Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

A Look at the June 1, 2020 City Council Agenda

As The World Burns, the City Council is now meeting to premier their new Zoom shows and characters – Councillor Nolan will host "Science Says" while Councillor Zondervan continues to perfect his "Mumbles" character while the City Clerk repeatedly asks, "What was that you said, Councillor?" There will also be a prolonged discussion on the difference between a million dollars and a billion dollars.

As for the agenda items to be acted out by these memorable characters and others, there are these special scenes:

Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on COVID-19.

Manager’s Agenda #5. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $677,300 from Free Cash, to the General Fund Finance Department Other Ordinary Maintenance Account ($125,000); to the General Fund Fire Department Other Ordinary Maintenance Account ($125,000); to the General Fund Police Department Other Ordinary Maintenance Account ($208,300); General Fund Executive Department Other Ordinary Maintenance Account ($200,000) and to the General Fund Emergency Communications Department Other Ordinary Maintenance Account ($19,000) which will cover projected costs of materials and supplies related to the COVID-19 crisis for City departments through the end of the fiscal year. Funds will be used to purchase masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, cleaning materials and spray sanitizer, as well as communication costs.

Manager’s Agenda #6. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $60,000 from Free Cash to the General Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account for continued support of Homeless Shelter / Local Restaurant Community meals program through the end of the fiscal year.

Manager’s Agenda #7. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $2,175,000, from Free Cash, to the General Fund Public Works Other Ordinary Maintenance Account ($944,000); to the General Fund Human Services Department Other Ordinary Maintenance Account ($770,000); to the General Fund Police Department Other Ordinary Maintenance Account ($245,000); and to the General Fund Finance Department Other Ordinary Maintenance Account ($216,000); to cover costs associated with the War Memorial Temporary Emergency Shelter at 1640 Cambridge Street.

Manager’s Agenda #8. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of appropriation of $150,000 from Free Cash to the General Fund Finance Department Other Ordinary Maintenance Account, for COVID-19 testing kits.

Most of these agenda items involving expenditures were signaled at last week’s first Budget hearing. Good thing we kept that Free Cash piggy-bank intact rather than raid it to exhaustion for pet projects. It was never just about keeping a AAA bond rating. The Budget Hearings continue this week.

Communication #9. A communication was received from Saul Tannenbaum, 16 Cottage Street, regarding correcting the record on Municipal Broadband costs.

This communication provides a preliminary version of a feasibility study of municipal broadband that has already been done (true), and the City Manager indicated at the Budget Hearing that the City’s consultant has plenty more information to provide at a future committee hearing (if they ever get around to holding such a meeting). The manager’s off-the-cuff remark was that he didn’t want to commit to "a million dollar study for a billion dollar program." I definitely want to hear more because the last thing I’ll do is accept the supposed expertise of these councillors. If the City Administration believes that an acceptable level of Internet access is available via other means, I would like to hear about that. Above all, if a credible argument can be made that a City investment in municipal broadband will put the City at great financial risk, I would like to hear about it and better understand why this might be the case. Elected officials like to score points on how much they can spend, but city managers earn their keep by finding ways to spend what is necessary to efficiently deliver services – or at least that’s how it’s supposed to work.

Order #3. Governor Baker’s Emergency Order on March 25, 2020 included a ban on reusable bags and lifted all municipal bans and fees on plastic bags.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan

I hope that reusable bags will again be permitted but that fees on plastic bags will not be imposed until the coast really is clear.

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting information from the School Committee’s Regular Meeting and Subcommittee meetings.

I appreciate these reports but I remain very concerned that public education is not being equitably distributed in this virtual environment and that it will remain very difficult to correct this regardless what steps are taken.

PS – I haven’t felt this nervous about the state of my country since 1968. I have yet to see anyone emerge as the kind of leader who can rally people toward peace and justice rather than vengeance and defense. Maybe if Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all did a joint message that might be a start, but there are many people acting out right now on both extremes of the political spectrum who would likely be unmoved. Anarchy and Twitter stardom apparently remain more attractive to some characters than civilization. – Robert Winters