City Council
Finance will meet on Monday to consider these requests:
- Appropriate and expend $3,000 from Handicapped Parking Fines-Disability Commission Receipts to conduct the 2023 Holiday Targeted Enforcement of the accessible parking violations, “Operation Access” – NPD Overtime.
- Accept a $68,000 MassDEP Recycling Grant.
- Appropriate $1,967,119 in Community Preservation Act funding be appropriated, with $562,034 from the FY24 Community Housing Reserve Account and $1,405,085 from FY24 Unrestricted Funding Account, to provide funding to the Newton Affordable Housing Trust.
- Transfer $446,104.67 from June 30, 2023 Certified Free Cash (received from State Opioid settlements) into Health & Human Services Department for purposes of opioid mitigation (see Fig City News article).
- Transfer $130,000 (from personnel vacancies) into Clinical Health-Temp Staffing to address a few school nurse vacancies with agency nurses.
- Appropriate $612,134.74 June 30,2023 Certified Free Cash to Legal Claims/Settlements account for full and final settlement of the case of Anastasia et al. v. City of Newton (Middlesex Superior Court Civil Action No. 2082-CV-01172).
Zoning and Planning will meet on Monday:
- Joint Public Hearing with the Planning and Development Board on a petition to rezone two lots at 132 Charles Street currently zoned Multi-Residence 1 and Manufacturing to Mixed Use 1
- Request for an update on the requirements under the Ten Communities program that would allow Newton to require electrification of all new construction and substantial renovations, and to consider adopting such an ordinance.
- Sustainability Team and Newton Citizen’s Commission on Energy to provide an overview of draft BERDO ordinance:
- Request for a discussion and an ordinance that would require large property owners (campuses and large commercial buildings) to report energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions annually to the City of Newton, to be used to encourage reductions in said energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in accordance and support of the goals set forth in the Newton Climate Action Plan.
- Request for an update from the Sustainability Team and appropriate staff on the status of implementing Climate Action Plan.
Land Use will meet on Tuesday to consider the following requests:
- Allow a medical marijuana treatment center at 1089 Washington Street.
- Enclose two open porches and extend the nonconforming use at 27-29 Kilburn Road.
- Construct a covered farmer’s porch at the front entry and extend the nonconforming front setback and lot coverage at 62 Maple Street (Newton Corner).
- Legalize paving at the rear of the property at 35- 37 Williams Street.
- Legitimize the current uses on site, to allow for proposed for-profit and non-profit educational tenants, to allow for farm-share distribution use, and to waive required parking stalls at 297 Lowell Avenue.
- Demolish the existing dwelling and detached garage and construct five residential dwelling units in three buildings at 290 Watertown Street.
- Modify the definition of “formula business” as it relates to Condition #3 at 839-853 Washington Street.
Special City Council Meeting on Wednesday to vote on the proposed Village Center Overlay District, which was chartered at the last City Council meeting on November 6. See Recent documents related to VCOD and Planning Memo.
Traffic Council will meet on Thursday to consider the following requests:
- Close Centre Street to the south of Walnut Street to all vehicles except bicycles
- Remove one metered parking stall at 195 Sumner Street to improve sightlines
- Add 15 newly-installed Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) to the TPR at various locations in Wards 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 (see Agenda for details).
- Add a RRFB to the intersection of Crafts Street at Albemarle Road.
- Permanently close the northbound block of Albemarle Road to vehicular traffic, in both directions, between Crafts Street and North Street, except for bicycles. NOTE: This portion of Albemarle Road has been closed since September 2020 as part of an on-going Traffic Council trial.
- Consider a trial to close Albemarle Road, southbound at North Street between North Street (Newtonville) and Maynard Street.
- Changes for the block of Albemarle Road between North Street and Crafts Street (western leg).
Schools
The School Committee will meet on Tuesday in Executive Session to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the Newton Teachers Association Units A-E, Newton Educational Secretaries Association (NESA), and the Custodian Association.
Boards and Commissions
Newton Cultural Council will meet on Monday: Adjudication (Plan Discussion, Timeline, and Next Actions)
Commission on Disability will meet on Monday:
- CDBG Report & FY25 Project Update
- Accessible Fines Reports
- Snow Operations & Snow Issues for Residents with Disabilities
- Co-Chairs’ Updates
- Nominations Reminder for COD Election in January
- Winter Overnight Parking Ban
- Fair Housing Training -Landlord/Tenant-Co-Sponsor?
- Reports from Treasurer and ADA Coordinator
- CIP Projects to Follow
- 2024 COD Event-Discuss Ideas
Planning and Development Board will hold a joint public hearing with the Zoning and Planning Committee on Monday:
- Petition to amend to rezone two parcels located at 132 Charles Street, currently zoned Multi-Residence 1 and Manufacturing to Mixed Use. See Planning Memo.
Newton Housing Authority will meet on Tuesday:
- Vote to approve Security Camera Policy
- 2024 Budget Presentation
- Capital Improvement Votes
- Haywood House Updates
- Vote to approve amendment to NHA by-laws regarding board attendance
Community Preservation Committee will meet on Tuesday:
- Final Reports on the following projects:
- Public Hearing on the Second Church in Newton Preservation and Accessibility Project ($125,500 in Historic Resource Funds)
Economic Development Commission will meet on Tuesday:
- Guest Speaker: Retail consultant Allison Yee, founder and CEO of UpNext, Nonantum
- City Updates & EDC Discussion: Village Center Zoning updates, Small Business Displacement, Construction Impace Mitigation
- EDC Project Subgroups updates
- DEI
- Increase Newton’s commercial tax base
- Facilitate Owning & Operating Businesses
Newton Human Rights Commission will meet on Tuesday:
- Student and Police Department Reports, Complaints received
- Dr. Anna Nolin, Superintendent of Newton Public Schools
- Discussion of recent events – Supporting people in Newton
- Human Rights Awards – December 5th – Discuss people to honor
- Programming for 2023 -2024: Banned books
- Public Comment
Board of Assessors will meet on Wednesday for approval of October 2023 Exemption and Abatement Reports.
Design Review Committee/Horace Mann School Building Committee will meet on Wednesday:
- Horace Mann School: Site Design, Building Design
- Discussion of Updated Sustainability Guidelines
Newton Citizens Commission on Energy will meet on Wednesday:
- Review of status and goals of ongoing NCCE efforts
- Review of state and federal policies and programs relevant to NCCE activities
- Discussion of NCCE efforts and priorities for 2024 and beyond
Newton Affordable Housing Trust will meet on Thursday:
- Review of Application for Funding of the FamilyAid West Newton Family Navigation Center
- Review of Application for Funding of the Coleman House Senior Affordable Housing Preservation
- Status of the CPC FY24 Funding Recommendation
- Discussion on approaches to encouraging deeper affordability than IZ requires.
- Report on the Housing Priorities task force
Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission will meet on Thursday:
- Expansion of a driveway at 53 Reservoir Avenue
- Replacement of gutters at 150 Beacon Street
Waban Area Council will meet on Thursday, November 16 at 7:30PM.
Other
This week’s road construction schedule is not posted yet.