In the beginning there was the Newton Highlands Area Council. And Newton Upper Falls saw that it was good. (They even have Facebook pages here and here.)
Now come efforts to organize Area Councils in Waban, as well as Newtonville and Newton Centre.
Area Councils in Newton are not simply another fancy name for a neighborhood association. They are an official, elected, government body as authorized under Newton’s City Charter (article 9). Here’s an excerpt:
Sec. 9-8. Neighborhood Area Council Powers and Functions.
A neighborhood area council may exercise any powers and perform any functions within the neighborhood service area expressly authorized by the Board of Aldermen, which may include but not be limited to:
(1) Advisory or delegated substantive authority, or both, with respect to such programs as a community action program, urban renewal, relocation, public housing, planning and zoning actions, and other physical development programs, crime prevention and juvenile delinquency programs, health services, code inspection, recreation, education, and manpower training.
Good idea? Or just another layer of government in a city that has more aldermen than most people can name?
In Upper Falls it seems to have been a good idea. The UF Area Council just came into being in January but I think it has already been a shot in the arm for the neighborhood. The worthwhile functions that I’ve noticed in the few months that they’ve been operating are.
* They’ve been an active and organizing force for activities and projects in the neighborhood – (e.g. soup social, Upper Falls Greenway project, NewtonSERVES).
* Communications – Monthly neighborhood meetings, email newsletter, Facebook page – all help pull people together and keep everyone in the neighborhood informed of what’s going on.
* Friendly Forum – At each of their meetings people turn up with minor neighborhood issues that they want some help with. There’s no special powers the Area Council has in that regard. Those same people could previously have called City Hall or talked to their local aldermen … but they often didn’t.
Maybe in some villages that already have very active neighborhood associations some of this is less important there but in Upper Falls it’s been a great thing.
Full Disclosure – I have to say all these nice things about the Area Council because my wife, Marie Jackson, is one of the councilors.
If all villages have Area Councils and we have to vote for nine more people can we at least eliminate the Ward Alderman position? Decrease the board by eight?
Encouraging villages to create neighborhood associations is great. I just wonder whether or not it’s healthier to keep them independent of the city.
We vote for a Ward Alderman, two At-Large Alderman from our ward, fourteen other At-Large Alderman and a Mayor.
We are very well represented.
Now we’ll add nine more names to the ballot? Most Newtonites can’t name four alderman. Is more names on a ballot better democracy? Many (most?) years, there is not a full slate of candidates for Area Council: Everyone who runs wins. Is that a democratic process?
I’m sure the Mayor or Ward Alderman love Area Councils, it makes their job much easier. On any village issue they can pass off decisions to the AC.
In the 30 (?) years since Newton Highlands created the first Area Council, no village has felt the need for one until the recent push by John Rice and Mayor Warren. Newton Highlands Area Council has been very successful and the support for AC’s comes from that experience. Instead of an official city Area Council, how about the Ward Alderman push to create Village improvement groups within their wards?
It’s important that every village has an neighborhood association as an advocacy group but should the group must be a legal entity of city government?
Does the Upper Falls council keep a docket or meeting reports? I don’t see any on the City website. (I don’t use Facebook if that is where they are)
Here’s their minutes.
I think Terry makes some good points. I question whether there’s enough long-term interest in and commitment for area councils. After all, until recently there was only really one, and doesn’t even that one have difficulty finding candidates?
Conceptually, I like the idea, but practically, I’m not sure there’s a burning interest.
Better perhaps to create something similar to an AC, but have ward aldermen use them in an advisory mode, without formal city elections.
councilectomy is needed to downsizetheboard. Area councils will localize the village needs, drawing away from the power and control of the Hall.
I was elected to the Newton Highlands Neighborhood Area Council last November. This is my first term ever on the Council. I agree with Jerry. They have a value that is obvious, but can’t really be measured in any empirical way. In essence, nine pretty savvy people, from various backgrounds, get together regularly to consider topics of concern to the entire village. There is always combustion. No, we don’t have any formal powers, but I’ve been amazed at how Newton Highland’s two ward aldermen listen carefully to what we say, and how they generally act on it.
@Terry. I don’t think it makes a ward alderman’s task any easier, but I think it does make it more focused.
Bob
I’m not surprised that nine people who have put their names on a ballot, when put in a room together can find plenty to say. Have you watched the 24 members of the Board of Alderman?
That’s why the voters of Newton want to downsize the BOA.
To Schlock’s point: downsize the BOA and Area Councils will be very valuable.