Comments on: Feb 8, 2010 City Council Agenda Highlights http://cambridgecivic.com/?p=544 A supplement to the Cambridge Civic Journal Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:33:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Minka http://cambridgecivic.com/?p=544&cpage=1#comment-278 Minka Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:06:21 +0000 http://cambridgecivic.com/?p=544#comment-278 Matt - That item about Pearl Arts leaving on the council's agenda was just pushed into the City Manager's hands. If the Council Committees were functioning, some discussion with the public could happen there. I think the Central Square Business Association needs to be active as well. As a body they should be able to petition for support services in Central Square: more trash pickup, tree maintenance, policing, enforcing anti-loitering laws, better lighting, art in the empty storefront windows, etc. I can't imagine a tenant looking for space would be encouraged by the nips bottles, butts and trash most everywhere. When a realtor has to guide the prospective tenant over sleeping bodies to show the space, it doesn't set a good tone. Another bank is coming into part of the Gap space. Floating Rock (Thai?) Restaurant is coming in by Douglass Street. That's all I know about new tenants in Central Square. Any other information would be appreciated. Matt –

That item about Pearl Arts leaving on the council’s agenda was just pushed into the City Manager’s hands. If the Council Committees were functioning, some discussion with the public could happen there.

I think the Central Square Business Association needs to be active as well. As a body they should be able to petition for support services in Central Square: more trash pickup, tree maintenance, policing, enforcing anti-loitering laws, better lighting, art in the empty storefront windows, etc. I can’t imagine a tenant looking for space would be encouraged by the nips bottles, butts and trash most everywhere. When a realtor has to guide the prospective tenant over sleeping bodies to show the space, it doesn’t set a good tone.

Another bank is coming into part of the Gap space. Floating Rock (Thai?) Restaurant is coming in by Douglass Street. That’s all I know about new tenants in Central Square. Any other information would be appreciated.

]]> By: Matt http://cambridgecivic.com/?p=544&cpage=1#comment-277 Matt Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:43:17 +0000 http://cambridgecivic.com/?p=544#comment-277 While I'm mildly interested in the battle for mayor-- OK, not really; it doesn't bother me at all-- the most newsworthy item on the agenda was the departure of Pearl Art and the woeful state of economic development along Massachusetts Avenue now. We can't find another retailer to replace the Gap? Or someone to fill that space right in the middle of Harvard Square? I won't even start on the string of empty storefronts between Central and Harvard squares, which is abysmal. This is a priority problem for the city. Our economic vitality cannot solely depend on the biotech and software whiz kids filling office space down near Kendall Square. While I’m mildly interested in the battle for mayor– OK, not really; it doesn’t bother me at all– the most newsworthy item on the agenda was the departure of Pearl Art and the woeful state of economic development along Massachusetts Avenue now. We can’t find another retailer to replace the Gap? Or someone to fill that space right in the middle of Harvard Square? I won’t even start on the string of empty storefronts between Central and Harvard squares, which is abysmal. This is a priority problem for the city. Our economic vitality cannot solely depend on the biotech and software whiz kids filling office space down near Kendall Square.

]]> By: Minka http://cambridgecivic.com/?p=544&cpage=1#comment-276 Minka Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:22:09 +0000 http://cambridgecivic.com/?p=544#comment-276 Thanks for your comments, Robert. I too like to see Councilor Cheung jumping right into the council with a fresh perspective. For tonight's meeting I think he held his own very well and seems to be getting the lingo down quite well. What I would have loved to hear tonight was not discussion on instant runoff vs runoff voting and how to ask the city solicitor but a meaningful discussion of why they are voting for mayor as they are. Councilor Decker said that many evenings and weekends are devoted to discussing this vote. I for one can't tell that. Why can't these discussions be on the record? Councilor Davis said the long process allows the councilors to get to know each other better! I would hope they'd get to know each other as they worked on issues for the city - throughout the year and not just on one issue. I think there is committee work to be done and discussions that should be happening now. The process is stopped because there is no Mayor to appoint committee positions and that's a shame. Thanks for your comments, Robert. I too like to see Councilor Cheung jumping right into the council with a fresh perspective. For tonight’s meeting I think he held his own very well and seems to be getting the lingo down quite well.

What I would have loved to hear tonight was not discussion on instant runoff vs runoff voting and how to ask the city solicitor but a meaningful discussion of why they are voting for mayor as they are. Councilor Decker said that many evenings and weekends are devoted to discussing this vote. I for one can’t tell that. Why can’t these discussions be on the record?

Councilor Davis said the long process allows the councilors to get to know each other better! I would hope they’d get to know each other as they worked on issues for the city – throughout the year and not just on one issue.

I think there is committee work to be done and discussions that should be happening now. The process is stopped because there is no Mayor to appoint committee positions and that’s a shame.

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