Town Meeting bans texting while driving

Town Meeting voted 164 to 1 last week in favor of banning anyone from sending text messages while they are driving a car.

Town Meeting member Lee Selwyn, who proposed the ban, said he’s hoping the overwhelming support for the measure will persuade the state to move quickly on a statewide measure that’s been stalled in the Legislature for months.

Brookline’s proposal, like a measure passed by Boston’s City Council last December, would need approval from the Legislature before taking effect.

“The petition, I think, will help to get the Legislature to focus more particularly on texting,’’ he said.

Under Brookline’s ban, police would be authorized to pull over anyone they see texting or sending e-mail while driving. The first offense would be punishable by a $100 fine; the second offense by a $200 fine; and a third offense within a 12-month period would draw a $300 fine.

During three evening sessions at Brookline High School last week, Town Meeting also passed a $225 million town budget, approved $300,000 for a feasibility study and schematic design for additions to the Heath School, and passed a new nuisance law meant to crack down on loud, late-night parties.

As part of the annual town budget that was approved Tuesday, the five members of the Board of Selectmen will receive an additional $1,000 in compensation. The chairman had been receiving an annual stipend of $3,500 a year, and the other four members $2,500 per year.

“One thousand a year is frankly a lousy tip,’’ said Town Meeting Member Jonathan Margolis, who said he’s astounded anyone would even run for the selectman’s job, considering the amount of money they are paid and they work they take on.

Town Meeting first approved the concept of increasing selectmen’s pay last fall when the town stripped them of their post-retirement health care benefits.

As part of the town budget, Brookline will also spend $1.4 million on 100 multi-space parking meters that will replace 850 of the 2,500 single-space meters in Brookline.

The multispace meters allow motorists to either use credit cards or pay with cash at parking meters, and are expected to reduce maintenance costs and generate additional revenue.

Deputy Town Administrator Sean Cronin said the multispace meters will also enable the town to vary the charges at different meters and charge more at some meters during Red Sox games.

A report by the Board of Selectmen’s Parking Committee recently suggested the town could benefit from increasing meter rates and the number of hours people have to pay to park at meters along Beacon Street near the St. Mary’s T stop during Red Sox home games, because many fans park in the area and then walk to Fenway Park.

But there were some complaints about the multispace meters the town installed in Coolidge Corner and Brookline Village for a trial program.

Town Meeting member Tom Reed said it can often take up to five minutes for the multi-space meter to process a credit card.

Others voiced concerns about having to wait in line at the meters and wondered whether the meters are a burden to senior citizens who have to walk farther to get to a meter, then walk back to their cars to put the parking sticker in the car window.

Town Meeting also approved $300,000 for a feasibility study and schematic design for six new classrooms for the Heath School. School officials are seeking the additional classroom space to accommodate the rapidly growing number of students. The addition to the school is expected to cost about $5 million.

By a vote of 183 to 3, Town Meeting also approved a nuisance ordinance that will allow police to levy a fine of $100 against hosts and guests of loud, late-night parties for the first incident and ramp up the fines to $300 for subsequent violations.

Landlords would also be fined and be held liable unless they are actively working to evict the tenants.

The town will also notify the colleges attended by those fined for the violations and send a notice to the address on the person’s driver’s license.

Town Meeting approved temporary zoning that will reduce the size of what can be built on the property at 111 Boylston St., which is the former home of Red Cab.

The property has been targeted for commercial development, but neighbors along historic White Place, a street close to the property, are worried about the size of any building that current zoning laws would allow to be built on the Boylston Street location. The temporary measure will give the town until next spring to improve zoning for the site permanently.

The meeting also voted to establish a committee that will study whether Brookline should join a bicycle-sharing program expected to launch in Boston this summer.