The Finance Committee voted to approve the following (see Report):
- Request to accept and expend $235,000 in Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and MassDevelopment’s Housing Choice Grant program funding for the City to conduct an analysis of the best manner to preserve and redevelop four homes for affordable housing that the City purchased in late 2021 from the Walker Center for Ecumenical Exchange.
- Request to transfer $7,000 from a Disability Commission Receipts Reserved for Appropriation account to an Operation Access – Disability Commission for the purpose of funding targeted enforcement of accessible parking violations by the Police during the holidays.
The request to transfer $174,000 from June 30, 2022 Certified Free Cash to the Building Demolition/Other Repairs to fund the emergency demolition of 91 Newtonville Avenue was held. The Commissioner of Inspectional Services was not available but the Chief Financial Officer was there and answered several questions. Concern was raised about the total cost of the project ($220,000 was already approved but because of the existence of hazardous materials, an additional $190,000 is needed — but only asking for $174,000 because the demolition account has funds to cover the rest of the cost). The Chief Financial Officer explained that the City will either take the property and resell it, or if the heirs sell it, the City will be first in line to be paid back. Because there were still outstanding questions that needed a response from the Commissioner of ISD, the Committee voted to hold the item.
