By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

A monthly look at ways to get involved with your city: Don’t just live in Somerville, be Somerville

ResiStat season is upon us. At this twice-yearly series of community meetings (we hold one in each ward) you have the opportunity to interact with me, your aldermen, other elected officials, leaders from the Somerville Police Department, City staff—and your neighbors. We’ll be sharing the latest city and neighborhood updates as well as the data-based problem solving discussions that help drive decision making here at City Hall. ResiStat meetings are a great way to get involved at the neighborhood level and often serve as gateway meetings to deeper involvement and a pathway to the kind of ground-up leadership and civic contributions that makes our city thrive.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a lifelong resident or a newcomer, whether you’re just looking to dip your toe in the water by attending ResiStat or ready to dive in by getting involved with the re-launch of the Davis Square Neighborhood Plan process or the formation of the new Innovation and Opportunity Lab, there’s an engagement opportunity for you this month.

Fall ResiStat Neighborhood Meetings

All meetings take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. with free pizza and socializing beginning at 6. Coming early for pizza is a great way to talk to officials and staff one on one. This fall’s meeting schedule is below.

If you don’t know what ward you live in, look up your address at somervillema.gov/mysomerville.

• Ward 4 (Winter Hill, Ten Hills): Wed., Sept. 27, at the Healy School, 5 Meacham St.
• Ward 1 (East Somerville, Assembly Square): Tue., Oct. 3, at the East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross St.
• Ward 2 (South Union Square, Perry and Lincoln Park areas, Beacon St. area): Wed., Oct. 4, at the Argenziano School, 290 Washington St.
• Ward 3 (North Union Square, Prospect Hill, Spring Hill, Central Hill): Thurs., Oct. 5, at the Somerville High School cafeteria, 81 Highland Ave.
• Ward 6 (Greater Davis Square area): Tues., Oct. 17, at the Somerville Community Baptist Church, 31 College Ave.
• Ward 5 (Magoun Square, Cedar and Lowell Street areas, Porter Square area): Wed., Oct. 18, at the Kennedy School, 5 Cherry St.
• Ward 7 (West Somerville, Teele Square): Wed., Nov. 1, at the West Somerville Neighborhood School.

Innovation and Opportunity Lab Members Sought

Are you passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship and do you want to help Somerville continue to foster a supportive environment for these opportunities? Apply for a spot in the newly created Innovation and Opportunity Lab. This advisory committee will comprise nine members, and aims to advance the local innovation economy by forging partnerships and examining best practices around municipal innovation policies. A list of qualifications as well as application instructions can be found at www.somervillema.gov/innovationlab. For more information, contact Ben Sommer at BSommer@somervillema.gov. Applications are due Friday, September 29.

Affordable Housing Opportunities

Creating new affordable housing opportunities is a central component of the community’s 20-year SomerVision Plan. We know we have a long way to go, but we are pleased that 56 affordable rental units in the new Montaje building in Assembly Row will be offered to low- and moderate-income eligible households through the City’s Inclusionary Housing Program via an application and lottery process. The application is available at www.s-e-b.com/property/montaje/ as well as City Hall Annex, 50 Evergreen Ave. 2nd Floor, and all branches of the Somerville Public Library. Listed below are some important events and dates to keep in mind.

• Multi-lingual application assistance (in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian-Kreyol; volunteers for other languages sought): Bring proof of residency or full-time employment in Somerville. Contact somerviva@somervillema.gov for more info or to volunteer. When/where: Thursdays, October 12 and 26, from 5 to 8 p.m. at 521 Assembly Row (the storefront between Chico’s and DAVIDsTEA)
• Application informational session: Application details will be reviewed and your questions answered. When/Where: Thursday, October 19 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross St.
• Applications deadline: Monday, November 13, by 2 p.m.
• Rental Unity Lottery: Units will be selected by lottery from the pool of qualifying applications. Applicants are welcome to attend the drawing. When/where: Monday, December 11, at 10 a.m. at Somerville City Hall

Important Election Deadlines

The unofficial preliminary election results are in and can be viewed at www.somervillema.gov/votingresults, but there’s still time to register or change your address before casting your vote in the November municipal election.  For information on registering to vote, visit www.somervillema.gov/departments/elections/register-to-vote.

• Wednesday, Oct. 18: Last day to register or change address for the Nov. 7 City Election. Register by 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 7: Municipal Election

Davis Square Neighborhood Meeting, 10/19

At a neighborhood meeting earlier this week, attendees worked on identifying topics for discussion. The October 19 meeting will take a deeper dive into the community-selected topics and identify action steps to address the goals and needs related to each. City staff will bring in resources and experts on the topic areas selected in the first meeting to serve as a resource during discussions. Whether your concerns are open space, traffic, parking, accessibility, streetscape, bicycle infrastructure, housing or more, we hope you’ll join us. For more information, please contact planning@somervillema.gov.

When/where: Thursday, October 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Community Baptist Church, 31 College Ave.

Board of Aldermen Meetings, 10/19 and more

The next regular meeting of the Somerville Board of Aldermen will take place on Thursday, September 14. As a reminder, the Board’s complete meeting schedule (including committee meetings), agendas, and minutes can be found at www.somervillecityma.iqm2.com/Citizens/calendar.aspx.

When/where: Thursday, October 19, at 7 p.m. at Somerville City Hall Aldermanic Chambers, 93 Highland Ave.

City Newsletter

For weekly updates on city cultural and civic events, new services and programs, and more, sign up for the City e-newsletter at www.somervillema.gov/newsletter.

City Calendar

Look up city events and meetings (as well as agendas and minutes) 24/7 on the City calendar at www.somervillema.gov.