Zoning and Planning will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Wednesday, September 28 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:
- Appointment of Scott Friedman, as an alternate member of the Newton Historical Commission.
Chair’s Note: Discussion surrounding the following item will be limited to a brief update from the Planning Department surrounding ongoing community engagement effort.
- Request for review, discussion, and possible ordinance amendments relative to Chapter 30 Zoning Ordinances pertaining to Mixed Use, Business Districts, and Village Districts relative to the Draft Zoning Ordinance.
- Request for a discussion on state guidance for implementing the Housing Choice element of the MA Economic Development legislation (See Planning Memo).
- Request possible amendment to Section 1.5.2.G.1 Rear Lots, to substitute the word “or” for the words, “which” and “and” as they appear in the 1st sentence of the “Rear Lot” definition (See Planning Memo).
- Request for a review, and if appropriate, amendment to the zoning code to increase the requirements for electric vehicle charging station infrastructure in new construction projects (See EV Task Force memo)
Chair’s Note: The Chair will entertain a motion of No Action Necessary (NAN) for the following item, as the sign ordinance is under review in the Urban Design Commission, who will be looking at comprehensive improvements to recommend to us at a later date.
- Request for a discussion and possible ordinance amendments with the Planning Department and the Sustainability Directors regarding allowing the utilization of electric vehicle charging stations on private commercial parking lots by City Ordinances, including but not limited to the use of digital advertising to pay for the stations and provide free charging to customers.
- Reappointment of Leigh Billigan to the Conservation Commission
- Reappointment of Nancy Grissom to the Auburndale Historic District Commission and the Newton Historical Commission
Finance Committee will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Wednesday, September 28 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:
- Request to appropriate and expend $4,120,000 and authorize a general obligation borrowing of an equal amount for the construction and engineering services for the City of Newton Pump Station Rehabilitation CIP Project 1 and design for Project 2 and authorization to apply any premium received upon the sale of the bonds or notes, less the cost of preparing, issuing, and marketing them, and any accrued interest received upon the delivery of the bonds or notes to the costs of the project and to reduce the amount authorized to be borrowed for the project by like amount.
- Request to amend the City of Newton Ordinances regarding trash and recycling (Chapter 11 and Chapter 17) to allow the City to create a mattress recycling program needed to comply with a significant upcoming change in the MassDEP regulations for mattresses.
- Request to transfer $250,000 from a Buidlings Improvements, (Under $75K projects) account, to a new account.
- Request to approve a Community Preservation Committee (CPC) recommendation to appropriate $75,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding from the FY2023 Historic Resource Reserve Fund to complete the first phase of the Jackson Homestead Basement Restoration Project by hiring a preservation consultant to develop plans to remediate the existing water and humidity issues in order to preserve the historic structure and protect its important collections.
- Request to accept a Community Preservation Committee (CPC) recommendation to appropriate $1,948,056 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding with $556,588 to come from the FY2023 Community Housing Reserve Account and $1,391,468 to come from the FY2023 Unrestricted Funding Account to provide funding to the Newton Affordable Housing Trust for future projects that meet one or more of the CPA’s eligible funding categories for Community Housing projects.
- Request for a discussion with the Administration regarding the process for selecting and overseeing the work of consultants retained by the city including (a) criteria for when consultants are selected without a bidding process; (b) how contracts with consultants are negotiated; (c) the process for creating change orders in consulting contracts; (d) what detail is expected in bills submitted by consultants and the process for review and approval of such bills; and (3) whether bills submitted by consultants have ever been rejected or challenged and the reasons for such rejections or challenges.