The Finance Committee voted to approve the following (see Report and watch the video on NewTV):
- Request to appropriate and expend $50,000 from the Special Permit fees, Austin and Lowell account to improve safety for all users by constructing traffic flow changes at two intersections on Lowell Ave, which is consistent with the intent of Special Permit #175-21, Condition 6. (NOTE: The vote was 5-1-2 with Councilor Gentile opposed and Councilors Kalis and Malakie abstaining. Councilor Gentile expressed concern that this was not a high priority intersection, while Councilor Norton stated that she has received many complaints about this intersection particularly regarding Newton North students not being seen by cars, low visibility and bike crashes.
The only other item on the agenda was a request made by the School Committee to approve authorizing the Mayor to appropriate the state reimbursement of $60,826.31 for McKinney-Vento and Foster Care Transportation funds from the General Fund to the School Department. The City’s Comptroller, Steven Curley suggested that the funds will be allocated from Certified Free Cash and not the General Fund and the City’s Chief Financial Officer, Maureen Lemieux suggested that the request should come from the Mayor and not the School Committee. The item was held.