SOMERVILLE – Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone invites residents to the Spring 2014 ResiStat Community Meetings, a twice-yearly effort to share the latest City news and data directly with residents and gather their feedback.
Seven neighborhood meetings, one in each ward, will be held in the coming weeks starting Monday, May 12, with the Ward 6 (Davis Square area) meeting. Mayor Curtatone, ward and at-large aldermen, members of the Somerville Police Department, and City staff will discuss issues important to residents and take their questions. Topics will range from crime and safety reports, rodent control, and neighborhood improvements such as road, park, and library projects to a look at citywide initiatives including Green Line station area planning, Union Square and Assembly Square development updates, the city budgeting process, and a word from the Mayor on how the City is using data and a systems approach to improve services and tackle new issues.
Refreshments will be served at a meet-and-greet before each meeting, where residents can talk with City officials and their neighbors.
For more information about ResiStat, or with any questions, contact ResiStat Coordinator, Meghann Ackerman, at MAckerman@somervillema.gov or 617-625-6600 ext 2120.
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SPRING 2014 ResiStat Meeting Schedule
Ward 6: May 12, Greater Davis Square, SW Ball Square
• Meeting: 7-8:30 p.m., Monday, May 12, Community Baptist Church, 31 College Ave.
• Meet and Greet, refreshments: 6:30 p.m.
Ward 4: May 14, Winter Hill, Ten Hills, Mystic River, Mystic View
• Meeting: 7-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 14, Healey School cafetorium, 5 Meacham St.
• Meet and Greet, refreshments: 6:30 p.m.
Ward 1: May 19, East Somerville, Assembly Square, Inner Belt
• Meeting 7-8:30 p.m., Monday, May 19, East Somerville Community School auditorium, 50 Cross St.
• Meet and Greet, refreshments: 6:30 p.m.
Ward 7: May 21, West Somerville, Teele Square
• Meeting: 7-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 21, West Somerville Neighborhood School, 177 Powderhouse Blvd.
• Meet and Greet, refreshments: 6:30 p.m.
Ward 5: June 5, Magoun Square, NE Ball Square, Cedar & Lowell St. areas, NW Porter Square
• Meeting: 7-8:30 p.m., Thursday, June 5, Kennedy School cafeteria, 5 Cherry St.
• Meet and Greet, refreshments: 6:30 p.m.
Ward 2: June 10, Union Square South, Somerville Ave. & Beacon St. areas, and the Lincoln Park and Perry park areas
• Meeting: 7-8:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 10, Argenziano School cafetorium, 290 Washington St.
• Meet and Greet, refreshments: 6:30 p.m.
Ward 3: June 11, Union Square North, Prospect Hill, Spring Hill, Central Hill
• Meeting: Time TBD, Somerville High School, 81 Highland Ave.
For more information, visit http://somervilleresistat.blogspot.com and click the “Meetings” tab. Or contact Meghann Ackerman at mackerman@somervillema.gov or 617-625-6600 x 2120.
I certainly hope Mayor Curtatone plans to arrive at these ResiStat Meetings well-prepared to discuss the new residential garbage collection system being implemented by the City in the next couple of months!
It’s my understanding that the new garbage collection system will use uniform containers with lids and built-in wheels (also known as “toters”), which the City will be delivering to all residences over the next 60 days or so. This is one of the biggest changes ever to be made in the public services we receive, affecting all residences in Cambridge. Yet we have heard very little details about this major change from the City administration, nor from the Mayor himself.
I recently purchased new garbage containers to replace my old worn out cans, and then learned that the City will soon be providing us with the new uniform garbage containers at no charge. Therefore, this expensive purchase was a complete waste of money for me (living on a fixed income), and it was directly caused by poor communications from Mayor Curtatone and the City administration. It’s been a long, hard winter and our garbage cans have been battered; so I’m sure there are many other residents unwittingly buying new garbage containers right now as well.
The new garbage collection program is certainly a great positive change for our City, and will help to reduce the rodent control issue which has been a problem here for too long. However, this major public service change has been very poorly communicated by the City administration. I’ll certainly have some questions about the reasons for this poor communication when the ResiStat Meeting is conducted in my Ward!