Below you will find this week’s City Council and other Board and Commission Meetings. Of interest – GOATS may be coming to Newton!  That’s right – check out the Conservation Commission’s agenda for this week – some 30+ goats may be temporarily located at our old Deer Park to help with the bittersweet!

Full City Council to Meet Tonight – 7:45 p.m.

The Full City Council will meet on TONIGHT, October 16th at 7:45 p.m. in the Council Chamber.  The Reports Docket can be found here and the New Docket can be found here.

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City Council Committee Reports – Now Available

The following City Council Committee Reports are now available:

Land Use Committee – 10/3/2017:  The Land Use Committee met on October 3rd and voted to approve the following:  request for a special permit/site plan approval to
construct three additions including a mudroom, a second floor addition over an
existing porch and extension of a kitchen, further extending the nonconforming
FAR from .40 to .44 where .39 is allowed at 715 Commonwealth Avenue, and request for a special permit/site plan approval to construct a 764 sq. ft. rear addition to allow for new living space and creating an FAR of .60 where .44 exists and .46 is allowed at 115 Nonantum Street.  All other items were held.  The report can be found here.

Programs and Services Committee – 10/4/2017:  The Programs and Services Committee met on October 4th and voted to approve the following:  appointment of Ethan Tieger to the Newton Commonwealth Foundation, Bethel Charkoudian, Arthur Magni, Peter Kastner, Byron Dunker, Andrew Stern, Richard Tucker, Patrick Palmer, Jack Neville, Michael Clarke, and Sam Figler to the Newton Parks and Recreation Commission, and a resolution requested through a Citizen’s Petition acknowledging the scientifically documented benefits of a later school time and supporting the Newton Public Schools to take action to delay high school start times. All other items were held.  The report can be found here.

Public Facilities Committee – 10/4/2017: The Public Facilities Committee met on October 4th and voted to approve the following:  petition for a grant of location to install a pole on Windsor Road from Kent Road, request to approve the “City of Newton – Public
Buildings Department – Building Design and Construction Sustainability Guidelines,” resolution to support  H.2683/S.1845 that seeks to protect consumers from
leaked gas while providing economic incentive to providers to repair infrastructure
so as to reduce methane leaks into the environment, and a re-appointment of Marian Rambell to the Solid Waste Commission. All other items were held.  The report can be found here.

Public Safety and Transportation Committee – 10/4/2017:  The Public Safety and Transportation Committee met on October 4th and voted No Action Necessary on the following:  discussion regarding sprinkler system installation in any new construction projects, discussion regarding possible ordinance change regarding fines for parking in curb cuts and at fire hydrants, and a request for a letter of support of the redesign of the Auburndale Commuter Rail Station.  The agenda can be found here.

Land Use Committee – 10/10/2017:  The Land Use Committee met on October 10th and voted to approve the following:  request for an extension of time to exercise a special permit/site plan approval for one story addition including a mudroom, study and half bath at 115 Waban Street, request for withdrawal without prejudice for an application for an amendment to a special permit/site plan approval at Kesseler Woods to allow for off-site location of Inclusionary Zoning units in conjunction with the rehabilitation of the apartment building at 219 Commonwealth Avenue resulting in an increased number of affordable units from the approved site of 179 Kesseler Way, request for a Class 2 Auto Dealer License for Ciccone Motors, request for a special permit/site plan approval to raze the existing detached garage and construct an attached garage, mudroom and kitchen, extending the existing non-conforming front setback, requiring a variance to allow a rear setback of 7.6’ and increasing the FAR to .55 where .40 is allowed and .50 exists at 168 Allerton Road, request to amend a special permit/site plan approval  to allow a retaining wall, pillars and grading changes not consistent with the previously approved site plan at 2171 Commonwealth Avenue (see Planning Memo) and a request to rezone property to Business Use 2 for land located at 29 Hovey Street (see Rezoning Council Order) , also identified as Section 12, Block 006, Lot 004, and an unnumbered lot on Hovey Street ad a request for a special permit/site plan approval to construct elderly housing with services in excess of 20,000 sq. ft. of gross floor area, consisting of 85 living units in a four-story structure not to exceed 48’ in height and Floor Area Ratio not to exceed 2.0, extending the existing nonconforming front setback and constructing a retaining wall greater than 4’ in a setback at 431 Washington Street, 29 Hovey Street, and the adjacent unnumbered lot to the north on Hovey Street (Sunrise Development). The report can be found here.

Zoning and Planning Committee – 10/11/2017:  The Zoning and Planning Committee met on October 11th and voted to approve the appointment of Jean Wood to the Economic Development Commission, and the following re-appointments to the Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission:  Matthew Montgomery, Robert Imperato, Peter Vieira, John Wyman, and Samuel Perry.  All other items were held but please note there was a robust discussion and update on the Zoning Re-design project, lodging house ordinance amendments and food trucks.  The report can be found here.

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City Council Committee Meetings – Week of October 15th

The following City Council Committees are scheduled to meet this week:

Finance Committee:  The Finance Committee was originally scheduled to meet last Wednesday but cancelled it’s meeting.  The Committee is now scheduled to meet TONIGHT, Monday, October 16th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 211 and is expected to discuss the following:   request for authorization to accept a grant from AARP in the amount of $4,320 to perform a pilot study of ways to help Newton seniors retrofit their homes to make aging-in -place more feasible, request from the Newton Housing Authority to use their portion of the Inclusionary Zoning funds in the amount of $355,960 to develop new affordable housing on NHA-owned property next to Jackson Gardens, requesting to transfer the sum of $15,000  from various accounts to the Public Building Department for the development of a public information plan regarding the site cleanup at the Horace Mann School for an oil leak that occurred in 1998, request for authorization to add one full-time employee within the Public Works Department to manage all detail requests submitted to the Police
Detail Coordinator, and a request to reallocate the sum of $250,467.24 from the Waban Hill Reservoir Improvements Account to be used for the decommissioning of the Stanton Avenue and Winchester Street elevated storage tanks.

The Chair intends to review a number of other items on the docket for end of term action.  Those items are the following: a request to accept General Laws Chapter 44, Section 53F, which establishes a special revenue fund known as the Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) Access and Cable Related Fund, to reserve cable franchise fees and other cable-related revenues for appropriation to support PEG access services and oversight and renewal of the cable franchise agreement, the fund to begin operation for fiscal year 2019, which begins on July 1, 2018, a request to amend Chapter 17, City of Newton Ordinances, to establish licensing requirements and criteria for lodging houses, request an amendment to Section 29-80 Sewer Use Charge of the City of Newton Ordinances by adding the following sentence at the end of Paragraph (a): Notwithstanding the foregoing, seasonal water takers not eligible for an outdoor meter under said Section 29-24, shall pay a charge for the use of sewerage works in proportion to water consumption, request for authorization to appropriate the sum of $500,000 from bonded indebtedness for the purpose of funding renovations at the Newton Free Library to include expansion of the Children’s Room and other improvements to the First Floor (Note: The  item was split into Part A and Part B. Part A – $75,000 for design and soft costs. Part B –
$425,000 for construction costs.  City Council Approved Part A on 06/19/17), requesting authorization to appropriate $2,000,000 from Free Cash to the Rainy Day Stabilization Fund, request for a parking meter pilot or multiple pilots in Fiscal Year 2018 using the latest technology, which allows payment by credit card and other features, such as monitoring meter usage, providing feedback to administrators, information to drivers, and allowing time-based fee adjustment, request for a discussion with the Planning & Development
Department regarding the fees charged for Special Permits and what the actual costs
are for issuing Special Permits, request that the City through the Department
of Public Works, pilot a curbside food waste collection program, request for a discussion with the Administration regarding possible licensing agreements with wireless carriers, and to create a policy and to develop and adopt a uniform license agreement for wireless
carriers to install wireless communication devices on city-owned poles in the public way, request the establishment of a filing fee from petitioners seeking to attach wireless communications devices to existing or proposed structures in the public way, proposal for an amendment to Chapter 20 of the City of Newton Revised Ordinances to allow noncriminal ticketing of certain violations of the Accessory Apartment Ordinance, request discussion with the Administration and Public Buildings Department about the Community Solar Share Program, which intends to provide credits resulting from solar power generated at 70 Elliot Street to qualifying low income residents, review and acceptance of the Fiscal Years 2018 to 2022 5-Year Financial Forecast for City Council review/acceptance, request to amend the City Council Rules, Article X; Section 6 – Additional Notification Requirements, to expand the area for notification for special permit hearings, request for a discussion regarding expenditures related to the Complete Streets grant with representatives of the Department of Public Works, requesting authorization to appropriate and expend certain Mitigation Funds for traffic and pedestrian improvements, request to accept the earned sick time leave for city employees, request for a discussion of the process of licensing the current and future use of city building, including: (a) how licensees may request the use of city buildings; (b) the process for determining which licensees will get the use of city buildings; (c) how the fees for the use of city buildings are set; and (d) how the current process compares to the process for permitting the use of school buildings, request to create a policy to require audio recordings of all meetings of boards and commissions and requiring them to be posted to the City’s website, as well as posting of all documentation that is reviewed by boards and commissions and/or by their designated City staff member, request for a report from the Planning
Department re how many of the affordable units developed at Commonwealth Avenue,
Pearl Street, and Eddy Street qualify for inclusion on the State’s Subsidized Housing
Inventory List; if a property is not on the list, what can be done to make it eligible, and a discussion with the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Information Officer regarding the critical need to implement technology which enables the development, management and use of shared, searchable, mobile-accessed (both read and write) database which contains parcel-based information that can be accessed by all city departments (including Planning, Inspectional Services (ISD), Assessing, Engineering, Fire, Police, Health), the Board of Aldermen and the community. This technology must support the work of ISD and other departments in both the office and the field to more effectively and efficiently monitor and enforce compliance with approved special permits and other related Board Orders.

The agenda can be found here.

Programs and Services Committee:  The Programs and Services Committee will have a special meeting TONIGHT at 7:15 p.m. in Room 205 and will discuss the following appointments to the Library Trustees:  Geline Williams, Joshua Steirman, Jean Notis-McConarty and Sharon Stout, appointment of Peter Doherty to the Newton Commonwealth Foundation, and re-appointment of Marietta Marchitelli and Russel Feldman to the Jackson Homestead.  The agenda can be found here.

Public Safety and Transportation Committee:  The Public Safety and Transportation Committee is scheduled to meet jointly with the Programs and Services Committee at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 18th in Room 205 to discuss a request from the Zoning and Planning Committee to amend our ordinances to establish licensing requirements and criteria for lodging houses in the City of Newton.  The Committee will then take up the following items with the intent to entertain a motion for No Action Necessary:  request for a parking meter pilot program, request for a review to eliminate the overnight winter parking ban, request for an update on the opiod epidemic and steps that the Health Department and our City can undertake, discussion about duplicate street names and an update on the renovations to the City’s fire stations.  The agenda can be found here.

Programs and Services Committee:  The Programs and Services Committee is scheduled to meet jointly with the Public Safety and Transportation Committee on Wednesday, October 18th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 205 to discuss a request from the Zoning and Planning Committee to amend our ordinances to establish licensing requirements and criteria for lodging houses in the City of Newton.  The Committee will then reconvene in Room 211 to discuss the following items:  request to accept MGL c. 140 Section 22A to allow for cooking facilities in Lodging Houses on a limited basis, request for recission of a docket item that requires all new docket items to contain the date and time the item was received, request for a Rules amendment to replace the word “petition” with the words “docket item”, request for a Rules amendment to close out docket items that have not made their way through the Council by the end of the term, proposal to require registration of lobbyists in the City of Newton.  The agenda can be found here.

Public Facilities Committee:  The Public Facilities Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, October 18th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 204 and the Chamber and is expected to discuss the following:  two appointments to the Solid Waste Commission – Miles Smith and Sunwoo Kahng, petition for a grant of location to install conduit from an existing
handhole in front of 133 Bigelow Road to a proposed handhole in front of 111 Bigelow Road to provide service to a new home, petition for a grant of location to install and maintain a gas main in Broken Tree Road from the existing main at #74 Broken Tree Road
northerly to house #82 to provide new service, request for an update on municipal aggregation, request for an update on the rate case hearings and the impact on the City’s solar projects, request to the Administration to take necessary steps to install fence and ivy screening for the abutters of the Rumford Avenue Solar Installation project, and request for a resolution for the City to become 100% Renewable Energy by 2027. In addition, the Chair intends to take up the following items with the intent to entertain a motion for No Action Necessary – discussion about the Community Solar Share program, authorization to add an full-time employee within the Public Works Department to manage Police Detail work, and a request for a Parking Meter Pilot program for 2018. The agenda can be found here.

Real Property and Reuse Committee:  The Real Property and Reuse Committee Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, October 17th has been cancelled.  The Notice of Cancellation can be found here.

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Other City Board and Commission Meetings – Week of October 15th

The following other City Boards and Commissions are scheduled to meet this week:

Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission:  The Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission is scheduled to have a site visit THIS MORNING, October 16th at 8:00 a.m. at the rear of 300 Hammond Street – Boston College to review the proposed location for a garden fence and proposed raised beds.  The agenda can be found here.  For more information, please contact Barbara Kurze by phone at:  617-796-1129 or by email at:  [email protected].

Commission on Disability:  The Commission on Disability will meet TONIGHT, October 16th at 6:30 p.m. in Room 204 and is expected to discuss the following:  approval of the September minutes, CDBG Report, Handicap Parking Fines Report, Treasurer’s Report, ADA Coordinator’s Report, request for an MAAB Variance for Dearborn Academy, Accessible Parking for the Waban Square Post Office, and application review for the Commission on Disability. The agenda can be found here.  For more information, please contact Jini Fairley by phone at:  617-796-1253 or by email at:  [email protected].

Parks and Recreation Commission:  The Parks and Recreation Commission will meet TONIGHT, October 16th in the Cafeteria at 7:00 p.m. and is expected to discuss the following:  Commissioner Reports on Programs, Forestry, and Maintenance, re-naming of the Waban Hill Reservoir, discussion of 499 Winchester Street, update on the Crescent Street project, and reports from the following Committees:  Community Preservation Committee, Farm Commission, Cabot Redesign Committee, Commonwealth Golf Course, Off-Leash Working Group, Crystal Lake Working Group and the Nahanton Park Committee.
The agenda can be found here.

Licensing Commission:  The Licensing Commission is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, October 17th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 204.  The agenda can be found here.

Human Rights Commission:  The Human Rights Commission is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, October 17th in Room 106C.  The agenda can be found here.  For more information, please contact Jini Fairley by phone at:  617-796-1253 or by email at:  [email protected].

Design Review Committee:  The Design Review Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, October 18th at 6:00 p.m. in the Trustee’s Room at the Main Library and is expected to discuss the schematic design progress review of the Crescent Street Housing and Rev. Ford Playground Expansion Project and review and approve the GMP Construction Documents for the Cabot Elementary School Building project.  The agenda can be found here.

Board of Library Trustees:  The Board of Library Trustees are scheduled to meet on Wednesday, October 18th at 9:00 a.m. in the Trustees Room at the Main Library.  The agenda can be found here.

Board of Assessors:  The Board of Assessors are scheduled to meet on Wednesday, October 18th at 9:00 a.m. in Room 108.  The agenda can be found here.

Urban Design Commission:  The Urban Design Commission is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, October 18th at 7:00 p.m. in the Planning Conference Room (B10) and will review the following applications for sign permits:  100 Needham Street – ATI Physical Therapy, 100 Wells Avenue – Wingate, 199 Wells Avenue – First Help Financial, 1201
Walnut Street – Newton Pediatric Dentistry; and a Fence Appeal at 564 Dedham Street.  The agenda can be found here, packet documents here and staff memo here.  For more information, please contact Shubee Sikka by phone at:  617-796-1139 or by email at:  [email protected].

Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission:  The Chestnut Hill Historic District Commission is scheduled to meet on Thursday, October 19th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 205 and will discuss the following requests for Certificate of Compliance:  request to install a fence at the rear of the property located at 29 Gate House Road, request to install a pool, paving, retaining wall and a fence for property located at 41 Chestnut Hill Road, request to install a garden fence and gate at 314 Hammond Street, a request to a garden fence, raised beds and granite steps for property located at 147 Chestnut Hill Road and a request to repair the front retaining wall and rear fence, repave driveway, re-lay patios, and re-point brick steps. Install retaining walls, landscaping wall, and steps and remove the fence, concrete slab and steps for property located at 34 Beacon Street.  The agenda can be found here, the packet documents can be found here and the staff memo can be found here.  For more information, please contact Barbara Kurze by phone at: 617-796-1129 or by email at:  [email protected].

Conservation Commission:  The Conservation Commission is scheduled to meet on Thursday, October 19th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 204 and will discuss the following:  information discussion about potential tree cutting at 280 Islington Road, request for a Certificate of Compliance for an addition, deck and mitigation planting areas for property located at 99 Hagen Road, Notice of Intent for demolition of an existing single-family house to construct a duplex with drainage, landscaping, grading and a 12″ culvert for property located at 73 Beaconwood Road, potential Goat-scaping – temporarily locating in 30 + goats to help with bittersweet overgrowth at the Deer Park, plan change to an Eagle Scout project at Dolan Pond and discussion about potential project for the Recreational Trail Grant Application which is due next February.  The agenda can be found here, and the packet documents can be found here.  For more information, please contact Jennifer Steel by phone at: 617-796-1134 or by email at:  [email protected].

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City Council Meetings – Week of October 15th

The Full City Council will meet on Monday, October 16th at 7:45 p.m. in the Council Chamber.  The Reports Docket can be found here and the New Docket can be found here.

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Kindly forward this on to your friends, family, and anyone you think might be interested and please encourage them to sign up!  Folks can also go directly to my website at www.amysangiolo.com and subscribe.

As always, I welcome your input on any topic relevant to the Council and our community. Have a great week!

Please stay safe, be healthy, be happy, and most of all, please be kind.

Amy Mah Sangiolo
Councilor-at-Large, Ward 4