Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

March 21, 2022

Springing into Inaction – March 21, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 10:31 pm

Springing into Inaction – March 21, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

It looks like a pretty light agenda this week. Here are a few notable items:First Sign of Spring

Manager’s Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to recommendations for the block rates for water consumption and sewer use for the period beginning Apr 1, 2022 and ending Mar 31, 2023. [Order]
pulled by Nolan; Zondervan wants to quit our own water supply and switch to MWRA; City Manager disagrees w/Zondervan claim we have PFAS "contaminated water"; City Engineer Kathy Watkins and DPW Commissioner Owen O’Riordan provide expert information re: sewer system improvements; Carlone asks about advantages of AAA bond ratings; Azeem asks about relationship between rates and consumption, long-term projections on capacity vs. population growth; Order Adopted 9-0

Charter Right #10. That the City Manager is requested to amend all existing Community Host Agreements previously issued by the City by reducing the Impact Fee to 0.05% of Gross Revenue and to refrain from placing this burden upon any future HCAs that may yet be issued. [Charter Right – Zondervan, Feb 28, 2022; Tabled Mar 7, 2022]
Removed from Table 8-0-1 (Carlone ABSENT); Simmons explains her amendments, Zondervan amendments; Amendments Adopted on voice vote; Order Adopted on voice vote; Reconsideration Fails 0-9

Resolution #2. Happy 100th Birthday to Marion A. Sullivan.   Councillor Simmons

Resolution #14. Resolution on the death of Lawrence Hudson.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toner

Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to work with the Police Department to look into specific pedestrian safety interventions that can be placed at the intersection of Broadway and Highland Avenue.   Vice Mayor Mallon
pulled by Mallon; notes recent motor vehicle accident and claims many near-accidents (but this is really just hazardous for pedestrians); Adopted as Amended (voice vote)

Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to direct the Community Development Department to immediately convene an Alewife Overlay District Zoning Proposal Working Group.   Councillor Toner, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons, Vice Mayor Mallon
pulled by Toner; Carlone explains that an urban design plan should precede any approval of zoning changes, bemoans fact that City Council continues to leave this out; Zondervan wants at least 50% housing in this area; Adopted as Amended (voice vote)

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Vice Mayor Mallon, transmitting a memorandum regarding updates on the City Manager search. [memo] [timeline] [outreach] [leadership profile] [application for Initial Screening Committee]
Placed on File as amended (voice vote)

Late Order #5. That the City Council supports H.3457/S.2307 in Mass. General Court re: regulation of e-bikes.   Councillor Azeem, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
Order Adopted (voice vote)

Note: This was the first meeting in two years where all 9 councillors were physically present.

March 16, 2022

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 541-542: March 15, 2022

Episode 541 – Cambridge InsideOut: Mar 15, 2022 (Part 1)

This episode was recorded on Mar 15, 2022 at 6:00pm. Topics: Ides of March; Spring Training Baseball; Covid status; City Manager search & interim possibilities; Council complaints & light workload; Board appointments – “apply at your own risk”; misunderstanding the Charter and roles of councillors vs. manager. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]


Episode 542 – Cambridge InsideOut: Mar 15, 2022 (Part 2)

This episode was recorded on Mar 15, 2022 at 6:30pm. Topics: “Moving Forward Together” w/o most involved councillor; Planning Board discussions re: single-family zoning, evolving roles as planners vs. petition reviewers; building the tax base; some history of Kendall Square, University Park, NorthPoint, Alewife Triangle, Alewife Quadrangle; planning before and after demise of rent control; Blurred Envision; real routes to affordability requires transit and not unilateralism; flexibility in residential uses. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

March 5, 2022

In Like a Lemming, Out Like a Loon – March 7, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

In Like a Lemming, Out Like a Loon – March 7, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

The Charter-Changers will this week charter a course through the sea of Charter Right agenda items pulled last week for reasons unknown. The rhetoric should be priceless in justifying why residents volunteering their time and talents should be challenged by privileged councillors acting as tools for political organizations. Save for the holdover items, the agenda is relatively brief this week. Here are a few notable items:

Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-42, regarding a report on reviewing Cambridge’s corporate contracts and purchases to identify any vendors or manufacturers whose products are used to perpetuate violations of International Human Rights Laws and Cambridge’s policy on discrimination.
pulled by Carlone (trying to narrow focus to computer companies, i.e. Hewlett-Packard); McGovern notes that products are often comprised of parts from many companies; Zondervan characterizes Solicitor response as a "refusal to respond to the policy order"; Placed on File 9-0

One of the great misunderstanding of occasional Council-watchers is that a short agenda translates into a short meeting. The problem with that is that it fails to account for the “political theater” associated with some items that might otherwise be easily dismissed and placed on file. Such is the case with this quite rational and sensible response from the City Solicitor in response to last year’s marathon-inducing order that was anti-Israel and pro-BDS (Boycott-Divest-Sanction). [Reference: Charter Right #2 of May 24-25, 2001, from Order #6 of May 17, 2021] That kerfuffle was poorly resolved by a) removing the specific reference to Hewlett-Packard and affirming Israel’s right to exist (an amendment that was opposed by Councillors Sobrinho-Wheeler, and Zondervan and Mayor Siddiqui); and b) broadening the scope of the order to include “any vendors or manufacturers whose products are used to perpetuate violations of International Human Rights Laws and Cambridge’s policy on discrimination.”

More recently, there was a letter published online on Jan 27, 2022 written by John Roberts, Nancy Murray, Denise Bergman, Kathy Roberts, Jude Glaubman, and Chris Affleck that sought to reignite the kerfuffle. The Solicitor’s response pretty clearly illustrates why boycotting and otherwise targeting every entity who may have done business that a few councillors seem unsavory is a bottomless pit. If this City Council must engage in foreign entanglements, there are more universally acceptable targets available other than Israel. That, of course, will not sway Councillor Zondervan who is likely now massing virtual troops at the border of City Hall. The best course of action for the City Council can be summarized in three words – “Placed on File”.

Note: Nobody actually spoke on this item during Public Comment. Once again, it was all tiresome talking points about bike lanes.


Manager’s Agenda #11. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $730,000 from Free Cash to the General Fund Traffic and Parking Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($700,000), and to the General Fund Traffic and Parking Department Extraordinary Expenditures account ($30,000) for additional costs associated with the implementation of the Cycling Safety Ordinance.
pulled by Toner; Order Adopted 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on the status of our planned implementation of cycling safety improvements in Porter Square along Massachusetts Avenue between Beech Street and Roseland Street.
pulled by Toner; Order Adopted 8-1 (Zondervan – NO)

Pardon me for not wading into the polluted waters surrounding the Cycling Safety Ordinance (CSO – an acronym which has been more widely used for Combined Sewer Overflow). Perhaps the most significant thing worth noting is the announcement that there will be a minor delay in implementation of the CSO in one section – an unspeakable horror for the adherents of the Cambridge Bicycle Safety group who seek to enforce pledges from compliant incumbents and challengers to cover their ears, eyes, and mouths whenever the notion of amending that ordinance or deviating even slightly from its mandates is mentioned.


Manager’s Agenda #14. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request to approve the disposition of property located at 35 Cherry Street (the “Property”) to the Affordable Housing Trust to facilitate the development of affordable housing.
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0

There were a number of ideas proposed for use of this lot but, well, you know where all those considerations are ultimately filed.


Late Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council on the findings of the “Future of Telework” Committee, and to explain the City’s current policy regarding a remote work policy in the Weekly Digest this Friday, March 11th; and to submit a full report with recommendations to the full City Council at the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting on Monday, March 21st.
Order Adopted 5-2-1-1 (Mallon, McGovern, Nolan, Zondervan, Siddiqui – YES; Azeem, Toner – NO; Simmons – ABSENT, Carlone – PRESENT)

The discussion illustrated some basic misunderstanding by Vice Mayor Mallon and Mayor Siddiqui regarding the distinction between their role as city councillors and the role of the City Manager in regardless to City employees. In contrast, Councillor Azeem showed a clear understanding of the role of city councillors under the Plan E Charter (Bravo, Councillor Azeem!). Councillors Toner and Carlone also showed wisdom in their vote.


Manager’s Agenda #16. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request to move to Executive Session to discuss the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property as discussion in an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the public body.
Executive Session Held

I have no idea if this is in regard to something new or the potential resolution of something old still in litigation, e.g. Vail Court. Whatever happened to that? I really wish the City had the vision to do something creative with the taken-by-eminent-domain Vail Court property in concert with the adjacent huge parking lot at Prospect St. and Bishop Allen Drive. Mediocrity should not be the rule.


Stolen from August 1974 National LampoonCharter Right #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointment of Michael P. Gardner as a member of the Cambridge Retirement Board for a term of three years, effective Mar 1, 2022. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Placed on File 9-0 (not subject to City Council review)

Charter Right #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Maxwell Solet as a new member of the Board of Trustee of the Cambridge Health Alliance for a term to expire June 30, 2024. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Placed on File 9-0 (not subject to City Council review)

Charter Right #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for new appointments and reappointment to Open Data Review Board for a term of two year. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointment and new appointment to the Water Board. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointments to the Fresh Pond Master Plan Advisory Board. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for new appointments and reappointments to the Mid Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Commission. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for a new appointment and reappointments to the Avon Hill Neighborhood Conservation District Commission. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointments to the Half Crown-Marsh Neighborhood Conservation District Commission. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for a new appointment and reappointments to the Historical Commission. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

The tap dance continues. On the one hand, it is right and proper that the City Council should establish some ground rules for their newfound veto-power over appointments to City boards & commissions. On the other hand, politicizing board appointments was and is a terrible idea. Will the appointments be farmed out to City Council committees to be turned into politically-charged tribunals? Will a new “Review Committee” be established to process them all? Or will the Council just vote on each set of appointments after councillors beholden to political organizations have had an opportunity to delete the names of those appointees unacceptable to their handlers? Inquiring minds want to know.

NOTE: Anyone who thinks it is OK to refer to an item made subject to the Charter Right as having been “charterwritten” needs to enroll in some basic English grammar classes.


Charter Right #14. A Zoning Petition has been received from Craig A. Kelley regarding The Cambridge Transportation De-Carbonization and Congestion-Mitigation Bill.. (Ordinance #2022-10) [Charter Right – Carlone, Feb 28, 2022]
Referred to Ordinance Committee and Planning Board 9-0 (Carlone)

Though my guess is that Craig Kelley’s petition won’t survive in its initial form, he deserves credit for reopening the conversation of such things as car-sharing and how electric vehicle charging can be made more widely available. Abutter concerns will not and should not be easily dismissed, but this is still a conversation that needs to take place. I won’t be buying an electric car (or an eclectic car) any time soon, but if I ever do the matter of charging for those of us without driveways can’t be dismissed, and even if battery improvements make things somewhat faster it likely won’t be as fast as filling up the tank. Let’s also not forget that the electrical infrastructure maintained by Eversource will likely need a tremendous amount of reinvestment as vehicles and buildings become more dependent on the electric grid.

Charter Right #15. That the City Manager is requested to work with DCR to pilot an expansion of Memorial Drive closures along any segments east of Western Avenue that could be used as parkland. [Charter Right – Simmons, Feb 28, 2022]
Order Adopted as Amended 8-0-0-1 (Simmons – PRESENT)

This is likely still a non-starter for a variety of reasons. Besides, actual parkland is better than pretend parkland that’s covered in asphalt and only available one or two days per week during a portion of the year.

Charter Right #16. That the City Manager is requested to amend all existing Community Host Agreements previously issued by the City by reducing the Impact Fee to 0.05% of Gross Revenue and to refrain from placing this burden upon any future HCAs that may yet be issued. [Charter Right – Zondervan, Feb 28, 2022]
Amended to add Zondervan as sponsor (and withdraw his proposed amendments); Tabled 9-0 on motion of Simmons

I am endlessly entertained by the City Council’s attempts to override economics in the pursuit of accomodation of the politically connected. In Washington, DC former elected officials become lobbyists, and in Cambridge and Boston they go into cannibis sales. Are there any other taxes and fees being waived for other businesses – especially now that Covid seems to be in retreat – or is this just a weed thing?

Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to consult with the Department of Public Works to introduce the SMART Box rodent control system in Cambridge.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Proposed City Council Order #5: That the City Manager be and herby is requested to appoint a Rodent Rights Commission in order to ensure that all members of the order Rodentia and the genus Rattus be granted the full rights and privileges as all other Cambridge residents – especially in regard to exposure to electric currents and other matters of environmental justice.

Committee Report #1. The Housing Committee met on Dec 1, 2021 to conduct a public hearing to resume its discussion of the Sept 20, 2021 Policy Order that seeks to amend the Zoning Ordinance via potentially raising the linkage fee. [Report]
Report Accepted; Placed on File 9-0

Tax, tax tax – spend, spend, spend. Let others worry about the details and potential consequences.

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Councillors Toner and Simmons, transmitting a memorandum regarding the search for the next City Clerk. [Outreach List] [Search timeline] [Job posting]
Placed on File 9-0

Where are John Wayne and Jeffrey Hunter now that we need them? – Robert Winters

March 2, 2022

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 539-540: March 1, 2022

Episode 539 – Cambridge InsideOut: Mar 1, 2022 (Part 1)

This episode was recorded on Mar 1, 2022 at 6:00pm. Topics: Ukraine invasion hits home; higher education reinventing itself; adjusting the center; Covid updates; assaulting the Boards; efforts to eviscerate neighborhood conservation districts and some history of their success; turning grudges into policy. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]


Episode 540 – Cambridge InsideOut: Mar 1, 2022 (Part 2)

This episode was recorded on Mar 1, 2022 at 6:30pm. Topics: dependent vs. independent councillors; charter review; city manager search; budget process misunderstandings; purpose of City Council orders under Plan E; some history of responsiveness of city managers and the nuclear option; AAA bond ratings; regulation and taxation; envisioning transit and urban planning. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

March 1, 2022

Cambridge’s Bike Lane Mandate Hurts Us All – by John Pitkin

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council,cycling,transportation — Tags: , , , , , — John Pitkin @ 11:57 am

An op-ed by former City Councillor Jen Devereux in Cambridge Day belittles the growing opposition of residents to Cambridge’s bike lane mandate. She likens it to a conspiracy about a word game, castigates opponents’ “sky-is-falling rhetoric,” and admonishes them with therapeutic advice that, “feelings are not facts and emotions are not truth.”

Her call for a return to norms and an end to what she terms the “bike wars” rings hollow because she ends her piece with a reminder that two people have been “killed by drivers” in Porter Square since 2016. This strikes me as ironic, since the “bike wars” she laments were touched off by cycle advocates’ using two 2016 cyclist fatalities as a rhetorical battering ram to advance new cycle lanes in Inman Square, Cambridge Street and Brattle Street.

Organized cycle advocates d/b/a Cambridge Bike Safety used this emotional appeal to shut down debate and short-circuit consideration of financial, environmental and social costs as well as alternative means to improve safety for all. Those who voiced objections were even labeled “killers” by association with the unfortunate and, by all accounts, blameless drivers in the fatal crashes.

It is said that “Truth is the first casualty of war.” The same can be said of our “bike wars.” Facts are rarely checked and only valued for their emotional impact or clickability, and the arguments or interests of opponents are dismissed out of hand..

If we want to move forward from this situation a good first step would be to see it not as a “war” but a “social dysfunction,” not zingers flying between partisans, but the equivalent of a heart attack of endemic mistrust in our body politic. It affects everyone and harms us all, because if we don’t trust each other, if we don’t trust our government, we won’t be able to act with the unity we need to meet the existential threats of climate change or the immediate needs of our community. We have to figure out how to work together on common solutions to critical problems, and the bike lane disputes are a distraction from the real work that must be done.

Trust cannot be restored by City Councillors tut-tutting citizens for voicing concerns about the bike lanes when the actual impacts become apparent. Indeed City Council created the current civic mess by not involving the very people – the body politic – that they represent.

The contentious discourse and public debate that Ms. Devereux bemoans could and should have taken place before the mandates in the Cycling Safety Ordinance were enacted in 2019 and strengthened in 2020. She acknowledges that “parking is the third rail of politics.” Other City Councillors must also know. Yet to this day the majority of the City Council as well as City administrators play down the scope of the bike lane mandate, branding them as benign “bicycle safety improvements.” And obligatory public notices of community meetings and installation of new bike lanes were utterly ineffective, leaving most residents and business owners in the dark until the eve of installation.

But now the truth is coming out that the Bike Lane Mandate is a big deal. It touches the “third rail” of parking. And the City Council’s defective process has created a giant mess.

The mandated lanes comprise a 26 mile network, covering 10% of Cambridge’s public streets, including Mass. Avenue and other major arteries, and must be completed or in construction by 2026.

It will mean removing many hundreds of parking spaces, in some areas half or all of the parking, as well as loading zones needed for deliveries to and pickups from businesses. Costs are not known but will be substantial. Engineering services alone for the first Quick-Build lanes, not including implementation, have averaged $160 thousand per mile.  The full design and build of just one major intersection, Inman Square, is budgeted to cost close to $10 million.

The financial impacts on local businesses are not known because the City has not asked the affected businesses.  In places were parking has already been removed some business owners report that their revenues have dropped 45%.  A parking access and loading zones are removed over time, there are reasonable fears that commercial dead zones will spread to sections of Mass. Avenue, Cambridge Street and Huron Avenue where there are now thriving, diverse shopping districts.

Thousands of residents who rely on street parking and access to homes, necessary services, and local shops will also be adversely impacted.

The scope of the Bike Lane Mandate is so broad and complex that the City Council might reasonably have put it on the ballot for residents to vote on in a municipal referendum before acting on it. Instead, the City Council passed the mandate after limited public discussion and debate and deputized the Director of Transportation, Traffic and Parking to inform the affected residents and owners in community meetings of what “cycling safety” means for them.

Now that citizens more clearly understand the grand plan and how it affects them, we are starting to see the beginnings of the kind of vigorous, contentious, factual debate that is needed for democracy to work and that we as Americans expect. These stirrings should not be discouraged or tamped down, but rather welcomed as a hopeful beginning of the civil discourse we urgently need to build trust in one other and strengthen our community.

John Pitkin
18 Fayette Street
Cambridge, MA 02139

February 28, 2022

Neighborhood Consternation Districts – February 28, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Neighborhood Consternation Districts – February 28, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

The densifiers are massing at the borders of Cambridge neighborhoods. The next few weeks and months should prove interesting as appointees to neighborhood conservation districts, the Historical Commission, and other boards may find themselves in the crosshairs of densifiers and control freaks. There’s even a City Council order this week that seeks to redefine, and perhaps eviscerate, neighborhood conservation districts. We’ll see how the review of board appointments plays out, but at this point I fully expect to soon be saying: “I told you so.”City Hall

Here are some items of interest on this week’s agenda:

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


Manager’s Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointment of Michael P. Gardner as a member of the Cambridge Retirement Board for a term of three years, effective Mar 1, 2022.
Charter Right – Mallon

Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Maxwell Solet as a new member of the Board of Trustee of the Cambridge Health Alliance for a term to expire June 30, 2024.
Charter Right – Mallon

Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for new appointments and reappointment to Open Data Review Board for a term of two year.
Charter Right – Mallon

Manager’s Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointment and new appointment to the Water Board.
Charter Right – Mallon

Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointments to the Fresh Pond Master Plan Advisory Board.
Charter Right – Mallon

Manager’s Agenda #10. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for new appointments and reappointments to the Mid Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Commission.
Charter Right – Mallon

Manager’s Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for a new appointment and reappointments to the Avon Hill Neighborhood Conservation District Commission.
Charter Right – Mallon

Manager’s Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointments to the Half Crown-Marsh Neighborhood Conservation District Commission.
Charter Right – Mallon

Manager’s Agenda #13. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for a new appointment and reappointments to the Historical Commission.
Charter Right – Mallon

Order #11. Amendment to Chapter 2.78 of the Cambridge Code of Ordinance, entitled “Historical Buildings and Landmarks.”   Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons, Vice Mayor Mallon
pulled by Toner; Solicitor explains that this is a City Ordinance under Home Rule, not subject to M.G.L. Ch. 40C, and may be amended by City Council; Referred to NLTP Committee 5-4 (motion of Zondervan) [Carlone, Nolan, Toner, Zondervan, Siddiqui – YES; Azeem, Mallon, McGovern, Simmons – NO]


Manager’s Agenda #14. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the City of Cambridge retaining its AAA rating from the nation’s three major credit rating agencies.[Moody’s] [S&P] [Fitch]
pulled by Toner; Placed on File 9-0


Manager’s Agenda #15. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the Climate Resilience Zoning Task Force Report.
pulled by Nolan; referred to Health & Environment Committee 9-0 (motion of Nolan)

Manager’s Agenda #16. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request for approval of the special act that has been enacted by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, entitled “Chapter 19 of the Acts of 2022, An Act Authorizing the City of Cambridge to Use Certain Land for General Municipal Purposes and the Installation of Subsurface Geothermal Wells” at the Father Callanan Playground and Fields in conjunction with the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools Project.[Tobin Article 97 Plan] [Tobin Art 97 Special Act Parchment] [Tobin Special Act Order]
Order Adopted 9-0


Manager’s Agenda #17. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a communication from City Solicitor Nancy E. Glowa, relative to a further response to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-93 regarding a report on proposed amendments to the Municipal Code relative to recent charter changes.
pulled by Nolan; Placed on File, Referred to Ordinance Committee 9-0 (motion of Zondervan)

On The Table #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-93, regarding proposed amendments to the Municipal Code relative to recent charter changes. (Ordinance #2022-2). [Charter Right – Nolan, Jan 31, 2022; Tabled Feb 7, 2022]
Refer to Ordinance Committee 9-0 (motion of Zondervan)


Charter Right #1. That Article 10.000 of the Zoning Ordinances of the City of Cambridge be amended to insert a new section 10.600, titled “On-Site Fossil Fuel Infrastructure”. [Charter Right – Zondervan, Feb 7, 2022]
Placed on File 9-0 (based on negative opinion from Atty. Gen. Maura Healey on comparable proposed ordinance in Brookline)


Charter Right #2. That section 6.36 entitled, Schedule of Parking and Loading Requirements, of Article 6.000, entitled “Off Street Parking And Loading Requirements And Nighttime Curfew On Large Commercial Through Trucks”, of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge be amended. [Charter Right – Simmons, Feb 7, 2022]
Referred to Transportation & Public Utilities Committee 9-0

Charter Right #3. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct staff from the Community Development and Law Departments to examine the Zoning Ordinance and provide amendment language for consideration by the City Council to remove all other references to parking minimums, including in Articles 13.000, 14.000, 15.000, 16.000, 17.000, and 20.000. [Charter Right – Simmons, Feb 7, 2022]
Referred to Transportation & Public Utilities Committee 9-0

Applications & Petitions #5. A Zoning Petition has been received from Craig A. Kelley regarding The Cambridge Transportation De-Carbonization and Congestion-Mitigation Bill.
Charter Right – Carlone


113 Communications covering various topics but overwhelmingly about bike lanes.
Placed on File 9-0

Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Economic Development division and other appropriate departments with the intention of conducting a study to collect relevant economic data relating to business impacts from bike lane installations now and for a full year once the bike network is completed, positive or negative, which will help inform future installations of bike lanes along commercial corridors.   Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toner, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 9-0 as Amended


Resolution #2. Thanks to Anne Shuhler and the entire Classic Graphx team for more than 35 years of exemplary service to the people and businesses of Cambridge.   Councillor Simmons

Resolution #8. That the City Council go on record thanking Izzy Maldonado and his family for over 41 years of serving up some of the finest comfort food in Cambridge at Izzy’s Restaurant & Sub Shop, and in wishing the family well as the beloved institution passes into memory.   Councillor Simmons

Resolution #11. Happy 80th Birthday wishes to Peter Valentine.   Councillor Zondervan


Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to amend all existing Host Community Agreements previously issued by the City by reducing the Impact Fee to 0.05% of Gross Revenue and to refrain from placing this burden upon any future HCAs that may yet be issued.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Toner, Councillor Azeem
Charter Right – Zondervan

Order #4. That the Mayor is requested to schedule a Special Meeting of the City Council and invite the Mayor of Somerville, Somerville City Councillors, the Cambridge Police Department, the Somerville Police Department, and others to discuss how to work together to address the gun activity taking place between our youth in our communities.   Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Toner, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan
Adopted 8-0-1 as Amended (Siddiqui ABSENT)

Order #7. That a City Manager Search ad-hoc committee of the Cambridge City Council be formed for the purpose of reviewing and selecting self-nominated residents and stakeholders to be on the candidate preliminary screening committee.   Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #10. That the City Manager is requested to work with DCR to pilot an expansion of Memorial Drive closures along any segments east of Western Avenue that could be used as parkland.   Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Nolan
Charter Right – Simmons

Committee Report #1. The Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations Committee met on Oct 13, 2021, to conduct a public hearing to discuss the long-term plan for school buildings, including a systemwide summary of status of plans, update on current projects, any plans for future relocations, and projections for enrollment changes over time. [Report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Committee Report #2. The Health & Environment Committee and the Human Services & Veterans Committee met on Dec 8, 2021, to discuss the redesign of Carl Barron Plaza with a special focus on the needs of the unhoused community and the ideas presented within Communication #10 from the Oct 18, 2021, regular meeting. [Report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Committee Report #3. The Ordinance Committee met on Dec 15, 2021, to conduct a public hearing on the Off Street Parking Zoning petition (Ord #2021-23) [Report not available]
Present: unknown – no report
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0 (even though there was no report)

Committee Report #4. The Human Services and Veterans Committee met on Dec 16, 2021, to hold a public hearing to receive a report from the Department of Human Services Programs regarding changes made to DHSP after school programs. [Report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Councillor Simmons, transmitting a memorandum regarding Final Report of the Cambridge Advisory Committee on City Art, Monuments, & Markers.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Councillor Nolan and Councillor Carlone regarding FY24 budget priorities.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Late Resolution #12. Support potential Green Line extension to Porter Square.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui
Resolution Adopted 9-0

Late Order #12. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to light City Hall blue and yellow this week in honor of Ukraine.   Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Additional details may follow.

February 4, 2022

Don’t Worry About The Government – Selections from the February 7, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 9:38 am

Don’t Worry About The Government – Selections from the February 7, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Here are a few choice items from this week’s agenda:

Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a COVID-19 update.
Placed on File 9-0Feb 6 Covid 7-day averages

The Covid numbers have been improving daily. Harvard dining halls have now opened at full capacity and required testing has been reduced. The questions now should be about when the City’s various requirements will be reduced or eliminated as we transition from pandemic to endemic.

Charter Right #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-93, regarding proposed amendments to the Municipal Code relative to recent charter changes (Ordinance #2022-2). [Charter Right – Nolan, Jan 31, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 – Nolan

The big question for me will be how the next round of charter revision plays out. The pattern over the last few years has been one of city councillors seeking more privilege and authority (personal aides, designated parking spaces, private offices, veto power over appointments to City boards & commissions). They have even now asserted themselves as the primary source of all future charter revision by assuming power to appoint all members to any future charter review commission. Will the next call be for a popularly elected mayor and the elimination of the current city manager form of government (even as they are in the process of hiring a city manager)? Depending on how the first round goes, there may be the need for citizens to petition for their own elected charter review commission. In the 1930s, the combination of political patronage, poor fiscal management, and elevated taxes led to a citizens movement to adopt Plan E. History may well repeat itself, but perhaps only after considerable fiscal turmoil.

I will also point out that there are still no protocols in place for how the City Council will review appointments to City boards & commissions or if this authority applies to all boards, commissions, task forces, or ad-hoc committees.City Hall

Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to consult with the appropriate City staff to determine the feasibility of establishing additional compensation for the City’s essential employees in accordance with the considered State legislation framework.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Toner
Order Adopted 9-0

This may be a good idea, but there is something odd about crediting additional years toward an employee’s pension as if this was some new form of currency. One might think that providing “hazard pay” to employees who came to work through the worst part of the pandemic would be the more appropriate action.


Order #2. That Article 10.000 of the Zoning Ordinances of the City of Cambridge be amended to insert a new section 10.600, titled “On-Site Fossil Fuel Infrastructure”.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Carlone
Charter Right – Zondervan

Order #8. Amendment to Article 22 of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge entitled “Sustainable Design And Development” to insert a new section.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan
Referred to Ordinance Committee and Planning Board 7-0-0-2 (Simmons, Toner – PRESENT)

Order #2 calls for a zoning amendment that would mandate no new gas hookups in new or substantially rehabilitated buildings – except subsidized housing development. Order #8 would mandate emissions reporting for all major new projects and substantially rehabilitated buildings – except any residential buildings that include affordable units.


Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to instruct the City Solicitor to provide a legal opinion on whether the City Council can delegate the authority of curb cut approvals to the Inspectional Services Department through the City Manager.   Councillor Azeem, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted as Amended 8-1 (Carlone – NO)

When Marjorie Decker was on the City Council she would regularly question why the City Council should be involved in the approval of curb cuts. In contrast, other councillors over the years have jealously guarded their ability to either block projects or extract benefits using (or abusing) this authority. Delegate it.


Order #4. That section 6.36 entitled, Schedule of Parking and Loading Requirements, of Article 6.000, entitled “Off Street Parking And Loading Requirements And Nighttime Curfew On Large Commercial Through Trucks”, of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge be amended.   Councillor Azeem, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
Amended 9-0; Charter Right – Simmons

Order #9. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct staff from the Community Development and Law Departments to examine the Zoning Ordinance and provide amendment language for consideration by the City Council to remove all other references to parking minimums, including in Articles 13.000, 14.000, 15.000, 16.000, 17.000, and 20.000.   Councillor Azeem, Councillor Zondervan, Councill McGovern
Amended 9-0; Charter Right – Simmons

I have mixed feelings about this. The creed over the last decade or two has been that new housing near public transit should have relaxed or no parking minimums. Now that density has become the new religion with the added belief that automobiles are the work of the devil, the new wave is for eliminating parking minimums everywhere. Insofar as many tenants and owners may still want a place to park their Electric BMW, it’s likely that some developers will continue to build parking into their projects in order to maximize value. It’s not so clear how less affluent people who have to drive to jobs elsewhere will make out – other than to fight over the diminishing supply of on-street spaces when they return home. Pretty soon every day may feel like street cleaning day.


Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to report to the City Council on options for spending ARPA money on direct support for households and individuals facing eviction, housing instability, and/or homelessness.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 9-0

I’m sure some of this makes good sense, but I would like to see some documentation of the “acute crisis of homelessness, housing instability, and eviction in Cambridge” that this proposal seeks to address as well as the means via which eligibility for this new form of public assistance would be determined. I recall there being claims a year ago about the coming “tsunami of evictions” but I’m not so sure that metaphorical storm ever struck. Nobody questions that housing costs are high in Cambridge, but it’s hard to make a direct connection between that reality and the pandemic.


Order #6. That the City Council appoints City Councillors Denise Simmons and Paul Toner as members of the City Clerk preliminary screening committee to begin the application and interviewing process for the new City Clerk, and to report back to the full City Council, as required by law, for the public interviewing of recommended finalists for the City Clerk position.   Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Committee Report #1. The Government Operations, Rules and Claims Committee met on Jan 26, 2022 for the purpose of reviewing next steps in the City Manager search process.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #6. A communication was received from Vice Mayor Mallon, transmitting a memorandum regarding updates on the City Manager search.
Placed on File 9-0

One of my favorite all-time films starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Natalie Wood and others is John Ford’s “The Searchers”. I hope the City Council’s triple search process ends as well.


Order #7. Amend Section 2.66 of the Municipal Code to add a new section titled “Article III Green Jobs.”   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui
Referred to Health & Environment Committee 9-0

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting information regarding the Fare Free Bus Pilot Working Group.
Placed on File 9-0

Let me guess what the recommendation will be… You need look no further than the name of the working group. – Robert Winters

City Council Campaign Receipts, Bank Reports, $/Vote – 2021

Filed under: 2021 election,Cambridge,elections — Tags: , , , — Robert Winters @ 8:55 am

Follow the money….

Money!Here’s the final tally of campaign receipts for candidates for City Council in the 2021 municipal election as well as Political Action Committees who backed candidates in the municipal election. Only late reported data and error corrections will be made after this point.

I have always found the pattern of campaign receipts to be a strong indicator of which candidates are likely to seek reelection and which candidates are pursuing this goal most aggressively. It must be emphasized that aggressive fundraising should never be misinterpreted as quality of any given candidate.

Here’s the latest account of the (a) total receipts, (b) Cambridge contributions, (c) contributions by candidate to own campaign, (d) union contributions, (e) real estate contributions (as best as I could discern), and (f) total of union and real estate money contributed over this election cycle starting from Feb 1, 2020 through Jan 31, 2022 (a full two-year election cycle) for all City Council candidates (notes: – receipts include loans from candidates to their campaigns; refunds deducted if clearly a refund):

Note to candidates and campaigns: If you feel that anything in these tables is not correct, please contact me at election2021@cambridgecivic.com to make your case. Reasonable requests only.

You can sort on any field by clicking on the field name – in increasing order on the 1st click and in decreasing order on the 2nd click.

Total Receipts

Table of reported City Council campaign receipts (Feb 1, 2020 - Jan 31, 2022 - a full two-year election cycle)
Total Receipts, Cambridge Receipts, Self-funding, Unions, Real Estate
Last updated Apr 27, 5:35pm.
[Note: The figures shown for Nicola Williams required some correction due to very poor record-keeping, duplicate entries, etc. by the campaign Treasurer. There are likely still errors to be corrected.]
Candidate (and PACs)ReceiptsCambridgePctSelfunionsPctReal EstatePctunions+REPct
Toner, Paul$76,707.00$38,980.0050.8%$5,025.00$5,600.007.3%$11,625.0015.2%$17,225.0022.5%
Zondervan, Quinton$71,129.90$52,490.1873.8%$17,000.00$500.000.7%$0.000.0%$500.000.7%
Simmons, E. Denise$67,899.99$32,772.0048.3%$0.00$6,100.009.0%$18,200.0026.8%$24,300.0035.8%
McGovern, Marc C.$66,284.21$33,925.0051.2%$0.00$10,350.0015.6%$13,175.0019.9%$23,525.0035.5%
Williams, Nicola A.$58,415.40$43,775.2174.9%$7,780.00$0.000.0%$0.000.0%$0.000.0%
Skeadas, Theodora$48,374.40$8,321.0017.2%$3.90$0.000.0%$0.000.0%$0.000.0%
Mallon, Alanna$41,596.02$25,514.5761.3%$136.00$5,500.0013.2%$3,850.009.3%$9,350.0022.5%
Siddiqui, Sumbul$40,070.03$28,310.4370.7%$0.00$3,000.007.5%$500.001.2%$3,500.008.7%
Carlone, Dennis$39,358.47$29,596.0575.2%$0.00$750.001.9%$0.000.0%$750.001.9%
Nolan, Patricia M.$37,491.00$27,082.0072.2%$0.00$1,000.002.7%$499.001.3%$1,499.004.0%
Azeem, Burhan$37,402.10$24,925.1066.6%$14,000.00$500.001.3%$0.000.0%$500.001.3%
CCC - IEPAC$32,855.00$32,855.00100.0%$0.00$0.000.0%$0.000.0%$0.000.0%
Sobrinho-Wheeler, Jivan$30,977.11$15,722.0850.8%$2,177.88$3,250.0010.5%$0.000.0%$3,250.0010.5%
McGuirk, Joe$27,187.81$9,866.2136.3%$10.00$1,500.005.5%$850.003.1%$2,350.008.6%
Hicks, Tonia$19,607.777112.9436.3%$120.00$0.000.0%$0.000.0%$0.000.0%
ABC - IEPAC$18,594.00$14,555.0078.3%$0.00$0.000.0%$200.001.1%$200.001.1%
Bullister, Dana$15,047.01$8,199.0154.5%$5,399.01$0.000.0%$0.000.0%$0.000.0%
Eckstut, Robert$10,452.00$1,120.0010.7%$720.00$0.000.0%$0.000.0%$0.000.0%
ORC - PAC$4,860.00$4,860.00100.0%$0.00$0.000.0%$0.000.0%$0.000.0%
BikeSafety-PAC$4,231.00$3,275.0077.4%$0.00$0.000.0%$0.000.0%$0.000.0%
ABC - PAC$1,280.00$1,130.0088.3%$0.00$0.000.0%$50.003.9%$50.003.9%
CResA - PAC$1,045.00$1,045.000.0%$0.00$0.000.0%$0.000.0%$0.000.0%
Pierre, Frantz$250.00$50.0020.0%$0.00$0.000.0%$0.000.0%$0.000.0%
Moree, Gregg$100.00$100.00100.0%$100.00$0.000.0%$0.000.0%$0.000.0%
Levy, Ilan S.$0.00$0.000.0%$0.00$0.000.0%$0.000.0%$0.000.0%
CCC - PAC$0.00$0.000.0%$0.00$0.000.0%$0.000.0%$0.000.0%
Total$751,215.22$445,581.7859.3%$52,471.79$38,050.005.1%$48,949.006.5%$86,999.0011.6%

Source: Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF)

ABC-PAC: “A Better Cambridge Political Action Committee” [dissolved 4/14/21 in favor of ABC-IEPAC]
ABC-IEPAC: “A Better Cambridge Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee”
BikeSafety-IEPAC: “Cambridge Bicycle Safety Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee”
CCC-PAC: “Cambridge Citizens Coalition Political Action Committee” [dissolved 11/5/21 in favor of CCC-IEPAC]
CCC-IEPAC: “Cambridge Citizens Coalition Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee”
CResA-PAC: “Democracy for Cambridge Political Action Committee” – Cambridge Residents Alliance
ORC-PAC: “Our Revolution Cambridge Political Action Committee”

Note: Late support from two additional Independent Expenditure PACs (IEPAC) associated with Liam Kerr has been reported for two candidates:
Priorities for Progress IEPAC – $3000 toward Paul Toner (Novus Group, digital advertisements)
Democrats for Education Reform IEPAC – $2500 toward Patricia Nolan (Novus Group, digital advertisements)


Bank Reports and $ per #1 Vote

Bank Reports 2021 - Cambridge City Council Candidates and PACs
Last updated Feb 4, 1:00pm
CandidateFromToStartReceiptsExpendBalanceAs Of#1 Votes$/#1 Vote
ABC-PAC02/01/2004/14/21$2,051.88$1,229.43$3,281.31$0.0004/14/21
ABC-IEPAC02/17/2110/31/21$0.00$18,424.00$11,178.25$7,245.7511/01/21
CCC-PAC02/01/2010/31/21$5,142.82$0.00$5,142.82$0.0011/04/21
CCC-IEPAC01/01/2112/31/21$0.00$32,855.00$32,512.40$342.6001/05/22
CResA-PAC02/01/2001/31/22$456.16$2,041.56$1,419.26$1,078.4602/03/22
BikeSafety-IEPAC02/01/2010/20/21$0.00$3,861.00$0.00$3,861.0010/20/21
ORC-PAC02/01/2001/31/22$60.00$4,860.10$4,433.08$487.0202/01/22
Azeem, Burhan02/01/2001/31/22$53.68$38,646.06$38,307.13$392.6102/03/221379$27.78
Bullister, Dana11/01/2001/31/22$0.00$15,071.40$14,930.41$140.9902/04/22520$28.71
Carlone, Dennis02/01/2001/31/22$7,231.04$40,784.41$35,958.09$12,057.3602/01/221493$24.08
Eckstut, Robert05/12/2101/31/22$0.00$9,886.39$9,688.13$198.2602/01/2270$138.40
Hicks, Tonia11/01/2001/31/22$0.00$19,079.01$17,277.12$1,801.8902/01/22363$47.60
Levy, Ilan02/01/2001/31/22$54.78$0.00$51.00$3.7802/01/2297$0.53
Mallon, Alanna02/01/2001/31/22$4,944.73$40,630.07$39,879.65$5,695.1502/03/221220$32.69
McGovern, Marc02/01/2001/31/22$11,356.02$67,758.37$65,477.31$13,637.0802/02/221539$42.55
McGuirk, Joe12/01/2001/31/22$0.00$26,359.48$23,853.41$2,506.0702/01/22611$39.04
Moree, Gregg12/31/2011/30/21$0.00$100.00$100.00$0.0012/06/2180$1.25
Nolan, Patty02/01/2001/31/22$6,855.33$36,922.69$30,637.02$13,141.0002/01/221971$15.54
Pierre, Frantz11/01/2012/31/21$0.00$3,336.17$2,312.83$1,023.3401/04/22355$6.52
Siddiqui, Sumbul02/01/2001/31/22$15,318.99$40,290.95$35,863.41$19,746.5302/01/224124$8.70
Simmons, Denise02/01/2001/31/22$8,662.33$66,729.02$60,207.29$15,184.0602/01/221764$34.13
Skeadas, Theodora02/01/2101/31/22$0.00$46,663.79$46,008.27$655.5202/01/22813$56.59
Sobrinho-Wheeler, Jivan02/01/2001/31/22$2,103.89$30,001.90$31,048.50$1,057.2902/01/221225$25.35
Toner, Paul02/01/2001/31/22$156.57$75,858.01$74,637.07$1,377.5102/01/221703$43.83
Williams, Nicola A.02/01/2001/31/22$262.21$61,089.46$60,934.55$417.1202/01/221159$52.58
Zondervan, Quinton02/01/2001/31/22$256.49$70,872.25$70,347.73$781.0102/01/221295$54.32

2021 Cambridge Candidate Pages

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