Mayor Katjana Ballantyne on behalf of the City of Somerville has reached a new agreement with the union representing its Fire Alarm Operators for a new contract, providing improved wages and benefits for a valued set of City workers.

The City's Fire Alarm Unit provides 24/7 dispatch for the Somerville Fire Department, and its contract is negotiated by Somerville Firefighters Local 76. The new three-year contract will cover the City’s 2024 fiscal year (FY24: July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024), as well as FY2025 and FY2026.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville Arts Council are inviting the community to NibbleFest, a celebration of Nibble Kitchen’s five-year anniversary at Bow Market, on Sunday, June 30, from 12-4 p.m. at Bow Market (entrance by 345 Somerville Ave).

To celebrate five fantastic years, Nibble Kitchen will host pop-ups from some of their favorite Chefs-in-Residence, past and present. In addition to delicious food, there will be live music courtesy of Juan Carlos Ruiz,  and activities including the Test Your Nose! game, and face painting. 

Extreme heat, that is unusual for our area this early in the summer, is expected in Somerville and the region this week. The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for Tuesday afternoon, and an Excessive Heat Watch for Wednesday afternoon through Friday evening. Community members are urged to take precautions to stay safe and healthy as temperatures are currently expected to rise well into the 90s, possibly approaching 100 degrees this week.

The City of Somerville is accelerating its ongoing efforts to make city streets safer by ensuring forward-looking design and safety practices are embedded throughout all street improvement projects citywide. This includes reemphasizing the City’s commitment to complete the Somerville Bicycle Network plan’s 40-mile priority network by 2030.