Newton’s Neighborhood Area Councils function as an all-purpose solution for a plethora of problems. From discussion about new development projects to debate about how to best use and protect an area’s historic spaces, you can bet that any hyper-local happening will be brought to the table.
There are four Area Councils – Newton Highlands Area Council, Waban Area Council, Upper Falls Area Council, and Newtonville Area Council – and all of their meetings are open to the public. There’s often an online option to attend these Councils’ meetings, but attending in-person at sites such as Newton Highlands’ Brigham House is an opportunity for residents to further engage with local issues through being physically present at these meetings.
The current four Area Councils represent less than half of Newton. Some residents outside of areas covered by existing Councils have expressed a desire to have Area Councils of their own.
How Area Councils are created
Newton’s City Charter allows the City Council to create Area Councils as official City government entities. To form a new Area Council, citizens in a proposed service area may petition the City Council. The petition must specify the Area Council’s proposed service area, services to be provided, and number of members (5 to 9). The petition must be signed by at least 20% of voters within the proposed area and submitted to the City Council. Within 30 days of receiving a validly signed petition, the City Council will hold a public hearing on whether or not the proposed Area Council should be established. Within 30 days of the hearing’s close, the City Council will cast a final approving or disapproving vote. An approval may contain amendments to any of the original proposal’s specifications.
What Area Councils do
According to the City Charter, the purpose of Area Councils is “to encourage citizen involvement in government at the neighborhood level by permitting limited self-government.”
All four Area Councils aim to foster communication between residents and Newton’s City Council, as well as specific boards and commissions (ex. Planning and Development Board).
Christopher Pitts, Waban Area Council President, explained that Area Council members “act as problem solvers, conveners, and advocates for local issues.” Members of the Waban Area Council embody these roles completely. Recently, the Waban Area Council decided to contact Newton’s City Council and get in touch with City Councilor Rena Getz (former founding member and President of the Waban Area Council) after having discussed the replacement of local gas lines during their July meeting.
Other Area Councils similarly act as a “bridge” between residents and Newton’s government officials. The Newton Highlands Area Council is no exception: its recent discussions centered on the Newton Highlands Village Enhancement Project have yielded connections with key Newton officials, such as members of the City’s Department of Public Works (DPW). Rather than using Council members’ perspectives to bring a representative stance on this issue to Newton’s DPW, the Area Council is focused on forming an accurate community consensus through the use of resident surveys, informal “open house” events (most recently held in May 2024), and connections with key community stakeholders such as the Commission on Disability and Council on Aging. According to Highlands Area Council President Jeremy Freudberg, “we’re trying to engage as many people as possible, get the word out, and hopefully create something better as a result.”
Even though advocacy is a cornerstone of the Area Councils’ purpose, the promotion of neighborhood unity and community pride is equally important. Currently, the Upper Falls Area Council is discussing ways to welcome new residents into the area. Upper Falls Area Council President Julie Irish mentioned that the Council is aiming to figure out “a way to give new neighbors some basic information about the city and Upper Falls… to get people informed and have them know what’s going on.” Irish also mentioned taking inspiration from a neighborhood initiative called the “welcome wagon,” where a neighborhood group would go to a new resident’s door with small gifts and information about local small businesses. In addition to helping new neighbors feel at home in the area, a program like this would also increase residents’ awareness of the Area Councils themselves; this could encourage more locals to speak up and get involved.
Though the Neighborhood Area Councils’ main goal is to cover neighborhood-specific issues and events (as their name suggests!), members of all four Councils occasionally come together to discuss larger issues as well. The Waban Area Council is planning to hold a proposed series on Newton’s governmental structure – with a particular focus on Area Councils – this Fall, co-sponsored by the other three Area Councils and open to the general public. All four Councils also collaborate in hosting their candidate debates before Area Council elections, which take place every other year. This year, the Area Council candidate debates will take place on October 18 and 19.
Getting involved in an Area Council
Locals are elected to serve in Council member positions for a two-year term. Nomination papers for these positions are now available at the City Clerk’s office and must be returned before 5 PM on September 22 with a minimum of 25 signatures from registered voters in the area. After nominations are complete, official votes will be cast as part of Newton’s municipal elections on November 4th.
The Neighborhood Area Councils serve as a valuable resource through which residents can voice their opinions with the intention of making real change. Interested Newton residents can join their location-specific Council’s mailing lists (below) and access publicly available meeting links and agendas (under the “Meetings” tab within each Council category) with the click of a few buttons.
- Newton Highlands uses a Google Group to communicate. To join, email: [email protected]
- Newtonville reports news and alerts through a newsletter, which can be found here.
- Waban reports information in its email newsletter, which can be found on its main website here.
- Upper Falls puts announcements and information in its email newsletter, which can be found here.
