Waltham City Council approves historical resolutions, advances zoning and capital items; several matters sent to committee

The Waltham City Council on June 9 took a series of votes that approved ceremonial resolutions, advanced zoning changes, and moved multiple committee recommendations to final action or committee review.

Key votes and council actions

- Battle of Bunker Hill resolution: Councilor Shanti Durkee introduced a resolution recognizing Waltham’s historical role in the Battle of Bunker Hill. The council suspended the rules and approved the resolution by voice vote.

- 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army: Councilor Durkee introduced a resolution recognizing the Army’s founding (June 14, 1775). The council suspended rules and approved the resolution by voice vote.

- Flood plains and floodways draft ordinance: The mayor submitted a draft ordinance. Councilor Kathy Ann Harris moved to suspend Rule 39 to act on the matter without committee reference; the motion passed by voice vote. Harris then moved that the clerk schedule a joint public hearing with the Board of Survey and Planning; that motion passed. Harris moved to table the matter and the motion passed. (In short: council accepted the draft, scheduled a joint hearing, then tabled the item for further consideration.)

- Marijuana retail hours and ownership zoning amendment: The Ordinance & Rules Committee reported a favorable recommendation; the council suspended Rule 45 to give the matter a third reading and approved proceeding to third reading. A roll call for the motion on third reading recorded 12 yes votes in favor (several councilors absent). The matter advances per council procedure.

- Permit extension / Mass LEADs recognition order: The Ordinance & Rules Committee recommended an order recognizing the state 2024 Permit Extension Act (Mass LEADs Act) tolling rights for qualifying development permits. The council adopted the committee recommendation by roll call (12 in favor as recorded by the clerk’s roll call during the meeting).

- Finance and capital items: The Finance Committee recommended and the council approved several appropriations and items by committee action including: • $181,500 to relocate the Waltham School Facilities Department from 258 Trapello Road to 617 Lexington Street. • $812,688 to fund multiple departments’ minor capital requests for 2025. • Acceptance of a trust agreement for the Joseph and Harriet Kingsbury Temperance Scholarship. • Various mayoral transfer and appropriation requests were referred to the Finance Committee (including transfers to cover traffic‑light utility costs, a Department of Mental Health jail diversion grant acceptance, fire overtime appropriations, and workers’ compensation funding).

- Long‑term debt / Community Preservation funding: The Long Term Debt and Capital Planning Committee recommended allocating $2,842,612 from CPA accounts toward the renovation and addition at 15 Fisk Avenue; the council approved the committee recommendation (roll call recorded 11–12 in favor as announced by the clerk).

- Licenses and franchises: The License & Franchise Committee recommended and the council approved a Class 2 license for Global Lease Group (260 Bearhill Road) and approved a plaque to be erected at 200 Trapelo Road honoring Jerry LeBlanc. The council also approved a secondhand dealer license petition for L & V Collections & Jewelry LLC (139 Moody Street) to be reported out to committee.

Meeting process notes: Many committee recommendations were moved “that the action of the committee be the action of the council” and approved by voice vote. Several matters were recorded by roll call; where available, the clerk recorded 12 councilors in favor on roll calls noted in the transcript. Some items were suspended from committee for immediate council action or were tabled for later consideration.

Ending: Several matters will return to committee for detailed review (for example, the National Grid petitions were referred to License & Franchise; the Hall Street special permit remains in Ordinance & Rules). The council approved ceremonial resolutions and advanced several municipal procedural and capital items for implementation or later action.