LWV Newton Positions
2006-2007
The following Positions Program was adopted by the LWVN membership at the May 2006 Annual Meeting.
City Government
Charter
- Support of an adequately paid mayor who shall, by Charter provision, devote full time to his office.
- Support of a four-year term for Mayor.
- Support the practice of allowing the Mayor's appointment of department heads and members of multiple member bodies to become effective unless rejected by the Board of Aldermen.
- Support the present practice of allowing the Mayor to dismiss department heads without the approval of the Board of Aldermen.
- Support the formal creation of the position of Citizen Assistance Officer.
- Support of a special election to fill a vacancy in the office of Mayor unless the vacancy occurs within the last nine months of his term.
- Support of a nine-member School Committee, with eight members elected at large, one to reside in each ward, with the Mayor serving ex-officio.
- Support of four-year staggered terms for School Committee.
- Support of special elections to fill vacancies in the Board of Aldermen and School Committee unless the vacancy occurs in the last nine months of the term, in which case it should be left vacant.
- Support the adoption of a Comprehensive Plan by resolution of the Board of Aldermen.
- Support the adoption of a Capital Improvement Program by resolution of the Board of Aldermen.
- Support the provision in Newton's governmental structure for free petition and initiative and referendum procedures.
- Support the reduction of the size of the Board of Aldermen to not less that 16 members while maintaining a balance between ward aldermen and aldermen-at-large.
Fiscal Policy
- Support of equitable assessment procedures and practices.
- Support of minimum standards for the qualification of Newton assessors, with emphasis on experience and professional training.
- Support of flexible methods of taxation between different classes of real estate property in Newton.
- Support of periodic revaluation of real estate property in Newton at the discretion of the Board of Assessors, but at least once every 5 to 10 years.
- Support of coordination of financial affairs within the government of the City of Newton.
- Support of budgetary practices that would allow for an analysis of cost effectiveness of governmental programs and their possible alternatives.
- Revenue sharing: Newton should use its general revenue sharing money to meet some of the special needs of the community rather than to reduce the tax rate. Existing worthwhile programs which have lost funding should have priority over new programs.
Human Services
Equality of Opportunity
Support of policies, program and practices to provide equality of opportunity for all people in Newton with emphasis on agencies that foster sound community relations.
Housing
Support of measures to provide adequate housing for people of low income. Support a local housing agency which reflects a diversity of backgrounds and the concerns of the tenants.
Support of the following measures to increase the supply of housing for families of low and moderate income:
- Housing for low and moderate income families should be scattered throughout the city.
- New housing developments should be planned to accommodate a mixed socioeconomic group.
- Newton should continue to expand its leased housing program.
- Private non-profit, cooperative, or limited dividend corporations should construct new housing for low and moderate income families.
- The City of Newton should make available city-owned sites suitable for the construction of low/moderate income housing; recommendations of the Planning Department should be considered in determining what sites are suitable for housing.
- The Board of Aldermen should continue to implement its policy requiring that developers of new multiple-unit housing lease a certain percentage thereof for low-income tenants.
- Non-profit organizations, banking, and real estate organizations should work together to promote opportunities for low and moderate income families to buy their own homes.
Public Education
Support of adequate evaluation of new school programs in Newton and the encouragement of implementation of approved changes on a system-wide basis.
Support of the policy of limited autonomy of school principals while recognizing the need for improved coordination among principals and central staff in regard to curriculum.
Support of long-range educational planning by the School Committee and the use of the City Planning Department as a prime planning resource in regard to school building needs.
Support prompt and effective implementation of school building programs through improved coordination among the Mayor, the School Committee and the Board of Aldermen.
Support of a long-range planning process emphasizing high quality educational standards and a balancing of educational resources throughout the city as a basis for school closure and school acquisition or reopening decisions.
Support of a class size policy as a necessary component of quality education at the elementary and secondary levels.
Support of school consolidation as a means of dealing with declining enrollment.
Support of the following criteria for deciding which school or schools should be closed:
- Minimum disruption of children
- Effect on recipient schools
- Financial savings, including need for capital improvements
- Age and condition of building
- Maintaining a neighborhood concept, but with expanded neighborhoods
- Size of school population as it relates to educational options and flexibility.
- Support for acquisition of additional space to accommodate increasing enrollment.
Support for the following criteria when considering the acquisition of new space or the reopening of schools:
- Equity in services delivered city-wide
- System-wide flexibility to accommodate needed educational, community and family support services
- System-wide stability to avoid frequent disruption of children
- Age, condition and location of building or site
- Maintenance of lower recommended class size policy
Support for an increase in school funding to reflect increasing enrollment and subsequent educational needs. See also under "LAND USE"
Child Care
Support for child care services which are accessible, affordable and meet the various needs of children.
Support for funding to ensure access to quality child care services for all families, including:
- A mix of funding from government, tuition and private sector sources
- City-wide funding for school-age child care
- In-kind contributions by city and school department
- A child care coordinator funded by the city
Support the use of school buildings for after-school childcare, understanding that the primary use of such buildings is for educational programs. To maintain and promote quality school-age child care (SACC) in Newton the League supports:
- Adequate dedicated space and access to facilities in all elementary schools for SACC, with the belief that on-site, school-based, after-school child care better meets the needs of children
- Independently run SACC programs, with planning and operation coordinated with the individual schools
- Space and access to facilities within the school for SACC should have consideration in long-range planning by the School Department
- Increase in enrollment capacity to allow space for all children
- Professionalization of staff
Support long-range planning by the School Department, School Committee and Planning Department to include resources needed by SACC.
Public Health
Support of measures to improve public health in Newton for all age groups which include:
- Measures to improve mental health programs
- Fluoridation of the Newton water supply at the approved level
- Measures to improve public health education in Newton
- Measures to implement programs and facilities approved by the qualified public health official
- Optional in-school inoculation plan
- A system-wide anti-smoking program to begin before the junior high level
- Measures to strengthen the enforcement of the Standards of Fitness for Human Habitation
Community Residences
Support of a wide range of locally-based facilities, including community residences for people with special needs.
Support of the following measures to facilitate their integration into the community:
- All community residences in Newton must conform to appropriate licensing requirements and codes
- The process for considering requests for site plan approval should include a public hearing, periodic review, and a procedure for ongoing neighborhood input
- Dispersal of community residences is preferable to concentration in a particular neighborhood
- There should be preference for Newton residents in regard to admission to community residences in Newton to the extent that funding sources and program characteristics are not jeopardized
Alternative Housing for Adolescents
Support for alternative housing programs for troubled adolescents in Newton.
Support for education to promote acceptance in the community of programs to aid troubled adolescents.
Support for community participation in the establishment and maintenance of community residences for adolescents.
Support for funding by the City of Newton to assist in alternative housing programs for adolescents.
Library
Support for improved library services designed to meet the diverse needs of the community with priority to be given to the acquisition of books and delivery of book related services.
Support for the branch library system with consideration for closing some branches or relocation into other public buildings if significant savings can be achieved.
Support cooperation between the School Department and the Public Library.
Recreation and Open Space
Support of improved recreational facilities in Newton.
Support of the opening of schools for recreational purposes.
Support of the following goals for recreation and open space in Newton:
- Retention of appropriate portions of the recreation parks as natural areas, with adequate maintenance and improved access
- Gradual provision of new recreational facilities to serve the entire city as need is established
- Improvement of the neighborhood playground - playfield system
- Development of linear open spaces with provision for maintenance
Support consideration of the plans and needs of the Recreation Commission and the Conservation Commission before city-owned land is made available to non-municipal interests.
Support improved cooperation and coordination among the appropriate city departments and agencies in planning, effecting and maintaining recreational facilities and improvement.
Land Use
Zoning
Support of zoning practices consistent with long-range professional planning.
Support of flood-plain and watershed protection districts in the zoning ordinance of Newton.
Opposition to building upon certain lands for ecological reasons.
Support of the following zoning techniques: a density bonus, cluster development and planned unit development --conditional upon safeguards for the open space that would result.
Support of the adoption of density and open space standards for the community.
Support of more intensive use of business districts subject to the provision of adequate off-street parking and the absence of traffic increases detrimental to the surrounding area.
Support modification of zoning ordinances:
- Support more flexible use of existing housing through zoning
ordinances that allow the maximum number of accessory apartments
while maintaining adequate density standards and concern for
traffic. For equity, large lot districts should have a larger
proportion of accessory apartments. The following restrictions
should apply:
- All buildings/units containing accessory apartments must be owner-occupied
- Adequate off-street parking must be provided
- Support modification of zoning ordinances to legalize existing accessory apartments, with restrictions
- All buildings/units containing accessory apartment must be owner-occupied
- Adequate off-street parking must be provided
- Strict enforcement of the Zoning Code
Planning in the Community
Support of a Comprehensive Plan for the City of Newton which contains within it:
- A statement of goals for the future development of Newton
- A Land Use Plan
- A Transportation Plan
- A Community Facilities and Service Plan
- Neighborhood development proposals
- A Capital Improvements Program to project public facilities into an orderly schedule of expenditures
Support the following goals for the future development of Newton:
- An excellent school system
- A well-distributed system of open spaces within the city
Redevelopment, Rehabilitation and Conservation
Support for community participation in the planning process to ensure that redevelopment benefits the original residents of the area as well as the community at large.
Opposition to financial loss being suffered by any person or business as a result of redevelopment. Displacement of a resident or a local business should take place only when prior planning and reasonable efforts to provide relocation in the area have failed.
Support of historic districts in Newton.
Closed School Facilities
Support of a procedure which sets priorities for the use or disposition of closed school facilities. Such a procedure should insure citizen participation in planning and give consideration to alternate community needs and uses. See also under "Public Education."
Environmental Quality
Recycling
Support for recycling of solid waste in Newton by municipal collection and, as a first step or last resort, by voluntary effort. The following criteria should be applied:
- An established re-use for the recycled material,
- An educational program to promote citizen cooperation;
- And, in case of voluntary recycling, adequate supervision of collection depots
Sidewalk Snow Removal
Support of an ordinance(s) requiring all owners and/or occupants to clear snow from the sidewalks abutting their properties.
Support of an ordinance requiring owners or occupants in business districts to clear snow from the sidewalks abutting their properties.
Support City plowing of sidewalks on school routes and main streets.