The Somerville City Council will hold a public hearing on the Winter Hill Urban Renewal Plan, on Wednesday, November 18, starting at 6 p.m. There are two ways residents can submit testimony:

Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 7 City Councilor Katjana Ballantyne, and City staff invite you to a virtual community meeting to discuss plans to redesign the intersection of Powder House Boulevard and Alewife Brook Parkway. Following a presentation by City staff on the project background and current design concepts, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and share priorities for this project.

Calling all young ’Villens: Winter may, in fact, be coming, and daylight hours are dwindling, but don’t forget -- SomerSocial is here to brighten your weekday afternoons with fun, free, virtual after-school programming! Perfect your podcast pitch, join a crew for Among Us, or get crafty with local creatives. Sign up for parkour lessons, nature club, animation workshops, theater classes, and more.

The City of Somerville is currently seeking applicants for a community member position on the School Opening Advisory Group. The Advisory Group will make COVID-19 data-based recommendations to the Mayor and Superintendent on school closures and reopenings.

The Advisory Group, which is a formal extension and expansion of ongoing efforts, will be composed of one community member and representatives from the Somerville Public Schools (SPS), Somerville School Committee, and the City’s COVID-19 response team. The group plans to meet weekly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the United States crossing 250,000 lives lost to COVID-19, the Somerville Arts Council has put together www.somervilleremembers.org, a website that features pictures from local photographers that mark the passing of Somerville residents due to this pandemic. The photos use empty chairs displayed in Somerville locations, each to represent a person who has succumbed to this virus.

The project was undertaken when the city’s confirmed fatalities stood at 42 people. Sadly, the number continues to rise and now stands at 47.

Help plan for the future of the Assembly Square neighborhood by participating in one or more virtual sessions of the City’s Assembly Square Neighborhood Plan Update Public Design Charrette. Sessions are planned for Monday, November 30, through Friday, December 4, and will allow residents to share their ideas, talk with their neighbors, and learn more about Assembly Square planning.

The charrette schedule is as follows:

Kick-Off and Hands-On Design Session

Monday, November 30 | 6:30 p.m.

Open Positions: 10 positions available
Term: 3 years
Availability: Immediate

The City of Somerville is currently seeking applicants for 10 open positions on the Somerville Commission for Women. The Commission works to ensure the equal status of women in educational, economic, political, health, legal, and social spheres and provides information, referrals, and guidance.

The Commission meets monthly, typically on the third Tuesday for an hour and a half. Its volunteer members are appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council.

The Somerville City Council will hold a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2021 tax rates on Tuesday, November 24, starting at 7 p.m.

At this annual hearing the Chief Assessor, on behalf of the Board of Assessors, presents two requests to the Council that are taken up for a vote:

1) a request to approve a maximum shift of 1.75% of the overall tax burden from residential to commercial properties;

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced today that former Acting Chief of Police Charles Femino has agreed to serve as the Acting Chief of Police effective December 12, 2020, until a permanent replacement is found for departing Chief David Fallon, who announced his pending retirement in March.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced today that $500,000 in federal Covid-19 Cares Act Relief funds is being dedicated to the Flex-CV Fund to support residents behind in housing payments due to impacts of the pandemic. The FLEX-CV program is an emergency temporary rental and mortgage assistance program for Somerville residents who have had an income loss, or an increase in expenses, caused by or exacerbated by Covid-19.