City Council

All right, we're going to call this meeting to order. This is a meeting of the City Council. It is Thursday, November 13th. I am Lance Davis. You see him pronouns, serving as president. The clerk, please call the roll.

I can indeed. This is roll call. Councilor Wilson. Sorry, Councilor Hardt. Councilor Wilson. Councilor Ewen-Campen, Councilor Scott, Councilor McLaughlin, Councilor Burnley.

Present.

Councilor Sait. Here. Councilor Strezo.

Present.

Councilor Clingan.

Present.

Councilor Mbah.

Present.

Councilor Davis. Here. With 10 councillors present and one absent, we have a quorum.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. I want to extend a big welcome to our newest member, Councillor Hardt.

Thank you very much for being here.

McLaughlin is at a meeting of Teen Empowerment where he's receiving an award. He will join us as soon as he is able to. Please note that video and audio of this meeting is being recorded and may be shown live on local access government channels and will be on the City of Somerville website and will be available for future review. 2. Pursuant to our Rule 32, let it be known that this City Council salutes the flag of the United States of America, and let us recall our oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the Commonwealth, to the best of our abilities and understanding. Oh, remembrances. Yes, I forgot about that part. We start the meeting with any remembrances, moments of silence. Is there anyone in the room wishing to share a remembrance? Councillor Clingan.

Thank you, Mr. President. Through you, I ask that we all remember this evening Maria Archangelica Parabello, and her family. She was 83 years old. She entered into eternal rest surrounded by family on October 30th, 2025 in Burlington. She was born in Gaeta, Italy. Maria brought her warmth and enduring traditions of her homeland when she made her life here in the United States. For 51 years, she was the devoted wife of Guido Parabello, and together they made their home in Somerville. She was a loving mother of daughters Teresa Parabello, Rosanna Parabello, who is the director of community schools out of the Somerville Public Schools. Long time... Sorry, long time... Her family was her heart and her world. She cherished every moment spent with them.

Maria was also a proud and doting grandmother to Dre, Sousa, Anthony, Anastasia, Collin, and Angelica Smith, each of whom brought her immense joy in later life. I'll just add to that that her passion was cooking and baking. Her vibrant spirit was Evident in many hobbies, she loves sewing and knitting, walks to Davis Square and traveling, especially to returning to Italy in summers and spending time down the Cape. And I just ask that we remember Maria and her family this evening. Thank you. Thank you.

Any others? Seeing none, I ask that everyone in the chamber rise as you are able for a moment of silence for the aforementioned individuals. Thank you. Okay, now Madam Clerk, let's start at the top.

And now, Mr. President, the next item is item 1.3, approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of October 9th, 2025.

Seeing no objection, that item is approved.

Item 1.4 is approval of the minutes of the special meeting of October 21st, 2025.

Seeing no objection, that item is approved.

Item 2.1 is a citation by Councillors Wilson, Clingan, and Strezo commending Fire Lieutenant Danielle O'Hearn for the publication of her book about and work with a first responder dog.

Give a moment for the folks to join us in the chamber here.

Councilor Wilson, you want to take the lead on this? Absolutely, Mr. President. I'll read the citation. Be it hereby known that all the Somerville City Council and the Mayor offer their sincerest commendations to Lieutenant Danielle O'Hearn, in recognition of her work in the fire department with Millie, a first responder therapy dog, and the publication of her book, Millie the Brave, Fire Dog by Day, Heart Healer by Night. The Council and the Mayor extend their gratitude for Danielle and Millie's commitment and service to the city offered this 13th day of November 2025. Thank you. Councilor Strezo?

Thank you. Oh, you know what? I'm going to let Councilor Clingan speak first because I have to...

Very well, that works. Councilor Clingan? Oh, I just want to say through you, Mr. President, First of all, this is the first time we honor Danielle up here. She's been up here for life-saving efforts on the job as a firefighter. But she is my constituent. I'm proud to call her Ward 4 resident. I'm really, really excited about this book. I was checking it out. And I just want to say, you know, these little extra things, if you will, that the departments do with regards to and so on. They really make a huge difference in people's lives every day. This is something extra that folks take on because this is what they have in their heart as public servants. I'm appreciative of Danielle's efforts and happy to have her up here this evening as her work counselor. Thank you. Councilor Strezo?

Thank you, Mr. President. I'm ready now. Aside from Lieutenant O'Hearn being a I'm so proud of you serving Somerville. I'm going to list some of the few of many accomplishments that we've accomplished. She's the City of Somerville Citation 2021 Massachusetts Firefighter of the Year. Meritus Conduct Award from Governor Baker, 2021, Massachusetts House of Representatives Citation for Bravery, 2022, She and I work together on the Somerville Communication Boards. If you are anywhere in a playground in Somerville, you may see a board attached to the wall, and it is a sign that

Lieutenant O'Hearn brought forward to me, and together we worked on making it possible in Somerville so that if a child is nonverbal or just doesn't have the communication skills yet, they can point to the picture of what they want to do, like go up on the slide, or they're cold, or they want to go. It's remarkable. And she has also... I've been a first responder therapy dog handler, a member of the Metro Boston CISM team. IAFF, peer support member, and trained in psychological recovery, psychological first aid, and trauma and crisis for group and individuals by the University of Maryland. So with that, I am proud to sponsor Lieutenant Danielle O'Hearn. Thank you for being here tonight.

Councilor Strezo, I would like to sponsor Lieutenant Ahern. Seeing no objection, Lieutenant Ahern, welcome.

Thank you so much. I say I saved Millie, but she saved me. And that's really where the journey began. The magic that these canines have is unmatched. The way they heal souls without saying a word. Millie proves it every single day. She walks into a room and suddenly the toughest firefighter softens. The most anxious kid takes a breath and the whole world feels a little less heavy. We met children who are terrified of dogs, who've never touched a dog, and Millie showed them what trust and gentleness feels like. We've had first responders break down crying into her fur after holding it together through things that would shatter most people. and we've had plenty of folks just absolutely crack up because she's a total goofball and refuses to pretend otherwise. But underneath it all, all of these moments is the bigger message. When you teach a child, empathy, compassion. You teach new adults who carry these qualities into the world.

When you remind a first responder in a dark place that there is still softness and hope in the world and in them, You changed their day, but sometimes you've changed their entire life. And that's what I wanted this book to say loudly. Whether you're a kid who didn't get a great start in life, or a first responder who feels stuck and overwhelmed, or anyone who thinks they're too far off the path for a better future, You always have the power to change your direction with bravery, courage, and most of all, kindness, just like Millie. Thank you for honoring this work. She and I are just getting started.

Would you like to take a brief recess so we can take some pictures? We'll take a five minute recess to get some pictures and then we'll pick back up.

Thank you.

All right, I call this meeting back to order. Thank you, everyone. We have a quorum. We're going to do the public hearings next, but I wanted to let folks know we're going to take a few items out of order. We'll start with 10.1 and 10.2. and then 7.12, 8.4, 6A, which is the Finance Committee report, and then related to that, 7.3 and 7.4. Okay? So let's go to the public hearings next.

The next item, Mr. President, is item 3.1, a grant of location from Comcast to install a total of 164 feet of conduit and one new vault in Broadway from existing manhole to the new vault at 168 Broadway, continuing to points of pickup at 168 74, and 76 Broadway.

All right. And I declare this public hearing to be open. Is there anyone in the chamber wishing to speak on the item?

I have it. Dave Flewelling.

Dave Flewelling.

Good evening, Dave Verwaling, Comcast, 9 Forbes Road, Woobin, Massachusetts. We'd like to speak in favor of the Comcast petition to place 164 feet of conduit to provide the service to number 168, 174, and 176 Broadway.

Dave, can you hear me? Yes. Thank you. Could you just start over? Because we missed the beginning part, and I want to make sure everyone hears all of it. Oh, I'm sorry.

J.F. Walling, Comcast, 9 Forbes Road, Woobin, Massachusetts. We'd like to speak in favor of the Comcast petition to place 164 feet of conduit on Broadway. to provide the service to number 168, 174, and 176 Broadway.

Okay. Is there anyone else wishing to speak on this item? No more hands. I declare the public hearing closed. Any discussion? All right, seeing none, that item is approved.

Item 3.2 is a grant of location from Comcast to install a total of 223 feet of conduit and one new vault in Cross Street from an existing manhole to the new vault at 5 Cross Street, continuing to points of pickup at 5, 7, and 9 Cross Street.

I declare this public hearing to be open. Is there anyone here to speak on the item? Dave Flewellen.

Defaulting Comcast 9 Forbes Road, Woven, Mass. We'd like to speak in favor of the Comcast petition to place 223 feet of conduit on Cross Street to provide the service to number 5, 7, and 9 Cross Street.

Okay, is there anyone else here to speak on the item? Okay, seeing none, I declare the public hearing to be closed. Is there any discussion? All right, seeing none, that item is approved.

Item 3.3 is a grant of location from Comcast to install a total of 83 feet of conduit in Stickney Ave from Utility Pole 2 to a point of pickup at 15 Stickney Ave. All right, and I now declare this public hearing to be open.

Is there anyone here to speak on the item? Dave Flewelling. Dave Flewelling.

Dave Walling, Comcast, 9 Forbes Road, Woobin, Mass. We'd like to speak in favor of the Comcast petition to place 83 feet of conduit on Stickney Ave for the purpose of providing service to number 15, Stickney Ave.

Okay, is there anyone else here to speak on the item? All right, seeing none, I'll declare the public hearing closed. Is there any discussion? All right, seeing none, that item is approved.

Item 3.4 is a grant of location from Eversource to install a total of 48 feet of conduit in Professor's Row from utility pole 289 over 14 to a point of pickup at 124 Professor's Row.

I now declare the public hearing to be open is there anyone here to speak on the item

Jackie Duffy, Eversource. We'd like to install 48 feet of conduit in Professor's Row to provide electric service to Tufts University at 111 Professor's Row, Medford.

Anyone else here to speak on the item? All right, seeing none, I declare the public hearing closed. Any comments? All right, seeing none, that item is approved.

Item 3.5 is a grant of location from Eversource to install a total of 253 feet of conduit and one new manhole in Interbelt Road and Rowland Street from existing manhole 24106 to a point of pickup at the Somerville-Boston line.

I declare this public hearing to be open is there anyone here to speak on the item

Jackie Duffy Eversource would like to install 108 feet of conduit in a new manhole on Innerbelt Road and 145 feet in Rowland Street to provide electric service to 56 Rowland Street Charlestown.

Is there anyone else here to speak on the item? All right, seeing none, I declare the public hearing closed. Any discussion? All right, seeing none, that item is approved.

Item 3.6 is a grant of location from Eversource to install a total of 181 feet of conduit and one new manhole in Taylor Street from Mystic Ave to a point of pickup at 9 to 15 Taylor Street.

I now declare the public hearing to be open. Is there anyone here to speak on the item?

Jackie Duffy, Eversource would like to install 181 feet of conduit in Taylor Street and one new manhole to provide electric service to 915 Taylor Street.

Okay, anyone else here to speak on the item? All right, seeing none, that I declare the public hearing closed. Is there any discussion? All right, seeing none, that item is approved.

Thank you, everybody.

Thank you.

And that, Mr. President, will bring us to the first item that we are taking out of order, which is item 10.1. Give me one moment. A citation by Councilor Burnley, commending Somerville for Palestine for their pursuit of justice and civic engagement.

Councilor Burnley. Thank you, through the chair. Elections, we've all heard of them. For the folks around this horseshoe, including our newest member, Councilor Hardt, You know, our livelihood, the work that we do, our public service, is all based on the consent of the governed. It's all based on the support that we've all received from our community, from the voters of Somerville. I believe that the way you pay that back is by honoring the work that the people of this community put into Somerville to make it a better place, to make it live up to its highest values. There's a group that I would like to honor today who took that call and ran with it.

Most of the folks who are around this horseshoe remember some pretty contentious conversations we had in the wake of October 7th, 2023. and the frustration, the fear, the pain that was really palpable in our community And out of those feelings of pain and tragedy and righteous outrage, Somerville for Palestine came together and created an environment of joy, of community, and of civic engagement. Exactly.

They hosted meetings every single week with food from local restaurants, listened to music, danced, helped each other feel empowered through various trainings. And when it came time to talk to their neighbors about what they believe in, about justice and how Somerville can do more, they went out into this community and talked to tens of thousands of people. Now, I have a bias towards this kind of work as someone who cut my teeth doing community organizing and trying as hard as I can to hold government accountable. But because of that, I know how difficult it is to have these conversations day in and day out, to put yourself out there in the public and share your deeply personal and heartfelt beliefs. And I think that

In doing so, Somerville for Palestine has created a home for so many residents who turn on the news every single day and see the destruction in Gaza in the and the pain of family members who have been suddenly orphaned by rockets and shells and bulldozers and created and environment of love out of that. For that, they should be honored by the community that they live in and that they care deeply about. So I'm just going to read the citation very quickly, and I'd like to sponsor a speaker who can Take the citation on behalf of Somerville for Palestine. Be hereby known to all that the Somerville City Council offers their sincerest commendations to Somerville for Palestine for their uncompromising pursuit of justice,

Tireless civic engagement and steadfast solidarity with the Palestinian people locally and in the diaspora. And I would like to sponsor Mia Hadid, Hadad? Why did I say Hadid? Hadad. A local resident, local leader, and Palestinian-American.

Burnley would like to sponsor Mia Haddad. Any objection? Seeing none, Ms. Haddad.

Good evening and thank you Councillor Burnley Jr. for honouring the work of Somerville for Palestine in this way. Thank you to the Council for inviting me to accept the citation on behalf of Somerville for Palestine and I'm glad a lot of folks are standing behind me because this was not just one person's effort. So my name is Mia Haddad and I am Palestinian. I've lived in Ward 2 for over four years and I'm a leader of Somerville for Palestine. On election night, I went to poll watch and record the tallies of all the votes for question three. The feeling of peace that I felt getting to see those numbers for the first time and finally knowing that without a doubt, my neighbors, my community, overwhelmingly agreed that we shouldn't be funding the genocide, apartheid, and occupation of my people is a feeling that I tell you I will never forget.

and when myself and our Palestinian leaders stood on stage at the after party and looked out at the crowd of hundreds of people that I didn't know two years ago, but now that I could name every single person there, every single neighbor and all the important conversations that we've had, For the first time in my life, I felt safe. I felt seen and I felt heard as a Palestinian. That my community believes human rights should extend to me and people who look like me. That Palestine should not be the exception. I know every Palestinian in Somerville felt the same that night. Palestinians in this room and everywhere around the world have been shouting from the rooftops about apartheid, occupation, and ethnic cleansing since even before 1948. Even as it is so dehumanizing and unbearable, Palestinians in Gaza have been filming their own suffering every day without fail for over two years and begging for us to speak up.

I would have to interrupt you.

Sorry?

I'm going to have to interrupt you. I apologize. I had a conversation with Council Burnley this afternoon after a conversation with the law department. We cannot have discussion about this item, which is about the citation and the civic engagement that bleeds into any discussion of the resolution.

I'm not talking about the resolution. I'm talking about Somerville for Palestine and my lived experience as a Palestinian in this community. I'm talking about my experience and why Somerville is fair. I'm talking about my experience and why Summer for Palestine even exists. So I would love to be able to continue to speak if possible.

Absolutely. I'll let you continue. I just want to make sure that... We would have a conversation with Councilor Burnley to make sure you understand the legal requirements that we are under to allow this citation to go forward tonight.

Right, I hear you. Thank you. Somerville for Palestine was born from each and every one of us opening up our phones every day to bear witness to human beings in Palestine being tortured, Starved and killed in gruesome ways by Israel, all funded by our own tax dollars. There is something that happens to a person after watching a man carry the remains of his child in a plastic bag. or hearing the sound of children screaming in agony undergoing surgery with no anesthesia after deliberate gunshot wounds to the head and the chest. This is a kind of calling that isn't necessarily something to award with a citation. It's a calling that is the bare minimum any of us witnessing genocide should be doing. Somerville for Palestine is the most beautiful community that I have ever been a part of. I share this community with close to 2,000 people.

who have collectively signed our letters calling for a ceasefire, calling for boycotting and divesting, and in solidarity as Jewish voices. We have 100 plus people show up to our bi-weekly meetings every single time consistently to learn and to act for Palestinian liberation. We have held powerful community events. We've held powerful community events like ceasefire iftars, Free Palestine Storytimes, and our community encampment and intersectional teach-ins with other community groups. We've had book club and we've brunched together. We found collective movement as a form of joy and resistance with our jiu-jitsu trainings and our traditional Dabka troupe teaching us the importance of Palestinian dance. We have over 300 people who've spent every night and weekend for the past seven months out on the streets of Somerville talking to our neighbors, sharing stories of Palestine, and making sure people exercise their right to vote for question three.

Now, we know that over 11,400 Somerville neighbors truly support Palestinian liberation as well. Somerville for Palestine has taught me hope, shown me true humanity, and made me feel like Palestinian liberation is possible within my lifetime. We share our skills, we teach each other and we keep us safe. As Palestinians, this is my identity and my struggle. This is our identity and our struggle. We can't walk away from that. But others who have dedicated the last few years to making change for Palestine here in Somerville come to this from all walks of life, all intersections, and their steadfastness is a testament to our true Somerville values of caring deeply for others. The people of Somerville for Palestine understand that the struggle for Palestinian liberation is an interconnected struggle that reverberates across all oppressed communities. This is the purest form of grassroots organizing, of community care, and of solidarity building.

Though some of you might see Question 3 or the work of Somerville for Palestine as something to wave off as trendy or divisive, the lived experiences of apartheid, genocide, and occupation are very real for us Palestinians. They are woven in the fabric of our survival. They are the reason I'm standing before you today and the reason Somerville for Palestine even exists. My family endured horror and violence and became refugees at the hands of Israel's occupation. They attempted to return home many times, but settlers had taken their homes over. They lost everything and everyone they had ever known, and they were the lucky ones. Had they fled in another direction towards Gaza, like many of their neighbors, they would have been in Jabalia refugee camp with others from Jaffa. which today has been annihilated by Israel's bombs. Bombs made by Lockheed Martin, bombs you and I and every Somervillian pay for. 750,000 other Palestinians endured the Nakba, which essentially began over 77 years of ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

The Palestinians who survived the Nakba and remained in Palestine, many of which are family members of other Somerville Palestinians here in this room, are forced to survive apartheid, where they are treated as lesser on their land just because they hold Palestinian identification. They are hyper surveilled, forced to go through checkpoints every day, unable to use certain roads or have certain freedoms, and are forced to endure extensive control over their basic resources. Hewlett Packard, or HP, a company that we have spent $1.7 million tax dollars here in Somerville over the last 10 years, created and maintains ID card surveillance systems.

I would like to be able to continue.

I have more to say.

I would love to hear anything else you have to say about the subject of the citation, which is the community bill.

So this citation is for me and everyone here behind me's uncompromising pursuit of justice, tireless civic engagement, and steadfast solidarity with the Palestinian people. So I'm standing up here to tell you about that. If you can let me speak.

I'm going to ask you to pause. I don't know how much Councillor Burnley was able to share earlier today.

There is more that I would like to say.

I'm going to ask you to pause. Madam Clerk, would you please read item 10.2.

Indeed, Mr. President. Item 10.2 is a resolution by Councilor Burnley in support of democratic divestment action regarding ballot question three.

Okay, so I had a conversation with the law department this afternoon because this item was not submitted in time for the regular agenda. We have, we are, the council is subject to the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law. The Open Meeting Law says that an item that is, that to be discussed it has to be submitted In time for the regular agenda, that's 48 hours of business hours, so because we had the holiday this week, the timing was a little different. We can certainly take up this item. We can't take it up tonight. There was a significant question as to whether it was appropriate to take up the citation. I wanted to be able to do that. The conditions under which we were able to do that is that the discussion remains focused The reason I've paused a couple times is when we're getting into the topics that are also covered in the resolution.

This is our organization. I understand. All due respect, yeah.

Listen, I understand, okay?

It's not exclusive.

Please let me finish, okay? We are obligated to follow the open meeting law. This body has already been cited once this year for a violation of the open meeting law. We are not going to have that happen again. I want you to be able to finish. I'm simply providing a reminder that Is she not allowed to mention it, or are you not allowed?

The discussion tonight cannot... From counselors or from a sponsored speaker? Do you have to control her speech?

For the discussion, yes.

Have to refrain because I'm under the impression of the open meeting.

No, it's an excellent question. It's an excellent question. It's one that I asked the city attorney's office today. The city attorney felt that it was It's questionable at best to allow the citation to move forward. I really wanted to be able to do that and to give you the opportunity to speak. So I'm trying to work within the bounds that they gave me to allow you to speak tonight because I want to hear your voice and I want you to be able to do that. I also don't want to run afoul of the lawyers. So I'm just stepping in when the topic goes to what is also covered. I understand there's very,

I hear you, I hear you, but you are literally silencing me from talking about my identity and my history as a Palestinian.

I am enforcing the law, which is my obligation as a president of this body. Okay. So please continue.

I'll continue. I'm going to continue because I would like to, and I think everybody in this room deserves to hear the work that Somerville for Palestine has put in because of everything that has happened in Israel and Palestine. Okay?

If the discussion remains about the topic of the citation, which is the community organizing.

The work Somerville for Palestine has been doing even before Question 3 but through Question 3 is the purest form of democracy in solidarity with Palestine. We have been engaging with our political system in Somerville for quite some time, holding meetings with each of you in this room. Thank you. More recently, trying to put a boycott resolution forward. Before that, to pass the ceasefire resolution. And in between, to ask you to speak up about the violence that myself and other Palestinians, Muslims, and Arabs in this city have endured just for speaking out about Palestine. We have met with our mayor and called on you all to uphold our Somerville values many, many times. While I'm really proud of the incredible efforts that Somerville for Palestine has made, we shouldn't have been made to spend seven exhausting months and fight two legal challenges to do this.

I am disappointed that we have been met with avoidance and inaction by many of you at every step along the way, even as our democracy faces challenges nationally, Even in the same week that a member of our own community, Rumeysa Osterk, was kidnapped for asking for divestment for Palestine, even right now, as you try to silence me for talking about Palestine, as we are getting a citation for our work in Somerville about Palestine, okay? So we decided to engage in this democratic process as we should to let people show you how much support this call for divestment really has. in the hopes that it would give you the people who represent us the confidence and the strength to push this boycott and divestment forward the way that Somerville did in 2020 for prison labor and in the 80s for South African apartheid. Through the language of Question 3, our community chose to center Palestine.

We spent months drafting this language, working with our Palestinian leaders, our SWANA leaders, our Jewish Caucus, are BDS leaders, lawyers, electeds, including many of you, to craft the ballot measure language in a way that was extremely intentional, precise, and directly aligns with what we as Palestinians have called for in the movement of Justice for Palestine. We did not mince words or compromise in making clear that Israel is the perpetrator of apartheid, genocide, and illegal occupation and that Palestinians are the victims of these crimes. When we met with you over the fall and winter of last year, many of you shied away from these words, some of you calling them divisive, some of you saying it was unrealistic, or maybe that a humanitarian approach would be best. We had over 11,000 conversations in Somerville with residents over the last seven months.

Overwhelmingly, the people of Somerville affirm that companies complicit in Israel's crimes should be held accountable. Moreover, I really, really want to make clear to each of you today that Somerville voters were faced with the very words apartheid, genocide, and illegal occupation. and they saw them in reference to companies complicit to supporting Israel as the perpetrator and Palestine as the victim. and each of those 11,489 voters overwhelmingly said a resounding yes to divest across all wards and in all but one precinct. That's not just a testament to our work but it's a testament to the truth. I hope you understand that this is the first time language around divestment has been this uncompromising, this unapologetic in its solidarity with Palestinians, and people still agreed. We knew this to be true years ago,

With the ceasefire resolution, we knew this to be true when we brought the boycott resolution to you all. And we knew this to be true when we posed this question and collected 11,000 plus signatures. And now you all know this to be true because Somerville proved it to you. As a Palestinian, I can tell you that to pass any policy that doesn't explicitly name Palestine as an oppressed group and doesn't name Israel as an entity which is responsible for genocide, apartheid, and occupation of Palestine doesn't protect Palestinians and erases the struggle we as Palestinians have endured for decades. It also invalidates the tireless efforts of everyone in this room who has worked tirelessly to pass question three and every Somerville community member who read our question and supports this language so wholly as it is. When we name this genocide so specifically and take action against it, we make it ever so clear that what Israel is doing is wrong and we ensure that our communities across the country and around the world feel empowered and emboldened to speak out for Palestine.

Anything less is silent condoning. Anything less is erasure. And know that Somerville for Palestine will continue to exist here in Somerville as long as Palestine is not free. We will continue to stand out at the high school daily as we have been. The way we've been doing for over a year and a half, we'll continue to show up for Palestine every day in every space in our community. and while we really don't want to have to keep doing this, we will continue to come to this room to make our voices heard as people do in a democracy. I look forward to the day when this council has acted to implement the will of the people and myself and other Palestinians in Somerville can rest in the knowledge that there is no one else in Somerville to hold accountable. No one else to pressure and get constituents to call because our city has fully divested. That is the day that Somerville for Palestine looks forward to. Moving forward, all you really have to do is your job and represent your constituents

who voted overwhelmingly to divest from Israel's apartheid, genocide, and illegal occupation of Palestine. Thank you.

All right, thank you. Item 10.1 is approved. Item 10.2 is laid on the table.

Are we able to take a photo?

You can take a photo, sure. Five minute recess for a photo.

Great, thank you.

Let's see who wants to be in it.

Let's call this meeting back to order. Quick update on the items we're going to take out of order, Councillors. We're going to do 7.12 next. As I said, we're going to push 8.4 to the end of the out-of-order items, so we'll do 7.12, then the Finance Committee report, and then the corresponding items that are 7.3, 7.4, because I understand the Mayor is wishing to... Speak on those items. So next item will be 7.2, seeing no objection, out of order.

Item 7.12 is a request of the mayor requesting approval to accept the in-kind donation of two canine animals to the police department for the purpose of providing support to victims and serving as an investigative resource.

All right, we have someone here to speak on the item. Could you just please introduce yourself for the record?

Through the chair, this is Officer Robles from Chelsea Police Department and his comfort canine, Cashin. We brought along to help as a demonstration. Sorry, could you just introduce yourself for the record too, just so the clerk can get it? Yes, through the chair, good evening. My name's Sergeant Devin Schneider. I supervise the Family Service Unit at Somerville Police Department. And I said we just brought this comfort canine here kind of as a demonstration. As I said, my name is Devin Schneider. I supervise the Family Services Unit, the Somerville Police Department. Our unit investigates some of the most sensitive and complex cases in our community, including sexual assaults, child abuse, domestic violence, elder abuse, internet crimes against children, and Hate Crimes. Tonight, I'm here to present a proposal for establishing a dual-purpose canine program, one that serves both our victim support mission and our operational needs.

Due to the sensitive nature of our investigations, we frequently meet with survivors of deeply personal and traumatic crimes. These cases often involve individuals who have endured sexual violence, child abuse, or domestic assault, crimes that leave lasting emotional scars. Whether the interview is conducted by a police detective or by a certified forensic interviewer, survivors are often asked to recount the most painful and intimate details of their experiences. This process can be emotionally overwhelming as it forces them to relive some of the worst moments of their lives. Our goal is always to create an environment that feels safe and supportive as possible, allowing survivors to share their stories without additional trauma. A comfort canine can play a crucial role in helping to achieve that. We plan to acquire two canines as part of this initiative.

Thanks for watching!

The first would be a general purpose community comfort dog that would be assigned to our community affairs unit to help support victims, strengthen our community engagement. This dog would be acquired through Pups for Heroes, which is a nonprofit organization that matches rescue dogs with veterans and law enforcement agencies. The second canine would be a dual-trained canine through the National Computer Forensics Institute capable of both providing emotional comfort and detecting electronic storage devices. This K-9 will be assigned to the Family Services Unit where it will assist in investigations involving child exploitation and other digital crimes. The NCFI K-9 would be specially trained to provide emotional support to victims of traumatic crimes during interviews and to detect the odor of electronic devices. This dual-purpose training is critical to our mission of protecting children from online exploitation.

The dog's specialized electronic detection capabilities will significantly enhance our ability to locate hidden devices containing evidence in cases such as child sexual abuse materials, commonly referred to as CSAM. CCM refers to any visual depiction such as a photo, video, digital image, or computer-generated file that shows the sexual abuse or exploitation of a child. The term CSAM is now preferred over child pornography because it more accurately reflects that this material documents a crime of victimization, not consensual and not pornographic content. We've already seen the value of these dogs in action in previous investigations involving CSAM. We've utilized the Massachusetts State Police Electronic Detection K9 Griffin. Successfully located hidden electronic devices that human investigators had overlooked. Having our own trained canine would allow us to bring that same capability to Somerville, enhancing our ability to protect children.

while also providing trauma informed support for victims during the most difficult moments of their recovery and participation in the justice process. We've also seen firsthand the impact of our comfort canines in sexual assault investigations. One of the most severe child sexual assault cases I've ever handled, we introduced dogs during our interactions to support the survivor. The presence of these dogs helped to ease anxiety, Enough for the survivor to share the details of assault, something that is often too traumatic for child victims to do. Many child rape cases never proceed to trial because of the emotional toll on the victim, but in this instance, we were able to move forward. When the trial began, I arranged Brownie, which was a comfort canine from the Tewksbury Police Department, to be present in the court on the day the survivor testified. The survivor's ability to testify ultimately resulted in the conviction of her abuser. I strongly believe this case would not have progressed without the emotional support provided by Brownie and the other dogs involved in this case.

Electronic storage detection canines are trained to identify the odor of a chemical compound known as TPPO, which is found in nearly all electronic devices. This ability allows them to locate hidden phones, hard drives, cameras, memory cards, and other devices which often contain critical digital evidence. Finally, beyond investigations, our proposed K-9 program will strengthen community engagement and trust. K-9 teams open the door to positive interactions such as public safety demonstrations and community events. helping to humanize law enforcement, build lasting relationships with the residents we serve.

Thank you. Any questions? Any discussion?

Scott. Thank you, Mr. President. I'm reading through the materials. It appears there is no terms and conditions on this grant. There's no memorandum of understanding that would require Somerville to comply with other Anyone else? Councilor Streza?

Thank you. I threw you, Mr. President, to Sergeant. You're a sergeant now. Yes. Yeah, I knew it. When you uprank, I have to put it in my brain. To our sergeant, thank you for your work on this. I know that this has been something that you have wanted to do for quite some time and will positively impact our community. Scott, and it has not gone unnoticed. So thank you.

To the Chair, I can answer Councilor Scott's question about the requirements for the NCFI Dog. There is no memorandum of understanding. The dog is provided by the NCFI. They provide all the training. They provide the funding for the training. It's two weeks of training. They have no memorandum of understanding. They expect us to use our own discretion in how we will use the dog. There's no requirement for us to participate in any kind of federal operations.

I'll note the very questionable tactics that are being employed right now to induce a yes vote on this. Completely at our discretion. Councilor Clingan. Thank you, Mr. President. Through you, I was just... Councilor Clingan, I should note that the dog is going around the chamber and saying hi to all of the councillors. Those are the questionable tactics to which I was referring.

30, Mr. President. Yeah, I was just mentioning to the officers a little while ago in the subcommittee room that Tewksbury has Officer Waffles, who's a doodle. And they actually just added a second dog, Officer Pancake. and so and they're both like super adorable so um i don't know what if we get a pick of the type of dog that that comes or or but i am definitely preferential the doodles and definitely breakfast foods. No, but seriously, I think it's great. I see the work. I follow Officer Waffles on social media and he's serious about his job. Wilson. I appreciate this and look forward to having a canine hanging around.

Councilor Wilson? They're good dogs, Mr. President.

See no further discussion. That item is approved. We don't need a roll call for dogs, do we? No? All right. Very good. Thank you very much, officer.

That then is going to bring us to the next item being taken out of order, which is item 6A, a report of the Committee on Finance, meeting on November 10th, 2025.

Wilson. Mr. President, the finance committee met on Monday, November 10th with all five members present. We took up a seven item agenda over the course of a 55 minute meeting. In addition to the minutes from our October 21st meeting, we unanimously recommended that you approve tonight a prior year invoice item, two grant acceptances, The creation of a Housing Assistance Stabilization Fund in order to be prepared as this administration and the next administration pursue funding for housing stability. Finally, we discharged with no recommendation A request by the administration to create a generalized community benefits stabilization fund to support larger, more general projects. The committee heard this was done to bring us into compliance with the Community Benefits Ordinance and that funds earmarked for specific areas are going to remain in those separate accounts.

There were questions from Councilor Scott and from me about a spreadsheet we were shown of Union Square Community Benefits Fund amounts received and expended. Director Inasio of OSPCD had agreed to provide updated figures, and that was shared with the committee last night. So with that, I ask that you approve this committee report as submitted. All right, thank you.

Any discussion on the report? All right. Seeing none, that is approved. And then there are two related items that we will take up together or separately.

There's a couple of items coming out of that committee report.

Oh, out of the committee report first. Very well. Yes. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Let's do that first.

Item 25-1560, which was discharge with no recommendation, which is a request of the mayor requesting approval to create the community benefits stabilization fund and accept a payment to the fund of On the item, Councilor Scott.

Thank you, Mr. President, and I also want to thank Director Inasio for getting this updated sheet to make sure that all the comings and goings of the money is public and understood. My objection at the time was mostly just trying to understand what this request was actually requesting. So for members at home that might be concerned or confused, basically the city missed a step. years ago in not creating a separate bucket to store the covenant required payments for various developments, whether they were at 100 Chestnut, 495 Columbia, 808 Windsor. Geez, they're all in Ward 2. Anyway. We ought to just call it the Ward 2 Community Benefits Fund, sir. But that said,

The real concern that the Union Square Neighborhood Council has expressed is making sure that the benefit payments that were obtained through that CBA process continue to flow to get to the job training and small business support that it's dedicated for. So right now, this looks like a lot of money being transferred out. It is mostly a bookkeeping resolution. However, it will leave the Union Square Community Funds balance at less than $10,000. So I just want to make sure everybody understands. I thank the administration for bringing the rest of the information, and I would move to recommend approval.

Any further discussion? All right, that was a roll call on that one.

On the item, Councilor Hardt. Yes. Councilor Wilson.

Yes.

Councilor Ewen-Campen.

Yes.

Councilor Scott.

Yes.

Councilor McLaughlin. Burnley, Sait, Strezo, Clingan, Mbah, Davis. With 10 councillors in favor, none opposed, and one absent, that item is approved. And the next item from the committee report is item 25-1599. requesting approval to create a housing assistance stabilization fund under the provisions of MGL Chapter 40, Section 5B.

Any discussion on that, Adam? All right, seeing none, call the roll.

On the item, Councilor Hardt. Yes. Councilor Wilson.

Yes.

Councilor Ewen-Campen.

Yes.

Councilor Scott.

Yes.

Councilor McLaughlin. Councilor Burnley.

Aye.

Councilor Sait. Yes. Councilor Strezo.

Yes.

Councilor Clingan. Yes. Councilor Mbah.

Yes.

Councilor Davis.

Yes.

With 10 councillors in favor, none opposed, and one absent, that item is approved. and then Mr. President, those two related items that you referred to are items 7.2, I believe. 7.3, which is a request of the mayor requesting approval to appropriate $875,000 from the Community Benefit Stabilization Fund for food security initiatives.

Madam Mayor.

Thank you, Mr. President and Honorable Counsel. Thank you for having me. I come before you. Oh, I should... Oh, I wanted to, if I may, Mr. President, I want to welcome... We put her in the best seat right away.

Pardon? We put her in the best seat right away.

Yes, yes, yes. Want to welcome you to your very first city council meeting, certainly as my ward councillor, and congratulate you. So I come before you this evening to request Your support for a critical investment in our community's well-being. and appropriation of $975,000 from the Community Benefit Stabilization Fund to address rising food Insecurity and the Needs Across the City of Somerville. I'm gonna just tell a little story. Investing in food and food security has been a top priority of my administration.

I think as many of you know, my parents lived through World War II and youth and young adults in World War II. I'll share a story about my mother. It was not uncommon to hear her say, and honestly, she told me this story when I was in my 30s. That she could go three to seven days, sometimes 10 days without food. and recovering after World War II. And this was going into the 50s until someone in her community said, I can give you some leftover food. There was like a... For people, workers who were rebuilding, she says, I'm the one that hands out the food.

I can wipe the scraps. Off the plate and put them in what they would do is paper, put them in paper and roll it up and she would give it to her at the end of the week. And what my mom did was put it through a food grinder to make patties. Needless to say, we had lots of... She lived until she was 93, had stage four ovarian cancer. It's a joke now, but that... What she could have contracted, you know, in that, but built her system to, her body to be very strong. And she lived until she was 93. But it was the community that stepped in. It was a neighbor who stepped in. The need we face here in Somerville is both immediate and growing.

Even before the federal shutdown, the impending changes to SNAP benefits and prior cuts to federal food grants were already impacting people facing food insecurity and agencies who worked to fight it. Somerville Cambridge Elder Services has lost federal funding that enables seniors to access community meals. Changes to SNAP eligibility criteria will leave more families without the supports they once relied upon. The end of ARPA funding impacted programs our community came to rely on. These are not just abstract policies and funding changes. They represent real hardships. For real people in our community.

And playing political football with SNAP, a program that helps keep food on the table for one in eight Americans, but in Massachusetts it's one in three. has only deepened through this crisis. The programs we're requesting your support to invest in today span the full spectrum of food access. CaraCards and our school food market initiatives ensure that families and students have greater access to resources they need. Supporting community meals, frozen meals, and a restaurant meal voucher program ensure that those who cannot easily prepare their own meals still have access to nourishment. The Senior Taxi Program will store the critical transportation link that connects older adults to hot meals and community connection at our senior centers.

and $500,000 of the appropriation would go directly to organizations doing daily essential work of feeding our community. You know, that's the neighbor. It's the community member. It's the person who saw my mom. But it's we see our residents here. I want to take a moment to recognize these extraordinary partners, the Somerville Homeless Coalition, Shepherd's Kitchen, Elizabeth Peabody House, Food for All, Connection, Food for Free, The Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church Family Table and Somerville Cambridge Elder Services get needed food to our neighbors when there's nowhere else to turn.

Thank you. These organizations show up every single day. They serve meals with dignity. They build community around tables. They see the faces of Food and Security and respond with compassion and commitment. Their work is nothing short of heroic and this investment which I'm asking you to improve reflects our commitment to standing beside them. This funding will give them These organizations, our residents, our neighbors, the vital flexibility to use these funds as they know is most needed. And it lets them know we have their back. I also want to thank the dedicated staff. I'm going to ask you guys to stand too.

The Office of Food Access, Healthy Communities, and our Council on Aging. Director Carroll and her team have worked tirelessly to identify gaps, coordinate responses, and ensure that every dollar reaches those who need it most. Their expertise and compassion make these programs possible, and your support ensures this is possible. This council has consistently demonstrated its commitment to food security through support of my administration's request and your own proposals for it. Your leadership has ensured that Somerville responds to food insecurity not as an afterthought but as a priority.

Thank you for your dedication and for your continued support of our most vulnerable neighbors. Together, we have already delivered more than $850,000 in food security My administration has been growing that amount each year. That covers everything from mobile markets and universal snap match programs to all three farmers markets, the free markets at the schools, to food access, coordinator, and hundreds of grocery cards to support our most vulnerable families during the holiday season. Over the last few years, we've also directed more than $2.5 million in ARPA funds to programs directly providing food,

to our residents in need, including weekend carrot cards, Just Eats boxes, taxi to food programs, and significant funding for our local food pantries. We've been growing our investment to address this most basic need as well through other initiatives. We should be proud that when we ask the community to decide what to do With participatory budgeting funds, they voted to direct nearly $300,000 to food supports. Like community fridges, a shared walk-in fridge, a freezer, as well as meals and nutritious foods to put in them. Tonight's request builds on that foundation. We're asking for $875,000 for food security initiatives and $100,000 for the senior tax Taxi Program.

These investments will provide staple foods, community meals, grocery carts, and ready-to-eat foods for high-risk populations as well as those struggling to make ends meet. Our public school students Homebound individuals, those with limited kitchen access, food pantry users, SNAP clients, and older adults, and workers whose dollars just don't stretch far enough. This is about more than meals. It's about affirming that in Somerville we take care of each other. It's about ensuring that no senior goes hungry when they can't get to a meal site. It's about recognizing that when the federal safety net phrase Our local commitment must be stronger than ever. I urge you to support this appropriation.

Together we can thrive and strive to ensure that every Somervillian has access to the nutrition They need and deserve.

Thank you. Dr. Carroll. Let me ask, Madam Mayor, should we apply your statements to both the food security initiatives and the senior taxi program?

Yes.

Okay. So Madam Clerk, could you please read 7.4 into the record just so we can take those up together? Thank you.

Of course, Mr. President. Item 7.4 is a request of the mayor requesting a Approval to Appropriate $100,000 from the Community Benefits Stabilization Fund to support the Senior Taxi Program.

Okay. Director Carroll, go ahead.

Thank you through the president and thank you to the members of the council for having us. I'm just going to read through the memo and if there's questions after we can answer those. Funds are being requested from the Community Benefits Stabilization Account as is appropriated based on the following. This is to support the food security initiatives under the Office of Food Access in Healthy Communities. which are here tonight. Food security initiatives, with this funding we will be able to support the food access gaps by supporting organizations that provide food security services to people experiencing food instability. This includes staple foods, community meals, grocery cards, ready to eat foods for high-risk populations, including but not limited to Somerville Public Schools students, homebound individuals, and people with limited kitchen access, food pantry users, SNAP clients, and other adults.

I want to note that the OFAC office convenes a monthly food coalition meeting in which they are in constant communication with many of our partners here tonight. assessing those gaps and working together to address them and also to get the resource to communicate resources out to all of those vulnerable groups that we just mentioned. There is also a food assessment process underway this year that has helped to clarify where some of these gaps are, and that group will work through those as well. So if there are questions, I'm happy to take them. We're the team on this item. And then we can go to the...

Thank you. Mr. President, if I may, I'm going to speak on both of the agenda items because they were combined together. That's right.

So we have 7.3, 7.4. Would you like to take up your related item at the same time, or do you want to wait until that comes around?

I can wait. It makes sense, but we're already here, so let's just keep on driving. Thank you. Through you, to Director Carroll, but also Madam Mayor, I want to thank you very much for Investing in this crisis of food insecurity for being responsive, moving fast, and taking this extraordinarily seriously. I look out in the chamber audience and see all our directors, but see very few. audience members here now and I can't help but wonder imagine if we took food insecurity as seriously And I want to say that I remember when Madam Mayor, it was your first term, when the senior taxicab program, it was started as a COVID response pilot program one year.

and it evaporated. It was evaporated through the state. The state funding went away. Seniors were saying how helpful this was in Somerville. and Madam Mayor, you took it up and you allocated the money. That was the first year. You didn't have to. but we were able to preserve the senior taxicab program and make it our own in Somerville because of that. And it absolutely changes lives. Going forward, I do worry about The stability of funding because I feel like it's going to get worse and I feel like we have to get really creative with solutions meaning that we're going to have to call on our Somerville residents Perhaps fill the chamber of standing against food insecurity and doing Everything we can to solve hunger if that is a priority in our community.

We're going to really have to pull together as community members and including finding ways to get our neighbors who are homebound and and unable to access a food pantry to food. I really appreciate the work that you're doing with this and the money you're putting forward for this. So thank you and thank you for stepping up, taking this seriously, and moving quick. That's it.

Thank you.

Councilor Clingan? Thank you, Mr. President. Through you, happy to support this this evening. I think this is a really great way to use these funds. It actually gets me thinking sort of about the community benefits ordinance that we put into effect a few years ago and how, you know, some of us struggled with actually Councilor Scott sort of brought up where, you know, well, If we have this general fund, does that water down certain areas that used to be... The money was accessible based on where the project was. I don't know if we'd be able to... I think this fund is a great idea by the mayor's This is a good use of this money.

As somebody who grew up eating welfare cheese and borrowing eggs and milk from next door neighbors, I know what it's like to be On that type of assistance and with what's happening right now and the stoppage of all of those funds, I think it's more important than ever that we get this done tonight, so I'll be supporting it. Thank you.

Scott. Thank you, Mr. President. I just want to applaud the administration on this effort to put this money into play quickly. Again, as you said, some communities may say, well, it's playing a little fast and loose, but right now there is incredible need, and that need is not one that can wait. So I really appreciate this action, and I would just say there is... As our safety net continues to collapse, there are more programs that need urgent backstopping, and it's my hope that before the end of the year we will see some cross-administration collaboration to ensure the continued functioning of for example Head Start which supports 120 kids and families in our city so Appreciate this action. It gives me hope for the future and makes me proud of our local government. Thank you, sir.

I saw Councilor Mbah and then Councilor Wilson.

Thank you, Mr. President. I just want to thank the administration, the mayor, and the director also for the swift action. that you've taken to actually step in and substantiate most of the gaps that have been created? Scott. One of the things when I ran to Councilor Scott was to actually ask him about also I was still unclear about the community benefit stabilization fund because of all these different We've actually authorized them to be doing stuff and I wanted to make sure that certain money wasn't earmarked for some of their projects because I also think about the post-secondary education program that is That's something that I would, you know, will require as the mayor maybe plead that you should actually, you know, look into taking some funds from that program to kind of like in Substance Shared. That is a program that just got ended because it was being funded from APA.

So this is a program that actually helps kids from the high school that can navigate the college process They are from marginalized communities, and that program has helped like 100 kids. So every year for the past three years, like 30 kids every year. But now it's just vanished. I just think that this is the kind of... You know, valuable use of funds that we can actually tap into and continue to help our community members. So thank you.

Wilson. Yeah, Mr. President, I want to thank the administration for bringing this forward. I want to thank our city staff and our community partners for all the work they're doing on this. I want to highlight something that the mayor mentioned in her remarks, which is if you're sitting there thinking, well, wait, didn't we just solve the, isn't the federal shutdown over, isn't the SNAP thing? This is not about the SNAP situation. This is about a situation that existed prior to that. That if you've seen out there on social media perhaps the efforts to raise funds to replace some of the The efforts through our schools to get food into families' hands. This was a dire situation before the government shutdown that made it that much worse. So do not think for a second that just because Snap is back and those cards have money on them again that this situation is solved. There are serious problems beyond that. Thanks.

For you, Mr. President, I would like to thank the administration for this action, for acting fast and stepping up to make sure no neighbor goes hungry. Thank you city staff, community partners, and especially right now as our federal government is abandoning our most vulnerable neighbors. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President. Since we do have the directors here after this, can we read the agenda items that I put forward on food insecurity as well, like after this?

Clayton. Thank you, Mr. President. Three, just a quick question. I meant to ask a question at the end of what I said, which was, if you could just give a, maybe it's in the memo, I didn't see, but if How are you dispersing those funds in terms of the different organizations, like Elizabeth Peabody House? If you could just briefly describe that, what your thought process was in that.

Thank you for the question. And through the President, these are the details we are working through right now. The OFAC team, as I said, they have a monthly food coalition, so it's not like we're starting from ground zero in determining these needs. They're working closely year-round with our partner agencies and understand where some of the gaps are to begin with. So we will continue to work with them and refine Both the gaps and the needs and try to just make distributions based on what our partner agencies are telling us they need. So we're working with them closely right now and we'll come back to you with finalized plans and agreements.

That's great. Thank you, Mr. President. Yeah, I trust all the community partners in the room that they are closest to the people who are the most in need. So that's all that really matters. Thank you.

Thank you. So seeing no further discussion, we need a roll call vote on these two items. We can do that together. At Councilor Strezo's request, unless there's an objection, we can then take up 4.4, 4.6, and perhaps 4.8, Councilor Sait. Stay on the same topic and then move along from that. So very well. So on the two items before us, Madam Clerk.

Yes, on items 7.3 and 7.4, appropriating Hardt, Councilor Wilson, Ewen-Campen, Scott, McLaughlin, Burnley, Sait, Strezo, Clingan, Mbah, Davis. With 10 councillors in favor, none opposed, and one absent, those items are approved.

All right, very well. So we'll do 4.4, 4.6, and what did I say, 4.8 together. Then we'll hit 8.4. And Councilor Burnley, do I understand there's some folks here to speak on 9.5 you'd like to sponsor? Okay, so we'll take that one up right afterwards just so we can... Not make folks wait, okay?

So that will bring us to item 4.4, a resolution by Councilor Strezo that the administration immediately assign a direct phone number connecting to a city liaison who is designated to answer questions from residents about food insecurity and SNAP benefits support. Item 4.6 is a resolution by Councilor Strezo that the administration take any available steps including communication strategies such as robocalls, texting, and electronic road signs to reach out to residents about food insecurity due to the increase of poverty in Somerville. At item 4.8 is a resolution by Councilor Sait in support of direct assistance for SNAP recipients.

Councilor Schausen.

Thank you, Mr. President. Okay, so it, help, help, hey, direct, everyone. If I may, if that's okay.

Director Carroll, if we may, I think the hope was with everyone here in the room, we could take up these related items. We're still talking about food insecurity. Okay. Just to answer any possible questions. Thank you.

Sure.

Thank you, Mr. President. I really wanted to highlight 4.6 that the administration take available steps of communication strategies.

Hi. Thank you. We're taking up three items that are directly related to the two appropriations that we just made in hopes that with yourself and the director here in the room, we might be able to answer questions on those items. If you'd be willing to stay, that'd be great.

Okay, thank you. One thing that I have been worried about, this is mainly focused on 4.6, that getting the information out to residents that are food insecure. Some are homebound, some may not have a lot of resources. and the idea of just getting out there with robocalls if possible. We know we do that with award meetings or any available situations that are happening in our city. Mr. President, through you to Director Carroll, and just an idea if we can possibly use that for the even just for the signs occasionally or different strategies to really make sure that residents loud and clear understand that if they are facing food insecurity they have Numerous options to choose from. I know that we have 311 and I have heard of some residents calling 311. I hear not that many which gives me a little hope.

but at the same time we don't know and maybe just people don't know what resources are available or where to go. A lot of people that from what I'm hearing are experiencing food insecurity for the first time. This is devastating. I don't know what we're about to face coming in the months ahead and the years ahead, so we have to get as creative as we can. That's all. Thank you.

Dr. Carroll, other communication strategies or resources we might be able to...

I'm happy to answer through the president. Thank you for the question. This is something we spend a lot of time thinking about, and especially recently We are certainly, so first of all, there's a number of mechanisms. I'll run through them and if you have questions, the team is here. For seniors, again, 311 is a good starting point for anyone. 311 is going to route calls to our OFAC office who will connect folks to services or to the Council on Aging who, if it's in regular business hours, they will pick up the phone and make the connection and organize for food to be delivered. If it is after hours, we are consistently directing those seniors to the project. Nope. Ashley can tell me the project. Just a moment. The Project Bread hotline after hours number. So they have a hotline and they take those calls after hours.

So both Somerville Cambridge Elder Services and ourselves are kind of consistently messaging that so people know where to call. We have the monthly again the monthly coalition meeting and it's kind of like some of our other group interdisciplinary meetings that are really involving the folks on the ground and the partner agencies. So they are reaching their target populations. They're working with folks every day. They know how to reach them. Our comms team is assisting with translation and consistent messaging, compiling resources, and exploring things like the reverse 311 robocalls. Keeping websites and Facebook pages updated, all of those things. So it's a multi, like with any of our strategies, it's an ongoing, multifaceted approach to communicating out to

Sometimes populations that are difficult to reach, but this group has the best connection there, so we rely heavily on that. Go ahead.

Mr. President, through you to Director Carroll, thank you for that. Really quick, I was trying to fumble with my phone. While we have this on topic, does anybody have the number to Project Bread? Right now that we could just stay live in the, I know, with all these master brains, I know one of you has it.

Project Bread Hotline.

Yeah, just while we're here, in case anyone right here is, you're going to find it faster than I am.

The Project Bread Food Source Hotline can be reached at 1-800-645-8333.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

All right.

And thank you.

Mr. Said, did you want to, since we have item 4 to date before us today, do you want to add anything? I'm happy to give you the floor.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. President. I put in this resolution, I think, about two weeks ago, so we haven't received updates from At the state level or from the administration, so I'm very pleased to see again that the administration is stepping up and the city staff are putting in the hours to make sure again no neighbor is going hungry. This resolution is to encourage that we do something at the state level, not just putting in money. We have received a lot of updates, but ensuring that this is a priority. Always thinking about not relying on the federal government when it comes to the most basic thing, which is having food on the table.

So yeah, that's basically what the resolution says and I thank the Mayor's staff for getting back to me and With all the different ways you've been working in the past, we're gonna have to make sure we meet our neighbors' needs. Thank you.

I wanted to add that as of about last month or so, the city now has 8 to 10 SNAP providers who are able to enroll people in SNAP. and they're in our Council on Aging, our Human Services team, the library. And that's a relatively new thing to have so many folks able to enroll. So that is part of our outreach. That is part of the long-term sustainable plan is that if we can get people enrolled in benefits that they're entitled to, then they will have continual access hopefully on an ongoing basis. So we're working really hard on that program and expanding the number of folks in the city who can enroll people.

Clingan. Thank you, Mr. President. Through you, just a quick question. So earlier this week, the governor said that she was going to Have they been in touch with municipalities at this point? Is it too soon or have you been? in contact with the at the state level with how that money is going to reach our people Or is that through DTA or whatever? Do they not communicate with you?

They do. I mean, through the Department of Public Health at the state, we get bulletins and updates at a very general level when things are happening. I think other city staff probably are hearing different things as well. We do know that benefits were restored onto cards as of last week for residents at their full amount. So other than that, I'm not sure the specifics of it, but we certainly do get regular updates as things are changing at the state and through the federal government.

Okay, thank you. Further discussion? All right. Thank you very much, Director. Thank you. All right. That takes us to... Oh, yes. All three of those will be marked approved. That'll take us to 8.4.

That's correct, Mr. President. Item 8.4 is an officer's communication from the Director of Housing conveying the 2024 Housing Needs Assessment and Financial Feasibility Analysis Reports.

We have, is it Director Gargano? Director Gargano, are you speaking on this one? No? Who do we have from the administration to speak on this one?

We have a consultant who's going to give a presentation this evening. Very well.

Good evening, everyone. One moment. Let's give the clerk a chance to get the presentation up so everyone can benefit from it. My apologies. Tom told me to talk, so I talked. Good to go. All right, very good. Please introduce yourself for the record and then take it away.

Sounds great. My name is Kyle Talenti. I am the president of RKG Associates. We're an economic development real estate planning consultancy offices here in Boston and in Washington, D.C. I want to thank you all for the opportunity to be here tonight. I am going to do my best to be as brief as possible and cover this very comprehensive process study that we just did. I don't know, am I controlling it or do I have to tell someone to flip the slides? Okay, all right, next please. So I just kind of want to talk to you. We did two kind of studies. One was a housing needs analysis. We updated the housing needs analysis that was done about four years ago. Okay, is that better? Okay, sorry about that. Not being loud enough is something I've never been accused of before, so thank you very much. So we did kind of two studies. One was updating the housing needs analysis, and then we did a

We did a financial feasibility study to understand in particular the housing inclusionary zoning policy, but we looked at a number of things. I'm going to start talking a little bit about what we learned from the housing needs assessment. First thing, and these are just CHI-level stuff. Hopefully you've all read the entire report. I know it's been shared with you. You're probably all familiar with this stuff, but one of the things we learned is much of your income-controlled housing is located east central. That's not necessarily a good or bad thing, but we're going to talk a little bit about the analysis that we did looking at different areas of the city and why that could be part of a challenge. But there are other things that we've learned. Several of your existing restrictions on projects are coming due. One of the things we learned through this process from Housing Needs is preservation of existing affordability is going to be equally as important as the delivery of new affordable housing.

and the conversion of condos from apartments and luxury developments is really putting a strain on the availability of price appropriate housing, particularly at lower income levels. Next please. And that imbalance has been continuing as demand continues to outpace supply. I want to be very clear. This is not an issue. It's the entire Boston metro area. But the reality is there's more demand for housing than there is supply of housing even being built. And that, if you understand the basics of economics, that means prices are going to continue to rise. In our analysis, what we've learned is the greatest unmet needs right now are owner households earning above 120% of AMI, and that ranges between

A&I, which will range from $50,000 to $65,000 annual income based on the size of the household. Next, please. The final piece I wanted to talk about this is that imbalances also has impacting the socioeconomics of the community. You're seeing a decline in family households and households with children. That's not terribly surprising as we're moving towards multiple income households to be able to afford to live here. You're seeing a growth of older adults and residents with disabilities that has an impact from a housing needs perspective. Part of it is a lot of it is legacy owners that have lived here for a long time, can't afford to move to the new place because it's so expensive to get in the housing these days. but also the reality is that as you're looking at new development things like universal design for example is a consideration as you increase the folks that have disabilities

and then another impact is the racial and ethnic diversity decline here in the city and from a housing perspective if you look at the data Households of color, particularly immigrant households, tend to be larger and also tend to be more multi-generational. And so from a housing needs perspective is the needs for some larger units was something that we learned that came out of the back end of this. Thank you very much. So now I'm going to talk a little bit about our financial feasibility, the inclusionary zoning, or as we call it, IZ policy. And I apologize for those of you who already know this, but I was asked to give a little bit of a primer on what it is here in Somerville. Right now, for projects, they're required to provide 20% of the units income-controlled amongst three different tiers. And it's for projects that are four units or larger. So if I'm building four or five to infinity, I have to deliver that. and we're going to talk a little bit about the impact of the size of the project in just a moment. But there are three tiers, the income thresholds identified, Differ for ownership and rental.

For rental, tier 1 is 50% of AMI, tier 280, tier 3, 110. And then for ownership, it's 80%, 110, and 140, which reflects the price differential between rental and owner. The formula for how IZ units are distributed amongst the three tiers is very complex. It is not linear. I think I'd have to spend the entire rest of my time explaining to you how that works, but the point is it does distribute all the units. We're going to talk a little bit about that in a moment. And then the city also has a buyout or a fee-in-lieu option if a developer doesn't want to provide affordable housing. And there's a formula, and we're going to talk about that too. Next, please. So I'm going to start with the cliff notes, and then I'll get into the study materials for the final test. But generally what we learned through this process is market conditions, not just here in the city, but in the region, have made new construction very challenging.

Three of the primary reasons, these are not the only reasons, but three of the primary reasons are the cooling off of life sciences has tremendously reduced demand for housing, particularly at the higher end, at the price points, because they tend to be the highest paid jobs. While that's going on, whether you're seeing demand starting to recede a little bit, the construction costs remain high. And so from a financial feasibility perspective, my ability to generate revenue for those market rate rents isn't as great, but my cost to build the units and so that's a challenge and then building upon that the equity investors the folks that invest in these projects that not the banks but the folks that put the money behind it they're getting much more selective as the market softens and cools They are only looking for top tier products, top tier projects, projects that yield the greatest returns. And so in the past when they were willing to invest in a project, that was yielding a 5.5% or 6% return. Now they're demanding 6.5%. And so you're seeing demand contract.

Costs remain the same and my ability to find the financing for my projects becoming harder and harder. And so that is having impact. So what does that mean for us in our analysis? Well, any changes to the IZ policy is going to require some countermeasures to avoid disrupting your development market. Historically, not just here in Somerville, but throughout the region, it's, all right, here's our IZ policy. What are we going to add now? What are we going to add now? We're going to build upon that. Unfortunately, the market right now, at this point in time and into the near future, doesn't really support that. If you do something like that, our concern and what we're going to talk about tonight is you're going to create the challenge where it's infeasible for people to do any sort of market rate development. and so it could slow down and even stop development altogether which if you once again if you understand economics supply continues to go down but demand can you stay up it continues to erode around affordability of even existing units that are here

So what we're going to be talking about tonight is rather than looking this and, and this and, and this and, which is our legacy approach, we're going to be talking about this or, or this or, and what are the trade-offs that we can do to reach it. Our ultimate recommendation is if the city is looking to make any changes to the IZ policy, at least for the short term, is if... Identify the goal, the housing goal that you want to achieve, and then adjust a policy to achieve that. Because right now, we're not in a position from a market, from a financial perspective, to try and meet multiples at the same time. And we're going to talk about that in just a moment. So now kind of into the analysis. We were asked to test is the policy working in the current market and then what are some of the policy changes we want considered and how will that impact it. For the current policy, we broke the city down into sub areas because I'm sure you're all very aware different parts of the city have different market potential. and different opportunities.

And so we want to look at that and see how is the policy working not just overall as the city average but in different areas. The three considerations that we're going to talk about primarily tonight are How can we deepen subsidies? That was one of the questions we were asked to get to lower AMIs. In particular, how can we get down to households at 30% of AMI? And then what's the potential to expand to serve more larger households with three bedroom units? So I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this. When I talk about the sub areas, these are the sub areas. The colors on the map delineate to different areas of the city. We worked with staff to make sure that those were accurate. from both from a market perspective and understandable, but you're more than welcome to refer back to these. Next slide, please. The punchline that we learned when we looked at the analysis of your current policy is right now the market is very challenging in most of the city. As you can see there, and by the way, just for record, green means it meets or exceeds market expectations.

Red means it's below what market expectations are in terms of return for developers. And so what we learned is that outside of, excuse me, Outside of Union Square and East Somerville, it is very challenging to do for-profit, non-subsidized housing projects in the city. and I mentioned earlier about size of projects you can see as the project gets smaller that impact becomes more substantial and so smaller projects are adversely impacted by the current policy. and so next slide please. So what came out of this for us is the consideration from the city to adjust the There's a number of clients that we work for where instead of having a single blanket 20% for the entire community, we say we recognize their difference in markets. and we're recommending that you consider maybe lowering those requirements in different parts of the city based on the challenge to be able to do those projects.

If that is not palatable and we understand that there's realities to all these decisions, We encourage you to consider to be able to potentially use financial inducements, either tax abatements or investments from the housing trust or other sorts of funding to help make those projects in other parts of the city work. I want to go back to the very first point I made, which is we are not and so on. And so this is why we came to this recommendation. So that there's more opportunities in parts of the city where maybe there is an access or choice for households earning less than 120% of AMI. Next, please. So the first one I want to talk about is deepening affordability by removing Tier 3. So effectively, what we were asked to look at is, what if we got rid of Tier 3, which is the 110% of AMI? and we just kept the 50% of AMI and the 80% of AMI tiers. And so what that would mean is those units that were going to be at 110 are going to be redistributed

and so on. I want to remind folks that the reason why tier three was for those of you who don't remember from me or RKG the last time we did this study with you a few years back is one of the reasons why tier three was included because without it it created financial challenges and doing so again it would do the same thing here in the community. Next, so our recommendation is if you're going to remove Tier 3, consider reducing the set-aside, the inclusionary requirement from 20% to 16%. So what that does is you're saying, all right, you're going to have to provide us with lower-priced housing. In exchange, we're going to make you provide less lower-priced housing. So it creates a financial balance.

and it's what we in RKG define as revenue neutral meaning we're going to create an additional cost to you and then we're going to give a release to that week you can get that cost back so you're not made not harmed in any way So that's a recommendation if you wanted to go to getting rid of the 110% tier. If lowering the requirement isn't an option, once again, it goes back to financial inducements. But at the end of the day, what we learned is if the city wants to try and get to lower incomes, It's going to have to either provide some relief in how many units we have to provide or provide some financial inducements without running the risk of creating adverse impacts on the marketplace. Please. Thank you. The next was looking at specifically at 30% of AMI households. And so we did two different analyses. One was changing the 110 to 30, so changing tier three. So instead of 50, 80, 110, it was 30, 50, 80. And then the other one was adding a fourth tier, which by the way, for the record, I do not recommend. It's complex enough with three.

But we also looked at it from a fourth tier, which would be a 50, 80, 110, and then 30% of AMI. As I'm sure you can imagine, by changing the 110 to 30 had more dire financial impacts on feasibility than just adding a third. However, by adding the The fourth tier at 30% of AMI, you still had some of the challenges that we heard from the market, which is trouble finding tenants at 110% of AMI, particularly for rentals. The reality is there is choice in this community at 110% of AMI for units that doesn't require me to get income verified or to continually get income verified and to frankly to live in units that's deemed income restricted. and so we heard from the marketplace that they're having a hard time filling those units and that's not unique to Somerville. We've heard that in Newton, we've heard that in Lynn and other communities where I've done similar work and that also creates financial challenges. Next slide please. So our recommendation right now is to not try and get to the 30% of AMI. There's a number of reasons for that.

One, 30% of AMI units generally are part of public assisted housing. whether it's a LIHTC project or public assisted housing. And frankly, for-profit developers really aren't set up to serve Households at those lower incomes, particularly when they come with social services needs or physical disability needs, often those units are generally Better Off in areas where there's a critical mass of demand, so providing those services makes a whole lot of sense. So that's one of the biggest challenges is trying to get there. The next is generally 30% of AMI units are tied to a housing voucher. If you're familiar with Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, generally 30% of AMI units are tied to those. To go to 30% AMI and you want it to work financially, you would need to commit vouchers to those units to be able to make it work financially.

And not only commit vouchers to those units, commit vouchers at the full potential value of those vouchers. and so that would be our frankly to hit financial feasibility to get to revenue neutral you would need to provide vouchers and provide them at the full value of the vouchers to make it revenue neutral I'm sorry about that. One more thing is right now we are in uncertain times about how the federal government is going to be continuing to fund housing programs. And so by being willing to commit more vouchers and the full value of the vouchers could be challenging if the federal government makes changes to how its strategy is in providing housing programs. I just wanted to make sure that was understood. Including additional family size bedroom units, we looked at how do we say, well, you're going to have to provide three bedroom units instead of a mixture that is consistent with what the rest of the development is. As I'm sure you can understand, that creates some financial challenges for two primary reasons.

One, they consume a lot more square footage and so on. and the city also has the building envelope requirements which are extremely restrictive because I can't get any more building space even though I have to provide you more units that take up more of my building square footage and so that could be a tremendous challenge in terms of trying to Deliver enough of the market rate units to offset the cost of the income controlled ones. Next please. And so our recommendation is if you're going to move to try and require more three bedroom units is change your percentage set aside from It's like 20% of units to 20% of square footage. By doing that, and I provide more three bedroom units, I still only have to provide you that same amount of square footage. The upside of that is from a financial perspective, it balances out.

From the downside is you're then going to get fewer units because I'm delivering you The other alternative would be a bonus density program where you say for every three bedroom unit you give me, and we did the math on this, it would require three market rate units to offset the financial impact of providing an income controlled three bedroom unit. However, that butts up against the housing building envelope challenge is because if I have to give you more units, that means I have to make the building envelope larger. And so that could be a challenge. I think that there's opportunities. To do this, but it's going to require a shift. It's going from percentage of units to percentage of square footage, I think is the best bet that you have as a community. Next, please. We also reviewed your fee-in-lieu policy to put it very bluntly and succinctly.

Right now you calculate what the construction cost of a unit and then you apply a two times multiplier for rental and a two and a half times multiplier for ownership. Meaning that what I have to pay to buy out of those units is twice what it would cost me just to build the unit on site. It has made it so that it's not very feasible for developers to take the fee-in-lieu policy. If the goal is for the city to Push for units to be on site, then leave it exactly the way it is because you're making a financial disincentive to buy out. If the goal is in certain circumstances to negotiate a buyout because maybe the project is located in an area where there's already a high concentration of income controlled units, or it's an area of the city where it doesn't have good transportation access or it doesn't have good access to services, the development community under the current policy is going to resist that because the cost is so substantial. So if you're looking to try and get more of that flexibility, then removing the multipliers would be the recommendation we encourage you to do. Next, please. One more, please.

So we also talked to a number of developers that have built and are building in Somerville. And no, I'm not going to tell you who they are. And no, I'm not going to tell you what each of them said to me. However, we asked them to give feedback on the process, and I'm sure you can understand the biggest thing we heard is the unpredictability of the timeline of a project to get an approval. and so they they gave us a number it increases the length of the the process which builds cost it also increased risk because there's no guarantee of an approval at the end of the process and if you know anything about development you know risk and uncertainty and unpredictability equals risk, which drives up costs. And so that creates a challenge. And as I mentioned earlier, this is disproportionately impactful for small and mid-scale projects. Projects that are 5 to 25 units are much more sensitive to these impacts than particularly the larger ones.

There are a number of recommendations that came to us through this process. They're here on the slide. They're detailed in the analysis, and I'd be happy to answer questions if you have questions about that. But that was the nickel tour, if you will, of the analysis that we did. To sum up, I would say that to go back to the kind of the Cliff's Notes slide is right now is not the time for us to be trying to expand. The policy, if there are if there is a specific goal you want to approach, then we encourage you to look at what some of the tradeoffs you can do to try and reach that goal. But at least in the current market climate, trying to expand on your policy could create Wilson, and Councilor Wilson.

Thank you Mr. President. Through you, all of this is horrible. This is just all terrible news. I'd like you to leave the building. No, just kidding. No, I hate these studies. You know, we get these, we've had three or four since I've been on the council, and they're helpful because they put numbers and facts to what we all know is going on, and they kind of just Make a really really stark demonstration of how bad it is and in this case you know we're at a really really difficult point in the market so it also I'll just say out of the gate, I know that this is not going to surprise anybody here, Don't think anyone would propose it, but the idea of different inclusionary rates for a different part of the city, that that is not something that I support. I tend to think this stuff is cyclical.

A lot of work went into the policies we have now, and a time like now is not a time to freak out and try to dramatically change our policies. That said, we do have to kind of Deal with the reality before us, so maybe I'll be proved wrong. But I don't have any questions. I just wanted to kind of respond to the overall zeitgeist. So thank you. Thank you. Councilor Scott.

Thank you, Mr. President. Through you, I just had a quick question about that slide 12 chart. which showed, I guess to nobody's surprise, the Union Square is the best place to be building things. But I guess one thing that jumped out is that the feasibility, the profit margins for the private developers went up when you went from the 15 to 75 you also did a study of larger projects 100 plus unit projects did that follow the same trend of the did it turn any of these other areas green if you had 150 Unit Project.

So the answer to that question is we did do that analysis, and the response is no. Nobody else turned green. It got better because of economies of scale of development, but it did not push anybody up over the edge.

and not for nothing but why I mean I know why I think Union Square is the best place to do anything but that said is is the difference in profitability here on the IRR especially

That is definitely, I'm sorry, that is definitely part of it. The Union Square area has the revenue potential Ratio to the Cost to Acquire Dirt is Better.

I mean, everybody who lives in Somerville recognizes the reality on the ground in terms of home prices in East Somerville and Union Square versus out in Teal. I appreciate it. So I really appreciate this study. I think this gives us some things to chew on. I truly do think we can do more with zoning to encourage affordability, encourage development without displacement, and I also share my colleagues' desire I appreciate this as a way to evaluate what targeted changes we can make with a policy lens, and I look forward to that policy discussion with my colleagues over the coming months. Wilson.

Yeah, thanks, Mr. President. Yeah, seeing the permitting process cited as an issue here, we hear about the holding costs of these things and the impact on affordability of going through a really long process Onerous and uncertain permitting process. Obviously, I think, well, I'll speak for myself. I support a public process. I think it's really important that we go through that process. I always think about what we can do in terms of making that a better More productive public process, make it make more sense to people. On the permitting side, What can be done? What's currently happening in cereal that could be done in parallel? Just to make it... Make it go faster in terms of things outside the public process that could really help keep those holding costs down and result in greater affordability.

I'm just struck, you know, we hear all the time, oh, you know, we need more workforce housing, right? And then we hear repeatedly how difficult it is to get those 110% AMI units filled. and I guess through the president, is this just a case of our hollowed out middle class in the city, in this region? Is that? at the root of hearing these two things that seem very much in contradiction.

The issue isn't that there isn't a need for it. The issue is the certification, and if you don't mind my blunt saying, The perception of living in an income control unit when there are other options, not just here in Somerville but in the region, that I can pay the same amount of money. and then I don't have to go through the process of turning over my financials every year. And like I said, this is nothing unique to Somerville. We ran into this in a number of other communities where I've done this analysis over the past 12 months. Here in the Boston metro area. It's just a challenge like why am I going to be willing to jump through those hoops when I can just go find something else? And so what we've heard is it can be one developer that we interviewed through these processes is they had a unit sit empty for a year and a half. because they couldn't find a tenant well they did eventually fill it but for that year and a half the revenue is zero and when you need to model that into your pro forma to understand how you're going to be able to make money that has a direct impact on your ability to

It's not necessarily that there isn't demand for them. It's that the process I have to go through to get it, I'm just not willing to do because I do have other choices. I hope that answers the question.

Mr. President, yes, it does. And it also highlights just the really onerous certification and recertification process that people have to go through. And again, much of that is dictated at levels above our municipal government. You know, I've also... Engaged with the housing division on ways we might make it a little more humane on people going through that. Some of the thresholds that we choose to, well, that our vendor who does that process has chosen to require people to explain a PayPal or Venmo payment that they've received. Small ways like that, but it's just, I hear stories from constituents of having to go hire legal help to just go through the certification process. Yeah, I'll echo my colleagues from Ward 3 and Ward 2 comments on, yeah, it's bleak. Thanks.

Councilor Mbah, and then Strezo, then Clingan.

Thank you, Mr. President. I just want to thank you for the presentation. It's a lot to chew, as I can tell, and also very stimulating. I think about three years ago I spoke to someone from Washington DC. I don't know if that's your staff. They were trying to have this. This housing needs conversation. And so it's been... Interesting to see some of the recommendations that you made, especially when you talk about the additional market rate housing in exchange for family control size, where you're talking about... Maybe like a rent control size apartment. Can you explain that also when you mentioned requiring three to one ratio? To reach the revenue-neutral return, how does that look like in practice?

Sure. So your first question is around the unit sizes. If I'm developing a property and I'm limited to 50,000 square feet of building space, and I have done my math and I bought the property based on expecting to get 50 units and I'm just making that up for the sake of the conversation if I'm asked or required to deliver more units that are larger than a thousand square feet then obviously I'm going to get fewer units and so that has a financial impact on a project. The second part of that is larger income controlled units, two and three bedroom on a per square foot basis pay less. Thank you. Thank you. Your second question about the bonus density is when we included an additional three bedroom income controlled unit,

We then started adding market rate units to see how many more were necessary to get the return back up to where it was before we added that additional one three-bedroom income control unit. and on average what the math came out to was if you if I'm gonna say all right you have to give me a three bedroom unit then I need you I need to give back to you three market rate units so that it can create enough revenue to impact the cost that I am gonna have to bear of having to to deliver that three bedroom unit. And so the alternative to doing bonus density, because I understand the sensitivities around building envelopes, is to transition from and so on. 10, 1,000 square foot two-bedroom units. That could be five 2,000 square foot three-bedroom units. That could be 2,500 square foot studios.

We can talk about the mix of the units based on that square footage, but by doing that, I am limiting the impact of what the income controlled units have on the financial feasibility of the project.

I have to step back when Councilor Baha is speaking so that the camera can get him. That's why I stand back from the podium. I've been asked to do that. Just so you know. Councilor Strezo and then Councilor Clingan.

Thank you, Mr. President, through you to our speaker. So do I hear this clearly that If I hear this correctly, you are trying to advocate for more studio in one bedrooms and less three bedrooms?

We're not advocating for anything. What I'm saying is from a financial feasibility perspective, when a developer is figuring out what is they're going to pay for a piece of land, and they're looking at your current policy, it says if I have to provide a certain number of income control units, the distribution is gonna be the same distribution of the other units, the studios, ones, twos, Very few people are building three bedroom units right now, to be honest with you, because of the financials that we've talked about. And so we're not advocating for anything. What we're saying is If we choose to regulate the requirement of three bedroom units, there has to be some sort of trade-off if we want to mitigate the financial impact.

Thank you, Mr. President, through you. I get that, but the reason we have the need for two and three bedrooms is because we have so many families that can't stay in the city. So the whole purpose of them being there is so we can stabilize and maintain more two and three bedroom families that need that. So I am absolutely not in favor of that at all. and I am not even having a comfortable having this conversation without our Director of Housing and Office of Housing Stability as well in this conversation because we need to really consider I get from a Construction, and an infrastructure decision. But however, we need to figure out how this would impact things and what they've seen, what they're going to see, and what next year will represent.

I am not comfortable not including them in this as well with any decision-making policy that can go forward. And I don't support eliminating Inclusionary Zoning in certain ways. I know that I'm grateful for the conversation, but I'm not willing to have that without those directors present. Thank you.

Gesser-Clingan. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for the presentation. I know that it sounds like Some tweaks are worth considering. I stand with a colleague from Ward 3 that I definitely don't want to see different percentages in different parts of the city. And I also think it's cyclical to some degree. You know... One of the things I want to name is that basically even with the 110 AMI, I know people who turn down those units because when you start to add in all the other fees, like now the developers are having a water meter on the unit. As an individual unit, they have these service fees, which is like for trash and everything. So when they do the math, it usually comes out to be more money for them to take that apartment. So I know that there are issues. I hear that.

And I look forward to having those conversations and trying to tweak things in a way that works for Somerville and that keeps people in their homes in Somerville. One question I had, though, was that I missed some of the presentation. I went to the restroom, but I didn't hear you. At least I didn't see it in the recommendations anyway. Did you visit the demolition review ordinance at all? As far as our policies around the demolition review? I don't believe we did, no. I'm just curious, since I've been on the council, we extended it from a year to 18 months. Actually, we get a lot of criticism actually because people don't understand when a place is sitting dormant it's because it's under demolition review for a year and a half. I'm not saying I necessarily want to tweak that in the other way. I'm just curious where it fell into line with

You know, developers sort of desire or lack thereof to build in Somerville, like if you had encountered those type of demolition review ordinances in other cities.

I can't speak intelligently. I didn't do all the interviews, as Councilor mentioned. I had staff who also did a number of the interviews. So what I will commit to is going back and looking through our information and see what we learned about that and providing that to staff if there was commentary on that that we learned from folks and make sure that gets to you all as well. I just don't know it off the top of my head.

Okay, well again, thank you for the presentation, and yeah, I definitely don't like anything I'm hearing, and, you know, but... Obviously, we have to be able to adjust even if it's temporary. I just don't know what that looks like and what's going to work for our city. So those conversations will have to be had. Thank you.

So in the order that you previously spoke, I have Councilor Wilson on that point, and then we'll go back to Councilor Scherzer.

Okay?

Okay.

Yeah, thanks, Mr. President. To Councilor Clingan's question about the demolition review. So in the financial feasibility analysis report, so not in the presentation, but in that report, When they were in the key, basically looking at the barriers, the issues, it did talk about the historic preservation review as adding additional difficulties to that, which that's when you talk about demolition review. Yeah, it is cited in that report as one of the issues.

Thank you, Mr. President, and through you to our speaker. And I do think that 110%, 110% am I. I think there is room for tweaking it because in my first term I served on the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and I know that there were issues. filling those units back then and that was many those were that was three terms ago so I and and yeah exactly people they're essentially market rate Units, and why would anybody who's awarded a market rate unit, can afford a market rate unit, why would they I'm just concerned. that I don't want to pull the wrong thread on the sweater. That's what I'm scared about. So yes, we have to have this conversation.

I don't want to tweak things without a conversation, like I said, with the other directors, but yeah. I'll stop there.

Mr. Vice President, will you take the podium for a moment?

This isn't my stuff, but...

Chair Davis. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for the presentation. I just want to ask one question just sort of for my thinking about as we move forward and look at all of the different options that we have before us. Scott, and this slide particular, which I believe, Councilor Scott, you said was slide 12, for folks that have fallen along, there's one still up on the screen with the table with all the The rate of return and the return on cost being in the red, all but for Union Square, as the good councillor from Ward 2 noted. And as I look at that, it strikes me that, as I try to think of... and what might be behind that. There's a myriad of factors I would imagine. One of which I would think may be the zoning allowance. What is allowed to be built in those neighborhoods I would think has a significant impact and Union Square as we know is a significant portion of the square subject to

It was a master plan or a planned unit. It was one of the fancy zoning things. It's late enough that I've forgotten which one it was. The only other place where there is a similar zoning overlay that allows significant height and density is assembly. You have assembly... Group together with Brick Bottom and Inner Belt. So I wonder the degree to which the larger neighborhoods around it might be negating some of that factor. Maybe not. It's all purely just speculations. I'm trying to kind of understand the numbers. I know everyone's kind of freaking out right now because I'm like doing numbers and this is not my jam, but bear with me. We have been talking, this council has been talking for a number of months, years, and most recently in the last few months in the Land Use Committee about upzoning around transit hubs, around RT stations. Am I correct that, and I don't know exactly how the calculation would go, if it would be a hypothetical or, you know,

actually running numbers in a different scenario. If, let's take Davis Square, it's the neighborhood that I represent, that is the, Maximum height in Davis Square is four stories. That is the maximum height that was there before we did the zoning overhaul and it was very explicitly put in place to be a placeholder. So that we could get greater density bonuses and greater height into the zoning in exchange for community benefits, et cetera, et cetera. Lots of things have happened in the six years since then. We won't go into this sort of history. But am I right that another tool to unlock some of this might be to allow from the outset Higher building heights, greater density within these units. Would that change the analysis even without other changes to our IZ zoning?

So the answer to, Mr. President, to the question is as long as we're not exceeding five stories, yes. When you move from wood frame construction, which is up to five stories, into podium construction, where you go to six stories, the ground floor has to be concrete and steel by code. That creates another financial barrier because it costs more. And in a place where rents aren't premium, moving to podium construction or concrete steel construction isn't feasible. and so that can have a benefit if you're going from four to five or three to five that can have a benefit because you're staying within the same construction typology but you're allowing for greater development without additional ask. So my acquisition for that site, at least in the short term, will be competitive.

Two follow ups, Mr. President, if I may. So through you. My recollection is that we've been told that that number in terms of when you go from wood frame being no longer from an engineering standpoint, I guess practical, maybe it's a building code, with six stories and not five. So am I mistaken? The numbers that you're using is based on five stories?

Well, our understanding, and I'll have to go look it back, is generally five stories is to actually do straight wood frame. After that, you have to start adding a level of concrete and steel.

It's always possible that I've got it wrong. The other follow-up is... Is there a number, is there a height at which, based on the formulas that you use for these calculations, that that starts to come around again?

Not with the current rent potential you have in your community. The cost to do concrete and steel construction is greater than what I could charge for the rent for those units. Concrete and steel generally only works in extremely high revenue markets.

Davis, Cambridge Square, Back Bay, Seaport, those types of places.

Thanks, Mr. President. Yeah, on that point, we've been hearing all along that there's a point at which steel frame construction actually does start making Projects Viable, again, you know, 13, 12, wherever it is. The cost of steel going up, maybe that point is creeping higher. I was just going to bring up, you know, you all have heard me talk about Type 4 construction. Mass Timber, which is meant to fill that donut hole, basically, with projects. And I'm curious if y'all looked into Type 4 at all. I know it's new to Massachusetts relatively, about a year old in terms of our building code. But there's a lot of excitement for that. Cambridge just, they're starting a tall type four building there in Cambridge. And I'm curious if you looked into that.

Right, yes, we did. Based on the most recent information we looked at, type 4, the mass timber, cost differential to traditional concrete and steel isn't substantial. It is a little bit of a savings, but not enough to overcome The feasibility impacts of the current rent thresholds that we're experiencing most of Somerville.

Other questions? McLaughlin. All right. Would the clerk note that Councilor McLaughlin has joined us? And did a little bit ago. Noting that now. All right. Any further questions? Well, thank you for this. Always entertaining and very informative. We'll place this on file. Dr. Galagana, did you want to add something? I just want to share some closing comments. Oh, by all means. Go ahead. Thank you.

I appreciate this, Mr. President. This was a really productive conversation. I love the tone of your questions. That's partly what we were hoping for tonight. is to get your brains thinking about what the tradeoffs are, what are our values, what do we think is most important, and that will help us figure out what policies we want to move forward with. A lot has changed in the last five years since we last did these two studies, the housing needs assessment and the financial feasibility study. It's something that we're required to do every five years to make sure that our inclusionary ordinance makes sense in the current day. So this really starts the process. This is an important first step to really build our baseline of knowledge. and you can expect three things coming out of this. Number one, my team and all of my team went from economic development to housing stability, housing and planning are going to be trying to figure out

Work with you, work with the community in a public manner to find out what are the most important things based on the information that we have here and the The analysis that's been done and the model that Kyle's team has shared with us and given to us, we can model different scenarios of how we want to tinker with our inclusionary ordinance. My team, my entire team, is going to be working on that over the next couple months. And we'd love to have a community conversation, work closely with the council to figure out If there's something that we really want to aim for in redesigning and modifying our inclusionary ordinance for the next five years, and if there's something there, we want to work on it. We want to work with you to figure out how we can make our inclusionary ordinance more impactful moving forward. Number two, we have a number of projects in the community that are shovel-ready, but the finances don't quite work. And that is another thread that we want to explore over the next couple months.

Are there projects that we can jump start and get going if we looked at additional subsidy probably most realistically in the form of tax breaks like the strategy we used for 299 Broadway and similar to what we used in offering to induce transmedics to come to the city. Love to explore some specific projects and also use the model that RKG provide us. Working with the council, working with the community to see if there's something that makes sense. If there's a bargain we can strike in order to get some housing going, significant housing going over the next couple years. The third thread is our zoning team, Director Bartman. If you look online, we've already started posting a project page to look intensively at our 2019 zoning ordinance overhaul. to answer some of the questions that you're asking. Are there things that we can tweak?

Are there ways that we can streamline our process, not lose our values that we built into that process, but are there things that really aren't working Achieving the goals that we outlined back in 2019 are the things that we can strip away and not see any impact in terms of the quality of the projects and the kinds of things that we want our projects to help us with. So those are three separate work threads that I hope you will want to participate with us because we want to participate with you and with the public to try to make our process better. Make our inclusionary ordinance more impactful and to see if we can jumpstart some projects. So happy to, and I look forward to working with each of you in hopefully all three of those threads. Thanks. Councilor Clingan, did you have a question?

Quick question, comment, Mr. President, through you. So, I mean, when you look at When you look back at the, as you said, 2019 changes, when I think about 2019, I think about we allow for two units in NR, and then a couple years later, we then We recently, a year or two ago, increased it to three units. So are you able to look at it through the microscope of if there's been a jump since the new changes? Because overall my comment is like government tends to be slow. So if we start making these changes and it's cyclical and by the time we enact anything and now there's a build boom again and we're giving away everything, You know markets or whatever. I don't study these things, so I'm just relying on what you're telling us to some degree.

I guess you able to look at on the micro level is my question with regards to the some of the different tweaks that we've we've made from even since 2019 and whether or not it's had any impact in

There's two ways I'm thinking about this. I'm thinking about the inclusionary ordinance itself, and that's what this whole presentation and this whole study was about. Is it working? Is it achieving the goals that we set out in 2016 where we had the biggest change and then we had some modification to conclusionary in 2019? So that whole work, That's what Kyle presented tonight. When I'm talking about permit streamlining and looking at our ordinance and the way it functions and the process of the ordinance, not the different zoning Steele, and so on. So it's not just the designations throughout the city, but the process by which somebody needs to follow, like demolition delay. Are they achieving the goals that we set out? We created policies to achieve a goal. Our demolition delay was to ensure that we are preserving our historic assets and finding a way to keep those part of our community. Is it working the way we thought?

And are there some tweaks we can make that could quicken the process but still yield the same outcome? I think it's important for us to be reflective, and it's been six years since 2019. I think a lot of us, certainly looking at the campaign trail over the last year, recognize that we need to take a good hard look at all of our permitting processes. And we're in a place where we can do that. and that there's bandwidth because development's not booming like it was three or four years ago. Our planners have plenty of bandwidth to be able to really pop the hood and look at the engine and see how it's working.

Thank you, that's good to hear. I know that councilors here have been trying to up someone for a number of years. We had to get our own person. So that's why I was wondering, are you all going to be bringing forward policy ideas that we then discuss, or are you relying on us to bring those forward?

Well, you can look on the webpage. Dan's team is starting a process to engage with the public and to look internally to look at all of our processes, and we hope you're a part of that. and when we come up with some tweaks there are going to be some small tweaks that we'll bring to you and then we'll bring some probably more extensive Beyond Tweaks that we're going to present to you for discussion so that we and again we get involved the public as well too so there's probably going to be some sense of public engagement before proposals are ready for this body.

Thank you, Mr. President. That's all. Okay. Further discussion? Councilor Scott? Thank you, Mr. President. Just to that point, I want to appreciate what my colleague from Ward 4 had to say. Especially about examining the results, as our director says, examining the results of these changes, are they achieving the policy? I've actually been working with a constituent of mine to pull together exactly that data to show where the two family to three family once that affordability was removed. So I'd be happy to loop you in on that, sir. All right. Thank you.

All right, seeing no further discussion, that will be placed on file. Thank you. Thank you for your time. Hold it. Take it back from the file.

Anybody interested, if you do a Google search for Stephanie Hirsch, there's a Medium article, and then she links it to her Microsoft document page, and her housing hackathon that she had back in 2017 and 2018, There's still a lot of great ideas in there. It's a really good read. She was great.

That is all. All right. Thank you, Director. And thank you. That item is placed on file. And Councilor Burnley, you have someone here to speak still on item 9.5? I know it's dragged on a little bit here, but I don't want to make people wait longer if they are still here. They, through the chair, they are still here.

It's not I have it.

Yes, I misspoke. You became aware of the folks here and you raised it, so I appreciate you doing that. Would you like to ask somebody to speak on the item? So, Madam Clerk, if there's no objection, we'll take item 9.5 out of order.

Item 9.5 is the public communication from 52 registered voters. submitting a petition requesting a public hearing regarding out of the blue community art space at arts at the armory pursuant to section 2-11 of the city charter

Burnley. Thank you to the chair. This was a request for a public hearing related to ongoing issues at the armory. Really, it's years in the making and has come up before this council a number of times over my two terms. But I'd like to hear it more from people who've been more closely related to the issue. So firstly, there are two people here that wish to speak on this item. I'd like to sponsor David Jabinski to speak. Councillor Burnley would like to sponsor David Jabinski. Any objection?

Seeing none, please approach. And if you could just introduce yourself for the record so we can get through it.

Hi, I'm David Jubinski. This is my first time here. Never been here before. Hi, I'm David Jubinski. I live in Somerville. I'm a local musician, and I work at an entertainment arts venue in Somerville. I also helped Parma collect signatures on this petition. Do you all know Parma? Okay, good. If you know her like I do, she makes herself known. Parma has been a regular patron of my work for many years, but I just started learning about her eviction situation and the recent armory history this past year. As we all know, Parma is one of Somerville's most colorful bohemians, and bohemians can sometimes be storytellers. So I was initially doubtful of everything she was telling me regarding the recent armory history, the Armory Master Plan, and her eviction. I thought, this can't be accurate. She must be exaggerating. There must be another side to this story.

There's no way the city is acting in the way she's telling me. But as I went down the armory rabbit hole, and it was very much so a rabbit hole, everything she told me was verifiable. I truly believe that if this armory situation was not so confusing to the average Somervillian, we would be seeing a much more amplified response to what is going on. I don't pretend to understand all the inner workings of how certain decisions are made, but from the perspective of someone in the private arts entertainment industry, these city-led armory decisions come off as a bit clumsy, and I don't mean to be controversial, but Sometimes incompetent. And this eviction feels like the tip of the iceberg. I attended the Mayoral Arts Forum at Warehouse 11 on August 25th, and I listened to all three mayoral candidates discuss the importance of art and their promise to reduce displacement. The candidates seem to be in agreement that the city should work towards adding live work spaces.

At the forum, I learned all about the work that went into these studies and proposals in the Somerville Cultural Capacity Plan and the Displacement Task Force. All three candidates discussed their vision of making the Armory a leading arts hub. Mayor-elect Wilson admitted the city had been a bad landlord. During the forum, Wilson also indicated the city studies are not enough and we need to take more action. Talk is cheap, Wilson said. It is true that the current administration is criticized for being inactive. So it is confusing that when the city actually decides to take action, and make a meaningful impact in artist lives, it is to displace, it is to evict, and it is to eliminate artist housing. There is no way this eviction is representative of all the work that went into all those cultural studies and proposals. We are asking for help and advocacy for local artists.

During this past campaign season, Parma and I were working with Councilor Burnley on solutions to this issue. Had he won the election, Burnley indicated he could have potentially used executive action to keep Parma's apartment designated as artist housing. Is that true? Okay, good. I didn't want to put words in your mouth. I'm asking for Mayor-elect Wilson to consider the solution. Mayor-elect Wilson will take office in January, and Parma's eviction is set for February. Please do not let this eviction be the Somervillean artist's introduction to the new administration. Rather, let its reversal be the introduction to Mayor Wilson. and let this reversal snowball into an arts agenda that caters to local artists instead of an agenda that works against them. Thank you.

Thank you. Can I, while you're here, can I just, a clarification, just for the record, I think it's pretty clear, but the materials that were filed, the signatures, Don't mention a public hearing. No. They were submitted as a request to hold a public hearing. Is that correct?

That's correct.

Okay, so we've got that on the record, since if anyone's reading it, it doesn't actually say public hearing anywhere. We want to make sure we close that loop for the records. Very well. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Thank you, and I'd also like to sponsor John Jay to speak. All right, thank you.

Please introduce yourself for the record.

Hi.

Thank you, Willie. This too is my first time speaking at a council meeting. Hello, councilors. You all may have seen me around town. I lived in Somerville for about 10 years, and out of the blue, was one of the first art spaces that I partook in back when it was in Central Square. And it helped me. Get the notion to be creative. And I would be very sad for it to be evicted from Somerville, which I don't think it's going to be kicked out of Somerville. Yes, they're at the armory now. and they want to stay there and I hope that they can find a good home in this lovely city of the arts. I'm not a great speaker. I'm glad that I'm doing this now other than before the Summer of Upper Palestine group. Better than having to speak in front of everybody.

I second everything that my friend over here says. Good words of someone who's prepared. But I just hopefully that, like he said, Mr. Soon-to-be Mayor, that you can support and not kick the out-of-the-blue armory, or out-of-the-blue artillery out of the armory in the middle of winter. And if they can't stay there, at least find them a new home in one of the many empty spaces in Somerville. That would be great.

All right, could you just repeat your name clearly for the record so we can?

Yes, I'm John J. Pillmeyer. I work in Somerville. Unfortunately, I just moved to Cambridge, but hopefully that doesn't mean anything less. All right. Thank you. I do request that you take this to public hearing for the Out of the Blue Art Gallery and Parma Chattopadhyay and Steve Asaro. They deserve to speak the truth of what's happening to them. I believe from what I've heard from Parma, a good friend of mine, they have been treated unfairly at the armory by... I think I heard Tom Gallaghani, the current owner of the armory, which is also a city employee, which I don't know if that's legal or not. I don't know all the legalities. Are they allowed to own? What? The city owns it.

Okay, all the letters were all under his name, and I don't know, she told me that he owned it, but whatever. But I just hope she gets a public hearing.

All right. Well, we will. It is my intent to send this to committee for that purpose. I think Housing and Community Development, Councilor Strezo, does that sound like a good spot for it? All right. Very well. If you so choose. But I think that seems like the best committee for this one to go to. Have you seen any of the judges? All right. I think Housing and Community Development's probably, given the nature of the request, is probably what it is. Unless there's an objection? No? All right, so that is approved with a copy to Housing and Community Development. Thank you.

Yep. If I may, it won't be before the beginning of next year because it's too late to add it to the agenda, so let it be known.

All right. At least don't let them have to move in the middle of February, hopefully.

We will work on the scheduling. We'll see what we can figure out. We do have, unfortunately, given the nature of the time in the calendar, we are limited in our number of days that are left to work. We'll work on the calendar, see what we can do. Thank you. All right. Before we start tonight's meeting, let's take a quick break. We'll stay in recess for seven to nine minutes, or when enough people get back here that we can start again.

Thank you.

Thank you for watching!

Thank you.

The next order of business is item 4.1, an order by Councillor Davis that the Director of Infrastructure and Asset Management update this council on how the foundation at the Brown School is monitored, whether mitigation is required to address any concerns, and if so, the details of those mitigation plans.

This is an item that came up with the school committee. Seeing no discussion, that item is approved and with the copies to school buildings, facilities, and maintenance.

Item 4.2 was a communication by Councillor Davis in his capacity as president conveying this council's updated standing and special committee assignments and commission appointments for 2025.

That item is placed on file.

Item 4.3 is a resolution by Councilor Strezo that the administration and relevant city departments discuss the cost and work required to get the Founders Rink reopened and functioning.

Strezo.

Mm-hmm. Can you send this to Housing and Community Development Committee, please?

Approved with copy to Housing and Community Development.

Strezo, that the administration, the director of mobility, and the director of health and human services discuss the recent closure of the West Somerville community bike path bordering Cambridge and present a plan to address this closure.

Councilor Strezo.

I hand this Ward 7 work over to the Ward 7 counselor. It's all yours. Well, I have enjoyed stepping into the role as a Ward 7 counselor and taking on more work of Ward 7. I'm happy just being an at-large counselor and not having borders of where I like to be able to roam. However, this order... To our newly appointed Ward 7 Councilor, Emily Hardt. Yay! It was brought forward by neighbors that are very concerned now that the Cambridge Community Path is closed, Cambridge, Somerville, right on the west side of our city. And they're tossed around without very few answers.

of how this affects Somerville and their neighborhood. And residents are being, I'm sorry, bike path, I have not had any success. Getting concrete answers, I think we should discuss this in committee.

Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanted to thank you, Councilor Strezo, for working on this. And just to state my concerns with the situation, it does seem very dangerous. Bikes and pedestrians going where there's no sidewalk and there's no signage and there's no preparation for that kind of traffic. So I look forward to being able to address this.

Thank you, Mr. President. Also forgot, there's also, so there's numerous department directors that need to be discussing this as well. Want to point that out? The residents are also seeing an increase of needles. And because the bike path is closed off in that little pocket, there's as of yet to be heard any plan of how we're going to be addressing that. I had another point, but I forgot it. Anyhow, please send it to the committee. Thank you. Is this to go to Housing and Community Development? Yes, thank you.

So that item is approved for the copy to Housing and Community Development.

Item 4.7 is a communication by Councilor Strezo conveying concerns regarding the increasing costs to low-income pet owners and inviting community members to help solve concerns about pet food insecurity and the cost of veterinary care.

Thank you. If your SNAP benefits aren't coming in, how are you going to be able to feed your pet as well? I think we need to be talking about this. I think that owning a pet is becoming more and more of a class barrier, quite frankly. Vet bills are... Out of control and you can't even walk into a veterinary office without Plunking down hundreds of dollars sometimes, simply even just for a vet visit. Now when we talk about food and what animals can eat or etc., First off, our furry friends, our pets, are helpful with

Mental Health and provide support and love and need to be present and the idea of pet ownership should never be a class barrier. We have Tufts additionally and I would love one day to explore this as part of our pilot program. If we get some commitments that Tufts has a veterinary The program. Is there any way that we can partner with Tufts and they could provide student-led services for pet owners, low-income pet owners, In these times, for residents of Somerville, can we have this conversation? Can we talk about it? Now when we talk about food for pet ownership, Project Soup has some pet...

Pet Donations I'm also hearing of a few Like Stritches and Boobs and other pet stores in Somerville that are accepting donations for food. We need so much more. It's something I think that isn't considered when we talk about disparity and low income people in our city and we have to have this conversation. Yeah, I think it would be good to go to committee. I'm going to say equity because it's a very interestingly written order and I want to make sure the conversation is done properly.

All right. That item will be approved or actually just placed on file with a copy of the equity.

Item 4.9 is a resolution by Councilor Ewen-Campen requesting that the administration cooperate with this council to establish a water and sewer rate commission to establish water and sewer rates and to oversee abatements as is common in other Massachusetts cities.

Councilor Wilson would like to sign on. Councilor Ewen-Campen.

Thank you, Mr. President. Can we read the next item as well and take them up? Councilor Sait would like to sign on to that first item as well, too.

Got it. And item 4.10 is a resolution by Councilor Ewen-Campen in support of the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority committing additional resources to stormwater management.

and Kevin. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to note earlier today I spoke with Councilor Mbah, who would like to be added as a co-sponsor on the second item. So we have a massively important issue that is facing the council right now, and it's something I really do not think is getting enough attention, and I think has honestly been quite hard for people in the public to understand. and it is the issue of how we're going to fix sewage overflows into local rivers and specifically how we're going to pay for that. So I have two items on tonight's agenda. First, I want to talk about a resolution about paying. And then I have a second proposal on what I think is a better way for us to set water rates. So to talk about sewage and the costs. So as everyone here knows, we are undertaking a legally required process to come up with a proposal called the Long-Term Combined Sewer Overflow Plan.

This council has received many long, probably 200 or more PowerPoint slides from Director Raish, incredibly technical presentations about a series of infrastructure projects that are designed to address the fact that raw sewage after large storms goes into the rivers. Alewife, Mystic, Charles. The city, together with Cambridge, with the MWRA, is proposing a series of incredibly expensive massive infrastructure projects. that we will be legally required then to do. And I think honestly, a lot of people in the public, they know about the problem, but when they start hearing the details of these proposals, it's so technical and complex that people kind of throw their hands up. So I really wanna clarify this. and what I think the kind of message is. The deal is cities like Somerville are being put in a completely impossible situation. We are required to cover the lion's share of the costs of this infrastructure, of reducing sewage going into rivers.

The MWRA, that's the Mass Water Resources Association, they don't significantly contribute to stormwater issues, right? They handle clean drinking water, sewage treatment, Deer Island, but they don't pay for the storm water related, the sewage overflows, and so a huge percentage of that cost comes on to us. and the costs are astronomical. And what this means for the public, if you look at the plan that Director Raish gave to this council, there's a slide where he says we expect rate increases for water and sewer bills over the next five years annually 15 to 20 percent increases a year for five years minimum you can do the math that's basically tripling water bills in five years from where they are now which is already has been very difficult. So when I say I don't think that's going to happen, that's not like me making a threat of what I'm gonna do. I'm just describing a political reality that is not going to happen

There isn't a city council in the world that is going to voluntarily raise rates triple in five years and keep their seats. You do not have to be a political genius to understand that fact. So the issue is, even if we did magically get all that money to pay for this stuff, the plan is not even good enough. I know that colleagues have met with the river associations that actually work on this stuff. They are like fuming that because while these obviously make improvements, they do not eliminate sewage going into the alewife. They make it less frequent, but they don't eliminate it, and other rivers as well. So that's what I say, why I say it's an impossible situation, right? We're being asked to spend basically an impossible amount of money to burden ratepayers to do a project that's not even good enough. So what is the solution? I think it is extremely straightforward. The MWRA needs to pay more.

I think they need to get much more actively involved in funding this plan right now, the Alewife-Brooke plan, as well as more generally. So right now they're controlled by their enabling legislation set up in the 1980s that gives them very kind of strict guidelines on what they do and don't get involved is. And I personally think that that should be addressed. This is a state level action. But the issue is that the stormwater issues that cause the sewage overflows, they're not caused by Somerville alone. They happen regionally. across, you know, the storms don't care, the municipalities, right? The issue kind of in terms of just basic physics is controlled by this huge area. and the economies of scale, the kind of sharing the burden among all these communities needs to be controlled by some kind of regional authority. So the purpose of this resolution is just to drive home a really simple message and to clarify the ask.

We need the state to take action so that the MWRA steps up to help cover the costs of planning and building the stormwater and sewage overflow plan. Because right now we are just being put in a completely impossible situation and it is not going to end well. That is, I just hope that we can kind of simplify that message for the public. I'll take a pause before talking about the water rates.

Okay, Councilor Schultz would like to sign on, Councilor Sait would like to sign on, Councilor Burnley would like to sign on, Councilor Hardt, sign on or speak? Wilson, and the whole council. I have Councillor Ba, Councillor Clingan, We'll start there.

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you, Councilor Ewen-Campen, for that elaborate presentation. talking points about this because the way we've seen this, we've heard it loud and clear, even from the last presentation that we saw, It's pretty clear that we do not want water quality downgrade because the presentation, they went to the lowest and a section that they could possibly pull out. So MWRA has proposed a revision of the water quality standard to avoid making and a water quality standard downgrade will roll back decades of progress that has been made to clean up our rivers. So it means that more pollution and four times as much sewage by 2050 due to climate change.

So when just as you know the good councilor mentioned also so they presented unworkable alternatives. that the proposal to revise the water quality standard explain why the various proposals for the updated long-term CSO control plan are unworkable. and this were designed to be rejected for a number of reasons including level of control, cost, construction impacts to the resource area and community impacts. Such unworkable plans will support downgrading the water quality standard, permitting more raw sewage in our rivers. You cannot sit here and watch. If you look back, like 25-year level of storm control, that dimension that was needed, it's pretty clear that they will not even achieve that. So there's no need for a water quality downgrade because, like, GEP even would not even allow that.

So it would be really crazy if actually the analysis allowed that to happen. And the next thing, like the good Councilor Sait, is that we want MWRA to be able to pay for this. So the MWRI was created for the state legislature in 1984 to tackle the region's greatest environmental crisis, that is sewage pollution, sewer infrastructure failures, and decades of mismanagement. NWRA was empowered with a dedicated funding mechanism for infrastructure upgrades through sewer rate increases. For example, the Boston Harbor Cleanup was mostly paid with MWIA funding through rate increases. So those rate increases in the 80s and the 90s raised about $5 billion, funding historic improvement at the Deer Island Treatment Plant, reducing combined sewer overflows. So there's a precedence.

and it was actually created for the purpose of fixing the sewage pollution. That's why I repeated it on the floor and then wired it through unorthodox means. But the pollution problem in Boston Harbor If you see the Charles, the Mystic, the Alouette, Brooke are all part of that effort. Everybody's all into it. I'll wrap up my editorial here by saying like, MWRA's responsibility for the Alouette-Brooks sewer system, the two large interceptors, Allaway Brook Country that was built in 1948 and the Allaway Brook Branch Sewer built in 1896 belong to MWRA. So the Alois Brook Pump Station at Deer Boy Field is owned and operated by them as well. So according to their consultant, the regional sewer system simply cannot move this much sewage during storms.

When it rains, the Deer Island Treatment Plant reaches capacity. Chelsea Creek Headworks backs up. Then the Alleywide Brook pump station is overwhelmed. At that point, Ross away from Cambridge, Somerville discharges into the Alleywide Brook because he has nowhere else to go. So to wrap up, they can pay for this. There are millions of households in the Siwa communities and 35% of Siwa's flows from non-residential customers like businesses, restaurants that uses a lot of water. So MDRD funding projects using bonds with over 30 years Amortization Schedule at 5.25%. A billion dollar isn't so much money when you can split up among million customers. So I think we will be watching how this conversation unfolds, but I think we are all on the same page.

And the thing that puzzled me before I wrap up is the fact that Our Director, who is the Director of Infrastructure and Asset Management, is also the Chair of MWRA. So when Director Raich was presented, I wasn't sure if he was presented on behalf of the city or on behalf of MWRA. So it was a very interesting dynamic, but I think it would be nice to actually do that suppression. It means he recused himself because we don't know where his loyalty is, but I'll leave it there. Clingan.

Thank you, Mr. President. Through you, this is one of those problems that I feel like we inherited as a council. I mean, we did inherit it. I don't know when it started, though, historically. I hear the 80s in terms of whether this was sort of a similar move by government to Like the MDC, how the MDC used to be the MDC, then they became DCR and MassDOT. So when government starts making these big shifts, and making cuts and pushing costs back onto municipalities. As I said, we inherited this. I appreciate the leadership by Councilor Ewen-Campen because I've been sitting here for a number of years hoping and expecting that the city would, I don't know, maybe we weren't getting the banner that we were supposed to basically get together and push the state Delegation to, I don't know, undo the enacting legislation. I don't know what that does to the MWRA on a statewide scale.

Maybe they need to regionalize and like... I don't know. That's up to them to figure out. The bottom line is that it angered me when every time they would say, by the way, MWRA, they think we can actually pay more. Based on our income, the median income, we can actually afford to pay more. And as was said, These rate increases, I mean, we had a 30% increase with water 18%, sewer 12%. You know, we can't keep going like this. You know, the thing I want to say, so, you know, you talk to people that used to swim in the Mystic River over by the boathouse. So you talk to people, I used to, when I was a kid, it was still a little bit cleaner. I used to People used to fish. I used to fish in the Elway-Brook Parkway. I grew up in West Somerville for a time. And again, it's like all these 80s problems coming home to roost like similar to the Winter Hill schools.

This time of like austerity or whatever it was that we're now having to push on our rate payers and it's time to reverse that. It's time to Get, you know, Somerville does not have the money that Somervitz Neighbors does. And it's not even fair for them to have to pay. But I'm just saying, for Somerville, this is a huge burden. and so I appreciate you know like I said the flashing light must not have it sometimes that's what that's what it takes is one of us just play well why what why are we accepting this as like you know and I am From my point of view, I kind of thought, well, I feel like the city would be advocating and sort of pushing us. And maybe, again, maybe we weren't getting the red alert banner. I'm happy to support this and sign on, and I'm happy to support any efforts towards pushing the state delegation, Representative Barber and so on, or reversing this, enabling legislation, whatever we have to do. to make this right. So thank you for bringing this forward.

Appreciate it.

Thank you. One clarification, if I may, Councilor Mbah. A quick confirmation of my recollection is Director Raish serves as the chair of the Executive Committee of the MWA Advisory Board, which is a separate entity from the MWRA, as I understand it. just so there's no confusion there. We can certainly ask him for some clarification next time he's before us. Do we want these to go to committee? We want to leave them until the next item, place them on file until the next item comes up? Clingan.

So through you to Councilor Ewen-Campen, have you talked to the state delegation at all? I mean, it must have been, I have to think, Senator Jalen or somebody, this has to have come up or, you know, Is there any legislation in the works that we can support through a resolution at the state level?

Mr. President, through you, we are very lucky that Representative Barber is actually the chair of the relevant committee. I haven't had in-depth conversations and you know I'm not sure that I should be the one to have those conversations but I think our delegation is very informed on these issues and you know we should I certainly hope that we have these kind of move forward with some urgency now.

Do we send something to the state delegation? A copy of something?

Mr. President, the resolution asks for a copy to be sent to the delegation.

Bonn. Yes, to you, Mr. President, I think we should also send a copy to Finance because we already have a CSO in Finance right now, so we can just take both up together.

Any objection? All right. A copy will be sent to the state delegation as per the text of the resolution. Those items will both be approved with a copy to finance.

And Mr. President, if it's all right, I would like to speak on the Water Rate Commission as well.

Go right ahead. So let me correct myself. The first item on... Or a second item, I guess. Stormwater management will be approved for copy finance. Councilor McCampen, back to you on item 4.9.

Thank you, Mr. President. On the subject of rate increases, I have always been really mystified by the process by which the City Council is asked to approve the water rates. As far as I can tell, it is designed by a maniacal sadist. It is like the very last night The City Council is the angriest and most exhausted and most fed up of the entire year. and then were asked to approve a giant rate increase or face some horrifically bad outcome. I did learn it was actually set up by Bill White Maniac, actually one of my favorite Somervillians of all time, but regardless. I have learned. Many municipalities in Massachusetts have settled on a different way. There are many municipalities that have an appointed water and sewer commission, appointed by the mayor and or the city council, obviously with approval, confirmation by the council, These would be people who are subject matter experts.

who understand legal obligations that the city has taken, understand the rate burdens that the residents are facing, and then actually have the time and the expertise to discuss this and kind of do this in what I would hope is a with enough time to really think about it. So I have begun to look into the process of actually formally proposing this and it seems the reason I have a resolution tonight is because it seems like it's probably more than a simple ordinance. I've been working with Brendan, city council staff, It might involve a new administrative code under our new charter. While we're working with the solicitor's office to figure out the nuts and bolts, I just wanted to raise this issue because, honestly, it was news to me that there is another way, and I just want to kind of... Raise this issue. If there's feedback from colleagues, I very much welcome it.

Thank you, Mr. President. I'm open to this idea. I think it sounds Like a much better idea, except you did say that there would be council oversight, but it would be appointed by the mayor's office. I'm just curious. Wondering if people would... Because under the current system, we're pressured because they say, well, we need money to do this project, these infrastructure projects, and that's usually the basis of how we... How were the guns put to our head to decide these things? So the perception might be that if they're just continuing to do these increases essentially at the behest of the mayor, you know I would just be thinking that but since you did say that and I'd be curious to have the conversation of how it happens in other communities

appointment definitely sounds better than elected for sure um so yeah interesting topic interesting conversation definitely It's worth exploring and I share your sentiments about the council being the ones that are on the hook for this, but I have some reservations.

Pat. Yeah, no, thank you, Mr. President. I think this is an excellent idea. Just having like another layer, you know, before us to actually review this stuff. The technocrats, people understand also have a background in it. It's helpful for us. So this is, for me, this is like a really no-brainer, but I don't know why I would never thought about this. It's very helpful to have, because they will still come to us. We define our approval. for the increases but having another layer, it's like you can't beat that. Thank you.

All right, that item is approved. Councilor Campen, when we figure out what the next step is, we can submit a new item. All right, very well. Next item, Madam Clerk.

Item 4.11 is an order by Councillors Mbah and Sait that the Director of Engineering and Director of Mobility coordinate to install a traffic light at the intersection of Benton Road and Highland Avenue to prevent fatalities.

That item is approved.

Yeah, just to say this is not just another random order. This is actually visited. I was like doing just a little... I was at the Amore, saw like one of the sisters that live around there. And just observing like the dynamics, she literally said she... Got hit. This is not a near miss. This is somebody that got hit three years ago. I was like, wow. It's like, how did that happen? She's like, oh, when people are trying, the cars are trying to turn left, They're only looking at cars. They don't think about people crossing the street. So I think it should actually be looked at. It should be a priority item that should be looked at. You know, thank you. Okay, that item is approved.

Councilor Tse, did you want to speak on that?

3, Mr. President to Councilor Mbah, would you like to have this sent to Traffic and Parking to keep track of it or just approved?

Thank you, Councilor Zay. Traffic and Parking. Okay, approved with a copy of Traffic and Parking.

Item 4.12 is a communication by Councilor Mbah conveying a report of the Job Creation and Retention Trust Fund.

Thank you, Mr. President. You guys are going to be hearing my voice a lot today. So we met this job creation and retention trust met on October 27th. They took actions to commit funds to two in eight extensions of new existing programs. And the first was under the new programs, you know, under the category of the good municipal jobs. They involved $200,000 to Somerville Center for Adult Learning that scale to train workers for City Facilities Maintenance Position, and then $200,000 to the Somerville Community Corporation to train workers In building construction skills, existing city employees as well as new applicants can apply for this enhanced skills training. Second, in response to an RFP, the existing contractors have proposed extension of their programs and the trustees have chosen to fund it.

They will total $914,000. This includes programs of Bunker Hill Community College, Skilled Cars, Mass Hire, Metro-North Workforce Board, They involve eight English learnings linked to specific industry, technical training, career counseling, and preparation for work and specific sector technical training. At the same time, these new and extended programs will get underway. Two successful programs have finished. First was the healthcare jobs training program of scale that has prepared trainees to take the nursing certification exam. 60 candidates have passed the exam as of August. Three were already employed and several others interviewing for jobs. I think this is remarkable. And in this other program that disappeared that I mentioned,

During this appropriation of funds, the post-secondary success program run by the Somerville High School counselors has been assisting and providing mentors after graduation for 90 former students. 30 each year for 2023 fiscal year 2024 and 2025. These graduates are now either in college or in technical and career training. Unfortunately, because the upper grant monies have finished The program has come to an end at the end of October, so no reapplication was made because the trust is also running short in linkage revenue. So a revival of this high school program could take place outside of the trust because some of these programs are even funded through the general funds in Cambridge and in Boston. So I hope that, you know, through this Sturdy of our stabilization accounts, we can find alternative funding to continue this program.

I hope, I wish That a new mayor is listening right here, you know, will kind of like jump back and take this program on. May this report be accepted as submitted, Mr. President.

Okay. Thank you, Councilor Mbah. That item is placed on file.

Item 4.13 is an ordinance by Councilor Wilson amending Chapter 8, Article 3 of the Code of Ordinances pertaining to secondhand dealer licenses.

Councilor Wilson. Mr. President, after hearing from a Somerville business owner this fall about a really frustrating experience trying to navigate the licensing process, I spoke to our legislative and policy analyst about this. He and our licensing operations manager were extremely helpful in putting together the proposed ordinance that's before you here. We believe fixes that unclear language in our code of ordinances. I'll ask that this be sent to Legislative Matters for you all to do your thing. All right.

Refer to Legislative Matters.

Item 4.14 is an order by Councilor Wilson that the Director of Inspectional Services update this Council on the Rodent Hormonal Birth Control Program being jointly piloted with the City of Cambridge.

Wilson. Mr. President, just send this one to Rodent Issues, please, for our agenda. That item is approved with a copy to Rodent Issues.

The next item then is item 6B, a report of the Committee on Land Use, meeting in joint session with the Redevelopment Authority on November 6th, 2025.

Council McLaughlin.

Thank you, Mr. President. We did meet. We had a good public hearing. The records are there. I submit the committee report to be accepted.

Any discussion on the committee report? Seeing none, that is accepted as submitted.

Item 6C is a report of the Committee on Licenses and Permits, meeting on November 12, 2025.

Thank you. Through the chair, we met yesterday for approximately 15 minutes to discuss a single item. Proposed by Comcast, who did not show up. So if you're listening, Comcast, please show up next time. The item will remain in committee until you do. And with that, I'd like for the report to be accepted as submitted. Thank you, Councillor Burnley.

Seeing no discussion, that is accepted as submitted.

Item 6D is a report of the Committee on Public Health and Public Safety, meeting on October 30th, 2025. Councillor McLaughlin.

We had another great meeting that day. I encourage you all to check out the minutes. I submit the committee report to be accepted. Any discussion on the committee report? Seeing none, that is approved.

Item 6E is a report of the Special Committee on School Building Facilities and Maintenance, meeting on October 28th, 2025. Councillor Clingan.

Thank you, Mr. President. Through you, we had also had a great meeting. The video is online. I ask that this report be accepted as submitted.

Discussion on the committee report? Seeing none, that is approved.

Item 6F is a report of the Committee on Traffic and Parking, meeting on October 27, 2025.

Thank you, Mr. President. We took up multiple items related to autonomous vehicle testing. We discussed whether to ban or restrict autonomous vehicle testing locally. We learned from the law department staff that at the present time it is permissible to ban autonomous vehicle testing locally. However, there is a pending legislation at the state and Federal levels which would prevent banning it. Staff added that if a locality imposed a ban, it would be challenged in court. If those are the highlights of the meeting, I request that the report be accepted as submitted.

All right, thank you. Any discussion? All right, seeing none, that is accepted. Approved.

Item 7.1 is a request of the Mayor requesting ordainment of an amendment to Section 2-09.9 and 2-09.10 of the Code of Ordinances to clarify term length and appointment process for the Community Preservation Committee.

All right, that is, Councilor, just... Sending it to Legislative Matters. That'll be referred to as Legislative Matters.

Item 7.2. is a request of the mayor requesting approval of a pedestrian access easement and grant of a maintenance license for 495 Columbia Street.

All right, that'll be referred to finance.

Item 7.5.

Mr. President, sorry, I missed my cue here. I'll ask that you waive the readings of items 7-5 to 7-8, 7-10 and 7-11, 7-13 to 7-18, and 10-4, and ask that these be sent to Finance.

All right, seeing no objection, those items are sent to finance.

Item 7.9 is a request of the mayor, requesting approval to retain McAfee and Nice LLC as outside legal counsel with respect to employment matters relating to immigration status.

Do you want to speak on this item? Are we just here for questions?

Yes, thank you, Mr. President. The administration would like to have this item for immediate consideration. We should have a solicitor, Matt Sergue, on the remote to answer any questions and speak on this item. Thank you.

Any questions on the item? Council Burnley?

Thank you. Question and context. Through you, it's my recollection that... Councilor, let me go.

Can we confirm that we have... Okay, good, good. Go ahead, Councilor. I want to make sure we had someone hearing your question.

Yeah, I just also was hearing something else. What is that? Through you, it's my recollection that we currently have a contract for these services, but it expires next year or next upcoming fiscal year. if I'm remembering right. Is that correct? Can you get to one?

What is that?

Council President, through your contract with whom?

Hold, please. We're working through some technical difficulties. We have a representative from the law office participating remotely, so I want to make sure that he can both hear the question and respond.

Sorry, can you hear me now?

We can hear you now.

Thank you. Go ahead. Do you hear the question? Oh, excellent.

Sorry.

This is a new contract for a new outside council.

To the chair, correct. My question was the current contract is expiring next year. Is that information that you have? I would just want to get that as a baseline.

President, we are requesting approval for a one-year contract, yes, but this is a new outside immigration attorney we're seeking to retain. to provide services for the first time given the complexity and the changes we're frequently seeing at the federal level in this area.

Through the chair, thank you. Yes, understanding that. I'm just gonna leave my context as I stated, because I'm pretty sure my recollection is correct. We have a contract with another vendor Currently, it is set to expire. I've tried to mention that a few times this year because to the point of this item, I think it is really important that we ensure that these services are ongoing, that there are no gaps. Because these are the services provided through the Immigration Legal Services Stabilization Fund that this council created. that are meant to support our neighbors when they face deportation hearings or any immigration type hearings.

And with that context, I understand why the administration would want to move quickly on this and try to get this approved without delay, particularly at the end of year. Just want to provide that context for the public and say I'm in support of this item. Okay. Any further questions or discussion?

All right. Seeing none, then that item is approved.

The next item then will be item 7.19.

Mr. President, thank you for recognizing me. I would like to waive the readings of items 719 to 725 and refer those to confirmation of appointments.

19 to 25. I see no objection. Those are referred to confirmation of appointments.

Item 7.26 is a request of the mayor requesting confirmation of the appointment of Rona Fishman to the Community Preservation Committee.

Councilor Ewen-Campen? I would like to move for approval. Any discussion? Seeing no objection, that item is approved.

Item 7.27 is a request of the mayor requesting approval of an exemption for Marco McElhenney as required by MGL Chapter 268A, Section 20B.

We've seen a few of these. Any questions? No? All right. Seeing none, that item is approved.

Item 7.28 is a communication of the mayor conveying the appointment of Charles McGonigal and the reappointment of Darcy Hanna and Cindy Lee to the Municipal Scholarship Committee.

That item is placed on file.

Item 8.1 is an officer's communication from the city clerk submitting an amendment to the rules of the city council to align with the provisions of the city charter.

Let's send that to rules. Or to legislative matters. Is it something we want in, yeah. If it's something we want done by January, let's send it to them. That makes sense. We got this one.

Item 8.2 is an officer's communication from the city clerk conveying block party licenses.

Block parties! If you're not on the list and you haven't had a block party yet, call the clerk's office and find out how to do block parties because they're great. That item is placed on file.

Item 8.3 is an officer's communication from the Retirement Board notifying this council of the declaration of Thomas Ross as the fourth member. That item is placed on file. Item 9.1.

Yes, I'd like to move that items 9.1 through 9.4 be approved with the readings waived. and I'll come back for the other ones with further context.

Okay, so it's 9.1 to 9.4. A few events coming up. Seeing no objection, those are approved.

Item 9.6 is a public communication from Crystal Huff submitting comments regarding food access.

That item is placed on file.

Item 10.3 is an order by Councilor Sait that the Director of Mobility install a blue bike station at Junction Park.

That item will be laid on the table.

Mr. President, I would like to send this item to traffic and parking.

Send it to traffic and parking? Okay, it'll be then duly noticed in committee when it comes up so we can send it to traffic and parking.

Item 10.5 is the request of the Mayor, requesting the appropriation of $67,000 from free cash to the Executive Department Special Items Account for Mayoral Transition Expenditures.

Wait, did we already do 10.4?

Mr. President, can I just say, checked with the Law Department, who checked with the State Ethics Commission, I do not need to recuse myself from this.

All right, so the administration, because this is a very time-sensitive issue, the administration has asked that it be actioned on this evening. I chatted with the law department about that. Move to approve. I have a motion to approve. Any discussion?

Up to the mayor-elect. You're welcome.

No. All right. That item is approved.

Mr. President, can I move for reconsideration in hopes that it fails?

Councilor Wilson moves for reconsideration in the hopes that reconsideration fails. Anyone wish to change their vote? Seeing none, reconsideration is failed.

The next item is item 10.6, an officer's communication from the Executive Director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, conveying a summary of community benefits funds.

That'll be laid on the table. Will it be linked to that item? It is. It's linked to that item. All right. Then people will find it and do course so we can place that one on file.

Item 10.

Sorry, did I miss something?

Okay. Item 10.7 is a new used car dealer license for Union Square Auto Sales at 39 Webster Avenue, 20 vehicles outside.

We can LMP please. Send that to the license permits.

Item 10.8.

Burnley.

Just for clarification, for 10.8 through 10.10, are we allowed to approve them? Do they need to be held down? Is there a difference?

Thank you, Councillor Burnley. I did discuss this with the Law Department today since we were having the conversation. These are all events that are coming up very quickly, and so they expressed that that was not a significant concern if we decided to move forward on those this evening.

Then I move that items 10.8 through 10.10 have their readings waived and are approved. I see no objection. Those items are approved.

And that brings us to the end of the agenda, Mr. President.

Are there any late items? I see no further items before this council all right thank you everyone with that Councillor Hardt moves to adjourn we are adjourned