Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Small Business Support topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
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 down to the contractor being in a position to be able to share that in a way that we can communicate out to the constituent," he told the committee.
Bow Street reimbursement request: A committee member asked staff to pursue a partial reimbursement of outdoor‑dining permit fees for several Bow Street businesses that paid for a full season but lost more than half their permitted days because of utility work. Economic development staff said licensing and the city clerk's office, not economic development alone, would have authority on fee adjustments and that they would convey the request to the licensing office and the mayor's office to explore options.
Post‑ARPA strategy: Staff described a shift from direct ARPA grantmaking to a CDBG‑centered model emphasizing technical assistance: weekly small‑business office hours that bring licensing, engineering, health and building staff together; block‑walking to meet merchants in affected districts; language services; and partnerships with Main Streets organizations and nonprofits. They said Somerville invested roughly $5 million in direct city support during COVID and $2.3 million in ARPA funds, most of which has been spent, so future assistance will rely more on CDBG and partnerships.
Marketing and operations improvements: Staff previewed a winter 'Be Loyal to Local' campaign to promote district events and months‑long patronage through February, and announced improvements to the CitizenServe portal and an online license‑renewal and payment process to reduce administrative burdens. Staff also highlighted a $100,000 Urban Agenda grant used for training and targeted stipends, including supports for home‑based child‑care providers.
What’s next: Staff said they will investigate the Bow Street refund request with licensing and the mayor’s office, continue process reviews to streamline permits, and finalize campaign materials in the coming week.
