0:04Welcome to the March 25th, 2026 meeting of the licenses and permits committee of the Somerville City Council.
0:12I'm Emily Hart, Ward 7 City Councillor.
0:17And we're joined tonight by Clerk Michael Potier.
0:22And actually, Clerk Potier, could you scroll down on the agenda so I can read the statement?
0:31Pursuant to chapter two of the Acts of 2025, this meeting of the City Council Committee will be conducted via remote participation.
0:38We will post an audio recording, audio video recording, transcript, or other comprehensive record of these proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting on the City of Somerville website and local cable access government channels.
0:50And if Clerk Potier, if you could call the roll.
1:07The first item on the agenda is approval of the minutes of the licenses and permits committee of March 11th, 2026.
1:16Any discussion or questions on that?
1:23We will lay that on the table for the end of the meeting for a roll call vote.
1:28The second item on the agenda is a grant of location.
1:32Ever source applying for a grant of location to install six feet of conduit in line street from utility poll to 11 over 7 to a point of pickup at 62 line street.
1:44Is there anyone here to speak on this item?
1:46Through the chair, I do see the applicant.
1:50You are unmuted on our end.
1:52Hi, how are you tonight?
1:57Um, so this was tabled because of the double poll 20 to 11 over six.
2:03And uh Verizon of RCN is the next one to come off of that.
2:10That's the system that we have with all the other utilities.
2:13So RCN is the next one to come off.
2:16Okay, thank you, Miss Duffy so much.
2:19And um, and I appreciate that information that you provided at RCM was the next one.
2:24I did, I was able to connect with RCN and they have confirmed that they have moved those lines.
2:31So it is um as far as I know, ready to go ahead and be, you know, to have the double poll removed.
2:39Okay, I'll send someone out there tomorrow to look double check.
2:46And I just want to take a moment to look at and and let others look at the um description here for this this application.
2:56Um yes, counselor Davis.
2:59Thank you, Madam Chair.
3:00Um, through you to Ms.
3:02Um hi Jackie, thanks for um for checking in on that.
3:06Um can you remind us that the way the list works?
3:09Um do I recall correctly that like there might be several different companies that have lines on the polls and when you so when you say they're the next meeting, once they're gone, there might be someone.
3:19It might be cable, TV, and then Verizon.
3:21So that's why I'm gonna send someone out there tomorrow.
3:24Okay, so the only way to check that is actually looking at the poll as opposed to I thought I remembered that there was a list that had like there is a list, but I just want to make sure because I know this is a hot item.
3:33So I'll see if one of the overhead guys can go out for me tomorrow.
3:40And let me actually, madam chair, if I may, um, one more question through you to Ms.
3:44Um forgive me, because I I'm pretty sure you explained this to this committee.
3:52Um or something that I was sitting on what many months ago.
3:56Um, so obviously not with our other two members here, but like how do we see that list?
4:01Where is like can you remind me where that lives?
4:03Is it just through the when it's submitted to the to the council?
4:06Does it live somewhere else that's I think I think you guys have access to it?
4:11I'll I'll find that out tomorrow too.
4:13And I can send you an email lands tomorrow.
4:16If if you wouldn't, if you wouldn't mind, send it through the clerk's office just so that all members of the committee can uh oh sure.
4:21Yep, I'll find out first thing in the morning.
4:23That would be awesome.
4:24Oh yeah, I'm gonna be busy tomorrow.
4:27And Miss Duffy, to clarify, that's the engines um database.
4:36Um and that would be that would be great to find out.
4:40I have looked at it as um and not found a way to get access, but perhaps the city.
4:46I have not checked with the clerk's office to see if we as a city um have access to that.
4:52So that's a great question.
4:55I I don't want to give you a wrong answer, so I don't know, so I will find out.
5:04So the requests from Counselor Scott on this at the meeting or the you know the concern was about this double poll.
5:15So I really appreciate that this is moving swiftly towards being resolved.
5:21Um I would make a motion to condition the grant of location on the double poll being fixed.
5:30Um if there's any discussion on that motion.
5:40Yes, Counselor Davis.
5:42Thank you, Madam Chair.
5:43Um just for for everyone's reference um to Clerk Potier, um, can you uh if you are able to, can you comment as to uh or to confirm that um that would be an appropriate condition for us to put on the granted location through the chair, Michael Potier, assistant city clerk.
6:02Uh my understanding is that um conditions that are reasonably related to the application are typically okay.
6:10Um beyond that, though, I would recommend seeking an opinion from the law department um to the extent there's any doubt by members of this committee.
6:24If I may follow up, Madam Chair, and and please not sure if you if you've looked into this, then but by all means please correct me if I'm or or step in.
6:33Is that um so first off, is that have you had any conversations as to whether that's you know, like with the law department, whether that's appropriate.
6:41And I guess a related question would be this may already have been answered, but is it is this the poll we're talking about that's a double poll, or is it other double polls on that street that are down the oh sorry, it's Jackie.
6:53Um it's it's poll two eleven two eleven over six.
6:58So it's not this exact poll.
7:00It's not the poll we're coming off of, no.
7:02It's the one next to it.
7:04Yep, it's down the street just a little bit.
7:08Madam Chair, I I'm I'm inclined to to you know to to move forward and then you know, if the law department could, if we could put a request to law department to just let us know before tomorrow if that's a uh something they have concerns with otherwise.
7:20Um sounds like you know, again, I appreciate Ms.
7:23Um uh following up on the question and and sounds like that's in the works.
7:27Um happy to go forward with as you proposed, uh just subject to the law department letting us know.
7:35Can I interrupt one second?
7:36You can see 211 over six right below the number 56.
7:41I just said to hit the thing.
7:44That's that's the poll in question.
7:50Yes, I'd be happy to check with the law department on this tomorrow.
7:55Um that sounds like a reasonable way to go to me.
7:59Um, my understanding is that there is some uh, you know, that it's not a there's not hard and fast um guidance here.
8:12Um so I'd be happy to check tomorrow.
8:19So Clerk Potier, would is there any other discussion or questions?
8:25Madam Chair, through you, you could call a within your discretion, you could um have a roll call vote on the condition pending review by the law department um for the meeting tomorrow and then a second roll call vote on the item itself, if you'd like.
8:43This is a roll call vote on the condition uh for this item um on approval to remove um or fix the double poll pending review by the law department.
8:57Yes, counselor Wheeler, yes, Chair Hart.
9:03And on the item itself, 26-0311.
9:10Yes, Counselor Wheeler.
9:17With three in favor, that is recommended to be approved.
9:24Uh the next item on the agenda number three is uh grant of location, Ever source applying for grant of location to install five feet of conduit in Heath Street from utility poll 165 over 13 to a point of pickup at 16 Edgar Avenue.
9:40Um, so the so I was the one that wanted this to come to the committee.
9:45Um because this is uh in the neighborhood of the Healy elementary school and where my daughter goes to school.
9:55So I'm very familiar with the difficulties of school drop-off for pedestrians, for drivers.
10:03Um this is the main, this is like one of two only two ways in and out of the school.
10:10So at drop off, it's really a choke point.
10:13And right now the entire length of Edgar is blocked off for other utility work.
10:21Um so I just wanted to be sure that this wasn't going to add to that.
10:25I just wanted a chance to um investigate that a little bit.
10:29So my understanding is that engineering will be coordinating to make sure that there are no conflicts.
10:35Um so I'm fine approving this with no condition, but Miss Duffy, if you know if there's any way to not have this work happen between you know eight and nine in the morning.
10:47The work is going to be on going to be on Heath Street.
10:51That's where the poll just coming off.
10:53But we can do it in between the school um drop off pickup.
10:56I mean, you can do nine to three if you want.
10:58I don't know what time the kids get out of school in some of them.
11:02Yes, this the uh the end of the day is not as much of a choke point because kids leave at different times with you know school programs.
11:10It's really that morning kind of rush hour.
11:13Um, and Heath Street is you know coming right into Edgar.
11:17It's one of the it's just part of that whole thing.
11:21So like I said, not a condition, but um just a request.
11:25If it could, yeah, not start until 8 30 or 9.
11:28That would be 8 30 and 9, that's perfect.
11:32Any discussion or questions from you uh counselors other than yes, counselor Davis.
11:38Thank you, Mount Chair.
11:39Um, through you to Ms.
11:39Duffy, I guess just a practical question.
11:41That does Jackie that does it help if we put a condition on here, just so that any of the paper paper that everyone's looking at has that reminder, or is that I only ask because otherwise I no, that's perfect.
11:52Make sure it's followed.
11:53No, no, no, that's perfect.
11:55You can put that on there, absolutely.
12:01All right, counselor Davis, would you like to make the motion?
12:06However, it was that you phrase it from in terms of the timing that's necessary, then uh I'd I hereby make that motion.
12:14Chair Hart through you, just for clarity of the record.
12:16Would you mind stating that time frame one more time so I have it accurate for the roll call vote?
12:21How about beginning after 8 30 a.m.
12:25Thank you, madam chair, and uh an outer boundary of the time frame?
12:31Uh there's no there's no um outer boundary.
12:36Just the condition will be to uh begin the work after 8 30 a.m.
12:41Roll call vote on the condition for this item to have work begin after 8 30 a.m.
12:48Yes, counselor Wheeler.
12:54This condition is recommended to be approved and on the item itself 26-0308.
13:02Yes, counselor Wheeler.
13:07This item is recommended to be approved.
13:11Thank you, Miss Duffy.
13:17Um, I think then the only thing left for us to do is to vote on the approval of the minutes.
13:22Um through the chair, that is correct.
13:25The minutes were laid on the table.
13:27Um on acceptance of the minutes, counselor Davis.
13:35Those minutes are accepted.
13:43Thank you, Counselor Davis.
13:45On adjournment, Counselor Davis.
13:53This committee is adjourned.
