Regular City Council Meeting - November 12, 2026

At the November 12, 2026, Somerville City Council meeting, the Council approved an ethical purchasing ordinance restricting city spending, contracting, and certain investments involving companies that meet specified criteria related to human-rights violations. The ordinance was presented as responding to ballot Question 3 and includes reference sources to guide compliance; it passed the approval and enrollment stages, with enrollment recorded 10–1, and was advanced for ordination. The Council also ordained a short-term rental ordinance. Procurement-related items included a reported new five-year, approximately $34 million Boston Carting contract for trash, recycling, and yard-waste collection, with projected savings of $2.3 million, rates unchanged for two years and then annual increases of 4%, and stronger penalties for missed pickups. The Finance Committee report covering the contract was accepted. The Council approved a resolution directing the city to begin tracking purchases of products or services marketed as AI or purchased for integrated AI features. An urban-center housing tax increment financing agreement for Assembly Square Block 9 was referred to the Finance Committee.

The Council approved a $410,037 state grant, with no match required, for the 2026–27 winter warming center; additional city funding for the center was approved through transfers and free cash. It also approved $46,270 for a hazard-mitigation-plan update, $140,831 for street-reconstruction capital work, and $2,383,850 from parking-meter receipts to reduce the FY2027 tax rate. The Council adopted the FY2027 minimum residential factor and a 35% residential exemption. These funding actions support city services and infrastructure; the ethical purchasing ordinance may affect future vendor eligibility.