is not allowing cities and towns to manage problems to improve quality of life for our residents. Captain Hallisey mentioned panhandlers have no consequences to hold up traffic; they have legal protection on public ways. Police have no power to enforce the homeless being detrimental to our city; the ACLU gives cards to the homeless to inform them of their rights. Graffiti removal has no funding; formerly Work Express used to help clean it up. No more help from that group. Police force down 25-30 members; adding 15 soon. State retirement rules for police need to be addressed for those who want to continue to serve. Mary Waldron suggested Home Rule Petition from City Council to appeal to state level. Guest speakers were Jim Plouffe the Building Commissioner [heading building department, public property and Zoning Board of Appeals] and William Forte [well experienced with past municipalities, working to build the department, establish policy, coordinate "team" efforts, and involve citizens in the process] who now have joined efforts to merge the Health and Building departments to create the newly formed Inspectional Services Department of Brockton. As of now there are 6 sanitary inspectors, 2 code enforcement officers, 9 building/plumbing/wiring inspectors and office support staff. Of course fire inspection of rental property is part of the public safety effort.. Clean city initiative meetings are held twice a month, recent training conferences have been attended, enforcement of flavored/menthol tobacco laws is being addressed, food expiration at local businesses is being addressed, illegal apartments are being sought out, illegal dumping as an issue might be addressed with grants for cameras. There are likely a couple hundred abandoned properties in the city which need attention at some point. Residents and businesses may dispose of mattresses and box springs for $20 each at Oak Hill Way. Illegal dumping on private property can involve city cleanup but attaches liens on the said property. Not fair but at least cleaned up; owners can take more initiative to monitor their own properties. All credited for attendance and efforts to care for Brockton. Scott Dwyer made a motion to adjourn and was seconded at 7:18 PM.
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