All the world is watching as Cambridge takes on the Middle East. </sarcasm>
Here are the featured menu items for tonight’s meal:
Manager’s Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a Home Rule petition regarding the Fire Chief position.
Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 23-72 regarding mechanisms to support Cannabis Business in Cambridge. (CM23#274) [text of report]
Unfinished Business #2. An Ordinance has been received from City Clerk, relative to proposed changes to Cannabis Business Permitting Proposed Ordinance 2023-6. [Passed to 2nd Reading Oct 16, 2023; Eligible to be Ordained] (ORD23#6)
Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the Planning Board’s recommendation on the Hen-keeping Zoning Petition and amended zoning text. (CM23#275) [text of report]
Unfinished Business #5. An Ordinance has been received from City Clerk, relative to a Zoning Petition by the Cambridge City Council to amend Articles 2.000, 4.000, 5.000, and 23.000 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance for the purpose of allowing hen-keeping as a permitted accessory use to principal residential (excluding transient accommodations as defined in Section 4.31.i), religious, and educational uses; with limitations and subject to regulation and permitting by the Cambridge Public Health Department. [Passed to 2nd Reading Oct 16, 2023; Eligible to be Ordained; Expires Jan 8, 2024] (ORD23#9)
Manager’s Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the East Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Study. (CM23#277) [text of report]
The East Cambridge Neighborhood District Study is a great document – the continuation of great work of our peerless Cambridge Historical Commission. What the City Council will do with this or should do with this is a matter of some concern. Normally this would be an easy decision, but the spirit of New York’s Robert Moses continues to permeate current Cambridge politics – an environment where tearing down historic buildings, or any buildings, is apparently welcomed in favor of going higher and denser regardless of all other considerations. The spirit of Jane Jacobs will return at some point, and the only question is the extent of damage carried out in the interim.
Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to an Equity Inclusion Fall 2023 Update. (CM23#278) [text of report]
This is worth looking at primarily as an illustration of how bureaucracies grow.
Manager’s Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the American Freedmen Commission Ordinance. (CM23#279) [text of report]
Committee Report #2. A public meeting of the Cambridge City Council’s Ordinance Committee was held on Thurs, Nov 9, 2023, to consider changes to the Cambridge Municipal Code that would establish the American Freedmen Commission. The Committee approved a motion that the City Manager be and is hereby requested to direct the Law Department and any other relevant department to review the proposed ordinance language to create the Freedmen Commission and provide any recommendations in writing to the City Council by Nov 20, 2023. The Committee voted favorably to send the proposed language to the City Council with a favorable recommendation that it be passed to a second reading. (text of report)
It will be interesting to see how this unfolds and whether this will amount to something constructive or just garden-variety political patronage.
Manager’s Agenda #10. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report 22-40, regarding a Community Engagement Update. (CM23#280) [text of report]
This is clueless on so many levels. For example, “Additionally, each department is at a different point on its community engagement journey: the Department of Public Works (DPW) for example, started building its community relations team in the early 2000s …” In fact, our Department of Public Works has been a model of community engagement and personalized service delivery for many decades. Only a bureaucrat would see otherwise. On the other hand, the “community engagement” of some other departments will continue to be mainly performative in the sense that most decisions have already been made by staff or mandated via City ordinance with little room for discussion or change.
Manager’s Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the 2023 Cambridge Resident Satisfaction Survey Results. (CM23#281) [text of report]
Manager’s Agenda #12. Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $500,000, from Free Cash, to the Public Investment Fund Executive Extraordinary Expenditures account to support an evaluation of the Rise Up Cambridge Cash Assistance for Families Program. (CM23#282) [text of report]
The bottom line is that this program was only made possible because of the federal windfall of ARPA dollars growing out of the Covid disruption. What followed in so many cities was political opportunism – enacting initiatives that otherwise would not have been financially feasible or even legal. We are now in the phase where “studies” are being proposed and funded to extend this new add-on local welfare program.
Unfinished Business #3. ORD23#8A To amend Chapter 2.76 – Human Rights Commission and Chapter 2.119 Domestic Partnerships. [Passed to 2nd Reading Oct 2, 2023; Further Amended Nov 6, 2023; Eligible to be Ordained as Amended]
Resolution #3. Resolution on the death of Teresa Solano Neighbor. Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons
I attended the November 11 memorial service for Teresa at Bigelow Chapel in Mount Auburn Cemetery and, as is often the case, it served as a reunion of many friends. Teresa was the Executive Director of the Election Commission during the period when we computerized our municipal elections and when I served on the Technical Working Committee for the Computerization of the Cambridge Elections (TWCC). That was a very rewarding experience for many of us who were involved in that project, and Teresa was a great partner in that initiative.
Order #1. Special Meeting on City Manager Review. Mayor Siddiqui
Order #2. Automated Parking Enforcement. Councillor Nolan, Councillor Azeem, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone
Order #3. Resolution in support of Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s Call for a Ceasefire. Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
This last item, of course, will likely consume most of the evening and accomplish nothing. – RW
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During Mayor Simmons’ remarks at the Jan 1 Inaugural meeting, she made reference to beginning the new City Council term with a clean slate. A lot of people feel the same way – including me. It’s almost guaranteed that some bad behavior will follow – especially if some councillors engage in shallow populism – but hopefully there will be enough fortitude to call BS when that needs to be said, and that goes triply if we continue to see the kind of unchallenged displays like we witnessed during the Inaugural meeting.
