All right.

I hereby call this meeting.

Recording in progress.

Today is uh what is today?

Thursday, June 25th.

Uh, this is a meeting of the city council.

Um, I am Lance Davis presiding.

I use he him pronouns.

Uh please note that video and audio of this meeting is being recorded and may be shown live on local access government channels in the city of Somerville website and will be available for future review.

Would the clerk please call the roll?

This is roll call.

Counselor Ewen Campen.

Here.

Counselor Link.

Here.

Counselor Scott.

Present.

Counselor Klingon.

Present.

Counselor Streso.

Present.

Counselor Said.

Counselor Miller.

Here.

Counselor Hart.

Here.

Councilor McLaughlin.

Yeah.

Counselor Umba?

President.

And Councillor Davis.

Here.

With eleven members present, we have quorum.

All right.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Uh, pursuant to our rule 32.

Let it be known that the city council salutes the flag of the United States of America, and let us recall our oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the Commonwealth to the best of our abilities and understanding.

We begin our meetings with a moment of silence.

Are there counselors wishing to uh say a few words about members of our community tonight?

Counselor Said.

Um I would like us to remember Eleanor Bluth, known as Ellie.

She's a lifelong resident of Somerville.

She passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.

She was 92 years old.

She was born and raised and educated in Somerville.

Ellie was the beloved daughter of the late Michael and Josephine Wove, a woman of deep faith.

Ellie believed that her um Ellie was uh dedicated an active member of St.

Anne Parish in Somerville, where she uh generously volunteered countless hours of her time.

She also taught Sunday school.

As the Title I coordinator for the city of Somerville, Ellie played a significant role in the development and growth of the department, helping to create opportunities and resources that benefited countless students and families throughout the city.

Even after her retirement, Ellie's passion for education and helping children never faded.

She became affectionately known throughout Somerville as the story lady, traveling to local schools and sharing her love of reading with young students.

Her impact on the community was so profound that a parent resource room at the Michael Capuano School was named in her honor.

A lasting tribute to the difference she made in the lives of so many families.

Ellie was a dedicated member of her community, given generously of her time to support local schools throughout many years of involvement with the PTA.

She served on the committee that created the beloved dinner dance fundraiser, which continues to benefit students and families.

Ellie was also a committed civic participant, serving serving as a voting member of the World Five Democratic Committee, where she helped elect officers and take part in selecting the chair of the Summerville Democratic City Committee.

Thank you, Councillor Said.

Counselor Clinton.

Thank you, Ms.

President.

Through you ask that we keep uh somewhere former Somerville resident in our thoughts and prayers this evening.

Daniel Danny Ryan of Stoneham, formerly of Somerville, passed away unexpectedly on June 4th of this year.

He was 77.

Uh Danny was the youngest of 11 children, born to Robert and Jesse Ryan.

He proudly served his country uh in the U.S.

Army during the Vietnam War.

Following his honorable service, he was a hard worker who spent many years at Anheuser Bush Teamsters Local 122, right there out of Medford.

Uh Danny's family meant everything to him.

He and his beloved wife Pat Barrett, who's her main name, were together for 40 years.

They were true best friends and built a full life together full of laughter, good times, and great memories.

He was known for his unmistakable laugh and sense of humor.

Danny always was a bright spot in the room.

He read the newspaper every day.

Uh he was the devoted father to Daniel Ryan Jr.

and wife Lisa.

He's also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.

Danny held a special place in his heart for Riley, Leah, Max, and Maggie, who affection affectionately knew him as Pappy.

He was predeceased by his siblings, Marion Asinus, June Belieu, Alice Chartier, Mildred Barton, Robert Ryan Jr., Doris Brown, Barbara Bowers, David Ryan, Rose and Duggan, and Betty Demurs.

Hey, Mr.

President, I have one more moment of silence.

Um this evening.

This is was she was this was not a Summer resident, but uh strong Summerville connection through the Miller family, uh, who I'm also connected to through marriage.

Um the Miller, uh many of the millers that just moved out of uh they sold the house on Grandview not too long ago.

And um this was a cherished member of uh of my in-law's family.

Uh Alicia Miller was 35 of Wilmington.

Uh she passed away unexpectedly along with her unborn son Spencer Paul Miller on June 12th at Leahy Hospital at Medical Center in Burlington.

Uh she was born August 10th, 1990 in Newton, Massachusetts.

Alicia was the cherished daughter of Michael and Patricia helpin.

She helped uh she was raised and educated in Rentham.

Alicia's dedication and professionalism and exceptional work ethic led her to a successful career in the hospitality industry.

Throughout her career, she held several positions before proudly accepting the role as associate director of sales at the Liberty Hotel in Boston.

Her natural ability to connect with people coupled with her professionalism, extensive industry knowledge, and outstanding customer service skills, earn her the respect and admiration of colleagues, clients, and friends alike.

From the moment she entered the world, Alicia possessed joyful spirit and touched everyone around her.

She's she uh was known for her positivity, warmth, and infectio smile.

Um Alicia treasured the countless memories she made with family and friends, especially the summer spent with loved ones at Conway Lake in Conway, New Hampshire.

Uh and I'll just say that on October 15th, Alicia married her sweetheart, Robert A.

Miller.

Together they built a beautiful life in Wilmington, a community she quickly embraced, where she formed many treasured friendships.

Alicia was uh also lovingly embraced her role as mother to Mason Miller, a role which she cherished with all her heart.

Uh together, Alicia, Robert, and Mason created a loving family filled with laughter, joy, and unforgettable memories.

She'll be remembered for her un extraordinary kindness, compassion, and generosity.

Um Alicia was the beloved wife of Robert A.

Miller Jr., devoted mother to Mason Miller and Spencer Miller, all of Wilmington.

She was the cherished daughter of Michael and Patricia, treasured sister of Michael Help and his partner, uh Marissa Aries of Rentham and Kelsey Freus and her husband Nolan of Norton.

And she was a special auntie of Gavin Freus and Harvey Freus, who also the beloved Godson.

And she was the dear daughter-in-law of Robert Miller Sr.

and Linda Pingaro, and the late Patricia Miller and sister-in-law of the late Nicole Miller.

Uh Alicia was also survived by many, a large, loving, extended family of arms, uncles, cousins, and countless friends.

And I just ask that you keep uh Danny Alicia and uh her unborn son Spencer Paul Miller in our thoughts and prayers this evening.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councillor Clayton.

All right.

Uh, would everyone in the chambers please rise however you are able?

And we'll have a moment of silence for the aforementioned individuals, thank you.

Madam Clerk, next item.

Item number 1.3, approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of May 28, 2026.

See no objection, that item is approved.

Next item.

Item number 1.4, approval of the minutes of the special meeting of June for 2026.

Seeing no objection, that item is approved.

Um unless there's any objection, Councilor McLaughlin would like to take item 10.1 out of order.

See no objection, Madam Clerk.

Would you read that item?

Yes.

Item 10.1 by Councillor McLaughlin commending Regina Bertoto on the auspicious occasion of her retirement.

Council McGlaughlin.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I'll regina come up here.

Um Regina's been a big part of the Somerville school community and the immigrant community for many years, uh, just doing great things, looking out for people who need our help in this community.

Uh, she's very well known uh as just a great personality and great person, and a lot of people, a very humble person who is never looking to take credit for any work, but she's done tremendous work to help so many young people and people in need in this community.

Uh, she's gonna be missed in her retirement, but I will not miss you because you're gonna be in my neighborhood.

Uh, you're a constituent and a resident.

I've been at Regina's home many times, knocking doors, talking to her, talking to her mother, uh, really indispensable member of the community, and I really think even after retirement, I'm sure you're gonna continue to help people and be a great part of this community.

Thank you.

I've been crying the whole month of June.

I I do have a few remarks, if you allow me.

Uh, first, I my job was um was always uh supported by my mom, um, who unfortunately now lives in Brazil, but who support me as a single mom.

Um, so I could go to work.

I raised an incredible um daughter, human being, uh, thanks to the support my mother uh gave to us, and um the values and and culture that I bring in as a granddaughter of immigrants in Brazil who settled, and me being the only one in my family who inherited this immigrant spirit and and left the country.

Um I wanna my work here started in the 90s um at Summerville Hospital and then at um Summerville Public Schools when we opened the Parent Information Center, now the enrollment office.

And that work started, and I wanna um thank uh Sarah Davila and Naomi Davidson uh for their guidance and confidence in me.

They knew more what I could be in the future than I knew myself.

They were the catalysts of Somerville's family and community engagement, which has been transformative to the city.

I also want to extend my gratitude to current informal school superintendents.

I had the privilege of working under current and former school committee members, their leadership and guidance helped pave the way for the work we accomplish every day.

To the incredible Summerview Family Learning Collaborate Collaborative team, currently under Ruth Santos' leadership, every single day.

I'm inspired by their dedication, energy, and the passion they bring to work.

I thank them for showing up for our community, especially when we live in fear, for supporting one another and for making our workplace feel like a family.

My gratitude also to current and former mayors, current informal city council.

Your leadership provides the vital support our programs need to thrive, and your belief in our mission truly allow us to create lasting change in this community.

The strengthening of our work relationships with city departments, city departments, such as OHS, Summer Promise, HHS, Soya, Emergency Management, among others.

Our work impact lives every day.

But by working together, we transform them.

School age homelessness intervention and prevention and housing and stabilization.

We will most likely low students' chances to experience chronic homelessness in the future, instead setting them up for success.

And that's the work we've developed in this past four years.

I have to personally thank Alan Schachter and the OHS housing warriors team.

I would remiss if I don't mention the devastation, the devastating decision of the Supreme Court decision today that will impact thousands and thousands and thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants on TPS, who are here documented while contributing to our economy.

Despite today's messages, we are all welcome here.

And I invite you all to join.

So everyone's voice can be heard.

I'm not sure how to reverse a decision like this.

But I'm not sure in times like this that we might achieve and be possible to reach decisions that are unprecedented.

So grateful for the collaboration with organizations such as Connection Church, Padres Latinos, East Summerview Main Streets, the non-profit collaborative, neighbors helping neighbors.

In challenging times, we need to lift each other up and reach fire to others.

Now I have news for you.

And as such, and I have to say that my work was always around making sure some of you welcomed everybody from all walks of life and backgrounds.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Regina.

Councillor Ba.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh I want to thank you know my colleague for submitting this citation.

Regina, I really appreciate you and all the work you've done for our community.

One thing, you know, about Regina that I know, uh I met her several years, I had no idea what she does, and I always see her, and it was that is just how humble she is.

At some point, I had to like really ask somebody like who is this lady, like what is like I see her in all these meetings, and then realizing that you know, and then fast forward, I had to, you know, meet with superintendent's keepable, you know, to ask about like the challenges that I've been hearing about the immigrant community, and then she's like, Oh, talk to Regina, and say, Oh, and then when we met, and then I realized that oh, this is the same person I've been seeing in all these places.

You know, you're like the window to the city for the immigrant community.

And when you say, you know, all are welcome here.

This is you exemplify that.

So thank you for your service to this community.

Council and camping.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, through you, I just want to say a quick couple words.

Um, I was just remembering how we first met, um, which was my very first year on the council, my first month or two.

Um, uh a city councilor in Brazil was assassinated, someone who was elected at the same time as us, um, a woman in Mary Ellie Franco, and we put in a resolution.

It was just a really kind of traumatic, horrible event.

Um, and I reached out to you and Dr.

Natalisia, Tracy to see if you would come speak.

Um, and without hesitation, you did.

And your words were so powerful that night.

Um, and getting to know you over this last decade.

I mean, I really uh I I think of you as a saint, honestly, you know, your work with the um immigrant community, the homeless community here, and the the Supreme Court decisions today, it's hard to find words for it.

Um, it's so racist, it's so horrific.

Um, but knowing that there are people like you in every community in this country, that is what gives people like me faith.

So thank you for the work.

Um, and thank you for uh not going anywhere.

We're gonna need you.

Thank you, Ms.

President, through you.

Uh I just want to thank Regina for her work in uh in the schools.

Um as somebody who before getting into office, like a lot of the work that we did, you know, around addiction recovery and prevention.

Um the schools are somewhat of a black box, you know.

It's very things are very siloed, and I don't know who came up with Regina's position, but I know that it it was she took it and she ran with it to the point where when you think of the school department and on a spectrum of like these different silos, um Regina just crossed all the boundaries and brought things together and got things done, and that's really difficult to do in in the school system.

Um Regina just crossed all the boundaries and brought things together and got things done.

And that's really difficult to do in in the school system.

Um that's why your position was so special and unique, and I've seen you I know I've met your your who's gonna be your pre predecessor or your uh successor.

And um and I think you've passed along those tools, so I know that we're in good hands.

And it's just you turn this position, there's there's what they thought the position was going to be, and then there's what you made it.

And uh and that's something that only comes with serious amount of compassion and empathy and just love for this community.

So that's really uh what you've done with uh your role at the school, uh, through the school department and how it because we all uh if you want to know what's going on in a city, y figure out what's going on with the kids.

Um you know, adults can you know, they they're working, they're very hard to reach, uh people are private.

Um but when there's a need and it and and you can see that in the schools and with the children, um you were able to connect those dots and get to those parents and get people to the services and the the things that they needed, and that's invaluable.

We wouldn't be able to do that if you didn't take that position and run with it the way you did.

So thank you so much.

I really appreciate it.

Uh Mayor Wilson has requested to speak on this item if there's no objection.

Seeing none, Mr.

Mayor.

Thanks, Mr.

President.

Uh it it seems uh sad that we're here talking about what should be a a very uh festive occasion here on the day when the Supreme Court issued uh its latest staggeringly terrible decision.

Um I'm gonna look at it as uh i in a way it's actually a little fitting because we're talking about someone here who did the work, did it uh for so long and and did it in the face of a hostile federal administration.

I can't thank Regina enough for everything she did for the city.

Counselor Clinton stole one of my talking points about crossing the the divide between between schools and city.

Uh uh anyone who anyone who's involved knows what she did.

So so what do you say to someone uh who spent so much of her life doing such an incredible amount of aggregate good for this city?

If there's someone out there who's done more aggregate for Somerville, I'd like to hear about that person because wow.

Uh my ward for school committee member Andre Green.

You say thank you.

So thank you.

All right, thank you, Mr.

Barry.

Anyone take some pictures?

All right, we'll take a brief recess so we can take pictures.

All right, so I will call this meeting back to order.

I can see that we have a quorum present.

Thank you, folks.

So just uh we're gonna go uh into our grants of location next, but just a little heads up after item four dot one.

We will take a few items out of order.

Uh we'll jump to 4.4.

Uh we will then take up the finance committee reports, um, which will then lead us into the budget.

Uh there are then the items in in section seven, as well as a few of the supplementals that are have to do with approving moving money places and spending it and whatnot.

Um, we'll then take up a communication from the mayor, uh, and then we have an executive session.

The idea is to get hopefully all the stuff that that other than staff are here for, including staff, I guess.

Um, so that so that we don't have to have to make folks sit here and wait while we're in executive session.

So that's my goal.

So if uh if if you're here for something that I didn't mention, one of the other items, uh please let uh one of our assistant clerks know or um Matty's raising her hand in the back here.

Um and I'm trying to look for Director Najim Williams or uh director Najee and Williams can you raise your hand too?

Our director of IGA.

Let someone know.

Um and uh it will uh we'll try and make sure we can get you uh take up the item so you don't have to sit around and wait.

I don't think it's gonna be a particularly long executive session, but I don't like the idea of leaving people sitting here waiting while we're s we leave the room.

So um until we get to that point though, let's uh continue with the regular order.

Madam Clerk, next item.

Next item is 3.1 Ever source applying for a grant of location to install 107 feet of conduit in Mount Vernon Street from utility poll 159 slash seven to a point of pickup at 46 Mount Vernon Street.

All right, I now declare this public hearing to be open.

Is there anyone here to speak on the item?

Yes, Mr.

President.

We have Ms.

Jacqueline Duffy.

Jackie Duffy, go ahead.

Good evening, Jackie Duffy.

Ever source would like to install 170 107 feet of conduit in Mount Vernon Street to provide electricity to 46 Mount Vernon Street.

Okay, thank you.

Is there anyone else here to speak on the item?

If you're online and would like to speak on the item, use the raise hand function.

No one.

All right, not seeing anyone then.

I will declare the public hearing to be closed.

Is there any discussion?

Questions?

No.

All right.

Uh seeing none, then that item is approved.

Next item.

Thank you.

Have a nice night.

Next item is 3.2, Verizon New England applying for a grant of location to install 159 feet of conduit in a main street from manhole 44 slash 320 to a point of pickup at a proposed new handhole next to 5 Main Street.

All right, and I'll declare the public hearing to be open.

Is there anyone here to speak on the item?

Sir, please introduce yourself for the record.

First name Alexander, last name Morero, M A R R E R Otent Crossing, Maleborough, Massachusetts.

One new conway from existing manhole 320 to an existing sill site located in the unit section of Broadway in Maine.

Okay.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else here to speak on the item?

Anyone online?

You can use the raise hand function if there's anyone.

I am seeing no one, Mr.

President.

All right, thank you.

So seeing no further no one uh else here to speak on the item, we'll declare the public hearing to be closed.

Uh any discussion?

Any questions?

All right.

Seeing none, that item is approved.

Next item.

Next item is 3.3, Verizon New England, applying for a grant of location to install 88 feet of conduit in Bow Street and Warren Avenue from Manhall 44 slash 33A to a point of pickup at a proposed new handhole next to 41 Union Street.

Okay, and now declare this public hearing open.

Is there anyone here to speak on the item?

Sir, go ahead.

Alexander Pike Telecom.

Rise requesting a place one new four-inch.

Oh, no, exciting manhole 338 new hand shared handle located in the intersection of Bull Street and Warren F.

Okay, thank you.

Is there anyone else here to speak on the item?

Anyone online?

I'm seeing no one, Mr.

President.

No one.

All right.

I declare the public hearing closed.

Is there any discussion?

All right, seeing none, that item is approved.

Next item.

Next item 3.4, Verizon New England applying for a grant of location to install 164 feet of conduit in Somerville Avenue and Craigie Street from utility poll 82 slash one to a point of pickup at an existing handhole next to 680 Somerville Avenue.

I declare this public hearing to be open.

Is there anyone here to speak on the item?

Sir.

Alexander Pike Telecombris and his requesting a place.

Connor from existing poll one to 16 handle located in the intersection of Somerville and Craig Craigie Street.

Okay, thank you.

Anyone else here to speak on the item?

Anyone online?

Use the raise hand function.

I'm saying no one, Mr.

President.

All right.

Then I'll declare that public hearing to be closed as well.

Any discussion.

All right, seeing none.

That item is approved.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, next item, Madam Clerk.

Next item is 4.4.

4.1.

4.1, I'm sorry.

By Counselor Link and Counselor Hart that Chapter 3 Articles 8, Division 1 of the Code of Ordinance be amended as detailed within.

Counselor Link.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Through you.

So I'll be honest, I did not have this ordinance in mind when I when I ran um to be a city councillor.

So what happened was actually uh counselor UNA Campin reached out to me and let me know that there was a former um city staffer who is passionate about animals who was looking for a partner.

Um and uh reached and then uh we took it from there.

So what this ordinance does actually doesn't do.

Um so what this ordinance doesn't do um is ban like you know pet adoptions of any kind or um it doesn't ban uh licensed breeders, which are it comes through an entirely different mechanism.

Um what this does though, we our last pet store um that sells pets closed about uh sometime towards the end of last year.

Uh and um what this does is it makes it so that we will not have uh another pet store so that we you know exotic birds won't be trapped and transported to Somerville to be sold and um maybe not make it very long.

Um most statistically die, I think within the first year.

Um it won't allow it'll make it so that uh fish can't be taken from the coral reefs where they're more likely to die in transit than ever, uh, much more likely to die in transit than they are to to make it here.

Uh and it'll keep um you know breeder uh the puppy mills and the kitten mills from uh selling animals to to pet stores uh where they will, you know, they're treated inhumanely, um, usually for uh a very long time.

Uh so uh that's that's kind of the the goal and the reason um that we've we've got this ordinance.

Um and I uh I don't know if I guess I'll stop there for a minute.

I would like to sponsor uh someone um once counselor Hart has a chance.

Okay, very well, that's fine.

Counselor Hart.

Sure, thank you so much, Mr.

President.

Um, and thank you to my colleague um at large for bringing this forward and um and uh and also bringing me in on it.

Um it's it's just the um something that I feel like we can do locally to stop all of the problems that um counselor link just enumerated, and I'm happy to sign on.

So thank you.

Any further discussion for folks who haven't spoken on the item yet?

Councilor Ba.

Uh thank you, Mr.

President, and uh thank you, Councillor Link, for this.

I fully support it.

I guess when I was reading it, I wasn't sure like what I was trying to figure out what the previous ordinance is because you're trying to amend something, you know, like if you wanted to strike something, we remove something, but this is seems like a brand new ordinance.

I wasn't sure like you know, if we will have to produce the O1 alongside this in legislative matters so we can compare and contrast what is how we want to change, you know.

Does that make sense?

Sounds like a good discussion that we can have when this goes to legislative matters.

Sure.

Any other discussion?

All right, Councillor Link, back to you.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Risen through you.

I would uh like to sponsor um Bethany Dizolt from the MSPCA.

Council Link would like to sponsor Beth and Dizolt.

Any objections?

Say none.

All right.

Please step forward, please uh state your name for the record and uh go right ahead.

Hi everyone, good evening.

My name is Bethany Desolt, and I'm here on behalf of MSPCA Angel to urge your support for amending uh Chapter 3, Article 8 to prohibit the sale of animals in pet stores.

So at a first glance, an animal in a pet store window can seem really cute and maybe fluffy.

You want to take it home and maybe harmless.

But behind many of these animals is a very cruel breeding industry that prioritizes profit over animal welfare.

And commercial breeding facilities that you have actually brought up, they are commonly referred to as mills.

So puppy mills, kitten mills, but there are bird mills.

Almost every animal you can think of is coming from one of these mills.

And these animals are often kept in overcrowded inhumane conditions where they often have inadequate veterinary care, exercise, and socialization.

Um while responsible shelters and organizations work every day to find homes for animals in need, these pet stores continue to create demand for animals bred solely for sale and for profit.

Now consumers frequently purchase these animals without knowing their origin and where they're actually coming from.

And many families then later face significant veterinary expenses and heartbreak due to behavioral issues and hereditary illnesses.

Um 17 Massachusetts municipalities have enacted ordinances prohibiting the sale of certain animals in pet stores unless they partner with a shelter or a rescue.

Now these laws do not prevent anyone from owning a pet or going to a breeder to get an animal.

Um the proposed ordinance does not propose to regulate home breeders or individuals who are selling animals in a non-retail setting.

And then importantly, especially on tonight, this ordinance does not come to any cost of the city of Somerville, um, which has to be music to your ears, especially if you discuss when you discuss the budget.

Um communities across Massachusetts that have adopted similar measures have not incurred additional municipal expenses.

And then also, as Councillor Link has stated, Somerville is in a unique position to take this proactive step because there are currently no animal selling pet stores within the city of Somerville.

So on behalf of the MSPCA, thank you so much for having me tonight, and I urge you to support this ordinance and thank you for your time, consideration, and for protecting uh the animals in Somerville and consumers.

Thank you.

Councilor Clayton.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you, my colleagues, for bringing this forward.

I'd like to sign on.

Um looking for I'm not on legislative matters, so I won't uh but looking forward to those discussions.

I did have one question.

Um, and I'm sure this has been researched as far as well, first of all, like puppies, cats, I mean absolutely on board, um all animals.

I don't really think that we should be displaying, you know, even fish.

But I am curious about um target.

Uh do they have a pet section?

Like a we does this cover like even say like beta fish and the little plastic things or yeah, so yes, that would.

Um Target does not sell.

They don't have a pet store section anymore.

The one on summer will great.

Nope, so yeah, there is so we are at zero, absolutely.

Correct.

Okay.

Thank you.

Counselor Ba.

Any further discussion?

Councilor State would like to sign on.

Any further discussion?

Uh really quick.

Well, we have our uh Mr.

President, while we have our expert here uh and through you to uh to our speaker.

Thank you very much for being here for your advocacy as well.

Uh proud to sign on, and this is important, and we want to make sure that animals who cannot speak for themselves that we are we are defending and protecting them.

Um would this since we because yes, it was going through the inventory in our head in our stores, and yes, currently we do not have anyone.

So would this uh ordinance have passed prohibit any box stores that, for instance, do sell birds or um beta fish or fish or turtles or et cetera from from actually being able to open a store here?

Correct.

Yes, it would prohibit any new stores from coming in and selling these animals Councilor Klingon, back to you.

One last quick comment, Mr.

President.

Just for you for the public watching, you know, like it may seem really cool to take home an exotic pet, but we've seen so many times where it wreaks havoc where people release these into waterways, whether it be a frog or type of snake, uh, that it just can wreak havoc to the natural ecosystem of an area when somebody can't rehome one of these one of these creatures and critters.

So uh again, I just think it's you know, we have we can you know if you can't travel, we have virtual reality.

I mean, you can see these animals in one way or another, then housing keeping them trapped in your home.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

All right, seeing none, that item is referred to the committee on legislative matters.

Thank you.

Very much.

Thank you.

All right.

Uh if there's no objection, then we will take up item 4.4 next.

See no objection, Madam Clerk.

Item number 4.4 by Councillor Streso that the director of parks and recreation discuss the cost barriers and equity constraints that prevent low-income residents and local youth from assessing uh Somerville programs such as public skate time at Veterans Memorial Rink on early school dismissal days.

Councilor Stresville.

Thank you.

Um to speak on this item, I would like to to sponsor Annette McKee, uh Somerville resident.

And uh before I sponsor, I really quickly want to speak on this item.

So we have been talking uh about how to, as I mentioned this week, uh how to make sure that spaces and accessibility for kids and just anybody uh have the spaces of community spaces, and that there are no cost barriers, and some of the issues that we've seen is being reported to us is that um, for instance, currently at the skate um ice rink um after school gets out on Wednesday to actually rent skates if you didn't, if you were a kid that got out of school early and wanted to go skate with your friends you the cost barriers are potential.

If if you do not have your skates with your ice case, you wouldn't want to rent skates, you have to rent skates, but then you also have to um to get onto the ice rink, you have to pay to get onto the ice rink.

And per child, as I recall, it's fifteen dollars.

It might at least ten to fifteen dollars for that one um ice session.

Um if anybody really wanted to do this every week, of course, times for et cetera, that adds up quick.

Um from what I have heard, there have been kids that have been turned away because of cost barriers from the inability to be able to skate.

So very much am welcoming the conversation on this uh in committee, and I'm would like to send this to HCDE when when we're done having the discussion.

And are you speaking this morning?

And with that, I would like to sponsor my speaker.

Councillor Strauss would like to sponsor Annette McKee.

Seeing any is there any objection?

All right, seeing none, uh Ms.

Keith, please uh introduce yourself for the record.

Go right ahead.

Yeah, yeah, right.

Thank you.

Yeah, my name is Annette McKee.

I'm a resident of Somerville.

Um thank you for sponsoring me, Councilor Strezo.

I've spoken at um city council meetings in the past.

I've advocated for um girls' hockey.

I'm working with abroad grassroots coalition in Somerville that includes parents, Sumerville Youth Hockey Association, the rec department, public schools, and counselor Streso to increase opportunities and to lower barriers for girls to learn and play hockey, so that eventually Somerville will have enough girls to field its own girls' ice hockey team at Somerville High.

I've also advocated for the city to restore founders' rink as a seasonal ice rink, which it originally was built as.

I'm here today to talk about something a little different.

A couple of weeks ago, I was at a rink in Bedford, and I was chatting with a couple of the rink guys there who were cleaning the glass at one of the rinks, and I was complimenting them on how well they were taking care of the rink, and we began comparing the rink favorably to rinks in the surrounding areas in much worse shape, like SAGUS, Haverall.

And one of the mess said, something along the lines of, well, if you're looking for good ice, have you ever skated in Somerville?

I'm from Somerville and I've been on Summerville Ice countless times.

He was referring a veterans ice rink, the standard-size state-owned DCR main ice rink that's currently managed by FMC.

And I bring this up because I think we forget that we have a wonderful resource in our community.

In the landscape of ice rinks across the greater Boston area, veterans is well built, well maintained, and actually pretty centrally located.

Now state-owned rinks are required to offer the public regular ice skating recreation opportunities.

During the school year on weekdays, public skate is usually offered in the early afternoon while school age kids are still in class, except on half day Wednesdays.

I think that half day Wednesdays are a terrific time for Somerville public school kids to enjoy public skate with their friends, to practice skating, even to learn how to skate, to get exercise, get off their phones.

What we have to bear in mind is that FMC is a for-profit company.

It charges five dollars entry fee.

If rental skates are needed, it's an additional ten dollars.

That's $15 a kid.

If you have two kids, that's $30.

With three kids, $45.

And that's just to enjoy one session of public skate.

And I'm not saying that FMC is charging unfairly.

Their fees are more or less the same across all the other ranks that they manage.

What I am saying is that for many families, especially low-income families, that cost is significant.

And this is just for recreation for public skate at a public taxpayer funded rink.

I asked FMC recently what the participation numbers were like during the school year at public skate on half day Wednesdays, um, expecting there to be uh a spike in participation.

And I was told there were more people, but on average, by five skaters.

Five skaters.

It could be that Somerville public schools just aren't aware of that public skate opportunity, in which case we can do a better job at getting the word out.

It could also be a function of cost.

High costs contribute to underloop utilized resources.

So I know this topic is not like a weighty matter like affordable housing or public safety, but it is a small and important way to give folks access to a strong resource.

It's about giving commute uh the community opportunities for a full range of recreation.

And I think it's a small but important way to help our community and to help our kids thrive.

Thank you.

Counselor Clinton.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Through you to the speaker, um, do we currently do they currently have any program?

Like you know, you go to other cities, whether it be a pool or whatever for residents um of the city where it's housed, they usually have some sort of program or membership.

Does FMC currently have any not that I'm aware of, specifically for summer kids?

Yeah.

Okay.

Um yeah, I mean that just seems really unfair.

Uh like I said, anywhere you go, um there's like aquatic facilities, and there's always a discount for for the the residents of that particular city.

I know when it was MD, when I was a kid, I used to take the bus all the way from Clarendon Hill down to the rink and it was 50 cents, and it was like Friday nights and it was packed, and you know, it was tons of kids skating.

Um I just uh the idea of a private entity running a state uh facility and not at least giving some sort of break to the host communities, um, kids, especially in the economic justice community, just seems completely wrong to me.

And I I I would like hopefully the city would try to broker some sort of deal uh moving forward.

Um, you know, whether it's a membership for the winter season or something along those lines, there's got to be some way to at least kind of address that high cost of like you said, three kids 45 dollars.

I mean, that just seems outrageous uh to me.

Thank you.

Uh thank you, Mr.

President, and thank you, Councillor Streso, for bringing this forward.

I would like to sign on.

Thank you, Annette, for your continuous advocacy for equitable use of resources.

Appreciate that.

Sorry, would you take the chair for a moment?

Councillor Davies.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, thank you, Annette.

Um, where'd you go?

Um I I will ask that you uh never raise the specter of that rank in Sagus in my presence again because I need a tetanus shot every time I even think about it.

But that's also another issue.

Um and thank you for pointing out what a lovely facility we do have.

I'll note former home of the uh long departed uh professional women's team in Boston Plays at one time.

I think they might have won the championship that year while they played here in Somerville.

Um another thing I remember about that rank is that when it that city of Somerville used to run it.

And among the many things um about of which uh uh I'm disappointed about um that it related to the transition of of that um that contract from the city to FMC is that I used to take my kids there all the time, and I've said this in this in these uh at this horseshoe before, in in defending the investment that the city was making into that recreational facility that we had for the community.

Um it was amazing going to public skates in the afternoon.

It was full of kids.

And back then, I don't know ex what the actual official policy was, but I can tell you I never paid a dollar to go to public skating, and I don't and I know kids were able to rent skates without paying anything.

I don't know if that was actually the city's policy or just a link and a nod, but either way it was absolutely the right way to do it.

And it's the way it should be done.

And it's really disappointing that when that as that as that contract was transferred, especially at the at a time when we the city had some leverage because founders rink was part of those conversations, that we just failed to to make that one demand that we keep this facility available to kids without having them having to pay $15 a piece just to go skate around for a bit.

Um so I I completely agree with this.

Sign on.

It's no news.

I've talked about this a lot, so I'll I I'll I'll shut up.

But um as as we look to and I'm looking uh around you uh Annette towards the mayor, um, as we look to bring founders back online, and I know it's not the best year to be thinking about new investments because we just don't have a lot of money if if uh we don't have any extra money right now, but um I would love to see the city running both of those rinks again.

I think that's the way it should be.

I think that's we should have the Somerville High School logo back on the center ice and not the FMC logo, and our kids should be able to go there and use it as the fantastic recreational facility that it is.

Um so thank you for your advocacy, keep it up.

Um, and let me know how I can help.

Mr.

Thanks.

If anyone colleagues want to talk uh first, happy to entertain that.

Any other discussion by do you, Council Chessel?

Last thoughts on this uh before we head this off to committee or send this off to committee.

Uh uh typically the the average school Wednesday from what we have heard, 10 to 30 kids in middle school are turned away on Wednesday afternoon.

Um so again, then that's the skate rentals and the on-ice.

Councilor LinkedIn, do you want to speak to this or just sign on?

Okay, Council Link would like to sign on.

Um Council Hart was the whole council would like to sign on.

Um Mr.

Mayor, I see I see you raising your hand back there.

Um if there's no objection, I'll recognize the mayor to speak on this item.

Mr.

Mayor.

Thanks, Mr.

President.

Uh really appreciate the advocacy on this.

Uh my older daughter uh loved going there on Wednesdays after those uh early release days.

And and uh I did hear stories where there were friends who uh couldn't shell out the you know cost of admission plus the skate rental.

So this is something I actually uh last year spoke to state rep Erica Eiderhoven about, you know, could we get some can we get something figured out here given that it is a state uh facility?

Uh got some good news.

We're we're pursuing an RFP uh for the Ice Sheet at Founders, and we are in a unique position to uh put into that RFP uh things that could result in a very good outcome here on this, but I appreciate the advocacy around this.

Uh we are on the same page.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

All right, uh Council Schoze, you mentioned that and I I I wish I had written it down at the time because I think you got the name your committee wrong.

Because I wrote it down ahead of time.

Housing equity and community development.

So had that right.

Check the tapes.

Mr.

President, we're almost to July.

Sorry.

We're almost to July.

You're still stumbling over.

I I wrote it down.

I got I'm getting it right.

Anyways, Council Strauss, we would like to move to move this one.

So this will be approved with a copy sent to housing equity community development.

Thank you, Council Trezel.

All right.

Um so that is gonna take us to our list of the next out of order items.

So we will take up um the all of the financial if there's no objection, we'll take up all of the the finance committee um reports.

Um I'll note that as the chair of finance is uh dealing with a little bit of a of a sore throat.

Um the vice chair is gonna read the the minutes and thank you, Councillor Scott, for uh for doing the count.

Thank you, Chair, for preparing those so well so that the vice president can uh vice chair can step in.

Um so that'll be items 6A through 6F.

We do those one at a time.

Um I'll note that one of these as uh the vice chair noted to me here at the beginning of the meeting, one of these actually doesn't the entirety of the meeting didn't have anything to do with the budget per se, but in this for the sake of just keeping all the conversations together, we're gonna do them in order and um and we'll go from there.

So all right.

So seeing no objection, um Madam Clerk, next item item 6A.

Thank you.

Item 68.1 committee report uh report of the committee on finance meeting on June 9, 2026.

6.

6C1 report of the committee on finance meeting on June 15, 2026.

6D1 reporting um on the committee of finance meeting on June 16, 2023.

Item six sorry, six F one.

E is next.

There we go.

Uh committee report, report of the committee on finance meeting as a committee of the whole on June 23, 2026.

Did you say E or did I miss that?

Oh no, did I miss 6E report of the committee on finance meeting on June 17, 2026?

All right.

So Councillor Scott, remind me it's the it's the last six F is the one where we have a an item that wishes that will need to be severed then, correct?

Uh that's that's right, Ms.

President.

So let's sever that first if you'd like.

Um so let's do that.

Go ahead.

You actually go ahead.

Uh that's item six dot f dot two.

Uh that's two six-0950.

Um move to sever that item.

Council Scott moves to sever item two six-0950, which is six F2 in your agenda.

That and just folks understand, even though Councillor Scott explained this all to us uh earlier this week.

Um that this was the initial submission to the budget, which um we have uh uh a supplemental item that we will hear up.

We will take up immediately after this, which is a updated version with a memo explaining the changes and such.

So we'll get to that after all the uh on the meeting.

So um so that item uh seeing no objection, that item is severed.

Before us right now, so we can dispose of that by uh placing the item on file.

Any objection to placing that item on file?

No, all right.

Seeing none.

Uh all right.

Back to the uh back to the reports then that are now before us.

Now back to the uh to the reports.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Uh finance committee met uh for a combined 19 hours over the last three weeks uh in a series of six meetings.

Uh let's see, about sixteen and a half of those hours were uh on the budget review.

There was a public hearing, uh there were three nights of departmental reviews.

Uh there was one cut night, and there was one sneaky little meeting in the middle where we did the regular order of business for finance.

Uh I'm gonna congratulate the chair, uh uh freshman chair of finance for navigating and arranging the process.

Uh there was thorough discussion on all the items uh uh in all the departments uh come cut night.

There was no cuts proposed.

Um the only item uh that was acted upon has already been discharged.

So uh we will have a series of items from there that are going to be that are discharged without recommendation as part of the report that will be before us after these uh reports are accepted.

Uh and the uh only meeting in there that was not uh uh budget direct budget related was the meeting of the 16th, uh which was a solid two and a half hours.

There was conversation about uh chapter 329, there was conversation about uh some union bargaining agreement settlements uh and a great deal of uh the I don't know rather mundane work of just keeping the city moving and accepting grants and uh issuing grants for various public purposes.

So uh with that there are a whole lot of roll call votes we are going to need, Mr.

President.

Uh my thanks to the clerks, uh to the city staff who uh came and uh were with us every step of the way along those uh 23 hours, and uh and of course to the committee members who prepared uh so diligently and served the city so well.

So uh with that I would request that the uh very abbreviated report of these uh be accepted as submitted with a uh guide to anybody who would like to read the detailed minutes that were prepared by our excellent clerk uh or to uh read the very fine book reports that the chair of finance wrote about each one of these meetings as well.

Any discussion on any of the re the reports on any of those meetings individually?

No, okay.

So the reports are accepted and submitted.

That will bring us to some roll call votes that begin in 6D at uh let's see, is it 6D.28, I believe.

All right, go ahead, madam clerk.

Okay.

Uh this is a vote on item six dot D.27 requesting approval to pay prior year 27.

Oh, sorry, 28.

Uh this is a vote on 6.

D point 28 requesting the appropriation of 140,000 44,235 from the OPUIT recovery and remediation stabilization fund to support various projects related to OAPUN initiatives.

All right.

See no discussion.

Recall the roll, please.

Counselor Ewan Campen.

Yes.

Counselor Link.

Yes.

Counselor Scott?

Yes.

Counselor Klingon?

Yes.

Counselor Streso?

Yes.

Counselor Said?

Yes.

Counselor Wheeler?

Yes.

Counselor Hart?

Yes.

Councillor McLaughlin.

Counselor Umba?

Yes.

Counselor Davis?

Yes.

Okay.

We have 10.

That motion passes.

All right.

Thank you.

Uh the next item that requires a roll call is 6D 31.

Would you read that item, please?

Yes.

6D 31 requesting approval to repurpose and appropriate 45,000 from the COVID-19 stabilization fund to continue the playworks program at the Winter Hill Community School for the 2026-2027 school year.

All right.

Seeing no discussion on that item, would you please call the roll?

Yes.

Counselor Ewan Campen.

Yes.

Counselor Link?

Yes.

Counselor Scott?

Yes.

Counselor Klingon?

Yes.

Counselor Scott Strazzo?

Yes.

Counselor Said?

Yes.

Counselor Wheeler?

Yes.

Counselor Hart?

Yes.

Counselor McLaughlin.

Counselor Umba?

Yes.

Counselor Davis.

Yes.

10 that passes.

All right.

Thank you.

Next item for a role.

That might be a decided.

No, we must have some.

Yes.

I think it looks like the next one is in 6F.

Does that look right to you?

I believe 32.

Do we do 32 already?

Yep.

It's actually 32.

6032.

Do we miss one?

Yes.

Do we not just do that one?

All right.

I jumped ahead of myself.

You did.

It's okay.

Go right ahead.

My apologies.

1632.

6032.

Requesting the appropriation of 196,086 from the salary and wage stabilization fund to various departmental other lump sum payment accounts to fund a collective bargaining agreement with Somerville Municipal Employees Union Unit D.

See no discussion on that item and call the roll.

Counselor Ewan Campen?

Yes.

Counselor Link?

Yes.

Counselor Scott?

Yes.

Counselor Klingon?

Yes.

Councilor Strazzo?

Yes.

Counselor Said?

Yes.

Counselor Wheeler?

Yes.

Counselor Hart?

Yes.

Counselor McLaughlin?

Counselor Umba?

Yes.

Counselor Davis?

Yes.

With 10, that passes.

All right.

Thank you.

Now let's go to 6F 16.

All right.

The vote is on item 6F16, requesting approval to appropriate and transfer 1 million from the community benefit stabilization fund to the housing assistance stabilization fund for housing assistance.

All right, see no discussion on the item.

Would you please call a roll?

Counselor Ewan Campan?

Yes.

Counselor Link?

Yes.

Counselor Scott?

Yes.

Counselor Klingon?

Yes.

Counselor Schozzo?

Yes.

Counselor Said?

Yes.

Counselor Wheeler?

Yes.

Counselor Hart?

Yes.

Counselor McLaughlin?

Counselor Umba?

Mrs.

Chair, I was wondering if we can make it to a million.

Yes.

Counselor Davis?

Yes.

With 10 members voting in the positive, it passes.

All right.

Thank you.

And it looks like that was the last.

Does that look right to you?

That is correct.

Okay.

All right.

Excellent.

So that's gonna let me where's my list here?

Let's go back to so we approved the reports.

We've we took the roll calls on the item, so that takes us through 6F.

Um the next item we will take out of order unless there's any objection is 10.2.

See no objection, Madam Clerk.

Would you please read that item?

Yes.

Item 10.2 uh requesting the appropriation of 376 million seven hundred and seventy-eight thousand four hundred and ninety-three to fund the fiscal year twenty twenty-seven general fund operating budget.

Mr.

Mayor, Director Masterbone, do you want to speak to this item?

Thank you, Ms.

President.

Um Mike Masterbone, budget director.

Um you have attached to this item uh very brief amended budget memo.

Um in this case, brief is good.

Um there's two adjustments to the final um amended budget.

Uh the first is moving the uh summer jobs program to the correct or uh organization from human services from HHS Human Services to HHS community wellness.

Um I put that in the wrong the wrong org.

Uh and then the second one is um creating two new objects for the uh core division within public safety, one for paying holidays, one for paying overtime.

Those were not in the original submission.

Um that's uh that's a move of three thousand nine hundred dollars from salary contingency to core.

Um net adjustments are zero across the board, just moving money from one organization to another.

Um there are no other changes to the budget um in the amended version.

Oh no, you don't have that.

You didn't you can ignore that.

We'll take a brief okay.

Look at it.

I am this is this is the president.

Yes, thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh this is the budget.

This is the annual operating budget for the next year.

I said my piece uh on Tuesday uh in committee.

I encourage folks to uh reference back to that.

I know my colleagues, of course, remember, but if any members of the public are curious, um I ultimately I believe that we did an excellent job uh exercising our duty of oversight of how the city is uh spending its money allocating its resources.

Uh the question for me as a counselor is whether or not uh this budget uh does the job, meets the moment.

And unfortunately, in my opinion, uh it does not.

I cannot countenance the amount of cuts that have come to general government employees.

Uh I cannot countenance the uh denial of the extra special education supports and interventionists.

The school committee is requested, uh, and I certainly uh can't can't countenance that uh against the backdrop of um yet more historic raises for the police department.

So uh with that uh in mind, uh Mr.

President, that's why I am voting no, because I do not believe uh that this budget meets the moment.

But with that said, uh I believe it is time for a roll call vote, sir.

Not so fast.

Well, unless somebody else wants to speak on it.

Sure it is.

But we're uh there's no one in the driver's seat right now.

No one's in the driver's seat right now.

Oh, there he is.

I also always just speak after Councillor Scott and he.

I'll set Councillor Strazo.

Thank you.

Uh yes.

As the school um budget is enveloped in this item is the total appropriation before we head into it, because yes, I had concerns about uh the school committee opinion of what the budget should be and what was presented as the school's budget for this year.

And I really quickly no, I'm not gonna say that anymore.

I'm gonna read a part of what one of our constituents submitted to us as the council has comments on the choice to not include the school committee's recommendations of what they wanted for the budget.

Councillor Schwazer, I'm gonna stop you there for a moment.

Um if there's gonna be discussion of the decisions that the school committee um voted separately, which a vote that I did not participate in, uh, then I'm gonna ask that uh we have that now.

If anyone else wants to talk about this after Council Strasser talk about this now, because I'm gonna recuse myself because those specific positions get close enough to a potential conflict of interest that I feel it's best from an ethics standpoint to recuse myself.

So uh Vice President I would you please respect it and we're gonna do that.

So I've had lots of conversations with the law department about this just for full transparency.

The vote on the budget itself is massive.

It's the entire budget of the city.

And the the potential hypothetical conflict of interest that I have is is very small.

And but when we're talking about these specific things, it gets a little closer to me.

So for my comfort in terms of from an ethics standpoint, I will recuse myself from this discussion, but I've been advised that there's uh no conflict that would keep me from participating in the discussion on the budget itself and and presiding and or voting on it.

So let's talk about this now.

If you want to, I'm out of here.

Call it.

Save a few cookies for me, please, Mr.

President.

I like chocolate.

Mr.

President, hopefully you don't miss the vote of the budget, so you have to come back here, Councillor Straso.

Thank you.

So uh wanted to read just a portion of one of our constituents that we all received, one of the letters and comments about uh the budget that was presented to us because this letter really tugged at my heart.

It was written by uh Sam Steiner, Somerville parent, resident, and disability advocate.

Um I'm not gonna read the whole letter because it is many pages and should be.

Uh so Ms.

Steiner said earlier this year, Somerville Public Schools brought the empowered school solutions to conduct a special education and intervention service delivery review for grades K th rate.

The report was prepared in March 2026 based on site visits conducted in December.

States that empowered was asked to gather data, observe, assess, and provide recommendations regarding special education and intervention service delivery.

The reviewed examined data, achieved outcomes, placement patterns, classroom observations, district documents, and input from educators, administrators, and families.

It included 98 classroom snapshot observations across seven community schools.

The report was presented to the school committee on May 18th, 2026.

Two days later, the finance and facilities subcommittee of the whole voted to recommend recommend added $64500,000 to the district proposed budget for six positions.

But with that, that was not what was presented with the budget to this to uh unschools this year.

But Ms.

Steiner argues that students with disabilities, students who need reading and math and and math intervention, multi-multilingual learners, and students who are already struggling are among Somerville's most vulnerable residents.

They cannot vote.

Many cannot testify, organize campaigns or explain in adult language what it means to be physically president school, but not meaningfully accessing instruction.

If all means all, then those students cannot be the ones left behind when the budget gets hard.

The school committee's role is precisely to exercise independent judgment about what the schools need.

And when the school committee added that $64,500,000, it was it was not ignoring district needs, it was responding to them.

The district serves approximately 4,009 students.

The report states that 19.7% of students receive special education services, 23.5 are English learners, 43.7% are low income, and 58% are high needs.

In approximate terms, that means about 965 students receiving special education services, 1,150 English learners, 2,140 low-income students, and 2,840 high needs students.

As of March 11, 2026, the district reported 917 K through eight students receiving special education services within discriminate programs.

The report states that despite strong inclusion rates, students with disabilities experience persistent and substantial academic gaps.

That is why fully funded is so misleading in this budget.

Somerville can have high inclusion numbers and still fail to provide meaningful access.

Meaningful inclusion requires staffing, co-teasing capacity intervention, specialized instruction, planning time, and supports that allow students to actually access instruction.

The stool school committees added $64500,000 was an attempt to move Somerville closer to supported inclusion.

And that report goes on to express concerns from educators that some students may be slipping through the cracks when parents are not vocal.

Special education staff similarly reported that compliance with service delivery minutes may take precedence over other considerations.

The report describes students with varied skill levels being grouped based on scheduling needs, or where multiple service providers worked with a single student to fulfill service minutes, which sometimes affected instructional consistency.

Parents reported that services may be delayed.

Students may have to show up significant difficulty before additional supports are initiated.

Outside evaluations are not always fully considered, and service or placement decisions may be predetermined.

Those are not minor concerns.

They are warnings from educators and families inside the system.

The report also makes clear that this is not only a special education issue, it is also an MTSS or multi-tiered system of supports.

The general education system for identifying students who need academic behavioral or social emotional support and providing escalating levels of intervention before students fall further behind.

The report describes the district's DCAP or district curriculum accommodation plan as positioning MTSS as the primary vehicle for strengthening general education, preventing unnecessary special education referrals, and ensuring timely data-driven interventions.

That is why the school committees added reading and math intervention interventionists matter district wide.

They support students without IEPs, students at risk, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities.

This is not just special education.

It is the system that helps students before needs become crisis.

But the report also found that Somerville MTSS framework is well developed in documentation, but implemented unevenly in practice with interventions not consistently matched to student need.

A point the district's own May 18th presentation echoed.

The report also stated that current reading and math interventions are not consistently used across schools and grades, and implementation is based upon those who have been trained in the systems.

The report also stated that administrators expressed concern that in certain cases students who qualify for special education services may receive reading support that is less intensive and delivered by staff with less specialized training than the interventionists they previously received during the pre-referral phase for a reading specialist.

The report's recommendations are concrete.

And these are not cosmetic recommendations, they are about implementation capacity.

The report's summary states that Somerville's greatest opportunity lies in strengthening instructional practices, MTSS framework, and opportunities for students with low incidence disabilities, so that structures translate into cohesive systems, resulting in stronger outcomes for students with disabilities.

In other words, Somerville already has structures, but those structures are not yet translating into a coherent system that reliably produces stronger outcomes.

The budget material shows the difference clearly.

Section 504 also requires districts to provide a free appropriate public education to qualified students with disabilities.

When students are present in classrooms but not meeting meaningfully accessing instruction, that is not a fully funded system.

It is a system failing to meet a moral and legal obligation and raising serious civil rights concerns for our children.

I'll stop there.

But with that, I cannot support funding this budget if we're still going forward with that gap.

I will not be voting yes on the budget.

Thank you, Councillor Strozo.

Any other person has any comment about a school budget?

Yeah.

Do you have any questions for the administration, Councillor Streso?

Okay.

Can we call Councillor Davis now to come back?

Oh, Councilor Hart, sorry.

Through you, um, I just wanted to thank my colleague uh for raising up that report and this information that you know I um it it does seem very clear that we are falling short and that these are basic needs and and core services that that are not being met.

Um so I do feel that um you know definitely the I understand the constraints for this year, but I will certainly be looking next year to um make sure that we have um fully met this these needs.

Thank you thank you, Councillor Hunt.

Councillor Scott?

Uh thank you.

Since since we're talking about it, I just wanted to be very clear that procedurally, the only thing the city council can do to provide support for the school committee's request is to reject this budget.

Uh both by the law department's interpretation of the vote that this council took unanimously to accept the chapter 329 of the special acts of 1987 last year, uh being functionally vetoed by the mayor's refusal to sign it, uh and by their reading of the charter language in 6-4, which would seem to indicate uh that the mayor has to um bring the budget forward that the school committee has approved by a vote.

Um they see it differently.

And so uh as such, the only place uh where the city council is able to act to uh send this back and say it's not good enough.

Uh please uh meet these meet this moment and meet this need is with a no vote to reject the budget.

So that is the that is the sum total of uh what we have available to us as options.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you, Councillor Scott.

Any other comment on this closed seeing none?

Councillor Davis, you're welcome back on stage.

Back to the stage, is it time for my solo?

Uh further discussion on the item before us.

All right, seeing none, do I have a motion?

Motion to approve.

Councilor UN Campan moves to approve.

Do a roll call on that.

Counselor Ewan Campen.

Yes.

Counselor Link, yes, Councillor Scott.

No.

All right.

Counselor Klingon?

Yes.

Counselor Schozo?

No.

Counselor Said?

Yes.

Counselor Wheeler?

Yes.

Counselor Hart?

Yes.

Councilor McLaughlin?

Yes.

Councilor Umba?

Yes.

And Counselor Davis?

Yes.

With nine, that uh motion passes.

All right, thank you very much.

Um, we're gonna go back to uh there there are items that are before us, and this was an oversight on my part.

Um when I was looking at the finance committee meetings, there are so many of them that I I misread what was happening to us a few items.

So there are a few items first.

Well, actually, let's first I was and um we took another look at item at at uh 6D, and I think we should we need to do a roll call vote on 6026.

Um so that item would be um would just require the roll call vote having the the um the report having been approved.

So if madam clerk, could you read that item so that the members uh remember what it is, and then we can take a roll call vote on that, and then we'll go to some other items 6F which are actually before us because they were discharged with that recommendation when we approved the committee report.

Yes.

So 6026 first.

Yes, 6026 requesting approval to execute the fifth amendment to the lease agreement with Dana Family Family Services LLC for the Grove Street parking lot through June 30, 2027.

Any discussion on that item?

All right, roll call on that item, please.

Counselor Wynn Campen?

Yes, Councilor Link?

Yes, Councillor Scott?

Yes.

Counselor Klingon?

Yes, Councilor Scho?

Yes, Councilor Saeed?

Yes.

Counselor Wheeler?

Yes.

Counselor Hart?

Yes.

Council McLaughlin?

Yes.

Counselor Umba?

Yes.

Counselor Davis.

Yes.

11 and then positive it passes.

All right.

Very good.

All right.

So now there are a number of items in 6F that were recommended by the committee to be uh discharged with that with no recommendation.

So when we accepted that committee report, they were then discarded discharged, so they are now before us.

My oversight that I didn't remember that then we have to take one more step, uh, which is to then approve those, if that is the wish wish of the council.

So there are a whole number of them as a reminder, those were um those were recommended to be discharged without a recommendation.

Um in case there were some adjustments that were found this week that needed to be made overall, and they wanted to be able to you know tweak those numbers a bit if need be.

Um they're all I'm told they're all good.

So uh as they're presented here, those are the final numbers.

So we the council will need to approve those.

We can go through one by one if that is uh if that is anybody's wish, or we can um I think we should let let's at least identify which ones they were for the record.

Uh where's my pen?

Here we go.

Um yes, so the items that are um recommended to be discharged is item six D 306F3, 6F4, 6F5, 6F6, 6F7, 6F8, 6F9, 6F10, 6F11, 6F12, 6F13, 6F14, 6F15, and 6F 17.

All right.

Any questions?

Counselor Scott.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Might be helpful just to give a brief summary of what this is.

This is uh the appropriation to fund the water and sewer department, uh the various enterprise funds budgets that operate the say Kennedy pool in the fields.

Um it is also sliding money that uh is left over from uh unspent in the water and sewer department this year into a stabilization fund that it can be used in future years, and then a number of appropriations from free cash to various stabilization funds because again, this is money left over unspent from the end of the year that is being uh socked away into uh various uh storage accounts uh in the amount of roughly 10 million dollars of free cash appropriations.

Uh there are also a few uh free cash subsidies to uh um well there's subsidies being done uh for the Dilboy Enterprise uh and the Kennedy School Pool Enterprise because they are not uh self-supporting, self-sustaining uh entirely.

So this is the supplement that we provide uh to keep them running and serving the public.

Uh so this is uh all housekeeping items, sir.

And if we could take them up with a single roll call vote, I would be extremely grateful.

Thank you, Councillor Scott, Councilor Campan.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I definitely want to take this as a single vote, but I just want to draw everyone's attention to 6F16.

This is a million dollars from the community benefit stabilization fund to housing assistance stabilization.

Um I want to thank Mayor Wilson, Director Shachter, everyone who is involved in advocating for this.

This is money directly from the biggest developers in Somerville that was demanded by this city that is now going to help people who need help paying their rent.

Um this is exactly what we've been fighting for for a really long time.

Um this is like not just a slogan, this is really doing it.

So I just want to uh to lift up that.

Very excited to vote for this.

Here here, and uh we're so excited about it.

We already took a roll call vote on that one, so that's not on our list.

Uh okay, Mr.

President.

The the roll call would was to approve that one.

Uh yes, Councilor Wheeler.

Just um 6030.

I think we don't want to take that one up.

I think we want to replace that on file.

6D 30.

Thank you.

30.

Uh yeah.

6D30 is uh an appropriation for the fire station.

I believe there is a uh supplemental item tonight which replaces that one right through the president to council wheel and it's 7.4 is the replacement item.

That's how I read it too.

Just making sure we're all on the same page.

All right, so we have so the list that was read in remains accurate.

Um there further are there further any further questions or discussion.

Counselor Scott?

So 630 should be placed on file, uh Mr.

President.

That will be before us.

That remains before us.

We we're right now we have uh motion to approve the items that were read in that were that are also before us.

That was not part of the one.

That item was read in.

That was read in, Mr.

President.

It was read in.

I thought it was okay.

So I'm just gonna do that.

Or it was named in the list at least.

From the read-in.

Oh, I thought I put my mark on the wrong one.

See, this is what happens when we have too many pieces of paper for us.

All right, so for six, yes, thank you for catching that.

So 6030, that was that one is is um superseded by will be superseded conceptually by item 7.4.

So um we will place 6030 on file the remainder of the list from uh that was read earlier earlier from 6F that are now before us that were recommended without approval.

The motion on the floor is to approve all of those items and seeing no further discussion.

Uh we don't need a roll call.

So those items are all approved.

All right.

Thank you for the housekeeping patience on all of that.

Now to figure out where we are.

Let's go back to the top.

So we did 10.2.

And that's gonna bring us to those items in and uh in section seven.

So um two through seven dot four and then seven dot six through seven dot fifteen.

We're gonna hold seven dot five because it's unrelated and relate and um is is is actually related to the executive session, which we will do after um a couple more items.

So, madam clerk, could you read uh do we want uh let's see, do we need a roll call on these ones?

No, we don't need um do you want to take these?

Do you want to take these up together or do you want to read them out?

So let's uh because there's money attached, let's read the items.

Um so we'll take up 7.2 through 7.4 and 7.6.

That's a lot to read.

Do we want to waive the readings of these?

Anyone anyone want to hear all of the items read out?

Mr.

Chair, I moved away the readings.

I'm happy to provide a summary.

All right, very good.

So 7.2 through 7.4 and 7.6 through 7.15.

Councillor Scott, you'd like to provide a summary?

Uh yes, sir.

This is uh uh the movement of uh various stabilization fund monies uh and free cash uh to meet certain purposes.

Uh one is the settlement for the purchase of the fire station over an assembly square.

Uh but there are other uses such as uh using money for the medical marijuana stabilization fund to fund a jail diversion clinician position.

Uh so this is using a stabilization fund to fund uh an ongoing employment position, uh and then a great deal of uh movement of leftover money from professional and technical services accounts from uh various engineering and infrastructure budgets uh into the facility renovation stabilization fund.

So again, unspent money left over at the end of the year to be put in.

Um questions on those items?

Any discussion?

All right, seeing none, those items are I wouldn't need to roll call on any of those, I don't think, right?

We do not all right, those items are approved.

Um the next item to take out of order is a supplemental item hold, please.

Mr.

President, we need to take a whole call.

I can do those one all bundled up together, Mr.

President.

Uh we well, we will do a roll call, but we'll do it bundled up.

That sounds like a great idea.

Why didn't I think of that?

All right, so this is a roll call on items 7.2 through 7.4 and 7.6 through 7.15, right?

Yes.

All right, excellent.

Let's do it that way.

I like your way better.

All righty.

But did I get it wrong, Councilor Scott?

As well as the six F items.

As well as the six F items that we have read in previously.

That we read in previously approved, and now the view is that we do need a roll call on those.

I don't think we do.

Oh, okay.

Throw them in there.

All of all of the six F items that we approved previously.

We will now throw in the roll call just so there's no question.

Okay.

So just we uh um that's a big list again.

Is everyone comfortable on the list?

It did not include D 30.

It was the it was the uh it was the items in 6F.

Any questions as to what we're having a roll call on?

Everybody clear?

Clear as mud?

Perfect.

Madam Clerk.

Alrighty.

Counselor Wynn Campen.

Yes.

Counselor Link?

Yes.

Counselor Scott?

Yes.

Counselor Klingon?

Yes.

Counselor Shrezo?

Yes.

Counselor Said?

Yes.

Counselor Wheeler?

Yes.

Counselor Hart?

Yes.

Counselor McLaughlin?

Yes.

Counselor Mba?

Yes.

And Counselor Davis.

Yes.

11.

It passes.

All right.

Lest there be no question.

And we have three more items that uh the administration requested to take out of order.

Those are items 10.3, 10.4, and 10.5.

Um director Najim Williams.

Um are you can you speak to the um uh the time sensitivity of these items?

Or is there somebody else that could speak to those to that?

Just so we director um given that these are supplemental items.

I always want to make sure that we put on the record why we're taking them up this evening since they weren't on the agenda previously uh published.

We had this conversation earlier.

Uh through you, Mr.

Chair, Amanda Nash Williams, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs.

We do have staff present to speak to items 10.3, 10.4, and just want to make sure.

Yeah, 103 and 10.4.

Um so for 10.3, I would request that uh director uh veteran services join us.

And for 10.4, I believe we have Director Carroll from HHS.

All right, let's take those one at a time.

Then Madam Clerk, would you please read in 103?

Item 10.3 requesting the approval of a transfer of 76.96 cents from the Department of Veterans Services Professional and Technical Services account to the overtime account to cover in it an expected year-in deficit.

All right, thank you.

Would you please introduce that for the record and then just start off with the reason that this was uh not able to be submitted for the regular agenda and why that is time sensitive?

And then anything else you care to share?

Go ahead.

A new league HS Finance Manager.

Um chair uh requesting the approval of a transfer of $76.96 uh from the Department of Veterans Services Professional Technical Services account to the overtime account in the Department of Veteran Services to cover an expected year and deficit.

Um this stemmed from um our colleague um principal clerk uh who worked on May 25th during the Memorial Day parade, and uh he worked six hours and we did not had enough budget in our overtime account historically as always, so this um deficit is to cover that, and we would like to ask for image aid approval to meet the 630 deadline for fiscal year 2026.

And this just arose the this week uh following.

I see Director Masterbone nodding his head that this this arose did the issue didn't come up in time for us to get the math all right and make sure what we what we needed.

This is how it was explained to me earlier this week, so I'm not making this up.

Um that that we weren't able to get it wasn't able to be submitted for the Monday uh deadline to get it on the uh initial agenda.

That all correct if I that I'm just going by memory here.

So I see lots of nodding heads in the room from um lots of people in the administration.

So we'll assume I got that right.

Um so therefore it it uh fairly appropriate for the rest to take up this evening.

Um any questions?

Do we need a roll call vote on that one?

Do not then that item is approved.

Thank you.

Uh would you please read item 10.4?

Yes.

10.4 requesting approval to accept and expend a 14,974 and 64 cent grant with no match required from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to the Health and Human Services Department for local public health funding for FIFA 2026 World Cup Community Events.

Dr.

Carroll.

Thank you.

Through the chair, Karen Carroll, Director of Health and Human Services.

This was a very late grant that was made available to us and our emergency management department.

We quickly put in an application for uh public health supplies to be used at World Cup events for both the chamber and the city.

So it's things like bug bug spray wipes, um, sunscreen, water, and hand and um hand hygiene um sanitizer.

Sounds good.

I see counselor bond giving it a thumbs up.

And and this is um I might in my conversation earlier this week, as with many things that seem to be uh associated with the Earth Chalice, as uh Director Oliveira likes to call it, um, lest we get sued by FIFA.

Um the all of this information and the and the the licensing and the question that this everything's been very much in flux, right?

And so uh the the chamber was hoping to get certain sponsorships in, but there's crazy sponsorship rules and etcetera, etcetera.

So they're doing a lot of the organizing.

We're stepping up to help make sure that people don't get malaria or whatever else the bugs are carrying these days.

West Nile virus, I guess around here, triple E or a sunburn.

Any questions?

All right, very good.

Thank you, Director Carroll.

Um so seeing no objection, then that item is approved.

And so um 10.5 will take up in the regular order of business, then is that correct?

Okay.

Um very well then.

So therefore, that brings us back to that brings us attend up.

So that brings us back to uh 7.31, a communication from the mayor.

Madam Clerk, would you read that in the okay?

Uh 7.3.1 conveying a request regarding body worn cameras.

All right, Mayor Wilson, you care to speak to this item that you submitted?

This communication that you communicated that you provided to the council.

Thanks, Mr.

President.

Uh through you uh calendar gets weird over the summer.

We all know that.

Uh after months and months of work on uh body worn cameras uh by everyone around this horseshoe.

Uh nobody wants to see that go to waste.

So uh we're here offering to help support uh the city council bring this to a vote.

Uh if calling a special meeting can help, we're here for that.

Uh we're looking forward to working with you all on uh something we all know an overwhelming number of our constituents want to happen.

Thanks.

Any discussion on that item.

All right.

Council Scott.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh so this is a communication requesting the discharge of various items from committee, including items that uh we will be discussing on Tuesday night in the legislative matters committee.

Um I'm comfortable allowing the process to continue to uh play out as the city council customarily functions, sir.

Thank you.

See no f Councilor Wheeler.

Trying to use a few words.

Uh uh this communication mentions scheduling the public hearing soon.

When can that happen?

So Council Wheeler, the the uh citizen request for a hearing is in the committee on legislative matters.

Um that scheduling will be up to the chair.

Um as the mayor noted, we are at the end of the the fiscal year and approaching the council's typical recess.

Um this is a timing that was was we've all been very aware of and conscious in all of the discussions around this body one camera issue that we're it was a very, very, very ambitious time frame.

So um my come my communication with the clerk with with the with the chair was i if there's a way to make it work without turning ourselves inside out, let's try.

And if there's not, then there's not.

And we won't.

Um but it's ultimately up to the chair, of course, if folks have views on timing, this would be an excellent time to present those since it is it is the substance of the matter before us.

Otherwise, we place this on file.

As the as the chair noted, um the stir and the technology specific use policy are on the agenda for an initial discussion on the 30th.

And I anticipate we'll have a conversation then.

All right, see no further discussion, and that that item is placed on file.

And okay.

Here's where I think, yes.

So we're now gonna go into executive session, unless there's anybody here for an item that we haven't talked about yet that you would like us to take up now so you don't have to sit here and wait while we go into executive session.

Councilor Link was Mr.

President, I know there's some people here, at least one person here, um, for uh some of the the confirmations of appointments.

Confirmation of appointments, okay.

I'm happy to also, Mr.

President.

Can we please yes, thank you?

And then also put in the Council Street, I'm having a hard time hearing you.

Can you oh 4.5 please?

4.5.

Okay.

As I've said before, it's uh one of the things I'm gonna try and do in my role here is not make anyone sit in the chambers here while we all disappear if if we can avoid it reasonably.

So um so 4.5 and counselor link, what were the items that you wanted to take up?

So that would be um uh I know of specifically uh 7.27.

727.

Okay.

Um let's take up 4.5 and then we'll go to 72.7 and decide what to do with that.

If there's no objection, then we'll take up item 4.5 out of order, Madam Clerk.

Okay.

Item 4.5 by Councillor Streso that the administration discuss the city's volunteer policy and its consistency among various city departments.

Counselor Shoeso.

Thank you.

So this has also come up that there, especially in the REC department, where we have people that very much want to coach or assist in some way a sports program or something, some program to do with rec but are bare barred because they uh we need to uh they need to be hired as employees and and be paid in that, even and there are some that passionately just are like I don't need the money, I don't want the money, I just want to coach or help in some way.

And as we talk about budget crunch crunches, um if certain departments are able to operate only on what kind of budget year by year we're getting, and we're dismissing potential volunteers who just want to help the community, then we have a huge uh inconsistency and also that there is speaking of inconsistencies that it's not our our our volunteer program is not consistent across departments.

Um as I have been asking around and checking in.

So let's talk about in committee and just want it sent to HCDE.

All right.

All right, thank you.

So that will be approved with a copy to HECDE.

That's it.

All right, thank you.

And Councillor Link, so there's let's see how many do we have here?

Mr.

President, we could uh potentially take up all the that's what I'm just looking at.

Yeah, there's at least for the Climate Action Commission 7.18 through all the way through 7.30.

So let's take those all up together.

Counselor Link, is there anyone that you want to sponsor a speaker?

I think just some folks here to see what happens.

I would assume on an appointment there wouldn't be a speaker, but this so these um because uh because there's a number of folks here, um these can go commit to committee.

I I confirmed to the chair that there is a committee meeting on scudder for July 1st, so it wouldn't be much of a delay um unless there's a strong desire to just approve these this evening.

It is a long list, and so if um there's a strong feeling otherwise, I think the chair noted that he'd be happy to take these in committee and put them on the agenda for uh for next week.

Councilor campin?

Mr.

President, I'm not the chair of the committee.

I would be more than happy to approve these tonight.

Council Bach.

Yeah, uh thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you to Councilor Ewing Camping.

I will prefer I go into the names.

There's some new folks I would like them all to show up at the confirmation of appointment.

It would be a quick process so we can know who is you know where the people were sending to this stuff.

I know some formidable folks like Laddie Hugh, like I would like to approve him tonight, but it's just I don't want to be selective, so I want all of them to go to confirmation of appointment.

Any discussion.

Okay.

Then um so counselor Bob moves to raise waive the readings of items 716 through 730.

Did I get that right?

Everybody?

No, sorry, 717.

No, goodness gracious.

718.

718.

These are just the climate action commission ones, right?

718 through 73.

Wave the readings and send and refer those to confirmation of appointments and personnel matters.

All right.

See no objection that to counselor Wheeler on that.

No, okay, see no objection, then those are so referred.

Council Wheeler?

Mr.

President, it might be wise for us to move for reconsideration of the financial items in addition so as to reduce the risk around timing at the end of the fiscal year.

That is that is traditionally something that we will do.

Do you want to do that now?

Do you have the list?

Do you want to five?

All right, tell you what.

What we're we're going to executive session shortly.

While we're there, why don't you scribble some numbers on the paper?

And we'll get to it when we come back.

But thank you for the reminder of that.

All right.

Um anything else that we want to do that that for that folks are here for before we go into executive session.

I don't think it's going to be a long executive session.

At least that's my sense.

You never know.

But it doesn't strike me as the as the type of thing that we would probably have a very lengthy conversation on, but you never know.

All right.

So then um seeing no nothing further than um Madam Clerk, if there's no objection, we'll take up item seven dot one out of order.

And just to note, my intent then will be to take up seven dot five immediately following the executive session, at which point we'll start the meeting with the top of the top of the agenda.

So seeing no objection, Madam Clark, we read seven dot one, please.

Yes, seven.

This item is appropriate for executive session.

Uh so therefore we will uh take a vote to go in executive session.

This is a vote to go in to regular meeting and go into executive session.

Councillor Ewan Campen.

Yes.

Councillor Link?

Yes.

Councillor Scott?

Yes.

Councillor Klingon.

Yes.

Councilor Shaza?

Yes.

Councillor Said?

Yes.

Councillor Wheeler?

Yes.

Councillor Hart?

Yes.

Councillor McLaughlin?

Yes.

Councillor Umbaugh?

Yes.

And Councillor Davis.

Yes.

We have eleven.

All right.

Thank you.

Uh, we will return to open session uh immediately following executive session.

All right.

I will call this meeting back to order.

Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll?

Counselor Ewan Campin?

Here.

Counselor Link?

Present.

Counselor Scott?

Present.

Counselor Klingon?

Present.

Counselor Strazzo?

Present.

Counselor Said?

Here.

Counselor Wheeler?

Here.

Counselor Hart?

Here.

Counselor McLaughlin?

Here.

Counselor Mbah?

President.

And Counselor Davis.

Here.

Eleven members present.

All right.

Um there were no votes taken in executive session other than the vote to uh adjourn from executive session.

Uh so that will now bring us to the final out of order item, which is seven dot five.

If there's no objection, Madam Clerk, would you please read item seven five?

Item seven five requesting the appropriation of one hundred and twenty thousand from the unreserved fund balance to the judgments and settlements account to settle an employment case.

Any discussion.

Um we don't need to roll on that.

All right.

Uh seeing no objection, then that item is approved.

And that will take us back to the regular order of business.

And Mr.

President.

Could I move for reconsideration of all of the finance items?

Councilor Wheeler moves for reconsideration of all financial items uh acted upon this evening.

Uh in hopes that reconsideration fails.

Yes.

So if you want to reconsider any of the financial items, then say yes.

If you want to stick with all the votes we made, then say no.

Then we would have to take it up again.

Uh you and Campin?

Counselor Link?

No.

Councillor Scott?

No.

Counselor Clingon?

No.

Councillor Schazo?

No.

Counselor Said?

No.

Counselor Wheeler?

No.

Counselor Hart?

No.

Councillor McLaughlin?

No.

Counselor Umba?

No.

And Counselor Davis.

No.

Eleven.

And then negative.

All right.

So reconsideration fails.

Thank you, Councillor Wheeler.

Um where did we leave off then?

Four dot two, I believe.

Does that sound right?

Yes.

All right, excellent.

Four point two by Counselor Link and Counselor Ewan Camp in calling for traffic calming measures in the Prospect Hill neighborhood.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um so I ran into one of my neighbors a little over a week ago.

Uh while she was standing outside of the just out beside a scene of a car crash.

So a car was driving down Boston Street at which she said was a high rate of speed and um slammed right into her stopped car.

I'm relieved that none of the children or the grandparents inside were killed or seriously injured.

But uh what followed from that was uh a series of kind of disturbing stories from other neighbors about uh coast calls and crashes.

This is a neighborhood that's seen a lot of and an increased number of uh cut through traffic of increasing speeds.

Um there's a popular park there.

Uh there's uh a playground and it draws people of all ages.

Uh soon there'll be an open air circus there, in fact, uh with uh Senator Jalen and her son.

Uh so the neighbors have all gone around.

Um they're very energized.

They've been collecting signatures uh to get um some traffic studies uh on uh pretty much every street um every major street anyway uh in that area.

Uh and you know they just really want to make sure that uh you know this story doesn't end up um repeating itself with a a darker ending.

Uh so um with that I'll be submitting uh the all of the the many signatures um to the proper place.

But uh with that I'd uh I guess I'd like to hand it off to Councilman Campin.

Um thank you, Mr.

President.

I I think this this particular accident has very much shaken the neighborhood.

I will just say Prospect Hill.

If you walk through there many times a day, you might think it's extremely calm and the traffic is not a big deal.

At rush hour, it is a major cut through area, uh especially for people coming off the McGrath going down, and people go really fast, and there's a ton of kids.

Um I would say the the stuff that in my opinion really needs to happen is clear corners.

You know, a lot of these intersections, it's just really dense with cars parked right up to the intersections.

Um but I'm sure that there is more to do.

Um Prospect Hill Park actually had a bunch of traffic calming kind of built into it on Monroe Monroe Street, but there's a lot of work to be done, so I'm really thankful to the neighbors for this advocacy and to Councillor Link for bringing this.

Okay Counselor Baugh would like to sign on.

Any further discussion?

All right, see none that item is approved.

Next item.

Thanks, item 4.3 um by Councillor Link and Councillor Wheeler, that the director of the Office of Sustainability and Environment consider measures to reduce heat island effects on and around the grounds of the East Somerville Community School and the Edderly School, including working on open spaces to add trees and green space.

Councillor Link.

Thank you.

Uh I'll start off by acknowledging that uh Councilor Wheeler would um likely love to say some some words on this, but uh cannot um because of some large items.

Uh so with that said, uh about a week ago we all got an email from uh a teacher sharing their fourth grade class uh work their fourth grade class had done.

Um they were worried about how hot their school grounds had become.

Um and they called out things like heat islands um the and uh asking for you know shade for more trees and water fountains.

Uh and you know this is some really wonderful student activism.

Uh so uh I think that it's a really um wonderful opportunity for um you know the Office of Sustainability to uh engage with the students um and uh help improve the school um at at the East uh and at the Edgewell.

Okay, Councilor McLaughlin would like to sign on, Councillor Cling would like to sign on.

Counselor Say would like to sign on.

Any discussion, Councilor Baal.

No, this is no, I just I mean I read the stuff.

It's thank you, Mr.

President.

It's really I'm so glad that you know somebody sometimes we get all these emails.

It takes somebody to kind of like crystallize one and then you know, put it forward.

No, it's it's uh very markable and with real solutions about how to improve, you know, that neighborhood.

So I'm glad, you know, to see it forward.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

All right, see none of that items approved.

Next item.

Next item is five point one.

Twenty-six registered voters requesting a zoning text amendment to amend the zoning ordinances section uh three L dot eight C3L9CL10C, 3L3K, 3L13 L21 and 9.

I'm sorry, 3212M.

So many we really gotta get a typeface that makes ones and L's differently, because that's just not fair.

Mr.

President, can we take up item 8.4, the planning board recommendation on these as well?

Uh seeing no objection.

Madam Clerk, would you also read item 8.4?

I'd like to uh wave the reading.

That is the planning board recommendation on this same item.

Very well.

So uh council campaign moves to raise the we waive the reading of 8.4, seeing no objection, that is approved to take that up together with this item, see no objection.

So we have 5.1 and 8.4 before us.

Council UN Camp, you want to uh remind us what we're talking what we're doing here?

Uh thank you very much.

The item that I waived the reading of is a planning board recommendation um for a number of zoning amendments, including dormers.

So colleagues, you may remember the land use committee unanimously recommended an amend amended version of a zoning ordinance that we've been calling the dormers amendment, proposed by members of the public, uh unanimously supported by the land use committee, um, has worked with the planning department for multiple years to develop this.

Um I've been knocking doors and nobody knows what a dormer is.

This was like the hottest topic for people who follow zoning really carefully, but for quote unquote normal people out there, they don't even know what a dormer is.

Dormers are the if you're roof is shaped like this, dormers is when you like put a little extra space on the top floor by bulging it out.

That's what a dormer is.

Currently, the zoning is incredibly restrictive, makes it really, really hard to do.

Uh members of the public um recommended cutting a lot of the red tape to just make it easier to build dormers.

Um we fully supported that, and I'll just briefly talk about the three changes that we made to the to the public proposal.

One is that the committee followed all of these actually were on recommendation, compelling recommendation from planning staff, a two-foot front setback.

So you have these dormers on the side of the house.

If you don't have a front setback, honestly, the house basically can become a cube, right?

If you can have a dormer up on the third floor, you there's no more roof line.

Even setting it back two feet um maintains the look of having a roof like this, but you can you can still have your dormers, but they're set two feet back.

Um so the committee recommended that.

Um we also recommended removing part of the amendment which would say all of these buildings can just be three stories.

Like so you no longer need to have a slanted roof.

The issue with that is that it would moot the entire rest of the amendment because then regulations on dormers are moot because you can do whatever you want up to making a cube.

Um so we thought if if if we do want to do that, that's a longer conversation.

And the last change we made is that we removed backyard cottages from this amendment.

So you can do whatever you want with dormers, but on backyard cottages, because that's an active area of discussion on the committee, the community is very interested.

We did not want to allow the currently um admittedly quite large backyard cottage to become significantly larger with these large dormers.

Um so with that uh this has been unanimously recommended, and I hope that the council will agree.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I just want to say thank you to uh councillor uh counselor ewing campen um and everyone on the language committee.

Uh and I just want to say there are actually I mean I have personally had uh a few um friends and constituents um reaching on asking about dormers.

So uh it actually does have like a you know material impact on people I think this is really great work truly further discussion all right uh councillor and campen moves so this is one will we will need uh three votes uh all roll call to uh approve enroll and ordained.

So counselor you and camp moves to approve the item.

Madam Clark, would you please call a roll?

This to is to approve item five point one.

Um campen Yes Councillor Link.

Yes.

Counselor Scott Yes.

Counselor Klingon?

Yes.

Counselor Schrozzo?

Yes.

Counselor Said?

Yes.

Counselor Wheeler, yes.

Counselor Hart, yes.

Counselor Mugg Logley?

Yes.

Counselor Umba?

Yes.

And Counselor Davis.

Yes, next is enrollment.

Council camp and moves for enrollment, Madam Clerk.

Counselor Ewan Campen?

Yes.

Counselor Link?

Yes.

Counselor Scott?

Yes.

Counselor Klingon?

Yes.

Counselor Scho?

Yes.

Counselor Saeed?

Yes.

Counselor Wheeler?

Yes.

Counselor Hart?

Yes.

Counselor McLaughlin?

Yes.

Counselor Umba?

Aye.

Counselor Davis.

Yes.

Okay, that's 11.

Councillor Uncamp and moves for ordainment.

Madam Clerk.

Counselor Ewan Campin?

Yes.

Counselor Link?

Yes.

Counselor Scott?

Yes.

Counselor Klingon?

Yes.

Counselor Schozo?

Yes.

Counselor Said?

Yes.

Counselor Wheeler?

Yes.

Counselor Hart?

Yes.

Counselor McLaughlin?

Yes.

Counselor Umba?

Yes, please.

And Counselor Davis.

Yes.

All right, that is 11.

11 on each.

So that item is ordained.

Thank you, Councillor Campen, for walking us through that.

All right.

Next item we get to skip ahead a bit here to the next committee report.

Where is that?

6G, Madam Clark?

Is that looks like that?

That is right.

Uh excellent.

Go read that one for us, please.

6G1 report of the committee on land use meeting and joint session with the planning board on June 18, 2026.

Council UN Kevin.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

We had a public hearing on two items that I'll describe briefly, and I'll also just mention here.

We mentioned in the meeting uh there had been a zoning proposal submitted by property owners in Union Square, including from Dunkin' Donuts all the way over to where Buck Young the Korean restaurant is.

They withdrew that for people who have been following that item was withdrawn.

We had a public hearing on two items, one sponsored by Councillor Davis and colleagues to expand um where homeless shelters can be permitted in the city.

Um the public comment here uh period is open until next Friday.

Maybe two Fridays from now.

Forgive me.

So for folks who would like to make public comments on this, please do so.

Um and we also had a public hearing on the UCTIF map, which um includes Assembly Square and parts of East Broadway.

Um for folks interested in the details.

The the minutes are comprehensive and the meeting was very short.

You can review the um video of that.

I asked that the committee report be accepted.

Any discussion on the committee report?

All right, seeing none, that item is accepted.

Madam Clerk.

Um 6H1 report of the committee on license and permits meeting on June 24, 2026.

Councillor Hart.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um we had a short meeting.

Um the primary item that we took up and discussed was a grant of location from Eversource, um, which uh was um to service new EV chargers being installed by the city on Hudson Street, and this was you know had previously been decided.

Um but the so this was just the grant of location, but it also offered an opportunity to um uh have full transparency about some of the concerns that have been raised by neighbors um that were addressed by city staff um by making some small changes to the design and plan and also clarifying getting proper information of what is to be to be done.

Um we also had two other uh grants of location that were held over from the last council meeting, just to give the public an opportunity to comment.

Um there were no members, nobody came to speak on those, and so we approved those as well.

That's it.

All right, any discussion on the report?

All right, seeing none, that uh report is accepted astimated.

Next item, Adam Hart.

Next item is six I one report of the committee on traffic and parking meeting on June 22nd, 2026.

Councilor State.

I thank you, Mr.

President.

The traffic and parking committee meet met with all three members present.

All items who were marked as were completed.

Uh we discussed the request for additional signage on Whitfield Road.

Uh Director and Fred had um already had um a sign installed there, which is exciting.

Uh like two days after the meeting.

Uh so there's a an additional one-way sign there.

Um one the side that didn't have one.

Uh we also um discussed the request uh to have a perkins street added um as like an urban neighborway.

Director Rossman stated that the street in East Somerville is um already that's like the plan for it.

He explained that it will include two types of safety treat um treatments, separated bike lanes and traffic calmed neighborhood um routes.

Director Rawson stated that the work on this street is planned in the coming years and explained that once a project is identified, the city uh follows a 12 to 18 month project development process to allow for community engagement.

Um, there's not yet a specific project start date.

He noted the completion is anticipated by 2030.

Regarding traffic enforcement to three square, uh Somerville police traffic unit uh noted that the requested location has been added to the traffic unit's patrol schedule with a particular focus on morning enforcement.

We also uh discussed implementing colored lane markings for bus and bike lanes on Prospect Street.

Director Ross has stated that the corridor is expected to become increasingly important with the implementation of the MBT8's bus network redesign, including changes to Route 47 that will strengthen connections between East Somerville Union Square in Men, etc.

He added that the project also includes traffic signal improvements and is already underway.

Um guarding the request to for um to add um Durham and Hanson Street to the list of crosswalks that require daylighting improvement.

Director Rossin stated that staff have added this location to the city's evaluation list.

You know, that Director Rinfred's team will work to ensure vehicles are not parking within 20 feet of the crosswalk, and that fire lane markings may also be considered as part of the order.

There was an order from me to install a speed bump on Vern Vernon Street.

Director Rossin stated that the city follows the prioritization process.

Um that begins with data collection and uh staff have already gathered data on this street.

Um but um yeah the in the next month or two, we'll have more information on this.

There was another request for speed bump on Elmwood Street.

Um, and the process for data collection uh has already started.

Although next steps have not yet been determined, uh the director stated that staff plan to review the data in July and hope to provide a public update in late summer.

Regarding uh the feasibility of implementing raised intersection, um at the intersection of Columbus Ave, Prospect Hill Parkway and Stone Ave um report findings to the city council.

Director Ross noted that staff will evaluate the area over the summer as part of a broader holistic review of conditions and potential improvements.

Uh with that, I ask that this community report be approved as submitted.

Any discussion on the committee report?

All right, seeing none that items approved.

Next item 716.

Yes.

716 requesting confirmation of the appointment of Jarrett Moultrie Weathers to the Affordable Housing Trust.

Councilor Buttem number Mr.

President.

Item 716.

This is a uh point to the affordable house.

Uh item 7 16 through 16 and 17.

Councilbatt are the two that are left for appointments.

Oh no, I mean we already had with so we have 16.

Uh we have 716 before us now, and then we'll have items uh 717.

Oh, confirmation for appointments right now.

716 for prefer to refer that one to committee.

Okay, we're gonna see forward with housing trust.

See no objection, that item is referred to confirmation appointments.

Next item, Madam Clerk.

Exiting of 717 requesting confirmation of the appointment of Cali Masters to the Fair Housing Commission.

Council Bott.

The confirmational appointment.

See no objection.

That item is referred to confirmation appointments.

Next item, Madam Clerk.

Okay.

Yes, 81.

81 city clerk requesting elimination of the assistant city clerk vital records and licensing position.

Sure.

I can I'm happy to do so.

Madam Clerk, would you give us an explanation of what we're doing here?

Yes.

So due to the budget constraints, uh, the position within the city's clerk office was eliminated to offset some of the costs.

Um it was reviewed by the previous city clerk and myself, uh, looking at all of the positions that would have the least detrimental impact on the city, as well as the operations of the city clerk.

And I claim came to the uh agreement that that was the best option uh to uh the best option to was to remove that position.

I do want to reiterate that it was the position that was removed and not the person in that role.

Um and so in order to officially uh complete that within the budget year, we would have to take a vote on this for immediate approval.

Thank you, madam clerk.

Um, I'll give a a little more color or a little so a bit of a different take and a little more color.

Um essentially what we have here is the mayor removing, much like the city council can decide to remove dollars from a department's budget, but not actual positions, as we talked about at Nazi.

In this case, effectively what happened was the mayor removed the dollars from the budget that happened to align with that position.

It was then um up to this the city council and city clerk.

I asked the city clerk her opinion um at what you just heard uh as to what you know how to how to allocate the the um reduced dollars that we that were um presented in the budget.

So um this is this is why this is before us.

Um part one, part two, why we actually have to take a vote is is because there's there's maybe some question, but there was a um there's a statute that is set that says the city council can establish an assistant city clerk position.

That that vote did happen in was it like in the 60s, I think.

Right, it was a long time ago.

Yeah.

Um earlier, most likely was what uh our our uh legislative policy and analyst said.

Um and so in addition, there were um votes taken by this council when um the when the the two individuals that were that put into assistant city clerk positions not that long ago.

Um and so just to make sure there's no question as to the specifics or or the legality of um of that sort of position, the the decision was within consultation with the with the law office was to uh put this before the the council to vote to remove that one position um in accordance with uh the you know the the least terrible way of dealing with the the budget cuts that we all are having to having to um having to live with.

So that's why this is here um from a procedural standpoint.

Is there any discussion questions?

Anything else?

No, all right.

Um Madam Um Councillor Hart.

I just wanted to take a moment to appreciate the person that held this position and um and the all of his work for the city and um for the licenses and permits committee in particular.

All right, seeing no further discussion, then that item is approved.

Next item.

Next item is eight point two, school committee chair conveying the fiscal year 2027 school department budget as approved by the school committee on June 8, 2026.

That item is placed on file.

Next item.

Next item is 8.3, city attorney conveying an update regarding item number 26-1025.

That item is placed on file.

Next item.

Next item is 8.5, director of parking conveying information regarding item number 26-1019.

That item is placed on file.

Next item.

Item 8.6, City Clerk conveying block party license issued.

There's a list here.

There's block parties on it.

If your street is on it, you should go to the block party because they're great.

If your street isn't on it and you haven't had a block party, contact the clerk's office, find out how you can have a block party.

We make it really easy now, and they're wicked fun.

That item is placed on file.

Next item is 9.1 renewing drain layer license.

Mr.

President, I move to a waive the readings of 9.1 to 9.6 and 9.8 through Apologies one second.

Through 9.13.

And approve those.

All right.

Councilor Hart moves to wear the readings of those items and approve them.

Any objection?

All right, seeing none of those items are approved.

Next item.

Next item is 9.7, new extended operating hours license wings over Summerville, 519 Somerville Avenue for in-store takeout and delivery service until 2 a.m.

Council Hart.

Um, I would like to send this to the licenses and permits committee for a public hearing, please.

All right.

Any further discussion?

All right, seeing none, that item is referred to licenses and permits.

Next item.

Next item is 9.14, 18 individuals, including 17 residents submitting comments regarding fiscal year 2027 budget items.

That item is placed on file.

Next item is 9.15.

Jody Nemzer, Abrahams, and Lisa Schatz submitting comments regarding item number 26-1023, the chapter 2 Article 8 division one of the code of ordinance be amended as detailed within.

That item is placed on file.

Council Scott, do you want to copy the legislative matters on that one?

Uh sure.

All right, copy the legislative matters.

Just okay, sorry, that was just placed on file.

Next item.

Next item is 9.16.

Nick Asrumley me submitting comment comments regarding item number 26-0327, a zoning text amendment to amend section 15.7 point two point D zoning board of appeals board rules.

Council Site?

This is regarding a previous item that was already placed on file.

I would just want to ask if we can send a copy to traffic and parking.

It's item 8.5.

Item 8.5.

Let's see.

The communication from the director of parking on uh 26-1091.

Yep.

Copy to the link.

That was already been placed on file.

We'll have copies sent to traffic and parking.

Very well.

Thank you, Councillor State.

All right, back to the item before us then, which is 9.16, which has been read in.

Any discussion on that?

Questions.

Councilor UN Campan, you want to copy that one to land use.

Yeah, yes.

Okay.

So that item is placed on file with a copy to land use.

Next item.

Next item is set 9.17, Crystal Huff and Tony Antonio submitting comments regarding one McGrath Highway.

That item is placed on file.

Next item is 918.

Helen Livich submitting comments regarding body worn cameras.

That item is placed on file.

Okay.

Next item is 919.

Michael Lenotto submitting comments regarding item 26-0650, the draft combined sewer overflow plan.

Council Right.

I just wanted to request a copy of that sent to sustainability and infrastructure, please.

All right.

Councilmember Klingon.

Thank you, Ms.

President.

Through you, I was gonna request that it gets into sustainability infrastructure.

Um so as most of you know, the LA Friends with LY Brooke have been working um diligently on uh sort of an alternative plan to the city CSO plan and the public comment period I think goes till September, October.

Um I had met with them, and so what this is is um a draft of their plan and they're gonna come on Monday to the sustainability infrastructure committee meeting to um I gave them a platform to go on record with their uh plan.

Um so everybody tune in if you want to hear um what these folks came up with um as an alternative to this the city CSO plan, which is again still being um deliberated on uh that's all okay.

Any further discussion?

Uh so that item is placed on file with a copy of uh copy sent to sustainability and infrastructure.

Next item.

Next item is a 10.5 Somerville Chamber of Commerce applying for a public event license for Somerville watch party on July 7 from 10 a.m.

to 10 p.m.

Um I'm I made note of this earlier uh with a related item um but I'll repeat since it's that was a while ago now.

Um I in my conversations with the administration earlier this week, um as with a lot of things related to um the the big fat soccer tournament um that we won't say because uh you know even though they couldn't sue us for saying this, but we'll just note that it they make it really hard to do stuff.

And there's there's hoops to jump through, and so this didn't get sort of the the the plan here didn't come together early enough for this to be on the on the regular uh agenda, but it is something that has been talked about um and I know there's been discussions in um the the concepts have been discussed discussed in in various places so um and uh if anyone isn't aware of uh the FIFA Work Cup happening right now, then God bless you.

Um that's that's why that's why I'm allowing this one, and obviously it it's uh it's time sensitive because it uh relates to July 7th.

So uh that's why I'm allowing to go forward.

Any any discussion?

All right, seeing none of that item is approved.

Next item.

Next item is 10.6.

Alex Thing Win submitting comments regarding item number 26-0257 requesting a zoning map amendment to change the zoning districts of two and nine Union Square, 286-290, and 298 Somerville Avenue from commercial core five to mid-rise six.

Council Union Campin, that's the request that was um withdrawn at the last meeting.

Is that right?

Okay, so then we'll just place that item on file.

Next item.

The next item is 10.7.

Alex Pickert submitting comments regarding Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority red line closures.

I will note that um I saw some communications from the administration on this one.

The red line is I guess is gonna be open during Artbeat, but it is scheduled to be busting during um the nice festival, and so we're working the administration is working on making that as as minimally painful as possible to help that festival not be uh not be negatively impacted.

And thank you for uh the administration for helping out with that as much as we can.

Um's got to get fixed, I guess.

So that item will be placed on file.

Uh any addition any further items?

Or no further items.

There are no late items.

Council Link?

Mr.

President, uh just um uh I'm I'm sorry, if for uh uh four two for item four two, uh it was did what was the final disposition of that?

I meant to have that sense of traffic and parking.

Um item four two.

Let's see.

Uh that my notes say we approved that, but you want a copy to traffic and parking?

Yes, please.

Okay, so for 4-2, we'll send a copy to traffic and parking.

Very well.

Anything else?

It's only five past ten, guys.

Come on.

There's got to be more we can talk about.

No, all right.

Uh there being no further business before the uh council, Councilor Klingon moves to adjourn, and we are adjourned.

Good job, everyone.