[Adopted by the Town Meeting of the Town of Brookline; amended in its entirety 11-17-2020 STM by Art. 29. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
A. 
The Moderator shall, in June of each year, appoint members to serve on the Advisory Committee (herein the Committee) established under MGL c. 39, § 16, and this by-law. Members of the Committee shall serve without compensation. The Committee shall consist of not fewer than 20 nor more than 30 residents of the Town.
B. 
At least one elected Town Meeting member shall be appointed from each precinct, to the extent practicable. At least one Committee member shall be a resident of each precinct, to the extent practicable. But no more than four members of the Committee shall reside in the same precinct. The number of Committee members who are not Town Meeting members shall not exceed 10. No member of the Committee shall be an employee of the Town or a member of any standing board or committee having charge of the expenditure of money, but this restriction shall not disqualify from appointment to the Committee, members of special committees, which may be created from time to time by Town Meeting, the Moderator or the Select Board to report on specific matters.
[Amended 11-18-2025 STM by Art. 4]
A. 
Members shall be appointed from July 1, in the initial year of their appointment, for a one-year term. Subsequently, members shall be appointed for two-year or three-year staggered terms and until their successors are appointed. All vacancies shall be filled by the Moderator for the unexpired remainder of the term of the appointee's predecessor.
B. 
A member of the Committee shall cease to be a member upon the occurrence of any of the following events:
(1) 
Removal of residence from the Town of Brookline.
(2) 
Unexcused absences from seven or more duly called and held meetings of the Committee during any year of the member's term, considering each period from July 1 to the following June 30 as a year for this purpose.
C. 
A member of the Committee shall cease to be a member of the Committee effective the 30th day of June following the occurrence of any of the following events:
(1) 
Removal of residence from the precinct from which appointed, should their new precinct of residence already have the maximum number of committee members.
(2) 
Failure of reelection as a Town Meeting member.
(3) 
Expiration of term as a Town Meeting member.
D. 
Upon ascertaining that any of the events in Subsections B(1) and (2) and C(1) through (3) has occurred, the Chair of the Committee shall notify the Secretary of the Committee, who shall give written notice to the member in question. A copy of such notice shall be sent promptly to the Moderator.
[Amended 11-18-2025 STM by Art. 4]
The Committee shall hold its first meeting in each year no later than the 15th day of July, to be called by the Moderator, and shall hold such other meetings as it may deem advisable. It shall elect annually at its first meeting a Chair and Vice Chair from its own members. The Vice Chair, upon the request of, in the absence of, or in the event of the death, disability or resignation of the Chair, shall act as Chair of the Advisory Committee until a new Chair is elected. In the event of the death, disability, or resignation of the Chair or Vice Chair, the Committee shall at a meeting within 20 days elect a successor from its own members. The Committee shall appoint annually a secretary who is not one of its members, who shall hold office until another secretary is appointed. The duties of the secretary shall be defined by the Committee. Subcommittees and the chairs thereof shall be appointed by the Chair not later than the 30th day of July in each year.
The Chair of the Committee may establish from time to time special subcommittees of the Committee to carry out specific studies. The Chair of the Committee shall appoint subcommittee members and the Chair of any special subcommittee. Periodically upon the request of the Chair, the special subcommittee shall report back to the Committee its findings to date. The Chair may excuse members of such special subcommittees from the requirement that they attend meetings of the Committee. For purposes of computing a quorum at meetings of the Committee, those members with special subcommittee assignments will be omitted if the Chair has so excused them and if they are not present. Any member of a special subcommittee so excused may nonetheless attend duly scheduled meetings and participate fully in the affairs of the Committee.
A. 
The Committee shall publish in its Town web page a description of its general procedures, including information on how the public can access Committee agendas, minutes, reports and other related meeting materials via the website, and how the public can attend hearings and meetings in person and/or virtually.
B. 
The agenda for every Committee meeting shall include an opportunity for public comment.
The Committee shall consider any or all municipal questions, including appropriation requests and proposed action under all articles in the warrant for a Town Meeting, for the purpose of making reports or recommendations to the Town. The Committee shall submit a budget at the Annual Town Meeting. It may examine the books and records of any board, committee or officer of the Town so far as permitted by law. The Superintendent of Schools (in the case of school appropriations) and the Town Administrator (in the case of all other appropriations) shall submit their requests for appropriations to the Committee by February 15 or the next Town business day if said date falls on a weekend or holiday, or seven days after the Governor submits the annual budget to the General Court, whichever is later. The Town Administrator's financial plan shall be made available on the Town's website in accordance with these time lines and an email shall be sent to the notification list(s) required under Section 3.21.2 that provides notification of the financial plan's availability on the website or, upon request, in hard copy at Town Hall.
[Added 11-17-2020 STM by Art. 30; amended 5-19-2021 ATM by Art. 12]
A. 
Whenever the Advisory Committee shall have voted on a recommendation, the record of such vote shall accompany any report of such recommendation and shall be included in the minutes of the Advisory Committee, in each case showing the date of such vote and those members who voted in favor, opposed, or abstained.
B. 
Whenever the Advisory Committee shall have voted on a transfer of funds, the record of such vote shall be included in the minutes of the Advisory Committee, in each case showing those members who voted in favor, opposed, or abstained.