Meetings ▸ Minutes
Finance Committee — Minutes, Mar 12, 2024
City of Somerville, Massachusetts
City Council Finance Committee
Meeting Minutes
6:00 PM
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
This meeting was held via Zoom, was called to order by Chair Wilson at 6:00 pm and adjourned at 6:34
pm with a roll call vote of all in favor (Councilor Clingan, Councilor Burnley, Councilor Sait, Councilor
Scott and Chair Wilson), none opposed, and none absent.
Others present: Hannah Carrillo – Mayor’s Office, Kimberly Wells – City Clerk, Richard Raiche –
IAM, Stephanie Widzowski – Clerk of Committees.
Roll Call
City Councilor At Large Jake Wilson, Ward Two City
Councilor Jefferson Thomas (J.T.) Scott, Ward Two City
Councilor Naima Sait, City Councilor At Large Willie
Burnley Jr. and Ward Four City Councilor Jesse Clingan
Present:
1.
Approval of the Minutes of the Finance Committee Meeting of February 20,
2024.
Committee
Minutes
(ID # 24-0188)
ACCEPTED
RESULT:
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor
Scott, Ward Two City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At
Large Burnley Jr. and Ward Four City Councilor Clingan
AYE:
2.
Requesting authorization to borrow $2,240,740 in a bond, and to appropriate
the same amount to participate in the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
for the Lead Line Service Replacement program.
Mayor's Request
(ID # 24-0201)
Dir. Raiche showed a chart of progress in the Lead Line Service
Replacement program. He gave a history of the program, the financing
program through the MWRA, and the details of the loan. Chair Wilson
asked about the timeline of the procurement process and about wages, and
Dir. Raiche explained the bid process where the state is involved. Councilor
Sait asked about labor and wage details, which led to a discussion of work
done by contractors versus city employees and the reasoning behind using
contractors - largely where specialized equipment or skillsets are needed.
Councilor Burnley asked about the timing of Phase III of the project, and
Dir. Raiche explained the timeline and scope of the work. He said that it
would be difficult to do more than 25 replacements a year, not just because
of staff capacity, but also because of the impact on neighborhoods from
construction.
RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED
RESULT:
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Finance Committee
Meeting Minutes
March 12, 2024
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor
Scott, Ward Two City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At
Large Burnley Jr. and Ward Four City Councilor Clingan
AYE:
3.
Requesting approval to accept and expend a $14,327.56 grant with no new
match required, from the Department of Fire Services to the Fire Department
for the purchase of firefighter safety equipment.
Mayor's Request
(ID # 24-0189)
Chair Wilson referred to the memo shared with committee members
responding to this item.
RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED
RESULT:
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor
Scott, Ward Two City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At
Large Burnley Jr. and Ward Four City Councilor Clingan
AYE:
4.
By Councilor Strezo, Councilor Pineda Neufeld and Councilor Sait
Requesting approval of a transfer of $1,000 from the City Council Legal
Services Account to the City Council Office Supplies Account for the
purchase of furniture and supplies to create a space for children in the City
Council Chamber.
Order
(ID # 24-0174)
Councilor Scott requested written opinion from the Law Office on how to
use the Legal Services Account. Clerk Wells said she could provide
procedural information if that was the question, but Councilor Scott said
their question was of a legal nature. Councilor Burnley requested a written
explanation of procedure from the City Clerk for using council funds.
RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED
RESULT:
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor
Scott, Ward Two City Councilor Sait, City Councilor At
Large Burnley Jr. and Ward Four City Councilor Clingan
AYE:
Referenced Documents:
•
Finance - 2024-03-12 Fire Memo 3.8.24 Mtg (with 24-0189)
•
Finance - 2024-03-12 Lead Service Program Trends 2024Mar11 (with 24-0201)
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