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Public Utilities and Public Works Committee

Monday, December 5, 2022 at 6 PM

Online only

This meeting has happened. Minutes are final.

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What happened

4 items of legislation were taken up.

  • 2 approved
  • 1 kept in committee
  • 1 recommended to be marked work completed

Agenda 4 items

Notices from the agenda

This meeting was held via GoToWebinar and was called to order by Chair Clingan at 6:02 pm and adjourned at 7:07 pm. Councilor Gomez Mouakad moved to adjourn, and the motion was passed by roll call vote. Others present: Hannah Carrillo - Mayor’s Office, David Goodridge - IT, David Slonina - IT, Richard Raiche - IAM, Jill Lathan - DPW, Carolyn Kirk, Stephanie Widzowski - Clerk of Committees.

Roll Call

Referenced Documents: PUPW - 2022-12-5 Additional information (with 22-1061, 22-1848)

  1. 1.
    22-1703 Committee Minutes Approved

    Approval of the Public Utilities and Public Works Committee Minutes of October 11, 2022.

    Roll call: 3 aye
    • Charlotte KellyAye
    • Jesse ClinganAye
    • Beatriz Gomez Mouakad Aye
  2. 2.
    22-2052 Committee Minutes Approved

    Approval of the Public Utilities and Public Works Committee Minutes of November 16, 2022.

    Roll call: 3 aye
    • Charlotte KellyAye
    • Jesse ClinganAye
    • Beatriz Gomez Mouakad Aye
  3. 3.
    22-1848 Order Kept in committee

    That this Council discuss municipal broadband, and the implementation of the Somerville Internet Access Task Force.

    {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs24 Taken together with item 22-1061. Chair Clingan sponsored Carolyn Kirk of Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to speak. Ms. Kirk presented on her experience implementing broadband in communities across western Massachusetts and described options for internet access expansion in Somerville. Two avenues for installing broadband are by leasing space on existing utility poles or by digging conduits underground. One highlight of the discussion was overbuild, meaning that infrastructure already exists in the municipality, which would disqualify Somerville from some federal funding. Ms. Kirk also suggested using an RFP to assess feasibility. There was conversation about funding sources, including grants.\par \par Ms. Carrillo said that OSPCD recently hired an equity planner who has been looking into municipal broadband and at the overarching problem beyond it, the digital divide.\par \par Chair Clingan sponsored Greg Hill to speak. Mr. Hill cited representatives from local organizations over benefits of municipal broadband and urged for public hearings on the task force report recommendations.\par \par \cf1\f1\par }

  4. 4.
    22-1061 Order Recommended to be marked work completed

    That this City Council discuss the recommendations of the 2019 Internet Access Task Force, and invite relevant experts to share ways to provide universal internet access.

    {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs24 Taken together with item 22-1848.\par \cf1\f1\par }