Friend:

At last night's City Council regular meeting, we heard from the Administration that they are looking to put a ballot question before voters this November authorizing the City to increase to the Community Preservation Act (CPA) surcharge. They arrived at this decision after it became clear last week that a local option on the transfer fee will not be included in the housing bond bill coming out of Beacon Hill.

Without that estimated $6 to $10 million per year in transfer fee revenue to put toward affordable housing, the City is left looking for other ways to fund this. While the CPA won't come close to matching that level of funding provided by a transfer fee, it's better than nothing.

While the impact to property owners would absolutely minimal (under $100 year in additional property taxes for the average condo and under $200 per year for the average one- and two-family), this would generate an additional $3 million for affordable housing, open space, historic preservation, and recreation.

For the many pros and the very small cons, the tight timeline ahead of Election Day on November 5 means that a well-coordinated campaign strategy will need to be executed to get this passed. During the meeting, I raised concerns about this being one of three ballot questions stacking up to put before voters in the coming years, along with a debt exclusion on a new school and (hopefully) a new city charter. These campaigns will need to be sequenced in a way that ensures passage for all three. Stay tuned for more on this!

Here are some other things happening around Somerville:

July 9 Land Use Committee

The City Council's Land Use Committee meet on Tuesday, July 9 with multiple public hearings on hugely significant and consequential items, including:

• two zoning map changes for the Somernova proposal in Ward 2
• a zoning map change to upzone for the Somerville YMCA's proposed new facility on Highland Ave
• a zoning map amendment to upzone most of a block in Gilman Square
• an amendment to the zoning ordinance to create an Interim Planning Overlay District (IPOD) in Brickbottom
• a zoning map amendment to upzone a parcel in Union Square

Over 200 people were in attendance to comment publicly on these items. A number of members of the public commented on how unfortunate it was that these items were all stacked together on one agenda. I think it's safe to say every member of the Land Use Committee agreed with them as the meeting stretched nearly to the five-hour mark. Needless to say, it wasn't our preference to stack up public hearings like that. More

Dilboy Pool open & free of charge!

Following repairs to damaged systems this winter, the Dilboy Pool opened for the season on June 28. The best news is that this year there is no admission charge to use this vital community summer resource!

ArtBeat moved to rain date Sunday

ArtBeat is moving to its rain date of Sunday, July 14 due to the forecast for Saturday. This year's theme is WILD. This annual festival features local visual artists and makers, musical performances, family activities, and food. A $3 suggested donation will get you this year's version of the ArtBeat dog tag. You can get all the details and a full schedule of the event here.

Note: Elm Street and Holland Street will be closed to vehicle traffic in Davis Square for the event, so please plan your travel accordingly.

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:

• Human Rights Commission (apply by 9/30/2024)
• Women's Commission (apply by 9/30/2024)

Cocktails & Karaoke Fundraiser now AUGUST 24
There's a new date and time for my campaign fundraiser: Saturday, August 24. With so many people out of town this weekend, it made sense to find a weekend when more folks are in town and able to attend. I'll be behind the bar mixing cocktails (and mocktails!) and there will be a karaoke setup for anyone who wants to get up and sing.

So come out to enjoy a late summer evening while raising funds to help pay for things like the webhost (who sends out these newsletters), as well as other subscriptions for things like Google Workspace, Zoom Pro, and Calendly. I'll give an update on some things I'm working on with the council and some summer research projects I'm doing with a summer intern from the high school.

Can't make the fundraiser? You can donate here:

Summer availability & office hours
The City Council might be on our summer recess with no meetings scheduled until August 22, but with the exception of a two-week family vacation from July 21 to August 4, I'm still here working for you. So feel free to reach out via email at [email protected] or text/phone at 617.468.8969.

Thank you to everyone who came out to my joint office hours with Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven and Sen. Pat Jehlen on Monday night. Stay tuned for news on my August office hours. In the meantime, if you'd prefer to meet individually, you can find a date and time to meet with me that works for you via my Calendly. 

-Jake