Good morning. And happy birthday, federal income tax.

Depending on the nature of your business, you may want to review new guidance from the Attorney General’s office regulating hidden charges or “junk fees.”

The regulations prohibit hidden, surprise or unnecessary costs that increase the total price of a product beyond the advertised price, or are only disclosed at the end of a transaction. It also regulates trial offers, subscriptions, automatic recurring charges, and opt-out policies, among others.

Businesses must comply with the new rules beginning Sept. 2. 

I reviewed the guidance quickly last night and came away thinking that this may impact more businesses than many realize.

The regulations may be viewed in their entirety here.

Why experts keep saying we need all kinds of housing

A new analysis finds that even adding expensive new housing to a region drives down the costs of housing for those at the lowest income level.

“When not enough homes are built in high-income neighborhoods, people who would have lived in those neighborhoods can usually afford to move into middle-income neighborhoods, and middle-income residents can usually afford to move into low-income neighborhoods, but residents of low-income neighborhoods have nowhere to turn,” according to researchers at Pew.

Every 10% increase in housing supply correlated with a 5% slowdown in rent growth, Pew found. That amounted to, on average $470 less in annual rent payments over a year. Low-rent housing saw the steepest savings.

“Housing shortages don’t just drive up costs—they’re regressive. Maintaining restrictive zoning that exacerbates the housing shortage puts vulnerable tenants in a more precarious position by burdening them with steep rent increases. Allowing enough homes for everyone improves affordability overall, but the evidence shows it benefits low-income renters most,” Pew added.

I welcome your thoughts.

Breaking news: Washington St. pilot is not the end of the world

An effort to test different road configurations along Washington Street between West Newton and Newtonville is attracting a lot of, well, opinions.

That’s a kind way of saying, some folks are beside themselves. Others are merely confused, confounded or cranky.

It’s all part of a pilot designed to make this unappealing stretch safer, greener and more welcoming by reducing the four-lane speedway to two lanes, adding bike paths, plantings and in-lane bus stops.

My advice: Give it time. I can’t tell you how many emails we received last year about the changes at the Circle of Death in Newton Corner. Now most concede that it’s safer for drivers and pedestrians.

As for Washington Street, no permanent changes have been made. They’re making adjustments along the way. Yes, there are things that seem boneheaded.  That’s the whole idea behind a pilot.

Over the weekend, Newton City Councilors received a memo from the Planning Department reminding them that the goal is “to test temporary features before committing to more permanent infrastructure changes.”  

There’s also this FAQ.

And if you want a mind-bending experience, watch this video from 2017, which explores some of the concepts at play, even if the current pilot is more modest.

The city needs your feedback, which you can and should provide here.

Share your thoughts with me, too. Thanks.

New rule allows restaurants to upgrade their license

A new policy change slipped into the new state budget when no one was looking, would allow restaurants and bars that are only licensed to serve beer and wine to upgrade to full liquor service, reports the Globe’s Shirley Leung.

There are stipulations: First, the policy must be approved by the local municipality.  Second, the license cannot be resold. It would need to be returned to the municipality when a business closes, an asset that in many cases has considerable value for the owner.

Overnight lane closures coming to Route 9

Expect overnight delays on Route 9 in Newton and Brookline through Thanksgiving.

The closures will allow MassDOT to resurface and repair the road, median, sidewalks and two bridges.

Starting this week, MassDOT will close lanes in both directions between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., Sundays through Thursdays. New signage and police details will help guide traffic.

Tuesday grab bag

• Massachusetts Tax Free weekend is this Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 9 and 10). Our chamber retailers would be thrilled to see you.
• You don’t need to be from Needham to enjoy tomorrow’s Needham Night BBQ on the patio at BPX overlooking Kendrick Pond.  It’s our last big networking night of the summer. And the forecast looks great.
• Meteor showers are also in the forecast.
• Save Oct. 15 for our second annual Wellesley Night.
• Oh, for heaven’s sake: The State Department is launching a program that would require migrants from some countries to post a bond as high as $15,000 to secure a visa for business or personal travel. The pilot program will undoubtedly close the door to many wishing to conduct business in the U.S. (The Hill)
• The life science market is not dead: The Watertown Board of Health has granted five permits from various life sciences and biotech companies, including two at 66 Galen. . (Watertown News)
• The Newton Police Department hosts National Night Out tonight (Tues.), 5-8 p.m., in Captain John Ryan Park, next to the police station in West Newton
• Vendor applications are now open for Faire in the Square in Watertown, taking place on Sept.13.
• The Legislature’s Municipalities Committee will hold a hearing Sept. 9 on a proposal by Gov. Maura Healey that would, among other things, allow cities and towns to increase local taxes on meals, lodging, and vehicle registrations and push utilities to remove double poles more promptly. (State House News)
• Here’s FAQs about the new Residential Rental Broker fees rules.
• A judge has ruled that Sloane's restaurant in Allston can keep its name. (U-Hub)
• The Conference Board analyzed public disclosures by companies in the S&P 100 and found that 53% adjusted their DEI messaging in major filings this year. Use of the acronym DEI itself dropped 68%. Companies reporting the overall share of women in their workforce dropped by 14%.  (BBJ)
• RIP,  Marjorie Agosin, poet and Wellesley College professor who championed Latina writers. (Boston Globe)

Newton brewer back in the CEO seat at Boston Beer

Jim Koch, who brewed the first batch of what became Sam Adams beer in his Newton kitchen in 1984 is returning as CEO of the Boston Beer Co.  Koch, 75, has been the company’s chairman.

About ten years ago, Koch was the keynote at a very memorable chamber breakfast and it’s not just because he brought samples for everyone at 8  a.m.

WCVB has posted an interview Koch from 1985, when craft beers were unheard of and Sam Adams was seen as expensive …at $20 a case.

Still time to honor Newton’s best businesses and nonprofit leader

Finally, we’ve already received close to 100 nominations for next month’s Newton Small Business Awards.

However, we’ve extended the nomination deadline until tomorrow (8/6) for two reasons:

1. We’re lighter than I would have expected for nominations for Nonprofit Leader of the Year. This surprised me, given our many outstanding nonprofits in Newton.
2. We’ve decided to expand our Best New Small Business category to any independent business opened since 2022.

Nominations for all categories remain open until the end of the day on Wednesday. Submit yours here.  And save Sept. 17 for our Newton awards event.

And that’s what you need to know for today, unless you need to know who was top dog at this weekend’s World Dog Surfing Championships.

Thanks to Max Woolf for filling in for me last week.  

Hope to see you tomorrow at Needham Night and be back here in Friday.

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688

Max Woolf contributed to today’s newsletter.