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Meeting Name: Open Space, Environment and Energy Committee Agenda status: Final
Meeting date/time: 2/10/2020 6:00 PM Minutes status: Final  
Meeting location: Committee Room – 2nd Floor – City Hall
City Hall
Published agenda: Agenda Agenda Published minutes: Minutes Minutes  
Meeting video:  
Attachments:
File #Ver.Agenda #TypeTitleActionResultAction DetailsVideo
209139 2209139Public CommunicationSasha Chanoff submitting comments re: re-turfing Dilboy Field.Work completed  Action details Not available
209364 3209364OrderThat the Commissioner of Public Works and the Director of Sustainability and Environment discuss the safety uses and environmental impacts of the street salt used on the city’s streets.Work completed  Action details Not available
209366 3209366OrderThat the Director of Sustainability and the Environment work with the School District to provide any plans for shifting to compostable flatware.Work completed  Action details Not available
209441 3209441OrderThat the Director of SPCD include the entirety of West Somerville Neighborhood School open space for renovation planning as discussed at a December 2018 community meeting.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
209444 3209444OrderThat the Director of SPCD and the Director of Finance advise this Council, in writing, why, with an appropriation of $9.3 million, the grass field at Lincoln Park was incorrectly installed the first time.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
209544 3209544OrderThat the Director of Parks and Recreation discuss the impacts, updates and usage of Founders Rink being used for indoor soccer.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
209546 3209546OrderThat the Director of SPCD discuss what can be done to mitigate the flooding of Alewife Brook Parkway and Mystic Valley Parkway.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
209605 3209605OrderThat the Director of SPCD provide this Council with the most recent updates on any plans for Foss Park.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
209607 3209607OrderThat the Director of SPCD provide this Council with a report on the history of Conway Park and what contaminant testing had been completed prior to its establishment as a public park.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
209612 3209612OrderThat the Director of Parks and Recreation work with the Superintendent of Schools to develop a policy for "utilizing artificial turf in the heat" similar to the policy used by Burlington, MA.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
209613 3209613OrderThat the Director of Sustainability and Environment, the Director of SPCD, The Director of Communications, and the Commissioner of Public Works develop a plan for a "Resiliency Hub" when extreme weather events occur.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
209614 3209614ResolutionThat the Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change discuss its 2020 plan with this Council’s Committee on Open Space, Energy and Environment.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
209624 3209624OrderThat the Committee on Open Space, Environment and Energy provide feedback on the SomerVision 2040's chapters on 1) Public Space & Natural Environment and 2) Climate & Sustainability with respect to metrics, key tasks, and other strategies as noted within.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
204434 3204434ResolutionThat the Administration provide this Board’s Special Committee on Open Space, Environment and Energy with an analysis of the attached communication regarding LED street lights.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
205666 3205666ResolutionThat the Administration investigate partnering with MIT to provide advice on renewable energy sources.Work completed  Action details Not available
205710 3205710ResolutionThat the Administration update this Board on the toxicity and availability of Conway Park's fields and playground, with a timeline for re-opening, in light of the significant impact on parents, children and child-care businesses in the city.Work completed  Action details Not available
207372 3207372OrderThat the Director of Sustainability and Environment create a rental licensing program.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
207884 3207884OrderThat the City Solicitor draft an ordinance to ban the use of plastic flatware.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
208590 3208590ResolutionThat the Administration revisit the proposal to institute citywide curbside composting.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
208614 4208614ResolutionThat the Administration inform this City Council whether the new High School, and eventually other municipal buildings, will have dishwashing capacity, to reduce or eliminate reliance on single-use flatware and dishes.Work completed  Action details Not available
208808 4208808ResolutionThat the Administration update this Council on the Climate Preparedness Week Resolution (#208611) that was submitted in July.Work completed  Action details Not available
208805 4208805ResolutionAffirming the federal Green New Deal resolution by establishing goals, identifying actions necessary to meet these goals, and calling for the federal government to enact policies to advance a Green New Deal.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
208920 4208920OrderThat the Director of SPCD develop a plan to plant a native species pollinator garden along the Community Path.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
207031 4207031OrderThat the Chief of Police and the Chief Fire Engineer discuss the routing process and geo-locating capacity for 911 calls, especially calls from cell phones.Recommended to be discharged with no recommendation  Action details Not available
207373 4207373OrderThat the Director of Sustainability and Environment develop an electric vehicle charging infrastructure program.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
207375 4207375OrderThat the Director of Sustainability and Environment and the Director of SPCD improve and expand bicycle infrastructure around the city and report to this Board, quarterly, on progress made.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
207376 4207376OrderThat the Director of Sustainability and Environment and the Director of SPCD formalize and implement a modern urban forestry management plan, including best practices and a resilient species list.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
205665 4205665ResolutionThat the Administration collaborate with MIT to build a robust biking infrastructure.Work completed  Action details Not available
206698 4206698OrderThat the Director of SPCD establish an advisory service to help residents learn how to reduce storm water runoff, cool their yards and homes naturally, plant and preserve trees, reduce invasive species, and waive dumpster parking permit fees for households undertaking de-paving efforts.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
205711 4205711ResolutionThat the Administration present a Heat Island Impact Analysis on the proposed replacement of Conway Park's grass fields with artificial turf.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
204436 4204436OrderThat the Director of Sustainability and Environment arrange a meeting with this Board's Special Committee on Open Space, Environment and Energy, members of the School Committee, the Superintendent of Schools, the Administration, and the Commissioner of Public Works, to plan recycling efforts in the Public Schools.Work completed  Action details Not available
204869 4204869OrderThat Director of Sustainability and Environment include the School Department’s Finance Director in discussions of #204436, to examine procurement criteria for cafeteria food and drink vendors given the amount of waste created by food packaging.Work completed  Action details Not available
204968 4204968OrderThat the Director of SPCD provide this Board with a list of all city owned parcels, indicating any brownfields, and any plans to remediate those sites and use them for housing.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
209270 4209270CommunicationParks and Recreation Director responding to #209152 re: Lincoln Park athletic field use, warranty, and quality control.Work completed  Action details Not available
209358 4209358OrderThat the City Solicitor draft an ordinance requiring the City to replace green space for those public spaces already dedicated to the public.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
208042 4208042OrderThat the Director of Sustainability and Environment inform this Council about New York City's "Climate Mobilization Act," which includes dramatic emission reductions for tall buildings, and explain which aspects could be adapted here.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
208232 4208232OrderThat the Director of Parks and Recreation and the Commissioner of Public Works explore starting a monthly volunteer trash pickup day for the Dilboy DCR and Alewife Brook areas.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
208567 5208567Public CommunicationElizabeth Lundgren submitting comments re: #206495, the proposed native plant ordinance.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
205437 5205437OrderThat the Director of Parks and Open Space update this Board on all current parks projects.Work completed  Action details Not available
202992 5202992OrderThat the Director of Sustainability and Environment and the City Solicitor advise this Board on the feasibility requiring certain commercial and multi-family buildings to require composting as a part of regular waste disposal.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
204434 5204434ResolutionThat the Administration provide this Board’s Special Committee on Open Space, Environment and Energy with an analysis of the attached communication regarding LED street lights.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
204436 5204436OrderThat the Director of Sustainability and Environment arrange a meeting with this Board's Special Committee on Open Space, Environment and Energy, members of the School Committee, the Superintendent of Schools, the Administration, and the Commissioner of Public Works, to plan recycling efforts in the Public Schools.Work completed  Action details Not available
206745 5206745OrderThat the Somerville Climate Coalition provide this Board with updates on their attempts to address climate change.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
205709 5205709ResolutionThat the Administration immediately pursue creation of a public fields and recreation area in the Inner Belt District pursuant to the Fields Master Plan.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
207173 6207173ResolutionThat the Administration provide to this Board by its January 10, 2019 meeting a response to the attached petition of Foss Park stakeholders, which requests a schematic community design process and a plan for financing and managing the facility.Work completed  Action details Not available
207167 6207167OrderThat the Director of SPCD share biannual CIP progress reports for all new open space and parks projects.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
207999 6207999Public Communication3 residents submitting comments re: #206495, the proposed native plant ordinance.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
206201 6206201OrderThat the Director of SomerStat share an update on implementing a work order system for asset management, CRM requests, preventive maintenance, and related functions, for departments like Public Works, Engineering, and Urban Forestry.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
201857 7201857OrderThat the Commissioner of Public Works and the Director of Sustainability and Environment inform the Special Committee on Open Space, Environment and Energy which elements of the AMA's 2016 guidelines on LED lighting could be or have been used to minimize potential harmful effects.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
203881 7203881ResolutionThat the Administration draft a Dark Sky ordinance addressing applicability, color temperature standards, prescriptive or performance standards, DPW oversight, and exemptions.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
207480 7207480OrderThat the City Solicitor review the legal standing of each site identified in Sec. 12-131 of the proposed Public Space Conservation Ordinance to identify if there are any terms by which each site was acquired, or is held, that would prevent it from being dedicated to the public.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
206495 10206495OrderThat the City Solicitor consider the attached language in the drafting of a Native Tree and Plantings Ordinance, as ordered by #203365.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
205683 10205683Public CommunicationTori Antonino submitting comments re: #203365, calling for a native planting ordinance.Kept in committee  Action details Not available
203365 13203365OrderThat the City Solicitor draft an ordinance requiring native tree and plantings for all open space, to meet the goals of sustainability and biodiversity.Kept in committee  Action details Not available