SOMERVILLE – The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is holding their annual Community Preservation Plan public hearing on Wednesday, March 25, at 7 p.m. in the 3rd floor Community Room at the Visiting Nurse Association, 259 Lowell St. The Community Preservation Plan establishes the annual funding priorities and allocations for the three categories that Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds can support. From fiscal years 2015 to 2018, the annual funding minimums were 45% for affordable housing, 15% for historic resources, and 15% for open space/recreation land.

The Somerville City Council wishes to inform the community that two significant votes may take place on Thursday, March 21. At the 6 p.m. meeting of the Legislative Matters Committee of the Whole at City Hall, Committee Chair & Ward 5 Councilor Mark Niedergang believes that votes may be taken on the Proposed Condominium Conversion Ordinance as well as the Proposed Short-Term Rental Ordinance.

In Somerville, we pride ourselves on being a city that is home to people from all around the world and of every religion. So, when an atrocity like the mosque attacks in New Zealand takes place, we feel it here. We want to state emphatically our revulsion over this type of prejudice-driven violence and our solidarity with the people in our local Muslim community.

Members of the public are invited to attend and speak at two April 4 Public Hearings on a request from Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone to file a Home Rule Petition to the State Legislature requesting that 16- and 17-year-old Somerville citizens be granted legal voting rights for municipal elections.

Members of the public are invited to attend and speak at a Public Hearing on traffic safety, traffic calming, and the Traffic Calming Petition submitted by the Somerville Pedestrian and Transit Advocacy Group and signed by approximately 350 people. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, April 3, at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

The City of Somerville has been working to produce a strategic plan to guide its safe streets work, using the global “Vision Zero” movement as a framework to eliminate traffic crashes that result in severe injuries and fatalities.  A series of community engagement opportunities have been scheduled for residents and stakeholders to discuss the City’s public policy framework around safe streets. Upcoming opportunties include: 

For the next phase of work on the Green Line Extension (GLX) Project, the Washington St. bridge, in East Somerville near McGrath Highway, will close for construction beginning Monday, April 8, at about 10 p.m. This bridge will close for two separate phases: first, from April 8 through approximately November 2019, then again from about April 2020 through August 2020.

Learn more at www.somervillema.gov/PHB

The public is invited to a community update on the status of negotiations between the City and Tufts University for a new Partnership Agreement between the City and the university. Hosted by Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and the members of the Mayor’s Tufts Partnership Negotiating Committee, the update will be held on Tuesday, April 16, at 7 p.m.

Celebrate Patriots’ Day at the City’s annual festivities at Foss Park on Mon., April 15. “Paul Revere” will stop by during a reenactment of his historic ride from Boston to Lexington. Attendees can also enjoy the Colonial Fair where they can play games and complete a “Colonial Passport.” There will be Colonial-era refreshments and music by the Somerville High School band. The Patriots’ Day Celebration will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and will be held rain or shine. For more information, contact Brandon Wilson at 617-625-6600 ext.