Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

February 11, 2013

Marijuana and More – Feb 11, 2013 Cambridge City Council Agenda highlights

Filed under: Cambridge,Cambridge Redevelopment Authority,City Council — Tags: , , — Robert Winters @ 12:41 am

Marijuana and More – Feb 11, 2013 Cambridge City Council Agenda highlights

Here are a few items that drew my wayward attention:

Manager’s Agenda #3. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation on the Medical Marijuana Interim Zoning Petition.

It would appear that Cambridge is approaching this with the same caution as many other Massachusetts cities and towns. It’s an interesting dilemma that marijuana sales may be legal at such dispensaries, but transporting it to the dispensaries may not be. It will be interesting to see how this evolves.

Manager’s Agenda #4. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to a zoning petition received from the Planning Board regarding bicycle parking modifications. [Report]

Accommodation of secure bicycle parking for residents and patrons should be required of all property owners. This zoning petition will essentially apply only to new buildings containing more than three units, but all property owners and managers should really be providing this. It’s a little bizarre that the report requires 38 pages to convey this simple idea. The proposal would be better if it also applied to existing residential and commercial buildings. I say this as a person who accommodates bicycles for tenants of my building, yet my two commercial/residential neighbors provided barely any such accommodation during recent renovations and, in fact, made their structures less inviting for bicycles.

Manager’s Agenda #5. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appointment of D. Margaret Drury to the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority for a 5-year term, effective Apr 12, 2013.

This is a great reappointment and certainly leads you to wonder what role the CRA will play in future Cambridge development.

Charter Right #1. That the City Manager is requested to work together with the appropriate city officials including the City Solicitor and report back to the City Council regarding modification of the ordinance (10.12.030) that links the awarding of a one yearlong Visitor Parking Permit per household to the purchase of a $25 Cambridge Resident Parking Permit. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Decker on Order Number Eight of Jan 28, 2013.]

This is a pretty simple idea and a fair one. The Resident Parking Permit fee was recently raised significantly with the acknowledgement that the $25 fee was still very reasonable for the right to park anywhere in Cambridge. At the time when the fee was raised, nobody talked about the fact that this would also apply to Visitor Parking Permits which are used infrequently and which only apply in the immediate neighborhood. It seems very reasonable that a lower fee (or perhaps no fee) should apply for getting only the Visitor Permit. It was a little strange to hear Councillor Decker at the previous meeting characterizing this proposal in terms of potential loss of revenue. Relatively speaking, this is pocket change.

Resolution #33. Resolution on the death of Andrew Jackson Spears.   Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons, Mayor Davis

Andrew Spears was the husband of former Election Commissioner Artis Spears. Together they operated the A.J. Spears Funeral Home, a community institution in the Riverside neighborhood of Cambridge. He was a friend to many Cambridge families.

Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to meet with NSTAR company officials to establish a firm timeline for maintenance and replacement plans for the transformers and electrical systems that serve the city to ensure that local businesses and residential communities are fully serviced   Councillor Cheung and Councillor Reeves

It’s unusual to see City Council orders that speak so directly to potential limitations of the essential infrastructure of the city and the need to maintain and enhance this infrastructure in anticipation of future growth. I expect there are some people who would actively oppose this as a means of limiting growth – the same people who would likely advocate cobblestone roads to limit traffic. I recall not so long ago hearing someone speak against renovations of Cambridge’s water treatment facility because he thought this would only lead to more development and more people living in Cambridge.

Order #6. That the City Council call upon members of the Cambridge Congressional Delegation to reject any proposal that seeks to balance the federal budget at the expense of state and local governments.   Councillor Cheung and Mayor Davis

This Order refers to a truly frightening proposal to remove the tax exemption on municipal bonds. I can’t believe there are people in the U.S. Congress who would advocate such a city-killing idea.

Order #10. That the City Manager is hereby requested to appoint a special task force of real estate and engineering professionals to assess and evaluate the current condition of the Foundry property and projected capital needs as well as anticipated expenses of maintaining the building.   Councillor Toomey and Councillor Maher

The battle lines over the future of this building are being drawn with some very different points of view among city councillors. This is just the next round in a continuing tussle.

Order #11. That the City Manager is requested to work with the appropriate city staff to provide a report to the City Council detailing how the City of Cambridge working in conjunction with the DCR will insure that oversize vehicles not be allowed travel along Memorial Drive so that accidents similar to the sad crushing of the tour bus of prospective Harvard Students do not occur again.   Councillor vanBeuzekom

They can start by making sure those heavy rubber hanging mats are all in place as a warning system for oversized vehicles on these DCR roads. Needless to say, it doesn’t help when the bus driver is paying more attention to his GPS than to the road in front of him. This, of course, is a problem everywhere. We have become a nation of robots.

Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Craig Kelley, Chair of the Public Safety Committee, for a public meeting held on Nov 20, 2012 to continue discussions on security cameras in the City.

Committee Report #3. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Craig Kelley, Chair of the Public Safety Committee, for a public meeting held on Jan 23, 2013 to continue discussions on security cameras in the City.

I don’t expect to see anything sensible happening as a result of these hearings. It seems obvious to many of us that judicious use of cameras on major roads and potential problem areas is just common sense use of available technology.

Committee Report #4. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public meeting held on Jan 24, 2013 to discuss a zoning petition by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to amend the Zoning Ordinance and Map by creating a new Section 13.80 – Planned Unit Development 5 (PUD-5) District, which includes several parcels totaling approximately 26 acres in the area north of Memorial Drive, east of Ames Street and south of Main Street and Broadway, and would also include a parcel at One Broadway. The new Section 13.80 PUD-5 is intended to allow mixed use developments with increased development densities and heights.

I was recently on an MIT panel that addressed the substance of this petition. Some thoughts on Housing and the MIT/Kendall Petition can be found at http://cambridgecivic.com/?p=2436.

Committee Report #5. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public meeting held on Jan 17, 2013 to discuss the zoning petition filed by Zevart M. Hollisian, Trustee of Garabed B. Hollisian Trust and L-Z Realty Trust and Seth D. Alexander, President, MIT Investment Management Company to amend the Zoning Ordinance and Map by extending the Cambridgeport Revitalization Development District from Green Street out to Massachusetts Avenue in the area adjacent to Blanche Street; said petition includes a map and a commitment letter.

Committee Report #6. A communication was received from Paula Crane, Administrative Assistant, Office of the City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public meeting held on Jan 30, 2013 to continue discussions on a zoning petition filed by Zevart M. Hollisian, Trustee of Garabed B. Hollisian Trust and L-Z Realty Trust and Seth D. Alexander, President, MIT Investment Management Company to amend the zoning Ordinance and Map by extending the Cambridgeport Revitalization Development District from Green Street out to Massachusetts Avenue in the area adjacent to Blanche Street; said petition includes a map and a commitment letter.

The Planning Board delivered its report at the last Council meeting and now the City Council has the report from the Ordinance Committee. The City Council may now be in a position to pass the petition to a 2nd Reading and get this petition in the queue for ordination in a few weeks. All the ducks appear to be in a row, but election year politics could still be a problem. Those of us who have followed all of the Central Square conversations over the last couple of years know that the really interesting zoning deliberations are yet to come. This petition was never more than a minor revision to the Cambridgeport Revitalization Development District (CRDD) with the potential to improve a long-neglected block of Mass. Ave. It will be good to get a few other benefits out of the process, but this is really just a warm-up to something much more interesting. – RW

Post-meeting update: The City Council passed the Forest City petition to a 2nd Reading at this meeting on a 7-2 vote with Councillors vanBeuzekom and Kelley voting NO while saying this would be "premature". It was Councillor Reeves who then correctly noted that this is the 2nd time the petition has been submitted and that it’s been batted around now for nearly a year. There’s no way to logically conclude that advancing this petition is "premature". The petition could come to a final vote as soon as Mon, Feb 25.

January 27, 2013

Everything from Zoning to Soda Pop – Jan 28, 2013 Cambridge City Council Agenda Highlights

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , — Robert Winters @ 11:58 pm

Everything from Zoning to Soda Pop – Jan 28, 2013 Cambridge City Council Agenda Highlights

One apparently overdue item not appearing on this week’s agenda is the text of the proposed contract between the City Council and City-Manager-To-Be Richard Rossi. Order #6 of Dec 3, 2012 stated: "That a contract which sets forth, inter alia, the provisions specified above, shall be provided by the Chair of the Government Operations and Rules Committee to the City Council for approval no later than Jan 7, 2013."

The Gov’t Operations Committee has since met in Executive Session on Dec 19, Jan 3, and Jan 23 on this matter, and it was expected that a proposed contract would be made available for public review by now. [Pursuant to Council Order #11 of May 2, 2011 and the City Council Rules, "The committee shall also be responsible for negotiating the City Manager’s contract of employment and shall ensure that the contract the committee recommends to the City Council for adoption is posted on the City Council website at least ninety-six (96) hours prior to adoption.] There’s no hurry since Bob Healy’s contract extends through June 30, 2013. Here are the last three contracts for reference:

2009-2013 contract   2006-2009 contract   2002-2006 contract

Manager’s Agenda #4. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to a recommendation from the Cambridge Historical Commission to approve the landmark designation for the Second Baptist/St. Francis of Assisi Church at 325 Cambridge Street.

We are fortunate to have the great staff of the Cambridge Historical Commission who produce reports like this one. You can always count on there being interesting information in these reports.

Manager’s Agenda #15. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the Planning Board recommendation on the Forest City/Millennium Pharmaceuticals Zoning Petition.

The Planning Board unanimously recommends adoption of the petition. The proposed amendment and related development plan aligns well with recent recommendations of the Central Square Advisory Committee 2011/2012. It will dramatically improve the retail frontage of a block that has been an embarassment for decades. The new retail will focus on local businesses. The new development will provide office space (primarily) for Millennium – a locally spawned company that works primarily in oncology research and development, i.e. cures for cancer. The latest letter of commitment also promises the development of housing wherever a future Cambridge site can be located that will include a minimum of 25 "affordable" inclusionary housing units.

The Ordinance Committee held a public hearing on the petition on Jan 16 and forwarded it to the full City Council w/o recommendation while also keeping the matter in committee. It could be passed to a 2nd Reading at the Jan 28 Council meeting which would make it eligible for ordination as early as mid-February. There will be another Ordinance Committee meeting on the petition on Wed, Jan 30. The expiration date of the petition is Apr 17. (Zoning Petitions) It will be interesting to see how this petition is eventually voted – and if politics trumps reason.

Manager’s Agenda #16. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the Planning Board recommendation on the City Council Petition to amend Section 13.59.33 Building and Site Requirements for Active Uses and Open Spaces, to delete requirement number 5 requiring public access in ground floor cafeterias.

Unfinished Business #10. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public meeting held on Jan 9, 2013 to amend the Zoning Ordinances of the City of Cambridge by amending Section 13.59.33 Building and Site Design Requirements for Active Uses and Open Spaces by deleting condition numbered (5) which reads: In order to promote pedestrian activity on adjacent public streets from tenants and employees within commercial buildings, any cafeteria serving such commercial space may be located only on the ground floor level of a building and must be opened to the public at lease twenty hours per week. The question comes on passing to be ordained on or after Jan 28, 2013. Planning Board hearing held Dec 18, 2012. Petition expires Apr 9, 2013.

This is relatively noncontroversial and reflects the evolution of the Kendall Square area over the last decade. There’s a good chance it will be ordained at this meeting.

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to arrange publicity about Earth Hour 2013 including information on the city web site, calendar, emails, cable channel and in front of City Hall so that as many people as possible are encouraged to participate.   Councillor vanBeuzekom

I’ll just take this opportunity to once again say how little value I place on token events like this. I used to help organize Cambridge Earth Day events and eventually came to see such events as meaningless distractions (or opportunities to have bands play on the Esplanade sponsored by local radio stations). If you believe in good environmental practices, you should live those beliefs. Turning off your lights for an hour so that people can witness your righteousness accomplishes nothing.

Order #8. That the City Manager is requested to work together with the appropriate city officials including the City Solicitor and report back to the City Council regarding modification of the ordinance (10.12.030) that links the awarding of a one yearlong Visitor Parking Permit per household to the purchase of a $25 Cambridge Resident Parking Permit.   Councillor vanBeuzekom

I guess nobody thought of this when they increased the Resident Parking Permit fee from $8 to $20 then $25. The intention of this Order is to allow residents who do not own a car to purchase an annual Visitor Pass for $10 instead of $25.

Order #9. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Cambridge Public Health Department and report back to the City Council on the status of any health measure in effect in Cambridge which would ban tobacco sales in pharmacies and drug stores.   Councillor Cheung

My instinct was to make some snarky comment about how tobacco junkies would just drive further to feed their habits, and maybe this is the truth. However, the Order notes that "According to the Massachusetts Municipal Association, 46 municipalities throughout Massachusetts, including Boston, Newton, Worcester, Somerville, Lowell, Brookline, Salem, Springfield, and Watertown have banned tobacco sales in pharmacies and drug stores." So the junkies will only have to drive to Arlington or buy it somewhere other than a drug store. It seems to me that this initiative will do little to convince people not to smoke and simply shift the sales to other outlets. Nothing solved.

Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Marjorie C. Decker, Chair of the Community Health Committee for a public meeting held on Dec 19, 2012 to discuss a ban on plastic bags.

If you’ve ever taken the tour of the Charlestown recycling facility where Cambridge recyclables are processed you’ll know how much difficulty plastic grocery bags can create in the process. They should never be included among curbside recyclables. You certainly don’t need them for buying groceries. Bringing your own reusable bags or boxes is a better option. However, the recommended Order says, "That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to instruct the City Solicitor to prepare a draft ordinance that will ban the use of plastic bags in the city." This appears to extend beyond grocery bags. What about plastic trash bags?

Committee Report #2. A communication was received from Paula Crane, Administrative Assistant, City Clerk’s Office, transmitting a report from Councillor Marjorie C. Decker, Chair of the Community Health Committee for a public meeting held on Jan 9, 2013 to discuss limiting the size of soda and sugar-sweetened beverages sold.

Initiatives like this are evidence that we’ve given up on education in favor of legislation. Rather than convince people to not swill down 2-liter bottles of Coke, we pass laws limiting what you can consume and/or how much you can consume. A more intelligent approach would be to require that drinks be sold on a strict per-volume basis so that there’s no advantage associated with super-sized drinks. In other words, if 60¢ buys you 12 ounces, $1 will buy you 20 ounces – the same 5¢ per ounce regardless of size. This won’t work with free refills, of course. Councillor Decker’s view: "She stated that while no one wants their choice to be taken away, as a larger society we need to ask what the tradeoffs are for the larger good." Yeah, that’s exactly who I want determining what’s good for me.

Finally, a few reports:

Miscellaneous #1. Transmitting notification of the 2012 Town Gown Reports.

Miscellaneous #2. Transmitting notification of the 2012 Public Health Annual Report.

Comments?

January 13, 2013

On the Jan 14, 2013 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , — Robert Winters @ 11:53 pm

On the Jan 14, 2013 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Here are the items that caught my attention:

City Manager’s Agenda #6. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-145, regarding a report on how the City might provide a reduced rate Hubway bike-share membership to its limited income residents.

The communication from Brian Murphy (CDD) makes abundantly clear just how affordable and heavily subsidized Hubway already is. Perhaps Councillor vanBeuzekom’s Order needs an additional clause calling on the City to assign staff to pedal the bikes and ring their little bells for the helpless citizens of Cambridge.

City Manager’s Agenda #9. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Council Order Number 7 of 9/10/12 and Council Order Number 3 of 1/7/2013, regarding funding for Upward Bound.

It should surprise no one that our ever-generous City is coming forward with short-term funding to allow this academic year’s program to continue to its conclusion. However, this federally-supported program is not ripe for indefinite City funding far into the future. Note especially the Manager’s advice: "I will continue to strive to identify other funding sources for future years. However, unless, and until that goal is achieved, I would advise the program leaders to not commence enrollment for the 2013-2014 Academic term."

Resolution #9. Congratulating Nancy Glowa on her appointment as City Solicitor.   Mayor Davis

Yes, congratulations indeed.

Order #1. That the City Council move to Executive Session at the City Council meeting of Jan 14, 2013 to obtain legal advice and to discuss strategy with the City Solicitor regarding threatened litigation with respect to the Open Meeting Law complaint filed with the Attorney General by Tom Stohlman.   Mayor Davis

Those of us who have served on City boards and commissions have become aware of some of the unintended consequences of recent revisions and interpretations of the state’s Open Meeting Law. For example, it has been suggested that members of advisory committees with no regulatory function should refrain from ordinary or e-mail conversation outside of the setting of a public meeting. I would like to respectfully suggest that the State Legislature review the current law in regard to boards with no regulatory functions. There are good reasons for open meeting protocols for elected bodies and regulatory bodies. On the other hand, Mr. Stohlman’s complaint regarding the City Council’s adherence to the Open Meeting Law serves no useful purpose and focuses on the trees rather than the forest.

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to work with the Assistant City Manager for Community Development and any other appropriate City personnel, Renae Gray from the Area 4 neighborhood, and any other appropriate group or individuals from that neighborhood to initiate the process of renaming Area 4 to a more appropriate name.   Vice Mayor Simmons

The intent of this Order has been around for a while. However, I believe there’s a misunderstanding expressed in the Order regarding the origin of the "Area 4" name. Vice Mayor Simmons says, "Area 4 is one of only two neighborhoods in the City of Cambridge that is known by its police district number, as opposed to a formal name." In fact, the name "Area 4" is not a police district number. Its origin dates to a 1953 report by the Cambridge Planning Board called "Thirteen Neighborhoods: One City". Mark Fortune was the planning director at that time. The report states that, "The thirteen neighborhoods of Cambridge were defined by the Planning Board staff and approved by the Planning Board in 1952 after years of study." [Original Map]

Some of the more invented neighborhoods (like Area 6) later adopted more acceptable names (like Mid-Cambridge). Much of "Area Four" today was historically known as Cambridgeport, though the people of Area 5 have successfully appropriated that name. The truth is that people in any neighborhood can use whatever name they wish. If it sticks, and if the political people choose to use that name, it will eventually become the "official" name. It’s not so clear that having City staff meet with a few selected individuals in a neighborhood is the right way to assign a name to any neighborhood. The bottom line about Cambridge is that no person or group of people speaks for any neighborhood in this city. Only neighborhood-wide consensus about the name of a given area can define the name of that area.

This applies emphatically to those who are now referring to Central Square simply as "Central," and doubly for the recent reference to the stretch of lower Mass. Ave. between Lafayette Square and MIT as "LoMa". I almost wretched when I heard that.

Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to investigate the possibility of a gun buy-back program in Cambridge.   Mayor Davis

You knew that one was coming.

Order #8. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate departments to initiate a plan of action setting up a procedure for future projects and report back to the City Council.   Councillor Cheung

I’m not sure what exactly Councillor Cheung is getting at with this Order. The text of the Order refers to "debris removal, including but not limited to hazardous waste," but one would think there must already be standards for dealing with these materials. It seems pretty certain that this is spelled out in state regulations.

Order #11. That the City Manager confer with the License Commission, Community Development Department, Planning Board and Board of Zoning Appeals on the logistic of deliveries of trash removal from business issue and report back with relevant information and ideas for improvement to the Cambridge City Council.   Councillor Cheung

Though much of this is probably already addressed in building codes, the subject of this Order has some value. There are many instances where the provision of recycling services and waste disposal have been compromised by building design and, quite significantly, by renovation. In the neverending quest to produce more rentable space, basements, alleys, rear yards, etc. are often designed in a way that makes these basic services unnecessarily difficult. The Planning Board currently is studying a similar issue regarding the provision of bicycle parking.

Order #12. That the City Council go on record urging Harvard University to give serious consideration to Homeowner’s Rehab’s bid to purchase Putnam Square Apartments and to work closely and cooperatively with the City, Homeowner’s Rehab, Inc., tenants and others to ensure a successful sale of the property to Homeowner’s Rehab, Inc. so that Putnam Square Apartments may continue to provide affordable housing for current and future elderly and disabled tenants.   Councillor Decker

Knock ’em dead, Marjorie. The key statement in the Order is "The City of Cambridge believes the affordability of this building is legally bound into perpetuity in exchange for the agreements and variances Harvard was granted prior to the development of 2 Mt. Auburn committing it as an affordable building to Cambridge seniors." That said, it seems a bit over the top to demand that Harvard donate "100% of the profits from the sale of the building to the City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund." Sometimes I wonder if our City’s elected officials would move to carry out the City equivalent of "nationalizing the housing industry" if they could find a legal way to pull it off. Isn’t that what rent control was all about?

Committee Report #3. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Government Operations and Rules Committee, for a public meeting held on Jan 3, 2013 to continue discussion with Attorney Elizabeth Valerio, representing the City Council in negotiations with the next City Manager, Richard Rossi.

Not if Tom Stohlman can help it! – RW

December 10, 2012

Prospect Pubs, Planning, and Pilot Programs – Dec 10, 2012 Cambridge City Council Agenda Highlights

Filed under: Cambridge,Central Square,City Council — Tags: — Robert Winters @ 11:36 am

Prospect Pubs, Planning, and Pilot Programs – Dec 10, 2012 Cambridge City Council Agenda Highlights

It will be difficult to top last week’s excitement when the City Council voted 8-1 to appoint Rich Rossi to succeed Bob Healy as City Manager starting July 1, 2013. The only other point I’ll make about that excellent decision is directed to those who have suggested that the appointment be an "interim" or "acting" appointment. This is not the lifetime appointment of a Pope or a Supreme Court Justice. Just because Bob Healy has served for over three decades does not change the fact that for his entire term, contract or no contract, Bob Healy served "at the pleasure of the City Council." The same will be true of Rich Rossi. There is nothing interim nor permanent about the job. Unless someone is filling in due to an unexpected departure, you’re either the City Manager or you’re not. The public elects the City Council who then hires their choice of City Manager. The democracy part takes place every 2 years in November. If anyone is especially passionate about this, you can pull papers next July to be a City Council candidate or start recruiting candidates you can support.

Here are the items that I found interesting:

Manager’s Agenda #1. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation on the Patty Chen, et al Zoning Petition.

The Council has until Feb 12, 2013 to pass this petition that would slightly expand the set of streets on which bars and alcohol-serving entertainment venues may locate their entrances to include one block of Prospect Street north of Mass. Ave. The Planning Board supports it, and little or no objection from the public has been heard. It’s a good idea and should be approved forthwith. People are waiting to open for business.

Manager’s Agenda #4. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to a report from the Department of Public Works that summarizes the results from a feasibility study regarding a possible pilot program for curbside food scraps collection from residents for composting.

Honey WagonFrom the Executive Summary:
If implemented, the pilot will run one day a week for one year. We estimate 2 tons per day of food and 124 tons per year. This assumes 800 households generating 10 pounds of food scraps per week with an 85% participation rate and 70% setout rate. To ensure an efficient pilot route, we will choose a neighborhood within one collection day. We would target a range of housing types including single-family homes and residential buildings with up to 12 units… Households participating in the pilot will receive a kitchen scrap container and a year’s supply of 3-gallon compostable bags to line the container…. If the pilot is successful, a voluntary citywide program would be phased in by collection day to get enough participation among households to achieve minimum route density.

This is an exciting development. Many of us will continue to compost organics in our backyards, but if the pilot is successful and the program can eventually be expanded to a citywide program, this will be a great service to those who either cannot set up composting at home or who may prefer an organics collection service. Bring back the honey wagon! What was old is new again.

Applications and Petitions #2. A zoning petition has been received from Zevart M. Hollisian, Trustee of Garabed B. Hollisian Trust and L-Z Realty Trust and Seth D. Alexander, President, MIT Investment Management Company to amend the Zoning Ordinance and Map by extending the Cambridgeport Revitalization Development District from Green Street out to Massachusetts Avenue in the area adjacent to Blanche Street; said petition includes a map and a commitment letter.

This is essentially the same petition that was filed last March together with the committments subsequently made in July prior to the expiration of that petition. The main argument then for why the petition should be allowed to expire was that the Central Square Advisory Committee 2011/2012 was still in the process of formulating its recommendations. That process is now complete, so the time is right to revisit this proposal.

Memorandum from the Central Square Advisory Committee 2011/2012 on its Final Recommendations

Central Square and Osborn Triangle Plan & Recommendations

Discussion of Recommendations Presentation

Parking Lot Reuse Presentation

Communications #1. Open Meeting Law Complaint filed by Tom Stohlman.

Order #9. That the City Clerk, in consultation with the Law Department, draft a response regarding an Open Meeting Law complaint received on Dec 4, 2012 for the City Council’s consideration at its Dec 17, 2012 City Council meeting in order to meet the Dec 21, 2012 deadline.   Mayor Davis

It is doubtful that there is any merit to the claim that the Open Meeting Law was violated in the drafting of last week’s Order on the appointment of Rich Rossi as City Manager starting next July. As City Clerk Donna Lopez clearly explained last week, the Order was drafted by a minority of City Council members and was submitted to the City Clerk who then circulated the Order to provide other councillors the opportunity to sign on as cosponsors. This is standard procedure. There were neither meetings involving a majority of councillors nor were there "serial meetings." It is likely that some councillors had conversations on the topic, but the intention of the Open Meeting Law has never been to require elected officials to avoid all conversation except when meeting in a public session.

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council on the cause and other details of the power outage on Nov 29, 2012.   Mayor Davis

The best report I’ve seen so far is by John Hawkinson of MIT’s The Tech.

Communications and Reports from City Officers #1. A communication was received from Mayor Henrietta Davis transmitting a copy of the Silver Ribbon Commission Report.

There report is available here. [Thanks to the Mayor’s Office for posting the 50-page original document!] – RW

December 3, 2012

The Apprentice, starring Richard Rossi – Dec 3, 2012 Cambridge City Council Agenda Highlights

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , — Robert Winters @ 12:34 am

The Apprentice, starring Richard Rossi – Dec 3, 2012 Cambridge City Council Agenda Highlights

Everything else on the agenda pales in comparison to:

Rich RossiOrder #6: That the City Council appoint Richard C. Rossi as City Manager of the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts beginning on July 1, 2013 for a period of three years ending on June 30, 2016.   Councillor Maher, Councillor Cheung, Councillor Reeves, Councillor Toomey, Mayor Davis and Councillor Decker

Though some of the usual suspects are throwing fits about this sudden turn of events, it is neither surprising nor unwelcome. The only surprising thing about the City Council taking this action is how quickly they chose to do so. Several weeks ago I wrote on this page, "I would not be at all surprised if the whole process falls apart by next summer and 5 councillors just make a motion from the floor to hire someone they like." My estimate was perhaps a bit too cautious. The City Council should be congratulated for their wisdom and their decisiveness. The goal-setting and soul-searching will proceed as planned. This important crossroads in the life of the city will be more like a bend in the road, and that’s a good thing. The next steps for Kendall Square and Central Square are on the horizon, and it will be helpful to have competent city management firmly established as these waters are navigated.

Rich Rossi has been Deputy City Manager for decades. If serving as an apprentice prepares someone for a job, then there is no question that Rich is the most qualified person for this job at this time. An expensive intergalactic search could have been conducted, but it’s hard to imagine there being another candidate as well-prepared for the job and who knows Cambridge as thoroughly. As Bob Healy said several months ago, "He’s the best athlete in the draft."

Elsewhere on the agenda, there are these:

Manager’s Agenda #4. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-88, regarding a report on how the City plans to maintain grade separated bikeways and keep them free from sand, branches and other debris.

The report states, "Grade separate bikeways are being swept clear of debris at least as frequently as residential street sweeping, monthly from April through December. The City sweeps these areas more frequently, if time permits. During the winter months, cycle tracks are cleared of snow and ice as soon as practicable." For the proposed Western Avenue sidewalk track, it will lie precisely where winter snow is normally piled, and where rubbish and recycling will be set out for curbside collection. It is unlikely that salt or other substance will be spread on the sidewalk to keep the lane free of ice. Even if miraculously the track is kept clear, the number of poor-visibility intersections will make this boondoggle an adventure. It will also reduce cycling speeds and mobility, and the narrowed road lanes will be less safe for those of us who choose to travel in the road (as we do on every other street).

Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council on the impact the recently passed medical marijuana referendum might have on Cambridge and provide any suggested zoning or local ordinance changes relevant to this new law.   Councillor Kelley

Many cities and towns in Massachusetts are now grappling with how this will be managed, and Cambridge is no exception. Zoning laws were originally designed to manage the conflicting interests of residents, businesses, and industry, but they are now used (rightly or wrongly) to dictate almost to a microscopic level what may or may not exist in every zoning district. It will be interesting to see what efforts will now be made to monkeywrench the result of the recent referendum. Where would you want this use permitted?

Committee Report #3. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public meeting held on Oct 3, 2012 to discuss the zoning petition filed by Patty Chen, et al. to amend the Zoning Ordinance in Section 20.300 Central Square Overlay District in Section 20.304.5 Use Limitations and Restrictions.

This is the zoning petition that would modify Section 20.300 to allow clubs to have an entrance on a portion of Prospect Street (and not just on Massachusetts Avenue or Main Street). This is a sensible modification that does not overreach what is needed to allow the All-Asia to relocate to its proposed new location on Prospect Street. The new name of the club was originally supposed to be Valhalla, but it is now being reported that it will instead be called the Prospect Lounge. Shades of the old Prospect Buffet that used to grace the east side of that formerly tough stretch of road.

On a related note, the Central Square Advisory Committee 2011/2012 just wrapped up its year-long process. The complete recommendations will have their initial presentation at the Planning Board on Tuesday (Dec 4). The members of the Advisory Committee drafted a Memorandum from the Central Square Advisory Committee 2011/2012 on its Final Recommendations. It’s worth the read. – RW

Addendum – After much public comment and some heartfelt statements by councillors, the City Council voted 8-1 to approve Order #6 appointing Richard Rossi as City Manager to succeed Robert Healy beginning July 1, 2013. Only Councillor Kelley voted in the negative. After the vote, Richie gave a marvelous speech about growing up in Cambridge, of his priorities, and of his great appreciation for being given this opportunity. It was a great evening.

The Public Comment period was predictable with the usual suspects flinging criticism based on their indignance at not being consulted. Perhaps the lowest of the commentary came from Pebble Gifford who wanted the Council to amend the Order to have Mr. Rossi appointed as Interim City Manager or Acting City Manager. It’s really so thoughtful of the Hilliard Street upper crust to make sure that people know their place. – RW

The City Clerks and City Managers of Cambridge

November 30, 2012

Cambridge City Council to Propose 3-Year Appointment of Richard Rossi as City Manager

Filed under: Cambridge,Cambridge government,City Council — Tags: , — Robert Winters @ 11:41 am

On this Monday’s Agenda:
Cambridge City Council to Propose 3-Year Appointment of Richard Rossi as City Manager

Richard RossiO-6     Dec 3, 2012
COUNCILLOR MAHER
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
COUNCILLOR REEVES
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
MAYOR DAVIS
COUNCILLOR DECKER
WHEREAS: City Manager Robert W. Healy has notified the City Council of his intent to retire as of June 30, 2012 after 32 years in that position; and
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge’s current executive leadership team led by Mr. Healy and Mr. Rossi has one of the longest tenures of any municipal leadership team not only in the Commonwealth but in the nation; and
WHEREAS: The City Council has committed to conducting an in depth "community visioning and engagement" process at this important juncture and prior to commencing a formal executive search; and
WHEREAS: The City Council would like to ensure that during these fiscally challenging and uncertain times Cambridge will continue to thrive and provide new opportunities; and
WHEREAS: The City Council would like to make this leadership transition as seamless as possible for residents, the business community and city staff; and
WHEREAS: Planning for the 2014 fiscal budget is fast approaching with initial meetings scheduled to begin on Dec 5, 2012; and
WHEREAS: The City will benefit from proven leadership, talent and experience as the City is currently in the process of a number of major initiatives including planning studies in Central and Kendall Squares and an aggressive capital improvement plan to rebuild several schools; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Council hereby appoint Richard C. Rossi as City Manager of the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts beginning on July 1, 2013 for a period of three years ending on June 30, 2016; and be it further
ORDERED: That City Manager Robert W. Healy work collaboratively with Mr. Rossi in the development of the Fiscal Year 2014 budget, a budget that Mr. Rossi will ultimately be charged with administering; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Council continue its work to develop a comprehensive "community visioning and engagement" process; and be it further
ORDERED: That a contract which sets forth, inter alia, the provisions specified above, shall be provided by the Chair of the Government Operations and Rules Committee to the City Council for approval no later than Jan 7, 2013.

November 4, 2012

Meanwhile, outside of Ohio – Nov 5, 2012 Cambridge City Council Agenda highlights

Filed under: 2012 election,Cambridge,Central Square,City Council — Tags: , — Robert Winters @ 9:24 pm

Meanwhile, outside of Ohio – Nov 5, 2012 Cambridge City Council Agenda highlights

On Election Eve when the focus of one or more members of the City Council is on the next day, the tradition is to have a very short meeting. Colleagues generally respect this, and it’s considered offensive to violate this tradition. Here are a few items that drew my attention for this (hopefully) short meeting:

Manager’s Agenda #1. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the results of the bi-annual Citizens Opinion Survey for 2012. [Survey Results]

Short version – everybody’s happy except for a few raised eyebrows about the quality of the public schools. The once ultimate priority among residents on affordable housing is now barely a blip on the radar. People are now more concerned about public safety and quality City services. Nobody is outraged by the tax rates, especially condo owners.

Manager’s Agenda #9. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-115, regarding additional information requested on accessibility and other potential barriers at polling locations.

This is a follow-up report requested by Councillor Decker who spent the last meeting berating good City employees for no good reason. Just because a politician has some skin in the game does not give her license to bully people who are doing their best under circumstances over which they may not have total control. One has to wonder whether elevation to the state legislature will bring a little grace and perspective to this politician. If not, she should expect a lot of pushback from her future colleagues and maybe an actual challenger in the 2014 election.

Charter Right #2. That the Mayor and the Chair of the Government Operations and Rules Committee are requested to provide updates every other week on the status of the City Manager search process to the City Council and to work with the City’s Information Technology staff to have those updates posted on the City Council website under a separate tab on the City Council’s page on the City’s website. [Charter Right exercised by Mayor Davis on Order Number One of Oct 22, 2012.]

Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Government Operations and Rules Committee, for a public meeting held on Oct 24, 2012 to discuss the visioning process for the City of Cambridge and the City Manager search.

The City Manager selection process carries on – sort of. At the recent committee meeting, the strong suggestion was that the councillors should expect glacial progress with an actual candidate not arriving until possibly 2014 after the current City Council term has passed. Naturally, that suggestion didn’t sit well with some councillors – ironically the same councillors who were most in favor of an elaborate process of self-realization, soul-searching, goal-setting, and kumbaya-singing prior to hiring a successor to Bob Healy. I expect there to now be some movement toward a more abbreviated process, and I would not be at all surprised if the whole process falls apart by next summer and 5 councillors just make a motion from the floor to hire someone they like.

Unfinished Business #10. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public meeting held on Oct 3, 2012 to discuss a zoning petition filed by Susan Yanow, et al to rezone……

Nothing will likely happen with this silly petition to downzone Central Square. The Council voted to "leave to withdraw" at the previous meeting in response to a request of one of the petitioners to withdraw the petition. Expect it to gather dust on Unfinished Business until it expires on New Year’s Day. Meanwhile, the actual planning process with Goody/Clancy and the short-term "Central Square Advisory Committee 20011-12" continues. Their next meeting is Wed, Nov 7 to attempt to formulate final recommendations. Where it all goes from there is an open question.

Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Department of Public Works on the feasibility of installing recycling bins adjacent to trash bins and report back to the City Council.   Councillor Cheung and Councillor vanBeuzekom

It should be noted that there has already been a dramatic increase in the number of "Big Belly" recycling bins in Central Square and elsewhere. There is a cost associated with each new installation, but there are also considerations about maintenance of these bins. They can very easily become just another trash bin to careless people, and that does not promote recycling.

Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Law Department, the Chief Information Officer of the Information Technology Department and any other relevant departments to evaluate the feasibility of ensuring all city-sponsored committee hearing minutes are available online and report back to the City Council.   Councillor Cheung and Councillor vanBeuzekom

No argument with this Order, but I wonder sometimes what the actual demand really is for this enhanced availability and whether the cost is always worth it. Let’s hope that the response to this Order is just a revision to the protocol for generating and making these documents available – rather than a lot of additional labor with greatly diminishing returns.

One more thing: Life will go on relatively unchanged for most people regardless of Tuesday’s election outcome. You might not believe that based on all the rhetoric generated by the Senate and Presidential election campaigns. – RW

October 22, 2012

Culture, Rats, and Parking: Oct 22, 2012 Cambridge City Council Agenda Highlights

Filed under: Cambridge,Central Square,City Council — Tags: — Robert Winters @ 1:02 pm

October 22, 2012 Cambridge City Council Agenda Highlights: Culture, Rats, and Parking

Tonight’s City Council agenda is short but contains a few interesting items:

Resolution #4. Congratulations to the newly state-designated Central Square Cultural District.   Councillor Reeves

This is yet another signal of the ongoing revival of Central Square and the need to maintain the positive momentum. The next steps should involve some additional housing construction and "filling the gaps" where inappropriate one-story buildings now occupy parcels that once had more appropriate scale buildings – on the order of perhaps 4 or 5 stories at the sidewalk. There seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel regarding the eventual report of Goody/Clancy and the associated short-term advisory committee for Central Square. One of the greatest problems over the years is that interest in Central Square is cyclical – a push for some flavor of improvements and then the excitement dies down for another decade or so. It is certainly the case that Central Square is not Kendall Square and that the appropriate densities for these respective areas are not the same, but the right balance has to be created in Central Square so that the residents, businesses, and cultural attractions can all thrive – and we’re not there yet.

Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public meeting held on Oct 3, 2012 to discuss a zoning petition filed by Susan Yanow, et al to rezone from the existing Business A to Business A-1 the areas bounded by Windsor, Main Streets, Bishop Allen Drive, Columbia, Prospect and Norfolk Streets; rezone from the existing Bus. B and CRDD to a proposed new district Bus. B-3 in the area bounded by Green, Landsdowne, Magazine and Prospect Streets and Mass. Ave. define as a protected neighborhood zone the area zoned Res. C-1 and bounded by Portland, Main and Windsor Streets and a line 120 feet north of and parallel to Main Street; rezone the areas currently identified as Municipal Parking Lots along Bishop Allen Drive to a proposed new Municipal Parking District (MP).

There is word going around today that the petitioners have withdrawn their petition. It’s not really clear that a petition that has been filed with 36 signatures can be "withdrawn" simply on the word of one or several of its proponents. There seems to be a suggestion that this withdrawal is being done strategically with the intent of revising and re-filing the petition. This would be a mistake. Such an absurd petition should be voted and defeated. Zoning petitions should not be filed simply as expressions of unhappiness. That’s what "letters to the editor" and the public comment period during City Council meetings are for.

Order #1. That the Mayor and the Chair of the Government Operations and Rules Committee are requested to provide updates every other week on the status of the City Manager search process to the City Council and to work with the City’s Information Technology staff to have those updates posted on the City Council website under a separate tab on the City Council’s page on the City’s website.   Councillor Kelley

All sentiments like this are in order. The choice of city manager is the single most important decision to be made by the City Council, and residents and other interested parties have a right to know what’s going on so that they can express themselves to their elected representatives – the only 9 people who will actually make the decision. My main reservation in this matter is that this might turn into some kind of "process carnival" in which every aspect of life in Cambridge is discussed with minimal focus on the only thing that really matters – the capacity to competently manage this city. I also have some concern that with this City Council, the tail might wag the dog and we could end up with a hopelessly wrong choice for the next city manager.

Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to work together with Inspectional Services Department, the Department of Public Works, the Law Department, the Public Information Department, the Public Health Department and a group of concerned residents and property owners to explore action on suggestions for controlling the rodent population.   Councillor vanBeuzekom

This is one area in which her City Council colleagues should definitely heed the advice of Councillor vanBeuzekom. Prior to her election, Minka was an expert member of the Cambridge Rodent Task Force. Rodents quake in fear at the mention of her name.

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City officials to explore the possibility of completing an on-street parking census and the impacts of a plan for the gradual reduction of on-street parking spaces over the next decades.   Councillor vanBeuzekom

Here’s where I part company with Councillor vanBeuzekom. Though some of my climate change friends may believe otherwise, on-street parking spaces are an essential resource for those who live in this "streetcar suburb" and who do not have access to off-street parking. I cannot respect the desire of an elected official who has off-street parking dictating to the rest of us that we should lose our parking in order to produce a negligible effect on world climate. – Robert Winters

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