New PILOT agreement

An agreement with Pine Manor College, under which it would pay annual fees in lieu of taxes starting at $6,000 this fiscal year and increasing to $165,000 by 2037, was approved Tuesday by the Board of Selectmen. The payment in lieu of taxes agreement is the 14th negotiated by the town and local nonprofit institutions over the last three years, according to Stephen Cirillo, Brookline’s finance director. The agreements are based on a figure that represents 25 percent of the taxable value of the nonprofit’s property, Cirillo said. The payment helps cover the cost of municipal services used by nonprofits, such as fire, streets, and police. As a side benefit, PILOT participants can take part in the town’s bulk purchasing arrangements. For example, the town buys oil and gas at below-market prices through a municipal consortium. According to Cirillo and School Committee chairwoman Rebecca Stone, Pine Manor and town officials are continuing conversations around possibly leasing space to alleviate overcrowding in the public school classrooms, stemming from an enrollment surge in recent years. - Andreae Downs