Alderman-At-Large Will Mbah
October Newsletter
The Board of Alderman legislative session is in full swing and there many exciting things coming up this fall. I wanted to take time in this newsletter to tell you about a hearing I am running as the chair of the Open Space, Environment, and Energy Committee on the destruction of trees in the city. In addition, I’ll share some helpful dates and events that are coming up soon that you can get involved in. Enjoy!
1)Open Space, Environment, and Energy Committee Public Hearing on Loss of Trees in Somerville- Wednesday, Oct. 3rd, 6pm
Concerned about the loss of trees in our city? I am. 2018 has been a disaster and a huge step backwards for Somerville’s trees. More than 1,800 trees have been removed, many of them with no replacement planned. At current levels, this is ten years’ worth of plantings.
The Board of Aldermen Committee on Open Space, Environment and Energy invites all interested community members to a Public Hearing on Trees. The Hearing will take place on Wednesday, October 3, at 6 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chambers, City Hall, 2nd Floor, 93 Highland Ave. The Committee will discuss and invite brief public testimony on a range of issues relating to public trees and the city’s overall tree canopy including the tree planting schedule, tree canopy development, the coming new Urban Forestry Committee, the drafting of a Native Tree and Plantings ordinance, Green Line Extension-required tree removals, and potential tree plantings for Junction Park.
2) 2018 Fall ResiStat Info + Schedule
Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and the Board of Aldermen invite residents to the Fall 2018 ResiStat Community Meetings, a twice-yearly effort to share the latest City news, data, and neighborhood updates directly with residents and gather their feedback. ResiStat is both a great way to learn more about what’s happening in your neighborhood and around Somerville and a chance to talk with elected officials, City staff, and neighbors. A social half hour before the meeting and time after the meeting provide an easy opportunity for one-on-one chats. (We serve pizza and kid-friendly, healthy snacks to make it more fun to come and chat.)
Seven neighborhood meetings, one in each ward, will be held in the coming weeks. Mayor Curtatone, ward and at-large aldermen, members of the Somerville Police Department, and City staff will discuss issues important to residents. Residents will also have time to ask about other issues important to them. With several large construction projects coming up or already in the works, this fall’s ResiStat meetings will heavily focus on construction.
Interpretation into Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole will be provided at every meeting
For more information about ResiStat, or with any questions, contact ResiStat Coordinator, Meghann Ackerman, at MAckerman@somervillema.gov or 617-625-6600 ext. 2120.
Partial Fall 2018 ResiStat Meeting Schedule
Meetings run from 6:30 to 8 p.m., with refreshments at 6 p.m.
• Ward 1 (East Somerville, Assembly Sq.): Tues., Oct. 9, East Somerville Community School Auditorium, 50 Cross St.
• Ward 5 (Magoun Sq., NE Ball Sq., Cedar & Lowell St. areas, NW Porter Sq.): Mon., Oct. 22, The Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave.
• Ward 2 (S. Union Sq., Perry and Lincoln Park neighborhoods, Beacon St. area): Tues., Oct. 30, Argenziano School, 290 Washington St.
• Ward 6 (greater Davis Sq. neighborhood): Thurs., Nov. 1, Spaces, 54 Chester St.
• Ward 3 (N. Union Sq., Prospect Hill, Spring Hill, Central Hill): Wed., Nov. 7, Somerville High School cafeteria, 81 Highland Ave.
• Ward 4 (Winter Hill, Ten Hills): Tues., Nov. 13, Healey School, 5 Meacham St.
• Ward 7 (West Somerville, Teele Sq.): Thurs., Nov. 15, Tufts University’s Pearson Chemical Lab, room 104, 62 Talbot Ave.
3) Construction/Road Closure Updates
If you want to find out more info on road closures and construction updates, the city has a great centralized location for those things. Check out this link and be prepared!
In particular, there is a public meeting about the situation on Somerville Ave on October 10- details below.
The next phase of the Somerville Ave. Utilities & Streetscape Improvements project is set to begin in early November. To accommodate construction, a major work zone will be set up in the middle of Union Square for about six months. Through traffic will be detoured off of Somerville Ave. around the work zone. Some stops on MBTA bus routes 85 and 87 between Dane Street and Union Square will also be temporarily closed and relocated during this time.
To learn more about the upcoming work and associated detours, please join Ward 2 Alderman J.T. Scott, Ward 3 Alderman Ben Ewen-Campen, City of Somerville staff, and representatives from the project team for a community meeting on Wednesday, October 10, at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Academy Room at the Somerville Public Safety building, 220 Washington St.
For more information, including maps of the detours described above, please visit somervillema.gov/somervilleave, emailconstruction@somervillema.gov, or call the Engineering department at 617-625-6600 ext. 5400.
I hope to see many of you out at my hearing tomorrow night!
Your Public Servant,
Will Mbah
Always feel free to reach out over email to sign up for the newsletter or to ask questions/voice concerns at aldermanmbah@gmail.com or call me at 508-718-8126.
Alderman-At-Large Will Mbah
