[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6323242,"mediaKeyId","2342851-e443e9494ee0ce22d3531571b648f502","parentId",2342851,"title","Committee recommends approval of home rule petition to bar landlords from passing broker fees to tenants","audioSeconds",1529,"startMs",2357000,"endMs",3886000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2342851-e443e9494ee0ce22d3531571b648f502&start=2357&end=3886","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2342851-e443e9494ee0ce22d3531571b648f502/thumbnail_2357000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6323242/Somerville-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Committee-recommends-approval-of-home-rule-petition-to-bar-landlords-from-passing-broker-fees-to-tenants","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6323242-db6c1954652da65a49057a45a68ad80a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172803&Signature=N~Y8OaQLf3pLHHgV3uMFGGlq7bNl5PXhIDOZg7wV5KoJuyWo-smxz2bAmpnEmQeAEeAatOs2hOqp6wjhIjm4j3AEaHbyqJpwhgCK~xy-Fr8RWie9tPjpPKSJqcHhr0V4IOMfZB3UQnzRV0UIDloqBvBIEhr3kQiHD4hq-DZaE9JiX5IC-GjSSIg2UZb1njLzPySeWF6LETG9PwYvLjNf3jG8iCbD3ZMmGGPOFOXkEqXf-6BLBfZl1-QY6Hm4yLhoN~NLROkGIwKOKt~ElAx3Y~oSLxz3wPp8bOAAHzqF4BLsIzmTPzTRYrGBMZyBVJxDyPbf0A-McOivAubdNAXUAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Somerville City, MA","date","2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","article","The Committee on Legislative Matters voted to recommend approval of a home rule petition that would prevent landlords from passing broker fees onto tenants when the landlord or owner hires the broker. The committee approved the recommendation by roll call and will forward the petition to the full Somerville City Council for consideration.

Marina Zelaya, housing policy coordinator in the city's housing division, said the proposal would remove a practice common in the Greater Boston rental market and reduce upfront costs for renters. Zelaya told the committee that combined upfront costs for tenants (first month, last month, security deposit and broker fee) can amount to roughly four months' rent and that, in some cases, tenants face up to about $14,000 in upfront costs when moving. \"Removing at least one of those fees…would make a more equitable playing field for tenants,\" Zelaya said.

Attorney Shapiro of the city law department said the law office had reviewed the draft language and had no legal concerns with the ordinance as drafted. \"I have no legal concerns with the language as drafted,\" Shapiro told the committee.

Councilors debated scope and strategy. Members noted that Boston and other communities have pursued similar measures and that the governor proposed related language for the fiscal year 2026 budget. The committee and administration discussed whether to confine the petition to residential transactions or include commercial transactions as well; city staff said Somerville's draft focuses on residential leases and that including commercial transactions could make passage less likely. Several councilors expressed support for moving the residential-focused petition forward quickly and for coordinated advocacy at the state level if needed.

Councilor Shweisel spoke strongly in favor of the petition during discussion, calling broker fees “classist and oppressive” and saying the fees make renting in the region unaffordable for many residents.

Motion and vote: The committee moved to recommend the home rule petition for approval and recorded a roll-call vote in favor. The clerk recorded affirmative votes from Councilor Schrezzo (or Schrezzo as called), Councilor Mbah, Councilor Ewing Capen, Councilor Scott and Chair Lance Davis; the motion passed as recommended for approval. The city will place the petition on the full council agenda for final action and staff indicated they will support outreach and advocacy in coordination with other municipalities and state-level efforts.

Next steps: The petition will be presented to the full Somerville City Council at a future meeting for a final vote. The administration and council members discussed coordinating support with the governor's proposed FY26 budget language and similar petitions from other cities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Somerville City Legislative Matters - 2025-02-18","oneSentenceSummary","The Committee on Legislative Matters recommended the mayor's home rule petition that would prohibit landlords from shifting broker (realtor) fees to tenants; the committee voted to recommend approval and will forward the petition to the full council for a vote.","taxTitle","Somerville City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts","taxId",4564,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6323245,"Committee reviews Somerville surveillance-technology annual report, asks administration for clarifications and updates",2224,115000,2339000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2342851-e443e9494ee0ce22d3531571b648f502&start=115&end=2339","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2342851-e443e9494ee0ce22d3531571b648f502/thumbnail_115000.jpg","/articles/6323245/Somerville-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Committee-reviews-Somerville-surveillance-technology-annual-report-asks-administration-for-clarifications-and-updates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6323245-812eb14165f59fe4814fd2e161ae72b8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172803&Signature=BtVioBSzZ1C6A7mx315w603zxYrlQ3ARh96LPVPZoahdxDJTO0Ihm4KgBHmMXoZMRSMSgDVEx2~Z~ZeEoKfwyIVgHV8rXGexEg8p5r6Kf~A1AW2wRTJtOZPv9wrGQyR0oCajWEksCb5XD6fM~V6lwjN~W3~7C3QPe6di12K5dGg01-tUR-QpxJxOIy0KzaewMaIbs06~GTMuVhVMCkGXjTiJwYVNs-e8B-371a-4uADSFI4CRPLKsQ3IFt66HypS7cb1RqoPcCyvb3-PUX5wsBEfKJQFZa7xAMNaA7WPKHki~o4QRVXYpT-O0Ga8Tosys5UyJYTVNes44dSUmPXIAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Committee on Legislative Matters of the Somerville City Council met via remote participation to review the mayor's 02/2024 surveillance-technology annual report and requested several corrections and clarifications from administration and the Somerville Police Department.

The report, prepared under the city's surveillance-technology ordinance and the council's general-use policy, was presented for the committee's review. Chair Lance Davis said the ordinance has been “a real success story in terms of collaboration between the council and the administration,” and thanked staff for the report.

Members asked for numeric and procedural clarifications. Councilor Scott questioned inconsistent ShotSpotter counts in different parts of the report and asked how many activations were later confirmed as gunfire. Captain Sheehan of the Somerville Police Department said the discrepancy resulted from switching reporting periods (fiscal-year to calendar-year) and that the data in one section covered an 18-month span; Sheehan committed to provide the number of confirmed ShotSpotter alerts the following day. \"During fiscal year 'twenty 4 … there were 14,\" Sheehan said when explaining the counts in the revised time windows.

Committee members also asked for clearer legal justification when the department shares surveillance data with outside agencies. Chair Davis and members requested that answers referencing disclosures include the legal standard relied on (for example, the Massachusetts rules of evidence where applicable). Captain Sheehan agreed to add clarifying language where appropriate and to update responses that currently omit the disclosure standard.

Councilors discussed GrayKey device‑unlocking technology documented in the report. Captain Sheehan told the committee GrayKey was used in 33 criminal investigations on 38 devices and that each use was supported by a search warrant. Sheehan described the physical and access controls for the GrayKey equipment: it is stored in a card-key access room with logins limited to three department personnel (the captain in charge of the Criminal Investigation Division, a trained sergeant supervisor, and a trained detective). \"The physical device…is contained in a dedicated card-key access only room,\" Sheehan said.

Members also pressed for more detail on other items: the fire department's marine thermal-imaging camera, bait GPS devices for package and bicycle thefts, and pole cameras that were repurposed from older Homeland Security cameras using UASI grant funding. Captain Sheehan explained that two upgraded cameras were retained for use as rapidly deployable pole cameras and that the administration would amend the relevant impact reports to reflect those changes.

Committee members asked the clerk's office and administration to improve public accessibility to impact reports and annual reports; Clerk Wells indicated the new website (Encode Plus) should make those materials easier to find, with a potential April–May rollout.

Outcome: The committee did not vote to approve or reject the report at the meeting. Instead, members asked the administration to amend the annual report and several impact reports to (1) correct the reporting-period language and counts, (2) add counts of confirmed ShotSpotter alerts, (3) include the legal authority or standard relied on for each instance of data disclosure, and (4) update descriptions of pole-camera conversions and UASI-funded upgrades. The item was left in committee pending those updates and the filing of corrected documents.

The committee signaled it will accept the amended filings when provided and requested that responses and impact-report changes be posted to the council's public records so residents can review the specific explanations and security practices.","The Committee on Legislative Matters reviewed the mayor's 02/2024 surveillance-technology annual report, requested corrections and additional data (including confirmed ShotSpotter alerts and legal bases for data sharing), and left the item in committee pending amended filings and updated impact reports.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee recommends approval of home rule petition to bar landlords from passing broker fees to tenants

Committee reviews Somerville surveillance-technology annual report, asks administration for clarifications and updates