Good evening.

This is the committee for housing community development and equity.

I am city councillor at large Kristen Strezzo, the chair of this committee.

It is Wednesday, July 1st, 2026.

It is 6.02 p.m.

We are broadcasting live from City Hall and also remote.

And I'd like to get this meeting started.

So pursuant to chapter two of the acts of 2025.

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

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

Counselor Say.

Counselor Link.

Here.

Councillor Schrozen.

Here.

Approval of the minutes of the housing community development and equity committee meeting of April 15th, 2026.

Happy to lay that on the table for us to do a roll call or approval with the commencement of the meeting.

Next on the agenda is ordered.

She's here to speak on number three, too.

So yeah.

Commissioner Weissman.

Do you want to speak to my speaker?

And we have uh Director Shravatang here to speak from our recreation.

Not just recreation.

And thank you very much for being here in person.

Um I'd like to say it's maybe five degrees colder than outside.

Um so you have the floor.

Happy to talk about this.

So uh for the record Eric Wiseman, uh DPW commissioner.

Um I am going to talk about the status of the founder's rank operationally.

Uh and then I'm going to pass it off for programmatic considerations.

So hi.

Um so uh the rink hasn't had ice in it for several years now.

So uh we have a plan to uh install ice in it over the summer.

Uh we anticipate it would take about a month to get uh to get fully operational, and that would include um assessing and turning on the compressors, um conduct conducting any repairs of uh condensate lines or refrigerant lines that need repair um and then filling the bed uh with two to three inches of ice, um, and then uh smoothing the surface, having a contractor come in and paint the surface, reapplying uh a top coat of ice, um, more finishing, so a little bit of edging of the ice, uh, and then sort of at the same time doing a deep clean of the space, conducting any small repairs.

Um, and then so we anticipate it would take about a month for ice to be ready.

We are targeting starting that at the end of this month to have it ready for September first.

Oh exciting.

Um commissioner, when it is ready, uh, or whenever that is, hopefully aiming for September.

When it is, um, what uh what will look like after that?

Well we'll be immediately open to the public, or what do you where do you intend to go now?

So I I think I would hand it off to the recreation director, but um that would be the plan that would be ready for programming the album and I'm gonna

Yeah, Clark.

I said such awesome things, at least to me.

All right, fine.

All right.

We're but we're back live.

The owl is working.

Director, it's all yours, please.

We were talking about founders rate the start and and when September happens.

Um what happens from there and and what plans?

Absolutely.

So from there we we are in the process of a of conducting a RFD to have a um vendor come in and start the the process of putting our nonprofits and our um people and the schedule of the ice rink into place.

Um so hopefully we can get some expedited and that would be the intent to go forward with um after uh the vendor has the ice for that season I'm assuming from maybe September, October that area up until maybe February, late February, March.

Um recreation will then take well over and all the BW to clean up the ice and then that will be used for multi-purpose programming um looking to uh going back to our normal programs so street hockey also depends uh training uh summer training for our staff.

And then on top of that, we're looking to add into the hall and uh various as well, and some programming for the city staff, so we really can use the space throughout the entire year.

Really excited about this.

Um director and commissioner, thank you for all your work on this.

And additionally, um, do you have a Zamboni or this will be purchased that I believe we have one, but I don't know if it's up and running, but we uh through thank you, Chair, we do have a same body.

That's great.

Council Link, how are you doing over there?

Um do you have any uh thoughts, questions, et cetera, anything.

Uh thank you, Chair, yes.

Um so through you, uh I'm I'm curious, uh you know, are there contingency plans if we find out that you know there's um like the you know, for example, uh the compressor maybe doesn't work and needs to be replaced or something like that, you know.

Um do we do we still think that that we would be able to stay on schedule or do you think that it would get thrown off if something medium to large came up?

The chair, thank you for the question.

Yeah, we built in an extra week of maintenance time uh should anything come up, so that's sort of baked into the schedule.

Uh staff has been um on the roof and seen the compressor in the last couple of years.

So uh we're I I don't know exactly when, but we we fair feel fairly confident that the um that the compressor should uh work, but we do have vendors that can help service them as as necessary.

Uh can can I ask um through to the chair how how how old is the compressor at this point?

Um ballpark.

I don't know.

You might not have that on the offhand.

Uh through the through this year, I don't know uh when that compressor was installed, but I would imagine it was when uh when the building was built within the last um 15 years or so.

I'm not exactly sure what that's okay.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Absolutely.

Um so do you have any further uh anything else to say on this before I said what I'd like to do is close this item.

And uh actually, yeah, yeah.

But any other anything that was just looked for or thoughts or anything.

Okay, well um I'm excited about this and I'm happy to close this and recommend people and send it out.

Uh I close this item.

Uh while we do have you here, you uh I would love to take up item number nine as well, um, which is so we can uh we're already talking about uh the rink and ice uh uh on the rink and getting nice and uh ice skaty out there.

Order number two six one zero seven eight that the director of parks and recreation discuss the cost barriers and equity constraints that prevent low income residents and local youth accessing uh accessing, pardon me, summer real programs such as public skate time and veterans memorial rink on early school dismissive base.

So, this is an agenda item I put forward.

The reason that I had put this forward um because uh as I mentioned in uh regular council that um there was an equity barrier, a a cost, a equity concern that some some kids um that wanted to ice skate when school gets out on Wednesday early, that they were heading over the ice rink and didn't have enough money to pay and were actually being turned away.

Um, and double digit numbers of kids, which is is just kind of hard for a team.

So put this item forward.

I did get we did hear from um Mayor Wilson on it, but also wanted you to talk about it and uh happy for the conversation of it.

So uh director and commissioner, happy to go from the news.

Yeah, um, so uh through the RFP process that we're coming up with, we are looking to include um that into the school for while we are looking for the vendor to um provide resources for the for the kids during that time.

Um we don't mind the kids, we want every kids to really use that uh use the ice ring.

So um that's that's the better we have going somewhere.

Wonderful.

Uh uh counselor link, do you uh have any thoughts or suggestions or thoughts or comments or anything, questions?

Yeah, thank you, Charlie.

I'm glad to hear that uh so I I'm uh the the RFP process is gonna include that.

Um do we are is that gonna be a requirement of the RFP um that that this happens or is this I I just I guess I I'm excited that that we're including it as that, but I want to make sure it's not just like uh something we're considering that we're asking for like as a nice to have, but as more of a like we have to have this.

Yeah, um, you know, I can't speak too much on the end result of how internal, but I do know our intent is to put that in there and make sure it's definitely on the table and that would take some data catastrophic kind of move away from that.

So that's the incentive for right now.

Wonderful to hear.

Um director of communication, I'm not trying to put you on the spot in any way.

Please forgive me.

And if you're like, thanks.

Uh thanks for being here tonight.

But when we do, um when we are ready and open to go, do you know?

Um, I'm happy to just I don't know how to formulate what's in my brain, but more just like how do we get the word out for the teens and the kids or even schools that when we are ready to go on Wednesdays that the rink is open, or do you think it'll just spread by word of mouth or um and again and so not trying to put on the slide?

Just I guess the brainstorming ideas.

So I think we would work with recreation to push through their channels as well as with the schools to push through their channels because that's those are the two best ways that we can achieve them.

And then we can also put out broad announcements so that parents and guardians and family members can be aware of what's available to their youth.

We can ask the schools to make sure that all of their staff know so that they can promote it to their teachers, actually their students, teachers can do that.

Um we'll put our heads together and figure out a good plan because this is really important, and everybody wants to not just do it, but make sure that it gets used.

So we'll we'll work on it.

Can you just say your name?

Sure.

I'm Denise Hewitt, I'm the director of communications and working with great.

Um with with no other thoughts on that.

If we don't have any other thoughts on that, for the moment, I'm happy to um mark this work complete.

Uh here is are you gentlemen here to speak on any other items?

No, so we all want to talk about our feelings at the counseling time for the quick.

Well, with that, um, thank you both very much for being here tonight.

Um, and I look forward to hearing all the exciting updates on this.

So thank you for all you've there.

Good job.

Thank you.

Have a good night.

Thanks for having the night.

Thank you.

Um so with that, why don't we head back?

Oh, I just have a cold.

Yeah, thank you for being here.

No, I know.

Thank you, but but thank you for being here.

Uh was hoping uh we could go into item number two, which is uh order number two six zero zero eight two that the director of parks and recreation board and uh stock and condition previously installed playground communication boards that assist non-profit children at playtime.

I I wrote this as that but I hear that you're here to speak on this director of the and I'd love to have thoughts on us.

I really am grateful to you this was one of the first things that uh everybody did as counselor I know it was kind of a request at first like coming in like how I explain what this is but it was so important um both the visibility of this item for special needs families that I couldn't not do it.

So on this item uh what communication boards and just want to quickly explain in case someone's like what is this so communication boards um are if you go to playgrounds within Somerville see a board that's attached to a fence and it has pictures of of things like yes no or objects uh like up down um running bathroom there are not as many words um and the point of it is for either nonverbal kids kids with skills of of being able to communicate are emerging that they wouldn't have to find the words to express what they need they can point to a picture and especially with kids that are autistic or have uh needs or have uh ADA accessibility um requirements this is this is ground baking for them breaking for them for kids that are autistic and um are nonverbal and are reliant upon their um their iPads for communication this can take the place of that so the kids can put the technology aside and use their hands to run and play and point and jump and climb and not have to use those uh those the equipment for the time being and kids could just be um it brought a tear to my eye the first time I saw them and saw a toddler with her dad pointing to it so I want to tell you personally how it's been and thank you for that because you were right there at the start um like okay let's figure it out um it really made a difference and even just the visibility and the acknowledged acknowledgement that there are kids in our community that use at least these objects of course for everyone but that required this immediate and that we've thought about them I've heard about for the parents very directly there are no words so thank you to the chair you're very welcome they have become a standard now for all of our programs.

Thank you so um if any of them get uh there is anything but I said just wanted to check what happens when they they get broken or dislodged or I remember when we first put them up we they were so new that we were like oh no how do we get this on the the fence remember um and didn't think about that um but we were also in the pandemic too so it was like we weren't I remember because so it was not like we could just like go for a trip somewhere and be like well what does it look like in a warehouse or something everything was on screen or like it was a different world I really I don't remember um but if if anyone is if any of them exactly then it's just a three one and we'll replace it.

That's wonderful okay um but that uh counselor link I I'm so not trying to put you on the spot for like anything but I also you know you're over there and I'm over here and I don't I'm not gonna pick up the cues if you need me and and so I don't want to like miss you.

I appreciate that sure yeah I think this one I mean that's I just I think you said it best um that they are really meaningful um and I'm I'm glad that we're committed to maintaining thank you I remember when I saw them show up I was very appreciative yeah um so with that I'm happy to close this item uh market work complete um so you're here to speak on the thing okay yes um so I'm gonna okay I get uh this is order number two six zero zero five nine that the director of mobility provide an update on the Kensington connector um can I give a really quick like if anyone's like what is this where is this um so the Kensington connector I remember being in a in a um what do you call not a share as much but like a working group or like an ideas group of of what is of like what do we do with the Kensington connector or what are some ideas and like okay so the cleansing is so it it's many things it is an underpass that is between stop and shop and ward one stop and shop area of um on its way to Foss Park past the stopping shop and going into assembly and it is under I 93 it is sometimes I run there with my dog and it is sometimes smelly and sometimes it's on fire and sometimes sometimes it's scary and sometimes it's friendly

It is an underpass that is between stop and shop and ward one stop and shop area of um its way to Foss Park, past the stopping shop and going into assembly, and it is under I-93.

It is sometimes I run there with my dog, and it is sometimes smelly, and sometimes it's on fire, and sometimes sometimes it's scary, and sometimes it's friendly, and sometimes who knows what it is, but it's all things.

And so that is the the Kensington um underpass.

And so yeah, uh, I see Councilor McGlafflin put this forward.

I was like, yeah, I want to know too.

And sometimes it's slashy because there was art, and then somebody took some kind of sharp object and has slashed all of the cool artwork that East Somerville Main Street's put up many years ago.

So that's not there.

Now it's just dangling, which is a total bummer.

Um so it's all things.

But director, um, you're here to speak on it.

We'd love to hear your thoughts and just like look at what the plan is and all the things.

Yes, thank you through the chair.

Um, the Kensington Connector, um, the artwork that was put on it was put on it by Corbin Kirk.

She commissioned that artwork who was in our division before um moving on to Cambridge.

The mobility mobility had been uh kind of shepherding this, and now it's switched over to public space and urban forestry.

Um there were some initial charrets and working groups in 2019, 2020.

But we fixed that ball back up.

We have just recently alongside mobility uh applied for a 1.3 million dollar grant.

Um in a mass program, Massachusetts program called One Stop.

Ooh, this is exciting.

It's called One Stop, One Step over the One Stop for Growth, and uh we've applied for various things, and uh our division has applied for the infrastructure grant in the amount of 1.3 million dollars for constructing.

We have some initial ideas.

We do want to go back to the to the board to look at them.

Um, but we hope to be awarded this money and move forward.

It's a challenge because the connector used to be called the Kensington Underpass.

I was counting today, it goes under 12 lanes of traffic, and it is a challenge to bring lighting or water or anything feature like that.

If anybody has been in it recently, we do have a new park on the other side and the assembly park.

So uh it will be great to get moving on this and create safer access point.

Um it's not really going to be we don't really want people to linger, but it can definitely be a better experience to possibly.

Thank you for that.

Um yes, it it um it's a little dark at night.

Um another thing that I just throwing out what I've heard from community members of what uh thoughts, immediate impressions of of it when people talk about it that I've noticed uh yeah, it's dark at nighttime, especially uh sometimes women feel unsafe traveling under there.

I'm sure you've heard that as well.

Of course, we know both sides of it because it's uh um on off ramp, it's part of the on-off ramp ish area where people are going fast um stopping or starting, and it's back up the so-called corridor of depth.

So we have that, but I know that that is not anything that we have any control over, like the state roads of that.

Um, I've heard that some residents have asked if a skate parking can be under there, um which uh would be interesting in the spot.

Um you had a strong reaction to that, respectfully.

So please tell me your thoughts if you're open to discuss it, but through the chairs.

So first, in terms of the safety stuff, there were some uh signals that were added by mass job, which has improved safety tremendously.

Yes, I was talking about this recently with the uh mobility director, and he said like in 2016, uh it was one of the worst intersections in the commonwealth, and that has been greatly reduced because of the songs that are there.

Um it is too small of a space to make a skate park.

Um skate parks require that you get enough space to get speed and then jump up and over things.

So probably people are thinking about that because of the Lidge family skate park in Cambridge, which is a an enormous one.

Um, but that there's just there are not the physical requirements for a skate park, and also if people are walking through and then you have skateboarders, there's uh a lot of there's potential conflict.

Thank you.

Uh Counselor, do you have any uh uh yeah, I I guess I'm I mean I I'm not a woman, I don't go through there at night.

So those two things I I can't really um speak to does sound I can imagine um having gone through there in the daytime um that uh it would get a little spooky um because it's kind of spooky by default.

Uh I yeah, I'd love to see I'd love to see it become something to somehow to become a more welcoming space.

And I agree that and I understand that it's not uh you know, as as you said, share it's you know um the the roads are our DOT roads.

I appreciate that we have the hawk there now.

Um and then the I think it's a hawk and then the signal, or is it a at any rate?

Um it's definitely safer.

I wouldn't describe it as safe, unfortunately.

Um, but yeah, uh it's if if we can do anything in there to bring in light and to make it nicer.

Um I understand not wanting to like linger there, so we let's not set up tables, but you know something, yeah, would definitely uh so I guess my question would be what what does that for that one million dollar grant on through the chair?

What will what kind of is uh what are the I guess like the the what's the framework of the of that grant that we're applying for?

What could what could it do?

Through the chair, uh that money would allow us to construct uh the project and to put things in like lighting that will help in nighttime uh and to create something that's a little bit more than temporary art so that it's I mean it's never going to be an interesting place in the sense that it's not interesting to go under a highway, but it can definitely be a best uh user experience, and also we are working with mobility to make sure that we're continuing to improve the safety, which is like the most important movement.

Sure, we're not turning this into a summerville destination.

It sounds like then anything can be a Somerville destination.

That's right.

Fair enough.

Yeah, ambiance kind of like one out of five.

Um totally get less smelly and less stabby would be cool.

Um, but yes, understood.

It it it's it's it's all things, but that's exciting.

And do we have like is there a good chance we'll get through and is it's we're hoping we haven't heard anything yet, but I think we should find out by the fall.

Nice, yeah.

Okay.

And then in the fall, like if it if it does go through, like with that uh would it be what would the turnaround time be?

I guess would uh or when you have to spend money or um through the chair.

I don't remember off the top of my head when the money has to be spent by, but we would uh restart the community conversation with the goal of getting to construction documents as soon as possible.

Awesome.

Awesome.

And um, you know, us in Zoverville.

We there's going to be uh so many, there's going to be everybody will have an opinion of how what we can do under there from shiny puppy dogs to everything.

Um, which you know, I love the fact that everybody has you you know you see, counselor Lang, uh you know.

Um so uh I I'll be curious to see like everything, like the thoughts that come from our community, but it will be great for improvement or just some some emotion on this, either way.

So I I really appreciate it.

Thank you.

Um all right.

Uh so thank you very much for that.

Uh any other further thoughts on this, counselor.

No, you good?

All right, all right.

With that, I'm gonna close this item out and uh Mark before complete.

We can uh follow up with Counselor McLaughlin on this.

That all things are super and and move on from there.

Um any other arguments?

Yeah, that's right.

The ABM.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you.

Okay, right.

Um six zero zero five one at the director of parks and recreation.

Provide an update on upcoming inclusive playground accessibility plans and redesign projects.

Hey director, have you heard of any upcoming playgrounds anywhere recently?

Because I think you do.

Yes, we uh broke down last week from the week before at the Kennedy Inclusive Playground.

They are doing phase one because it has to be phased with the school year, which is redoing the parking lot, putting in some stormwater catchment measures underneath, and then we will move next summer into the actual listed playground.

Um, but they I had a site visit yesterday and they are moving.

They're uh trying to get this done before the start of school.

So we're not wasting any time.

Um do you know that if uh I worry about uh teacher parking or visitor parking um will that be affected at all when school is back in session through the chair.

So we know through the planning of this project that this school has the most parking for any of the Somerville schools, and we do know uh that people teachers were very vocal about not losing any of that parking, including sending us a petition.

But we tried to find a middle ground where we had enough space to create the playground, which is important for children to play, which are equally as important, I would argue uh as academics and the uh the parking lot.

So uh a number of spaces were removed.

I can't remember off the top of my head, but I think they were 12 or 16, um, really to create to increase the the play the schoolyard by 30 percent.

Um if I may, uh thank you for for that, knowing that.

So with that, um I'm going to immediately just suggest uh if this conversation has not yet happened, but I I assume it may have don't know.

Um similar to what we did with the high school.

Remember uh uh where there's parking that is available on Highland A that is reserved for the teachers only for a certain amount of time with that loss of 12 to 16 spots because that will be a cluster um situation um come the fall.

A lot of the teachers are driving in, or they're doing service providing, or they're uh coming from the school to that school, et cetera.

Um that puts them in a really tough spot.

Um, has there been conversation about um reserving spots along um cherry um uh cellula?

The chair, there's been a lot of conversation.

We've had 26 um meetings, public meetings, tenant school meetings on this project.

Uh and we are talking to the traffic folks and trying to help as much as possible.

The reality is that there is a finite amount of space, and we are either giving it to parking or we are giving it to the schoolyard.

So we really tried to find a middle ground so that we can build a good schoolyard and still, as I said, the schoolyard has the most parking and still allow for parking in the spaces for the teachers, and we are also working with uh the traffic office about uh around the school director.

Yes, not no, um, I hear what you're saying that you're eliminating or like these 12 to 16 parking spots only no longer access.

Fine.

Fine.

But then as a supplemental and that certain spots are reserved for the teachers at this time, similar to way the way it is on Highland Ave in front of the high school that during the during school hours from seven to blah blah blah, these thoughts of the teachers or anybody come with us to help the special class through the chair.

I know that uh our project manager John Barncamp has been doing everything absolutely possible to um mitigate the effects of this parking, and I know that he is working with the traffic uh department to see what can be done in terms of reserving spaces on uh thank you.

Um counselor Link, did you uh uh yeah, thank you, Chair.

Um, I guess so I I've been actually following along our um our summer camp bus stop is right outside of uh Kennedy School, which is very noisy in the mornings, but uh it's a good reason to be noisy.

Uh so yeah, I have been following the process.

I um I'm curious.

So the the picture posted outside um shows uh a playground, um not sorry, playground, a park or parking lot uh with a uh a lot more trees than there was before.

Um is that something that's gonna be part of this school year's or this summer's project to add those trees, or will that be part of next year's?

Through the chair, um yes, because the project is actually being done in two phases and being bid into phases.

So they will complete uh the plantings as well as what you can't see underground, which is a system that helps to slow down any water uh from that very big parking lot and um in times of extreme flooding, which we're seeing more and more on to let it out into the star system in a in a slower way.

Um I I don't know the top the top of my head that there is a summer voice page that will tell you the number of trees that are being added and all of the meetings are uh recorded there as well as um the different iterations of the playground design.

Wonderful.

Uh I'm I'm excited for the trees I had that we had um my the kids summer camp was there last year as well, and it was um our drop off and it was brutal waiting.

There was like no where to find shade.

So this is I think it'll be it'll be really nice.

It'll make it this people in the summer actually want to come to the the area and like linger.

So uh that's awesome.

Yeah, um with that, I am happy to um I'm gonna be able to close this item and uh mark it will complete.

Thanks for answering the conversation I use.

Looking forward to the the next step hearing more about it as well.

There's a lot going on, a lot of cards.

Uh thank you.

Are you here to speak on any other items?

I think you are director.

Um, let's see, no, yeah, sorry.

Yeah.

I'm good.

But well, thank you.

Have a good night.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh okay, the next item, mayor's communication item 261033.

An update regarding item 260825, the resolution that the administration submit a written report to this council regarding the timeline and processes for staffing, the Americans with disabilities, ADA coordinator role, an update.

This council on the plan to process ADA complaints and accessibility coordination.

And this position is vacant.

Um here to speak on the item.

I have uh director Nadine Williams, but so you're here to speak on this item.

Welcome.

Uh representing uh the director of intergovernment affairs.

Um welcome, have the floor.

Uh through you, Madam Chair, um Amanda Nadin Williams, director of intergovernmental affairs.

Um the administration submitted a communication that kind of outlined um recruitment efforts for this position.

Uh I believe it was posted for a little bit over a month.

Uh we got robust responses there.

Um the biggest update I would probably say beyond what was in that memo is that um our human resources uh team has already moved towards uh phone screens um for this round.

But in the interim, um lots of gratitude to our staff in um equity and belonging um in engineering, our chief admin officer um for for covering any of the gaps in the interim and responding to um any of the needs of our of the city uh in the interim.

So really quick, Director, when someone has a complaint or an issue right now at this very second, where do they go?

At three view, uh madam chair.

The if a complaint comes into the process remains the same.

So if uh they email the ADA at Somerville Ma.gov email, or if they call the um number, the 625660 extension 2059, um, it isn't valid to uh a staff member.

I don't want to misspeak and say which staff number, I want to say it might be the chief administrative officer, um, but it was handled that way.

Um sometimes the complaints that come through our our niche in that it might be more suited for our engineering team, et cetera, but the appropriate folks are all on that um that email and we'll answer these information.

So um still the same process as was previously.

Okay, so so if someone calls that number, like if someone so if like counselor linker and I had a constituent that was like, I want to make an ADA complaint or I have a question about ADA, we would give them this this email address and this one number, the one that's on all the all the papers on all the city stuff, and then we would be confident that somebody's going to answer that and respond right down through you, madam chair.

That is correct.

Okay.

Counselor Link.

Any thoughts, suggestions, questions, et cetera.

Sure.

I'm just I'm just curious, you know, since we've said we've had the position posted for a while.

Uh like the is are there any candidates that are actually are there any candidates going through uh the process right now, or have they been um or was was nobody uh uh up it.

Do you madam chair?

So the position was posted, I believe in the memo it noted um sometime this second or the third week in May.

Um we got a lot of late applicants.

So right now they are actually in round one of phone screens and then moving folks along.

So with that to say um we were it seems to be that folks are really hopeful um with the candidates that they are typically a recruitment cycle, it would take you know nothing short of a six-week time span.

Um, but we we got some really good responses and you know a lot of appreciation to our human resources team for moving that along so that we can get some of them in that space.

Wonderful.

So uh sure it sounds like maybe then we can expect like uh an um maybe a nice update in a month or so.

Yeah, you know what?

I'm gonna keep this in committee.

How do you feel about that?

Yeah, I think that's a great idea.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay, we'll keep it in committee.

And so uh to get some hopefully um sun set on the horizon.

Um brighter day, and and uh in the fall, we can we can circle back and see where it goes.

And I'm excited about that.

Thank you for the information.

And uh, yeah, great, great.

Thank you, Ms.

Absolutely.

Okay.

Uh next we have um officers communication 260973.

Uh at the director of communications and community engagement uh convey the web content accessibility guidelines or WCAG 2.9 accessibility compliance update for city website and digital ad uh assets.

Uh with us to speak as a director of communications and um engagement.

Um as of July 1, it's the director of communications and public engagement.

And public engagement state my name again for the record at students.

And and this is director Denise Taylor by the record, uh the director of that department.

And I quickly have to say that yeah, I I got a little flummoxed um stumbling to be like, okay, uh, this is a different, these are different department names now.

Okay, uh, I'm gonna have to re I know I had a total like brain freeze yesterday, Counselor Link, and when and I'm like, I didn't plan for this.

I I forgot that there we made a change.

It's all very confusing, yeah.

So with that, we have a director.

Thank you for being here tonight.

Um, and I know that um that you you I remember hearing you speak about this before, and and you think this will be uh seriously um changed in this, so please have a slide.

Sure.

So um as with sidewalks and buildings, um uh ADA regulations um also require that digital assets are accessible.

Um that's under ADA Title II.

And uh currently the guidelines that municipalities are striving to meet are called the um web content and accessibility guidelines.

I've heard that pronounced as WCEG.

I don't know if that's the right way to say it, but WCAG 2.1 level A and double A.

Um the um goals for compliance for cities of our size were originally set for April 20th, 2026.

However, the Department of Justice, which which oversees this, uh shifted the deadline to a year later to April 26, 2027, several days before the deadline.

So obviously we didn't know that that we were aiming to make the actual deadline we originally given.

And uh the good note news is that um the city worked to create uh to achieve compliance for our main website, which is summergoalma.gov, as well as um all of the city's microsites to the exclusion of the school district site, which is being fully overhauled, so they are handling this differently.

Um and this applies not only to websites but to other digital assets like apps and also to any digital tools that are embedded in the website provided by other um providers but used by us on the site things like citizens or bill pay, um any any tools that are on the site um also have to be compliant.

So we have been working for the past year with our uh web vendor evolving web, and by the deadline had completed what qualifies as compliance, which is to get into the 90% uh compliance zone.

But to be clear, the guidelines call for full compliance.

Uh what municipalities were striving for was to get into 90%, the 90% range, with the understanding that there is no such thing as getting compliant and then putting your pens down and walking away.

This is an ongoing permanently.

So we have actually since I submitted this memo back on May 12th.

Um, our compliance rate when I submitted it was uh 91.6 for level A and uh 86.3 for level A, but overall 93%.

And I understand that those don't add up the way you would think, but it's complicated.

Um, but in the meantime, our um level A compliance is now at 92.

We went up a little bit there, and our double A compliance is at 92.4 percent.

And that's because we haven't stopped.

We're still working um with the goal of getting as close to 100% as possible.

But the nature of a living website is that there will continually be issues that arise that have to be um remediated.

It'll be a constant game of whackable.

Um as but but the goal is to get as close to 100 as possible.

Um are there I I can talk a little bit more generally, or would you like to ask questions?

Um I'd love to hear more, but uh counselor link, uh yeah.

I chair I have questions, but I'm I'm happy to wait.

Um maybe the loop be answered along the way.

Sure.

Um, so additional digital assets that we worked on include the arts council websites, they have three, the police department website.

Um we um ensured that tools like the MindRec embedded website and our site were also compliant.

Um there we have a few micro sites that micro isn't actually the right word for the library, that is a massive site.

Library websites are known for being exceptionally complex.

They worked with a vendor to get into compliance.

Ummer Gold Hub, Summer Voice, um, all of these uh were um uh checked and addressed as needed.

Uh I want to be clear again that the mayor has said repeatedly and he means it that the ADA is the floor, not the ceiling.

So while we are considered to be highly in a highly compliant category now, again, we are going to keep trying striving to achieve higher scores.

Um this does not mean that people will not run into things that they will there, there are lots of things on the site that are we're still working on to get to that percentage.

Um, and we look forward to, for example, the commission for persons with disabilities um pointing out things that they counter.

Um, something really exciting is that uh last Thursday, we also installed a tool called Doc Access, which is an automatic tool embedded that we can embed on every website in the city.

It's now live on some remoteMA.gov.

Any PDF that you click on can now be converted to accessible HTML, which works with screen readers, and uh that provides accessibility for PDFs, which has been um a real barrier.

And the amazing thing is that it can even take like a handwritten vintage document and convert it.

It includes translation support.

There is uh live person support for um issues that people have, and I would encourage you to go to the website with on a PDF and explore the tool up top.

You can click it to compliance.

You can set to transform it to a compliant form.

Um there are so many guidelines to make PDFs compliant.

We will be working to train up the staff on it, but this is the fail-safe to correct for movement error with the amount of PDFs that wind up on the website.

This will be really important for ensuring that um all of them can be converted to accessible screen form.

Um I can share a few stats with you if you like um 1.27 million occurrences resolved.

That included navigability fixes, like missing page title, a link missing, a text alternative.

All images and graphics have to have what's called alt text alternative text that describe them.

So again, someone using a screen reader can go through and it will describe what others may see as a graphic or as a photograph.

It will describe what's in it.

We corrected for font to use the most accessible fonts, color contrast for the most accessible color contract contrast.

Yeah, a lot of this was for folks who have vision impairments that includes text alternatives, contrasts, um keyboard focus indicators are for people with mobility limitations.

We worked also on plain language fixes or people with cognitive differences.

I think yeah, happy to take some questions.

And to be clear, the federal deadline is a year from now.

Um and we will continue making sure that we remain compliance and have an even higher company compliance by then.

Thank you, Chair.

Um, so uh I'm first of all, I just want to say, you know, a huge applause for um not sitting on this.

Um, you know, obviously we um we thought the deadline was coming up, but I think that there were some indications that um that it that if you just sat back, it might have been fine.

Um, and uh obviously uh fine legally and fine um, you know, in terms of our constituents are two very different things.

So I really appreciate that.

Um and uh I'm I'm heartened to see all the these improvements.

Um the uh I do, I guess I'm curious.

Uh I have two questions.

So the first uh is just you know, are we do we have a process in place now to like you know, before a new micro site goes live or before a big update goes live, that there is some sort of process where we're checking to make sure that we've either maintained or improved our accessibility scores.

So we are trying to move away from microsites and uh include uh all of that content in the main website.

Um we are currently in the process of hiring our new digital services director, our um last uh person who built that role under a different title, the title can be updated, uh, had to take disability retirement, which you publicly uh make clear.

I'm not sharing this personal information.

Um, so we're currently filling the role that will oversee this work, and the goal is that we would not be creating new micro sites, um, and that we will slowly even migrate migrating some of the microsites to the main website, which will help us ensure accessibility as well as bring a number of um user experience improvements for all users.

Uh, one of the things that came out of the transition working group for communications is that um people were struggling moving between the micro sites.

Um they're really legacy sites, most of them that predate a time when we had more web capacity.

There was a time when we had just the fun webmaster and really didn't have the capacity to um group design or push out new assets, and so people understandably uh were looking for other other ways to get their information out in a well presented and usable format.

Um, and in the meantime, we have more resources, and we need to sort of transist with that, but we need the person in the world to do that.

Um, the other piece of this isn't just building a new site according to the compliance um guidelines, but also training staff, both our web staff so that they are not introducing new errors into the main website, and also um all of our staff.

And some of this step by step be working on, for example, making sure that all of our memos have an accessible template.

You know, there are fonts that are better for memos.

All the memos that go to move the council.

Um you have a nice clean um uh template right now for for those, but we do have people creating their own documents, um, and it'll be very easy for us to create something that will go on the site accessible as opposed to have to be converted by the document converter.

So there's there's different levels of uh preventing the need for corrections for compliance and maintaining compliance.

Great.

Um yeah, I'm just I guess I'm hoping it sounds I hadn't really considered the fact that there's also a like some sort of CMS element um uh to this where where people are just like uploading documents.

Um but uh you know I I guess I was more curious about just if if we've got you know, like some sort of this is you know me putting on my software developer hat um and saying like you know that you know how we would often have things like workflows where when you when you make a change, uh it automatically gets run through a few different checks that you the users or the the company whatever can define.

Um and one of those might be like an a tool that will automatically scan um to make sure that like you know that any code being committed.

Um, so if like you know there's new new site, new pages or being added or anything or new features being added to the website that they would be um compliant coming out the gate uh and not something that we'd have to like kind of catch.

Uh you know, once someone sends in one of those through one ones or uh sends a letter to the ABA at some of the LMATACO.

Absolutely.

The goal here is processes, systems and hard coding that actually can prevent um human human error here.

Um so we're an alignment on that.

Sure.

Right.

Do you have any other questions?

Sure, yes, just one last question.

Um the um we we called out the one big um exception being the schools, uh, which are like really not compliant.

Um, like you know, if you I even just like eyeballing it, I can see that there's lots of like blue, green, red, green, colorblind situations um in there.

So I'm is there how what kind of timeline is is it there gonna be, I guess, and how are we gonna make sure that the school doesn't kind of um it is there's a way we can help whoever is managing this uh at the district level so that um something like this because it's not to be like cruel about it, but it's it the the ADA issues are pretty um glaring.

The schools are just as committed to this.

Um are conducting a full overhaul of their website.

The website you see now will not be the website going forward, and they are in the process of um working on developing that plan.

I I have to I don't want to try to fill any gap here just to be helpful.

I don't have all of the details, the schools function very independently for their web presence.

Um, but I know that they are actively working on that overhaul.

I believe they are preparing their RFP, or they may have already identified a vendor.

Um it would be best to check with them, or I can follow up and um provide a response.

Um, but what they are doing right now is trying not to um uh you know fix a broken car before you get a new one.

So they're maintaining that website, but all of their resources right now are going toward a full replacement of that site and overhaul of their web presence, which will be compliant.

Um that is uh their plan right now.

Um it was uh quite time intensive and expensive to get the city website improved, the police website and the arts council website as well.

So I could imagine that um it is frustrating to have to waive, but it will save resources for their overhaul if they put them into that rather than trying to um fix for a short period of time what is about to be replaced.

Sure, that all makes lots of sense to me.

Thank you.

Great uh um director, uh quick question.

Are you responsible for doing it or do you work with because it sounds like a real pain in the tongue?

Like I couldn't do it.

Is it is your department do you hire someone to do it, or how does their work exactly?

So the can't imagine how tedious, like per page, anyway.

It just what is this look like?

And it's all worth it and very crucially important, but whoa.

So the web team works on this, but we also have a vendor that we um hire for ongoing maintenance and improvements as well as special projects.

And over the past year, thank you to the council, we put an extra funding to hire them for extra hours to work on this.

And they had a very large working on this.

Um a lot of this works with um tools that stand in finding the errors, and then you might have a clap like 2,000 errors that are the same, and then you can use a script to fix them all with uh with code as opposed to going through it manually fixing each one individually.

Um so so some of them might be global, like there's a feature of the design that is not accessible, and once you fix that, it flows through to every page.

Um they also um used some AI uh assisted tools for some fixes where it was safe to do so.

Um, and that helps as well.

It is um, as you suspect, it is monumental and tedious.

So through coding and uh outside support, this is how we've done this.

Currently, we have um 60 hours a month of work from them, and for the next few months, uh 50% of that will continue to be um dedicated to trying to have our score.

So they're still using a significant portion of their time to uh advance this for us.

Thank you.

Yeah, I couldn't do it.

And counselor link, this your brain can do it, but for me, my I'm better at this.

I and you know, we're all here, but but give me in front of the people.

I I couldn't I I couldn't do this, so I I have a lot of respect for you just being able to be being able to just get in there and just deep diving it.

But thank you.

I I like I said, I I know you take this really seriously.

I know um you're committed to getting it done, and I know that we're in good hands, so I think this is a wonderful update.

Counselor Link, do you have any other uh thoughts or anything?

No, people thank you.

Thank you.

We have one more item on the agenda.

Um, and that is really no, sorry, that enough time.

Um just quickly, you want to mark seven more quickly.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's what okay, whatever you get right.

Um, I'm not sure if Amanda is here to speak on the next one or not, but I know she's also simultaneously in oh, she in public health.

Oh, yes, she's pulling double data.

You know what we can always do is we're gonna just like keep it in committee.

Um director, we have one item left in the agency items or seven, six.

You can't see it once you can't see, but um our director has clone herself, and she's in she's in the other meeting right now.

So um, and I think she's here to speak.

We have one item left, and you can always keep it in committee.

I think I might just keep it in committee.

Absolutely, you could um simultaneously mark it were completed, but follow up with the director of IGA for a memo submission to be presented either the next city council or further.

We'll speak for what you'd like to do, but I am going to hold this in committee.

Perfect.

Um, and we will um because I think this is a really important item.

I'll just speak on it really.

I'm gonna I'm gonna call it like uh give the number because I didn't yet give the number.

Just want to give a quick conversation on it.

We don't have anyone to speak about it.

Maybe we should come back.

Um, but yeah, that I think that's the plan to just keep it in committee.

But okay, let me read it first because I don't want to miss that.

Uh I don't want to skip that.

Um, this is real uh resolution 261077 that the administration discussed the city city's volunteer policy and its consistency among various city departments.

So the reason I put this uh item forward is because um what I've heard, and I I mentioned this uh in in regular city council, um the the volunteer um requirements are not consistent throughout the city.

So for instance, in um the council on aging requirements for volunteering is one thing, but then at the same time, the rec department um sometimes struggles to have coaches for teams, and the whole concept of just volunteering for it is no longer a thing, and then of course there are coaches, and also if people want to volunteer, why is this a barrier?

And anyhow, so counselor link um wanted to know from the time that we had it first set in council.

If you had thoughts on this, or I don't remember if you spilled on this or not, but we'd love to hear your thoughts and then director, and on that, and in the meantime, really quick, we have uh director.

Um, if you're here, if you'd like to talk about it, if not, like we can keep this in committee too.

Either way, what do you think, Dave?

You do.

Oh, cool.

She has an update.

But counselor link, did you run it out?

Oh, yeah, yeah, no, come on in.

Um is that I'll go into okay ish.

Okay, through you, Amanda Ned Williams, direct driven to governmental affairs.

Um, thank you, counselor, for the question.

Um, I would say that some of this work is actually ongoing.

So the goal is that um over the summer, and hopefully we'll be able to give you some people for them um to let you know about what this looks like because this impacts several of our departments included, but not limited to our parks and rec.

Um, but we're looking forward to sharing that uh standardized process.

Awesome.

Awesome.

Counselor Link, do you have anything?

Yeah.

Standardizing sounds like it's going to be easier, Chair.

Um, and uh, you know, I I think that that's that's the idea.

I think if it's not standard, there's um that needs to be a really good reason.

Um, like it doesn't make sense in one particular situation.

Um yeah, I agree.

So I'm gonna keep it in committee and then we can we can go back in in the fall when um we're wearing sweaters and sweater weather, and then we can talk about again your goal with that.

Look forward to that.

Yeah, right on.

Okay, well, then that will keep it in committee.

We ran out of agenda items.

Well, then uh I'd like to just uh I'd like one item lead on the table.

That's right, the approval of the minutes.

So could we could we please do uh thanks, madam?

We just do a quick roll poll and then um will we have can we uh could that roll call also be to close the meeting or should we do an additional one?

Okay, uh so yes, uh we just set up the minutes, and then we can call it a night.

Councillor Link, what the heck are you gonna do with the rest of your night?

Uh read some books to my kids.

They've been asking.

All right, that's that's that's a great, great, great thing.

All right, so to review, we have work completed items two, three, four, five, seven.

We're keeping in committee six and eight and on acceptance of agenda item one, approval of the minutes of April 15th, 2026, and on adjournment, counselor Said.

Counselor Link.

Yes, Councilor Shredsett, yes, those minutes are accepted, and we are adjourned.

Thank you.

Have a good night, and you too.

Take care.

And uh have a good