by village14 | Aug 29, 2018 | City Council, recreational marijuana |
City Council President Marc Laredo released this memo today regarding the fate of the proposed ballot question that would ban on recreational marijuana store in Newton (including a twist in terms of when the referendum might be held).
To: City Council
From: President Laredo
Re: Process regarding possible ballot questions relating to a ban or limit on the number of retail marijuana outlets in Newton
Date: August 28, 2018
Under the new marijuana law, Newton must issue at least eight licenses for retail marijuana establishments (one-quarter of the number of liquor licenses) unless the voters give the City Council the authority to ban or otherwise limit the number of retail marijuana outlets in Newton to fewer than eight. In July, we passed a measure to place on the November ballot the question of whether Newton should limit the number of such establishments to 2-4 (with the exact number to be left to the Council’s discretion), but
by Greg Reibman | Aug 29, 2018 | City Council, Newton, recreational marijuana |
Opt Out Newton, the citizens group seeking a ban on retail marijuana stores is believed to have collected in excess of the 6,000 signatures it needs to go back before the City Council. The council will now be asked to put the ban on the November ballot. The petitions...
by Greg Reibman | Aug 16, 2018 | Austin Street, City Council, eating |
During Monday’s city council meeting, Councilor Emily Norton took many of her colleagues, city officials and audience members by surprise when she reported that Austin Street Partners — the developer building the mixed use property at 28 Austin Street... by Greg Reibman | Aug 14, 2018 | City Council, recreational marijuana |
City Councilor and Land Use Committee chair Greg Schwartz last night chartered a vote by the Council on the special permit for Garden Remedies to sell recreational marijuana until September. The TAB’s story is here.
by Greg Reibman | Jul 18, 2018 | City Council, Newton |
This is a guest blog post submitted by Ward 6 City Councilor Brenda Noel
After the city council vote on July 9th on #312-18 “Citizens Petition requesting ballot question on recreational marijuana establishments and its subsequent vote to not allow for it to be on the ballot”, I received several emails accusing me of voting “as a block” with the other female councilors. This offends me to my core- so let’s take a moment to
by Greg Reibman | Jul 11, 2018 | City Council, Newton, parking |
Lost in the hubbub about the marijuana ballot questions before the city council on Monday, was a scheduled vote on a pilot program designed to provide more parking in our village centers without creating new spaces. Under the city’s shared parking proposal, a... by village14 | Jul 10, 2018 | City Council, City Council elections, Newton, recreational marijuana |
In front of a passionate standing-room-only crowd Monday, the Newton City Council voted 13-8 against placing a question on the November ballot asking voters if they would like to ban all recreational marijuana stores in Newton. Later, in a 18-2 vote, the council... by village14 | Jul 7, 2018 | City Council, Newton, recreational marijuana |
A Boston Globe editorial has some harsh words for the “overwhelmingly white and wealthy” suburban communities where voters supported legalizing recreational marijuana but are now trying to ban the stores.
…it’s not supposed to be easy to ban marijuana sales permanently, especially in towns whose residents voted for legalization in the 2016 referendum.
Later the editorial is talking about Concord, but it seems to apply to Newton as well…
…One is forced to wonder: Which children did the overwhelmingly white and wealthy towns have in mind, and would they have voted differently in 2016 if all state residents were exposed to its consequences equally?
Massachusetts is headed toward a two-tier system, strongly correlated to race and privilege, and the law allows it. It’s not a pretty picture — and if towns try to make it even worse through moratoriums, officials should just say no.
by Greg Reibman | Jul 6, 2018 | City Council, parking |
The Newton City Council is scheduled to vote on a proposed shared parking pilot program on Monday that won’t solve all of Newton’s parking problems but could be a game changer for some local businesses, employees and customers, Under this proposal, a... by Greg Reibman | Jun 29, 2018 | City Council, City Council elections |
Just after Ward 5 City Councilor John Rice announced that he will not seek reelection in 2019, local activist Bill Humphrey has tossed his hat into the ring.
by Gail Spector | Jun 27, 2018 | City Council, City Council elections |
After ten years serving as the Ward 5 city councilor, John Rice has decided not to seek another term. He will keep his job as executive director of the Hyde Community Center. In Councilor Rice’s words: “Some people think this will mean I will be leaving... by Greg Reibman | Jun 26, 2018 | City Council |
Julie Cohen at the TAB quotes City Council President Laredo plus Councilors Krintzman, Baker, Cote and Lipof about concerns about ‘bullying’ from male colleagues
