The business of the City of Somerville was on the agenda at the latest meeting of the Somerville City Council.

By Ryan DiLello

The Somerville City Council convened for its regular meeting on Thursday, February 9, to debrief recent committee meetings and to discuss a myriad of items including the status of rodent control efforts in East Somerville, enforcing bike lane laws, and celebrating Black History Month.

Ward 3 City Councilor and Council President Ben Ewen-Campen, called the meeting to order and began with a moment of silence dedicated to Somerville’s Kathleen M. Sullivan and (retroactively) to those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

Following the moment of silence, Ewan-Campen commended Cleanthe Marsh on her 100th birthday and Ed DaSilva on his retirement from the Informational Technology Department after 33 years of service.

The next several items concerned distinct permissions for Eversource and Verizon to carry out wire work. Following those requests were items that called upon the Commissioner of Public Works to remove wires left behind, haphazardly, by the city’s utility companies. Councilor At-Large Kristen Strezo thanked the Department of Public Works for rising to the occasion and taking matters into their own hands, but noted that the utility companies should be held accountable and names should be taken to enable fines for the negligent companies.

The Council then approved a resolution that supported payment in lieu of tax legislation in MA and then moved to health-related topics. First, the Council approved an order for the Director of Health and Human Services to discuss how the ending of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency might affect residents and the city’s access to vaccines, tests, and other resources. The Council then approved an order to increase communication and education of residents on the impact – and processes for removal – of black swallow-wort.

Following a few minor orders and committee reports, the Council approved a motion to revise the appropriate ordinance to tow and ticket any vehicle parked in a crosswalk, bike lane, ADA ramp, bus stop, or sidewalk.

The Council then shifted to hear from the Rodent Issues Special Committee which had convened last month to discuss ways in which the city is handling its rodent problem. The discussion culminated in a disagreement between Ward 1 Councilor Matthew McLaughlin and Liaison Hannah Carrillo over the number of SMART boxes in East Somerville. McLaughlin requested that the committee receive more information at its next meeting, and that more SMART boxes be placed throughout East Somerville to address rodent issues.

While on the subject of rodents, Ward 7 Councilor Pineda Neufeld, At-Large Councilor Kristen Strezo, and At-Large Councilor Charlotte Kelly requested that the Director of Inspectional Services consider a financial relief program for low-income residents paying out of pocket for rodent-control, including car and home repairs. Kelly called on the Commissioner of Public Works to update the Council on the replacement of trash bins due to rodent activity.

Lastly, At-Large Councilor Willie Burnley Jr. called on the council to recognize February as Black History Month. “Quite frankly, I and many members of the Black community feel Black History gets the short end of the stick, generally speaking but also in terms of our shorter month. We’re often forgotten amidst what goes on in February. Last month, especially, made me reflect on a lot of the societal issues that have plagued the Black community for so long. Thinking about Tyre Nichols, and all of the work that our country still needs to do to create a system of justice for all. It makes me want to double down on our efforts to do that locally while celebrating all the wonderful achievements and contributions the black community has made to Somerville.

I found 1870 census data from Somerville in which there was a man named Leonard Grimes, who was the pastor of the Twelfth Baptist Church of Boston and also a conductor of the underground railroad. Grimes helped shepherd people to Canada in search of freedom and he was a part of our community. He spent his last few years here with his wife and kids. This is a time in which we should be lifting those [kinds of] stories, honoring them, internalizing them, and then taking lessons from those who came before us – really to take action for the betterment of our society,” Councilor Burnley Jr. said, wishing everyone a happy Black History Month.