Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

May 10, 2021

Of interest on the May 10, 2021 City Council Agenda

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 2:56 pm

Of interest on the May 10, 2021 City Council Agenda

Big ticket loan authorizations, juggling finances, tax implications, political machinations and more.City Hall

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

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui transmitting questions for the COVID-19 Update.
Placed on File 9-0

I have been updating the COVID data and graphs every day for over a year now, and there is nothing I would like more than to see the daily new infections drop to zero so that the graphs will have literally nothing to show and we can all just call it a day and start focusing on other things. We are now down to single digits, and you can actually see faces emerging again.

Manager’s Agenda #2. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of the FY2021 Cultural Investment Portfolio Program Grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council in the amount of $12,100 to the Grant Fund Historical Commission Salaries and Wages account ($12,100) which will continue to support part-time archives assistants, who maintain the public archive of Cambridge history.
Order Adopted 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-11 regarding filling vacant positions.
Placed on File 9-0

Leaving budgeted positions unfilled was a key component of the City’s strategy for navigating the pandemic with its diminished revenue and added expenses. This year’s Budget Book shows that FY2020 had an Adopted Budget of $665,550,940 but actual expenditures of $639,240,005 – a savings of $26,310,935. The FY2021 Adopted Budget was $702,432,985, but the Projected FY2021 expenditures are $705,360,745 – just $2,927,760 more than was adopted in June 2020. The new total FY2020 Budget is $735,203,865.

It remains to be seen what the net effect of the pandemic will be on revenues and the resulting tax rates that will be determined in the Fall. Suffice to say that commercial tax revenues are tied to income generation from those properties, and many of them remained vacant or partially vacant for much of this past year. I would like very much to learn more about the property tax abatement applications and whether or not this could result in a significant shift of the tax burden from commercial properties onto residential properties – even if only for a year or two. Needless to say, revenue sources like the hotel/motel tax will be a fraction of what they have been prior to the pandemic and many fees have been reduced or waived.

The Budget Hearings start tomorrow (Tues, May 11). This week’s hearing will include the Cambridge Police Department (CPD) Budget along with many other department budgets. Look for plenty of political grandstanding. The FY2020 CPD Adopted Budget was $63,384,730 and the FY2020 actual expenditures were $61,191,815. Last June the CPD Adopted Budget was $65,925,945 amidst the confused complaints of those who thought we were Minneapolis, and the FY2021 projected CPD expenditures should ring in at around $63,919,100. The FY2022 Budget calls for $68,731,130. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the City Council insisted on reducing this by some token amount just so they could include that in their campaign literature.

Don’t be surprised if by Tuesday evening you find me arguing in favor of replacing proportional representation elections by a system of random selection of 9 people from the Registered Voting List.

Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-31, regarding funding for housing stabilization assistance in the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $28,500,000 to provide funds for the construction of sewer separation, storm water management and combined sewer overflow reduction elimination improvements within River Street and Harvard Square areas as well as the Sewer Capital Repairs Program and climate change preparedness efforts.
Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $1,800,000 to provide funds for various Schools for projects that include: asbestos abatement in various schools, replace the front plaza and failing masonry wing walls and recaulking the building at the Haggerty School, replace emergency generator and extend exhaust at Cambridgeport, recaulking precast panels at CRLS Field House, unit vents engineering at the Fletcher Maynard Academy and Longfellow building and replace the gym floor at the Amigos School.
Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #10. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $10,000,000 to provide funds for the Municipal Facilities Improvement Plan. Funds will support improvements at the Department of Public Works Complex, Moses Youth Center HVAC Design, fire notification system installation at 11 buildings, Coffon building bathroom rehab and upgrades and MFIP study. Also, included is funding to support fire station improvements including: Lafayette Square fire station improvements (floor slab, kitchen and gym flooring replacement), Taylor Square fire station improvements (decontamination showers, installation and parapet improvement), East Cambridge fire station improvements (sanitary storm system replacement and generator installation) and Lexington Ave. fire station driveway construction.
Passed to 2nd Reading 8-0-1 (Simmons Absent)

Manager’s Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $5,000,000 to provide funds for the reconstruction of various City streets and sidewalks.
Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0

These loan authorizations (bonds) total $45,300,000. In addition, the FY2022 Public Investment Budget (Pay-As-You-Go) is proposed to be $38,610,865. This brings the total proposed amount for Public Investment to $83,910,865. The funding sources are: Bond Proceeds ($16,800,000), Chapter 90 ($2,706,330), Community Development Block Grant ($1,549,380), Departmental Revenue ($6,027,155), Mitigation Revenue ($3,403,000), Parking Fund Revenues ($1,150,000), Property Taxes ($15,725,000), Sewer Bond Proceeds ($28,500,000), Sewer Service Charges ($2,750,000), Water Fund Balance ($1,800,000), and Water Service Charges ($3,500,000)

The amounts associated with bonds will be paid over time through the Debt Service budget which was $74,269,970 (actual) in FY2020, $78,854,890 (projected) in FY2021, and $82,441,070 (proposed) for FY2022. Just for the sake of comparison over the years, the Debt Service was $8,277,290 in FY1992, $11,493,110 in FY2000, $23,917,070 in FY2005, $43,293,670 in FY2010, and $50,446,035 in FY2015. The choice to pay for much of the capital investments via bonds is at least in part due to the low interest rates we can get thanks to our AAA bond ratings.

Manager’s Agenda #13. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the first Cycling Safety Ordinance report which analyzes the block-by-block impacts of installing quick-build separated bike lanes on four specific segments of Massachusetts Avenue, as identified in Section 12.22.040 (E) of the ordinance.
Refer to Transportation & Public Utilities Committee 9-0

The rhetoric will be entertaining. Parking is now referred to as "private vehicle storage" in order to characterize it as diametrically opposite to "community benefit." The underlying presumption is that all righteous people will soon travel and shop via bicycle – except for those surly laborers who actually deliver your goods, fix your plumbing, install your solar panels and vegetated roofs, etc. By the way, how was your latte this morning?

Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with all relative city departments, the Central Square BID and the MBTA to close Mass Ave. from Prospect Street to Sydney Street on Friday and Saturday evenings from 7:00pm to 1:00am through September 2021 and report back to the Council.   Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons
Charter Right – Zondervan

I don’t yet know of anyone in the Central Square business community who supports this, and I’m sure that the traffic that’s diverted to the parallel residential streets will go over superbly with the residents on those streets. I’m not saying that there can’t be some positive aspects to this, but it strikes me as naive and political as opposed to informed and practical. Selectively re-purposing some streets in Central Square during certain hours and certain days has a lot of merit (and some of this is already planned), but vacating the Massachusetts Ave. roadway on weekend evenings seems neither necessary nor helpful. A more helpful suggestion would be to help facilitate a few summer weekend closures for festivals with music – assuming, of course, that the Covid numbers continue to drop.

Order #2. In support of H. 3559, An Act Relative to Public Transit Electrification.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Toomey
Order Adopted 9-0 as Amended

This is specific to public transit and calls for (a) blocking any proposed conversion to fuel-powered buses on any of bus routes now powered by overhead wires; (b) having an all-electric MBTA bus fleet within approximately a decade; and (c) converting all commuter rail lines from diesel to electric. While I find a lot of this to be unnecessarily rigid, especially in terms of the durability and route flexibility of the buses, I would like to see not only the electrification of many of the commuter rail lines, but also the folding of some of those lines into an expanded rapid transit system with far more frequent service.

Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee met on Feb 24, 2021 conduct a public hearing on the following ordinance amendments.
(1) That the City Council adopt a municipal ordinance to reduce or limit campaign donations from donors seeking to enter into a contract, seeking approval for a special permit or up-zoning, seeking to acquire real estate from the city, or seeking financial assistance from the city.
(2) The Cambridge City Council direct the City Manager to work with the City Solicitor’s Office to draft a Home Rule Petition that would cap campaign contributions to any City Council candidate to $200 per person, per year, per candidate and limit candidate loans to $3,000 per election cycle.
Charter Right – McGovern

We have heard variations of these proposals more times than I care to count, and the legal complications of some of the proposed ideas aren’t even worth repeating at this point. It’s as though proposals like this are integral parts of the campaign rhetoric of some candidates – and whether they are ever implemented in some form is almost irrelevant.

Local political campaigns nowadays do not necessarily require a fortune to be successful – and there is a lot of evidence that the keys to a successful campaign have more to do with social media and shoe leather than with mammoth campaign war chests. In fact, there are some voters (like me) who look upon excessively funded campaigns with more suspicion than respect. The increasing role of political action committees (PACs) in local campaigns is not even being raised by city councillors, and that goes especially for those councillors who are backed by these PACs and appear on their candidate slates – even as the campaign accounts of these PACs are being converted to "Independent Expenditure PACs" with little or no transparency. [References: Cambridge City Council Campaign Receipts 2021 and Cambridge City Council Campaign Receipts 2019]

Personally, I would rather see voluntary caps on spending and full disclosure by all players in the political campaigns – including all organizations who are working to unlevel the playing field and influence the outcomes. A roster of all the people associated with these organizations would also be helpful since simply calling yourselves "Better" means about as much as saying "Make Cambridge Great Again" when what you’re really doing is just creating more investment opportunities to exploit (not that there’s anything wrong with investment). – Robert Winters

May 5, 2021

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 501-502: May 4, 2021

Filed under: 2021 election,Cambridge,Cambridge InsideOut — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 5:15 pm

Episode 501 – Cambridge InsideOut: May 4, 2021 (Part 1)

This episode was broadcast on May 4, 2021 at 6:00pm. Topics: candidates; charter review; School Committee; FY2022 Budget; tax abatements, budget hearings; remote participation a mixed bag; Police Department Budget. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

Episode 502 – Cambridge InsideOut: May 4, 2021 (Part 2)

This episode was broadcast on May 4, 2021 at 6:30pm. Topics: Green Roofs Petition ordained; mandates & inefficiency; affordable homeownership and the limitations of limited equity; $500 million bond proposal; electric vehicle charging and the future; legal counsel for councillors?; Plan E Charter facts; charter reform in secret – more power, less accountability. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

May 3, 2021

For Your Consideration on the May 3, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 3:24 pm

For Your Consideration on the May 3, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting agenda

Here are the things I found interesting, alarming, or downright absurd this week:

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

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting questions for the COVID-19 update.
Placed on File 9-0

It was a pleasure going for a walk this weekend without the mask (except when in close proximity with other people). Let’s hope that things continue on the road to normalcy (or at least close to normal).

Manager’s Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appointment of The Port Infrastructure Project Working Group, effective May 3, 2021 for a period of 12-15 months.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-25, regarding a report on monitoring drought conditions and an update on demand projections.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-66, regarding a report on establishing a Black and Brown-Owned Business Task Force.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the FY2022 submitted budget and appropriation orders. [FY2022 Summaries] [FY2022 Budget Book]
Referred to Finance Committee 9-0Budget Season!

I like to track how the budgets of the various City departments change from year to year and in the long term. Here’s a chart showing the one-year and two-year changes as well as the 17-year changes.

The big jumps upward this year are for the Law Department (up 23.4% in one year and 38.6% over two years), the Executive Department, i.e. the City Manager’s Office (up 14.3% in one year and 28.8% over two years), and the Animal Commission (up 12.4% in one year but just 0.9% over two years). It is notable that the Mayor’s Office budget dropped 15.3% from the previous year. The overall proposed budget is up 4.7% from the previous year and 10.5% from two years earlier.

It’s not so easy to ascertain from just the summaries how the Covid-19 pandemic expressed itself in the FY22 Budget, but perhaps that will become more clear when information about positions purposely left unfilled is known. There will also be $83.9 million in Loan Authorizations for Capital Projects that will appear on next week’s agenda.

Charter Right #1. That the City Manager is requested to present a plan to the City Council to increase the affordable homeownership stock over the next 10 years by financing the construction of affordable homeownership units through a bond issue of no less than $500 million. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS IN COUNCIL APR 26, 2021] [Order #3 of Apr 26, 2021]
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

As I said last week: “I think it’s a great idea to encourage and even facilitate homeownership – especially for those who have lived in Cambridge for a long time or possibly their entire lives. Of course in Cambridge-speak, the phrase ‘affordable homeownership’ doesn’t just mean facilitating the purchase of a home. There are always strings attached with ‘social housing,’ and ultimately a ‘homeowner’ could never actually build up any significant equity in the property. For many prospective homeowners, looking elsewhere would still likely be the better long-term option. A program I could definitely warm up to would be one involving loan guarantees to assist prospective homeowners seeking to buy housing in the big wide housing world with fewer strings attached.”

Order #6. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Community Development Department, the Affordable Housing Trust, and other relevant City departments to provide options to update the HomeBridge and Affordable Home Ownership Programs to better align with the City’s values, and promote racial equity and socioeconomic justice.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

See above. The Housing Division of the City’s Community Development Department is so addicted to control of the city’s housing stock that it’s doubtful they’ll ever shift their priorities toward actual home ownership and economic equity. The Cambridge municipal view of “socioeconomic justice” generally involves some form of government control and limited or nonexistent equity.

Charter Right #2. That the City Manager is requested to work with the Cambridge Police Department to present a plan to the City Council for demilitarization, including the destruction and recycling of all rifles and shotguns, and elimination of the Lenco Bearcat. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS IN COUNCIL APR 26, 2021] [Order #5 of Apr 26, 2021]
Order Adopted as Amended by (McGovern) Substitution 8-1 (Zondervan – NO)

See my comments from last week on this item. To repeat: “I don’t believe most city councillors ever consider the really exceptional circumstances where greater security is needed. They see only situations where people engaged in protests are offended by ‘the optics’ of large vehicles, weapons, and extra defensive gear. It’s a great luxury (and privilege) to never have to consider the exceptional circumstances.”

On the Table #4. That the City Council shall have its own budget for outside legal research to be utilized at the discretion of the Council when designated by a majority of members in pursuance of the Council’s authority to exercise the legislative powers of the City as specified in the City charter. [TABLED IN COUNCIL APR 26, 2021] [Amended Order #8 of Apr 12, 2021]
Adopted as Amended 7-2 (Simmons, Toomey – NO)

On the Table #5. A communication was received from City Solicitor, Nancy E. Glowa, transmitting Legal Opinion Regarding Request to Have Legal Resources Committed to Assist City Council with Legal Research and Drafting of Ordinances Pursuant to Orders Voted Upon in Public at Scheduled City Council Meetings. [TABLED IN COUNCIL APR 26, 2021] [Late Communication of Apr 26, 2021]
Placed on File 9-0

My comments from last week, including in the aftermath of the Late Communication from City Solicitor Nancy Glowa (who was simply stating facts and not "defending her turf" as some have described her comments): “If this were to happen there is no doubt whatsoever that we would soon see five councillors hand-picking their own lawyer who would then be pitted against the City Solicitor – a recipe for chaos. Furthermore, the City Council is under no obligation to abide by the legal advice of the City Solicitor – though that would generally be a rather poor choice.”

Ms. Glowa’s well-researched and informative communication includes the following: “However, it is not possible, legally or ethically, to provide independent legal counsel to the City Council that would not be under the direction of and reporting to the City Solicitor for the reasons set forth above. It could lead to "dualling lawyers", representing different components of the same client – the City of Cambridge – a situation which “creates a serious potential for confusion and contradiction in the direction of the City’s litigation, as well as the potential for disruption of the City’s business in the event that the advice rendered differs between each attorney.”

In addition to this Late Communication, the City Solicitor forcefully reminded the City Council of the potential jeopardy of proceeding with the Order as originally written. Specifically, Section 107 of the Plan E Charter (which is part of the Mass. General Laws) states that “Neither the city council nor any of its committees or members shall direct or request the appointment of any person to, or his removal from, office by the city manager or any of his subordinates, or in any manner take part in the appointment or removal of officers and employees in that portion of the service of said city for whose administration the city manager is responsible. Except for the purpose of inquiry, the city council and its members shall deal with that portion of the service of the city as aforesaid solely through the city manager, and neither the city council nor any member thereof shall give orders to any subordinate of the city manager either publicly or privately. Any member of the city council who violates, or participates in the violation of, any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, and upon final conviction thereof his office in the city council shall thereby be vacated and he shall never again be eligible for any office or position, elective or otherwise, in the service of the city.

After the April 26 meeting Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler opined that this section of the Charter was only meant to prevent a councillor from forcing the firing of a City employee. That is a woefully incorrect reading of this clause. Some councillors appeared to be mock-offended at the suggestion of jail time, but it should be obvious to anyone who can read that the greater penalty would be removal from office and the prohibition from ever seeking that office again.

Unfinished Business #7. A Zoning Petition has been received from Amy Oliver, regarding that the City require the installation of GREEN ROOFS vegetated or BioSolar on future construction and significant rehab of buildings that are 20,000 square feet and larger. [PASSED TO A SECOND READING IN COUNCIL APR 12, 2021] [Text as Amended on Apr 26, 2021]
Ordained as Amended 6-0-0-3 (Mallon, Simmons, Toomey – PRESENT)

Though the Planning Board voted 8-1 against this petition as originally drafted, our compulsively prescriptive City Council will likely ordain this by a comfortable margin.

Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to ensure that additional funding for Housing Stability shall be made available throughout FY22 if the City Council advises that the need is present.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Order #3. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to work with Community Development and Traffic, Parking and Transportation to include an EV requirement in their review of development projects, including that a minimum of 25% of all parking spaces shall be EVSE-Installed, meaning a parking space equipped with functioning Level 2 Chargers, or the equivalent thereof must be provided, and that all parking spaces be EV-ready, meaning raceway to every parking space, adequate space in the electrical panel, and space for additional transformer capacity; the City approved EV Requirement Equivalent Calculator must be used if chargers other than Level 2 Chargers are installed.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 9-0

There is little doubt that with electric vehicles becoming more common there will have to be a lot more rethinking about how "filling stations" give way to "charging stations". Even with the best of new battery technologies it’s unlikely that the time needed to charge up an electric vehicle will ever be close to the time it takes to fill up the gas tank. It’s not hard to imagine a future where charging is widely available in most garages, but it’s not nearly so easy to imagine how cars parked on the street will routinely access the necessary charging. I imagine long road trips will also have to be reimagined to allow time and the means for charging. All this makes me think of a relevant song by Phil Ochs.

Order #5. That the Cambridge City Council goes on record in support of the Bathroom Bill of Rights being sponsored by Free to Flush.   Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0

I wonder if this Bathroom Bill of Rights will encompass the right to deal and inject drugs or provide sexual services like the toilet now parked on City Hall property on the Inman Street side. The red indicator on the door used to mean "occupied" but now means "open for business."

Order #7. Free The Vaccine Resolution.   Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted 9-0

I believe resolution of this is already happening even without a Cambridge City Council resolution.

Order #8. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to work with the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department to apply for the Shared Streets and Spaces Grant Program and if grants are received to work with the community before implementation of a program.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

It’s nice that the Cambridge City Council recognizes some of the adaptation and success that has come about thanks to the initiative of the Central Square BID in cooperation with the City administration, but I don’t really know what role, if any, the City Council has played in any of this other than the photo ops.

Order #9. That the Cambridge City Council go on record standing in solidarity with the MNA nurses campaigning for fair contract negotiations with Cambridge Health Alliance.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
Order Adopted 9-0

Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee met on Dec 9, 2021 to conduct a public hearing on the Cannabis Delivery-Only Zoning Ordinance petition.
Report Accepted, Placed on File, Order Adopted 9-0

It’s all about the money – and picking the winners.

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting charter assessment: review and reform. [2nd Memo provided late]
Placed on File 9-0

Rarely have I seen a more vacuous communication as this. It refers to the attached memo that supposedly contains “an overview of the individual discussions with each Council member, recommendations and alternatives for the Council to consider, and potential next steps for this process.” There was no attachment other than a link to the previous memo from nearly 7 weeks earlier. It’s pretty clear that conversations on this topic have been happening but only in this Council’s characteristic lack of transparency. – Robert Winters

April 26, 2021

Monday Night Live – Featured Items from the April 26, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council,covid — Tags: , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 1:29 pm

Monday Night Live – Featured Items from the April 26, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Here you go:

Manager’s Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Simmons ABSENT)

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting questions for the COVID-19 update.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Simmons ABSENT)

7-day averages (April 11)

Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-16, regarding creating a Commercial Composting Pilot program. [Report from DPW]
Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to proposed amendment to Section 8.66 of the Municipal Ordinance related to Tree Protection and related Orders. [attachment A][attachment B][attachment C][attachment D]
Orders Adopted 8-1 (Toomey – NO) to (1) pass the amendment through all stages of legislation in one
session pursuant to City Council Rule 20, and (2) to extend the temporary moratorium to June 30, 2021.

Another Ordinance Committee meeting is scheduled for this Wed, Apr 28 to take care of any remaining details prior to ordination. It is my understanding that even though the current proposal calls for permits for removal of "Significant Trees" even on small lots, there is at least some recognition that exceptions should be made re: mitigation – e.g. dead and dangerous trees, exceptional circumstances, etc. I just hope that if a homeowner has a sensible plan there won’t be any burdensome costs imposed or other punitive actions. Homeowners should have a right to make reasonable choices without government intervention.

It’s worth noting that developers of subsidized housing projects can do whatever they damn well please.

Manager’s Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City City HallManager, relative to follow up materials relative to the Green Roofs Zoning Petition. [Report]
Referred to Petition 9-0

Unfinished Business #4. A Zoning Petition has been received from Amy Oliver, regarding that the City require the installation of GREEN ROOFS vegetated or BioSolar on future construction and significant rehab of buildings that are 20,000 square feet and larger. [PASSED TO A SECOND READING IN COUNCIL APR 12, 2021 TO BE ORDAINED ON OR AFTER APR 26, 2021]
Amended and left on Unfinished Business for another week

This will likely have the votes necessary for ordination either this week or next week. Debate continues on whether an all-solar option should be allowed. This proposal would only apply to new construction with gross floor area in excess of 25,000 sq ft.. It was a bit chilling, however, to hear one city councillor suggest that this should apply to a roof as small as 1,000 sq ft even for renovations. While I think it would be great if homeowners were willing to do such a roof treatment, it is likely that maintaining a "green roof" (as opposed to some solar panels) would be neither simple nor inexpensive. Anyone who has ever had to diagnose and correct a roof leak will understand this.

It’s worth noting that developers of subsidized housing projects can do whatever they damn well please.

Charter Right #1. That the City Council shall have its own budget for outside legal research to be utilized at the discretion of the Council when designated by a majority of members in pursuance of the Council’s authority to exercise the legislative powers of the City as specified in the City charter. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS IN COUNCIL APR 12, 2021]
Amended 9-0; Tabled 5-4 (DC,AM,MM,DS,TT – YES; PN,JSW,QZ,SS – NO)

LATE COMMUNICATION
Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from City Solicitor, Nancy E. Glowa, transmitting Legal Opinion Regarding Request to Have Legal Resources Committed to Assist City Council with Legal Research and Drafting of Ordinances Pursuant to Orders Voted Upon in Public at Scheduled City Council Meetings. [original]
Tabled 5-4 (DC,AM,MM,DS,TT – YES; PN,JSW,QZ,SS – NO)

To repeat: “If this were to happen there is no doubt whatsoever that we would soon see five councillors hand-picking their own lawyer who would then be pitted against the City Solicitor – a recipe for chaos. Furthermore, the City Council is under no obligation to abide by the legal advice of the City Solicitor – though that would generally be a rather poor choice.”

In addition to this Late Communication, the City Solicitor forcefully reminded the City Council of the potential jeopardy of proceeding with the Order as originally written. Specifically, Section 107 of the Plan E Charter (which is part of the Mass. General Laws) states that “Neither the city council nor any of its committees or members shall direct or request the appointment of any person to, or his removal from, office by the city manager or any of his subordinates, or in any manner take part in the appointment or removal of officers and employees in that portion of the service of said city for whose administration the city manager is responsible. Except for the purpose of inquiry, the city council and its members shall deal with that portion of the service of the city as aforesaid solely through the city manager, and neither the city council nor any member thereof shall give orders to any subordinate of the city manager either publicly or privately. Any member of the city council who violates, or participates in the violation of, any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, and upon final conviction thereof his office in the city council shall thereby be vacated and he shall never again be eligible for any office or position, elective or otherwise, in the service of the city.

After the meeting Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler opined that this section of the Charter was only meant to prevent a councillor from forcing the firing of a City employee. That is a woefully incorrect reading of this clause. Some councillors appeared to be mock-offended at the suggestion of jail time, but it should be obvious to anyone who can read that the greater penalty would be removal from office and the prohibition from ever seeking that office again.

Order #1. Divestment from Fossil Fuels and Private Prisons.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan
Adopted as Amended 9-0

It’s not so clear that the City of Cambridge has ever invested in either fossil fuels or private prisons. This Order seems to be directed more toward investment choices of the Cambridge Retirement Board. Though I’m sure such advice should be seriously considered, it’s not at all clear whether the City Council should be directing how the Cambridge Retirement Board invests funds for current and future retired City employees.

Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to present a plan to the City Council to increase the affordable homeownership stock over the next 10 years by financing the construction of affordable homeownership units through a bond issue of no less than $500 million.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Simmons
Charter Right – Simmons

I think it’s a great idea to encourage and even facilitate homeownership – especially for those who have lived in Cambridge for a long time or possibly their entire lives. Of course in Cambridge-speak, the phrase “affordable homeownership” doesn’t just mean facilitating the purchase of a home. There are always strings attached with “social housing,” and ultimately a “homeowner” could never actually build up any significant equity in the property. For many prospective homeowners, looking elsewhere would still likely be the better long-term option. A program I could definitely warm up to would be one involving loan guarantees to assist prospective homeowners seeking to buy housing in the big wide housing world with fewer strings attached.

Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to work with the Cambridge Police Department to present a plan to the City Council for demilitarization, including the destruction and recycling of all rifles and shotguns, and elimination of the Lenco Bearcat.   Councillor Zondervan
Charter Right – Simmons

When I read an Order like this, my mind immediately drifts back to that day some years ago when the President of the United States and the President of China made a visit to Sanders Theater/Memorial Hall at Harvard. There were thousands of people lining the streets and the security was impressive – with one exception. I was able to step out onto a roof overlooking the motorcade with a direct line of sight from four stories up (think Texas Book Depository). A few minutes later a swarm of police rushed up to that rooftop to very politely escort me and another person from this roof that they previously had no idea was accessible. Worry not, there were snipers who would have prevented any bad intentions on my part.

The reason this little adventure comes to mind is that I don’t believe most city councillors ever consider the really exceptional circumstances where greater security is needed. They see only situations where people engaged in protests are offended by “the optics” of large vehicles, weapons, and extra defensive gear. It’s a great luxury (and privilege) to never have to consider the exceptional circumstances.

Order #7. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Director of Personnel and the Law Department on updating the City of Cambridge’s Parental Leave Policy for City of Cambridge employees.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

Committee Report #1. The Housing Committee will conduct a public hearing to receive updates from the Community Development Department, the Cambridge Housing Authority, Homeowners Rehab, Inc., and Just-A-Start on the work they are currently engaged in, and the impact of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic upon their operations.
Accept Report, Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, communicating information from the School Committee.
Placed on File 9-0

Lots of informative reading for your civic pleasure. – Robert Winters

And don’t forget about these:

Wed, Apr 28

5:30pm   The City Council’s Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the proposed amendments to the Tree Protection Ordinance.  (Sullivan Chamber – Televised)

Thurs, Apr 29

5:30pm   The City Council’s Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Broad Canal Zoning Petition.  (Sullivan Chamber – Televised)

April 20, 2021

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 499-500: April 20, 2021

Filed under: 2021 election,Cambridge,Cambridge InsideOut,School Committee — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 11:23 pm

Episode 499 – Cambridge InsideOut: Apr 20, 2021 (Part 1)

This episode was broadcast on Apr 20, 2021 at 6:00pm. Topics: compost collection returns, digital equity study released, on vaccinations and VW Buses, School Superintendent pseudosearch, City Manager selection, the shortcomings of remote government, web pages for City Council committees, staff for committees vs. personal aides, micromanagement vs. policy-making. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

Episode 500 – Cambridge InsideOut: Apr 20, 2021 (Part 2)

This episode was broadcast on Apr 20, 2021 at 6:30pm. Topics: 500th milestone; City Boards & Commissions and public participation; obsolete info on City web pages; legal counsel for City Council?; updates on municipal election candidates. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

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.

April 8, 2021

A Peek at the April 12, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting agenda

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 7:22 pm

A Peek at the April 12, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting agenda

Here are a few things coming up:Peoples Republic of Cambridge

Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Placed on File

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting questions for the COVID-19 Update.
Placed on File

The beat goes on. Things will get better but right now the variants are temporarlity making things worse. That said, I have seen good statistical models that suggest that the latest wave may peak by early May and drop substantially as we head into June and July. For the moment, however, we still have to take precautions, get vaccinated, and curb our enthusiasm.

7-day averages (April 11)

Charter Right #1. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $130,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Electrical Extraordinary Expenditures account which will fund the purchase of a new aerial bucket truck. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR NOLAN IN COUNCIL APR 5, 2021]
Order Adopted 8-1

Regardless of Councillor Nolan’s enthusiasm to obliterate fossel fuels, motor vehicle, and anything that might create emissions (like cows?), there is more than a touch of micromanagement when a city councillor second-guesses a vehicle purchase that had already been vetted for its environmental worthiness (it’s bio-diesel, but not electric).

Resolution #2. That the City Council go on the record in support of this session’s proposed TOPA bills, SD.1672 and HD.2984, and in urging the Cambridge State Legislative Delegation to advance this legislation to swift passage.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone
Resolution Adopted 8-1 (Toomey – NO)

My guess is that this resolution will pass without any substantial questions – and there should be questions raised about these bills. For example, should it be the rule that the "right of first refusal" can be assigned to a third-party entity so that existing tenants are not the ones getting an advantage in possible home-ownership opportunities? As one friend with first-hand knowledge of the Washington, DC law noted: “It is largely a mistake and hasn’t really done much for DC real estate values or tenant protections. The right in DC is transferable which has created a sub-market that has really only harmed small owners who need to sell in a pinch or in estate succession.”

My personal take on the proposal is that it is yet another attempt to move residential property from private ownership to “social ownership” with no real intention of empowering existing tenants to own their own housing. If you think this is about the admirable goal of forming tenant-owned coops, think again.

Order #1. Policy Order re: Making Remote Participation Permanent.   Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Carlone – ABSENT)

Order #2. Policy Order Re: Making Remote Public Participation Easier.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Carlone – ABSENT)

I spoke at a Government Operations Committee meeting on this topic last week. While I think it is clearly a good idea to continue to provide an opportunity for people to chime in remotely, this will never be a substitute for in-person participation. Getting 120 seconds to hastily read a statement with no opportunity for any back-and-forth interaction is more political theater than actual democracy. More importantly, remote participation should not just be about public comment.

On several occasions in the past I testified at Government Operations Committee meetings that there should be a separate website for every City Council committee that clearly shows what the current activity of the committee is, what actions have been taken or are pending, all supporting documents, and a mechanism for public input with a mechanism for ongoing feedback. I also believe that aides should assigned to committees rather than to individual councillors. Say what you will about remote participation during the pandemic, but the dark side is that much of the City Council business now takes place entirely out of view, and springing late orders at Council meetings or recruiting a parade of Zoom commenters is a poor substitute for deliberative public process.

Order #4. That the City and CPD create laminated, information cards detailing how an individual can file complaints and concerns regarding their interactions with CPD.   Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted 9-0

I remember a day when the Cambridge Police Department produced a series of trading cards (same size as baseball cards) for most and possibly all members of the Police Department. They even had a card for City Manager Bob Healy (I have it in my collection). Making informational business cards available may be useful, but I preferred the trading cards.

Order #5. That the Chair of Civic Unity schedule a meeting to discuss survey results, progress made to date, and recommendations to diversify City’s Boards and Commissions.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

With all that has gone down over the last year it’s worth noting that the last time the City Council’s Civic Unity Committee held a meeting was in May 2019 during the previous City Council term. Perhaps we should just trade it in for a Civic Disunity Committee and call it a day. Regarding the boards and commissions, the real difficulty has generally been in getting enough people to apply.

Order #6. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to consult with the Water Department and report back to the City Council by the end of the month on plans for monitoring the situation, for early communication on conserving water and for instituting water savings measures, and to inform the Water Board of this request.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0

Information is good. I will, however, point out that anyone (including city councillors) can go to the Water Department site to learn most of this information. In particular, there’s a Drought Status page.

Order #7. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Community Development Department, the Law Department, and the City Manager’s Housing Liaison to discuss and advise on ways to increase equity in the initial application process for tenants looking to rent in Cambridge that does not violate fair housing laws.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Some of us don’t do credit checks at all, but I certainly wouldn’t want to deny a property owner the right or choice to do a credit check of potential tenants. On the other hand, if the sponsors of this Order want to personally contribute to a fund to underwrite any losses due to nonpayment of rent, that would be a very generous thing for them to do.

Order #8. That the City Council shall have its own budget for outside legal research to be utilized at the discretion of the Council when designated by a majority of members in pursuance of the Council’s authority to exercise the legislative powers of the City as specified in the City charter.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Carlone, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan
Charter Right – Simmons

If this were to happen there is no doubt whatsoever that we would soon see five councillors hand-picking their own lawyer who would then be pitted against the City Solicitor – a recipe for chaos. Furthermore, the City Council is under no obligation to abide by the legal advice of the City Solicitor – though that would generally be a rather poor choice.

Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee met on Feb 4, 2021 to conduct a public hearing on the Green Roofs zoning petition.
Report Accepted as Amended 9-0

Committee Report #2. The Ordinance Committee met on Mar 31, 2021 to continue a public hearing on the Green Roofs zoning petition.
Report Accepted; Passed to 2nd Reading as Amended 9-0
[Note: Two late policy orders were passed – (1) requesting information about possible impacts of removing the rooftop parking exemption, and (2) where to insert the phrase "That all affordable housing projects, including those that fall under the Affordable Housing Overlay, will be exempt from this section."]

I expect this will pass to a 2nd Reading and may even be ordained in a few weeks in its amended form. It is worth noting, however, that the Planning Board recommended against adoption and I would hope that all of the Planning Board’s concerns are fully addressed before ordaining this. – Robert Winters

And don’t forget about these:

Wed, Apr 14

10:00am   The City Council’s Health and Environment Committee will meet to conduct a public hearing regarding the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  (Sullivan Chamber – Televised)

5:30pm   The City Council’s Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Retail Uses Zoning Recommendations – Refiled (Ordinance #2021-3) and the Home Occupations Zoning Recommendations – Refiled (Ordinance #2021-4).  (Sullivan Chamber – Televised)

Thurs, Apr 29

5:30pm   The City Council’s Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Broad Canal Zoning Petition.  (Sullivan Chamber – Televised)

April 7, 2021

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 497-498: April 6, 2021

Filed under: 2021 election,Cambridge,Cambridge InsideOut,covid — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 12:04 am

Episode 497 – Cambridge InsideOut: Apr 6, 2021 (Part 1)

This episode was broadcast on Apr 6, 2021 at 6:00pm. Topics: Covid forecast, school reopening, Superintendent decision; remote possibilities; Day of Reckoning for colleges; appointments to Boards & Commissions and City Council meddling; Housing Choice and voting thresholds, one-way zoning. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

Episode 498 – Cambridge InsideOut: Apr 6, 2021 (Part 2)

This episode was broadcast on Apr 6, 2021 at 6:30pm. Topics: Housing Choice and legalities; composting, recycling realities, City purchase of rubbish toters; City Council micromanagement; worst outcomes of Charter change; political patronage; emerging candidates and 2021 Municipal Election Calendar. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

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