Some often-debated issues come up for a vote at Monday’s (tonight’s) Board of Aldermen:
- The chartered Austin Street proposal
- The Capital Improvement Plan
- Tree Preservation Ordinance amendments
- Water and Sewer Rates
All the documents are linked here. I found the response to the TAB’s Open Meeting complaint interesting, along with the updates on all the City’s building projects.
On Austin Street–three of three Ward 2 aldermen have filed resolutions, but interestingly, they aren’t the same resolution.
Other hot topics are handled in committee this week, including duplicate street names (the documents for that are attached to the Public Safety agenda).
I am glad that the Tree Preservation Ordinance is being tightened up so that rogue builders in Newton and scofflaws will have a more difficult time deforesting lots of their trees. It is about time that the City got tougher on this issue as some builders in Newton have been making a mockery of the laws and ordinances that we have. I have some free advice to my fellow Newton residents. If your property or trees are damaged by new construction near your house go to the Inspectional Services Dept at Newton City Hall and ask to see the property file where the construction is taking place. In that file there should be a form that lists the insurance of the builder or contractor. Call the insurance company and file a claim for your damages. The only way to get these scofflaws to start following the rules is to hurt them in their designer pocket books and wallets. If the information is not in the file as it should be march over to the Mayor’s office and ask him why it is not there.
@NewtonGal: You know how they say “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings?” Well, the fat lady here is the final vote. That’s why I publish the Muni-Wonk –so that those who really care about current issues, one way or another, have a last chance to be seen (you won’t be heard tonight, likely), or to call the Aldermen whose votes they may be able to sway.
I can never make these meetings. Can someone who attends give us the skinny on the Austin Street votes?
Thank you andreae for taking the time to post the Muni-Wonk. It seems that many people are so busy nowadays that they have no time to participate in politics or the political process. This is a real shame because the more people that we have attending these meetings the better. Do you find that the Aldermen tend to flip flop on issues when it comes time to vote? I thought that the Tree Preservation Ordinance amendments were basically a done deal as they are long overdue and still not as strong as I would like to see them. I would like to see a larger fine than $300 for illegally removing a tree. A $300 fine is chump change to these builders in Newton who are making millions of dollars at the expense of our environment and in some instances the properties of abutters.
A few years ago, the property next to mine was demolished and a new condo unit was built. A tree on the City berm was in the way of the construction trucks so they just cut it down. It was never replaced. I imagine this is not unusual…
And I imagine there is little anyone can do about it. Sad.
The Whole Truth-You should call Mark Welch the tree warden in Newton and let him know about that incident. If the tree has not been replaced yet I am sure that he would gladly plant a new one there. If anyone ever has their lawn, trees, shrubs or home damaged by a builder you can easily file an insurance claim against their insurance and get reimbursed. The Inspectional Services Dept. is supposed to collect the insurance information from builders and developers and sub contractors.
@Newton Gal, you are correct in thinking that a $300 fine is not significant but this is per tree/per day so it can add up to something that every violator will find noticeable. In my mind this is a no-brainer to approve by the board although we see enough other correct and well intentioned ordinances that are violated due to imprecise language subject to interpretation. Hopefully the time taken to get this done will make this work for years to come.
The city law office does not want to levy fines because developers will contest them, resulting in costly legal battles the city does not want to pay for.
Groot Gregory-Do you know if the $300 per day per tree fine is in perpetuity or until the developer cuts a check to the tree fund and then those funds are used to plant trees elsewhere around the city and not where the trees were originally removed from? I heard Mark Welch speak at the last meeting and I seem to recall him saying that he has only issued a couple of fines during his tenure as tree warden. I also noticed that there is a vacancy in the tree department in the city budget that needs to be filled. I hope that the city fills this position soon so Mark Welch can get some help battling the builders who have no respect for nature or trees…the only thing green they care about is the almighty dollar.
Don’t forget that 78 Lovett Road retaining wall is on the agenda, too! http://village14.com/newton-ma/2014/02/if-you-build-it-they-will-approve-it/#axzz30stLyqb0
Any word on what occurred at the meeting? A summary would be great, especially on Austin Street.
The tree ordinance revision passed on 1st Call, i.e. unopposed, so I’m happy!
On Austin Street, if I’m interpreting correctly, nothing has changed.
Vote on special permit for retaining wall was 15-8, so it did not get the 2/3 needed to pass, but THM changed his vote to No, the winning side, which allows him to move to reconsider at the next meeting, I believe.
Sorry I can’t be more informative about Austin Street, but arguments over whether something is “No Action Necessary” are a little opaque to me.
Thanks Julia! Anyone have anything more on Austin Street?