City Council
The Full City Council will meet TONIGHT. Items in the Reports Docket include:
- Land Use items: 29 Hunter Street, 4 Clarendon Street, 229 Bellevue Street, 383-387 Boylston Street (12-unit multi-family development), 43 River Avenue, 71 Commonwealth Avenue and 15 Algonquin Road (six single-family attached dwellings), 296 Watertown Street
- Appointments of Jyothsna Buddharaju to the Planning & Development Board; Ruth Goldman to the Urban Tree Commission
- Reappointments of Meryl Kessler and Carl Valente to the Sustainable Materials Management Commission
- Acceptance of grants:
- $190,000 from MassDOT’s Community Transit Grant Program FY23
- $712,459 from MassDOT Community Connections Program
- $11,939 from the National Environmental Health Association
- $100,000 from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
- $69,878.60 from MassDEP’s Electric Vehicle Incentive Program
- Authorization for MWRA grant/loan program: $4,340,000 (i.e., $3,255,000 in grant funding and $1,085,000 in an interest free loan)
The New Docket includes:
- Possible ordinance requiring electrification of all new construction and substantial renovations
- Appointment of James Cote to the Licensing Board
- Appropriation from Free Cash of $244,821.31 for Homeless Student Transportation
- Discussion regarding the Rainy-Day Fund Investment Strategy
- Transfer $450,000 to Traffic Safety – Regular Salaries to fulfil the City of Newton’s two 3-year agreements with AFSCME 2913 spanning FY2019-2021 and FY2022-2024
- Transfer $150,000 from Law Department Full Time Salaries to retain outside counsel
Land Use will meet on Tuesday and discuss the following requests:
- Extension of time for previously approved special permit for 12 Cochituate Road
- Nonconforming front setback reconstruct a previously damaged one-car garage in a different configuration at 80 Highland Avenue
- Raze existing one-story dwelling and construct a new two-family dwelling at 152-154 Lexington Street
- Amend special permit to convert an existing office space into two residential units at 46 Farwell Street
Public Facilities will meet on Wednesday and join the Programs and Services Committee to discuss the Gath Pool project.
Programs and Services will also discuss the following:
- Possible ordinance amendment to further reduce the amount of single use plastic in Newton.
- Possible ordinance amendments regarding requirements for permitted haulers to provide bundled trash and recycling service
- Ordinance to prohibit deceptive advertising by limited-service pregnancy centers
- Reappoint Susan Lunin and Jeffrey Zabel to the Conservation Commission
- Reappoint Beth Wilkinson to the Urban Tree Commission
Public Safety and Transportation Committee will meet on Wednesday to discuss the following:
- Authorization to petition the General Court to allow the Mayor to appoint retired Firefighters, to be able to perform fire details and to perform dispatch duties
- Regular discussion with the Police Department – focusing on police training
Traffic Council will meet Thursday to discuss:
- Parking restrictions on abutting streets near Commonwealth Avenue and Weston Town line for Carriageway Reconstruction
- Request by Mark Development for a small section along Craft Street for loading zone
School Committee
The Negotiations Subcommittee of the School Committee will meet on Tuesday to hold a collective bargaining session with NESA and to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with NESA.
Boards and Commissions
- Parks and Recreation Commission will meet tonight for two public hearings (NSHS 5K, Nonantum Village Day); discussion of the 8th Annual Linda Plaut Festival of the Arts; and requests to serve alcohol on parkland
- Franklin School Building Committee will meet on Tuesdayfor a Project Update
- Board of License Commissioners will meet on Tuesday to discuss many alcohol license requests, two new victualer licenses, and alteration of premises requests.
- Newton Housing Partnership will meet on Tuesday to hear a presentation, discuss, and possibly vote on Village Center Zoning & Affordable Incentives
- Newton Free Library Board of Trustees will meet on Wednesday to discuss the FY24 Library Budget, a current Trustee Board vacancy, and Spring Fling.
- Zoning Board of Appeals will meet on Wednesday to hold a public hearing on a variance request to reduce a side setback requirement at 10-12 Craigie Terrace.
- Sustainable Material Management Commission will meet on Thursday to will discuss and vote on the 2022 annual report and 2023 goals and receive an update on zero-waste ordinances.
- Conservation Commission will meet on Thursday to discuss two2 notices of violation/enforcement orders (81 Albermarle and 180-210 Needham Street – Crosspoint), algae treatment at Crystal Lake, dredging of City Hall ponds, and ANRAD at Countryside School.
- Newton Historic Commission will meet on Thursday to discuss:
- Demolition Delays at 86 Halcyon Road, 17-19 Channing Street, 45 Alexander Road, 15 Chase Street, 236 Chapel Street, 32 Newtonville Ave, 624 Saw Mill Parkway, 49 Lenox Street, 39 Mason Road, 14 Saxon Terrace, 186 Park, 1553 Beacon Street
- Local Landmark Nominations: 2-6 Windsor Road (1625-1629 Beacon Street), 41 Washington Street
- Local Landmark Review –145 Warren Street
- Newtonville Area Council will meet on Thursday on a vote to approve new members, interpretive signage, and railroad sign.
Other
TODAY, March 21 at 5PM is the last day to submit comments on the Draft HOME-ARP Allocation Plan, which outlines the strategy and planned expenditures of federal HOME-ARP funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The allocation must be used to assist qualifying individuals or households who are currently or at risk of becoming homeless, victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking, and other specified vulnerable populations and be used for affordable rental housing, tenant-based rental assistance, supportive services, or non-congregate shelter. The WestMetro HOME Consortium was awarded $5,406,962 in HOME-ARP funds, which will be administered by the City of Newton. A public hearing was held on March 6, and comments on the proposed plan must be submitted in writing to Amanda Berman, Director of Housing and Community Development, Planning and Development Department, 1000 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton, MA, 02459 or via email at aberman@newtonma.gov.
The FY2024 City Council Budget Calendar can be found here.
This week’s road construction schedule has not been posted yet.