City Council
City Council will meet on Monday for the Inauguration Ceremony, election of officers, and acceptance of the Docket, which includes the following:
- Conversion of an accessory apartment into a separate dwelling, resulting in three single-family attached dwellings in two separate structures at 199 Church Street
- Construction of additions, demolition of an existing garage, and construction of a detached garage at 887 Commonwealth Avenue
- Demolition of existing dwelling/construction of a three-story, five-unit residential building at 209-211 Adams Street
- Enclosure of sunporch and new basement access at 140 Dickerman Road
- Extension of Time to construct additions at 148 Auburndale Avenue
- 6 Class 2 Auto Dealer Requests
- Discussion concerning Zoning and Planning Committee workplan for the new term
- Request for updates on Short-term rental ordinance compliance and enforcement
- Request for discussion and possible ordinance amendments relative to aiding small businesses impacted by development
- Request to develop a Code of Conduct for the Newton City Council
- Discussion and possible Home Rule Petition to move Newton’s municipal elections to even years along with federal and state elections
- Discussion and possible amendments to Chapter 21, Article III Trees
- 2 Traffic Council Appeals:
- Denial of request for trial restricting access to Centre Street, southerly from Walnut Street to all vehicles except bicycles
- Approval to prohibit parking at all times along the south and west side of Farwell to North Street (southerly intersection)
- Request for water main extensions and granting of water easement in Chapin Road
- Request for regular updates from DPW on status of Border Street culvert, MWRA easement, and efforts to mitigate risk of flooding
- Acceptance of an $10,000 donation in memory of former Councilor George Mansfield
- Acceptance of $22,248 grant from MassEVIP to install 6 EV Level 2 charges (5 at Elliot Street DPW facility and 1 at City Hall Directors parking lot)
- Request for a change in notification requirements to include renters and tenants
- Recommendation to appropriate $125,000 in CPA funding for Second Church in Newton
- Appropriate $925,000 from FY 2023 Certified Free Cash for Newton Public Schools Curriculum Investments
- Appropriate $11,475,000 from FY 2023 Certified Free Cash for Newton Public Schools and Municipal Infrastructure
- Recommendation to sell or lease the 36,356 sq. ft. City owned parcel of land known as 169 Grove Street and 136 Hancock Street
The Programs and Services Committee, Public Safety and Transportation Committee, and the Public Facilities Committee meetings have been canceled. See Meeting Cancellation Notice.
School Committee
School Committee will meet on Monday for the Inauguration Ceremony and election of chair and vice-chair.
Boards and Commissions
Fair Housing Committee will meet on Wednesday:
- Fair Housing for Real Estate Professionals Training
- Exclusion By Design Report with Amy Dain
- Newton Lottery Process Follow-up
- Discussion of 2024 Committee Priorities
- Subcommittee Updates
- Lottery Results & Lease-ups Sub-Committee
- Membership & Nominating Sub-Committee
- Fair Housing Award Sub-Committee
- Fair Housing Committee Priorities Discussion
Newton Highlands Neighborhood Area Council will meet on Thursday:
- Substantive topics: Officer Election, Vacancies, Village Day, Lincoln Street Speed Study, Goals and Priorities
- Administrative items: Review and approval of December minutes, Treasurer’s report, and New Business
Other
On New Year’s Day, Mayor Fuller welcomes all to the War Memorial Auditorium at City Hall, 2PM-4PM, for a celebration of Newton’s 150th anniversary as an incorporated city. There will be cake, music, and maybe some surprises.
City Council leadership welcomes Council members with this Administrative Memo referencing last week’s request to the Mayor and the Administration regarding timing of submitting docket item requests and supporting documentation and making a few suggestions to Councilors as well.
This week’s road construction schedule has not been posted.