City Council - Regular Meeting

Okay, folks. Can we grab our seats, please? Yep. recording stopped. Recording in progress. Great. Thank you everybody. Uh we are just a couple minutes late, but uh this is a regularly scheduled meeting of the Newton City Council. Quite all right. Um before we get rolling, we'll just uh hit the pledge of allegiance. And I think we're going to be led uh by uh Councelor Irish.

United States of America to stand one nation under God, indivisible, and justice for all. Great. Thank you. Uh so we are uh being audio and video recorded uh online. I see counselors Kinsman Mikley. I think that's it. Fantastic. All right. Thank you, sir. Love the camera. How are you, sir? All right. Great. Super. Making sure. Uh just as a quick reminder, too. And uh did somebody else pop in? Oh, and councelor Frell is now joining us online as well. Thank you. Uh just as a reminder uh to kind of uh help eliminate hopefully our feedback issue with the microphones, if you're using your laptop, please make sure that your microphone is muted and your speakers are off. That'd be great. Thank you. Um I think we're ready to get rolling here. Uh so for first call items, uh we'll start with land use. Councelor Kelly. Thank you, Mr. President. The land use committee met last week on March 10th. We took up item 102-26, which was a request to amend special permit for 474-14 to an oversized secondary sign at 199 Boilston Street at the mall at Chestnut Hill. Um, that was approved with an amendment, added wording. Um, it was approved 7 to zero. We also took up item 103-24, a request for a special permit to allow attached single family dwellings and reduced front and side setbacks at 11 Parson Street. That was approved seven with Is that mine doing it? I

think so. No, it's not. That's why I'm reporting it out on first call. um last minute change but these things happen. Um it was approved seven with one abstension. Next item was held and the final one was number 96-26 a petition to amend the Wellsav deed restriction deed restriction at 60 Wells to allow for a veterinary hospital and that was approved 7 to zero. Um I would like to request some public hearings. Mr. President Sheen, thank you. Like to set public hearings um which you can find on page 57. Is it that I'm too close

or is it just the problem we're having? Okay, it it was me too. So I'll try and back up a little. Um on page 57, items 119-26 and 118-26 like to have a special hearing on March 24th. And that concludes my report. Thank you, Councelor Baker for zoning and planning.

Fantastic. For programs and services, Councelor Kinsman. Thank you, Mr. President. The the report begins on page 53. Uh programs and services met on March 4th. All items were held, but um I would just quickly mention to my colleagues that the programs and services committee is going to be taking up charter review and uh we've uh tentatively decided to sort of work through the articles um one at a time, but publish a schedule or a calendar of which articles we'll be reviewing uh during which meetings. So, I'm going to get that out um as soon as possible, but just wanted to make folks aware of those uh so that you can attend those if you're interested. Again, uh all items were held. I would move the report.

Thank you, sir. Councelor Lucas, PS&T, otherwise known as program or public safety and transportation. Yes, thank you. Uh the committee met on Wednesday, March 4th, and there is no report. Vice President Kais for public facilities. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. President. There is no report. However, let's see here. Um, I'd like to request a suspension of the rules to add a late file docket item. Councelor Kis is looking for a suspension of the rules. Can you talk to us about the item for a moment? Let us know what the item is so people

Okay. So, this is item uh 116-26 on page 58 requesting a discussion on the status of the Newton Highlands working group. Fantastic. All those in favor of the suspension of the rules, please say I. I opposed. Fantastic. Go ahead. Thank you. I also need to uh request a public hearing for item 114-24, which is also on page 58 of the docket uh for April 8th, 2026. And that concludes my comments. Great. Thank you, sir. Thank you for the finance committee. Councelor Gman

or sorry, that's my fault entirely. Coun councelor Bixby. Thank you. Uh, Mr. President, the finance report begins on page 54. The committee met on March 9th, and we heard docket item 100-26, the reappointment of M. Ronald Mendes as a city's treasurer collector. This is his honor the mayor appointing M. Ronald Menddees. Um, pursuant to section 3-3B of the Newton City Charter, finance approved 70, we then heard 101-26 to accept and expend a grant of f $50,000 to complete the MVP 2.0 process. um has honored the mayor requesting authorization to accept and expend $50,000 in grant funding from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program for the first year of a two-year process in which Newton will convene a project team including community members and complete the MVP 2.0 planning steps and develop a seed project. Finance approved 7 to 0. And item 90-26 accepts a grant of $113,956 an appropriate $9,290.85 to install electric vehicle charging stations. These were grants um from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's electric incentive program and expending uh funds from the energy stabilization fund in order to install seven electric vehicle charging stations. Finance approved 7 to zero. And that concludes the report.

Thank you, Councelor Maliki, for real property reuse. Wow, look at that. Fantastic. Uh, I think uh now is the right time for me to come for a roll call vote, please. Councelor Albbright. Hi. Councelor Baker. Hi. Councelor Bixby. Hi. Councelor Block. Hi. Councelor Charm. Hi. Councelor Damabad. Hi. Councelor Frell. Hi. Councelor Gats. Hi. Councelor Golden. Hi. Answer Gordon. Hi, Councelor Greenberg. Hi,

Councelor Gman. Councelor Irish. Hi, Councelor Kalis. Hi, Councelor Kelly. Hi, Councelor Kinsmith. Hi, Councelor Liry. Councelor Lucas. Hi, Councelor Malaki. I councelor Mikley. I councelor Roach. I councelor Silber. I councelor Wright I President Oliver

I on this motion the eyes are 22 the nays are zero and two members are absent.

Fantastic. Do I have a motion to adjurnn? Oh I'm sorry. Oh we've got some enthusiasm here. You want it? We have a motion to adjurnn. Do I hear a second? We are adjourned. Thank you very much. I think we just set a new land speed record. Thank you, folks. recording stopped.