The Finance Committee voted to approve the following (see Report):
- Request to appropriate $250,000 from Free Cash for Election Equipment to replace 32 machines and add a high-speed tabulator for increased vote-by-mail. (6-0, Councilor Gentile not voting)
- Request for a salary increase for the City Clerk/Clerk of the City Council to match the percentage increase included in the FY24 budget for H-grade employees. (7-0)
- Request to transfer $100,000 to Snow & Ice Vehicle Contractors to “true up” the legal level of control for the cost for employee overtime versus contracted work for snow and ice removal. (7-0)
- Request to transfer $280,000 for Snow & Ice Vehicle Rental/Contractors to fund anticipated remaining contractor invoices not yet received. (7-0)
- Request to appropriate $30,000 for an IT Risk Assessment. The City’s auditors have been requesting that the City do a risk assessment for a number of years. The School Department needs to do its own risk assessment. (7-0)
- Request to accept $100,000 from an FY2023 “one-stop” grant to continue the Council’s Village Center/MBTA Communities zoning consulting work. Planning will not know until the end of the month if City has received the grant. (7-0)
- Request for authorization for $300,000 from Free Cash to replace Fire Emergency Response Unit to replace the Fire Department’s 1989 Emergency Response Unit (ERU). ERU carries supplies and equipment to large incidents. (7-0)
- Request to transfer $200,000 from the Main Library- Full Time Salaries Account for the Newton Free Library HVAC system to cover overruns due to the failing HVAC system. 36% increase in electricity usage due to the failing HVAC, funds come from open positions at Library. (6-0, Councilor Gentile not voting)
- Request to appropriate $750,000 from Free Cash for the Newton Free Library’s HVAC system to replace HVAC system. (6-0, Councilor Gentile not voting)
- Acceptance of grant funding: $340,298 from the FY2023 State MassTrails and $20,000 in donations from the Newton Conservators and the Solomon Foundation for the Marty Sender Greenway Phase 2 Restoration Project — a 3,700-foot section of the Blue Heron Trail along the Charles River in Auburndale. The project aims to improve accessibility and safety and enhance the hydrologic connection between the river and the wetlands. (7-0)
- Acceptance of $75,000 from the Massachusetts State Budget for a new community garden at Spears Park. (7-0)
- Acceptance of $400,000 from the Massachusetts State Budget for improvements project at Gath Pool, including two pools and a splash pad. (7-0)
- Acceptance of a $200,000 donation from the Friends of Coletti-Magni Park to beautify and improve electrical infrastructure. NOTE: the item was amended from the original $125,000. (7-0)
- Request to appropriate $9,099,787 with $4,099,787 from the CPA’s Unrestricted Prior Year Fund and $5,000,000 in bonding for the Athletic Fields CIP Construction Phase III project For the bonding piece of this request, the CPA has bonded the Gath Pool, Webster Woods, and if approved, the Athletic Fields project. This includes the cost of replacing all of the field lights. The issue with artificial turf fields will be discussed with the City Council this summer. (7-0)
- Request to increase the spending limits for three revolving accounts: (1) Senior Citizen Programs, (2) Environmental Science, and (3) Off-Leash Dog Administration revolving funds. Comptroller requested to revert back to pre-COVID spending limits. (7-0)
- Request to transfer $50 to Purchasing-Full Time Salaries for anticipated shortage in the department’s payroll budget. (7-0)
- Request to appropriate $136,020 from the Water Fund Undesignated Fund Balance to cover an outstanding debt service. (7-0)
- Request to transfer any unexpended General Fund Municipal health insurance funds to the Health Insurance Trust Fund. The City moving to Blue Cross Blue Shield. City has not received a bill from the current health insurance, Harvard Pilgrim, for 2 months. Difficult to calculate claims. Moving to Blue Cross Blue Shield. The City looked at the difference between the GIC program and Blue Cross Blue Shield and met with the Insurance Advisory Committee, which is made up of the presidents of all the unions and they voted unanimously to go with Blue Cross Blue Shield. (7-0)
