City Council

• Governing Body: Somerville City Council
• Meeting Type: Regular Meeting
• Date: May 14, 2026
• Presiding Officer: Councilor Matthew McLaughlin (President Pro Tempore)
• Attendees:
  • Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen
  • Councilor Jon Link
  • Councilor J.T. Scott
  • Councilor Jesse Clingan
  • Councilor Kristen Strezo
  • Councilor Naima Sait
  • Councilor Ben Wheeler
  • Councilor Emily Hardt
  • Councilor Matthew McLaughlin
• Absent: Councilor Will Mbah, Councilor Lance Davis

Due to the absence of the President and Vice President, the Council held an election for a presiding officer.

• Nomination: Councilor Ewen-Campen nominated Councilor Matthew McLaughlin.
• Vote: Approved 8-0 via roll call (Ewen-Campen, Link, Scott, Clingan, Strezo, Sait, Wheeler, Hardt all voting for McLaughlin).

The Council observed moments of silence for the following individuals:

• Vera Ventura: A community builder and advocate.
• Doris Pawinski-Landry: A long-time resident and mother to members of the fire department.
• Mr. Felix: A Ward 4 resident and MBTA 'The Ride' driver recovering from a shooting.
• Steve McCluskey: A 40-year-old father and carpenter who tragically died at the Davis Square station.

Item 3.1: Eversource Energy - 135 Hudson Street

• Proposal: Install 10 feet of conduit from pole 202/9 to a new handhole to provide service for an EV charging station.
• Public Comment: Katja Henderson (135 Hudson St) expressed concern regarding driveway egress: "I just want to make sure that we are keeping those in mind when we're thinking about where the parking goes."
• Action: Referred to the Licenses and Permits Committee to address abutter concerns and clarify potential misprints in the address (135 vs 139 Hudson St).

Item 3.2: Verizon New England - 115 Pearl Street

• Proposal: Install four feet of conduit from manhole 44/52A to a new handhole.
• Action: Approved.

Item 3.3: Verizon New England - 350 Medford Street

• Proposal: Install 61 feet of conduit for a small 5G cell site.
• Action: Approved.

The Council accepted the report of the Committee on Confirmation of Appointments and Personnel Matters.

Fire Department Promotions

• Dennis Sullivan: Promoted to District Fire Chief.
• Michael Marino: Promoted to Fire Captain.
• Sean Marquis: Promoted to Fire Lieutenant.

Official Confirmations

• Logan Brill & Valerie Locker: Conservation Commission.
• Eric Weissman: Commissioner of Public Works.
• Courtney Henderson: City Clerk (effective May 18, 2026).

Item 7.3: Assembly Square and East Somerville UCTIF Zone

• Description: A request to approve the UCTIF Zone Plan to incentivize affordable housing on vacant commercial lots.
• Discussion: Economic Development Planner Katie Wiese clarified that this tool is intended to reach "deeper levels of affordability beyond what our existing inclusionary housing ordinance requires."
• Key Points:
  • Does not override the 20% inclusionary zoning requirement.
  • Individual projects must still be approved by the Council.
• Action: Referred to the Land Use Committee.

Item 6B2: Affordable Housing Overlay Amendment (26-0204)

• Action: Ordained (9-0 roll call vote).
• Details: The amendment allows 100% affordable buildings to reach eight stories (up from seven) to accommodate mass timber construction and removes certain upper-story step-back requirements to maximize unit counts.

Item 6B3: Dormer Amendment

• Action: Laid on the table. The Council moved to replace the original proposal with a version from the Planning Director that includes a two-foot front setback requirement.

• Item 4.8: Single-Stair Multifamily Buildings: Resolution supporting the Governor's executive order to study the safety and feasibility of single-stair construction to unlock housing units. Approved.
• Item 4.9: MassDOT Overnight Construction: Resolution requesting MassDOT avoid extremely loud overnight construction on McGrath Highway. Approved.
• Item 4.12: Demolition Review Cutoff: Resolution suggesting the Director of Planning consider a fixed demolition review cutoff date of 1945. Approved.
• Item 4.14: Homeless Shelters: Zoning amendment regarding the regulation of homeless shelters. Referred to Land Use.
• Item 7.23: Taiwanese American Heritage Week: Proclamation for May 10-17, 2026. Approved.

The Council discussed several items regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA):

• Item 4.6: Request for a report on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 compliance.
• Item 4.7: Request for a timeline on staffing the vacant ADA Coordinator role.
• Item 4.17: Request for a summary of the accessibility status of city digital properties.
• Action: All items referred to the Public Health and Safety Committee.

Item 8.1: Resignation of City Clerk

• Details: City Clerk Kim Wells submitted her resignation effective May 17, 2026, to accept the position of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).
• Accomplishments Noted: Implementation of new legislative software, outdoor dining programs, gender-neutral marriage licenses, and the creation of the Municipal Civics Academy.
• Council Comment: Councilor Clingan stated, "You brought this clerk's office into the 22nd century... You're an overachiever and a consummate professional."
• Action: Placed on file with deep appreciation from the Council.

• Legislative Matters: Discussed surveillance technology reports (Crime Tracer and Body Worn Cameras) and a proposal to move Council meetings to Tuesdays.
• School Building Facilities and Maintenance: Reported that bringing the Cummings School up to code for a teen center could cost $30 million.
• Sustainability and Infrastructure: Discussed street sweeping, 311 service routing, and snow removal ADA compliance.