The Finance Committee met on Monday, June 22. See the report and meeting video.
Approved
- Lease for third-party solar energy generation at Burr Elementary School (191 Pine Street) — 7-0. The lease would allow third-party construction, ownership, and operation of on-site solar, following the model the city uses at all 22 of its significant solar projects. The Co-Director of Sustainability said the project, with Massachusetts-based Select Energy, has a Power Purchase Agreement rate just under $0.07/kWh and an estimated 286,000 kWh of annual output, projecting savings of $30,000 or more per year. Select was chosen through a Request for Proposals conducted by the statewide nonprofit Power Options on the city’s behalf.
- $150,000 repurposed and $177,000 transferred for Fire Station 2 renovations — 7-0. The funds will be used to renovate the shower and locker room at Fire Station 2, which the Fire Chief has identified as a priority. The $150,000 is repurposed from a Fire Station 1 living-space item, and $177,000 is transferred from Public Buildings repair and maintenance; the project carries a $30,000 contingency and is estimated at 3 to 4 weeks once underway.
- $900,000 transferred for roadways, sidewalks, and ramps — Approved as amended 7-0. The Public Works Commissioner explained the transfer of salary attrition was redirected to the snow and ice budget rather than the Paving Supplies Override account, to cover roughly $850,000 in invoices submitted by a major snow-and-ice contractor after its contract was executed at the end of May. The transfer does not increase the department budget. DPW is revising its contracting procedures to require fully executed contracts before winter, and the Chief Financial Ofiicer said the paving money would likely be recovered from Free Cash in the fall.
- $1,175,000 transferred to the Newton Police Department for FY27 contractual wage increases — 7-0. The transfer funds wage increases under the FY24–FY27 Newton Police Association agreement, the first joint agreement in more than five years, following a prior round that went to binding arbitration. The CFO highlighted two features: a Fit for Duty Committee to address officers’ physical and emotional fitness, and a provision allowing lateral hires to start at a pay step that matches their experience rather than Step 1, which she hopes will reduce the department’s roughly 10 persistent vacancies.
- $710,000 transferred for retroactive wage adjustments — 7-0. Taken up jointly with the police wage item, this transfer covers retroactive pay under recently signed agreements with the Police Association, Engineers, and Parking Control/Crossing Guards unions, which are in effect through June 30, 2027. Most of the $710,000 goes to the Newton Police Association.
Present: Councilors Grossman (Chair), Bixby, Charm, Greenberg, Malakie, Krintzman, and Silber.
Absent: Councilor Micley.
City staff: Steve Curley, Comptroller; Maureen Lemieux, Chief Financial Officer; Trevor Goehring, Financial Analyst II; Shawna Sullivan, Commissioner of Public Works; Bernie McDonald, Deputy Commissioner of Public Works; Alex Valcarce, Commissioner of Public Buildings; Sam Nighman, Co-Director of Sustainability.