SomerVision2040 Committee (SVC)

Meeting Overview (presentation slides): SomerVision staff provided an overview of the document drafting process, shared their analysis and information collected from the Community through SomerSuppers, reviewed key data points about the city, and the history of inequity in Somerville along with key concepts around applying equity lenses. Members then participated in an activity where, as a thought exercise, examples of contentious policy ideas were analyzed for how they reflected equity and SomerVision values.

Meeting Overview: Staff instructed the committee on how to review community feedback received through forums and surveys, reviewed deadlines, clarified the process for working group collaboration in person and through online tools, and then provided working for groups time to begin writing down ideas and ask SomerVision and City staff captains questions.

Meeting Overview: Staff gave a short presentation clarifying that the comprehensive plan is not meant to generate specific policies to be implemented as is. Further analysis, appropriate approvals, and more community outreach are needed prior to each policy implementation. SomerVision2040 aims to generate ideas and define broader goals and priorities for the community that will serve as a foundation for future policy.

Health staff then reviewed our Health Equity Lenses tool, and SomerVision staff reviewed the use of our Equity Goals and Equity Toolkit documents, which will help groups consider the equity impact of their proposals. The remaining of the meeting was used for the working groups on their July 1 drafts.

Meeting Overview: Staff discussed the SomerVision2040 document template and reviewed common themes we saw in the topic chapter first draft reviews submitted by the committee.We gave the groups time to discuss next steps to deliver the complete drafts for the October 1 deadline and helped them set up a plan to deliver it.