Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Somerville outlines post‑ARPA small‑business supports, urges better construction coordination and launches winter 'Be Loyal to Local' campaign
Summary
City economic-development staff told the committee they are shifting from ARPA-era direct grants to CDBG-funded technical assistance, improved permitting workflows, and a winter marketing push to support merchants; staff said they will refer a Bow Street outdoor‑dining reimbursement request to licensing and the mayor's office.
Greg Kirkard and Dana Whiteside of the city’s economic development team briefed the Housing & Community Development Committee on Nov. 18 on small‑business supports and construction impacts.
Construction coordination: Committee members and staff described repeated examples where city, utility or private contractors did not share timely information with merchants, leaving businesses unable to open or use outdoor dining. Kirkard recommended bringing the engineering department into follow‑up conversations and said early RFP language can require better contractor communication. "We're looking at current projects...it really comes…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
