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Residential rental relief still needed
The State Legislative Democrats in Massachusetts passed a state-level bill (which the governor signed into law today) “providing for a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the Covid-19 emergency” (and with a grace period afterward). While this is an important step, more relief is still needed: Locally in Newton I'm continuing my work on residential rental assistance, so that people aren't hit with eviction later when they can't make back rent for the same reason that they could not make rent payments during the crisis – they have no income during this time and no way to save up enough to cover multiple payments later while still paying their other monthly obligations that will continue or resume after the crisis.
As I noted in my last newsletter, that effort is docketed as #227-20, asking the Community Preservation Committee and Planning Department to develop a rental assistance program for Newton citizens unable to pay rent during the COVID-19 emergency using Community Preservation funds of other funding programs under city control, using guidelines developed by the Massachusetts Housing Partnership and/or other appropriate guidelines.
I am the lead sponsor of this item, and I am joined by at least 11 more of my colleagues (out of 24 total), so I am optimistic about the chances for passage. I do not yet have additional details for you on what the specifications and criteria of the program will look like.
Restaurant burdens: Delivery service fees (docket item #241-20)
I have signed on as a co-sponsor to a resolution in the City Council “requesting a resolution to the Mayor asking her to work with relevant departments to determine the feasibility of restricting third party delivery services from charging restaurants a fee per online order for use of its services that totals more than 10% of the purchase prices of such online orders.” (Sponsors & co-sponsors are: Albright, Krintzman, Downs, Ryan, Crossley, Wright, Humphrey, Leary, Malakie, Bowman, Kelley, Grossman, Markiewicz, Danberg, Noel, Lipof.)
This is in response to a growing concern across Massachusetts that many of our locally-owned restaurants, already struggling to stay in business despite the pandemic, are facing an extra burden from excessive fees by 3rd-party delivery companies they feel compelled to use, which can be so high sometimes that they eliminate any margin on the food being delivered. Whether this is price-gouging or just a broader structural problem with their delivery “app” service companies is an open question, but clearly something needs to be done about the problem in a situation where restaurants have no sit-down business anymore.
Recap of Council business since the last newsletter
Finance Committee 4/13: We had a very quick agenda – just 4 appointments and accepting 2 grants. As usual, however, we also continued to have conversations with our city CFO about the impact on city finances and the upcoming budget process as a result of the pandemic.
Full Council 4/21: City Council met tonight virtually at 7:45 and wrapped up by 8 PM. It was a very brief agenda with all routine/procedural items and nothing major to be voted on (lots of bigger items remain in their respective committees).
Additionally, I have been in virtual lunch meetings with various combinations of my colleagues, including my Ward 5 counterparts (and our Ward 5 School Committee member, Emily Prenner) so that we all continue to stay looped in on everything.
Other work is continuing on major items (such as the Riverside development or comprehensive zoning reform) in other committees, but I am not on those committees, so I try to keep my updates on those committees fewer and farther between.
Recap of Area Councils
I have continued to sit in on and participate in virtual neighborhood Area Council meetings of Ward 5 this month, as I did last month, both to relay information/answers on pandemic-related policy discussions and to receive information from constituents on the ground-level. The Upper Falls Area Council had the opportunity this month to talk to and hear from Mayor Fuller directly during their meeting about specific Upper Falls issues or concerns during this crisis.
More specifically, we got an update from the Mayor on status of the Northland project:
- Design work is continuing
- Geotechnical soil work in the next few months, depending on the pandemic situation
- Possibly demolition of existing structures later this year, but TBD
- No construction anticipated this year
The Waban Area Council had a good discussion about pedestrian street safety as more people are out and about walking around during the lockdown and need to remain socially-distanced. (The City Council continues to move forward on debating what to do on this matter, as not all Councilors agree with the mayoral administration’s current view. I would love to hear your general thoughts as residents, as I am undecided. This is not just about City Council matters, either, because some streets in Ward 5 are under state jurisdiction.)
Finally, on another note, if you find or see a downed tree near you due to the recent powerful thunderstorms we have had, you can and should certainly put in a 311 alert on the city website, but please be aware that dozens of trees came down in recent storms and our crews have been working as fast as they can. More trees fell on April 13 alone than all of last year!