[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6528056,"mediaKeyId","3462692-83363cacbbefb34cdfcb98c581630f65","parentId",3462692,"title","Somerville outlines CSO plan, proposes stormwater enterprise and parcel-based fees","audioSeconds",2902,"startMs",5297000,"endMs",8199000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3462692-83363cacbbefb34cdfcb98c581630f65&start=5297&end=8199","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3462692-83363cacbbefb34cdfcb98c581630f65/thumbnail_5297000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6528056/Somerville-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Somerville-outlines-CSO-plan-proposes-stormwater-enterprise-and-parcel-based-fees","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528056-a9430c1054460ae6ed4617d83aeb2385/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188437&Signature=PFyJmYTdFIQyqBrlVNt0YkoMtpzeuUiopiE9wNnoFF55p0KGKm0GCosdwnpRksMnchZNAlNGMz5t-vF4KmUolysT4jwMxsz~qAcebjpShTjixgNLafTib56pjOFFYA8l0d-XskE9z-todsG8sOuIV12yiT4T0x-XXrjQmooPtfLPENvDVK2fRHGcw7xu4R1a8VjfrawuTe~ZcUAE0bi5XwKfgIyF5pclEIe6t~KVsMR66C6s-P8NhuhtFSOhM0UpCG-ZLZfFNy6OfL5dJBhY7Rq6FPKcGQmuec7ptmOYxCnQ8iA8aks4I92PzG37PU~7X2Rqy92jIzHmdMAiErsBpw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Somerville City, MA","date","2025-05-22T19:03:00Z","article","Richard Raich, Somerville's director of infrastructure and asset management, told the City Council on May 20 that the city is carrying out a comprehensive update to its long-term control plan for combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and is proposing a new stormwater enterprise and parcel-based billing system to help pay for capital work.

The update, Raich said, is built on unified hydraulic modeling with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) and Cambridge and is the first regionwide plan the presenters know of to explicitly incorporate climate-change projections into planning. \"We are the first in the nation to incorporate climate change into that regulatory framework,\" Raich said as he described revised typical-year metrics and conceptual alternatives for separation, storage, and tunnels.

Why it matters: CSOs discharge untreated or partially treated sewage and stormwater to local waterways during heavy rain. Somerville officials said the city still discharges treated and untreated flows to the Mystic River and Alewife Brook in larger storms and that climate change increases both the frequency and volume of discharges. The scale of infrastructure needed under the updated scenario makes clear the city must coordinate regionally and change how it funds stormwater management.

Key facts from the presentation

- Regional framing: the long-term control plan update unifies Somerville, Cambridge and MWRA hydraulic models and evaluates separation, storage (including deep tunnels), green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), and inflow/infiltration reduction as alternatives. The MWRA and state regulatory process require a draft by December 2025 and a final plan (subject to review) afterward.

- Costs and scale: Raich presented a planning-level model that forecasts roughly $50 million in incremental revenue needed by the start of construction (~2030) to support programs identified in the plan; that estimate gives a per-household planning number near $1,200 over the planning horizon and places Somerville in a \"low impact\" category under current EPA financial-capability indicators because of relatively high median household income.

- Engineering examples: full sewer separation would require new outfalls and neighborhood storage (a conceptual 5,500,000-gallon storage tank near Gilman was used as an example); alternatives include partial separation plus storage and MWRA-scale storage tunnels that temporarily hold combined flow for later treatment at Deer Island.

- Flooding vs. CSOs: councilors and staff stressed that flooding and CSO pollution are related but distinct problems. Raich emphasized that flooding is driven by watershed runoff and downstream hydraulic constraints as well as local pipe capacity; many sources of runoff sit outside Somerville's combined-sewer boundary.

Stormwater enterprise and billing proposal

Raich proposed creating a stormwater enterprise to bill parcels based on measured impervious area rather than relying solely on water use to fund stormwater and sewer capital. The proposal uses high-resolution aerial imagery and GIS to measure impervious area per parcel, assigns most parcels to tiered billing bands and bills very large commercial parcels on exact impervious area. Credits would be available for on-site retention and green stormwater infrastructure.

- Equity and revenue mechanics: the city would re-split the combined water/sewer/stormwater revenue requirement so that sanitary sewer and stormwater are funded from separate enterprise billing: roughly a two-thirds (sanitary) / one-third (stormwater) split was shown in the planning numbers. That shift would likely lower bills for many residential customers while increasing bills for large commercial and high-impervious-area properties.

- Expected effects: model runs in the presentation showed that if 25% of property owners implemented on-site retention at modest levels the Mystic outfall volume could shrink materially, and complete adoption of simple retention measures citywide would sharply reduce CSO volumes in the modeled typical year.

Council questions and context

Councilors asked about how regional partners would pay (Councilor Burley), the limits of permeable pavement in New England (Director Raich), the legal ability to target low-income rate relief (Raich and staff said EPA financial-capability guidance and Massachusetts law constrain direct low-income exceptions), and how developers and large property owners could be required to pay or to contribute infrastructure (Raich said existing infiltration and inflow fees are being recalculated and would increase). Several councilors expressed concern about affordability and the potential for rate increases to affect residents on fixed incomes.

Next steps and scheduling

Raich said the city is finalizing cost estimates for alternatives, will hold neighborhood meetings on impacts and design, will bring proposed FY26 water/sewer/stormwater rates to the council for public hearing, and expects to submit a draft long-term control plan to regulators in late 2025. He said authorizations from Council will be required to create the stormwater enterprise and related ordinance changes.

Ending

Councilors and staff framed the work as a multiyear, regionally coordinated program that will require neighborhood outreach, ordinance changes, and Council action on rates and billing structure; staff committed to follow-up briefings and neighborhood-level public meetings in the fall.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Somerville City, MA - City Council on 2025-05-22 7:00 PM - May 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Richard Raich, Somerville's director of infrastructure and asset management, presented an update on the city's combined sewer overflow long-term control plan and proposed a stormwater enterprise with parcel-based billing to shift more costs to large impervious properties and fund on-site retention.","taxTitle","Somerville City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts","taxId",4564,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6528040,"Votes at a glance: Somerville Council approves location grants, stabilization appropriations, zoning and ordinance updates",1228,11669000,12897000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3462692-83363cacbbefb34cdfcb98c581630f65&start=11669&end=12897","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3462692-83363cacbbefb34cdfcb98c581630f65/thumbnail_11669000.jpg","/articles/6528040/Somerville-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Votes-at-a-glance-Somerville-Council-approves-location-grants-stabilization-appropriations-zoning-and-ordinance-updates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528040-a52a5d0b4f768ceb5cbfd7d360ecf512/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188437&Signature=YDj-RKHMRy9a0FleImETQKjJ1QdRw5GRbwPojnsAbrAG6SMGgcJjzJ-IM5t~XnYLLZZUGODcmm9roRLIVSSOCHi6-bMymkEU~o2LKENOpiow6x7XzGoGS-HDZmonrUy2JYEo2EfB3tCkG3I2isHTydmIIcTEpWH4ebAHDEYmsNuiHXLznllr7M7Z3I0EuyEUTuG4GXNyOVA2sEMFClMKaaEFKuaLFMmx1BQ5B91XshTbxRhhshWbw~xXK32h-GGeLZGyR6hKjVLYRdRTZmZM4NmS-x2YtJkdSatCSB30oVUbMmhg2BUp-IeTqTKK5A72uup0q9XExj2t5HC9nmTafw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its May 20 meeting the Somerville City Council approved a range of routine and fiscal items. Below are the key outcomes, drawn from the public meeting record.

Grants of location and conduit work (public hearings held and approved)

- Eversource: Approved grants of location to install conduit to provide electrical service at the following addresses and approximate conduit lengths: 10 Corinthian Road (~38 ft), 156 Albion Street (~54 ft), 15 Stickney Avenue (~67 ft), 72 Glenwood Road (~80 ft), and 356 Broadway (~60 ft).

- FirstLight Fiber: Approved a grant to install conduit and one new manhole to serve 30 Interbelt Road (~168 ft and 1 new manhole); proponent testified at the public hearing.

Appointments and licenses

- Confirmed appointment of Michael Sullivan to the position of firefighter (appointment confirmed by roll call).

- New appointments and license matters (waived readings and approved): Irene Desena to the Commission for Women (and several other routine appointments and garage license filings listed on the agenda).

Stabilization fund appropriations and committee items (roll calls)

- Approved appropriations and amendments recommended by the finance committee (roll-call votes):
- $45,000 from the Street Tree Stabilization Fund for ash tree treatments (25-0836).
- $228,000 from the Medicinal Marijuana Stabilization Fund for three positions (25-0857).
- $450,000 from the Facility Renovation Stabilization Fund for Brown School boiler replacement (25-0874).
- $350,000 from the Facility Renovation Stabilization Fund for the Department of Public Works boiler replacement (25-0875).
- Amended the purpose of the Street Tree Stabilization Fund to align it with the tree preservation ordinance (25-0892).

Zoning and ordinance actions

- Zoning map amendment approved (enrolled and ordained): Changed 11 Horace Street and adjoining lots from MR-4 to MR-6 (24-1584) after a neighborhood memorandum of understanding was negotiated; councilors voted in favor on enrollment and ordainment.

- Wage-theft ordinance amendments (24-1754) were approved by the legislative matters committee and enrolled/ordained by the council; the revision updated advisory committee membership categories and made drafting clarifications.

Other fiscal and administrative items

- The city accepted multiple committee reports and placed several communications on file, including job-creation and affordable housing trust updates. The council approved a lease at 50 Tufts Street (roll call recorded; item approved).

What the record shows about votes and process

- Many routine grants and licenses were approved by unanimous consent or by voice vote after public hearings with proponent testimony.

- Several of the stabilization appropriations and the Tufts Street lease were taken by roll call; the meeting transcript shows councilors voting \"yes\" for the listed appropriations and for the Tufts Street lease.

Ending

Councilors noted that some items require follow-up in committee (for example, rates and CSO issues and several traffic items). The meeting record shows the council continuing a pattern of combining routine infrastructure approvals with longer policy discussions on affordability, PILOTs and stormwater planning.","The City Council approved multiple routine items on May 20, including six utility grants of location, stormwater-and-infrastructure stabilization appropriations, a zoning map amendment in Union Square (Horace/Ward), and an amended wage-theft ordinance; the council also referred several agenda items to committee for further work.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6528045,"Councilors back creation of senior liaison role and advisory group; order sent to equity committee",1026,2844000,3870000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3462692-83363cacbbefb34cdfcb98c581630f65&start=2844&end=3870","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3462692-83363cacbbefb34cdfcb98c581630f65/thumbnail_2844000.jpg","/articles/6528045/Somerville-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Councilors-back-creation-of-senior-liaison-role-and-advisory-group-order-sent-to-equity-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528045-b7b6c68ee2212c1586d8ea023fc97fb7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188437&Signature=XOYWdidhC0RCOmFGCtIHkarnVsk8DPZquZNdP8EUx4aCu-9FgNSC0C2lZ1o3k1HAPWOXET0UdfDbMy4KRL3HNo9Zmwr8Y1Bglph6fNqzBHsjN7X-tWcTWlx42tIX3xHBbmG7t1HGgU2JItZSIYXw1zLx4Lt7dSHAURSAwqorURfsiSQmAuyu0YQXTjhmP0kzAEnla9SlYUB3Vg~NTkGGSmO-Z2w~UGJ2c~fkSLHIlh3V7YDYMfsNLit34Z2ZHFtx757vicU-QRm~NaGVdL7Cs0ZroZ-t-q~hJFDCMXkecdRXkqLF7QljzIvaBgG~ZV1pHevaFlCX0Z5azkYEAzeZlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Councilors introduced two complementary items on May 20 requesting (1) a senior liaison in the mayor's office and (2) a senior advisory group to advise on policies affecting older residents. The council voted to refer both orders to the Council's Equity, Gender, Seniors, Families and Vulnerable Populations committee for further work.

What advocates said

- Greg Hill (Massachusetts Senior Action Council, Cambridge-Somerville chapter) said seniors are a vulnerable population whose voices are not sufficiently represented in city policy. He argued an advisory committee should be part of the council process because the Somerville Council on Aging focuses on program delivery rather than policy change.

- Fred (Frank) Berman (Mass Senior Action) recommended that any senior advisory committee be authorized as a subcommittee of the relevant City Council committee (equity committee), chaired by a councilor, and that the committee advise on both the substance and the implementation of policies affecting seniors. Berman also referenced a UMass Gerontology Center needs assessment planned for release the following day and said the advisory group would provide ongoing feedback on implementing that study's recommendations.

Council action and next steps

Councilors asked for the measure to be discussed in the equity committee; several councilors signed on as cosponsors. The council did not create the liaison or advisory group at the meeting; instead, the orders were referred to the equity committee for detailed drafting, which could include whether the advisory body should be formally chartered as a council subcommittee or housed in the mayor's office. Several councilors emphasized including seniors directly in policymaking and the need for implementation details (staffing, funding, scope) to be clarified in committee.

Ending

The council's referral to committee means the items will return for a focused committee hearing where the equity committee will consider scope, membership, and whether the advisory group should be established administratively or by council ordinance.","Councilors introduced resolutions to create a senior liaison in the mayor's office and a senior advisory group. Residents and aging advocates urged the council to house the advisory body within the council or the equity committee for policy influence; the items were referred to the equity committee for further work.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6528050,"Somerville pilot task force recommends shorter, transparent PILOT agreements and community benefits",615,3886000,4501000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3462692-83363cacbbefb34cdfcb98c581630f65&start=3886&end=4501","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3462692-83363cacbbefb34cdfcb98c581630f65/thumbnail_3886000.jpg","/articles/6528050/Somerville-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Somerville-pilot-task-force-recommends-shorter-transparent-PILOT-agreements-and-community-benefits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528050-286370397dba81462af5763a61940ef9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188437&Signature=cl3z0NwVvtN8vjNfNaGM4Ck0uW9pGC5Q-ksqKJiIUj-qcuXhmOwOylJOmKd9bstrb5mWx3qNfifhlKBPOZXwv8RDZD9OJ3KQOgiVXyvEEcgdMpucwCM5uye6hL102OxL9mcpQ8sCzj1JFbHXhBVjw41IUj5I94ZGIXdYmNLfCV2yPfkLpcS9bkn2qXrOFlg8kOnQlVvfS5DzMtP0~RSX04KeFJmNar8aAyjbHAspbmsKCpdK77vBdzZRRR-f86BlArz-Ont8AL9CiyaIEzKn2tASlt6o~V4-8uDoOgyMGipTNKLsCjzWd5asq95V0msVbq9-iT4WWGdiz6khRQ4u0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Somerville Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT) pilot task force presented recommendations to the City Council on May 20 aimed at making agreements with large tax-exempt property owners more transparent and beneficial to Somerville residents.

Why it matters: Several large institutions in Somerville own substantial tax-exempt property; the task force sought ways to better align institutional contributions with community needs, improve transparency and ensure agreements provide direct benefits to residents.

What the task force proposed

- Agreement structure and term: the task force recommended shorter agreements (five-year terms rather than the multi-decade deals used in the past) and a standard negotiating committee with actual bargaining authority rather than an advisory-only role.

- Focus on community benefits: the group proposed that negotiated benefits be meaningful and broadly available to Somerville residents rather than narrowly targeted campus perks. Examples discussed included free bus passes, tutoring and workforce training, medical services for uninsured residents, and energy bill credits created by institutional solar projects.

- Labor and procurement provisions: the task force recommended encouraging, and where practicable requiring, project labor agreements (PLAs) and other hiring/training commitments to boost local job opportunities; they noted existing project PLA language in earlier Assembly Square agreements as precedent.

- Governance and transparency: the task force recommended a publicly accessible website listing PILOT payers, payments and the community benefits requested and obtained, plus a clear negotiating timeline and a standing negotiating committee that includes community representatives.

What task force members told the council

Mary Ann Wallace, chair of the task force, said the group met for 18 months and tried to incorporate input from residents, non-profits and city departments. She said the task force sought to avoid agreements that simply conferred institutional benefit with limited resident value, and to create a structure for future negotiations that residents could monitor.

Emily Ackerman (school committee), Catherine McClain (resident member) and other members described sample benefit categories and stressed the need for clearer accounting of what institutions deliver in exchange for tax advantages.

Next steps

Councilor Klingen thanked the task force and said next steps lie with the mayor's office to implement a negotiating framework. Task force members said the recommendations are advisory and that the city must still persuade institutions to negotiate. The council applauded the report and asked the administration to assemble a negotiating team and publish a transparency website.","A task force convened under the city's 2021 pilot ordinance recommended five-year agreements, clearer benefits targeted to Somerville residents, contract labor standards and a separate fund and website for transparency to guide negotiations with large tax-exempt institutions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Somerville outlines CSO plan, proposes stormwater enterprise and parcel-based fees

Votes at a glance: Somerville Council approves location grants, stabilization appropriations, zoning and ordinance updates

Councilors back creation of senior liaison role and advisory group; order sent to equity committee

Somerville pilot task force recommends shorter, transparent PILOT agreements and community benefits