On Monday, December 18, the Newton City Council met for the last time in 2023. Outgoing Council President Susan Albright concluded her two terms by inviting her six departing colleagues to serve as acting president and give their farewell speeches. Their comments were interspersed with City Council Committee reports.
Ward 2 Councilor Emily Norton, who has served for a decade, expressed gratitude at having the opportunity to serve and “play a role in making government work for people and improve their lives.” She noted that the Council was not “a social club” and it was not “always easy or peaceful.” At the same time, she said she was “proud to say” that she had worked with everyone on the Council. She concluded by thanking her colleagues, “every person who works for the City, and incoming Councilor-Elect David Micley, for their service.”
Outgoing Ward 4 Councilor Chris Markiewicz also paid tribute to the City Council staff and workers. As had Councilor Norton, he acknowledged that he has not always been on the same side of every issue with his colleagues, but he respected them for their hard work. He concluded his remarks by singing Tomorrow from the musical Annie.
Alicia Bowman is one of two Ward 6 Council members departing at the end of the year. In her farewell comments, she enumerated the Council’s many successes including school funding and supporting residents and businesses “while ensuring the city was making necessary progress on long-term liabilities.” She was “particularly proud to have helped restaurants” with Newton’s outdoor dining initiatives. The Affordable Housing Trust, which she helped to create, is funding two projects with more in the offing. She enumerated special permit projects that “will transform previously underperforming, dated commercial buildings.” Although Councilor Bowman was a supporter of a more “comprehensive” Village Center Overlay District proposal, she declared herself “happy that we at least got this piece passed.”
Departing Ward 5 Councilor Deb Crossley, having served on the City Council for fourteen years, most recently as chair of the Zoning and Planning Committee, said that she could not encapsulate her experience in the required three minutes. She described the work as solving multi-dimensional puzzles “while in a fish bowl with water.” Councilor Crossley characterized the Council’s rezoning initiative as “the first time in a century using zoning to give property owners more choice…,” and went on to defend the work. In the final vote, she felt “[The zoning] map was diminished” because it did not include all of Newton’s village centers, but she said, “You’ll want to give other villages and areas of the city these same opportunities to grow, evolve and thrive.” She said she “took on zoning” knowing she would be “beat up.” She believes that focusing on housing was more important “than a person’s hypothetical sense of aesthetics.” She concluded by individually thanking all the City Councilors who supported the Zoning and Planning Committee’s Village Center Overlay District proposal.
President Albright called on Ward 6 Councilor Brenda Noel, who had chosen not to run for re-election after serving six years, to offer her departing perspective. Saying that she had not realized “the powerful role local government plays in people’s daily lives,” Councilor Noel underscored its importance noting, “local government has tremendous consequences on larger global issues, including climate change and income inequality.” She told her colleagues “the best piece of advice I received when I was considering my first run for office was ‘always lead with courage.’”
Outgoing Ward 8 Councilor Holly Ryan did not attend the December 18 meeting.
In her final remarks as City Council President, Susan Albright told her colleagues, “I’ve tried to be impartial and lead the way I would like to be led.” Among her accomplishments she cited the new docket-tracking system that will help residents ”to keep up with what’s going on in the Council.” She and the City Clerk have been assessing technology systems used in other communities across the country. She, too, thanked City staff members. In conclusion she said: “To help with our understanding of local events, I want everyone to subscribe to the Newton Beacon and Fig City News….We lost our local paper, but we’re lucky to have two online efforts to keep us informed about local events.”