Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the City of Somerville invite you to a virtual community meeting to discuss a new fee structure for outdoor dining licenses. 

This year, the city plans to implement a new Use of Public Space Fee for outdoor dining licenses. Expanded outdoor dining has been a success of the past few years, adding vibrancy to the squares of Somerville, but using public space for commercial purposes also puts new demands on sidewalks and streets. Prior to 2020, fees for outdoor dining parklets were in the $1000s. The city did not charge fees in 2020, 2021, or 2022 to promote safe outdoor gatherings and support local businesses during the pandemic. In 2023, Somerville only reintroduced administrative fees, when many other communities reinstituted full fees for outdoor dining license holders. 

The city’s Economic Development Division is hosting two virtual community conversations to help inform the Use of Public Space Fee’s structure and specific rate. At these sessions, city staff will walk through the issues at hand and examples of outdoor dining fee structures from around the region. 

Join one of two sessions on Thursday, August 17, on Zoom to share thoughts and concerns about what a fair outdoor dining license fee structure would look like. The morning session is from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. and the evening session is from 6 to 7:30 p.m. These meetings will be offered in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with additional interpretation available upon request. 

A follow-up meeting is planned for September to share the proposed license fee structure for additional review. To learn more and find the meeting links, go to somervillema.gov/outdoordining. 

Interpretation into any language is available upon advance request (at least seven days in advance) by contacting the SomerViva Office of Immigrant Affairs at somervillema.gov/ContactSomerViva or calling 311 at 617-666-3311.  

Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy in advance at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.