City Council
The City Council to meet on Tuesday. The Council is expected to vote on the following:
- Request to rezone property at 132 Charles Street (item was previously chartered)
- Four Land Use petitions:
- To allow for a reduction in the lot area requirement at 52 Sharpe Road
- To expand the existing parking area within the front setback at 89-91 Crafts Street
- To allow a 3- story, 3-unit multi-family dwelling at 43 Crafts Street
- Appointment of Janet Huettig to the Health and Human Services Advisory Council
- Appointment of Dr. Carolyn Bernstein to the Health and Human Services Advisory Council
- Denial of a request to place the following nonbinding advisory question on the ballot: ““Should the Newton City Council vote to adopt a zoning ordinance for Newton village commercial centers so that parcels under 30,000 square feet would have the opportunity to be redeveloped to construct multi-family housing, or a mix of businesses and multi-family housing, in buildings up to 3.5 to 4.5 stories high, without requiring onsite parking and prior approval from the City Council?” (6-2 in favor of denial by the Programs and Services Committee).
The New Docket includes the following:
- Requests:
- Amend the site plan associated with Special Permit #179-15 and parking waivers at 1349 Centre Street
- Further extend two nonconforming front setbacks at 147 Cherry Street
- Extend a nonconforming side setback for a detached garage at 75 Royce Road
- Allow a for-profit educational use and to waive 19 parking stalls at 60 Highland Street
- Amend Special Permit #96-17 by increasing the parking waiver from 97 stalls to 172 stalls and to amend Condition #3 of Special Permit #179-19 at 839-853 Washington Street
- Update on the status of the Condition of Special Permit 446-22 regarding the conveyance of a parcel of land from the petitioner to a bona fide third party for a parcel along the end of Lasell Street
- Confirmatory Order of Taking for Webster Woods
- Water main extensions in Washington Street for Dunstan Street
- Grant of location in 201 Needham Street for Northland and neighboring community
- Grant of location in 925 Chestnut Street
- Grant of location in 743 Chestnut Street
- Discussion regarding Stormwater Program
- Temporary increase in the number of sworn firefighters from 193 FTEs to 197 FTEs
- Appointments:
- David Boronkay and Richard Alfred to the Auburndale Historic District Commission
- Sheila Butts to the Parks and Recreation Commission
- John Lovett III to the Commission on Disability
- Reappointments
- John Neville, Elizabeth Wilkinson, Byron Dunker, and Arthur Magni to the Parks and Recreation Commission
- John Schwartz to the Biosafety Committee
- Dina Conlin to the Licensing Board
- Michael Goldman to the Farm Commission
- Acceptance of a $948.55 donation from the Garden City Preservation Society
- Establish and Appropriate funds to an Operations Booster Stabilization Fund to pay for a portion of the annual general fund appropriations for the City’s pension system; appropriate the sum of $20,500,000 Overlay Surplus as declared by the City’s Board of Assessors to the Operations Booster Stabilization Fund; and transfer the sum of $5,513,000 from Acct 01C10701-576300 Appellate tax Board Interest and Penalties Fund to the Operations Booster Stabilization Fund.
- Referred to Finance and Appropriate Committees #1-24 Submittal of the FY2025 to FY 2029 Capital Improvement Plan
- Review/Acceptance of the FY 2025 – FY 2029 5-year Financial Forecast
Programs and Services will meet on Wednesday to discuss the following:
- Appointments
- Paul Holt and Susan Harvey to the Newton Free Library Board of Trustees
- Sheila Butts to the Parks and Recreation Commission
- John Lovett III to the Commission on Disability
- Discussion and possible amendment to Section 12-72 “Sustainable Containers, Packaging and Single Use Ordinance” to further reduce the amount of single use plastic in Newton.
- Reappointments:
- John Neville, Elizabeth Wilkinson, Byron Dunker, and Arthur Magni to the Parks and Recreation Commission
- John Schwartz to the Biosafety Committee
- Dina Conlin to the Licensing Board
- Michael Goldman to the Farm Commission
Public Safety and Transportation will meet on Wednesday to discuss the following:
- Request to temporarily increase the number of sworn firefighters beginning October 1, 2023 through August 1, 2024 from 193 FTEs (Full-Time Equivalents) to 197 FTEs.
- Discussion regarding sidewalk obstruction, enforcement, regulation, and operating procedures during construction.
- Request for a discussion regarding residential/commercial sidewalk snow clearing, operations, and enforcement – with Public Safety and Transportation
- Request for a discussion on transportation priorities and public works/streets/sidewalks etc.
Public Facilities will meet on Wednesday to discuss the following:
- Public Hearings
- Water main extension in Washington Street to Dunstan Street
- Grant of location to install underground telecommunications conduit and infrastructure to serve Newton Northland Development and neighboring community at 201 Needham Street
- Grant of location to install underground conduit for fiber installation at 925 Chestnut Street
- Grant of location to install underground conduit at 743 Chestnut Street
- Chair’s Note: The Committee will join the Public Safety and Transportation Committee to discuss item #69-22.
- Request for a discussion regarding residential/commercial sidewalk snow clearing, operations, and enforcement.
Zoning and Planning will meet on Thursday to discuss the following:
- Appointment of David Boronkay to the Auburndale Historic District Commission
Chair’s note: The Committee will continue its review and assessment of the maps and proposed amendments for each village center. Straw votes will be taken on all items.
- Reappointment of John Rice and Doug Cornelius to the Newton Historical Commission
School Committee
School Committee will meet on Wednesday in executive session to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining regarding the Newton Teachers Association Units A, B, C, D, and E.
The Negotiations subcommittee will meet in executive session on Thursday to discuss strategy and conduct a collective bargaining session with the NESA.
NOTE: Franklin School Building Committee will meet on Thursday to review evaluation criteria and design progress.
Boards and Commissions
Newton Human Rights Commission will meet on Tuesday and receive student and police department reports, complaints received, an update on the 2023 Boston Marathon and discuss programming for 2023-2024.
Newton Fair Housing Committee will meet on Wednesday to discuss the following:
- Review of City Oversight of Affordable Housing Marketing, Lottery, and Leasing/Sales
- Recommendation for Enhancing Newton’s Oversight of Deed Restricted and City-supported Affordable Housing—See Attachment
- Subcommittee Updates – Lottery Results and Lease-ups, Membership and Nominating, and Fair Housing Award
- Fair Housing Committee Priorities Discussion
Board of License Commissioners will meet on Thursday to discuss and review a request for a one-day temporary wine and malt license for an event on September 9 at the Windsor Club.
Franklin School Building Committee will meet on Thursday to review evaluation criteria and design progress.
Conservation Commission will meet on Thursday to discuss the following:
- Information presentation and discussion with Assistant City Solicitor Andrew Lee regarding Webster Woods.
- Four requests to extend Order of Conditions
- Various Trails maintained by the Newton Parks, Recreation, and Culture Department
- 288 Mill Street – additions, walls, and plantings
- 149 Pleasant Street – Solar Canopy over the Mason-Rice School Parking Lot
- 145 Warren Street -renovations to an existing single-family house and construction of 4 new units
- 4 Requests for a Certificate of Compliance (COC)
- 45 Greenwood Street – landscaping and utilities work for a single-family house
- 148 Pine Street – demolition of an existing duplex, construction of 3 single-family homes
- 16 Grace Street – tear down/rebuild a single-family house
- 5 Wyoming Street – work never initiated for an addition to an existing single-family house
West Metro Consortium will meet on Thursday to discuss the following:
- Welcome Lara Kritzer, the new Director of Housing and Community Development
- Consolidated Pool Updates
- Review Proposed Relinquished and Retained Funds Summary
- Review and Approve of Member Community Extension Requests
- Review and Approve CHDO and Consolidated Pool funding amounts and RFPs
- Form Evaluation Committee
- HOME-ARP Update – RFP Update
- Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing (AI) Update – Fair Housing Testing Program
- Update from Paige Stopperich, Esq. on Suffolk Housing Discrimination Testing Program (HDTP)
- MAPC Consortium Overnight Parking Utilization Study- Discussion
- FY21 & FY22 HOME Monitoring – FY21 & FY22 HOME Monitoring Update
- NSPIRE Inspections – Update
- FY24 AAP & FY24 Subrecipient Agreements – Update
Newton Housing Authority Board of Commissioners will meet on Friday to discuss the following:
- Vote to approve July and August 2023 Disbursement Reports
- Haywood House Update
- Capital Improvement Votes
- Change Order – $4,419.26 for additional work to secure railings at 80A Thurston Road ADA Ramp project.
- Vote to accept an award from Carpenters Local 339 to rebuild 6 sheds at 237 Watertown Street Units A-F.
- Change Order #1 – 223/225 Tremont Street totaled $24,913.88 (voted not to exceed $30,000 in July 2023). The contract time for completion of the project is therefore extended an additional 29 days at no cost.
- Contract for the roof replacement at 45 Pelham Street was awarded to Fairway Roofing & Maintenance LLC in the amount of $52,250 (voted not to exceed $100,000 in July 2023).
- Vote to approve Contract for Wyman Street parking lot reconstruction/paving in the amount of TBD. (Bids due September 7th)
- Vote to approve Change Order for window replacement project at Jackson Gardens and Horace Mann in the amount of $186,109.92. This change order is necessary to install the 286 windows at Jackson Gardens using break metal construction.
- Vote to approve HUD 2024 PHA Plan, HUD 2023 Capital Fund Plan, and EOHLC 2024 Annual Plan
- RSD 2023 Mid-Year Report
- Action CPC Meeting Update
- Strategic Plan Update
- NSPIRE Discussion
Other
Only voters in Ward 2 and Ward 6 will vote in the Preliminary Election on September 12, which will narrow the field candidates for Ward Councilor to two from each ward to compete in the November 7 municipal election.
NewTV revamped its website recently, so Fig City News links to NewTV videos posted before mid-August will now generate a “Page Not Found” message. NewTV on YouTube has videos of local government meetings made in 2023.
This week’s road construction schedule.