Hello, welcome to the licenses and permits committee meeting of the Somerville City Council.

Today is June 24th, and I'm Emily Hart, Ward 7 City Councillor.

I use she, her pronouns.

And we're the meeting is being clerked tonight by Clerk Delaney Fisher Cassio.

Clerk, could you please call a roll?

That again, Counselor Davis.

Here.

Councillor.

Here.

Chair Hart.

Here.

All right.

With that, all three of them's places.

We do have clear.

Thank you.

And also I need to read this statement pursuant to chapter two of the acts of 2025.

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

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

So moving on to the first agenda item, approval of the minutes of the licenses and permits committee meeting of May 13th, 2026.

Counselors, are there any questions or comments about those minutes?

Okay.

We will uh lay those on the table for approval at the end of the meeting.

Um items two um ID 26-0910 and number three, ID 26-0864 are both public comments related to agenda item number four, uh, which is 26-0750.

Eversource applying for a grant of location to install 10 feet of conduit in Hudson Street from utility poll 2020 over 9 to a proposed new handhole next to 135 Hudson Street.

Um and this um item is for um a hookup for new electric car, you know, electric car charging stations that the city is installing.

Um so that part, the the EB charging stations have already been approved by city staff in the traffic and parking.

Um and now this is for the grant of location for Eversource.

Um so let me just see who is um in attendance to speak on this item.

If you could raise your electronic hand.

Okay, great.

Um Jackie Duffy from Eversource.

Hi, um I this was continued because the abutters were having questions about where the conduit was going.

Yes.

Yes, thank you.

And um, so there is a memo attached to this item which outlines the uh the response from the city about the concerns raised by the abutters.

Um and my understanding is that all of the questions have been addressed uh to the extent possible.

Um one of the main concerns was the um there was confusion over where the actual charging station was going to be installed and if there would still be enough room on the sidewalk for ADA compliance and city staff have confirmed that there will still be at the very least ADA compliant and I believe more um space still available on the sidewalk.

Is there anyone else here to speak on this item?

I was just wanted to be sure any abutters um do have a chance to speak if they're here or any neighbors.

Um but I do believe that their concerns have been addressed and um and that they this has been communicated with them.

Excellent.

Miss Duffy, if I could just hop in, would you mind just stating your title for the record as well, please?

Oh, sorry, Jacqueline Duffy, right of right of way agent.

Episode energy.

Got it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And I see um counselor wheeler has a question or comment.

Uh thank you, Chair, through you.

Uh I uh really appreciate the work that the city did to take a close look at the sighting of this uh electrical vehicle uh cabinetry um in response to uh the feedback from the second letter uh raising concerns about the the passability of the sidewalk.

I uh I did just want to uh acknowledge a concern that the first of these two uh public comment letters raises, uh, which is about the the use of a parking space um or set of parking spaces for electrical vehicle uh specific purposes.

And um you know, I don't have uh an answer or a resolution to that concern.

Uh I think that we are trying to make a decision, you know, balancing a variety of different kinds of needs, uh acknowledging that electrical vehicle infrastructure is going to be sort of specific space dependent in a way that other parking spaces aren't.

And I just wanted to own that the city and our committee um that we are indeed removing parking spaces that uh people may rely on.

Um and and you know, adding parking spaces at the same time for people who are going to use them specifically for electrical vehicles, but uh you know, in the trade-offs that we're always balancing.

I just want to make sure that we are acknowledging that we are we are asking people um to you know to make do with you know different kinds of changes that that are removing uh spaces that their their gas powered cars can park.

Um we're hoping that uh that this direction is uh a sensible one on balance for all of us uh for our climate as well.

Uh but we we are all collectively uh making a bit of a sacrifice.

Uh and I just wanted to acknowledge that and appreciate the concerns of that first letter writer.

Thank you.

Absolutely.

Thank you, Chair Wheeler.

And you know, and that's um, yes, it's very true that on our in our limited you know, street space, we have choices and trade-offs um that happen so often and uh definitely wanna uh take into account people's concerns.

Um I will note that the the decision to change these to EV charging stations is not what is before this committee, that that that has already been decided.

Um so uh it's not exactly part of our our conversation now, although we are addressing the the general topic and you know glad to have um all of the public communications uh attached to this item so that we do have everyone's input um for the record.

And um and I it is uh it is my hope that the fact that people that that there are more and more people who do have electric vehicles and so that they will be you know coming from another spot on Hudson Street to now this spot uh rather than a net uh loss of parking.

It's just a rearrangement of parking.

Um but I do know that these these changes can sometimes um you know bring up new issues.

So we we look forward to hearing how it goes.

Ms.

Duffy, did you have another comment or is your hand up from before?

No, I just didn't ever put it down.

Okay, okay, wonderful.

Thank you.

Um more comments or questions from the committee.

Okay.

Thank you.

All right.

Uh we will lay that one on the table for approval at the end of the meeting.

And Chair Hart, what would we like to do with items two and three?

Do we want to mark those word complete?

Yes, please.

Thank you.

Okay, the next item number five, 26-0980.

Eversource applying for a grant of location to install 31 feet of conduit in Richardson Street from Utility Pole 296 over one to a point of pickup at Zero Richardson Street.

Is there anybody here to speak on this item?

Okay.

Um I said before I um Jackie, before I have you speak, I just wanted to give context on these next two items.

Uh so these were we did conduct the public hearings at the city council meeting um on June 11th.

And um it was uh a very packed meeting and there were some technical issues.

Um there it seemed like um on the the next item actually that there was somebody trying to speak but having computer issues and we weren't able to hear them.

Um so we went ahead and sent both of them to the committee just in case there were people who wanted to speak on these items that didn't get an opportunity to at that meeting, but the official um public hearing has already been held for both of these items.

Um so we are not doing an official public hearing, but if there is somebody here to speak on either of these, we welcome hearing from you.

Okay.

With no further ado, Jackie Duffy, please tell us about this item.

Uh, we'd like to install approximately 31 feet of conduit in Richardson Street to provide electrical service to uh six Richardson Street.

Okay, thank you.

Um I have looked at the location.

I don't have any concerns.

I have not received any comments um from the public, and there's uh there's no one here raising their hand.

Um you have any questions or comments about this one?

Okay, we will lay that one on the table for approval at the end of the meeting and move on to number six, 26-0981.

Ever source applying for a grant of location to install 641 feet of conduit in Somerville Avenue and Prospect Street and one new manhole 3133 from existing manhole 27921 and from existing manhole 25406 to a point of pickup at 51 Prospect Street.

Is there um anyone here to speak on this item?

Jackie Duffy, you have a source.

Uh, would like to install approximately 511 feet of conduit and one new manhole, and this is to provide um electric reliability improvement in the area.

Okay, thank you.

I noticed this is right near the um substation.

Yes, it is.

Um, so can do you have any more information?

I'm just curious about how this um how this connects related to.

So I don't I don't have any other information on it.

I'm sorry.

Okay, no problem.

I was just like I said, just curious.

Um and there is someone else, another attendee.

So I just if you are here to speak on this item, please just raise your electronic hand and uh you'll be acknowledged to to speak.

Just want to make sure everybody has a chance that would like to speak.

And counselors, um committee members, if you have any questions or comments.

Okay, it doesn't look like there's any comments on this one as well.

Um so I will lay this one on the table as well.

Um Jackie Duffy, yes.

Oh no, I just lowered my hand.

Oh sorry.

It went back up for me.

So sorry.

No problem, no problem at all.

Okay.

Um Clerk, I think we are ready to vote on the items before us.

Awesome.

So this is on recommending approval for items number one, four, five, and six.

Counselor Davis.

There we go.

Yes, uh Counselor Wheeler.

Yes.

Chair Hart.

Yes.

All right, with that, that is all members in favor of recommending approval.

And then we can move into adjournment whenever you're ready.

Okay.

Um motion to adjourn.

All right, on adjournment.

Counselor Davis.

Yes, Counselor Wheeler.

Yes.

Chair Hart.

Yes.

All right, with that, it is just 6.17 p.m.

and we are adjourned.

Thank you, everyone.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Clerk.

Bye bye.

Thank you, Clerk.

Thank you.

Have a good one.

Bye.