Among other issues addressed by the Somerville City Council at their latest meeting, a disbursement $500,000 from the Covid-19 Stabilization Fund to support local arts was approved.

By Max Eidelman

The Somerville City Council met for a remote meeting last Tuesday to address matters ranging from the appointment of the city’s next Chief of Police to the financial support of Somerville’s arts community.

Chief David Fallon, who has been with the department since 1998, is soon to retire from the position. There is a plan in place to have an interim Chief of Police for one year while the hiring process is conducted. Former Acting Chief of Police Charles Femino has been named to step into that position.

Councilors at the meeting discussed the possibility of the process taking less than a whole year, in which case the interim Chief would simply be replaced when a new one is chosen. Notably, the upcoming hiring process will include the participation of a new position, Director of Racial and Social Justice. This new aspect of the hiring process reflects the city’s committed effort to promote a safe community for all residents and take heed of recent calls for active social reform.

The Council also discussed a process for collecting resident responses to potential neighborhood planning and development. The Executive Director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development has been approved to commission independent “Community Impact Studies.”

Part of the goal of these studies is to “quantify possible impacts on displacement, rent increases, and other negative outcomes” that may follow from land developments. Councilor At-Large Kristen Strezo said these studies are an important measure to “slow down displacement and check all of our possibilities for sustaining all of our residents who want to stay here in Somerville.”

Ward 3 Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen similarly described the goal of these studies as a way to gather a “truthful, independent, transparent account of some of the negative consequences that can accompany large scale developments.” This process will allow residents to voice concerns in advance of developments that might otherwise alter their living situation.

A variety of other city matters were discussed at the meeting, including a discussion about support for the local arts community. The pandemic has, of course, dealt a serious blow to artists and performers, people whose success inherently relies on a public audience.

In an effort to help this community, the Council unanimously approved Mayor Curtatone’s request to disburse $500,000 from the Covid-19 Stabilization Fund. This money will be used by the Somerville Arts Council to distribute relief grants to folks in the city’s arts community. This act is testament to the city’s care for the sustainability of the community in all its facets.

The City Council is scheduled to meet again remotely on Tuesday, December 10. Details for how participate or live-stream the meeting remotely will become available on the city’s website as the date approaches.