Good morning,

In today’s very full Charles River Chamber newsletter, I’ll share with you what I wasn’t permitted to say to the Newton City Council this week and remember a banking pioneer.

But we start with news about the Republic Services strike.

The trash collectors’ strike is worse than first reported

At first, it appeared that the trash collectors' strike against waste management company Republic Services was limited to 14 Massachusetts municipalities – including Watertown— that have contracts with the company for residential pickup.

It wasn’t until yesterday that the BBJ, and others began reporting that this problem extends to businesses, multi-family housing complexes, condo associations and others that contract directly with Republic.

And while replacement crews are slowly picking up residents’ solid waste in Watertown and elsewhere, dumpsters have begun to overflow at restaurants and other businesses beyond the original list of 14 cities and towns.

That includes Newton, where there are 180 privately contracted Republic Service dumpsters.

The chamber brought this matter to Mayor Ruthanne Fuller’s attention on Wednesday.

We’re pleased to report that last night the mayor announced the city will temporarily accept solid waste, for a fee, at 115 Rumford Ave. from Newton property owners who contract with Republic. Details and requirements are on the city’s website.

We’re grateful for the quick response and urge other communities and the Healey administration to pursue creative ways to avoid a looming public health emergency until the labor dispute is resolved.

(Let us know about your trash pickup concerns.)

City councilors asked questions. No one heard much.

The chamber asked to be heard. 

The League of Women Voters sent a letter, asking that we be heard.

Around two dozen others emailed, also urging the Newton City Council to allow the business community to be heard.

We were not heard.

Wednesday’s Zoning & Planning Committee meeting was billed as a “discussion” about “office tenants that have left Newton or have downsized, and strategies to recruit new commercial office tenants.”

But Tuesday’s “discussion” was restricted to councilors, city staff and, too briefly, members of the Economic Development Commission.

Beyond the EDC, no real-world subject matter experts — property owners, tenants, brokers, or their representatives — were permitted to speak or answer questions.

Instead, councilors spent an hour asking some good questions that were never fully answered, or answered speculatively, by city staff.

Too often, the discussion strayed off topic. There was talk about restaurants, golf simulators, and other topics that are, well, important, but have nothing to do with the office glut.

When EDC Chair Chuck Tanowitz brought up parking, Committee Chair Lisle Baker told him he was off-topic, despite the fact that parking is part of any office dynamic.

Then, the participants commended themselves for having had a great conversation.

Without specifics, Baker — who made the decision to restrict outsiders from speaking — said he hoped to find a way in the future to have the chamber “involved.”

Oh, and City Councilor Tarik Lucas scolded those who had requested business community participation for failing to mention in their emails what a “remarkable job” Baker does.

Here’s what I would have told councilors if they allowed it

If the chamber had been invited to speak to the Newton City Council at Wednesday’s discussion about the office market, I would have said we believe the problem is more dire than the city’s Economic Development Director portrayed.

I would have told them: The decimated office market is not only a Newton problem. It's a regional problem and a national problem. This week, JLL reported a 22.9% office vacancy rate across metro Boston. The national office vacancy rate hit a new record high in Q2.

But for a city struggling to fund its schools and other municipal services, attracting new companies would have a big upside for Newton. Losing employers should cause alarm.

I’d have urged the council to do everything it can to make Newton as attractive as possible to employers at a time when landlords and municipalities are fiercely competing for a smaller pie.

Then, as a starting point, I would have suggested prioritizing these five things:

Five ways Newton could become more competitive in the office market

1. Build more diverse housing:  A new survey from the Mass Business Roundtable found housing supply remains employers' No.1 competitiveness concern.  Companies want to locate where workers and customers live. More than ever, they’re choosing locations based on talent.
2. Recognize that this is a competition:  Make no mistake: Business attraction is a contest between Newton and everywhere else.  The days when you could sit back and gloat about being superior to Somerville, Chelsea or Everett are past. Other communities are actively recruiting companies and bending over to keep them.
3. Speed:  One thing that works against Newton is how long it takes to get stuff done.  Not just for new businesses but for existing ones. Aspire to become the city known for being among the fastest to approve permits, the fastest to approve licenses, and the fastest to complete health, building and fire inspections.
4. Affordability: You're nickel-and-diming our businesses. Rents and taxes are astronomical. So are all the fees businesses pay, especially when you receive slow service in return. Do a top-down review of every fee you collect. Make it less stressful to operate here. Don’t talk to us about overrides when you won’t even talk to us.
5. Reputation:  Whenever we make major decisions in our personal lives – where to live, what car to buy, the best schools — we look for recommendations. Employers do the same thing before they decide where to locate:  Slow approvals, high operating costs, onerous building and energy codes, and, yes — being known as the place where business representatives can’t speak at meetings — are just a few of the many ways you’re making it hard to compete.

The chamber is committed to having constructive conversations with our partners in all four of our municipalities. We look forward to each and every opportunity. But we’re not going to be silent if you refuse to let us have a seat at the table.

I welcome your input and ideas at any time.

And now, a shameless plea

Our chamber’s ability to advocate for our businesses and nonprofits depends on strength in numbers.  If your business is not yet a member, we invite you to join.

If you are not directly affiliated with a business or nonprofit but appreciate our mission, advocacy and this free twice-weekly newsletter, I hope you will consider becoming a Citizen Member for $95 annually.

Friday grab bag

• State Sen. Will Brownsberger explores and explains some challenges facing the state’s housing efforts and how his priorities have evolved in this podcast.
• Get Konnected!’s 11th Annual A Taste of Ethnic Boston returns July 29 at The Grand in the Seaport, featuring 15+ ethnic restaurants, live music and networking. Chamber members use promo code “GKPartner” for $20 off tickets.
• SharkNinja has recruited Amazon executive Mike Harris to be the Needham-based company’s first-ever chief innovation and technology officer. (Boston Globe)
• The Halal Guys is planning to open at 55 Needham Street in Newton, with a menu that includes chicken and rice, gyros, falafel, hummus, baklava, etc. (Boston Restaurant Talk)
• Although we’ve been mentioning this for months, Trader Joes has confirmed it will open a second Newton location at Newton Nexus, also on Needham Street.
• Hope to see you at the grand reopening celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony of Arsenal Park in Watertown on Tuesday (July 15) at 4 p.m.
• Massachusetts Women's History Center in Needham received a $40,000 state grant for an exhibit Massachusetts Women of the Revolutionary Era.
• Needham Police Chief John Schlittler’s son Cam Schlittler made his major league debut this week, pitching for the New York Yankees.  He pitched into the sixth inning before departing, leading 6-2 in a game NY won 9-6.   (Needham Observer and Associated Press)

Feds yank funding from Mass Pike project over ‘equity’

The U.S. Department of Transportation has rescinded a $335 million grant for the I-90 Allston redesign, in part because the grant had the word "equity" in the title.

The decision reverses support previously offered under the Biden administration and adds new complications to a project that’s been over a decade in the making.

According to Bruce Mohl of Commonwealth Beacon, some stakeholders say the promised $335 million is not essential to the $2 billion-plus redesign. However, the loss still introduces uncertainty around the project.

The I-90 Allston project is more than a road rebuild—it would improve highway safety, reconnect neighborhoods long divided by the Pike, and expand regional rail access.

Remembering The Village Bank’s Alfonso De Vito

In photo: Alfonso De Vito, Ken Brennan and Joe De Vito

Finally, our condolences to the family, friends, former coworkers and customers of former The Village Bank chairman Alfonso “Al” De Vito (in photo, left) who passed away June 28 at the age of 88.

It’s impossible to overstate what Al meant to Newton and to our business community.

An Italian immigrant, he began his career in banking at Newton National Bank and later Shawmut Community Bank. In 1974, he joined Newton South Co-operative Bank as an assistant VP and rose through the ranks to become president in 1983, a role he held for 20 years.

Two decades later, Newton South Co-op merged with Auburndale Co-op to form The Village Bank.

Al became chair of the board (until 2014), while Ken Brennan from Auburndale became president and CEO.  When Brennan retired and became chair, Joe De Vito (one of Al’s and his wife of 60 years, Jennie Magni’s, three sons) became Village’s current president and CEO.

Al hails from a time when loans were secured by a handshake.   And the man shook a lot of hands!  He gave many a chance they may have never had otherwise.

His legacy of customer service, commitment, and passion lives on through The Village Bank and the generations the bank has served and continues to serve.

And that’s what you need to know for today.

Be back next Tuesday.

Greg Reibman (he, him)

President & CEO

Charles River Regional Chamber

617.244.1688

Max Woolf contributed to today’s newsletter.