City Council
City Council Chamber and Remote Participation
Agenda — 113 items
- 1 Published June 9, 2026, 2:40 PM, Revised Published June 11, 2026, 1:00 PM.
- 1 NOTICE: This is NOT the official version of the City Council's minutes. While reasonable efforts have been made to assure the accuracy of the data provided, do not rely on this information without first checking with the City Clerk.
- 2 NOTICE: Pursuant to Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2025, this meeting of the City Council may be conducted via remote participation. We will post an audio recording, audiovideo recording, transcript, or other comprehensive record of these proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting on the City of Somerville website and local cable access government channels. Register at the following website to listen to this meeting live or to testify at any public hearing: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RcpLbu4RRh6NjLe8onQJbQ Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should contact the ADA Coordinator in advance at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or ADA@somervillema.gov.
- 1. OPENING CEREMONIES
- 3 The meeting was called to order at 7:09 PM by Ward Six City Councilor Lance L. Davis. The City Council entered recess at 7:48 PM and returned at 7:51 PM. The City Council entered recess at 8:27 PM and returned at 8:43 PM.
- 1.1. Call of the Roll.
- 1.2. Remembrances.
- 1.3. Approval of the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of May 14, 2026.
- 1.4. Approval of the Minutes of the Special Meeting of May 20, 2026.
- 2. CITATIONS
- 2.1. Commending Mary Jeka on the auspicious occasion of her retirement.
- 10 Page Break
- 3. PUBLIC HEARINGS
- 3.1. Eversource applying for a Grant of Location to install 31 feet of conduit in Richardson Street, from Utility Pole 296/1 to a point of pickup at 0 Richardson Street.
- 3.2. Eversource applying for a Grant of Location to install 641 feet of conduit in Somerville Avenue and Prospect Street, and one new Manhole 31333, from existing Manhole 27921 and from existing Manhole 25406 to a point of pickup at 51 Prospect Street.
- 4. ORDERS, ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND MOTIONS OF MEMBERS
- 4.1. That the Administration address the ongoing public health and safety concerns at the Broadway Salvation Army site.
- 4.2. That the Director of Health and Human Services update this Council on recent changes for Requests For Proposals for youth programming grants, particularly grants that impact Teen Empowerment directly.
- 4.3. That the Director of Veterans Services update this City Council on the status of any veterans memorials currently in storage, as well as the status of the Central Hill Memorial Plaza.
- 4.4. Recognizing Teen Empowerment for providing over 20 years of service to young people in the Somerville.
- 4.5. That the Chief of Police increase traffic enforcement in Teele Square, especially focusing on the lights and crosswalks between Broadway and Holland Street, and especially in the morning when students and families are walking to school.
- 4.6. That the Director of Mobility prioritize Curtis Street for pedestrian safety improvements, including traffic calming measures and an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible crosswalk in the vicinity of Sunset Road.
- 4.7. That the Director of Mobility install additional signage and the Chief of Police increase enforcement to ensure compliance with the one-way traffic direction on Whitfield Road.
- 4.8. Recognizing and expressing appreciation to the Department of Public Works, the Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health, and the Inspectional Services Department for their work in addressing rodent issues at the West Somerville Neighborhood School.
- 4.9. That the Chief of Police report to this Council on the response to the recent upsurge in drug use and other drug-related activity in public spaces in and around Davis Square, including in Hodgkins-Curtin park.
- 4.10. That the Director of Parking discuss with this Council the possibility of administering a parking permit type intended for vehicle owners with driveways, at a lower price than standard residential parking permits, which would allow only daytime and evening street parking but not overnight street parking, and which would not be usable during street cleaning or snow emergencies.
- 4.11. That Chapter 2, Article VIII, Division 1 of the Code of Ordinances be amended as detailed within.
- 4.12. That this Council schedule a Public Hearing regarding construction parking permits and the impact of current enforcement policy on neighborhood residents.
- 4.13. That the City Attorney advise this Council on the Mayor's compliance with Section 6-4 of the Somerville Charter as it relates to the submission of the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, particularly "the school budget, as adopted by the school committee".
- 4.14. That the City Clerk inform this Council as to the final status of item #25-0905, a unanimous vote in favor of adopting Chapter 329 of the Acts of 1987 on May 22, 2025.
- 4.15. That the City Clerk provide the procedure followed upon a Mayoral veto of any measure approved by this Council.
- 4.16. Conveying the Ward 2 Councilor's opposition to placing armed police officers in Somerville schools.
- 4.17. That the Commissioner of Public Works or the Director of Mobility provide an update to this Council on the policies in place to ensure pedestrian safety when closing sidewalks on both sides of a street, the criteria used to determine when such closures are necessary, and the process for notifying residents and businesses about upcoming sidewalk closures as well as the timeline for reopening.
- 4.18. That the Director of Procurement and Contracting Services provide this City Council with a report of all artificial intelligence vendors and services for which the city currently has contracts or ongoing payment obligations.
- 4.19. That the Director of Mobility and the Director of Engineering discuss changing Hawkins Street into a two-way street for bikes, considering it is already being used by families as part of a safer route to school, allowing parents and children to bypass the dangerous and unprotected intersection of Somerville Avenue and Washington Street.
- 4.20. In support of House Bill 3587 and Senate Bill 2334, an Act to grow and maintain space in cities and towns for the creative economy.
- 4.21. That this City Council appoints Rodrigo Badaro, Bea Gomez-Mouakad, Marianne Walles, Martin Sanchez, Yesenia Alfaro, and Marcy Goldstein-Gelb to the Wage Theft Advisory Committee.
- 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
- 5.1. Requesting the appropriation of $15,015 from the Salary Contingency Account to the Police Department Personal Services Salary Account to fund a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Somerville Police Superior Officers Association.
- 5.2. That the Chief of Police provide documentation in writing regarding the circumstances surrounding cyclist traffic enforcement in Union Square on the morning of May 28.
- 6. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
- 7. COMMUNICATIONS OF THE MAYOR
- 7.1. Requesting approval of Fiscal Year 2027 Water & Sewer Rates.
- 7.2. Requesting the appropriation of $2,500,000 from the Facility Construction and Renovation Stabilization Fund for replacement of the Department of Public Works building roof at 1 Franey Road.
- 7.3. Requesting the appropriation of $2,000,000 from the Facility Construction and Renovation Stabilization Fund for replacement of the West Somerville Neighborhood School roof.
- 7.4. Requesting the appropriation of $900,000 from the Facility Renovation Stabilization Fund to convert existing space at the Healey School into five functional classrooms.
- 7.5. Requesting the appropriation of $500,000 from the Facility Construction and Renovation Stabilization Fund to replace the boilers at the Argenziano School.
- 7.6. Requesting the appropriation of $196,086 from the Salary & Wage Stabilization Fund to various departmental Other Lump Sum Payment Accounts to fund a collective bargaining agreement with Somerville Municipal Employees Union, Unit D.
- 7.7. Requesting the appropriation of $144,235 from the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Stabilization Fund to support various projects related to opioid initiatives.
- 7.8. Requesting approval to repurpose and appropriate $45,000 from the COVID-19 Stabilization fund to continue the Playworks Program at the Winter Hill Community School for the 2026-2027 School Year.
- 7.9. Requesting approval to appropriate and transfer $1,000,000 from the Community Benefits Stabilization Fund to the Housing Assistance Stabilization Fund for housing assistance.
- 7.10. Requesting the appropriation of $39,633,688 to fund the Fiscal Year 2027 Sewer Enterprise Fund budget.
- 7.11. Requesting the appropriation of $24,672,499 to fund the Fiscal Year 2027 Water Enterprise Fund budget.
- 7.12. Requesting the appropriation of $16,000,000 from the Sewer Enterprise Retained Earnings Account to the Sewer Capital Stabilization Fund.
- 7.13. Requesting the appropriation of $7,150,000 from the Unreserved Fund Balance ("Free Cash") to the Street Reconstruction and Renovation Stabilization Fund to support the 5-Year Capital Investment Plan.
- 7.14. Requesting the appropriation of $6,600,000 from the Unreserved Fund Balance ("Free Cash") to the Facility Renovation and Reconstruction Stabilization Fund to support the 5-Year Capital Investment Plan.
- 7.15. Requesting the appropriation of $2,000,000 from the Water Enterprise Retained Earnings Account to the Water Capital Stabilization Fund.
- 7.16. Requesting the appropriation of $1,200,000 from the Unreserved Fund Balance ("Free Cash") to the Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) Trust Fund.
- 7.17. Requesting the appropriation of $1,000,000 from the Unreserved Fund Balance ("Free Cash") to the Salary & Wage Stabilization Fund.
- 7.18. Requesting the appropriation of $549,399 from the Unreserved Fund Balance ("Free Cash") to the Traffic Safety Stabilization Fund for traffic safety improvements.
- 7.19. Requesting the appropriation of $360,000 from the Unreserved Fund Balance ("Free Cash") to the Judgments & Settlements Account for settlement payments relative to the lease between BRE-BMR, Middlesex LLC and the City of Somerville for the Assembly Square Fire Station at 45 Middlesex Avenue.
- 7.20. Requesting the appropriation of $200,000 from the Unreserved Fund Balance ("Free Cash") to the Compensated Absence Liability Fund.
- 7.21. Requesting the appropriation of $18,850 from the Unreserved Fund Balance ("Free Cash") to the Judgments & Settlements Account for closing costs relative to the purchase of the Assembly Square Fire Station Condominium Unit at 45 Middlesex Avenue.
- 7.22. Requesting approval of a transfer of $1,676,728 from the Salary Contingency Account-Salaries to the Salary & Wage Stabilization Fund.
- 7.23. Requesting approval to increase the Somertime Revolving Account Expenditure Limit for Fiscal Year 2026.
- 7.24. Requesting approval to increase the Special Event Revolving Fund Expenditure Limit for FY 2026.
- 7.25. Requesting approval to execute the Fifth Amendment to the lease agreement with Dana Family Series, LLC, for the Grove Street parking lot, through June 30, 2027.
- 7.26. Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $41,257.05 using available funds in various Department of Public Works accounts for various services.
- 7.27. Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $2,500 using available funds in the Parks & Recreation Department Professional Services Account for removal and storage of floating docks at the Blessing of the Bay boathouse.
- 7.28. Requesting confirmation of the appointment of Efecan Yigitpasa to the position of Police Officer.
- 7.29. Requesting confirmation of the appointment of Joshua Nardelli to the position of Police Officer.
- 7.30. Requesting approval of the Surveillance Technology Impact Report for the Smart Tree Inventory.
- 7.31. Requesting approval of the Surveillance Technology Impact Report for Body Worn Cameras.
- 7.32. Requesting approval of the Technology-Specific Surveillance Use Policy for Body Worn Cameras.
- 7.33. Conveying the updated 2025 Surveillance Technology Annual Report.
- 7.34. Conveying an update regarding item #26-0825, a Resolution that the Administration submit a written report to this Council regarding the timeline and process for staffing the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Coordinator role and update this Council on the plan to process ADA complaints and accessibility coordination when this position is vacant.
- 7.35. Conveying information regarding changes in positions in the Fiscal Year 2027 budget.
- 8. COMMUNICATIONS OF CITY OFFICERS
- 8.1. Director of Communications & Community Engagement conveying the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Accessibility Compliance update for city website and digital assets.
- 8.2. City Clerk conveying Block Party Licenses issued.
- 8.3. Chief of Police conveying information regarding item #26-0378, a request of the Mayor for acceptance of a grant for a body-worn camera program.
- 9. NEW BUSINESS
- 9.1. Renewing Drainlayer's License, Galway Excavation LLC.
- 9.2. Renewing Drainlayer's License, Genesis Utilities Corporation.
- 9.3. Renewing Drainlayer's License, Mass Earthworks & Demolition.
- 9.4. Renewing Extended Operating Hours License, Dunkin, 504 Broadway.
- 9.5. Renewing Extended Operating Hours License, McDonalds, 14 McGrath Highway.
- 9.6. Renewing Flammables License, Pearl Street Auto Sales, 182 Pearl Street.
- 9.7. Renewing Flammables License, Winter Hill Yacht Club, 500 Artisan Way.
- 9.8. Renewing Garage License, BRE-BMR Assembly Innovation I LLC, 122 Assembly Park Drive.
- 9.9. Renewing Garage License, John's Auto Sales, Inc., 181 Somerville Avenue.
- 9.10. Renewing Garage License, Pearl Street Auto Sales, 182 Pearl Street.
- 9.11. Renewing Outdoor Parking License, DM Collision Center LLC, 30 Joy Street.
- 9.12. Renewing Taxi Medallion License, V.I.N.L. Transportation, Inc., Med. #65.
- 9.13. Renewing Used Car Dealer Class 2 License, Pearl Street Auto Sales, 182 Pearl Street.
- 9.14. St. Benedict Parish applying for a Public Event License for A mile with Jesus on July 5 from 9:30 AM to 12 PM.
- 9.15. Horizons Trio applying for a Public Event License for Elation: An Exploration Through Music on July 21 from 6 PM to 7:30 PM (rain date July 27).
- 9.16. 89 registered voters submitting a petition requesting a public hearing regarding Police Body-Worn Cameras, pursuant to Section 2-11 of the City Charter.
- 9.17. Four residents submitting comments re: police presence in schools.
- 10. SUPPLEMENTAL ITEMS
- 10.1. Commending Alex Epstein on his commitment and activism to safe streets.
- 10.2. Commending Jane Gardner on the auspicious occasion of her retirement.
- 10.3. Commending Kimberly Baker on the auspicious occasion of her retirement.
- 10.4. That the Director of Engineering and the Commissioner of Public Works provide an update on Highland Ave temporary paving.
- 10.5. In support of rent control negotiations between the Keep Massachusetts Home campaign and Massachusetts developers.
- 10.6. New Sign/Awning License, Parlor Bird, 151 Cedar Street, 1 Sign.
- 10.7. Office of Immigrant Affairs applying for a Public Event License for Portugal Day Flag Raising Ceremony on June 13 from 12:30pm to 3:30pm.
- 10.8. Groundwork Somerville applying for a Public Event License for Love in Bloom on June 20 from 12pm to 8:30pm.
- 10.9. Aaron Drasner submitting comments re: item #26-1023, that Chapter 2, Article VIII, Division 1 of the Code of Ordinances be amended as detailed within.
- 10.10. Jonah Abrams and Zachariah Trinagli submitting comments re: Davis Square.
- 10.11. Three residents submitting comments re: police presence in schools.
- 11. ADJOURNMENT
- 110 The meeting was Adjourned at 11:51 PM.