City Council

• Meeting Date: February 26, 2026
• Governing Body: Somerville City Council
• Type of Meeting: Regular Meeting
• 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 Matt McLaughlin
  • Councilor Will Mbah
• Absent: Councilor Lance Davis (Excused)
• Memorials: The Council held a moment of silence for Deborah Nutter, mother of community member Steven Nutter, who passed away on February 15, 2026.

• Item 7.3: Senior Advisor for Labor: The Council approved a transfer of $5,700 from the Law Department to the Executive Department to establish the position of Senior Advisor to the Mayor for Labor.
  • Mayor Jake Wilson stated the goal is to bring labor negotiations in-house: "This is us listening to the voices of labor leaders in our city who've asked us to not use outside counsel in those negotiations."
  • The position is part-time, estimated at 40 hours per month.
• Item 7.7: Interim ISD Director: The Council approved the extension of Kevin Klein as the Interim Director of Inspectional Services.

The Council approved the Finance Committee report from February 24, 2026, including several major financial authorizations:

• Item 26-0084: Approved an appropriation and bond authorization of $2,000,000 for the Kennedy Schoolyard renovation project. (Vote: 11-0)
• Item 26-0162: Approved a bond authorization of $1,530,000 for the FY2026 sewer system evaluation and infiltration/inflow assessment. (Vote: 10-0)
• Item 26-0172: Approved $324,360 from the Ministerial Marijuana Stabilization Fund for four youth-related positions in FY2027. (Vote: 10-0)
• Item 7.6: Approved payment of prior year invoices totaling $565,001.50 for Police Department case management and biohazard cleaning services.
• Item 26-0160: Approved a pedestrian access sidewalk easement at 16-20 Medford Street. (Vote: 10-0)

• Item 26-0156: Fire Department Security Cameras: The Council debated a $48,000 UASI grant for security cameras at fire headquarters.
  • Public Comment: Crystal Huff (Ward 5) expressed concerns regarding integration with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE: "I am just asking you to decide that we don't want more integration with Department of Homeland Security, that we don't want more integration with ICE in Somerville."
  • Council Response: Councilor Wheeler and Councilor Ewen-Campen clarified that the cameras are a closed system housed locally and vetted by the Law Department to ensure compliance with the Welcoming Community Ordinance.
  • Outcome: Approved. (Vote: 9-1; Councilor Mbah voting No).

• Item 7.1: Affordable Housing Overlay Amendment: The Mayor requested an amendment to Section 8.1 of the Zoning Ordinance to provide additional dimensional flexibility for affordable housing projects.
  • Councilor Ewen-Campen noted the amendment incentivizes "mass timber" construction and allows buildings up to eight stories.
  • Resident Gavin Robb provided remarks on mass timber as a "durable, sustainable, and beautiful construction technology."
  • Action: Referred to the Land Use Committee and Planning Board.
• Item 9.4: A petition from 26 registered voters for a zoning text amendment was referred to the Land Use Committee.

• Item 4.1: Self-Checkout Regulation: The Council passed a resolution in support of Senate Bill 237, which would limit grocery stores to a maximum of eight self-checkout stations and mandate specific staffing ratios.
• Item 4.6: Affordable Home Ownership: The Council supported Senate Bill 1010 and House Bill 1576, aimed at creating a permanent affordability home ownership program.
• Item 4.3: Micro-mobility Maintenance: A resolution requesting plans to keep bike lanes clear was referred to the Traffic and Parking Committee.
• Item 4.4: ICE Vendor Identification: A resolution requesting a process to identify vendors supporting ICE was approved, with the administration agreeing to connect offline regarding implementation.
• Charter Alignment: The Council ordained several amendments to the Code of Ordinances (Items 26-0043, 26-0044, 26-0127) to align city laws and constable appointments with the revised City Charter.

• Item 9.1: Approved a new secondhand dealer license for Nostalgia at 322 Somerville Avenue.
• Item 9.3: Approved the Union Square Farmers Market license for Saturdays from May 9 to October 31, 2026.
• Item 9.2: Approved the Race of Ireland 5k Run/Walk for March 15, 2026.