City Council is not scheduled to meet this week.
Finance will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, June 10 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:
- Appropriation of $200,000 from the PEG Access and Cable Related Fund to the Newton Communications Access Center, Inc.
- Authorization to expend $10,000 from the Judgement and Settlements, for the full and final settlement of Farmers Ins. a/s/o Vadim Flekel v. City of Newton
- Authorization to transfer $150,000 for legal services from the Legal – Full Time Salaries, to the Legal – Legal Services to utilize outside legal firms to assist in various City needs
- Free Cash Appropriations:
- $1,250,000 and to transfer $3,260,000 from FY2025 Current Year Wage Reserve, to the FY2025 Police Patrol Services, to cover costs associated with the settlement of the Newton Patrol Association FY2022 – FY2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement
- Authorization to appropriate $25,000 to the Veteran Services – Veteran Benefits, to cover remaining FY25 Veteran Benefit expenses
- Authorization to expend $1,300,000 to support additional paving, sidewalk, and ADA ramp improvements as part of the City’s Transportation Network Improvements Program
- Authorization to appropriate and expend $250,000 and to transfer and expend $750,000 from DPW Street – Full-time Wages, to DPW Snow and Ice – Contractors, for snow and ice removal
- Authorization to transfer $1,952,500 from FY2026 Current Year Wage Reserve, to FY2026 Police Patrol Services, to cover costs associated with the settlement of the Newton Patrol Association FY2022 – FY2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement
- Authorization to transfer $125,000 from Library – Full Time Salaries to Library Building Maintenance – Electricity
- Authorization to expend the sum $50,000 in mitigation funds from the Dunstan East Comprehensive Permit for the bus stop improvements as part of the Washington Street Pilot
- Authorization to accept and expend $50,000 Commonwealth of Massachusetts FY25 State earmark for the Washington Street Pilot Program
- Authorization to transfer $50.00 from the Veteran Services – Printing to the Veteran Services – Full Time Salaries
- Authorization to appropriate $31,073.50 in permit mitigation funds from several development projects for a range of traffic safety and operations measures
- Authorization to appropriate and expend the sum of $2,453,904.27 from various inflow and infiltration mitigation accounts to supplement funding for the capital improvement plan inflow and infiltration projects
- Authorization to transfer $139,000 with $58,000 from Water Fund – FT Wages, Water Fund – NCRS Pension, and $81,000 from Sewer Fund – FT Wages to Sewer Fund – NCRS Pension, to cover pension obligation shortfall in Water and Sewer Funds (Chair’s note: The docket title for this item was revised to correct a scriber’s error.)
- Authorization to transfer any unexpected General Fund municipal health insurance funds (57HLTH) remaining as of June 30, 2025 into the Health Insurance Trust Fund
- Authorization to transfer $2,925 from Executive – Full Time Salaries to Interest – Long Term Debt – High School, to cover the shortfall in this particular interest line item
Zoning and Planning will meet in person (Room 204) and virtually (Zoom link) on Monday, June 9 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following requests:
- An addition of a maximum residential facade build out ratio to Chapter 30, Zoning to aid in new development being contextual to the surrounding neighborhood
- A discussion and possible amendments to Chapter 30 Zoning or other City Ordinances to enhance the preservation of existing homes over their replacement by larger and more expensive structures
- A discussion with the Planning Department to consider ordinance amendments that would revise the metrics in the multi-residence (MR1, MR2 and MR3) zones, to regulate the size of new buildings better, enable a wider range of housing options close to public transit, and better incentivize preservation and renovation of existing housing stock
- A discussion and possible amendments to Chapter 30 Zoning to allow certain routine residential alterations by right to streamline City processes for Newton property owners
- Amendments to Section 1.5.1.B of Chapter 30, Zoning – Two-Family Detached
Real Property Reuse will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Thursday, June 12 at 7:30PM. The agenda includes the following:
- Reuse of the parcel of land on 169 Grove Street and 136 Hancock Street.
Traffic Council will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Thursday, June 12 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following requests:
- Consider implementing trial, and perhaps eventually to make permanent, a change to the traffic circulation on Elm Road so that it becomes one-way westbound, from Walnut Street to Lowell Avenue, at all times, for all vehicles.
- Continue the Traffic Council trial that restricts access to Elm Road (from Lowell Avenue) to Elm Road residents, Newton North High School staff, school buses and bicyclists.
- Add four new parking meters on the north side of Beacon Street, between Saint Jude Gate and College Road.
- Change to the parking regulations on Howley Avenue to ensure access for emergency, trash, and recycling vehicles.
- Change to the parking regulations on Norman Road, including restricted parking between Memorial Day and Labor Day on Norman Road, and a review and possible restrictions near the corner of Norman Road and Lakewood Road.
- Install a traffic signal at the eastbound/westbound Washington Street merge to the Centre Avenue bridge in Newton Corner. The new traffic signal would comprise one signal control point for two Washington Street westbound lanes continuing onto Centre Avenue bridge southbound, and a complementary signal control point for two Washington Street eastbound lanes continuing onto the Centre Avenue bridge southbound.
- Add a “no turn on red’ sign on Commonwealth Avenue eastbound at Hammond Street.
- Add a “left lane must turn left” restriction from Walnut Street southbound onto Homer Street eastbound.
- Prohibit parking on the east side of Walnut Street, from Fenno Road to a point 150 feet north of Fenno Road.
- Prohibit parking on the east side of Walnut Street, from a point 590 feet north of Fenno Road to Commonwealth Avenue.
