Town of Braintree

Pearl's Answers

Know the process, dear Pearl. Obviously you are one of those residents who isn't involved - and, that's okay.
The Building Inspector years ago condemmed the former Highland's Fire Station at the corner of Brewster and Washington Street. It was rotting away. Town Meeting created by vote a committee to propose a replacement fire station. Proposals were received and with a subsequent vote of Town Meeting, borrowing was authorized for the town to pay for a new fire station that cost something in the neighborhood of $2.5million dollars. Former State Representative Joe Sullivan's father was the architect hired by the Moderator appointed, town meeting created Building Committee after review of several architect's proposals. The town pays off the borrowing a bit each year until it's paid off.
The Library across from Town Hall followed the same path. The Library Trustees (Commissioners) had Town Meeting consider replacing the old 1950s vintage library. They hired an architect from Connecticut for this project's design. Town Meeting was sold the new building and authorized the borrowing of nearly $5million to pay for it. Another $1.5 was raised by Friends of the Library to outfit and furnish the new building. A new Library Director from Wellesley was hired to run the new Library and to phase out the two branch libraries - one in Highland's at South Middle School and one in East Braintree at Watson Park.
The Board of Selectmen were participants in these votes, but were not the lead dogs of either proposal.

By Oyster

a pearl of great value

keep it up pearl, your questions add spirit and life to this stodgy old
site. hold their feet as it were to the fire. make them fess up, any time a question is asked in this town of who made this or that decision some will say ''where were you, that has been decided already, your are too late with that question. I say lets raise hell Pearl, we wont take it anymore, give them what for. If you can keep them in an uproar you will have reached your true potential as a pearl, bye.

ladder truck in question

was suppose to be housed in East Braintree. It's purchase was authorized on Chief Hulls watch who subsequently went out on medical disability. I thought the East Braintree house was fixed so the truck now fits there. I also remember something about not being able to buy a truck with a low enough profile to fit in the east braintree house which is why we ended up with a truck too big. What should have happened was Hull allocated funds to fix the firehouse so it would fit.

good info,dept needs a new

tape measure at the firehouse.
chief hull must have been anxious to spend the money once allocated.
what kind of a medical problem did he have, alheimzers?If a small detail like
will it fit is missed we as a town were in trouble in those days,hopefully we will not do that again.