Finance Committee

October 7, 2025
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Meeting Minutes of the Finance Committee of the Somerville City Council

Governing Body: Finance Committee of the Somerville City Council Meeting Type: Committee Meeting Meeting Date: Tuesday, October 7th, 2025 Attendees:

  • Jake Wilson, Councilor-at-Large and Finance Committee Chair
  • Will Mbah, Councilor
  • Willie Burnley, Councilor
  • Jesse Clingan, Councilor
  • J.T. Scott, Councilor

Executive Summary: The Finance Committee convened to address a 16-item agenda, prioritizing an appropriation from the Transportation Network Company Special Revenue Fund for Vision Zero Safety efforts. Key discussions included contract extensions, salary adjustments for the municipal hearing officer, and the approval of prior year invoices for the Department of Public Works. The committee also deliberated on a grant for post-overdose support and 911 training costs for the Police Department, and a significant discussion was held regarding the city's stabilization accounts, prompted by a councilor's order and a detailed public submission.

1. Approval of Minutes of the Finance Committee Meeting of September 23rd, 2025 (ID 25-1511)

  • Discussion: No discussion.
  • Outcome: Item laid on the table to recommend approval with a single vote at the end of the meeting.

8. Mayor Requesting the Appropriation of $240,664.10 from the Transportation Network Company Special Revenue Fund for the FY2026 Vision Zero Safety Efforts (ID 25-1449)

  • Presenter: Brad Rawson, Director of Mobility.
  • Key Discussion Points:
    • Funds originate from a 10-cent surcharge per ride-hailing trip (Uber/Lyft) starting in Somerville, as mandated by state law.
    • Funds are intended to mitigate negative impacts of the ride-hailing industry.
    • Typical uses include design and engineering for safe streets projects, planning/data collection, and project implementation (e.g., flex post purchases, pavement markings).
    • This appropriation brings the city current for all ride-hailing trips in calendar year 2024, with the state typically disbursing funds 15 months behind.
    • Councilor Mbah inquired if these funds offset Capital Improvement Project (CIP) costs or supplement existing budgets.
    • Director Rawson clarified that these funds are supplemental and additive, primarily supporting the quick-build program, which is not typically covered by the operating budget.
  • Outcome: Item laid on the table to recommend approval.

2. Mayor Requesting Approval to Extend and Amend a Contract with City Hall Systems for an Additional Two Years Until December 17, 2027, for Online Bill Payment Services (ID 25-1462)

  • Key Discussion Points:
    • Councilor Mbah questioned if the contract renewal would incur additional costs for the city.
    • The administration representative stated that the amendment primarily concerns the extension date, with no other changes to conditions. The compensation to the third-party provider is believed to be primarily through service fees, not direct payments from the city.
    • Councilor Mbah raised concerns about the potential for a large contract renewal without a new procurement process if additional city funds were required, given the rapid changes in technology.
    • The administration committed to clarifying whether the renewal requires additional city payments and to provide this information to the committee.
  • Outcome: Item laid on the table to recommend approval, pending clarification on financial implications.

4. Mayor Requesting Approval to Use Available Funds in the Law Department Personal Services Accounts in the Amount of $6,296.88 to Increase the Annual Salary of the Municipal Hearing Officer (ID 25-1494)

  • Presenter: Cindy Amaro, City Solicitor.
  • Key Discussion Points:
    • The request is to increase the stipend for the current municipal hearing officer, Bill Roche, to continue his service through December 2025, as the city seeks a replacement.
    • The funds are available within the Law Department's budget and require a transfer between personnel lines.
    • The increase is for $500 per month for September, October, November, and December.
    • Councilor Scott confirmed that the position is a stipend, not a salary established in the city's salary ordinance.
    • The intent is to transition the payment structure from a stipend to an hourly rate for the future municipal hearing officer.
  • Outcome: Item laid on the table to recommend approval.

5. Mayor Requesting Approval to Pay Prior Year Invoices Totaling $121,818.23 Using Available Funds and Various Department of Public Works Accounts for Various Services (ID 25-1479)

  • Presenters: Jill Latham, DPW Commissioner; Danielle Palazzo, Deputy Director of Finance, DPW; Ben Waldrop, Superintendent, DPW.
  • Key Discussion Points:
    • Net Metering Accounts: $116,618.10 requested for FY25 invoices from Sunwealth Power, Greenbacker, and Select Energy Leasy. These invoices are difficult to forecast due to solar dependency.
    • Verizon Fleet Tracking System: $2,124.13 requested to cover a shortfall in an open purchase order for FY25.
    • Always Green (Grounds Vendor): $3,075 requested for off-contract expenses due to a contract expiration gap.
    • Stanley Tree (Tree Trimming): $22,500 requested to cover exceeding the Year 1 contract value for extensive trimming in Ward 1 and to complete trims in Ward 2. The total annual contract for Stanley Tree is approximately $444,000.
    • Councilor Scott noted the large size of the Stanley Tree contract and expressed hope for increased internal capacity for groundskeeping in the future.
    • Councilor Mbah advocated for quick approval of invoices, stating they should be paid promptly.
    • Superintendent Waldrop explained that the overspending on grounds contracts was due to the timing of the fiscal year end coinciding with the peak season for grounds work.
  • Outcome: Item laid on the table to recommend approval.

6. Mayor Requesting Approval to Pay Prior Year Invoices (Small Dollar Figures) (ID 25-1480, ID 25-1481, ID 25-1482)

  • Discussion: These three items, representing small dollar figure prior invoices, were taken up together without individual readings. No discussion.
  • Outcome: Items laid on the table to recommend approval.

9. Mayor Requesting Approval to Appropriate $100,000 from the Encore Artist and Cultural Support Stabilization Fund to Support Local Cultural Council Grants to Artists, Organizations, and Schools (ID 25-1459)

  • Key Discussion Points:
    • Councilor Mbah inquired if the Encore Artist grant is an annual allocation or a final payment from the Casino Community Benefits Agreement.
    • Legislative Liaison Hunter initially stated that the city has received these funds in past years but was unsure about future certainty or an end date to the agreement.
    • Update (provided later in the meeting): Legislative Liaison Hunter confirmed with staff that the agreement with Encore provides an annual allotment of $100,000 for the arts fund portion, for as long as the casino is in operation.
  • Outcome: Item laid on the table to recommend approval.

11. Mayor Requesting Approval to Accept and Expend a $10,000 Grant with No New Match Required from the Fenway Community Health Center to the Police Department for Post Overdose Support (ID 25-1418)

  • Presenter: Emily Wisdom, Director, Police Department.
  • Key Discussion Points:
    • This is an annual SOAR grant, a subrecipient award from Fenway Community Health Center.
    • Funds are used for outreach and follow-up on behavioral health issues, training for community and law enforcement on overdose awareness, and jail diversion.
    • The $10,000 grant is primarily used for programmatic expenses, supplies, pamphlets, and minimal overtime for officers. It supplements other grants like CITT and jail diversion.
    • Councilor Mbah asked about the number of individuals served and the availability of other funds. Director Wisdom explained the grant's supplementary nature.
    • Councilor Burnley inquired about coordination with other departments (e.g., Fire, HHS) for direct services. Director Wisdom offered to investigate potential parallel or adjacent programs.
  • Outcome: Item laid on the table to recommend approval.

12. Mayor Requesting Approval to Accept and Expend a $155,278.38 Grant with No New Match Required from the Massachusetts State 911 Department to the Police Department for Training Costs for 911 Certification (ID 25-1408)

13. Mayor Requesting Approval to Accept and Expend a Grant from the Massachusetts State 911 Department to the Police Department for Personnel Costs for 911 Certification (ID 25-1409)

14. Mayor Requesting Approval to Accept and Expend a Grant from the Massachusetts State 911 Department to the Police Department for a Contract with Cataldo for Emergency Dispatch Services (ID 25-1410)

  • Presenter: Emily Wisdom, Director, Police Department.
  • Key Discussion Points:
    • These three grants are received annually from the Massachusetts State 911 Department.
    • ID 25-1408 (Training Costs): Covers overtime for 911 operators to attend certification training off-duty and vendor costs for certification.
    • ID 25-1409 (Personnel Costs): Provides funds to cover personnel costs related to 911 services.
    • ID 25-1410 (Cataldo Contract): Funds a contract with Cataldo, making them the primary emergency dispatch service for urgent 911 calls.
  • Outcome: Items laid on the table to recommend approval.

15. Order by Councilor Mbah that the Director of Finance Provide a Comprehensive Accounting of All Stabilization Accounts that Have Remained Unspent for Three or More Fiscal Years and Provide a Report for Each Fund (ID 25-1344)

16. Communication from William Valletta Regarding Stabilization Accounts (ID 25-1514)

  • Key Discussion Points:
    • Councilor Mbah commended the Director of Finance's report, which identified approximately $256,000 in unused funds that could be repurposed.
    • Councilor Mbah highlighted the presence of significant funds (e.g., $4 million in a GLX account) in stabilization accounts for projects that no longer exist or are completed. He questioned the process for repurposing these funds and the rationale for the city's high stabilization fund percentage (32%) compared to other communities.
    • Legislative Liaison Hunter stated that Director Bean is available for direct conversation and that the Finance Department is actively reviewing these funds for repurposing. Items regarding the creation of new stabilization funds are expected before the council. All stabilization fund appropriations and repurposing require council approval and must have a designated purpose.
    • Chair Wilson acknowledged William Valletta's extensive communication (ID 25-1514) and invited him to speak. Due to technical difficulties, Mr. Valletta was unable to speak directly.
    • Chair Wilson summarized key recommendations from Mr. Valletta's communication:
      • Standardize inventory and tracking of all stabilization, reserve, and trust accounts, including purpose, origin, and legal obligations.
      • Set target balances (percentage of budget or dollar cap) for each fund.
      • Establish procedures for returning or repurposing excess funds.
      • Periodically review accounts (annually or biennially) to identify stagnant or dormant funds.
      • Define processes for closing or reallocating balances from obsolete accounts to high-priority areas.
      • Improve transparency by publishing full account details, possibly via a public dashboard.
    • Councilor Clingan expressed interest in understanding the specific projects associated with various stabilization funds (e.g., Alpine Street stabilization) and the mechanisms for recycling money for different purposes, especially as financial times become tougher.
    • Councilor Scott expressed appreciation for Mr. Valletta's work and the potential for deploying these funds.
    • Councilor Mbah reiterated his satisfaction with the discussion and the commitment to follow up with Director Bean.
  • Outcome: Items marked as work completed, with a commitment for Councilor Mbah to follow up with Director Bean for further offline discussion.

Batch Vote on Items Laid on the Table for Approval: A joint motion was made to approve agenda items 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 14, and to adjourn the meeting.

  • Roll Call Vote:
    • Councilor Mbah: Yes
    • Councilor Burnley: Yes
    • Councilor Clingan: Yes
    • Councilor Scott: Yes
    • Councilor Wilson: Yes
  • Outcome: Agenda items 1-14 are approved (5-0-0).

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned.

Last updated: Oct 11, 2025

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