Recording in progress.

This is a meeting of the city council.

It is Thursday, January 22nd.

I am Lance Davis presiding.

I use he him pronouns.

First off, pursuant to chapter two of the acts of 2025.

This meeting of the city council is being conducted.

No, why do I read that one?

That's not the right one.

The remote participation, but I guess it could be.

Madam Clerk, please call roll.

This is roll call.

Counselor Ewan Campen.

Here.

Counselor Link?

Here.

Counselor Scott.

Counselor Klingon?

Present.

Counselor Streso?

Present.

Counselor Saeed?

Here.

Counselor Wheeler.

Here.

Counselor Hart.

Counselor McBoughlin?

Here.

Counselor Mbaugh?

Present.

Counselor Davis.

Here.

With nine counselors present and two absent, we have quorum.

All right.

Thank you.

Um Counselor Hart is under the weather tonight and uh is um being kind and not bringing uh anything into the chambers that none of us might want to want to pick up from her.

So uh we wish her well.

Um pursuant to to our rule 32.

Let it be known that the city council salutes the flag of the United States of America and let us up uh 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 any counselors wishing to say a few words about members of the community tonight?

Counselor Wheeler.

Hi uh through the chair, I just wanted to recognize something I just learned, which was this winter flu season in Massachusetts.

Five children and over a hundred adults have died of the flu.

Um what's going around now is very serious.

I encourage everybody to take precautions to keep each other safe by getting flu shots.

Um, especially if you're feeling any symptoms, to uh feel free to pull out those masks.

Thank you.

Here counselor Klingon.

Uh thank you, Mr.

President, through you.

Similarly, uh more of a general um uh just keep the uh there was three fatal overdoses in uh last couple weeks.

Uh it was I think five total overdoses, three fatal overdoses.

And I just want to keep those um who had passed away's family and and friends and um loved ones in our thoughts and presents indeed.

Okay.

Uh would everyone in the chamber please rise as you are able uh for a moment of silence.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk, first item, please.

Next item is 1.3 approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of December 11th, 2025.

Seeing no objection, that item is or seeing no discussion that item is approved.

And then um we'd like to take a few items out of order if there's no objection.

And that would be items three and together.

Um items three dot of four dot three, four dot four, and four dot seven.

And I will note that uh I think before we move on, I should note I think this might be the first time in this is my 11th year in the council that there's no grants of location hearings.

I double I had to do a double take, and sure enough.

So sadly we won't hear from all of our friends at the utilities.

Um but hopefully that means everything's on its way and moving, and we don't have to do anything else.

Counselor Ewan Campin on that point.

Uh Mr.

President, I wanted to sponsor a speaker, Jackie Duffy.

It is it is questioned whether we can actually get through a meeting without having Jackie Ducky.

I I will note that it was there was a discussion um about an item uh for which she may actually have been here tonight anyways, but sounds like that's not gonna be necessary from what I understand, but we shall see.

Stay tuned.

You never know.

Um if there's no objection, um Madam Clerk, would you please rule uh read so that we can take together items 4.3, 4.4, and 4.7.

Item 4.3, a resolution by Councilor Streso that the Director of Health and Human Services immediately install menstrual product dispensers that provide free menstrual products in all city-owned bathrooms.

Item 4.4, a resolution by counselor Strezo that the Director of Health and Human Services immediately install menstrual product dispensers on each floor of city hall that provide free menstrual products.

And item 4.7, a resolution by Councilor Strezo that the City Council calls for an end to period poverty excuse me, period poverty and an end to barriers, making it difficult for residents to be able to afford menstrual products in Somerville.

Councilor Streso.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

And newbies, get used to this conversation because I will keep talking about it until I don't have to any longer, which hopefully, fingers crossed, we're so on the horizon of it happening.

Fun fact.

City Hall does not have a single menstrual product dispenser in any of the bathrooms.

Any of them.

Because I don't understand why that is not ever been considered.

So covering my bases, that is why a 4.3 and 4.4 exist as they do.

Seemingly almost identical, but not because menstrual products should also be free.

They should be as free as using paper towels and bathroom and budgeted as such.

And if our new administration uh respectfully, who um I'm really looking forward to working with I am I am asking that the administration make a immediate budget allocation to change this and make menstrual products free and available to you know half the city staff.

And that leads us into 4.6, is that right?

Let's see.

Uh did you we didn't talk about 4.6 yet?

We'll get to that one.

4.7, which is the resolution you did call this one correct.

Okay, that the city council call for an end-to-period poverty and end of barriers, making it difficult for residents to be able to afford menstrual products in Somerville.

Period poverty.

One out of five um menstruators, women and all who menstruate can't afford period products.

That's an issue.

And it's real.

And with the cost of living going up, and with inflation and all of the extra expenses, it is increasing.

And by the day, here to speak on that item, Mr.

President, I would like to sponsor the Somerville Commission for Women.

We have some commissioners here, and we are working uh we have an idea and on February, and I'm going to let them lead the conversation on this, and I'm so excited that this is happening.

They were going to lead the charge on this, they're going to talk about it.

And to speak on this item, we have here Alex uh Barbett.

Come on forward, come on.

Lolly Lamento and Caitlin Firth of the Somerville Commission for Women.

And I'd like to sponsor them to speak.

Thank you, Councilor Streso.

Councillor Streso would like to sponsor the four micro speakers.

See no objection.

If we would just please uh read your name in in Thorka so we can make sure we get it on the uh on the closed captioning um the record, and then please go ahead.

Yes, absolutely.

Um thank you so much for inviting us.

Thank you.

Um thank you so much for allowing us to speak tonight.

I'm Alexandra Barbat.

I am one of the co-commissioners on the Somerville Commission for Women.

Um everyone, my name is Caitlin Firth.

I'm a co-chair for the Somerville Commission for Women.

And I'm Molly Lamenza, I'm just a volunteer supporting them.

Okay.

Um so earlier this week, the Somerville Commission for Women voted to unanimously uh support this resolution.

Um, and we're very proud and glad to be able to support something like this.

Um as Counselor Strezzo said, we are in the cost of living crisis, and we know that when the you know uh costs of necessities increase, things like food and housing, people are forced to choose between basic necessities and sometimes remove menstrual products from their budget.

And we know that this can lead to um reduced participation in society, um lack of access to public spaces, and sometimes can even have devastating health consequences, including death.

Um, and so this is not just uh an issue or you know a small subset of our community, 50% of people in Somerville do menstruate, and every single person who menstruates should have access to period products.

Um we believe that this resolution means that the residents in Summerville can walk into a public city building, which is a building that is meant to serve them and actually receive resources that will have a positive tangible impact on their lives.

Um thank you very much for allowing us to speak.

Okay, thank you.

Councillor McLaughlin would like to sign on, Councillor Klingon, I'd like to sign on, Councillor Said, Councillor, the whole council would like to sign on.

Um Council Strauss, do you have anything further?

If I may, and thanks, colleagues.

Um Commissioners, is there anything else you'd like me to talk about or hold off on?

Not at the moment.

Okay.

Stay tuned, everyone.

Stay tuned indeed.

I love the cliffhanger.

All right.

Um did I see a hand for discussion?

Any discussion any discussion?

No.

Um those items are approved.

Do we do you want to have this sent to your committee or let the let the let the right bring another item when our cliffhanger is ready to be uh shared with the public, perhaps?

Yes, I was thinking that too, Councilor Clean.

Public Health and Public Safety.

Public Health and Public Safety.

Okay.

All right.

So those I uh those three items will be approved uh with a copy to public health and public safety.

Um next item.

That brings us to item 4.1, a resolution by counselor Scott that the director of engineering and the director of mobility draft a plan to convert the intersection of Ivalu Street and Harrison Street into a pedestrian-only open space closed to vehicular traffic.

That item is approved.

That brings us to item 4.2 by Councillor Sc an order by Counselor Scott.

Excuse me.

Item 4.2, an order by Counselor Streso, that this council discuss a pilot program that incentivize backyard cottages and or accessory dwelling units in owner-occupied properties.

Council Strezzo.

Sometimes I feel like I'm repeating myself.

Sometimes I feel like I'm repeating myself.

Sometimes I feel like I'm repeating myself, just as we have discussed last year and the year before that, and the year before that, and housing and community development now equity.

Um I would love this to be sent there.

I am going to be pushing again for more budget items, uh, budget requests to incentivize and work with um neighbors to see what what it can take to really bring this into fruition.

Councilor Wheeler.

Uh thank you.

Through the chair, um, I was excited and interested to see this item on the agenda, and it sent me just poking around trying to learn a little bit more.

Um, and I thought one reference point that might be helpful to share my not being in the committee to discuss this, was uh it looks like Salem has uh implemented a property tax exemption for ADUs that rent for below 70 percent of fair market value.

Uh it looks like this required a home rule petition at the time.

I'm not sure if it still would.

Uh and it also would require obviously um assessors for the city to verify documentation of rental amounts um and do rental assessments, but only for those applicants who are in that situation.

So it's it's interesting to see uh some folks are already doing this.

Uh they're doing it in a way that brings in affordable housing.

Um I'm excited to to hear the discussion.

Okay.

Um Councilor Strazo, yep.

Thank you.

So um we've discussed this for three years in a row, possibly for in housing aid community development.

And one of the and in numerous dialogues with economic development and also numerous housing um departments and directors and conversations.

Um what we're what I've brought in past years and want to continue to bring forward is the is the New York State um incentivizing program of of production of the ADU plus one program.

And that is the budget requests for those that are new to the dialogue.

Welcome, and I'm really glad that we can work together on this and hopefully bring this real.

So welcome to the conversation.

But we've been talking about this and hoping that uh because there is an appetite for it with residents, and where are barriers and incentivizing it through like the example of the New York State program and getting economic development on board with this?

We can do some really great things in Somerville and tackle the affordable housing crisis, which is very exciting.

So very glad that we have some voices that want to talk about.

Thank you.

Okay.

So uh it sounds like a couple couple different possibilities, maybe some options that other towns haven't thought of yet.

Um you want to keep this in housing community development.

I think ultimately my sense is if we do come up with something that would be something that we send to finance to kind of you know do get the numbers, but um from a concept standpoint, you want to keep it in what's not housing.

What do we call it now?

Um housing equity and community development.

It's now HCDE.

H housing community development and equity.

I mean that we have that tattooed in the back of my hand so I can approach that.

Yeah, Mr.

President, if we had really like played around with it, we could have made a cool anagram, but we didn't.

Well, you know.

Um we were we were working on the flight.

Uh but uh I I am open to the idea of of starting the conversation in housing, and then we can always discharge it and send it elsewhere if necessary.

I have no objection to that.

See no other objection, that will be uh approved and sent with a copy to housing community to Vacman and equity.

Thank you.

Next item, Mattwork.

That's item 4.5, a resolution by Councilor Streso that the administration purchase and install outdoor patio furniture, including tables and chairs for the patio located outside of the first floor of City Hall on the Highland Avenue side of the building.

Councilor Strasel.

Can you picture it?

Can you all picture it?

Imagine.

We have some furniture, not the ones that can fly away and a strong windstorm.

But we if we put some patio furniture out there.

I've already had conversations with DPW in 2025 in making this a reality, and they are on board.

Uh we have chairs.

We create a community space where residents and employees and everyone in City Hall Concourse just have some really great moments on that really picturesque space.

Let's make this possible.

And I'm asking the mayor's administration to send some cash as we to make this happen as soon as possible.

All right.

See no discussion that item is approved.

Next item.

Item 4.6, a resolution by Councilor Streso that the Commissioner of Public Works install privacy film and replace the shades of the women's bathroom on the second floor of City Hall.

Counselor Strazo.

Oh, another fun fact, colleagues.

Did you know that the windows in the bathroom as described in this order?

Um people can see into the bathroom on the second floor women's bathroom and out.

And in the men's, it is covered.

It is there's it is shaded, it is covered.

Um, and in the women's, only 50% of it is.

Um five years ago, there was no covering at all.

So okay, 50% of it is covering covered.

However, it's still very unprivate and feels kind of violating.

And it's 2025.

So can we like take care of that?

Can we send that to public health and public safety?

Well uh approve that and send a copy to public health and public safety.

Next item.

Item 4.8, an order by Councillor Davis that the Commissioner of Public Works provide a written update to this council and the school committee on the status of restoring hot water to all areas of the Capuano early education center, including which areas are affected, actions taken, and an estimated timeline for full restoration.

Thank you.

Could you read item four four dot nine as well, please?

And item 4.9, a resolution by Councillor Davis that the Commissioner of Public Works provide to the City Council a full-time equivalent analysis and recommendations for custodial staffing at each Somerville public school, including distinction like distinctions between day versus evening shifts, disparities between school size, usage, and current custodial assignments.

Okay, these are both of these items were uh referred to me uh by the school committee with a request to uh place them on the agenda.

So there will be uh see no discussion, they'll be approved with a copy to school building facilities and maintenance.

Thank you.

Next item.

Item 4.10, a resolution by Councillor Davis that the administration prioritize finalization of a Davis Square neighborhood plan, including updating community input in the content of the plan.

Counselor Davis.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um this is pretty self-explanatory, but uh I wanted to to to say a few words just to make it clear that uh this is certainly not meant to be uh adversarial.

I have commitment, I I've been given commitment from both uh Mayor Wilson and uh Director Galligani that this is an absolute priority.

Um a little backstory when I when I was first elected and before I ever took office, then Mayor uh Curtit Tony came to me and said, hey, we got some lab developers that are interested in Davis Square, and we can read all it's on the red line, it's gonna be great.

And I said that sounds like a really interesting option.

Let's have a neighborhood plan and a community conversation about that.

So that's actually where the neighborhood this neighborhood plan process started.

That was 2005.

Sorry.

Nope, that was 2015.

Still a long time ago, not quite as long as 2005.

2015.

We still don't have a finalized approved neighborhood plan or small business or whatever, whatever you want to call it.

Um and so I as I said, uh Mayor Wilson and Director Galligani um are fully on board.

Uh they've already told me they've made it a priority.

So I just thought it was worth uh putting an item on the agenda so that if anyone's looking into the issue, they can see this on the agenda, hear this conversation, and hear confirmation that we know we agree, and we're on it, and I look forward to that process moving forward.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Next item.

Item 4.11, an order by Councilor McLaughlin that the Commissioner of Public Works update this council on maintenance issues in the East Somerville, Capuanu, and Edger Lee schools.

Councilor McLaughlin.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I did see another item about schools in general, so I appreciate that.

I, of course, am always focused on East Somerville and the schools in my district that I've had over this past winter break, for example, the Capuano school issues with uh not having warm water, uh rodents like we have everywhere, the rodent issue persists, and just other basic maintenance issues that I would just like some conversation about, some answers.

I find it's the best way to uh deal with it with this school building committee that we created to make sure the public knows about this as well.

I've spoken to the city about it, they're addressing a lot of the issues, but the public always has questions, so I'd like to refer this to that committee so we can discuss it.

Okay.

Uh see no discussion that item is approved with a copy to school building facilities and maintenance and just a uh process note.

Uh oh, Councilor Schwazer would like to sign on.

Um Counselor Baugh would like to sign on.

Um just a process note.

Absolutely no problem to have a couple different items that are related or similar or even overlapping.

That if those go to committee, the chair can then group them together for conversation.

It happens, no worries.

Um it's great if you if we have uh coordinated efforts as well.

But uh as you know very well, Councilor McLaughlin, but for some of our newer members or folks of the public, um it's not a problem at all if we have uh if we have a couple different items.

So thank you for for uh for that.

Uh next item, madam clerk.

Item 4.12, a resolution by counselor McLaughlin that the administration form a commission to investigate the possibility of a ranked choice voting as required by passage of the new city charter.

Council McLaughlin.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

As said, uh thank you.

Uh ranked choice voting was a major discussion in our city charter conversation, and it was decided at that point.

It's so complicated that it really deserves its own separate um commission to investigate the possibility of it.

So as a part of the charter that we passed, we are required to investigate this.

I just want to bring it up and make sure it's getting its due diligence.

And also on a personal level, something happened to me recently.

I can't quite say it, um, that made me suddenly think that it's very important to have elections where a mere plurality uh does not determine a race.

I don't know what it is, but something to me thinks it's strange for someone to get less than 50 percent of the vote and not be in inherit a seat like that.

So uh this is of course referring to local races.

This would only apply to the city of Summerville races, but it's something that we promised the community, and I think we can deliver it, and I'd like to get to work on it as soon as possible.

I think legislative matters would make sense.

Um so any further discussion on that?

So uh Council McLaughlin, happy to send this to legislative matters.

Um I can st I can uh uh confirm that that this process is already very much well in the works.

Um you've ever all counselors should have an email that went out today, I believe, um requesting volunteers for this committee uh and and the two others that were uh created by the new charter, as well as recommendations for community members that the city council will be able to uh to assign to those.

So um if you want to you know have a c uh a further conversation with legislative matters, we certainly can do that.

But uh in terms of at least getting the process started, we're we're we're definitely on it, and I I need you your input and volunteers for for this and the others as well.

I am happy to approve it.

All right, very well.

So that item is approved.

Thank you.

Item 4.1 4.13, resolution by counselor McLaughlin that the administration provide monthly updates to the committee on public health and public safety on progress towards addressing homelessness in Somerville.

Councilor McLaughlin.

So this is just a place order, Mr.

President, from our last uh couple years discussing this issue.

I would like to refer to public health and safety.

All right.

I think my name was on that going way way back, so I'll sign on to that as well, just to uh reiterate that that's uh uh that was a repeat of that item.

Uh any discussion uh seeing none that is approved with the copy to public health and public safety.

Item 4.14, a resolution by counselor McLaughlin in support of an act ensuring law enforcement identification for public safety.

Councilor McLaughlin.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

This will be my last one.

But uh Senator Patch Allen, our state senator, uh submitted this item to basically prohibit ICE agents from wearing masks within Massachusetts.

I support it.

I'm sure most people support it.

We've discussed it around the horseshoe in the past, so I won't go into a big speech about it, but everyone but ICE thinks that it's a bad idea for law enforcement agents to wear masks.

And if you're going to be operating within this community, you should at least be showing your face for the sake of the person and people around you that may need to identify you in the future in a court of law.

So I would just like to approve this item.

Counselor Ewan Camp would like to sign on.

Counselor Link, Councillor Klingon, Councilor Saint, Counselor Wheeler, Councilor Ba, Council the whole council would like to sign on.

Councilor McLaughlin, um, did you note whether there are any exceptions in the proposed uh uh statute introduced by um Councilor?

I know there is there are exemptions where it would make sense, such as if you had a a person, uh what would a a high profile individual on to in detainment and they did not want to identify that officer for the sake of the actual person in question.

So there are exemptions, and there's also a question as to whether we can do this to federal authorities, but I also think it would be a good message for state and local police to not do the even though they're not doing it now.

Let's not have it happen in the future and be able to distinguish state and local police from ICE.

Okay.

I think I noticed there were some few other Council Union Campbell.

Do you want to speak to that?

It'd be better for you to do it rather than meet from up here.

Uh Mr.

President, just to say uh obviously also exempting reasons for health and safety and things like that.

So very well, so that is uh approved.

Did you want a copy sent to delegation?

We'll send a copy to the state delegation, please.

Item 4.14 and 15 order by Councilor Ewan Campen and Counselor Scott that the director of mobility update this council on the intersection improvements at Webster Avenue and Prospect Street.

Council Ewan Campin.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

So the layout of this intersection where Prospect meets Webster, it is one of the most inherently dangerous in the city.

It's a total nightmare.

Counselor Scott and myself have put in many orders about this.

Um and now we have a new year, new administration.

So I wanted to resubmit this so we can share with the public.

This is an intersection I get a ton of questions about so we can share with the public uh project timelines.

This intersection is part of phase one of the Union Square Streetscapes redesign.

I know that the city has made progress.

Um this council recently approved um funding to advance that work.

Um and so I would just really like an update on whether we're moving forward with a quick build in the meantime or whether we're going to actual construction.

Um so I'd ask that this be referred to traffic and parking, please.

Okay.

Item 4.16, a resolution by Counselor Ewan Camp and Counselor Scott that the director of mobility implement colored lane markings for bus and bike lanes on Prospect Street between Webster Avenue and Somerville Avenue.

Counselor Ewan Campin.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um also related to Prospect Street.

The the lane markings are really confusing, and I I'm not even sure that they've been updated since the sidewalk was reconstructed there.

Um the the ask here is really to just get like thermoplastic colors down for the bus lane, for the bike lane.

It's sort of a free-for-all now.

It's really, really dangerous, especially for bikes, but I'd say for all road users.

Um if we could get uh uh this referred to traffic and parking as well, I'd appreciate it.

Okay.

That item is approved with a copy of the shop and parking.

Next item.

Item 4.17, a resolution by counselor Ewan Campen that the Commissioner of Public Works install waste receptacles near the entrance of the warming center on Prescott Street.

Can we please take up 418 and 419 at the same time?

I'm clerk.

And item 4.18, a resolution by Counselor Ewan Campin that the Commissioner of Public Works perform regular litter cleanups along Prescott Street near the warming center.

And item 4.19, a resolution by Counselor Ewan Campen that the administration investigate the possibility that deliveries, emergency vehicles, pickups, et cetera, occur in the coming school parking lot rather than on Prescott Street.

Counselor Ewan Campen.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

So the the overnight warming center that's at the former Cummings school building on Prescott Street.

It's now open for its second year.

Um the weather right now is a perfect example of what an absolutely critical life-saving resource this is.

I'm incredibly grateful to the city um that we have a warming center.

Um there are absolutely unavoidable challenges with having this facility in the middle of a residential neighborhood that's not particularly close to where a lot of the patrons um spend their days.

And I will say that over the past few weeks there's really kind of been an uptick in specific issues that residents have been reporting.

Um I'm incredibly grateful to say that within a day or two of this kind of uh uptick in emails, um, Mayor Wilson and his team asked to meet with the neighbors on-site and just have a face-to-face conversation that was very well attended.

Um, and it was really appreciated by myself, by the neighbors.

Um, and I think especially that the neighbors were able to meet directly, not only with their mayor, but with the Chief Benford, the director of emergency services, and really just have a productive back and forth.

Um I know that city staff has been working before and since that meeting, um, which I'm very grateful to, and I also um committed to putting in a bunch of these orders so that we can have public conversation just to make sure that we are taking care of the the straightforward elements of addressing this.

So these orders are two of them are really straightforward that there should be waste receptacles outside the center.

Obviously, they they should have been there already, um, and I I know that they will be soon, and I just wanted to put this in to mark that.

Um and also to ask for more frequent uh cleanups um along this.

I think that's something that we owe to the neighborhood.

Um and then the third one is maybe gonna take a little bit more discussion.

Um, but right now basically all of the traffic associated with the center goes on Prescott Street, which is uh uh uh not a wide street, um, and you know it it that emergency vehicles, deliveries, um people arriving, um it it does it affects the street a lot in terms of just traffic.

Um on the other side of the building is a large parking lot, right?

This it's owned by the city.

So it seems like a lot of that stuff could be redirected to the parking lot, especially now that the Spring Hill construction lay down stuff has been moved.

That said, there there may be issues that that complicate this, ADA compliance, things like that.

But so I wanted to be able to have a conversation.

So I'd ask that all of these um I would have asked for them to go to public health and public safety, which is now sustainability and infrastructure.

Still that one is still public health public safety.

Public utilities and public works, excuse me.

Which one did that become?

That is sustainability infrastructure.

Sustainability and infrastructure, please.

All right.

All right, see no discussion, those items are approved with a copy to sustainability and infrastructure.

Item 4.20, a resolution by Counselor Ewan Campen that the director of mobility pilot the installation of dedicated bicycle yield signals to operate during the walk cycle at several intersections throughout the city, including Washington Street and Somerville Avenue and Prospect Street in Somerville Avenue.

Councilor Ewan Campen.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

So something like two years ago, Councilor Wilson and I filed an order um that has to do with safety issues around bicycles at intersections, and in particular, we really emphasize that there is extensive data, including from the federal government itself, um back when we used to trust data coming from the federal government, um, showing that there is really clear public safety benefits to allowing cyclists to get a head start at intersections relative to vehicles when there are obviously no pedestrians or other road users.

Um this is sometimes called the Idaho stop.

It's where stop signs can be treated as yield signs, where red lights can be treated as stop signs in situations again where there are no pedestrians present.

Um especially because we have really limited resources to dedicate to enforcement having to do with road safety.

Um there's always a very legitimate question about prioritizing those resources with the limited resources we have.

How do we spend those dollars to actually maximize road safety?

Um and is it worth it to focus uh kind of this very expensive hours of enforcement on behaviors that don't really cause any safety issues.

So that conversation, I will say it caused a lot of motion um and a lot of response, but admittedly not a lot of progress.

I think there's a ton of ambiguity right now.

People are very confused about the status of this.

So I have a proposal um, which is that we select some specific intersections where we've put some thought into this, and then put in specific lights for cyclists that are yield signs, you know, blinking yellow, blinking red, whatever it is, um, that can run during the appropriate whether it's the walk signal, whether it's a red light cycle, if that's safe, to remove the ambiguity.

Um you start you're starting to see these kind of cyclist specific lights being installed around Cambridge and Boston, and I think this would be a good use for them here in Somerville.

I've included two particular intersections in Ward 3 where I think they would be particularly valuable.

I'm sure that there are others.

Um I asked that this go to traffic and parking.

And I also just want to say I I recently had a conversation with uh a person who um is an artist who works in Somerville who was pulled over at the intersection of Prospect and Somerville Ave.

And you know, I don't want to speak to the any intentions here, but that interaction led to this person being arrested, jailed in the Somerville police station, taken to court, um, and then everything immediately being dismissed because it was completely asinine.

Um so I I just ask, is this a good use of our public safety time and dollars?

Um I do not think so, and I think that there is a lot of urgency around this.

Thank you.

All right, so scene uh no further.

Uh sorry, Councillor Link.

Uh I just want to um thank Councilor uh Ewan Campen for this.

Uh I uh I having uh kids over at Argenziano, I uh am regularly a uh myself, a passenger uh by bike, uh, or I guess say uh bike cyclist um with my kids.

Uh but I've also seen um to to your point uh I've seen parents pulled over for trying to cross while there was a pedestrian signal without pedestrians in the way.

Uh so I 100% um uh support this and I uh there's a very clear, um very clear need, uh especially with it being uh on a route to school.

So I think you know safe routes to schools are super important.

Uh so I just I really think that this is awesome.

Um thank you.

Okay, uh that item is approved with a copy to traffic and parking.

Item 4.21, a resolution by counselor Ewan Campen that the director of mobility prioritize speed hump installation and other traffic calming measures on Lowell Street between Summer Street and Highland Avenue.

Council and campen.

Move to approve.

See no discussion that item is approved.

Next item.

Mr.

Chair, could I uh sign on to that one?

Uh councilor Wheeler would sign on to 421.

Item 4.22, a communication by Councillor Wheeler conveying that pursuant to Section 62 of the City Charter, this City Council will hold a public hearing on the community's fiscal year 2027 budget priorities in the committee on finance on February 10th, 2026.

Councilor Wheeler.

Thank you.

Through the chair.

Uh so Tuesday, February 10th at 6 p.m., there will be a community budget hearing where every Somerville resident is invited to speak to the City Council's Finance Committee about your vision and values for our city budget.

The hearing will be held virtually on Zoom.

There will also be the possibility of coming into City Hall if coming in physically is uh is more convenient for you.

There will be live simultaneous translation in Spanish and Portuguese with additional languages available on request.

The easiest way to request those is to call 311.

They've promised me they'll put that request through.

And we'll be publicizing that Zoom link very soon.

The City Council encourages everyone to participate and everyone to help get the word out.

You do not need to be a registered voter to participate.

You don't need to be a particular age.

You just need to be someone who calls Somerville home.

So whoever you are, whatever your part of our community and your needs, we want to hear what's most important to you.

Um in relation to that, Mr.

President, can I make one more logistical note to the council about this?

Of course.

Uh colleagues, last year the community budget hearing was held as a meeting of the community uh of the committee of the whole.

Uh currently this one is planned as a regular finance committee meeting.

Uh the thinking was this is a hearing with the public speaking, not particular members of the committee.

Uh, so that that distinction didn't matter a whole lot.

Uh we encourage everyone to join us and listen live.

But if any of my colleagues feel strongly that you'd rather it be a committee of uh meeting of the committee of the whole, please reach out to me.

Thank you.

And I will note that I did ask the clerk, and it sounds like the hit there's a the history is pretty split.

There's there's been both regular committee meetings and committee of the whole.

So uh with technology, we can all participate one way or the other.

All right, thank you, Council Wheeler.

That item is placed on file.

And staying on topic, Madam Clerk, the next slide.

Sorry.

That brings us to agenda item 5.1, an officer's communication, city clerk conveying information regarding the city council's responsibilities pursuant to the 2025 city charter.

All right, so this is uh a presentation.

Um we have had the slides since uh uh uh it was first placed on the file uh on the agenda a couple weeks ago.

Hopefully I had a chance to take a look.

Um our legislative and policy analyst uh Brendan Salisbury is here to uh to speak to this to talk about some of the new things that the charter says and some of the things that it says that are not necessarily new but still important and relevant.

Um, and one of which is the very budget hearing we just heard about.

So Mr.

Salisbury, take it away.

Correct, Mr.

Mr.

President.

Um for the record, Brendan Salisbury, legislative and policy analyst.

Um I will once again say that's public speaking is not my passion, so I apologize.

I will be looking at my notes quite a lot.

Um so with the new charter having been passed by the voters, there are a number of new responsibilities for the city council contained within its provisions.

Uh, I'd like to take this opportunity to walk you through those new responsibilities and answer any questions that you may have.

Some of you did send questions ahead of time.

I do deeply appreciate that.

Uh there are some changes to the presentation's notes, but not to the slides that I will address those questions through.

Uh so first, um, generally speaking, I'm not a fan of wasted slides, but I do always feel that it's a good thing to prime people for what's coming next.

So I'm not gonna linger here.

Just this is what we're going to talk about tonight.

Um I will note actually, sorry, if you can go back, I this is one of the changes that I made to my notes.

Um you may notice that this does not include anything about the timelines related to the budget.

Uh, that is because there are no specific tasks for the city council to accomplish with those new timelines.

It is just the two budget hearings.

So to the next slide.

I'm uh diving in and ripping the band-aid off here.

Uh the charter does require some changes to the way that orders and resolutions have historically been handled by this body.

Um the issuance of binding directives to city staff has never been within the authority of the city council.

Um that is something that is quintessentially executive authority.

There has been a historical practice of using orders as requests.

Um in order to avoid frustration that comes from the confusion uh associated with that.

Um, we are going to be using resolutions for requests and orders for orders.

We will get to the things that you can make demands on in another slide.

Um while this does seem at first blush like a really big change, I promise you that fundamentally, functionally, nothing has actually changed.

Um the requests for actions that you would have typically submitted as orders in the past are still submittable as resolutions.

We are just making clear that they are requests, so that we don't have anybody saying, Well, you can't legally tell me to do that.

Um, or having residents or members of this body confused as to why action has not been taken on a request versus you know knowing when an order has been submitted that you can demand a response to that.

Um I will take this opportunity though, as is my habit, as some of you have started to understand, uh, to encourage each of you to make these requests through 311, through the IGA team, or through your own staff.

I can promise you that for a lot of these things, we will get you a very quick turnaround on them.

Next, those orders.

Access to information.

Some of you may know, may have read the charter.

I really hope so.

A lot of you were around this horseshoe when we were working on it for the last few years.

Um access to information is not new.

Uh this is something that was in the previous charter, but there are some new standards around it.

Um, specifically, uh, and this is what orders will be reserved for, um, these provisions do grant pretty broad authority to the city council.

Um, this is to obtain information about the affairs of the city, the conduct or performance of any city agency, um, and there is some language about uh it needs to be related to the official duties and responsibilities of the city council as elected officials, helping your constituents, um, you know, finding information about programs and issues that affect them, providing general insight into the functions of city government, uh, informing yourselves on the activities of city departments uh for conversations regarding budget and things like that.

It's a very broad sort of thing.

I am hard pressed to think of any examples where this would not cover a question that you might have.

Um, that orders may not be framed as a request for information when that information is not presumed to exist.

What I mean by this is to use an example, there is a very big difference between commissioning a piece of art and buying a print of it.

You can't say, I'd like information about this insert new policy here, if that new policy does not exist, because there is an understanding that what you are requesting actually is the creation of a new policy and then a discussion of that.

That would be a directive.

You are directing staff to do something, and so it would be a resolution.

Um we do ask that these be specific.

That's very helpful, not just for staff, but also for members of the public and members of this council who might have questions about what is going on with this question.

They do not need to contain every single question that you want to ask about a particular topic, but it should be enough to guide people to understand what the discussion will be about.

Also, there is a specific requirement in the charter that things stay on topic.

You cannot veer off into other things that are tangentially related.

Um let's see.

Ah, yes, uh, the section does also require 14 days advanced notice.

I will once again reiterate that if you work with staff, there is a possibility that that 14 days will not be required if staff are prepared to speak on an issue.

If you've already had these conversations in advance and you're simply bringing this into the public, then it might be a lot quicker.

Um so I do once again strongly encourage you to go through IGA and through your staff.

Um also, general note for both orders and resolutions, I do strongly encourage you to let us know what your preference is in terms of response written or having a person appear in person to discuss.

Next up, confirmation of appointments.

This is another one where it looks like a lot has changed, but actually not a lot has.

And for these positions as well as police and fire appointments, the rejection does have to be accompanied by a written reason for the rejection.

The city attorney has a two-year term and is subject to reconfirmation if they are appointed to a subsequent term.

And the review for that confirmation is the same as it would be for the regular appointment process.

This is where the primary change is appointments to multiple member bodies.

And appointments to multiple member bodies for quasi-judicial and regulatory bodies are subject to reconfirmation.

The revised charter does codify the city council's current practice, which is to sort of automatically confirm any appointments to advisory committees.

So there are no requirements for appointments to advisory committees to be submitted to the city council.

That being said, it's my understanding that until we get some clarity through the process of the administrative code and the review of the multiple member bodies, uh, that the administration intends to continue submitting appointments for bodies that they would have typically submitted those for in the past.

Let's see.

Next, administrative code.

Um so I'm going to start with a simple definition here, so we are all on the same page.

An administrative code is a body of law that governs the structure and function of government rather than the behaviors of non-governmental entities like residents and businesses that operate in Somerville.

Previously, uh the mayor had unilateral authority to reorganize the city in whatever the way they saw fit.

The only oversight available to the city council was through the budget process.

Um you have the ability to review and approve or reject uh administrative orders or reorganization plans.

The city council, and I want to stress this, does not have the authority to make any amendments to the administrative code.

That is the city council and administrative, a change to the administrative code may not originate from the city council, but also when an administrative order is submitted or a reorganization plan is submitted, you only have the ability to approve or reject.

You can certainly make requests for changes, but you cannot yourself make those changes.

So the timeline for these is a 60-day uh timeline to act on the amendment.

There is a requirement for a public hearing, uh, and because of that requirement for a public hearing, we do have those same guardrails that we see with the confirmation of appointments to make sure that we don't end up in a situation where we're not able to hold a public hearing because of recess or something like that.

Uh the threshold for approval or rejection of a proposed amendment to the administrative code is a simple majority.

Um I do really want to highlight here that the city um charter does require an administrative code.

As a matter of fact, the specific language is that the city may be organized by administrative code.

That means that when the administrative code comes before you and is approved, there are a lot of parts of the ordinances that will need to come out.

I would like to reassure you, I'm working on it.

Um this is something that will be presented to you in a single package so that you can understand what is happening.

This is not optional.

The charter very explicitly says that if there is anything in the code of ordinances that purports to organize the city, it must come out.

It is superseded by the administrative code.

Next is group petitions.

And I apologize, I am flying through this pretty quickly, but if you have questions, there will be time at the end for them.

I'm generally opposed to reading off the slides, but this says pretty much everything that it needs to.

Um there's a new timeline for holding group petitions, uh, which are petitions submitted by 50 registered voters.

Um a public hearing has to be held within three months after submission, and a public hearing may not be held on the same subject within a 12-month period.

That 12-month tolls from the time that the petition first appears on the agenda.

Next up, budget hearings.

Now that I've had my thunder stolen on this, um the 2025 revised charter does codify the uh current practice of the city council to hold an initial community budget hearing.

Um it does require that this be held before the annual budget meeting, uh, which gives the public an opportunity to weigh in before the creation of the budget.

Um and it does also require a continuation of the practice of holding a public hearing on uh after submission of the proposed budget uh before the city council takes action on it.

And that's it.

So I am happy to answer any questions that you might have.

And also do want to say that any questions that you don't get to tonight, I'm not going anywhere.

Please email me.

First off, thank you.

Excellent job.

Very much appreciated.

Any questions?

Counselor Clingen.

Thank you through you, Mr.

President.

Um the 14-day notice, is that is that tied to like would that be tied to the agenda?

Or I mean the agenda uh you know, is 72 hours.

We've been asked in the past for seven days if we want to have staff appear as a courtesy.

So what are the 14 days?

Is it is that just like an email requesting, or is that tied to the agenda?

Uh Mr.

President, through you to Counselor Klingon, uh so that is tied to when the item goes to the mayor.

Uh so it is not based on the agenda because basically the notice is the order itself.

Okay.

And so once that is distributed after the reconsideration period, that is when the 14-day notice would begin.

Perfect, thank you.

Uh, three, Mr.

President.

And the second one, um, and this is already obviously in the charter, it's all been settled and everything, but I I am I I always am just troubled by this.

Um so when we reject an appointment, if we if we're being uh well, we're basically putting ourselves in the with the charter.

If we put a reason in writing, um I mean technically as elected officials, do we really have to give a reason?

Mr.

President.

Isn't it a yes or no vote through you, Mr.

President?

Through you, the charter does lay out some very specific standards for uh not just the process of rejection but also the reasons for rejection.

Um it does require that um uh generally could is considered it sorry, let me rephrase that statement.

Um there are specific standards for the appointments of um individuals based on uh their qualifications and things like that.

The idea of this being that a mayor is not simply putting forward somebody because they like them, and that the city council has the ability to say in writing, we do not believe this individual is qualified.

Uh so it's it's a it's sort of a check and balance on both sides of the equation, making sure that somebody is not being rejected simply because of personal differences, and also making sure that somebody is not appointed for personal reasons.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Through you, I'm just confused about that because so if an individual counselor votes no, but the person still passes through, that individual counselor wouldn't have to give a reason why they voted against an appointment.

Um Mr.

President, through you, that is correct.

Certainly I would expect that that counselor would likely make their case um before voting no, but there's no requirement that they do so in the charter.

Okay, and then Mr.

President, so yeah, I just think that, you know, and again, this has already been settled in the charter, and those conversations have happened, but um I just hadn't really thought much about this one, and then I I think about would basically be, you know, essentially we're writing ourselves into like you know, not a lawsuit, but whatever the outcome is gonna be with the administration and how it plays out with regards to rejecting uh an appointment.

Um we'd basically be, you know, giving a written statement that may or may not be used against us at some point.

Mr.

President, if I may, I I know that wasn't phrased as a question, but I do have a response.

I would suggest that if you are concerned about the possibility of a lawsuit, I would strongly recommend speaking with the city attorney.

Thank you, Ms.

President.

Councilor Ba.

Uh thank you.

Uh legislative analysis that is I'm glad to make sure that I get the title right.

But I appreciate you giving me giving all this information.

Because next week I'm planning to spend a lot of time with the city attorney.

Because there's been I've had some experiences, but I want to just kind of like clarify something right off front.

Imagine I have an appointment, I'm the chair, I got a phone call saying, oh, this person that is coming before you is a bad person.

Oh this this.

You know, should I reject that phone call?

How should I process that information?

You know, how like can you speak to that?

Um, Mr.

President, through you, I I can't.

That's the same thing.

Okay, I'll speak to the city attorney next week.

Yeah, it's okay.

There's been some, I mean, I want to really follow like a lot of this protocol.

Like everything you're saying is like top notch.

But I again there's like so much that we we t that we handle behind this scene that you know it would be good to have maybe maybe the maybe that would be for the city attorney so I can understand some of the run different scenarios so that I know how to better move this community forward.

Thank you.

So you and campin.

Um Mr.

President, just because we're talking about confirmations and there's some new counselors, uh I just wanted to share a little bit of perspective on kind of where this conversation originated, my memory at least.

So here's the like everything is going very well scenario.

The mayor is trying to recruit someone to be the director of a department, um, and they're trying to convince them to leave their job and move to Somerville and take that job.

Um it would be a challenge to recruit people if there was in our city charter, oh yeah, the city council can like six months after you're hired can fire you for no reason.

They don't even give you a reason.

They can just say they don't like you.

And they can just hamstring the mayor over some you know BS fight they're having.

That's what we are protecting against, right?

Where things are going well, you're trying to recruit high quality talent, and you're saying um if if the city council does have to approve you, but if they're not going to approve you, they're gonna give you a reason.

This is gonna be a reasonable process.

Um that's the good scenario.

The the kind of bad scenario from the perspective of me as a city councilor is we have some god-awful mayor and they are trying to get their corrupt uncle to be the whatever director of XYZ.

We need a break glass in case of emergency, right?

We need to say, like, no, you're not putting, you know, this person in front of this this department, and here's why.

Those are the scenarios, right?

Like we're we're hoping and assuming that things go well, and they're this is a professional context, right?

But we have these kind of edge cases that we're trying to control against.

Did we wind on the perfect solution?

I don't know, but that that is that that's the logic behind where it is.

So, you know, someone that is considering taking a job here, putting their career at risk to take this job knows they're gonna be treated fairly during the confirmation appointment, and um also a mayor in the future knows you know, don't put cranks up for these positions, the city council can stop you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Yeah, and thank you to Council Mr.

Campbell for that framing of more of that's more on the department head HR side.

I was just more thinking about how uh politics can often play out in um appointments uh of of different member bodies um that that when those things happen.

But yeah, certainly I wouldn't uh uh be even considering playing around with somebody's livelihood or uh somebody who's coming here to take a uh a high-level position.

Um that wouldn't be what I had in mind when I when I thought about whether or not we were able to just make a no vote without uh having to you know write a statement as such.

Uh Mr.

President, to clarify for Councillor Klingon, uh that is not a requirement for members of multiple member bodies.

That is only a requirement for the uh I'm gonna rattle it off off the top of my head, city attorney, uh chief administrative officer, and department heads and police and fire confirmations.

So it is not a requirement for multiple member bodies.

Okay, that clarifies.

Thank you.

Councilor Wheeler?

Through the chair.

Uh it sounds like there are some outstanding questions about exactly how the criteria relate to the vote, and it seems like maybe it would be a good idea for uh for us or you know, for perhaps clerks, um, I'm not sure.

Uh perhaps you uh analyst Salisbury uh to email us an explanation of of that in the future, but we don't necessarily need to get that clarified now.

So um I I don't actually know ms Mr.

President, through you, my apologies.

Um I I'm not actually sure what questions there would be still outstanding with regard to that.

Thanks.

I'll try to articulate mine if that's okay through the chair.

Um just uh carrying on what counselor Klingon was saying.

If a counselor or a set of counselors were to feel they they want to vote to reject an appointment.

Um I heard a question from Councillor Kling.

How does the reasoning for that vote factor into the vote?

Do you have to say I vote to reject?

And here's the reason.

Can you vote to reject and later on state a reason?

Can you vote to reject and never state a reason?

I didn't hear an answer for that.

I did hear that there's a narrow set of reasons.

And it may be that that narrow set stands in place of having to articulate one ourselves.

So, Mr.

President, if I uh I'll attempt to address this, there is nothing in the charter that explicitly states a specific set of reasons for rejection.

There is a specific standard for appointment, which can be used as a guide.

Um and I will note that this is my interpretation uh in my professional role as legislative and policy analyst for a legal opinion on this.

I would again strongly recommend that you speak to the city attorney.

Um but my uh what I will say is there is no specific standard for rejection.

Um not one that is explicitly stated within the charter.

There are certainly um reasons for rejection that might put the city in legal peril.

I am not equipped to speak on those uh and would recommend a conversation with the city attorney if at any point you wish to reject an appointment and you are concerned about that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um and thank you again, um Annalyst Salisbury for for all that and and for uh the discussion here.

This has been really good.

Um and I scratched a few notes here and then forgot my glasses, so I'm gonna hope that I remember what I had written down.

Um they're up there.

Um on the point that we were just discussing, there's to my recollection, there's been there I can remember one case where the council rejected uh something, whether it was an appointment or uh or a promotion, I don't recall.

Um, and there was a a reason given my recollection, and um I would encourage the chair of the committee uh or any members who are you know uh as as the analyst said uh concerned to to obviously speak with the law department, but um you know, specifically we can look at what what was done in that case, what was the process.

Uh my recollection is there was a a letter put together um effectively, you know, by the chair of the committee on behalf of the committee, sort of laying out the reasons that I I don't recall specifically, but I have to assume that there is consultation with the law office in in putting that together.

So that's what our that's what our our attorneys are there for to help us with those questions.

Um but it was I I believe it was done at least once.

Um I can only recall the one time.

So you know we might start there to look at what was done.

That certainly that wasn't um done under the current charter.

Um so there may be some differences, but um excellent, excellent discussion.

And as counsel you as a good counselor from War 3 says, hopefully we never have to deal with this.

Um and I have no expectation that we will, but you never know.

Um two other things I just wanted to to touch on.

Um the good counselor from War Forum noted the uh the 14 days.

Um this was a point that I bristled a little bit over in the in the charter that um we would have sort of a a 14-day um period rather than sort of what had previously been a seven-day period.

Um but just to be clear, this this that is that applies when the council is compelling an appearance.

Um I don't recall that ever happening in at least my time here.

Um as as as you all know, um I and if you don't, then be rest assured that in in almost every case um the the other the administration is willing to appear when it you know when it makes sense in accordance with the the agendas and um I would strongly encourage all of the chairs of committees to uh to work together with the clerk's office and with IGA to to talk about hey, before I put this agenda in, uh, you know, and I've got this meeting scheduled in a week.

What are you ready to talk about?

Is there anything you really want to talk about?

Uh you know that you want me to put on the agenda, or is there is a reasons why something might not be ripe?

Um you know, I I always took that approach uh in sharing legislative matters and found it tremendously helpful because sometimes I really want to talk about something, but there's a really good reason why it's not quite there yet.

And so um that that really helps, and and I've never found the administration, any of the administrations with which would I worked um you know, to to be uh intentionally you know putting up roadblocks uh for for no no good reason, um although perhaps some folks might feel differently at times.

Uh but any event, so you know I I I don't expect there to be f a 14-day period for uh that it's my expectation that things will run pretty much the way they have been, because we've always sort of approached it from a collaborative standpoint.

So I would encourage folks to keep doing that.

And then the last thing is the first one of the first items that that uh Mr.

Salisbury, you mentioned, um, and I I thank you for the way you presented the the um the the discussion about orders and resolutions.

Um I uh another thing that I that that caused me to bristle a little bit was was when this was the way this was first presented to me and and we had a discussion on it, and we we came to realize that we actually completely agree.

Um it was just how it was worded and how it was phrased, and so always a good reason to have discussions with folks that you think might disagree with you because it might turn out it might turn out that you actually are on the same page, um which is the case here.

Um as Mr.

Salisbury said, nothing has changed in terms of the council's powers whatsoever as it relates to you know orders and resolutions and what we can ask or tell the the administration to do.

It is exactly the same, it has always been.

However, because we have had a practice of of putting what if what legally effectively objectively are requests in the context and the in in you know and phrasing them as orders, it's confusing for people.

And it it causes a lot of you know frustration among the public, among others, like you know, sir just ignoring the council.

Well, yeah, I mean that's not act we actually can't compel them to do so.

That is just an objective fact.

Um so I I initially thought, well, yeah, but you know, I don't want to change it because it did you know it feels a little bit better to say order.

Um, but I was compelled to to to um to to change my view on that because um you know if if we if we approach the request and present the request as resolutions, uh just basically, hey, we are requesting that you do this.

It's still there, it's legally the same thing, but when we do order something, it actually means a lot more than it has historically, right?

If we if we keep the order specific to where with the the council actually does have legal authority to compel something, it makes it a much stronger vehicle.

Um and I think that's that alone is is a reason for for sort of changing our practice.

And then I think I hope that that will be um I hope we don't have to use those, right?

As I said, it's uh ideally we never have to um try and compel the administration to provide documentation or or whatever else, but um if we do, it'll mean more because you know we won't it won't be something that that we that the folks see all so often.

So my thoughts on those two points that I just want to reiterate for the other members for the record for uh for you know whatever else.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

Uh Councilman McGloton.

I do recall specifically what the case was.

It was a civil service case uh that the city council voted to reject an appointment, and we were required to submit a written explanation because had the mayor rejected the appointment, he would have had to do the same thing in order to uh justify to the Civil Service Commission why we rejected an appointment.

So that was the context of it, and I do think it's a good practice.

First of all, don't vote against someone just for no reason, have a good reason, even if you don't state it, because if you win, you're gonna have to explain it eventually.

Uh, but it is important legally to have a written explanation so that if you do get sued, people understand exactly why.

And if you don't have a good reason, you're gonna lose that lawsuit.

You should think about that when you reject an appointment.

And if you do have a good reason, you could win in that case.

We uh that civil service decision was upheld uh because we were on the right side of that issue.

Thank you.

Further questions, for the discussion.

All right.

Thank you again, Mr.

Salisbury, really appreciate it.

Um and as always, uh the other thing that is is uh worth emphasizing again uh as Brennan said, use our staff.

We are or I am thrilled that we finally have staff to speak of, which was uh not a thing for many, many years.

Um they're fantastic.

So so definitely leverage those resources um ahead of time as much as possible.

Um it'll make everything run more uh smoothly and make your job easier.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

All right, that I is uh placed on file.

Madam Clerk, next item, please.

Mr.

President Through you may I ask that we go back to 4.22 and place it on file with a copy sent to finance so that we have an item to post on the agenda.

An excellent idea.

We will still the same resolution uh the same disposition, but we will send a copy of 4.24.22 to finance.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, we are now at six point A committee report report of the committee on finance meeting on January 20th, 2026.

Council Wheeler.

Thank you.

Through the chair.

The finance committee met on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026, via remote participation with all five members present and with the help of Clerk Delaney Fisher Cassiol.

We took up a six-item agenda in a productive meeting of just over an hour.

We recommended approval of two housing bridge pilot programs totaling 220,000 dollars for the Office of Housing Stability.

Uh those grants do not require a local match.

The committee discussed how these bridge programs help prevent residents from being displaced, unhoused, or underhoused while connecting them to longer term stable housing.

We were excited about that.

We further recommended approval of a time-only contract extension, meaning no additional money required related to the Spring Hill Sewer Separation Project, as well as a 103,421 dollar transfer related to a memorandum of agreement surrounding vacation accrual with the Somerville Municipal Employees Union Unit B.

Our longest discussion was of the $65,000 municipal road safety program grant for the police department.

And this connects to the topic of the Idaho stop and of uh the sense of bike uh enforcement that Councilor Ewan Campen and Counselor Link discussed earlier.

We had a good discussion with Director of Finance and Administration of the Police Department, Emily Wisdom and Police Lieutenant Michael Holland about how the department plans to use this grant.

We discussed uh among other things how car enforcement will be targeted and chosen, including how locations will be selected using crash and citation data, and how the program's focus supports safer streets for everyone who uses streets, pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.

There was discussion, as there was with the addition of this grant from last year, around what the department intends to do with a component of the grant that is for cyclist and pedestrian enforcement.

The department representative said the focus of that component will be taking opportunities to educate and engage cyclists and pedestrians around safety.

And we'll also include purchasing and handing out safety items to those who don't have them, helmets, bicycle lights.

That was a suggestion of the pedestrian uh transit advisory committee, pedestrian and transit advisor committee last year.

So I was glad to see that added, um, as well as light up bracelets that uh are particularly useful to runners.

Uh but the department also said that this component will include some amount of stopping cyclists who officers see riding in ways they judge as dangerous.

We did some discussing what does that mean.

Uh the committee emphasized that often, as uh Counselor Link and Counselor Ewan Campman pointed out, when cyclists cross an intersection on a red light, they're often doing that specifically to be safe, to avoid dangerous traffic.

Um we also in our discussion did acknowledge that there are times that cyclists do do dangerous things.

Uh a cyclist riding fast can surprise and endanger a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

Uh that was something important to recognize.

There were also some questions about how thorough the safety item distribution was for this grant last year, and the police department agreed to share specific information with us about when and where items were distributed in the past year.

Um we um that is information is still forthcoming, but they promised to give us that.

Uh there were also questions about how the driver's citation numbers in the grant application matched up with the citation numbers that we were hearing with the department.

Uh the department got back to us with a clarification about that as well, um, helping explain that those numbers were combining previous two years.

Um, overall, though the committee did express a desire for this grant application to be more clear in the future about plans for enforcement.

The committee was satisfied that on balance this grant is a step in the direction of greater safety to all who share our streets.

And with that, uh, Mr.

President, I ask that the this committee report be accepted as submitted.

All right, any discussion on the report.

All right, so you know the report is approved.

Do we have any votes that come out of that one?

No.

All right, very well.

Um, next item then.

And that brings us to 6B1, a committee report, report of the committee on licenses and permits meeting on January 21st, 2026.

All right, in uh the absence of the chair, uh Vice Chair Wheeler, back to you.

Thank you.

Through the chair.

Um, yes, uh, due to Councillor Hart being out with the flu, uh, I am delivering this report as vice chair.

Um so the licenses and permits committee met on Wednesday, January 21st, 2026, via remote participation with all three members present and the help of Clerk Michael Potier.

We took up a three-item agenda and a productive meeting of roughly 45 minutes.

We considered a request from Union Square Auto Sales LLC for a class two used car dealer license at 39 Webster Avenue.

This is a new business in the same location as a prior used car dealership that had similar operations.

The committee voted to recommend approval of that license.

And we also took up EverSource's request for a grant of location to install 38 feet of conduit on Warwick Street, just off Cedar Street in Ward 5.

Um there's a story there uh that goes back to um uh this first being introduced in December.

In short, a neighbor who lives right by the utility poll pointed out that there are already several metal pipes for enclosing wiring that help the wiring go up and down the utility poll.

Those are called risers.

So the committee were discussing that and wanted to make sure that this point was being considered seriously by EverSource and that this opportunity was being taken to figure out how to keep things neat and clean them up.

So we could get more information and reach out to this neighbor for an update.

And I'm happy to say that we were able to speak to them with assistance from their Ward 5 Counselor Naima Said, and the neighbor was able to speak with Ever Source Reps and come to an agreement about how they can lay that conduit while leaving the utility poll in good shape.

So it sounds like everyone is happy.

So I would like to ask that this committee report be accepted as submitted.

Any discussion on the committee report.

So on the committee report, if once we approve the committee report, the I the item uh on Webster Ave will be before us.

So a discussion on that.

Let's hold that on the committee report itself.

Okay, so seeing none of the report is approved, then that leaves item what is it?

Yes, Mr.

President.

Yes, that places 6B3 grant of location in front of the council.

Very well.

On that item, Councilor Site.

Uh through you, Mr.

President.

Uh thank you, Councillor Wheeler, for the explanation.

Uh I would like to make uh to know how we're going to approach this.

Um, with what Council Wheeler just explained, and uh I would like to make a motion to send this back to committee for further discussion.

Um my constituent uh had the chance to speak to Jackie Duffy today.

And uh I think they came to an agreement, but this conversation did not happen in committee.

And I think it's worth have having this conversation in public and um making sure all the issues have been addressed.

There's another point that my constituent made about uh the um there's another project that's gonna happen.

Installing the cable on that same poll, so making sure or making a request to have these two projects done at the same time instead instead of digging up the street twice, do it once.

So this is a request to the city.

So, yeah, it sounds like that it's worth having further conversation about the conduit and um trying to make this request in committee.

I can give my constituents a chance to um express his concerns.

Council Wheeler.

Um through the chair, uh those concerns make perfect sense to me uh for context because this would involve digging up the street, which can't really happen while the street is frozen solid.

Uh our understanding on the committee was that uh this work can't be done for several months anyway, and that there isn't an urgent time pressure.

So I think that should be fine.

I thank you, Council Wheeler.

I do also recall the uh the um utility representatives noting that nothing's happening with any urgency.

So um my re my radical is consistent with yours.

Um I have no objection from that end always best to make sure that all the uh I's are dotted and t's are crossed.

So um this one will be uh referred back to uh licenses and permits.

Thank you.

Item 7.1 Council Wheeler.

Thank you through the chair.

Um I move to wave the readings uh uh of all of the items in the seven section and to lay items 7.1 through 7.4 and 10.6 on the table.

And for anyone who doesn't know what laying on the table means, it just means postponing those items to the next council meeting.

Uh and uh I would like to refer items 7.5 through 7.8, which uh I also propose to wave uh if we could refer those to the finance committee.

Any discussion?

Mr.

President, just to be clear, I don't want to waive the readings of 7.9 to 712.

I believe there's uh accidental miss statement.

Oh, thank you.

Perhaps I misdated uh I was only referring to the items up through 7.8.

So thank you for for catching that.

So we waved the readings of 7.1 through 7.8 um and laying 7.1 through 7.4 plus uh also also waving the reading of 10.6 um and and including 10.6 on the items laid on the table.

My understanding is there's a little bit of a wrinkle with the timing with community preservation act, and because we have the budget hearing coming up, we didn't want to create any timing considerations.

Yes, as a quick explanation through the chair.

Uh yes, given the community budget hearings scheduled for February 10th, uh, we wanted to keep that focused entirely on the budget hearing and not also address additional items in the finance committee.

Um some of these items, there's a question around their urgency.

And so uh by laying them on the table to be able to be discussed and and possibly approved at the next council meeting that allows the possibility that we could approve them more quickly.

It potentially makes them move forward actually more quickly than they might otherwise exactly very well.

Thank you.

Uh thank you for that explanation.

All right, so seeing no objection, um, those items are uh 7.1 through 7.4 and 10.6 will be laid on the table, and 7.5 through 7.8 will be referred to finance.

Thank you.

And that brings us to agenda item 7.9, a request of the mayor requesting approval of their surveillance technology impact report for underdoor cameras.

Uh can we read 7.10 and 7.11 together as well, please?

Yes.

7.10, a request of the mayor requesting approval of surveillance technology impact report for thermal imaging monoculars and 7.11, a request of the mayor requesting approval of the surveillance technology impact report for ball cameras.

Thank you.

So just so folks understand these are um resubmissions of uh impact reports.

Um Mr.

Salzburg mentioned earlier uh in in talking about um shoot which one was it?

Documents that we don't own, administrative codes that we don't own and can't change, but we can make requests.

Here's another perfect example.

Um these impact reports.

We have conversations with the administration, they um have been willing to make revisions, and so these three things are the uh resubmissions of prior versions uh that did have a conversation in committee.

So I am grateful to the administration for continuing that collaborative practice.

And so these will be referred to legislative matters for discussion or for action.

Item 7.12, a mayor's communication conveying the temporary appointment of Eric Wiseman as interim commissioner of public works.

That item is placed on file.

Item one, an officer's community.

Should turn the mic on.

And item 8.1, officer's communication, city clerk submitting an amendment to the rules of the city council to align with the provisions of the city charter.

That item is referred to legislative matters.

And item 8.2, an officer's communication.

Chief of police conveying a biannual report pursuant to section 26G of the code of ordinances.

This is the report required by the city's welcoming community ordinance.

Uh that item is placed on file.

And that brings us to item 9.1, a license, a new used car dealer class two license, USA Auto Hub, 61 Prospect Street, 15 vehicles outside, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.

to 7 p.m.

Saturday, 9 a.m.

to 3 p.m.

Sunday closed.

We'll refer that one to license permits.

And 9.2, a license, renewing used car dealer class two license, RS Auto Incorporated, 3 Craigie Street.

Any discussion on this one?

This is an item that we might otherwise that we typically would consider for approval uh this evening, unless there's any wish to send it to committee.

See none, all right.

Well then that item is approved.

And that brings us to item 9.3, a public communication from Boston Bike Polo submitting comments about the founders memorial skating rink.

That item is placed on file.

And that brings us to item 9.4, a public communication from the pedestrian and transit advisory committee.

So any comments about bus routes 90 and 88.

Counselor Wheeler.

Um I just wanted to point out with uh with these comments that uh the bus routes 90 and 88 have been a topic of quite a lot of conversation, uh, a lot of meetings, a lot of really helpful participation by the MBTA.

Uh I just wanted to speak as a voice in favor of those conversations happening in a way that really involves uh the people who who use and uh rely on those uh those bus routes, both in terms of the particulars of where it will go in the future, how that will relate to the McGrath uh project redesign um and the frequency of those routes.

Um I would love that to take the form uh at some point of uh in-depth uh cooperative uh planning meetings uh between multiple parties, including the MPTA, mobility, relevant counselors, community members, uh, to holistically address those questions.

I think that's the best path forward to really having this serve people well.

Okay, thank you.

Uh that item is placed on file.

And that brings us to agenda item 10.1, an order by Councillor C that the Director of Infrastructure and Asset Management and the Director of the Office of Sustainability Environment provide a written report to this council on updates to measures and practices taken to assess, monitor, maintain, and improve the physical environment in schools.

Can you also read 10 point two, please?

10 point two, an order by Councilor State that the Director of Infrastructure and Asset Management update this council on when the school buildings maintenance project website will be available.

Okay.

So as been our recent practice with uh items that are supplemental items, meaning uh they were submitted after the council's rules uh uh for for submission on the regular agenda.

Um but these were also submitted prior to the 48 hours.

So um we we stay tuned on a further discussion to sort of more better clarify how we want to how we got this a lot of work going forward.

But um my um my thought was to to maintain consistency with what we've been doing, which is um either lay these on the table or send them to a committee so that they can be with it without any action, so they can be fully uh properly noticed and fully discussed there.

Um my understanding is that the the thought assists and the school buildings facilities and maintenance.

Is that the preface council?

Uh yes, Mr.

President.

I would like to send both 10 point one and 10.2 to school building facilities and maintenance.

Okay, so those are referred to school buildings, facilities and maintenance as a reminder then that will and a recommendation will be required in committee for that.

So it will be a vote to recommend approval or not, um, as opposed to just a discussion, um, which is fine.

Um that's that's how we'll handle that one.

Uh next item.

And uh through you, Mr.

Mr.

President, if you can ask the clerk to read all the items 10 point three through 10.5 um before uh I speak to uh to those.

And that brings us to item 10.3 in order by counselor seet that the director of engineering provide an update on the construction of the Lowell Street and School Street crosswalks facing the green line stations, and agenda item 10.4, a resolution by counselor seet that the director of mobility add additional signage helping users of the community path get through Maxwell's Green to the community path and add clear signage, directing users to the ramp and stairs on Lowell Street, and 10.5 a resolution by Counselor Sae that the Director of Mobility discuss with this council strategies for improving the safety of users of the community path, including improved signage, enforcement of the motorized vehicle ban on the path, coordination with community partners to encourage cooperative use, and regulation of e-bikes, including the imposition of speed limits.

Okay, and those three items will be referred to traffic and parking.

That's correct, Mr.

President.

All right, very well.

Thank you.

Next item.

And that brings us to agenda item 10.7, a public event, culture house applying for public event license for culture house polar putt on February 2nd from 10 a.m.

to 7 p.m.

Love when we organically have a counterexample for a different interpretation of the rule.

Here is an event that that uh very clearly would need action tonight if it's going to be approved prior to it happening because we don't have another meeting for then.

So it is uh there is some time urgency and that allows us some flexibility.

So if the if less there's any if there's any discussion on this item, aye.

Then see none, that is approved.

And go place a pot pot in union square.

And that brings us to agenda item 10.8, a public communication from George Room submitting comments about snow plowing.

That item is placed on file.

Are there any late items?

There are no late items.

And that is the agenda.

I I stepped on your line.

That is the anything.

No other items before this audience.

Very well.

Um all right, thank you, everyone.

Um counselor McGoffin moves to adjourn, and we are adjourned.