Somerville City Council Finance Committee Meeting - September 4, 2026

On September 4, 2026, the Somerville City Council Finance Committee met via Zoom, chaired by Councilor Ben Wheeler. The committee reviewed 14 fiscal items, including approvals of minutes, budget transfers, and grant acceptances. All items were unanimously recommended for approval by the full City Council, with requests for additional information on certain items. The meeting began at 6:03 PM and adjourned at 7:05 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the July 7, 2026 Finance Committee meeting were approved.

Discussion Items

Department of Public Works

• Transfer of $60,000 (ID #26-1316): Approved a $60,000 transfer from the DPW-Admin Salaries & Wages Temp Account to the DPW-Admin Professional & Technical Services Account to support temporary clerical staffing due to three vacancies. Director Megan Huckenpahler noted the positions are posted for permanent hires but temporary support is needed in the interim.

Public Space and Urban Forestry

• Green and Cool Somerville Grant (ID #26-1255): Approved acceptance and expenditure of a $187,200 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Grant from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs for sustainable sidewalk and tree projects. Director Alan Inacio noted a small in-kind match exists but no additional appropriation is requested. Locations for tree canopy expansion will be determined jointly with Engineering, Public Safety, and Urban Forestry.

Strategy and Planning

• Prior Year Invoice Payment (ID #26-1242): Approved payment of $3,572 from available Professional & Technical Services funds for the ArcGIS Urban Module implementation. The invoice was not paid in FY26 due to a clerical contract tagging error.
• Eastern Washington Street Transit Grant (ID #26-1241): Approved acceptance and expenditure of a $284,700 grant from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for pedestrian and traffic safety improvements near Sullivan Square, specifically at Washington and Myrtle Streets. Construction is expected to begin as early as late 2027.

Infrastructure

• Sewer Debt Service Transfer (ID #26-1226): Approved transfer of $315,000 from the Sewer Enterprise Debt Service Account to the Morrison Avenue & Greater Davis Square Area Sewer Separation Design Capital Fund. This procedural payment avoids rolling short-term borrowing into long-term debt.
• Tufts Street Soil Remediation (ID #26-1249 and #26-1250): Approved two related items: creation of the Tufts Street Soil Project Stabilization Fund with a $332,497 payment from Unifirst Corporation, and appropriation of the same amount for remediation efforts at 50 Tufts Street. The funds cover soil disposal costs for work already underway on an adjacent street project. Councilor Strezo raised concerns about community notification and potential exposure; Director Michael Richards committed to providing written details on the project plan and the legal agreement with the property owner.

Mobility

• Bluebikes Expansion Grant (ID #26-1248): Approved acceptance and expenditure of a $366,729.25 grant from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council for new e-bikes, replacement batteries, and two new docking stations at Blessing of the Bay and Junction Park. No new city match required; matching funds come from Bluebikes transaction revenue.
• Bluebikes Equipment Replacement Grant (ID #26-1243): Approved acceptance and expenditure of an $85,933.60 grant from the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization for state-of-good-repair equipment replacement. The required 20% match ($21,400) will be covered by existing Bluebikes transaction funds.

Police Department

• World Cup 2026 Overtime Grant (ID #26-1256): Approved acceptance of a $20,239 grant from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance to reimburse police overtime costs incurred during the FIFA World Cup 2026 summer games.
• Jail Diversion Program Grant (ID #26-1220): Approved acceptance of a $12,000 grant from the Mass Department of Mental Health for Q1 salary of a Jail Diversion Clinical Coordinator in the Community Outreach, Help and Recovery Unit (COHR). A full-year amended award is under review and expected before the Council.
• Crisis Intervention Training Grant (ID #26-1219): Approved acceptance of a $65,000 grant from the Mass Department of Mental Health for Q1 operational funding of the Metro Boston Crisis Intervention Training and Technical Assistance Center. The training is led by Somerville’s COHR team for police and other partners across the region.
• Deputy Chief Cost of Living Adjustment (ID #26-1234): Approved use of $8,800 from the Police Salaries account for FY2027 cost of living increases for the two Deputy Chief positions. The adjustment was omitted during the budget process and is consistent with other non-union staff increases. The administration will maintain salary tables to prevent future omissions.

Key Outcomes

• All 14 agenda items were recommended for approval by a unanimous 5-0 vote (Councilors Link, Strezo, Hardt, Scott, and Wheeler).
• The committee requested additional written information on the Tufts Street soil remediation project regarding community outreach, project timeline, and the legal agreement with Unifirst.
• Staff committed to providing follow-up details on the Bluebikes equipment costs and the Jail Diversion Program database.
• The meeting concluded with a motion to approve all items and adjourn, carried unanimously.