Minutes DRAFT

Area Council members:

Chris Pitts, Sallee Lipshutz, Drake McCabe, Sumukh Tedulkar, Steven Gusenoff

Ex Officio: Ward 5 At-large City Councilor Rena Getz attending, City Councilor Andreae Downs not attending and City Councilor Bill Humphrey not present.

Residents and others:

UFAC President and Ward 5 City Councilor-elect Julie Irish, WAC elects Eve Bould and Marcia Cooper, Citizens Terri Sauro, Cindy Rubin, and C. Wilson

I. Opening Meeting start 7:34.

A. Confirmation of Quorum - 5 of 6.

Christopher announced that several members, including Sumukh, Bill and Drake, would be leaving the group and thanked them for participating and was pleased to hear that they plan on staying engaged.

It was noted that UFAC President Julie Irish would be moving on to the City Council, and along with Rena Getz, former WAC President and reelected City Councilor, will continue to attend our meetings.

B. Issues from the Community

Cindy shared her experience of facing age discrimination and inappropriate hiring practices in the Newton public school system, which led her to leave teaching and pursue a career in real estate. She expressed her desire to create a state office of municipal ombudsmen in Massachusetts to address such issues. The group suggested that Cindy reach out to Ben Schlesinger, the new Ward 5 city councilor, and Superintendent Nolan, as well as consider contacting an attorney for further assistance. They also recommended that she send a detailed letter outlining her concerns to various officials, including the new mayor, who serves on the school committee. 

Cindy continued about the confusion regarding parking rules. Cindy shared her experiences and mentioned submitting a form for a resident parking pass. Sallee suggested connecting with the council to address winter parking ban concerns. Terry mentioned the formation of a committee to lift the parking ban and invited Cindy to join.

II. Community and Administrative Items (moved up for this meeting)

A. Treasurer’s Report Remains unchanged since November 13th, 2025: $525.38

B. Approval of November Minutes The group approved the previous month's meeting minutes. Christopher reminded attendees to submit agenda items for the next meeting, which will be distributed two weeks in advance.

C. The conversation ended with a farewell to outgoing members and a welcome to new members.

III. Discussion Items

Waban Community Organizations' Legacy

The meeting focused on the history and role of the Waban Improvement Society and Area Council, highlighting their community-building efforts and legacy. Christopher explained the organizations histories, their involvement in various projects, and the benefits of collaboration between the two groups.

The group discussed a new initiative to organize a meet-and-greet with local police officers, which the outgoing chief of police supported. They plan to schedule this event once the new chief takes office in January.

The group discussed plans for a beautification project in Waban, including lighting improvements and planting initiatives. They agreed to survey local businesses before making any major changes to the plantings, as Steven suggested, to ensure the changes would benefit rather than harm business operations. Christopher shared his experience working with the city on previous projects and emphasized the importance of involving the city in any new initiatives to avoid potential safety issues and unforeseen regulations and policies. The group also discussed the possibility of adding lamp posts to improve safety and lighting in the area, with Christopher planning to contact the city's transportation director about this idea.

The group discussed traffic safety measures in Waban Square, with Sumukh sharing concerns about drivers passing stopped vehicles near crosswalks, which Christopher explained were installed to prevent such dangerous behavior. Steven proposed creating a playground in the MBTA parking lot across from the bakery, but Christopher clarified that the parking lot is already frequently used and explained that playgrounds in Newton, including Angier and Warren Lincoln, are city-owned, not directly by the schools.

The group discussed lighting issues at the Waban Library and the Tree Lighting. Christopher explained that the WIS decided several years ago against lighting the Waban Center (two tops) tree they had in the past because it had grown over 70 feet tall and would cost over $10K, so it has focused on lighting the library building, which the WIS runs. Chris, as President of the WIS, has had ongoing conversations with Josh Morse, Dir. Public Buildings, about various Library maintenance issues and has talked about an alternative to the path lights, which consistently get knocked out. Steven raised concerns about the library's poor visibility due to tree foliage and suggested involving city professionals for proper tree management.

Cindy brought up a leaning tree on Wyman Street that poses safety concerns, and the group agreed to contact Mark Welsh, the tree expert, for assessment. Marcia mentioned Green Newton's tree planting initiatives and their work with Mothers Out Front on gas leak issues.

The group discussed concerns about gas leaks in Newton, with Marcia explaining that repairing existing pipes could be more cost-effective than full replacement and highlighting studies showing that installing heat pumps in certain areas could be less expensive than replacing gas lines. Marcia mentioned that Green Newton and Mothers Out Front are working on these issues, and Christopher noted the Area Council's history of environmental planning initiatives. The discussion concluded with Sallee questioning the cost structure of heat pump installations, which Marcia clarified would be borne by the gas company rather than individual homeowners if implemented as a proposal.

The group discussed heat pumps as an alternative to traditional heating systems, with Marcia sharing her experience of installing a heat pump system in her home, which has been working well after recent adjustments. The group determined that Marcia's background would enable the WAC to present community meetings/forums on related topics, which would be of serious interest to villagers.

They also addressed ongoing issues with utility companies digging up roads without proper coordination, leading to poor road quality and traffic disruptions. The conversation concluded with a discussion about gas leaks in certain areas of Newton, with Cindy expressing concerns about the impact on property values and the need for better communication about safety measures.

The Waban Area Council discussed energy assessments and sustainability initiatives. Marcia shared information about no-cost energy assessments available for 2-4 family homes in Waban through the Mass Save program. The council agreed to create a dedicated page on their website for energy-related information and potentially host forums with experts like Newton's Climate Action Coordinator. They also discussed coordinating with other area councils for larger community events. The group briefly touched on the upcoming swearing-in ceremony for new council members*, which is still pending and may be rescheduled to accommodate everyone's availability. *Note January 6th, 5:30 pm City Hall

IV. New Business 

A. Discussion of potential appointments to Area Council was left for January's meeting.

Adjourned 9:06