Somerville Chamber of Commerce: City Councilor candidates

Somerville Chamber of Commerce: City Councilor candidates – 3

On September 13, 2025, in Latest News, by The Somerville Times

The Somerville Chamber of Commerce sent all the Mayoral and City Councilor candidates a questionnaire to fill out online. Below are the answers from the candidates who chose to participate. We will be publishing their answers over the next couple of days.

Below find the answers from Jason Mackey, Kristen Strezo and Ben Wheeler

Candidate -Jason Mackey

What are your top three priorities for the city as a City Councilor?

1.Housing: Expanding the overall housing supply, strengthening affordability, and ensuring Somerville remains a place where working families, seniors, and young people can live.
2. City Services: Making government work better for residents by improving constituent services, fixing infrastructure, and holding departments accountable.
3. Civil Rights & Community Safety: Defending vulnerable communities, expanding mental health services, and building a city where everyone feels safe and included.

What would you as a city councilor put forward to improve safety, cleanliness, and walkability in business districts? In Davis Square what measures would you take to ensure safety for all business and residents?

As city councilor, I would put forward a clear, three-part strategy for our business districts: Safety: Expand unarmed crisis response teams and mental health resources, while ensuring a visible, accountable police presence in high-traffic areas. Both workers and customers must feel secure. Cleanliness: Increase city services for trash pickup, rodent control, graffiti removal, and street cleaning. I would push for dedicated public works crews in our business districts and regular power-washing. Walkability: Repair sidewalks, improve lighting, and update crosswalks and curb cuts. Add safe, protected bike lanes where possible, but also preserve convenient loading and short-term parking for customers and deliveries. In Davis Square: Davis Square is one of our most important commercial centers,, and right now, the situation there is often untenable and a disgrace. Businesses are struggling with safety concerns, and residents feel the square is less welcoming than it should be. We cannot criminalize being homeless, but we cannot ignore the problem either. Boston is showing us the way. In 2024, Boston passed a common-sense ordinance banning tents and tarps on public property but paired it with a Coordinated Response Team that offers shelter, safe storage, transportation to services, and only then carefully removes encampments. The message is clear: a tent in a public square is not housing, but we’re going to get you help. Somerville should follow this example. We can and must balance compassion with enforcement: no one left behind, and no one allowed to jeopardize public safety or our shared spaces. If we don’t act, Davis will continue to deteriorate, and that will ripple across the city. The people in tents deserve more than neglect, and the families and businesses who rely on Davis deserve more than broken promises. As your next Ward 5 City Councilor, I’ll insist on urgent action, measurable results, and the strength to enforce our laws.

Commercial development had been robust in Somerville but with the economic slowdown commercial development and housing developments have ceased. In spite of this slowdown the City Council recently voted to increase linkage fees even though Somerville already had the highest fees including permit fees and inclusionary housing percentages in the State. How are you going to encourage developers to build, rather than go to other cities with lower linkage, fees, permit fees and inclusionary housing percentages? What incentives would you offer?

Somerville’s long-term vitality depends on continued investment in both commercial space and housing. The recent economic slowdown, paired with the City Council’s decision to increase linkage fees despite already having some of the highest fees in Massachusetts, has created a serious challenge. If we want developers to choose Somerville, we need to compete, not price ourselves out of the market. As a councilor, I will push for a balanced approach: Predictability & Transparency: Developers need clear, reliable timelines and processes. I will fight to streamline permitting and eliminate unnecessary red tape so that projects aren’t delayed for years. Time is money, and predictability is often just as valuable as incentives. Targeted Incentives: We should consider temporary reductions or tiered linkage fees for projects that break ground in the next 2 to 3 years, especially in under-utilized corridors. Similarly, incentive zoning can reward projects that deliver community benefits; like green building standards, affordable units above the baseline, or critical infrastructure upgrades. Partnerships: We should work directly with anchor employers, universities, and small-business investors to create public-private partnerships that unlock new development while ensuring the community sees real benefit. Commercial & Housing Together: Encouraging mixed-use development keeps our business districts vibrant and spreads risk for developers. I support policies that make it easier to finance projects that combine retail, office, and housing. The bottom line is this: If Somerville continues to stack fees and requirements higher than our neighbors, development will simply go elsewhere. My approach is to keep standards high but make the process clear, competitive, and collaborative. That’s how we grow our tax base, expand housing supply, and keep Somerville’s economy strong.

There is approximately 3 million square feet of life science space that is unoccupied in the city. What are your strategies for filling empty lab spaces?

With 3 million+ square feet of unoccupied lab space, Somerville faces both a challenge and an opportunity. As a startup founder and early-stage investor, I know how critical space is for young companies to take root. If we position ourselves right, we can compete with Cambridge by making Assembly and Union Square magnets for startups; not just in life sciences, but in climate tech, advanced manufacturing, robotics, and AI. Our heritage as a city that builds is an asset we should lean on. At the same time, market realities are clear: demand for wet lab space has cooled. That’s why we must also embrace residential conversions of surplus lab space, just as Boston and New York are doing. Turning underused buildings into housing would address our affordability crisis, expand our tax base, and revitalize neighborhoods. Somerville’s path forward is dual: attract and support innovative startups that need affordable, flexible space, while adapting to changing conditions by converting excess lab square footage into homes. That balance is how we’ll stay competitive, resilient, and true to our character.

The Condo Conversion Ordinance Amendment: The process was done with no public input during the Fourth of July week. Do you feel this was transparent? Would you have done things differently?

The way the Condo Conversion Ordinance amendment was pushed through during the Fourth of July week with no real public input was not transparent. Process matters. Rushed decisions erode public trust, regardless of whether you agree with the policy substance. I would have done things differently. First, by ensuring robust public hearings with adequate notice for homeowners, tenants, small landlords, and housing advocates. Second, by using the committee process properly, giving stakeholders and councilors time to evaluate impacts and propose improvements. On substance, I believe protecting tenants from displacement is important, but so is ensuring that property owners have clear, fair, and predictable rules. When ordinances are passed without transparency or buy-in, we end up with policies that create confusion, spark lawsuits, and discourage investment in our housing stock. As a councilor, I will insist that we do this work in the open, with public engagement at the center. Somerville can both protect residents and encourage responsible development, but only if the process is transparent and collaborative.

The Condo Conversion Ordinance Amendment: If the City has a goal to make housing more affordable, how does making development take longer and have more risk by doubling the tenant relocation payments and the condo conversion waiting period? Do you agree that condo ownership is a way for first time home buyers to get into Somerville?

If the City has a goal of making housing more affordable, then adding delay and risk into the process is counterproductive. By doubling tenant relocation payments and extending the condo conversion waiting period, we make it harder for small property owners to plan and for new housing opportunities to come online. In practice, that slows down development, discourages investment, and limits the choices available to renters and buyers. I also strongly agree that condo ownership is one of the primary ways first-time homebuyers can enter the Somerville market. For many families and young professionals, a condo is the most accessible path to building equity and putting down roots in our community. If we make conversions excessively difficult or unpredictable, we cut off that opportunity. Tenant protections are important, but they must be balanced with policies that encourage responsible ownership and expand the pathways into homeownership. Somerville needs more housing options at all levels, not fewer, and our ordinances should reflect that goal.

How will you ensure that changes to parking, bike lanes, or public transit projects support—not harm—small business foot traffic and customer access?

I believe protected bike lanes that take cyclists out of traffic are one of the best ways to reduce accidents and make our streets safer. I support them. But we cannot ignore the needs of our business owners, especially on corridors like Highland Avenue where the City is planning to remove 50% of parking. That is unacceptable. As a city councilor, I will insist that every transportation project balances safety with access. That means: Protecting Parking and Loading Zones: Safe bike lanes and convenient parking are not mutually exclusive. Customers, families, and delivery drivers all need reliable access to our business districts. Engaging Business Owners Early: Decisions about design must involve the voices of shopkeepers and restaurateurs who know what their customers need. Measuring Real Impact: After changes are made, the City should monitor the effect on foot traffic and sales, and adjust if small businesses are being harmed. Safe streets and strong small businesses can go hand in hand. But that requires leadership that values both. I will never support plans that sacrifice our business districts in the name of progress.

Some people and businesses in our community say that we have parking issues. How would you mitigate those concerns or change the situation? On recent changes to streets in Somerville would you require after say 6 months of completing a street project a look back with meetings of the people and businesses in the area to see if these changes solved the problem or created more problem?

Parking is a real issue for many of our businesses and residents. Small businesses especially rely on customers being able to stop in easily and on delivery drivers having dependable loading zones. As a city councilor, I would work to mitigate concerns by preserving convenient short-term parking in commercial districts, expanding loading zones, and exploring better signage and technology to help drivers find available spaces more efficiently. I also believe in accountability. On any major street redesign, the City should conduct a formal “look back” within six months of completion. That process should include public meetings with residents and business owners in the affected area to assess whether the changes are solving problems or creating new ones. If the data and feedback show that something is not working, the City must be willing to make adjustments. Good planning does not end when the construction crews leave. Somerville needs a culture of continuous improvement that balances safety, accessibility, and the survival of our small businesses.

Why is the city significantly adding numerous traffic calming measures throughout various neighborhoods without input from all residents, businesses and religious institutions? What we are hearing is the city conducts listening sessions but are not hearing what is being said. How would you change that?

Traffic calming measures can improve safety, but the way Somerville has rolled them out has left too many people feeling ignored. The City often conducts “listening sessions,” but if residents, businesses, and faith institutions do not feel heard, then those sessions are not real engagement. As a city councilor, I would insist on a different approach. That means: Early and Inclusive Outreach: Before designs are finalized, every impacted group, from local businesses to houses of worship to neighborhood associations, should be part of the conversation. Transparency in Decision-Making: The City should clearly explain how feedback was incorporated, and if it was not, why not. Right now, there is a gap between what people say and what the City does, and that undermines trust. Accountability After Implementation: Six months after a major project is completed, I would require a formal review with data on traffic, safety, and business impact, plus public meetings to gather feedback on what is working and what is not. Safety is essential, but so is trust. My approach will be to ensure that Somerville not only builds safer streets but also does so in a way that brings people along, rather than leaving them feeling shut out of the process.

What will you do in your elected role to ensure that everyone including businesses and religious institutions in Somerville have equal access to all City services, resources, programs, and meetings? How will transparency play a role?

Every resident, business, and institution in Somerville deserves equal access to City services, resources, programs, and meetings. Right now, too often people feel that decisions are made in closed circles and that only certain voices are heard. That undermines both trust and effectiveness. As a city councilor, I will: Expand Access: Ensure that meetings and public hearings are scheduled at times when working people, small business owners, and faith leaders can actually attend, not just during business hours. Materials should be published in multiple languages and in clear, plain language. Proactive Outreach: Require City departments to engage directly with businesses and institutions, not just expect them to navigate a complex system on their own. The City should be a partner, not a gatekeeper. Transparency as Standard Practice: Transparency is not optional. I will push for clear reporting on budgets, program eligibility, and project outcomes so that the public can see where money is going and what results we are getting. Equal access and transparency go hand in hand. When people can see the process and participate in it fully, trust grows andoutcomes improve. That will be my standard as a councilor.

Currently city meetings (virtual) do not have participation features such as raise your hand button, chat features and restrict participants visibility to see who is in the meeting. Do you feel this is open and transparent? Please explain your reasoning. Also, as a City Councilor, would you require that all city meetings including all city council committee and board meetings be held in public with a virtual component and that all elected officials be required to attend in person all meetings in public?

Yes, I will push to make all city meetings public with a virtual component, including every City Council committee and board, consistent with Massachusetts Open Meeting Law and the limited exceptions for executive session. My standards: Hybrid by default: Every public meeting offers in-person and virtual access, with a single, easy-to-find link on the city calendar. Real participation tools: Visible attendee list, raise-hand queue, timed speaking slots, and a moderated Q&A chat that is part of the public record. Accessibility: Live captions, language interpretation on request, dial-in phone numbers, and ADA-compliant materials posted at least 48 hours in advance. Transparency and records: Roll-call attendance published after each meeting, recordings and transcripts posted within 48 hours, all slides and documents archived with timestamps. Business and faith outreach: Direct notice to registered business districts and faith institutions for projects that affect them, plus dedicated office hours to gather feedback before votes. Councilor attendance: Elected officials attend in person for public meetings except for legally valid reasons such as illness, parental or medical leave, disability accommodation, or emergencies. Remote participation is disclosed on the record. Overall, meetings must be easy to find, easy to join, and easy to participate in. That is how we rebuild trust and ensure every resident, business, and religious institution has equal access to city government.

What would you like to see from local associations in terms of working positively and proactively with you and your office? How can organizations like the Somerville Chamber of Commerce be an asset to the new City Councilor?

Local associations are some of the strongest partners a City Councilor can have. As a business owner myself, I know how important it is to hear directly from other business owners about what is working, what is not, and what ideas could make a difference. Associations help amplify those voices and bring them to the table in a constructive way. The Somerville Chamber of Commerce, in particular, can be a critical asset. You unite small businesses, entrepreneurs, and employers who drive our local economy. As a city councilor, I want to work with you to make sure that city policies encourage growth, reduce unnecessary red tape, and strengthen our business districts. I would look to the Chamber to: Provide feedback on legislation and zoning changes so that we understand the real impact on businesses before votes are taken. Help recruit new businesses and investment by promoting Somerville as a competitive and welcoming city not just for small businesses but tech founders and investors. Partner on events, outreach, and networking that connect businesses with residents and foster a stronger community. My door is always open, and I see local associations not as outside voices but as essential partners in ensuring Somerville’s economy grows in a way that benefits both businesses and residents.

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Candidate -Kristen Strezo

What are your top three priorities for the city as a City Councilor?

My priorities for re-election include: – Stable city government and leadership that listens and is responsive to residents’ needs. – Making Somerville affordable through rent stabilization, tenant protections, incentivization of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and other new housing, utility bill support, and increased transportation options. – Upholding a walkable, bikeable Somerville with safety initiatives, safe pedestrian pathways, and neighborhood speed-reducing solutions while being mindful of ADA accessibility, parking needs, and small business access.

I proudly serve as the City Council representative on the ADA Transition Plan task force which is currently modernizing its outdated ADA Design Plan. I enjoy studying the intricate details of the ADA street design perspective to understand the barriers, needs, approach and the gaps to implementation– to better fight for the necessary changes. I also directly hear from fellow task force members, Commission for Persons with Disabilities commissioners, and directly from senior residents about the challenges they face for independent mobility. Their experiences guide me on ADA accessibility, alongside other Somerville community members. I have walked areas of Somerville alongside the Commission for Persons with Disabilities and some blind members of our visually impaired community, and I’ve also done so in Davis Square when the streetlights were out, mid-day on a weekday. It was not just dangerous when this was happening, it could have been fatal for a visually impaired person to cross traffic that day in Davis. To address the question, the most pressing need to improve accessible pedestrian infrastructure for this demographic is taking their voices and their experiences seriously in street design. I do not think that is yet happening. We must act collaboratively when it comes to street design. We must honor their lived experiences. This intention is right in SomerVision as it states, “vulnerable transportation users like seniors, persons with cognitive disabilities, vision, and mobility impaired persons must be included in creating and improving safe methods of transportation. Improving safety for vulnerable road users will improve safety for everyone.” (page 57). If we do not include all voices, we potentially disenfranchise our fellow community members. I do hear from businesses that there are concerns in Davis Square, sometimes violence or issues with access to storefronts at opening or closing times. Last week a visually impaired resident was attacked on Elm Street in broad daylight. When residents or business owners reach out to me about an incident on their property, I handle the issue personally, and my first call is the Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC). They have been fantastic partners and strive to bring about a resolution without escalation. We would benefit from better communication between the City and business owners. I’d like to have even more expanded support with Economic Development and small business support in Somerville. And we should continue to have regular information meetings with city staff and Davis Square businesses.

Being in the middle of an innovation, education, and transportation hub will continue to increase desirability of locating developments in Somerville. We can always explore how to continue to build upon our partnership. Although I may not always agree, I will always listen and consider. We had a study that stated we could go up in linkage fees. Linkage fees as a whole help keep Somerville competitive and desirable, and applied linkage fees help all of the community.

There is approximately 3 million square feet of life science space that is unoccupied in the city. What are your strategies for filling empty lab spaces?

As they were built for specific life science use and can’t be converted to housing, I am open to a conversation on solutions and creating a solid plan to help repurpose these buildings and with what tenants we can attract.

The Condo Conversion Ordinance Amendment: The process was done with no public input during the Fourth of July week. Do you feel this was transparent? Would you have done things differently?

I want to continue to be a proactive City Councilor. If the Chamber of Commerce and some residents felt that they were locked out of rightfully sharing their thoughts and experiences, then we can follow up on it. I will absolutely listen to your concerns and perspectives. The Condo Conversion Ordinance is a response to the fact that we have a lot of residents and families in Somerville that are being priced out of this community and who have stated continuously that they want to stay in our city. It is our shared community value in Somerville to fight against displacement. Amending and strengthening the Condo Conversion Ordinance is one tool we have as a community to protect residents from all walks of life from displacement.

I appreciate hearing this perspective, however I’d also like residents from every financial demographic to live in Somerville. Even if I don’t always agree with the Chamber of Commerce, I will always listen to and consider your perspective. My goal is always to create intentional policy that does the most good for all of Somerville. First-time homeownership is very important to me, as is low-income first-time home ownership. Children in our school system should be surrounded by other children from all walks of life; including by income levels and backgrounds. We can have it both ways if we can commit to bringing our perspectives together for the benefit of Somerville.

How will you ensure that changes to parking, bike lanes, or public transit projects support—not harm—small business foot traffic and customer access?

We can balance increased bikeability and transit access goals with the needs of our small businesses. I think small businesses and commercial areas need to be considered in redesign projects. I do hear from residents that they want to shop locally, but they can’t find a way to access the businesses and storefronts. ADA accessibility also needs to be considered. I don’t believe that street design has to be an either-or situation. I think that we can be intentional with new projects by listening to our business community and the impacts on them. I’m a big cheerleader of our Somerville business community and want them to thrive and grow in Somerville.

New projects must take into consideration the various needs of Somerville residents, some of whom require access to vehicles. Home-based service providers (Visiting Nurses and physical therapists, Meals-on-Wheels, visiting midwives) need to effectively get to their clients in the region and on schedule. The impact on businesses should also certainly be considered. I’m open to having a conversation with you on how we can assess the success of street-changing projects.

To answer Questions 9, 10, and 11: I am open to finding ways to ensure that everyone participating feels that the process is transparent and fair; I hear you. If a church has a wake or a funeral, they have needs that have to be accommodated. A grieving family has a right to come to a Somerville religious institution to worship, grieve and celebrate, and not be hindered in their ability to do so. They should be able to come into our community if public transportation is outside of their service area.

I have continuously advocated to ensure that accessibility is part of the plan for all my meetings. I am the only City Councilor that insists that all meetings I Chair be hybrid – in person and virtual, because I think it’s an important service to the community, ensures transparency and invites accountability. I’ll continue to do all I can as a City councilor to make sure that all concerned parties are represented and heard. Inclusivity is a big part of every decision I make.

I agree that this process is not as transparent as it should be. All meetings should be a hybrid of virtual and in-person, with city officials required to attend. If it’s a public hearing, we’re bound by Open Meeting Law to allow for public comment. Ensuring that constituents can attend city meetings in person will improve visibility and allow them to understand and see the process. I am Chair of the Housing and Community Development Committee, as well as the Equity Committee. Every meeting I have, unless there is a staffing issue, is scheduled to be hybrid (virtual and in-person). This is important to me to ensure transparency and community participation and access for the city process.

I am always eager to have an open dialogue with our city’s local associations. I know many of you, and want to continue working with you for the betterment of our community.

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Candidate -Ben Wheeler

What are your top three priorities for the city as a City Councilor?

1) Housing and Community We deserve a Somerville where young people, families, seniors, immigrants, and city staff can stay. I’ll support investment in housing—especially affordable housing—and push developers to deliver tangible community benefits like storefronts for local businesses and gathering spaces that strengthen neighborhood life.
2) Supporting Working Families As an educator and dad, I understand the pressures families face. I’ll work to expand universal pre-K, use zoning powers to increase access to childcare, and fully fund afterschool programs and youth services. Supporting families also means ensuring our city staff—who provide these services—have strong, fair contracts.
3) Safer Streets and Public Safety Public safety is a progressive issue. We need responsive, accountable policing and trained mental health responders so that every situation gets the right response. I’ll champion safer roadways for bikes, cars, and pedestrians, a network of free shuttle buses, and smart traffic lights that ease congestion and make our streets safer for everyone.

Safety, cleanliness, and walkability matter immensely to me, especially in areas where residents gather to spend time together, stroll, eat meals and get drinks, and enjoy treats like ice cream. Before putting forward plans to improve the situation, I’d first want to better understand what is and isn’t working. I’d like to see more consistent pickup of litter and debris, but I’m not sure if this can be solved with just a bit of staff assignment, if it requires new or additional staff, or if it is something more appropriate to a partnership with merchants’ associations or neighborhood councils. Regarding safety in Davis Square, I very much appreciate what Ward 1 Councilor Matt McLaughlin has said: that we need both compassion and accountability. Unhoused people are members of our community, and we should think of “us” when we’re discussing this issue, not of “them”. And, all of us need to follow a shared set of rules, which include not harassing strangers, and allowing public space to be available to be used by all, not taken over by some. It’s easy to say that with enough outreach, this problem will melt away, but the plain fact is that Somerville has a number of clinics where people with drug addiction issues and/or mental health issues can be served, and it’s important to me that this be a welcoming place for all who are served here. So how do we deal with the minority of people served, who intimidate other people or take over public space and put up barriers? I think much more active street-level communication and conversations by trained professionals can help, especially if we can expand pathways to housing and treatment. And we do have to back this up with a willingness to insist that public spaces remain safe and welcoming for all. Police should not be our first, second or third answer. But in some cases, police are necessary, and I think we need to be clear that it does not help the many vulnerable people passing by—women, seniors, LGBTQ folks, people with disabilities, people of color and ethnic groups subject to hate crimes—if they worry about being unsafe when walking through public areas.

All of our fees and requirements are intended to strike a balance: they impose cost which does discourage development somewhat, and they use that cost to benefit the broader public and pay for public services. We should always be monitoring whether the cost they impose is so high that the intended benefits aren’t being generated in the first place. I’m not eager to revisit these fees and levels, but we should be clear about the outcomes they are designed to achieve, and if we’re not getting those outcomes, we should be willing to acknowledge that and adjust. I’m not suggesting new incentives to build, but I applaud the efforts the city has made to provide favorable terms to nonprofit developers, and the willingness of the city to lend support to developments such as the 50% affordable 299 Broadway project.

There is approximately 3 million square feet of life science space that is unoccupied in the city. What are your strategies for filling empty lab spaces?

Some ideas I’ve heard include allowing short-term uses for artists, nonprofits, co-working, and small businesses; and partnering with universities and vocational schools to use labs for training. I’ve read that some building lending contracts from banks forbid renting at rates below the levels that the borrowers promised; it might be necessary for the city to step in to appeal to lenders to amend these contracts to allow a broader, and cheaper, range of uses. The key is zoning flexibility and proactive city leadership so these buildings don’t drag down neighborhoods, and don’t fall into disrepair that becomes a public cost.

The Condo Conversion Ordinance Amendment: The process was done with no public input during the Fourth of July week. Do you feel this was transparent? Would you have done things differently?

From what multiple homeowners have told me, the expansion of the waiting period for condo conversions from one year to two has had the unintended side effect of moving some homeowners to give up on their own plans for their homes, and to decide to sell to developers. I’m not sure, on balance, whether this change serves renters and affordability, and reduces displacement; but I do think those are very much worthy goals. In this process, it would have been valuable to seek out more public input, in the form of meetings about the change or invitations to speak before the Council or relevant committees. At the end of the day, the Council has been elected to make decisions; but we should make sure the Council has high-quality information, including perspectives from multiple stakeholders, when decisions may have far-reaching consequences.

Certainly, condo ownership is a way for first time home buyers to purchase homes in Somerville; several of my neighbors are first time homeowners, and their home is a condo. And, there is always a tradeoff in terms of housing stability in the short term when a renter is made to leave so that an apartment can be bought. Extending the waiting period doesn’t make housing more affordable, but it does meaningfully maintain affordability for some, while incurring a cost to the property’s overall value and development, and to the agency and flexibility (and income) experienced by the existing homeowners. We should explore questions like this in their entirety, whenever we are seeking to understand the real tradeoffs of any policy change.

How will you ensure that changes to parking, bike lanes, or public transit projects support—not harm—small business foot traffic and customer access?

When we redesign streets, we need to keep businesses accessible while making them safer. That means reserving short-term parking and loading zones, testing changes with pilots before they’re permanent, and checking back with businesses periodically to see what’s working. Better sidewalks, bike lanes, and transit can bring more people to our squares, as well as cars; I’d like to see us take all of these modes seriously when we are considering how to handle mobility near businesses.

I think we need to keep in mind that parking is not just a matter of convenience, it is a matter of accessibility for many people who cannot walk long distances, cannot bike, or find it difficult and dangerous to cross major streets. I’m one of the many people confused about why in some cases we have removed all of the parking on some street, or why we have marked surprisingly large areas as no parking. I’m not sure which specific process changes could best improve the outcomes we are seeing, but I do think we need to revise our processes to ensure we are sourcing perspective from neighbors and businesses who know their nearby streets well, and to ensure we are revisiting work after it is done to understand the effects of what we have changed.

This is a puzzling question for me, and one where the perspective of city planners and engineers seems at odds with what people feel they are experiencing. I’d like to understand the problem better by digging into which sessions have been happening with the public, and what the results have been. A group of residents of Lexington Ave recently reached out to me and other candidates and officials with a petition to have a more inclusive process for designing the traffic calming and pedestrian safety changes there, and I support these approaches in general (and signed the petition).

Equal access has many layers and components, and there aren’t always obvious answers for how to improve it. We should certainly have as many meetings be hybrid (in person and watchable/participatable online) as possible; multilingual notices, and live translation when possible; preference for evening scheduling; and ADA compliance. But even if a meeting is available online, not all who wish to participate will be able to; I have hit snags when trying to watch City Council or School Committee meetings, and I know others who have too. So we can’t treat access as simply something to check off; we need to revisit it and keep working to expand it. I’m also a fan of “no wrong door” help desk policies at City Hall, so that residents, businesses and community organizations don’t get bounced between departments when they need help.

Sorry, I ran out of time for this questionnaire — I take this question seriously, but in the interests of sleep, I’m going to skip this question (and the next)

See above. I hope to circle back and answer this question — sorry for my cutting the questionnaire short.

-Somerville Chamber of Commerce