Matters ▸ Attachment
Minutes - Finance - 3-11-25 Dispositions — File 25-0469
City of Somerville,
Massachusetts
Finance Committee
Meeting Minutes Dispositions
6:00 PM
Virtual
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
This meeting was held via Zoom and was called to order by Chair Wilson at 6:00pm and adjourned
at 10:14pm on a roll call vote of 5 in favor (Councilors Mbah, Burnley, Clingan, Scott, and Wilson),
0 opposed, and 0 absent.
Councilor Scott joined the meeting at 6:14pm.
The committee went into recess at 8:17pm and returned to regular session at 8:24pm with a roll call
vote of 4 in favor (Councilors Mbah, Clingan, Scott, and Wilson), 0 opposed and 1 absent
(Councilor Burnley). Councilor Burnley joined the meeting at 8:27pm.
Others present: Dave Goodridge - Director of Information Technology, Neha Singh - Director of
Intergovernmental Affairs, Ed Bean - Director of Finance, Michael Mastrobuoni - Budget Director,
Emily Wisdom - Finance Manager for Police, Michael Richards - Director of Finance for DPW
Infrastructure and Asset Management, Lammis Vargas - Chief Administrator Officer, Shumeane
Benford - Chief of Police, Kellie Hebert - Director of Finance and Administration DPW Water,
Nick Salerno - Elections Commissioner, Jay Piques - Assistant City Solicitor, Cindy Amara - City
Solicitor, Anne Gill - Director of Human Resources, Ellen Schneider Collins - Deputy Director of
Human Resources, Cathy Lester Salchert - Special Counsel, Madalyn Letellier - Legislative Services
Manager.
Roll Call
City Councilor At Large Jake Wilson, Ward Four City Councilor
Jesse Clingan, City Councilor At Large Willie Burnley Jr. and City
Councilor At Large Wilfred N. Mbah
Present:
Ward Two City Councilor Jefferson Thomas (J.T.) Scott
Absent:
1.
Approval of the Minutes of the Finance Committee Meeting of February
25, 2025.
25-0373
Accepted
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Scott,
Ward Four City Councilor Clingan, City Councilor At Large Burnley
Jr. and City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
Appropriations
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Finance Committee
Meeting Minutes Dispositions
March 11, 2025
2.
Requesting the appropriation of $137,288 from the Unreserved Fund Balance
("Free Cash") to the Information Technology (IT) Department Professional &
Technical Account for an independent assessment of security and network
infrastructure and an organizational review of all IT groups within the city.
25-0274
Recommended to be approved
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward
Four City Councilor Clingan, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. and
City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
Bonding
3.
Requesting authorization to borrow $7,600,000 in a bond, and to appropriate
the same amount for the FY 2025 Water Main Rehabilitation program as part
of the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority's Local Water System
Assistance Program.
25-0279
Recommended to be approved
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward
Four City Councilor Clingan, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. and
City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
Grant and Gift Acceptances
4.
Requesting approval to accept and expend a $100,000 grant with no new
match required, from the City of Boston Office of Emergency Management
to the Elections Department for security of elections vault.
25-0299
Recommended to be approved
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward
Four City Councilor Clingan, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. and
City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
5.
Requesting approval to accept and expend a $335,635 grant with no new
match required, from the Department of Mental Health to the Police
Department for the Crisis Intervention Training and Technical Assistance
Center.
25-0281
Recommended to be approved
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward
Four City Councilor Clingan, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. and
City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
6.
Requesting approval to accept and expend a $15,000 grant with no new
match required, as a sub-award through the Fenway Community Health
Center to the Police Department for the Post-Overdose Support Team
(POST).
25-0282
Recommended to be approved
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Finance Committee
Meeting Minutes Dispositions
March 11, 2025
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward
Four City Councilor Clingan, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. and
City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
7.
Requesting approval to accept and expend a $23,105 grant that requires a
match, from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to the Police
Department for the Metro Mayors Community Safety Initiative.
25-0283
Recommended to be approved
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Four City Councilor Clingan and
City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
Ward Two City Councilor Scott and City Councilor At Large Burnley
Jr.
Nay:
8.
Requesting approval to accept and expend an $87,450 grant with no new
match required, from the Executive Office of Public Safety & Security to the
Police Department for staffing.
25-0284
Recommended to be approved
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward
Four City Councilor Clingan, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. and
City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
Prior Year Invoices
9.
Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $93.61 using
available funds in the Police Department Out-of-State Travel account for
food expenses during an investigation.
25-0333
Recommended to be approved
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward
Four City Councilor Clingan, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. and
City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
10. Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $32.06 to Market
Basket/Demoulas using available funds in the Parks & Recreation Food
Supplies & Refreshments and Office Supplies accounts.
25-0268
Recommended to be approved
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward
Four City Councilor Clingan, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. and
City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
Personnel Requests
11. Requesting the use of available funds in the Water Enterprise Fund Wages
account in the amount of $14,798.95 to fund a Utility Billing Manager
position.
25-0258
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Finance Committee
Meeting Minutes Dispositions
March 11, 2025
Recommended to be not approved
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward
Four City Councilor Clingan, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. and
City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
12. Requesting the use of available funds in the Water Enterprise Fund Wages
account in the amount of $13,928.44 to fund a new Service Operations
Manager position.
25-0260
Recommended to be not approved
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward
Four City Councilor Clingan, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. and
City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
13. Requesting the use of available funds in the Water Enterprise Fund Wages
account in the amount of $1,569.10 to fund a Billing Analyst position.
25-0262
Recommended to be not approved
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward
Four City Councilor Clingan, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. and
City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
Contracts and Easements
14. Requesting approval of easements from JMC/STM/TGCI Union Square,
LLC for 346 Somerville Avenue.
25-0349
Recommended to be approved
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward
Four City Councilor Clingan, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. and
City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
15. Requesting approval of a contract extension for two years until 2/28/2026 for
TSA Consulting Group, Inc., for the administration of 457(b) plans.
25-0334
Recommended to be approved
City Councilor At Large Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Scott, Ward
Four City Councilor Clingan, City Councilor At Large Burnley Jr. and
City Councilor At Large Mbah
Aye:
Ordinances
16. Amending the Code of Ordinances by adding Section 2-325 to Chapter 2,
Article VI, Division 3 related to compensation for elected officials.
25-0375
Councilor Ewen-Campen
Sponsors:
Kept in committee
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Finance Committee
Meeting Minutes Dispositions
March 11, 2025
17. Requesting ordainment of an amendment to Sections 2-322 and 2-323 of the
Code of Ordinances, to update categories and associated salaries for
non-union positions.
25-0370
Kept in committee
Communications and Discussions
18. Conveying an update on the next steps for recommendations on
compensation for Elected Officials.
25-0369
Recommended to be marked work completed
19. Conveying a forthcoming appropriation request from the Salary Contingency
account to various city departments to fund an update to the non-union salary
ordinance.
25-0368
Recommended to be marked work completed
20. Finance Director conveying FY 2025 Mid-Year Financial Report in
accordance with Section 2-48 of the Code of Ordinances.
25-0371
Recommended to be marked work completed
Orders and Resolutions
21. That the Director of Racial and Social Justice provide an update on the
citywide disparity study, including when the report will be made available
to the public.
25-0251
Councilor Burnley Jr.
Sponsors:
Kept in committee
Referenced Documents:
•
Finance - 2025-03-11 Memo Parks and Rec PYI (with 25-0268)
•
Finance - 2025-03-11 NU Appropriation Memo March 2025 (with 25-0368)
•
Finance - 2025-03-11 FinCom Memo - Human Resources (with 25-0370)
•
Finance - 2025-03-11 Work Better Task Force Report 09-29-2022 (with 25-0370)
•
Finance - 2025-03-11 Proposed Characteristic Chart for Non Union Classification Plan 2025 (with
25-0370)
•
Finance - 2025-03-11 Water & Sewer-NU10-Billing Analyst (with 25-0262)
•
Finance - 2025-03-11 Water and Sewer-NU07-Utility Billing Manager (with 25-0258)
•
Finance - 2025-03-11 Water and Sewer-NU08-Service Operations Manager (with 25-0260)
•
Finance - 2025-03-11 FY25 Mid-Year Presentation (with 25-0371)
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