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Somerville council accepts $50,000 state grant to support mobile farmers market
Summary
The council approved a $50,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources to fund the Somerville Mobile Farmers Market. Councilors said the award will support food access programs administered by Health and Human Services without requiring a local match.
The Somerville City Council on Jan. 8 approved a $50,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources to the city Health and Human Services Office of Food Access and Healthy Communities for the Somerville Mobile Farmers Market.
Councilors heard a brief presentation describing the grant scope and recommended approval. "This looks in order to me," Councilor Scott said while pointing viewers to the scope-of-services document attached to the meeting materials. No members of the public spoke in opposition during the brief public hearing.
The grant requires no new local match and will support mobile market operations intended to expand food access across neighborhoods. Councilor Wheeler noted that most financial matters are ordinarily referred to the Finance Committee, but said the council will consider skipping that step when immediate action is appropriate; the council voted to approve the grant that evening.
The award is administered through Somerville's Health and Human Services department; staff will follow the department's usual procedures for accepting and spending grant funds. The council did not attach additional conditions or requests for a report back in the meeting discussion.
The council moved on to other items after approving the grant; the next scheduled Finance Committee review of related programming was not specified during the meeting.
