Meeting Minutes: City of Somerville Legislative Matters Committee
Meeting Date: Monday, October 20th Governing Body: City of Somerville Legislative Matters Committee Type of Meeting: Committee Meeting (Remote Participation) Attendees:
- J.T. Scott, Chair, Ward 2 City Councilor
- Ben Ewen-Campen, Councilor
- Lance Davis, Councilor
- Clerk (unnamed)
Executive Summary
The Legislative Matters Committee convened to discuss and approve a home rule petition, 25-1407, aimed at raising sound business practices and contract thresholds under Mass General Law 30B. The committee reviewed and adopted a redlined version of the petition, which incorporated clarifications regarding Somerville's certification process for businesses and precise financial thresholds. The petition, as amended, was recommended for approval, along with the minutes from the September 30th meeting.
Agenda Item: Approval of Minutes from September 30th Meeting
- Discussion: No comments were raised regarding the minutes from the previous meeting held on September 30th.
- Action: The minutes were laid on the table for acceptance with a single vote at the end of the meeting.
Agenda Item: 25-1407, Requesting Approval of a Home Rule Petition to Raise Sound Business Practices and Written Contract Thresholds Under Mass General Law 30B
- Background: This item was a return from the previous meeting, with a new redlined version of the petition provided to committee members.
- Administration Overview (Director Allen):
- Director Allen, in collaboration with the City Solicitor and Intergovernmental Affairs Representative Yasemin Radassi, presented updates to the petition, highlighted in red font.
- Key Change 1: Clarified Somerville's role in certification. The language was changed to "by virtue of a certification process approved by Somerville." This allows flexibility to accept certifications from other states or agencies beyond the Supplier Diversity Office of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the City of Boston.
- Key Change 2: Added clarity regarding eligible businesses: "only such certified businesses, customarily providing the supplier service that we're looking for for a particular procurement process shall be eligible."
- Key Change 3 (Section 2): Clarified the sound business threshold. The petition now explicitly states that the threshold would go "up to and include $20,000." The next band of threshold value would be "anything greater than $20,000 up to what is currently the micro purchase threshold which is $250,000." The language was updated to "in an amount greater than $20,000" for clarity.
- Key Change 4: The same certification language from Section 1 ("by virtue of a certification process approved by Somerville. Only certified businesses shall be eligible.") was also applied to Section 2.
- Typo Correction (Liaison Radassi): Liaison Radassi noted a typo in the redlined version, stating "A of certificate" should be "a certificate." This was acknowledged as a scrivener's error to be corrected.
- Committee Discussion:
- Councilor Davis expressed satisfaction with the clarifications, stating, "This looks like it provides some good clarification to me, and I'm ready to move forward."
- No further discussion from committee members.
- Procedural Note (Analyst Salisbury): Analyst Salisbury advised that the committee must first accept the amended version before recommending its approval.
- Motion to Accept Amendments:
- Motion: Chair Scott moved to adopt the redlined version and the changes specified therein.
- Vote: Roll Call
- Councilor Strezo: (Absent)
- Councilor Mbah: (Absent)
- Councilor Ewen-Campen: Yes
- Councilor Davis: Yes
- Chair Scott: Yes
- Outcome: The amendments were accepted (3-0-0).
- Motion to Recommend Approval of Home Rule Petition as Amended and Other Items:
- Motion: Councilor Davis moved to recommend approval of the home rule petition as amended. Chair Scott suggested combining this with the approval of the minutes and a motion to adjourn for efficiency.
- Vote: Roll Call (on minutes, item number two, and adjournment)
- Councilor Strezo: (Absent)
- Councilor Mbah: (Absent)
- Councilor Ewen-Campen: Yes
- Councilor Davis: Yes
- Chair Scott: Yes
- Outcome: The home rule petition as amended was recommended for approval, the minutes were approved, and the meeting was adjourned (3-0-0).