Alright, folks, please have a seat.

Quiet town, so we get the meeting started, please.

Thank you.

Thank you.

This is a meeting of the city council.

It is Tuesday, September.

November 25th.

Please silence in the room.

Thank you.

My name is Lance Davis.

I use he, him pronouns.

Uh as I said, it was it is November 25th.

Um please note that a video and audio of this meeting is being recorded and maybe shown live on local uh local access government channels and on the City of Sumber website, and will be available for future review.

With the clerk please call the roll.

This is roll call.

Counselor Hart.

Present.

Councilor Wilson.

Present.

Councillor Ewan Campin.

Here.

Counselor Scott.

Present.

Counselor McLaughlin.

Yeah.

Councillor Burnley.

Present.

Counselor Saeed.

Here.

Councillor Strezzo.

Present.

Counselor Klingon.

Present.

Counselor Mbaugh.

President.

Councillor Davis.

Here.

With all counselors present, we have a quorum.

Thank you.

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.

We begin our meetings with a moment of silence.

Are there counselors wishing to say a few words about members of our communities tonight?

All right, seeing none.

Would everyone in the chamber please rise as you are able for a moment of silence?

Thank you.

All right, Madam Clerk, first item.

Item 1.3 is the approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of October 23rd, 2025.

Any discussion?

All right, seeing none, that item is approved.

Item 3.1 is a grant application from EverSource to install a total of 10 feet of conduit in Harvard Street from utility poll 163 over one to a point of pickup at 25 Atherton Street.

Alright, I now declare this public hearing to be open.

Is there anyone here to speak on the item?

Jackie Duffy.

Hi, Jackie Duffy Everstorce.

We'd like to install 10 feet of conduit in Havid Street.

This is to provide electric service to an EV chagging station at 25 Atherton Street.

Okay, thank you.

Is there anyone else wishing to speak on this item?

If you're online, please use the raise hand icon.

All right.

Uh seeing no one else, I declare the public hearing to be closed.

Um is there any discussions?

All right, seeing none, that item is approved.

Thank you.

I now declare this public hearing to be open.

Is there anyone here to speak on the item?

Jackie Deff.

Jackie Deffy, have a source.

We'd like to install approximately 28 feet of Clando which an Indian Air to provide electric service to eight Indiana Ave.

It's an upgrade of the service.

All right, is there anyone else to speak on the item?

Please speak to speak your name for the record.

Go ahead.

Crystal Huff, Word 5.

But I do a lot of work with Mammoth, which is around the corner from this address at Connection when we work with connection.

Um I wanted to speak.

Just come a little closer to the mic so folks at home can hear you.

Thanks.

And the mask.

That's perfect.

Eight Indiana Avenue is around the corner from connection, and we don't actually know if it's the same pickup or the same like specific area for connection.

But connection has been experiencing brownouts and blackouts, particularly whenever it rains really heavily.

And uh I wanted to highlight this issue as an important community issue.

The barbershop and a couple of the restaurants in the same area experience the same thing, but I don't know who they've been trying to report it to or how it's been followed up on.

And with everything of all of the everything, I just wanted to highlight the issue with regard to this address.

Okay, thank you.

Is there anyone else uh here to speak on this item?

Use the raised hand signal if you're online.

All right, seeing no more hands.

I declare the public hearing to be closed.

Any discussion?

Councilor McLaughlin.

Yeah, Mr.

President, just so um for the notification.

There was a last week there was some utility work being done on that street and uh wire was accidentally cut, so there was a home without electricity for a few days.

Uh so Ms.

Duffy can correct me, but I believe that's what this is for.

So hopefully it's an improvement to electricity for the whole area.

Okay, thank you.

Um Ms.

Duffy, can you speak to uh first the the concerns that were raised by the member of the public here about um brownhouse in that area, whether they might be related to um what's uh what's being proposed, and also just confirm yes or no, whether the or more nuanced answer if um what uh council McGlauffin noted was uh uh you know specifically what we're looking to do here.

Can we get Jackie Duffy back?

Um in the chamber so we can hear it it was causing the brownups at the barber shop and every time.

Hey, Jackie, sorry, we just got you back in the chamber.

Would you mind just starting your answer again?

I apologize for that.

Jackie.

Yep.

Um can you hear me?

Yes, we we can hear you.

Could you could you repeat your answer, please?

We didn't get it the first time.

Can you hear me now?

We can.

Okay.

Um to Matt's question to Matt's comment.

I'm not sure if that's what's caused that.

This is not for this that cut the wire.

This is for something else.

This is the eight Indian Avenue.

For the lady that has the concern about the brownout.

I will if someone can give her my uh information, I will check and send it to the right direction so they can send somebody out there and figure out what's going on.

Okay, I s thought I saw thumbs up.

Is that is that okay.

Chris, so you can uh follow up with the city clerk, they'll put you in touch and make sure we get that information.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Jackie.

Thank you.

Have a given my cell phone number, please.

Did you get that?

I heard it.

I don't know if I have that.

All right.

If uh uh Jackie, if you if you could also loop loop in with uh city clerk so that we can make sure everyone gets contact.

Absolutely.

Yep.

Very much appreciated.

Thank you.

Um seeing no further discussion, then that item is approved.

Item 3.3 is a granted location from Eversource to install a total of 37 feet of conduit in Cleveland Street from utility poll 420 over four to a new handhole next to 11 Harvard Street.

All right, I declare this public hearing to be open.

Is there anyone here to speak on the item?

Jackie Duffy.

Uh hold on one second.

I think I got the wrong one.

Cleveland Street.

Um I have this as uh 37 feet of conduit on Cleveland Street.

From a handheld next to 11 Harvard.

Yep.

Yep.

Um telemetry cabinet.

I don't know why that has that something else.

Okay.

Anyone else here to speak on that item?

All right, no more hands.

I declare the public hearing to be closed.

Um any discussion?

All right, seeing none, that item is approved.

Item 3.4 is a granted location from Eversource to install a total of 38 feet of conduit in Warwick Streets from utility poll 357 over three to a point of pickup at 16 Warwick Street.

I declare this public hearing to be open.

Is there anyone here to speak on the item?

Jackie Duffy, have a source would like to install 38 feet of conduit in Warwick Street to provide electric service to 16 Warwick Street, which will be two residential structures.

Okay.

Anyone else to speak on the item?

Use the raised hands uh button if you are uh online.

All right, no more hands.

I've declared the public hearing to be closed.

Is there any discussion on the item?

All right, seeing none that item is approved.

Item 3.5 is a granted location from Ever Source to install a total of 47 feet of conduit in Berkeley Street from utility poll 30 over three to a point of pickup at 24 Berkeley Street.

I declare this public hearing to be open.

Is there anyone here to speak on the item?

Jackie Duffy, you have a source would like to install 47 feet of conduit in Berkeley Street to provide electrical service to 27 Berkeley Street, which will be a two-structure residential developments.

Okay, anyone else here to speak on the item?

No more hands.

Any discussion?

Okay, uh seeing none that item was approved.

Item 3.6 is a range of location from Ever Source to install a total of 48 feet of conduit in Vernon Street from utility poll 152 over nine to a point of pickup at 70 Vernon Street.

I declare this public hearing to be open.

Is there anyone here to speak on the item?

Jackie Duffy, have a service every install 48 feet of conduit to provide electric service to 70 Vernon Street.

Okay, anyone else here to speak on the item?

No more hands.

Uh any discussion?

All right, sorry, declare the public hearing to be closed.

Any discussion?

All right, seeing none, that item is approved.

Item 3.7 is a granted location from Ever Source to install a total of 52 feet of conduit in Bolton Street from utility poll 378 over one to a point of pickup at 8 Bolton Street.

I now declare this public hearing to be open.

Is there anyone here to speak on the item?

Okay.

Anyone else here to speak on the item?

All right.

Uh seeing none, I declare the public hearing closed.

Is there any discussion?

All right.

Seeing none, that items approved.

Item 3.8 is a branch of location from EverSource to install a total of 223 feet of conduit in Broadway from Manhall 10195 to a point of pickup at 299 Broadway.

I now declare this public hearing to be open.

Is there anyone here to speak on the item?

Jackie Defy Evasource would like to install 223 feet of conduit and this would divide electric service to 299 Broadway, a new 11 unit multifamily building with four retail spaces.

Okay.

Anyone else here to speak on that item?

All right, seeing none, I declare the public hearing to be closed.

Any discussion?

Council Clingen.

Thank you, Ms.

President.

Through you.

So as we know, this building is set to come down soon.

Do we just grant these locations like way ahead of time for rewiring?

Or is this to blow it up?

Ms.

Duffy, can you speak to the uh relationship?

This is for the this is for the installation of the new building.

Okay, so just get getting ahead of getting ahead of the game.

But they get ahead of it because they don't know how long it's gonna take for it to go through the city and everything.

So that's that's probably why it's on the agenda now.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

Very good.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Counselor Wilson.

Yeah, Mr.

President, I think it's worth pointing out here while we're talking about this that uh Councilor Clinton has put together a lovely celebration to to mark uh the demolition of the old star market at 29 on Broadway, December 6th, 10 a.m.

Winterhill brewery.

Be there.

All right, there you go.

All right, thank you very much.

Then um seeing no further discussion, that item is approved.

Thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

Thank you, Ms.

Daffy.

Um, first uh item that we will take out of order.

Um I'm gonna go through the whole list here.

I can put my glasses on so I can read.

Uh we're gonna take um the unfinished business item 5.1 out of order.

Um this is all without any objection.

Um, and then we will follow that with uh 713, uh then 716, and then 3.9, and then uh 10.1.

Uh we will then take the land use committee report, which is 6C, because there are um uh issues related to 90 Washington Street.

Um for all of these we have staff here, so that's what we're gonna um take those out of our sour staff can get on with other uh priorities.

Um and then after the land use committee report, we'll take up together items eight point two plus four point six, uh then item eight point three, and then nine point four and nine and four point two together, and then um uh actually sorry, so uh nine point four is uh an executive session.

Um, and we will take are we just do both of the exercise sessions back to back?

We'll do no we'll do nine four point two in the inner okay.

We're nine before exactly which is executive session.

We'll come back and do four point two, then we'll go back in the executive session uh to to take up uh seven dot one.

And if anybody got all that, please let me know when I screw it up.

Thank you.

Um the first item out of order is uh unfinished business uh item five dot one.

Madam Clerk.

Item 5.1 is a resolution by counselor Burnley in support of democratic divestment action regarding ballot question three.

Council Burnley.

Thank thank you through the chair.

Um and thank you to my colleagues for coming back to this item, uh taken up for the second time uh due to its uh status as supplemental at our last meeting.

Uh this is an issue that is brought captured a lot of attention, as we can see in this chamber.

There are hundreds of people who stood outside in the cold, some for hours, um, to be here uh to mark this occasion uh and to urge the passage of this resolution.

Less than a month ago, the vast majority of residents in this city voted yes on question three, voted for action from this council and the next council and our next mayor, um, to actually bring forth the will of the voters and enact to the best of our ability, the spirit of question three.

Rather than it now, this is a question that I know uh many of my colleagues may feel uncomfortable discussing, taking votes on, engaging with uh it has been called divisive by some.

And yet, this question received more votes than the vast majority of us around this horseshoe.

It received more of a mandate from our constituents than many of us did.

Um it is in my view, based on the results, the will of our community to do all that we can to ensure that our municipal funds, whether they be invested in pensions uh or through contracts, or serving the values of our community, that they are used to build up schools to improve people's lives, and not to enrich corporations that are violating human rights, that participate in the perpetuation of apartheid, that destroy the lives of residents, both here and abroad.

This is something that for many people in this chamber uh and throughout our community is very personal, and I've constructed this resolution to be as straightforward and as plain as it possibly can be.

We have before us the will of the people, and we can decide as democratically elected representatives of this community to the best of our ability into the best of the law, enact that will, as many other communities across the country have, or to say to the voters that their voices do not matter when they make them heard.

Um thank you.

Every ward, every single ward overwhelmingly voted for this initiative.

Almost every single precinct in our city voted for this initiative.

I am often uh when I sit at this horseshoe told about this silent majority.

Well, sure, people come to the council, but there are so many other people who don't care about this or that, who are not representative here.

I don't think you can straightforwardly and honestly make that argument with an issue that was brought before the voters for many, many months and was voted on.

We have the moral duty in my view to take action on this.

And not only that, not only is it our duty, but we are being urged by future counselors.

Council elects uh Link and Wheeler, who are here, uh, as many of you know, have sent letters to this council urging us to take action on this resolution tonight and committing themselves to do the work necessary when they are in office to actually see the will of the voters uh be done.

I don't want to belabor the point.

I think that we could debate uh the value of human lives, the actions of foreign governments, or even the action of our own government, which is again invested in a number of companies whose business model is perpetuated on putting a boot to the neck of the Palestinian people.

So rather than do that, folks, Council Burnley, if I may, yes, we've got a full room tonight.

I know folks care about a lot about this issue, but we're trying to conduct a meeting here.

There are rules to this meeting, the counselors will speak, the audience will not, unless they're sponsored by members of the of the city council.

If that can't be agreed to, then we'll clear the room.

Council Bradley, continue.

Thank you, Chair.

So rather than engage in that debate, which I view as a fruitless debate uh for some, I urge this council to focus on Somerville by enacting the will of Somerville voters.

And I would like to sponsor two Somerville voters and residents to speak to the urgency of this question.

Uh firstly, I would like to sponsor Sarah Halawa uh to speak.

Okay, thank you, Councilor Burnley.

Um, before we get to the two spots to speak, and and um we spoke this afternoon.

I also I heard from two other counselors who wish to uh sponsor speakers, so um I've no objection to having here hearing from four folks.

Um we talked about timing.

I feel like two minutes is a little short, so I feel like uh you know, up to four minutes, certainly don't have to take all four minutes, but we'll hear from four speakers um for up to four minutes uh on on the item uh that are sponsored if there's an objection, of course.

Our rules state that if there if a counselor does if any counselor objects, um then it requires a two-thirds vote to uh to to hear from that speaker.

Um my request is that we do hear from uh these four folks that I've already spoken with counselors about.

Um so I will appreciate your indulgence in that.

Um with that, Councilor Burnley, um could you uh give me the name again just because I went on rambling and now I've forgotten it.

Yes, I would like to sponsor Sarah Halawa to speak.

Okay, Councilor Burnley's uh sponsor Sarah Halawa.

Please approach the thing when it'd be all right if they speak first.

Uh through you, if I could swap the order of my speakers.

Yeah, no problem.

I would like to sponsor Mo Katz Christie to speak first.

Oh, Katz Christine.

Please introduce yourself just for the record.

What did you say?

Just uh name and I just for the record, so yeah, and go right ahead.

Okay.

Um, yeah, my name is Mo Katz Christie.

I live in Ward 6, 21 Cottage Av.

My pronouns are they them.

Um, hello, Somerville community.

I grew up in the Somerville Jewish community.

I was Bene Mitzvet at Temple Bene Brith in Somerville, and I'm a part of the Boston Workers Circle, a Bessera Velt Yiddish choir, the Kovod Spirituality Team, Minion Zait, and Havarat Shalom.

Being a part of the Somerville Jewish community is essential to who I am.

The movement for Palestinian liberation has brought together disparate parts of the Jewish community in Somerville.

Over the past year, we have had countless conversations with members of Temple Bene Brith and Havarat Shalom, finding out where we hold shared beliefs and how relationships can help us sustain up release our fear and work for liberation.

We hosted a liberatory Passover Seder with dozens of summer villains, Palestinians, Jews, and countless others.

The room was bursting with life.

I think a lot about the generational trauma of genocide.

I spend my days as an herbalist helping folks regulate their bodies.

As I do this work, I wonder how could this have been prevented?

How many Somerville residents could have been spared the generational effects of starvation of trauma of a hypervigilant nervous system, of the fear that leads us to the erroneous belief that our safety is conditioned on the oppression of others?

Now let me get specific about the trauma happening to people in Gaza and our part in it.

Somerville's pension has over a thousand shares in Lockheed Martin, the world's largest weapons company.

Lockheed Martin has a particular missile called the Hellfire R9X with six rotating blades.

Instead of exploding, the missile sends out these blades to cut through flesh and embed in folks' bodies.

On November 9th, 2024, a Lockheed Martin-made Hellfire R9X missile hit journalists sitting near Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza where thousands of Palestinians were seeking refuge in Gaza City.

Somerville tax dollars were invested in embedding those sharpened blades into children's journalists and other sheltering Palestinian bodies.

When this is all over and if I hear one more interruption of any of these speakers, the room will be cleared.

The speakers will be allowed to remain, and we will go on with this meeting.

Enough.

We are adults.

Let's act that way.

Please continue.

When this is all over and Palestine is free, how many generations of Palestinians will carry this in their bodies?

How much of that generational trauma is preventable?

How much can you prevent today by vote by following the will of your constituents and voting to take our Somerville tax dollars out of genocide?

Refusing to support genocide is a shared Somerville value.

More voters came out to the polls in Somerville to cast their ballots than in any mayoral election since 1981.

And 11,599 residents voted yes.

Liberation is a shared Jewish value.

Jews are required to tell stories of liberation every year at our Passover Satyrs.

We were required to pass these stories down from generation to generation until we are all free.

In a time of doxing and countless people losing their jobs from speaking up about Palestine, Somerville Jews from both Somerville congregations and countless Minionim and local Jewish organizations have been publicly bravely announcing their support of divestment, along with our rabbis.

Some people will tell you that opposing genocide is divisive and even anti-Semitic.

Instead, we as a people know the lasting effects of trauma and are most suited to oppose the oppression of others.

Choose the will of the people.

Thank you.

Oops, folks, folks, folks, quiet down.

Councilor Barnley.

Thank you.

Uh through the chair, I'd like to sponsor Sarah Halawa to speak next.

Councilor Burnley would like to sponsor Sarah Halawa.

Any objection?

See none?

Go right ahead.

Thank you to the council for hearing me tonight.

I'm here to encourage you to vote yes for this resolution to enact the specific language of question three in solidarity with Palestine.

My name is Sarah Halawa.

I'm a Muslim, but my father was born Jewish.

He converted to Islam and built the mosque in the town I grew up in.

I had the good fortune of two Jewish grandparents.

My husband Jamal is Palestinian American, and together we are raising five Palestinian American children right here in Somerville.

As we have witnessed Israel's live streamed genocide in Gaza, my family has experienced the most acute heartache, racism, and dehumanization.

As leaders locally and nationally make excuses and exceptions for Israel as it commits crime after crime against the Palestinian people with impunity.

Excuses for Israel and excuses for themselves for not taking action.

My son was five years old the first time he was silenced for talking about Palestine.

A friend at his school said, we don't say Palestine, it's a bad word.

My husband was silenced right here in this chamber by the chair of our school committee during public comment for talking about Palestine.

And my children witnessed their father physically assaulted by an out-of-town pro-genocide supporter who's in this room at a standout in front of Somerville High.

All we are saying is that Palestinians deserve the same rights and freedoms as everyone else.

That Palestinians too deserve life, dignity, and peace.

Open air prison, it was not a metaphor.

Nearly two decades, and every few years, Israel would bomb Gaza, and Israeli leaders would call it mowing the lawn.

So when Hamas attacked Israel nearly two decades after open air prison in 2023, those of us who were aware of the context of Israel's oppression of Palestinians, we could see that what Israel would do next would be genocide.

Israeli leaders called for Palestinians in Gaza to be treated like human animals.

Less than a week in, Israel had killed more children in Gaza than attend Somerville High.

Accounts of daily multiple children across Gaza who were killed by a single bullet to the head emerged at hospitals across Gaza.

The only way a bullet gets into a child's head is if a sniper trained aims their rifle at a child and then chooses to pull the trigger.

Israeli Israel started to bar foreign journalists from entering Gaza and then simultaneously killed all many, many Palestinian journalists.

We saw thousands of Palestinians from Gaza and across Palestine rounded up, detained, held captive without charged, and brought to Israeli prisons where they were tortured.

Testimonials and videos, videos of a widespread rape of Palestinians in Israeli prisons emerged, suggesting that systemic race, rape as a policy, is it's a policy.

It's not an anomaly.

For two years, we watched Israel and Israelis block food from entering Gaza as images of emaciated children and adults emerged, people began to starve to death.

And since the US negotiated ceasefire, which Israel has broken 500 times, Israel has killed 340 Palestinians in Gaza.

On and on and on, crime after crime after crime against Palestinians, apartheid genocide occupation across the land with no accountability.

I swear I'm almost done.

In Islam, there is a hadith, a saying of the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Whoever among you sees an injustice, let them change it with their hand.

If they cannot, let them change it with their tongue.

If they cannot, then change it with their heart through prayer.

But this is the weakest of faith.

Today before you, you have the opportunity to speak against injustice and commit to act against it too.

This is what your constituents have directed you to do.

The call to boycott and divest comes from Palestinian civil society, and we overwhelmingly Somerville voters have called on you to vote yes to divest.

Vote yes to divest.

Thank you.

Yes to divest.

Oh, yes.

Thank you.

Other discussion.

Council Shaza.

Yes, I'd like to sponsor uh Sam Geckter.

Please step forward.

Um four minutes on the timer, okay?

Could you just state your name for the record?

Sam Gechter.

Thank you.

My name is Sam Gechter.

My wife, Rabbi Alicia Geckter, and I have lived in Ward 3 for nearly eight years.

Together we founded Shalom Somerville, a grassroots coalition of people who live, work, and study in Somerville.

Our goal is to build an inclusive, respectful, and civil community that is safe for Jews and Israelis, and where people with different viewpoints are able to listen to and learn from each other.

We stand against anti-Semitism and against anti-Israeli hate.

I also say unabashedly that I am a Zionist and that I stand against anti-Zionism, and I am going to tell you how I define Zionism.

Zionism is the belief that Jews have the right to self-determination in our ancient homeland.

And anti-Zionism is the belief that of all the peoples in the world, only Jews don't have the right to self-determination in their homeland.

It is this anti-Semitism and anti-Israeli hate that I want to speak about tonight.

Here we are at our fifth or sixth city council meeting within two years, where a significant amount of everyone's time and energy will be taken up with this issue to the detriment of other issues facing our city.

Here we are again, despite a ceasefire that everyone had claimed to long for, and despite a new UN approved peace plan, here we are debating this again.

Here we are again just talking about Israel and Palestine, and here is where we will stay until they have their way.

Somerville for Palestine has promised that this is just the beginning.

They have promised to keep coming back until things are resolved to their satisfaction.

So my question is what would satisfy them?

What end state would have them call for an end to a boycott?

I'll tell you what they have said when we have asked them.

To them, the entirety of Israel, a sovereign nation and the only democracy in the Middle East, the entirety of it is occupied.

Ending the occupation to them means the end of Israel.

We have heard that in their speeches, we have heard that in their speeches, and we have heard that from their canvassers during their campaign.

The movement here and really every Israel boycott movement in the United States is alarmed is aligned with a larger set of organizations, including and especially the global boycott divestment and sanctions movement, the BDS movement.

And they all share the express purpose of the destroying the Jewish state of Israel.

So my question is: if that were to happen, where then would those eight million Jews go?

Supporters of BDS have waved their hands and said, well, hopefully everyone can live together.

That's a utopian pipe dream.

If Israel were to become a single state with a majority Arab Muslim population in power, we have seen how Jews, Christians, and most recently Druze have fared in the 22 Arab League states.

These countries literally threatened to kill their Jews over the creation of the state.

And because of the rape and murder and pillaging of Jewish populations, both before and after the creation of the Jewish state, over 900,000 Jews had to leave Arab lands where they had been for over 2,000 years since their exile from Israel.

There have been no reparations offered for these losses.

Indeed, the reason these Jews lived instead of died is because of Israel.

The majority of them fled to Israel.

And if the representative leadership of the Palestinian people in this utopian dream of a single state is Hamas, we have seen what living side by side with Hamas means.

And so to the majority of Jews in America, this just looks like the latest version of anti-Semitism.

As others have said, first we were hated for our religion, then we were hated for being of a lower race.

Now we are hated for our nation-state.

What all of these ideas have in common is that they are ways of saying Jews do not have a right to exist with the same rights as other humans.

I ask for the same uh as Sarah, Sarah, to finish up.

I've got a few paragraphs left.

We see support.

We see support for a boycott as clear support for the end of a Jewish state of Israel, and support for the eventual, eventual forcible removal of half the world's Jewish population from the only sanctuary Jews have.

We see your support for this as you standing with organizations that call for the eventual ethnic cleansing of our friends, our siblings, and our cousins from our own homeland.

This is what it means to those of us here who haven't lost sight of our people's deep and undeniable connection to Israel, and of the fierce urgency for Jews of always having when anti-Semites turn against us again, a place that will take us in.

At the last appearance in these chambers, Somerville for Palestine told you to do your job.

I agree.

Do your job, focus on Somerville, find ways to take the rhetorical temperature here down before we see more violence.

Find ways to build dialogue and understanding.

Help the city and its residents find ways to really actually make everyone feel welcome.

This does not have to be a zero-sum game.

Let's find a finishing sentence, please.

By dragging this council, this conversation out over and over again, you are normalizing anti-Semitism.

We need you to stop institutionalizing bias and racism against the Jewish people and calling it liberation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council Bailey.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I want to begin by acknowledging the tremendous activism, organizing an heartfelt advocacy, you know, that has gone into this measure.

And while I did not support it initially, I have always believed that our responsibility as elected officials is to honor and implement the will of the voters.

Some of the residents have spoken clearly and compassionately.

They have expressed deep concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis and a desire for our community to stand on the side of dignity, compassion, and justice.

We have an obligation to respond to those concerns within the scope of what municipal government can do, and to do so with thoughtfulness and integrity.

This resolution is the first step in that direction.

It reflects the values of our community and our commitment to doing our part.

For that reason, I'll be supporting this resolution.

However, at the heart of this resolution is also an understanding that we live in a democracy.

We are beholden to the will of our constituents and have a responsibility to listen to them.

And make space for their ideas and consents.

This is why today I'll be doing something unusual.

I'll be sponsoring someone who is here to speak in opposition to this resolution.

My friend Kate Ospice.

She served two mayors as chair of election commission and personnel director.

Chair, you have Kate, you have the floor, my friend.

Thank you.

Um I'm very grateful to my Catholic Boss, thank you.

Um my name is Kate Auspitz.

Uh, my husband and I have lived in Somerville for 60 years.

Um, as my friend Councillor Mbas said, I have been honored to serve two mayors, and for 20 years I worked for my Capuana when he was a member of Congress.

It has been my great pleasure to know uh Councillor M.

Baugh, who's a naturalized citizen, and I have the pleasure of teaching classes for um legal permanent residents who are preparing for the citizenship exam.

And Councillor Mbaugh often comes to our classes and encourages them to persevere and to register to vote and to continue running for office, and his inspiration is worth anything I could possibly say.

So you're lucky to have him as a colleague.

That said, um, as I say, I we've lived in Somerville a long time.

Both our grandsons, Jacob and Danny have been Bomb mitzvah at Temple Bene Breth.

Uh I am a Jew and a Zionist, and we have many relatives in Israel.

And as my friend Sam said, to be opposed to Zionism is a form of anti-Semitism.

It is a it is it it is gives permission to anti-Semitic acts, which we know are increasing, including murders in the United States.

To be a Zionist does not mean one cannot criticize Israel or any particular Israeli politician or policy.

In fact, the harshest critics of Benjamin Netanyahu are to be found in the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, where there are uh Arab members and two Arab parties, one Islamist and one secular.

And in Israeli press, which is very lively in many languages, including Arabic, which has one daily newspaper and two weekly newspapers, and that does not sound like apartheid to me.

Um we all grieve for the sufferings of Gaza.

It is terrible.

But what did Hamas expect after the atrocities of October 7th and the taking of hostages?

This was a deliberate provocation to subvert an ongoing peace process.

Uh and uh it obviously invited a forceful response.

To my mind, BDS is political theater.

It's part of the performative politics that is much too much with us now on both the left and the right.

I believe it is I I think it's virtue signaling, I don't think it's policy.

Divestment will not achieve anything.

Question three will not achieve anything.

The city solicitor in Somerville and at Medford have said that divesting in companies that do business with Israel is illegal, unenforceable, and discriminatory.

Um I urge you not to carry on with it, as I say I think it is pointless.

It will not bring peace to the Middle East, but it will bring bitter division to Somerville.

I also I with respect, and I've discussed this with Councillor M.

Ball.

I don't think you need to be bound to the will of the people.

You this is No, seriously, seriously.

I mean this.

You are uh you are a deliberative assembly.

Edmund Burke, the great political philosopher, made the very strong case in his address to the electors of Bristol that you elect me, not because it isn't practical for all of you to assemble in Parliament in Westminster, and we only have room for a couple hundred people.

You elect me to exercise my judgment.

And it may be that it may be that some of your opinions are unenlightened.

I just toss that out there.

But I really do urge you to focus on Somerville.

I plead with you to do nothing that will pit neighbor against neighbor in the city we all love.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'll take a brief moment and say thank you to everyone for coming.

I love when the room's full.

I wish it were full more often.

Come back and listen to all the other stuff we do also.

Uh Council Ewing Kempen.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um I want to say a few words on why I'll be supporting this resolution, and I want to thank my colleague for bringing it, and I want to thank everyone who's here tonight, everyone of the many, many people who have reached out to us.

Um this resolution says two things, um, and I really want to encourage everyone who's following this to read the resolution.

Um it's really short, very straightforward.

Um the first thing it says is that question three just passed in Somerville.

Um, as uh Councillor Burnley said, these are the very same voters who give us the legitimacy to sit here.

Um this was not a fluke, right?

Over 10,000 people signed a signature saying they wanted this on the ballot.

The city council could have fast-tracked, as you all know.

We we didn't do that.

The people chose to put this on the ballot.

There was a legal challenge, it survived that.

Um then there were two very robust campaigns.

Um I know myself and I I think many voters received knocks on our door, we received things on the mail.

There, I think voters heard very strong arguments on both sides of this.

Um and then they voted yes.

Uh as has been mentioned in all precincts except one.

Um that is not to say that there are not many constituents who voted against it.

Of course there were, and we respect those constituents too.

Um but the fact is this resolution passed, and that's what the resolution says.

The second thing the resolution says is that the city council agrees that we will work on this, quote, in a manner that is practical, practicable and legally feasible.

Um I just want to really emphasize that quote.

I think it's really, really important.

And I want to be clear to everyone who has written like a concerned email to me.

Um, there is no universe in which I will support an ordinance, and I feel very confident saying this about the rest of the council, that we would support an ordinance that violates constitutional rights, that is discriminatory based on national origin or ethnicity or religion or other protected classes, or that is illegal in in some other way.

Um I am committed to working to understand what our legal options are, what is and is not available to us going forward.

Um, and to be clear, there is clear precedent for Somerville using public funding as a way to to honor our values.

We have a living wage ordinance, which says we will only contract for services with companies that pay their workers a living wage.

Um, I think of the work that we've done unsuccessful to date to divest our pensions from fossil fuels that that is still blocked at the state level, um, or our ordinance that that uh many have brought up that we recently passed that we won't contract with companies that use prison labor.

Um, but I also know that there are really distinct legal issues around this issue.

Um, and I do not pretend to be an expert on them, and I don't think that they're the same as those examples I just mentioned.

Um obviously we are going to submit it to an incredible amount of scrutiny, so it is incumbent.

I take it upon myself and all of our colleagues to make sure that we get it right.

I am totally committed to doing so.

Um so to me, this resolution says this question passed, and we are going to do everything we can legally and practicably um to to make progress on it.

Um I think that both of those things are true.

Um, and with that I move to approve.

Uh Ms.

President, no.

I would like to speak as well.

Thank you.

So moves for approval of the item.

Council Tresel.

No, I wish to speak on this item.

The motion is on the table, yeah.

Yes.

So let's talk about uh the fact that I want to thank everyone for coming tonight and sharing your feelings.

And I want to point out to the fact that this question on the ballot was marketed as non-binding.

So let's fact check that right away.

And for the most of you visiting Somerville tonight, welcome to our great city.

For our Somerville residents who showed up tonight, it's good to see you again.

No, I'm fighting hard for you every single day to ensure you're living your best life here.

And I'm working hard to do the work as a city counselor within our four square miles of Somerville.

Before anything else, I want to begin with gratitude because Somerville is a community that cares deeply, even when we disagree.

We show up and we speak up.

Our city has the potential to always be a place where every resident feels seen, valued, and safe.

Yes, safe, all of us.

Oh, silly.

And I love our community.

I love cherishing the spark inside each one of you.

And supporting your everyday lives.

Some of you in this room, I've held your hands when your family members died.

Some of you, I have cooked your meals when you were sick, and I was happy to do so to help you.

And I'll gladly do it again for so many of you out of love.

That's community.

That's what I fight for.

This resolution before us, spawned by this question three ballot, however, works again our collaboration as a community.

It is divisive, it focuses on a global quandary that has nothing to do with our Somerville.

It's outside the roles as a municipal legislative body, and Jewish members of the community have stated that it makes us feel more targeted and more unsafe.

That's not being inclusive.

That's not everyone is welcome here.

I would hope that this would be enough of an argument.

But if it is not, let me legal version it.

Targeting based on national origin is illegal.

It's discrimination, and so is anti-Semitism.

And I've heard horrible stories of the anti-Semitism inside Somerville.

I've heard it of an incident of the child crushed when grown-ups in a car shouted obscenities at them as they walked down the street.

And the child's offense, the child carried a flag of their parents' homeland, which happened to be Israel.

That's it.

A child.

That everyone feels supported, heard and responded, and not to be diminished.

In Somerville, we are so strong together.

And when we work together, we're unstoppable.

I saw that so clearly when I was serving during the pandemic.

So many of us rolled out our sewing machines to make masks.

Because remember, there was a time where we couldn't get masks.

And some of us donated to the Somerville Care Fund.

And some of us delivered food to our doorsteps of our neighbors.

Do you remember that?

Do you remember that?

Sometimes we did it on bikes.

I remember that too.

And that was cool.

We are so strong when we are together in Somerville.

And I would hope that standing together against hate would be something that we could all agree upon.

Good policy ensures that no one gets left behind.

And the concept of this resolution would.

So I will not support it.

What I will do is work to unite us.

I will work with all faiths to make sure that we're making the Somerville we want to see for everyone, not just some of us.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Further discussion, Councillor Saint.

Uh, thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh thank you, Councillor Burnley, for bringing this resolution forward.

Thank you, everyone, for being here.

Uh the call for divestment in the Palestine Solidarity question was supported by the majority of the people who voted during the last past election.

And as Councillor Kempen said, the asking this resolution is to implement question three in a manner that is quote legally feasible.

Um as one individual counselor, I strongly believe that I owe this to the voters.

Listening to constituents' concerns and looking for ways to address their concerns is one of my job responsibilities as a counselor.

In this case, fulfilling the majority of the voters' will regarding question three is not different from all the other work I do on this council.

This one is especially important as this has to do with complicity in a genocide of thousands and thousands of Palestinians, mostly children and women.

If there's anything in question three that we can legally implement as a city, then I see it as my duty to do that.

This resolution uh is the first step to doing that.

I will be voting in support of it.

Councilor Hart.

Thank you.

Um I just wanted to share that.

This decision is really difficult for me.

I can I appreciate everyone speaking tonight.

Um, and I've been talking to so many people in our community on many different sides of this issue, and I can really understand uh where a lot of different people are coming from in their positions on this.

And as a brand new counselor, I am you know working hard to figure out what um how I can best represent the people of Somerville.

Um, and what I've learned in in listening to so many people is that I have a lot more to learn.

Um there's a lot I don't understand about the many facets of this resolution.

Um, and I'm not able to abstain, so I'll be voting no.

Other discussion, Council McLaughlin.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I'm gonna be supporting this for the reasons that Council U and Camp and oh, please, no one's gonna be happy with me, don't worry.

Um, for the reasons Council Ewan Camp stated, um we're gonna work on this.

I think most people know what I want to spend my time working on, and it's the city of Somerville, it's the people here, the people that I see every day.

Um we're gonna work on this regardless of how I feel.

So we're voting to work on this, to vote work on what the voters have passed, and do it in a practical and legally feasible way.

I don't know if that's possible.

Uh we'll see.

I do want to say one thing though.

When one of the speakers came up and spoke about uh bombs of pension money going towards weapons.

I'm actually I may draw a pension someday from the city.

I've been around that long.

Uh and I would not want my hard-earned retirement money going towards weapons anywhere against anybody.

And it did really bother me when someone said that dropping bombs.

I hear someone say good.

That's not acceptable to me on either side.

I I want peace on both sides for this.

I personally wouldn't want my money going there.

This is the legally feasible part, is that is the pension fund's responsibility.

And we went through this with the um fossil fuels a few years ago, something that I spearheaded on the council.

We wanted to divest from fossil fuels.

We were told explicitly we can't because we are all drawing money from the pension.

So we cannot instruct the Summerville Pension Fund to do that.

That is just one example.

Uh there's many more examples to come, but I just want to say that because it does.

I I do not I want to work on peace and summable.

I don't want my money going towards my personal money as an individual going towards weapons anywhere.

And that's why I'm supporting this tonight, and we'll see what happens in the coming months about anything that actually that comes out of this.

Okay.

All right, seeing no further discussion.

Uh I guess we could roll call on that one.

Indeed, Mr.

President.

On the item in support of Democratic Divestment Action regarding ballot question three.

Councillor Hart.

No.

Councilor Wilson.

Yes.

Councilor Ewan Campen.

Yes.

Counselor Scott.

Yes.

Councilor McLaughlin.

Yes.

Counselor Burnley.

I Councillor Said.

Yes.

Counselor Strazzo.

No.

Counselor Klingon.

Yes.

Counselor Mbaugh.

Yes.

Counselor Davis.

Yes.

With nine counselors in favor and two opposed, that item is approved.

Folks.

Folks, I welcome you to stay and watch the rest of the proceedings.

If you'd like to leave the chamber, you're welcome to do that as well.

We do lots of cool stuff here.

Folks, we have work to do.

We have a long agenda.

We'll take a three-minute recess while the room is cleared.

They want to just feel people.

That's all they want to do.

All you said was lies.

If you're country.

If you're country.

Folks, please clear the room if you don't.

If you'd like to stay and listen, sit sit quietly.

If not, please clear the room.

We're going to call this meeting back to order now.

I see that there is a quorum presence.

Our next item out of order.

Madam Clerk.

That will be item 7.13, a request of the mayor requesting the appropriation or reserve of 7 million two hundred and sixty thousand one hundred and eighty-one dollars in estimated fiscal year twenty twenty-six community preservation act revenue for CPA projects and expenses.

I see.

Alan, we just read in the item.

Thank you for joining us.

I apologize.

Thank you.

No worries at all.

No, we appreciate you jumping in here.

Um the item has been read into the into the record.

I just issue stuff for the record and let us know what uh what we need to know about this request.

Thank you.

Uh through the chair, Mr.

President.

Uh this is a uh uh one of the tax recap items tonight.

Uh we are correcting the CPA uh original FY26 budget appropriation appropriation.

Uh now that we have the final tax recap numbers and final uh assessed values, we can now um adjust the CPA budget for the full three percent surcharge that's taking effect this year.

And uh we hope to uh include this if we get the timely vote tonight for immediate consideration.

Uh this money can go towards the FY26 CPA funding round, which is currently underway.

All right, very good.

Any questions, discussion?

See none.

All right, then I that item is approved.

Do we need a roll call on that one?

No, all right.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Have a good night, everyone.

You too.

Next time.

The next item being taken out of order is item 7.16, a request of the mayor requesting approval to accept and expend a $304,954 and ten cent grant with no new match required from the executive office of housing and livable communities to the Health and Human Services Department for the 2025-2026 winter warming center.

All right, welcome to Director Carroll.

Good evening.

Um through the president.

Uh we are presenting tonight for your approval.

Immediate approval given the time frame that the warming center is due to open on December 8th, which we're thrilled to report.

Um we received a grant from the division of housing and um the executive office of housing and stabilization and healthy communities, I think is the full name to expand for our winter warming center.

Um, and this would provide funding from the December 8th till April 12th in conjunction with the funding that was already approved.

So we are piecemealing together this year's funding, uh, actually two grants and um some city funding that you all approved a little bit ago.

And we were just awarded this, so that's why it's uh a very rushed time frame.

Um the state put out a grant for us for communities to apply for in maybe late October.

So it was a very tight timeline.

We appreciate all of our colleagues who helped make this happen on a quick timeline, the grants office and everyone else.

So we were awarded the grant.

It's to cover um essentially the operations after the first four weeks, so it would be early January through to the closing time in April for the main room of the warming center.

And then the 10 bed extension is another grant.

So if there are questions, I can answer them or I don't want to get into too much detail.

I know you have a very full agenda tonight, but happy to talk about any questions.

Okay, thank you.

Councilor Burnley.

Thank you through the chair.

Um to the director, thank you for being here.

Uh as usual, there's a very welcome uh item before us.

Uh and I just want to state for the the record that this is for 35 beds.

Is that correct?

Uh yes, it is for 35 beds.

We do have the capacity through the chair.

We have the capacity for overflow for that are um not official cots and things.

Um, but these are for 35 beds.

Okay, thank you.

And through the uh the chair, could you just tell us for the record like where is it going to be?

Uh how can folks get in touch with the community if they uh with the city if they need these services.

Sure.

Thank you for the question.

And through the chair, um the warming center will be at the coming school again this year.

There were some important safety and um compliance upgrades to the building and the bathrooms that needed to happen.

So they are in progress, almost complete.

We have a walkthrough scheduled for Monday, December 1st, so we'll be able to see all of the renovations.

Some are things like fire suppression in the area that will be hardwired in that are not you know, nothing too visible or exciting, um, but mainly to the bathrooms, so there'll be um accessible facilities in the space as well as adult size fixtures.

This was a children's small children's school.

Uh so those are some of the main things that have been done um in the facility.

And um what was your final question?

Uh no, through uh the final question was just how can uh residents reach out to the city for these services?

Yes, thank you for the question.

Um we have the same warming center email that's set up that we've had in years past, the same lot of communication.

So again, we'll be pushing out and have already started the uh messaging to our partner agencies who work with this population and getting the message out through outreach workers um through a number of partner agencies and our own teams to make sure that everyone that needs to know about the warming center will be reaching out to first responders, our Friday huddle.

Um we are really just solidifying, as you can see, the funding is is just happening.

So we are uh solidifying very quickly now the final contract with the vendor, and at that point we'll be able to put a phone number in there of the on-call um operator on at the site who can help facilitate things like taxi rides or answer questions.

Um they are at capacity, they'll facilitate transportation to another site.

Umce we have that phone number, we will push out all of those materials really quickly through all our channels as well as city website to make sure through 311 that people know about this uh service that will be opening.

Thank you for that.

And I have no further questions, but I just will state uh again for the public's uh amelioration.

Uh that email, if you want to reach out, is warming center at Somerville MA.gov.

Um the website is warming.

Well the number currently uh you can call the Office of Housing Stability for that.

And I just saw the website, which is I think it's a warming center.

Yeah.

Uh warming center summer is summary.gov slash warming center.

Yeah.

Okay.

Council Kevin.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Through you, I'm extremely happy to see this.

Uh congratulations on receiving the grant.

Um, and I also just want to take this opportunity to thank you and your staff uh through the president.

Um as the word counselor, obviously I'm copied on a lot of emails um that that come in from abutters in particular, and I'm I'm just really impressed by the the way that the staff is able to work collaboratively with all the neighbors.

Um I'm thrilled that this is not only coming back this year, but is going to be new and improved, and I'm very much looking forward to uh to seeing it implemented this year.

Thank you.

Great.

Okay.

See no further discussion.

That items approved.

Thank you.

Wonderful.

Thank you.

And that will return us to the regular order of business, Mr.

President, which is item 3.9, an officer's communication from the chief assessor presenting proposed fiscal year 2026 tax classifications and requesting the adoption of a minimum residential factor for fiscal year 2026 and acceptance of MGL Chapter 59 Section 5C, a residential exemption of 35 percent of average assessed value for owner-occupied properties.

All right, Mr.

Golden.

Mr.

President, through you.

Welcome to classification.

Summerville Public, Honorable Council.

I have two motions to bring before you tonight.

Uh the first motion is that the city council adopts a minimum residential factor of 82.816, the legal minimum for the city of Summelville for fiscal year 2026.

The second motion is that the City Council accepts the provisions of Chapter 59, Section 5C, approving a residential exemption of 35 percent of the average assessed value for owner-occupied property in fiscal year 2026.

The residential factor is basically a 1.75 shift from the single tax rate onto the commercial property in the city.

That would be commercial, industrial, and personal property.

When we shift at 1.75%, a single tax rate of 1083 becomes 1099, and a res in a commercial rate comes to 1895.

How we get at the minimum residential factor is when you take the shift percentages that the residential drops and the commercial gains.

The residential new percentage would be 67379.

The commercial would be would go on excuse me, the commercial would go from 18641 to 32.621.

When you divide the residential new percentage, but the percentage when it's a straight rate, that gives you the point eight two eight one six that's before you today.

The second motion for the residential exemption, you take all the residential parcels in the city and you divide it by the residential value.

It gives you an average value in the city of 1,191,318.

That's up roughly $60,000 from last year.

Once you apply the 0.35 to the average, you come out with a residential exemption of 416,961, which in tax dollars for everyone that lives in their home would be an exemption of 4,582.40.

Next slide.

The LA4 comparisons compares last year by use changes in value for our single-family condo, two family, three-family, two buildings on one lot, which is a 109.

Our apartments, four and greater units, our vacant land, our commercial, industrial, mixed use residential and commercial, and personal property.

This year, our single families went up 6.7% across the city.

Condominiums went up 5.6.

Two families went up 4%.

Residential buildings, I mean residential lots with two two or more buildings, 18.7.

That's kind of skewed because we had nine new lots that had two buildings on them.

So it's that can be a little confusing on why that percentage is so high.

Apartments 11 to 125, which is anything from 48 units and up, is down 9.3%.

That is another skewed number, and the reason for that is we had three hundred million plus apartment buildings, have retail space on the first floor, become stabilized, and they had to mute, had they had to move from apartment to mixed use.

So if you look at the mixed use, 012043, you can see the residential had a significant increase in value, 52.2 percent increase, and that's where that value went, which caused the 9% drop.

Commercial is less than a percent and increase, and that is something that we're a little concerned about.

Had roughly five buildings at 60 percent that are vacant.

Um personal property is a pleasant surprise.

We're up in personal property 8.8 percent.

It couldn't have come at a better time.

Next slide.

Parcel count changes.

52 conversions.

We have 62 fewer two-family properties because of those conversions.

The average valuation changes in the city, market growth and growth only, single families up 6.7 percent, condominiums 5.6 percent, which is down from 6.5 a year ago.

Two and three families are up five at 5.5 percent are up from a year ago at 1.4, so it's nice to see the twos and the in the and the three families come back.

Multifamily four units, as I said, it's skewed because we had two or three enormous 112s valued over 100 million dollars going to the mixed-use class.

Commercials eight percent.

Industrial 8.7.

That has a lot to do with the increase on a data center that we finally got into with some cooperation and we were able to value that properly.

So that's what's driving that industrial number up 8.7 percent.

Next slide is just a nice map showing the different neighborhoods in the city before we get into each use in each neighborhood.

The first being the single families.

Single families are up 6.57 percent on average.

That's up from 3.72 percent a year ago.

Two families.

Up from 2.11 a year ago.

Two more slides.

We went to the twos, now we're on the threes.

The threes were very healthy this year.

We had a lot of strong sales in the market, 7.71% across the city.

That's up from 2.07 a year ago.

Condominium is our number one class.

It's down slightly, 3.18% increase from 3.5 a year ago.

The FY26 new growth.

This is one of the snapshots that I think is important for the council to take a look at.

You can see how strong our residential new growth remains and will continue to provide the city with I mean three million annually is a very healthy number for the residential property.

Commercial, as we know, took a dip.

Our growth went from 14 million a year ago to 7.8 this year, largely because the life science remains vacant.

And there's a slide coming up that will show that vacancy.

Finally finished the final floor in the building, and that's what's driving that new growth there.

Episode Utilities Electric, very strong number this year.

70 in a belt is the data center.

Healthy increase as well.

We're feeling it's about at 60 percent.

We captured retail space on the first floor for the first time, along with the residential portion of that building going from about 85 percent to nearly 100 as of June 30th.

So those are the four new growth leaders this year.

Um next slide.

Life science, as we know in the greater Boston area.

We we had about 16 million square feet a year ago that was vacant in our abutting communities.

Um the appetite for life science is about two million a year, so you can kind of see what we're what we're in and how hard it's gonna be to get out of it.

Um the fiscal year 26 market depreciated 20 percent across those various communities.

We were fortunate that that number wasn't so high here.

Um the life science market depreciation will absorb the new growth captured for another year.

Our expert comes back, and we're right at the point where we're almost valuing the buildings with the money that they put in to build them.

It's it's it's it's right there, and I think that's the encouraging thing about what was achieved at 188 assembly.

You have a half a million square feet.

Um as that comes to fruition, it'll it'll be a really nice thing over the next 10 years because we'll be able to capture all the growth lost in the buildings that aren't full yet, and um more importantly, the the jobs and the atmosphere that building will bring once it's stabilized.

Um I'm looking at about 15 percent next year out of that building.

They agreed to the 25 base.

There are number one four there, they're our fourth highest taxpayer in the city currently.

Um if you look at the red highlighted area for vacant, that number is not subtracted out of that.

So it's good, it's gonna really bring our vacancy down quite a bit with um that building getting occupied.

100 chestnut is another building that's moving forward that we're feeling very comfortable about that will stabilize and should bring us anywhere from five to ten percent more in new growth as they tenant fit up a space that uh for a new tenant.

We had one leave and one's coming in, so that's that's encouraging.

Um next slide, FY26 tax levying classification.

We start with last year's levy limit, two and a half comes in at six point four million, new growth at 78, 2945.

Brings us to an FY26 levy limit of 270 million eight hundred and fifty-eight thousand nine seventy-seven.

We have the high school debt exclusion after that, and it rounds out our maximum allowable levy at 279,575,488.

In a perfect world, we'd like to tax rate to that number, but until the recaps finalized, we're not quite sure where the excess levy capacity will be.

We'd we like, I mean, sometimes the commercial will go up two pennies, sometimes the res will go up one.

It it's we're we're not in control of the adjustment button at this moment, but it's important that we capture as much as we can.

Um below you can see the commercial value percentage at 1864, and after shifting at the minimum residential factor, it goes to 3262.

The residential value goes from 8136 to 6738.

These are the numbers that I talked about in the beginning.

If you divide the 67.38 by the 8136, that's how you get the 8282 minimum minimum residential factor that we have before you tonight.

You can see what the commercial levy is.

You can see what the residential levy is 91 million, 188 million.

The res burden goes on to the commercial about 39 million this year.

If the commercial base was larger, we could pass more onto it, but it's capped at 0.75 in terms of what we can pass.

Next slide.

For the first time in some years, our um residential base outgrew our commercial base.

Our commercial base was just climbing and climbing and climbing, and you can see by looking at the smaller box on the right-hand corner that the 2633 went to 2538 and the pie grid.

PP is up.

Um slightly up.

Next slide.

If we had no classification in the city and we had one rate for everybody, it would be 1083.

Board of Assessors doesn't recommend this choice.

We've been using the minimum, the minimum residential factor and the residential exemption for the past 12 years and shifting at 1.75% for 19 years.

So option one is usually not a choice.

Option two, next page is the classification with no residential exemption.

The residential exemption has been voted by the honorable council for the last 12 years.

The 35% is the maximum that we can recommend.

That with the residential exemption at 35%.

The next slide is the high school slide.

You can see how the debt exclusion affects each use.

There's a three-year snapshot there.

We had some high sales throughout the city and over 40 sales altogether, arms length transactions.

Next is a comparison of what's going on with our abutters that share similar conditions.

Unfortunately, we're fifth, but our commercial base is the smallest of the group.

This is a 25 snapshot, not 26, because a lot of the assessors are doing what I'm doing tonight, and we who knows what direction it's going.

Um it's it's a year ago snapshot.

Um it's still encouraging to me that our tax rates ten ninety-one.

Um eight thousand twenty-seven on that average bill last year.

That's a that's a good number for being this close to Boston.

Before um the deputy assessor speaks to the exemptions, I can open the floor to any questions anyone may have any questions at this point.

Still tabulating all the questions, I assume.

So go ahead.

Hi, I'm the deputy assessor, and thank you.

We want everybody at home to be able to hear you as well.

Okay.

So I'm the deputy assessor, and um I'm here to give you a summary of the options we have to reduce real estate taxes for our residents.

Um we have some uh personal exemptions um that we offer.

Um on the slide you can see an overview of them and and kind of what the qualifications uh are.

Uh can I ask you to try and get into the mic just because it's not picking up your voice and and I want people to be able to hear you.

Thank you.

So you can see on the slide an overview of the personal exemptions uh that we offer.

Um and there are asset limits and uh income qualifications.

Unfortunately, we can't uh set those limits ourselves.

That's the state.

Uh so we're just dependent on that.

We can't uh um broaden these.

Uh we have a double up, so uh when people um get the exemption, it it eventually can go up uh to the double amount that is initially uh they capture.

Um I wanted to let you know how we do our outreach.

Um so in the beginning of the fiscal year, uh we always uh sent out a mailing to uh all the previous uh applicants that got it last year.

So to give them an early opportunity to uh get their papers together and submit it.

Um we have of course um everything online as well and in uh all the most used languages in Somerville.

Uh and then we also have uh a tax update that's about uh a tax update newsletter, and that's about to go out again with the third quarter bill, and uh that goes out to all our residential uh property owners.

And um then for the rest, uh I just wanted to take this opportunity that uh uh we are always uh you can reach it our office um through email or give us a call, and uh there are uh several people in the office that speak more than one language.

So um we try to be as accessible as possible.

Um yeah, so uh this is kind of it uh for the summary.

Just want to mention that the total uh amount of personal exemptions uh we give out is a little bit down.

Uh but I think that has more to do with our uh senior population.

And then there is also uh we also offer a re uh the CPA exemption uh for seniors and for um low income.

We see that that's a little bit up, but that's a very small exemption and it's only on the surcharge.

Okay.

Does anyone have questions?

Yeah, it is a question on on the yeah, go right ahead then, Council Wilson.

Thanks, Mr.

President.

Uh, three to the uh the deputy assessor.

Uh thanks for showing us this.

Uh have we does that reflect have we opted into the HERO Act uh that allows us to double the exemption for for veterans yet?

Uh yes.

Well, we already had a double up on that.

So for uh it it it helps with other things, but for the uh we already had to double up on the veterans exemption through the presence I understand it we don't need to opt into the Hero Act that would double that.

You're saying that we that we have that already instead of I believe we double uh we did opt in, but I can't I stand to be corrected, but it uh the the Hero Act has more consequences than just the double up through the chair.

Um it also has uh consequences for excise.

Uh so it gives a more broader exemption.

And um I think the proof of being a veteran and your disability changed a little bit, you know.

It's easier because often they can just uh show a more simple proof, but I have to check that with my staff.

Um but the double up we already had President.

I I'd be interested in looking into the the the full impacts and and whether it makes sense for us to to opt in fully to the Hero Act just because of the the full ramifications of it.

All right, we'll look into it through the chair.

We'll look into that.

Other questions on this presentation?

Okay, uh seeing none, then we will open the public hearing.

Um so for tax classification we have a public hearing.

So any members uh public wishing to speak on the item before us.

No one in the room jumping up.

Anyone online?

Oh yeah, and if you if you're uh watching online on on uh uh at home, you can raise your hand using the uh the zoom function in the zoom function, use the raise hand function.

Give folks a minute to find it if they want to.

All right.

Seeing none, then I'll declare the public hearing to be closed.

Any other questions or discussion from the uh council?

See none.

Uh here's a something that um to move on 7 online street.

Okay.

So ma'am because I can't tell what you're doing.

Yeah, so those public hearings did happen at the beginning, but what I'll ask is if you could happen in the beginning, I was not a line.

I understand.

I understand.

So what so what we'll do.

I understand.

I understand.

So what we'll do is if you could um because I don't want anything done on my house.

Okay.

Um this is the which which item was it?

Which street trial is let's finish this item and then we can reconsider that.

That's what we're gonna do.

Okay.

I just want to make sure everybody says three six.

All right, so here's what we're gonna do, ma'am.

We have we have the item before us now.

After we finish this item, um, I will entertain a motion to reconsider that one and we can open it back up.

All right.

So for the moment we're gonna do that.

All right, tell you what, let me finish this item and then I'll I'll ask if for anyone what's that we need to wanna that were not here at the at the outset for those uh hearings.

I'm happy to uh open the items back up for discussion.

Um so the public hearing on the tax uh um item is closed.

What's what's do we need a uh roll call on that?

Or do we don't have to do that?

It's two separate motions.

My mother speaks Portuguese and writes Portuguese.

Okay.

Ma'am, ma'am.

Um, I guess someone got Tuesday, November 25th.

So they try and that something was wrong.

Okay.

My mom got the wrong date and date.

Okay, and everybody else got the question.

So ma'am, if I if I could ask you, I uh we want to make sure you I give you the chance to speak.

We want to hear this, but that's not the item that's before us.

I just as I just said, we're gonna go back to that item so we can hear your concerns.

Okay, please let us finish the business here on the item that is before us, and then we'll go back to the we we will entertain a motion to reconsider uh the item that you noted.

Do we just do a roll public?

Do not need a roll code vote.

Okay, so um seeing no objection, then uh that item is approved.

Is there two separate two separate that were stated at the outset?

Just to remind folks.

Okay, Clark was gonna put them back on the screen so folks can remember.

Okay, so those are the two items before us.

So those are the two items before us.

Any further discussion?

Councilor Ba.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Good to see you.

Thank you for your work.

I think on one of the slides, maybe like 12 or so, you had like different percentages for the lab buildings, like somewhere 60, 5750, like I thought Mr.

President, through you, can you just go back to that slide?

I'll explain this to you.

Maybe 12 or something.

I'm not sure.

Yeah, keep going.

Keep going.

It's uh slide 12.

Yes.

Thank you.

Yes.

So you know why is there like variation for like the various percentages?

Like 10 prospect hold on what's I'm putting my glasses.

10 prospect 808 Windsor, 188 Assembly Park Drive, 74 Middlesex Av, 599 Summer Lav, and 495 Columbia Street.

Those are the percentages that they are complete at the moment.

So they're all vacant, so they are taxed.

They're all vacant except for 188 assembly is gonna begin to be moved forward in January.

That's why it's in red.

The others are all vacant.

They are weather type buildings with no tenants.

Yeah, no, I I understand that, but why is the other one tax as 50 599, some of it are 50%, and then 74 meters and 57.

Because when we walk through the buildings, that's the percent complete when we're there as of June 30th, 2025.

I see.

Um just because some of these are appealed and are going to the appellate export, and we have to be very exact as of certain years and to argue these appeals on value.

And and truly thank you.

And and we always that's correct.

I've I've been here nine years, and we went to the top of the mountain, and we're regressing now.

And we're gonna regress a little further, and we're gonna do everything we can as a team to get these buildings to have tenants in them and be successful.

That's that's the goal.

188 is a perfect example of the city doing the right thing in and realizing that we can get folks into these buildings and move forward.

It may not come as fast as we like, but over the 10-year period we'll capture the growth necessary at 188 that we would have liked to have gotten in a three-year period.

But but unfortunately, the market's saturated, and we're not alone.

Cambridge, Watertown, Boston.

We're all in this fight together, and I think you're gonna hear the weird the word TIFF quite a bit to fill these buildings.

It's just where we're at.

Well, four of them are stabilized.

Uh chestnuts the lowest percentage, but 222 Jacobs 101 South and 250 Water Street are very successful buildings.

Um we hope to get the other five into that breath.

In years to come.

It's just, I mean, from what I understand this conversation's already because of 188 to two of these other addresses.

That's that's exciting news.

Yep.

The discussion.

No.

All right.

Then see no objection, those items are approved.

Now I'm trying to use my little uh calculator here to confirm which warrant is 70 Vernon is it in, um, but it's the lookup tool is not working.

Is it five?

Okay.

All right.

So uh Council Site moves to reconsider items uh three dot six.

Um would folks like to reconsider that would anyone not like to reconsider that item.

See no objection.

That item uh is now back before us.

Very well, madam clerk.

That is item 3.6, a granted location from EverSource to install a total of 48 feet of conduit in Vernon Street from utility poll 152 over 9 to a point of pickup at 70 Vernon Streets.

Sponsor speakers can be on that okay.

I'm going to reopen the public hearing then uh for the re reason being that uh members who wish to who cared to spoke or or um uh members of the public who wish to speak at that meeting were not able to access the chambers uh when it was opened earlier, so we were now reopened the public hearing.

Uh if uh folks would like to come speak on the on the item, uh ma'am, please step forward.

Uh just provide your name and address and you can uh speak to the item.

Yes, my name is Helena Vicenti.

My name is Zelina Vicenti, and I live at 74 Vernon Street in Somerville, Mass.

Um there's uh a building which um Bobosa just bought.

They're building their uh three family um a condominium, three-story condominium.

Uh my mom has a very wonderful property that everybody wants to grasp at uh this thing here with the pole uh coming next to the house, and it's uh 48 feet conduit.

I actually looked that up.

I'm not interested.

My mom's not interested in having anything in front of a house or anything touched around a property.

Because as I read into it, there's like little things that they can get in there and sneak a little piece of the land or everything.

And I also made a recording of the people who bought purchased the property next.

The guy was trying to take three feet into my mother's yard.

And I say, What are you talking about?

He says, Oh, uh the your your pap your house doesn't have uh documents and they used to belong to Joe, the the famous guitar player there, whatever.

You know, we have everything, you know, the measurement and everything like that.

And he said, Oh, this is oh, we measured it every single house, and every single house has so many feet, and we're gonna take three from here and three.

I said, You gotta be kidding me.

No hell no.

So, and also in the paperwork that I got, it said Thursday, November, okay, November 25th on my mother's letter.

And everybody else got Tuesday, November 25th.

So what's the deal?

They're trying to take my mother's house, it's not happening.

My mother and father worked too hard for it.

When Joe was next door, the fight truck there, everybody knew each other.

And before Joe, the other guy that left it to Joe.

No one's gonna take my mother.

I know my mother lives in the perfect place they ran off everybody that I went to high school with.

Nobody that I grew up with is here.

And I don't want my thing is no on that ever source near my house.

I don't care where the hell you put the post, but you're not putting any of my house.

And I talk like this because I'm from Somerville originals.

Sorry.

Can't help it.

But nah, nah, this is not happening.

I don't know what else to say.

And I'll I also made a copy of what they sent everybody else and what they sent my mother.

There's a lot of things that they've been doing, it's it's just too sneaky.

My mother lives in prime location.

You can build a six apartment buildings in that spot, especially on my mother's yacht.

She even gave Joe a little bit of something, but we're not giving that to nobody that's building there right now.

When Joe was there, we allowed Joe to use the little bit of the flower pot we kept it clean.

Well, they're not gonna use it now.

No way.

No.

Okay, thank you.

Is there anyone else in the chamber that would like to speak on this item?

I have an air source issue.

Is it on is it on uh the Vernon Street?

No issue.

Okay, then um after we finish this, we'll ask you which one are on, and we'll we'll take that one up as well.

So I'll declare the public.

So is there anyone else in the chamber that would like to speak on the item?

Anyone else online?

Have a hand online?

I do.

Okay.

Tyler Barposa.

Tyler Barbossa?

Hi, can you hear me?

Um, I'm Tyler Barposa, and I'm here with my grandmother.

We're just right here to reinforce that we are saying no to ever source applying for grant of location because under reading the law of brand of location, it is us relinquishing 48 feet of our property to the neighbor.

And again, my grandma has said no to the construction, no to any damage being done within our property, and we will deny any moving forward if you continue to pursue doing so because the property already had electrical poles and systems in place, and they have enough space within their own property and in the back to do so.

So we are saying a clear no to this grant, and we hope that you can respect that because they are in the game of trying to destroy mementals like flowers that are my grandmother's husbands that passed away.

And in doing so, it's not just physical damage, you are also causing psychological and emotional damage by taking on property that are leaving mementals of my grandma's husband.

Okay.

Anyone else here to speak on the item?

Or online.

Okay.

I will declare the public hearing to be closed.

Counselor Said.

Um Mr.

President, we're just gonna ask if we can take up 3.4 after this item.

Councilor U and Kim.

Um Mr.

President, just a suggestion.

Um oftentimes when when an issue arises with one of these uh requests, it can be helpful to send them to licenses and permits committee, and then we can get representatives from the utility company in the same room with the abutters and get questions answered face to face.

Um it's not my word, but through the president, I I would recommend this might be a good one to go to committee um so the folks can kind of interface directly with the actual utility company and and get these questions answered.

Counselor Scott Councillor Ewan Campbell were sharing a brain with me, Councillor Davis.

Uh also it sounds like there might be multiple issues here.

Um not related to the uh utility grant.

So let's uh I I'd be supportive of sending it to committee as well as it pertains to reconsideration.

I thought exactly.

Counselor say, did I see your hand go up then or no?

I sorry, I want to make sure I didn't see your hand uh go up to to speak.

Um all right, I uh agree.

So I may just yeah.

Um so I think we'll send this one to committee.

Um counselor say it, I assume if you want to um touch base with the constituents um to uh make sure they're looped in on the process.

Um and uh lice license and permits, Councilor Burnley, you do that just a yes, I'll take it on the committee.

Uh through the chair, yes, mostly.

I was gonna say happy to take this up in committee.

Uh I do want to note uh these are butters, these are neighbors of mine.

I am not in a butter, but I do uh I am quite close to Vernon Street and I I see them quite often.

I just made sure to check that I'm not within 300 feet of this.

Um but uh happy to talk through this and uh and to help coordinate uh with any communication if necessary.

Okay, very well.

Yes, Councilor State.

Uh uh Mr.

President, are we uh asking the constituent to just show up to the meeting of licenses and permit, or can the re can the constituents speak to item 3.4 right now.

Since they've been waiting.

So right now 3.6 is before us.

Okay.

Okay.

That's gonna be sent to licenses and permits.

That's the the process to to you know allowing that conversation to go because that way the fo the representatives from the utility can be there as well.

Um you may facilitate some back and forth in the interim, of course, that's your prerogative.

Um sometimes that that helps, but certainly our our formal process is to send it to committee so that we can have a further discussion on it.

Certainly make sure that these concerns are uh are heard and and addressed in whatever way they can be.

Um so that'll be the distribution uh disposition of 3.6.

So we'll prefer to prefer to license to permits, yep.

And then council state would like to move for reconsideration of it of item 3.4.

Uh is that any any objection to reconsideration?

Seeing none, that item is now back before us.

Uh we read that one back.

And that is item 3.4, a grant of location from EverSource to install a total of 38 feet of conduit in Warwick Street from utility poll 357 over 3 to a point of pickup at 16 Warwick Streets.

All right, I'm going to reopen the public hearing on this one for the reason being that the consider the um member of the public who uh came to speak on the item this evening was not able to uh get into the chamber um due to it being full uh when the item was first read.

So uh that that um public hearing is reopened.

Uh is there anyone here in the chamber that wishes to speak on the item?

Sir, please.

My name is Matthew Penny.

I live at 19 Warwick Street.

That telephone poll is.

You should just state your name again.

I was talking over you.

I apologize.

Uh Matthew Penny.

Um this evening, uh I was given this, I got this notice in the mail on Thursday.

I didn't understand what why they want to do this.

Uh so I called Ephesour.

They assume they assured me that there'd be rep representatives here tonight to answer my questions.

When I stood outside in line, I told the police I needed to be in the meeting.

They assured me.

Those items won't be taken up until after the protesters leave for whatever was going on.

So I waited.

And I called my wife and said, get on Zoom, because the police said get on Zoom.

You can go home and get on Zoom.

But you can't because the meeting already started.

So I I hope this item hasn't been decided on, because uh I don't see anyone from Eversworth yet to answer my questions.

And I have questions.

And I I guess I don't know how does this work?

Has the item already been voted on.

So right now we are in a public hearing.

We'll um I will I can speak to your questions after the public hearing is over.

So hold on for a moment.

Is there anyone else in the in the chamber here to speak on the item?

Anyone online, use the raise hand icon.

Okay.

I declare the public hearing to be closed.

I apologize, sir, that you were not able to access the room.

Um there was a representative from Eversource here when the item was first called.

Um it is now back before us, so it has now not been decided.

Uh what we did a moment ago was to to um to reconsider it.

So it's now back before us, um, and we can we will now decide what to do.

Um I suspect we'll likely send this one to committee as well where we can then get the representatives from the utility there, hear your concerns and have a full conversation.

But I'll open it up to members of the uh of the council if there's any discussion.

No, okay.

Um this one is also in ward five, I think, Councilor Say.

Um I was communicating with the other constituent there.

Um so this will go to licenses and permits.

Um in the interim, I would recommend that you connect with the ward counselor um who's speaking with your uh uh other ward five neighbor there at the moment um and to get information.

Uh counselor, I'm just noting that we'll we'll send this.

This is also a ward five.

Um so we'll we'll send this one to licenses permits as well.

If you want to um you know help facilitate any conversation beforehand by all means, um but we'll make sure that uh ever source is there.

Um and that that is the the process, that's the forum we have for if there's any questions, any concerns, we don't do it at city council level.

We send it to committee so you all can have a full conversation, make sure that your you know concerns are heard and and and hopefully addressed.

Um I saw counselor clinging.

Through you, Mr.

President.

I'm just wondering uh to the chair of license and permits.

I can't recall the top of my head if there is one more meeting on the calendar.

I know that we our last meeting of the year is the 11th of December.

So just so the folks know that are gonna uh attend that meeting, it should be happening very within the next you know week or week and a half.

So uh and it'll be by Zoom.

So I just want to help.

So that yeah, the the the typical schedule for that would be uh to for that meeting to happen on December 10th.

That's of course up to the chair um uh at the chair's discretion uh could to schedule uh another meeting another time, but certainly the December 10th is the one we have designated as um you know available for license purpose.

So um I'll I'll defer to the to the good chair um for for scheduling on that.

Council uh do you have any thoughts on that at the moment or are you in the I just want to reconfirm through you that I do have a meeting scheduled for December 10th at 6 p.m., which will be remote on Zoom, so you can log in from home and we'll and uh we will make sure to the clerks will make sure to contact EverSource to ensure that they are present to answer these questions, and I will be uh hopefully facilitating a thoughtful uh and kind uh but thorough discussion uh if that is uh you know everyone's liking.

Thank you.

Okay, so I'll I'll seeing as I'm here, uh a Zoom meeting to me is yeah, not the way I like to go to a meeting.

I like to be in person, but if that's not possible, I guess that's not possible it says here that Eversource is applying for a grant allocation to install approximately 38 feet.

You said that.

Why?

So that's that's information that we can get that we can get you.

I don't remember off the top of my head what the ever source representative said unless unless somebody has minutes uh does Eversource have a crystal ball about what's going on at 16 Warwick Street, because I don't understand why they would preempt any permitting process.

So I could tell you that that this is the permitting process that that these uh grants of location are very common.

We have a several of these at the beginning of every meeting.

Um it is so that they can usually to you know run power or um replace a faulty line or um if there's a new project, you know, run run the necessary lines for that building.

That's typically why these um why it is.

Why why would a why would the public utility be asking to do something before the permits were even applied for?

So I saw Council.

Like I said, do they have a crystal ball?

They know what's gonna happen at 16 Wilming Street.

Counselor Klingon, I I saw your hand.

Did you want to speak to that specifically?

I'm happy to.

Yeah, Ms.

President Three similar to the question around 299, which hasn't even been demolished yet.

They're already, you know, they try to get ahead of the game.

But um I do understand the resident's concern if there is plans in place that are not, you know, yet made public.

Um, you know, I think he he just wants to know what's going on in his neighborhood, and this is kind of an indicator as to some things going on and what.

So I don't know that every supposed would have the answer to that question, but I definitely think that they would be able to tell you they're not I don't think they're asking for a new poll.

They're just asking for a new line to the thing.

But um but ultimately that would be a question probably for uh the planning department.

So I mean so I think you know the the good the good chair will make sure that uh um the proper necessary folks are there uh if there is uh if there is someone else in the administration that can speak to any plans there, uh I think that's is anyone else not think it's curious that the public utility is applying for things uh uh put in the cart before the horse, as it were.

It's not.

It's it's not uncommon at all for the utilities to apply for these early so that they have all their permitting in place before something happens.

I can't tell you what what exactly is happening at that property um because I don't know, uh, but that's something that we've got EverSource does know.

They know my understanding of the reason they sub that they uh submit these requests is that they have been asked by the property owner to provide power, for example, they figure out what is needed to do that, and then they come and request the permits to do so.

That's the standard process.

I'm speaking generally to that, I can't speak to the specific item, but the the way we can have that full conversation is is in committee with the Aver Source representative there.

Um and anyone else who uh cared invite, I would encourage you to work with your board counselor to uh to determine if there's other folks who should be present.

Um I say counselor Klingon again, happy to recognize.

I um so um you know, just to give a quick they don't give an ex uh a long explanation, but uh Mr.

Trenn, if you do run back on the video, I do I I want to say I could be wrong that they said for uh to accommodate two units, but I could be mistaken on that.

So if you know just in terms of what they've been asked, sounds like if you're concerned about the number of units, it sounded like they were saying they did give a a quick explanation of how many units it was accommodated.

So that is on the video as a sneak peek into the December 10th meeting uh where you'll get more information, hopefully.

And you can see why it would have been helpful to have the EVASOUS representatives in front of the process.

Absolutely understand your frustration, sir.

I would have appreciated being able to ask them.

I understand these these hearings are supposed to be set up so that we have that exact opportunity for you to hear from from the Eversource representative.

That said, they are not set up for questions question answer back and forth between the the utility and residents.

They are a public hearing.

We're right, we're any member of the public can speak to the item.

If there are questions and there is a need for discussion, we send it to committee.

So that's what we're gonna do with this one.

We're gonna send it to committee, which is the standard process, which is what would have happened if we hadn't had the unfortunate circumstance where you weren't able to be here.

Um and that is the process for which we have a full uh an uh opportunity to have a full conversation about the concerns and and have both sides um sort of talk it out.

Okay, okay.

So that's December 10th or 11th.

And I can future information.

Yeah.

I mean the the the street I live on has had plenty of cuts in the street.

I don't know why that needs another one uh uh for a house that for a for a property that hasn't been permitted.

And I would think that all of you would uh ask the same question.

Why do the why do the residents have to put up with a utility cut?

That the utility has no that the residents don't know anything, what's going on in that house?

It's an empty house.

It sits on an empty lot.

The developer came and bought it and piled a bunch of fence in front of it, put banners on the fence.

It looks it's an eyesore.

That's not my that's not my issue.

My issue is the pole in front of my house already has an underground service on it.

For the three units across the street, now picture a coffee cup and you drop three pencils in it.

That's what the conduits look like going up that poll.

So there's no room for any other conduits on that poll.

So this request I don't even uh from a physical.

So the logistics of how this the Episode's plans to do it are exactly the kind of thing that can be discussed in committee.

I I I again I apologize you weren't able to come at the beginning.

Um we would not have entertained a back and forth at the beginning of the meeting if there was no one else in the room.

We wouldn't have had this conversation.

Okay.

So the next step in the process is that this is gonna get sent to committee.

That meeting will happen on December 10th, and that's where the opportunity for the discussion to continue will be.

Okay.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

Yes.

Please return to the tax classification and we will do that after this item is is complete.

So this item is see no further discussion.

This item is referred to licenses and permits.

Okay.

Thank you.

And again, apologize, you weren't able to come in.

All right.

Um I guess we didn't, if we didn't get a roll call, we don't really need to remove move consideration because it didn't actually get resolved.

So turns out the tax classification is still before us.

Um we do need a roll call vote because we're making sure that we get everything right here this evening.

We do need a roll call vote because we're making sure that we get everything right here this evening.

So that is item uh three dot nine, um, which uh we will we'll say we'll pick it up off the table.

Exactly right, Mr.

And uh for a roll call vote on the uh two resolutions can be doing together?

We can do them together on the minimum residential factor and the 35% residential exemption.

Counselor Hart.

Yes.

Counselor Wilson.

Yes.

Counselor Ewan Campen.

Yes.

Counselor Scott.

Yes.

Counselor McLaughlin.

Yes.

Counselor Burnley.

Uh Counselor Saeed.

Yes.

Counselor Strezzo.

Yes.

Counselor Klingon.

Yes.

Counselor Mbaugh.

Yes.

Counselor Davis.

Yes.

With all counselors in favor, both of those motions are approved.

Okay.

Thank you.

So I appreciate folks uh indulgence on that.

Uh again, I apologize to the members of the public who um weren't able to be here for the items that they wanted to be here for.

Uh Madam Clark, next item.

So this goes back to our out of order items then.

Indeed.

And the next item being taken out of order is item 10.1, a request of the mayor requesting the appropriation of $2,400,000 from the receipts reserved for appropriation parking meter receipts account to reduce the fiscal year 2026 tax rate.

I see Director Adbean.

Mr.

President, thank you for your vote on the classification.

So the final action required to set the tax rate and send the tax recap to the state is the vote we traditionally take at this time, which is to appropriate parking meter receipts to reduce the tax rate.

The appropriation uh is $2.4 million in parking meter receipts.

Um that number has not changed since the budget.

We just closed that at budget time, so nothing has changed on that particular number, 2.4 million dollars to reduce the tax rate.

Okay.

Any questions?

Discussion?

All right, seeing none, we'll call it.

No roll.

All right, then that item is approved.

Thank you.

The next item then will be item 6C, a report of the committee on land use meeting on November 20th, 2025.

Um Councilor McLaughlin?

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

We did have a land use committee meeting and things happened.

Um we all met, we discussed a few items, talked about Gilman Square Up zoning.

Uh what we need to discuss tonight is 90 Washington Street, uh, where we approved out of committee a memorandum of agreement, demonstration project plan, and updated objectives for the 90 Washington Street site.

I believe Ben Demers is here.

If anyone has any questions, but that vote was unanimous.

Uh and I submit the committee report to be accepted.

All right.

Any discussion on the committee report.

Any questions so that uh those are part of the committee part, right?

So will any questions uh for uh Mr.

Demares on the 90 Washington items.

Ben, did you want to add anything?

I'm happy to give you the right.

Um three, Mr.

President.

Just want to make a couple of very quick comments uh in addition to what uh Councilor McLaughlin mentioned uh just around next steps.

Um as well as just to note so for the two of the items that are on the demonstration project plan and the memorandum of agreement, just wanted to note that these were um also approved by the redevelopment authority at their evening yesterday evening uh at their meeting yesterday evening, and then I just want to note some next steps.

Um so if the development program and the or the updated development priorities in the development program or program of uses are approved.

Um the next steps in our process are that we'll be finalizing a draft of the requests for proposals, the RFP over the next month, which will be refining with the Civic Advisory Committee and the redevelopment authority at meetings in December.

And then our goal is still to release the RFP early next year.

So just wanted to kind of reference those next steps.

Uh the next step that we would be bringing an item back before the council, assuming this process continues as we've laid it out, would be once we have responses to that RFP process.

Uh so sometime early mid next year.

Okay, thank you.

Any further discussion questions?

Yep.

Councilor Hart.

I have one question about the um the report, I think, in the committee, or the presentation in the committee is um so um in the presentation you through you uh the question.

Um you had said no surface parking required uh or um in involved in the plan.

And I just wondered if that includes like short-term parking for things like deliveries and Uber and DoorDash or if those things would be incorporated like park short-term parking into the site.

Um through Mr.

President to Counselor Hart.

Um, for my understanding, what this is really talking about is no surface parking lots on the site, so no large areas um for parking for residents or somebody going to uh commercial use on the site.

Um the traffic planning could still allow for different kind of delivery and different traffic markings along any thoroughfares that might border the site, so along Washington Street or New Washington Street, or along any potential thoroughfares that are also added to the site if somebody is redeveloping the parcel and adds any new thoroughfares.

Thank you.

And I'll just uh further question clarification a building could also incorporate a sort of uh I don't know what you call it, portico structured like you know, like at a hotel where they pull in, right?

That that would be that wouldn't be parking.

That would be that could potentially be available for um the type of use that uh Counselor Hart, is that correct?

Um to the president, I I can't confidently say yes that I'm sure of that, but for my understanding, that is not what the discussions at the Civic Advisory Committee have been focusing on.

They're really talking about larger surface parking.

So if there's uh you know more these more specific an area of the street where somebody be parking for a short time period for the specific use, I think something like that would still be fine within whatever plan was put forward.

Okay, thank you.

Other questions?

Any other discussion?

All right, so the committee report is approved.

Do we need any further votes on that?

We're good.

All right, thank you very much.

And that takes us to uh so next we'll take we want to take up items 8.2 and 4.6 together, please.

Item 8.2 is an officer's communication from the director of the Office of Sustainability and Environment conveying climate forward 2024.

And item 4.6 is a resolution by Councillor Zimba and Said in support of Climate Forward 2024.

Councilor Ba Councilor Bart, did you want to speak on the item?

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I wanted to circle my items.

Um Councillor Said and myself uh introducing this item in support of climate forward.

We appreciate the good director and all the work she's doing, you know, with her staff to kind of like continue to show that some of it is the leader with our climate priorities.

And of course, you know, we are also aware that we are bringing this forward at the moment when the conversation around climate, you know, and energy is shifting rapidly in Massachusetts and across the country.

So even at the state level, we are watching major debates on full about affordability, clean energy, and the future of climate commitments.

So nationally, we also see how climate progress is facing significant headwinds, with some leaders questioning even the rollback of long-standing environmental protections.

Many of our residents are hearing mixed messages and understandably concerned about what this means for their families, their bills, you know, and their future.

If you look at a massive is all almost like being threatened.

But here in Soma View, you know, we have always been clear about who we are and what we stand for.

So we believe the climate crisis is real.

We believe that clean energy transition can and must be equitable, and we believe that affordability and climate action are not competing priorities.

They're inseparable.

So every investment we make in weatherization, resilience, transit, or how to build in isn't an abstraction.

It affects the comfort, safety, and economic stability of our residents, especially low and moderate income families.

So I'll say if all these other editorials, I will pass it on to my colleague, you know, Councillor Said, to uh substantiate on this conversation.

Councilor Said.

Uh Mr.

President, uh thank you, uh Councilor Mbaugh for your climate advocacy work.

Um I'm very excited to be bringing this resolution forward.

Uh I will tell you why.

I'm very excited right now.

Um as you know, before being elected as uh World Five City Councilor, I was a French teacher at some of the high.

In the advanced French classes, uh they was teaching and made the choice to teach about climate change because there was a lot of interest from youth, my students.

It was also for personal reasons after my hometown in Algeria burned to the ground, like many other regions in the Mediterranean.

And as an educator, teaching about climate change was a way for me to help educate and prepare future generations.

My students learned about what actions are being taken around the world and what actions we can take at the local level.

Um and I'm sharing this because I learned that some of my former students provided input and feedback.

Um input in putting together the climate forward plan, which was an early step in their pursuit of careers in sustainability.

With some of the educator's union, they also organized with other educators around climate education and school building decarbonization.

It was the first union in the Commonwealth to have climate related asks as part of teacher to contract negotiation platform and won those uh um yeah, like there were two huge wins.

Um this said, you can imagine my excitement today to see our city commit to the climate goals we put together as a community.

My deep gratitude for you, uh Director Blaze and all your staff for continuing to move forward with some of its climate goals in times as a counselor and boss said it.

Our national government is overrun by the deadly corruption of fossil fuel industry that lies, where the nations of the world at COP 3 proved incapable of meeting the needs of global leadership, and when even our own state government just past week is proposing rollbacks to basic measures like Mass Save.

It is now more essential than ever for leadership to come from the bottom up for communities like ours to speak as loud as possible and set the boldest standards of what climate action needs to be.

In the total vacuum of leadership at other levels of government, it is up to people like us to be the example that others can look up to so that together we may build an irresistible momentum towards a better future.

Uh we have to hear, feel and act on the call from our youth to do more.

Today is one part of that.

We can't slow down for a moment, and I look forward to building a better future here together tomorrow and every day after.

We owe this to uh we owe this work to our future generations.

And with that, I would like to sponsor uh Director Blaze.

Director Blaise.

Uh through you, Mr.

President, and thank you so much, uh, counselors.

Um, I'm Director Blaze.

I'm uh uh director of the mayor's Office of Sustainability and Environment, and I'm so grateful to be here this evening, uh, this week of Thanksgiving.

Um I'm here to speak uh to two different items item 251720 and 251699, which uh is an officer's communication that was submitted jointly.

It's the climate forward plan itself that the resolution is is discussing.

So I just wanted to frame that too before I address the resolution.

So our climate action plan is our community's climate action plan, climate forward 2024.

It was created with uh over 700 residents, the latest data to create science-backed recommendations for how we can not only mitigate our emissions, but we can adapt to our changing environment primarily around heat and rain events and coastal flooding.

Um we learned through this exercise of creating a client of updating our climate forward plan that there's these three critical pathways for flooding in Somerville.

Not only uh Assembly Square, but Union Square and Davis Square too might see up to 10 feet of flooding um by 2070 in a major storm, and we are also already experiencing very extreme heat, getting reports of residents sleeping in wet pajamas just to stay cool.

On the emissions front, we've made really incredible progress as a city.

We have reduced emissions significantly since 2014 when we collected our baseline data.

Our 2020 greenhouse gas inventory shows that we have curbed emissions by nearly one-third.

And we're starting thank you.

And we are starting to look at 2020 and 2024 inventories to make sure that we're accounting for the whole picture, not only just the impacts of the pandemic, but what happened afterwards to inform our policy as we move forward.

The community's climate action plan is centered around equity and helping to strengthen our community to be thriving and more resilient as 2020 or 2050 uh gets closer and closer.

So, this resolution is designed to support climate forward, and there are obviously symbolic uh uh uh opportunities here at the moment, as as the counselors have mentioned, but there's also more practical implications too.

We frequently submit comments uh uh on various state level policies.

We also give uh comments to the press on various initiatives, um, and in our communications with our constituents too.

Um we're constantly um going down the laundry list of how this council has unanimously supported climate action and we have unwavering interest in this initiative, but that story is is not quite concise, right?

And our neighbors in contrast will have these very concise statements where they will just say, you know, our city council adopted this, our city council passed this resolution, and meanwhile, um for Somerville, we it and it's very important that we do this too, but we have a list of of things that this council just in the past three years even has supported unanimously, including the fossil fuel-free home rule petition, uh ordinance and resolution, and the specialized energy code, the state's highest level of energy codes um that that are offered to us.

So this can more not only be symbolic of the community's widespread support for this issue, but can also be a method to concisely communicate and demonstrate uh the widespread and and unwavering support for climate action from the community and the council too.

Um so I'm happy to take any questions and thank you all for your time.

Thank you.

Any questions, discussion?

Plot it's okay.

See now, uh Council Ball, yeah.

Thank you, Director Blaze.

Again, you know, it's just to reiterate, you know, what she just you know said the climate for plan 2024 is a roadmap bell locally, like you said, that is so true.

We're real data, you know, and real community input.

So we were part of that process, a number of us, and also a clear understanding that you know there's also that lived realities was also involved.

So it really affirms that we will stay on costs regardless of you know the various uncertainties that are surrounding us.

So really appreciate your work and uh yeah, we will be there with you as we unfold this roadmap.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

Uh see no further discussion.

So uh 4.6 is was approved and a ta2 is placed on file.

All right, good.

Uh next items.

Next item is item 8.3, an officer's communication from the Somerset Director conveying an update on the happiness survey 2025.

Good evening, everyone.

Um hi, I'm Anna Gartzman, I'm the director of SummerStad.

Um I am here largely to talk about the 2025 results of the happiness survey and to encourage everyone to look at the data themselves.

It has been released and out in the world for the past two weeks, and we're very happy uh to be able to provide it.

Um would you mind putting up slides?

Are there slides attached to the item?

Yes.

All right.

Well, yeah.

Uh, they're in PDF.

Let's take a moment so that we can find the slides.

And I can talk while that's happening.

Because I'll make the slides if that would be helpful.

Um so I can give a bit of a background on the happiness survey, which is um a fun word that we use to describe um a very extensive effort to capture the well-being and satisfaction levels of our residents.

This is a survey that Somerstat has run since 2011.

Um we conduct it every two years, and it is the only sort of continuous random sample survey that the city runs.

Um we use the data in this survey from the survey in a number of ways, largely um in three kind of main areas in tracking performance in long-range plans, in evaluating pilot programs, and in helping set budget and resource priorities, and we also make this data available to the public so they can use it for any research purposes they need.

Um so if you go to slide four.

And catch up.

Okay.

Um a little bit of background of why we run the happiness survey.

Um, as I mentioned, it is the only random sample survey that we've been running.

Um we uh do a random sample that's based on your mailing address, so people are randomly selected to participate.

We also do targeted outreach to special populations, and in combination, this provides insight into a broad cross-section of opinions that aren't always heard in public meetings or online comments.

The idea being that we we hear a lot from people who come to the meetings, and they it sounds like they represent many people, and this is the only way to know how many people that might be.

So generally, when the city runs surveys, it's on one topic, and so people who care about that topic have a tendency to participate more.

The happiness survey covers so many topics that people of all sort of opinions and interests uh participate, and so we get a lot more of a uh sort of breadth of responses, not just from people who care about a subject matter.

And last but not least, um, running the survey every couple of years allows us to see patterns over time, and so unlike regular sort of um one off survey where you might have a data point.

You don't know if that data point is part of a regular trend that's been happening for a long time, or if it's an outlier, or if it's part of a decreasing or increasing trend.

And so the happiness survey addresses all of these concerns.

Um in the spring of 2025, we sent the survey to randomly selected households.

We provide paper surveys in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole.

It comes in with one giant envelope.

Um, and we also provide an online option in all of the languages above and Nepali traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese as well.

Um we received almost 1,400 responses.

Um, as usual, our sample overrepresents some folks who tend to take surveys more, specifically women, white people, homeowners, and high income households.

But we have almost all demographic groups have enough respondents that we can do analysis and reporting on those groups.

Um because the survey went out in the spring of 2025.

Remember that results reflect the sentiment of that time.

Um new in 2025, we have on popular demand uh now able to produce some more fine-tuned maps.

Um, if you recall last year and before, we could only provide ward level maps.

We have um changed our sampling plan to be able to provide a maps by census tracked.

So there's 25 areas in Somerville that we can now report on.

Um we've also done some deep dives on some themes of city work.

Uh this year we focused on community and governance, public health, public space infrastructure, commercial development and arts, and education.

Um we've also introduced some open questions for what the city is doing well, where folks could respond up to three items and what it could improve, also up to three items.

Almost a thousand of the 1400 people left comments in both areas, so there's a ton of data in the qualitative kind of open response section.

Um we also have some open response questions about people's last interaction with the city and where the city should spend more and fewer resources.

Um I'm gonna skip this one and just talk through it as I go, but this um how to read the charts is available for your reference in case you go back to this later, as everybody should, because it's very important and critical.

Okay.

Um, so results from 2025.

Overall, Somerville residents are happy, and the way we know that is there's two charts here.

Um the top chart shows the average response.

This is on a scale of one to five.

The answer to the question, how happy do you feel right now?

Um, as you approach kind of four on average, that's high, that's on the high end of what we see in the survey.

A four is satisfied or agree, or generally good.

Um, you can also see the distribution of responses below.

And that's where you get kind of the nuance of how many, like, is it just that everyone is happy, or are some people very happy, and some people are neutral.

You can see that it's been going down a little bit recently.

3.7 is still fairly good, but it is definitely lower than we've been seeing recently.

But if you go to the next slide, you will see that despite that, people are still happy with Somerville as a place to live.

And this has been steady since the pandemic.

So it's been at a 4.0, basically since then.

Um the next one, this is um a question about agreement.

So, how much do you agree?

I feel safe in Somerville.

And people do feel safe in Somerville, uh, nearly 4.0s across the board, basically everywhere.

Um, so next I have a series of slides that are kind of more digging into the themes that we're seeing.

These are a sample, uh, so there's a lot more data available for playing around online.

Um, but to talk about a couple, we asked about core city services and satisfaction with them.

So in general, respondents are satisfied with the overall quality of city services they receive.

That's the first bar, as well as emergency response services, reliability of water and sewer services, and the availability of information about city services.

The availability of information about city services in the comments is largely reflected in kind of how people feel about 311.

There are about 170 comments about 311, and two thirds of those are positive.

I have some quotes here.

They're like 311 is always extra helpful whenever I call, and 311 has been great.

When people flag sort of improvement suggestions, they say something like, contacting 311 is easy, but I'm not sure if actual action was taken afterwards.

So it's more about the follow-through.

And so this is an example of how we kind of use what people write to explain and give some nuance and context to the quantitative data.

The next example I have is governance.

We did we asked some questions about how people feel about their opportunities for civic participation and information, access for voting in local elections, both quite good.

Respondents are less likely to feel that government processes are visible and understandable to them.

There are about 80 comments about city processes, largely focused on processes for permitting, getting a parking permit, paying tickets, et cetera.

And comments are split about one third positive to two thirds needs improvement.

So kind of positive comment examples are things like easy to use the website and online payments.

And on the improvement side, I went in person to pick up my permit.

It was easy and quick.

However, the reason I went in person was because my mother, who also lives in Somerville, warned me that she ordered hers online and it never came.

So we kind of see a mix there.

Another theme we have is city design.

People are very satisfied with their proximity to parks they want to use and other public spaces, and they're less satisfied with layout and design of streets in their neighborhood.

There are about 200 comments about street layout and design, largely focused on availability of bike and pedestrian infrastructure and availability of parking.

And the comments are split about 50-50, positive to improvement suggestions, which I think is not unexpected, but good to confirm that it's actually as split as we tend to see.

And also that we should stop taking away parking with no alternatives.

So respondents are fairly satisfied with beauty, cleanliness, and upkeep of their neighborhoods, although I will say that that has been going down over time.

And people are also satisfied with maintenance of municipal buildings.

But respondents are, as I mentioned, less satisfied with maintenance of street sidewalks and bike lanes, and that has also been declining since before the pandemic.

Improvement suggestions.

People flag sidewalk repair in general and after street work, so it makes it harder for seniors to walk.

People flag that we need to repair roads themselves and also bike lanes.

Respondents are continued to be highly satisfied with social community events, the ability to create and enjoy art in Somerville, and the restaurants, shops, and other businesses in their neighborhood.

What I want to flag here is that this one on the top on the very right is a very high satisfaction with neighborhood restaurants, shops, and other businesses, but the comments are actually split because people think we should be doing even more.

So people are happy with what they have in their neighborhood.

They say things like small and unique businesses abound, love the lack of big chains, so easy to shop for almost everything.

But at the same time, they say we need more support for local businesses, less big corporate development, and businesses close and nothing reopens for years.

So I think what I want to bring up here is that the question wording matters.

So here we asked, are you satisfied with what you have?

But we didn't ask, are you satisfied with the city's efforts to supporting small businesses?

So I think it's important to kind of keep the question wording in mind.

We asked about availability of child care and out of school care of various age groups.

And what you see here is that it's on the lower side of what we see in this survey at sort of all the levels.

There are about 45 comments about education supports, split about one third positive to two-thirds needs improvement.

People really like the quality and availability of pre-K school and after school programs and new parent groups, but improvement mentions frequently include asking for youth programming and the center, more affordable child care options, and universal pre-K.

On the housing side, also one of the lower things we see in the survey, not surprisingly.

Respondents are highly satisfied with the condition of their housing, but much more likely to be dissatisfied with the quality and variety of housing options in their budget.

Is how concerned are you about being priced out of living in Somerville?

This is an average, this is a scale of one to three, so higher is more concerned.

So the redder you get, the more concerned you are.

And people are very concerned about being priced out of living in Somerville.

Housing affordability is one of the most prevalent common topics, around 350 mentions, and they are split about 10% positive to 90% improvement suggestions.

Yeah.

Health supports.

The last theme.

So this is limited to respondents who report difficulty paying for food.

The reason we did this is that overall respondents report very high levels of satisfaction with the ability to access basic needs, grocery store services that support health and relief from extreme heat.

It is one of the highest results we have in the survey.

The average is something like 4.6 for overall.

Remember, the highest you can have is a five, and 4.6 on average is extremely high.

However, this is one where just because it's high doesn't mean it's necessarily good.

In some sort of cases, we neutral is maybe fine.

We are maybe okay with people not having extremely high satisfaction on some topics, and it's okay to be neutral.

On something like access to basic needs, we probably want to aim higher.

And so we've selected here just the respondents who report difficulty paying for food and how they reacted to the questions.

For them, the ability to access basic needs is lower, and reminder that these are results from the spring, um, so they don't reflect the recent food insecurity that we have been experiencing.

Um they also flag in the comments um that the sort of the desire they want to keep living in Somerville, um, but they need to kind of fix the affordability problem so that it can access all of the um resources of our city.

They say things like, I cannot fully appreciate I cannot fully appreciate and engage in all the opportunities to socialize or volunteer with my neighbors because my entire human existence is devoted to paying rent and not becoming homeless again.

So it's hard to kind of engage in all the other city services and functions for folks who respond who respond that they have difficulty paying for food.

Um I have two things here of the kind of the most split opinions in the city, um, according to the happiness survey.

Uh respondents actively disagree on whether to repurpose parking for other uses.

Um that's not surprising.

There's 46% of respondents agree, and 38% disagree.

Um, there's higher agreement near T stations, um, which is also interesting.

You can see that on a map.

There's uh there's an interesting age pattern, which is what this shows, as uh older respondents are less likely to want to repurpose parking for other uses.

Um this is an area of like actual real disagreement where like what is the right thing to do is not clear.

And the other area of big disagreement is on whether the city is doing enough to decrease the presence of rats and mice.

Um this is a mix.

I think we see um the biggest difference between respondents from word one, which are less satisfied, and word six, which are more satisfied.

Um I'd say more satisfied is not amazingly high.

It's neutral on average, so I wouldn't wouldn't call that a win necessarily.

Um but people write a lot of comments about what to do.

They want to offer composting to reduce rats and waste, they want to continue to combat rats, citing restaurants when they let um dumpsters overflow, they want to curb the rat population, etc.

And there's a map here showing kind of where so the bluer areas are more satisfied and the redder areas are less satisfied.

So East Somerville is less satisfied.

Um sort of well agrees less that we're doing enough.

Um so I've just gone through a lot, but there's a ton more available on the website.

There are questions you can view over time and demographics of the survey respondents over time, and questions by all of these demographic slicers, and questions by geography, and these concern questions, including maps.

And you can compare questions to each other if you're interested.

So there's a hundred different views and slicers for you to explore the data on your own.

You can of course also download the data and make your own views and slicers as you choose.

Um some of the geographic explorations can be really fun.

Uh here's an example where uh respondents in assembly row are, for example, among the happiest that we see in on this map, they're at 4.1, but they also feel the least connected to Somerville.

On the question, I feel like a part of the Somerville community, they have a neutral on average, where most people are closer to satisfied, which we felt was interesting.

Um yes, um the data set and data dictionary and data visualization are available for you and for everyone.

Um I just want to flag that we this is we just published the data as we are cleaning it.

So while we've done extensive quality checks, this initial release is likely not perfect.

If you notice anything or would like anything added, please let us know.

We are still finishing processing the open response comments, uh, but we're gonna publish comment categories in the data set as well in the coming weeks slash months.

Um and then next for us is conducting internal assessments by kind of topic areas and departments and by request investigations.

So if you would have any of those, let me know.

And of course, we're always planning for the next happiness survey, which will be in 2027.

If you have questions you would like us to include, please reach out.

Thank you, Director.

Could you read out the website again just for folks that are uh listening at home?

Of course.

So they can yes, all of our data sets are available, available at our open data portal at data.gov.

All right, council Burnley.

Thank you through the chair.

Uh thank you for being here, director.

Uh I almost as a rule, I don't tend to have favorites, anything.

Almost favorite color, favorite pie, favorite, you know, anything.

Um these presentations are my favorite presentations that we receive uh once a term.

Um I and if I remember correctly, the last time that you were here, I I asked so many questions that we we might have had to punt it to committee or uh might have got an Might have got the uh Apollo music, as it were.

Um so I'll try not to do that again.

Uh, but I do really appreciate this data.

I think it's really incredible that we're a community that is invested in the happiness of our residents, that we study the happiness of our residents, and that um and I'll circle back to this at the end of my comments and questions, um, that we try to use this data in a way to best serve the direction of the city.

Um but having just looked through a bunch of the different data sets, uh I I have no a few things I want to like mention and highlight it and a few questions.

Um I guess I will I'll start with the fact that when you when you look at this data that is broken down by both race and gender, uh you see a spike both in 2023 and 2025 of more folks choosing not to uh identify themselves in terms of what their race or gender is.

Um and subsequently, when you also look at this data in relation to happiness, um non-binary folks and folks who chose not to respond to to give a preferred gender, um this data shows tend to be less happy here.

Um I there's no question there.

I just think it's really important to note those things.

Um I'd also note that when you look at how the respondents on this data throughout the years it has been relatively even.

In fact, it's got it more even between the respondents who are homeowners and who are renters.

Um as most people who live here would know, the the city is has vastly more renters than homeowners.

So I guess a question coming out of that is how do you think that that affects the the data and the responses here when we have particularly around the questions of housing.

Um you made a point just to say that there are there is a real palpable feeling in this community about the worry of being priced out.

Um that is from a data set that is about half people who own their homes.

Um so I I guess I'm curious if you have any insights there or if any of the data that you saw gives you more information about uh how that might be affecting things.

Um thank you for the question through the president.

Um a couple of comments, and let me know if I forget to address any questions.

Um on the question of gender, I think what's interesting to see is the different questions to which non-binary respondents uh respond like and unlike binary respondents.

For example, as you flagged, by non-binary respondents flag being less happy right now.

But if you look at their satisfaction with Somerville as a place to live, they're actually identical to binary respondents.

So I think having to look at the kind of combination of questions is important.

I do believe that non-binary respondents are having a harder time overall right now, and I am happy that that doesn't appear to be reflected in their satisfaction with Somerville as a place to live, but it is important to check that and all of the questions that might be kind of reflecting um the lived experience.

On the question of renters and homeowners, yes, I think renters and homeowners frequently disagree.

For example, on the rat question, um renters are more likely to think that we're doing enough uh than homeowners.

Um I think we can also check about concerns of being priced out as well.

And I think it's important we provide that democra those demographic slicers in order to be able to check um kind of the differences and adjust for the the kind of survey responses not being representative of the um of the city.

I think it is for especially for kind of low prevalence populations, it's more important to have enough of them that you can look at them rather than try to get them to be representative and therefore frequently um kind of absorbed into the overall average, for example, to go back to non-binary respondents because they are um kind of less prevalent in the population.

You actually want you don't want them to be smushed in with everyone else because then their um kind of lived experience will disappear into the broader population.

Um for renters, the problem is the opposite.

There's more renters than homeowners, so right now we're not giving them kind of enough credit.

Um but I think by being able to uh report on them separately, you do get the nuance of their experiences, uh, but you do have to check the individual demographic groups.

Demis anything.

Uh I don't believe so.

And I'll I have questions, but I'll respond as well.

Um yes, heard.

I think those are really important points.

Uh and just to go back to to bring up race again.

Um part of the reason I use that uh indicator factor identification beyond the fact that like gender, there is a increase in the preference uh not to answer, is when you look at uh immigrant status on here, you actually don't as from what I just looked at, you actually don't see that increase in preference to not respond so much, which is one might think is counterintuitive.

Um but I I would imagine that both race and gender are uh being influenced by the as you kind of uh uh alluded to larger societal issues that are impacting people and their their experience, just you know living their lives in public.

Umerville is one part of that.

We it and it's really important that this uh survey breaks out between how happy are you and how hard you are you i with Somerville, uh because those can be different questions and um sometimes starkly so um but uh I just wanted to to say that to note that that is why I put it phrase it that way because I I understand that you have to look at these questions in combination to get a more broader sense of uh their importance.

Um to your other point about um homeowners uh versus not versus and renters.

Um I also noticed that uh a significant amount of the respondents, or I I might call it significant, are folks who make above 200,000, in my view, as someone who makes nowhere near 200,000 and never has could affect your happiness.

I know they say money doesn't buy happiness, but it buys comfort and comfort can make you happy.

Um so again, these are things that we need to look at.

Um I don't think that that is necessarily as disproportionate, frankly, as the renter versus homeowner dynamics, because um we have seen an increase in high income earners in Somerville over the last 10 years, uh, but it is important when we look at the factor.

I could I could do this all night, so I'll just end with one question, which is I I believe I I ask every time you're up here.

Um how best do you think that the council can use this data to serve our constituents and direct our policy discussions?

Thank you for the question through the president.

Um this is my opinion.

So grain of salt, of course.

I think the best use of the having the survey data for council is that it reflects a random sample of the population.

I think that by nature of elected office, people come to you with concerns, and people everyone I think has a tendency to surround themselves with like-minded people, and so I think that my concerns, because they're all my friends' concerns, are the concerns of the community, and it's really hard to know whether those concerns are reflected in just the people who have come to you or if they are actually reflecting a broader concern.

So I think this is a good source of that information as like a gut check of is the are the things you're hearing reflective of a broader um concern, or are they maybe acute concerns for a smaller group of people and and one last thing, just because you you asked the question kind of or at a request of us, which is if there are questions you previously asked that you'd like to see in the 2027 one uh to bring up.

I remember last year or last year, two years ago when we had this uh survey, one of the questions that was most interesting to me was when do you feel most unsafe in Somerville?

And the answer on the from the data was when riding bikes.

And that was compared to when walking home alone at night when you know in a dark place.

Um I think that again, I think that question is really important for uh our elected officials to see and to to find ways to actually address.

Uh so regardless, I I put that as an evergreen question myself.

Okay, thank you.

Counselor Wilson.

Yeah, thanks, Mr.

President.

I want to thank our Somerset director for being here.

Somersat just it's such an invaluable part of the city in terms of giving us data we can we can take and and actually go make decisions based on.

So uh I want to thank you for that presentation.

I want to thank you for the if you haven't looked at the website, I would encourage everyone to go through that.

The we're having sort of the kind of visual cross tab discussion we're having here.

Um you could you can go deep on so many of these things.

I I spent some time with that.

It's a really fascinating insight into you know to the director's comment about sort of stepping outside of bubbles and understanding you know where different parts of the community are at.

It's really really helpful for understanding that.

Um I wish we weren't having this discussion at 9 48.

Um, it's uh it's it's an important one.

But uh, you know, thank you for doing the work on the happiness survey.

Uh it's always fascinating to look through this and and understand where the people are at uh on so many different things, and again, those breakdowns, the crosstabs are just uh just absolutely fascinating.

Thanks.

Thank you.

See no further discussion that item is placed on file.

That brings us to our first executive session, I believe.

Yes, Mr.

President, that would be item 9.4, a public communication from Osnat Hoffman submitted an open meeting law complaint against the city council.

I see that solicitor Amara and assistance Peak are in the room.

Um can somebody please uh approach and uh confirm whether or not this item is appropriate for executive session, thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh for the record, Jason Peaks uh assistant city attorney.

Uh this this would fit fit within one of the exceptions of the open meeting launch remote and exact executive session.

All right, very good.

Thank you.

Um one of these days I'm gonna get the solicitor attorney switch over, switch back right in my own brain.

I apologize every time I get it wrong.

Um with that we will uh take a roll call to go into executive session.

Indeed, Mr.

President.

On that motion, counselor Hart, yes, Councilor Wilson, yes, Council Ewan Campin.

Yes, Counselor Scott, yes, Councilor McLaughlin.

Yes, Councilor Burnley, I Counselor Saeed, yes, Councilor Strazzo, yes, Counselor Klingon, yes, Counselor Mbass.

Yes, Counselor Davis.

Yes.

With all counselors in favor, this council will enter executive session.

All right.

Thank you, folks.

We will return to open session when this success executive session is over for folks who are watching home.

Just so you know, there's then an item that we will discuss.

Um, and then whether we have another executive session that we're going to, and after that point, start the meeting.

So the point of us are all really good.

Um

Oh, I don't think we've got some things, but if we do it, we can uh we maybe have to spend like a fine.

All right, call us meeting back to order with the clerk, please call the roll.

This is roll call.

Counselor Hart.

Here, Councillor Wilson.

Counselor Campin's Councillor Scott.

Councillor McLaughlin.

Counselor Burnley.

Councillor Said.

Here.

Councillor Strazzo.

Here.

Counselor Klingon.

Counselor Mbaugh.

Present.

Oh.

Counselor Davis.

With ten counselors present and one absent.

We have a quorum.

Okay, no meetings were no taken in executive session other than the vote to leave executive session.

Um next item we'll take out of order is four dot two.

Yes, indeed.

And that is an order by Councillor Davis that the city attorney's office is authorized to respond to the open meeting law complaint by Osnat Hoffman on behalf of the city council.

Any discussion.

Excellent.

And then the next item that will be taken out of order is item seven point.

Which is a request of the request of the mayor requesting that this council convene an executive session to discuss the potential settlement of a claim against a former employee.

Okay, I see we have the city attorney here.

Would you please uh advise as to whether this is appropriate to uh to go into executive session to discuss?

Would you mind just for the folks who are listening at home so we can hear you on the microphone?

This matter is appropriate to go into executive session to discuss settlement of a claim against an employee.

Thank you very much.

Um we just did this.

We don't need a roll call.

We do indeed roll call on the motion.

Counselor Hart.

Yes.

Counselor Wilson.

Yes.

Councillor Ewan Campin.

Yes.

Counselor Scott.

Yes.

Counselor McLaughlin.

Yes.

Councillor Burnley.

Counselor Said.

Yes.

Counselor Strazzo.

Yes.

Counselor Klingon.

Yes.

Counselor Mbaugh.

Counselor Davis.

Yes.

With all counselors in favor, this council will adjourn to executive session.

Sorry.

Yeah.

Oh, I think I think it's I don't think you're not going to I don't know.

I don't know if we're looking at that like that, but I can't do that.

No, that's the one I just think.

All right, folks.

Let's get back at it.

One, two, three, four, seight.

All right.

We have a quorum.

Uh, we got to do a roll call coming out executive session.

And this is roll call.

Counselor Hart.

Councillor Wilson.

Present.

Councilman Campin.

Here.

Counselor Scott.

Counselor McLaughlin.

Here.

Counselor Burnley.

Present.

Counselor Said.

Here.

Counselor Srezel.

Here.

Counselor Klingon.

Present.

Counselor Mbaugh.

Counselor Davis.

With ten counselors present and one absent.

We have a quorum.

All right.

There were no votes taken in executive session other than the vote to leave executive session.

That brings us back to the regular order of business.

Counselor Wilson.

So I think it's a great idea to codify this into law.

Uh and that hasn't changed at all, knowing uh that it could be my name that might be plastered all over everything.

Uh it's not just a misuse of taxpayer funds in the first place, in my opinion, but having to update all of this signage all the time uh just makes that even worse.

So uh this proposed ordinance is gonna ensure better use of taxpayer funds in the future, and I look forward to seeing what legislative matters uh does with this.

Councilman Davis.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh, and thank you to my colleague at large for uh for signing on with this.

This is something that uh uh an ordinance that I've had kicking around in my head for a long time.

Um certainly back into the past administration.

So to be clear, this is in no way um uh an indictment or uh critique of the current administration's practices, other than the extent to which they're just as frustrating to me as the past administration's practices were.

Um as Counselor Wilson said, uh, you know, seeing uh the mayor's name um i i in lots of different places where there really is no reason or value or add uh additional um informative uh value, I guess, to to having it there, has always bugged me.

Um and it especially irks me when um it feels at least to me that that seems to the the um frequency prevalence of that seems to increase uh certain times of year every two years or so.

Um so uh it's around election times for those of you whose brains are as tired as mine are.

Um so I uh am I look forward to having this discussion in legislative matters.

I want to thank our legislative policy analyst um uh Brennan Salisbury for putting together a draft.

I will uh I will note that this was an early draft of his that I did not have time to sit down and talk with him about.

Um and so there, if to the extent that there's room for improvement, that is my uh responsibility and fault and not his.

Um it's a great starting point, so I thank him for that.

Um and uh yeah, let's focus all our money on things that are matter and not um you know promoting ourselves when there's really no reason to thank you through the chair.

I'd like to sign on, and I also uh have a question uh for the sponsors.

Does this include the mayor's summer jobs program?

Through the president.

Uh it's funny you mentioned that because just today I was talking about how much I would love to rebrand and move out of the mayor's office, the summer jobs program.

Uh I think there's a big opportunity to, you know, one, just decrease the the workload of the mayor's office by by having the mayor's office you know sit with that.

Uh and also it's the city's jobs program.

Other discussion?

Yes.

Council Chazman.

Thank you.

Um Mr.

President, uh rhetorical question.

What do we do with our tote bags now?

I'm sorry, I didn't hear that.

What do we do with our tote bags now?

Our city of Somerville tote bags.

I think those are yours to do with whatever you choose.

Collector's item.

Counselor UAC.

Uh, Mr.

President, uh I'm resisting the urge to sign on just because I'm jealous I didn't do this first.

I'm thrilled about it.

Uh thank you for putting it in.

Looking forward to working on this.

Councilor Bowler likes to sign on.

All right.

Uh so with no further discussion, that item is referred to legislative matters.

Item 4.3 is an order by Councillor Davis that the Commissioner of Public Works provide an update on how snow and ice is removed from different types of surfaces in school yards, including any limitations based on surface type.

Uh that'll be uh approved assent to school building facilities and maintenance because we would waive the rate of 4.4, send that to school buildings facilities and maintenance.

Item 4.5 is a communication by Councillor Davis in his capacity as president.

Canceling the regular meeting of this council scheduled for December 25th, 2025.

Place on file.

Item 4.7 is an order by Councilor Strazzo that this city council discuss the safety of the Summer Street bike lane design around or near Putnam Street to Benton Road and how and if additional safety modifications can be made.

We want to lay this one on the table for next meeting.

Okay.

Item 4.8 is a resolution by Councillor McLaughlin supporting the resale of certain city-owned property.

Council McLaughlin.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I have a slide to go with this too, if you can pull it up.

And Councilor Wilson would like to sign on, and Council Okay.

Counselor Baud likes to sign on.

So while we wait, um I recently had a meeting where I said one say right now uh at 90 Washington Street to the residents of Cobble Hill that I've been on record, both public and private, uh opposing any further development of the green space along 90 Washington Street, as you can see here.

The area in red is uh city-owned property that we have through eminent domain.

Um and so I publicly said this.

So I was pretty astonished when I go to a community meeting on behalf of Cochran Jennison, where they say that they would actually like to take some of the green space that we own to build parking.

Uh the very people who have admonished us and had people um criticize the taking of green space uh uh for the seniors there.

So it surprised me.

I guess it didn't surprise me that much, but uh you see that if you could see on the south side, you see a little red grid down there.

Uh they want to use uh land that belongs to the city to build parking space.

You can see the black lines too, where they want to add even more parking in order to address the parking lot in the upper left-hand corner.

Uh so I got up there, talked to the in front of the residents and said, I will do you one better, and I would like to just sell all of that back to Cochran Jennison and just be done with this once and for all.

Uh they made a killing off a lawsuit uh that we lost.

Uh so they have plenty of money to uh take this land back if they so choose.

And I think it addresses every concern that we have.

Um it addresses the green space that would be kept in prepetuity for the seniors there.

Uh it addresses the parking that they don't want to lose.

We don't need to build new parking because there's a parking lot there.

We receive some of the money back, which is uh the goal now for 90 Washington is to retrieve the money that we had.

Um, and we got to build on 90 Washington Street, which is the place we've always wanted to build to begin with, and hopefully build something uh quality for the community there.

So I put that out, and the seniors loved it, and the people there want to see this happen.

I did have a speaker who wanted to come, but unfortunately she too could not get into the building tonight.

Uh, but she sent a written testimony.

And I would just like to uh consider this.

Uh good faith discussion between the city and Cochran Jennison.

See if we can agree upon a price for this piece of land that I would like to keep as is.

And I submit for approval.

Any discussion.

That's seeing none of that item is approved.

That brings us to item 5.2, a resolution by Councillor Strezzo, Klingon, and Wilson that the administration informed this council of the process, action, and communication used to consider acquiring the closed school building privately owned by the Archdiocese of Boston on Thurston Street after the Winterhill Community Innovation School was deemed unsuitable for use.

This was an item that was uh I believe submitted at the last meeting, so it's now been it wasn't if I may.

This is an item that um was oh it's it did not receive a disposition.

And I did not catch that as it landed on the last agenda.

I caught it in the minutes, so it is back because it has already been discussed, but it does need a final action from the council.

For the record, the clerk explained all of that to me yesterday, and I had completely forgotten.

Thank you, Madam Clack.

So the yes, it was it was uh simply it was the wrong designation in the committee.

Um I believe it did the correct designation would be to place it on file.

Or either approve or place on the case.

Okay.

So well, Councillor Clingon, this is my item, but Councillor Clingen looks really anxious to speak, so I'll I'll defer to him and then I'm going to speak.

Counselor, so so just to be clear again.

This was if if if the if the disposition in the Klingon is the dis somebody give me another red bill.

If the disposition in the committee had been placed on file, then it wouldn't be back before us.

It just was it was it was it was marked we're completed, which we can't do yet.

So there's uh the in theory should be nothing more to discuss.

You're welcome to discuss it because it is before us, but it would just be to give it the proper disposition.

Okay, yeah, that's what I thought okay.

So I had work completed it, but I should have just placed it on file.

It was yes, it was there was there's details that I won't bore everyone with that require us that there's a difference between those two things.

So the proper disposition would be uh either to approve it now because that that it's before us could be we could prove it and replace it on file, both have the same effect.

Okay.

Counselor Wilson.

And then I'm going to speak.

Mr.

President, really quickly.

Uh there was a previous inquiry made to the Archdiocese about this.

It did not go anywhere.

Uh what I can say is I have it on good authority.

The next administration is going to re-engage about this.

Very well.

Uh it Council Chaza.

Thank you.

Okay.

Mr.

President.

Through you, Counselor Clean.

Uh so this discussion happened in committee.

And uh, yes, can you please because I wanted to be part of this conversation, so can you please summarize this?

Mr.

President, yeah.

This item, in my opinion, I know I did sign on, but probably never should have been put on because this would be an item that the city would engage in a transaction.

Like there's nothing to discuss publicly in a meeting about a property.

So whether we're doing a take-in or whether we're that would be most likely discussed, you know, we we can't discuss this publicly uh in any any fashion um as far as the transaction.

So uh that's why I just uh I meant to not work completed but meant to place it on file.

So as was I've been pounding this drum for a while now, and I know that the new administration that's maybe coming in is also uh seriously considering um you know re-engaging on this process.

That's all we can really say publicly.

Okay.

Thank you.

So Mr.

President, through you to uh mayor elect uh Jake Wilson.

Counselor Wilson.

Counselor will counselor Wilson um awesome, because yes, as far as I understand, uh I don't know where the communication exactly happened with this because uh some of the directors are kind of iffy of the details on this, and I'm not really sure how hardy a conversation the city of Somerville had with the Archdiocese.

So I am happy to uh resubmit this next year um and and open up the discussion in executive session or in public or not or place on file, whatever, but have a conversation as we ring in the new year.

But I'm very excited.

I think this is an excellent solution, and there's so much to talk about what happened with the Winter Hill and Brown School conversation, but that's the next meeting.

So, yes, I'm looking forward to the conversation.

Thank you.

All right, that item is placed on file.

Item 6A is a report of the committee on finance, meeting on November 19th, 2025.

Council Wilson.

Mr.

President, I had a longer committee report prepared, but uh yeah.

Uh we met on November 19th with four or five members present, took up a six-nive agenda.

Um recommended a number of things that you approved tonight.

Not gonna go into detail on them, it's all in the in the minutes.

Uh one thing I do want to flag though that is going to come up here shortly.

We did mark as withdrawn at the request of the administration ID number 25-1624.

Uh, we did go ahead and discuss that item because we knew there was going to be an item on tonight's agenda replacing that and correcting the small error.

Um that is item 10.2 on tonight's agenda.

So just know the finance committee did discuss that.

Uh seemed as though there was uh no issue with that.

Just wanted to name that.

Uh so with that, I'll ask you to approve this committee report as submitted.

Any discussion on the committee report?

All right, seeing none.

Do we have votes coming out of that one?

That puts two items before this council for approval by rail call vote.

Those are items 6812, item 25-1649, requesting approval of a pedestrian access easement and grant of maintenance license for 495 Columbia Street.

See no discussion.

On that item, Councilor Hart.

Yes, Counselor Wilson.

Yes.

Counselor Ewan Campen.

Yes.

Counselor Scott.

Yes.

Counselor McLaughlin.

Yes.

Counselor Burnley.

Aye.

Counselor Said.

Yes.

Counselor Strazzo.

Yes.

Counselor Klingon.

Yes.

Counselor Mbaugh.

Yes.

Counselor Davis.

Yes.

With all counselors in favor, that item is approved.

And the next item before this council will be item 6A16, item 25-1698, requesting the appropriation of a hundred thousand dollars from the community benefits stabilization fund to the armory revolving fund to prepare the armory for onboarding and support of tenants.

On the item.

On the item, Counselor Hart.

Yes.

Counselor Wilson.

Yes.

Councilor Ewan Campin.

Yes.

Counselor Scott.

Yes.

Counselor McLaughlin.

Yes.

Counselor Burnley.

Aye.

Counselor Said.

Yes.

Counselor Strazo.

Yes.

Counselor Klingon.

Counselor Mbas.

Yes.

Counselor Davis.

Yes.

With all counselors in favor, that item is approved.

All right.

Next item.

The next item is item 6B, a report of the Committee on Housing and Community Development.

Meeting on November 18th, 2025.

Counselor Schezo.

10 30 p.m., ladies and gentlemen.

What's the four?

Oh.

Mr.

President, through you to Council Klingon.

Correction.

1034 p.m.

Uh, the housing and community development committee, the last of the year uh of 2025 happened Tuesday, November 18th, 6:30 p.m.

in person and hybrid option.

We were happy to welcome uh Counselor Hart to the committee.

And we had a really great conversation on some really bleak news on housing.

For instance, we had Director Shachter come in and talk about housing insecurity happening in Somerville, but update us as she uh typically does per quarter.

And uh Director Schechter reported that 637 households are currently seeking assistance with 49% at imminent risk of displacement.

And she updated us that due to statewide uh fiscal situation, restrictions have tightened uh on housing support, so only 30% of all funding may now be used for permanent housing.

Rapid rehousing funding has been cut by nearly two thirds, reduced redirected to substance use and mental health housing, and can no longer be used for homelessness prevention.

State policy has also shifted towards clearing encampments and moving individuals into shelters or temporary sites.

And this is counselors, you need to know this.

Um the uh section eight vouchers are no longer being issued statewide.

I'm just gonna pause for that.

Let that that really let's digest that.

Um, the older adult bridge program received additional FY26 state funding, allowing more seniors with fixed income awaiting uh uh incomes awaiting subsidized housing to be admitted.

So that's good, but uh we section eight is uh you finished that sentence sentence, not good right now.

Um we talked about the playgrounds.

So if you're uh if you're getting um uh questions or are interested, we have the Kennedy School playground uh lot is going to be next on a future playground design and making sure that they're ADA accessible and the project is and I want to mention that we will be having a looks like a virtual community meeting that will be uh on the Kennedy School in the design on December 2nd.

So please mark that.

And also we recently celebrated with the uh commercial uh commission for persons disabilities and their hard work.

I want to commend them for that.

They increased uh ADA swing of availability, which is from 23% and to 80 percent.

Um and also mentioned that that Kennedy School is going to be an inclusive playground.

We talked about additionally small business and financial and technical support because it is the season holiday spirit is here.

So we're really trying to put a focus on supporting Somerville local and economic development came and really talked about uh what their goals and plans are to increase our Somerville residence uh purchase here and staying local to Somerville.

And I encourage you all to help our local small businesses as well in Somerville, loyal to local, etc.

Um, I would like to submit this committee report as accepted or as submitted.

Any discussion or questions on the committee report?

Counselor Hart.

Um, through you to Councillor Strezzo.

My memory is that it was not the state uh shift in focus for the that we are losing the housing support that it was a Trump administration change.

Um so just wanted to clarify.

Thank you.

Yes, federal support is is the problem.

The state here in so and as you know, thank you for that correction.

If it wasn't uh if I didn't uh convey that um uh as that yes, state we're doing a lot better.

It's federal.

Um is where we're really gonna have to buckle up, but of course, all of us know this is not news.

That brings us to item six D, a report of the committee on traffic and parking meeting on November 17th, 2025.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I will keep this report short.

We discussed two items.

The first one is an update on the uh community path safety improvements, mobility safety improvements, and um we uh learned that uh staff have been reviewing over a thousand unique responses received from the public about the safety concerns that we use this data to produce a report that will be uh posted uh by the end of actually yeah, by the end of this month, so uh sometime next week.

And then uh exciting update regarding the um current efforts to fix the unsafe crossing of the community path and school street and also the community path and lowell street.

Uh Director Posterweight presented three options that are being considered design options that are being considered, and um yeah, so these um it's important to note that the new the staff are still um still need to reach out to uh the fire department to DPW to make sure everyone you know give uh their approval before they present this uh to the uh Mass DOT and uh same for uh the Lowell Street, community path low street crossing.

Uh director post to wait presented three options that are being considered design options that are being considered and um yeah so these um it's important to note that the new the staff are still um still need to reach out to uh the fire department to DPW to make sure everyone you know give uh their approval before they present this uh to the uh mass DOT and uh same for uh the little street community path low street crossing uh we I believe there were two designs as well um but again exciting to receive initial designs because we have been waiting for this for so long and it was also uh counselor Hart's uh first meeting that so yeah please check them out all right very good council seat uh submits the report to be accepted any discussion counselor are you in camping uh mr.

President just probably the question I have asked a hundred times and I'm sorry I don't get it um the presentation to the committee is that going to be linked to this meeting for people in the public who want to see that memo it's not there currently director posed away's presentation is it like show up at some other place in legislature that I don't understand Adam Clerk can you advise us on that Mr.

President with apologies that I don't know specifically what it is that you're referencing what I will say more generally is if a presentation was submitted with the item it will be attached to the item if a presentation was submitted after that it will be attached to the agenda of the meeting at which it was presented for example the traffic and parking committee meeting of November 17th if you click on that meeting there should be a handout of that presentation typically it would be one of those two things depending on when that um presentation was created excellent Mr.

President through you thank you so currently I don't see it in either of those places I only I only bring this up because we get so much feedback about the intersection between the community path and school street if there are um options uh that we can share with the public that would be great um so if that's some magic the clerk's office and work the public through you thank you for flagging that I will make sure the committee clerks get that attached thank you any further discussion all right seeing none that report is approved the next item then is item 7.2 a request of the mayor requesting ordainment of an amendment to section 12 178 of the code of ordinances to remove the prohibition on sourcing neo nicotinoid treated plants that is referred to legislative matters Mr.

President I will uh move to waive the readings of items 73 to 712 714 and 715 and 717 to 719 and ask those be sent to finance all right those items will be sent to finance item 7.20 is a request of the mayor requesting confirmation of the promotion of Andrew Patrick to the position of fire captain council and camp I'd like this referred to confirmation of appointments this will be on the December third agenda along with all the other fire promotions.

All right that items refer to confirmation appointments personnel matters item 8.1 is an officer's communication from the condominium review board conveying the fiscal year 2023 annual report pursuant to section 7-70 of the code of ordinances that item is placed on file item 8.4 is an officer's communication from the city attorney conveying a clarification on the purpose of item number 25-1639 that item is placed on file council brandley thanks do you I'd like to weigh the readings and move for approval for items 9.1 through 9.3 Council Scott on the on the items uh on 9.2 I just want to or not 9.2 9.3 in particular uh I just want to celebrate that this comes close uh to having the vacant commercial space at the ground floor of the flat iron building at the corner of Webster and prospect finally filled with the business uh it's just a landmark occasion I just wanted to celebrate it here tonight thank you here all right those items are approved item nine point five is a public communication from Bill Valletta submiting comments regarding item 25-1698 regarding the armory revolving fund that item is placed on file item 10 point two is a request of the mayor requesting approval of a transfer of 729 dollars from the communications department community outreach account to the Somerville Public Schools professional salaries account for staff participation in the PK through eight school building planning focus group session administration asks that we take this up for consideration this evening any discussion any rec uh requests for uh administration folks to answer questions no all right seeing none that am is approved item 10 point three is a public communication from the Davis Square neighborhood council submitting comments regarding item 25-1539 a zoning amendment for 110 willow av and 363 highland av.

Item 10.4 is a public communication from Daniel Wong submitting comments regarding 90 Washington Street.

That item is placed on file.

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.

And with that, Council Bob moves to adjourn.

And we are adjourned.

Thanks, everyone.