City Updates

In Somerville, we pride ourselves on being a city that is home to people from all around the world and of every religion. So, when an atrocity like the mosque attacks in New Zealand takes place, we feel it here. We want to state emphatically our revulsion over this type of prejudice-driven violence and our solidarity with the people in our local Muslim community.

SOMERVILLE – The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is holding their annual Community Preservation Plan public hearing on Wednesday, March 25, at 7 p.m. in the 3rd floor Community Room at the Visiting Nurse Association, 259 Lowell St. The Community Preservation Plan establishes the annual funding priorities and allocations for the three categories that Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds can support. From fiscal years 2015 to 2018, the annual funding minimums were 45% for affordable housing, 15% for historic resources, and 15% for open space/recreation land.

The Council would like to thank all who attended and testified at the March 12 Public Hearing on Regulation of Tree Removal on Private Property.

On April 4, the Legislative Matters Committee will begin discussion of the Proposed Tree Preservation Ordinance linked to here.

The Council encourages the public to continue to participate in this important effort to best protect the mature urban forest and significant private trees.

The City is now accepting applications for positions on Mayor Joseph Curtatone’s Appointments Advisory Committee (AAC). The Committee reviews applications and makes recommendations for vacant Mayor-appointed posts on boards and commissions with regulatory or decision-making authority.

Somerville residents and the City both stand to benefit if 230 Somerville households sign up for a no-cost Mass Save® Home Energy Assessment in 2019. The Mass Save Program can help Somerville property owners and tenants save on energy and maintenance costs, increase the home’s comfort and value, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, if 230 households complete no-cost Home Energy Assessments and a cumulative 300 energy upgrades, the City can receive up to $8,700 in grants from the National Grid Community Initiative.

Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced that the City filed suit today against opioid manufacturers and distributors, including the chain pharmacy Walgreens as a distributor, for their alleged deceptive and illegal promotion of opioids and failure to investigate, report, maintain effective control, and take steps to terminate suspicious orders of the highly addictive prescription drugs.

The Somerville Community Preservation Committee (CPC) invites residents to join a conservation about options for a dog park in West Somerville at their Wednesday, January 23 meeting. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Visiting Nurse Association 3rd floor community room (259 Lowell St), and seeks to receive community feedback if and where there is space for a dog park in West Somerville, and how dog parks can be effectively managed in a densely populated urban community.

SOMERVILLE — If you’re interested in big issues like housing, development, job creation, and open space we need your help in planning for the future of Somerville. As part of the launch of SomerVision 2040, the City of Somerville is seeking members for a steering committee that will help shape the community process and immediate goals.

Citing concerns over health impacts on youth, the Somerville Board of Health voted on December 13 to restrict the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems (e-cigarettes) and menthol cigarettes in Somerville. The new regulations will end the practice of allowing such products to be sold in retail establishments open to youth. Starting April 1, 2019, the sale of both menthol and e-cigarettes will be restricted to 21+, adult-only tobacco retail stores. Somerville is the first municipality in the Commonwealth to pass such regulations.