Town Government
Boards & Commissions
What Boards & Commissions Are
Beyond the Select Board and the School Committee, much of Brookline’s governing happens on volunteer boards and commissions. They review new development, hear zoning appeals, protect wetlands and historic places, advance civil rights, and guide services for older residents. These are the rooms where an ordinary resident, even one too young to vote, can have the most direct hand in a decision.
In Brookline most members are appointed by the Select Board and serve fixed terms. The meetings are public, and seats open up regularly.
Key Boards & Commissions
- Planning Board reviews subdivisions, site plans, and major development.
- Zoning Board of Appeals hears variances and special permits.
- Conservation Commission protects Brookline’s wetlands, ponds, and conservation land like Hall’s Pond Sanctuary.
- Preservation Commission helps protect the town’s historic buildings and districts.
- Commission for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Relations works against discrimination in housing, jobs, and public life.
- Council on Aging guides services for older residents.
For the full roster, current members, vacancies, and schedules, see brooklinema.gov.
How to Serve
- Find an opening on the town’s boards and commissions page.
- Submit a letter of interest through the town’s online application.
- Interview if asked, and await appointment by the Select Board.
- Serve: attend the public meetings and help make decisions for your town.
Sources
Brookline government website (brooklinema.gov). Verified July 2026.
What this seat decides
Your other boards
Board of Health. Tobacco and nicotine sales, flavored products, food permits, and housing conditions. It can pass a binding regulation on its own without a Town Meeting vote, which makes it the fastest lever in Massachusetts.
Planning Board. Where housing or businesses can be built, height limits, and a specific development. It holds the public hearing, and the zoning change itself is voted by Town Meeting or the Council and needs two thirds.
Conservation Commission. A stream, a wetland, a marsh, or a pond.
Library Trustees. Library hours, programs, and policy. The library's money comes from Town Meeting.
Parks and Recreation Commission. A field, a court, a playground, or a park. The money for building one usually comes from Town Meeting.
Historical Commission. An old building, and whether it can be torn down or saved.
Serving on a board is one of the most direct ways to shape Brookline.