Agenda Text
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Rob Buchanan submitting comments re: #206161, the revised Community Benefits Ordinance.
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Official Text
To the Honorable Board of Aldermen:
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the draft of the Community Benefits Ordinance that is before you tonight. It’s my belief that we need to move forward and successfully negotiate a Community Benefits Agreement with US2 as soon as possible, so the Union Square development, and the corresponding community benefits can be realized. I recognize that you are under time pressure to advance this legislation, particularly given a number of dependencies with respect to development of the D2 parcel and GLX construction as well as other competing legislative priorities.
Having had some time to review the draft ordinance that is before you, I see several areas that require further clarification and discussion, some of which are quite significant. In the attached document, I’ve outlined a brief list of those concerns based on my review. I think the CBO requires significantly more community input and careful thought, and I believe you do too.
Given the urgency to move forward, however, I might suggest that you amend the version that you plan to adopt tonight to include language that somehow acknowledges that it is an imperfect ordinance and that the Board of Aldermen will revisit the issue in the very near future. Perhaps this could be accomplished by amending the ordinance to include the following “sunset” provision:
IV. Effective dates
Section II of this ordinance is repealed effective October 31, 2018 and any neighborhood council designation recognized pursuant to this Section shall be revoked effective October 31, 2018.
A sunset provision would give the Board of Aldermen, and the community, some level of assurance that passage of this imperfect legislation will be rectified. A neighborhood council could pursue designation under the future ordinance.
As we move forward toward CBA negotiations with US2, I believe we have not done enough to provide clear rules of accountability, transparency, and ethical standards to the Union Square neighborhood council. Expectations should be clear between all parties including the City of Somerville, the neighborhood council, and residents of the community. Without that clarify, my fear is that governance-related ambiguities will arise that will undermine the process. Given these concerns, I certainly hope a more thoughtful and comprehensive ordinance is developed and passed in the near future.
Thank you,
Rob Buchanan