Monday, March 30, 2026 at 6:30 PM

Agenda 7 items

1. 1.
   26-0261 Committee Minutes Accepted

   Approval of the Minutes of the Confirmation of Appointments and Personnel Matters Committee Meeting of February 2, 2026.

   Roll call: 5 aye

   • Matthew McLaughlinAye
   • Emily HardtAye
   • Jon LinkAye
   • Ben Ewen-CampenAye
   • Wilfred N. MbahAye

   • 📎 Minutes - CAPM - 2-2-26 Full
2. 2.
   26-0322 Mayor's Request Recommended to be approved

   Requesting confirmation of the promotion of Ashley Catatao to the position of Police Sergeant.

   {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs24 Chief Shumeane Benford introduced the candidate, Detective Ashley Catatao, and stated they have 15 years of experience working with the Police Department and are currently a Detective in the Special Investigations Unit. Chief Benford added that the candidate has bachelor\rquote s degree and several master\rquote s degrees and is a passionate advocate for mental health counseling.\par \par Chair Mbah asked the candidate how their work as a sergeant would build trust with historically marginalized communities, and Detective Catatao replied that they have a deep connection to the community and are from an immigrant family and that they know what it\rquote s like to grow up here in Somerville. The candidate added that they are dedicated to the community and to treating people as fairly as they would their own family. Councilor Ewen-Campen asked what philosophy the candidate is bringing to this new degree of supervisory responsibility, and the candidate replied that they want to be a part helping to make the Police Department the best it can be, and that this provides them with a louder voice and a chance to become more involved.\par \par This item was laid on the table to allow the Committee to enter Executive Session only once. The item was taken off the table and Chair Mbah moved to enter executive session at 6:55 p.m. The motion was approved on a roll call vote of 5 in favor (Councilors McLaughlin, Hardt, Link, Ewen-Campen, Mbah), 0 opposed. The Committee returned from executive session at 7:02 p.m. The Chair announced that no votes were taken in executive session except the vote to adjourn.\par }

   Roll call: 5 aye

   • Matthew McLaughlinAye
   • Emily HardtAye
   • Jon LinkAye
   • Ben Ewen-CampenAye
   • Wilfred N. MbahAye

   • 📎 Police Sergeant
   • 📎 Ashley Catatao Resume Redacted
3. 3.
   26-0321 Mayor's Request Recommended to be approved

   Requesting confirmation of the promotion of Courtney Reece to the position of Police Sergeant.

   {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs24 Chief Shumeane Benford introduced the candidate, Detective Courtney Reece, and stated they have 11 years of experience with the Police Department, is currently assigned as a Detective in the Criminal Investigations Division investigating property crime, have a bachelor\rquote s degree in psychology and a master\rquote s degree in criminal justice, and have served as a beacon of encouragement in the Department.\par \par Chair Mbah asked how the candidate would foster a culture of continuous learning, accountability, and professionalism within their unit, and the candidate replied that they would lead by example. The candidate added that they strongly believe in community policing, and encouraging other officers to get out of their patrol vehicles and walk around neighborhoods to meet residents and become familiar faces. The candidate also stated they believe in the importance of training courses, and that they will encourage other officers to take as many as they can to continue developing their skills and knowledge. Councilor Ewen-Campen asked the candidate if they have any concerns about entering this role, and the candidate replied that they believe that policing is changing and that it is important for the department to change with the times, and that lessons from the present day and specifically in Somerville will be important in shaping new officers. Councilor McLaughlin expressed support for this candidate.\par \par Chair Mbah moved to enter executive session at 6:59 p.m. The motion was approved on a roll call vote of 5 in favor (Councilors McLaughlin, Hardt, Link, Ewen-Campen, Mbah), 0 opposed. The Committee returned from executive session at 7:02 p.m. The Chair announced that no votes were taken in executive session except the vote to adjourn.\par }

   Roll call: 5 aye

   • Matthew McLaughlinAye
   • Emily HardtAye
   • Jon LinkAye
   • Ben Ewen-CampenAye
   • Wilfred N. MbahAye

   • 📎 Police Sergeant Job Description
   • 📎 Courtney Reece Resume Redacted
4. 4.
   26-0024 Mayor's Request Recommended to be approved

   Requesting confirmation of the appointment of James Plotkin as Municipal Hearing Officer.

   {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs24 City Clerk Kimberly Wells introduced James Plotkin and explained to the Committee that this position handles non-criminal tickets issued for such things as trash, snow removal, and overgrowth violations. The candidate stated that they have been a hearing officer in some capacity since 2001, and that they have an appreciation that some people who are coming to appeal tickets, as they can be nervous, and it is important to treat everyone fairly and with respect. Chair Mbah asked how the candidate would approach making decisions with impartiality and consistency, and in dealing with conflicting accounts, who replied that the conflicting account is the ticket itself, and that they will treat the code and the person with equal respect.\par \par Councilor Ewen-Campen asked the candidate to speak to how they approach people who might be angry, who replied that they have received pastoral training in the past and have been taught to mirror language. The candidate continued that often when people are angry, they want to have a chance to be heard, and if you give them that chance, they will feel better, even if the result does not go the way they want. The candidate added that the people in the hearings are not represented by an attorney and sometimes there is a language barrier, and that they have experience working with people in both of those types of situations.\par }

   Roll call: 5 aye

   • Matthew McLaughlinAye
   • Emily HardtAye
   • Jon LinkAye
   • Ben Ewen-CampenAye
   • Wilfred N. MbahAye

   • 📎 James Plotkin Resume
5. 5.
   26-0340 Order Recommended to be approved

   That this City Council appoints Jessica Smith to the Public Financing of Campaigns Committee.

   {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs24 Chair Mbah asked the candidate how they would ensure transparency and accountability with public campaign funds, who replied that funds should be available for applicants who may have barriers in the way for running for office. The candidate added that they view their role as investigating what could be done with public money and further commented that whether the transparency requirements should be stricter in the city than are required by state law is a question worthy of being explored. Councilor Ewen-Campen expressed support for the candidate.\par }

   Roll call: 4 aye · 1 absent

   • Matthew McLaughlinAye
   • Emily HardtAye
   • Jon LinkAbsent
   • Ben Ewen-CampenAye
   • Wilfred N. MbahAye
6. 6.
   26-0341 Order Recommended to be approved

   That this City Council appoints James Leo Bedard to the Ranked Choice Voting Committee.

   {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs24 City Clerk Wells explained that this position is for a new committee that was formed out of the recent city charter, and that this appointment is the first step in working with the City Council and Mayor to determine how to implement ranked choice voting in the city. Clerk Wells added that this candidate was unable to attend this meeting, and that she is working with the candidate to see if they can attend another meeting in the future. Councilors McLaughlin and Ewen-Campen both noted that they know this applicant and expressed support for the candidate\rquote s application.\par }

   Roll call: 5 aye

   • Matthew McLaughlinAye
   • Emily HardtAye
   • Jon LinkAye
   • Ben Ewen-CampenAye
   • Wilfred N. MbahAye
7. 7.
   26-0342 Order Recommended to be approved

   That this City Council appoints Crystal Huff to the Ranked Choice Voting Committee.

   {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs24 City Clerk Wells introduced the candidate and noted that they are a regular attendee of City Council meetings, are deeply invested in Somerville\rquote s government, and have recently engaged in the academic study of ranked choice voting, which aligns very closely with the work they will be doing in this role. The candidate added that they have studied co-governance, co-democracy, and group decision making, including ranked choice voting, and that they are eager to apply this knowledge to the role. Councilor McLaughlin expressed support for the candidate, as well as for ranked choice voting for Ward City Councilors. Councilor Link expressed support for the candidate.\par }

   Roll call: 5 aye

   • Matthew McLaughlinAye
   • Emily HardtAye
   • Jon LinkAye
   • Ben Ewen-CampenAye
   • Wilfred N. MbahAye