Monday, January 8, 2020

Today, Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced the release of an ambitious 5-year draft plan to work toward the City’s Vision Zero goal, which aims to eliminate traffic crashes in Somerville that result in severe injuries and fatalities. Curtatone is calling on the community to review the draft plan, which was prepared by a community task force working with City staff and regional advocacy organizations. The plan is posted online for comment and will be discussed at upcoming public meetings (see below).

For the first time in the City’s history, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and the Department of Infrastructure and Asset Management (IAM) have allowed National Grid to replace a gas main during the City’s winter moratorium to expedite efforts to eradicate gas leaks in Somerville.

Somerville residents will now be able to license their dogs online and on their mobile device thanks to a new partnership with Cambridge startup GoPetie.

In addition to licensing dogs in person at City Hall, residents now also have the option to either license dogs through the City’s website at www.somervillema.gov/DogLicensing or through the free GoPetie mobile app. Pet owners can add details in the app including a physical description and photos of their dogs to make it easier for Animal Control to identify and reunite lost pets.

Join the Somerville Engineering Department, Ward 3 Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen, and Ward 5 Councilor Mark Niedergang on Monday, February 3, for a community meeting to discuss upcoming sewer and roadway infrastructure upgrades planned in the Spring Hill area. The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Somerville High School cafeteria, 81 Highland Ave.
 

Absentee ballots are now available for the Tuesday, March 3, presidential primary election. Massachusetts voters may use an absentee ballot if they will be out of the city on election day, have a disability that prevents them from voting at a polling place, religious reasons, or if they are confined in a correctional facility. Voters can request an absentee ballot by downloading and returning the absentee ballot form available at www.somervillema.gov/AbsenteeBallots.

The next time you visit the City of Somerville website to pay your tax or water bills, the online system will look a little different. In December 2019, the City’s Treasury Department changed to “City Hall Systems,” a new bill payment vendor that will make paying and viewing bills online more convenient and user-friendly.

The Somerville Planning Board is now accepting comments on the SomerVision 2040 plan, which updates and extends Somerville’s community-driven SomerVision 2030 plan. The plan is the result of months of work by the SomerVision 2040 Committee, community members, and City staff. Both SomerVision plans set goals and priorities around important issues that affect Somerville like housing, mobility, public space, and development. Comments can be sent to the Planning Board at planning@somervillema.gov.

On Monday, January 27, the GLX Project released an updated schedule for bridge closures in Somerville associated with Green Line Extension construction.

Beginning in February 2020, Somerville community members will see preventive maintenance operations on trees in some City-owned parks, thanks to a new Parks Tree Health Program launched by the Public Space and Urban Forestry Division in fall 2019. The new program analyzes and proactively maintains trees located in City-owned parks using best arboreal practices to promote healthy tree growth.