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As part of their ongoing negotiation of a community benefits agreement, the Negotiating Committee of the Union Square Neighborhood Council (USNC) and US2 (the designated master developer for the Union Square Revitalization) today stated that the groups have engaged in weekly meetings since July 30, 2018.
To begin the process, the parties agreed to a set of negotiating ground rules and the USNC also shared a report that it had compiled of inputs from over 150 community members and key stakeholder organizations in the neighborhood, solicited through two “CBA summits” held at the beginning of the calendar year. Recognizing the need for information sharing as a precondition to successful negotiation, the parties have been working topic by topic to understand different aspects of the proposed development and solutions that would best meet local needs. To date twelve (12) ninety-minute meetings have been held on topics including arts and the creative economy, sustainability and environment, green and open space, indoor civic space, parking, housing, and jobs, and support for small and local businesses.
On Monday, October 15, 2018, the USNC submitted a draft community benefits agreement term sheet to US2. The parties will be discussing that term sheet in the coming weeks.
The groups look forward to continuing a constructive conversation that leads to an agreement that benefits the entire Union Square neighborhood. Any agreement reached by the negotiating committee is subject to approval by the USNC, in accordance with its bylaws.
— Joint statement from USNC and US2
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Who is attending these meetings on behalf of this so-called “council”? Specific names of individuals, town of residence, and affiliations please. I hear they have been taken over by out of town union bosses and their enforcers. If so, who will speak for the people of Somerville??! The people, united, will never be defeated…?!
It would be helpful if John took the often-stated advice of “The Times”; that is, watch last night’s Board of Alderman meeting available on line. He will see over 100 Somerville residents testifying in favor of a Community Benefits Agreement for Union Square development that includes affordable
housing built upfront and a Project Labor Agreement for the construction jobs. The only “enforcers” present were “Somerville’s Finest”.
Typical USNC Board Co-Chair Bill Cavellini bullshit, who forgets to
mention–is he senile or manipulative?–that most all the room of
100 people were union members, and where maybe 5 or so were
actually from Union Square. Funny how he says affordable housing
before a PLA for union jobs. Really, Bill, is that the way it was? You
should watch the video online if your memory is so crooked. Jesus,
how many frauds and snakes live in Somerville?
That such as this would co-chair a neighborhood council. Time to
resign, Bill. By the end of the week would be fabulous.
If the affordable housing is diffused throughout the entire project, then I’m not sure how much of it can be built up front. As much as possible is a worthy goal. Demanding all of it probably isn’t close to realistic and seems like it might be ploy to force the agenda of the building trades folks. And there’s always some sort of PLA, it’s just a matter of how much of the project it encompasses.
I just want to sound off that I’m a Union resident and “community benefits” to me means things that can be utilized by my family and my neighbors: locally-owned retail, park/public space, improved infrastructure. I’d love things like community broadband or indoor recreational space to be on the table. You know, real community benefits. The details of the PLA ranks pretty low on my wish list. I certainly don’t think it belongs anywhere near the lead concern of the CBA.