Finance Committee

City of Somerville, Massachusetts City Council Finance Committee Meeting Minutes Tuesday, September 9, 2025 6:00 PM This meeting was held virtually via Zoom and was called to order at 6:01 pm by Chair Wilson and adjourned at 7:00 pm with a roll call vote of 5 in favor (Councilors Mbah, Burnley, Clingan, Scott and Wilson), none opposed, and none absent. Others present: Anoop Malik - Health and Human Services Finance Manager, Alan Inacio - Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development Director of Finance and Administration, Emily Wisdom - Police Finance Manager, Kimbereley Hutter - Legislative Liaison, David Goodridge - Chief Information Officer Information Technology, Delaney Fisher-Cassiol - Clerk of Committees Roll Call Present: City Councilor At Large Jake Wilson, Ward Two City Councilor Jefferson Thomas (J.T.) Scott, Ward Four City Councilor Jesse Clingan, City Councilor At Large Willie Burnley Jr. and City Councilor At Large Wilfred N. Mbah 1. Committee Approval of the Minutes of the Finance Committee Meeting of July 8, 2025. Minutes (ID # 25-1253) RESULT: ACCEPTED AYE: 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 Appropriations 2. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to appropriate $56,601 from the Salary & Wage (ID # 25-1289) Stabilization Fund to the Non-Contributory Pension Account to fund an increased pension amount. Liaison Hutter explained that the request was for an appropriation to fund pension benefits for an individual, consistent with the recent agreement reached with the Police Department. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 3. Mayor's Request Requesting the appropriation of $2,630,071 from the Community (ID # 25-1280) Preservation Act Affordable Housing Reserve to the Affordable Housing Trust. Page 1 of 8 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes September 9, 2025 Director Alan Inacio explained that this represents the Fiscal Year 2026 Community Preservation Act (CPA) 50 percent allocation to the Housing Trust. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 4. Mayor's Request Requesting the appropriation of $240,664.10 from the Receipts (ID # 25-1303) Reserved-Transportation Network Company Revenue Fund to the Transportation Network Company Special Revenue Fund for Vision Zero safety efforts. Liaison Hutter was present to state there was an error on this item and the administration will look to re-submit in the future. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE WITHDRAWN Grant and Gift Acceptances 5. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to accept and expend a $212,842.26 grant with no new (ID # 25-1285) match required, from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to the Health and Human Services Department for a Shared Services Coordinator and a Clinical Community Health Worker. Manager Anoop Malik provided an overview of the Massachusetts Municipal Public Health Shared Services Grant Program, launched by the Department of Public Health in January 2020 with funding from the Fiscal Year 2020 state budget. Somerville and Cambridge are partnering in a multi-year collaborative grant, with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council serving as fiscal agent and contract manager through Fiscal Year 2027. To date, the program has funded a regional coordinator and a regional community health worker, both based in Somerville, and is in the process of hiring a regional vaccine nurse to be hosted by Cambridge. The two communities have also collaborated on a rodent mitigation initiative using non-poisonous bait stations. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 6. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to accept and expend a $1,100,000 grant with no new (ID # 25-1339) match required, from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development and Police Department for the development of the Union Square Plaza and Streetscape Phase 1. Director Alan Inacio presented the annual Massachusetts Gaming Commission block grant, through which the City was awarded $1.1 million. The funding includes three components: $775,000 for the Union Square Page 2 of 8 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes September 9, 2025 Plaza design, continuation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) advertising to promote local businesses on bus routes, and additional police patrols in the Broadway/casino area. Councilor Scott requested clarification regarding officer pay related to casino traffic enforcement. Manager Wisdom from the Police Department explained that approximately $308,000 has been allocated for overtime, equating to about 4,000 hours over a two-year period. This overtime will fund traffic enforcement and community engagement patrols, primarily Thursday through Saturday evenings, in areas most impacted by casino traffic. Patrols will be assigned in four-hour blocks to provide flexibility and coverage. Councilor Scott asked for additional details on the scope of community engagement patrols, and Manager Wisdom committed to providing a memo with maps and specifics. Chair Wilson requested that traffic enforcement, particularly in East Somerville, not be conducted by unmarked vehicles, citing concerns raised by immigrant communities. Councilor Mbah requested further information on this practice, and Manager Wisdom agreed to follow up in writing. Councilor Burnley noted that enforcement along Broadway would not fully address casino-related traffic impacts, suggesting Mystic Avenue as a more significant area of concern. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE DISCHARGED WITH NO RECOMMENDATION AYE: 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 7. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to accept and expend a $128,500 grant with no new (ID # 25-1300) match required, from the Boston Office of Emergency Management to the Police Department for target hardening at the Police Department headquarters. Manager Wisdom explained that the funding is intended for critical infrastructure improvements. Councilor Burnley raised concerns about the use of such grants, noting that federal funding has at times required cities to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Director Wisdom clarified that this funding is from Fiscal Year 2023 and is subject to that year’s guidelines, which did not include such requirements. Councilor Mbah requested clarification on the term “target hardening.” Manager Wisdom explained that it refers to measures designed to make an area more secure against potential threats, such as card access systems or security cameras. She emphasized that the project will not affect public access to the Police Department headquarters but will secure the area where Page 3 of 8 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes September 9, 2025 cruisers are stored. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 8. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to accept and expend a $55,000 grant with no new (ID # 25-1304) match required, from the Department of Mental Health to the Police Department for Crisis Intervention Training and technical assistance for personnel and program expenses. This item was taken up with item 25-1305. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 9. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to accept and expend a $10,000 grant with no new (ID # 25-1305) match required, from the Department of Mental Health to the Police Department for Jail Diversion Program personnel expenses. Manager Wisdom requested to withdraw these items due to the amounts involved, noting that item 8 totals $301,000 for the full year and item 9 totals $50,000. She explained that the funding supports three positions within the department and also covers expenses related to operating the Crisis Intervention Training and Technical Assistance Center. The jail diversion portion of the grant covers 60% of the Clinical Coordinator’s salary. Councilor Scott requested additional grant documents and reports. He emphasized that this funding supports current positions within the department and noted the importance of considering grants like these as part of overall police expenditures. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 Transfers 10. Mayor's Request Requesting approval of a transfer of $5,777 from the Police Overtime (ID # 25-1299) Account to the Police Grant Match Account for the FY 2025 Shannon Grant match requirement. Manager Wisdom explained that this grant funds community youth programs, specifically the Youth Police Academy and basketball events, which have been successful in fostering positive relationships between officers and local youth. She noted that the current request is being made Page 4 of 8 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes September 9, 2025 with Council concerns about overtime in mind and added that the department has begun applying for other grants to cover overtime expenses. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 Prior Year Invoices 11. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $8,748.66 using (ID # 25-1298) available funds in the Police Department Maintenance Software, Professional & Technical Services, and In-State Travel accounts for various items. Manager Wisdom explained that, due to employee turnover, some vendors had sent invoices to former staff. She emphasized that it is now a departmental priority to have all invoices sent to a departmental email rather than personal accounts to ensure they are properly tracked and do not fall through the cracks. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 12. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $19,188.01 using (ID # 25-1279) available funds in the Information Technology Maintenance Software and Computer Equipment Accounts for monitoring software and Uninterruptible Power Supply hardware. Chief Information Officer Dave Goodridge explained that there were two invoices requiring payment. The first, for monitoring software, involved a misunderstanding that delayed payment for Fiscal Year 2025. The second, for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) hardware, resulted from a clerical error by a consultant. He noted that the department intends to pay the vendor for both invoices and is working with the Law Department to determine whether funds can be recovered from the consultant. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 13. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $4,015 using (ID # 25-1301) available funds in the Human Resources Professional and Technical Services Account for medical screening services. This item was taken up with item 25-1302. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED Page 5 of 8 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes September 9, 2025 AYE: 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 14. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $100.08 using (ID # 25-1302) available funds in the Human Resources Professional and Technical Services Account for confidential shredding services. Liaison Hutter explained that the invoice for $4,015, covered services rendered in February 2024 and June 2024. Payment was delayed due to discrepancies in the invoices, including incorrect rates that did not match the contract. Human Resources worked with the vendor to resolve these issues and prevent future discrepancies. Funding for this payment will come from the HR Department’s Professional and Technical Services account. The invoice for $100.08, was for shredding services. Payment was delayed because the vendor had been acquired by another company, and the Human Resources Department was not notified. The purchase order address no longer matched, requiring a new purchase order in Fiscal Year 2026. With the updated information, the department can now process these payments. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 15. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $1,497.50 using (ID # 25-1283) available funds in the Communications Department Food Supplies & Refreshment Account for Civic Day event food. This invoice is from Gerley’s Ice Cream for Civic Day, an event that took place in April. Chair Wilson noted that timely payment was important especially to small businesses. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 16. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $840 using available (ID # 25-1274) funds in the Communications Department Food Supplies & Refreshment Account for Slice of the City events pizza orders. Chair Wilson expressed his desire to take up the last 7 items together as they are all prior year invoives on small dollar amounts, he gave the opportunity for any discussion and there was none. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED Page 6 of 8 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes September 9, 2025 AYE: 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 17. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $925 using available (ID # 25-1284) funds in the Parks & Recreation Equipment Rental Account for equipment rentals during Family Fun Day event. This item was taken up with item 25-1274. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 18. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $323.75 using (ID # 25-1271) available funds in the CityTV R&M - Audio/Visual Equipment Account for on-site engineering services and travel expenses. This item was taken up with item 25-1274. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 19. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $91.62 using (ID # 25-1277) available funds in the Office of Immigrant Affairs Neighborhood Improvement Council Account for snacks for Community Get Together event. This item was taken up with item 25-1274. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 20. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $98.39 using (ID # 25-1286) available funds in the Parks & Recreation Athletic Supplies Account for tag belts for a teen flag football program. This item was taken up with item 25-1274. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 Page 7 of 8 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes September 9, 2025 21. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $25.69 using (ID # 25-1309) available funds in the Emergency Management Office Supplies Account for office supplies. This item was taken up with item 25-1274. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 22. Mayor's Request Requesting approval to pay prior year invoices totaling $71.88 using (ID # 25-1332) available funds in the Emergency Management Office Supplies Account for office supplies. This item was taken up with item 25-1274. RESULT: RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED AYE: 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 Referenced Documents: • Finance - 2025-09-09 Mem _Auditing 9.8.25 (with 25-1289) • Finance - 2025-09-09 Memo HR PYI 9.8.25 (with 25-1301, 25-1302) Page 8 of 8