The Finance Committee approved the following authorizations to appropriate and expend (see report and watch the meeting video):
- Vehicle Replacement Program ($1,000,000) (6-0) From certified Free Cash to support the city’s vehicle replacement program, adding to an existing $850,000 budget. This action avoids bonding and repurposes funds for operational budgets. Chief Financial Officer Maureen Lemieux “explained that the City had 23.6 million dollars declared as Free Cash this year, and their goal is to have 13-14 million dollars set aside throughout the year, which left 10.5 million dollars for some of the agenda items tonight.”
- FY25 Traffic Calming Projects ($200,000) (6-0) From certified Free Cash to supplement the existing DPW budget for traffic calming projects.
- Newton Public Schools Textile Recycling Funds ($43,189.52) (6-0) The money is from Helpsy, a textile recycling vendor, and was placed in Free Cash. The authorization moves the funds into NPS for environmental initiatives within schools.
- McKinney-Vento Homeless Student Transportation ($338,119) (6-0) A reimbursement from the State to cover 88% of the transportation costs for homeless students.
- NPS Educational Stabilization Fund ($2,000,000) (5-0-1, Councilor Gentile abstained) Additional funding aimed at extending the lifespan of the stabilization fund previously set at $22 million. A councilor noted that within a year of establishing the Fund, the City Council was already being asked for additional money.
- Newton Affordable Housing Trust Fund ($1,841,719.78) (6-0): The money is from the Community Preservation budget to support the city’s affordable housing initiatives. The City’s goal is for 35% of the CPC budget to go directly to the Newton Affordable Housing Trust (NAHT) for them to manage directly to improve efficiency. A Councilor suggested the NAHT increase public awareness by posting their meetings online on their website.
- SCBA Bottles for Fire Department ($50,000) (6-0) To purchase new self-contained breathing apparatus bottles to support firefighter safety.
- PFAS-free Firefighter Gear ($1,000,000) (6-0) To purchase PFAS-free gear for firefighters, ensuring compliance and safety.
- Fire Shift Commander’s Vehicle Replacement ($75,000) (6-0) To replace the high-mileage and high-usage vehicle used by the Deputy Chief.
- Fire Ladder Truck 3 Replacement ($1,800,000) (6-0) To replace the current Ladder Truck 3 with a newer model that offers better maneuverability for city use.
The Finance Committee voted No Action Necessary on the following:
- Appointment to the Financial Audit Advisory Committee (6-0) Due to a potential appointee’s job change, the decision was postponed until confirmation of eligibility.