Newton’s ‘hiring crisis’ weighs heavily on our local businesses

Newton’s ‘hiring crisis’ weighs heavily on our local businesses

Here’s a column I wrote for the TAB about how a very tight labor marking may impact Newton businesses in 2019. And here’s one excerpt…

The good news is local business is booming. Generally speaking, our merchants, restaurants owners and many other businesses operating in our village centers and commercial districts report that 2018 was a good year.

The bad news is that an alarmingly large number of those same employers say their ability to be successful in 2019 will largely hinge — not on their ability to attract enough customers — but their ability to find enough employees.

VIDEO: Northland’s presentation (and Cypress Tree vote)

Tuesday’s Land Use Committee meeting had two interesting agenda items on its agenda – the presentation of the Northland project and the final committee vote on Cypress Tree, the proposed medical marijuana clinic on Route 9 — and, thankfully, NewTV recorded it all!

 

  • The Cypress Tree debate and vote starts at the 27:45 mark
  • The Northland presentation begins at the 72:55 mark

The ‘teardown truce’?

City officials have tried to curb the demolition of historic homes by imposing delays on knockdowns — partly to preserve some of Newton’s stately Victorian and Italianate homes, partly to stave off the rise of new homes filling out local neighborhoods.

But officials are cutting developers and property owners some slack under the delay rule by

Mayor: ‘I’ve got a few concerns’ about police station proposal

Mayor: ‘I’ve got a few concerns’ about police station proposal

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller reports in her most recent email newsletter that Mark Development was the only developer to respond to the city’s RFP to find a new site for police department headquarters. And she adds, “…there’ll have to be some tough negotiating to get the proposal to a place where it makes sense for the City.

Here’s her full comment…
The City received only one response to our request for proposals for a site to locate a new police complex, and at first glance, I’ve got a few concerns.
That’s not to say the whole undertaking is off the table, but let’s just say there’ll have to be some tough negotiating to get the proposal to a place where it makes sense for the City.
A little background: A few months ago, Police Chief David MacDonald took me