In November, 2023, Newton elected four new Ward Councilors:
- David Micley – Ward 2
- Randy Block – Ward 4
- Martha Bixby – Ward 6
- Stephen Farrell – Ward 8
Now as they near the end of their first year in office, Fig City News checked in with all four to find what they learned, what surprised them, and who helped with their transitions in their first year in office.
David Micley
David Micley identified Councilors Leonard Gentile, Marc Laredo, Tarik Lucas, and Lisle Baker as colleagues who provided guidance and helped his transition into the City Council. He cited Council President Laredo for giving space within the Council for balanced debate.
Micley acknowledges that people have complaints with City departments but he recognizes that the personnel in most departments are stretched thin, so if they do not respond immediately, it is due to the many requests they receive. He says that persistence pays off when dealing with City departments. When asked how many constituent requests he gets in a typical week, Micley answered, “A lot.” He said that one important part of his job is keeping residents informed of what’s happening in City Hall and providing outlets for them to share feedback.
Micley has monthly office hours at Clover on Washington Street and sends a monthly newsletter. Most constituent requests relate to public works and infrastructure, such as sidewalks, trees, roadwork, and problems with flooding. He said residents want to ensure they are safe and secure, and they seek to know in advance when City actions will take place.
Acknowledging that Newton does not have unlimited resources, Micley favors the City funding basic City services first. He wants to ensure that the infrastructure that residents rely on works for them.
When asked about Council operations, he described the recent decision to provide $2 million in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds for the repair of the First Baptist Church bell tower. He voted against the proposal due to concerns about providing funds for a religious institution, along with his belief that this was not a basic City service, and the money would be better spent on parks, for example.
Micley attends Newtonville Area Council meetings when he can and pays much attention to Area Council members’ comments. He spends 5 to 20 hours a week on City Council activities.
Micley said that he loves being a Newton City Councilor and that he plans to run for re-election next November.
Randy Block
According to Randy Block, the most frequent constituent concerns in Ward 4 are regarding the Commonwealth Avenue Carriageway Project (road and parking redesign) and several large housing developments. Ward 4 developments include Riverside, the Walker Center Reuse Project, and the long-running Turtle Lane Playhouse drama. Block communicates with constituents via periodic newsletters.
Of the large Riverside project (over 500 residential units), Block said the most recent version is moving toward the proposal stage. He’s active on a committee to evaluate the upcoming proposal and said that Mark Development has been responsive to the neighborhood’s concerns.
Block identified the BERDO (Building Energy Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance) legislation as the biggest current issue in Newton. If passed by the City Council, BERDO would require owners of large building to report greenhouse gas emissions and replace fossil fuel systems on a specific schedule.
Block said that Chris Markiewicz, his predecessor as Ward 4 Councilor, accelerated Block’s municipal education. Markiewicz assisted him during the campaign and continued to be a resource once Block was elected.
Block spends approximately 20-25 hours per week on his City Council responsibilities, and said that the work could expand to 40 hours per week. His retirement makes the Council job more doable, and he expressed empathy for Councilors who have a full-time job.
Martha Bixby
Martha Bixby spoke proudly of Newton, saying “The city has so much going for it,” and that it has been rewarding to contribute to the City government.
The most common issues she hears from constituents are about parking, snow removal, and the use of Crystal Lake, including lake access and accumulation of trash nearby. She said given the appeal of Crystal Lake in the summer, it is not surprising that it is a frequent topic with constituents.
Bixby serves on the Council’s Finance Committee and the Public Safety and Transportation Committee. She said she’s fascinated with the process of evaluating and assessing the need for new public safety equipment, such as fire trucks.
She said that she works well with the other Ward 6 councilors, Victoria Danburg and Alan Lobovits, as the three collaborate on issues of common interest.
Bixby was surprised how easily misinformation can race through the community via vectors including Facebook groups and listservs. She said that one of the challenges in her job is the need to explain to constituents the many tradeoffs in decision-making, especially financial decisions, along with having to explain the rationales for decisions with which she disagrees.
Bixby appreciates the rituals of Council meetings and is impressed with the knowledgeable volunteers who spend many hours doing important work, such as those serving on the Affordable Housing Trust and the Parks and Recreation Commission. She said the Newton Highlands Neighborhood Area Council (NHNAC) does an excellent job advocating to the City and she stays in touch with Jeremy Freudberg, President of the NHNAC.
Stephen Farrell
Stephen Farrell is concerned that there is no effective mechanism for community organizations to engage with the City. He sees as flawed the current process whereby Newton holds public hearings and allows anybody to speak but only for three minutes and with no response. He said, “You can ask questions, but you won’t get answers.”
Farrell cited recent interactions between the Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Newton Highlands Neighborhood Area Council (NHNAC) regarding the Highlands Village Enhancement Project. He described an NHNAC meeting with the DPW several months ago and said the DPW has not produced a record of the questions and comments — and how, if at all, issues were addressed. He added that the NHNAC sent a letter to the DPW addressing specific concerns. Farrell characterized the DPW’s response to the letter as “We’re the authorities; we know what is best and here is what we are going to do.”
Farrell believes the fact that the Mayor controls the City’s budget limits the municipal departments’ responsiveness to Council members. Farrell noted that many candidates for City Council and School Committee run unopposed. He thinks unopposed elections are bad for civic engagement and democracy, and he theorized that the Council’s large size (24 members) contributes to the number of uncontested elections.
When asked about the issues frequently addressed by his constituents, Farrell said he most often deals with problems with roads, sidewalks, dead trees, and other basic services.
Finally, Farrell described how impressed he is with School Superintendent Anna Nolin, particularly in her willingness to make significant changes and to question policies that do not appear to make sense.
Ed. Note: We corrected this article to say that Stephen Farrell was speaking about the Department of Public Works, not the Planning Department, with regard to interactions with the Newton Highlands Neighborhood Area Council.
