Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

Just Another Manic Monday – April 25, 2022 Cambridge City Council Meeting

Here are the items of significance that jumped out at me this week:

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

Every day is another day of wishin’ and hopin’ that this pandemic will wind the hell down. The case numbers are up substantially, but at least yesterday’s wastewater figures suggested a possible leveling – and that’s usually a good leading indicator of what’s to come. In the meantime, avoid all people between the ages of 20 and 40 (except via Zoom).

Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointment of Victoria Harris as an Election Commissioner for a term of four years, effective April 1, 2022.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointment of Kathleen Born as a member of the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority for a term of five years, effective June 26, 2022.
Referred to NLTP Committee 9-0

Excellent reappointments. As the communications makes clear, appointments to the Election Commission are not subject to Council review, and appointments to the Redevelopment Authority have always been subject to Council review.

Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-8, regarding eliminating hostile architecture.
pulled by Zondervan; Placed on File 9-0

The report on “defensive design” or “hostile architecture” from CDD and DPW is refreshingly thoughtful and balanced on a subject that all too often descends into mindless ideology. Thank you.

Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update from the Planning Board on discussions of allowing Multifamily Housing citywide.
pulled by Azeem; Referred to Housing Committee 9-0

This report shows wisdom and flexibility, but my concern is that the request for further policy guidance from the City Council will result more in ideology than in the kind of wisdom that anticipates both intended and unintended consequences. Most of us will agree that allowing more flexibility across all residential districts is generally a good thing, but doubling or tripling allowable densities based purely on ideological grounds would be a mistake.

Charter Right #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on MassAve4 and request for approval for the approach and timeline for implementing separated bike lanes on these critical segments of Massachusetts Avenue. [Charter Right – Carlone; Apr 11, 2022]
Order Adopted 8-1 (Simmons – NO)

Order #3. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Traffic and Parking Department to work diligently with the MBTA to remove the catenary wires as soon as possible, and/or investigate the possibility of the City removing the catenary wires itself and commit to moving forward with the design and installation of the proposed “partial construction” bike lanes only when the wires have been removed.   Councillor Toner, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons
pulled early by Toner; Fails 3-6 (Carlone, Simmons, Toner – YES)

Order #6. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Traffic and Parking Department to forego its original plan for “quick build” implementation and ensure that the implementation of bike lane infrastructure in Porter Square is accomplished as part of the whole of the Massachusetts Avenue 4 section, when the catenary wires and median strip are removed so that Porter Square may be included in the plans for ‘partial construction” infrastructure as part of one, cohesive plan stretching from Dudley Street to Waterhouse Street to be completed no later than Apr 30, 2026.   Councillor Toner, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons
pulled early by Toner; Fails 2-7 (Simmons, Toner – YES)

Lotsa communications about bike lanes.

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting a letter sent to the MBTA.
Placed on File 9-0

The Cambridge Bike Safety group has now declared war against Councillor Carlone for daring to break The Pledge by being a cosponsor of these Orders. It’s nice to see that three councillors have spines and are willing to let Reason prevail over Religion. That said, I’m sure both Orders will be amended into irrelevance or simply defeated by Those Who Dare Not Bite The Political Hand That Feeds Them. None of this is about safety – it’s all about turf. There are many ways to deliver safety for road users that deviate from the script of the Bicycle Safety Ordinance.

I used to naively believe that the primary purpose of elected office was to be a custodian of the public interest. I now see it as being primarily about power – gaining it and using it – and this disappoints me to say the least.

Charter Right #3. That the City Manager is requested to confer with City departments, including the Community Development Department and the Department of Traffic, Parking, and Transportation to consider the feasibility of implementing a similar program and any other ways to enforce the anti-idling law. [Charter Right – Azeem; Apr 11, 2022] [Order #2 of Apr 11, 2022]
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0; Referred to Traffic & Transportation Committee

Just because you don’t like idling vehicles doesn’t mean you want to empower bounty hunters.

On The Table #5-11. Appointments and Reappointments to City Boards & Commissions on hold while City Council pipes in Muzak to appointees.
Approved 8-0-1 (Carlone – ABSENT)

Order #2. City Manager Report on Boards and Commissions.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Carlone – ABSENT)

It’s hard to say whether the pending appointments/reappointments will now be allowed to go forward or if the councillors will continue to fiddle and diddle. I just wish they would be more honest about the real purpose of all this, i.e. filtering candidates for any Board that might possibly stand in the way of building anything less than the maximum housing density imaginable. Even worse, I expect many of those decisions will be made in the homes of political activists.

On The Table #12. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of the Emergency Management Performance Grant from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency in the amount of $39,600.00 to the Grant Fund Fire Extraordinary Expenditures account which will be used to support the purchase of a new vehicle for the Emergency Preparedness and Coordination office. [Charter Right – Nolan, Mar 7, 2022; Tabled – Mar 21, 2022]

Councillor Nolan continues her audition for Purchasing Agent.

On the Table #13. The Ordinance Committee met on Feb 9, 2022 to conduct a public hearing on proposed amendments to the Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (2021-26). [Charter Right – Zondervan, Mar 28, 2022; Tabled Apr 4, 2022 – Zondervan] [Committee Report]
Adopted Amendments (as circulated to councillors but not to public) 9-0; Placed on File 9-0

When we actually get a Committee Report (now rarer than hen’s teeth), it ends being Tabled. Some of us actually like to know what City Council committees are doing without having to run through long and boring videos that often do not provide any accompanying documentation.

Applications & Petitions #1. A Zoning Petition has been received from Craig A. Kelley regarding The Cambridge Transportation De-Carbonization and Congestion-Mitigation Bill. (Ordinance #2022-13)
Referred to Ordinance Committee and Planning Board 9-0 (re-filed due to lack of cover letter)

I’m not quite sure why this is being re-introduced at this time. There’s already an Ordinance Committee meeting scheduled for May 4 on this petition. Has the petition been amended?

Resolutions #2-9. Congratulations on the promotions within the Cambridge Police Department.
Adopted 8-1 (Zondervan – NO)

It is noteworthy that the only city councillor voting against these congratulatory resolutions was Councillor Zondervan who (unbelievably) was appointed as Chair of the Public Safety Committee by Mayor Siddiqui.

Resolution #11. Resolution on the death of Mary M. (Sullivan) Carven.   Councillor Toner, Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Azeem
Adopted as Amended 9-0

Resolution #13. Wishing Artis Spears a Happy 90th Birthday.   Councillor Simmons
Adopted 9-0

If there was ever a family that should be considered the Cambridge Royal Family it would be the Sullivan family. I will also join in with Happy Birthday wishes for Artis Spears, one of the great First Ladies of Cambridge.

Order #1. That the City Manager confer with the Cambridge Heath Alliance, the Department of Public Works, the Inspectional Services Department and other relevant departments regarding the building condition and what repairs are needed at 205 Western Avenue to allow the Cambridge Community Center to house their program.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toner, Councillor Zondervan
pulled by Mallon; Adopted as Amended 8-0-1 (Toner – ABSENT)

This seems like an excellent proposed use for this building, and any costs necessary to bring this building into compliance seem to align well with the criteria for the current ARPA funding – much moreso than many of the other ARPA funding requests that are now under consideration. This is not the only City or City-related building that has been allowed to deteriorate which could and should be put to better use.

Speaking of ARPA funding, apparently the Cambridge Housing Authority is the overwhelmingly loudest bird chirping for funds. They are requesting $82.3 million out of an available $55 million that has not yet been allocated. Other Big Requests were $15 million from the “Project Right to Housing” group, a $13 million request for Starlight Square, and $5.5 million for that political patronage program that markets itself as the “HEART proposal.” Many who are requesting ARPA funds like to point to the fact that the money is not subject to the “Anti-Aid Amendment”, but this only makes me wish that they were so that the budgeting process would not be twisted by politically connected interests.

By the way, whatever happened to that idea of building a bridge over the tracks connecting the Alewife Triangle and Quadrangle or the modest pedestrian bridge over the Little River in that area?

Order #4. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Department of Public Works to devise ways to encourage residents to request the smallest size they need and to keep waste output low with the rollout of the new bins in June.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui
pulled by Azeem; Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Toner – ABSENT)

This is a welcome Order. According to the citywide mailing that arrived this week, my triple-decker would get two gigantic 65 gallon toters that not only are too big to manage but far in excess of the rubbish generated by my building even when operating at full capacity. We’ll probably be OK with just a single 45 gallon toter (or less). We ran through the same song and dance when single-stream recycling was introduced. Are Cambridge residents really as wasteful as the proposed allocation suggests. Good grief!

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting information about the Universal PreK ad-hoc for Universal Pre-K.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Toner – ABSENT)

Another year, another advisory committee. – Robert Winters