On March 5, 2026, the Somerville City Council’s Committee on Housing, Community Development, and Equity held a public hearing on Item 260265, a petition submitted by 52 registered voters concerning the community art space at the Arts at the Armory. The hearing, chaired by Councilor Kristen Strezo, was held in hybrid format at City Hall and online. Councilor Said recused himself due to involvement in tenant selection. The committee took public testimony only and did not deliberate or vote on the petition.
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.