Once, Twice, Three, Shoot! – Decisions, Decisions – May 23, 2022 Cambridge City Council meeting
There is an actual meeting agenda this week, but much of the attention now is on the fact that the four finalists for the City Manager position have been revealed and a vote is expected in early June. In the meantime, it’s likely that the appointments for both the City Auditor and the City Clerk will be made at a Special City Council Meeting earlier in the day on Monday, May 23, starting at 10:30am. Unless something unexpected happens, we’ll likely have both Joseph McCann appointed as City Auditor and Diane LeBlanc appointed as City Clerk with both expected to assume their new positions in June.
Note: At a Special Meeting earlier in the day the City Council unanimously appointed Joseph McMann as City Auditor and Diane LeBlanc as City Clerk – both for three-year terms.
Communications & Reports from City Officers #3. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting information about the City Manager finalists. [Iram Farooq] [Cheryl Fisher] [Yi-An Huang] [Norman Khumalo]
Order #1. That the City Council delegate the drafting and finalization of the questions for the interview of the City Council Manager finalists, scheduled for June 1st, 2022, to Randi Frank, LLC with assistance from the City’s Personnel Director Sheila Keady Rawson and with input from individual councillors by confidential submission of requested questions to Randi Frank for her consideration. Vice Mayor Mallon
pulled by Mallon; Adopted as Amended 9-0
The public’s chance to “Meet the Finalists” will take place at the Fitzgerald Auditorium (CRLS) on Tues, May 31 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm, and the City Council interviews will take place during a Special City Council Meeting on Wed, June 1 starting at 6:00pm. The City Council is expected to vote to appoint the next City Manager during a Special City Council Meeting on Monday, June 6th. The meeting will be broadcast on 22-Cityview or Channel 99, and can also be live-streamed online on Zoom. Unless one candidate manages to earn 5 votes right away, it’s not at all clear how the selection will proceed from there.
Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a COVID-19 update.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (McGovern ABSENT)
Manager’s Agenda #2. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $11,000,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Human Services Extraordinary Expenditures Account to support major capital improvements at the Danehy Park Complex.
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0
Charter Right #1. That the City Manager is requested to allocate the remaining ARPA funding, in compliance with the Final Rule, across community-serving applicants. [Charter Right – Zondervan, May 16, 2022]
Zondervan motion to introduce Late Communication and Substitute Order reducing amount requested to $10.5 million from ARPA funds but allows $500,000 for political patronage to HEART and other details; Zondervan substitution passes 6-3 (PN,DS,PT – NO); Mallon motion to refer substitute order to Finance Committee Adopted 9-0
On the Table #2. Section 11.202(b) of Article 11.000 Special Regulations linkage fee, be amended by substitution (Ordinance #2022-14). [Tabled May 9, 2022]
Azeem motion to remove from Table 9-0; Petition Referred to Ordinance Committee and Planning Board 9-0
Unfinished Business #3. That Article 20.90 – Alewife Overlay Districts 1-6 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance be amended to insert a new section entitled Section 20.94.3 – Temporarily prohibited uses (ORDINANCE #2022-1). [Tabled May 2, 2022; To Be Ordained on of after May 23, 2022]
pulled by Toner; Motion to Amend to substitute Alewife Overlay Districts 1-6 with Alewife Overlay Districts 1-5 (Toner) Approved 5-4 (BA,AM,MM,DS,PT – YES; DC,PN,QZ,SS – NO)
[Note: This takes Alewife Triangle out of the moratorium area. Carlone supported this one week earlier and flip-flopped.]
Ordained as Amended 9-0
Resolution #1. Thank You to Anthony Wilson for his service. Councillor Simmons, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Toner, Mayor Siddiqui
pulled by Simmons; Adopted as Amended 9-0
Resolution #2. Congratulations on the birth of Francis James Gutoski. Councillor Toner
Adopted 9-0
Resolution #3. Congratulations on the Retirement of Ellen Watson from the License Commission. Councillor Toner
Adopted 9-0
Resolution #4. Resolution for 2022 Cambridge Jazz Festival. Councillor Simmons, Councillor Zondervan
pulled by Simmons; Adopted as Amended 9-0
Resolution #5. Congratulations to Alisa Amador. Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon
Adopted 9-0
Order #5. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Director of the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department to limit the blocking off of Memorial Drive to vehicular traffic to Sundays. Councillor Simmons
pulled by Simmons; Charter Right – Toner
Order #8. That the City Manager is requested to confer with all relevant City departments to draft a report for a future Transportation and Public Utilities Committee hearing on the impacts of the MBTA Bus Network Redesign. Councillor Azeem, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Carlone
pulled by Azeem; Order Adopted as Amended 9-0
Committee Report #1. The Government Operations, Rules and Claims Committee met on Apr 12, 2022 to discuss new guidelines for Boards and Commissions appointments.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0
Committee Report #2. The Health and Environment Committee met on Apr 26, 2022 to conduct a public hearing on a proposal to amend Section 2.66 of the Municipal Code to add a new section titled “Article III Green Jobs”.
pulled by Zondervan; Report Accepted, Placed on File, Amendment referred to Ordinance Committee 9-0
Late Order #9. That Deputy City Clerk Paula Crane be appointed interim City Clerk as of June 1, 2022 and until the permanent City Clerk shall assume office. Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0
Re: Order # 8, concerning the MBTA Bus Network Redesign — For those who are unaware, the T is proposing drastic cuts in bus service to the West Cambridge area along Concord and Huron Avenues. Midday service on weekdays would be cut 50%, from 6 buses/hour to 3, if you look at the combined service on both Concord and Huron. Along the Concord Avenue corridor by itself, north of Fresh Pond, the service would be cut by 75%, from 4 buses/hour to just 1. Similar cuts would affect many other time periods, although there would be a minor increase in Sunday service.
The T has hidden all these cuts deep inside their maps and documents while it boasts of improvements elsewhere in their network. They’re eager to mention the modest increase in Sunday service on Huron Avenue while they are completely quiet about the major cuts that they’re proposing on the other 6 days of the week.
Does anyone in the city administration — mayor, councillors, the “relevant City departments” — care about this?
Did anyone in the city administration review the plans before they were made public, and offer any comments to the T?
The last time the MBTA proposed bus service cuts in my neighborhood was in 2019. There was very little interest in the issue from the city, and only a meek objection to the cuts was made by the city council. I even heard a rumor from a T employee that some city agency — he didn’t say which one — had given its approval of the cuts to the T, before the community had a chance to even see the proposals. Naturally, the T went ahead with its plans to cut the service, since it got mixed messages (at best) from the city. Luckily the cuts then were fairly minor, compared to the current plan.
The cuts proposed now are draconian. These are not empty buses rolling through the city. They are well patronized. And they are essential to having a livable neighborhood. The Concord Avenue corridor has many medical offices plus the regional Social Security office and Neville House. City officials are pushing for more development there, too. This is the only public transportation serving that area.
If I want to go to Harvard Square for an errand, I’m not going to wait an hour for a bus going in, and then another hour for the bus coming back.
My wife and I have lived without a car for several years. These bus cuts, along with other changes in the city, will force us to buy a car since transit would no longer be an option. And lacking good public transit, we will need to have parking spaces available near any business that we choose to patronize. (And no, I’m afraid that bicycles aren’t an option for us, either, due to medical issues. I was an avid bicyclist when I could physically be one.)
If city officials, elected and otherwise, really wanted to cut auto usage in Cambridge, they should rise up in massive, unanimous opposition to this horrible MBTA proposal. And maybe they should work with other communities throughout the metro area who will be similarly affected.
Comment by Charles Bahne — May 26, 2022 @ 6:12 pm