Equity, Gender, Seniors, Families and Vulnerable Populations Committee - Regular Meeting

Good evening. This is the, committee and city council of equity, gender, seniors, family, and vulnerable populations committee. I am city councilor at large Kristen Strazo. I'm the chair of this committee. And today, tonight, is Monday, 02/03/2025.

It's 06:02PM. We are meeting virtual only tonight. And pursuant to chapter two of the acts of 2023, this meeting of the city council committee will be conducted via remote participation. We will post an audio recording, audio video recording, transcript, or other comprehensive record of these proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting on the city of Somerville website and local cable access government channels. Mister Cook, can we please call the roll?

This is roll call. Councilor Syed?

Present.

Councilor Barr and councilor Strazo?

Present.

Madam chair, two members are present. One is absent. We have a quorum.

This is mister clerk. Councilor Raba said he would be late for a committee tonight. So it is now twenty twenty five, February. We have a new committee, new members. Welcome. Great to have you here. So we are picking up some of the work that we had carried over from last year. Memories of December 2024. We're now a whole other year. So I guess we shall start with, our first item on the agenda, which is approval of the committee minute minutes.

I item two four one seven seven zero. Mister clerk, can we call a roll on that?

On approval of the minutes, councilor Syed?

Yes.

Councilor Barr and councilor Strazo?

Yes.

Madam chair, those minutes have been approved.

Thank you. Next, we're going to discuss order second item on the agenda, order 250039 that the director of health and human services provide an update on the availability and accessibility of free menstrual products in all city owned bathrooms, including realistic sizes. I'm very, very grateful we have director Karen Carroll here from the director of health and human services to speak on behalf of this item. And if I may just quickly refresh everyone's memories on why this order is written like this and why I also resubmitted it. I think it is very much a important issue that we need to discuss as at least 51% of the population of the city of Summerville are women.

And back in the day when budgets and bathroom items were being presented and first ordered, I'm just gonna take a wild guess that maybe anyone putting forward these orders probably never bled. So maybe it wasn't a priority. And here we live in 2025 where it's still not in many ways a priority. Any place we go, I see sometimes things, some dispensers throughout the community for a quarter. But as these are items that are a necessity for half of the population, I have the the radical idea that this should be free and that our residents should be validated.

All who menstruate should be able to get free menstrual products throughout the city. I know that school buildings, elementary school kids and the high school should have menstrual products freely available. And there are sometimes issues I've heard with products of the boxes. They jam. They're plastic and sometimes can actually get to the products inside of them.

And I've also heard and why this item is written like this in the, including realistic sizes. So so in I have heard from parents in some of the schools that the the menstrual pads are too large for the the young bodies that are menstruating. So for instance, if the average, girl or menstruator starts at the age around 10, 11, it is a small little body. And yet, I have heard from some of the some of the the buildings that that the the items being purchased are for an adult size menstruator slash adult size woman body. So that is a disconnect and very uncomfortable feeling for a 10 or 11 year old or 12 year old with a smaller body.

Now I know that that is a different department, and that is probably a school buildings decision. I I don't really think that we make the purchasing decisions, but I do know that that is something that that we're not talking about, and and it should be considered as we move forward. And I am grateful, director, that you, have have, already put a pilot forward with this. I'm grateful to hear about that. If if you may, I'd love to give you the floor, but if you may just kinda refresh since we have new committee members this year. Refresh us on the work you've been doing, and we'd love to hear a little bit about it. And and thank you so much for being here tonight.

Great. Through the chair, thank you for that introduction and for your you know, advocacy for this issue for a long time. You and I spoke about it when I first started, so I appreciate the interest of the council. You know, there are lots of studies to just further support what you have the sort of intro you've given around free period and free sanitary products. There's a lot of research around, period poverty, we call it, and, young people not going to school or people going to work if they do not have adequate period products.

So it is a very real issue that affects lots of our families, lots of menstruating people in our city. And, you know, we just felt this was something that the health and human services department could could pilot and kind of make a statement and see how far we got. So we began a while ago now with discussions and kinda getting the lay of the land around what already exists in Somerville. As councilor Strazo mentioned, there is a lot that already exists. There are we there are three sort of contracts for these products.

One is the schools. So the schools has their own contract. And, we actually met today because we wanna make sure there are some gaps in, the services citywide. So we wanna kind of look at those. And in light of planning, budgets, all of these things, we wanna figure out how we can close any existing gaps.

And I think I would put the sizing issue in with this area of gaps or needing services that need to be looked at a little more closely. So the schools do their thing. They do not have them in every building, but they have, some dispensers. I'm talking them today. They have a few different arrangements where, they are providing the product and filling filling the dispensers.

They're a little bit different than, how we the contract, the pilot that HHS is doing, and that involves six pilot dispensers that dispense both tampons and pads. And we targeted areas of high traffic for our target population. So we targeted the teen center activities or teen spaces. One at the Edgeley bathrooms where several teen programs are held. The other at the Powder House space where teen activities are run through parks and rec.

We have one at Soya on 42 Cross Street. We have one at the Annex serving the HHS case management and the housing team and clients accessing those services at the Annex. And we have two at project soup in their in their public bathrooms. We the the other and I'll come back and talk about ours, but the third contract is with the libraries who have had a system in place for some time. I know less about the other two, the school and the libraries, but I can tell you we have met the schools, and we are sort of looking and talking and planning together to address gaps.

Our pilot just launched in late fall of this year, So we will be getting quarterly utilization reports from our vendor. When I spoke to the schools today, they fill them themselves so they don't have the luxury of one vendor who is coming in taking care of that task automatically every twenty eight days. And they also, therefore, aren't getting that utilization data or aren't able to unless they keep track of track of it themselves. So our pilot is with Citron who also is the same company being utilized by other parts of the city. And they have both installed these dual machine dispensing machines, and they maintain them, and then they, fill them.

Every 28 they come around. What they told me when, I knew I was coming to speak to this group tonight, they told me that they are filling pretty much all of them, are very low or close to empty. Each of the times a couple of times so far they have been there to fill them. So, you know, if that's the case, assuming twenty five or so per dispenser per item, that's hundreds of products already, free products that we have provided to our residents, our menstruating residents. So, that's fantastic.

We have not the contact folks in my in this pilot have not heard any issues or concerns about the actual products. But as you mentioned, councilor Strezza, we are serving the adult and, the teen population, so it may be less of an issue than the younger, young adults you're speaking of in the middle schools. So that's something else to further explore with the school district. So our as I said, you know, the pilot started in in the late fall, and I would say probably, by March or April, we'll have the first quarter utilization report that I can forward to the committee as well. But, I can anecdotally tell you it's in the hundreds already that we are supplying through our six dispensers.

So thank you for your interest. I'm happy to take questions. And as I said, we are talking with the schools. We just had a first meeting today to look at some of the gaps that might still exist and how we can fill them.

Director, thank you. This is awesome. Thank you so much for your thoroughness on this as well. I'm just enamored. Councilor Sehit, do would you do you have any questions, thoughts? Would you like to?

Thank you, madam chair. First, I would like to thank you for bringing this order forward. This is a really important issue, and I'm really glad for my first meeting. We're discussing this issue that doesn't get necessarily a lot of coverage, so thank you for that. I do have a few questions to director Carroll.

First, thank you for all the work you're doing, and I'm really pleased to hear that there's a pilot program, and our constituents are getting these much needed for some, services. My question my first question is, you've mentioned that these it's about the program, and these dispensers are being refilled by the provider. Can you tell us, please, how often do they refill them? Like, how often do they come to do that?

Yes. Through the chair. Every twenty eight days, They come and fill them check them all and fill them.

So okay. Thank you. So the dispensers, can you tell us, like, how many tampons and pads do they hold in each location? Is it, like, the same machine for every location? Are they more than one machine?

Through the chair, they hold 28 tampons and 28 pads in each dispenser. They're a dual dispenser. And they what they are reporting to me anecdotally when I asked prior to this meeting is that they are mostly emptied. Sometimes when they go with the twenty eight days, there's nothing left but low numbers. So I'm sort of, you know, estimating that probably 20 to 25 a month per per, item per dispenser. So that would be hundreds already that we anticipate. So, yeah, they hold about 28 products each. 28 pads, 28 tampons.

Thank you. Thank you, director, through the chair. So it it sounds like they are being used, and having more wouldn't be would probably help because every time they go, it's empty or mostly empty. And my other question is I know this is school related. This is, yeah, under managed by the schools.

In your conversation with these schools, were there any other gaps that were identified, mentioned besides the fact that that school staff are the ones refilling them? Can you tell us more about what you learned? I know it's not really under it's not really, like, your responsibility. But since you mentioned that you had a meeting with them today, I would love to learn, yeah, if you could share with us what you learned.

Yeah. I learned that they don't have, dispensers in every bathroom that they would like them. So I think for a next step for them, they're going to do a little more of an assessment, and kind of work up a budget or a proposal of what they might need to cover all of their schools, their middle schools, high schools, and all all of those bathrooms. So that's I don't know their exact locations, but that was the gist of the meeting. One of the things that I heard from the meeting is that they they don't have them in all of there.

And so they were trying to understand where we had placed them, where the libraries. And the other thing they raised, which I think is a great question, is would we be able to if we had a standard contract across the whole city, would that save either one of our departments money, time, whatever? So we'll we'll look into that as well. I don't know if it's feasible or not, but we'll kind of explore economies of scale, and see if we I think the main reason for the meeting was to identify gaps where so we all know, you know, where the pilot six are, where the schools are, and then where we may be missing them.

Through you, madam chair, to director Carroll, yeah, thank you, for adding that. Again, really glad to hear that. This is, a start of a conversation around this, and, hopefully, more resources will be put into this since I imagine this comes out of the school budget. So does, yeah, bringing this to the school committee and prioritizing it. Thank you, Maranca. Those are all my questions for now.

Thank you, counselor. If if I may on this as well. Yeah. And other thing that do you few questions on the the meeting you had with the the school department. I'm sorry that you have to answer these questions because it's their obligation to answer it and not obligation, but, you know, I don't want you I don't wanna put you in a position to where you're answering for someone that you may not have the answer when I I don't wanna put you in an uncomfortable spot in that because I know that and I appreciate the information session with them this morning.

One thing that I'm hoping that if if if the that when we talk about the concept of expanding products in in in the schools, at least, the in the bathrooms, I'm hoping that we can also go to a point where they are in all of the teacher bathrooms and gender neutral bathrooms because teachers menstruate too. And I I wanna make sure that they they are just as comfortable and allowed that that space as well. And I know I I'm I'm a little concerned to hear that not every bathroom has I'm sorry. Every building has dispensers in every bathroom, or are they still accessible? Did they mention that?

Or okay. They are. And I know that sometimes that means that the kids have to go to the school nurse to get them. And then from what I've heard so say, for instance, as an example, a couple years ago, Winter Hill School, I heard reports that they were that the Winter Hill School was locking the bathroom doors on the 2nd And 3rd Floor floors, so kids couldn't, like, couldn't access the bathrooms during the school day. Nobody could access the bathrooms during the school day.

They had to go down the 1st Floor. That's it. And if and if a and if a if if someone needed a menstrual pad, had to go to the nurse's office. And I don't know where the budgets are with the nurse's office. And if the nurses are handed menstrual pads, that's right. You're right. Yeah. I know. I'm I'm yeah. Yeah.

I I'm or it's just their own job. Nurses are just it's their own job to get menstrual pads, and what they get is what they get or don't, which is two problems. And, also, I can't imagine how humiliating it is to be 11 years old getting a period, you're still figuring out your body, and then you have to go and beg and plead to get a menstrual pad or a tampon. I I can't imagine how uncomfortable that is. And why would we put a child in that kind of situation and also not even give the nurses what they need?

And one of the nurses actually, a few nurses, school nurses I've talked to about this issue have told me that we'd love to have a dispenser in the nurse's office. I don't know what that would look like. So I'm wondering if, you know I know there's always that push pull with the budgets of, like, school committee budget school budget bucket and then and then, you know, municipal bucket of money. And there's always that push pull of who's going to pay the bill at the end of the meal. But I also wonder if if there's ever an opportunity for a pilot.

I have heard that there's actually, a few Somerville companies. Actually, Massachusetts companies of menstrual products. Director, you know, we go way back on this one. Do you remember, the the Massachusetts women owned company with the the menstrual, products that they have at, I think, also at Fenway Park. Now it's Forest Fest. Don't go there much, but I've heard they're awesome. Mhmm. But they can also do that. But also I heard that there's another company that exists where I think Cambridge has it where it's one long menstrual pad. I don't exactly know how it works.

I haven't seen it in the wild. But it's a that there it's a certain kind of menstrual product and pad that's kind of just like on a roll and people take what they need. I don't know. But that somehow there's a Somerville connection. And is there any way we can pilot with some of these companies in some way in the schools?

I don't know. Maybe it it gives them exposure and prestige and some kind of awesome marketing campaign or something, maybe in the nurse's office. But can we go there? Can we explore that? And I I I guess I'd I'd like I don't want to put you on the spot, but would like to know how we talk to the the the school department on the the Mentzer products too because it it does worry me that not every not every building has it. These are these are vulnerable little bodies and we know that, you know, to your point early on that especially girls and little menstruators,

they're

going to not go to school and they're going to miss school and then it becomes a truancy issue and then it becomes over over a very basic body function. It just that's Mhmm. Like the the quintessentially inequitable. So thank you so much for for taking the time to really take this so with such care, and I really appreciate the conversation. And maybe we can talk further in the school the school committee.

Maybe I'll put forward another order, not with HHS, don't worry, but maybe another order to go to the buildings committee to see what's up with the with the the menstrual product dispensers in the schools. Maybe we need to have more conversations about it. Not with you, but don't worry. Like, maybe I'm sure my colleagues are tired of hearing it, but that's okay because this is an important issue that we have to know. We must normalize the end. So thank you very much, director, for being here.

You're very welcome.

Thank you. Director counselor Syed, I I keep calling you director. Forgive me, counselor Syed, do have any final thoughts on this?

No further questions. Just again, much gratitude for the work you do, and thank you for starting that conversation.

Thank you. Alright. Director, thank you. Have a great night, and, happy to watch this item. We're complete. Great. Thank you. Director Oliviero. So we're gonna we're gonna hop the line in the committee. No. No. No. That was next on the agenda. This is totally on the next on the agenda. We have so we have three items on veterans that we're gonna take up.

Two of them I'd like to read together or take together, and one of them I'd like to have on its own because it's a different idea, similar subject, different idea. But if I may read, Resolution 250,062, that the administration return the Vietnam and Korean War memorials to a new public location as soon as possible rather than waiting for a comprehensive plan for all veterans' memorials and Order 02/50042 that the commission commissioner of public works and the director of veteran services provide an estimated timeline to when the removed veterans memorial moments monuments on the City Hall Concourse will be reinstalled. Here to speak on this item, I believe we have director Luisa Luisa Oliveira. Am I correct? Yeah.

You're here to speak on this. How are you tonight?

Thank you, councilor Strezzo, to the chair. I'm only here to speak on one of these items, which is the return of the Korean And Vietnam Memorial.

Right on. You have the floor. Thank you.

So if I may, am I able to share or not able to share?

Yeah. Yes. Please. Thank you. And thanks for being here tonight, by

the way.

I don't

know where the share button is.

Don't ask me. I'm just a head on a screen right now.

Believe you'll need to be given access by the clerk or perhaps I can do that, and then you should see the button up here.

Also, probably what's on here ah, okay. Here we go.

Should have it now.

Can you see my screen right now?

Yes. Yes.

Okay. So just a quick refresher. There are two memorials that we're discussing. The Korean Memorial, which looks like this. It was directly in front of the steps of the old Summerville High School and the Vietnam Memorial, which is this one.

That was, I think, located closer to the playground, but I'm not certain originally. So these two memorials, as part of the large campus plan design, were designed to go in front of this is a aerial view of the existing lawn in front of the new Summerville High School. I'm not sure if everyone can picture this, but it's where the entrance is to the high school. And these memorials are to be returned to these two places. The entire design continues a design a memorial walk where all of the memorials are listed chronologically.

But this first phase of that design is what we are working on now. The project, I have a timeline here if you'd like. It's a little bit difficult to see, but I can highlight for those some people are very fond of a Gantt chart. We are going to be putting the project out to bid on the February 14, and then, we'll start in April. We'll start construction in April for these two memorials to return to the high school lawn.

Director, if I may, how long do you think construction will take?

Per this Gantt chart, it should be oh, did something just happen? Are you are you guys seeing the Gantt chart or nothing? No.

Slides. Can you go back one?

Sorry. For this Gantt chart, we should be completed in the late in summer.

I'm sorry. I was I was, talking to my son a second who hopefully is doing the thing he said he was going to be doing. Pardon me. Could you please repeat that last line?

Sure. Construction will begin in April and will hopefully be completed in the summer.

Awesome. If I have one request, just one request, and spoiler alert, it's the one agenda item we did not discuss. Is there any way you could please, please, please, please, please just put some form of communication somewhere in that region just to just to heck. I don't know. Go to Home Depot and spray paint it on a on a piece of of of plywood or something, that something is coming just so that the veterans have just some kind of communication that there is a process. It's happening now. Yes. It's absolutely happening. It it will happen this year. Just something, please.

So, I have appeared before the committee, for veteran services and given them the same information. And there also is website that we just got up today on Summer Voice, which is where all projects have updated information. So those those are now accessible and explain exactly this and list also to or link to the original plans and the community process that was done with this.

I'm going to really quick push back on that, and then I'm I'm happy to, recognize, director Hutter. The veterans are not interested in going online and finding this, and that is not an option for a lot of the residents that will do this. So that is why I'm saying an actual physical sign. Online is super, but there is a strict section of our community that will not be immediately thinking to go on the Internet to find something. They want to see it in real in they want that physical and and they they have and you know what?

I'm one of those people. I I I am. I I may go on the Internet, but signs are still helpful for a portion of our community. And I do think that this visibility would make a a a very positive impact for them. So Internet is super. Web pages are awesome, but also to just respect their their their needs and and a a population that and for the residents that may not go to the Internet to find sources or search a Google site, this would matter to them. Can you can someone please just put a sign up? And director

Hutter? You, madam chair. I really appreciate you flagging this and giving ideas on how we can better communicate this to the populations that are most impacted by it. You know, I brought this back to staff. We sort of talked about some of the feasibility, and there are some reasons why that may be, know, harder to do, especially with a timeline starting in April for construction.

But we hear that behind this is that need for better communication. And I spoke with the mayor about and, you know, what we could be doing to better communicate this to folks. So we're gonna continue to have conversations about what that looks like with the various folks involved, but making sure we're keeping the veteran services director involved, making sure and just deciding when and how frequently the mayor or others may go before our veterans, different veterans groups to make sure that they are getting that information and make sure that they are up to date on this. But you also know there's been extensive interest from the council in doing our best to find the the right channels to communicate to the folks who need to get that information even if we aren't able to, at this time, put a physical sign in that space. Obviously, that would be, you know, ideal, I guess, if you were going by there.

But I know several folks, you know, may not go by that area, but still wanna know what's happening, And they're very passionate about this for many reasons. So we're thinking about that and really are taking to heart the need for us to for us as a city to be better about communicating this. We know it's been a very long process, and folks, you know, working internally know that, but people outside who aren't a part of all those conversations don't know what's happening. So, definitely appreciate that and know that we're gonna be thinking more, and there'll be more to come on, you know, what creative solutions we can come up with on that. Thank you.

Thank you. Director, if if if you wish, if yeah. I don't know. Counselor, do you have any, thoughts? Did you wanna

Through you, madam chair. Yeah. No questions. I would just re rate what, counselor was saying. I think it's important to meet people where they are. And if there are materials that are being sent to veterans, like flyers from veteran services, maybe add that. Also, yeah, like a sign just saying coming soon later this year. You know, these two memorials helps visually. Yeah. But, yeah, I'm excited to know that there's a plan for it, and it will be happening soon.

Thank you. Thank you. So with that, so you are you are here to speak on the veteran so so, director, so you're saying that this year, we're talking summer. They're they're they could be back. They will be back. Yeah.

Through the chair. That is correct.

Cool. Okay. Thanks. How about just just spitballing ideas here. How about a press release in the local newspaper? What about that? Can we start there? If if I mean, because here's where I am. I'm thinking, my goodness. I love that oops paint at the at the at the store, you know, the wild colors, and maybe I'll just make a sign.

I don't know. Maybe I'll just get some paint and I'll make my own sign, and it won't be great. I am not super, super detailed with creative product projects. I kinda suck at it, but it's so important to some people that I don't know. Maybe we do need a a a an oops paint turquoise sign that, you know, maybe I'll buy some oops glitter too and just stick some glitter or just make it prettier, something just so that some kind of communication is going out and anybody taking the Highlands Highland buses can see it, see a new sign, hey, it's coming.

But even just a press release in the local papers be like, yes, it's on its way. By the time we're all sleeveless in summer, we're going to have these monuments returned. I mean, will be like, even just a press release. Can we possibly do that, like, you know, that maybe this week or something? I don't know. Just a thought. You don't have the answer, but I know there are different departments that handle this. Just like what do you think?

Thank you, madam chair. Yes. This is something we are thinking about and wanting to get the timing right. We're talking obviously with our comms department who have all the expertise about when and how those are gonna be, you know, received the best and picked up by local papers. So, yes, we're thinking about that and what information we're able to share.

And, obviously, when we have more information, it's a better press release and more, you know, more folks are paying attention to it. So definitely thinking about that when the time is right for that, trying to figure out what the timing is on that. Yes. Definitely thinking about a press release, thinking about any sort of events or community events that could happen. We're thinking about all kinds of ways to, communicate back to the community at large and specifically those, who have advocated for this, like the counselors and veterans themselves. Happy to take any more ideas. I will I jotted it down, and I will continue to take your ideas here. You've got great ones. Thank you.

Thank you. It sounds like I'm just gonna have to head over to some for some oops paint. Counselor Syed, Syed, you feeling it? What's your favorite color?

Right. We're choosing yeah. Just Oranges. Colors.

Yeah. Perfect.

You know, mustard mustard and blue are my favorite colors.

So Those are nice.

Absolutely. Will help.

Okay. So so so maybe, we have a a good plan, in motion. I I hear the when you talk about press release and I hear, like, a pushback of waiting till you're further along the process, but liaison hunter. But I am just saying that this may be one of those scenarios where it it as, I think it was counselor, McLaughlin said that that that absence, even though it seems like there may be a plan and to your point that that this is gonna happen this year, prospectively and most likely, there's still a lot of pain in February of this of this month that it's still there, and this is one more day. So we really can't be the this is really fresh and painful still.

We can't allow what's that phrase? Blah blah blah. Perfect enemy of the good. It it doesn't it doesn't cost anything to put a press release to be like, yes. It's about to happen, and I I don't know. Okay. Thank you. I'm I'm happy to close these two items, and looks like we we dabbled back into the order anyhow. So, mister Clerk, happy to close resolution, 250062 and, order 250042. And then, I mean, we just kinda we dab we kinda drove into it, dabbled it, but so we'll just say order 250043.

Just gonna read it. Yeah. Because we pretty much went there. The the commissioner of public I'm gonna go through the process. That the commissioner of public works and director of veteran services install signage at the previous locations of veteran memorial landmarks acknowledging the missing veterans memorials and conveying to the public a timeline in our plans for the reinstallation. Although we dabbled in this, do do director Oliveira, you're not here to speak on this item, so I don't want to. But I I want the floor open. So if you do feel or wish to speak, I'm I'm happy to to to include you in this. But I I recognize oh my god. A cat. So

Thank you. Through the chair. I, yes. I'm not here to speak on that item, and I don't really have an answer for you.

That's fine. But but so with this, Lia's and Hutter, are there, in addition to just the Vietnam and Korean war memorials that we spoke of, do you have other, additional thoughts, ideas, contributions to the other memorials that are still not there?

Yes. Thank you, madam chair. And through you, for the memorials beyond the Vietnam and Korean war memorials, We we don't have an update since the administration last presented in December to the public works and public utilities committee. I did that backwards. Public utilities and public works.

So those there are additional memorials for anyone who is unaware. There are additional memorials that are the intention, the plan is to they would be on the lawns in front of sort of the City Hall Concourse in the 1895 Building, which is the former historic high school. So those memorials, there's not we are still working on develop figuring out the plans for when they would return to that area and also considering if there are some of them that could be placed elsewhere in the city that are maybe, you know, more appropriate locations. So that is still in the same spot it was a few months ago. Those some of those conversations are, you know, require decisions about our capital investment plan, and are not yet you know, there's sort of, blocked by that.

So we'll be continuing to have those conversations. But I do wanna say that many staff, from multiple departments as well as mayor's office have been working very diligently on this. We have heard very clearly from the council that this is a priority. We know we have known it's been a priority for our veterans community. And I will share that personally for mayor Ballantyne.

She feels very passionate about this as well. Her her father was a veteran fight fighting in both the Vietnam and the Korean War. So she now understands the importance and has been keeping this in the forefront of her mind and is really excited to be moving forward with the projects that director Oliveira just walked us through. Really glad to get those memorials in place this year, but we'll continue to be working on the remaining memorials as we move through some of our other conversations around our capital investment planning.

Liaison, thank you. And, also, thank you for to you and to the administration and the mayor's office for taking this so seriously that that it that and and figuring out a plan for it. So just wanna say that. Counselor, do you have any additional thoughts on this before we move on?

Yeah. To you, madam chair, no additional thoughts. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you. Happy to close this item for now, And it's closed. So with that, thank you for coming, director. And what's your cat's name?

Thank you. This is Tito. This is Tito the Sweeto. Confirmed. He's very interested in my work. Thank you. Have a good evening.

Thank you. You too.

Hi, Tito.

Alright. Mister Clerk, can we please also note for the minutes that that we now have. Councillor Mbaugh, welcome. We have

Thank you, ma'am. Sure.

Howdy. So we now have, a few more items on the agenda, and we'll start with, 250041 that the director of on the of the Council on Aging discuss how the Council on Aging can help support seniors dealing with grocery store inflation and how the city can help support their transportation regional discount grocery stores. Here to speak on this item, I believe we have director Ashley Speliotis. I I believe you're here to speak on this item. Right? And the other three or just this this one?

Just this one.

Oh, just this one.

Okay. Okay.

So welcome. Thank you for being here tonight.

Yeah. No problem. Thank you so much for having me. It's always an exciting opportunity to talk about the transportation program and the success of the program and where we can improve the program. Transportation has always been such an important factor in my career.

Prior to working for the city, I worked in a community hospital where much of my day was spent among the staff, among the patients, of how when people were discharged, how were they going to get to follow-up appointments, how were they going to get to cancer treatment. Even before that, working with some college professors researching how transportation affects public health and affects one's health. So when we were able to create a transportation program here in Somerville, it was really one of the highlights of my career. So for the last five years, we have been providing transportation services to help augment transportation services that already existed. So like some people are aware, we have SCM or door to door transportation, which provides rides to all Somerville seniors to medical appointments and to the local grocery stores.

There's elder services, Somerville Cambridge Elder Services, can provide rides in addition to other services placed together like insurance companies, insurance provided rides, or the ride itself. But what really makes our program stand out is that we offer taxi services to all seniors. There's no income limit. We provide services throughout the day and evening and the weekends and we can take reservations two business days in advance where some of the other programs can really be up to two weeks or even further that they need to book in advance. So in an attempt to meet our seniors' needs and to help with the cost of inflation, We provide services to routine medical appointments but also to the local grocery store.

And we use that term a little bit lightly to help our seniors. What we call grocery store or a food source also includes farmers markets that take SNAP benefits. It includes food pantries. It includes stores with food available. Believe it or not some people like to do their grocery shopping in the Dollar Store or Target.

So as long as it's in Somerville we provide a ride through our transportation program. Typically our transportation program is seen and it's pretty consistent over all the five years is that 27% of our rides, the roughly 600 rides we provide a month is for food access. 65% to 70% of the rides are for routine medical care. So we, you know, that being consistent, we still survey our participants to make sure we're meeting their needs. One example of how we can see the difference is 57% of respondents said that prior to the program transportation was a barrier to healthcare while only 27% of respondents said that transportation was a barrier to accessing food.

Currently residents, only 8% of our users are using transportation to a food pantry or farmer's market. And we also asked if we needed to expand our transportation out of Somerville for grocery shopping, only 3% of respondents said that that was a needed service. But we are constantly evaluating the program and we are looking towards its future to ensure that it remains a sustainable alternative and to augment the existing services. I mean, that's a little bit about our transportation program in relation to inflation and food costs. We also have the remainder of the services here at the Council on Aging.

We have community meals, highly discounted catered meals from local restaurants at our programs. We have our social work staff who help with connections to food stamps, assistance when something may go wrong with your food stamps. And they can do some other evaluations of other social welfare benefit programs in the area. I can stop there and welcome any questions.

Thank you, Director. Really quick, I just have two questions. What's the budget that you foresee? Is this too early to talk to or can you say which one and what you have right now? Word? Or

I missed the very beginning of what you said. Could you repeat that

for me? Sure. Really quick. What's the the budget of what you you have this year or or have right now?

Sure. Absolutely. So our taxi program, our senior taxi program has gone through some changes very recently. It recently transferred from all grant funded to city operating budget funded, and we have about 10,000 per month Okay. Through this fiscal year. Okay.

One thing I've heard from from residents or that would there ever be a possibility well, there ever be a possibility of a rollover? So say, for instance, the if I think it's one what is it? One medical visit per week or and then Yes. One per grocery store, I think.

So right now it is one routine medical ride per week. So medical rides include, again, some leniency. It's medical professionals, mental health, dentists, physical therapy. So one medical appointment per week and then two additional rides per month to a food source, a grocery store or pharmacy. I think that rolling over or providing more rides is definitely something that would be our greatest hope to do.

I think that you know there's some restrictions to that mostly budgetary to be quite honest with you. In addition to our funding source, we've also seen the conclusion of ARPA funding and that goes beyond the city. That goes through different federal programs, through different grant programs. So that has had effects on some of older services. It has had effects on other grant funded transportation services.

So when I say I feel lucky that we're still able to provide this service to seniors, like it is, you know, so true. I can't be more proud of this program or more lucky to be helping to assist seniors with transportation because while we're here to augment services, the services out there aren't enough. And with the conclusion of ARPA funding, federal government, state ARPA funding, other programs have gone to the wayside. So, know, of course, the short answer of your question is, of course, I would love to do that, but I think that's something to look into for the future.

Thank you. And with that 3% outside of the community Yes. Would there because it's 3% and not a huge request, would that be a possibility? So say, for instance, daily table where they which is, you know, right next door in Cambridge or

Boldie? I think that, again, is something that we should consider in the future. And maybe even like you're saying a case by case basis of a like I would hate to and we certainly can't like say yes to one person and not to the other. But perhaps if something is close enough to Somerville, how the rates work is that it's a flat fee contracted fee that we pay. So I just keep saying VO again with the cab company.

So for instance, if we send somebody to a location in Somerville, it's a flat fee of $14 But if let's say, you know, and they go they choose to go to Market Basket in Somerville, then that's $14 there, $14 back. But if they suddenly want to go to Market Basket in Chelsea, well, that's like $27. So it's sometimes it comes down to that matter of cost and the choice that that we make. Can we help more people get to more places or can we get to fewer people get to further away places? So those are all things that we think about here constantly.

Right. I appreciate that. And right, it's sometimes really difficult decisions and which one negatively impacts most less.

Exactly. Exactly. And it's you know, it I guess it's something to think about, but it's, like I said, you know, within Summerville. So sometimes it just doesn't make sense if it's right over the border in Cambridge. But that's that's how the program is made up right now.

Right. And and this is this is to me a a really important issue. I mean, I'm gonna put my cards right on the table. This is something good accessibility is something that is I I I think about a lot, but also just it's a it's an issue that I think we don't discuss, like, enough. And I'm I am really worried about what the months to come are gonna look like with nine dollars of, you know, a gallon $9 a gallon for eggs.

No. $9 for a carton of eggs, which I saw at the grocery store today, but also let's look. One of the things that I I I talked about, like, with other leaders on this is the fact that sometimes with, like, a a gift card to Star Market or Stop and Shop, if butter is $7 there, but for a daily table or all the it's 2 or $3. Yeah. I know, like, where where it gets gets tricky.

And how do we fix that? And I know that it it it's a lot of complicated conversations at the same time. But I I think we have to have that. And, I mean, I'm I'm happy to talk further about what inflation's gonna look like and how, you know, how that's going to impact the accessibility and food and security, some of the residents.

Yes. I think food insecurity inflation in general is is a concern. I think it's something that we can plan for and brace for. And I say to myself, like, thankfully for our social workers here because sometimes it's looking to help in one area that can then affect the other because it is certainly a complicated issue.

Thank you. Counselors, happy to open the floor. Pardon me for speaking about this passionately a bit, but I I definitely want to hear from you. Councilor Mbaugh?

Thank you, Good to see you, director. Thank you for your work. I just have a first of all, like, maybe some few clarifying question about, like, just I'm, like, on your website right now, like, looking at it. You know? But I really enjoy a lot of the things you do. But I see that the board members, there are seven board members. Is that a cap for Council on Aging? Or do you or is I thought it's, like, 11 or, like, am I mistaken? How many people are supposed to be on your board?

Counselor, how does this relate to the item?

Yeah. It's about like, we're talking about, you know, like, transportation. I wanna see if there are people, you know if there are some decisions that needs to be made you know regarding even the issues we are talking about but maybe we need the need to add that's I'm trying to lay the foundation for my question because it's a we're talking about council and aging we're about transportation How do we know about the governing, you know, board methodology and how decisions are made?

Sure. So I'm happy to answer that. We have nine members. I don't believe the website is updated on that. We all board of directors for Council on Agings within Massachusetts are advisory boards.

So they while they don't have decision making powers over our budget or over the programs programs here. They do advise on different programs. So they are aware of the transportation program and have had some discussions about it, particularly when we had gotten word in October, I want to say September, October, when we had gotten word that other programs were ending. And they had voted to provide their support for, I would say, the biggest change of our transportation program is that the pre November residents were allowed to go to a grocery store one time a week. Now they go twice per month.

And that was to help prepare and, like I said before, to help serve more residents rather than the same residents over and over again within our budget.

Thank you, doctor. And for you, madam chair, yep, I think, honestly, you're doing a lot. And sometime, like, data is always, like, very important to see, like, who are the existing users for your services so that we can make sense out of those. But I guess just one question and then maybe, like, a subset of that. I wanna know if the current program that you have, you know, if you think they are, you know, they are affordable and well communicated to seniors.

Sure. So for the taxi program, our senior taxi program, we advertise it the same as all of our other programs here. We do it through our social media, Facebook and Instagram. We send out press releases once a month to area newspapers. We use the city website.

And we have a newsletter that is available through mail or email. I would say the website that you are referring to is a little bit vague. I will admit that. And that is because we change our programs monthly, if not weekly. And we don't update the website ourselves. So that's why we use social media. But like Counselor Strezza was saying earlier in this meeting, we definitely still use flyers and the newspaper and the newsletter much more than we do any any social media.

Well, thank you.

You're welcome.

You're welcome.

Okay. Councilor Syed?

Thank you. Through you, madam chair. Yeah. Since this is my first meeting this year, I also have a few questions about how this works. So is this available to all seniors in the city?

Yes. Through you, madam chair, it is available to all seniors aged 60 and over. It doesn't matter what type of housing you live in. It doesn't matter your income. Just as long as you're a Somerville resident and 60 and we also provide services to those 60 who have a permanent disability.

Thank you, director. And I wanted to mention first, thank you for all the work you're doing, for all the important work you're doing with, I'm sure, a very limited budget. And I guess to my next question, you have covered it a little bit through you, madam chair, to director. Can you tell us how does the conclusion of the ARPA funding affect these services? If there's anything you would like to add for us counselors to keep in mind as we put our budget priorities together.

Sure. Thank you for the question, through you, chair. I think the biggest thing that I've seen because of the conclusion of ARPA funding is really the conclusion of the other community programs. And so the effect on us has been just an influx of people who are now using our program or are being referred to us. We work very closely with other Somerville City departments, but we also work extremely close with Somerville Cambridge Elder Services and SCM Transportation.

And

so because of those connections, it's great that they feel like they have a place that they can refer their clients that they can no longer service or maybe not fit into their box that one time or once or twice. So we're grateful for those referrals. But we do see that this program is continuing to grow exactly what we want it to do. And I think that's something that we will be talking about and having further discussions about, about what changes may need to happen or what we could do with additional funding in the next budget season.

Through you, madam chair. Thank you, director. My last question is and, again, you have started answering this earlier. I agree with when she was talking about food accessibility. It is unfortunate that this is not something that this is something that still exists.

And definitely worried about inflation and just the the political climate and how it's affecting us locally. So my question is, how are we preparing for, I don't wanna say worst scenarios, but just for inflation that can happen overnight?

Sure. So

Let's wait. Do that.

I know. I guess that we might be concluding on a difficult question. You know, we prepare as best as we can. We're fortunate, like I've said a few times here, that this program was picked up in the operating budget and has become a permanent program within the Council on Aging. So I think that relieves some of the stress because at least for me because it ensures that the program is here, that we're able to provide services to our residents.

I think where the preparation needs to go and where we kind of need to think conservatively is about what we've been talking about tonight. Even though it's over the border, do we change the program to include places in Cambridge? Do we change the program to include places in Medford? I think that's where we have to focus now to help us prepare to, you know, to stay sustainable.

Yeah. Through you, madam chair. Thank you, director. I did not mean to put you on the spot. I know this is a really difficult question, but just something to take away from this conversation is, unfortunately, these are these are real things that are happening and just to start thinking about how we can prepare for that. So we can think about, you know, we'll be offering more for those reduced meal meals and discounts in the case we have to deal with something like that because these this is vulnerable vulnerable population and one of the populations that will see the effects of this first. Thank you, director.

Thanks. If you don't mind, if I may just add, I think that's a great point to highlight that we do have different funds for transportation here to the center and within our two locations we do offer meals each day twice a week, a hot meal three times a week, on average a cold to go meal. So coming to the center, eating with others has a lot of benefits. I know that it's not the same as going to a grocery store, but you can reap some benefits in other ways. So I hope if people are struggling out there that they really do feel comfortable to reach out and come see what we have to offer at the Council on Aging. But thank you again for having me tonight.

Thank you. And if I may, that point, because I think this is actually really great, and I'm excited with the fact that, councilor Syed is the, is the is the chair of the traffic committee. And it just makes my heart sing because we have that connection now that we can really talk about issues like this. And now you're gonna be in counselor, you're gonna be in in your committee, and, you know, what we're we're talking about tonight may there may be, like if I may, the pun. Your wheels may be spinning to be, like, how there could be, like, cross department collaborations.

And if I may also just for some historical information about this specific program and and feel free to chime in or or correct me if I'm wrong, director, but this this program started because this is how we how we started this we didn't start this program. This was a a state funded program, the original taxi cab program. It's a state funded program as a in an immediate COVID response. It was a pilot program. And all the communities throughout the Commonwealth were offered it, and and it became so successful and so necessary during the the the pandemic shutdown that seniors were when which I don't even I don't even know, director, if we were told as a community that it was a one year pilot.

I don't remember exactly where it was just like, surprise. Just kidding. It was one year. It's over now. And we're and and but it was so successful and so vitally important in so many senior and Somerville's lives that we were like, oh my god.

Now what? And the administration, because this was pretty much I remember, because I was I was the one who put it forward to to be like, can we please take some of our ARPA funds and save this program and keep it keep it going? And it was what I remember it was one of the the first decisions or one of the pilot first decisions that the incoming mayor Ballantyne okayed, which saved the program. It saved the senior taxicab program, which still went to medical medical visits and and to the grocery stores. So it it was it was saved.

And now in in its current reincarnation, it is it is it is now this, We didn't have to continue it on. We could have just been like, this was a COVID response. We're no longer in COVID pandemic shutdown. I don't know. Figure it out. But we didn't. We kept going. And so that that makes me really proud of Somerville that we figured out a way to continue it on. And, director, I know it's it's complicated. There's a lot of moving there are a lot of moving parts to this program, and I know that, and everybody has really different distinct needs.

But I I just wanna say thank you for your your diligence and and advocacy on this as well because, yeah, it's real, and it's a silent problem too. I mean, like, say, for instance, with the ride or even just like the private some of the private hired taxi they're not taxi, but they're like what what director I'm think I'm blanking on that name. They're like, you can get these these independent companies that that pick up seniors, but you have to you have to call their line, and you sometimes wait an hour to talk to someone. And then they may take you to the medical appointment, or they may ditch you, which they ditched my grandma, I think, twice. Like, they ditched her in Davis Square.

Okay? And and it was terrifying because my grandma was was hard of hearing. She was deaf, and she, like, how do you, like, how do you was it was it was horrible. And then I hear from plenty of seniors that the ride isn't there yet. And not pun intended, the ride isn't there yet.

Sometimes it could take literally five hours to get to one medical appointment. It is their whole day. I mean, would any of us would any of us get through a five hour waiting period to go sometimes a mile for a bus, and that's that's what a lot of seniors have to deal with it. Is literally sometimes someone's whole day, one doctor visit. So so your program has helped save lives in a lot of a lot of ways and helped enhance lives. So I just wanna throw that out there and say thank you.

Thank you very much.

Absolutely. Well, counselors, do you have any other thoughts on this? No, I'm going to keep this No. I did write it on these cancel on aging. Okay. I do wanna bring other directors in this. So I'm gonna I'm gonna mark this work complete, mister Clark, and then I can always write another one. Okay. This these next two items, I'm going to, take together. Director Spiliotis, you're welcome to stay and, if you wish.

If not, you have, you know, a life outside of of work, I'm happy that you can go and do that. But resolution two five zero zero four zero that the administration create a full time position, staff position within the executive office known as the senior liaison who will work to prevent potential barriers within Somerville to growing older in place. And resolution two four one one seven eight that the administration hire a liaison dedicated to working with senior residents in order to amplify the voices in city decision making. So do we have the director still here or did you go? Should you go?

Thank you, madam chair. I'm happy to speak

to this

item on behalf of the work order that the administration has done on this. So if I may, I will be happy to address that.

If I could really quick, I wanna make very clear that this is in no way when I put this when I put my order in, this is in no way trying to replace what director in the Council on Aging is doing. It is to enhance in no way in no way it it is to support her work, never ever to diminish. Okay. Up the floor.

Thank you for that, madam chair. We know that the director does fantastic work and and is very much supported by mayor Ballantyne. It is I hear again and again every day throughout the day. Mayor Ballantyne is constantly advocating for our seniors and and staying in place. So I'm happy to share that we met with advocates who had been asking for this.

We coordinated a meeting with the mayor and those advocates as well as a few other folks in the city to talk about, you know, the interest in this and what it would look like and what are the, you know, sort of issues that are trying to be addressed by this. So after that opportunity talking with the advocates, you know, we identified a few things and have collaborated with director Spiliotis and other departments to sort of highlight programs that the city is already offering. And so I think what was highlighted in some of our conversation was, you know, how we can better share the information about programs that we're already offering. I think there are several things, that our council on aging was like, yep. Already doing that.

I'm happy to, you know, share more and get folks connected. So we're always in a position to, you know, think creatively on ways to, enhance the experience of seniors and and aging adults in Summerville. So at this time, you know, we're not. We don't have any, you know, concrete plans to move forward with adding another position. Obviously, any positions being added would be a part of a budget conversation in in that larger framework.

But what we are doing in the immediate term is making sure we're identifying any of those issues that the advocates are highlighting to make sure that we're attending to those. And in all of our work, keeping in in mind the impact it has on, you know, older adults as they're aging and their experiences in Somerville. So we'll continue to do that, and glad to hear your advocacy on this and hear your feedback on, you know, experiences seniors are having in the city and how we can better serve their needs.

Okay. I'm gonna take a pause right now. I'm gonna open up the floor. Counselors, if you wish to speak. Director, counselor Mbaugh. I'm calling people directors all night long. Yes.

Thank you, councilor. There's one other you mentioned the advocate a few times. Who are the advocates you met?

Thank you for the question. Through you, madam chair. I apologize. We met with the Mass Senior Action Group. I know that they had been working with some of the counselors on this to put in these items, so I apologize for not naming them. Yeah.

Mass senior council?

Action. Mass senior action. Action council.

Yeah. They are the

state of That

they have a regional they have a regional committee here in Summerville, Cambridge, and then they have other, not locations, but, chapters throughout the state.

Okay.

They fight for more state policy, but they also do, municipal work as well.

Thank you, ma'am. Sure.

Absolute is do you have any other, questions, counselor or you cool?

No. I I will I will follow-up later.

Okay. Counselor Say, do you have anything that you'd like to okay. So where I was going with this item in mind is the fact that oftentimes when we're talking about planning, when we're talking about street design, when we're talking about getting around our communities, when we're talking about small business support. And I bring this this point up frequently because I still haven't seen it responded to is there there is a portion of our population that they will have to drive, and they will have to park, and some do have a handicap play card, and they need to use it. And they go they wanna go to their favorite restaurants.

They wanna go to their favorite bakeries and their grocery stores, and they can't get to it sometimes. Or the fact that a a a simple example of the fact of College Ave. College Ave, when the when the bike lanes came in and I want the bike lanes, I want, you know, I want protected bike lanes. I want I want everyone to be able to get around very safely in our community and our cyclists to be safe. However, when the the when the bike lanes went on on College Ave, for whatever reason, I hear from residents on first off, there are one, two at least five churches on and and one one haverim at one one it's not not a synagogue, but it's like a it's a it's a it's just Jewish gathering places.

And we have so we have at least five churches on that street and a synagogue. And we have when we have a wake or when we have a wedding, we have some very older drivers or very older, pedestrians that need to get into those buildings and struggle to. There's also, for instance, on College Ave, a, so the one of the bike lanes impacted the ability for the ride, back to talking about the ride, the ride's ability to safely drop off ride, riders. So when the bus drops off residents in a senior building, they have to actually now, because of the bike lane, get out, exit onto traffic on College Ave. I'm not exactly sure how that wasn't considered, but I've heard about it consistently from residents that their walker has to be placed right next to speeding cars.

They have the the the ride has to to park in an opposite direction, and they have to get out that way only. That's the only way it works. That's a risk of life and that's a danger and and it's scary. So the concept of this resolution is when street design is being made, when planning is considering things, that there would be somebody taking a look at this and it wasn't from the Council on Aging, which the Council on Aging does really important work, But a whole different concept where an ombudsman, some kind of inside of the executive branch advocate for senior issues would know that someone with a walker with a mobility device could not access this area. Can we quickly tweak this to where now they can?

That is what I'm talking about. When we talk about planning, when we talk about the concept of like affordable housing, we need when we know that, like, the the the typical weight for for housing for senior buildings can be, like, ten years or extreme numbers. So how are we expanding that with with ADUs or or or other solutions and how are we making them more accessible? How are we able to how how is planning thinking about the influx of of our aging population and what their needs will be? How are we considering that?

How are we considering it in ISD when seniors want to remodel something or make things more ADA accessible as they grow older. Or we have residents that want to bring in their mom or dad into their home. And they're quickly trying to get things moving so that they can get them in and there's permits and there's and there are numerous things just in a hopper waiting in ISD or somewhere and they can't get to someone. That is what this person's role would be. It would be a a a advocate understanding senior issues in the day to day lives, not party planning, not taxis, but but in a in a a capacity that they understand that a senior may struggle with this this this idea or or that.

Because now the baby boomers population influx is the the the senior population is massive. And we we haven't we haven't as a nation, as a as a and even us, as a community, we haven't prepared for it, but it's here. So that that is what this order is about, you this resolution is about. And and I'm hoping and I will keep pushing it forward. I I understand the administration's opinion on this, but I will keep pushing it forward because I think it is that vitally important of an issue. I'll stop talking now.

Madam chair, I appreciate your passion and know that folks in all of our various departments are thinking about these things. And, you know, obviously, we're doing the best we can. We don't always catch everything every time, which is why it's so important to have issues flagged for us. You know, sometimes there are overlapping designs previous to the folks working now, and our new design interacting with the old design can create conflicts. And so we appreciate hearing about those things and wanna be able to work together to to resolve those.

But know that, yes, we do have, you know, folks in our housing department who are very much focused and thoughtful about our senior housing population and our senior housing and, our population that is aging in place and definitely have folks in mobility thinking about, how old people move around, in our in our streets and, what we can do together to make those things better. So I hear you, and I appreciate that, the advocacy. And, yeah, we'll continue to, you know, work together to make our city the best we can.

Okay. Thank you. Councilor Sate?

Through my madam chair, just a comment. Thank you for the clarification on the intent behind this order. And, yeah, I I thank you for your advocacy on this as well. I think what I'm hearing, from this conversation is, the importance of maybe connecting these departments because we do have departments who are addressing these issues as they arise. But if we're hearing from constituents that these issues are not addressed, then I think we need to listen.

Again, this is our vulnerable population. So, Lizann, Hatter, if you can tell us, like, if there is currently collaboration between these departments and on these issues and how are they being discussed. And if not, I think, yeah, we are hearing a request for this to happen. Yeah. So I think this is something as, like, trail of traffic and parking.

This is obviously unrelated. Sometimes it just takes that, like, just collaborate on these issues. Let's discuss them even though I'm sure everyone is working really hard in their own department to try and address some of these issues.

Oh, Liz in Liz in. Hunter, if you wish. You're welcome too.

Yeah. Thank you, madam chair. Yes. There's a lot of coordination, and you're right that it can be quite difficult. We have a lot of staff who have expertise in their area, and they do a lot of work in that area.

But we, are always looking to better collaborate across departments. We don't wanna have any silos in our city because we know we're creating a community and everything has to work together. So there I do know for several whenever we're looking at something, a big sort of initiative, we definitely have folks get together and collaborate on task forces to address cross cutting issues. And, of course, we have staff in every department that are thinking about the different populations in Somerville. It's one of the things I think is most, you know, inspiring about my colleagues as folks are so passionate about this community.

So, definitely, we can always be collaborating more, and we will continue to work on these issues. Yes. You know, in these specific issues that were named in terms of mobility and housing or the way that the ride uses our streets, you know, that's another level of collaboration with our state partners and with community nonprofit partners, you know, together working on how to resolve those issues so everybody can move around safely. Those go a little bit beyond just our department heads working together, but those are things that we are always happy to engage in when, you you know, we recognize that they've arisen and how we can resolve them.

If I may on this point, and then I I wanna have councilor Mabas speak or, actually, councilor Saeed, if you're still if you still had thoughts, I'm happy to give give you a floor and then and then head back with counselor Mbah. But really quick on that point, back heading back to my example on College Ave, when I use that example, when I when I talk about intentional design and how everybody in the community uses it. So in my mind, the vision I always have of of how what a misstep we had with the design on that street was I was one day, oncology. I've, it was there were there was a funeral, and there was a way and there was a wedding at the same time as it was Honkfest, I believe, and this was several years ago. And needless to say, okay, and I'm coming in for HonkFest, and I'm watching the the the people from the wake that are trying to park, including a very, very, very, very elderly woman who had no place to be able to get out of her car.

And when I went back to mobility, and I won't won't mention who I spoke with, but when I went back to mobility that Monday and just discussed the scene that I saw, and I said that that woman couldn't park. She wanted to go to the wake and she couldn't get out of the car. I I can't remember the specifics of that that that moment, but but she couldn't she everyone was clearly stressed in that moment and this this this is happening live. Meanwhile, HonkFest is happening and and there's another wedding at another church down the street. So nobody's parking, but they have to because they go to this church and they don't live in the city anymore.

And that one woman and the response I got from mobility was, well, there's a parking lot down the street. She could just park her car there. When you're a senior woman that can barely walk one block, how are you going to park your car five blocks to go to grieve the dead at the wake And and and and how does that not impact your life? Those were questions that weren't asked. And and that's what I'm trying to prevent through this the concept of this that the concept of this resolution, that we can have great things.

We can have really visionary street design, like like like our bike lanes that that that that make everybody safer. But we also have to make sure that if you can't walk, you can't get that two blocks or five blocks to a parking lot. What is what options do we have for you too? That's what I'm trying to get at. Councillor Syed and then counselor Maba Maba.

Yeah. No follow-up questions. Thank you, liaison Hatter.

Got it. Counselor Maba.

Thank you, chair Strezo. Appreciate, your advocacy for this. I think, one thing I wanted to ask, you know, maybe one for you, chair, is did you maybe invite or contact anyone from this advocacy group also just to show up from Mass Senior Action Council or Cambridge, some of your other services. Did you have any did you contact them as we have this item on the agenda?

Counselor, I'm not sure why you're asking this.

Yeah. Because I probably maybe should, man, and we shouldn't because of the level of your enthusiasm and advocacy and how much we care about this and hearing liaison heard us saying that they've met with these folks, I think it will be it will not be wise to consider this item, you know, perhaps close when myself I think I've also I've spoken with folks from Coby Hill and some of these folks also from Mass Senior Action Council and Cambridge other services or Cambridge some of it. There's all these different, but these are, like, different groups in the community. I guess they are more didn't understand, like, the role on of council on aging, their program. And for me and then they are thinking about, like, the same, you know, the council on aging, you know, they are more concerned with policy issues.

And just like you were articulated than, you know, just, you know, program jurisdiction, which is mostly administered through the council on agents. So it will be nice, you know, for us to, you know, have some of them, you know, present so they can understand, you know, when the administration say, oh, we've met with them. It's good that we actually, you know because like you said, if you are a senior in this and not just in some of it, just in this society, it's it's like you're almost invisible. You know? I don't think that the system is really fair.

And also, if you're a person also with disability, it's the same. It's just it's sad. You know? And and someday, you know, we're all gonna age. We're all gonna owe we are we are going to be disabled, and we wanna be we wanna live in a city where the policies are well orchestrated to take care of everybody regardless.

You know? So, yeah, I don't have, you know, questions, but I wish we had some of the folks that will be impacted. You know? That drove us to, you know, put this agenda forward. Because when I submitted this without even knowing that you had also submitted something similar, we had met with a few dozen of these seniors. So it's just I wish, you know, in the future, we can invite one of them. I just thought maybe if I'd known that you didn't invite any of them, I probably would have even invited somebody just so that they can provide you

Well, counselor Mabaugh, I did not work with Mass Senior Action on this. I have worked with Mass Senior Action and and speak with them, and they have spoken in the past in in committees on this issue. This isn't a Mass Senior Action resolution, and this is a broader resolution of feedback I've heard of not just Mass Senior Action, but communities different seniors throughout the whole city. And and Mass Senior Action is is one organization. Somerville Cambridge Elder Services is another one.

But Somerville Cambridge Elder Services is its own separate entity. So, I mean, Mass Senior Action wasn't invited to this. They're always welcome to speak because this isn't an item that I put forward. This is encompassing all senior citizens, all seniors in our summer in Somerville City. Yes. I I'm not in I'm not entirely sure why they they would have to speak. They're always, you know, welcome to speak or we could talk about that, but I'm not sure why that was asked, why they would be invited to speak on that. But, yes, they always happy to hear the thoughts of Mass Senior Action. They I I get inspired by them.

Thank you, Marjorie.

Mhmm. Okay. With that, yeah, we can happy to so we can leave because and also, my day, councilor about this is an order this has been an agenda item that I put forward numerous years every year. I put this as a budget request every year. So I am hoping, as I mentioned in the meeting when this was first introduced, I've put this forward as an agenda item for probably three or four years at this point.

So this is a rotating agenda item. This is not a new item. And with that, I am hoping that to bring attention to it, but also for the counselor support. This has come forward as a budget item every year, as I have put it forward, and, it has never been, voted as a a top priority. And maybe this is the year.

Maybe I can can get my fellow colleagues to, support, this resolution and, budget item request as I have put forward every single year, as a budget request, which I will again. So with that, I guess we I'm happy to keep, well, we can so, I mean, I I think we can close this, but, councilor Mabah, you you want to keep it open?

No. It's, yeah. At your discretion, Marantia. I'm happy. Yeah. You you know what?

Because it seems like, you know, I I mean yeah. I I guess we can we can close these items. You can always put forward enough. We could just close it. I I Liz and Hunter, you responded, and we respect your words on this.

So with that, we only have one more item in committee. You know what? This one, as I recall, I'm not we need to disclose this item because I don't think we have anyone to speak on it, and we have addressed it. And I think we might have had it too close because anyhow, order two four zero seven eight eight that this council discuss how the lapse in consistent mail delivery in Somerville oh, no. No. No. I remember this one. It has affected municipal bill collection, reports reports of of bills not received, and or accounts marked delinquent. Yes. I remember why I put this word.

You're right. Because I remember councilor pardon me. There's a lot of crazy things going on at the same time in our community. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm trying to keep ahead of everything, but it's been a bit much. So when we talk about, you know, $9 eggs and transportation and lord knows what else.

Anyhow, so this agenda item yeah. So we get our our municipal bills still in the mail, and, you know, as we've had this conversation, there's some people that'll just go through the mail to get their to get their bills, or they're not probably going to be poking around online to to find it or pay it or whatnot. We know that there have been, delays in the mail. Call me, wacky, but we may see it again in the near months and years of what's going on in our country at this moment. So I don't know what US Postal Service will look like coming ahead coming up in the the days, but we have had reports, numerous reports of pockets of our city just not getting mail.

So much so that senator Markey had to send letters and start getting involved. So that but also when this happens, when people I I've heard some really bad stories of, decisions that were being made through the mail, like court appearances on restraining orders and court dates. And because the mail didn't arrive on time, the restraining order wasn't renewed, and it was a dangerous person. So didn't just happen. I mean, like, life altering events, hearing about people not getting their mail, getting fined extra extra fees because they're just not getting the bills on time.

This is impacting Somerville residents. And so with that, how I put forward this order to see how how Somerville responded, if anything, if if our assessor bills or our water bills have gone out. And and I don't know. Ward 2 isn't getting their mail again. I don't know what's going on over there. So and I'm not saying they are because so far, I haven't heard anything in a little bit, knock on wood. But, what are the city's thoughts?

Thank you, madam chair. I am happy to offer the information I can offer tonight. Yeah. I think we this item was submitted a bit ago when there was uptick of mail not being delivered. And I think since then, we haven't heard any, significant update from the departments that do collect bills that there's been any sort of, like, increase in bills not being paid, but we wanna do a little bit of a deeper dive.

So we appreciate you flagging this and and bringing this up again. We wanna, you know, look at some of the data. It can be a little hard to know, you know, why a bill wasn't paid. There could be so many factors. So I think wanting to go back and take a deeper look and assess and determine if there are ways that we can be preparing ourselves for any, you know, future challenges and, you know, creating redundancies in our systems to ensure that, you know, folks are able to get their bills and make sure they are paid.

So, we so to date, we haven't heard that there have been any significant increases in bills being delinquent because of delayed mail. I know that there has been delayed mail, but we haven't seen anything, that's really caught our attention. But we're gonna take a deeper look and have some more conversations, to see if there's more we can learn if we take a closer look.

Thank thank you, liaison Hutter. With that, if if if if if a resident did I don't know how to ask this question. If if someone is is is is is vehemently saying that, listen. I didn't get it on time. It this isn't I I had nothing to do with this.

Is there a relief? Is there a a forgiveness? Is there, has there been extra, support communicated, or could there be if if that were because you said that there are you haven't heard of any. But have there been check ins with the directors, or could there be check ins with the directors or of of collectors or whatnot with that? I I don't know how to, like, finish that sentence, but it's more of the concept rather than the I guess.

Yes. To you, madam chair, I think that's our thoughts right now is sort of exactly that that mindset of do we need to create a sort of pathway for how we handle those scenarios? I I know that there have been as with all of our departments that collect bills, you know, one one off, you know, working with folks figuring out a solution to their situation that certainly happens not just for this issue, but for many, for multiple reasons. So there we may find with a closer look that some of those, you know, situations were unfolding due to the the tie to mail, but we don't yet have any information that would indicate that. But wanting to take a look to decide, is that something we need to have a process for?

And, of course, how we standardize that. There are multiple departments that collect bills, so wanna make sure that we have, opportunities and, you know, work with our staff in all those different areas, to have that same information. So something we're gonna be looking into a little more.

Thank you. Bad news, man. This whole anyway, counselors, if if you have any, final thoughts or if you wanna chime in, I'm happy to if if you if you're feeling it, I don't know. Yeah. Counselor, to if if, if you're able to.

And you might might be busy, but so I'm happy to mark this work complete. But let's see. I just blanked. So we're complete we ran out of agenda items. So councilor Mbaugh moves to close the meeting, and I I think we ran out of agenda items, mister clerk. Maybe we should call roll. I don't know. What do you think?

On adjourned, councilor Syed? Yes. Councilor Bah?

Yes, please.

Councilor Strezo?

Yes.

All members have voted to adjourn. We are adjourned.

Thank you, and thanks thanks for everyone for a great conversation and just hearing your thoughts and for for showing up and and bringing all of you. Thank you so much. Have a good day.

Good night.