Programs and Services and Public Safety and Transportation committee meetings have been canceled this week (see Programs and Services Cancellation Notice and Public Safety and Transportation Cancellation Notice).
Sustainability and the Climate Action Plan will be a focus of this week’s Zoning and Planning Committee meeting both in person (Council Chamber/Room 204) and virtual (Zoom link) on Tuesday, October 11 at 7PM (see agenda). The Committee will receive an update on the status of implementing the Climate Action Plan and discuss efforts to amend the zoning ordinance to regulate embodied carbon in large new construction. This follows a recent presentation made to the full Council by the City’s Sustainability Team — Ann Berwick, William Ferguson, and Liora Silkes — in the September 19 Committee of the Whole meeting (watch the NewTV video and see Presentation Slides). The committee will also receive an update on the Village Center Zoning community engagement efforts and will vote on several appointments and reappointments.
Two requests for funding of sustainability project designs are on the agendas of the Finance Committee and Public Facilities Committee for their meetings this week. The Finance Committee will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Tuesday, October 11 at 7PM (see agenda), and the Public Facilities Committee will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Wednesday, October 12 at 7PM (see agenda). Both committees will discuss two requests to transfer funds from the Energy Stabilization Fund: $100,000 for the design of a new HVAC system for the Newton Free Library and $65,000 for the design of a new HVAC system for Peirce Elementary School.
The Finance Committee will also review requests to accept two Homeland Security grants for Fire Department training (see agenda):
- a $67,272.72 Assistance to Firefighter grant to be used to conduct training on structural collapse props and to purchase a structural collapse prop structure
- a #131,952.38 Fire Prevention and Safety grant to be used to conduct training for 30 members on Arson/Fire Investigation and to purchase fire investigation kits which include tools and PPE.
A portion of Brandeis Road (from #131 and #132 Brandeis Road to the intersection of Greenwood) may soon become known as Lion’s Drive as the Public Facilities Committee will review a request to rename it (see agenda). The Committee will also hear a request from Comcast for a grant of location for underground utilities on Lake Avenue and also continue its discussion and review on a request to appropriate $50,000 from the Austin Street and Lowell Avenue – Special Permit fees account to make traffic flow improvements at two intersections on Lowell Avenue near Hull Street (see proposed improvements and memo from Jim McGonagle, Commissioner of the Department of Public Works).
Massachusetts Development Finance Agency will hold a public hearing on the issuance of $25,000,000 in bonds to provide for the financing and/or refinancing of, and the reimbursement of funds to CIL Realty of Massachusetts Incorporated, with respect to certain facilities, owned or to be owned and operated by them, that are used as community residences for people with developmental disabilities and are either owned or leased to providers of care for people with developmental disabilities. The hearing will be in person (99 High Street, 11th Floor, Boston) or by telephone conference (dial 888-305-1655, Participant code: 309-639) and is scheduled for Tuesday, October 11 at 11:30AM (see Hearing Notice). Newton’s piece is a property located at 55 Chinian Path in Oak Hill Park. The property is owned by the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and the maximum expected principal amount of bonds allocated is estimated at $1,733,106 (see Exhibit A).
The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) will meet virtually on Tuesday, October 11 at 7PM (Zoom link) to discuss and receive updates on existing projects and funding recommendations (see Current Status of Active Funded Projects and August 2022 Potential Projects List), their logo design, and to review current finances (see Finances at a Glance) (see agenda).
The Economic Development Commission will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Tuesday, October 11 at 6:30PM on updates from the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Sustainability subgroups, a Village Center Zoning Support letter, and a presentation on “service animal” uses virtual (see agenda).
The Negotiations Subcommittee of the Newton School Committee continues to meet to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the Newton Teachers Association (NTA). The meeting will begin in open session on Wednesday, October 12 at 3PM and then move into a closed Executive Session (see Meeting Notice).
The Design Review Committee’s (DRC) will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Wednesday, October 12 at 6PM to discuss NewCAL and Lincoln-Eliot (see DRC agenda and Hill agenda for Lincoln-Eliot discussion).
The Youth Commission will meet in person (Newton Free Library) and virtually (Zoom link) on Wednesday, October 12 at 5:30PM for a tour of the Village Center Zoning Exhibit by the Planning Department’s, Nevena Pilipovic-Wengler (see agenda). The Youth Commission will also receive a presentation from the Law Department’s attorney, Jaclyn Zawada, regarding the Open Meeting Law and public records and will engage in a discussion with Jessenia Urrea, Program Coordinator for Families for Depression Awareness on Stress Survival. NOTE: The virtual portion of the meeting will begin at 6:30PM, following the Village Center Zoning Exhibit tour.
The Conservation Commission will meet virtually on Thursday, October 13 at 7PM (Zoom link) to discuss several requests for an Order of Conditions(OOC) for demolition of an existing structure and construction of a new building (see agenda). Two requests involve the demolition of a single-family and construction of a two-family: 43 River and 27 Cross Street; one involves the demolition of a single-family and construction of a single-family: 71 Harwich Road. Two other requests for the demolition of a single-family and construction of a two-family have already been completed and are seeking a Certificate of Compliance (COC): 401 Albemarle Road and 10-12 Cross Street. The Commission is also scheduled to review a day-care application for 120 Wells Avenue, hold an informal discussion and hear a presentation from the Parks and Recreation Commissioner regarding Turf Field Replacement at Newton South High School, a request to amend an Order of Conditions, and perform mitigation off-site (40 Albemarle Road), a request for a Certificate of Compliance for pool installation (53 Wendell Road), and receive an update on beekeeping at the old Deer Park.
Newton SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) will hold a virtual open board meeting on Thursday, October 13 at 7:30PM (Zoom link). Among the topics on the agenda are updates from the SEPAC liaison, FORJ, PTO Council, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), ELPAC (English Learning Parent Advisory Council), Superintendent search process, and the NPS Literacy Curriculum.
Waban Area Council will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Thursday, October 13 at 7:30PM to hear two presentations: Tree Ordinance from Ward 3 Councilor Julia Malakie and Planning 4OurFuture from the City’s Energy Coach, Liora Silkes. Also on the agenda is a discussion and review of the Waban Area Council’s community engagement on Village Center Zoning.
The Newton Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners will be reviewing the Authority’s 2022 HUD Capital Fund Plan and 2023 HUD PHA Annual Plan at its virtual meeting on October 14 at 2PM (Zoom link).
In case you missed it, the recording of the presentation on Geo Microgrid by the Co-Founder and Executive Co-Director of HEET, Audrey Schulman at the Newton Citizens on Energy Commission‘s virtual meeting on Wednesday, September 28 at 7PM can be found here.
Regarding the appeal of the Newton South High School Brandeis Road Field lights, the Zoning Board of Appeals voted to postpone the hearing due to technical issues with the video and sound in the Chamber from the virtual Zoom meeting. Four members of the Board were physically present in the Chamber, however one was participating virtually on Zoom. The hearing has been rescheduled for Wednesday, October 19 at 7PM (see agenda). According to this email from Newton South Booster Club, the Brandeis Road field lights project has been completed and the Varsity Field Hockey team finished their game on Friday under the new lights.
This week’s road construction schedule can be found here.
There has been some confusion regarding this week’s schedule for trash pick-up. According to the City’s 2022 Waste Collection Schedule, trash pick-up will be delayed by one day this week.