Finance Committee

Virtual

Agenda — 37 items

1. 1 (Posted online: 12/4/24 at 10:30 AM)
2. 1 This meeting was held via Zoom and was called to order by Chair Wilson at 6:00pm and adjourned at 8:50pm with a roll call vote of 5 in favor (Councilors Clingan, Burnley, Sait, Scott, Wilson), none opposed, and none absent. Others present: Garret Anderson – Residential Decarbonization Program Manager, Shumeane Benford – Chief of the Somerville Police Department, Anthony Delmonaco – Director of Finance and Administration at the Somerville Police Department, Alan Inacio – Director of Finance and Administration Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, Jill Lathan – Commissioner of Department of Public Works, Julie Spurr-Knight – Finance Director of Department of Public Works, Rachel Nadkarni – Director of Economic Development at OSPCD, Neha Singh – Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Ashley Speliotis – Director of the Somerville Council on Aging, Mohammed Uddin – City Council Finance Analyst, Natasha Frazier – Assistant Clerk of Committees.
3. 2 Pursuant to Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023, this meeting of a City Council Committee will be conducted via remote participation. We will post an audio recording, audio-video 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. Copy & paste the following link into your internet browser to view this meeting live: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CwNMPGGeSz-cK23Sarw7pA Individuals 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 and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact Adrienne Pomeroy in advance, at 617-625-6600 x2059 or ada@somervillema.gov.
4. 4 Roll Call
5. 1. Approval of the Minutes of the Finance Committee Meeting of October 22, 2024. 24-1540 Accepted Pass
6. 6 Public Hearings
7. 2. Director of Economic Development and Director of the Arts Council requesting that this Council's Finance Committee hold a public hearing on the draft Armory Master Plan. 24-1691 Recommended to be marked work completed
8. 8 Communications and Discussions
9. 3. Conveying the draft Armory Master Plan. 24-1580 Recommended to be marked work completed
10. 10 Prior Year Invoices
11. 4. Requesting approval to pay a prior year invoice totaling $5,730 using available funds in the Law Department's Legal Services Account for outside legal counsel services. 24-1543 Recommended to be approved Pass
12. 5. Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $2,569.52 using available funds in the Department of Public Works Buildings HVAC R&M Account for HVAC repair services. 24-1572 Recommended to be approved Pass
13. 6. Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $2,682 using available funds in the Department of Public Works Buildings Rental Equipment Account for equipment rental services. 24-1571 Recommended to be approved Pass
14. 7. Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $1,710 using available funds in the Department of Public Works Sanitation Benches & Barrels Account for Big Belly containers. 24-1570 Recommended to be approved Pass
15. 8. Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $35,917.36 using available funds in the Department of Public Works Electricity Account for solar generation services. 24-1569 Recommended to be approved Pass
16. 9. Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $7,539.86 using available funds in the Department of Public Works Electricity Account for solar generation services. 24-1566 Recommended to be approved Pass
17. 10. Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $38,803.02 using available funds in the Department of Public Works Natural Gas Account for natural gas delivery services. 24-1562 Recommended to be approved Pass
18. 11. Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $29,074.72 using available funds in various Police Department Ordinary Maintenance Accounts for unpaid invoices. 24-1654 Recommended to be approved Pass
19. 19 Grant and Gift Acceptances
20. 12. Requesting approval to accept and expend a $171,000 grant with no new match required, from the Boston Mayor's Office of Emergency Management to the Police Department for a Special Response Team rescue vehicle. 24-1260 Recommended to be approved Pass
21. 13. Requesting approval to accept and expend a $82,357.50 grant with no new match required from Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs to the Council on Aging for social, educational and physical wellness programming. 24-1635 Recommended to be approved Pass
22. 14. Requesting approval to accept and expend a $500,000 grant with no new match required, from MA Department of Conservation and Recreation to the Public Space and Urban Forestry Division for the Blessing of the Bay MassTrails improvement project. 24-1491 Recommended to be approved Pass
23. 23 Contracts and Easements
24. 15. Requesting approval of a time-only contract extension for Symmes Maini & McKee Associates, Inc. for design services for the Somerville High School project. 24-1547 Recommended to be approved Pass
25. 16. Requesting approval of a time-only contract extension for Suffolk Construction, for Construction Manager services for the Somerville High School project. 24-1546 Recommended to be approved Pass
26. 17. Requesting approval of a time-only contract extension of three years for PMA, LLC for Owner's Project Manager services for the Somerville High School project. 24-1545 Recommended to be approved Pass
27. 27 Appropriations
28. 18. Requesting approval to appropriate $147,902 from the Energy Stabilization Fund to replace steam traps. 24-1574 Recommended to be approved Pass
29. 19. Requesting approval of the use of available funds in the amount of $60,000 from the Department of Public Works Highway Wages Account to fund the Lets Get Working Program. 24-1573 Recommended to be approved Pass
30. 20. Requesting approval to appropriate $340,000 from the Union Square Community Benefits Fund, with $200,000 for Workforce Development Services and $140,000 for Small Business Technical Assistance Services. 24-1649 Recommended to be approved Pass
31. 32 Transfers
32. 21. Requesting the transfer of $5,425 from the Human Resources Professional & Technical Services Account to the Law Professional & Technical Services Account for invoices for the physician on the Medical Panel Review Board. 24-1550 Recommended to be approved Pass
33. 34 Orders and Resolutions
34. 22. That the Director of Grants and External Funds explain to this Council in writing whether the city can apply for a grant through the Advanced Transportation Technologies and Innovation (ATTAIN) Program to fund a North-South microtransit pilot program, and apply if it is possible. 24-1684 Recommended to be marked work completed
35. 36 Ordinances
36. 36 Referenced Documents: • Finance - 2024-12-10 Law Memo (with 24-1543, 24-1550) • Finance - 2024-12-10 Memo ATTAIN Grant (with 24-1684) • Finance - 2024-12-10 IAM Memo (with 24-1545, 24-1546, 24-1547) • Finance 2024-12-10 Public Comments (with 24-1691) • Finance - 2024-12-10 Somerville Armory Master Plan - Draft Plan Presentation (with 24-1580)
37. 23. Amending Section 2-323 of the Code of Ordinances, Salary Ranges, to provide cost-of-living adjustments for School Committee Members and City Councilors. Recommended to be placed on file