Charter Review Presentation Sept 8 2022_final — File 22-1520

Charter Review Final Recommendations Somerville Charter Review Committee September 8, 2022

Values We seek to revise the Somerville Charter to make our government more just, empowering, responsive and innovative for its residents.

Creation & Mission Creation October 2021 - Former Mayor Joe Curtatone and City Council President Matt McLaughlin create an advisory charter review committee Charge Review the City’s current charter and make recommendations to the Mayor and City Council for amendments in an effort to improve and modernize the City’s structure and governance Composition 12 members: one designee of the Mayor, one of the City Council President and one of the School Committee chair, plus nine community members selected by the mayor, city council and school committee chair

Committee Process We discussed and decided on four key values to guide us through differing opinions on policy questions: just, empowering, responsive and innovative. Phase 1, March 2021 - June 2021 We adopted a consensus-based approach to decision-making known as the “fist-to-five voting method.” We created three working groups: a coordinating team, community engagement team, and writing team.

Committee Process We learned about charters in general, Somerville’s current charter, and charters of other municipalities. We leveraged our technical consultant from Collins Center at UMass Boston. We reviewed an exemplar charter created by our consultant and from this flagged issues to be deliberated. Phase 2, July 2021 - October 2021 We commissioned 7 interviews of current and former city employees and elected officials. ● Katjana Ballantyne, Mayor ● Joe Curtatone, Former Mayor ● John Long, Former City Clerk ● Matt McLaughlin, City Council President ● Tim Snyder, Former Director of Intergovernmental Affairs ● Ed Bean, Director of Finance, City Auditor ● George Proakis, Former Director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development ● Nick Salerno, Chair of Elections and Ethics Commission ● Stephanie Hirsch, Former City Councilor, SomerStat Director, ResiStat Director, SomerPromise, Project Specialist to the Mayor

Committee Process The writing team drafted each provision as decisions were made to accurately capture recommendations in a draft charter. The committee reviewed several iterations of the draft. Phase 4, November 2021 - September 2022 Each committee member voted yay/nay on the final proposed charter, and it received unanimous support. We used a deliberative process for each decision, coming to consensus before continuing with the next topic. Often reminding ourselves of our guiding values. We leveraged research of other municipal charters, evolving best practices, exemplar charter language and community input to guide our decisions. We deliberated and voted on every element of the proposed charter. Phase 3, November 2021 - August 2022 We had working groups to draft the final report and presentation.

Community Engagement ● Kick-off Event at Foss Park on August 28, 2021 - 80 attendees ● Tabling at farmer’s markets and winter markets around Somerville ● City-wide mailers - 22,000 addresses ● Four community meetings - 55 attendees ● 85 public comments at committee meetings and via email ● A public hearing - 20+ attendees ● Monthly newsletter - over 560 subscribers ● Outreach to 150 community organizations ● 950+ residents took a community survey

Recommendation Highlights Enfranchising non-citizen and 16 and 17 year old residents in municipal elections Ranked Choice Voting Implementation Committee Equitable Compensation Distribution Study Committee Increased mechanisms for collaboration on the budget Reduced signature requirements for at-large and ward-elected offices Public Financing of Campaigns Study Committee Chief Administrative Officer City Council Access to information provision City Council authority to hire staff and independent advisory legal counsel Mayoral 4-year term Improved appointment process for department heads, boards and commissions Periodic Review of Charter, Ordinance and Multiple Member Bodies (individually) every 10 years

Thank you Meagan Benetti, Community Member Ben Echevarria, Community Member Ona Ferguson, Community Member Zoe Iacovino, Community Member Jessica Lieberman, Community Member Kat Rutkin, Community Member Lucas Schaber, Community Member Beverly Schwartz, Community Member Crystal Turner, Community Member Matthew McLaughlin, Ward 1 City Councilor and City Council President, City Council’s Designee William White, Former City Council Designee Laura Pitone, Ward 5 School Committee Member, School Committee Chair’s Designee George Proakis, Former Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, Mayor’s Designee Emily Monea, Former Mayor Designee