City Council Meetings – Week of 5/7/2023

Zoning and Planning will meet in person (Room 204) and virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, May 8 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following requests:

• 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.
• Discussion on state guidance for implementing the Housing Choice element of the MA Economic Development legislation.

Chair’s Note: Planning staff and Utile will present Version 2.0 of the draft Village Center Overlay District (VCOD) text along with a continued discussion on how the Version 2.0 VCOD maps and metrics help Newton reach compliance with MBTA Communities requirements. See the 104-page Planning Department memo.

Finance will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, May 8 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:

• Request to accept and expend a $2,500 grant from the Mass Cultural Council for the purpose of supporting the Family FunFEST event scheduled for May 13 and 14.
• Request to accept a $15,830 grant from Mass Cultural Council for the purpose of supporting Cultural Development’s recovery efforts due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Request to transfer $1,500,000 from DPW Admin-Full Time Salaries Account to DPW Admin-Paving Supplies Account to allow DPW to reach the target spending of $9.5 million for FY23, with the goal of continuing to improve the city’s roadways, sidewalks, and ramps.
• Request to appropriate $1,000,000 from June 30, 2022 Certified Free Cash to the Department of Public Works Vehicle Equipment Account to fund the vehicle replacements per the City’s Vehicle Replacement Schedule as detailed in the FY24-FY28 C.I.P.
• Request to transfer $21,950 from City Council-Full Time Salaries to City Council-Software Maintenance Account to fund the purchase of an Online Code Management program.
• Submittal of the FY2024 Municipal/School Operating Budget – passage shall be concurrent with the FY24-FY28 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) (#1-23). NOTE: The effective date of submission is 5/1/2023, and the last date to pass the budget is 6/15/2023.
• Submittal of the FY2024 to FY2028 Supplemental Capital Improvement Plan.
• Department Budgets and CIP discussions will include the following:
  • Comptroller/Retirement
  • Treasurer
  • Purchasing

Finance and Programs and Services will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Tuesday, May 9 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:

• Submittal of the FY2024 to FY2028 Capital Improvement Plan pursuant to section 5-3 of the Newton City Charter.
• Submittal of the FY2024 Municipal/School Operating Budget – passage shall be concurrent with the FY24-FY28 Capital Improvement Program (#1-23). NOTE: The effective date of submission is 5/1/2023 and the last date to pass the budget is 6/15/2023.
• Submittal of the FY2024 to FY2028 Supplemental Capital Improvement Plan.
• Department Budgets and CIP discussions will include the following:
  • School Department – see Message from the School Department and see also:
    • FY24 Budget Update – April 27, 2023
    • FY24 Budget – Full Presentations Combined – April 12, 2023
    • FY24 Budget – Instructional Technology/Library Services and Non-Instructional – April 10, 2023
    • FY24 Budget – Teaching and Learning and Student Services – April 6, 2023
    • FY24 Budget – Elementary and Secondary – April 3, 2023
    • FY24 Budget Presentation – March 29, 2023
    • FY24 Proposed Budget (full book) – March 29, 2023
    • FY24 Budget Preview Update – March 1, 2023
    • FY24 Budget Preview – January 23, 2023

See Budget Resolution regarding Understanding Our Differences

Finance and Programs and Services Committees will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Wednesday, May 10 at 7PM (if needed). The agenda includes the following:

• Submittal of the FY2024 to FY2028 Capital Improvement Plan pursuant to section 5-3 of the Newton City Charter.
• Submittal of the FY2024 Municipal/School Operating Budget – passage shall be concurrent with the FY24-FY28 Capital Improvement Program (#1-23). NOTE: The effective date of submission is 5/1/2023 and the last date to pass the budget is 6/15/2023.
• Submittal of the FY2024 to FY2028 Supplemental Capital Improvement Plan.
• Department Budgets and CIP discussions will include the following:
  • School Department – see Message from the School Department and see also:
  • FY24 Budget Update – April 27, 2023
  • FY24 Budget – Full Presentations Combined – April 12, 2023
  • FY24 Budget – Instructional Technology/Library Services and Non-Instructional – April 10, 2023
  • FY24 Budget – Teaching and Learning and Student Services – April 6, 2023
  • FY24 Budget – Elementary and Secondary – April 3, 2023
  • FY24 Budget Presentation – March 29, 2023
  • FY24 Proposed Budget (full book) – March 29, 2023
  • FY24 Budget Preview Update – March 1, 2023
  • FY24 Budget Preview – January 23, 2023

See Budget Resolution regarding Understanding Our Differences

City Council will meet virtually (Zoom link) as a Committee of the Whole on Wednesday, May 10 immediately following the Finance and Programs and School Committee meeting or at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:

• Request by the Retirement Board to approve an increase to the retiree Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) base from $12,000 to $13,000 in FY2024, from $13,000 to $14,000 in FY2025, and from $14,000 – $15,000 in FY2026 pursuant to Chapter 32, Section 103(j) effective July 1, 2023. – see Actuary Memo
• Request for a comprehensive discussion with the Mayor regarding all one-time funds, regardless of source, and possible upcoming requests to the Council in order to have an appropriate context in which to discuss the two existing docket items (125-23 and 127-23 – see below). The one-time money discussion should include free cash, overlay surplus, as well as any other possible one-time funding source.
• Request to appropriate and expend $1,400,000 from FY2022 Free Cash to provide a “bridge grant” to Newton Public Schools for the expected significant increase in student out-of-district cost in FY2024 (Docket No. 125-23)
• Request to appropriate and expend $10,000,000 in FY2022 Free Cash for the Lincoln-Eliot Elementary School construction project (Docket No. 127-23).

Public Facilities Committee will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Thursday, May 11 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:

• Public Hearing pursuant to 5-58, for schematic design and site plan approval at 256 Albemarle Road for the design of a new community recreation, lap pool, and splash pad as well as minor interior upgrades to the bathhouse facility.
• Request to appropriate and expend $5,834,362 to the control of the Planning & Development Department and authorize a general obligation borrowing of an equal amount for Phase III of the Gath Memorial Renovation Project 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.
• Submittal of the FY2024 to FY2028 Capital Improvement Plan pursuant to section 5-3 of the Newton City Charter.
• Submittal of the FY2024 Municipal/School Operating Budget – passage shall be concurrent with the FY24-FY28 Capital Improvement Program (#1-23). NOTE: The effective date of submission is 5/1/2023 and the last date to pass the budget is 6/15/2023.
• Submittal of the FY2024 to FY2028 Supplemental Capital Improvement Plan.
• Department Budgets and CIP discussions will include the following:
  • Public Buildings Department