These are just some of the municipal meetings and civic events for the coming week. More are on the City of Somerville website.
Special education and an SRO
School Committee, 7 p.m. Monday. The superintendent brings a special education review and presentation on the Massachusetts Multitiered System of Support, which is meant to ensure even challenged students can learn, including by applying universal design principles and looking at social-emotional and behavioral issues. Also: Because the district is exploring bringing back an armed, uniformed school resource officer to the high school just two years after a unanimous vote for police to be removed permanently, the group Safe Schools Somerville is rallying opposition, calling for residents to come in person to this meeting to give comment. (We wrote about it here.) At City Hall, 93 Highland Ave., Central Hill, and televised and watchable online and by Zoom videoconferencing.
Catching up on 90 Washington
Somerville Redevelopment Authority, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. A general project update on 90 Washington St., where two proposals are advancing to transform 4 acres of city land the city seized for $8.7 million in 2019 for a public safety building. That led to a lawsuit and judgment that the city must pay much more. Now the city is trying to recoup a total $35.3 million by letting a company develop the land with dense, mixed-income housing and ground floor businesses. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
Sizzle n’ Slurp in Magoun
Licensing Commission, 6 p.m. Tuesday. A restaurant called Sizzle n’ Slurp seeks to open in one of the slots at 514 Medford St., Magoun Square, home to the Mexican restaurant Don Julio and the sandwich shop Pennypacker’s. At City Hall, 93 Highland Ave., Central Hill, and watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
Rental registry, civil rights
City Council Legislative Matters Committee, 6 p.m. Tuesday. This committee run by city councilor J.T. Scott explores an amendment to the city’s Welcoming Communities Ordinance to add to civil rights protections in Somerville; and advances the establishment of a rental registry, which would require owners to identify their rental housing units and would help get communications to residents instead of landlords in a city that’s two-thirds renter-occupied. An energy disclosure measure is part of that, as it could help tenants make more informed decisions about where to rent and encourage landlords to move toward energy efficiencies. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
Ward 4 Slice of the City
Community meeting, 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. These drop-in style meet-ups at green spaces take place annually in each of the city’s wards. The mayor, city staff and city councilors mingle with residents and share some pizza. On the Healey School Playground, 5 Meacham St., Ten Hills.
School district budget affairs
School Committee Finance and Facilities Subcommittee, 6 p.m. Wednesday. This group led by Andre Green and Leiran Biton looks at issues around the current-year budget and deliberates about the budget for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
‘Backyard cottage’ zoning
Land Use Committee, 6 p.m. Thursday. This committee run by city councilor Ben Ewen-Campen continues its look at some residents’ complaints that developers abuse the ability to create “backyard cottages” for crammed-in but expensive condos that are unaffordable to the renters getting evicted for construction. A public comment period ended Friday. (We wrote about the issue here.) Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
Assembly labs, Union condos
Planning Board, 6 p.m. Thursday. Plans are discussed for a 19-story lab building at Assembly Square and for a 27-home condominium building at 32 Webster Ave., Union Square. The Webster Avenue site holds a dilapidated single-family home built in 1890 that’s been empty and neglected for several years (to the extent that city staff say the “physical integrity of this building is in doubt”) but is considered architecturally and historically significant by the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. Watchable by Zoom videoconferencing.
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