MassVoter.com← Newton City CouncilNewton City Council · 2018–2019 Council · Regular meeting
November 18, 2019
11 recorded votes, 10 with disagreement.
Sources: Official minutes (PDF) · City meeting page
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
Attendance
Present: Allan L. Ciccone, Alison M. Leary, Maria Scibelli Greenberg, Susan Albright, Jake Auchincloss, Emily Norton, Andrea W. Kelley, James R. Cote, Joshua Krintzman, Leonard J. Gentile, Christopher J. Markiewicz, Andreae Downs, Deborah J. Crossley, John B. Rice, Greg Schwartz, Victoria L. Danberg, Brenda Noel, Rebecca Walker Grossman, Marc C. Laredo, Lisle Baker, Richard A. Lipof, David A. Kalis
Absent: Barbara Brousal-Glaser, Cheryl Lipof Lappin
During the meeting:
- Greg Schwartz recused from the vote on: #350-19 Accept the committee recommendation: Petition to allow subdivision at 1957 Beacon Street.
Every vote, in order
Referred to Committee of the Whole
Suspend the rules to accept late-filed items to the docket and refer them to committee
A motion to suspend the rules to Accept and Refer to Committee the Late filed Items and a motion to refer all four items to a Committee of the Whole were Approved Unanimously.
The Actions record this as unanimous, so every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“A motion to suspend the rules to Accept and Refer to Committee the Late filed Items and a motion to refer all four items to a Committee of the Whole were Approved Unanimously..”
Referred to Zoning & Planning Committee
#165-19 Postpone to December 2, 2019: Adoption of Washington Street Vision Plan as part of the Comprehensive Plan
Item postponed to December 2, 2019 by Unanimous Voice Vote
The Actions record this as unanimous (by voice vote), so every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“Item postponed to December 2, 2019 by Unanimous Voice Vote.”
#13-19 Approve: Adoption of the Climate Action Plan
Approved 22 Yeas, 2 Absent (Councilors Brousal-Glaser & Lappin)
From the minutes
“Approved 22 Yeas, 2 Absent (Councilors Brousal-Glaser & Lappin).”
Referred to Public Facilities and Finance Committees
#391-19 Refer back to Finance Committee: Authorization to revise White Goods and Bulky Items City Ordinances
Motion to Refer back to Finance Committee Approved by Voice Vote
The Actions record this as a voice vote with no count, so MassVoter shows the result only.
From the minutes
“Motion to Refer back to Finance Committee Approved by Voice Vote.”
Referred to Land Use Committee
#425-18 Postpone to December 2, 2019: Request to Rezone three parcels for Northland Development
Item postponed to December 2, 2019 by Unanimous Voice Vote
The Actions record this as unanimous (by voice vote), so every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“Item postponed to December 2, 2019 by Unanimous Voice Vote.”
#426-18(2) Postpone to December 2, 2019: Special Permit to allow mixed use development
Item postponed to December 2, 2019 by Unanimous Voice Vote
The Actions record this as unanimous (by voice vote), so every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“Item postponed to December 2, 2019 by Unanimous Voice Vote.”
Accept the committee recommendations on 26 items without discussion (#352-19, #314-19, #351-19, #355-19, #620-18(2), #140-19(3), ...)
The City Council voted without discussion 22 Yeas, 2 Absent (Councilors Brousal-Glaser and Lappin) to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following items:
One vote on the block of items the council took up without discussion. The items: #352-19 Petition to extend nonconforming FAR at 32 Berkshire Road; #314-19 Petition to increase nonconforming FAR and lot coverage at 262...; #351-19 Special Permit to extend nonconforming use and setback at 278-280...; #355-19 Special Permit to extend nonconforming use for multi-family...; #620-18(2) Petition to amend Special Permits to allow additional uses at...; #140-19(3) Zoning amendments for Riverside Station; #187-19 Zoning amendment from Newton LFIA for Riverside Station; #360-19 Reappointment of Phillip Plottel to the Economic Development...; #359-19 Reappointment of Jean Wood to the Economic Development Commission; #357-19 Reappointment of Peter Sargent to the Community Preservation Committee; #361-19 Appointment of Marcela Merino to the Economic Development Commission; #335-19 Appointment of Leigh Gilligan to the Conservation Commission; #13-19 Adoption of the Climate Action Plan; #193-19 Request to allow for legal two-way bicycle travel on Comm. Ave....; #372-19 National Grid petition for grant of location in Boulder Road.; #373-19 Installation of a sewer extension for the Farwell Street Subdivision; #374-19 Renaming the intersection of Walnut Street and Lincoln Street; #388-19 Transfer of $86,800 for boiler replacement at Police Headquarters; #389-19 Accept a grant from Mass DEP to be used for waste diversion efforts; #390-19 Request to transfer $88,000 to replace two trash compactors at...; #641-18 Request to transfer $60,000 to replace two trash compactors at...; #343-19 Discussion on the new City website; #382-19 Appropriate $5,000 for police enforcement of accessible parking...; #383-19 Assessment of Curb Betterments; #421-19 Appropriate $85,000 to settle a discrepancy; #381-19 Request for approval of FY 20 Property tax levy distribution....
From the minutes
“The City Council voted without discussion 22 Yeas, 2 Absent (Councilors Brousal-Glaser and Lappin) to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following items:.”
Referred to Finance Committee
Suspend the rules to report out items without a written report
A motion to Suspend the Rules to allow the Chair of the Finance Committee to report out the following item, which was taken up earlier in the evening, without a written report was approved by Voice Vote
The Actions record this as a voice vote with no count, so MassVoter shows the result only.
From the minutes
“A motion to Suspend the Rules to allow the Chair of the Finance Committee to report out the following item, which was taken up earlier in the evening, without a written report was approved by Voice Vote.”
#381-19 Approve: Request for approval of FY 20 Property tax levy distribution percentages
Approved Unanimously by Voice Vote at a residential factor of .916764
The Actions record this as unanimous (by voice vote), so every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“Approved Unanimously by Voice Vote at a residential factor of .916764.”
#353-19 Accepted to the Docket: Petition to extend nonconforming FAR at 38 Fenno Road
Accepted to the Docket by Unanimous Voice Vote
The Actions record this as unanimous (by voice vote), so every councilor present is shown voting yes.
From the minutes
“Accepted to the Docket by Unanimous Voice Vote.”
#350-19 Accept the committee recommendation: Petition to allow subdivision at 1957 Beacon Street
The City Council voted without discussion 21 Yeas, 1 Recused (Councilor Schwartz), 2 Absent (Councilors Brousal-Glaser and Lappin) to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following item:
Yes: Albright, Auchincloss, Baker, Ciccone, Cote, Crossley, Danberg, Downs, Gentile, Greenberg, Grossman, Kalis, Kelley, Krintzman, Laredo, Leary, Lipof, Markiewicz, Noel, Norton, RiceGreg Schwartz recused and is left out of this vote.
From the minutes
“The City Council voted without discussion 21 Yeas, 1 Recused (Councilor Schwartz), 2 Absent (Councilors Brousal-Glaser and Lappin) to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following item:.”
From the Newton City Council’s official record of each meeting, the “City Council Actions,” posted by the City Clerk on the city’s Council Meetings page (older years on its archives page). We check every vote against the councilors present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Councilor photos: City of Newton (newtonma.gov), from each councilor’s official page. John Oliver, Rena Getz and Brian Golden: Fig City News. Cyrus Dahmubed, Brittany Hume Charm, Sean Roche, Lisa Gordon and Jacob Silber: League of Women Voters of Newton 2025 candidate guide. Julie Irish: her campaign website. Former councilors show initials.
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