Campaign Week-in-Review - 10/25/19: 11 Days to Go - Volunteer Now; Upper Falls Area Council Recap; Hemlock Gorge Cleanup Tomorrow

by Irina Costache, Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

We are down to the final stretch before the November 5 general election! Thank you to everyone so far who has shown support for Bill’s campaign. Don't forget to email your friends and neighbors to urge them to vote for him. Below are some important reminders to keep in mind as we approach voting day.

Ballot

On this year’s ballot, the Ward 5 Councilor race will be listed absolute last on the back side of the Ward 5 ballow, next to the three contested School Committee races. A preview of the ballot can be found here.

Absentee Voting

In-person absentee voting at City Hall ends at noon on Monday November 4, meaning that there are 5.5 remaining business days to vote there ahead of the election after today. The City Clerk office open on weekdays only from 8:30 am - 5:00 p.m., except for on Tuesdays when it remains open until 8 p.m.

Volunteering Sign Ups

Signs: We are looking for volunteers to help hold signs supporting Bill at the polls on election day -- Tuesday November 10! If you would like to sign up for a two hour shift at one of the three locations, please click here. 

Phones: Even more importantly, we need to sign up phone-bankers to contact our support on the day of the election. The time and location have not been set in stone yet, but you can email Bill to express your interest in joining us for that. (If you are not available on Election Day but would be willing to make phone calls on weeknights from your home this coming week, you can also let us know that, too.)

Door-Hangers: We are also looking for volunteers to assist Bill in distributing door-hangers around Ward 5 on the days prior to the election (particularly Sunday the 3rd or Monday the 4th) reminding supporters to vote! If you are interested in helping out, please fill out this form!

Door Knocking Update

This week, Bill knocked another 335 more doors in Ward 5! He has now passed the 7,500 mark for the year. On Sunday, weather permitting, he will wrap up his fourth and final pass of speaking to voters at their doors around all of Ward 5!

Bill also stopped by the Newton Harvest Fair & Green Expo in Newton Centre this past Sunday before hitting the doors in Newton Highlands.

Upper Falls Area Council

• On Thursday night, Bill attended the monthly Upper Falls Area Council meeting. All of the Ward 5 candidates running for various offices were invited to speak. Other items on the agenda included the WHDH Maintenance Project, Sudbury Aqueduct meeting recap, and Northland Updates. 

• As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, “"Part of the Upper Falls Greenway will be temporarily closed due to safety requirements during a WHDH tower maintenance project on Sunday, October 27, 2019 from 7am to 11am.  In the event of inclement weather, the project will be rescheduled for Sunday November 3rd from 7am to 11am."

• One point of discussion from the meeting was in regards to voter frustration with the quasi-judicial special permit process preventing candidates from being clear about their views on proposed developments. The Law Department has advised that no one should state a yes or no position on pending special permit applications or risk lawsuits, as discussed in this recent Boston Globe article. On Twitter, Bill commented about the article, “I followed the guidance I received to not state a position on quasi-judicial permit applications under review, but I would agree that it's frustrating to elect Councilors to vote on things that they are *legally* advised not to discuss during campaigns. I do attempt to be as forthcoming as possible with voters about my overall philosophy on major housing development and specific very positives or negatives I see in pending applications, even if I can't say overall whether I'd vote yes or no because of the legal guidance. Plus of course the negotiations do change the end result throughout the process so any given change in the project proposal might alter how I or anyone would vote on an application.” (He reiterated this view during the Area Council meeting last night.)

• The Upper Falls Area Council, like its peer Councils in Ward 5, is facing a problem of not having enough people running. Candidates with at least 25 write-in votes would get elected onto the council, or the elected new Council can appoint remaining vacancies afterwards.

• One community question brought up by residents was about whether the traffic lights are finalized yet or still temporary at the new Oak/Christina/Needham intersection. The Area Council is looking into this issue.

Tomorrow (Saturday, Oct 26) is the Hemlock Gorge Fall Cleanup Day, rain or shine. Here’s a note from the Friends of Hemlock Gorge: 

“Please dress appropriately for the work and weather. Volunteers should meet at Hamilton Place off Elliot Street between 9:30 and 10 a.m. Parking available at Hamilton Place, the Mills Falls parking lot, and at the Hemlock Gorge parking lot at the intersection of Ellis St. and Rte. 9. Clean-up materials supplied!  We plan to have hand cleaners and a lunch available for volunteers after the cleanup, at noon at the Stone Building. The lunch will be held inside if need be. It’s our 39th cleanup overall since Brian Yates organized the first one in 1990.”

Campaign Week-in-Review - 10/18/19: 18 Days to Go, One Precinct Left to Knock Again, Endorser Messages

by Irina Costache, Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

With only 2.5 weeks left to go, we are now down to the last stretch before the November general election!

As we are now much closer to November 5, it is crucial for those planning to vote absentee to request and cast an absentee ballot as soon as possible! In a race as small and as tight as ours, every vote could decide the outcome, so it’s important to send in your absentee request (or go vote in person at City Hall) today or Monday! There is no Early Voting in municipal elections, so absentee voting is the only option for those who cannot vote on election day. The application for an absentee ballot may be sent by email (elections@newtonma.gov), mail, fax, or delivered in person to the City Clerk’s office in City Hall. You can even request one on behalf of a family member.

Canvassing Update

Last weekend, Bill had a successful transit-oriented door-knocking event focusing on his environmental platform with a number of volunteers from Sunrise Movement Boston!

Also this week, Ward 2 Councilor At Large Susan Albright, who formally endorsed the campaign back in May, joined Bill to knock doors of voters in Waban! 

In total this week, Bill and the team of volunteers knocked 456 doors in Ward 5, talking to more than 100 voters, and bringing the total number of doors knocked by Bill to 7,325 and to 8,450 for the campaign as a whole! This marks the completion of three of the four precincts for Bill’s 4th pass around Ward 5!

Endorser Updates

It’s almost time to close our list of campaign endorsers -- but you can still email us this weekend to add your name: https://www.billhumphrey.org/endorsements

Also, Helen Rittenberg has written a nice letter this week in support of Bill’s candidacy:

Voters who live in Ward 5 have the good fortune to be able to vote for Bill Humphrey for a seat on the Newton City Council on Nov 5. 

I have been a Newton voter since 1977. I am so impressed with Bill’s energy, focus and knowledge about Newton. He is passionate, progressive and energetic. 

Bill has lived in Waban all his life and attended our local schools. His understanding of our government and history and his mastery of the complex policy issues we are confronting is broad and sophisticated. He cares deeply about where our city is headed at a moment in time when we face considerable uncertainty about the future. 

Bill is the candidate in Ward 5 best equipped to help the City Council engage effectively with a broad range of city agencies and community groups as we meet our responsibility to engage in Smart Growth. 

Likewise, Karen Weisgerber had this to say this week:

“Bill Humphrey stands apart as the candidate focused on the environment, progressive housing solutions for all, and improvements in transportation. His forward-looking vision and life-long commitment to Newton make him the candidate for our entire family.”

Upper Falls Area Council Re-Scheduled to Next Week

This week, there was no monthly Upper Falls Area Council meeting, as it has been rescheduled to the 24th of October! Bill will be speaking briefly along with the other candidates. In the meantime, here is a reminder from the Council regarding an upcoming temporary closure of the Upper Falls Greenway:

"Part of the Upper Falls Greenway will be temporarily closed due to safety requirements during a WHDH tower maintenance project on Sunday, October 27, 2019 from 7am to 11am.  In the event of inclement weather, the project will be rescheduled for Sunday November 3rd from 7am to 11am."

Also the four neighborhood Area Councils will be sponsoring candidate debates for Ward 5 (among others) on Sunday October 27th at Zervas Elementary School. Bill’s debate is scheduled for 2 to 2:30.

Get Involved

Lawn Signs: If anyone needs a lawn signs replaced after this past week’s storm, please reach out to Bill! We have about 10 signs left that we can use if needed to replace signs that blew away or were damaged.

End of Campaign Volunteer Shifts: Just like the September primary, we are looking for volunteers to help hold signs in support of Bill outside of polling locations, phone bank on November 5 to remind residents to vote, and hang voting reminders on Ward 5 doors on November 3rd and 4th! If you are available and interested, please email Bill and let us know.

Campaign Week-in-Review - 10/11/19: Bill has knocked 7,000 doors - Climate canvassing tomorrow - NewTV Speech - Waban Updates

by Irina Costache, Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

This week, Bill and his team of volunteers knocked 450 more doors in Ward 5, speaking to over 100 voters and hearing about the city issues affecting them. On Thursday, Bill also hit the milestone of having personally knocked more than 7,000 doors! The whole team is 6 doors away from the 8,000 mark now.

Environmental Door Knocking Event Tomorrow

This Saturday October 12 at 2 PM, Sunrise Boston youth climate activists will be joining Bill at the Waban T Station to launch a door-knocking afternoon in support of Bill's candidacy. Climate activists of any age who are interested in knocking doors for Bill are welcome to join the event! If that’s you, please email Bill by the end of today so that we can plan ahead for you to join us.

Official NewTV Candidate Statement and Candidate Debate

Bill’s 3 minute official candidate statement video for NewTV is now available to watch online here!  

For those who cannot watch the video, here is a transcript:

I’m Bill Humphrey, and I’m running for the Ward 5 Councilor seat this year because I want to make sure we are a community for everyone, that we have a councilor who represents our entire ward, and that we have a councilor who is serious about the significant policy work our City Council will undertake in the coming years.

As your next Ward Councilor for Upper Falls, Newton Highlands, and Waban, I will be not only the person who picks up your phone call or answers your email to help you solve problems, but also an activist vote on City Council. That’s why I’ve personally knocked on more than six thousand doors this year, to hear your concerns and outline my vision for our community.

The Newton my great-great-grandmother knew - a Newton of farms, wagons, and streetcars - has long since evolved to the Newton we know today. As Newton continues to evolve as part of our region, we have an opportunity to shape that evolution to fit our values today. As a city councilor, I’ll evaluate proposals with the goal of making growth work for us.

I’m a public policy researcher, a political campaigner for candidates and for civil rights, a community activist, a fifth generation resident of Chestnut Street, and a graduate of the Newton Public Schools, where I’ve remained involved as a volunteer assistant coach for the Speech and Debate team. I understand our ward, and the issues it faces, inside and out.

We have both some of the lowest-income and wealthiest Newton residents in Ward 5. We have an affordable housing shortage that contributes to more than 4,000 Newton households struggling with monthly housing costs. We’re facing a global environmental catastrophe reflected locally in our hundreds of dangerous gas leaks. And we’re all experiencing broken roads and sidewalks that everyone wants fixed as quickly as possible.

We can have a city with safer roads and available alternatives to car travel. A city that protects its shared green spaces and the quality of its air and water. A city with affordable housing for our seniors, young adults, and families. A city that pays its employees fairly to provide high-quality services to all of us. 

While there’s much we’re getting right, it’s within our power to do so much more.

The City Council is where I believe I can make a difference on these issues. It’s also where I can help out my neighbors on the day-to-day problems they run into.

I’m endorsed by Progressive Newton, Sunrise Boston, the Mass Sierra Club, the Mass Nurses Association union, Engine 6, and the Bay State Stonewall Democrats.

I’m the progressive candidate on the ballot, the environmentalist candidate, the affordable housing candidate, the union-backed candidate, and the winner of the September preliminary election.

I encourage voters to visit billhumphrey.org to read my detailed policy platform and to learn more about me, as well as to see my full endorsements list.

Many of you have known me since I was in elementary school, and I’m honored by how many of those folks continue to show confidence in my ability to both lead and represent our community. I hope those of you just getting to know me will also entrust me with your Ward 5 vote this November 5th. Together, we can start working to reach our full potential as a leading city and a community for everyone. Thank you.

The second Ward 5 candidates debate from the League of Women Voters is now also available for voters. The video of both candidates and the write-in candidate can be found here.

Waban Area Council

On Thursday night, Bill attended the monthly Waban Area Council meeting. On the agenda were updates about NewCAL, the 20 Kinmonth Rd proposal, Waban Area Council eletcions, future Chestnut St. repaving, the proposed Union Twist Registered Marijuana Dispensary, as well as community updates. Here are some of the most notable points:

• One community update is that the DCR arborists recently worked on some safety/visibility pruning along Quinobequin Rd.

• 20 Kinmonth Rd (the condo development proposal for Waban Square, which we have covered in previous newsletters here and here):

  • The next Land Use discussion on this proposal will be held on October 29. Comments from the public are currently still open.

  • There are some available mitigation dollars that the public may wish to make suggestions for

• Another community concern brought up were the ongoing safety concerns about non-functioning or insufficient street lights for pedestrians at night, especially now that is is beginning to get dark earlier.

• Councilor Rice recapped his update from last week on the status of the NewCAL process. He also added these notes:

  • The so-called “Middle Tier” of medium sized options for NewCAL site selection is, really, only one option -- the Newton Centre triangle parking lot, which is being considered and evaluated. The drawbacks of this include: smaller footprint, a costly underground garage, and traffic flow challenges. On the other hand, the centrality and transit access and Village services, retail, restaurants are great

• Road repair updates: It now turns out that gas and water work did not get done this summer on Chestnut St after all, so it will not be happening until next spring. The actual re-paving of Rte 9 to Beacon St might be delayed to 2021 with some touch up work before then.

• Currently, all 3 of the Ward 5 Area Councils have fewer people signed up to run in the November elections than there are spots on the Area Councils. Write-ins who receive 25 votes or more would get elected to the Waban Area Council. Otherwise, the Council elected in November would appoint the remaining members up to 9. The WAC cannot operate without a hard quorum of 5 present at every meeting.

• A WAC member reported back on the community meeting in West Newton earlier that evening about the proposed marijuana shop for Four Corners. The meeting was said to have been very contentious.

  • Councilor Rice said he believes that the Four Corners proposal will not come to a vote for City Council until the next term. Although a preliminary agreement was reached with the Mayor’s office, the Council still has the authority to approve or reject the proposal and set conditions.

Livable Newton Questionnaire

The Livable Newton coalition for inclusive, sustainable development has published questionnaire responses from all candidates (69 page PDF) -- no other candidate in Bill’s race submitted a questionnaire to them.

Voter Registration Deadline

Voter registration deadline reminder from Mayor Fuller's email: The last day to register to vote in the Nov. 5 City election for City Council and School Committee is Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 8:00 p.m. You can register in person in the City Clerk’s office at City Hall, 1000 Commonwealth Ave., online here, or by mail postmarked no later than Oct. 16. Not sure if you’re registered? Check here.

Campaign Week-in-Review - 10/4/19: 32 Days to Go - Time to Request Absentee Ballots for Students - Other Ways to Get Involved

by Irina Costache, Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

It was a quieter week on the campaign trail this week as we pass through the Jewish high holidays and with the weather beginning to turn. Bill still knocked over 200 more doors and continues to identify new supporters every day. On Tuesday afternoon, Bill recorded a 3 minute candidate statement at NewTV, which will be available online (and on NewTV itself) soon, as will the 2nd League of Women Voters debate that was taped 2 weeks ago.

Updates on the two meetings Bill attended this week are found further below in this week's newsletter.

There are 32 days remaining in our campaign. If you have been waiting to get involved, now is the time!

Upcoming Sunrise Canvassing

On Saturday October 12 at 2 PM (the weekend after this one), Sunrise Boston youth climate activists will be joining Bill at the Waban T Station to launch a door-knocking afternoon in support of my candidacy. Climate activists of any age who are interested in knocking doors for Bill are welcome to join us -- but they should email Bill at least a full day in advance so that we can plan ahead.

Other Ways to Get Involved

Lawn sign requests: We are still looking to distribute a few more lawn signs! Please email Bill if you are interested in having a lawn sign installed in your yard. We are nearly out of signs, so don't wait around to put in your request!

Letters to the TAB: There are just a few weeks of TABs remaining before the election. If the spirit moves you to write up to 350 words in support of Bill Humphrey's candidacy, please send a draft our way, and we'll take a look before you send it in!

Neighbor Outreach: When the election gets closer, we certainly welcome your mass emails in support of Bill. But if you're looking to get connected to your neighbors one-on-one before then, let us know and we can give you geographically based lists of target voters in your immediate neighborhood for you to reach out to by phone or in person. You can even set up face to face meetings between Bill and your neighbor!

Absentee Ballots: For those who wish to vote by absentee ballot or have a student away at college in need of an absentee ballot, here’s a reminder that there is still time to request one! Requests can be made up until 12:00 p.m. on the day before the election. However, the city website says, “as a practical matter, if you want the ballot mailed, you may want to request the ballot further in advance, so as to allow time for delivery.”

The form to request one can be found here. The application for an absentee ballot may be sent by email (elections@newtonma.gov), mail, fax, or delivered in person to the City Clerk’s office in City Hall. There’s no deadline but they should be requested as soon as possible to make sure the ballot can be returned in time.

A number of supporters said they had forgotten to request their absentee ballots in time to vote on September 10, and we want to make sure you don't forget before November 5.

Engine 6 Monthly Meeting

Bill attended Wednesday night’s monthly meeting of the Engine 6 affordable housing activists. The meeting touched briefly on the proposed Riverside development, on which you can find a summary from Engine 6 on the latest revisions here.

Highlands Area Council Meeting

On Thursday night, Bill attended the monthly Newton Highlands Area Council meeting.

• Councilor Rice gave an update on the NewCAL site selection process, which has drawn a lot of public criticism. He said that one rationale for the full-sized site (as opposed to more moderate-sized potential locations now finally being reviewed) is to create enough evening rental space to subsidize the staffing costs to provide all day comprehensive services to seniors above and beyond the recreational activities and programming.

• There was a discussion of proposed traffic mitigation spending commitments from Northland that could soon be finalized into the special permit. One interesting proposal most heavily discussed at the Area Council meeting is Greenway connectors to Newton Highlands Station (via Curtis St and Floral St) and somewhat less firmly also to Eliot Station via Margaret Rd, up the dead-end Suban Rd, and then connecting to the pedestrian ramp/bridge to Eliot Station over Rte 9. For other items in the list of mitigation proposals, we refer you to the city website for the latest documents on the Northland hearings. Councilors are still accepting public feedback by email.

• The Area Council also did some planning tonight for the kids' Halloween Parade and Haunted House in Newton Highlands at the Hyde Center on Sunday Oct 27th. (That's the same day as the Ward 5 candidate debates at Zervas being sponsored by the 4 area councils.)

• There was another long discussion about retail marijuana again but basically nothing new to report.

• That was the end of the “major” agenda items according to the chair and Bill had to leave at that point.

Campaign Week-in-Review - 9/27/19: Recaps of meetings on MBTA, Northland, Sudbury Aqueduct, and Needham St

by Irina Costache, Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

This week, Bill continued his fourth pass knocking doors around Ward 5, reaching over 360 doors again!

Last Friday, Waban resident Pia Bertelli hosted Bill and other Ward 5 residents in her home for a successful campaign meet and greet and volunteer organizing event!

On Saturday, Bill attended the 10th anniversary celebration of the Waban Library Center.

New Endorsement: Sheila Decter 

This week, we are happy to announce a new campaign endorsement from civil rights leader, Newton resident, and esteemed founder of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, Sheila Decter! Sheila has been very supportive of recent efforts in Newton to address housing equity issues, among other things.

You can see our full list of endorsements on our website and email Bill to add your name.

MBTA Meeting Recap

On Monday night, Bill attended the public meeting at the Library with the MBTA about improving service on the D Line. Their Green Line Transformation program includes 90 projects intended to increase capacity, enhance accessibility, modernize the fleet, and upgrade infrastructure & facilities on the 4 Green Line branches. The Green Line has the highest per mile ridership of any of the US light rail systems, according to the MBTA, and it is the T’s longest transit network.

For the night’s meeting, the directors of the Green Line Transformation program went over the plans to upgrade the track, power, signals, stations, rolling stock, and more. Here are some of the most notable points:

• It was announced that the D Line track and signal project will be finished 5 months ahead of schedule.

• Currently, the D Line track and signal project is projected to speed up most service. However, some spot restrictions for safety will continue. They don’t yet have a number for the general expected speed.

• One of the station upgrades under the GLT is the Newton Highlands station accessibility project.

• A resident asked that all the station upgrades include more handicapped parking spots.

• Some of the quality of service upgrades include:

  • GPS tracking improvements and live map services on the platform to help people know where the trains are

  • More specific electronic signage at stations to keep riders better informed

• New Type 9 trains are coming into service shortly, but all line and station upgrades are being overhauled for a future Type 10 “Supercar”, projected to double rider capacity on the Green Line as a whole over time.

  • Each supercar would theoretically have 360 rider capacity and be substantially longer than current trains – hence the need to upgrade stations, repair shops, and car storage spaces.

  • The presenters stressed, however, that this Type 10 Supercar project is still purely in the concept phase. 

  • One resident comment was from someone asking about Type 10 Supercar procurement given the short list of manufacturers and current trade wars. The T is hoping to buy cars similar to this in Toronto so that costs would be contained by not being custom jobs.

  • One resident voiced a concern that, based on their slideshow, the train wouldn’t have added capacity until 2040. The GLT clarified that the supercars will add some capacity initially, but the doubling would happen closer to 2040. (Supercars are slated to start arriving in 2024, if they buy an off-the-shelf existing model as alluded to with the Toronto comment.)

• One resident asked about the 3-car trains that were promised for the D Line a number of years ago. One of the GLT team members is someone who used to be a 3 car train operator on the D Line. Essentially, the lack of them here has been due to an equipment shortage on the overall Green Line network.

• One key system upgrade would be overhauling the signal system in the downtown central tunnels in Boston so that service could be safely sped up, increasing capacity by 50%.

• The Boylston station downtown remains an obstacle to long trains, but they are considering shutting down that station altogether and adjusting the track curve, since it is so close to Park Street station.

• By the end of the year, the GLT program team hopes to have a proposal entailed the entire sequence of the 90 improvement projects, and a total cost outline. Currently, they have 5 years of funding ($913m) from the state/feds for projects and committed funding for the Type 10 supercars.

• One general audience member objection raised was toward the alleged unauthorized carcinogenic T pesticide usage along the D Line.

Public input on all Green Line Transformation projects is being solicited at mbta.com/GLT or at many upcoming in-person public meetings such as the one on Monday night.

Land Use Northland Meeting Recap

Bill attended Tuesday’s Land Use Committee hearing on the Northland proposal. The meeting summarized the project and featured a presentation by the city staff on official findings on the proposal, then opened up to a Q&A and public comment.

Council President Laredo emphasized for the audience his belief that negotiated developments via Land Use is a better process than 40B, or any other process that leaves out the city and public input. 

Land Use Chairman Schwartz said that the main change in the proposal was a clearer agreement to meet requests from the Council about long term commitments to transportation management. Afterwards, public comments began with longer statements from advocacy organizations. Here are some other key notes from the hearing:

• An anti-development hardline group announced in a public comment that they will pursue a citywide referendum against the Northland proposal. (Bill does not believe that parcel-specific zoning changes here or anywhere in the city should be addressed through ballot questions due to the level of legal complexity.)

• City Councilors asked questions to the Chair about the further process for drafting the board order before coming to the ultimate vote.

• Councilors Greenberg & Albright asked for clarification on what the alternative outcomes for the site could be under the law, since many public comments painted a picture of brighter alternative than the current proposal, particularly through by-right development. Councilor Crossley stressed that a smaller project would not include many of the features and traffic mitigation elements on the table right now.

• The Land Use Committee also debated a motion to close public testimony ahead of the drafting of the board order (still accepting comments by email and phone, however.) There would be a 90-day timeframe once the day’s testimony is closed. Chairman Schwartz voted with the majority to close testimony so this project can come to a vote in the Lame Duck Session at the end of term instead of rolling it over into the next term and forcing the hearings process to re-start.

Some residents next to Bill expressed their frustration that there is not enough bus service in that part of Newton. Only 2 routes run with very infrequent service and no shelters to wait inside during the winter. Bill shares this concern and the need to work with the state to get more and better service.

Sudbury Aqueduct Access Meeting Recap

On Thursday, Bill attended the public meeting about the pilot segment for the License Agreement for the MWRA’s Sudbury Aqueduct through Ward 5 from Rte 9 to the fence at Eliot Station. Here are some points from the meeting, which was led by Councilor Downs and Jennifer Steel from the city:

• Unofficially, the segment is already heavily used for recreational purposes, but getting an official license will allow for safety improvement and official promotion of the trail on the Sudbury section. 

• This segment is somewhat cut off from other segments by the T tracks and Route 9, so the idea is to make this a pilot and then figure out linkages from there. This permit is a prerequisite for some other permits relate to the concept.

• MWRA would retain ownership and landscape management responsibilities (as well as maintenance inside the pipe). Trail safety and upgrades would be the responsibility of the city under the supervision of the MWRA.

• Low impact (non motorized uses) would be approved, and dogs would need to remain on leash on the trail. This would remain a dirt/grass path, not resurfaced. MAPC would supply wayfinding signage.

• The fences that pedestrian walk around would either be removed or replaced with anti-vehicle gates that allow pedestrian and bike access. Proper steps would need to be permitted and erected at the Stanley/Canterbury end of the path segment.

• Until this permit is approved, all access to the segment is technically trespassing. Therefore, it’s key to get this approved since a lot of people use it.

• In particular, a lot of school children cross the aqueduct at the unofficial steps to get to school or to bus stops, so it is very important to make safety improvements there, which will require 2 permit agreements with MWRA.

• In addition to the obstacles at either end of the segment, there are ownership problems on some other segments of the aqueduct, which is one of the reasons this can’t go further yet.

Mass DOT Needham St Meeting Recap

Bill also attended this morning’s Mass DOT meeting meeting on traffic improvements slated to start soon on Needham St. Here are some notes from the meeting:

• Current daily traffic is about 35,000 to 40,000 vehicles. Utility prep work would begin no later than spring 2020 (federal money is already ready). They haven't decided which end of segment the road work will start on yet because contractor will schedule that when it's awarded.

• The first year or two of the Needham St project will be utilities work to clear the way for road work over 5 years. Yes, it could be a 7 year project, unfortunately. It will take a long time to do the 2 miles because it's such a heavy traffic artery and 2 way traffic must be maintained the whole time. The work is expected to be evening focused.

• A stated goal in addition to traffic improvement is to make pedestrian access safe and comfortable for the whole length of Needham St, and to add separated bike lanes the whole length.

  • The bike lanes were added "late in the design process" but sound like really high quality bike lanes with a different surface and elevation in addition to separation from the road. The project does extend into Needham on Highland Ave, so those lanes would extend there.

  • One activist for the visually impaired community asked about tactile design to ensure that people don’t accidentally walk into the bike lanes if they can’t see or can’t see well.

• The City has to coordinate closely with Mass DOT on the preparation of the project because of the recent major water main breaks.

• The project manager also addressed a question regarding road width and lanes. They will not be adding any road width or any new lanes, on the basis that this would continue to induce demand and would turn Needham St into a freeway.

• Another member of the public expressed concern about impacts on the already reduced MBTA bus service along this corridor. Buses will be facing the same delays during construction as all vehicles in the corridor.

• Another attendee asked about the possibility of congestion pricing in the Highland Ave Needham St corridor. Mass DOT said that was a policy decision above their level of responsibility.

• If the Northland project is approved, that construction will be happening in parallel (although mostly on their own property) but would be coordinated with the contractor for Mass DOT to reduce compound impact during construction. (They are expected to take similar amounts of time to finish construction.)

• The bridge between Needham and Newton would be 3 road lanes (2 into Newton) plus cantilevered bike/foot paths on both sides. A resident asked if the extra lane could switch direction during rush hour, but Mass DOT said they couldn't make it work when they looked at it. The bridge is Civil War era and can’t be modified much.

• Bill asked if they have numbers on how many curb cuts would be eliminated and replaced by a smaller set of major intersections (something that was a core promise at past meetings), but they didn’t have that figure on hand. Seems like a lot remain on the maps shown.

• A neighbor expressed concern about drivers self-diverting during construction down side streets of Newton Highlands and Upper Falls that can't handle the capacity or wear and tear.

• Another question was about where construction contractor workers would be parking during the process.

For anyone who wishes to contact someone during the project to report problems, Mass DOT will be the primary point of contact for the public. (Contact info not yet available.) Councilor Crossley has also requested a group email alert system people can sign up for to stay posted on construction schedules.

Upcoming events: 

• Thursday, October 3, 7:30 PM at Brigham House - Newton Highlands Area Council monthly meeting 

• Thursday, October 3, City Council - Land Use Committee special permit hearing for the Kinmonth Rd condo development proposal for Waban Square, which we have covered in previous newsletters here and here. (It is listed relatively late on the agenda.)

We would also like to wish all those celebrating next week a happy Jewish New Year!

Campaign Week-in-Review - 9/20/19: Meet & Greet Tonight at 6; 2 Key Endorsements; Village Day, NewCAL Meeting, Climate Strike

by Irina Costache, Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

Meet & Greet/Organizing Opportunity TONIGHT in Waban

Join Bill tonight at 6 PM for an event building on last week’s victory. The event will be hosted by Ward 5 resident Pia Bertelli in her home in Waban (email us for details). This is also a great opportunity for supporters to plan ways to get involved and reach out peer-to-peer to other voters! No donation of any amount is required to attend, as we are using this event primarily as an opportunity to get to know Bill and to plan how people can help elect him in November.

Even if you’ve already met Bill, now is your chance to find out how you can help in the next several weeks.

New Endorsements

This week, we are happy to announce two new campaign endorsements! The first comes from Ward 1 Councilor-At-Large Alison Leary, an environmental champion in our city and state.

The second is from Marian Leah Knapp, a Writer and Advocate for Seniors: “I strongly support Bill Humphrey for Ward 5 City Councilor. He clearly understands issues that Newton Seniors face and has stated these as priorities. He recognizes that seniors are a large and increasing percent of our population. He advocates for helping seniors stay in the Newton community through: better appropriate and affordable housing and transportation options; a much needed new Senior Center; and ways to avoid isolation and loneliness, a documented concern. Bill has done his homework! I applaud him for that.”

Updates from this past week

• Despite the results of last week’s preliminary election, the 3rd place candidate has opted to re-join the campaign and will be running as a write-in candidate.

• This week, Bill went back out to the doors, knocking and getting to hear from Ward 5 voters for the 4th pass during this campaign! Bill has now knocked more than 6,000 doors personally.

1. Upper Falls Village Day

On Sunday, Bill attended Upper Falls Village Day to connect with more voters, and later dropped by a block party in Waban at the invitation of some supporters.

2. Another Ward 5 Candidate Debate

On Wednesday, Bill participated alongside the other two Councilor candidates in a second taping of a Ward 5 candidates debate by NewTV/League of Women Voters. The debate is not available yet to view, but is coming soon. 

3. Upper Falls Area Council Meeting

Bill attended the Upper Falls Area Council’s monthly meeting on Thursday night, where the agenda consisted of a Halloween Activity Proposal, village day recap, Sudbury Aqueduct meeting reminder (next Thursday night at the Waban Library Center at 7 PM!), and an update on Northland from Councilor Downs. Here are some of the issues brought up by community members:

• One resident reported that there’s a severe water pressure problem on the Cottage St hill that has been fluctuating a lot. She wanted to know if other streets in Newton are experiencing this problem too. Area Council member Maxine Bridger said that this is also a problem on Champa St, off of Cottage St. The Department of Public Works has been looking into the issue this week and trying to figure out if there is a pipe problem at that intersection.

• The City of Newton Health Department is rolling out a citywide program stocking AED boxes in all public buildings to now include civilian emergency kits to stop profuse bleeding before first responders arrive. The department will also be offering family friendly training sessions on how to use these new kits to stop traumatic bleeding in an emergency.

4. NewCAL community meeting 

Later on Thursday night, Bill headed over to the community meeting at the Ed Center on the NewCAL (senior-ish center) Albemarle proposal. Here are some notes from the part of the meeting Bill was able to be present for:

• Currently, the administration plans to build a facility without an override using normal capital funding that has already been set aside. The center will require $16.6 mil itself, and another $9+ mil for the pool rebuild, if it is rolled into that by doing the Albemarle option.

• Many audience members expressed frustration that they felt like the city was inadvertently pitting community members and their interests against each other with the current proposal, making it seem like their concerns or objections to the proposal or process so far are motivated by opposition to a senior center rather than confusion and uncertainty about this specific site and the seemingly opaque process used to reach it as the first choice. Most people in the room seemed very supportive of most of the substance of the building and programming itself, although there clearly remained many questions about whether it was geared toward seniors primarily, what role the pool would play in the project, and so on – as well as whether or not this was the appropriate location within the city. (Lack of transit access worried many audience members of all ages.)

• The staff also addressed a question about the possibility of using, for example, the Newton Center triangle parking lot instead for the project. Essentially, the Albemarle site came up because there was a list of sites that might be large enough for the full-scale facility envisioned based on public feedback about what programming should be offered at a new senior center – however, there is a separate track effort to look into so-called “middle-tier options” like the Newton Center parking lot, which would not be large enough for the full-scale aspiration but might be large enough for a medium-sized facility with less program offerings. Not all city staff and departments are on board with the Albemarle idea – to say nothing of the many community members who feel it is an inappropriate site – so the city is also examining the middle-tier sites now in case this larger concept falls through. (A number of audience members expressed concern again about how the process has unfolded including this rather unclear system of multiple tracks of inquiry.) Similarly, private land or land held by religious institutions remain possible options if they become available to the city at a reasonable price. The administration is very reluctant to pursue any option that scatters separate facilities across the city because it is not easy for many seniors to travel between them and the costs for each site start adding up to a collective number that would be about the same as the price tag for one big site.

• Bill asked a question about an issue that a voter had brought up to him at the door this week regarding upkeep at the current senior center during the transition of several years or more to a new center. The voter noted that the current center is old and broken down but that this would remain a problem for some time, even if a new senior center were approved. Currently, there is no custodian, in fact! City staff said they have requested funds from City Council for critical repairs to the roof, etc. Larger problems, such as the antiquated heating system, cannot be fixed because of asbestos that can’t be removed without closing the center, which conflicts with the overall transition problem. So there is somewhat of a transition period maintenance plan, but not a very comprehensive one unfortunately.

5. Climate Strike

Today, Bill attended the high school student climate strike event at Newton City Hall in the early morning and then headed downtown on the Green Line to participate in the rally at Government Center. Throughout the campaign, Bill has consistently put environmental action in Newton as one of his top priorities. He has been endorsed in this campaign by Mass Sierra Club and Sunrise Boston, which only endorsed six candidates in the entire region. Newton was well-represented at the event in Boston!

Upcoming Meetings:

Here are some upcoming events and meetings regarding issues affecting Ward 5 residents.

• Saturday, September 21, 4 p.m. - Waban Library Center 10th Anniversary Celebration 

• Monday, September 23, 6 p.m. Newton Free Library - MBTA Community Meeting on D Line Service Improvement

• Thursday, September 26, 7 p.m., Waban Library Center - Community meeting to advance the process of obtaining MWRA approval to officially open public pedestrian access to the Sudbury Aqueduct from the Eliot Station fence to the Route 9 ramp

• Friday, September 27, 8 a.m., Saco-Pettee Mill Building - MassDOT Project Update on the Needham St / Highland Ave re-design

Campaign Week-in-Review - 9/13/19: On to November; Sept 20 Meet & Greet; Waban Area Council Recap

by Irina Costache, Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

Thank you to all who turned out on Tuesday to show your support for Bill in the preliminary election. With your help, our campaign finished first out of three candidates, and we are now moving forward into the November 5 general election as Ward 5's progressive candidate for the open seat!

Upcoming Meet and Greet Event / Organizing Opportunity

Next week, we have an opportunity for voters to meet and speak to Bill about Ward 5 issues at a Q&A event on the evening of Friday September 20th. The event will be hosted by Waban resident Pia Bertelli. If you are interested in attending, please email Bill for more information and to RSVP! No donation of any amount is required to attend, as we are using this event primarily as an opportunity to get to know Bill and to plan how people can help elect him in November.

Upper Falls Village Day This Sunday

Bill will be back with his campaign pushcart this Sunday, this time in Upper Falls by the Greenway at the end of Chestnut St, from 11 AM to 2 PM. Come check out what the village of Newton Upper Falls has to offer.

Looking Ahead: September 20 Student Climate Strike

On Wednesday, Bill was unable to attend the latest Northland meeting at the City Council Land Use Committee due to a conflicting event in Chestnut Hill. The event was a joint meeting of a number of climate activist groups in Newton like Sunrise, 350 Mass, Mothers Out Front, and local youth organizers. Many Newton students are gearing up to walk out of school and rallying at Newton City Hall on September 20th as part of global demonstrations against inaction on climate change.

Waban Area Council

Last night, Bill attended the monthly Area Council Meeting, where many community members attended to voice their concerns about the city. Here are some of the issues discussed:

• One community issue brought up was increasing sound levels for neighborhoods near the Route 128 add-a-lane project. There will be more on this at future meetings, now that it is on the agenda

• There was a discussion about the proposed NewCAL (senior center) project, trying to determine what if anything the Waban Area Council should weigh in on about it. The key question from the Area Council’s point of view was whether the city has properly followed its own written process when considering the use of recreational or city park for such a project. Earlier this week, a Ward 2 resident emailed Bill, concerned about the loss of public tennis court access for the city’s north side if NewCAL were built on the proposed Albemarle site. At last night’s meeting, Bill was able to ask about this issue to WAC member and Friends of Newton Tennis Courts leader Bob Jampol, who had commented on this issue last month already. He reiterated his personal view that there are currently too many courts in the city to sustain them all in good shape, and noted that there are several other public tennis courts on the north side of the city, so he feels that the city could sacrifice this court if need be.

• Other issues in the area: 

  • Significant new housing is soon to be approved in Wellesley at the Wellesley Office Park, across the line from the Newton Ward 5 border. This will have various traffic and infrastructure effects on Waban, and so Newton officials will need to coordinate with the Wellesley officials to prepare for that.

  • The 20 Kinmonth Rd proposal in Waban Square has filed for a special permit at City Council. There are no significant changes to their plan at the moment.

• There will be another Joint Area Councils sponsored debate for Ward 5 held on October 27 at Zervas Elementary School in the afternoon.

Road Construction Updates

Councilor Downs alerted Bill that there will be some road construction happening this weekend in Ward 5 around Plainfield St and Pine Ridge Rd. It is similar pavement work to work done recently on Upland Rd.

Campaign Reminders

Lawn sign requests: We are still looking to distribute lawn signs! Please email Bill if you are interested in having a lawn sign installed in your yard.

Absentee Ballots: For those who wish to vote by absentee ballot, here’s a reminder that there is still time to request one! Requests can be made up until 12:00 p.m. on the day before the election. However, the city website says, “as a practical matter, if you want the ballot mailed, you may want to request the ballot further in advance, so as to allow time for delivery.”

The form to request one can be found here. The application for an absentee ballot may be sent by email (elections@newtonma.gov), mail, fax, or delivered in person to the City Clerk’s office in City Hall. There’s no deadline but they should be requested as soon as possible to make sure the ballot can be returned in time. A number of supporters said they had forgotten to request their absentee ballots in time to vote on September 10, and we want to make sure you don't forget before November 5.

Endorsements: Bill’s campaign has a running list of official campaign endorsers on his website! If you are interested in adding your name to our list of support, whether you’re an activist or just a fellow Ward 5 resident, please email Bill to let him know! Similarly, if you would like a campaign button to wear in public to show your support for Bill, let us know that too.

Thank you for all your support in this victory today

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Thank you to all my supporters for this victory in the preliminary election. We finished first and will be moving on to November facing off against the runner-up.

My supporters and I knocked nearly 6,700 doors in Ward 5. These door-to-door conversations are what politics is about: about connecting with our neighbors about a shared vision for the city and helping to put it into action.

Voters in Ward 5 agree we need to make sure Newton is a community for everyone – for residents of all ages, ethnicities, national origins, faiths, abilities, incomes – where people can afford to live & thrive at any stage of their life, whether they're starting adulthood or aging in place.

In the upcoming term, the City Council has the opportunity to build upon its history of climate action with even bolder policies that recognize the scale of the crisis. Our ward understands we need a new generation of leadership on climate, transportation, housing, and more.

I'm looking forward to continuing these conversations and spreading our message over the next two months, and I hope you'll be there with me through the November election. To learn more about my campaign, visit http://billhumphrey.org. Thank you again for all your support.

Preliminary Election Tuesday - Ward 5 only

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Some final notes

Since the beginning of February 2019, I've knocked on 5,900 doors and my volunteers have knocked 800 more. We've spoken directly to more voters than any other campaign. I've also participated in at least four candidate forums so far (video for the second and third), as voters make up their minds on which candidate will exit the race this week and which two will continue on. I'm asking Ward 5 voters to go to the polls and cast a vote for me tomorrow, Tuesday, September 10th, to help make Newton a community for everyone and to make sure we have a councilor for all of Ward 5.

Today, yesterday, and Saturday, my volunteers and I criss-crossed the ward one more time before the Preliminary Election distributing hundreds of reminder cards to my supporters and other likely voters we're hoping to mobilize to the polls for me tomorrow.

Here are some statements from supporters about the Ward 5 race:

• “Bill Humphrey is the best choice in this race for progressive voters. He is committed to addressing Newton’s affordable housing shortage and environmental crisis, and he has a strong record of fighting for all our residents on issues of economic inequality.” — Susan Davidoff, Progressive Newton Steering Committee

• “Bill has been a strong advocate for Newton's progressive priorities including affordable housing, immigrant rights and taking action to mitigate climate change. As a Councilor, he will strengthen the Council's ability to move Newton forward. I have no doubt that he will be dedicated to serving constituents and representing Ward 5 needs on the City Council.” — Susan Albright Newton City Councilor At-Large

• "The Massachusetts Sierra Club is proud to endorse Bill Humphrey for Newton City Council. Bill has long been a dedicated and persistent advocate for fighting climate change and reducing emissions. We are confident that Bill will bring the vision and leadership needed to make Newton a leader in environmental protection and climate resilience." – Jordan Meehan, Chair of the Massachusetts Sierra Club's Political Committee

• "What truly excites me is that Bill is a 'homegrown millennial' who wants to contribute to the community which helped shape his life. As Newton plans to meet the challenges of the future, he will not only bring a fresh and unique perspective to the City Council, but will also be a dynamic role model for our young adults. He is eager to promote ways to make Newton more attractive to our youth who have taken up residency elsewhere." – Deena David, Ward 5 activist

• "Bill is the only candidate in this race who has consistently championed affordable housing instead of fighting against it." – Fran Godine, Ward 5 affordable housing activist with Engine 6

• "Bill understands the environmental stakes in city government, from gas leaks to energy conservation and clean water." — Marcia Cooper, Ward 5 environmental activist

• "Bill Humphrey is the candidate in this race who has knocked doors on every street in Ward 5, and he is always present at all the community meetings, listening to our concerns." — Jo-Louise Allen, Newton Upper Falls Area Council

Week-in-Review - 9/6/19: 4 days to go (sign up to help!), 3 city council updates

by Irina Costache, Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

If you missed yesterday’s special email, Bill has now been endorsed by Progressive Newton, Massachusetts Sierra Club, and Sunrise Boston. (There are also more details yesterday about what Bill has been working on this week.)

Election Reminders

This is our last newsletter before the preliminary election this coming Tuesday, September 10!

Voters can find their polling location through this form on the city’s website. (The three locations are the Emerson Community Center for Precinct 1, the Hyde Center for Precinct 2, and the Waban Library Center for Precincts 3 and 4.)

• Those who wish to vote by absentee ballot can still request one, but you might want to request it in person at this point (and turn it in at the City Clerk’s office in person as well).

• If you are interested in showing you support for Bill on election day by holding up a sign at one of the three polling locations in Ward 5, please fill out this form and we’ll get in touch this weekend with assignments.

• If you will be available on Monday to distribute reminders to supporters’ doors or Tuesday to make phone calls to voters, please email Bill as soon as possible to let him know. (The number of signups for specific days affects how we spread out the assignments, so don’t wait.)

• Email your Ward 5 friends and ask them to vote for Bill on Tuesday: Word of mouth and personal recommendations are one of the most powerful tools we have for getting people to vote for Bill and to remember to turn out to vote in this Tuesday's Ward 5-only preliminary election. If you were thinking of emailing any lists of friends and neighbors about this race, now is the time to start doing that!

• Lawn signs: Email Bill to get a lawn sign.

City Updates Residents Should Be Aware Of

On Wednesday, Mayor Fuller released her weekly newsletter, in which she included some updates about city ordinances. Here are four changes that residents should know about:

• City Council change to Winter Parking Ban

  • According to the newsletter, the Overnight Parking Ban will be four weeks shorter this winter. Overnight on-street parking will now be prohibited from Dec. 1 - March 31.

  • For those in need of overnight parking in the winter, the city provides free municipal parking lot permits that can be obtained through the Newton Police Department. The permits are given on a first term basis and are good for parking only during the Winter Parking Ban.

• City Council change to sidewalk snow-clearing ordinance

  • On Tuesday night, the City Council voted to pass an ordinance requiring homeowners to clear their sidewalks of snow within 24 hours of a storm’s end. The Mayor said that the exception to this rule will be in cases where conditions of snow warrant extra time or to those who “demonstrate hardship due to a combination of health and financial duress or religious circumstances.” Those who fail to do so would face a written warning for a first offence, and a $50 fine each time afterwards. The Department of Public Works will be enforcing this ordinance when people call/write in violations to 311.

• City Council short-term rental (AirBnB) ordinance adopted

  • Also on Tuesday night, the Council voted on the city’s first ever ordinance regarding short term rentals (e.g. AirBnBs). The ordinance will go into effect on Jan. 2, 2020 and was meant to balance “the need to preserve ‘the quiet enjoyment of Newton neighborhoods’ while maintaining the ability of homeowners to earn extra money renting rooms.”

  • The rule allows homeowners to rent out rooms to people in the residence in which they live at form at least nine months of the year. The total number of bedrooms that can be rented out is three, while the total of renters allowed at any given time is nine. However, the City Council did not cap the number of nights a year that homeowners can rent out rooms. (This will likely need to be revisited.)

  • Those choosing to rent out rooms must register with the State and with the City of Newton before renting.

  • Homeowners will be held responsible to make sure that renters aren’t being “noisy, creating trash, causing parking or traffic issues or creating any other nuisance beyond which normally occurs in the immediate residential area.” Violating this rule three times will result in an inability to rent for six months.

• There are 5 community meeting dates for people to learn more about the NewCAL (senior center, kind of) proposal -- Residents will have a chance to ask questions and hear directly from the project team at the Ed Center (Room 111) at the following 5 dates and times:

  • Thursday, September 19, 7:00 p.m.

  • Thursday, October 24, 7:00 p.m.

  • Thursday, November 21, 7:00 p.m.

  • Thursday, December 12, 7:00 p.m.

Riverside Proposal Revision

This week, the developers submitted to the City Council a revision to their proposed Riverside development, with significant reductions to the size of the project. With this new proposal, the development would feature 524 housing units, 524,000 sq. ft. of office space, 71,000 sq. ft. or retail space, and 2,756 parking spots. And, as opposed to the originally proposed total 1.5 million sq. ft., the project’s size would be brought down to 1.2 million sq. ft. Though this will make the project substantially smaller and nowhere near as tall, this reduction will be at the cost of: significantly less affordable housing, no condos, and less green space or riverfront revitalization. Also, the federal government has approved the proposed reconfiguration of the interstate highway exits to substantially reduce the traffic impact from the project on Auburndale and Lower Falls, which is a major change relative to the smaller, abandoned 2013 plan for Riverside.

New Endorsements from Progressive Newton, Sunrise Boston, and Massachusetts Sierra Club

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Three Big Endorsements

This week in the final days before the September 10th preliminary, I've received the endorsements of Progressive Newton and two local environmental groups, Sunrise Boston and the Massachusetts Sierra Club.

Susan Davidoff from the Progressive Newton Steering Committee says "Bill Humphrey is the best choice in this race for progressive voters. He is committed to addressing Newton’s affordable housing shortage and environmental crisis, and he has a strong record of fighting for all our residents on issues of economic inequality."


Sunrise Boston, the regional chapter of the youth climate action Sunrise Movement, selected me as one of 6 out of 50 applicants to receive their endorsement. In a statement, they said "These candidates fully understand the need for urgent climate action and will champion bold progressive climate policies like the Green New Deal at the local level and we are proud to endorse them. Thank you for fighting for our future!!"


I also received the endorsement of the Massachusetts Sierra Club, where I used to be the political committee chair myself and learned a lot firsthand about what a bold municipal environmental policy platform looks like.


These endorsements add to a growing list that already includes Engine 6, the Massachusetts Nurses Association union (representing City of Newton nurses and Newton-Wellesley Hospital nurses), the Bay State Stonewall Democrats, and many more.
 

How You Can Help the Campaign

Email your Ward 5 friends and ask them to vote for me on Tuesday
Word of mouth and personal recommendations are one of the most powerful tools we have for getting people to vote for me and to remember to turn out to vote in this Tuesday's Ward 5-only preliminary election. If you were thinking of emailing any lists of friends and neighbors about this race, now is the time to start doing that! You can even feel free to send them this email specifically.

Sign holding volunteer sign up

We are looking for volunteers to help and hold signs supporting me at the polls on election day -- Tuesday September 10! If you would like to sign up for a two hour shift at one of the 3 locations, please click here! 

Voter Reminders on September 9th

Please email me if you are available on Monday September 9th to help distribute reminders to the doors of our supporters about the next day’s election.

Lawn sign requests

We are still looking to distribute lawn signs! Please email me if you are interested in having a lawn sign installed in your yard.
 

Door knocking update: Round 3 completed

On Sunday, I completed my 3rd full pass through the doors of Ward 5. It took us only 32 days. Since February 4th, my team & I have effectively (i.e. counting 3 passes) knocked 6,607 doors -- I did 5,810 myself -- and we have spoken to more than 1,600 different voters across 7 months.

Here are the top issues voters have raised: [Graph showing the top issues in order: Road/Sidewalk repair; Development & Zoning; Environment & Clean Energy; Housing; Road Safety & Bike Lanes; Traffic; Schools/Education; City Services; Senior Issues; Teardowns]

Public Events This Week

Newton Democrats Labor Day BBQ 

On Monday, I spoke at the annual Newton Democrats Labor Day BBQ. Here's the text of my speech as prepared for delivery: "I'm Bill Humphrey and I'm running for the open Ward 5 Councilor seat this year. Most of you already know me from my work here in the Newton Democratic City Committee and countless campaigns. 

On Labor Day it's a particularly good time to reflect on the fact that after the 2016 disaster, our party has only one path forward to victory and that is to be a mass-membership, multi-racial, environmental party of the American working class. 

We also know as Democrats that the work of building our party back up begins at the local level, and that's why I'm running for the Newton City Council on a platform of making sure we are a community for everyone. 

We need to act locally to get off fossil fuels, to provide affordable housing for all, and to strengthen our city services with strong public employee unions who have great healthcare and wages. 

I've been going door to door --to 5,800 doors so far-- since the first week of February to do what we Democrats do best: to make the case voter by voter and mobilize those voters to rally behind our agenda because that's what will make us a community for everyone. Thank you."

Other Events

Tonight at 7:30, I'll join the other two candidates at the joint Area Councils Candidate Forum for Ward 5 at the Emerson Community Center.

Last night I attended the monthly meeting of Engine 6, where we heard updates on several proposed housing developments in Newton. (Don't miss the Engine 6 endorsement of my candidacy last week.)

On Tuesday, I attended the monthly meeting of the Friends of Hemlock Gorge.

Campaign Week-in-Review - 8/30/19: Endorsements from Stonewall Dems and Engine 6; Another Natural Gas Update

by Irina Costache, Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

Happy Labor Day weekend. With 11 days left before the first round of voting, we’re full steam ahead, despite the long weekend.

Door knocking update

This week, Bill and our volunteers knocked 426 more doors, nearing the end of Bill’s third pass around Ward 5! Since the beginning of February, we have knocked more than 6400 doors!

Some of the most common issues that Bill heard about from voters this week continued to be concerns about environmental action and road repair in Newton. Other voters this week also mentioned a need to improve the safety of our sidewalks so that they are more accessible to residents with disabilities or temporary injuries.

Public Events This Past Week

Newton Teachers Association Rally 

On Wednesday morning, Bill stood alongside many of his former Newton South teachers in the Newton Teachers Association as they protested at City Hall against the lack of a new contract. The rally had a huge turnout, stretching along Commonwealth Avenue. Currently, there are 17 unions in Newton working without a new contract. 

Climate Action Plan presentation

Bill attended Monday’s joint meeting of the Zoning and Planning Committee and Public Facilities Committee to review the city’s proposed Climate Action Plan. This will be a key step forward, but of course there’s a lot more work to be done.
 

More Endorsements: Stonewall Dems and Engine 6

The Bay State Stonewall Democrats, the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s LGBTQ+ wing, have endorsed Bill’s campaign! Bill’s political career began as an advocate for marriage equality - after graduating from the University of Delaware, he served as the Statewide Director and co-founder of the Delaware Right to Marry Political Action Committee, organizing students toward the successful passage of same-sex marriage legislation in Delaware.

Bill has also been endorsed by Engine 6, the Ward 5-based affordable housing advocacy group established during the unsuccessful 2013 effort to convert the former Engine 6 fire station in Waban to staff-supported housing for a small number of previously homeless individuals who were working to get back on their feet. (Bill supported the proposal.) The group said in their email to members today: 

“Ward 5 residents: We urge you to vote for Bill Humphrey. A 5th-generation Waban resident, Bill is young, full of energy, and already long active in progressive politics in Newton. Most important for housing advocates, he understands the forces and policies that contribute to our chronic housing shortage, and is committed to trying to turn the situation around. The other two candidates are long-time members of the Waban Area Council, which we believe was instrumental in the failure of two modest multifamily housing proposals that we supported, 1521 Beacon (St. Philip Neri) and 1615 Beacon (now the Suzuki School).”

Natural Gas Update

Following up on the newsletter information we published last week and the week before, earlier this week with limited warning to the city or public there was a second, sustained, maintenance-related venting of natural gas into Ward 5 on Quinobequin Rd, blanketing the surrounding neighborhoods for some 2-3 hours. This was shorter than the first release a couple weekends ago which lasted some six or more hours.

According to Newton resident and environmental scientist Nathan Phillips, the first release on August 18 was “equivalent [by volume] to the annual carbon emissions of between 174 and 439 average US cars.” The second release earlier this week was shorter in duration. While there was a relatively low risk of explosion from these two venting incidents, the air quality public health impacts may have been substantial. Bill spoke to city officials the night before the second release and remains looped in on discussions between city officials and the local scientific community which has been monitoring – with literal air monitors – the situation. The maintenance and venting should be completed at this point based on what we currently know.

It may be interesting to note that neighboring Brookline is currently considering a proposal to ban new permitting for hookups to the natural gas grid, in an effort to start transitioning away from legacy fossil fuel infrastructure.

How You Can Help the Campaign

Sign holding volunteer sign up

With the preliminary election coming up quickly (about a week and a half!), we are looking for volunteers to help and hold signs supporting Bill at the polls on election day -- Tuesday September 10! If you would like to sign up for a two hour shift at one of the 3 locations, please click here! 

Voter Reminders on September 9th

Please email Bill if you are available on Monday September 9th to help distribute reminders to the doors of our supporters about the next day’s election.

Lawn sign requests

We are still looking to distribute lawn signs! Please email Bill if you are interested in having a lawn sign installed in your yard.

Campaign Week-in-Review - 8/23/19: How You Can Help Before Sept 10; Quinobequin Natural Gas Update

by Irina Costache, Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

What we’re hearing on the doors

Since last Friday, Bill and our group of volunteers knocked 445 doors! As of yesterday, Bill has officially finished knocking 3 out of 4 of the Ward 5 precincts for the third time since beginning his campaign! Here are a couple of updates of issues that voters have brought up to him in the past couple of weeks:

• Many voters continued to bring up their concerns with the possibility that the proposed new senior center, NewCAL, might be built on green space in Newton. As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, the current city proposal is to build NewCAL at Albemarle Field on the “hardscape” of the pool, fieldhouse, tennis courts, and basketball court (all of which would be replaced with new facilities as part of the project). Bill still remains concerned about public transportation to the site and the city’s overall process for selecting the site but is waiting to see more specific details on the proposal at this point. 

• A number of voters have been reporting unsafe streets and sidewalks to Bill, pointing out broken sidewalks, bad street intersections, and chronically speeding cars. As Ward councilor, keeping Newton’s streets and sidewalks safe for residents through design changes and consistent repairs would be a priority for Bill.

• Some other top concerns have been about the environment and developments in Newton. (One voter brought up pressuring the National Grid to replace the gas lines in Newton.) As an environmental and affordable housing activist, Bill follows both of these issues very closely.

• One voter brought up to Bill the need to elect younger officials to local government! As a young, lifelong resident of Newton, Bill will bring that perspective to the City Council.

We're continuing to distribute lawn signs as we go door-to-door. Please email Bill to request one.

Pre-election reminders: How you can help

The September preliminary vote is now less than three weeks away! As mentioned last week, we have ways you can get involved.

Dear Friend Cards: If you would like to get involved before the September vote by sending out postcards to Ward 5 voters you know or doing some reminder phone calls to supporters, please sign up here. You'll need to let us know sooner rather than later, however, so that we can order enough cards.

Polling Place Visibility: If you are interested in showing you support for Bill on election day by holding up a sign at one of the three polling locations in Ward 5, please fill out this form and we’ll get in touch.

Absentee Voting: Although the deadline to register to vote has passed, there is still time to request an absentee ballot, if you need one! The form to do so can be found here. The application for an absentee ballot may be sent by email (elections at newtonma.gov), mail, fax, or delivered in person to the City Clerk’s office in City Hall. There’s no deadline but they should be requested as soon as possible to make sure the ballot can be returned in time.

Natural gas update from Nathan Phillips

As discussed in depth in our newsletter last week, one of the gas companies issued a statement announcing plans to vent natural gas into the air near Quinobequin Road in Ward 5 as part of emergency maintenance work across the river in Wellesley and Needham. The first release occurred this past Sunday, and the final release was set to be next Saturday, August 31. 

Here is an update on the natural gas situation from from Newton resident and Boston University environmental scientist Dr. Nathan Phillips, who went out with an air monitor during the first release:

"The plume [from the first release] reached much of Quinobequin Rd & several streets up the hill from there, as well as Newton-Wellesley Hospital, with gas readings of 5-7x normal background. The plume was intermittent depending on wind. People probably didn’t smell it because Enbridge said they deodorized the gas. The concern is air quality impacts on sensitive populations & climate damage. There are over 100 VOCs [volatile organic compounds] in uncombusted gas, some of which are known carcinogens & neurotoxins with no determined lower safe limit."

The 2nd release has not yet been scheduled but is likely to be sometime next weekend, broadly around August 31st. Bill is still being looped in on discussions with city officials to be able to provide updates to residents in Ward 5.

8/16/19: Quinobequin Natural Gas Alert, Needham St Road Work, 5000 Doors, 3.5 Weeks to Go

by Irina Costache, Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

Quinobequin Rd Area Natural Gas Situation

City officials received notice this week that one of the gas companies plans to vent a significant amount of natural gas into the air in Ward 5 starting this weekend. The company’s statement initially was fairly vague:

“To support its ongoing efforts to address various anomalies on its pipeline in Needham and Wellesley, Algonquin Gas will be releasing odorized natural gas and performing maintenance work at its valve site near Walnut Street in Wellesley and Quinobequin Road in Newton.  The releases are scheduled to occur between Sunday, August 18th and Saturday, August 31st. The same protocol followed earlier this year, including notifications to local landowners, will be followed. If you have any questions during these activities, please do not hesitate to call the Westwood operations office at 781-329-3750 or the Spectra Energy Gas Control 24 hour call line at 1-800-726-8383.”

City Officials including Mayor Fuller and the Fire Chief had a conference call with the company this week to discuss safety and details. A map of a radius of potential effect area and notification on Quinobequin and East Quinobequin was provided.

Today the planned release was clarified to city officials as follows:

“The first gas release from the Quinobequin valve is currently slated to begin at 11AM on Sunday, Aug. 18th and last for 6-7 hours. The final release will be during line refilling when maintenance work is completed sometime before Saturday, August 31. Algonquin will notify the City when that second date is chosen.”

Bill spoke to Newton resident and Boston University environmental scientist Dr. Nathan Phillips about the situation to find out what residents should be aware of:

“Algonquin Pipeline LLC (aka Spectra, aka Enbridge) had two unexpected pipeline failures in the last week (Thursday and Saturday) on the high pressure transmission Algonquin line that goes along I-95 through Needham, Newton, and Weston. The company sent out ‘critical’ notices on these events and declared a Force Majeure, which is an ‘unforeseeable circumstance’. No further information about what happened last week or in other of the “various anomalies”. Enbridge had a similar transmission pipeline explode three weeks ago in Kentucky, killing one person with a 30-acre blast zone. Enbridge/Spectra has a troubling safety record on its oil and gas pipelines.”

Although it is now clearer that they are planning two lengthy releases, but not a week of continuous releases, it still poses a risk to neighbors. While the risk of explosion should be low and will be monitored by the Fire Department, there remains a serious air pollution and public health risk (since natural gas as a fuel contains many other toxins besides the primary gas). Nearby Ward 5 residents, particularly with pulmonary health issues, should take that into consideration when deciding whether to remain in place.

Needham St Road Work

The Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce sent out a note today about the next phase of construction around Oak St/Needham St/Christina St:

“The intersection improvements at Needham, Oak and Christina Streets is moving into the home stretch, with the project scheduled to be completed by Sept. 13.

• Next week, crews will be performing reconstruction and paving on Needham Street. This work is scheduled for night shift (8 p.m. to 5 a.m.)

• Expect police details and daily sidewalk closures along Needham St. between Oak Street and the Needham town line.

• Between Aug. 18-24 work will be performed at both day and night shifts to perform full depth reconstruction of Needham St. This work will include reclaiming the roadway to a gravel base. This work has been scheduled as a continuous operation to limit the duration of roadway impacts.”

Less Than Four Weeks To Go: How You Can Help Out

This week, we entered the final four weeks of campaigning until the September 10 preliminary! Please keep this date in mind and remember to turnout to vote! In a race as small as ours, every vote is important!

You can check your voter registration status here. For those not registered to vote, the deadline is next Wednesday, August 21. You may register to vote online here, by mail here, or in person at the City Clerk’s office in City Hall. 

For those who wish to vote by absentee ballot, the form can be found here. The application for an absentee ballot may be sent by email (elections at newtonma.gov), mail, fax, or delivered in person to the City Clerk’s office in City Hall. There’s no deadline but they should be requested as soon as possible to make sure the ballot can be returned in time.

If you are interested in showing you support for Bill on election day by holding up a sign at one of the three polling locations in Ward 5, please fill out this form and we’ll get in touch.

If you would like to get involved before the September vote by sending out postcards to Ward 5 voters you know or doing some reminder phone calls to supporters, please sign up here.

Finally, you can watch the League of Women Voters / NewTV Ward 5 Councilor debateon Village 14 starting today.

Door Knocking Update

This week, Bill, myself, and other volunteers knocked over 400 doors in Ward 5! We’re now halfway done with our third pass. Bill also hit the milestone of personally knocking 5000 doors since he began door knocking around the Ward this past February!

Lawn signs

Once again, here’s a reminder about lawn signs! The September preliminary election is quickly approaching, so we would like to put up as many signs as soon as possible!

If you decide that you would like a sign to put up in your front yard, please email me so that we can coordinate on getting one dropped off to you! We are trying to get signs onto as many Ward 5 lawns as we can, whether or not they are in a high-visibility spot, because every vote counts in such a small race!
 

Upper Falls Area Council

On Thursday night, Bill was at the Upper Falls Area Council meeting. On the agenda were some discussions about Village Day, a memorial plaque, and other upcoming forums.

There is an upcoming Ward 5 Councilor candidate forum ahead of the preliminary, to be hosted by the area councils, which will take place on Thursday, September 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Emerson Community Center (in place of the Newton Highlands Area Council meeting).

Friends of Cold Spring Park / NewCAL discussion

On Wednesday night, Bill attended the Friends of Cold Spring Park monthly meeting. There is an upcoming Cold Spring Park service day, drawing in primarily volunteers from Newton-Wellesley Hospital doctors and their families, scheduled for September 21 (rain date tbd). 

There was also a discussion of the city’s proposal to build the NewCAL (new senior/community center) at Albemarle Field. The proposal would be to put the new site on the pool, tennis courts, basketball courts, and Field House as a way of avoiding taking up green space. The group is still evaluating the new plan and waiting to hear about design details, but Bill still remains concerned about the lack of public transportation to the site and about the overall process used to reach this site selection. 

Campaign Week-in-Review - 8/9/19: One month until the September preliminary!

by Irina Costache, Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

Lawn Sign Requests 

This week’s newsletter is starting off with another reminder about lawn signs! We have about one month left until the September 10 preliminary election! As ours is the only race in the city to have one before the November general election, we want to start spreading the word now! 

If you decide that you would like a sign to put up in your front yard, please email me so that we can coordinate on getting one dropped off to you! We are trying to get signs onto as many Ward 5 lawns as we can, whether or not they are in a high-visibility spot, because every vote counts in such a small race!

Door knocking update

This week, Bill, along with myself and some of his friends, were able to knock 535 doors (with Bill knocking over 400 of them himself, including 94 in one day alone) in Upper Falls, Newton Highlands, and Waban.

We were able to speak to nearly 150 Ward 5 voters! This week at the doors, many voters brought up the issue of affordable housing in Newton. One senior voter was concerned about affordable downsizing options for seniors and told Bill that increasing home prices are pricing her out of Newton. There were also many people who asked Bill for more information about the proposed Northland development, specifically about their concerns about traffic and parking.

Hemlock Gorge Memorial Event

On Tuesday, Bill attended the Friends of Hemlock Gorge’s dedication of a granite memorial bench honoring the late former Ward 5 Councilor-at-Large and Friends of Hemlock Gorge founder Brian Yates.

Land Use Committee Continues Northland Debate 

Late on Tuesday, Bill attended the Land Use Committee session between Councilors and City Planning Staff where they were discussing the issue of traffic mitigation from the proposed Northland development on Needham Street. 

The planners were attempting to forecast the amount of traffic on Needham St by 2025 in three different scenarios - with no project, with a partial or smaller project without traffic demand management, and with the Northland project as proposed (including the shuttles). The bottom line conclusion of the examination was that a smaller project or a project without the residential complex at all, both of which would not have a shuttle, would both generate more traffic than the current proposed plan.

At the meeting, there was also a discussion about how to best apply sanctions for failure to meet traffic demand management objectives. The city staff was primarily recommending a requirement to increase spending on TDM (Transportation Demand Management) and the shuttle system substantially in order to reach the desired number of reductions in car trips if the initial plan does not achieve the target numbers.

NewTV/League of Women Voters candidate debate 

On Wednesday afternoon, Bill participated in the pre-recording of NewTV and League of Women Voters candidate debate for the Ward 5 Councilor race. The taping of the debate will be available online soon, and we will be linking it in a future newsletter, once it comes out!

A second debate taping is also planned for mid-September after the preliminary election. There are also additional candidate forums scheduled to be held by the various Area Councils and by the Ward 5 Democrats on September 5 and September 8 respectively, as well as some forums in October. 

Livable Newton

Later on Wednesday night, Bill was able to drop in on the end of the monthly Livable Newton meeting to hear updates on possible housing at the former National Guard Armory. Unfortunately, due to the earlier debate’s scheduling, he missed most of this month’s meeting, so we do not have our usual detailed notes.
 

Sunrise Movement

Also this week, at the request of the Boston area chapter of the Sunrise Movement, Bill signed their pledges to support a federal and local Green New Deal (for a socially just economic transformation to halt climate change) and to refuse to accept campaign contributions from executives, lobbyists, or PACs in the oil and gas industry.

Sunrise Movement is the national youth organization working to mobilize the United States to take emergency action on climate change over the next decade. Bill hopes to push for Newton to set hard targets to cut its carbon emissions by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, in line with the Paris Agreement/IPCC projections required to contain global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Campaign Week-in-Review - 8/2/19: Updates from City Department Heads and Police and Fire Chief

by Irina Costache, Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

On Thursday this week, Bill kicked off his third pass knocking doors around Ward 5 and received a lot of policy and community updates from city staff!

Lawn Signs requests

As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, a September 10 preliminary election has been scheduled for the Ward 5 race, so Bill has begun to distribute lawn signs to voters around Newton! As ours is the only race in the city to have one before the November general election, we want to start spreading the word now! 

If you decide that you would like a sign to put up in your front yard, please email me so that we can coordinate on getting one dropped off to you! We are trying to get signs onto as many Ward 5 lawns as we can, whether or not they are in a high-visibility spot, because every vote counts in such a small race! 

All-department city staff briefing to candidates

On Tuesday, Bill got to meet with nine Newton city department heads to ask questions and learn about each department’s needs. This briefing was open to all municipal candidates and incumbents but had been put together following Bill’s request early in the campaign. Here are some of the important things he learned from some of these departments, from his notes:

• Fire Department

  • I finally had the opportunity to speak to Newton Fire Chief Gino Luchetti about my platform favoring the de-privatization of ambulance services in Newton, bringing it back in-house via the Fire Department, which I knew was something the Fire Department has been advocating for some time now, too. He went over his eight-year transition plan to municipalize the ambulance services. Initially, there would be a public-private partnership, and there would have to be a continued private contract for backup services and Mutual Aid situations, and some billing services would still be outsourced, but primarily ambulance services would be provided by the Department directly ultimately in most cases. The city’s current contract is with Cataldo, and the Fire Department has repeatedly expressed concerns about their handling and fulfillment of the contract, and the company grosses $3.5 million per year. The chief noted that the Fire Department and by extension the City of Newton would generate net revenue by providing ambulance services in-house, rather than it being a burdensome cost, and the upfront cost of the transition would only be $1.5 million. He believes that services would be less expensive to residents and a higher level of quality would be offered if the profit component were eliminated by municipalization (and with a willingness to pay paramedics and EMTs more than the private sector, which has famously low wages and high turnover). Additionally, Newton’s HR Director was sitting next to us and overheard the conversation, and she mentioned that she used to work for the town of Norwood which has in-house ambulance services and it was working great there, and she noted that she believed Newton was an ideal community for in-house ambulance services as well, particularly because we do not have a high rate of uninsured residents.

  • I also discussed with Chief Luchetti various chemical and environmental hazards facing firefighters on the job, which is something that the Massachusetts Sierra Club and other environmental groups have worked on with Massachusetts firefighters at the state level.

• Department of Public Works

  • Many residents have asked me for clarification on the new formula for deciding which streets get prioritized for repairs, and I stressed to the Department of Public Works the need to communicate that more clearly to residents, so that they are not left in the dark. The department staffers went over the new formula for me and explained that they rated all of the city’s roads 0-100 for their current condition and combined that with a rating for level of traffic so that high-traffic roads and very terrible quality roads regardless of traffic level both get prioritized. They therefore plan to pave roads that are rated under 25 on the Paving Condition Index within 2 years, while they plan to pave roads that are rated under 35 within 3 years. So, if you live on a minor dead-end street that is in terrible shape, you should still see repairs very soon – not 15 years from now as some residents had worried.

  • On stormwater management, the department says that it has redefined fees to charge more for impervious services. They also said that wetlands and ponds need dredging as part of flood control, and that the channelized brooks and culverts need repairs.

  • Speaking about waste management, the department noted that recycling fees have climbed a lot, but that there is still product demand, contrary to some of the more alarmist media reports

  • I also spoke to the department about the private way streets issue that many residents have brought up to me, but they stressed that City Council would have to change the ordinances before there were any policy changes on that.

• Health & Human Services

  • The department is currently working on a food security program providing breakfasts and lunches to hundreds of Newton families over the summer, underscoring the ongoing inequality in our community that is largely hidden. We discussed how 11% of Newton schoolchildren live in poverty and one in eight households lives on $25,000 or less, despite the city’s reputation for wealth.

  • On the issue of vaping, they said that purchasing a vape is restricted to those over the age of 21, and that there will be spot checks of compliance. There is also a flavor ban on all tobacco products except at the 21+ stores (with a continued exception for menthol). All vape products could soon be banned from convenience stores. There will be an opportunity for public input on this proposal.

  • The department also reported that the known fatal overdose rate is in decline, and that the Diversion staffer has been able to offer more resources to get people help instead of sending them to jail.

  • There is also currently a rats problem that they are dealing with.

• Parks & Recreation Department

  • The Parks & Rec Department talked to me about funding needs, saying that the Mayor did give them more funding for field maintenance. 

  • I also asked about the public input and approval process for various parks and recreation projects, given a contentious meeting several months ago at the Waban Area Council where this became a major point of confusion. Non-school playgrounds always have public hearings at the Recreation Commission, except in the unusual case of the play structure in question, which was proposed for a traffic island and therefore requires a different process (through the City Council’s Public Facilities Committee).

  • I also asked for an update on playground ADA accessibility efforts. They are currently working on planning upgrades for 11 of about 19 sites in need of accessibility improvements. A core part of their strategy now is making sure that the playgrounds or recreational fields are accessible from the edge of the properties or parking lots so that children or parents in wheelchairs can get to the play structures or bleachers without getting stuck at the perimeter. A separate ongoing challenge on playgrounds themselves is that some of the requirements for fall safety for all children unintentionally conflict with the requirements for wheelchair access because wheelchairs require more rigid surfaces and fall safety requires more bouncy surfaces; the department is attempting to solve this problem by creating designated wheelchair pathways across the areas while the rest of the surfaces are still flexible enough to prevent dangerous falls.

• Information Technology Department

  • I spoke to the IT Department about the city government’s fiber internet service and the possibility of exploring extending that service to residents and businesses across Newton as a reliable, high-speed, net-neutral public option, which is something that other councilors have floated and which has been part of my platform as a possible idea from day one.

  • Currently, a combination of RCN and Comcast provide fiber internet and wifi for city buildings and the public pools/lakes. It is theoretically possible to extend this public, high-speed wifi network across the entire city, although the city would still need a major carrier to provide the underlying service to offer a public option, essentially like the low-cost mobile phone carriers that pay for time on overall national networks but provide cheaper plans to consumers.

  • The department also updated me on their security testing and efforts to train staff and officials to avoid phishing scams.

• Senior Services

  • The NewMo Senior Rides program: Some seniors had expressed concern to me that they could not order rides in the evening to go to programs at the Newton Free Library or to attend public meetings at City Hall, and I passed these questions along. The department is currently reviewing ridership levels and interest to gauge the possibilities for extending service hours and expanding the destination options, because initially costs were a barrier to providing full service. The program has applied for grants from the state and federal Departments of Transportation to be able to extend service and expand the coverage areas. The program had to scale back some services compared to the previous rides program based on usage for the new program, but they want to bring it back to full levels, if possible. However, the city pays for the vehicles by their hours on the road, and this makes it harder to extend hours into the evening, when there is lower demand. I noted that if a lack of service disenfranchises some residents from being able to attend public meetings, then we do have an obligation to provide service, even if it costs more money.

• Assessors

  • The Assessors Department oversees the senior property tax deferral program, which is available to seniors over 65 with annual incomes of not more than $86,000 per year who own and occupy their homes. (It is hard to defer if a mortgage is outstanding, but most eligible people have paid off their house already.) The income cap was raised this year, and the department actively made efforts to contact people who had previously been denied but would now be eligible. They expect more people to take advantage of the program next year.

  • Newton is the biggest deferral community in the state – more than 10% of all deferrals statewide – in part thanks to efforts to educate residents on its availability. 

  • One of their biggest challenges is making sure low-income seniors understand that this program is a net benefit to them and not a “burden” to their children as many people worry, according to the assessors. The total amount of tax payments being deferred (even with a small penalty for deferral) over time is always a very small amount relative to the value of the property when the property is ultimately sold later. (Or, if the heirs do not plan to sell and will be taking over owner-occupancy of the home, a very small mortgage generally easily covers the outstanding tax.)

  • Senior residents have been asking me whether the income eligibility level for the property tax deferral program could be raised, or perhaps even eliminated so any senior would be eligible. I passed along this question and the answer was that removing an income cap would be unsustainable for the city because it would be turned into a profitable tax shelter for the very wealthy. Residents would likely defer the taxes for a small interest fee later and in the meantime invest the money elsewhere at a rate of return greatly exceeding the deferral penalty, while the city would have to borrow money to cover the interim revenue loss at an interest rate also exceeding the deferral penalty.

• Inspectional Services

  • Following up on some questions from voters who have been struggling with contractors or developers on abutting or nearby properties who are not following rules or being disruptive to the neighborhood, I asked what the Inspectional Services Department can do to help residents trouble-shoot these issues. Unfortunately, the department remains stretched very thin. They said that they do try to send people out to check on complaints with a 3 strike rule that can lead to a stop-work order, but private property disputes are beyond their jurisdiction. Overall, it sounds like they could use more resources to hire more people to be able to do more.

Bill also spoke to the Planning Department, but there was no new information relative to previous meetings and hearings on planning, development, and zoning issues over the past year.

Newton Highlands Area Council

On Thursday night, Bill attended the Newton Highlands Area Council meeting. On the agenda was a discussion with Newton Police Chief MacDonald, shuttle bus congestion, Cold Spring Park, exploding manhole covers, and other community updates. Here are some notes from the night’s meeting:

• As of June, a number of streets in Newton Highlands have a new parking regime to reserve spaces for residents of the area and local business employees, while also making space for customers. Relevant residents and businesses should have been notified by mail but can also find more info on the city website.

• City Councilor Lappin announced to the audience that Traffic Calming measures are now under the Department of Public Works’ jurisdiction, not the Traffic Council.

• Police Chief Discussion:

  • Most of the discussion was about traffic safety enforcement issues.

  • One point during the discussion was about illegal swimming in Crystal Lake. Unexpectedly, there were not very many complaints reported this summer, despite the intense heat. 

  • Residents asked the present police officials about the buildup of long term business shuttles and temporary MBTA night shuttles in the village center of Newton Highlands. (Not a lot can be done on short term shuttles, but the longer term ones will need a bigger conversation.)

  • The Police Chief said that “Traditional Crime” (things like break-ins or muggings) is down in the region, while internet scams and in-person con artistry continue. For example, recently, there was a man falsely posing as a pest control guy and going door to door in Newton Highlands. The Chief also said that Involuntary Committal rates are currently going up.

  • Due to the high number of violations of leash and off leash rules, such as cleanup, the city’s two animal control officers have been given more overtime this summer to be able to better enforce dog regulations in Newton parks. Many of the violations are by non residents coming from neighboring communities.

• The meeting then shifted to a more detailed community discussion about the shuttle infrastructure in Newton Highlands. 

  • The Area Council was considering writing a letter to the City Council advising for clearer regulations on shuttle stops and parking ahead of special permits.

  • Later, they approved the letter, calling for a comprehensive plan on all shuttle services ahead of the special permit votes on specific projects with shuttles like the Northland development.

• Because of public pressure, Cold Spring Park is no longer on the list of proposed areas for the new Senior/Community Center. The short list of possible land, however, is still not ideal - it’s all playgrounds, athletic fields for kids, or dog parks. Most people in the room wanted to keep pushing against any parklands or recreational spaces being considered. 

  • Councilor Lappin clarified that this short list is just city properties that will now be tested for potential viability. The city is still looking out for private properties as options, although this doesn’t sound too likely at the moment due to the acquisition costs.

  • Alan Nogee, leader of Friends of Cold Spring Park, voiced concern that the list of potential sites got narrowed to only parks, given that there had been some non-park locations on the previous longer list.

• A couple of weeks ago, there was a big explosion at the intersection of Walnut St and Center St where a manhole cover shot into the air. The City has endorsed a state bill to push the companies to fix the leaks everywhere. At the moment, the gas company remains largely unresponsive whenever leaks are called in. But you should always continue reporting them if you can.

• The MBTA track work project is continuing. Remaining work in Newton Highlands is scheduled to take place for two weekends in December. In the meantime, the work is now further inbound around Newton Center. Some separate station accessibility work will also be happening in Newton Highlands in late August.

Campaign Week-in-Review 7/26/19 - Get Your Lawn Sign for the Sept 10 Preliminary in Ward 5

by Irina Costache, Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

Hi all! I’m back from my vacation and excited to get back on the campaign trail! Big thanks to Izzy for covering the newsletters while I was away!

Some important news to start off this week! After a long wait, a preliminary election has been officially confirmed and scheduled to take place in Ward 5 on Tuesday September 10, 2019! There are no other preliminary elections being held in Newton that day, so don’t forget. Bill is now one of three candidates running for the open Ward 5 City Council seat, so please be sure to show up to your usual polling station this September 10 if you would like to see him on the general election ballot. The general election, where voters will choose between the two remaining candidates, will take place on November 5 along with the rest of the city elections. 

Lawn sign requests

Now that the preliminary vote has been scheduled, we are set to begin distributing lawn signs around Ward 5 starting next week! Please consider requesting a lawn sign to display your support for Bill’s campaign and help us spread the word around your neighborhood about the September vote! 

If you decide that you would like a sign to put up in your front yard, please email me so that we can coordinate on getting one dropped off to you!

Top Voter Issues, Continued

As we noted in last week’s newsletter, last week Bill was able to finish his second pass of knocking doors in Ward 5! Bill began this second pass in May after the end of the first pass from February through April. The top three issues that voters brought up this time around were: 1. Road/Sidewalk Repair, 2. Development & Zoning, and 3. Environment & Clean Energy. These are the same top issues that were brought up during the first pass, but this time Affordable Housing caught up and tied for 3rd with environmental issues!

We’ll be back out on the doors next week to continue talking to you about the issues.

Also, stay tuned for the NewTV / League of Women Voters Ward 5 candidate debate. The candidates will be recording it on Wednesday, August 7th and it will be available on New TV and online not long after.

Commuter rail meeting 

On Thursday night, Bill attended a meeting at the Newton Free Library with some representatives of the MBTA Commuter Rail about the longstanding lack of disability access at the three commuter rail stations in Newton and the MBTA’s proposed improvements. Although the commuter rail doesn’t run through Ward 5, some Ward 5 residents take it instead of the Green Line to get into Boston. These stations are currently virtually inaccessible for people in wheelchairs or elderly people who are not comfortable with long staircases, and they are low-level platforms which require a further step up onto the train cars. New stations would not only have platforms with accessibility down from the street level (via ramps and/or elevators depending on the station or level of possible proposal) but would also have high-level platforms level with the train car doors for boarding.

Though they presented various options for increasing disability access, the MBTA representatives said that they are planning to move forward with the most modest, single-platform version of their proposal (while preserving the possibility to expand later to two platforms). This modest concept would be done in 5 years (2024). City Staff present noted that one reason for supporting this smaller-scale improvement is because they believe the austerity regime of the Fiscal Control Board won’t approve a larger-scale option. 

Currently, the MBTA is seeking funding from the city in addition to the state. City Councilors present were concerned as to why Newton is being asked by the MBTA to put in funding when other peer communities with similar station upgrade projects were not asked to pitch in funds. 

Several community members who were in the audience asked that at least one station have the full upgrade (not the MBTA’s planned partial upgrade) so that there is accessible reverse commute service in at least one Newton station. Another resident said that the city should require the Washington St corridor developers to put money into a fund for Newton’s contribution to MBTA Commuter service upgrades.

Newton’s Commission on Disability notes that this project for ADA accessibility compliance at these stations is now 30 years overdue. They said that, though they are supposed to be consulted on this matter, they haven’t been yet. And, a previous project to make Auburndale alone accessible was shelved a few years ago. (It was not stated at the meeting but Bill has been briefed that the reason it was shelved had to do with the fact that if only Auburndale was overhauled without West Newton also being overhauled, the track layout and scheduling would have required trains to cross over during operations in a way that wasn’t really realistic. All three stations need to be overhauled together for smooth daily operations.)

At some point the slideshow with the various proposals will be available online, but we do not have them at this time to include a link here.

Community alerts:

This week through July 31, Winchester St at Boylston St (Ward 5, Precinct 2) will be undergoing overnight National Grid utility work from 7pm to 3am. Per an alert from the Newton Highlands Area Council, “Equipment that will be used includes backhoe, dump truck, jackhammers, and demo saws.”

Campaign Week-in-Review 7/19/19 - Mass Nurses Endorsement, 2nd Round of Door-Knocking Done, Chestnut St Paving and Safety

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Thanks to Izzy for covering the past few weeks of newsletters. Irina should be back next week. Here is a campaign update from me directly this week:

Support from the Massachusetts Nurses Association

I am so honored to have the endorsement of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the statewide union representing both nurses at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Ward 5 and public employee nurses working for the City of Newton. This is my mother’s union and I've picketed with them at various hospitals during labor disputes.

Second Round of Door-Knocking Complete

This past Saturday, Ward 5 resident Lois Levin, of Bike Newton and various environmental and transportation groups, came out knocking doors with me and it was a huge success because she knows so many of the residents in her immediate neighborhood.

On Tuesday, I finished my second complete pass of door knocking through Ward 5 since the beginning of February! Effectively I have knocked 4,366 doors myself and people helping me have knocked another 200. I've now spoken to more than 1,300 voters at least once -- and to many of them twice. We hope to have a summary of the most frequently mentioned issues from our second pass in next week's newsletter like we did after the first round. In the meantime, I need to go buy some new sneakers because my current pair has worn out already this year!

I hope to be back out on the doors again by the end of next week.

Chestnut St Paving and Safety

On Thursday night, I attended a community forum at the Waban Library Center with city officials on repaving and possible safety changes on Chestnut St between Beacon St and Commonwealth Ave. (Last summer Bill attended the meeting on paving & safety improvements for the section of Chestnut St from Beacon St to Route 9, but those overhauls have been delayed to 2020 because of water main issues and other underground factors.)

Here are some bullet points from the discussion:

• This section is slated for overhaul in 2021 in theory. There are only 5 key intersections between the end points of this section but a few other cross streets.

• There are no crosswalks across Chestnut in this whole section. It's very dangerous to cross almost anywhere in there but many people (including me) need to do so.

• Another safety issue is delivery trucks parking on the blind curve on Chestnut St blocking traffic.

• Oakvale and Chestnut intersection is blind for both drivers and pedestrians. There was a very bad single vehicle crash by there this past weekend after a speeding driver lost control.

• Someone suggested a digital speed readout sign in the blind curve on Chestnut. The city staff said they might put the temporary one from the police department out soon.

• I brought up comments from residents I talked to on the doors on Oakvale who complained about the increase in cut through traffic on their private way due to map apps, which degrades the road quality faster. But the public is allowed to drive on private streets, so the city staff say they can't do much. (In a recent newsletter, we noted many voters on various private streets across Ward 5 bringing up this issue.)

• Many Chestnut residents noted that people are very aggressive toward drivers following the speed limit and sometimes pull around them across the yellow line. (I have also seen this happen.)

• There were lots of safety design concerns about Short St and how drivers incorrectly treat it as a ramp bypass, which it wasn't originally created for.

• A resident at the corner of Roslyn asked for a crosswalk and various slowing measures to allow kids to cross safely to get to the playground on the other side or to things in Waban Square. People also turn too fast onto Roslyn from Chestnut.

• The city continues to struggle with figuring out how to safely take (or re-assert control over) enough land for complete sidewalks along the east side of Chestnut St.

• There is not enough lateral space (through the little ravine Chestnut Street was cut through) to add bike lanes to Chestnut St, so that's not really an option. If prevailing speed were actually 20 mph it might be safe for bikes to ride in the street with cars there but it's not happening so far. So, bike detour routes to provide other pathways of getting safely from A to B are the current priority for this area instead of bike lanes.

• Some residents are pushing for temporary speed fixes like plastic/rubber "speed cushions" that allow fire trucks through quickly but force cars to slow down.

• Crosswalk priorities across Chestnut are at Fuller St and Caroline Park. But these also first require sharp curtailment of speeding, since we don’t want people crossing thinking it is safe and then being struck by a vehicle ignoring the crosswalk.

Other recent community news

Last Friday evening, Bill attended the City Hall protest with Mayor Fuller, Congressman Kennedy, the Newton Democrats, and our state legislators against the federal immigrant concentration camps, which Kennedy toured a few weeks ago. It was a packed demonstration with many outraged Newton residents. Our state representatives from Newton cited the US policy of turning away ships of Jewish refugees from Germany in the run up to the Holocaust as a reason we must not collaborate with the national policy on refugees and migrants at the border. Congressman Kennedy compared many of the detained immigrants to his Irish ancestors fleeing the deprivations of the Irish potato famine.

Earlier this week, there was a big water main break on Needham St. It took several days of work and traffic disruptions to shut down and repair and to repair the street, but as of this afternoon, Newton DPW says all the work has been completed and all lanes are re-opened. Let’s give a big hand to the DPW crews and first responders who braved the heavy rains and thunderstorms earlier in the week to stop the water main rupture. 

Campaign Week-in-Review: 7/12/19 - Inclusionary Zoning Expansion, Cold Spring Park Update, Vigil Today at 4

by Izzy Klein, Interim Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a nice week despite the humidity! Even in the heat, Bill was able to knock over 250 more doors in Ward 5, and was able to meet many of you and talk about what is important to us as residents of Ward 5 in this upcoming election cycle. 

There were also a number of community meetings and events this week around the city. This past Tuesday, Bill went to the seasonal opening of the Newton Farmers Market in Cold Spring Park. 

Affordable Housing & Sustainable Housing

After the farmers market and door-knocking on Tuesday, Bill attended the monthly Livable Newton meeting, held this time on Adams St at the Studio for High Performance Design and Construction's “passive house” building. The biggest news this week was the City Council's unanimous vote after months of review to expand the city's Inclusionary Zoning ordinance to raise the required percentage of affordable housing in multi-unit housing developments. Newton now leads the state on IZ requirements, continuing with 15% of units priced at a mix of lower income tiers (already required), plus now an additional 2.5% of middle-income units on projects with at least 21 units, for a total of 17.5%. Middle-income in this context means in the 81-110% of Area Median Income (AMI) for the Boston region. According to the Mayor's newsletter, "In Newton, a household of four at 80% of the AMI could earn up to $89,000, and at 110%, could earn up to $124,630." Affordable units are then priced (for monthly rents or mortgage payments) to be capped at 30% of the person's income at the relevant income tier. In 2021, the Inclusionary Zoning requirement will rise again for projects of 100 units or more, with a middle-income requirement of 5% of units instead of just 2.5%.

The Passive House style building where the Livable Newton meeting was held is a retrofit of an existing building in Nonantum and demonstrates the high-performance design style of Passive House that is much more efficient at heating and cooling. It also includes much healthier fresh air circulation systems than many modern buildings include. 

As noted in our March 29th 2019 newsletter, Passive House is a construction design concept (originating in New England several decades ago and refined in Germany in the 1990s) based on building homes or larger buildings to keep in the heat and make effective use of natural sunlight, high-performance doors and windows, and ventilation system technologies. Green Newton, a member organization of the Livable Newton coalition, has adopted a requirement for Passive House construction as one of the four design principles for sustainability that they are pushing developers and the city to adopt in Newton. For each climate zone in the US, there are different passive house building standards.

Cold Spring Park / Senior Center Update

On Thursday evening, Bill attended the beginning of the Newton Highlands Area Council meeting to hear an update from the Friends of Cold Spring Park on the continuing controversy over the possible construction of a new senior center (NewCAL) in Cold Spring Park, which many voters have brought up on the doors in the past 3 weeks. Many residents of Ward 5 told Bill they are against a senior center being built in Cold Spring Park and felt this was a decisive issue for their vote this year. As we stated in our June 29th 2019 newsletter, Bill is committed to opposing the use of city parklands, especially sensitive wetlands like Cold Spring Park, for new construction including that use. Our wetlands are necessary not just for the ecosystem but also to control neighborhood flooding. And our parks are meant to be parks, not just land reserved for future building. Bill is confident we can find a different, more appropriate location for a new senior center. Bill also has serious concerns about how the site location selection process has unfolded from the beginning. The Newton Highlands Area Council is drafting a letter expressing opposition to Cold Spring Park as the location.

Infrastructure Updates

Road repairs continue rapidly across the city and Ward 5 this week, including re-grading of intersections along Woodward Street at the Newton Highlands end, one of which seeks to fix a semi-permanent puddle of water that neighbors have complained about for years now. 

There are some upcoming road closures in Newton Highlands not related to construction but rather to additional filming of the production previously being filmed in and around Cold Spring Park. The city earlier received a substantial amount of money from the production studio that will be applied toward much-needed recreational trail repairs in the Park. 

Finally, the MBTA track & signal project has progressed eastward toward Brookline out of Ward 5 after a few months of overnight and weekend work.

Immigration Vigil at City Hall 4 PM Today

On Thursday night Bill also attended the monthly meeting of the Executive Committee of the Newton Democrats, who worked quickly with the Mayor's office and Congressman Kennedy's office to plan a 4 PM vigil for this afternoon (Friday 7/12) in support of immigrants held in border detention camps in terrible conditions. Rep. Kennedy visited the camps recently with other members of Congress. Bill will be in attendance like other Newton residents who are concerned with the treatment of immigrants at the border. 

Campaign Week-in-Review: 7/5/19 - Voters want safe streets, less congestion

by Izzy Klein, Interim Campaign Organizer | Subscribe by Email

Happy Independence Day week! I hope everyone had a restful day off! Although many Ward 5 residents are out of town, we were able to meet many of you out in the community earlier this week. Despite the heat, Bill knocked over 240 doors in Waban, Newton Upper Falls, and the small piece of West Newton that is in our ward. As of this week, our campaign has knocked over 4,000 doors as we approach the end of our second pass through Ward 5. 

Last Friday, Bill had the pleasure of knocking some of these doors with Ward 5 environmental activist Helen Rittenberg. Bill and Helen were able to talk to our neighbors about the issues they are passionate about, including the environment and the ways we can protect various natural spaces in Newton. 

Bill also attended the annual Fourth of July celebration at Albemarle Field.

Traffic and Street Safety

While on the doors this week, Bill was able to talk to constituents about issues that matter to them. One of the most frequently mentioned issues was traffic and congestion, especially on busier streets like Needham St. Bill seeks policy solutions for traffic congestion in Newton, not only for its own sake but also to reduce our city’s carbon footprint. It’s one of the harder problems to crack in Newton, but there are steps we can take. One key will, of course, be to make it easier and safer for people to bike, walk, and use public transit in the city of Newton. While we’re not expecting everyone to make the switch from cars, enabling more people to do so would ease some of the traffic congestion in our streets. Many of you have told us that you would prefer to use these alternatives when possible if they were more available and safer.

In fact, a number of Ward 5 residents this week specifically asked about making streets (including sidewalks) safe for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike. Bill supports the substantial expansion of protected bike lanes and bike paths so that any resident can go anywhere in Newton safely by bicycle (which will also improve safety for drivers when bikes are on the road near them). Sidewalk safety has been a big concern for voters of all ages, from young parents with strollers and small kids going to the park to elderly residents and people with wheelchairs. Bill generally walks from home to his door-knocking areas, whenever possible, so he is keenly aware of the rough shape some of our sidewalks are in (or the streets where they do not exist at all).

Improving our existing transportation modes and expanding options will be critical to our city’s goals on traffic, the environment, economic development, and so much more. As ward councilor, Bill would:  

• Support reforms to parking requirements to aid local businesses in our village centers, and increase safe walkability in those centers

• Push to decrease car dependency and make transportation alternatives, such as bikes and public transportation viable for those who want those options

• Promote cooperation with the state and surrounding municipalities such as Needham and Wellesley to better regionally integrate public transit options for short-distance trips