The Beat Goes On – November 22, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting
Here’s my take on the interesting stuff this week:
Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to reappointments and new appointments of members of the Transit Advisory Committee for a term of 2-years, effective Nov 22, 2021.
Placed on File 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointments and new appointments of members of the Pedestrian Committee for a term of 2-years, effective Nov 22, 2021.
Placed on File 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointments and new appointments of members of the Bicycle Committee for a term of 2-years, effective Nov 22, 2021.
Placed on File 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointments of the following members of the Planning Board, effective Nov 22, 2021: Mary Flynn, Louis Bacci, Jr., Catherine Preston Connolly and H. Theodore Cohen.
Placed on File 6-3 (McGovern, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Zondervan – NO)
Charter Right #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to new appointments of members of the Foundry Advisory Committee for a term of three years, effective Nov 8, 2021. [Charter Right – Councillor Simmons, Nov 15, 2021]
Placed on File 8-0-1 (McGovern – ABSENT)
Charter Right #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to new appointments and reappointments of the following persons as members of the Citizens Committee on Civic Unity, effective Nov 1, 2021 for three year terms. [Charter Right – Councillor Simmons, Nov 15, 2021]
Placed on File 8-0-1 (McGovern – ABSENT)
I have no idea what Councillor Simmons is up to with her Charter Right last week to delay acceptance of the reports of the City Manager’s appointments. I shudder to think of what it may be like next year when some councillors may question or veto some of these appointments for reasons having little or nothing to do with the qualifications of the appointees. Perhaps Councillor Simmons is offering us a chilling preview.
During a time when more comprehensive transportation planning is warranted it’s interesting that we have no advisory committee addressing motor vehicle traffic, and all other transportation modes are balkanized into separate silos.
Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-80, regarding a report on redesign work done at Carl Barron Plaza.
Referred 9-0 to Dec 8 Joint Hearing of Health & Environment Committee and Veterans & Human Services Committee
A few tweaks here and there may be helpful, but the proposed redesign has been pretty well fleshed out at this point and is hostile to no one. Bringing up this matter at this point is more political turf-fighting than anything else. I will, however, note that several years ago I voted in favor of a Participatory Budget proposal for a public swing in one of more of the City’s Squares. That might be a nice addition to Central Square.
Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-76, regarding a report on the incident involving the Cambridge Police Officers outside Central Square YMCA on Oct 17, 2021.
Placed on File 9-0
Some of us will be expecting apologies from a couple of city councillors on this one. Invoking irrelevant national issues in this matter was hostile and insulting – and entirely expected from those two councillors.
Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to direct City staff to work with partners including the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority (CRA) and the Central Square Business Improvement District on identifying spaces in Central Square that would support the creation and protection of cultural and human service spaces that align with the City’s goals. Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0
The devil will be in the details. We all want to see stabilization of arts and cultural resources, but if the only result of this request is the expansion of some of the more problematic services that only serve to define Central Square in the worst possible way, that will not be an improvement.
Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to meet with the Public Health Department, the Department of Human Service Programs, and the Recreation & Aquatics Department to look into providing a suitable practice space for the Cambridge Synchronized Swimming Team for Cambridge residents. Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0
You can’t top Harry Shearer, Martin Short, and Christopher Guest on SNL.
It’s encouraging to see City Council Orders of late that call for the creation of spaces for pickleball, cricket, and now sychronized swimming. I just won’t be satisfied until there’s at least one miniature golf option available in the city – maybe coupled with a batting cage.
Committee Report #1. The Housing Committee met on Nov 10, 2021 to conduct a public hearing to discuss the Sept 20, 2021 Policy Order that seeks to amend the Zoning Ordinance via potentially raising the linkage fee.
Amended, Placed on File 9-0
Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from City Solicitor Nancy E. Glowa, transmitting memorandums regarding Home Rule Petition on Transfer Fee amendment. [City Solicitor’s Letter] [Petition (redlined)]
Placed on File, Order Adopted 9-0
And The Beat Goes On. Boston’s linkage fees total about $17.30 per square foot of new commercial development. Councillor Zondervan’s motion to recommend an increase in Cambridge’s linkage fee to $33.34/sq ft failed (for now). The meeting was recessed, not adjourned, and may reconvene at some point w/o additional public comment. Personally, I find problematic the continued singular belief that creating subsidized housing with little or no emphais on homeownership or building of equity. In Boston there is always at least some discussion of empowerment and wealth creation for those who might otherwise be excluded from such opportunities.
Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from City Solicitor Nancy E. Glowa, transmitting a response of City of Cambridge to Open Meeting Law Complaint of Heather Hoffman dated Nov 3, 2021.
Placed on File, Order Adopted 9-0
Regardless of the particulars, there has been a trend during the pandemic toward limited transparency in Cambridge public meetings, especially in regard to late orders and other matters not known to the public prior to a meeting or available in publicly posted agenda materials. Even proposals for charter change sprang out of nowhere. Zoom is simply no substitute for actual public meetings.
Communications & Reports #5. A communication was received from Councillor Dennis Carlone transmitting recommendations regarding the Alewife Quadrangle urban design and zoning.
Placed on File 9-0
I’m sure Councillor Carlone has some good ideas here – as would be expected from someone whose livelihood is based on such ideas. That said, I’ll repeat what I said last week on this topic: “Honestly, if our councillors were actually working for us they would have proposed interim Alewife zoning within one week of the Envision Alewife recommendations. Even if those recommendations were insufficient there would already have been interim zoning in place. Instead they now propose a moratorium after over a half billion dollars exchanges hands under existing zoning.”
Communications & Reports #6. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, regarding the 2022 City Council Inauguration.
Placed on File 9-0
The swearing-in ceremony is proposed to take place in-person on Jan 3, 2022 in the Sullivan Chamber with masks and distancing observed. There will be fewer invited guests, and the public will have to settle for Zoom. – Robert Winters