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February 2, 2026

Somerville Confirmation of Appointments and Personnel Matters Committee Meeting

TL;DR: Kim Wells confirmed as CAO, new Parks & Rec director, two police promotions

Votes & Decisions

Kimberly Wells as Chief Administrative Officer – Recommended for Approval 5-0

Mayor Jake Wilson introduced longtime City Clerk Kimberly Wells as his pick for Chief Administrative Officer, calling her "utterly convinced" she has "the exact set of skills we're looking for." Wells has served as Somerville's City Clerk for nearly five years, and prior to that spent a decade at the Collins Center for Public Management working with municipalities on software implementation, strategic planning, and operations. In her remarks, Wells said she plans to "build this position into a true operational arm of the city, working cross-departmentally" and emphasized the administration's goal of building a more collaborative relationship with the City Council. Councilor McLaughlin asked how Wells would navigate shifting from the council side to the executive side, and Wells said the administration has "a real goal to build better relationships and work more closely and collaboratively with the city council." Multiple councilors praised her integrity and abilities. The item was taken out of order so the mayor could attend a school committee meeting afterward.

Diogo deOliveira Promoted to Police Captain – Recommended for Approval 5-0

Chief Banffer presented Lieutenant deOliveira, a 20-year veteran of the Somerville Police Department who holds a master's in criminal justice from UMass Lowell and speaks multiple languages. If confirmed by the full council, deOliveira will become the department's fourth captain and lead the Community Affairs Division, overseeing community policing initiatives and the co-response model (pairing officers with clinicians and social workers). DeOliveira spoke extensively about his vision, saying "co-response is the future of policing" and that it "provides follow-up care referrals that aim to prevent a need for further police response." He emphasized shifting the department's focus from "law enforcement only to customer service, service providers." Councilor McLaughlin praised deOliveira as someone he has "relied heavily on in the community to address problems compassionately," noting both deOliveira and Messaoudi regularly show up at community events. The committee entered executive session to review confidential personnel records before voting in open session.

Samir Messaoudi Promoted to Police Lieutenant – Recommended for Approval 5-0

Sergeant Messaoudi, a 13-year department veteran, was presented for promotion to lieutenant. He holds an advanced degree in criminal justice from UMass Lowell and a bachelor's in public affairs from Northeastern. He has been serving as compliance sergeant and said he looks forward to returning to patrol, where he will bring back what he learned in the compliance role. Messaoudi emphasized prioritizing "services over arrests" and ensuring "everybody's a community police officer here — it's not an option." Chief Banffer noted both Messaoudi and deOliveira are veterans of the US armed services and that their promotions advance the department's commitment to having leadership that reflects the community's diversity. The committee also entered executive session for this candidate before voting.

Ohemeng Kyeremateng as Director of Parks and Recreation – Recommended for Approval 5-0

Kim Wells introduced Kyeremateng, who comes from the City of Hartford where he served as deputy director of recreation. He holds an MBA with a specialization in recreation and told the committee, "I don't remember a summer where I have not had to run a summer camp." Several councilors used the confirmation to advocate for priorities:

  • Councilor Ewen-Campen pushed for more regularly scheduled indoor recreation activities on weekends and Friday nights, noting Somerville lags behind neighboring cities

  • Councilor McLaughlin asked about pool maintenance experience, referencing an ongoing issue with a city pool; Kyeremateng said he is a formerly certified pool operator

  • Councilor Link asked about improving the MyRec website, which Kyeremateng acknowledged "isn't the most optimal solution" and said his team is actively looking into alternatives

Kyeremateng emphasized equity and access as top priorities, particularly reaching residents without internet access and those facing language barriers. He acknowledged limited facility space as a challenge and said he would rely on council members and staff for local knowledge.

James Plotkin as Municipal Hearing Officer – Kept in Committee

The candidate did not attend the meeting and no explanation was provided. Chair Mbah noted this is a significant position requiring "strict adherence to ordinances with fairness and public trust" and said the committee would keep the item until Plotkin can appear in person. Kim Wells confirmed there is no time sensitivity on the appointment.

City Council/City Clerk Hiring Practices – Kept in Committee

Chair Mbah's 2025 order asking the City Clerk to implement specific hiring practices for council and clerk department positions received a substantive update from Kim Wells. She explained that city councilors already serve on hiring panels for positions that work with the council, and cautioned against several proposals in the order:

  • Outside residents on panels: Not recommended because much of the hiring process is confidential

  • Requiring at least one qualified candidate of color as a finalist: The city intentionally avoids collecting demographic data from applicants as a best practice to prevent bias

  • Public reporting on applicant demographics: Could have a "chilling effect" on candidates

Chair Mbah said he is still researching practices in Boston and Cambridge and wants to make a more informed policy decision. The item remains in committee for future discussion with the incoming city clerk.

Key Discussions

Charter Framework for Confirmations

Chair Mbah opened the meeting with an overview of the council's confirmation authority under Somerville's revised charter (Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2025). He noted that the charter now explicitly covers department heads, boards and commissions members, police and fire employees, the city attorney, and the CAO. Appointments must be evaluated based on "fitness demonstrated by examination, past performance and other evidence of competence." The council cannot unreasonably reject appointments, and rejections require written explanations — particularly for police and fire promotions, which must adhere to civil service merit principles. Mbah said he consulted with the city attorney on the appropriate scope of questioning and asked members to keep open-session questions focused on professional qualifications.

Co-Response Policing Model

Lieutenant deOliveira's confirmation prompted significant discussion about the co-response model, which will fall under his Community Affairs Division. DeOliveira described how officers repeatedly respond to the same addresses for the same issues and said "we've learned a long time ago that arrest is not always the solution." He noted that Somerville police already engage clinicians and social workers through the CORE team and that officers frequently opt for hospital disposition over arrest. He stressed the importance of keeping police involved in the co-response model while partnering with clinicians.

Notable Moments

  • Executive session precedent: Chair Mbah established as a matter of custom that the committee will enter executive session for every police promotion to review disciplinary history and personnel records, regardless of any specific concerns about a candidate. Councilor Ewen-Campen supported this, noting it helps the committee answer public questions about whether officers have been properly vetted.

  • Logistical debate on executive sessions: There was a back-and-forth about whether to hold one combined executive session for both police candidates or separate sessions. The compromise: one executive session link, but the two candidates discussed sequentially with only the relevant candidate present.

  • Councilor McLaughlin's parting shot: After praising both police candidates, McLaughlin quipped about the "only downside" being that "we'll lose two good people off the street" to leadership positions.

  • Parents' caucus: Multiple councilors — Mbah, Ewen-Campen, McLaughlin, and Hardt — identified themselves as parents and urged the new Parks & Rec director to prioritize children and families. Mbah joked that parents "have come to realize that we are a minority voting block in the city." McLaughlin corrected: "Do not prioritize the parents. Prioritize the kids."

What's Next

  • All four recommended appointments go to the full City Council for final confirmation at the next regular meeting.

  • James Plotkin's Municipal Hearing Officer appointment remains in committee; he will need to appear before the committee at its next meeting.

  • Hiring practices order remains in committee while Chair Mbah researches comparable policies in Boston, Cambridge, and other cities; discussion will continue with the next city clerk.