Friday, April 19, 2024

These are just some of the municipal meetings and civic events for the coming week. More are on the City of Somerville website.

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Outdoor dining seen Saturday in Somerville’s Davis Square is expected to be gone by Nov. 30. (Photo: Marc Levy)

Outdoor dining through Nov. 30

Licensing Commission, 6 p.m. Monday. Chaired by Joe Lynch, the commission will move to remind restaurants that the Outdoor Dining Program ends Nov. 30 and licensees must remove their street furniture and accessories from the public way by then. The commission will also discuss licensing fees associated with adult-use recreational marijuana. Watchable by Zoom video conferencing.

School Committee business

School Committee, 7 p.m. Monday. The committee will address “any and all business.” Preregistration is required to watch the meeting livestreamed.


Marijuana licensing changes

City Council Legislative Matters Committee, 6 p.m. Tuesday. This committee run by city councilor Lance Davis will consider whether to extend the exclusive period for priority marijuana licenses for adult-use cannabis shops. The ordinance restricts licenses to “economic empowerment applicants,” Somerville residents, cooperatively owned entities and the medical dispensaries already in the city; the proposal would extend that rule for another year. The committee will also review changes to city staff bereavement policy, vote to encourage the formation of neighborhood councils and consider a request from the mayor for the council to approve posting police officers at polling places, an issue the council has been grappling with since before the last election. Watchable by Zoom video conferencing.


The Armory, crossing guards

City Council Housing and Community Development Committee, 6 p.m. Wednesday. This committee run by city councilor Kristen Strezo will discuss next steps for the Armory building on Highland Avenue, which the city took by eminent domain last year. The next steps are expected to include hiring a consultant to help build up the Armory as a municipal arts space; improving maintenance of the facilities; and considering holding a public hearing about the Armory tenants and management. The committee will also discuss how to address a lack of crossing guard candidates, and hear a report from the director of housing stability on the status of residents facing displacement and the number of households seeking rental assistance. Watchable by Zoom video conferencing.

What to use curbs for

Citywide Parking and Curb Use Community Meeting, 6 p.m. Wednesday. Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and city staff will host a virtual community meeting to discuss findings from a Citywide Parking and Curb Use Study. After two years of research, data collection and stakeholder engagement, the study concluded and the team issued a report summarizing findings and recommendations for developing “an effective, equitable curb-management system.” The final report proposes strategies to “reduce future parking demand and equitably allocate limited curb space.” The meeting is watchable by Zoom video conferencing.


Land Use with affordable housing

City Council Land Use Committee, 6:30 p.m. Thursday. This committee run by city councilor Ben Ewen-Campen will vote on asking the Ballantyne administration to present plans “to advance the long-awaited affordable-housing components of the Union Square redevelopment.” Watchable by Zoom video conferencing.