Board and Commission Meetings – Week of 10/27/2024

Newton Retirement Board will meet in person (Room 211) on Tuesday, October 29 at 9AM. The agenda includes the following:

• New Agenda Items:
  • Review regular session minutes of meeting held September 24, 2024
  • Timothy Goodale’s request regarding designated Option C beneficiary
  • Board’s payment options for Veterans’ Buybacks
• Administrative Agenda Items:
  • Monthly financial reporting for month ending August 2024
  • Approve new members as indicated on list provided in Board Member’s monthly packet
  • New application(s) for superannuation & termination retirement
  • Approve expense warrants
• Pending Agenda items:
  • Scott Perella –5 year repayment plan; oral agreement with member to mail payment on the 25th of each month- repayment to be completed by May 2029.
  • Elected Officials – 9/17/24 letter to PERAC seeking clarification regarding collecting overpayment of benefits and refunding contributions – response pending
  • Maureen Murphy’s Needham Bill Waiver Request – pending response from 9/17/24 clarification request to PERAC
  • Dori Zaleznik’s Motion for Reconsideration – pending response from Board Counsel’s 9/30/24 request to PERAC for followup opinion
  • Dori Zaleznik’s Needham Bill Waiver Request – pending response from Board Counsel’s 9/30/24 request to PERAC for follow-up opinion and 9/17/24 clarification request to PERAC
  • Transfer $11,250,000 to the PRIT Core Fund effective 11/1/24
  • Employee Handbook
  • Meeting with Human Resources scheduled for 9/25/24 was postponed by request of Human Resources Director, Michelle Pizzi-O’Brien-next meeting TBD
  • Request from Attorney Joseph Donnellan, Counsel for Michael Abbruzzese, James McCarthy, and Thomas McCarthy, for postponement of 10/16/24 hearing regarding 2023 excess earnings and refunds due the system
  • City to attend the 11/19/24 Board meeting to discuss the development of a process for monitoring post-retirement employment and to advise if any rehired retirees have exceeded or are close to exceeding the 2024 post-retirement hours and earnings limitations.
  • 11/1/24 Actuarial Valuation Report – returned to Segal on 8/29/24 for correction of typographical errors
  • Current status of pending appeal cases
• Director’s Report :
  • Update on Employee Self Service, Scanning, Scanning Project & Notice of Deposits
  • Email “Important Message from the Newton Retirement Board about Post-Retirement Employment” sent to active members and retirees
  • Notice to all active members re: Veterans’ Buyback Changes as reflected in PERAC Memo #23 2024 have been mailed and emailed
  • Staff joined PERAC’s “Legislative Updates-Recent Legislation” Webinar on 10/23/24-Webinar will be posted on PERAC’s website
  • MACRS 2024 Fall Conference will be held in Springfield, MA from 12/8/24-12/11/24
• Correspondence:
  • PERAC Memo #25 2024 Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training – 4th Quarter 2024
  • PERAC Memo #26 2024 The Application of the Anti-Spiking Provision G.L. c.32, s. 5(2)(a) in the wake of the Hartnett Decision
  • PERAC Memo #27 2024 Changes to Return to Service under G.L. c.32, s. 8

Newton Free Library Board of Trustees – Nominating and Governance Subcommittee will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Tuesday, October 29 at 10AM. The agenda includes the following:

• Approve minutes of September 16, 2024 N&G meeting
• Policy Update
• Topics for December Trustee meeting
• Director Evaluation (documents)
  • Director self-evaluation questionnaire
  • Staff and Trustee questionnaires
  • Timing
• New Business
• Next meeting: November 19 at 9AM

Walker Center Joint Advisory Planning Group will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Tuesday, October 29 at 4PM. The agenda includes the following:

• JAPG Business
• Public Comment
• Brainstorming Session
• Financial Discussions

Design Review Committee/Countryside School Building Committee will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Wednesday, October 30 at 6PM. The agenda includes the following:

• School Committee Vote to Approve 90% Submittal to MSBA
• DRC Review and Vote to Approve for Bidding

Conservation Commission will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Wednesday, October 30 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following (see Packet):

• Wetlands Decisions
  • Request for a Determination of Applicability (RDA) to reconstruct walls and deck at 321 Albemarle Road (see 321 Albemarle RDA app; 321 Albemarle RDA narrative)
  • Notice of Intent (NOI) for a renovation of a single-family house, mitigation planting at 140 Dartmouth Street (see 140 Dartmouth NOI app; 140 Dartmouth NOI Plans; 140 Dartmouth Stormwater; 140 Dartmouth Tree Preserve; 140 Dartmouth Mitigation Plan)
  • Notice of Intent (NOI) for the Quonset Hut parking lot reconstruction at 825 (aka 877) Centre St., Boston College (see Stormwater rep rev 10-17-24; O and M plan; Landscape plan rev 10-18-24)
  • Notice of Intent for the 40B multi-family residential development at 528 Boylston Street (see SWPPP; Response to Comments; Phasing Plan; Phase 1 Env Site Assessment; Footings and Test Pit Elevations; Test Pit Log and Frimpter Calcs)
  • Request for an Extension for 45 Buswell
  • Question about spacing of bounds at 250 Albemarle Road
  • Request for a Certificate of Compliance (COC) for renovation of a single-family house at 107 Truman Road
  • Request for a Certificate of Compliance (COC) for City Hall Pond dredging at 1000 Commonwealth Avenue
• Administrative Decisions:
  • Minutes to be approved
  • Conservation Area Decisions – none at this time
  • Issues Around Town Decisions – none at this time
• Updates / Discussion
  • Recruiting new members
  • 2025 Meeting Dates
  • Policy/Guidance regarding required survival for replanting or late planting
• Public Comment
• Other Topics Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair 48 Hours before the Meeting

Newton Citizens Commission on Energy will meet in person (Room 205) and virtually (Zoom link) on Wednesday, October 30 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:

• Review minutes from Sept 25 meeting
• BERDO update and strategy discussion
• Residential sector discussion
  • Including #322-44 City Council item re: residential sector
• New business

Board of License Commissioners will hold a special meeting virtually (Zoom link) on Thursday, October 31 at 1PM. The agenda includes the following:

• Two requests for One-day Temporary Wine and Malt Licenses
  • Social event with members of the Windsor Club and fundraising for Angier and Zervas on Friday, November 1 from 7PM-11PM at the Windsor Club, 1601 Beacon Street
  • Memorial Service on Sunday, November 3 from 10AM-2PM at the Windsor Club, 1601 Beacon Street

Election Commission will conduct advanced processing of Early Voted ballots from each precinct on October 28, October 29, October 30, October 31, and if necessary, November 1. All of the ballots opened and deposited will be ballots for the November 5 State Election. Both the advanced removal and advanced depositing will take place in the cafeteria in the basement level of Newton City Hall located at 1000 Commonwealth Ave. No results shall be determined or announced until after the time the polls close on November 5, 2024 at 8PM. At that time, the results from the advance processed ballots will be announced, added to the election day results and posted in a public place. Early Voting Advanced processing is open to the public.

• Advanced removal of the Early ballots will begin at 9AM on Monday and will go until all ballots have been advanced opened.
• Advanced depositing of the ballots will begin on Thursday, October 31 at 9AM and will go until all ballots have been put through the high speed processor.
• High Speed Tabulator testing for the upcoming Tuesday, November 5, 2024 State Election (All Ballot Styles) will take place in Room 211 of City Hall, beginning at 1PM on Monday, October 28.