Unnecessary roughness in Needham
Unnecessary roughness in Needham
On Tuesday, the Needham Planning Board held a public hearing to collect input on a proposal to rezone the parcels along I-95 where Muzi Motors and Channel 5 are presently located. (Video here)
The meeting didn’t go well.
Many residents expressed concerns about traffic and the scope of the project.
They were angered further when the hearing ended before everyone could speak. (Why do that? Why antagonize people further? Enforcing a limit on how long each speaker could talk, would have helped too.)
Last week I wrote about the very real concern that an e-commerce warehouse could end up on the site by right if the zoning isn't changed. We should all be worried about that. But I'm not going to weigh in on the proposal further this morning.
Instead, I want to respond to some of the harsh words -- both at that meeting and amplified on social media -- directed towards the owners of Muzi Motors: the Cammarano family.
Their story dates back to 1926 when John Muzi, an Italian stone cutter, emigrated to the US to make a fresh start away from Mussolini's fascists. The business John started a decade later has been family-run ever since (full history here).
Since the 1930s, they’ve provided Needham with good paying jobs -- careers for some, school vacation work for others.
They’ve paid their taxes. Responsibly maintained their property. Volunteered at events. Served on commissions and committees. And donated to a broad range of civic (including the chamber), charitable and environmental organizations.
Though good times and bad, the Cammarano family has been there for Needham and if they choose to sell their family's business, they deserve a respectable return on their investment.
Even more, they deserve to be treated respectfully. Let’s not emulate the politics of destruction that stinks up our national dialog. Disagree without being disagreeable.
To bring workers back. Or to not bring workers back.
That is the question.
Yesterday I asked some of our employers what they were planning. There’s no consistent answer, even now that that the governor expects the state to be fully vaccinated by July.
Some can’t wait to be back at full staff. Others wondered if they needed an office at all. Many are leaning towards a hybrid model.
One employer said hiring decisions may force them to decide sooner than they might have otherwise. You can’t blame an applicant for wanting to know where they're expected to be working before accepting an offer.
Lying down on the job allowed
Companies that are bringing back their teams have other decisions to make. Are you changing your office layout? Does everyone need their own desk, only further apart? Hot desks vs. hoteling?
Or, writes Joanne Stern at the Wall Street Journal, no desk at all just meeting areas since you’ll do your desk work from home.
Best yet, give everyone one of these and they can do work, dentist visits, haircuts and naps all at the same socially distanced space.
The productivity question
A new study shows that the typical professional worked 80 more minutes a day this January than they did in January 2020.
Productivity jumped nearly 200% but employers need to be wary of employee burnout from all the extra hours, notes the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
In January 2020, the typical white-collar workday started at 8:24 a.m. and ended at 5:31 p.m. This year the day was more likely to last from 7:46 a.m. to 6:12 p.m.,
And here’s where the study gets interesting...
Workers are now spending two hours each day you know where. That’s equal to 24 full days per year. (Unless perhaps if you use this.)
But that’s actually less than the three hours a day the average office worker used to spend in conference rooms.
Nourishing Newton and Nourishing Wellesley up and feeding
Did you catch the great story on Boston 25 yesterday about our program that helps support local restaurants while feeding those in need?
We’ve been running the Newton component of this initiative for a few weeks. The effort in Wellesley kicked off last week and has so far delivered close to 200 meals to Wellesley residents in need purchased from local independent restaurants including Fiorella’s, Old School Pizza, North End Pizza, Riceberg and Express Gourmet.
Thanks to Allen Katzoff and his team of volunteers for assisting with deliveries and to Maura Renzella with the town for coordinating Nourishing Wellesley.
The program -- part of a state earmark secured by Sen. Cindy Creem -- is also running in Brookline with a goal of buying and delivering a combined 10,000 meals between now and June.
We’re still looking for additional Wellesley restaurants who would like to participate: find more information and an application form here.
State issues new travel rules
The Baker administration has loosened the state’s travel rules. The new travel advisory urges all persons entering Massachusetts, including returning residents, to quarantine for 10 days upon their arrival if they’ve been out of the state for 24 hours or more.
The advisory does not apply to anyone in the following categories:
- Anyone who is returning to Massachusetts after an absence of fewer than 24 hours.
- Travelers who have a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72 hours prior to their arrival in Massachusetts.
- Workers who enter Massachusetts to perform critical infrastructure functions (as specified by the Federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) while they are commuting to or from or while at work.
- Travelers who are fully vaccinated (i.e. who have received two doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines OR who have received a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 14 days or more ago and who do not have symptoms).
Food courts next?
The Retailers Association of Massachusetts told members yesterday that they expects to see a revision of the Sector specific protocols governing retail and restaurant operations early next week. RAM believes the revision will include a reopening of food court seating in malls.
Vaccine need to knows
The state has been reporting COVID cases and deaths by municipality for a while. As of last night you can see how many people in each community have been vaccinated on this map.
Frontline workers on this list and those 60-plus are eligible to schedule a vaccine Monday. Here’s the full timeline. Go here for more state vaccine related info.
UI freeze, PPP tax exemption advances on Beacon Hill
The state Senate agreed yesterday to freeze unemployment insurance rates to prevent a 60 percent increase; exempt pass through businesses from paying state taxes on the PPP; and give workers paid time off for COVID reasons, reports Jon Chesto at the Globe.
They gave a thumbs down to a proposal to help restaurants by extending a 15 percent rate cap on third-party delivery fees and extend permission to sell “cocktails to go” after the state of emergency.
The approved measures still need to be rectified by conference committee and signed by the governor.
More Mass Growth grants awarded
The Baker administration announced another $31 million in awards for 710 additional businesses in the tenth round of COVID relief grants administered by the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation.
The program has now provided awarded over $633 million in direct financial support to 14,056 businesses across the state.
MGCC will soon be announcing the availability of funding to support small business technical assistance and community development financial institutions, presumably using funds that are part of the federal COVID relief package approved last week.
Newton’s next election is right around the corner
Now that Newton’s special city council election is over, maneuvering for the fall election has begun.
All 24 council seats, as well as school committee will be on the ballot. But the big contest on Nov. 2 will be the mayor’s race.
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller is running for a second term. No opponents have stepped forward yet. (Politico reported earlier this month that she has a 71% job approval rating, according to a poll commissioned by her campaign.)
Fuller’s decision comes in a year when nearly a fifth of the state's mayors are stepping down, including some who’ve said the stress and strain of managing COVID-19 was a contributing factor, writes Bruce Mohl at Commonwealth.
In Newton's special election on Tuesday, the two candidates endorsed by a PAC that was the focus of a critical Boston Globe op-ed prevailed.
That's it for this week. Happy first day of spring (tomorrow). Mask up. And tip generously.
President, Newton-Needham Regional Chamber
617-244-1688
Your chamber is here when you need us.
