Somerville City Council Regular Meeting - May 14, 2026

The Somerville City Council met on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 7:00 PM in a hybrid format. The meeting was called to order by Councilor Matthew McLaughlin, serving as President Pro Tempore due to the absences of President Davis and Vice President Mbah. The council recessed from 7:27 PM to 7:35 PM and adjourned at 9:26 PM. Key actions included the ordainment of an affordable housing overlay zoning amendment, confirmation of multiple appointments and fire department promotions, and referral of numerous resolutions to committees for further discussion.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes: Approved minutes from March 26, 2026, April 9, 2026, and April 14, 2026.
• Citations: Approved commendations for Lillian Bartolucci (100th birthday) and the Salvation Army.
• Public Hearings: Approved Grant of Location for Verizon on Pearl Street (4 feet of conduit) and on Medford Street (61 feet of conduit). The Eversource Grant of Location on Hudson Street (10 feet) was referred to the Licenses and Permits Committee for further discussion.
• Licenses: Approved renewals for drainlayer's licenses, extended operating hours licenses (Alfredo's Italian Kitchen, Cataldo Ambulance, Chow N Joy, Eat Greek Gyros, Lemon Thai Cuisine, Lucky Strike, Mayer Campus Center, Papa John's), flammables licenses, garage licenses, taxi medallions and stand licenses, and public event licenses (Haitian Flag Raising, New England Hong Kong Festival, Pride Flag Raising, Quick Build Safety Improvements Open House, Juneteenth Flag Raising, Festa Junina, Family Fun Day, Somer Fest, NICE fest Vendor Market, National Night Out, BGB Fun Run, Touch Grass & Meet IRL).
• Mayor's Requests: Approved exemptions for Linzy Buffington, John Haverty, Peter George, and Jasper Coles (Mass. General Law Chapter 268A). Approved appointment of Christopher Camara and Kaleigh Kosta as Police Officers. Referred Taylor Perkins to Confirmation of Appointments Committee.
• Communications: Placed on file various public communications and city officer reports, including the resignation of City Clerk Kim Wells effective May 17, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• John Henderson: Submitted written comments regarding the Eversource Grant of Location at 135 Hudson Street, expressing concern about driveway egress. The item was referred to committee.
• Katcha Henderson (135 Hudson Street): Testified in support of EV parking but raised concerns about the proximity of parking to driveways, requesting careful design.
• Alexander Lasse Marrero (Verizon representative): Testified on behalf of Verizon for the Pearl Street and Medford Street conduit installations.
• Sonia Huang (435 Washington Street): Expressed gratitude for Taiwanese American Heritage Week proclamation.
• Written submissions: 25 residents submitted comments on the dormer zoning amendment; four residents on body worn cameras; and others on parking permits, Kensington Avenue, water in parks, and 90 Washington Street.

Discussion Items

• Remembrances: Councilors shared tributes to Vera Ventura (community advocate), Doris Powinski Landry (mother of firefighters), Steve McCluskey (father of two who died in a Davis Square escalator accident), and Mr. Felix (MBTA driver recovering from shooting).
• Resolution 4.8 – Single-Stair Multifamily Buildings: The council approved a resolution supporting the Governor's executive order to study safe single-stair construction, with acknowledgment of firefighter concerns. Councilor Ewen-Campen noted the potential to unlock 110,000 new units in Greater Boston.
• Resolution 4.12 – Demolition Review Cutoff: Approved a resolution requesting the Planning Department consider fixing the demolition review cutoff at 1945 instead of a rolling 75-year window, to better reflect original ordinance intent.
• Zoning Ordinance 4.14 – Homeless Shelters: Referred to the Land Use Committee a proposed amendment to Section 2.1.1 of the Zoning Ordinance, initiated by Councilor Davis, to re-examine where homeless shelters are permitted.
• Resolution 4.9 – Overnight Construction Noise: Approved a resolution directing the Administration to work with MassDOT to prevent extremely loud construction at night, following complaints about test borings for the McGrath Highway grounding.
• Resolution 4.10 – Community Use Space Inventory: Approved and sent to the Housing, Community Development and Equity Committee a resolution to create a public list of spaces available for community use, including those in private developments.
• Resolution 4.11 – Water and Sewer Billing Overview: Approved and referred to Sustainability and Infrastructure Committee a request for an educational overview of metering and billing practices, addressing constituent concerns about old meters (W on bills) and accumulating interest.
• Resolution 4.6, 4.7, 4.17 – ADA Accessibility: Three resolutions on ADA compliance (web content guidelines, staffing of coordinator role, digital property accessibility) were approved and sent to the Public Health and Public Safety Committee for discussion.
• Resolution 4.15, 4.16, 4.20, 4.21 – Traffic and Safety: Approved requests for a street light at Tufts/Washington, Neighborways art on Perkins Street, evaluation of a raised intersection at Columbus/Prospect Hill/Stone Avenue, and consideration of snow clearing in turf selection for Kennedy School inclusive playground.
• Order 4.18, 4.19 – School Facilities: Approved orders requesting updates on custodial staffing at East Somerville Community School and temperature control at Edgerly Education Center.
• Committee Reports:
  • Land Use Committee: Approved report; severed dormer amendment (laid on table awaiting Planning Board recommendation); ordained the affordable housing overlay amendment (unanimous 9-0).
  • Legislative Matters: Approved report (April 28); kept surveillance technology annual report and body worn camera impact report in committee; referred CrimeTracer impact report to committee.
  • Legislative Matters (May 5): Approved committee report and approved the rule amendment updating submission deadlines (unanimous 9-0).
  • Licenses and Permits: Approved Eversource Grant of Location on Kent Street with condition to repair utility pole 1910.
  • School Building Facilities and Maintenance: Approved report; noted potential $30 million cost to bring the former Coming School up to code as a teen center.
  • Sustainability and Infrastructure: Approved report; discussed snow removal, ADA curb cuts, street sweeping, 311 routing, and surplus disposal.
  • Traffic and Parking: Approved report; kept items on parking enforcement near construction projects in committee for further testimony from ISD and SPD.
• Mayor's Requests – UCTIF Zone: The Urban Center Housing Tax Increment Financing Zone for Assembly Square and East Somerville was referred to the Land Use Committee. Staff clarified it is a geographic designation only, with no financial components at this stage, and does not override the 20% inclusionary zoning requirement.
• Mayor's Request – Assembly Square DIF Amendment: Referred to Finance Committee.
• Mayor's Request – Home Rule Petition on Leases: Referred to Legislative Matters Committee.
• Mayor's Request – FY27 HUD Action Plan: Referred to Housing, Community Development and Equity Committee.
• Mayor's Request – CrimeTracer Surveillance Report: Referred to Legislative Matters Committee.
• Mayor's Request – Various Appropriations: Referred to Finance Committee (street resurfacing, fire pumper, building improvements, Union Square streetscape, opioid recovery, CPA transfer, solid waste contract, Arts Council furniture, Junction Park extension, fire safety grants, police software).
• Officer's Communication – Water and Sewer Rates Hearing: Placed on file; a public hearing on proposed FY27 rates will be held May 28, 2026.

Key Outcomes

• Ordinance Ordained: Amendment to Zoning Ordinance Section 8.1 (Affordable Housing Overlay) was ordained on a roll call vote of 9-0. The amendment allows 100% affordable buildings up to eight stories, removes upper-story stepbacks in most cases, and accommodates mass timber construction.
• Confirmations Approved:
  • Logan Brill and Valerie Locker to the Conservation Commission.
  • Eric Weisman as Commissioner of Public Works.
  • Dennis Sullivan as Fire District Chief, Michael Marino as Fire Captain, Sean Marquis as Fire Lieutenant (all sworn in at meeting).
  • Courtney Henderson as City Clerk (effective after Kim Wells' resignation).
• Rules Amendment: Approved an amendment to Rule 4 updating submission deadlines for agenda items (9-0).
• Items Laid on Table:
  • Dormer zoning amendment (item 26-0287) laid on table pending final Planning Board recommendation.
  • Edgerly School electrical/AC equipment upgrade resolution (26-0491) laid on table.
• Referrals to Committee: Over 20 items were referred to various standing committees for further discussion, including homeless shelter zoning, UCTIF zone, ADA accessibility, community space inventory, water billing, traffic calming, and school facility updates.
• Resignation: City Clerk Kim Wells announced her resignation effective May 17 to become Chief Administrative Officer. The council placed her communication on file and expressed appreciation for her service.