Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

Political Updates

June 10 – We have a new City Council candidate: Gwen Volmar

June 9 – We have a new School Committee candidate: Laurance Kimbrough

June 7 – We have a new City Council candidate: Jeffrey Santos

The following City Council candidates have either had or scheduled a campaign kickoff event or fomally announced their candidacy (15):
Ron Benjamin, Dennis Carlone, Olivia D’Ambrosio, Jan Devereux, Sam Gebru, Craig A. Kelley, Alanna Mallon, Marc McGovern, Nadya Okamoto, Jeffrey Santos, Sumbul Siddiqui, Vatsady Sivongxay, Sean Tierney, Paul Toner, and Quinton Zondervan.

The following individuals have not yet formally announced their candidacy but are expected to be City Council candidates (3):
Adriane B. Musgrave, E. Denise Simmons, Gwen Volmar

The following individuals have not yet announced their City Council candidacy and it’s not yet clear if they will (3):
Dennis Benzan, Leland Cheung, Timothy J. Toomey, Jr.

The following School Committee candidates have either had or scheduled a campaign kickoff event or fomally announced their candidacy (6):
Manikka Bowman, Fran Cronin, Emily Dexter, Kathleen Kelly, Laurance Kimbrough, Will MacArthur

The following individuals have not yet formally announced their candidacy but are expected to be School Committee candidates (3):
Alfred B. Fantini, Richard Harding, Jr., Patricia M. Nolan

2017 Cambridge
Candidate Pages

2017 Campaign Event Listings and Candidate Forums
[Note: Only events open to the general public (with or without RSVP) will be listed.]

Campaign Finance Reports –
2017 City Council

Cambridge Retail Strategic Plan

The City is currently preparing a Retail Strategic Plan to determine best practice policies and programs that will support and enhance the retail environment in Cambridge. The consultant team Larisa Ortiz Associates (LOA) and the Community Development Department’s Economic Development Division are leading the planning efforts and will identify short and long-term goals to propose for the City’s retail retention and recruitment strategy.

On Wednesday, June 14, 2017 please join us and the City Council’s Economic Development and University Relations Committee at City Hall for a public hearing to discuss the final recommendations from Larisa Ortiz Associates in regards to the Retail Strategic Plan. Policy and programmatic opportunities related to the retail environment in Cambridge will also be discussed.

Meeting details:
Time: 4:30pm-6:30pm
Date: June 14, 2017
Location: Sullivan Chambers, Cambridge City Hall

For additional updates on the Retail Strategy, please visit: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Projects/EconDev/retailstrategicplan

City Dance Party Friday, June 30, 7-11pm
Mass Ave. will be Closed to Traffic but Open for Dancing!

Join thousands of Cambridge residents and visitors who will gather on Massachusetts Avenue in front of Cambridge City Hall (795 Massachusetts Ave.) for the City’s 20th Annual Dance Party. The portion of Mass. Ave., between Prospect and Bigelow streets, will be closed to traffic from 7pm – Midnight but open for dancing. This event is free and open to the public. MBTA: Red Line to Central Square.

The annual dance extravaganza with DJ spun music is a special opportunity for the entire Cambridge community to celebrate summer. After dark, colorful lights will be launched, adding to the magic of the evening.

PLEASE NOTE: MBTA #1 Bus Line will terminate in Central Square at 6pm and is expected to resume full service by Midnight. (Take the Red Line subway to travel between Central & Harvard Squares). The closest subway stop to the Dance Party is Central Square, then two blocks to City Hall.

For more information, contact Maryellen Carvello at 617-349-4301 or mcarvello@cambridgema.gov.

Cambridge Council on Aging Public Forum on Scams, Healthy Relationships, and Personal Wellbeing – June 22

Cambridge’s Council on Aging is hosting the public forum “Empowering Older Adults – Scams, Healthy Relationships and Personal Well-Being” Thursday, June 22, from 12:30-3:00pm, at the Cambridge Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Avenue. Prior to the performance, a mini-Resource Fair will take place at 12:30 p.m. Various agencies providing specific assistance in regard to resources and support addressing specific needs of older adults will be present. Light refreshments will be served.

As part of World Elder Abuse Awareness campaign, please join us for a performance with True Story Theater to increase awareness about elder abuse. Stories of actual challenges faced by older adults will be dramatized by the troupe. This program is presented by the Cambridge Elder Abuse Prevention Coalition and the performance was generously funded through a Tufts Health Plan Foundation grant.

This event is free. Registration is requested but not required. To register for this public forum, contact Susan Pacheco at spacheco@cambridgema.gov or call 617-349-6220.

Household Hazardous Waste Day Scheduled for Saturday, June 17th at the Volpe Transportation Center
Fire extinguishers now accepted

The City of Cambridge is sponsoring a Household Hazardous Waste collection day on Saturday, June 17th, from 9am to 1pm at Volpe Transportation Center – Parking Lot 4. Residents should access the lot via Munroe off Third St. Please see the map below.

This event is free and open to Cambridge residents (proof of Cambridge residency required), and for the first time, fire extinguishers will now be accepted at the event.

Proper disposal of household chemicals helps protect public health and the environment. Learn more about accepted materials, other guidelines, and future dates by clicking here, visiting www.cambridgema.gov/recycle, or calling Public Works at 617-349-4800.

Harvard Square Theater would be replaced with new building, cinema (May 31, 2017 by Dan Adams, Boston Globe)

Proposed replacement for Harvard Square Cinema building

Harvard Square Cinema building today – June 2017

Cambridge Program Aims to Bolster Local Renewable Energy Use
Cambridge uses the bulk buying power of the entire community to negotiate a better prices

Starting with August utility bills, Cambridge residents and businesses currently enrolled in Eversource Basic Service will begin to receive cleaner electricity through the launch of the Cambridge Community Electricity program. In addition to increasing the amount of renewable energy in the city’s electricity supply, the Cambridge Community Electricity program will provide cost savings to Cambridge customers at the time of its launch. This new program uses the bulk buying power of the entire community to negotiate a better price for the Supplier Services portion of electricity bills, a process called electricity aggregation. Participants will be able to opt-out of the program at any time without penalty or fee.

“Through the Cambridge Community Electricity program, the City is furthering our commitment to combatting climate change by increasing the amount of renewable energy in our community’s electricity supply,” said Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager. The Cambridge Community Electricity program rates is fixed from July 2017 through January 2019 at a price lower than Eversource Basic Service at program launch. Though future cost savings are not guaranteed, the goal of the program’s fixed rate is to provide savings when compared with the average cost of the changing Eversource Basic Service prices.

Cambridge residents and businesses who currently receive Eversource Basic Service will be automatically enrolled in the Cambridge Community Electricity program’s Standard Green option, available for 10.486 cents/kWh (the current Eversource Basic Service rate is 10.759 cents/kWh). This option includes 25% more solar energy than required by the state, derived from renewable energy projects in or near Cambridge.

Residents and businesses also have the option of enrolling in 100% Green, which provides 100% renewable electricity generated by projects throughout New England. This option is available by request for 12.180 cents/kWh. “The Cambridge Community Electricity program reflects the City’s commitment to the Net Zero Action Plan. Increasing renewable energy options for residents and businesses brings us closer to achieving carbon neutrality by mid-century,” said Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development.

Electricity delivery, outage issues, and billing will continue to be handled by Eversource, and those who are eligible for discounts through Eversource will continue to receive the same benefits. Residents with solar panels on their property will continue to receive net metering credits, which will continue to be calculated based on the Eversource Basic Service rate.

Eligible customers will receive detailed letters about the program in June and the public is invited to attend any of the following information sessions:

To opt-out prior to the program’s July launch, requests must be submitted by July 5, 2017 to Agera Energy at 1-888-589-7790 or online at www.masspowerchoice.com/cambridge, or by signing and returning the reply card received in the mail.

For additional information, visit the program website at www.masspowerchoice.com/cambridge. Questions or comments can be directed to Cambridge Community Electricity program consultants at 1-844-379-9934 or cambridge@masspowerchoice.com.