Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

The Gathering Storm – March 6, 2023 Cambridge City Council meeting

Municipal Election Year dynamics are gradually emerging in the form of policy orders, social media chatter, and topics being emphasized or scrupulously avoided. There’s even a chance to chime in on where you stand on the endless state of war that is Rent Control (always an opportunity to turn friends into enemies and enemies into friends). Here are a few agenda items that may prove interesting (possibly in Zoom if the egocentrists of PSL continue to stamp their feet and display their ignorance):

Manager’s Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Policy Order 2022 #181, regarding convening a North Mass Avenue Corridor District Zoning Proposal Working Group.
pulled by Toner; remarks by Toner, Iram Farooq, Carlone on urban design, Nolan, Simmons on outreach and who will Chair committee – Farooq says City staff; Placed on File 8-0-1 (McGovern Absent)

Manager’s Agenda #4. Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $150,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Community Development Department Extraordinary Expenditures account to be used for professional services for a planning study for Massachusetts Avenue from Cambridge Common to Alewife Brook Parkway. Funds will be combined with existing balances from prior related projects.
pulled by Carlone; Farooq says $400,000 estimated total cost; Order Adopted 7-0-2 (Azeem, McGovern – Absent)

Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 22-78, regarding safety concerns at the LBJ Apartment building.
pulled by Simmons; Commissioner Elow responds; Zondervan objects to deploying Police rather than a security service at public housing; Huang notes that private security don’t play as engaged a role as Police and commends Cambridge Police; McGovern notes that tenants often let people in building who should not be there; Simmons notes that residents (correctly) equate Police with safety and security; Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #7. Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a transfer of $40,000 from the General Fund Reserves Other Ordinary Maintenance account to the General Fund City Council Other Ordinary Maintenance account to cover current and anticipated costs related to the work of the Charter Review Committee.
Order Adopted 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the City of Cambridge retaining its AAA rating from the nation’s three major credit rating agencies. [S&P] [Moodys] [Fitch]
pulled by Carlone; David Kale (Finance) explain about savings of $1.4 to $2 million interest; McGovern asks about ability to issues bonds, Kale says you can bond anything but the market decides the rates (recently 3.06%); Nolan notes ESG ratings in each of the reports; Toner notes value of stability in staff with change in City Manager, asks about effect of commercial vacancies and possible effects, Kale notes range of revenues and healthy reserves and notes what may happen with office space as leases expire and uses possibly change, $1 billion in new growth last year in lab space, uncertainty in office space (Gayle Willett – Assessing); Azeem about limitations on spending that might occur w/o AAA ratings, Kale explains value of strong and consistent management, long-term capital plan, ongoing leadership and bench strength in financial team, strength of local economy; Huang relates City budget to personal budgets, what might happen if City simply spent a lot more money – financial stewardship and optimization; Azeem notes about trade-off of pay-as-you-go vs. borrowing; Simmons remarks on potential downturn, Kale notes that revenues support expenditures, stable tax rates, managing debt, scheduled to pay off pension liabilities by 2026, more to do with long-term pension liabilities, history of bond ratings from Prop 2½ (early 1980s) until today; Zondervan dismissive of AAA ratings and focuses on the negatives of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and equity; Kale thanks Manager and Finance team, CDD, and other department heads and staff – echoed by City Manager Huang; Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the Annual Surveillance Report concerning City Departments’ use of Surveillance Technology or Surveillance Data.
pulled by Zondervan (who has issues with Shot Spotter); Reports Approved and Placed on File 9-0

My question is simply this: “How much staff time is occupied assembling these reports?”

Charter Right #2. That the joint Economic Development and University Relations and Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts & Celebrations Committees forward the amended proposed Policy Order regarding Labs and Neighborhood Planning to the full City Council. [Charter Right – Zondervan, Feb 27, 2023]
Siddiqui again says this was “charterwritten”; Zondervan amendments Approved 9-0; Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Charter Right #3. That the City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City Departments to work with Eversource to include in their annual reporting, updates on their work to move forward with providing the infrastructure required to move Cambridge toward electrifying the city. [Charter Right – Nolan, Feb 27, 2023]
Siddiqui again says this was “charterwritten”; Nolan added as sponsor and McGovern amendments Adopted 9-0; Carlone comments on monopolies like Eversource; Adopted as Amended 9-0

Unfinished Business #4. An Ordinance has been received from Diane P. LeBlanc City Clerk, relative to Emissions Accounting Zoning Petition (Ordinance #2022-20) [Passed to 2nd Reading Dec 19, 2022; To Be Ordained on or after Jan 9, 2023; Expires Mar 6, 2023; Ordinance Amended Feb 27, 2023]
Comments by (Abundant Housing Treasurer) Azeem on embedded emissions accounting such as materials used in construction, proposes amendments exempting some housing; Zondervan prefers version w/o amendments saying it has been fully vetted and that Planning Board wants this accounting for all projects w/o special exemptions for housing; Toner supports Azeem amendments; (Sky is Falling) Carlone says software already out there for embodied emissions accounting and that this is all just common sense and wants version w/o amendments; Nolan now trying to appear as a “moderate” and will support amendments; Siddiqui aligns with Zondervan, Carlone; Azeem amendments Adopted 5-4 (BA,MM,PN,DS,PT – Yes; DC,AM,QZ,SS – No); Ordained as Amended 9-0

Resolution #1. Congratulations to Robert Steck on his retirement from the City of Cambridge.   Councillor Toner, Councillor Carlone
pulled by Carlone who lauds Rob Steck as a playground designer and more

Resolution #3. Congratulations to Sam Corda on his retirement from the Cambridge Water Department.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Toner, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons

Resolution #4. Resolution on the death of David Leslie.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon

Order #3. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to direct CDD to provide language that would amend the Patrick Barrett et al. North Mass Ave BZ-5 Zoning District Petition to include the amendments proposed by the petitioner and report back to the City Council by Mar 13, 2023.   Councillor Zondervan, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted 9-0

Committee Report #4. The Ordinance Committee, chaired by Councillor Zondervan, met on Feb 28, 2023 to continue the discussion of Citizens Zoning Petition from Patrick Barrett et al. North Mass Ave BZ-5 Zoning District Petition – AP22#52. [text of report]
pulled by Zondervan; Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0; Passed to 2nd Reading 6-3 (BA,AM,MM,PN,DS,PT – Yes; DC,QZ,SS – No)

Order #4. That the City Council go on record in support of the Tenant Protection Act HD.3922/SD.2368.   Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon
pulled by Toner; Zondervan notes that this is about rent stabilization and “just cause” evictions; Siddiqui says this is similar to one Council previously supported; Toner will vote NO because he does not want to bring back divisiveness of rent control and observes that this will cause preemptive rent increases and thwart housing production; Nolan wants local control and says that (20 years ago) Cambridge voted overwhelmingly against rent control; McGovern will also support this with double-talk about how this is not actually rent control (which it obviously is); Mallon also double-talks and stresses “local control” rather than what this is really about, lauds Rep. Connolly; Siddiqui adds to the double-talk about “options; Order Adopted 8-1 (Toner NO)

Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the City Manager’s Housing Liaison, Community Development Department, and the Cambridge Housing Authority [and the City Solicitor] on the feasibility of municipally-funded housing vouchers.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan (PO23#47)
pulled by Simmons; remarks by Siddiqui, Simmons, Mallon about how Somerville is doing this (with ARPA funds) but without any estimate of how costly this would be; Toner asks about legal issues and wants opinion of City Solicitor; Carlone (aggressively) suggests this should be made unanimous; McGovern says this would eliminate homelessness of veterans; Adopted as Amended 9-0

Order #7. That the City Manager is requested to fund the HEART initiative and negotiate a contract for services with HEART, to include but not limited to HEART responding to certain 911 calls.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Azeem, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan
pulled by Nolan; remarks by Zondervan, Nolan; Charter Right – Nolan

Order #8. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate City departments to ensure multi-family properties on the market are reviewed as quickly as possible as potential affordable housing acquisitions.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon
pulled by Nolan; Amendments proposed to add MM,DC; Charter Right – Simmons

Committee Report #1. The Finance Committee conducted a public meeting to discuss the FY24 Capital Budget, and future investment priorities in Cambridge’s physical infrastructure ahead of the FY24 budget cycle. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Committee Report #3. The Housing Committee met on Wed, Feb 8, 2023 from 12:30-2:30pm to discuss potential amendments to the Affordable Housing Overlay district as outlined in the Nov 21, 2022 policy order adopted by the City Council. [text of report]
pulled by Simmons; remarks by Simmons (meeting recessed, not adjourned, so no public comment), Carlone (NLTP meeting on Mar 22), Azeem says time needed for robust discussion; Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Wed, Mar 8
3:00pm   The Housing Committee will hold a public meeting to continue the recessed meeting from Feb 8, 2023 to continue discussing potential amendments to the Affordable Housing Overlay district as outlined in the Nov 21, 2022 policy order adopted by the City Council. No Public Comment.

Tues, Mar 22
5:30pm   The Neighborhood & Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts & Celebrations Committee will hold a public meeting to discuss potential amendments to the Affordable Housing Overlay.