April 27, 2009 Cambridge City Council Agenda Highlights
Without question, the most significant item on tonight’s agenda is the submission of the FY2010 Budget (City Manager’s Agenda #1). The annual Budget Hearings of the City Council’s Finance Committee will commence this Thursday, April 30 at 9:30am. Here is a list of the items I found interesting, important, or ridiculous:
Reconsideration #1. Reconsideration filed by Councillor Reeves on the adoption of Order Number Thirteen of Apr 13, 2009 requesting the City Council convey its wishes for the continuing publication of The Boston Globe to the publishers of The Boston Globe.
Apparently, Councillor Reeves wants the Boston Globe to die a painful death along with the Cambridge Chronicle and any other media outlet who has failed to meet his high standards of professional ethics. This Order passed at the Council’s April 13 meeting, but Councillor Reeves would like another bite at the apple. The political cynics among us might observe that it has been Mr. Reeves’ political modus operandi to always identify someone or something as his biannual evil entity around which he can rally his campaign. This is really the game of Al Vellucci who would rail endlessly against Harvard University while at the same time have dinner with then Harvard President Derek Bok. In 2007, Reeves’ game focused on the Cambridge Chronicle (and others) as persecutors of his noble reign as mayor. We’ll have to wait and see who he designates as this year’s political bad guy. The Boston Globe? Cambridge Chronicle? Cambridge Health Alliance? Harvard University?
City Manager’s Agenda #1. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the FY2010 submitted budget and appropriation orders.
The FY10 Budget Book will be available after all the city councillors get their copies. It will also be available online, and it’s always worth the read. Comparison with previous years’ budgets is a good exercise, especially now that things are tighter in the current economic climate.
City Manager’s Agenda #15. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $14,290,000 to continue sewer projects in the Harvard Square, Agassiz, and Alewife Watershed areas of the City.
Perhaps not so interesting to everyone, but this is the stuff that keeps a city running and, say what you will about the City Manager, one legacy of Robert Healy will be a dramatically improved infrastructure in Cambridge.
City Manager’s Agenda #18. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 09-25, regarding a report on the installation of black fire hydrants in West Cambridge.
This grew out of an Order from Councillor Decker which apparently sought to find fault in the City’s infrastructure in the wake of a serious house fire on Lexington Avenue. See note above. In any case, it’s interesting information.
Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council on what efforts can be done to increase the number of Cambridge businesses and institutions that compost. Vice Mayor Seidel
I’m not so sure that this City Council Order will accomplish anything other than to distract Recycling Director Randy Mail from the great job she’s been doing to promote organics recycling in Cambridge. For your information, the possibility of residential curbside organics recycling is on the table for future contracts for recycling collection and processing. Whether or not it happens anytime soon is a matter of relative cost.
Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council on methods and policies that are in place to guarantee that all residents have equal access to city information and services. Vice Mayor Seidel
The rationale behind this Order is to ensure that City officials do not simply say “it’s on the web” as the final word in response to requests for information by Cambridge residents. This is a valid point – not everyone has web access, and many simply prefer to get information verbally or in print. It’s abundantly clear that widespread access to web-based resources has dramatically increased the ability to deliver detailed information to residents, but there’s the risk (and the reality) that some officials will use this in order to avoid assisting those with reasonable (and sometimes unreasonable) requests. I would liken this to the development of paved roads that made transportation much faster but which has often made things more difficult for pedestrians and cyclists. The information superhighway should not eclipse other avenues of communication.
Order #8. That the City Council request that the City Manager consider the possibility of establishing multi-sector (public, private, and university) partnership that funds a 24 Hour Drop-In Center to provide a variety of essential services to individuals on the street. Mayor Simmons
….. which will, of course, be located in Central Square and further secure its future as the City’s favorite dumping ground.
Order #12. That the City Council go on record as urging the Cambridge Legislative Delegation to work to enact a municipal relief bill that allows local option taxes and closes the telecommunications property tax loopholes that give the telephone company a $50 million tax break. Councillor Davis
Translation: Councillor Davis would like to raise your taxes. This Order will likely pass on a unanimous vote. – Robert Winters