Weston Finance Committee Rejects Collins Center Fire Study as Unreliable

WESTON — February 10, 2022 — Weston Finance Committee members sharply criticized a third-party fire department study during a budget review that also examined facilities staffing, sustainability grants, and upcoming affordable housing requests. Multiple members, including Jonathan Harris and Bharath Venkataraman, called the Collins Center performance report methodologically flawed, with Finance Committee member John Sally saying he was "even more disappointed" than colleagues with its inconsistent use of data ranging from 2016 to 2020. Fire Chief Soar defended his department's request for one additional firefighter, which would bring each shift to eight, and said call volume is tracking back toward 2,700 runs annually; Mass Pike reimbursements stand at roughly $70,000 per year, a rate unchanged for approximately 20 years. Sustainability coordinator Courtney, in her first year with the town, told the committee she had secured fully funded LED lighting upgrades across four schools and town streetlights at no cost to Weston. Finance Committee member Bharath Venkataraman reported from a recent Community Preservation Committee meeting that the town is weighing a $2.3 million pool renovation request, a $6.9 million Brooks School affordable housing project at roughly $493,000 per unit, and a $1 million Weston Affordable Housing Trust request, with CPC votes expected March 7.