The week ahead: City Council proposes new position to expand Waltham businesses

At its meeting this week, City Council will discuss whether to hire a city business manager to help grow the city’s existing businesses, attract new ones and work on long-term commercial planning in Waltham.

The proposal states that Waltham’s commercial businesses have been facing aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing expenses and bureaucratic hurdles. It states that these factors have also affected the city’s significant commercial tax base, which makes up the majority of the city’s taxes but which Board of Assessors Chair Frank Craig said in November was changing due to commercial barriers and rapidly expanding residential development.

The resolution is sponsored by five councilors: Ward 3 Councilor Bill Hanley, Ward 8 Councilor Cathyann Harris, Ward 9 Councilor Robert G. Logan, Councilor-at-Large Tim King, and Councilor-at-Large Randall J. LeBlanc.

The idea of hiring a city business manager to assist businesses and take on organizational planning has come up before in citywide discussions, including as a way to help businesses adapt to proposals for larger changes in the city, such as closing Moody Street to car traffic.

Below is a chronological rundown of other city meetings scheduled this week.

Historical Commission

The Waltham Historical Commission is a seven-member board charged with preserving and overseeing Waltham’s historic buildings and properties. 

This week the commission will discuss two proposed projects: construction at 20 Williams St. and an expansion to the Waltham Watch Factory Apartments at 231 Crescent St. 

It will meet at 7 p.m. over Zoom. The passcode for the Zoom meeting can be found on the commission’s page within the city site.

City Council 

In other business, City Council will receive a slate of requests from Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy, most of which it will likely refer to its subcommittees next week. These requests include a proposal for a private company to run the Paine Estate; an executive session to discuss real estate matters; and donations of historical city memorabilia.

They also include some financial matters, including the acceptance of a donation to the Paine estate, a state grant to the Council on Aging, a request for $217,157 for improvements to the Veterans Athletic Complex softball field and a school department request for $174,541 to pay for out-of-district tuition costs for special education programs.

The council will also receive a number of requests for renewals of lodging house licenses around the city that it will likely refer to its subcommittee meetings next week.

City Council will meet on Monday at 7 p.m.

Housing Authority

The Waltham Housing Authority works to provide affordable housing options for Waltham residents who face barriers to housing. 

This week, it plans to discuss its finances, ongoing contracts, maintenance topics and corrected budget at its monthly meeting. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at 4:30 p.m over Zoom and in person at 110 Pond St.

Biosafety Committee

The Waltham Biosafety Committee is a five-person board, including the director of public health and the chair of the Board of Health, in charge of reviewing permits for using or experimenting with recombinant DNA technology, as well as reviewing any regulations on the topic.

This week, the committee will hear a presentation from the company Miltenyi Biologic.

The committee will meet in the auditorium of the Clark Government Center at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Municipal Affordable Housing Trust

The Municipal Affordable Housing Trust is a board charged by city ordinance to oversee the city’s affordable housing trust fund.

This week, members of the board will hear updates on plans for affordable housing around the city at Cardinal Cottage on the estate of the former Fernald State School, the former Elks Lodge, and other locations.

Its next meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Tuesday in the basement conference room of City Hall.

Library Board of Trustees

The Board of Library Trustees is a five-person board appointed by the mayor and charged with establishing policies for the Waltham Public Library. 

It is holding its regular monthly meeting at 2 p.m. this Thursday, Mar. 12, in person at the Trustees Room of the Waltham Public Library. 

Conservation Commission

The Conservation Commission is a volunteer board charged with overseeing environmental planning in Waltham. The commission reviews certain types of construction on or around wetlands to ensure they comply with the Wetlands Protection Act and the Department of Environmental Protection stormwater standards.

It will hold a meeting over Zoom at 7 p.m. Thursday. An agenda and link for the meeting will be provided on the commission’s page on the city website at least 48 hours in advance.

Zoning Board of Appeals

The ZBA is a five-person board charged with reviewing new and existing buildings that might violate the city’s zoning code. 

The board has the power to grant project-specific variances to the code, overrule judgments made by the building inspector and grant specific types of special permits, including the comprehensive residential permits outlined by the state’s Chapter 40B statute.

This week it will hold a special meeting to discuss a proposed Chapter 40B development at 455 Totten Pond Road. The development permit has been under discussion since March of last year, and the board expects to make a final decision soon; in February, Assistant City Solicitor Michelle Learned warned that Waltham was willing to reject the application and potentially go to court if the developer did not provide sufficient mitigation for the impacts of the development.

The board will hold its meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Arthur Clark Government Center.

Disability Services Commission

The Disability Services Commission is a seven-person board that works to make Waltham more accessible for residents with disabilities. It advocates and distributes funds for projects related to physical accessibility, signage, interpretation services and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

This week, the commission may meet over Zoom on Friday at 8:30 a.m., although it has not decided on a final meeting date as of publication. An agenda, meeting date, and zoom link should be uploaded on its page on the city website by Wednesday, and participants can request further meeting information from DSC Chairperson Mark Johnson at markj@walhouse.org.