Waltham City Council Calendar

To view the Waltham City Council and Committee 2020 calendar, click here . 

Waltham Will Receive $3,770 in Sewer Rate Relief

 

The City of Waltham was one of 44 recipients of the Commonwealth Sewer Rate Relief Fund and will receive $3,770 in relief funding in fiscal year 2020. The Commonwealth's Sewer Rate Relief Fund was established in 1993 to help mitigate the escalating costs of sewer service in Massachusetts.

Rep. Stanley, Rep. Lawn & Sen. Barrett Pass Legal Protections for Health Care Workers, Facilities, and Organizations Responding to COVID-19

On April 17, Rep. Stanley, Rep. Lawn and Sen. Barrett along with their colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and State Senate, passed legislation to shield those providing critical health care services from legal liability for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency.

Under the legislation, health care professionals, facilities and volunteer organizations assisting in the state's efforts to respond and treat COVID-19 would be protected from suit and civil liability for alleged damages related to the virus. Health care facilities and professionals would still be subject to consumer complaints brought by the Attorney General and protections would not extend to acts of negligence, recklessness, or intent to harm or acts of discrimination.  The protections would apply retroactively to March 10, 2020 and remain in effect for the duration of the State of Emergency.

The bill, which is the latest action by the Legislature to address the COVID-19 public health crisis and its effects on Massachusetts, has been signed by the Governor (Chapter 64 of the Acts of 2020).

Rep. Stanley, Rep. Lawn and Sen. Barrett Pass Moratorium on Non-Essential Evictions and Foreclosures amid COVID-19

On April 17, Rep. Stanley, Rep. Lawn and Sen. Barrett and their colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and State Senate passed legislation that will provide a critical safety net for renters, homeowners, and small businesses grappling with the economic fallout of the coronavirus public health emergency. The legislation prohibits all non-essential evictions and foreclosures and provides mortgage borrowers with forbearance options and protects tenants from late fees as well as other protections.

To address the COVID-19 public health crisis and its adverse impacts on renters, homeowners and small businesses, the bill includes the following components:

· A moratorium on all stages of the eviction and foreclosure processes for 120 days from the enactment of the legislation or 45 days after the State of Emergency has been lifted, whichever period of time is shorter.

· Prohibits all non-essential evictions for residential properties and small businesses.

· Prohibits residential landlords from terminating tenancy and sending a notice to quit.

· Halts landlords from issuing late fees and reports to credit agencies for nonpayment of rent, provided that a tenant offers notice and documentation to the landlord within 30 days of the missed rent payment that the non-payment was related to a financial impact from COVID-19.

· Allows for video or telephone conferencing during the State of Emergency for reverse mortgage loans in lieu of in-person counseling until the State of Emergency order is lifted.

· Evictions may proceed during the moratorium for actions that involve allegations of criminal activity or lease violations that are detrimental to public health or public safety.

· Requires mortgage lenders to grant a forbearance of up to 180-days on required mortgage payments if homeowner submits request demonstrating financial hardship as result of COVID-19.

· Allows landlords to use a tenant's last month rent for expenses like mortgages payments and property maintenance, while protecting tenant rights regarding rent paid in advance.

The bill, which is the latest action by the Legislature to address the COVID-19 public health crisis and its effects on Massachusetts was signed into law by Governor Baker on March 20th (Chapter 65 of the Acts of 2020).

Rep. Stanley and Rep. Lawn Help Pass Legislation to Ensure the Fiscal Health of the Commonwealth

During its historic first remote voting formal session, Rep. Tom Stanley and Rep. John Lawn, along with their colleagues in the House of Representatives, passed legislation to authorize necessary state borrowing during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The session was the first held following the passage of Emergency Rules enabling Members to vote and debate safely in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The legislation, An Act to Facilitate the Delay of the Income Tax Filing Deadline, authorizes the State Treasurer to borrow in anticipation of tax receipts by the end of Fiscal Year 2020 and to repay those sums by June 30, 2021. This action is necessary due to the delay in tax revenue as a result of the extended deadlines of income tax filings and payments to July 15, 2020, which were extended because of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Rep. Stanley cosponsors bill ensuring safe and participatory 2020 state elections in response

Rep. Stanley signed onto a bill ensuring safe and participatory 2020 state elections in response to COVID-19. The legislation attempts to alleviate any added burden on voters and their ability to access the ballot box while participating in the September 1, 2020 state primaries and November 3, 2020 biennial state election. It would provide that all voters, without application, receive an absent voting ballot and accompanying papers by mail from the state secretary at least 19 days prior to the general election. Voters would have the option to return such ballot by mail or in person at a secure, locked dropbox outside of their city or town clerk's building. The bill also provides for early voting in person for the state primaries and extends the early voting period for the general election. Additionally, the bill outlines certain procedural changes to aid city and town clerks in the transmission of absent voting ballots and the keeping of secure records.

Rep. Stanley signs bill to assist non-profits in providing for COVID-19 unemployment benefits

Rep. Stanley cosponsored legislation aimed at assisting non-profits in providing for COVID-19 unemployment benefits. The federal CARES Act will cover 50 percent of unemployment benefit costs for many business and nonprofit organizations. This legislation will match the federal aid dollar for dollar making it possible for thousands of nonprofits, from the arts, to social services, to public health, to public gardens, to retain their employees post-crisis and to continue their priceless contribution of service to communities across the Commonwealth.

Not all nonprofits pay into Unemployment Insurance because layoffs are rare at smaller nonprofits in particular. This means they are responsible for 100% of their employee's UI benefits should they need to send their staff on furlough due to COVID-19. As self-funded institutions, most nonprofits have no way of raising the revenue to do this during the coronavirus crisis.

Baker Administration Files Supplemental Budget Bill to Authorize $1 Billion in COVID-19 Spending

The Baker Administration filed a supplemental budget bill for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) which will authorize $1 billion in spending necessary to cover incurred and expected costs during the COVID-19 public health crisis. It is expected that this spending will result in no net cost to the Commonwealth, after anticipated federal reimbursement and other federal funding sources.

These expenses include the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment, rate adjustments for providers of congregate care and other essential human services, incentive pay for state employees on the front lines at certain facilities in operation 24 hours a day, costs of temporary field hospitals and shelters, National Guard pay, the first statewide contact tracing program in the country, emergency child care for essential workers, and increased costs of local housing authorities and of the family and individual shelter system.

This authorization will enable the Commonwealth to leverage federal financial support, most notably, aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which can only reimburse state spending resulting from eligible disaster response activities. This legislation would ensure that adequate state spending has been authorized to allow the Commonwealth to continue to protect the public unimpeded until the federal reimbursement process can be realized.

COVID-19 costs not supported by FEMA reimbursement will, to the extent possible, be matched to other available federal revenue sources, including the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund established in the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

The bill would also attribute federal reimbursements to FY20 if they are associated with COVID-19 response costs incurred in FY20, allowing the use of revenue sources without putting the FY20 budget out of balance.

Baker Administration Announces Four-Phase Approach to Reopening and Publishes Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards

The Baker Administration announced a four-phase approach to reopening the Massachusetts economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and published Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards that will apply across all sectors and industries once reopening begins. The goal of the phased reopening, based on public health guidance, is to methodically allow certain businesses, services, and activities to resume, while protecting public health and limiting a resurgence of new COVID-19 cases.

* Phase 1 will be "Start:" limited industries resume operations with severe restrictions
* Phase 2 will be "Cautious:" additional industries resume operations with restrictions and capacity limits
* Phase 3 will be "Vigilant:" additional industries resume operations with guidance
* Phase 4 will be the "New Normal:" development of vaccine and/or therapy enables resumption of new normal

Businesses and activities that provided "COVID-19 Essential Services," per Governor Baker's March 23rd order, will continue to operate. Certain businesses and activities with a lower risk of COVID-19 transmission will open in earlier phases. Decisions and timing will be influenced by public health metrics for when the first phase of reopening begins, as well as when it is safe to move into concurrent phases.

Baker Administration, Partners in Health, Public Health Officials Provide Update on Community Tracing Collaborative

The Baker Administration joined Partners in Health and local public health officials to provide an update on contract tracing efforts through the COVID-19 Community Tracing Collaborative (CTC) launched last month. The initiative focuses on tracing the contacts of confirmed positive COVID-19 patients, and supporting individuals in quarantine, building on COVID-19 Response Command Center efforts to leverage public health college students to augment the contact tracing being done by local boards of health.

If an individual tests positive for COVID-19, the MA COVID Team will reach out by phone to connect the confirmed case with support and resources necessary for quarantine, and to identify any close contacts that may have been exposed. As the CTC continues its contact tracing work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, it is critical that Massachusetts residents answer the phone when a contact tracer calls or texts. Contact tracers will only reach out from phone numbers with 833 or 857 area codes, and the phone's caller ID will say MA COVID Team.

Since calls began on April 12, tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents have participated in contact tracing. Staffed with more than 1,600 tracers, the Tracing Collaborative has reached nearly 14,000 confirmed cases and established more than 7,500 of their contacts since calls began on April 12. In part due to effective social distancing measures, the median number of contacts reported by each confirmed case remains approximately two.

To learn more about the MA COVID Team and the Community Tracing Collaborative, visit www.mass.gov/MATracingTeam.

Waltham's AstraZeneca Donates 3 Million Surgical Masks to Direct Relief for Covid-19 Supply Needs

 

A message from Council on Aging regarding how you can help seniors during this time

Publish your events in The Stanley Report!

South Lincoln's Revitalization Project

 

Lincoln School Building Committee Website

 

Do you have a loved one living with a mental health condition?

 

Meals on Wheels program

 

Through Minuteman Senior Services, the Meals on Wheels (MOW) program delivers lunch to homebound seniors who are unable to provide their own meals, and who meet certain guidelines. Special dietary considerations are available for those with chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. This daily check in by a volunteer driver may be the only social contact an elder has and helps reduce the isolation often experienced by disabled seniors. Drivers are trained to identify and report observations or emergencies that might indicate a medical problem or the need for more intervention.   Learn more. 

Lovin' Spoonfuls collects fresh food from dozens of food retail locations including Whole Foods Markets, Trader Joe's, and Hannaford Supermarkets, as well as multiple local farms, wholesalers, and bakeries. This food goes directly to local food assistance entities including Pine Street Inn, Boston Rescue Mission, Haley House, and Community Servings, among many others. Founded in 2010, it has rescued more than 3,500,000 pounds of fresh food in the Greater Boston area.   Learn more. 

Kids Cooking Green Hosts Events 

 

Kids Cooking Green is the educational arm of the Lexington, MA Farmers' Market. Classes are designed for kids as young as Pre-K through 8th grade, and there are some classes for adults. Kids Cooking Green also provides programming through its Fund for City Schools, which brings classes to communities that could otherwise not afford it.  Click  here to learn more.

Veterans Committee
License and Franchise Committee
Long Term Debt Committee

Awards : 

Work, Community, Independence - Human Service Advocate of the Year, 2008 COFAR - award recipient for support of people with mental disabilities, 2003 MassBay Community College Distinguished Alumni Award WATCH CDC - Housing Advocate Award, 2007 Minuteman Senior Services - Certificate of Appreciation, 2006 Boston Bar Assoc., Greater Boston Legal Services and MetroWest Legal Services - Pillar of Justice Award, 2003 Shining Star Award, Edinburg Center, 2019 Community Health Center Leader Award, The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers

Personal:

Married to the former Kimberly A. Bayliss