The Public Facilities Committee met on Wednesday, June 3. See the report and meeting video.
Approved
- Authorization for potential lease for solar energy generation at Burr Elementary School, 191 Pine Street — 5-0 (Councilors Albright and Dahmubed not voting). Co-Director of Sustainability Sam Nighman explained the project follows the model of 22 other city solar projects, working with the company Select. The school’s flat roof offers 25,000 square feet for panels and is expected to save approximately $30,000 annually on electricity bills for Newton Public Schools.
- Transfer of $277,499 for heat pumps at Fire Station 2 — 5-0 (Councilors Albright and Dahmubed not voting). Commissioner of Public Buildings Alex Valcarce described this as the second phase of a three-phase project to decarbonize Fire Station 2 and upgrade its HVAC system.
- Transfer of $100,000 for increased water and sewer usage — 4-0-1 (Councilor Kelley abstained; Councilors Albright and Dahmubed not voting), approved subject to second call. Commissioner Valcarce explained the transfer addresses cost overages from unusually high water use at Newton North High School, likely driven by increased irrigation during the 2025 drought.
- Appropriation of up to $2,792,700 for water main improvements — 5-0 (Councilors Albright and Dahmubed not voting). Commissioner of Public Works Shawna Sullivan described the program as year 9 of a 10-year effort to rehabilitate aging water infrastructure, improving flow capacity, system reliability, and reducing water main breaks.She noted that the funding for this project comes from the MWRA program and city resources and noted that the locations were picked based on a number of factors including type, age, break history, hydraulic performance, and the overall system condition. She stated that, by replacing these aging water systems before failure, they reduce emergency repair costs, improve reliability for residents, strengthen fire protection, and protect the city’s infrastructure investment.
- Transfer of $900,000 for improvements to roadways, sidewalks, and ramps — 5-0-1 (Councilor Dahmubed abstained; Councilor Albright not voting). Discussed jointly with the $3,000,000 appropriation below; funds come from DPW Street Division salary savings from FY2026 vacancies.
- Appropriation of $3,000,000 from June 30, 2025 Certified Free Cash for Transportation and Paving Improvement Program — 5-0-1 (Councilor Dahmubed abstained; Councilor Albright not voting). Together with the transfer above, these funds fully fund the annual $9.5 million commitment for the FY2027 Transportation Network Improvement Program.
- Appropriation of $135,000 from June 30, 2025 Certified Free Cash for fuel stations — 6-0 (Councilor Albright not voting). Commissioner Sullivan described this as the final phase of the fuel management system modernization at the Crafts Street and Elliot Street yards.
- Appropriation of $577,175 from June 30, 2025 Certified Free Cash for snow vehicles — 6-0 (Councilor Albright not voting). Funds will purchase two multipurpose Trackless vehicles for sidewalk, bicycle lane, and multi-use path maintenance, and two Snowrator machines for snow and ice removal at sidewalks, bus stops, and crossing guard locations.
- Acceptance of a low-interest loan of $4,329,664 from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust State Revolving Fund — 7-0. Commissioner Sullivan explained the loan will fund stormwater control measures at Cold Spring Park, Cabot Dog Park, and potentially Braceland Park, providing approximately 55–66 pounds of annual phosphorus reduction toward the city’s EPA-mandated Charles River watershed obligations. City Council approval was required by June 30, 2026 to remain eligible.
Present: Councilors Getz (Vice-Chair), Albright, Gordon, Dahmubed, Grossman, Kelley, and Leary.
Absent: Councilor Kalis (Chair).
City staff: Sam Nighman, Co-Director of Sustainability; Alex Valcarce, Commissioner of Public Buildings; Shawna Sullivan, Commissioner of Public Works; Bernie McDonald, Deputy Commissioner of Public Works.