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Late Winter 2024 NEWSLETTER
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| Late Winter Newsletter 2024 My Dear Friend, I wanted to update you on what I’ve been working on these past months. Know I’m working hard every day to make sure you’re living your best life here in Somerville. So many good things happening. And, also! I wish to invite you to some upcoming in-person Office Hours I’ll be having. See below for dates and times. Hope you can join me. Know I’m here at your side, always. My Best, Councilor Kristen Strezo  OFFICE HOURSJoin me for Office Hours at City Hall on Friday, March 22nd from 11:15 am-12:30pm (Somerville City Hall, 2nd floor, Committee Room) and Tuesday April 23rd from 8:15am to 9:30am at True Grounds Cafe in Ball Square (717 Broadway). If you can’t make it that day and time, know I’m always happy to set up a time to meet in-person or talk over the phone or zoom. Reach out to me, if so. THE WORKQuick refresher: I chair the Housing and Community Development Committee and the Equity and Vulnerable Populations Committee, although I serve on numerous Committees in City Council. This winter in Housing and Community Development (HCD), we discussed the current plans–and the process–for the Arts and the Armory building and the Warming Center. We received an update on vulnerable resident housing needs from Director Shachter of the Office of Housing Stability. This month, we’ll talk about universal playground design and we will begin to discuss the cost of water bills–and how the city can help deflect the rising costs. I also represent the City Council on the Small Business Anti-Displacement Task Force. We’ll soon be uniting the work in the HCD committee, discussing the task force’s findings and recommendations in the Spring, including proactive measures to address repeat offender vacant store fronts, and relay how damaging a Snow Emergency can sometimes be to our small businesses. SUPPORTING FAMILIES Keeping up the work to support parents, children and families, I am the City Council Liaison on the Children’s Cabinet, an internal monthly committee meeting that unites all city departments that serve children and families. The committee, in partnership with Harvard University’s By All Means initiative aims to better the lives of Somerville families. In these meetings, we discuss and plan how to best serve our youngest constituents- and all parents and guardians who love them. I like to bring back to the Children’s Cabinet what I’m hearing from you (as anonymous feedback from the community) and I’m always happy to relay what you’re experiencing in the hope it will help. Let me know if you ever wish to talk further on this. Over the past months, we’ve been discussing summer needs for children, capacity, and how departments are trying to get ahead of hiring staff to ensure programing. There are also steps being taken to expand summer programs for Special Needs children. A SPACE FOR EVERYONEOver the winter, I proposed a budget request to allocate money to establish a small area for a children’s bookshelf within City Council Chambers. I’m super excited about it! I envision that this designated area hold children’s books, maybe crayons or small toys. But more than anything, this area is validation that children, families, guardians, caregivers are supported here in Somerville, too; that City Hall is a space for all. We need to convey that message that parents guardians are welcome, heard and planned for. REAL MOMENT…We’re living through some strenuous times right now and I want you to feel safe and supported here in Somerville. I believe in the strength of our community and that love truly conquers all. With that, know that hate has no place here. I have spent countless hours–and years—ensuring that this credo stands. But, discord, unfortunately, hums in the background. We’ve seen an indisputable rise in hate crimes throughout our state. Antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate-based acts of violence have increased. I am tracking this within our city. I will continue to do so. If you feel that you have experienced something like this, know you can report incidents within Somerville here. If you do report something, please (strongly consider and/or DO) reach out to me via email, call or text (call or text preferred). I want to be the best support I can to you. Know you are not alone. Know you can reach out to me. WITH SPRING FLOWERS COMES BUDGET SEASON Budget Season is fast approaching and soon the Mayor’s Office will unveil their FY25 Budget proposal. See my submitted FY25 Budget Requests here. There is still time to submit Resolutions in support of Budget ideas. Happy to talk with you if you have suggestions. YES! We do this together. And, I need your support to continue on the work: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/re-elect-strezo Let’s keep in touch. Find me on Instagram, Facebook and Threads. Or…in our beloved community. www.kristenstrezo.com FOLLOW ALONG TWITTER THREADS FACEBOOK |
SOME 2021 ARCHIVES
- July – So much to look forward to!
- June Updates – A Month of Action
- Some articles covering my work for our beloved Somerville
SOME ARCHIVED POSTS BELOW…
May 4, 2020
I stepped into my role as City Councilor during a pandemic. It was a bit of an unconventional experience, which I talked a little about on my Facebook page.
Still, despite the uncertainty around us. I am honored to serve during this time. For, I have seen the intense goodness in people throughout Somerville and our greater community, people genuinely concerned with their neighbors and the most vulnerable in our community. I’m sure you have witnessed all this, too. I ask you, please, to focus on that.
I know there’s a lot of massive change happening in a very short span of time. There’s a lot of loss around us, from jobs and revenue to illness and losing loved ones. Still, I urge us all to believe in the good. Believe in the compassion of humanity. Whatever the greater lesson of all this is, we will get through it.
I take my role as City Councilor extraordinary seriously. I am here to serve. Please let me know how I can. I want to hear from you. Please reach out to me, check in.
All my best,
Kristen
May, 2020
I stepped into my City Councilor role during a pandemic. Some constituents sympathized at how upsetting that must be for me. But, I partially disagreed. Because there is great responsibility in stepping into a role like this at this historical time.
There is no time to get comfortable or “settle in” as the newest councilor. And, that, for me, is just fine. I won’t get lackadaisical. I never wanted to and I won’t even have the chance.
Because of COVID-19, there is no “settling in”. Lives are at stake. Our smaller businesses–our family owned restaurants, art galleries, Somerville-centric magazines and newspapers, immigrant owned businesses–are clutching on with all they have to survive. We have to do everything we can to prevent displacement and evictions. We have to act, swift, to prevent hunger and food insecurity. We have to do all we can to protect jobs. We have to make sure people have access to the supplies they need–like face masks–to proactively guard their health.
Getting residents the protective gear and food they need is critically important. During this shutdown, I’ve been out there in my free time distributing necessary needs for those with limited access. I’ve been calling around and driving all over the place making food deliveries to our most vulnerable residents. I will do so for as long as I have to. Because this is about all of us.
But, just as vitally important as getting to supplies, like PPE, is how we safeguard our community against the very items designed to protect us. And that’s why my very first order as a City Councilor was to address the uptick of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) litter in our city. The order asked that the Director of Communications to create signage that will remind the public of the PPE littering health risks. And, although I don’t want to go there–the financial penalties aka fines for intentionally littering any PPE.
Because, it doesn’t take even a long walk through Somerville to find disposable rubber gloves or masks along the sidewalks or in the grass or in parking lots. Disposed PPE lay along most roads and streets. This is a problem. Just think, if you have small children, some may even be compelled to pick up a disposed brightly colored purple glove.
And, aside from that, this order prompts our neighborhood to consider our city employees–specifically the ones that have to pick all of that litter. Or…if PPE is not picked up before it rains, the PPE litter is guided into our waterways into another source. All scenarios are very undesirable results.
So, the hope of this order is to address the basic concept of looking out for each other through considering our community. And, this is just one order. I’m just getting started.
I want to leave you with the idea that I’ve been blessed to see so much good in people through the horror of this pandemic. I bet you have, too. There’s a lot of good glowing out there. Let’s focus on that. And, let’s build each other up through all this.
Reach out to me and let me know how you’re doing out there.
❤️-Kristen
March 15, 2020
City Councilor Stephanie Hirsch has announced that she will be stepping down from her role as City Councilor at Large. I am grateful for her hard work and commitment to Somerville and wish her the best as she moves on into her next role.
As the next largest vote earner, I am thrilled to honor your past support as I step up to serve in Councilor Hirsch’s place. I am, as ever, wholeheartedly devoted to making sure you’re living your best life here. And while a goal that big is truly a community effort, as your City Councilor, I assure you that I will give you my all to make it happen.
I’ve listened to your priorities this past year and they included sustaining and building an affordable Somerville, a greener city and safely enhancing our many modes of transportation like walking, biking and public transit. I am committed to, and believe in, all of these values. Your priorities are my priorities.
Over the next several weeks, I am working to make this transition as seamless as possible. I am in the process of compiling and studying past agendas and diving in deeper into our most pressing issues like COVID-19 preparedness and response. If you’d like, please share any insights you may have on the topics that each committee is discussing. Your voice matters to me.
The city will be issuing me an official email address that I will send out in my next update. If you’d like to contact me immediately, the best way is strezoatlarge@gmail.com.
I look forward to collaborating with you in this lovely city of ours.
Respectfully yours,
Kristen Strezo
October 30, 2019
The Somerville Times has just announced my endorsement as candidate for Somerville City Councilor-at-Large! Read this article about my candidacy in the Wicked Local, or check out my Election Profile in the Patch!
“Our fourth choice for endorsement for Councilor At-Large is Kristen Strezo, who we feel will bring a fresh and vital energy to the office. Strezo has served as co-chair of the Somerville Commission for Women, and is known as a social justice activist and a well-respected journalist. We think that Kristen Strezo will bring much welcome vitality and enthusiasm to the City Council and we urge you to cast one of your At-Large votes for her.”
– Endorsement from the Somerville Times,
2019 election cycle
Somerville City Councilor-at-Large 