Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

October 18, 2021

Two Week Warning – Curiosities on the October 18, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Filed under: Cambridge,Central Square,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 2:14 pm

Two Week Warning – Curiosities on the October 18, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

As our elected officials nervously wait out the pre-election purgatory, the meetings go on. Here are the agenda items this week that struck me as interesting or concerning:City Hall

Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on COVID-19.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Charter Right #1. The Health and Environment Committee met on Apr 14, 2021 to conduct a public hearing regarding the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Zondervan in Council Oct 4, 2021]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

I think a big question on the minds of a lot of people is when some of the mandates will be modified or lifted. Our 7-day average daily COVID-positive test numbers are now consistently down to single digits. When the local history of this pandemic is written, it will show a mix of appropriate and sometimes excessive caution, business innovation driven by survival, and also some politically-driven failures such as last year’s “shared streets” that were neither necessary nor effective. It will also show how some elected officials exploited the obscured nature of Zoom meetings to ram through agendas unrelated to the pandemic.

Manager’s Agenda #2. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $170,975 from Free Cash to the General Fund Elections Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account which will be used to cover the additional costs associated with recently approved vote by mail-in, and early voting for the municipal election, Nov 2, 2021.
Order Adopted 9-0

Not much to say about this other than the fact that elections aren’t free and that the existence of Mail-In Voting and Early Voting have made the timeliness of getting information to voters somewhat challenging.

Applications & Petitions #1. A Zoning Petition has been received from Michael Jeremy Yamin, regarding Yard Setback Zoning Petition.
Referred to Ordinance Committee & Planning Board 7-1-1 (Zondervan – NO; Toomey ABSENT)

Applications & Petitions #2. A Zoning Petition has been received from Karen Cushing, regarding Off Street Parking consistent with the base zoning district, in order to minimize the use of on-street parking in the surrounding area.
Referred to Ordinance Committee & Planning Board 7-1-1 (Zondervan – NO; Toomey ABSENT)

Both of these petitions ask to modify some provisions that were enacted as part of the “Affordable Housing Overlay” (AHO). Specifically, they seek to partially restore some of the diminished setbacks from property lines and to treat AHO projects the same as other properties in terms of parking requirements. It is worth noting that such requirements may soon be lowered or eliminated as part of a separate rezoning process.

Communications #5. A communication was received from Jeanne Oster and Annette Osgood, regarding Save Mass Ave Save Our City Online Petition Paper Petition – 503 signatures.

Communications #6. A communication was received from Yi Sheng Wang, regarding Cycling Safety Ordinance.

Communications #8. A communication was received from Sharon Stichter, regarding Porter square De Facto Simulation of Mass Ave Safety Improvement Project – Dudley St to Alewife Brook Pkwy.

Communications #9. A communication was received from Young Kim, regarding De Facto Simulation of Mass Ave Safety Improvement Project – Dudley St to Alewife Brook Pkwy.

Communications #12. A communication was received from Jeanne Oster, regarding to expand the definition of the Mass Ave Four so all streets between Alewife Brook Parkway and Everett St can be looked at together as a cohesive whole.
There will be a follow-up meeting on Thurs, Oct 28, 2021 at 6:00pm.

Suffice to say that some aspects of the North Mass. Ave. plans that are about the be implemented are coming as quite a shock to some residents and area businesses, and there are efforts now underway to find some compromise and alternatives. There are two simultaneous changes about to be implemented – (1) separating bicycle lanes along with significant removal of parking spaces, and (2) dedicating full travel lanes as “Bus Only” lanes. The net effect may be to reduce Mass. Ave. down to a single travel lane in each direction along much of this corridor. Current traffic congestion will likely grow worse, but some see this as a means to an end by driving people out of their cars and onto an inadequate public transportation system. Whether that will actually happen is debatable.

This is yet another example of how City actions hatched in obscurity during Zoom-only pandemic versions of public process have left some people feeling as though they are under the wheels of a juggernaut. Meanwhile, elitist activists write off the concerns of those affected as “fear of change.” In my view, North Mass. Ave. has long been in need of safety improvements, especially for cyclists in close proximity to relatively higher traffic speeds along a major traffic corridor, but this process could be a case study in how not to plan or implement significant changes. Sadly, we’ve been writing a whole book of such case studies.

Communications #10. A communication was received from the community, regarding Carl Barron Plaza reconstruction.
Charter Right – Zondervan

This appears to be an organized effort to label some of the proposed redesign of Carl Barron Plaza in Central Square as “hostile architecture” – which is simply not the case. Included in the communications are some good suggestions for amenities such as a water fountain/filler, level sidewalks, and better means of waste disposal. I have friends who spend a lot of time in this location who are not substance abusers, but this location has over time become a problematic center for alcohol and drug abuse – certainly not the only such location in Central Square, e.g. the inbound #1 bus stop near Pearl Street. By the way, requests to CDD, the Transit Advisory Committee, and the Pedestrian Committee to issue a policy statement regarding priority to actual bus passengers have gone nowhere. Meanwhile bus passengers wait at a distance from the bus stop rather than be harassed at the shelter where most or all of the available seating is not available or is so hostile that passengers prefer to wait up the street at a distance from the bus shelter.

My viewpoint about the design of public places is that you should primarily design not for what you think you’re stuck with but rather for the environment you wish to see – and that includes a better location for public events, public transportation, and the interplay between public spaces and private spaces such as abutting businesses and residences. This is a busy crossroads for bus and train passengers as well as for neighborhood residents visiting Central Square and all that is has to offer. If we create a great space, the users will sort things out.

Order #2. That the City Council go on record prioritizing Cambridge residents for Building Pathways.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

This is a good Order primarily about fostering opportunities for area residents, particularly in underserved communities, to access careers in the construction industry. All too often City initiatives center more on subsidy and public assistance rather than on economic empowerment, and it’s good to occasionally see some emphasis on the latter rather than the former.

Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to consult with the Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship and other relevant City staff to determine the feasibility of creating a uniform process for aiding the resettlement of refugees in Cambridge.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to determine the feasibility of purchasing property from Lesley University to address City goals.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

As the Order states: “Lesley University recently announced a new campus plan that includes the University’s intention to sell its underutilized properties…” Insofar as some of those properties may be useful in advancing some City goals, this is worthy of pursuit. That said, the recent trend of calling on the City to simply buy up properties whenever they are up for sale – or even drafting laws to give advantages to the City purchase of properties – is just as worrisome as universities collecting properties as though Cambridge was a board game from Parker Brothers.

Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to place a cricket field in one of the Cambridge parks.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0

Two weeks ago it was pickleball. This week it’s cricket. There are worse things that City Council Orders could be addressing. I can only hope that next week will bring calls for miniature golf. If so, I have some really great ideas on that subject.

Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to appoint a task force that will hold regular public meetings to solicit ideas and feedback from residents on the distribution of American Rescue Plan Act funds.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

The worst form of City budgeting is one where you dangle $65 million in federal funds like a piñata in front of nine blindfolded city councillors with sticks. That said, perhaps some good suggestions from the public will emerge that aren’t just calls for diversion of funds for pet projects.

Order #8. That the City Manager is requested to work with the appropriate City departments to start placing QR codes on signage around construction projects so that interested parties can quickly and easily access information regarding these projects to promote information sharing and transparency.   Councillor McGovern, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0

As all of my friends know, I don’t own a cell phone and I have no plans to get one. The only QR I know is the QR-factorization I teach in my Linear Algebra courses. A regular sign (with actual words!) would likely do just as well at construction projects.

Order #9. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate staff of both the City and State to confirm if the Truck Restriction map is up to date, who should be enforcing the ban on Alewife Brook Parkway, and what actions can be taken moving forward.   Councillor Toomey
Order Adopted 9-0

Meanwhile, the trucks keep a-storrowin’ with increasing frequency. Apparently Reading and Driving are becoming as difficult for some as Walking and Chewing Gum. Worry not, say the futurists – soon they’ll all be driverless and we can all just blame the programmers.

Order #11. City Council support for the proposed site location for Eversource’s Geothermal Pilot Program project.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Order #12. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to support the Uplift the Solar Energy Industry in Massachusetts coalition.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0

These are both good Orders, but I have no plans to get rid of either my gas stove, my gas-fired boiler, or my gas-fired hot water heater anytime soon. I’m sure that it’s because I fear change – or so the self-declared enlightened ones tell me.

Order #13. That the City Council go on record in reaffirming strong support for H.1426/S.890, the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted as Amended 8-1 (Toomey – NO)

This ill-begotten proposal was bound to roll around again. Many property owners would love to offer the opportunity to purchase to some of their tenants, but the real intention of this legislation is to transfer privately-owned residential property into the hands of nonprofits and housing authorities working in conjunction with municipalities and using tax revenue to execute the transfer. The title “Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act” is hopelessly dishonest. – Robert Winters

October 4, 2021

Playing the Wild Card – October 4, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 1:30 pm

Playing the Wild Card – October 4, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Real Estate TaxesWith one month to go before the municipal election (and less if you consider Early Voting and Mail-In Voting), there is usually some expectation of political theater or credit-grabbing at this and the next few City Council meetings. In this game of musical chairs, the music is still playing.

The main agenda item for this week is the Tax Rate Hearing at 6:30pm followed by the ritual of 11 roll call votes that will likely all be unanimous (unless one or two councillors want to play the tune of not using $22.5 million in Free Cash to reduce the FY22 tax rate because, you know, everyone would just love to pay higher taxes). I will also remind everyone, as Bob Healy would do every year at this time, that the City Council does not actually set the residential and commercial tax rates. That responsibility rests with the MA Dept. of Revenue even though (unless somebody miscalculated) the City has already done the calculations and knows the inevitable outcome, i.e. a residential tax rate of $5.92 per thousand and a commercial tax rate of $11.23 per thousand. The rates for last year were, respectively $5.85 and $11.85.

Here’s the full list what struck me as interesting this week:

Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to votes necessary to seek approval from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue of the tax rate for FY2022.
Referred to Special Meeting at 6:30pm on Tax Classification; 11 Orders Adopted
Sobrinho-Wheeler, Zondervan voted against using Free Cash and overlay surplus/reserves to reduce tax rate.
$22,500,000 in Free Cash to reduce FY22 tax rate – Adopted 7-2 (JSW,QZ – NO);
$2,500,000 in overlay surplus/reserves to reduce FY22 tax rate – Adopted 7-2 (JSW,QZ – NO);
$9,500,000 from City Debt Stabilization Fund as revenue source to General Fund Budget – Adopted 8-1 (QZ – NO)

Late Order #9. That the Housing Committee and Finance Committee hold a joint public meeting to discuss the property tax rate and progressive revenue.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

There are so many statistics you could look at when comparing things over the years, but here are a few:

Year Property Tax Levy Annual
Increase		 Residential
Tax Rate
(per $1000)		 Commercial
Tax Rate
(per $1000)		 Ratio
(Comm/Res)		 Median
Tax
(single)		 Median
Tax
(condo)		 Median
Tax
(2-fam)		 Median
Tax
(3-fam)
FY2022 $514,805,115 4.70% $5.92 $11.23 1.90 $6,477 $1,672 $5,927 $7,240
FY2021 $472,520,148 7.85% $5.85 $11.85 2.03 $5,761 $1,608 $5,471 $6,711
FY2020 $438,128,694 6.91% $5.75 $12.68 2.21 $5,515 $1,605 $5,340 $6,493
FY2019 $409,809,861 5.33% $5.94 $13.71 2.31 $5,066 $1,562 $4,974 $6,124
FY2018 $389,080,359 4.40% $6.29 $14.81 2.35 $4,942 $1,541 $4,682 $5,655
FY2017 $372,674,087 5.15% $6.49 $16.12 2.48 $4,806 $1,465 $4,649 $5,594
FY2016 $354,430,753 3.80% $6.99 $17.71 2.53 $4,482 $1,454 $4,412 $5,258
FY2015 $341,445,455 3.93% $7.82 $19.29 2.47 $4,418 $1,472 $4,310 $5,040
FY2014 $328,544,945 3.66% $8.38 $20.44 2.44 $4,407 $1,457 $3,976 $4,787
FY2013 $316,947,770 5.97% $8.66 $21.50 2.48 $4,298 $1,495 $3,866 $4,586
FY2012 $299,090,641 5.33% $8.48 $20.76 2.45 $4,139 $1,430 $3,786 $4,501
FY2011 $283,961,699 5.69% $8.16 $19.90 2.44 $3,870 $1,370 $3,609 $4,286
FY2010 $268,662,984 5.38% $7.72 $18.75 2.43 $3,564 $1,293 $3,477 $4,132
FY2009 $254,945,578 5.20% $7.56 $17.97 2.38 $3,445 $1,224 $3,430 $4,091

Note: Condominium owners continue to get the sweetest deal of all.

The trained (and maybe even the not-so-trained) eye will notice that the skewing of the tax rates is declining for a combination of reasons. Also embedded in the City Manager’s letter is the warning that, “a major concern going forward is that if residential value increases outpaced commercial/industrial/personal property increases, the City could hit the ceiling for the property tax classification shift. Once the classification ceiling is reached, the residential class will bear the majority of any tax levy increase.”

Cambridge residents, and especially condominium owners, have for some years enjoyed the luxury of relatively tame residential real estate taxes thanks to the policy of shifting most of the tax burden onto commercial properties.

Manager’s Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-22, regarding updating neighborhood organization lists.
Placed on File 9-0

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to re-establish the Community School Neighborhood Councils.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Toomey
Order Adopted 9-0

“The Community Development Department (CDD) maintains a list of neighborhood organizations on its website. CDD recently reached out to known neighborhood organizations listed on the website to ensure information is current and accurate. Neighborhood planners are tasked with reaching out to neighborhood organizations annually to keep the information updated. Moreover, the webpage now includes clear information on how leaders of new or existing neighborhood organizations can report changes to neighborhood planners. CDD is currently working to further improve user friendliness of its neighborhood organizations webpage.”

Meanwhile, the “A Better Cambridge” group is doing all that they can to challenge the legitimacy of any and all neighborhood organizations.

Perhaps the best model for resident and neighborhood involvement would be a hybrid between neighborhood organizations (which are free to advocate as they see fit) and a revised and enhanced array of Community School Neighborhood Councils that can tap into City services and resources. That model has worked well in the past in my Mid-Cambridge neighborhood and in some other neighborhoods.

Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-33, regarding Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment standards in the review of development projects.
Placed on File 9-0

I have nothing in particular to say about this other than the general observation that just as horse stables gradually vanished giving way to garages and service stations, so too will a more comprehensive system for charging electric vehicles have to develop as gasoline-powered vehicles gradually give way to electric vehicle and perhaps even autonomous vehicles (for which we will be subscribers and not actual owners).

Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to make available the appropriate staff and information pertaining to past efforts to establish a Green Jobs program.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0

I doubt many people these days will dispute the value of job training for “green jobs.” Where I part company with these councillors is in their belief that this should best be done as a City program. It seems pretty clear that “Green Jobs” companies will do a far better job of this training and that it would be far more appropriate to simply connect our residents with these employers and make it as advantageous as possible for such companies to set up shop hear and in our surrounding communities.

Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to establish a written plan designed to ensure that Black people, LatinX, Indigenous people, and people of color will be recruited by the City, trained, and placed in leadership positions throughout the municipal government.   Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

I agree completely in the value of acting affirmatively in recruitment, training, and advancement, but I have never agreed with the notion that anyone should be “placed in leadership positions” based solely or primarily on their race or ethnicity – or any other fact, for that matter, other than who is the best person for the job.

Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to direct appropriate staff to design a Language Access Plan in conjunction with the Cambridge Public Schools.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #5. That the City Council go on record requesting that the Neighborhood & Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations Committee hold a hearing to discuss the ways the city might support residents interested in having pickle and paddle ball opportunities available.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Toomey
Order Adopted 9-0

When I first moved to Cambridge from New York City in 1978 I brought my paddleball racket with me. I soon discovered that nobody in the area played either handball or paddleball – which were played everywhere in NYC.

Order #6. City Council support of the MIT Graduate Student Union.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

I understand that unionization of graduate student is “a thing” these days, but I remain perplexed at the notion that the United Auto Workers are organizing graduate students at Harvard, and apparently now the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America is organizing graduate students at MIT. I agree that graduate students should not be exploited as cheap labor with minimal benefits, but I also understand that the primary goal of a graduate student is to get a degree and no longer be a graduate student. It’s not like we want to be awarding gold watches to graduate students for their many years of service.

Order #7. That the City Manager is requested to present a plan, which includes funding, and the findings of any feasibility study of any DHSP and any other City department providing children and/or city youth programs, for rapidly expanding out of school time in the city to create enough slots for all families who need it.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #8. That the City Manager is requested to convene a Caregiver Advisory Council that is overly represented by high priority families will be convened in partnership with DHSP that engages key stakeholders that includes, but is not limited to, the Agenda for Children, current and former out of school time staff and leadership, and out of school time community benefit organizations. Such a council will receive reports as ordered by Policy Order 2021 #201 that describe who applied and were enrolled, capacity, staffing, and outreach efforts.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

I read an article in the Boston Globe yesterday (Human services agencies face staffing crisis, delaying services for those in need) explaining that “A steady stream of workers have left community-based human services jobs during the pandemic, and many jobs are going unfilled, leading to a staffing shortage that has reached emergency levels, providers say. Some programs are facing vacancy rates as high as 60 percent.” I also recall that our own Ellen Semonoff (DHSP) said recently that the limitation in providing slots in programs had more to do with lack of staff than lack of funding. City councillors may want to expand access to such programs, but you still need the content and the staff to provide anything of value.

Committee Report #1. The Health and Environment Committee met on Apr 14, 2021 to conduct a public hearing regarding the City’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Charter Right – Zondervan

Let the record show that City staff did an extraordinary job in helping us to navigate this pandemic even though nobody had a guidebook that laid out all that needed to be done. Let’s also remember some of the Big Ideas that were proposed in the political arena that fell flat and were based on a combination of misunderstanding about the transmission of the virus as well as separate agendas about hostility toward motor vehicles. Remember those streets that were supposed to be pedestrian-priority but where almost all pedestrians still preferred the sidewalks, and where drivers used the barriers for slalom driving? Perhaps the most successful reconfiguration was the expansion of outdoor patios (street and sidewalk) that helped some businesses survive and which will likely continue, though perhaps in a more limited way, beyond this pandemic. – Robert Winters

September 27, 2021

A Long Look at a Short Meeting – Sept 27, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 12:35 am

A Long Look at a Short Meeting – Sept 27, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

It’s a relatively compact agenda this week. Here are some of the seemingly more significant items on the agenda:City Hall

Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on COVID-19.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Unfinished Business #5. That the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge be amended to allow the service of postoperative care for a dog (Ordinance #2021-16). [Referred to Committee In Council June 28, 2021; Passed to a Second Reading In Council Sept 13, 2021; To Be Ordained on or after Sept 27, 2021]
Ordained 9-0

Resolution #2. Thanks to Michael Monestime for his five years of work as Executive Director of the Central Square Business Association and best wishes in his future endeavors.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui
Resolution Adopted 9-0

Those of us who have been actively involved for a long time in trying to restore Central Square to its full potential will testify as to just how long people talked without success about establishing a Business Improvement District (hint – it was more than a quarter-century). Getting that level of agreement among many property owners was, as the saying goes, like herding cats. It was only when two main stars came into alignment that the impossible became possible – the energetic, take-no-prisoners efforts of Patrick Barrett, and the charismatic, hard-working, and relentlessly optimistic presence of Michael Monestime.

From there the approval of the BID seemed almost easy because of the level of well-founded faith that everyone had in these two individuals to make things happen and to make things happen right. They chose great people for their staff and as their ambassadors on the street, and they managed to strike the right balance with City management and the City departments in terms of responsibility and initiative while being respectful of the surrounding neighborhoods. The pandemic was the ultimate test of not only how well the City could work with the BID, but also how well the BID could work with the local business community to find ways to survive the storm. Starlight Square is just one shining example, but there was much more and there will be much more.

Not every business weathered the storm, but the Central Square business district in now well-positioned to emerge in good shape. Michael Monestime was a big part of how we got through this and why there is continued cause for optimism. Michael has the Midas touch, so look for great things in all that he does from here.

Order #1. Resolution Condemning the Treatment of Haitian Immigrants in Texas.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone, Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Order #3. Affirming Reproductive Freedom.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 8-0-0-1 (Toomey – Present)

Order #5. End Title 42 Deportations.   Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 9-0

I’m not sure that all national and foreign policy will yield to the exhortations of the Cambridge City Council, but knock yourselves out.

Order #2. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to reach out to the owner of 689 Massachusetts Avenue to inquire about the prospect of selling this building to the City of Cambridge, and to report back to the City Council on this matter in a timely manner.   Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

While I suppose the City could grab this building at significant cost to house the City Council aides or for some other purpose, this really is in the core of the Central Square business district and I would hate to see it turned over to institutional use. That said, Councillor Simmons has long advocated for some sort of Cambridge-specific museum to showcase our long history. I don’t know if this would be a good museum location or if that might be a part of the future uses at this site, but I still would like to see more active ground-level activity throughout Central Square.

Celebrating OlmstedOrder #6. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the staff at the Cambridge Historical Commission, the DCR Commissioner, and members of Cambridge’s state delegation to approve, fund and execute the design and installation of a suitable historic marker by April 2022 to recognize the vision of Frederick Law Olmsted and others in transforming the Cambridge riverfront landscape, and report back on their progress before the end of the current Council term.   Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0

This is a great idea. Though some people would be more than happy to tear down much of Cambridge as they worship at the altar of higher density, it’s nice to see that other people still want to celebrate some of the good planning and vision of those who came before us. The riverfront is just one example. There are also a lot of great neighborhoods that are spectacular just as they are.

Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee met to conduct a public hearing on Apr 8, 2021 to discuss the Cambridge Missing Middle Housing Zoning Petition (Ordinance #2021-2).
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Speaking of worshiping at the altar of higher density, this cobweb-covered committee report is on a densification proposal that expired in July but which will likely rise from the dead when it’s more politically expedient to ram through an even worse iteration. It continues to amaze me how some people see significantly higher density as an end in itself without regard to a wide range of other considerations. Let’s try this one more time – Cambridge is already among the most densely developed and densely developed cities in both Massachusetts and the entire United States.

By the way, the committee report indicates that this meeting that is only now being reported 6 months after the fact was not actually adjourned, but recessed. That means that if they should ever decide to reopen the meeting they can just blow off any additional public testimony. That would likely suit some of the councillors just fine – because they’re not actually listening to anyone except the choir. – Robert Winters

September 19, 2021

Featured Items on the September 20, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Filed under: 2021 election,Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 2:42 pm

Featured Items on the September 20, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Here are my choices for the notable stuff:Peoples Republic of Cambridge

Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the recommendations of the Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC) for FY2022.
19 Orders Adopted; Reconsideration Fails 0-9

80%-10%-10%. Never changes.

Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request for approval to submit an amendment to the proposed Home Rule Petition for a special law regarding a fire cadet program for the City of Cambridge Fire Department.
Order Adopted 9-0; Reconsideration Fails 0-9

Just a technical revision for clarity.

Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Community Development Department, the City Solicitor, and other appropriate City staff to compile a report detailing the efforts the City has made toward creating LGBTQ+-Friendly Housing over the past decade, to state what impediments had been identified in realizing this effort, and to outline recommendations for how the City may successfully create such housing within the next three years.   Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

I still don’t understand the intent of this, though apparently the legal opinion that this “might violate federal fair-housing laws” has led to a more “affirmative action” alternative rather than the previous segregated housing proposal which seemed fundamentally regressive.

Order #4. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to work with the Public Health Department and report back to the City Council on the milestones that will be used to determine when the indoor mask mandate will no longer be needed.   Councillor Nolan, Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

This Order is primarily a request for public information, i.e. “it would be helpful for the community to know how decisions are made and what specific milestones need to be achieved.” At first glance I thought it was yet another attempt by inexpert councillors to micromanage our public health professionals. I actually would love to know what the milestones will be – and I hope they come real soon.

Order #5. That section 11.202(b) of Article 11.000 of the Zoning Ordinance, regarding the linkage fee, be amended by substitution.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone, Councillor McGovern
Referred to Housing Committee, Ordinance Committee, and Planning Board 9-0 as Amended

Our “squeeze ’em ’til it hurts” councillors are proposing to increase in one giant leap the Incentive Zoning Linkage Fee from the current $20.10 per square foot to $33.34 per square foot for new commercial developments of more than 30,000 square feet of gross floor area. That’s a 66% increase. The fee sat at $4.58 per square foot of new commercial development from 1988 to 2015 when it was increased to $12 per square foot plus periodic annual and CPI adjustments that brought it to the current $20.10 per square foot in 2020.

Order #6. Council Support of H.926, The Massachusetts Schoolchildren Pesticide Protection Act.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Nolan, Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

This is absolutely a good idea, but it’s always worth remembering that prior to the (hopefully thoughtful and cautious) use of pesticides and other means to combat food-borne pathogens, sickness and death as well as some cancers (notably stomach cancer) were very common. The Modern World giveth and taketh away.

Order #7. That the City Council urges the US Congress to fulfill its obligation to prevent nuclear war, as outlined in the Back from the Brink campaign.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0 as Amended

So good to see the Cambridge City Council engaging again in what it does best – national and foreign policy.

Order #9. That the City Council schedule a hearing of the Ordinance Committee for the purposes of amending the Ordinance of the City of Cambridge regarding MUNICIPAL BUILDING PERMITS and WAGE THEFT.   Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor McGovern
Referred to Ordinance Committee 9-0

Among other things, it’s interesting that in this proposal the City Council is already presuming to have veto power over City Manager appointments. Also, the proposed “Wage Theft Enforcement Committee” would require that “No less than half the committee members shall be Cambridge residents, and no less than half shall be union/labor representatives.” In other words, existing labor unions would control all proposed enforcement.

I will note that even in the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance there is no mention of any union requirements. Indeed, a search for the word “union” in the Zoning Ordinance returns no results.

Committee Report #1. The Transportation and Public Utilities Committee met on July 14, 2021 to discuss car storage policies in Cambridge.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

The Cambridge City Council’s never-ending war on motor vehicles continues. Councillor Zondervan stated that “car storage is one of the worst land uses cities employ and hopes to achieve zero car storage and usage through policy regime.” Councillor Zondervan has a parking space on his property.

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from City Clerk, Anthony I. Wilson, transmitting memorandums from City Solicitor, Nancy E. Glowa regarding Minor Correction to Ballot Question No. 3 Which Is to be Placed on the Nov 2, 2021 Ballot Pursuant to Calendar Item No. 3 of 6/28/21. [Note: Date of Election Day corrected – RW]
Amended text Approved 9-0; Report Placed on File 9-0

There is much that can be said on this topic and I will continue to do so in the days to come. The most significant change is the proposal to effectively give a bare majority of the City Council the right to control 100% of the membership of all City boards and commissions. So much for representation of minority viewpoints or, for that matter, expertise from anyone other than those favored by 5 councillors.

As further evidence of the shoddy work of the proponents of these ballot questions, the proposal that would require annual performance reviews of the city manager (which, by the way, they already have the power to do) would amend section 116 of the Plan E Charter that has to do with “General election laws; applicability” even though this proposed change has zero to do with elections. It seems pretty obvious that this should more properly amend section 103 that concerns “City manager; appointment; qualifications; compensation; removal.” Reading is apparently a lost art.

Personally, I feel that the primary intention of these “reforms” is simply to transfer some measure of executive power away from the city manager to the legislature (City Council) – which is supposed to be a policy-making body. The other two ballot questions are superfluous. It’s also worth noting that there was essentially zero public process leading up to the Council’s decision to place these particular questions on this November’s municipal ballot. There are potentially some good amendments to the Charter that could have been considered (for example, modifying the PR elections to eliminate ballot order dependence), but those were never discussed. – Robert Winters

September 13, 2021

See You in September…When the Summer’s Through – September 13, 2021 City Council Agenda

Filed under: 2021 election,Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 3:50 pm

See You in September…When the Summer’s Through – September 13, 2021 City Council Agenda

After every long break from City Council meetings I generally read through the upcoming agenda with a sense of dread – expecting that the competition to be more outrageous than the other councillors will finally go right off the cliff. There’s some of that in this week’s agenda and as we head toward Early Voting and the Nov 2 municipal election I’m sure there will be even more attention-seeking rubbish. Here’s a sample of agenda items ranging from routine to ridiculous.City Hall

The Pandemic and Related Matters

Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a COVID-19 update.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to authorization to grant street obstruction approvals.
Report Accepted, Placed on File; Order Adopted 9-0

Order #9. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Cambridge Community Development Department, Cambridge Department of Human Service Programs, Department of Public Works, local non-profit organizations, Cambridge businesses dedicated to locally sourced produce, farmers, and resident gardeners to study the feasibility of spending Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to address food insecurity by installing raised garden beds throughout Cambridge and providing free, fresh, locally-grown food for residents in need.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone
Adopted 9-0

Elections and Charter Deform

Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a recommendation from the Board of Election Commissioners for the City Council to vote to authorize in-person early voting for the Nov 2, 2021 Municipal Election, in accordance with Chapter 255 of the Acts of 2020, as amended by Chapter 5 of the Acts of 2021 and Chapter 29 of the Acts of 2021.
Report Accepted, Placed on File; Order Adopted 9-0

RECOMMENDED EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS, HOURS AND DAYS

Cambridge Water Department – 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge
Main Library – 449 Broadway, Cambridge
Valente Library – 826 Cambridge Street, Side Entrance on Berkshire Street, Cambridge

Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
October 23 October 24 October 25 October 26 October 27 October 28 October 29
10am – 3pm CLOSED 11am – 7pm 10am – 5pm 11am – 7pm 10am – 5pm 10am -5pm

Manager’s Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request from the Board of Election Commissioners recommending the relocation of polling sites for the Nov 2, 2021 Municipal Election.
Report Accepted, Placed on File; Order Adopted 9-0

The polling place relocations affect Precincts 1-1, 1-2, 9-2, 9-3, and 11-3.

Order #12. In response to the Election Commission request for a summary argument in support of proposed charter amendments, that the City Council authorize Mayor Siddiqui and Councillor Nolan to submit language to the Election Commission before the deadline on Sept 20, 2021.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Adopted as Amended 9-0

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from City Clerk, Anthony I. Wilson, transmitting communications from Tanya Ford, Executive Director of the Cambridge Election Commission regarding support and in opposition of the proposed charter amendments to be included in a mailing to voters prior to the Nov 2, 2021 Municipal Election.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Toomey – PRESENT)

Two of the ballots questions aren’t necessary because the City Council always had the authority to demand an annual review of the City Manager or a periodic charter review. The other question promises to turn all City boards and commissions into political bodies rather than nonpartisan citizen bodies. Imagine if you will (spoken in Rod Serling tones) a city in which favoring historic preservation at a site of a proposed high density development will disqualify you from serving on the Historic Commission.

Parks and Trees, Birds and Bees

Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-56, regarding improvements to Jerry’s Pond and along Rindge Avenue.
Tabled 9-0 – Siddiqui

Charter Right #1. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments on how the City can change practices such that all projects will treat trees as essential infrastructure. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Toomey in Council Aug 2, 2021]
Order Adopted 7-1-1 (Toomey – NO; Simmons – ABSENT)

Order #14. That the City Manager is requested to work with the relevant City departments, the contractor, and the community to take another look at ways in which Sennott Park construction could be contained or compartmentalized in such a way that would allow for various sections or elements of the park to remain safely accessible during the construction period while they are not actively being worked on.   Councillor Zondervan
Order Fails of Adopted 4-5 (DC,PN,JSW,QZ – YES; AM,MM,DS,TT,SS – NO)

Many Appointments

Manager’s Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following persons as new Associate Members of the Planning Board for a term of five-years, effective Sept 1, 2021: Alan Price and Ashley Tan
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #10. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a reappointment and appointment of new members of the Central Square Advisory Committee for a term of three years, effective July 1, 2021 – Reappointments: Esther Hanig, Robert Winters, Michael Monestime, Joel Alstein, Tahir Kapoor; New Appointments: Saffana Anwar and Christopher Fort
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #13. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appointment of members to the newly formed BIPOC Business Advisory Committee for a term of one-year, effective Sept 1, 2021.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #17. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointments of the following members of the Cambridge Health Alliance Board of Trustees, effective July 1, 2021:
3-year terms – Yvette Verdieu, James Henderson, Marian Darlington-Hope, Barbara Guthrie, Katherine Kosinski
1-year term: Joshua Posner, Alexander White
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Zoning Petitions for Dogs and People

Manager’s Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board report with no positive or negative recommendation on Article 22.000 Emissions Accounting Zoning Petition.
Referred to Petition 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board report on the Post-Operative Animal Care zoning petition, which recommends the adoption of an alternative zoning amendment to effect the proposed change.
Referred to Petition 9-0

Committee Report #4. The Ordinance Committee met on Sept 1, 2021 to conduct a public hearing on the petition to amend the Zoning Ordinance by inserting a new row in section 4.31 “Residential Uses” regarding the service of post-operative care for a dog.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0; Petition Passed to 2nd Reading as Amended 9-0

Applications & Petitions #4. A Zoning Petition has been received from Francis Donovan, regarding Advancing Housing Affordability (AHA) zoning petition.
Referred to Ordinance Committee and Planning Board 8-0-1 (McGovern ABSENT)

Cannabis, Race, and Patronage

On the Table #3. That the City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to determine the feasibility of establishing a pilot reparations program that would take a to-be-determined percentage of revenue from local cannabis sales and distribute these monies to local Black-owned businesses and to economic empowerment applicants. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Zondervan in Council June 21, 2021; Placed on the Table in Council June 28, 2021]
Adopted as Amended 9-0

On the Table #5. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to establish a restitution program that would take a to-be-determined percentage of revenue from local cannabis sales and distribute these monies to current and former Cambridge residents who have been harmed by the war on drugs, with a targeted launch date of July 2022. [Placed on the Table in Council Aug 2, 2021]
Adopted 9-0

Order #11. That the City Manager is requested to work with all relevant City departments, the City Council, the Black community, and the general public in Cambridge to implement the attached proposal to establish a Commission of Racial Justice and Equity.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #13. Amendments to the Cannabis Business Permitting Ordinance.   Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Carlone
Amended (section 5.50.040) 9-0; Amended to declare emergency to ordain w/o 2nd Reading 8-1 (Toomey – NO);
Ordained as Amended 8-1 (Toomey – NO); Reconsideration Fails 1-8 (Toomey YES)

Committee Report #3. The Civic Unity Committee me on May 27, 2021 to conduct a public hearing to discuss the recently released ‘Social Equity Legislation in Cannabis: A National Study of State and Local Approaches’ by the Initiative organization.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Councillor Zondervan, transmitting an explanation of the proposed amendments to the Cannabis Business Permitting Ordinance.
Placed on File 9-0

Pardon my cynicism, but all of this amounts to little more than cash rewards for connected people, and I doubt I’ll ever warm up to the idea that only people who meet specific racial identity criteria may serve on a particular board or commission. Another really sweet feature in Order #11 is the demand that all commission members receive $100/hour compensation for meeting attandance and that any work done in addition to meeting attendance shall be compensated through a contract with the city. Requests for political patronage rarely are as transparent as this little gem.

Streets & Cars

On the Table #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-41, regarding a report on closing Mass Ave from Prospect Street to Sidney Street on Friday and Saturday evenings. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor McGovern in Council June 28, 2021; Placed on the Table in Council Aug 2, 2021]

Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to direct the Director of the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department and the City Solicitor to review the City’s residential parking permit program to determine whether the criteria for this program can be modified to speak to the above-referenced concerns and to develop recommendations that speak to these modifications. [An individual obtained residential parking permits for perhaps ten vehicles, all of which are parked on the residential streets near this individual’s home and all of which are primarily utilized not for this individual’s personal use, but instead for the purpose of being rented out (in a concept similar to the peer-to-peer car share model) as a business enterprise.]   Councillor Simmons
Adopted 9-0

Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department regarding the feasibility of installing speed bumps on Inman Street.   Councillor McGovern
Adopted 9-0

Miscellany – Weapons, Refugees, Security Deposits

Unfinished Business #6. Order to amend the Municipal Code of the City of Cambridge to insert new section Restricting the Use of Chemical Crowd Control Agents and Kinetic Impact Projectiles. [Passed to a Second Reading in Council Aug 2, 2021]
Ordained 9-0

Order #8. That the City Council go on record as being willing to work with the Governor’s Office and any nonprofits in helping to settle Afghan refugees in Cambridge should it be needed.   Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Adopted 9-0

Order #15. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to instruct the Law Department to review the proposed ordinance regarding Renter Choice (Ordinance #2021-18) and provide feedback on implementation.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons
Referred to Ordinance Committee 9-0

Comings and Goings

Resolution #11. Congratulations to Christine Elow on being named Acting Commissioner for the Cambridge Police Department.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan
Adopted as Amended 9-0

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from City Clerk, Anthony I. Wilson, transmitting a memorandum regarding the current three-year term as City Clerk expiring on May 31, 2022.
Placed on File 8-1 (Carlone – NO)

August 2, 2021

Cambridge City Council and School Committee Candidates – 2021 [FINAL]

Filed under: 2021 election,Cambridge,City Council,elections,School Committee — Tags: , , , , — Robert Winters @ 6:45 pm

Nomination Papers - 2021 Cambridge Municipal Election

List of candidates who pulled nomination papers for the 2021 Cambridge City Council or School Committee election - updated Aug 23, 8:25pm
CandidateBornOffice SoughtAddressSignatures SubmittedSignatures CertifiedNotes
Simmons, E. Denise1951City Council188 Harvard St., 0213988(July 16)83July 1
McGuirk, Joe1965City Council314 Columbia St. #1, 0214150(July 6), 35(July 26)46+33=79July 1
Sobrinho-Wheeler, Jivan1992City Council187 Brookline St. #3, 0213943(July 15), 26(July 16), 2(Aug 2)39+25+2=66July 1
Nolan, Patricia M.1957City Council184 Huron Ave., 0213846(July 8), 14(July 12)44+14=58July 1
Zondervan, Quinton Y.1970City Council235 Cardinal Medeiros Ave., 0214188(Aug 2)78July 1
Siddiqui, Sumbul1988City Council283 Sidney St. #3, 0213944(July 6), 46(July7)41+43=84July 1
Pierre, Frantz1982City Council22 Water Street, Unit 808, 0214148(July 7), 35(July 12)44+24=68July 1
McGovern, Marc C.1968City Council17 Pleasant St., 0213983(July 20)80July 1
Mallon, Alanna M.1970City Council3 Maple Ave., 02139100(July 13)95July 1
Williams, Nicola A.1963City Council8 Brewer St. #5, 0213852(July 13), 48(July 26)48+44=92July 1
Eckstut, Robert1985City Council251 Western Ave. #1, 0213969(July 28)62July 1
Toner, Paul F.1966City Council24 Newman St., 02140100(July 9)96July 1
Bullister, Dana1990City Council155 5th Street #1, 0214149(July 26), 44(July 30)37+38=75July 1
Ribitzky, Roy1989City Council163 Webster Ave. #3, 0214140(July 27), 18(Aug 2)33+12=45
(did not qualify)		July 1
Skeadas, Theodora Theo1990City Council988 Memorial Drive #185, 0213846(July 8), 49(July 14)42+44=86July 2
Moree, Gregg J. 1957City Council25 Fairfield St. #4, 0214049(July 21), 29(July 28), 22(Aug 2)42+23+19=84July 2
Carlone, Dennis J.1947City Council9 Washington Ave. #6, 0214063(July 26)59July 2
Azeem, Burhan1997City Council35 Speridakis Terr., 02139100(July 27)82July 7
Hicks, Tonia D.1970City Council337 Pearl Street, 0213950(July 26), 9(July 28)45+9=54July 7
Carrasquillo, Santos1989City Council188 Harvard St. #3B, 02139did not submit signaturesJuly 8
Levy, Ilan1967City Council148 Spring St., 0214175(Aug 2)55July 30
Wilson, Ayesha1982School Committee15 Concord Ave., 0213844(July 1),38(July 9), 18(July 29)43+38+18=99July 1
Weinstein, David J.1972School Committee45 S. Normandy Ave., 0213850(July 16), 10(Aug 2)50+9=59July 1
Rojas Villarreal, José Luis1971School Committee19 Cornelius Way, 0214150(July 26), 9(July 27), 10(July 28)46+9+10=65July 1
Fantini, Alfred B.1949School Committee4 Canal Pk #203, 0214148(July 12), 50(July 14), 2(July 15)48+50+2=100July 1
Lim, Christopher1975School Committee48 Pleasant St, 0213949(July 8), 16(July 9)40+15=55July 7
Bhambi, Akriti1988School Committee311 Cardinal Medeiros Ave. #1, 0214193(July 12)91July 8
Weinstein, Rachel1974School Committee60 Standish St. #1, 0213865(July 19)61July 12
Kelly, Kathleen
1960School Committee17 Marie Ave. #1, 02139did not submit signaturesJuly 14
Hunter, Caroline M.1946School Committee23 Rockwell St., 0213995(July 22)82July 20
Johnson, Daria A.1976School Committee2 Leighton St. #413, 0214183(Aug 2)73July 23

On Wed, July 21, the Election Commission certified all signatures shown that were submitted through July 21.
On Wed, Aug 4, the Election Commission certified all remaining signatures submitted through the Aug 2 deadline.

There will be 19 City Council candidates and 9 School Committee candidates on the ballot.

Candidates needed 50 certified signatures to qualify for the ballot.

2021 Cambridge Candidate Pages

Vote!

Framing the Campaigns – August 2, 2021 Cambridge City Council (Midsummer) Agenda

Filed under: 2021 election,Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 12:49 am

Framing the Campaigns – August 2, 2021 Cambridge City Council (Midsummer) Agenda

Aug 2, 2021 Cambridge City Council meetingThe Midsummer City Council meeting usually brings an enormous number of resolutions and several volatile policy orders and other actions guaranteed to draw a crowd. Strangely, this year brings a short agenda from the City Manager, relatively few resolutions, only ten policy orders, and not a whole lot of controversy. Perhaps the greatest amount of fervor will be outside City Hall starting at 5:00pm when there is a "Save The Trees" rally scheduled that is certain to bring out incumbents and challengers as various groups struggle to frame the issues leading up to this November’s municipal election. By the way, the deadline for submitting nomination signatures is 5:00pm on Mon, Aug 2 – no exceptions.

Actually, the pre-meeting show says more about what has gone wrong in Cambridge than anything else. The “Rally for Cambridge Trees” was apparently already planned, but the “Rally for Our Youth” was also scheduled for the same time and place. That’s all well and good – the City Hall lawn can handle multiple gatherings – but the real dysfunction has been in the competing rhetoric on the various listservs. Based on the principle that walking and chewing gum simultaneously is not physically possible, the insufferably righteous have effectively declared that if you want to preserve trees you must clearly not care about gun violence, or housing affordability, or anything else.

We live in a time of binary thinking. You either want no cars or you hate cyclists. You either want to hug trees or you want to cut them all down in order to pack in as much building as humanly possible. Perhaps the only thing people agree on is that murdering people is bad, but I haven’t yet heard a whole lot of wisdom about what to do about it or if “doing something” will even accomplish anything. Well, at least we can all have rallies ‘n stuff.

OK, here’s some agenda stuff:

Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a recommendation of the Cambridge Historical Commission to approve the final Landmark Designation Report for the Alberta V. Scott House at 28 Union Street.
Placed on File; Order Adopted 9-0

This was my friend Ann’s house until last year. She is the undisputed Compost Queen of Massachusetts. So this house is doubly significant. By the way, I love reports like this from the Cambridge Historical Commission. It’s great living in a city with a lot of history and historical buildings. Hopefully the single-minded density dudes won’t tear them all down in their quest for population supremacy.

Charter Right #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-41, regarding a report on closing Mass Ave from Prospect Street to Sidney Street on Friday and Saturday evenings. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor McGovern in Council June 28, 2021]
Tabled 9-0 (McGovern)

The real action is on the sidewalks and the patios, not in the middle of the Mass. Ave. – occasional festivals notwithstanding. Let’s again talk when you have a big event planned.

Charter Right #2. City Council endorsement of the Agassiz Neighborhood name being changed to the Baldwin Neighborhood in honor of Maria L. Baldwin. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Nolan in Council June 28, 2021]
Order Adopted 9-0

Reparations or patronage – you decide

On the Table #4. That the City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to determine the feasibility of establishing a pilot reparations program that would take a to-be-determined percentage of revenue from local cannabis sales and distribute these monies to local Black-owned businesses and to economic empowerment applicants. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Zondervan in Council June 21, 2021; Placed On The Table in Council June 28, 2021]

Order #8. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to establish a restitution program that would take a to-be-determined percentage of revenue from local cannabis sales and distribute these monies to current and former Cambridge residents who have been harmed by the war on drugs, with a targeted launch date of July 2022.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Nolan
Tabled 9-0 (Simmons)

It’s been interesting to see just how thick the conflicts of interest run in this Acapulco Gold Rush. The latest I’ve heard is that the advocates want to delay “until September so there is more time for community engagement so these policies to reflect the will of the community and time for adding language that reflects a historical reckoning and acknowledges the city of Cambridge’s founding role in slavery.” But seriously, it’s all about the money.

Resolutions & a message from the President

Communication #11. A communication was received from Peter Valentine, regarding life security.

Thanks, Peter, as always.

Resolution #8. Resolution on the death of Priscilla McMillan.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone

Resolution #10. Resolution on the death of Robert Moses.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Zondervan

While we’re remembering Bob Moses, let’s not forget the mission of The Algebra Project which is even more relevant today than it was in 1982. Many of us who teach mathematics understand that the road to empowerment is paved with a good education, and that includes a good mathematics education.

Mission
The Algebra Project, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) national, nonprofit organization that uses mathematics as an organizing tool to ensure quality public school education for every child in America. We believe that every child has a right to a quality education to succeed in this technology-based society and to exercise full citizenship. We achieve this by using best educational research and practices, and building coalitions to create systemic changes.

Resolution #13. Thanks to Branville G. Bard, Jr. for his four years of service to the Cambridge Community, and in wishing him great success as he enters his exciting next chapter.   Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Nolan, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Carlone
Adopted as Amended 8-1 (Zondervan – NO)
[Note: Councillor Zondervan said, "I have trouble wishing him great success as he enters his exciting next chapter." Mayor Siddiqui then said, "I’m not sure where your manners are." When Zondervan tried to continue, Mayor Siddiqui used her discretion to cut him off – much to the satisfaction of the rest of the City Council.]

I have a lot of respect for Branville Bard – not only for his approach to police work in Cambridge but also for his forthrightness in responding to elected officials who often talk more than they think. We have had a good run of Police Commissioners ever since the position was created – Perry Anderson, Ronnie Watson, Robert Haas, and Branville Bard and those who have served in the interim. In choosing the next Commissioner, I hope great consideration is given to some of the great people currently serving in the Cambridge Police Department.

Resolution #17. Farewell and Best Wishes to Matthew McLaughlin.   Councillor Carlone

Fare thee well indeed, but perhaps it’s past due for a conversation about the practice of having political activists and elected officials from neighboring cities acting as City Council Aides. My tax dollars and all that.

Addressing violence and public safety

Resolution #11. Resolution on the death of Robert R. “LB” Favreau, III.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey

Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Department of Human Service Programs, the Peace Commission, and other relevant City departments to explore the feasibility of providing Equity Roadmap with regular funding for Friday Night Hype.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Order #3. That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Dedication Committee to designate a suitable street corner, square or the Pemberton Basketball Courts in honor of Xavier Louis-Jacques.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #4. Policy Order Re Addressing Increased Gun Activity.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted 9-0 [Motion by Zondervan to delete the "Ordered" calling for police involvement Failed 1-7-1 (Zondervan YES, Sobrinho-Wheeler – ABSENT)]
“Call for the wailing women to come; send for the most skillful of them. Let them come quickly and wail over us till our eyes overflow with tears and water streams from our eyelids.” – Jeremiah 9:17-18 (thanks to Denise Simmons)

I have no idea what the best course of action is in addressing gun violence in Cambridge or elsewhere, but I do sometimes think about the fact that if I was a young man in Cambridge these days my choices for fun wouldn’t be so great. Of all the suggestions I have heard, the only one that rings true to me is simply giving people some alternatives, e.g. sports, music, streetcorner philosophizing, math, science, computers. I really don’t think politicians have a whole lot to offer here, but I’ll definitely be listening to My Brother’s Keeper.

Committee Report #1. The Public Safety Committee and the Human Services & Veterans Committee met on Jan 19, 2021 to hear from community experts on possible ways to design a community-centered public safety response service.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Committee Report #2. The Ordinance Committee met on June 2, 2021 to conduct a public hearing on an order to amend the Municipal Code of the City of Cambridge to insert new section Restricting the Use of Chemical Crowd Control Agents and Kinetic Impact Projectiles.
Report Accepted, Placed on File, Order Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0

Order #2. City Council support of HD.3457 and SD.2309, An Act Relative to Electric Bicycles.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0

I suppose this is a good thing, but you know what the scariest, craziest thing I see on the roads these days is? People zipping along at high speed on electric skateboards and scooters – right side and wrong side of the street, weaving through traffic, onto and off of sidewalks, and passing at high speed to the right of right-turning motor vehicles. I wonder how they fit into this bill.

Order #5. Support for Replenishing the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Toomey
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Committee Report #3. The Economic Development and University Relations Committee met on June 8, 2021 to conduct a public hearing to discuss strategies and opportunities to alleviate permit and license fees for small businesses, through possible consolidation or elimination.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments on how the City can change practices such that all projects will treat trees as essential infrastructure.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
Charter Right – Toomey

I suppose this Order will go hand-in-hand with the rally before the meeting. It will be interesting to see how many councillors who voted to exempt all subsidized housing proposals from tree protections will now be out in front hugging trees on the City Hall lawn.

Quality of Life

Order #7. That the City Manager instruct the Community Development Department to draft zoning amendments requiring special permits be required for research and development, laboratory and research facilities in the districts noted in the attached memorandum to ensure a robust community process.   Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 9-0

This is a good initiative. If zoning was originally meant in part as a way to create some separation between kindergartens and smokestacks, it seems more than appropriate today to find some way to ensure that residents don’t have to be subjected to the noise of 24-hour-per-day mechanicals and other activity from laboratory and similar buildings.

Order #9. That the City Manager confer with the Department of Public Works, the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, the Community Development Department, and other relevant City staff to discuss the feasibility of committing financial resources to assist in redesigning and/or reshaping the outdoor public ways, natural space and infrastructure including sidewalks, protected bike lanes and tree canopy at the southern edge of Jerry’s Pond along Rindge Avenue to make it more accessible, more green and more equitable and to create a welcoming entryway to Cambridge from the west.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0

This could be be a really great place with a little TLC. I can’t wait until someone calls it gentrification.

Order #10. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to report back to the City Council on how the city is working to get City and Public School staff to 100% vaccinated, including the possibility of mandating vaccinations and decrease the likelihood that COVID-19 spreads via City staff and in City Buildings.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Just require vaccination. Meanwhile, the City Council will be phoning it in from home while they talk about City staff in City buildings.

Order #12. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to immediately reimplement and extend Cambridge’s eviction moratorium until at least October 31, 2021.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0

Down the Tubes

Committee Report #4. The Government Operations committee met on June 29, 2021 to discuss the hiring of the next City Manager.
Report Accepted, Placed on File, Two Orders Adopted 9-0

I would rather leave this choice to nine random strangers than to this City Council. The only question I have at this point is whether they’ll choose the next city manager for the sake of a “Look at-us!” press release or because they want a compliant rubber stamp.

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui and Councillor Nolan, transmitting information about the Attorney General’s ruling on Calendar Item #3 (Charter Amendments). [City Solicitor’s Letter (July 19)] [Atty. General’s Letter (July 26)] [Proposed Charter Amendments]
Placed on File 9-0

What they call “a year-long discussion and review” was really virtually no process at all. As for the specific ballot questions: (1) Requiring an annual review of the City Manager is something they have always had the power to require without any need to amend the charter. (2) Reviewing the Charter every decade is also something they could have done all along, but perhaps there really wasn’t the need. (3) Requiring City Council approval of all appointments to City boards and commissions is the surest way to politicize all of the boards with any regulatory authority. I wonder how Councillor Nolan will feel when Historical Commission appointees start being rejected for voting to preserve historic buildings rather than allow them to be torn down for the sake of ever-greater density. I have long felt that the City Manager – whether it was Bob Healy, Rich Rossi, or Louis DePasquale have at least tried to have a good cross-section of residents – even though it has often been challenging to get a rich pool of applicants. In the new regime, all it will take will be 5 councillors to control 100% of the membership of City boards. At this rate, I may be the next person leading the charge for charter reform – just to undo the damage of this City Council.

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui and Councillor Nolan, communication regarding the formation of a Climate Crisis Working Group.
Placed on File 9-0

Once again, that that Rahm Emanuel quote comes to mind: “Never allow a good crisis go to waste. It’s an opportunity to do the things you once thought were impossible.” That can bring good things, or that can bring oppressive restrictions simply because they can. – Robert Winters

Comments?

June 28, 2021

Statement by Cambridge City Councillor Tim Toomey

Filed under: 2021 election,Cambridge,City Council,elections — Tags: , , , — Robert Winters @ 10:46 pm

Statement by Cambridge City Councillor Tim Toomey
On Decision Not to Seek Re-Election – June 28, 2021

Tim ToomeyIt is with much gratitude and a tinge of sadness that I announce I will not be a candidate for re-election to City Council in 2021.

Gratitude to my friends and neighbors who have had the faith to elect me first to the School Committee in 1985, then to the City Council for 32 years starting in 1989, as well as 24 years as State Representative.

Sadness to be stepping down from a job that I love, helping people in a variety of ways such as finding affordable housing, ensuring that they receive the quality State and City services they expect and deserve, and just listening to their hopes and expectations for the future of them and their families.

I have so many people to thank for my success – the innumerable volunteers who have worked hard over the many years to ensure my re-election; the numerous colleagues who I have served with on the City Council throughout the years who have helped me serve the residents of Cambridge; the City Managers and City staff who have worked with me to make Cambridge a caring community while ensuring fiscal stability; the many legislative staff who assisted me in developing policy and, more importantly, in providing outstanding constituent services; and, of course, my family who have stood with me these many years.

While I will not be on the City Council in 2022, this is not good-bye. As always, I will continue to be active in our community and feel free to stop me on the street to express your thoughts and concerns for our City or just to say hello.

Tim Toomey

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