Attend meetings in Somerville from May 16-23 about family leave laws and late-night dining

Public meetings this week look at adoption of more helpful Family and Medical Leave law provisions, financing for building fixes and water bill help and some late-night dining changes – one going later, one going earlier.

by Emily PaulsThursday, May 16, 2024Wednesday, May 15, 2024

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

Eat Greek Gyros is coming to Somerville’s Davis Square with a request for a 2 a.m. closing. (Photo: Eat Greek Gyros)

West Broadway project pop-up

West Broadway reconstruction outreach pop-up, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. City staff takes questions and feedback about the West Broadway reconstruction concept design, which will reconstruct sidewalks and repave Broadway between Clarendon Avenue and Alewife Brook Parkway (Route 16). The pop-up will be at Clarendon Hill Towers, 1372 Broadway.

Alternative crisis response

Mass Senior Action Council, 11:30 a.m. Monday. Seniors are invited to come learn about the alternative police response programs being put in place in Cambridge and Somerville. The council meets at the Citywide Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge.

Scholarship selection

Somerville Municipal Scholarship Committee, 6 p.m. Monday. The committee meets to discuss the application process for the need-based $1,000 education help for five graduating seniors in the Class of 2024, updates on total applicants to date, the selection process review and a communication plan. This meeting will take place at Central Library, 79 Highland Ave.

Family and Medical Leave law

Legislative Matters Committee, 6 p.m. Monday. The committee led by Ward 6 councilor Lance Davis meets to discuss a recommendation to adopt state law provisions guarantee more rights around family and medical leave, a conversation begun in 2022 by councilor at large Willie Burnley. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.

Building fixes and water help

Finance Committee, 6 p.m. Tuesday. Led by councilor at large Jake Wilson, this committee considers expenses from bonding $3 million for building improvements to accepting a $60,000 grant from the Low Income Housing Water Assistance Program via the City of Cambridge for income-eligible ratepayers who owe on water and sewer bills. Another $50,000 grant would go to the Office of Sustainability and Environment for a feasibility study to identify places for geothermal heating wells. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.

Telling tenants of their rights

Tenant Rights Workshop, 6 p.m. Tuesday. The Office of Housing Stability, which tried to prevent displacement and can help rehouse renter, runs through legal rights and resources such as those found on its webpage. The workshop is available to Somerville residents with interpretation available in Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole. Preregistration is required. This workshop will take place at Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave., Central Hill.

Late-night dining changes

Licenses and Permits Committee, 6 p.m. Wednesday. Eat Greek Gyros, which we wrote about as moving into the former Out of the Blue seafood restaurant space at 215 Elm St., Davis Square, comes in for permission to offer in-store, takeout and delivery services until 2 a.m. daily. The Papa John’s at 622 Somerville Ave., Ward 2, meanwhile, goes in the opposite direction, asking to cut an hour off its closing time to go to 1 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays and until 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays for takeout and delivery. The committee is chaired by councilor at large Willie Burnley. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.

Free Narcan to stop overdoses

Narcan Distribution, 2 to 7 p.m. May 23. The Somerville Prevention staff hosts a Narcan distribution event. Overdose prevention information and harm-reduction materials, including Narcan, Fentanyl test strips, CPR face shields and syringe disposal boxes that will be handed out for free. The distribution will be at 165 Broadway, East Somerville.