City Finances

Mayor Curtatone announced memo of agreement with Firefighters Local 76 deferring retroactive payments to next fiscal year. This agreement means no layoffs this fiscal year (including closing West Branch Library). Asked for executive session to discuss next steps, and continuing negotiations with fire alarm operators.

January 11, 2012:  State and local news organizations report today that the City is suing the local firefighters union and a state panel in order to halt payment on what is legitimately owed Somerville’s Fire Fighters Local 76.  (See today’s Boston Globe report)…

Agenda includes the proposed zoning changes to Somerville Avenue from Wilson Square to Porter Square, White Street, and Elm Street from White Street to Wilson Square. “What’s in it for us?”

The City of Somerville is proposing zoning changes to Somerville Avenue from Wilson Square to Porter Square, White Street, and Elm Street from White Street to Wilson Square. While this zoning change can bring definite benefits to the city in tax revenue, some abutters are asking “What’s in it for us?”

Perspective on the proposed charter by Stephanie Hirsch, a Somerville parent and Director of SomerPromise, a joint effort of the City, Schools, on-profit providers, residents, Tufts, and the Somerville Housing Authority to increase coordination and to use data-informed decision-making to improve life outcomes for children in Somerville.

Agenda not available (11/29/11). This meeting will most likely discuss property tax percentages for fiscal year 2012.

This public hearing will affect property tax percentages for fiscal year 2012, giving revenue implications of various rates. Every Somerville property owner will be affected by this hearing.

The comment period ends 11/23/11. This is your chance to provide input to Federal guidelines on access by persons with disabilities.

These meetings are an important way to make your needs known to Somerville government. Show up and make your voice heard.

Agenda includes Assembly Square Blocks 1 and 4 and sewer and drain work in Ten Hills. This work helps fulfill the financial conditions needed for the success of the Assembly Square DIF and iCubed programs.

The group will review the draft comprehensive plan document and discuss the stakeholder’s presentation.

Agenda includes public hearings on proposed developments at Blocks 1 and 4 of Assembly Square. These developments help fulfill the financial conditions needed for the success of the Assembly Square DIF and iCubed programs.

Agenda likely includes Assembly Square mixed use buildings on Block 3, including a cinema. These proposals help fulfill the financial conditions needed for the success of the Assembly Square DIF and iCubed programs.

We will present a summary of the City’s almost finished Comprehensive Plan, followed by discussion. The plan is the product of over two years of work by the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee.

The latest robocall announced the 4th Annual Riverfest, Saturday, 9/17, featuring “fireworks, entertainment, food and family activities” for Somerville residents. The familiar and friendly voice of Jackie Rossetti encouraged residents to participate. The latter part…

At this meeting the MPO will vote on whether to ignore the needs of Somerville and Medford residents and push back the Green Line Extension to 2018.

Agenda includes Assembly Square mixed use buildings on Blocks 1, 3, and 4, including a cinema. These proposals help fulfill the financial conditions needed for the success of the Assembly Square DIF and iCubed programs.

The Green Line Extension, a legal obligation of the Commonwealth, has been dropped from the 2012-2015 TIP and delayed until 2018. This not only deprives Somerville of long-needed transit access, it jeopardizes the state’s access to Federal transportation funding.

City government should not misrepresent its hostile revenue-boosting scheme as a policy to improve parking conditions. For many residents it imposes greater hardship.

Greetings all. Just a reminder about next week’s community meeting: On Monday, June 27, 6:30-8 p.m., please join Mayor Curtatone, Alderman Gewirtz, at-large aldermen, City officials…

The agenda includes annotating city maps with possible locations of transformational districts, neighborhood infill districts, and other land use categories.

The Inner Belt, soon to have a new Green Line T-Stop, is one of the few locations in Somerville still available for transformation into an economic powerhouse for Somerville.

When Watertown, MA resident Mark Pickering received a parking citation during a visit to a friend in nearby Somerville, he figured a simple letter to the Office of the Parking Clerk would result in a scheduled hearing or a ticket dismissal. Instead, he received an anonymous note of rejection with an extra $5 fine. [See Mark's letter in the SJ : Parking ticket appeal system needs work]…

This is one of the final hurdles for the long-awaited Orange Line T-Stop at Assembly Square. Please support this development. A T-Stop at Assembly Square will unlock the potential of the site and make possible what Somerville has wanted for more than a decade.

This is the final discussion and vote on the DIF bond issue. The City should issue these bonds only with a signed commitment to the “best effort” of Federal Realty to bring R&D/office into Assembly Square.

The agenda is to discuss the Assembly Row Bond issue and a petition by 60 Somerville residents to ensure that development financed by the Assembly Row DIF yield jobs for Somerville residents.

This is a presentation and panel discussion on how to finance public transportation in Massachusetts. Paying for public transportation has proved a critical problem in the current economic and political environment.

The Committee is calling this meeting to further discuss the Assembly Row DIF Bond issue. If Assembly Row is not developed to produce a high enough tax base, the city could end up repaying this bond from general funds.

Among other business, this meeting will address economic development in Magoun Square, possible use of the Massachusetts Economic Development Incentive Program, and the status of the Comprehensive Plan.

This is a continuation of the 3/31/11 Assembly Row DIF Bond hearing. If Assembly Row is not developed to produce a high enough tax base, the city could end up repaying this bond from general funds.

Following the last update on this story in late February, T&P Director Matt Dias offered and provided the requested data including a column indicating whether each ticket appeal was made online or not. Even better, the cost was $30 less than his original quote.…

Convened to discuss the Assembly Row DIF Bond proposal. If Assembly Row is not developed to produce a high enough tax base, the city could end up repaying this bond from general funds.

If Assembly Row is not developed to produce a high enough tax base, the city could end up repaying this bond from general funds.

These meetings provide an important opportunity to weigh in on the direction Somerville is setting for its future.

The Governing Body determines how much of the tax increment from DIF districts is used for district improvements and how much is returned to the city general fund.

At this meeting the group will continue to build maps showing future development districts in Somerville.

At this meeting the group will continue to build maps showing future development districts in Somerville.

At this meeting the group will continue to build maps showing future development districts in Somerville.

This is the meeting to get to! The group will begin a city-wide land use map showing the proposed development areas and their categorizations.

How are our tax dollars, fines, and fees being spent by City Hall?

This is the true story of how the City of Somerville stonewalled my request for public records and then went out of its way to satisfy a very similar request by BU’s New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR).…

If implemented as planned, this DIF will very likely result in developments that only cover debt service on the DIF bonds themselves. The rest of Somerville will pay for the city services required by those developments.

If implemented incorrectly, self-storage in Assembly Square could discourage higher-value uses, which we need more than ever now that infrastructure and Orange Line funding have gone away.

There is now a $63 M gap in infrastructure funding for Assembly Square. The Orange Line T-Stop and the rest of the development is in jeopardy unless we close the gap by a combination of stopgap funding and a $25 M DIF in Assembly Square.

Under the proposed DIF, increases in Assembly Square tax revenue would be diverted to pay for the infrastructure. If tax revenues were inadequate, the taxpayers would foot the bill.

This meeting gives citizens a chance to provide feedback to the City on how things are going in their neighborhoods.

The joint subcommittee meetings will address conflicts between worthy goals. For instance, increasing tax revenue by commercial development may conflict with increasing affordable housing and maintaining neighborhood character.

At this meeting, the group will review the draft Comprehensive Plan. Somerville’s citywide development for the next twenty years will be shaped by the comprehensive plan. This is a public meeting; any citizen is entitled to observe.

Somehow, like magic, the tax cut will only cut funding for things we don’t like. We have been hearing this message since 1979, when Ronald Reagan was running for office. I was a lie thirty years ago, and it remains a lie today. Cutting taxes does not create more effective government.

This is the regular planning meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. At this meeting, the group will finish reviewing the policies and actions.

Somerville’s citywide development for the next twenty years will be shaped by the comprehensive plan. This is a public meeting; any citizen is entitled to observe.

A Public Hearing will be held on Wednesday, October 6th at 7pm at the Aldermanic Chambers to discuss the District Improvement Financing (DIF) Program covering Union Square, Boynton Yards, Inner Belt, and Somerville Avenue. This is displayed prominently on the City’s homepage.

This program will affect Somerville financing for the next 30 years and could result, in the future, in property takings by the city.

This meeting is expected to include a proposed zoning change to allow self-storage facilities in Assembly Square, which should be referred to the Land Use Committee.

The HUD grants are applied to the problems of homelessness, affordable housing, transit-oriented development, and parks and open space. Citizen input is helpful in setting priorities.

District Improvement Financing is useful in building tax revenue, provided the projects supported are high enough in density to provide adequate tax base. If they aren’t, the city is on the hook.

299 Broadway (Ocean State Job Lot): Denied. Assembly Square PUD (Assembly Square Drive subdivision): Approved. 90 Union Square: Continued. 425 Broadway (wireless equipment): Approved, on to ZBA. 221 Morrison Ave. (historic B&B): Approved, on to ZBA. 25 Hamlet St. (barn replaced with duplex): Approved, on to ZBA. 42-44 Boston Ave. (deck and stairs): Approved, on to ZBA. 270 Cedar St. (9 residences, parking space count variance): Special Permit withdrawn, variance approved, on to ZBA. Staff not available to do minutes, CD recording available on request.

This is the regular monthly meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. The Strategic Planning staff is drafting the Comprehensive Plan. Somerville’s citywide development for the next twenty years will be shaped by the comprehensive plan.

This is the regular meeting of the Somerville Planning Board. This meeting will deal with an ongoing and sometimes controversial Somerville development, Ocean State Job Lot at 299 Broadway. The Planning Board holds public hearings and grants permits for special districts, such as Planned Unit Developments.

This meeting was devoted entirely to passing the proposed modifications to the Preliminary Master Plan for Assembly Square. The Planning Staff had asked Federal Realty to generalize the use mix from Office and R&D because Somerville zoning has a very narrow definition of Office use. Federal Realty widened the definition to include all Somerville uses under special permit. The Planning Board stated that in the absence of any opposition, they would waive the reading of the 70 conditions and voted to approve the changes to the PUD. Some citizens present had expected to have a period for written comment before the vote.

At this meeting we will be discussing the policies and actions derived from the comprehensive plan goals. This meeting is important because Somerville’s citywide development for the next twenty years will be shaped by the comprehensive plan.

At this meeting we will discuss the progress of the infrastructure improvements, Ch 91 licenses, and a proposed amendment to the Assembly Square Master Plan. This meeting is important because it provides a last chance to weigh into the development process at Assembly Square.

There was some good news tonight for school custodians, at the city budget hearing at City Hall. It was announced that the mayor and the custodians’ union is in negotiations, and so it’s possible that the layoff of 49 custodians and outsourcing of their jobs may be avoided.

“In budget-cutting season, politics can be brutal,” wrote the author of a recent View from Prospect Hill column in the Somerville News.  With an $8.1 million budget gap, it is imperative that the city cut…

All hearings on the City Budget are important, because the Budget decides where the money goes.

The Mayor of Somerville has yet again stolen another idea from Cambridge: road races. He should be spending time and energy to help get us out of this financial crush.

I am a school custodian for the City of Somerville.  I see a Boston Herald article that Boston is cutting 83 school custodians.

Reading the comments ( there are 249 comments so far!) I see that many of what these other people are saying is true…

Dear Friends of Somerville Schools,

I want to let folks know that documents relevant to the budget planning process for our schools for the next fiscal year are now available on the School Department website. I have pasted the link here

On May 25, 2010 my union received a letter that stated that as of the new fiscal year the school custodians would be privatized out… The mayor mentions that he does not want to cut public safety or education but this mayor has packed the police and fire with all his friends…

This meeting is important because it provides an early opportunity to influence future plans for Davis Square.

This meeting is important because it gives citizens a chance to provide feedback to the City on how things are going in their neighborhoods.

This meeting is important because Somerville’s citywide development for the next twenty years will be shaped by the comprehensive plan. This meeting is open to the public.

This meeting is important because it gives citizens a chance to provide feedback to the City on how things are going in their neighborhoods.

This meeting is important because it gives citizens a chance to provide feedback to the City on how things are going in their neighborhoods.

Dear Friends, As you probably know, in May and June the School Committee enters the height of the budget season as we make plans for the next fiscal year, which begins on July 1. This is always a complicated process and one best conducted with the public fully informed of the process.

“I hope you all get some power someday, so you’ll know what it’s like to have to satisfy your constituents’ demands with a limited budget.”

Attended meeting. Ald. Gewirtz, Heuston, Pero, Sullivan present. Staff including Monica Lamboy and representative of City Solicitor present. Also Joe Grafton of Somerville Local First, Tom Bent of Chamber of Commerce.

Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Planning Meeting

Tues. Apr. 6 6:30 PM

Upper Hall
Greek Orthodox Church
29 Central St.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the third planning meeting…

The City of Somerville was one of 10 cities honored as an All America City by the National League of Cities in 2009. During the announcement, the audience was informed that, “this is a community that uses information to improve the lives of its residents.” Here’s some information about the inaccessible DPW facility.

A town cannot set its tax rate until it has received the Cherry Sheet. But what does it mean?

Mass Development Financing Programs

Thurs. Mar. 25 11:00 AM

Somerville City Hall
Aldermen’s Chamber
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

This workshop consists of a presentation by MassDevelopment…

BOA Committee on Parks and Open Space Meeting

Mon. Mar. 22 8:00 PM

Somerville City Hall
2nd Fl. Comm. Rm.
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)…

What’s Next For the Powder House Community School?

WHY :       The City is moving ahead with plans to rezone and sell the Powder House School property.

WHAT :    Join your neighbors to…

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick spoke in the inaccessible Somerville High School auditorium this past Monday March 8, 2010, celebrating the fact that Somerville, MA was named one of the 10 All America Cities

Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Planning Meeting

Tues., Mar. 9, 6:30 PM

Upper Hall
Greek Orthodox Church
29 Central St.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the second phase 3…

The New England Center for Investigative Reporting at Boston University has taken an interest in our (Somerville Voices) proposed investigation of parking fines and has offered to analyze the ticket data for the amount of $500.…

This hearing is important because it is a key step toward getting Federal money for improving Somerville.

Banks and Verizon need to be held to the kind of standards they use to torture their customers.

Committee on Legislative Matters

Tues. Feb. 9 7:00 PM

Aldermen’s Chamber
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

Agenda (PDF)

This is…

Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Planning Meeting

Tues., Feb. 16, 6:30 PM

Upper Hall
Greek Orthodox Church
29 Central St.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the rescheduling of the…

As the City prepares to sell the closed Powder House School building to private developers, the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) just posted an Aug 24, 2009 real estate analysis report (pdf) to its website .…

Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Visioning Meeting

Tues., Jan. 26, 6:30 PM

Upper Hall
Greek Orthodox Church
29 Central St.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the last Visioning meeting…

This is the second Visioning meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. At this meeting, the group will review the citizen inputs from the earlier SomerVision meetings and pull them together into the beginning of a vision statement.

BOA Committee on Finance

Wed. Jan. 13, 7:00 PM

2nd Floor Comm. Room
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the first 2010 meeting…

Ward 1 ResiStat Meeting

Mon. Dec. 7, 7:30 PM

Cafeteria
Capuano Early Childhood Center
150 Glen St.
Somerville MA (map)

This meeting, sponsored by Mayor Curtatone and Ward…

Ward 4 ResiStat Meeting

Tues. Dec. 8, 7:00 PM

Cafeterium
Arthur D. Healey School
5 Meacham St.
Somerville MA (map)

This meeting, sponsored by Mayor Curtatone and Ward…

BOA Committee on Finance

Wed. Dec. 9, 7:00 PM

2nd Floor Comm. Room
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

Agenda (PDF)

Ward 7 ResiStat Meeting

Thurs. Dec. 10, 5:30 PM

Tufts Admin. Building (TAB)
167 Holland St.
Somerville MA (map)

This meeting, sponsored by Mayor Curtatone and Ward 7…

BOA Committee on Finance

Tues. Dec. 1, 6:00 PM

2nd Floor Comm. Room
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

Agenda (PDF)

Ward 5 ResiStat Meeting

Tues. Dec. 1, 7:00 PM

Cafeterium
John F. Kennedy School
5 Cherry St.
Somerville MA (map)

This meeting, sponsored by Mayor Curtatone and Ward…

Ward 2 ResiStat Meeting

Mon. Nov. 30, 7:30 PM

Argenziano School
290 Washington Street
Somerville MA (map)

This meeting, sponsored by Mayor Curtatone and Ward 2 Alderman Heuston…

Pittsburgh floats a sales tax on college tuition!

Comprehensive Plan Visioning Meeting

Tues. Nov. 17, 6:30 PM

Argenziano School
290 Washington Street
Somerville MA (map)

This is the November meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee…

Somerville Voices will sponsor a public forum on Sunday, Nov 15th, 7-9:30 pm about our city’s changing parking regulations and how they will affect residents, visitors, businesses, and the city budget. …

BOA Committee on Finance

Mon. Nov. 9, 6:00 PM

2nd Floor Comm. Room
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

Agenda (PDF)

This…

BOA Committee on Housing and Community Development

Thurs. Nov. 5, 7:00 PM

2nd Floor Conference Room
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

This is meeting…

BOA Committee on Finance

Wed. Nov. 4, 6:00 PM

2nd Floor Comm. Room
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the regular meeting of…

Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Meeting

Tues. Oct. 27, 6:30 PM

Community Room
Visiting Nurses Association
259 Lowell St.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the second October meeting of…

BOA Finance Committee Meeting and Hearing

Wed. Oct. 14 6:30 PM

Aldermanic Chamber
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

This is a continuation of the…

Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Meeting

Tues. Oct. 13, 6:30 PM

Community Room
Visiting Nurses Association
259 Lowell St.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the first October meeting of…

BOA Committee on Finance Meetings

• Tues. Sep. 22, 6:00 PM
• Wed. Sep. 23, 6:00 PM

2nd Floor Comm. Room
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

BOA Finance Committee Meeting and Hearing

Wed. Sep. 16 6:00 PM

Aldermanic Chamber
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

Agenda (MS Word)

Almost half of the Aug 27th BOA mtg agenda (pdf) basically consists of 311 service requests like orders to fix potholes and sidewalks. The other half contains some interesting items including these highlights (emphasis added by me):

Note that Ward 7 Alderman Bob Trane was the only member to not have sponsored any items. The Aldermen each earn a salary of $24,521.03 in FY2010.…

On Aug 27th, the Board of Aldermen raised taxes on meals by 0.75% and on hotels by 2% effective Oct 1st, according to Danielle Dreilinger’s report today on Boston.com. These taxes will generate an estimated $620,715 in revenue. One wonders why this item did not appear on the meeting agenda (pdf) and also how the extra money will be spent?…

So I get a trash violation citation in the mail — all but illegible & addressed to a misconception of my name — dunning me for $50 for putting out trash too early and in…

Traffic Board Meeting and Hearing

Thurs. Aug. 13, 6 PM

Aldermanic Chamber
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

Agenda (PDF)

This is…

This public hearing will be convened by the Traffic Board in the Aldemanic Chamber at City Hall. I initially noticed this in Deb Filcman’s Aug 7 SJ blog post.  For background about the parking changes, visit the SPARC blog , check out the just-posted video of the 7/27 interview on SCAT’s Progressive Voices of SPARC-co-founder Courtney Koslow,  or see the recent articles on Somerville Voices/Journal/News.…

Special Meeting, Somerville Board of Aldermen

Tues. Aug. 4 6:30 PM

Aldermanic Chamber
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

This special meeting of the Board…

Somerville Housing and Land Use Joint Committee Meeting

Wed. July 29, 7 PM

Aldermanic Chamber
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville  MA (map)

Agenda (MS

This important press conference will be held Monday morning at Assembly Square with Governor Patrick, Senator Kerry and Congressman Capuano. The event will focus on I-Cubed funding, GDI funding and stimulus funding for the Assembly on the Mystic project. Issues of interest: * Assembly Square long term vision * Assembly Square Orange Line T-Stop funding

Assembly Square Public Advisory Committee Meeting

Mon. July 20, 6:00 PM

Federal Realty Investment Trust
5 Middlesex Ave. Suite 401
Somerville MA (map)

This important event is sponsored by Federal…

I have a new idea as to how Somerville can raise revenue: ticket jaywalkers.  I drive through Davis Square daily to drop my son off at daycare and DAILY come across pedestrians who think it is OK to cross the street wherever they want.  …

This Somerville ARRA Funding Watch is gleaned from the Massachusetts Area Planning Council’s Municipal Resource Guide on the Federal Economic

In spite of the overwhelming cupidity of the Board of Aldermen, one or more may ask why or how the Mayor connects “access” to higher tickets across the board? … The obvious conclusion is that he cares nothing about access, and everything about money. While that may be good for his budget, it is at real cost to citizens and businesses, and, ultimately, to the management system that justifies – or rationalizes – that cost.

Come out to the next Progressive Democrats of Somerville Meeting!
When: Tuesday, June 23rd, 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Where: VNA, 259 Lowell Street, Community Room

The message below was sent by Richard Saunders, Director of Music for the Somerville Public Schools. He is rightfully outraged by a bill currently being considered by the House of Representatives, (Bill H111)which would require school music department to sterilize instruments. Here’s a Globe article about it. …

I thought Somerville Voices readers might be interested in my recent newsletter about the state budget.  If you’d like to receive future newsletters, you can sign up at www.patjehlen.org

From the SPS homepage, entitled “A message from Tony Pierantozzi, Superintendent of Schools”
… The extent of the impact of the current financial crisis on fiscal year 2010 remains unclear. We do know…

You are invited to attend a public budget hearing on Wednesday, June 3rd at 7:00 PM in the Somerville High School Library (81 Highland Avenue) to discuss the proposed FY10 budget for the Somerville Public…

As announced in the Somerville Journal : What should happen with the former Powder House Community School?

According to the Somerville Journal:
Somerville Democrats will meet Tuesday, May 19, at 6:30 p.m. in the community room at the Visiting Nurses Association at 259 Lowell St.

Mayor Joe Curtatone will…

The City of Somerville, as an Entitlement Community, receives millions of Federal dollars from HUD each year from the Community Development Block Grant, Emergency Shelter Grant, and HOME programs.  These monies must be spent on…

The following was posted by Ward 5 School Committee member Mark Niedergang to the list of the Progressive Democrats of Somerville (PDS) on Apr 24th.

How do you think Somerville should respond to the…

from Mark Niedergang

Dear friends,

The Board of Aldermen and School Committee together will be holding a public forum on the FY 2010 budget this Tuesday, April 28th, at 7 PM in the…