Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

November 11, 2021

To Be Continued – November 15, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council,covid — Tags: , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 10:18 am

To Be Continued – November 15, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Most of the significant items from last week were either delayed by Charter Right or Tabled where they may languish or eventually vanish when the lame duck dies. Here are the items worth mentioning:Lame Duck

Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on COVID-19.
City Manager reports that DCR has agreed to extend Riverbend Park (Sat and Sun) through December 19.

The rate of new cases has been growing since mid-October. While disturbing and somewhat frustrating, the fear and panic that was routine a year ago has largely given way to perspective and trust in the effectiveness of vaccines to at least ward off the worst of the ill effects. Will Thanksgiving and other holidays fuel the Covid fires, or will increased vaccination among younger people blunt those disease vectors? Time will tell. I think it’s booster time.

Manager’s Agenda #2. 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 – Simmons

Manager’s Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointment of the following person as a members of the Fresh Pond Master Plan Advisory Board, for a term of three years, effective Nov 15, 2021.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #4. 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 – Simmons

I’m glad to see the pace of board appointments picking up, and I hope there are lots more before the politicos sink their fangs into the process after January 1. There is still no protocol for how the councillors will exercise their new micromanagement authority come the New Year (if they dare to do so). Will appointees have to go before a Council tribunal to answer for the jokes they made on social media? Will members of the public be given an opportunity to voice their approval or disapproval of the background of board appointees? Will anyone even want to apply to be on a City board or commission?

Manager’s Agenda #7. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $400,000 from MassDOT’s FY22 Complete Streets Program to the Public Investment Fund Public Works Extraordinary Expenditures account which will be used to support the Huron Avenue (Glacken Field to Fresh Pond Parkway) project.
Will keep 80% of the existing parking (but eliminate 20% of the currently available parking) – Order Adopted 9-0

I believe the proposal is to create a two-way bike path on the Fresh Pond Reservation side of the street – no controversy expected.

Manager’s Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-6, regarding a report on housing development information.
Referred to Housing Committee 9-0

2,814 affordable units in development of which 940 will be new units. This includes the Jefferson Park redevelopment at a cost of $251,769,435 for 278 units (which works out to $905,645 per unit). So glad to see our tax dollars at work in the least efficient way possible.

Manager’s Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Numbers 21-37 and 21-38, regarding digital equity. [McCormick, Gianetti] [Analysis of U.S. Digital Equity Programs] [CHA Housing Broadband Pilot Engineering Report]
Referred to Civic Unity & NLTP Committees 9-0
[Note: None of the proposed actions anticipates any provision of Cable TV.]

I have no real sense whether these reports are sufficiently responsive, but since the councillors will brutally criticize just about anything relating to municipal broadband or the alternatives, does it really even matter what’s in the reports?

Charter Right #1. That the City Council go on record requesting that the forthcoming new Universal Design Playground located in Danehy Park be named the Louis A. DePasquale Universal Design Playground. [Charter Right – Sobrinho-Wheeler, Nov 8, 2021]
Motion by Sobrinho-Wheeler to dually name playground (for Haben Girma) FAILS 3-5-0-1 (PN,JSW,QZ – YES; AM,MM,DS,TT,SS – NO; DC – PRESENT);
Order Adopted 8-0-0-1 (Zondervan – PRESENT)

I have a few suggestions regarding the naming of several public restrooms in honor an elected official or two.

Charter Right #2. 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 #2021-25). [Charter Right – Toomey, Nov 8, 2021]
Referred to Ordinance Committee & Planning Board 7-0-0-2 (Simmons, Toomey – PRESENT)

Charter Right #3. Upper Mass. Ave. Bike Lane Improvements. [Charter Right – Simmons, Nov 8, 2021]
Order Adopted 5-4 (DC,AM,MM,PN,SS – YES; DS,JSW,TT,QZ – NO)

Let the fur fly. 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.

As for the upper Mass. Ave. bike lanes, it’s all about whether or not you signed the pledge to cover your ears and close your eyes and mind.

Order #2. That the Regular City Council meeting scheduled for Nov 29, 2021 be changed to a joint Roundtable meeting of the City Council and School Committee to discuss the past election, including but not limited to new practices and polling locations is Cambridge with the City Manager, Election Commission, and any other relevant departments.   Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

School buildings are public buildings, and they should accommodate our occasional elections as needed.

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Nancy Glowa, City Solicitor, transmitting a letter regarding an Open Meeting Law complaint from Heather Hoffman.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0; Late Order to have Solicitor Respond Adopted 9-0

I have some interest in this – mainly in regard to the erosion of standards in our new Zoomy version of City Council meetings. We have a City government that apparently believes in the principal: “The public will eventually find out what we did, and we’ll convince them later that what we did was acceptable.”

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from the City Clerk, transmitting the Pending Zoning Chart.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 8-0-1 (DS – ABSENT)

Communications & Reports #5. A communication was received from the City Clerk, transmitting the 2020-2021 Referral List.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 8-0-1 (DS – ABSENT)

See previous comment regarding the erosion of standards in our new Zoomy version of City Council meetings. – Robert Winters

May 18, 2021

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 503-504: May 18, 2021

Filed under: Cambridge,Cambridge InsideOut — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 10:49 pm

Episode 503 – Cambridge InsideOut: May 18, 2021 (Part 1)

This episode was broadcast on May 18, 2021 at 6:00pm. Topics: Looking back; camaraderie of the unmasked; Apollo & Cambridge; Budget hearings and political theater; trickle-down politics; boycotts, divestment, and Chapter 30B; Plan E and city management; digital equity/municipal broadband – and Cable TV. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

Episode 504 – Cambridge InsideOut: May 18, 2021 (Part 2)

This episode was broadcast on May 18, 2021 at 6:30pm. Topics: Legal tussles over acoustic music; License Commission; emerging from the pandemic; end of the emergency – beginning of the questions; voting post-Covid; eviction moratorium to end; sidewalk & street dining – temporary or permanent; election year rhetoric; emergent candidates and PR realities; Starlight future. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

April 20, 2021

City of Cambridge Releases Comprehensive Digital Equity Study

Filed under: Cambridge,Cambridge government — Tags: , , , , — Robert Winters @ 5:03 pm

City of Cambridge Releases Comprehensive Digital Equity Study

Apr 20, 2021 – The City of Cambridge today released Digital Equity in Cambridge: Data and Strategic Recommendations, the final report for the city’s comprehensive digital equity study. The report provides a complete and clear understanding of the problems and gaps preventing Cambridge residents from making the most effective and meaningful use of broadband (high speed internet access) in the city. Additionally, the report suggests a range of solutions for the city to pursue to address the findings that emerged around broadband access, affordability, digital skills, and device ownership.City Seal

Cambridge partnered with CTC Technology (CTC) to conduct the study. CTC is a nationally recognized firm that offers independent strategic, technical, and financial guidance primarily to public sector and nonprofit entities. The report will serve as the foundation for the city’s future digital equity and broadband initiatives. CTC has helped develop digital equity strategies for other cities including Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington.

“We are creating a comprehensive approach to ensure digital equity and 21st century broadband access in our city,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. "The Digital Equity in Cambridge report will inform our strategy to ensure affordable broadband access, digital skills, and device ownership for all residents.”

The Digital Equity in Cambridge report surfaces and explores key findings based on the robust data collected, including:

  • Comcast remains an effective monopoly in much of Cambridge’s fixed internet market, but NetBlazr has expanded, and a new provider, Starry, recently began competing in the city;
  • Comcast’s $10 Internet Essentials plan appears significantly underused by potentially eligible residents in Cambridge;
  • Speed tests conducted over several weeks in Comcast customer homes demonstrate a need for user education in managing in-home networks;
  • Citywide internet usage survey shows most residents are connected to the internet but point to more problems with affordability, devices, and skills for older and lower-income residents;
  • Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) internet usage survey finds many residents face significant challenges related to affordability, device maintenance, and computer skills;
  • City stakeholders defined a variety of gaps and made programmatic suggestions;
  • Interviews with residents of CHA and subsidized housing units reveal some pay $10 monthly while others pay $264 monthly to Comcast; and
  • Strategies outlined by subject-matter experts and practitioners in other cities that have proven effective elsewhere in the country.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the critical role that internet access, device ownership, and digital skills play in successful online learning, job searching, remote work, and telemedicine,” said City of Cambridge Director of Communications Lee Gianetti. “This new report provides the city with a framework for expanding existing programs, creating new initiatives, and learning from digital equity efforts in other cities.”

The study provides a range of recommended strategies the city can deploy to address the digital equity challenges within Cambridge, including:

  • Convene a digital equity and inclusion coalition to guide implementation efforts;
  • Expand the city’s $50,000 pilot program into a Digital Equity Fund emphasizing device and skills programs;
  • Consider establishing a community digital equity specialist position or similar public support function;
  • Engage local philanthropic organizations to broaden the reach of broadband equity initiatives;
  • Partner with organizations that provide low-cost devices and training to Cambridge residents and expand loaner programs;
  • Establish a digital skills training corps;
  • Develop a strategy that explores municipal and other options for increasing broadband competition;
  • Facilitate the provision of additional providers of low-cost service in more CHA developments; and
  • Expand public Wi-Fi and charging stations in core areas, such as Porter and Central squares.

“In the 21st century, digital equity spans nearly every dimension of life, from education and work, to social engagement and civic participation,” said Cambridge Chief Information Officer Patrick McCormick. “Like other inequities, the pandemic exacerbated how anyone lacking online tools and connectivity became disadvantaged in their daily lives. Fortunately, the pandemic also created richer data and tangible use cases to spark conversations and inform analysis. The Digital Equity Study provides clear and compelling insights and recommendations to build a more equitable and inclusive digital future for Cambridge residents and businesses.”

In response to some early study findings and challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Cambridge has already taken specific actions to:

  • Launch a $50,000 pilot program to assist up to 415 families in obtaining $10 Internet Essentials subscriptions;
  • Redirect study resources to allow CTC later this year to conduct a preliminary high-level engineering and cost estimation work for high-speed residential broadband service in three CHA developments: Newtowne Court, Washington Elms, and the Manning Apartments;
  • Engage in preliminary discussions with Life Science Cares, a nonprofit organization that funds anti-poverty programs and expressed interest in being part of a public-private partnership to address digital inequities;
  • Accelerate the Cambridge Public Schools laptop and hotspot provision efforts, providing all students with laptops and (where needed) hotspots. The Cambridge Public Library also began its first-ever technology lending programs; and
  • Partner with the Cambridge Public Library, the MetroNorth Regional Employment Board, and Cambridge Community Foundation to provide essential technology, including Chromebooks, hotspots, and webcams, to adult learners participating in Cambridge Community Learning Center programs.

This study, prepared throughout late 2019 and 2020, did not presuppose what the problems were or what the solutions should be. It thoroughly explored access, affordability, digital skills, and device ownership. The study methodology included the following activities:

  • Analyzed consumer and FCC pricing and availability data to understand the local broadband market, the presence of competition, and any market changes since the City of Cambridge commissioned its earlier broadband study;
  • Through a variety of means (surveys, resident interviews, and conversations with local broadband providers) gathered data on the usage of existing low-cost broadband subsidy programs, particularly the $10 Comcast Internet Essentials program;
  • Conducted a statistically valid mail survey of a sample of the entire city population to understand broadband usage patterns, sentiments, and gaps;
  • Conducted a statistically valid mail survey of a sample of residents of the Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) and of subsidized housing for a closer look at lower-income residents and any challenges they face;
  • Interviewed a range of stakeholders representing city departments, nonprofits, schools, library, and others (we also have appended the work of the Cambridge Nonprofit Coalition, which separately conducted a survey of local nonprofit staff);
  • Interviewed a sampling of Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) and subsidized housing residents who volunteered to be interviewed as part of our mail survey, to understand what they pay for services, and what challenges they face;
  • Conducted in-home internet speed tests of Comcast customers to take hourly measurements over a period of weeks to evaluate service quality and assess potential sources of reported problems, albeit at an anecdotal level;
  • Interviewed practitioners and experts who have studied or implemented digital equity plans and programs in other cities to glean lessons and suggest strategies that might assist the city and its stakeholders in implementing solutions; and
  • Developed several strategic and programmatic recommendations based on all of the above research and data, informed as well by the examples of models in other cities.

Creating a digital equity and inclusion coalition to help guide and support implementation of study recommendations will be one of the early action items. While the Digital Equity in Cambridge study lays out strategies to address digital equity challenges within Cambridge, implementation will require engagement from a variety of internal and external stakeholders and the establishment of an implementation timeline. Detailed planning and implementation plans will be managed by staff from the Information Technology Department and the City Manager’s Office.

Download a copy of the report, Digital Equity in Cambridge: Data and Strategic Recommendations. Print copies are available upon request. Please call the Cambridge City Manager’s Office at 617-349-4300 to schedule a pick-up.

December 20, 2020

Dropping the Curtain on a Very Bad Year – Featured Items on the December 21, 2020 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council,Harvard Square — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 12:51 pm

Dropping the Curtain on a Very Bad Year – Featured Items on the December 21, 2020 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Here’s my rundown of the interesting stuff this week:New Year Ahead

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 (Simmons ABSENT)

Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-44, regarding a Vaccine Task Force.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Simmons ABSENT)

Order #2. Policy Order re Covid-19 Vaccines.   Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon
Charter Right – Zondervan

Order #3. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the appropriate City personnel to establish a waiver for low-income individuals utilizing the Covid-19 vaccine if the vaccine would otherwise cost money to access.   Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

The Beat Goes On. I would just like a better sense of what the principal causes are for the latest wave of Covid-19 positive tests. The fact that there were several new fatalities recorded this past week after many weeks without any new fatalities is, to say the least, alarming. Privacy concerns notwithstanding, a little explanation and reassurance right now will go a long way – even as the vaccine wagon rolls into town.

Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a response to Policy Order No. O-8 of July 27, 2020, regarding a review of the proposed amendments to Chapter 2.119 of the Municipal Code – the Domestic Partnership Ordinance.
Referred to Ordinance Committee 9-0

Unfinished Business #2. The City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the City of Cambridge Law Department to review the above changes to the language of the Domestic Partnerships Ordinance and report back to the Council. [PASSED TO A SECOND READING IN COUNCIL JULY 27, 2020. TO BE ORDAINED ON OR AFTER SEPT 14, 2020]  See Mgr #2

Manager’s Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a recommendation from the Planning Board to adopt with modifications, the MXD Amendments Zoning Petition.
Referred to MXD Petition 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation to adoption the Cannabis Delivery Zoning Petition.
Referred to Petition 9-0 (Petition to be Re-Filed in January due to changes in State Law)

Manager’s Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation to adopt with modifications, the Canal District Kendall (PUD-CDK) Zoning Petition.
Referred to Petition 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #10. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to memo from the development economics consultant team led by Karl F. Seidman regarding a financial assessment of the Canal District Kendall (PUD-CDK) Zoning Petition submitted by BioMed Realty.
Referred to Petition 9-0

Unfinished Business #3. A Zoning Petition has been received from BMR–Third LLC c/o BioMed Realty, L.P. regarding a Zoning Amendment Petition for a new Planned Unit Development PUD District CDK. [PASSED TO A SECOND READING AS AMENDED ON NOV 30, 2020. TO BE ORDAINED ON OR AFTER DEC 21, 2020.]  See Mgr #10, #11
Ordained 9-0 as Amended; Letter of Commitment incorporated

Communications #6. A communication was received from Salvatore Zinno Vice President, Development, BMR-Third LLC, regarding commitment letter to accompany zoning amendment petition.
Letter of Commitment incorporated into Zoning Amendment

Manager’s Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the following requests relative to the eminent domain taking of 185 Larch Road: 1. Appropriate $7,702,000 from Free Cash to the General Fund Law Department Travel & Training (Damages) Account to cover the pro tanto payment toward the expenses of acquisition as required by the above referenced Sections of Chapters 40 and 43 of the General Laws for the property located at 185 Larch Road owned by BB&N; 2. Approve an Order to take by eminent domain a 185 Larch Road; and 3. Appropriate $10,798,000 from Free Cash to the General Fund Law Department Travel & Training (Damages) Account to fund the settlement of BB&N’s remaining eminent domain damages claim.
Order Adopted 8-1 (Toomey – NO)

Lest you think otherwise, note that the City Manager’s message says: “For several decades the City Council has been asking City Managers to actively pursue opportunities to acquire and increase access to open space for all residents. Unfortunately, this goal has been very difficult to achieve due to the lack of availability of land suitable for open space use in Cambridge. Due to this, when BB&N expressed interest in selling Buckingham Field, we aggressively pursued this opportunity to acquire additional open space in Cambridge.”

About 20 years ago I served on the City’s Green Ribbon Open Space Committee whose charge was to develop priorities and strategies to acquire additional open space in Cambridge. Since then there have been some opportunities seized by the City to achieve these goals – notably the purchase and street closure that led to Greene-Rose Park in The Port neighborhood, movement on the Grand Junction corridor, and some parcels that came to us as a result of various upzonings. This is a densely-developed city with very few opportunities available for adding to our very small inventory of open space.

It is noteworthy that on the night when the City Council voted on a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the eminent domain taking of the BB&N land on Larch Road for open space, many city councillors chose to focus primarily on how they could turn around and build on this newly-acquired open space. In short, many/most councillors were essentially saying that we should tear up the Report of the Green Ribbon Open Space Committee of March 2000.

There are certainly lots of worthwhile priorities such as housing, schools, and additional space for Public Works, but it’s simply shameful that this particular group of councillors would choose to disregard long-standing calls for open space acquisition in such a dismissive way. Suffice to say that housing, including subsidized housing, can be built almost anywhere in the city. Few, if any, would advocate for demolishing residential buildings in order to create open space, but they seem very comfortable and even eager to eliminate open space at the very moment they are acquiring it.

I really hope there are some big changes on the City Council in November 2021.

Manager’s Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request to move to Executive Session in order to discuss possible settlement and pending litigation.
Late Order Adopted 6-2-0-1 (Sobrinho-Wheeler, Siddiqui – NO; Nolan – PRESENT) after Executive Session for appropriation of $1.4 million for unspecified purposes (see below)

Manager’s Agenda #13. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $1,400,000 from Free Cash to the General Fund Law Travel and Training (Judgment and Damages) account to cover current and future disbursements that must be paid from this account.
Late Order Adopted 6-2-0-1 (Sobrinho-Wheeler, Siddiqui – NO; Nolan – PRESENT)

I completely respect the idea of Executive Session “to discuss possible settlement and pending litigation” and for various other reasons, but I have never understood why this has to be such a McGuffin (as Alfred Hitchcock would say) where even the general topic of the Executive Session remains a suspenseful mystery. Would it compromise the City’s position to just add a clarifying phrase such as “regarding an open space purchase” or “for the acquisition of residential units” or “in regard to the ongoing Vail Court litigation”? In the absence of such, my suspicious mind and desire for drama always drifts toward “for the purchase of the silence of Madame Bouvier regarding the scandal in the City Hall clock tower.”

Resolution #7. Thanking Rep. Robert A. DeLeo for his many years of dedicated service.   Councillor Toomey
Failed of Adoption 3-3-0-3 (Mallon, McGovern, Toomey – YES; Sobrinho-Wheeler, Zondervan, Siddiqui – NO; Carlone, Nolan, Simmons – PRESENT)

Order #1. That the Cambridge City Council calls upon the Animal Legal Defense Fund management to respect the democratic choice of its workers by, without delay, voluntarily recognizing ALDF United and bargaining a contract with ALDF United that reflects the core values of ALDF – compassion, innovation, balance, justice, commitment, and integrity – and that seeks to create a workplace that is anti-racist, cooperative, equitable, inclusive, just, respectful, and transparent.   Councillor McGovern
Order Adopted 9-0

Nothing says "municipal election year coming" like a ghost-written order in search of a candidate endorsement.

Order #4. That the City Manager and DCR explore the feasibility of keeping Riverbend Park open beyond Dec 27, 2020.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0

This may be a Very Good Thing, but let’s please stop the pretense that this has anything to do with the pandemic and the need for social distancing.

Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee met on Oct 21, 2020 to conduct a public hearing on the Harvard Square Conservation District Study Committee Report.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0; Order Adopted 9-0; proposed amendments to Chapter 2.78, Article III, Section 2.78.150 of the Cambridge Municipal Code, entitled “Definitions for Article III” Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0

I always love reading reports from the Cambridge Historical Commission and its related study committees. In addition to being extremely well-written and documented, they serve as a reminder that Cambridge does indeed have many buildings and settings that are absolutely worth preserving and enhancing. This truth is often lost on the latest wave of activists in the Robert Moses tradition of tearing all things down in the name of density without vision or any sense of history. Transit-oriented development and other smart projects notwithstanding, A Bigger Cambridge is not necessarily a better Cambridge.

Committee Report #2. A communication was received from Paula Crane, Deputy City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Nolan, Chair of the Neighborhood and Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebration Committee, for a public hearing held on Oct 14, 2020 to discuss the process for conducting the feasibility study for municipal broadband and the Request for Proposal.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

I’m glad that there’s some movement on this regardless whether it leads anywhere – either at the speed of light or more slowly. I do find it interesting (and perhaps it’s a generational thing) that there was not a single mention of Cable TV in the report. Some of us bundle our phone, TV, and Internet together and, even if most of us have a less-than-stellar view of the Comcast Evil Empire, we don’t see broadband access as completely separate from our ability to get really crappy TV programming at an unreasonably high cost. – Robert Winters

November 30, 2020

Leftovers – Highlights from the November 30, 2020 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council,Comcast,covid — Tags: , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 11:54 am

Leftovers – Highlights from the November 30, 2020 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Here are the items of interest this week:Leftovers

Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Covid-19 update.
Placed on File 9-0

Order #1. That City Manager be and hereby is requested to implement a program similar to the patio heater reimbursement program for purchasing air sanitizers that meet or exceed the above specifications for Cambridge businesses.   Councillor Toomey, Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Order #3. Expanding Testing in Nursing Homes PO.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui
Withdrawn 9-0

Order #4. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to present the City Council with a comprehensive data report on a weekly basis, for the duration of the pandemic emergency, including (but not limited to) regional and Cambridge-specific trends.   Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #5. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with relevant departments to implement comprehensive contact tracing in Cambridge including the ability to conduct backwards contact tracing facilitated with technology such as the use of QR codes, and to report back to the City Council on this matter as soon as possible.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #6. That the City Manager confer with the Cambridge Department of Public Health on the feasibility of launching mobile COVID-19 testing vans in December and report back to the City Council as soon as possible.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0

I suppose all these ideas are great, but it sometimes feels as though everyone is just drafting Policy Orders as soon as they hear something they don’t understand. It’s interesting that we actually have a City Council subcommittee called the "Health & Environment Committee" (emphasis on "Health") that has met a total of four times this Council term on the topics of "Net Zero Action Plan" (once) and the "Tree Protection Ordinance" (thrice). That committee has never met on the topic of the pandemic and currently has no meetings scheduled. I guess it’s Trees > NetZero > Covid as the pecking order of priorities.

Meanwhile, businesses are closing for good and our "Economic Development and University Relations Committee" has met on the topics of "MWBEs and other historically disadvantaged businesses and non-profits", a "vacant storefront registration policy", a "Retail Land Use Initiative and Retail Table of Land Use update", and "updating the commercial land use classification system", and they have an upcoming meeting on "Vacant Storefront Policy." To their credit, they also met recently on the topic of "Cambridge higher learning institutions’ return to campus plans, policies, and health guidance". How reassuring to know that we may soon have a vacant storefront policy rather than concrete steps to prevent those vacancies.

Manager’s Agenda #3. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to two appropriations totaling $9,500,000 related to the Foundry as follows: $6 million from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Department of Public Works Extraordinary Expenditures Account; and $3.5 million from the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority to the Public Investment Fund Department of Public Works Extraordinary Expenditures Account.
Order Adopted 9-0

I sincerely hope the Foundry project works out for the best, but perhaps we should rename "The Gift that Keeps on Taking" as simply "The Money Pit."

Charter Right #3. Policy Order to strengthen community bonds and ensure equitable access to neighborhood organizations. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR NOLAN IN COUNCIL NOV 23, 2020] [Original Order #4 of Nov 23, 2020]
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0; Late Order Adopted 9-0

I have been largely staying out of the back-and-forth over this questionable policy order, so I’ll just make a few points that you can feel free to salute or ignore:

1) Neighborhood groups have no “official” standing or “privilege” in spite of what some well-orchestrated public commenters have suggested. They are just collections of individuals who offer points of view. The notion that the Cambridge City Council or any other government entity should have any dominion over them is simply absurd.

2) Neighborhood associations and other civic organizations are only as valuable or respected as the credibility that they either gain or squander. I have seen some of them manage to greatly grow their credibility, and I have also seen some that have squandered it. No need to name them here.

3) The problem of “lack of diversity” in neighborhood associations and other civic groups is really rooted more in the fact that most people really don’t want to be involved in civic affairs (which I think is a shame), and it always seems as though getting a representative cross-section of members is difficult if not impossible. If the interest is not there, that’s no reason to fold nor should it be the basis for criticism.

4) I have a particular disgust for the whole idea of “taking over a neighborhood association” in order to push any agenda. Forming a civic group (as opposed to a neighborhood association) is the better choice. Civic/political groups can and do maintain distinctive points of view – and people can feel free to join them or do battle with them. Neighborhood associations really should be different – and should be more like a forum for different points of view. I also think that those associations that provide resources and services are generally the better for it.

5) If a neighborhood association or civic organization wants to be taken seriously these days, they really do have to maintain some kind of web presence that not only keeps people informed about current matters but also historical matters. We are rapidly losing institutional memory in Cambridge and keeping good archives can help – a lot. Having regular public meetings is also pretty important, though obviously a lot of that is currently on hold now due to the pandemic.

6) Email listservs can often lead to squabbles that can quickly get out of hand. One way to handle this, though not ideal, is to have trustworthy moderation. Really personal squabbles (like serious insults or just getting really ticked off) should be taken offline. Everyone is capable of getting ticked off and that should not be disqualifying. Better to settle things over a game of pool or a few beers or just agree to disagree.

7) Don’t pour gasoline on fires.

Unfinished Business #6. That the enclosed amendments to the Tree Protection Ordinance be adopted to extend the temporary prohibition on tree cutting permits until Feb 28, 2021. [PASSED TO A SECOND READING IN COUNCIL NOV 16, 2020. TO BE ORDAINED ON OR AFTER NOV 30, 2020] [Order #5 of Nov 16, 2020]
Ordained 7-1-0-1 (Toomey – NO; Simmons – PRESENT)

Please stay out of my yard. I’ve been here over four decades and the last thing I need is to have uninformed Cambridge city councillors overruling necessary decisions I have to make about managing the trees on my property.

Order #2. Council Opposition to Comcast Data Cap.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Nolan, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

I’m also wary of Comcast instituting data caps, but even though we have a lot of web traffic in and out of my house we’re still nowhere near the proposed data cap. I’m more concerned that there’s 957 Channels and There’s Nothing On. That and the fact that my two-year "introductory rate" is about to run out and I may have to play hardball with The Evil Empire.

Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee met on Nov 12, 2020 to conduct a public hearing on the PUD-CDK District Zoning Amendment.
Report Amended to Include Revised Language 9-0; Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0

Just build something really great, will ya? – Robert Winters

Comments?

October 20, 2020

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 475-476: October 20, 2020

Filed under: 2020 Election,Cambridge,Cambridge InsideOut — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 10:22 pm

Episode 475 – Cambridge InsideOut: Oct 20, 2020 (Part 1)

This episode was broadcast on Oct 20, 2020 at 6:00pm. Topics: T Minus 14 Days and Counting; Ballot Questions – especially Question 2 and RCV; Neighborhood Conservation Districts and civic mendacity. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

Episode 476 – Cambridge InsideOut: Oct 20, 2020 (Part 2)

This episode was broadcast on Oct 20, 2020 at 6:30pm. Topics: Municipal Broadband; Tree Ordinance; Fresh Pond Golf Course off limits until the golfers leave; Participatory Budgeting and miniature golf; Vacant Storefronts; zoning – changes to the Table of Uses and Home Occupations. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

May 26, 2020

Cambridge InsideOut Episode 464: May 26, 2020

Filed under: Cambridge,Cambridge InsideOut — Tags: , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 8:17 pm

Episode 464 – Cambridge InsideOut: May 26, 2020 – Carefully Venturing Outside from Inside

This episode was broadcast on May 26, 2020 at 6:30pm. Topics: The Empty City; Riverbend Park and the closing of streets here and elsewhere; Impasse on Municipal Broadband; Catching Up with the City Council; FY2021 Budget. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in this episode]

March 29, 2020

Not an April Fool’s Joke – Featured Items on the March 30, 2020 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 10:27 pm

Not an April Fool’s Joke – Featured Items on the March 30, 2020 Cambridge City Council Agenda

The City of Cambridge and its residents continue to act affirmatively to address the needs of our neighbors and struggling businesses as the local count of COVID-19 confirmed infections continues to rise (70 in Cambridge as of Mar 29 including one fatality). The Cambridge City Council has, for the most part, focused on the current crisis rather than engaging too much in other agendas. However, that apparently doesn’t stop some councillors from overreaching. See Resolution #2 below (which isn’t really a resolution so much as an overly broad declaration). Here are the agenda items I found most noteworthy this week:City Hall

Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the recommended reappointment of Christopher Bator as a member of the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority for a term of 5-years.

The reconfiguration of the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority starting with the appointments by former City Manager Robert Healy on April 9, 2012 has worked out remarkably well with those inspired appointments. All five Board members continue to serve today: D. Margaret Drury, Chris Bator, Conrad Crawford, Kathleen Born, and Barry Zevin (Governor’s appointee).

Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the use of the War Memorial Recreation Center and Field House on Cambridge Street, which is adjacent to and part of the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School campus, for an emergency shelter for the homeless due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.

This was a late addition to the Manager’s agenda. A lot more people will be aware of the need for emergency management when this crisis wanes – hopefully sooner than later – and the City has definitely been looking out for everyone, including people currently without a home or adequate shelter.

I hope that people also develop a renewed interest in broader planning goals, e.g. the importance of having essential needs like basic food and household goods at affordable prices available in all neighborhoods. Perhaps we’ll also better appreciate the importance of ensuring that deliveries to homes and businesses is not prevented by other priorities. Internet access has also been elevated to the category of an essential need – regardless whether it’s provided via an existing company or municipal broadband.

Resolution #2. Moratorium on rent payments, mortgage payments, evictions and foreclosures.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Carlone

While we can all appreciate the goal of having everyone consider renegotiating existing contracts, including rental agreements, this resolution makes no reference to the ability or inability of a tenant or owner of a property with a mortgage to pay their rent or mortgage. It’s just a flat out call for a moratorium on payments. Perhaps the authors of the resolution believe that all landlords are billionaires who charge excessive rents. I would love to see the current scale of rents and home prices change to more rational levels, and maybe that will happen to some degree when the dust settles and that all parties – lenders, property owners, and tenants – find ways to be kind to one another during this challenging period. This resolution has more to do with politics than kindness or reasonableness. The details in Order #1 below are by far the more reasonable things to ask.

Order #1. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to work with the Cambridge Housing Authority and other appropriate personnel to enforce compliance with this order in publicly owned housing, publicly subsidized housing, and federally assisted housing.   Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler

Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Director of Traffic, Parking, and Transportation on streets in each neighborhood that could be closed to all non-essential traffic for the duration of the Health Emergency and report back to the council as soon as possible.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler

Order #3. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with DCR to explore closing Memorial Drive for the duration of the Stay at Home order to give people in Cambridge a safe space to exercise and be outside without violating social distancing practices.   Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler

Order #4. That the City Manager explore short-term solutions to expand essential Internet access to Cambridge residents who lack it during the pandemic until such time that a municipal broadband network can be implemented.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Nolan, Councillor McGovern

Once again, the focus of the Council orders is on getting through the current crisis, and that’s appreciated. I do, however, detect more than a hint of a separate agenda in at least one the above orders. – Robert Winters

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