The Somerville City Council’s Finance Committee on March 11 recommended approval of a group of mayoral grant and contract requests, recorded two roll-call outcomes during the meeting and recommended against funding three midyear Water & Sewer department positions.

In a roll call the committee recommended approval of a $23,105 subaward from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council for the MetroMayors Community Safety Initiative (commonly called the Shannon Grant). The roll call was 3 in favor and 2 opposed: Councilor Imbaugh (yes), Councilor Burnley (no), Councilor Clayton (yes), Councilor Scott (no) and Councilor Wilson (yes).

A second roll call approved $87,450 in noncompetitive staffing funds from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security for the Police Department with a 5-0 vote: Councilors Mbaugh, Burnley, Clayton, Scott and Wilson all voted yes.

Separately, after a lengthy presentation and questions about timing and departmental leadership, the committee voted on a motion to recommend not approving three midyear Water & Sewer nonunion position requests (Utility Billing Manager; Service Operations Manager; reclassified Billing Analyst). The motion to recommend not approving passed on a roll call vote with the committee registering affirmative votes to recommend nonapproval from Councilors Mbaugh, Burnley, Clayton, Scott and Wilson.

The committee also took a final roll call at the meeting’s end to recommend approval of a group of items that had been “laid on the table” earlier in the evening; those items were recommended to be approved by unanimous roll call.

What the committee recommended
- The MetroMayors grant: recommended 3–2 to approve after discussion about program uses and required matching overtime funds.
- Executive Office of Public Safety and Security staffing grant: recommended 5–0 to approve.
- Three Water & Sewer position requests (midyear): the committee voted to recommend not approving all three requests (5–0 on the motion to not approve).
- Several other grant acceptances, contract extensions and prior-year invoice payments discussed at the meeting were bundled and recommended for approval by roll call at the end of the meeting.

Why it matters
Committee recommendations move to the full City Council for final approval. The committee’s decision to recommend against the three midyear Water & Sewer positions signals continued concern among councilors about creating new or reclassified permanent positions outside the normal budget cycle, especially in a department that currently lacks permanent senior leadership. Conversely, the committee’s approvals for several public-safety and elections security grants will allow the city to accept and spend state, regional or foundation funding for specific programs without additional local match requirements.

Votes at a glance
- 25-0283 (MetroMayors Community Safety Initiative subaward, $23,105; $5,777 match): committee recommended approval, roll call 3–2 (Imbaugh/Clayton/Wilson yes; Burnley/Scott no).
- 25-0284 (Executive Office of Public Safety and Security staffing grant, $87,450): committee recommended approval, roll call 5–0.
- 25-0258 / 25-0260 / 25-0262 (Water & Sewer midyear funding of three positions): committee voted to recommend not approving all three items, roll call to recommend not approving 5–0.
- Bundled approvals listed and recommended by final roll call at meeting end (items laid on table earlier in the meeting): recommended approved by roll call 5–0.

What’s next
The committee’s recommendations will go to the full Somerville City Council. The mayor’s office and department leaders will return with further details and budget materials where required; the Water & Sewer midyear request is expected to be reintroduced in a future budget context. The committee asked staff to provide follow-up detail on several grant and personnel questions at the next meeting.