MassVoter.com← Newton City CouncilNewton City Council · 2024–2025 Council · Regular meeting
May 19, 2025
4 recorded votes, 4 with disagreement.
Sources: Official minutes (PDF) · City meeting page
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
Attendance
Note on these minutes: Includes the Committee of the Whole on the FY2026 budget, CIP and resolutions (department-by-department budget votes and two school budget resolutions); those are committee votes and are not shown. The Actions add that “There was a motion made for reconsideration with a vote of 22 yeas and 2 absent” without saying whether it passed; it is not shown as a vote.
Present: Alison M. Leary, John Oliver, Maria Scibelli Greenberg, Susan Albright, Tarik J. Lucas, David Micley, Andrea W. Kelley, Pamela Wright, Julia Malakie, Joshua Krintzman, Leonard J. Gentile, Randy Block, Andreae Downs, Rena Getz, Bill Humphrey, Victoria L. Danberg, Martha Bixby, Rebecca Walker Grossman, Marc C. Laredo, Lisle Baker, Richard A. Lipof, David A. Kalis, Stephen Farrell
Absent: Alan Lobovits
Every vote, in order
#109-25 Approve: Appropriation of $50,000 (the Actions write “#109-24”)
The City Council voted to approve item #109-24 with 20 yeas, 2 nays (Councilor Block and Grossman)
The Actions record the count “The City Council voted to approve item #109-24 with 20 yeas, 2 nays (Councilor Block and Grossman)”, and the names do not add up to the councilors present. MassVoter shows the count only.
From the minutes
“The City Council voted to approve item #109-24 with 20 yeas, 2 nays (Councilor Block and Grossman).”
Accept the committee recommendations on 21 items without discussion (#124-25, #126-25, #127-25, #128-25, #273-24, #274-24, ...)
The City Council voted without discussion 21 Yeas, 0 Nays, 3 Absent (Councilor Baker, Lobovits and Wright), to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following items:
Yes: Albright, Bixby, Block, Danberg, Downs, Farrell, Gentile, Getz, Greenberg, Grossman, Humphrey, Kalis, Kelley, Krintzman, Laredo, Leary, Lipof, Lucas, Malakie, Micley, OliverOne vote on the block of items the council took up without discussion. The items: #124-25 Request to allow parking in the front setback at 22 Owatonna Street; #126-25 Request to further increase nonconforming FAR and lot coverage at...; #127-25 Request to further increase nonconforming FAR and to further...; #128-25 Request for waivers from certain dimensional requirements for...; #273-24 Request to Rezone 2 parcels to Multi Residence 1; #274-24 Request to allow six attached single-family dwellings in three...; #111-25 Request to change from an existing nonconforming residential use...; #135-25 Appointment of Gregory Ansaldi as Chief Information Officer; #114-25 Appropriation of $1,170,612 to reduce one-time Newton Public...; #97-25 Reappointment of David Gillespie to the Design Review Committee; #103-25 Request for ordinance amendment to create Department of Sustainability; #100-25 Authorization to transfer and expend $65,000 to settle a worker's...; #108-25 Request for authorization to increase the FY2025 FTE in...; #109-25 Appropriation of $50,000 for installation of a heat pump in the...; #113-25 Appropriation of $40,000 to purchase equipment for the Emergency...; #136-25 Authorization to expend $2,000 for Disability Pride Month Event; #137-25 Authorization to expend $10,000 to purchase a shower chair and two...; #138-25 Authorization to accept and expend a grant of $17,314; #139-25 Authorization to accept and expend a grant of $2,900; #86-25 CPC Recommendation to appropriate $75,000 in CPA funding; #87-25 CPC Recommendation to appropriate $189,300 in CPA funding. The Actions name Lisle Baker and Pamela Wright as absent for this vote, though listed present at the top of the Actions; left out of this vote.
From the minutes
“The City Council voted without discussion 21 Yeas, 0 Nays, 3 Absent (Councilor Baker, Lobovits and Wright), to Accept the Committee Recommendations on the following items:.”
Referred to Public Facilities and Finance Committees
Suspend the rules to report out items without a written report
Motions to Suspend the Rules to report out the following items without written reports were Approved by Voice Vote
The Actions record this as a voice vote with no count, so MassVoter shows the result only.
From the minutes
“Motions to Suspend the Rules to report out the following items without written reports were Approved by Voice Vote.”
Referred to Finance and Appropriate Committees
Approve the FY2026 Municipal/School Operating Budget, the FY2026-FY2030 Capital Improvement Plan and the Supplemental CIP (#81-25, #351-24, #82-25)
The Council voted to approve all items with 22 yeas and 2 absent. There was a motion made for
The Actions record the count “The Council voted to approve all items with 22 yeas and 2 absent. There was a motion made for”, and the number absent does not match the councilors listed absent. MassVoter shows the count only.
From the minutes
“The Council voted to approve all items with 22 yeas and 2 absent. There was a motion made for.”
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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