You get to set one 2018 objective for our newly elected mayor, Ruthanne Fuller, what is it? Try to suggest something that can be reasonably accomplished in a year, without a significant change to existing laws, and without a significant new budget allocation.
Crazy Divers: Men be like...
drivers man be like
Let’s start off with addressing our newly elected Mayor as Mayor Fuller. With everything that went down during the last two weeks of the election, why would we address her as Madam? Would you have addressed Scott Lennon as Mister Mayor, or Mayor Lennon? I will include here what I texted to Mayor Fuller yesterday morning: I hope that you will lead our great city with honesty and transparency, and integrity. The first critical role ahead is to heal and repair the negativity and polarization that took place in the last two weeks of the campaign. I know that Ruthanne has the skills to work on infrastructure, education, housing, transportation, environment, or she has the skills to hire the qualified staff to work on those issues. The first objective is to bring all of us from different perspectives and socio-economic backgrounds, and genders and races, and religious backgrounds together so that we all feel that we belong and can move forward in strength and honesty.
Jo-Louise and THM,
I know that this plays to type, but I’m worried about the consequence of too much concern about polarization and incivility. The easiest way to repair/avoid division is for those who want change to back off their demand for change, in a victory for the status quo.
I don’t want to suggest that division is a goal or in good in and of itself. But, if division is a necessary byproduct of a spirited discussion of change, that’s probably okay.
Also, bringing everybody together is not measurable.
I don’t speak for Ruthanne Fuller, but I did speak to her Tuesday night after the election. She told me the first thing she will do, other than working with Mayor Warren on ensuring a successful transition, will be to reach out to people on all sides and work on unity and conciliation. She knows she has a lot of work to do, and she knows that continued divisiveness within our community does no one any good.
No streets without complete, continuous sidewalks by the end of first year.
Newtoner,
That’s a great one!
Sign an ordinance to limit the blogs that Sean Roche creates! 🙂
Or he should check into rehab for his OCB – O C Blogging habits.
Neil,
If we had a smaller Council, it would be easier to get such an ordinance passed!
It is my sincerest aspiration that she leads an effort to determine all those activities which should be banned in Newton. I am sure former Councilor Sangiolo would be willing to co-chair that blue ribbon commission with former Councilor Hess-Mahan. In Year 2, we can have these activities banned. By Year 3 we will all be free.
To build on the theme of Ted’s post, during the campaign, Ruthanne proactively reached out to me many times to learn more about how Newton could do better in certain areas. It takes a genuine leader to do that, and after each and every time we met, I grew more impressed by Ruthanne as both a person and a leader. Once she becomes Mayor Fuller, I have full faith that she’ll govern in the true spirit of collaboration. Newton’s future is bright.
As a first order of business, I want her to start working on establishing a good working relationship with our teachers and other public employees and gain their trust. All the local unions are distrustful of her and didn’t support her. She needs to prove to them she’s a partner that they can work with.
Good to see Mayor Fuller won. Hopefully this is the beginning of a Republican/Conservative wave in Massachusetts!!
Time to fight these greedy and lazy teachers, police unions who take MY TAX DOLLARS.
MAGA one day at a time with Trump in the White House, and Fuller in this city!
Good work Newton!
@Carol Reid
Scott Lennon is a fine person and he has been an excellent city leader, but he came up short by about 350 votes. The election is over. Give it up please.
@Andy Levin, Why are you referencing Scott Lennon in response to Carol Reid’s Trumpian rant? She didn’t mention Lennon at all and why would she given the context of her post
And for the record, I didn’t appreciate people telling me to “get over it” when Hillary lost and that is that last thing I want to here right at this moment.
@ Claire
Because her sarcasm is not fooling anybody.
I would like to see her form a positive relationship with the Newton Teachers Association and the custodian union. No outsourcing!!
I also think she needs to make a connection with a lot of voters on the North Side. I contacted her about the winter parking ban back in the spring but never heard back. I’ve had other friends in neighborhoods like West Newton, Newton Corner, and the Lake who have contacted her about that and she was surprised to find out that there are people without off-street parking in Newton!! But she hasn’t seemed all that receptive about implementing a change but I’m hoping as mayor that needs to unite the city she might take this seriously.
Mayor Fuller is going to have to make some tough decisions. I don’t think there is anything she can do that will make everyone on this blog happy. Let’s focus on making the best decisions for the city.
The biggest day will the first school committee meeting. My hope is Mayor Fuller takes charge of the effort to start high school later. The contrast to Mayor Warren will be impressive.
Mayor Fuller,
Show respect to the hard working union members of this City that are just trying to make a living. Most of them/us can not afford to live in the City we grew up in and work for. Come to the bargaining table with an open mind and don’t try to chisel away everything people have worked so hard for.
I would like to see Mayor Fuller take a “Team of Rivals” approach that would keep Scott Lennon and Amy Sangiolo contributing to Newton in some official or semi-official capacity. Beyond being a strong statement that she wants to bring Newton together, it would also be a smart acquisition of talent, knowledge and trust. It would also be a wise acknowledgement that we need Newton’s best people working together on the challenges ahead. Congratulations, Mayor Fuller! We’re in good hands.
There might be some ethics rules that prevent a former Newton elected official from taking a job with the city for one year.
I believe that was the case with Dori Zaleznik after she departed from the school committee but before she began working in the mayor’s office.
Interesting idea KarenN. There certainly is a lot of institutional knowledge and talent heading out the door. Even if it was just for a transition period to mentor new CC members
@Greg Reibman, They could volunteer their time and expertise as that is pretty much what they have been doing
Section 2-4(a) of the City Charter provides as follows:
Similarly, Section 4-5 of the Charter provides:
“No former councilor shall hold any compensated appointive city office or city employment until 1 year after the expiration of the former councilor’s service on the city council. ”
Who said anything about compensation or employment?
Claire: do you work for free? People deserve to be compensated for their work and certainly don’t deserve to have other people tell them they should work for free
Actually most CC members basically for “free”. They certainly don’t work for the $9750 they get as a city council person. I’m pretty sure Ruthanne didn’t work on Blue Ribbon Commissions for the $$
But you know that
I didn’t know about the one year rule. Thanks for the information.
@Claire, I interpreted KarenN’s suggestion to keep Scott Lennon and Amy Sangiolo contributing to Newton in some official or semi-official capacity ” to include either compensated or uncompensated employment. I assume Greg did too, based on his comments about subsequent employment. I was merely clarifying the source of the prohibition on subsequent employment for a one-year period that Greg mentioned. And, even if $9750/year seems like a paltry sum to you, I assure you City Councilors do “work” for it and that we are considered employees of the City.
Well THM I interpreted it differently and I am on record here on V14 that the work done by CC is a labor of service and not job so lets not cloud the issue with silliness. KarenN wasn’t concerned about compensating them. She was concerned about leveraging their skills an knowledge.
By the way, uncompensated “employment” is an oximoron
For the record, I believe that people should be paid for their work and was not implying unpaid volunteerism. There is already too much noblesse oblige in Newton. If we don’t limit it, it will diminish democracy here.
I would love to see an evaluation of the CC downsizing that would analyze shifting the work of constituent service from low-paid ward councilor sto much more highly paid city employees. I don’t think that was examined by the commission.
I don’t know how often councilors tour the city infrastructure, but I’d like to see Mayor Fuller tour all the schools that need renovation, firestations and all the roadways that need work, etc. and take a firsthand tour of all the infrastructure issues (not just the schools). But, maybe she has done that as a councilor….I don’t know.
Scrap the planning department, and take the urban planning effort out of the hands of developers. Let’s stop the developers from making the decision regarding what Newton should be, and have a more cohesive plan. One endorsed by its voters.
Support the custodians, no outsourcing.
Infrastructure – the roads are a mess.
@Claire, you were as spot on, as always. You may have a future in mind reading.
Oh, and Claire, not for nothing, even unpaid volunteer members of commissions, boards and other municipal bodies are “employees” or “special employees” under Massachusetts law. Just thought you might want the 411 on this before you post again.
Here is the upshot about school building renovations. Cabot School is running into big troubles with its renovations. Fifteen families on Bridges, Norwood and Parkview Sts. sustained major flooding damage 10 days ago after a 3inch Sunday night rainstorm. Why, because the expanded building site is constructing a huge renovation over laundry brook which drains a significant area of the city. The city must protect its citizens better. RuthAnne and Setti have you met with these shocked and worried families?
‘Blue Newton’ is the pragmatic practical side of getting things done, letting those who need the credit fanfare do just that. We can get more accomplished by doing, by not being in the spotlight, and by not creating union grievances. Running afoul of parameter based ordinances, which are many times ill conceived laden with unintendended consequences, direly victims of their own making. Finding solutions to identified problems, finding and delivering results without others noticing; without leaving fingerprints, ’tis a way of efficiencies without the red tape of governance. The ability and maneuverability of independent third party is a trademark of the independent unenrolled activism, facing the problems with a positive resolve for results speaking louder than words.
Dear Mayor Fuller:
I hope you will recognize the need to help all the villages find their legitimate grassroots elected voice that only four now enjoy. Help to institutionalize Area Councils across Newton. Perhaps two precincts/Council for a corps of 16 volunteer troops to keep information flow conversational, not confrontational. Mayor Warren supported creating 3 in his 2 terms. I am certain that your energy could support creating 12 more!
Dear Mayor Fuller,
For climate, air quality & quality of life, please set an aggressive goal to reduce Newton’s commonwealth- leading 1.7 cars per household to 1.0 fossil-fueled cars per household. We have a multitude of tools to reach this, including electric vehicles, bike lanes & bike share, car share, ride share, parking share & transit. All new developments should implement parking maximums & unbundled parking.
Implement a comprehensive visioning and zoningprocess to bring vibrancy to the village squares on par with the great squares of Cambridge, Somerville and Brookline. Particularly on the north side. Foster a world class food and arts scene. I would love if our village days were more than just a bunch of local banks handing out pens.