Good evening.

This is the uh the committee of housing, community development, and equity of the city council.

I am city counselor at large, Kristen Strozo.

I am the chair of this committee.

Today is Wednesday, March 4th, 2026.

It is 601 p.m.

We are in the committee room at City Hall and Hybrid tonight.

We have one agenda item tonight.

And uh well, nope, I better read our uh little disclaimer.

Pursuant to chapter two, the acts of 2025.

This meeting of a city council uh committee will be conducted via remote participation.

We will post an audio recording, audio video recording, transcript, or other comprehensive record uh record of these proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting on the City of Somerville website and local cable access government channels.

Uh Ms.

Clerk, can you please call the roll?

Yep, this is roll call.

Counselor Sae.

Here Councillor Link here.

Chair Streza here.

Right.

With that, we have all members present, so we do have quorum.

Thank you.

Um so uh counselor uh Said.

Um I can say that.

Uh you chair uh Strazo.

Hello everyone.

Uh this is Counselor Said.

I just want to say for the record that I have to accuse myself from this item as the word counselor.

Uh I am involved in the tenant selection process.

So I checked with the um the city's legal team, and they confirmed they have to recuse myself.

Thank you, everyone.

Okay, with that, we will have uh counselor Said and seeing how we have one agenda item, and you know, we can approve the minutes without you.

Have a good evening.

Thank you for being here for this for uh tonight.

Um with that, so no, we don't have to approve any minutes.

Looks like on the agenda.

So we have one agenda item tonight that is a public hearing is item 260265.

I'm going to read the item, and then I will discuss uh some rules regarding that.

And uh we have only one agenda item that is the only focus of tonight, and uh we are not too deliberate on that or have uh any discussion.

We are here to listen to you and and just plug it in here and leave them there and and uh and then have a good evening.

So we very much this is your meeting.

So uh thank you very much for that.

The item is like I said, 260265, refer to my recommendation that this city council hold a public hearing on the petition submitted by 52 registered voters regarding out of the community art space at arts at the armory pursuant to section two-11 of the city charter.

So we are going to be heading into our public hearing, and I find the uh printed out to God then pink.

That uh that one, but um, more just like the rules of oh hey, I'm sitting on it, but I'm not anymore.

Okay.

So we're gonna do is we are going to um uh we're gonna have this public uh hearing on the chair of the committee, and I am aiming for nope, we're gonna highlight some expectations for tonight.

Uh public comment for tonight's hearing is on the item only, and comment and only comments on that following agenda item will be accepted.

When I open the public hearing, all in the public who wish to speak will have two minutes.

We have a timer.

Uh when I call you, call your name, please come to the podium, give your first and last name and your address, uh, and or your affiliation with Somerville.

And uh then you'll have that two minutes in that.

Uh those who wish to provide public comment online.

Uh so we'll do in person and then we can go to online.

And we do have some uh people and we're gonna go for that.

And if uh I'll make it very clear that uh respect is to be upheld for everybody here tonight, and and just in general, uh kind words and just stuffed all around.

If I feel that that is not happening, I will give you one warning.

And if not, then I will uh that that's it.

Uh we'll not yeah, yeah.

Hi, would you put you know, we have to say it, of course, for for every public hearing.

And um with that, we're we're you know, this is a community, and we'll do yeah, exactly.

So we'll just keep it all civil and as we as we will, as we of course well.

So with that, I'd love to open this public hearing, and uh nobody signed up.

You guys are supposed to sign up.

Oh, it's cool, but that's right.

You know what?

I will because I stole the one.

I'm gonna get next next meeting.

I may just get like one of the deli counters.

So then everyone will expect to have cookies, which also may happen.

You never know.

You can go um yes.

Uh or I will I will into some scones.

Okay, so uh with that.

Um topics off topic.

Correct.

We are we have one agenda item, and uh it is only regarding that.

So as you are uh believe the person that uh brought this forward, feel free to come to the podium.

So you'll see they'll be able to see me.

I set up that pretty podium.

I feel it doesn't get enough use, and I think it's gosh darn it, but it should here.

I mean, it's a great piece.

I see retro.

Why not use it?

Thank you so much for being there today.

So please state your name, uh person last name and your address for the record.

Hello, everyone.

Thank you.

Time is for having me.

Thank you, the public for being here.

I appreciate it.

My name is Primarchai.

I've served art in the Summerville and Kmerville community.

My address is 191 Highland Avenue, and there's a living workspace in 3D.

I also have a performance and education space in six of Armory.

And I am the CO of a nonprofit out of the Blue Art Gallery, and I'm here to speak of feeling very vulnerable in terms of my housing situation and in terms of the topics of today and uh committees of today for equity.

And I was asked by the former owner of the armory Joseph Sager.

I'm the former CEO of the Center for Arts at the Armory to serve as a person who would help curate art in the building to work and live in the building, and that was honored to me in September 2019.

And my first year was quite nice, and um I enjoyed it tremendously, and I created the first for building wide uh gallery in the armory in all of its 22 years of existing with the help of my lovely partner, Stephen PSR.

In the wake of one year of the pandemic that really started taking off in several and everywhere in the world, April 2020 is really when I started to feel nestled, but also you know, there was a pandemic and things were already hard for the gallery to operate uh uh for any of us to operate with worldwide pandemic called COVID.

Yeah, I insisted on keeping the legacy of Tom Tipton near the past months ago, the founder of the Out of the Blue Art Gallery's vision alive.

However, when the city took over in 2021, I found myself a gate that in March 2021 I read in the press.

This is two minutes, however, I'll give you um like a few more minutes because I know that you were the one who put this forward.

I really appreciate it.

Okay, so please continue.

Yeah, so since the city came in, I was kind of bewildered why I felt that the eviction of myself and all the tenants in the gallery was happening through the press because I first read about it as a potential in March 2021 and the fact that the city council had unanimously decided on taking the building by having a domain.

I immediately had my own reservations about this.

I wanted to learn more, but when I spoke and delivered my freedom of speech and also my half of my life's career serving the arts and the community in Camerville, it very much hurt to receive a what would be considered an illegal eviction report myself and the other tenants to move immediately by December 31st, 2021.

So I decided to be the spearheader of fighting for my gallery and it's three as artists, and at that time 10 tenants.

Six of those tenants I believe moved out since the kind of hard and fast measures I believe that the city had fixed on all of us.

But for speaking out, I definitely feel and know that I experienced the most difficult repercussions of speaking up.

There were three police reports filed on me that were illegal.

They accused me of providing a space for underrated drinking and serving this, which I would never do, and that I was hosting events with marijuana use.

Since 2021, there have been events that I've held, meaningful events.

Haitian poets, people coming over the COVID pandemic and coming from plays.

And even a piece exhibit for my summer bill students that I have taught for two years.

Now my home is in compromise.

In July of 2025, incidentally, the founder of my gallery, the honorable Tom Tipton passed away.

And within weeks, I received from the city the fact that I could not live in my space, and I should have to leave with first 90 days' notice, then 60 days notice, then 30 days notice to be on the street on the shortest month of the year, which just passed, February 2026 on the Black History Month of the year, and incidentally the coldest month of the year with multiple snowstorms.

And that seemed unreal.

And I found out through discovery myself that many city councilors did not even know such a note was given to me that in the middle of the dead of winter, I would be placed on the street.

That is not right.

And I am very happy though, and I see a bright light as spring approaches, and holy just happened in Hinduism yesterday.

And what else happened is Joseph Seder, the person who created the armory building into what it is from an eye sore when I was a teenager from my Clacton and many other things.

He passed to but now.

So I lead the legacy of out of the blue art gallery.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

And I need the conviction to help myself and all the tenants in the building who deserve to be there because there is a lot of space in the building.

I appreciate what some arts is doing in their spaces, which are two of some of the large spaces in the building.

I appreciate that it's open to the public, and there is way too much space for us tenants not to live.

And if I must leave, which has been a continual thing for the last five years through no wrongdoing, then the city of Somerville, my eminent domain, legal causes from what I see.

She should provide me with a place, answer it with what I have today, and I certain shouldn't shouldn't be kicked out of Somerville.

And that is how I feel.

So I end with, I am a teacher, I am a philosopher, I'm a community organizer.

Many people in this city know who I am, and I have served the community for a very long time and since I was very young.

I hope to go into the ages convening, not being called by the police, not being told horrible things, not being, and I end with one year ago was my last press article that was discovered, and everything happened then, and I was told by an unwatched warming center by the city of Somerville by an unwatched client, and I end there.

F-U and B.

You call the cops on me, I will burn your house down.

This should not be happening in summer one.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you very much.

Um next we have um Steven.

Yes.

Who wrote encouraged?

Can I cannot read any sorry?

Can you please people can you please give your first and last name and um Stephen?

And your last name, please.

A S A R O Thank you.

Uh Massachusetts.

Um yeah, you know, I uh two minutes, two minutes is a really good time to convince five years of uh open hostility into a narrative.

Uh so I I've been stressing about this for the days now, you know, with thread door fall, you know, we're we're gonna start with um so what I can say is uh I there's no way to get it all out.

It's impossible.

Impossible.

Um but if anybody's interested and knowing where anymore, I I am available and I will sit down with anybody and I could read documents to back up everything I say and I will never say and will not say anything that can't be backed up with eyewitness testimony, uh emails, affidavits and as such.

Um so I bumped out of Gregory.

Um he asked, uh you know, oh, so you guys gonna uh uh put an RP and I said, Why?

Why would I bother?

Why would I take the time?

Why would I go to the workshops and little claims you guys offer to help people figure out the jargon and speak that you know it was necessary to engage with some bureaucratic uh endeavor, like submitting a proposal to the city?

Why would I do that?

Why would I waste my time when the conclusions of our existence in this place is full gone, you know.

And why would I say that?

Why would I say I you know I know the answer is no before even asking the question?

I already know the answer was no.

Why would I waste my time?

Why would I say that?

I say that because of everything that's happened up until now.

And when I talk about readings in paper documents and police reports and uh harassment complaints, and it's too much to go for two minutes.

So I don't get uh to speak with to anybody who was clarity on that.

So uh well, this building was the armory built what 1901 federal government goes on, we just do the state of Massachusetts after the second world war.

Massachusetts does what it does until it falls into gets abandoned, involves into disrepair and squatters and crackheads and places falling apart, and there's often to the city someone for free.

You can have it.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

And I'm in two minutes.

And you're welcome.

And I will also thank you very much.

Um, so now uh any additional comments and uh please feel free to to uh you can send an email to public comments at Somerville Ma.gov.

Um and I'll give you the um email addresses well.

Um next we have uh John J.

Uh Pilmeyer.

Uh come on up.

Um here and that is fine to speak, great.

Yep.

Yes, so Marcus or speaking.

Yeah, I just wrote some things I'm gonna just say it.

Um I asked myself earlier what out of the blue art galleries meant to me.

Um to me, out of the blue art galleries fills that whole I feel inside for community.

There are not many places around Somerville.

Oh wait, I forgot to tell you my name and all that stuff, right?

Please, I mean I said it for you, but I want you to say it because I uh yes, please if you meant I work in Somerville for the records at Sky Body Work 93 L Street.

I currently live in Cambridge, 173 Hampshire Street inman.

Okay, yeah, yeah.

Thank you.

There are not many places around Somerville that people can just go to hang out and not spend a lot of money out of the blue art galleries offers that when they're open.

Of course, I'm not saying that they're a non-profit organization, but they are welcoming since the city took the building and proceeded to poorly manage it.

They have caused nothing but hardship for my friends over at the out of the blue art galleries.

Um the art out of the blue art galleries.

The galleries welcome artists of all backgrounds into their space from artists who make art on the side outside of their day jobs to folks with disabilities who only make money from their art.

I remember going to the gallery when they were in Central Square and it was run by Tom Tipped in and XO.

May they rest in peace.

There was a very welcoming vibe there.

I would just walk by the doors are open, I'd exo, walked in, felt welcomed, hung out with some people like Paraman Steve as well as Bill Lewis, you probably know him.

Um Tom Tipton left out of the blue in the good hands of Parma and Steve because he knew they would continue his footsteps.

He knew that they are very much community-oriented and they have all the love in their heart for this community, this art community.

I believe that out of the blue has been treated wrongly by the management team from the city after they took the building over many years ago from the later.

May also rest in peace.

He was another example of someone well renowned in this community, much like Tom Tipton.

I hope they're both looking down on this meeting to help guide it to a good result.

He also entrusted Pharmaceucie to come into their establishment to help them further their goals of a heart with the art at the center built community.

I believe that there should be a master plan for the armory.

I'm not fully familiar with the current guidelines of the plan, but I don't think that it's right to completely neglect those who currently live or run almost a business there and do so much for the building without even being asked.

Okay.

Please allow the current residents a seat at the table and the decision making of the armory master plan.

Be diverse and inclusive without judgments of unique personalities, make up for the maltreatment.

Okay.

But if the decision is no longer to allow residents at the armory, please help them find uh new place for residents in Somerville.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

They deserve the best outcome.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Next is Marcus.

Uh Noshay, thank you very much.

Yeah, yeah.

Thank you, Richard.

Anyway, to that.

So uh this is the fifth incarnation of the uh give me one more moment, please give me your name for the record or just your name.

Mark Neche and your uh address space.

Thank you very much.

Okay, so um this is the fifth incarnation of the um of the um out of the blue gallery in the past three years.

Chris Brookline Street, Cambridge, Prospect Street, Crane Bridge.

Uh an amazing scene uh that Massa at the former blockbuster building in right in Central Square there, and then I and then the uh the firehouse in Alston.

So now it's the uh the basement of the uh uh and you know, also the stairwell and then in the apartment uh upstairs uh uh forgiveness.

That's what he said.

What?

Or apartment.

Oh, I don't remember that.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, but this was this is that was like you have to go to a house.

This is a public space.

And like in the front in the front room, people walk in, and you need this amazing scene of discussed the coffee shop in the corner, and you know, I see the open stage, I see the people performing, and I asked about like, yeah, there's something you can get, you know.

And there's there's another space like that in the basement that happened, but you know, farming today pulled together and like we all pull together, and other people, sometimes people left who I've never seen come in and they sign up and go on stage.

Um, it's it's great to have these two places in this building in that build that building, you know.

And um, and it'd be it'd be a real shame if it if it was lost and it would be really um because people like myself uh sometimes impromptu want to go on stage because I've just written a poem that day, and other people come in and they also perform that day.

And you know, afterwards we all kind of hang out upstairs and you know go up, you know, the the fire escape, and it was all it's a wonderful, it's a wonderful kind of you know, aftermath to the art scene that happens in in that basement space, and it's also the gallery itself, the people, the people showing the corridors and upstairs.

Uh the artists have their talks about about their art, and I was a part of all that, you know, through the 90s.

It's a place where artists don't have to submit a 25 P only to have their artwork rejected from a gallery.

Okay.

And this is something that you know they pull together, rather, and um, and it's um, and it's um the kind of kind of spontaneous impromptu uh scene that happens there.

Okay.

Um thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

And thank you for cleaning that pitch.

Thank you.

I think this case in your beautiful in your beautiful signatures.

Thank you.

Thank you for being here.

Night.

Can you please take your name, uh person last name, and your address?

Where's the record?

Uh Eat Lemon 169 Morrison uh in Somerville.

Um, I've lived in Summer for a long time, and there's a lot of really special, really cool places in Somerville, and the Armory is one of them, and out of the blue gallery is one of them.

And it just feels sad that we would kick this space out.

It's like a really culturally important place that I think like I moved back to Somerville after leaving because of spaces like this.

And I don't know, it's just important.

I think it's important.

And we should have a space that's like inclusive and just has a space for artists to thrive.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Okay.

Well, that is all on uh who have signed up to testify in person.

And we have uh so anybody anyone else like to speak?

No, no.

Okay.

Um sign up sheet still here.

Uh while the the public hearings meeting, uh public hearing is is happening.

Um so we have some participants online.

You're so gonna have to have yeah, okay.

Uh and uh so we have uh if you wish to speak, please raise your hand.

I see some and then we'll call your name.

Do you want to call Delaney or do you prefer I don't Ida is fine?

Okay, um there should be more um it does.

It looks like the same person three times.

Okay, someone online has cloned themselves.

That is magical.

Um that's cool.

Okay, well, uh yeah, I guess uh we'll have uh Danielle um McNevin.

Um please feel free to mute one of your three selves and um we you have two minutes once uh we'll check and make sure that you can hear us, we can hear each other, and then we'll say you have two minutes, and um when you do please get state your name, first and last name, and your address or or affiliation with Summerville.

Can you hear it?

I see that little mic, I think Danielle, can you hear us?

I'm Bill Lewis, and you have okay.

All right, can you uh could you please state your first and last name and your address?

And then uh you've got your two minutes.

Can't hear you.

Okay.

Blessing in a curse, isn't it?

Can you hear us?

We can't hear you.

Okay, um Danielle.

We'll we'll we'll um if you can figure out oh, no, yeah, yep.

Hold on, maybe oh, we'll we'll leave uh leave the the option for you to speak, of course.

Um you just let us know if if uh if if you can figure out the technical technical uh difficulties with etc.

And and we'll we'll put you back in line.

Um next, uh is there anyone else?

I see I see names, but if anyone wishes to speak, um please raise your hand.

Uh there's Danielle again.

Let's do this.

Unmute all of them, maybe she'll get heard.

Well we're gonna go now so you have to.

Yep, I hear, wait, maybe okay.

We're gonna move on.

Just uh keep trying and and we'll we'll put you back in line uh when and if we can you can get uh can we can figure this out.

Uh do we have anyone?

We see only two hands raised.

Um so if you do wish to speak, please raise your hand.

Uh and we will call on you.

So you have my mic on now.

Oh, right.

Okay.

And so this, so hold on.

We have back uh in line, Danielle, McNeil, McNevin.

I'm sorry.

Uh please state your first and last name and your address, and then you'll have your two minutes.

I just oh curses purses.

Um okay, I figured this out.

Wait a second.

Okay, wait a second.

Are you mixing me up?

This is Bill Lewis.

Oh, there Bill Lewis.

All right, Bill Lewis.

Is that that's you, Bill Lewis?

Okay, uh, give your uh address or affiliation, and then you got your two.

Or and then please uh we'll start the clock.

Go for it.

All right then.

My name is Bill Lewis.

I have had the enormous uh honor and pleasure.

I lived at 410 Kidder Avenue for a good number of years.

I now reside in um Priest River, Idaho.

But I had the enormous honor of teaching there in the school system and then at Tufts University and before MIT waved money in my face.

But anyway, I care about Somerville is still part of my heart.

That's why I'm here.

I've been involved with Parma in the gallery for decades.

And she makes her space welcoming and personal.

She is exactly what I want in a public art space, someone who is so warm and so welcoming and just so happy.

And she makes all the difference in the world.

So that is that is my take on the situation.

If I were building an art space, I would pay a million dollars to have someone like Parma be responsible.

Thank you.

Thank you, Bill.

All right.

Uh hope the weather's uh well, we had nice weather today, so never mind.

Uh, but I hope you're having as nice as weather as we are over there.

Okay.

Do we have anyone else?

Oh, so you have anyone else willing uh that is with uh wishing to speak.

Please raise your hand now.

Um, we're gonna go to the list.

I'm not sure what's going on with that one person.

I don't know if people are joining with their link.

I think if if there's three of them, you leave them all on unmuted and maybe show here.

One of them now, if you if you do that, you're gonna create a warp zone and some kind of like alternate universe.

You have to be very careful about these things.

The person who has their hand raised should be able to speak if they are able to hear me.

Who is this?

This is David Stickney.

You are new, okay.

You also have the same name of someone else.

Who is so I don't know.

I told you about these warp zones.

See what you do.

Yeah, uh nothing, nothing.

Um, welcome.

Um, please stay your your thank you for coming.

Please state your first and last name and uh your address or affiliation uh to Somerville and and you have two minutes to speak.

Uh welcome and thank you.

Thank you.

My name is David Stickney.

I am a resident in Savon Hill, Dorchester.

Um my address is 12 Playside Road and Dorchester, and my affiliation with the gallery is that I have been an artist with the gallery since its creation with Tom Tipton.

And I have been there through the entire history of the gallery, and I am proud to be part of it, and I'm proud that Firma is running it now and Steve, and they do a wonderful job.

They've been through hell and back supporting the gallery and their local artwork and community.

They do such a really good job, and they deserve to stay.

That's all I have to say.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Uh I see another hand raised hand raised.

Daniel McNevert.

Oh, oh my gosh.

I told you.

This is all your fault, Jay.

We created a warp zone, and now I don't know.

It looks like anyone can this is like this is like um, I don't know what level of Super Mario Breaking.

You can only unmute the one that's speaking.

Okay, anyway, okay.

Could we so the next Danielle McNavern's ask if you have already spoken with calling you if you could lower your hand because we don't know who is who let's give it a shot?

Okay, the third Danielle McNavern.

You have the floor.

Okay, is anyone there?

Maybe try the second one.

Hello, hello.

Is there anyone anybody in there?

You hear me?

Yes, okay.

Great.

So I I can explain what's going on with the um link.

We all got a link from Daniel's thing.

That's why we're all Danielle McNavan.

Um just so there's only one of you, just so we're clear.

There are not several clones of Daniel McNavern.

We are just you're so clear about that, and you're actually uh thank you so much.

Okay, my name is uh Thomas Fahy, and I'm uh a local artist.

I went to Mass Art, and then I lived in Boston for a decade after that.

Well, I lived in Jamaica Plain.

Um I have known the gallery for a long time.

They were a launching point for me and for so so many artists.

I can't stress enough how this place, although the aesthetic was really busy, it was a home for a lot of local artists and not just um big deals and it it it really had a community around it that was inclusive and it was a third space that people could be at that wasn't a bar that wasn't gonna try and grab a ton of money from them and things of that nature.

Um I think it it always struggled, you know, and the I really believe the city ought to care about these kind of community things because I have sense, and I didn't say this, so I'll say this now.

I now live um in northern Massachusetts, and I'm north nomadic.

I live at um 19 North Street in Westford, Massachusetts, and um I am always wanting to move back to Boston and that area because of the um I ran my own space and and the out of the blue gallery where some of just um next level connection relationships and um realness, uh I suppose um within within a community that I really haven't experienced anywhere else.

And if it makes me want to come back, and the idea and I think about it a lot, and I probably will move back to that area at some point.

Um I think you know, one thing I do wonder and think about is like is it the same place that it was when I left, you know?

So many people have left and COVID and these things.

And so to imagine, you know, more of this really positive community stuff dying just makes me really sad.

And I think it is it's so valuable.

And and Parma and Steve are incredible, and they've taken it over.

And I just I think that Somerville needs to value it.

That's that's just um how I feel.

So thank you.

Thank you very much.

Okay, next, uh another uh Danielle uh unmuted.

Or okay, no, we're gonna go to Jay Plum.

Jay Plum, you have the floor.

Uh great, okay, great.

Oh, the is my real name up here?

Okay, anyway.

I'm not Danielle, I'm Jay Plum.

Uh the one room.

I live at uh Hudson Street, pretty much right behind the armory.

I'm a neighbor.

Um thank you, counselor, for having this meeting, and thank you, uh Barbara for for asking for it.

Uh first off, I I find the the whole armory building to be an amazing asset to the community.

And I guess I should quickly say, you know, rest in peace, Joseph Seder, the person who bought the armory and spent three million dollars renovating it and then turning it into this wonderful asset to the community and also to the entire Boston metropolitan area.

Uh I am not sure why anyone is being evicted.

Uh uh, as far as I know, the city has not explained why the gallery is facing eviction, so that really troubles me.

But I'll be I'll be short here.

Uh it's my opinion that uh all existing um tenants should be allowed to stay.

We know with the with the appropriate conditions, and I'll leave it at that.

Uh I oh I want to make sure a special uh special shout out to uh the the out of the blue gallery.

I think they're an amazing asset within the building itself.

Uh so I would hope that uh that we get an uh an explanation of why there's an eviction, and I'll leave it at that.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you very much.

Okay, next we have um new Danielle McNevin.

They should be able to rename themselves.

You're going to okay.

New Daniel McNevin, you have the floor.

Please identify yourself and your address.

Oh, and me.

Is it me you're talking to?

Oh, it's you.

Okay, well, I I'm I'm really Gordon Goz.

Um I'm not whoever that other Danielle or whatever.

But um who does it better, just you welcome.

I'm the best Gordon Ghost of Love Bead, I can tell you that.

I have no doubt.

All right.

So uh my name's Gordon Goz, like goes down the street and like goes to this meeting.

I am uh originally from um recently moved out of Killington, which I've been there, uh Vermont, and I'm now in Massachusetts, but I know the gallery because I come from a different perspective.

I am also an artist.

Uh my son's an artist, but I am a visitor, somebody who comes into your town and looks and sees the armory.

And as the person before me said, I think the armory is a great place.

But one of the things that people always notice in anything is what you see right away.

So you can have as many bands and as many things as you want.

But the thing that drew that grabbed my attention and my son's attention every time I visited is the beautiful artwork that's in the hallways.

And if you work your way downstairs, you have the um I'm a drummer, so I really like the um the uh blue man group thing.

Um and I'm also a solutions architect, so I am the kind of person that comes in and lets people know what the heck they're doing wrong when I see it.

And so I can tell you that a lot of times in industry, and it seems to be more in public uh service.

People like notoriety, they think that they can redo the wheel.

The wheel was working great.

Let's spin a new wheel.

Let's try to change something that's successful.

This gallery not only is successful, but it also has a long history, a history that's important to the armory, important to Somerville.

Um, I think there has been some things that have been done, you know, as far as bills and go that that weren't delivered to the tenants in a reasonable amount of time after the fact, changes in the way that I would be teetering on some of those were at minimum unethical.

So I think that in all fairness, it would be best for the visitors for the artists, for the people of Somerville, for the people who work at this armory to understand that the history, the uh fine art, what you what you display for the people to see is way more important than some new guys' vision that may not cut it most of the time.

You're best off to not fix something that's not broken.

Thank you so much, do we have another Danielle?

McNevin.

I think I'm the same guy.

All right, all right, all right, all right.

Um okay.

Um do we have anyone else online that wishes to speak?

Please raise your hand.

Uh the new Danielle McNavan.

Hi, can you hear me?

Hey, hi.

Yeah, are you actually Danielle McNevin?

Yes, and it's actually Danielle MacNevin.

Well, welcome.

Please give your uh you said your first and last name give your address or your affiliation to Somerville, and you will have two minutes to speak.

Thank you so much.

Uh my name is Danielle MacNevin.

I live at 40 College Hill Road in Somerville.

Um, I actually used to do some graphic design work for uh the city of Somerville and the city of Cambridge.

Uh I've known Out of the Blue and Parma for a very long time.

I also knew Tom Tipton, who owned the gallery.

Um Out of the Blue has been a safe place for artists, uh creative artists as well as musical artists um for years now, and to see what they have gone through in order to stay being uh creative safe space for artists all around Boston.

Um has been heartbreaking um for all of the work that Parma, Steve, Tom, uh, and all of them have um it's very heartbreaking to see them try to take art away from Boston.

They also want the space for art.

Um I have been an advocate for art.

I'm a graphic designer, I've lived in Massachusetts my whole life, and I really believe all map, and I don't understand why they are repeatedly challenged by the city.

Um all they want to do is city and art to everyone.

Um they have created that over the years, even with the hardships.

Um both music and art.

Uh a lot of our friends who have passed over the years, their art still is being displayed in the album in the art of the out of the blue.

Um I'm not sure why I'm being for some reason it's repeating back to what I'm saying, but um, you're coming through fine.

Keep going.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, uh thank you very much.

Um next up is another Daniel MacNevin.

No, okay.

Uh, do we have anyone else online that wishes to speak?

Go ahead and raise your hand.

We're gonna do a quick scan.

Go in once.

Well in twice.

Okay.

Um we have uh another uh person uh in person again that uh wishes to speak.

But is it with the artist?

What I can't go hate.

No hate.

All right, we're cool.

You would you like to come up to the podium?

Oh I put this lovely podium, it doesn't get enough love either.

I put it up for you guys also.

All right.

So let's let's make it easy.

So please give your first and last name for the record.

No, the hat did not bone well.

You know what we're gonna honor it?

You if you want to know.

It's okay.

Because well, this is one of the places that out of the blue displays art.

Out of the blue is an incredible unique organization.

Hold on, hold that thought first and last name and your and your dress and and go right forward.

Because yeah, I want to hear all these things, but backward.

Um I I live at 58 Tough Street knowledge, but any case, is that I've been you're on, do it.

So go for it.

Yeah.

Um you know, out of the boot does more than any other gallery I can conceive of um uh for artists um sponsoring the art in places like the Middle East, and um 1369, various locations.

I've also known out of the blue since Tom Tipton.

Um yeah, yeah, it was Tom Tippton.

And and it's also art and music go together.

You know, I have played music at art openings, art closings.

Um, it's been a great opportunity.

Um art, you know, uh and performance spaces need to be protected because these are just like the soul of our humanity.

I think that's not too much of an exaggeration.

Uh um, so you know there's there's just absolutely no reason to not let out blue continue to do what they do.

Um and for that matter, for them to be uh independent, they're doing fine.

There's no problems here, you know.

There was like there was no problems with uh Arts and the Armor doing what it does without the city involvement.

Um so you know, um yeah, that's I mean, I I don't know what else to say.

I just yeah, strongly need to stand up for out of the thank you very much.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you.

And uh Steve, I know that uh you had your two minutes.

If you wanted to speak uh or two more, I'll give you the option.

Because you seem like you're I I have rooms, I can go on for a long time.

But but just go on with the we're gonna stop.

It's it's great.

It's not my plan, you know?

Yes, you're great.

How do I know that?

How do you know that?

Maybe you are the next one in your work.

Just there's only one live plan.

Okay.

Uh word in my repertory there with my plane uh header uh booth and that booth is still there, although it's behind the personium now, so it can see the uh Russian stretch.

Anyway, um, all right, so what are we talking about?

Um we're setting the clock though, though.

Yeah, after two minutes, yeah.

I want to stick it on there.

So there it is.

Again, so back to my point.

Why why would I bother?

Why would I bother trying to stay here when I know the conclusion is well gone?

Like there's already been decided.

It was decided before the seizure of the building, right?

The seizure of this building is and was nothing more than a vanity project for Gregory Jacks.

Yeah.

You know, um that being said, yeah, that kind of like distance themselves from the whole process.

I remember Mark Meadagging's saying when I when I raised that uh suspicion, it's all no.

You're thinking about the old summable.

Uh, this is the new summable.

We've rooted out that type of nephemism and corruption.

Uh no, no, you didn't.

You didn't.

Because power successful was exactly right in the get-go.

You know, and then strange things started happening.

You know, uh, the unwelcome wagon was quickly rolled out.

You know, the the open hostility came immediately in little subtle ways and stupid things, like petty things.

Petty things like uh Tom Galangani was Tom from now on.

Uh Tom questioned whether or our lease of B6 was adjourned.

It was he didn't seem to want to believe that.

Uh at the time we were borrowing the mailbox key from the center for the arts of the army, uh, because they have all the mailbox keys.

They have all the keys to all the buildings in all the rooms in the entire building.

So if you you know, you're locked up by your place, you can go there center and they'll like here.

You can use the key.

Right.

So we've been using the mailbox key in that fashion for a while, and then one day uh after Tom uh question uh the legitimacy about legitimacy about lease, we were concerned that there was some time censored material to that mailbox, and then uh what they did after that was deny us access to the email box.

I have there's a there's a quick mailbox, sorry, and then uh the mailbox story goes on.

So uh, you know, suddenly the mailbox keys aren't available, and uh then I'm told uh by Stephanie through her surrogates, uh it's not her job anymore to provide a mailbox giving me.

But well, you can just give you the key, and I'm gonna have to ask her again, right?

Problem solved.

But no, not my job anymore.

You'll have to contact someone from the city.

So I call Tom sitting in the cafe in front of everybody, sitting in the cafe, Tom.

Stephanie tells me it's not our job anymore.

You get a mailbox key.

He's like, yeah, that's right, not our job anymore.

Not our job.

You're gonna have to go through the city now.

Uh you're dealing with the city now.

Everything has to go through a process.

Perhaps I'll uh put in a work order, have a good mailbox key, mate.

Like, Tom, that's bad shit crazy.

Like, why would you do that?

The mailbox key is on the outside of this wall.

It's like literally 10 feet away from us.

Just tell Stephanie to give me the key, and I'll never have this conversation again.

Oh no, no, no.

You don't understand.

You're dealing with the city now.

Everything has to go for a process.

Perhaps I'll have all the mailbox keys changed.

Why would you do that?

Like, yeah, no, no, it doesn't make any sense.

Doesn't make any sense.

I'm like, all right, Tom, thanks for your help.

I hang up.

And then confused, I go upstairs because something something doesn't ring true.

And so I go upstairs and I call my son-in-law, who is the manager of the post office in Medicine Square.

And he's like, Oh no, the city of Somerville doesn't own or control or have any, you know, say over the mailboxes.

The airbox is run by the federal government.

Anyone that inhibits in any way, shape, or form, even if they put a big box in front of it, they have to walk around.

Anything that inhibits your free and unfettered access to the mailbox is a felony, it's a federal crime.

So Tom and Stephanie conspired to commit a felony to deny me access to my mailbox.

And so this is right off the bat.

So when I say like the second the city took over this building, we were met with palpable and open hostility.

This is what I'm talking about.

You know, people willing, dumb enough to not know they're committing a felony, and if brash enough to do it anyway, you know, like just you can't have access to your mailbox.

Okay.

Our attorney asked me when I, because I went right upstairs, I signed a smooth appidator with our attorney.

And he said, okay, that's a felony.

We've got eyewitnesses, we've got cooperation with the actual post office uh superiors, supervisors.

Do you want to press charges against Tom Galligani for felony activity?

I said, no, I'm not interested in destroying people's lives.

I'm not interested in hurting people.

And I didn't, but what I'll tell you about Tom is going for hours.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Uh do we have anyone else who uh online that has not yet spoken?

Actually, I well, yeah, no, it needed that.

Okay.

So boop boop boop.

Um so that is everybody in the room.

I think that's about okay.

So I will now uh close this public hearing.

Uh you can still uh make uh uh or submit comments.

You can give written testimony, it can be sent to public comments at Somerville Ma.gov.

I will leave the comment section open until this Friday, which is uh let's see.

Uh so Friday, uh March 6th.

Um, and we will have that uh open uh until say 5 p.m.

Friday.

Email that comments you can email yeah, so you can email again public comments at somervillema.gov.

And so that is our only uh agenda item for tonight.

With that, uh I move to uh close this meeting and uh Adam Clerk, yep.

If there's a decision to be made and how long it'll be here.

All right, on adjournment.

Counselor Say.

Counselor Lin.

Yes.

Chair Stuads, yes.

All right, with that is 6 56 p.m.

and we're journeying.

Thank you very much.

Thanks for all who came to listen or to speak and for sharing your your experience and thoughts.

Thank you very much.