This will be the last meeting of the 2020-2021 Cambridge City Council which will likely be remembered for its lack of cohesion and the distant quality of its remote public meetings held in Zoom. The increased access of remote public comment was arguably a plus but any advantages were outweighed by the scripted nature of call-in comments driven by social media and the complete lack of meaningful interaction between members of the public and between elected officials and the public. A two-minute Zoom speech with the clock ticking followed by an abrupt mayoral cutoff is hardly a model for public participation. Perhaps even more problematic was the tendency for consequential policies to be developed and implemented in relative isolation and obscurity.
As the councillors head for the exits until Seven of Nine of them return to base for the January 3 Inaugural, here are the more interesting and/or disturbing items on this week’s agenda:
Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on COVID-19.
Placed on File 9-0
This should be an interesting update in light of the recent surge in positive Covid tests in Cambridge and elsewhere. I won’t be at all surprised if additional restrictions are forthcoming. I hope there can be a little more light shed on the principal causes of the current surge. Is the Omicron Variant a factor? Personally, I’m getting my booster today and I hope everyone has done so or is scheduling it for very soon.
Unfinished Business #5. That the City Council adopt a municipal ordinance to reduce or limit campaign donations from donors seeking to enter into a contract, seeking approval for a special permit or up-zoning, seeking to acquire real estate from the City, or seeking financial assistance from the City; Ordinance #2020-27. [Tabled – Nov 8, 2021; Passed to 2nd Reading – Dec 6, 2021; To Be Ordained on or after Dec 20, 2021]
Mallon amendment to make ordinance contingent on approval of Home Rule Petition and Governor’s signature FAILS 4-5 (AM,MM,DS,TT – YES; DC,PN,JSW,QZ,SS – NO); Ordained 7-1-0-1 (Toomey – NO; Simmons – PRESENT)
As I have said before, this proposal seems like a real can of worms with varying interpretations of who should or should not have additional limits placed on their political campaign donations. Disclosure should be enough. In truth, the amount of questionable political donations and the number of candidates willing to accept such donations have declined significantly in recent years. Even with their donations limited, I expect that the role of “independent expenditure political action committees” will likely only grow.
Resolution #1. Thanks to Manikka Bowman for her years of service on the Cambridge School Committee. Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui
Resolution Adopted 9-0
Resolution #2. Thanks to Councillor Tim Toomey For his years of service to the City of Cambridge and its residents. Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui
Resolution Adopted 9-0
Resolution #6. Thanks to City Councillor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler for his public service. Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone
Resolution Adopted 9-0
Congratulations to all departing elected officials, but a special shout-out to Councillor Tim Toomey who has been diligently doing his job for many years through a variety of political environments. I wish him all the best in his retirement and fully expect that he will continue to provide constituent services well beyond his exit from political office.
Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to appoint a 20-25 person Cycling Safety Ordinance Implementation Advisory Committee to advise and improve upon the implementation of the citywide bicycle safety infrastructure and to establish recommendations on mitigating any concerns raised in regard to this infrastructure, with the appointments to be announced no later than January 31, 2022. Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey
Charter Right – Zondervan
Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to convene meetings between his office, the Director of the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department, and with the heads of the Neighborhood Business Associations, with the Neighborhood Associations, and within each of the Cambridge Housing Authority’s senior buildings, to ensure that these stakeholders are given the opportunity to collaborate on devising new plans that will inform the City’s approach going forward in establishing citywide bicycle-safety infrastructure that works for bicyclists, motorists, pedestrians, seniors, those with mobility impediments, the local business community, and all our residents. Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey
Charter Right – Zondervan
I fully expect a lot of double-speak as some councillors pretend to actually care about the concerns of many residents who are now facing or will soon be facing the impacts of some major changes in roadway configurations regardless whether they provide any net benefit. I also expect very little acknowledgement of the unintended consequences, e.g. the inability of delivery people to legally do what they need to do. The basic template usually reads something like “blah blah blah … and such that this does not in any way change the mandates of the Bicycle Safety Ordinance” – even if everything being requested is fair and reasonable. There are some times when I feel as though we have no representation at all – proportional or otherwise.
Order #4. That the Cambridge City Council go on record requesting that Massachusetts Municipal Depository Trust create a portfolio option as soon as possible for all municipalities that has no exposure to fossil fuels or prisons or their funders. Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Simmons – ABSENT)
This may be all well and good, I still think there’s some hubris on the part of elected officials in wanting to dictate how the retirement money of employees must be invested.
Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate City departments to ensure multi-family properties on the market are reviewed as quickly as possible as potential affordable housing acquisitions. Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted as Amended 8-0-1 (Simmons – ABSENT)
Order #6. That the City Council go on record urging the Baker Administration and the Legislature to reverse course and changes and do whatever it takes to continue the Emergency Rental Assistance Program and Residential Assistance for Families in Transition program as they are currently operating, and making use of additional ARPA funds as needed. Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0
Committee Report #1. The Housing Committee met Sept 23, 2021 to discuss the Condo Conversion Ordinance.
Report Accepted, Placed on File; Order Adopted 7-0-0 -2 (McGovern, Toomey – PRESENT)
At some point there needs to be an analysis of the cumulative effect of all the policy decisions that have been made or proposed over the last several years in the housing arena, especially in regard to the question of the net shift from privately-owned housing toward government-owned or government-controlled housing. Order #5 seems to suggest that whenever a multi-family home is up for sale the ever-deepening pockets of Cambridge should outbid all others and take it permanently off the market rather than have anyone own something in which they can build some equity.
Order #10. That all items pending before the City Council and not acted upon by the end of the 2020-2021 Legislative Session be placed in the files of the City Clerk, without prejudice provided that those proposed ordinances which have been passed to a second reading, advertised and listed on the Calendar under "Unfinished Business" during the 2020-2021 City Council term, along with any other pending matters on the Calendar listed as "Unfinished Business," shall be forwarded to the next City Council and further provided that any items pending in committee or appearing on the City Manager’s “Awaiting Report List” may, at the discretion of the appropriate body, be forwarded to the next City Council. Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0
Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Anthony Wilson, City Clerk, transmitting an update regarding legislative activity.
Placed on File 9-0
I really hope that most of the items in “Awaiting Report” are allowed to expire and that the new 2022-2023 City Council starts off with a relatively clean slate. One of the items goes back 5 years. In truth, there is no good reason that so many of these items should be languishing so long for a report back. If the associated Order called for something that is either infeasible or purely symbolic or just plain silly, the City Manager and staff should simply provide a timely single-paragraph response saying as much. If a majority of councillor are still insistent on pursuing some initiative, chasing wild geese, tilting at windmills, or obtaining some information, they can always file another Order or have it out with the City administration. – Robert Winters
Late Order #11. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to coordinate with the appropriate City personnel in order to establish an indoor mask mandate in common spaces of all buildings and indoor environments throughout the City of Cambridge, and that he report back to the City Council on this matter in a timely manner. Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Toomey
Order Adopted 9-0
Late Order #12. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to allow all employees who are able to perform their duties remotely to work from home until further notice. Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0
Late Order #13. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to establish a proof of vaccination requirement for certain activities and establishments in the City of Cambridge, including but not limited to indoor dining, bars, nightclubs, gyms and indoor entertainment venues; and report back to the City Council by its January 10th meeting. Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Toomey
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0
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