Reminder: Member applications & verification ongoing

[Elaine Almquist]

Hi everyone,

As we shared at the January meeting, the DSNC is actively recruiting members, and ensuring we have a consistent and clear list of voting members. All of the people who have applied and been verified so far--you should have just received an email confirmation of voting membership.

If you haven't already, please apply to be a member: https://www.davissquarenc.org/membership

You'll need to go through our verification process, and you can do that at the following ways:

• In-person office hours TODAY Thursday March 19th from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Davis Squared, 409 Highland Ave.
• Open online office hours for verification are Friday March 20th from 10:00 am to 11:00 am on Zoom.
• In-person verification before the Monday, February 23rd meeting at the Rockwell starting at 5:30 pm, and after at Foundry on Elm with the board members present.
• Email the board at dsnc-bo...@googlegroups.com to schedule a different time or location for verification.

Check the list of accepted documents for verification here so you know what to show.

Best,

Elaine

Elaine F. Almquist

(she/her/hers)

BlueSky @EAlmquist  Instagram: @EFAlmquist
Phone: 978.375.2448

[Ron Newman]

Could we just use the city’s voter registration list for automatic verification?  That seems much simpler and ensures maximum participation with minimal roadblocks.

[Jeff Byrnes]

Unsure of the legalities there, but also, the City’s voter rolls only cover citizens who live in Somerville. DSNC eligibility is much broader than that.

-- 
Jeff Byrnes
he/him

🌐 somervilleyimby.org

🟦 bsky.app/profile/somervilleyimby.org

📖 facebook.com/SomervilleYIMBY

🐘 better.boston/@SomervilleYIMBY

📷 instagram.com/SomervilleYIMBY

📱 704.516.4628

On Feb 19, 2026 at 11:05 AM -0500, 'Ron Newman' via Davis Square Neighborhood Council <daviss...@googlegroups.com>, wrote:

Could we just use the city’s voter registration list for automatic verification?  That seems much simpler and ensures maximum participation with minimal roadblocks.

--
Davis Square Neighborhood Council · https://DavisSquareNC.org · https://linktr.ee/DavisSquareNC
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Davis Square Neighborhood Council" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to davissquaren...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/davissquarenc/CAA%3Di0ZhrKOb5yCZjGYwkEafHYZy_hye-hiPZgX%2BjY-tVWjqyPQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Beth Kevles]

Do the DSNC rules stipulate that you must be a citizen, as distinct from a resident, to vote? Also, does it stipulate Somerville specifically, or are Cambridge residents also eligible.

Curious,

--Beth Kevles

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/davissquarenc/d394af16-2d90-466f-a6f4-d29db75e2d69%40Spark.

[Christopher Beland]

The current DSNC bylaws do not restrict voting to US citizens. You can read the full criteria here, in Section 3.1:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15NsQqsf1bap_gz6UFQvLIb8YYpChMM0rvizbuThpYDY/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.bbe3hn6f2udy

It is not necessary to be a Somerville resident to be a voting DSNC member. Residents of parts of Cambridge, Medford, and a small slice of Arlington are within the outer 1/2-mile boundary that defines eligibility based on residency. Residents of East Somerville are outside this boundary and are not eligible to be voting members unless they have another connection to Davis Square. You can see that as the outer red zone on the map here:

https://map.davissquarenc.org/

People who own businesses or land, are an employee, or receive social services in the inner blue boundary, or are given "genuine local interest" status approved by the DSNC Board, also do not need to be Somerville residents.

-B.

[Frank Mals]

@ron that's a smart idea if it's allowable.  There could be two lines, one for registered voters and one for non-registered voters.  The line for registered voters would be longer but would move faster.  

[Louisa Stephens Bissett]

Good morning,

If you happen to be reading this in the next half hour (before 11 am) and want to become a verified DSNC member, I am currently holding Zoom office hours.

Step 1 - fill out the member registration form here: https://www.davissquarenc.org/membership

Step 2 - sign into Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84900792456?pwd=pCwNAympbqMORd3AP9JYkXhnJDXuI0.1&jst=2

Step 3 - hold an ID/document from this list up to the camera: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11JcGto33eYr0HY2pqbmca-5Io18T4I1_9GW4UeTp5NA/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.ufrqfr463w5v

As we work to verify more members, we will hold additional verification opportunities. This includes immediately prior to Monday's membership meeting.

Best,

Louisa

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "dsnc-board-2025" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to dsnc-board-20...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/dsnc-board-2025/CAEK62Je_Zd7L2nfGH0k4eq2WG_Ms5F7kx%3DD-6udaesNcJ8cYpA%40mail.gmail.com.

[Denise Provost]

The city's voter list is a public records, available to anyone who asks.

The names of those under 18 are redacted, also public safety works.

Denise

--
Davis Square Neighborhood Council · https://DavisSquareNC.org · https://linktr.ee/DavisSquareNC
---

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Davis Square Neighborhood Council" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to davissquaren...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit

https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/davissquarenc/32050800-2927-4d39-8de3-4770e8ae98fcn%40googlegroups.com

.

[Elaine Almquist]

I have the voter file and I will try to verify as many people as I can that way, but there are many in the list who will not be in the voter list, so we still strongly encourage people to bring their verification to the meeting on Monday or schedule an appointment.

Best,

Elaine

Elaine F. Almquist

(she/her/hers)

BlueSky @EAlmquist  Instagram: @EFAlmquist
Phone: 978.375.2448

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/davissquarenc/976822937.520498.1771608273470%40mail.yahoo.com.

[Colin McMillen]

If we already voted in the Board elections a few months ago, is there a need to re-verify?

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/davissquarenc/CAEK62JcsdKT2g2rs6XENjXRpd6Bn4b%3DhPKbk9STx3CX43BCo_A%40mail.gmail.com.

[Ashish Shrestha]

Given the likelihood of another large storm before a major DSNC meeting (the weather gods really seem to hate us!) is there a plan to have remote verification prior to Monday's meeting as well?  Same as we're doing in-person verification at the start of the meeting?

[Christopher Beland]

Without expressing an opinion on the motions, I'd like to raise some points of parliamentary procedure to clarify what would be needed to implement them.

The time of elections is fixed by Section 4.5 of the DSNC bylaws. To delay the election would require a bylaw amendment.

With regard to not voting on bylaws until we reach a given membership threshold, I don't believe under Robert's Rules it's possible by majority vote to take away the right of other members to make any given motion. It is possible with a 2/3rds vote to suspend the rules for the duration of a meeting, but the bylaw amendment procedure is enshrined in Article 9 of the bylaws, and it is not possible to vote to temporarily suspend the bylaws. A binding rule that prevents bylaw amendment until a given threshold is reached would require a bylaw amendment.

Article 9 requires that bylaw amendments cannot be approved in a single general meeting. They must be presented at one general meeting (today's would count if you want to reformulate these as bylaw amendments) and then get a 2/3rds majority vote at the next general meeting. We have also recently learned that Somerville city ordinance 7-221(a)(6) requires that any question or candidate to be voted on by the general membership must be advertised 7 days in advance.

-B.

[Edward Woll]

I did not mean to intimate that you endorse the motions. And thank you for the guidelines.  I think it appropriate to treat the motions as filed as calling for the vote required to pass them,  so that  to the extent they need a 2/3 vote as a bylaw amendment, then they, with all the other bylaw amendments being proposed whose text  we worked on yesterday get voted on at the second general meeting following the next one, in order to follow the two meeting rule for bylaw amendments.

ED

[Edward Woll]

For the meeting Monday, Feb. 23, given the resetting of the voting membership to zero and the small number of voting members currently, and the extended meeting on Sunday working on bylaw text, I am submitting for today’s meeting the attached motions and rationale for them.


Edward Woll
80 Winslow Ave.
Somerville,MA 02144

[Louisa Stephens Bissett]

Good morning,

I am offering additional open office hours via Zoom for anyone who hasn't been verified yet. Please see the instructions in the email below. We're hoping to verify as many members as possible.

Today, Wed., Feb 25 from 10-11 AM

Join Zoom: https://us05web.zoom.us/j/86119988497

Meeting ID: 86119988497 

Passcode: 383303

Friday, February 27 from 12-1 PM

Join Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85605987164?pwd=kpV4xPX0eL5C1AfVuf9k0qsO4IqyAa.1&jst=2 
Meeting ID: 85605987164
Passcode: 969924

I hope to speak with you shortly.

Best,

Louisa

[Louisa Stephens Bissett]

Good afternoon Zach, Marco, Carol, and Rachel,

Sorry! We had technical difficulties with the link on our end. Please try this link instead:

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84287775541?pwd=cX165VSKYhl4Emem2RG6gzZ3ANHhBA.1&jst=2

I plan to only meet with one of you at a time, so three of you will be in the waiting room initially. 

I will extend office hours an extra 15 min to 1:15 to make up for this late start time.

Sorry,

Louisa

On Fri, Feb 27, 2026 at 12:06 PM Zach Meyer <zfm...@gmail.com> wrote:

I tried to join the noon office hours link for today but the link says it’s scheduled for Tuesday…

Is there a working link someone can send out? Trying to get voters verified. Thanks

Zach 

--

Davis Square Neighborhood Council · https://DavisSquareNC.org · https://linktr.ee/DavisSquareNC
---

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Davis Square Neighborhood Council" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to davissquaren...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/davissquarenc/CAKiYbQQohEnwqfpe_0PZGr22h3usAcBiS_P984fy6nezZnTNwA%40mail.gmail.com.

[Zach Meyer]

I tried to join the noon office hours link for today but the link says it’s scheduled for Tuesday…

Is there a working link someone can send out? Trying to get voters verified. Thanks

Zach 

--

Davis Square Neighborhood Council · https://DavisSquareNC.org · https://linktr.ee/DavisSquareNC
---

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Davis Square Neighborhood Council" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to davissquaren...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/davissquarenc/CAKiYbQQohEnwqfpe_0PZGr22h3usAcBiS_P984fy6nezZnTNwA%40mail.gmail.com.

[Louisa Stephens Bissett]

Good afternoon,

Would anyone like to be verified this afternoon? I will be online until 1 pm. 

Step 1 - fill out the member registration form here: https://www.davissquarenc.org/membership

Step 2 - join Google Meeting: https://meet.google.com/bgs-ctxx-pvi  

(This is my first time hosting on this site, so please bear with me as I figure it out.)

Step 3 - hold an ID/document from this list up to the camera: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11JcGto33eYr0HY2pqbmca-5Io18T4I1_9GW4UeTp5NA/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.ufrqfr463w5v

Cheers,

Louisa

[Carmen Phillips]

Hi all! 

I will be at the Diesel this Monday evening from 6-7:30 to assist with voter registration!

I'll grab a table and set out a sign. If you haven't met me yet, I have purple hair, and will try to wear purple, so I'll be easy to spot. 

Please fill out your voter registration in advance: 

 https://www.davissquarenc.org/membership

And bring your ID along with you, options of what you can use are in the link below: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11JcGto33eYr0HY2pqbmca-5Io18T4I1_9GW4UeTp5NA/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.ufrqfr463w5v

Warmly,

Carmen

--

Davis Square Neighborhood Council · https://DavisSquareNC.org · https://linktr.ee/DavisSquareNC
---

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Davis Square Neighborhood Council" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to davissquaren...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/davissquarenc/CAKiYbQSjG%2ByABrehxwYj4bb4JEYJUxS90F9f58JdUji0s5NjEg%40mail.gmail.com.

[Alex Dehnert]

What came of the voter file approach? If I have friends who live in the eligible area and are registered voters, can they just fill out the web form to become a DSNC voting member, without showing up in person or to one of the Zoom/Google Meet sessions? (It does seem like if the outcome of the verification sessions is basically "a person by this name is in fact eligible", in principle that can be done just by referencing the voter file. Of course, if the verification session is more like "a person by this name is eligible, and here's what they look like", that's not being accomplished, but I didn't get the impression that pictures of ID or people were being captured.)

Obviously, this doesn't help eligible DSNC members who aren't voters in the area for any of several reasons, but there's probably enough voters that that it would save time for a significant number of people and (probably?) also the Board.

Thanks,

Alex