Executive Summary
The Confirmation of Appointments and Personnel Matters Committee met on July 6, 2026, to recommend several appointments to city boards and commissions. Major actions included recommending the appointment of Taylor Perkins and Callie Masters to the Fair Housing Commission, Jurek Moultrie-Weathers to the Affordable Housing Trust, and a slate of thirteen members to the newly established Climate Action Commission. The committee also approved staggered terms for the inaugural members of the Wage Theft Advisory Committee and kept an item regarding City Council hiring practices in committee for further review.
Meeting Information
- Date: July 06, 2026
- Governing Body: Confirmation of Appointments and Personnel Matters Committee
- Meeting Type: Remote Participation
- Attendees:
- Councilor Matt McLaughlin (Chair)
- Councilor Emily Hardt
- Councilor Jon Link
- Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen
- Councilor Will Mbah (Present for roll call, absent for final vote)
Approval of Minutes (Item 1)
- Action: The minutes of the previous meeting were laid on the table and subsequently approved as part of the final omnibus vote.
Fair Housing Commission Appointments (Items 3 and 6)
- File 260655: Requesting the confirmation of the appointment of Taylor Perkins to the Fair Housing Commission.
- Introduction: Lisa Davidson, Director of Housing, highlighted Perkins' experience as a professor at Boston College and Associate Director at the Concord Center for Real Estate.
- Discussion: Perkins emphasized expanding outreach to immigrant and student communities to increase awareness of fair housing rights.
- File 260658: Requesting the confirmation of the appointment of Callie Masters to the Fair Housing Commission.
- Introduction: Lisa Davidson noted Masters' professional experience lobbying for fair housing organizations and her focus on affordability and immigrant families.
- Discussion: Masters discussed leveraging social media and engaging with state lawmakers to protect vulnerable renters.
- Action: Both candidates were recommended for approval.
Affordable Housing Trust Appointment (Item 5)
- File 260657: Requesting the confirmation of the appointment of Jurek Moultrie-Weathers to the Affordable Housing Trust.
- Introduction: Shaniqua Roper, Affordable Housing Trust Liaison, introduced the candidate, who was absent due to a family emergency. Moultrie-Weathers has extensive experience with Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services and the City's Anti-Displacement Task Force.
- Action: Recommended for approval.
Climate Action Commission Appointments (Items 7-19)
- Overview: Chief Sustainability Officer Steven Nutter and Environmental Policy Manager Kate Bossingham introduced the candidates for the newly formed Climate Action Commission (CAC), which replaces the Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change.
- Candidates Recommended:
- Alexis Washburn
- Corrie Donoghue
- Courtney Koslow
- Kenzie Ballard
- Zara Ati
- Lauren Gunther
- Ritika Phillips
- Paxty Martinez
- Larry Yu
- Monty Allen
- Vavika Kalia
- Rio Hunter Black
- Sierra Mall
- Discussion Points:
- The city received 49 applications for 13 slots.
- Key focus areas for the next two years include school decarbonization, building retrofits, and environmental justice outreach.
- Monty Allen highlighted that "two-thirds of the greenhouse gases are coming from the existing building stock in Somerville."
- Action: All candidates were recommended for approval.
City Council Hiring Practices (Item 2)
- Description: An order by Councilor Barr that the City Clerk implement specific hiring practices for positions in the City Council and City Clerk Department.
- Action: The item was kept in committee pending further consultation between the City Clerk and the Human Resources department.
Wage Theft Advisory Committee Appointments (Item 4)
- Description: Appointment of six members to the Wage Theft Advisory Committee.
- Action: The committee voted to recommend the appointments with the following staggered terms:
- One-Year Term: Rodrigo Bedaro and Bea Gomez-Mukad
- Two-Year Term: Mary Ann Walsh and Martin Sanchez
- Three-Year Term: Yesina Alfaro and Marcy Goldstein-Gelb
- Vote Outcome: Approved 4-0 via roll call (Councilors Hardt, Link, Ewen-Campen, and McLaughlin in favor; Councilor Mbah absent).
Final Adjournment
- Action: The committee moved to approve all items (1-19) and adjourn.
- Vote Outcome: Approved 4-0 via roll call (Councilors Hardt, Link, Ewen-Campen, and McLaughlin in favor; Councilor Mbah absent).