A weekly summary of Board of Aldermen agendas and actions highlighting items of interest to the LWVN.

Board and Committee Meeting Schedule

Extracted from the full Aldermanic calendar.

Key to color coding: CPC, Planning, Environmental, Finance, Charter/Elections, Housing.

Agenda:

• 4-29 Finance: Budget; sprinklers for Mason-Rice; modular elementary classrooms; 

Documents:

• Updated Capital Improvement Plan; the easier-to-use document is here
• FY2014 Budget Analysis
• News, Notes:
  • Utilization of Room 203 – With the pending arrival of the Cultural Affairs staff to City Hall in June, I was approached by the Executive Office about their utilization of Room 203. Room 203 is the room that currently houses our coffee machine, mini-refrigerator and coat rack. I was able to secure some space for these amenities that would effectively be ‘backstage’ of the War Memorial. Their utilization of Room 203 will not affect our use of current meeting spaces. In order to access this space, enter the War Memorial going through the Chamber and in the hallway, you will notice a door on your left. This backstage area currently houses archived records from the Law Department that are going to be removed (so it is currently locked). Josh Morse and I met on site and he said he would be able to provide a small build-out for a counter that we could put our coffee machine on, put the mini-fridge underneath and put up a coat rack. Based on their programming, the cultural affairs staff will obviously be using the stage much more but I felt we could co-exist since our schedules probably won’t really conflict. Based on other spaces I looked at, I felt this would be the best spot. Access will be provided to Board members to use at their leisure. If you have any concerns or questions about this, please do not hesitate to contact me.
  • Update to the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) – In this week’s packet you will see an update of the CIP. When we begin our deliberations in Committee of the Whole on May 15th, we will be utilizing this document in addition to the CIP book. If you recall, we held out required public hearing on the CIP in November. I would also ask that you please review (if you have not already) the memo issued last week by Alderman Gentile on how we will approach our Committee of the Whole and voting processes. Thank you.
  • Angier update–includes energy and water efficiency design goals, discussion of air conditioning, schedule of public presentations. Next: Monday, June 3, 7 pm, location TBD: Board of Aldermen & School Committee review of 50% schematic design materials.

A weekly summary of Board of Aldermen agendas and actions highlighting items of interest to the LWVN.

Board and Committee Meeting Schedule

Extracted from the full Aldermanic calendar.

Key to color coding: CPC, Planning, Environmental, Finance, Charter/Elections, Housing.

Agendas:

• 4-23 Land Use:  discussion of FAR, four units on Nevada St.
• 4-22 Zoning: Adjustments to deal with the Mauri Decision; campaign signs
• 4-22 Finance: Budget; end-of-year cost adjustments; OPEB trust; 
• 4-22 School: New principals; common core standards; buildings; fiscal report; private school report; last day of school vote; 
• 4-22 Traffic Council: general changes to the TPR on restricting parking near intersections and some streets.

Documents:

• Schools: Private School Report, Fiscal Report, Facilities Report, Common Core Report

A weekly summary of Board of Aldermen agendas and actions highlighting items of interest to the LWVN.

Board and Committee Meeting Schedule

Extracted from the full Aldermanic calendar.

Key to color coding: CPC, Planning, Environmental, Finance, Charter/Elections, Housing.

Reports:

• 4-9 Land Use: APPROVED: One-story addition to home on Hammond St; one-story addition, and fence instead of planters for gas station at Watertown St., (w1), 
• 4-8 Zoning: discussion of consultant’s report on the city’s zoning code & how to improve.
• 4-8 Finance: APPROVED: financial management guidelines; $37K for security cameras at the Library; HELD: OPEB trust; Mayor’s requested changes to the whistleblower policy; UPDATE on Day MS project
• 4-3
• 4-3 Programs & Services: HELD: consolidation of Elections under Clerk’s department; licensing and permits for non-profits; guidelines for Neighborhood Area Councils; adjust time restrictions for special permit applications; 
• 4-2 Land Use: put four units in two buildings on Nevada St. (w1); 
• 3-28 and 4-4 Traffic Council

Agendas:

• 4-18 Zoning:  budget
• 4-17 Public Facilities: Lyons field concession stand; status of planning for Needham St; streetlight repair; update on state Commonwealth Avenue work; reallocating unspent funds from the Day project; update on Angier
• 4-17 Programs & Services: Budget

Docket:

• #146-13 THE ZONING & PLANNING COMMITTEE requesting information from the Planning Department concerning the nature and character of vacant lots that were confirmed as unbuildable by the Mauri Appeals Court decision.
• #147-13 HIS HONOR THE MAYOR requesting approval to implement a reorganization plan in order to consolidate the Elections Department into the City Clerk’s Department under Article 6, Sec. 6-2. of the City of Newton Charter.
• #148-13 ALD. YATES, requesting a report from the Police Chief on the amount of funding for police training mandated by the state but unfunded and a report from the City Solicitor on individual or multi-community efforts to obtain relief from this unfunded mandate
• #150-13 ALD. JOHNSON, ALBRIGHT & LINSKY, requesting the Planning Department create a traffic and parking management plan for the Education Center, Day Middle School, Horace Mann Elementary School and Carr School neighborhood area by December 2013.
• #152-13 ALD. ALBRIGHT requesting a discussion with the Department of Public Works regarding the new LED streetlight pilot.
• #153-13 PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMITTEE requesting periodic updates on the progress of the citywide storm water system assessment needed to define the scope of repairs to the system, as well as methods of financing the assessment and an accounting of the storm water enterprise fund.
• #154-13 ALD. SANGIOLO requesting a waiver of City of Newton Ordinance Sec. 5-58. Site plan approval for construction or modification of municipal buildings and facilities. for a concession stand to be constructed by Newton West Little League to be located at Lyons Field in Auburndale.
• #155-13 HIS HONOR THE MAYOR requesting authorization to transfer the sum of sixty two thousand two hundred seventy-two dollars ($62,272) from the Financial Information Systems Full-Time Salaries Account to the Financial Information Systems Computer Equipment Repairs & Maintenance Account for the purpose of funding the purchase of hardware and software to run FinancePlus, CommunityPlus, and Munis on a fully redundant system. 
• #157-13 HIS HONOR THE MAYOR requesting authorization to appropriate the sum of one hundred nineteen thousand four hundred twenty-six dollars ($119,426) from Fiscal Year 13 E-Rate Reimbursement Funds for the purpose of upgrading the wireless network at the high schools.
• #205-12(2) HIS HONOR THE MAYOR requesting authorization to transfer the sum of one hundred eighty-four thousand three hundred nineteen dollars ($184,319) within the FA Day Middle School Project Board Order to reallocate the unspent funds in various accounts.
• #322-12(3) HIS HONOR THE MAYOR submitting recommended FY2014 Water and Sewer Rates for implementation on July 1, 2013.
• #322-12(2) HIS HONOR THE MAYOR submitting in accordance with Section 5-1 of the City of Newton Charter the FY14 Municipal/School Operating Budget totaling $331,073,197 passage of which shall be concurrent with the FY14-FY18 Capital Improvement Program (#322-12). [04-08-13 @ 6:03 PM]EFFECTIVE DATE OF SUBMISSION: 04/16/13; LAST DATE TO PASS THE BUDGET 05/31/12

Documents:

• Finance Letter from the mayor
• Expenses: NNHS, Fire Station 7, Day, Carr, Angier
• Update on Roads to be Paved

A weekly summary of Board of Aldermen agendas and actions highlighting items of interest to the LWVN.

Board and Committee Meeting Schedule

Extracted from the full Aldermanic calendar.

Key to color coding: CPC, Planning, Environmental, Finance, Charter/Elections, Housing.

Reports:

• 4-4 Traffic Council: changes around NNHS to implement the Newtonville parking plan

Agendas:

• 4-8 Finance: amendments to financial management guidelines requested by the mayor; security cameras for the Library; OPEB Trust; mayoral amendments to the whistleblower policy; 
• 4-8 Zoning:  
• 4-9 Land Use: Ripley St. (w6), four units where one house is now; Hammond St (w7) one story addition and second garage bay; 414 Watertown St (garage) one story addition and fence instead of planters
• 4-11 Financial Audit: last year’s audit, financial statement audit for FY13, begin selection process for auditor
• 4-11 Real Property: 70 Crescent St.

 Documents:

• Group Health Insurance
• Moody’s letter
• Angier Working Group update: MSBA voted to allow Newton to design a new Angier on the site, nine bids for Construction Manager, agressive schedule over the next months with a goal of MSBA vote on Oct. 2, 2103 and Aldermen vote on Oct. 7.