Newton City Council - November 3, 2025

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Colleagues, if you could take your seats please. I'm going to ask Councilor Farrell to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, Under God, indivisible, with liberty, justice, and love. So colleagues, we are being both audio taped and video taped this evening. I have counselors Humphrey, Micley and Krintzman participating remotely. But before we begin our formal deliberations this evening, I want to ask for a moment of silence for our late mayor, Seti Warren. I'm sure that all of us are shocked

at his sudden passing. Many of us in this chamber had the opportunity to work with Mayor Warren when he served as our mayor. We all have our heartfelt sympathies to Tassie, to Abigail, to John, You know, I think of the mayor and I think of his warm smile, his enthusiasm, his deep abiding love for this city. and the many accomplishments that he had that made us all, made this city a better place to live. So with that, I'd ask for a moment of silence, please, in memory of Seti Warren. Thank you all. With that, we are going to start our regular business.

I'm going to go to the chair of the Land Use Committee, Chair Kelley, and before I do, going to note that while we have a number of items on second call, It is my intent this evening to entertain a number of motions to postpone until the 17th, which is our next regularly scheduled meeting. because as we all know, tomorrow's election day, not only a busy day for many of us, but a very, very, very busy day for our clerk and deputy clerk who will be here extremely early tomorrow morning to make sure that our election process continues to function smoothly A reminder that that is an absolutely critical part of our democracy. And thank you both and your team and our poll workers and our police officers who will be there tomorrow. Thank you in advance for all of your hard work.

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So with that, Chair Kelley.

Thank you, Mr. President. I will be succinct, brief, yet thorough so we can move on tonight. The Land Use Committee met twice this month. The first time was on October 21st. Several items were held. The first one that was not held is number 260-25, which was a request to allow retaining wall exceeding four feet in height at 82-84 East Side Parkway. And that was approved seven to nothing. The next one that we made motion on was number 305-25, a request to exceed FAR at 136 Gordon Road. That was approved 8 to nothing. and 306-25, which was a request to rezone Farwell Street to multi-resident. Oh, no, sorry, that was held. That was held. You're right, that was held. The next meeting was on...

Did you read 307.25? Oh, you did. I'm sorry. Never mind.

Yeah, that was the one I started to read that was held. On October 28th, we met again, and we took up item 309-24. which was a request to allow an extension of a non-conforming multi-family dwelling at 64-66 Dalby Street. That was approved 8 to nothing. Item 310-25, a request to allow retaining wall exceeding four feet in height at 121 Hartman Road, approved seven to one. Item 311-25, which was a request to further increase nonconforming FAR at 156 Highland Street. That was approved seven to nothing. The other items were held. I would like to assign some public hearings at this time, however. Go ahead, please.

I'd like to set a public hearing for November 18th for item 336-25 and 335-25 which you can find on page 257. and that is all for now. Thank you.

Thank you. I don't see, we've been joined online by Councilors Downs and Gentile. I don't see Councilor Baker in the chamber yet. So Vice Chair Oliver, would you give the zoning and planning report, please?

Excuse me. Thank you, Mr. President. So Zoning and Planning Committee met on the 27th of October Again, we had several held items. We also cleared out a few items that we were going to not be able to finish this particular term. So those are the no action necessaries. The first item that was approved is 316-25 CPC recommendations to appropriate $1,997,000 in CPA historic resource funding. This is in support of the work at the West Newton Cinema. That item was approved eight to zero. The next item, I believe, is on second call. The following item is also on second call.

Wait, no, there was no action necessary on 45-24. and with that, I'll move the report. That's all there is.

Thank you, Vice Chair Oliver. Next for programs and services, Councilor Krintzman.

Thank you, Mr. President. I think there was another one that was no action necessary. I don't know if Councilor Oliver wants to report that with 2424.

Oh, thank you, Councilor Krintzman. Did you report out 24-24 that there was no action necessary on that? Would you do so, please? Sorry, that is my fault.

44-24?

Is that the right? 24-24. on page 250.

Right. I believe I did as no action necessary, right? Hold on, hold on. No, 4424 is on second call.

Correct? 2424 was no action necessary on page 250. I'm sorry, you're saying 2424.

Correct. That item is, yes, that item was voted 8-0, no action necessary.

Thank you. Thank you, Councilor Krintzman. If you'd go ahead, Chair Krintzman, present the Programs and Services Report.

Absolutely, Mr. President. I think the Vice Chair, Councilor Humphrey, is going to present the report of the committee, but then if you would, come back to me when he's done so that I can ask for a late file item.

Of course. Councilor Humphrey?

Sure, although I hate to do this, I think we also have to go back and point out I'm pretty sure that the item related to the West Newton Cinema probably still has to go to finance, so I don't think we're voting on that tonight. That was under the zoning and planning report that we just heard. So I just wanted to check on that because I don't remember it coming to finance yet.

It has not. Pardon? It still wants to go to finance, so there's no need to report it out this evening because it's not going to finance. Thank you for the correction. Go ahead, please, Chair.

Okay, so this brings us to page 252, the Programs and Services Committee meeting of October 22, 2025. Item 284-25, the appointment of Lakshmi Rao to the Council on Aging was approved 5-0. 288-25, the appointment of Gloria Mastricola Gavris to the Council on Aging was approved 5-0. 290-25, the appointment of Sam Tacheff to the Council on Aging was approved 5-0. 295-25, request for a home rule petition. This is specifically the one about allowing for the possibility of liens as a mechanism for certain types of fine enforcements. That was approved five to zero after a discussion with the law department. Likewise, we also spoke to the law department on 301-25, also a request for a home rule petition. This one

following the model of Boston would allow us to increase penalties if we as a council chose to up to $2,000 for certain violations. and that was approved five to zero as well and also just wanted to let folks know that if you happen to be available this upcoming programs and services committee meeting we're doing a lot of work finally that had the rules committee had been working subcommittee had been working on for a while so there's a number of things overall rules cleanup a potential change to the mechanism of things getting released out of committee and then also a draft proposed code of conduct so just wanted to put that on people's radar if they hadn't had a chance to look at the agenda for that yet. So that concludes the report.

Thank you, Vice Chair Humphrey. Chair Krintzman, you have a late file item you want to report out?

That's correct. Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to ask for a suspension of the rules to allow late filed item 32725, which is the creation of the older adult services gift account to be considered.

All in favor of allowing the suspension of the rules, please say aye. Aye. Opposed? The ayes have it. Go ahead. Are you all set then, council? I am all set.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. Next, Public Safety and Transportation Chair Grossman.

Thank you, Mr. President. The report begins on page 253. 281-25 needs to go to finance, so that's not properly before us tonight. Item 364-24, discussion and possible ordinance change on the categories and levels of parking fines was voted no action necessary, seven to zero. And the final item is on second call. With that, I move the report.

Thank you, Chair Grossman. Next, I have Chair Albright for public facilities.

Thank you, Mr. President. We met two times since the last meeting. On October 22nd, we met and Let's see, the first one's on second call. Then 280-25, Councilor Albright and Getz requesting a discussion on the stormwater infrastructure and planning for its future. that was voted no action necessary. I would listen to that meeting. It was a very useful conversation that we had that night. The last item on that meeting was held. On 10-29, we met again, and the item that we voted on is on second call. So I move the report.

Thank you. And do you have some public hearings to assign, Chair Albright?

I do. The first one is for November 5th, Eversource Petition of Grant of Location in the Armory and Washington Street on November 19th. petition for temporary repairs to the Hamlet Street. So that's for November 19th. And I also have, I need a suspension of the rules for a late filed item.

Great. Councilor Albright has asked for suspension rules for a late file item. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. All opposed? Go ahead, please.

So the item is 338-25 and its authorization to grant a needsman to Enstar Electrical Company doing business as Eversource at the West Newton Armory for access to electrical equipment. And this is related to the grant of location that will be meeting on this coming Wednesday. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Chair Albright. Next, the Chair of Finance, Chair Gentile.

Thank you, Mr. President. There is no report, but I would ask to be For a suspension of the rules to accept two late filed items, 327-25 and 334-25, which can be found on page 260.

All in favor of suspending the rules to allow for those late items to be docketed, please say aye. Aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Go ahead please, Councilor Gentile.

And I have a public hearing to schedule on docket item 321-25, which I would like to schedule for 11-17 and That item can be found on page 258.

Thank you, Councilor Gentile. Real property reuse. Want to do the report? I'm going to ask Vice Chair Lucas to give the report for real property reuse since Councilor Danberg is not here.

There is no report.

Thank you. Well done, Councilor Lucas. With that, Mr. Clerk, will you call the roll, please?

Councilor Albright. Councilor Baker. Bixby, Block, Danberg, Downs, Farrell, Gentile. Aye. Councilor Getz.

Aye.

Councilor Greenberg.

Aye.

Councilor Grossman.

Aye.

Councilor Humphrey. Aye. Kalis. Aye. Councilor Kelley.

Aye.

Councilor Krintzman.

Aye.

Councilor Leary. Aye. Councilor Lipof. Aye. Councilor Lobovits. Aye. Councilor Lucas. Aye. Councilor Malakie.

Aye.

Councilor Micley. Aye. Councilor Oliver. Aye. Councilor Wright. Aye. President Laredo.

Aye, with the exception of 311-25, for which I'm accused.

The vote is 21 to 0, with the exception on 311.25, which passes 20 to 1.

21 to 1. 20-0-1 accused, right? Yep. Great. Thank you, sir. All right. We are going to move on to second call. I'm going to recognize the chair of public facilities, Councilor Albright. Which item are we talking about? 26725, the walk, roll, and bike network plan.

Do you want me to give the report because I know this is going to be postponed?

What I'd suggest is why don't you simply, before you give a report, in order to be expedient, Give a 20-second summary and then ask for postponement. We'll let you provide more detail at the next meeting.

Okay, we had a presentation from Jen Martin on the walk-ride rule. It's a very innovative plan and it's not in your typical format. So I think you'll enjoy reading it if you haven't. I'll just tell you that the six, established six guiding goals of the plan is to enhance safety and comfort, connect people to key destinations, build out a core network, manage speeds for safety, advance accessibility for all, and encourage active travel. And I think that's enough for tonight. And I will give a fuller report at the next meeting.

So do you have a motion, Councilor Albright?

Yes, the motion was to approve and it was 8-0.

Now, do you have a motion to postpone?

Oh. Well, I could do that.

Well, I'll entertain a motion from Councilor Malakie. Councilor Malakie, will you move to postpone to our next meeting? Yes, I moved that we postpone to our next meeting. All right, do you have a second for that? Second. Second by Councilor Oliver. We can do this in a voice vote. All in favor of postponement, please say aye. Aye. Opposed? The ayes have it. The item is postponed. Next is 317-25. This is also your item, Chair Albright.

So this is the Newton Highlands area plan that's been going. This has a plan that has been understudied to develop a conceptual plan for roughly three years. It has come to a head and the request was that there be a sense of the committee as to whether we support moving forward to final design. We had an interesting discussion and again I will give a better flavor for what happened that night at our next meeting. for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is tomorrow's the election. I'd like to move to postpone this until the next meeting.

I've got a motion from Councilor Albright to postpone, seconded by Councilor Lobovits. I will do this in a voice vote. Any discussion of the motion? All in favor please say aye. Aye. Opposed? The ayes have it. The items postponed to November 17th. The third item before us is from zoning and planning. Going to recognize the vice chair, Councilor Oliver.

Great, thank you, Mr. President. So item 44, 44, 24, not 24. 24 requesting re-evaluation and possible amendments to the inclusionary zoning ordinance or IZ ordinance This is quite a substantial item. There are a handful of modifications that are on the table. Foyer or two inclusionary zoning, perhaps the most significant of which is increasing the threshold at which New developments are able to substitute payments in lieu of units. That would go all the way up to 19 units under this proposal. And with that said, I do believe there's some conversation to be had there.

And I would like to recommend postponement to our next meeting.

So Councilor Oliver has moved to postpone. Do I have a second for that? Seconded by Councilor Lucas. Any discussion on the motion to postpone? Seeing none, let's do it in a voice vote. Please, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Opposed? The ayes have. It's postponed to November 17th, which is going to be a busy evening, colleagues. And with that, last item of the evening, Sherrick Grossman.

Thank you, Mr. President. So this item is 365-24, discussion and possible ordinance change on residential parking programs and fee structures. This was voted subject to second call by the committee, which is why it is technically on second call tonight. and the reason for that was we were waiting for one additional sentence from the law department, which we have received, so PS&T's work is complete. I suspect we'll still have to vote it subject to second call after finance hears it. But having this on second call has the added benefit of me being able to explain a procedural abnormality, which is that we realized that This item, which does recommend a change to a program fee, was not properly referred to the Finance Committee. So our committee also voted to refer it there. And once the Finance Committee has a chance to review it, then we'll be able to put it all back before you in proper order.

Great. And there's no need for a vote on that item. So that concludes our business motion to adjourn. Councilor Farrell. Motion to adjourn. We're adjourned at 7.24 p.m. Thank you all for your indulgence in coming out this evening. Good luck tomorrow. And thank you again, Advance and your team for all the work they're going to do. Appreciate it. We're adjourned.