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Record of Proceedings

Somerville City Council Confirmation of Appointments Committee Meeting - July 7, 2026

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, July 7, 2026
BodySomerville, Massachusetts
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, July 7, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:17:05

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:00

So welcome everyone.

0:04

Welcome, everyone.

0:06

I call this meeting to order.

0:07

This is the committee's confirmation of appointment and personnel matters.

0:14

It's Monday, July 6, 2026 at 6 p.m.

0:21

Pursuant to chapter 2 of the acts of 2025.

0:25

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

0:30

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

0:47

Will you please call the role?

0:50

This is roll call, Council McLaughlin.

0:53

Yeah.

0:54

Councilor Hart.

0:56

Here Council will counselor Young Campin.

1:01

Here and Councilor Bow.

1:05

Present.

1:06

Mr.

1:07

Chair, all members are present.

1:08

We have a quorum.

1:09

Wonderful.

1:11

Thank you.

1:12

So we will lay you know item one.

1:18

You know, on the table to take it at the end for approval, which is you know, the minutes, you know, of the last meeting.

1:26

Um and then before we proceed, I think uh Ig Honey should take some item out of order.

1:38

I guess let me just so clerk a few items by the file number.

1:48

Uh um Dr.

1:51

Noggins, can you just read the items you want?

1:53

I see blue, black.

1:55

I'm just lost.

1:56

Just Peter will read the any item that you want me to take out of order, and I'll take he will read it and then we'll take it out of order.

2:04

I can't.

2:05

I don't know.

2:06

The num I cannot understand this text.

2:11

So just read the items that you want to be taken, and then you know, Peter would will call them out, please.

2:20

Good evening, Mr.

2:21

Chair.

2:22

Amanda Nature Williams, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs.

2:26

Uh, I believe the first item out of order.

2:28

Uh, thank you, Chair, for your willingness to do that would be uh agenda item number three, file number 260655.

2:37

Perfect.

2:39

Okay.

2:40

Um Peter, would you read that, please?

2:46

Gender three, 260, excuse me, 0655.

2:51

Requesting the confirmation of the appointment of Taylor Perkins to the Fair Housing Commission.

2:56

Amazing.

2:57

And and on in our just I I'm not gonna assume that my committee members and in support.

3:04

So by any objection from the committee members, I hope it's okay that we took this as item out of order.

3:11

Thank you.

3:12

Thank you.

3:12

I don't want to, you know.

3:14

So is there anybody here to introduce the member?

3:21

Thank you, Chair.

3:22

I Lisa Davidson, the director of housing, and I'd like to introduce Taylor Perkins.

3:29

First candidate being recognized uh recommended for the appointment is Taylor.

3:34

He is being recommended because through his professional experience as a professor at the Boston College and has an associate's director of the Concord Center for real estate, excuse me, urban planning.

3:51

He demonstrated deep knowledge of fair housing policy in its intersection with the overall overall housing landscape in Somerville and throughout Massachusetts.

4:01

In his interview, he also demonstrated enthusiasm for teaching teaching experience that could lend itself to the commission's goals of expanding education around fair housing in Somerville, noting in particular that he would like to expand outreach to Somerville's immigrant and student communities who are off often least likely to know and experience their fair housing rights.

4:27

This candidate is our first choice because his knowledge, experience, enthusiasm for deeper engagement, connecting with the community members to fair housing resources, aligns with the commission's mission, and can push forward the ways in which they strive to meet it.

4:46

Wow.

4:47

Thank you, Director Davidson.

4:48

It's still open here.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Environmental Protection████████████████████████████28%
Procedural████████████████████████24%
Personnel Matters██████████████████18%
Volunteer Management████████8%
Community Engagement███████7%
Affordable Housing█████5%
Climate Action████4%
Public Engagement██2%
Youth Programs██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Somerville City Council Confirmation of Appointments and Personnel Matters Committee Meeting - July 7, 2026

Note: The meeting date is listed as July 7, 2026 per external instruction, but the official minutes and transcript consistently state the meeting occurred on Monday, July 6, 2026 at 6:00 PM. This discrepancy is noted.

The City Council Confirmation of Appointments and Personnel Matters Committee met remotely via Zoom to consider numerous appointments to city boards and commissions, as well as an order on hiring practices. The meeting was chaired by Councilor Mbah and lasted from 6:00 PM to 7:17 PM. All members were present except Councilor McLaughlin, who left at 7:04 PM. The committee approved 18 items regarding appointments and kept one order in committee.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes (May 4, 2026): Accepted unanimously (4-0-1).

Discussion Items

  • Order on Hiring Practices (ID #25-1423): Councilor Mbah reported that the matter is being discussed with the City Clerk and HR. The item was kept in committee.
  • Appointment of Taylor Perkins to Fair Housing Commission: Housing Director Lisa Davidson introduced Perkins, a Boston College professor with deep knowledge of fair housing policy. Perkins expressed a desire to expand outreach to immigrant and student communities using social media and alternate platforms, and to create "force multipliers" in the community. Councilors praised his qualifications. Recommended for approval.
  • Appointment of Calli Masters to Fair Housing Commission: Davidson introduced Masters, who has professional experience with fair housing organizations. Masters emphasized reaching vulnerable populations such as students and the elderly through social media, college campuses, and the Council on Aging. She also noted her state-level work as an opportunity to engage lawmakers. Recommended for approval.
  • Appointment of Jurett Mooltrey-Weathers to Affordable Housing Trust: Housing Coordinator Sheniqua Roper informed the committee that the candidate was unable to attend due to a family emergency. Roper requested consideration anyway, citing the candidate's professional and lived experience as a tenant advocate. The committee approved without objection, with Councilor Ewen-Campen noting his familiarity with the candidate's work. Recommended for approval.
  • Climate Action Commission Appointments (13 candidates): The committee considered appointments to the newly formed Climate Action Commission (CAC), which replaces the former CEUCC. Director of Sustainability Steven Nutter reported that 49 applications were received for 13 vacancies. Environmental Policy Manager Kate Bossingham explained the CAC's expanded scope and membership. Each candidate introduced themselves, highlighting their backgrounds and priorities:
    • Alexis Washburn (former CEUCC member): Focus on composting pilots and community choice energy.
    • Corey Donahue (absent): Noted for school decarbonization and climate ambassador work.
    • Courtney Koslow (affordable housing developer): Passion for school decarbonization and high-performance buildings.
    • Kenzie Ballard (Groundwork Somerville co-director): Youth climate justice advocacy, data collection on heat and air quality, tree planting, transportation advocacy.
    • Zahra Atti (Somerville High School senior): Immigrant experience, climate club leader, focused on community engagement and education.
    • Lauren Gunther (architect, sustainability director): Energy codes, passive house, resiliency, and environmental justice outreach.
    • Ritika Philip (new resident): School decarbonization and sustainability education.
    • Paxti Martinez (urban planner, Harvard grad): Solidarity economics, social infrastructure, cooling bike program in East Somerville.
    • Larry Yu (longtime resident, former CEUCC member): Listening to and activating residents, electrification, board member of Charles River Watershed Association.
    • Monte Allen (international development background): Persuaded CARE to focus on climate change as a driver of poverty; worked on building owner retrofit incentives.
    • Sierra Moll (state clean energy outreach): Mass Save program, heat pumps, insulation, pollinator gardens, native plants.
    • Bhavika Kalia (Somerville High School senior): Youth climate education, bridging city and school efforts.
    • Rio Hunter Black (recent Tufts grad, EMT): Collaboration with mutual aid organizations, youth activism, hospital climate resilience. All candidates were recommended for approval unanimously.
  • Appointment of Rodrigo Badaro, Bea Gomez-Mouakad, Marianne Walles, Martin Sanchez, Yesenia Alfaro, and Marcy Goldstein-Gelb to the Wage Theft Advisory Committee: City Clerk Henderson explained these were council appointments. The committee discussed staggering terms. Councilor Ewen-Campen made a motion to assign terms based on the order of names: first two for one year, next two for two years, last two for three years. The motion passed 4-0-1.

Key Outcomes

  • Votes on Appointments: All 18 items (minutes approval, 16 individual appointments, and the wage theft committee appointments) were approved on a single roll call vote of 4 in favor, 0 against, 1 absent (Councilor McLaughlin).
  • Order on Hiring Practices: Kept in committee for further discussion with HR.
  • Term Staggering for Wage Theft Advisory Committee: Terms assigned as: Rodrigo Badaro and Bea Gomez-Mouakad (1 year); Marianne Walles and Martin Sanchez (2 years); Yesenia Alfaro and Marcy Goldstein-Gelb (3 years).
  • Next Steps: The committee noted that a revised protocol for confirmation of appointments will be on a future City Council agenda.

Meeting Transcript

So welcome everyone. Welcome, everyone. I call this meeting to order. This is the committee's confirmation of appointment and personnel matters. It's Monday, July 6, 2026 at 6 p.m. Pursuant to chapter 2 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 this proceeding as soon as possible after the meeting on the city of Summer website and local cable access government channels. Will you please call the role? This is roll call, Council McLaughlin. Yeah. Councilor Hart. Here Council will counselor Young Campin. Here and Councilor Bow. Present. Mr. Chair, all members are present. We have a quorum. Wonderful. Thank you. So we will lay you know item one. You know, on the table to take it at the end for approval, which is you know, the minutes, you know, of the last meeting. Um and then before we proceed, I think uh Ig Honey should take some item out of order. I guess let me just so clerk a few items by the file number. Uh um Dr. Noggins, can you just read the items you want? I see blue, black. I'm just lost. Just Peter will read the any item that you want me to take out of order, and I'll take he will read it and then we'll take it out of order. I can't. I don't know. The num I cannot understand this text. So just read the items that you want to be taken, and then you know, Peter would will call them out, please. Good evening, Mr. Chair. Amanda Nature Williams, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. Uh, I believe the first item out of order. Uh, thank you, Chair, for your willingness to do that would be uh agenda item number three, file number 260655. Perfect. Okay. Um Peter, would you read that, please? Gender three, 260, excuse me, 0655. Requesting the confirmation of the appointment of Taylor Perkins to the Fair Housing Commission. Amazing. And and on in our just I I'm not gonna assume that my committee members and in support. So by any objection from the committee members, I hope it's okay that we took this as item out of order. Thank you. Thank you. I don't want to, you know. So is there anybody here to introduce the member?

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