Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

Superstition – October 19, 2020 Cambridge City Council Agenda

There are 13 Communications, 13 Resolutions, and 13 Orders on this week’s agenda. Good thing there were 14 items on the City Manager’s Agenda or I would have on the Last Train to Clarksville. Here’s the pick of the litter:
[Note: This is the first time I’m writing these comments post-meeting. Given the choice between civic/political commentary and finishing grading a large stack of mathematics exams, the grading won out.]

Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-32, regarding the feasibility of identifying one evening or day per week that the Fresh Pond Golf Course can be open to the public for general use.

The very predictable rhetoric centered on "equity" and the unspeakable horror that not every square foot of land is open to anyone at any hour of any day for any reason. The City Manager assured the verklempt councillors that people could frolic on the golf course after the golf season was over.

Manager’s Agenda #3. Transmitting communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $175,000, from Free Cash to the Public Investment Public Works Extraordinary Expenditures account to launch a COVID-19 sewer testing program.

City Engineer Kathy Watkins reported that samples will be drawn weekly from three representative sites East Cambridge/Inman Sq., N. Cambridge, and the Port to detect viral load in wastewater, and that results should start pouring in this November.

Manager’s Agenda #5. Transmitting communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $50,000 received from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) Innovate Energy Efficiency Grant Program, to the Grant Fund Community Development Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account which will be used to support the Cambridge Multifamily Energy Retrofit Program, which aims to increase the energy efficiency of multifamily buildings with 5-49 units by offering technical, solar, and financing support.

I’ll again take this opportunity to express how thrilled I am with another program (carried out thanks to a partnership between the City of Cambridgeand the nonprofit All In Energy) that will soon be blowing insulation into all the walls of my triple-decker plus additional energy-saving measures at zero cost to me. Carrots work better than sticks.

Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-21, regarding a report on developing a Vacant Storefront Registry.

CDD Asst. City Manager Iram Farooq reported that CDD has been keeping such a registry for some time. She also explained to the “fine ’em ’til it hurts” councillors that fines for extended vacancies usually can be shucked off by the big guys and might only hurt the little guys. Better to just work with those property owners for better outcomes – what a concept!

Manager’s Agenda #8. Transmitting communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $50,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Executive Department Extraordinary Expenditures Account for the City’s third annual contribution to the MBTA Green Line Extension project.

The councillors didn’t pull this item, but it’s really exciting to see the progress that’s being made on the GLX and the associated bike/ped corridor and RR crossings. Check out some of the pictures.

Manager’s Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-49, regarding a report on the feasibility of closing several blocks of streets in Harvard Square to vehicular traffic, with the exception of deliveries.

Manager’s Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a response to Policy Order O-13 of Oct 5, 2020, regarding a draft Truck Safety Ordinance.

DPW Commissioner Owen O’Riordan cautioned that imposing broad requirements on all City contractors could negatively impact necessities such as street paving since these contractors operate throughout the state/region and the City would have limited leverage. It’s also a fact that idealist restrictions on City-funded services and initiatives can significantly increase costs in exchange for limited benefit.

Manager’s Agenda #13. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-50, regarding a report on publicizing and enforcing and publicizing the eviction moratorium.

Order #10. That the City Manager confer with the Legal Department on the feasibility of making Cambridge’s Eviction Moratorium stronger to protect our tenants from displacement.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler

It has been interesting watching the alarmist and opportunistic rhetoric propagate on this issue. Suffice to say that the Governor recently approved a $171 million "eviction diversion initiative" to assist both tenants and landlords, the City has an open-ended eviction moratorium still in place, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) still has a national ban on evictions of tenants with verifiable pandemic-related hardships.

Manager’s Agenda #14. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Zoning Recommendations for Retail Uses and Home Occupations.

Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Paula Crane, Deputy City Clerk, transmitting a report from Vice Mayor Mallon, Chair of the Economic Development and University Relations Committee, for a public hearing held on Sept 30, 2020 the purpose of receiving final recommendations from the Community Development Department on updating the commercial land use classification system within the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance.

Committee Report #2. A communication was received from Paula Crane, Deputy City Clerk, transmitting a report from Vice Mayor Mallon, Chair of the Economic Development and University Relations Committee, for a public hearing held on July 30, 2020 to discuss to receive an update on the Retail Land Use Initiative and Retail Table of Land Use Update.

It’s great to see some progress finally being made on this. I haven’t yet bothered to read all the fine details, so I’ll simply express my view that Cambridge has long been overly prescriptive in its allowed uses, and that’s likely to still be the case even with these proposed changes. It’s one thing to have regulations in place to prevent noxious uses, but it’s another thing to be prescribing things to the point that jelly donuts can be sold but cream-filled donuts cannot. [I’m joking, of course, but I hope you get the idea.] Both of the proposed zoning changes (Retail Uses and Home Occupations) were referred to the Planning Board and Ordinance Committee where we’ll have some time to look at the details. It is perhaps worth mentioning that, because of the pandemic, most Cambridge residences have now become workplaces.

Charter Right #2. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Cambridge Historical Commission and other relevant City Departments to ensure that any report or recommendation for a new Neighborhood Conservation District in Cambridge presented to the City Council include an analysis of the potential effects on City housing affordability based on current research, as well as any mitigations that the Cambridge Historical Commission recommends, so that the City Council may holistically evaluate the matter. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR CARLONE IN COUNCIL OCT 5, 2020]

This entire matter has become a case of competing narratives between political partisans – with the ABC crowd identifying anyone who would stand in the way of their Jerome Rappaportization of Cambridge. In their grand vision for East Cambridge and elsewhere, we may soon be seeing signs saying "If you lived here you’d be home now" where the densely-packed homes of immigrants once stood.

Applications & Petitions #1. A Zoning Petition has been received from Arvind Srinivasan regarding zoning language relative to the Alewife Quadrangle Northwest Overlay.

This makes the 4th installment of proposed zoning in the NW part of Alewife Quadrangle starting last September.

Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the City Solicitor’s Office and other relevant departments to determine what impact the Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping may have on the City of Cambridge and its community partners, what options the City may have to work around this order, and to report back to the City Council on this matter in a timely manner.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon

Order #3. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the City Solicitor on an ordinance requiring the city to only purchase goods that are made in full compliance with USA environmental and labor standards.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui

While I’m sure we can all appreciate the intent, my instincts tell me that the City may soon be exclusively using triple-priced eco-pencils, dirty-grey eco-paper, driving double-priced vehicles (or organically-grown bikes) while feasting on nothing other than organic not-burgers washed down with fair trade coffee.

Order #6. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to work with staff and Eversource representatives to set up a public meeting with residents.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Nolan

Could someone contact Eversource and tell them that it’s been 6 years since they did a temporary electrical hookup to my building and never returned to finish the job? Believe me, I have tried my best to no avail to get Eversource to finish what they started.

Order #7. That the City of Cambridge stands in solidarity with the Armenian people in Cambridge, throughout the Commonwealth and world, and the Republic of Artsakh.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan

Order #9. That the City of Cambridge call upon Senator Warren and Senator Markey to call for an end to immigration detention in the United States, the immediate reunification of immigrant families and the release of migrant children and parents from detention, and also to afford these families due process by allowing them the full and fair opportunity to seek protection from the United States.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler

It’s so nice to see Cambridge returning to normal, especially in the field of international relations. I really miss the days of City Council orders seeking to depose leaders like Muammar Gaddafi. Clearly this is what made all the difference in Libya. By the way, Public Comment on Order #7 primarily was phoned in from New Jersey and led to a more Turk-friendly substitute version of this most important piece of Cambridge Intentional Legislation.

Order #11. That the City Manager is hereby requested to instruct the Commissioner of Public Works to utilize continuous planting strips along bike lanes and at all reduced roadway areas in Harvard Square rather than painted buffer zones in Harvard Square to fully address bike and pedestrian safety in Harvard Square.   Councillor Carlone, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan

Perhaps we should ask the DPW Commissioner about the realities of maintaining "planting strips" in the middle of roadways. Sustainability isn’t just about climate change. How long do trees and plantings in narrow strips in roadways actually survive? How will these structures impact snow removal operations?

Order #12. That the City Manager is hereby requested to instruct the Finance Department to provide a dollar amount and percentage of money used by every department to address racial and economic equity in the 2022 Fiscal Year Budget, highlighting additional areas to be considered and that the City Manager present plans for implementation in the 2022 Fiscal Year Budget.   Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons

Order #13. Policy Order calling for Judge Roanne Sragow to be reinstated to her position and remain in Cambridge.   Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui

I learned last week of the retirement of Judge Sragow who has for some time been convening the very innovative and helpful "Homeless Court" in Central Square and Harvard Square. Apparently this was a mandatory age-based retirement even though other judges continue beyond the mandatory age. There is now an outcry from many quarters requesting that Judge Sragow be called upon to reconvene the "Homeless Court" initiative in Cambridge. That would be a Very Good Thing. – Robert "better late than never" Winters