Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner – November 25, 2024 Cambridge City Council meeting
Here are the noteworthy items this week:
Reconsideration #1. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Erik Sarno and Andrea Taylor and the reappointment of Saffana Anwar, Christopher Fort, Robert Winters, Tahir Kapoor, and Esther Hanig to the Central Square Advisory Committee for a term of three years. [Reconsideration filed by Sobrinho-Wheeler]
Placed on File 5-4 (Azeem, Nolan, Toner, Zusy, Simmons -YES; McGovern, Siddiqui, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Wilson – NO)
Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Joe Camillus and Filo Castore as a members of to the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority (CRA) Board.
Appointments Approved, Placed on File 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the reappointment of Tabithlee Howard and appointing Johanny Maria Castillo, Jasper Adiletta, Shanjnin (Eva) Asraf, Jasper Mallon, and Larisa Mendez-Peñate to the Coordinating Council for Children Youth and Families also known as the Family Policy Council, effective Nov 25, 2024.
Appointments Approved, Placed on File 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report 24-32, regarding exploring with the MBTA how to best ensure that the public art, Gift of the Wind, is preserved. (CM24#253) [text of report]
Placed on File 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #5. Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $15,000 to the Grant Fund Public Celebrations (Arts Council) Other Ordinary Maintenance account. The MCC Cultural District Grant provides financial support to state-designated Cultural Districts throughout the Commonwealth. This funding will support District-based initiatives that drive economic growth and strengthen the distinctive character of the Central Square Cultural District.
Order Adopted 9-0
Order #1. That the Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning Committee hold a meeting to explore the ability to prohibit, either through city or state legislation, the common practice of landlords requiring tenants to pay broker fees. Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Azeem, Vice Mayor McGovern
Order Adopted 9-0
Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments and encourage the state Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the MBTA to adhere to Cambridge local ordinances, including the Cambridge Asbestos Protection Ordinance, during Alewife Construction. Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zusy
Tabled 9-0
14 Reports & Minutes of committee meetings from prior City Council terms – Catching up!
All Reports Accepted, Placed on File 9-0
Communications & Reports #2. A communication from Mayor E. Denise Simmons, transmitting Notice of Special City Council Meeting re: Charter Review
Placed on File 9-0
Robert, please apply to the Broadway redesign committee! Maybe they won’t appoint you, but if you don’t apply they definitely won’t.
In addition to the loss of 75% of parking, this project is going to cause traffic jams. The busier intersections like Broadway/Prospect barely get by at rush hour today. Adding phases to separate turn movements from bike movements will inevitably cause big backups that don’t currently exist. It’s happened in plenty of other places around the city, such as Broadway/Quincy which now backs up as far as Hancock Street many afternoons. The city (when they choose to respond) says they know about it and don’t care.
I consider perpetual traffic jams to be a major problem for everyone in the city, even people who aren’t in cars. And I’m not convinced that these bike lane designs are any safer for bicyclists than other alternatives, considering the number of serious crashes that have occurred in the existing protected bike lanes.
As far as having Harvard Street be a designated bike route, it’s already ideal for biking so there’s nothing to be done. Except east of Prospect Street where it becomes one way eastbound. Maybe it would be worth removing the parking on one side of that stretch to allow for westbound traffic, to make it more like the section west of Prospect.
Comment by Alan Mandelbaum — November 27, 2024 @ 12:15 pm
Alan,
I may consider applying to be on the Broadway committee (I have lived on Broadway, after all, for the last 46½ years), but the problem with serving on a City committee is that it can restrict what you can say and do because you will ultimately own part of the finished “product”. I also have concerns about the fact that there is very little that this committee will be allowed to impact. The application to serve on the Broadway committee makes it abundantly clear that there is very little that can be modified because the conclusions are already dictated by the woefully flawed Bicycle Safety Ordinance.
The fact that slander is now an acceptable part of the appointment process is also a concern.
Alan – Your understanding of some of the inevitable impacts of the proposed changes suggests you may be an ideal choice to serve on that committee.
My fear is that a nonrepresentative group will be chosen for the Broadway committee – one that is guaranteed to rubber-stamp what our insulated City staff have already pre-determined.
Comment by Robert Winters — November 27, 2024 @ 5:54 pm