I am writing with exciting news. I am running for Newton City Council as a Ward 6 Councilor-At-Large in this November’s municipal election.
I have spent 15 years working hard to help Newton become a more livable and environmentally sustainable community, while also supporting stronger schools and better transportation options. As an advocate, I have had the pleasure of working with amazing people in Newton, and I have learned a great deal from them. I am now ready to use my experience to help lead Newton through the critical challenges it will face in the coming years.
Newton is currently planning changes that will have lasting effects on the climate, housing, schools and transportation. These issues are complicated, and to make wise decisions, we need leaders who understand the comprehensive puzzle. One thing is certain: decisions not made by us will be made for us.
If I am elected, I will join a growing number of councilors who have the same concerns and are ready to move forward to a better and stronger Newton.
My husband was born and raised in Newton Highlands. His father was a teacher at Newton North High School for twenty-five years. I have grown to love Newton. Much has changed in this city in my husband’s lifetime, and I am running for City Council because I want Newton to continue to be a great place to grow up and to return home to.
You will hear more from me in the coming weeks when my website goes live and I launch my official campaign. In the meantime, feel free to get in touch at [email protected]. I would love to hear about what’s important to you locally and your ideas for improvement.
Warmly,
Alicia Bowman
Alicia,
Do you support and would you vote yes for the proposed zoning reforms?
With projects like Northland, Riverside, Washington St and Austin St, Newton is quickly moving from “The Garden City” to “The Apartment City”, as the percentage of rentals rise and single family homeowners fade into extinction.
What is your position on this?
Alicia, while I’m aware of your work with Safe Routes, I’ve found some of the things you’ve said to be out-of-touch with respect to working parents and the lesser income families. How will you be an advocate for people that are middle and lower income?
You will be running against Greg Schwartz. What is your opinion on his recent proposal regarding zoning of recreational marijuana shops?
Is this going to be an open seat or are the incumbents being challenged?
@Peter Karg: To the best of my knowledge both Councilors Danberg and Schwartz are seeking reelection. If anyone knows otherwise, please share. As you know, if they are running this will be at least a three person contest for two seats, with the top two vote getters prevailing. Naturally there’s still plenty of time for more candidates!
I should add: Alicia Bowman is a fascinating addition to this contest. She’s well-connected, has deep roots as a Newton activist and never been shy about expressing her views. Councilor Danberg has always been a very strong competitor and Councilor Schwartz has really elevated his visibility since becoming Land Use chair. This will be really interesting.
I am so excited there will be a challenger to Greg Schwartz. Just to refresh people’s memories, Schwartz is a prohibitionist, who has been one of the leading obstructionists to implementing cannabis reforms passed by the voters.
That someone is described as an “activist” should be a major warning sign when it comes to evaluation for a body such as the City Council. Activists in make for horrible legislators more or less byu definition. Rather than activists we need pragmatists.
@ Greg Reibman – I think Alicia would be a strong challenger if she ran for the Ward Councilor position. Very difficult but not impossible to knock out an at-large Councilor. I believe that both Danberg and Schwartz have a strong city-wide base of support.
@Peter Karg: True. And yet Andreae Downs was able to unseat Brian Yates last time. Jake Auchincloss achieved a similar success against Marcia Johnson before that. And, if my memory has this right, didn’t Schwartz get his position by unseating Charlie Shapiro?
It does and can happen.
@Colleen I recently attended the Ward 6 Zoning meeting a few weeks back. Some people came away from the meeting believing the new zoning is overly dramatic and will quickly result in huge growth. A few people thought instead the zoning is not likely to have a huge impact on the status quo. James Freas from Planning did a great job at the Ward 6 meeting going through what work was done. Based on what was presented at the meeting, my feeling is the zoning proposal mostly codifies what has already been built. The zoning effort has been very focused on streamlining the process to minimize the need for special permits. Home owners and building owners who have gone through renovations should be over joyed with this. I would most definitely support zoning updates that make the rules clear and fair for all. One thing Planning is still working on is an analysis of how the new zoning will change what is likely to be built. We were told they were working on this. This is a critical piece of analysis that should be done before people (and Councilors) decide on how to vote and if they are interested in modifying what has been presented as a first draft. More on zoning below…
@Matt I am a strong supporter of the need for Newton to create a greater variety of housing options. I have had the heart wrenching experience of having to move my in-laws out of their Newton Highlands home after 51 years. They did not want to move but they could no longer live safely in their 3 story home, they could no longer drive and it was a little too far for them to walk to run errands and live their lives. If Austin St was built and open, I could easily have seen them moving there for a few years. Seniors who live in places where they are not socially isolated and have close options for their important needs without having to use a car can continue to live independently longer and be healthier.
Apartment buildings are more environmentally friendly (less materials, lower energy usuage) and if built near village centers and transportation they will reduce the need for driving, a further and very important environmental gain.
The climate crisis that is not mentioned nearly enough in the discussion of housing, transportation, schools and businesses.
Peter,
I’m going to take a deeper look at the numbers over the next few days, but some quick observations. I think that you’re right that there has been a higher proportion of upsets (newcomer beats incumbents) in contested ward races v. contested at-large races. If you take out vanity candidates (those who poll less than half the total of the top vote-getter in the ward), I think the numbers will be surprisingly close, especially in recent years. I think what will be surprising, in light of the conventional wisdom, is the number of contested at-large races. If you’re right that it’s much easier to upset a ward councilor, why do so many people choose to make their first race an at-large race? Because, people recognize that ward councilors are surprisingly difficult to unseat.
Also, you have to look at a person’s options. Alicia lives in Ward 6. She can 1. run against and possibly unseat Brenda Noel, or 2. run against and possibly unseat either Greg or Vicki. If you have specific policy preferences, there is a clear difference between those outcomes.
Finally, if you look at who’s been successful in at-large races, it tends to be those, like Alicia, who already have a high city-wide profile: Andreae Downs, Deb Crossley (ran for an open seat, but against a sitting ward aldercritter), Chris Steele (close, though not a winner), Julia Malackie (really close). Jake Auchincloss and Greg are kinda outliers.
Note: Except for his first race, Greg has not come within spitting distance of Vicki in the final count. Without doing something pretty different, Greg is likely the more vulnerable candidate.
@Sean: I recall this factoid from the charter debate: Since 2005 there have been more challengers — and more successful challenges — to at-large candidates than ward candidates.
@Alicia – you told us more about your husband’s background than your own. Please tell us something about yourself – where you are from, educational/job background, etc.
@MMQC I co-founded the Safe Routes to School Task Force 11 years ago. While I had hoped that by now we would have 98% of NPS walking, biking or taking the bus, we are still going strong with programs at 16 of our 21 schools. We have worked with NPS and SC to establish school transportation policies that promote walking, biking and taking the bus. This is necessary to support the larger schools and school start times. This year SRTS is taking on idling and the prevalence of that in our school zones and the health impact to young lungs and the environment.
If your comments about my being out-of-touch with parents relates to my unwavering support for getting more children to walk, let’s talk. One of the best things we can do for busy parents (regardless of their employment or financial status) is make it possible for children to get places safely on their own. This may require some time investment when they are super young, but the right infrastructure and making it part of the Newton culture, will parents significant time over students years at school.
We also have many families where driving is not a choice. In 2014 when we did the SRTS Student Transportation Survey, we heard from many families whose children walk to school because they do not own a car or the parent or caregiver with the child does not drive. Over 80 families responded they have children who must walk to school on their own, as parents leave for work before the students leave for school. All of these families are all worried about the dangerous road conditions their children face, roads usually made more dangerous by heavy school traffic.
And if we are just talking about people with limited financial resources, making it easier to live car light (1 car) or car free is all the better. A car costs over $10,000 a year.
Promoting more students walking, biking and taking the bus to school is a virtuous cycle as it will free up time for busy parents, make the streets safer, and students will be happier and healthier.
@Meredith Thank you for asking about me. I am happy to share more.
I have an MBA from Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) and BA of Economics from Maryland. I was a management consultant for 8 years working with clients to implement new work processes and technology to be more effective and reduce costs. I have been away from the paid professional world for a long time, but I have been busy doing good stuff here in Newton.
I have been an advocate (@Greg I think this is a better word for the work I have done) for making our schools and our city more walkable, bikable, transit friendly and accessible for all. I co-founded the Safe Routes to School Task Force because I needed my children to be able to walk to school and it wasn’t safe. I figured if I was having an issue so were other families. From that I was asked to join the Mayor’s Transportation Advisory Committee started 7 years ago to study how transportation should be improved to better meet the needs the city. I have been President of Bike Newton for the last 2 1/2 years, I have co-chaired the BN Tour de Newton since its inception 6 years ago. I am also on the Riverside Greenway Working Group.
Beyond my transportation focused roles, I was also PTO co-president at Mason-Rice, the PTO Council Secretary, I have been on the LWVN Board for the last several years (I will miss being this), and I have been a Girl Scout Adult Volunteer (eg Troop Leader) for troops since 2004.
Through my professional experience and advocacy work, I have developed the strong analytical, project management, community engagement and communication skills necessary to be an effective city councilor.
@Elmo I am not an activist. I consider myself an advocate – I use my voice to express the needs of the people I represent, using data and experiences to win my point. This is something I do daily, advocating for safer and more accessible streets. But that said I have been known to get a little passionate, maybe even irritated, when presented something absurd.
Some of our current city councilors are too pragmatic. Remember the Climate Crisis? It will not be fixed without bold action.
Someone asked me about recreational marijuana (or as some like to refer to them: pot shops). I endorsed the “Responsible First Step” campaign – which was no on the opt-out and yes for limits on the number of sites. I chose this over the “Respect the Vote” as this group was better organized and I thought it a good compromise between the two groups. And all of this and I might be the only person in Newton who has never smoked potI prefer I nice glass of red wine.
At some point, I am going to have to learn more about the council process that got us to the ballot questions as I understand many people are more upset at the process as they were on the questions.
Funny aside on that. I went to Lasell Village with another LWVN member to explain the ballot questions to a room full of seniors. It was so hard to explain the marijuana questions to them. They just didn’t get.
@ Greg Reibman – Brian Yates and Marcia Johnson were much more vulnerable to an upset. I believe Vicki and Greg have a solid city-wide base. If I were advising Alicia, I would tell her that she has a clearer path to victory by running for the Ward 6 Councilor position. There’s history in Ward 6 of the last two Ward Councilors losing to challengers. All Councilor positions should be competitive so the more the merrier. I will be supporting candidates that are committed to reducing the size of the Council.
@Peter I worked on the LWVN review of the charter, I helped gather signatures to get the charter commission on the ballot and I worked on the Yes campaign. I have a well documented position supporting the recommended charter changes, including a smaller city council.
I have attended enough city council meetings to know that 24 people does not lead to better decisions.
As for running for the Ward seat currently occupied by Brenda Noel, I do not think that would be an easy seat to win for me or anyone else. Brenda is good at communication and outreach. Ward 6 finally has office hours and newsletters. Brenda in a meeting is thoughtful and has a great way of expressing herself with residents and other councilors.
I am hoping to be working along side Brenda!
re: “I chose this over the ‘Respect the Vote’ as this group was better organized”
Anyone care to guess how much the “disorganized” RtV organization quietly spent in the last 7 days of the ballot campaign? As a frame of reference, Ruthanne and Scott’s peak final weeks were on the order of $38K each (~$75K/11/1-11/15/2017).
I am thrilled that Alicia is running! Livable streets & vibrant village centers are good for our air quality, our health & our climate. They make us happier people. Alicia is as good as it gets in having the vision, knowledge, skills & leadership to move Newton from choking car dependency to a quality of life found in leading cities (e.g., take a google streetview tour around Amsterdam-Zuidoost – a comparably-sized suburb of Amsterdam as Newton is to Boston). Most of all, Alicia has the courage to act on her conviction that Newton can achieve what other amazing cities have: with Alicia on the council, Newton Can, Too!
@Alicia,
Would you care to comment on how you believe you differ on policy with Vicki and Greg?
Alicia Bowman would be a great City Councilor. I first got to know her about six years ago when I received an email asking if anyone had any ideas for a creating bike event for Newton. I wrote back with an ambitious plan for the Tour de Newton. It would require 50-100 volunteers, raising $1000’s, coordinating with various city departments, and a fair amount of promotion and communication – i.e. a huge organizational effort.
I do love shooting my mouth off with crazy ideas but ideas are the easy part – i.e. talk is cheap. Alicia was the person who turned a crazy idea into the much loved annual event that draws hundreds of people around the city every year. I’ve worked with for the last six years on the Tour de Newton and have been in awe of her organizational skills, her financial acumen, her raw energy, her unflagging good cheer and her capacity to get any job done.
She’s a do’er. She’s really smart. She’s keenly interested in City government and I really like her.
I personally owe her a great debt for the Tour de Newton. She does the heavy lifting and makes it happen every year and I get to claim credit. That’s just the way I like it.
The Tour de Newton is just one detail of her resume. She seems to put that same energy, organization, and interest into everything she does so I think she’d make a great City Councilor.
But just to be clear, that doesn’t mean I’m endorsing her
I am endorsing Alicia because of her strong advocacy for our schools and her deep knowledge on Transportation in Newton. Bigger schools and more development are done deals in Newton (Zervas & Austin & Orr &…) both impact traffic. If we want to improve traffic (cars, bus, truck, pedestrian & bicycle) in Newton we need the focused effort in the issue Alicia will bring to the City Council.
@alicia, thank you for taking the time to respond, not just to my question but the varying topics thrown your way as well.
I appreciate and agree on many of your view points above, and to some degree, the response to my specific question on development. I emphasize with your having in-laws having limited options. But here’s the thing…
Lower Falls have mobilized a strong campaign against the SCALE of the Riverside project. Many in Upper Falls, share the feeling about SCALE regarding the Northland project. Both share a sense that their neighborhoods are being suffocated and swallowed by three large scale projects. And many of these folks are our older friends and neighbors not unlike your in-laws.
Please remember that while you have many admirable viewpoints, the role of an elected official is to represent the needs and views of their constituents.
I’ve worked with Alicia on many different projects over the years and I’m thrilled to see her running. She’s a tireless advocate for a city that gives more people an opportunity to live here and to move around freely.
As Jerry noted above, talk is cheap, it’s about action. Alicia is one of the people in the city who takes continuous action.
I’d love to see action, @chuck! 🙂
How about this….championing a “rolling” approval for the #of units proposed at the large developments. Initially approve 200(?) residential units. Assess the impact on people, traffic, schools and the whole “private bussing” concept. If successful, approve another 200 units, etc.
Is this something Alicia can get behind?
And speaking of housing… that’s a lot of “park” at Mason Rice. How about Newton sells off a chunk of that off and put up another 600 apartments? Think about what a dent that would make on the housing goal? Everyone game for that?
Matt,
Isn’t the role of a candidate for office to articulate their views and policy preferences so that voters can determine whether that person, when elected, will represent their needs and views?
The notion that somebody without policy preferences should be elected and then govern based on listening to the community is a bit unrealistic. The community expresses its preferences at the ballot.
If you don’t like the scale of new development, find out which candidate agrees with you and vote for them.
@Sean, that is exactly what I am trying to asses.
Our system is a republican government, meaning we elect officials to vote in our place, not to vote for our every whim. I know this doesn’t make everyone happy, but it’s why we have debates, understand their past actions, and their inclinations before voting for them to represent us.
I believe that the biggest challenge for politicians is hearing from the majority that ISN’T in the room. Who are the people who didn’t come out because they weren’t angered, but think that the proposals are just fine? What about the voices of those who don’t yet live here who could live among us if we only gave them the right kind of housing?
I thought of this recently when a friend who has lived in Newton for more than 15 years, is engaged in her children’s school and active among friends asked “what is going in at Washington and Walnut?” While those of us on this site and who are active around city hall know every twist and turn, she didn’t have a good sense until the buildings there were gone. When I told her she exclaimed “Yes! those buildings needed to come down. I’m excited to see what comes next.”
It’s not that she doesn’t care what’s happening in the city, it’s just not central to her life. She’s focused on math homework, making a living, carpools and music lessons.
She’s also a voter and a resident, her voice matters and we need to take it into consideration, even if it’s not nearly as loud.
@Alicia, If the City Council were to vote to reduce the size by one at-large Councilor from each Ward (commonly referred as the 8-8 proposal) would you support it? This is the question, I will ask each candidate for the Council? Will you commit?