Friend:

If you haven't already voted by mail or voted early in person at City Hall, please remember to vote in the Super Tuesday primary tomorrow, March 5, between 7 AM and 8 PM at your local polling place. 

I previously broke my policy of not endorsing below the state level to endorse Rand Wilson for the Democratic State Committee. So please remember to vote for Rand to help the Mass Dems re-commit to prioritizing people over profits!

If you're expecting to see state rep and state senate primary contests on the ballot, just a reminder that those elections won't happen until September.

And now, here are some other things happening in Somerville that I want to call attention to:

We need a Community Center Master Plan

I hear about the need for a community center in Somerville on a weekly basis. As someone who worked with youth and athletics prior to joining the City Council, I see this as a glaring need in our city. The good news is that a community center has widespread support on the council as well as among Somerville residents, and there's talk of multiple public and private community centers. More

Police Chief Search, Take 2

As the City Council representative on the Police Chief Search Committee, I'm taking part in the process of identifying Somerville's next police chief. My colleagues on the search committee include the City's Director of Human Resources Anne Gill, four constituents from the community, and two members of the Police Department. I'm excited to be working with the committee to bring to an end a process that will have stretched over four years since former Chief David Fallon announced his resignation in March 2020, by the time we finish our task this spring. More

Re-evaluating rodenticides

On Tuesday night the Rodent Issues Special Committee heard from Arlington resident and journalist Laura Kiesel on the dangers posed by Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides, or SGARs. Much of the presentation centered on the impact on animals higher up the food chain who ingest these poisons when they eat rats, as well as scientific questions about the efficacy of this approach. More

Affordable housing proposal community meeting
The second community meeting about Just A Start's proposal to do a 100-percent affordable housing development at 24 Webster Avenue in the heart of Union Square -- blocks from the T station there -- will take place on Monday, March 25, at 6 PM. I've written multiple letters of support for this project and I really hope to see it come to fruition. Register to attend the meeting here. 

2024 Summer Camp and Activities Fair
Summer can be tough on families, with our society leaving them to fend for themselves with childcare during summer vacation for schools. If you're looking to program your kids' summer, come learn more about opportunities here in Somerville at this event on Thursday, March 7, from 5 to 7 PM in the East Somerville Community School gym. And you can access to the 2024 Somerville Summer Activities Guide at somervillehub.org.

Multi-member body opportunities
The City of Somerville's multiple-member bodies (boards, committees, and commissions) are a great way to be an active part of our city and contribute to the community. The Administration currently is seeking members for the following multi-member bodies:

• Council on Aging Board of Directors (apply by Mar. 13)
• Fair Housing Commission
• Conservation Commission
• Anti-Displacement Task Force
• Cultural Capacity Planning (Somerville Arts Council)

Did You Know...
The City of Somerville used to publish an annual print municipal register. Full of information on our city government -- from elected officials to City departments -- and useful things like fire alarm and fire station locations and voting precinct locations, these were amazing pocket-sized treasure troves of municipal knowledge.

Donate to fund this work

Office Hours
I'll be announcing my March office hours details in next week's newsletter.

In the meantime, I encourage you to find a date and time to meet with me that works for you via my Calendly.

The week ahead
Here's what I'll be attending this week, if you're interested in joining me:

• Monday, Mar. 4: Gilman Square Neighborhood Council meeting @ 6:30 PM (Zoom)
• Tuesday, Mar. 5: Route 16 Traffic Calming Coalition meeting @ 7 PM (Zoom)

-Jake