Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

February 28, 2021

March Madness – March 1, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 10:17 pm

March Madness – March 1, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Here we go on the road to Spring and hopefully something at least a little closer to normalcy.City Hall

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 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

Though the overall trends are good, I am a little concerned that the 15-day moving average of new infections seems to have stopped its decline. Whether via vaccination or vigilance, those numbers have to be driven down.

Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to additional information and revised Financial Analysis for the Alewife Zoning Petition.
Referred to Committee Report #3

Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee met on Dec 16, 2020 to conduct a public hearing on the Alewife Quadrangle Northwest Overlay petition.
Referred to Report #2

Committee Report #2. The Ordinance Committee met on Feb 10, 2021 to conduct a public hearing on the Alewife zoning petition.
Referred to Report #3

Committee Report #3. The Ordinance Committee met on Feb 16, 2020 to conduct a public hearing to continue discussion on the Alewife zoning petition.
Passed to 2nd Reading as Amended by Substitution 6-3 (DC,MM,PN,DS,JSW,SS – YES; AM,TT,QZ – NO)

The committee reports seem to suggest some continuing reluctance to approve this petition for reasons that vary all over the map. This may be the best shot at getting the bridge over the tracks that everyone seems to want, and if it does happen I hope it can at least support small shuttle buses rather than just bicycles and pedestrians. Linking the Alewife Quadrangle and Triangle in a meaningful way is a very worthwhile goal. It would be even better if there could be multiple crossings and a new commuter rail stop.

One person at the Dec 16 hearing said, "A single bridge really does not address the needs of the majority of the current workers and residents in the area. Three bridges would be optimal. Two bridges creating a loop for a shuttle with both directly benefit the residents at large but also provide linkage to potential customer servicing businesses." Though that might push things into deal-breaker territory, I agree with the general sentiment. I’ll add that if DCR can build an additional simple pedestrian bridge over the Little River north of this area that would make for a perfect combination.

Manager’s Agenda #3. 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] [Standard & Poor’s] [Fitch]
Placed on File 9-0

Even with the financial pressures from the pandemic we still managed to again pull off a triple triple. As usual, I’m sure there will be some people who will find a way to spin this as a bad thing.

Charter Right #1. The Health & Environment Committee met on Oct 13, 2020 to conduct a public hearing to discuss amending the Tree Protection Ordinance based on the findings of the Urban Forest Master Plan Task Force. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN IN COUNCIL FEB 22, 2021]
Tabled 9-0 (Zondervan)

I suppose we’ll have to wait a little longer to resolve this, but I continue to hope that this City Council will somehow see the wisdom in not overly restricting reasonable choices of homeowners or burdening them with unreasonable costs.

On the Table #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-64, requesting Home Rule language to allow for acoustic live entertainment performances in small businesses under certain conditions without a license. [TABLED IN COUNCIL FEB 22, 2021] [Related: Late Order #4 of Feb 22 meeting]

I’m not sure how this will ultimately play out, but at the very least I hope this City Council can appreciate that there may be differences in what should be permitted in a central business district like Central Square or Harvard Square or the Porter Square Shopping Center vs. some of the smaller neighborhood mixed use zones where there can be conflicts between entertainment uses and residential uses. I hope they can also consider the fact that uses by time of day are not really found in the zoning code and that it’s really the License Commission that helps to smooth out the potential conflicts.

On the Table #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-63, which requested a review of the granting of an extension for the 605 Concord Avenue project. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCIL NOLAN IN COUNCIL FEB 3, 2021; TABLED IN COUNCIL FEB 8, 2021]
Placed on File 9-0

On the Table #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a further response to Calendar Item Number 2, regarding a report on reviewing the granting of an extension for the 605 Concord Avenue project, which was previously answered as Awaiting Report Item Number 20-63 on Feb 1, 2021. [TABLED IN COUNCIL FEB 22, 2021] [Related: Late Order #5 of Feb 22 meeting]
Placed on File 9-0

Both of these communications are still just as clear as an unmuddied lake or an azure sky of deepest summer – and laying on the table won’t make them any clearer. You don’t change the rules in the middle of the game.

Applications & Petitions #3. A Zoning Petition has been received from Beals Associates Inc. regarding Broad Canal Subdistrict Zoning Petition as submitted with strike outs.
Referred to Ordinance Committee & Planning Board 9-0

Highlights: Up to 582,000 additional square feet in the form of an infill building between the two existing buildings; expanded retail space; activation of the ground floor and the public realm along Main Street and the Broad Canal; proposed floating restaurant in the Broad Canal; Broad Canal restoration and maintenance; upgrades to Poor Man’s Landing in the Charles River; restoration of the DCR Boathouse (old MDC Boathouse) near the Museum of Science.

Order #1. Lowell Street Property.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

This takes me back about 30 years to 1990-1991 when then City Councillor Ed Cyr proposed that the City identify various City-owned properties as possible housing sites – a "Land Bank". The list included about a dozen locations, including such places as the dead-end of Norfolk St. near DPW, the park house at the Corporal Burns Playground, and (you guessed it) 25 Lowell Street. I don’t have a strong opinion on this specific Order either way, but I do find it bizarre that there is now such a frenzy to densely develop every possible square inch of Cambridge land – especially if that land has an 02138 zip code.

We used to think in terms of prioritizing "transit-oriented development" or "smart growth". Now it’s just "development" and "growth" and the desire to build everywhere at maximum density regardless of any and all other factors. I guess this is how some people define "a better Cambridge" – not me. Several weeks ago some councillors expressed a desire to build on a newly-acquired softball field. Soon they’ll be taking up a proposal to more than double the allowable density across much of the city. It’s like they put amphetamines in the Cambridge Kool-Aid.

Order #2. Task Force Transparency.   Councillor Zondervan
Charter Right – Simmons

Apparently Councillor Zondervan and I have the same wish but likely for diametrically opposite reasons. I have been asking to get access to these meetings (or at least the recordings) of the new Task Force on the Future of Public Safety, and apparently now so is he. My concern is that I don’t want to see problematic people dominating the conversation, and I suspect Councillor Zondervan may desire to ensure the exact opposite. Public Safety, in my view, translates into an improved police force sharing specific responsibilities with others as appropriate. Others openly express a desire to abolish police entirely. That’s a non-starter for me and not a plausible outcome of this process, but I would like to at least sample the dialogue.

Order #3. Budget Reallocation Update.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted 9-0

This appears to be primarily a prompt by the sponsors to accelerate their desire to "Defund the Police".

Order #4. Shelter Wages.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Charter Right – Zondervan (with Mallon amendments pending)

I have no idea what constitutes an appropriate wage for people who work at the 240 Albany Street wet shelter, but it’s not a City-owned facility and it serves the region and not just Cambridge residents. My understanding is that the City’s Living Wage Ordinance applies to people working for the City and to companies bidding on City contracts. Does this describe how the Bay Cove (formerly CASPAR) shelter operates? This is not the only facility they operate. [“Each year, Bay Cove provides services to more than 25,000 individuals and families who face the challenges of developmental and intellectual disabilities, mental illness, substance use disorder, homelessness and/or aging, at more than 170 program sites in Metro Boston and southeastern Massachusetts.”] There are waiver provisions in the ordinance. I’m curious to see how this plays out. After all, there are other shelter facilities in Cambridge that are not funded via City contracts. Would they all then be obliged to raise wages even if their funding sources cannot support it?

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, communicating information from the School Committee.
Placed on File 9-0

Though informative, this communication also reports the unbearable tragedy of the suicide of a 10th grader in the Cambridge Public Schools. The process of finding an interim and "permanent" Superintendent of Schools continues, and expanded in-person learning begins this week on Monday. – Robert Winters

February 16, 2021

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 491-492: February 16, 2021

Filed under: Cambridge,Cambridge InsideOut — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 11:57 pm

Episode 491 – Cambridge InsideOut: Feb 16, 2021 (Part 1)

This episode was broadcast on Feb 16, 2021 at 6:00pm. Topics: Impeachment and acquittal; redefinition of major parties; Red Sox; Covid update; observations on density and the “missing middle” petition; loosening of single-family zoning. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

Episode 492 – Cambridge InsideOut: Feb 16, 2021 (Part 2)

This episode was broadcast on Feb 16, 2021 at 6:30pm. Topics: In search of a Superintendent of Schools and the mythical visionary; eduspeak; young socialist robots invade public comment; democracy by the pound; SROs – an idea whose time may have come again; organically grown local politics. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

February 2, 2021

Pre/Post-Groundhog Day featured attractions – Feb 3, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 4:22 pm

Pre/Post-Groundhog Day featured attractions – Feb 3, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Here goes — A lot to chew on…..Groundhog

The Feb 1 meeting was postponed to Wed, Feb 3 due to the Snow Emergency.

Starting with The Plague
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

Order #2. Policy Order re: Establishing an On-Site Vaccination Program.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #4. Policy Order re: Covid-19 Protocols at Affordable Housing Worksites.   Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #7. Vaccinating CPS Staff Plan PO.   Vice Mayor Mallon
Tabled – Mallon (9-0)

Order #8. Supporting the School Committee.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted as Amended 7-1-0-1 (Zondervan – NO, Sobrinho-Wheeler – PRESENT)

Stay Positive and Test Negative. Seriously, we should get all teachers and school staff vaccinated and able to do their jobs without fear as soon as humanly possible.

Coronagenda
Charter Right #1. That the City further investigate renting space from the New England School of English to house appropriate members of our unhoused community. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS IN COUNCIL JAN 11, 2021]
Adopted as Amended 7-0-0-2 (DS,TT – PRESENT)

This now obsolete Order (the space on Green Street has been rented as state-funded temporary housing for a some time now) was contained in the Nov 12 committee report of a public hearing on homelessness. The New England School of English apparently made available their dormitory space on Green Street that had been vacant due to the current pandemic. It was never meant to be a long-term arrangement. Activists are using this opportunity to push an agenda centered on the demand that the City establish and fund non-congregate shelter/housing for unhoused individuals. Not addressed in their demands is the fact that without similar facilities being established in Boston and elsewhere this effectively becomes a regional facility drawing people from all over the Greater Boston area. Also not addressed by the activists are the staffing and logistical challenges associated with a clientele with a high incidence of substance abuse and mental health challenges. Indeed, during the relatively short time the Green Street facility has been open there have been several drug overdoses and one suicide (jump from the parking garage across the street). One of the great luxuries of activism is that you rarely have to deal with the hard stuff.

A little open space while we still can…. and the joys of mitigation
Manager’s Agenda #5. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $5,717,250 from the Mitigation Stabilization Fund to the Public Investment Fund Department of Public Works Extraordinary Expenditures account. Funds were received from contributions to the East Cambridge Open Space Fund and will be used will be used to fund the design and construction of three new parks in the East Cambridge/Kendall Square area; Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. Park, Triangle Park and Binney Street Park.
Order Adopted 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #10. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $3,174,389 from Free Cash to the Mitigation Revenue Stabilization Fund which will be used to fund specific future projects, which will require separate individual appropriations by the City Council.
Order Adopted 9-0

Zoning and legal matters
Manager’s Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 19-142, regarding a report on determining the feasibility of expediting the demolition and rebuilding permitting process in the event of a natural disaster.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-63, which requested a review of the granting of an extension for the 605 Concord Avenue project.
Charter Right – Nolan

Manager’s Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation to adopt with comments and suggested modifications, the Alewife Quadrangle Northwest Overlay District (Srinivasan, et al.) Zoning Petition.
Referred to Petition 9-0

"The Board encourages the City Council to carefully consider to what extent a bridge may or may not be guaranteed as part of a Quadrangle Northwest Master Plan Special Permit and what types of alternatives would be acceptable to the City." – Ideally, this area should have its own commuter rail stop and multiple crossings over the railroad tracks, including at least one crossing that would permit shuttle buses and possibly other vehicles. The Alewife Triangle and Quadrangle should be united rather than forever remain separate oversized cul-de-sacs. Property owners and developers should recognize the value in this or seek another line of work.

Unfinished Business #5. A Zoning Petition has been received from Cambridge Redevelopment Authority regarding a Zoning Ordinance to reflect the proposed changes to the KSURP. [PASSED TO A SECOND READING IN COUNCIL JAN 11, 2021. TO BE ORDAINED ON OR AFTER JAN 25, 2021] [Petition and Memo] [Draft Letter of Commitment]
Ordained 9-0

Communications #1. A communication was received from Tom Evans, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, submitting a Letter of Commitment to accompany the MXD Zoning Petition and Kendall Square Urban Redevelopment Plan submission.
Adopted, Letter of Commitment incorporated; Placed on File 9-0

Ordination seems likely at this meeting. I’ll leave the details as a reading assignment.

And then there’s this
Applications & Petitions #1. A Zoning Petition has been received from Carolyn Fuller – Ordinance #2021-2 Cambridge Missing Middle Housing Zoning Petition. [Text of petition] [signatures]
Referred to Ordinance Committee and Planning Board for Hearing and Report 9-0

The organization that calls itself "A Better Cambridge" (ABC) has now fully earned its alternative name "A Bigger Cambridge". The crux of this petition is the merging of the Residence A-1, A-2, B, C, and C-1 districts into a single unified Residence N district with dramatically increased allowable density (FAR 1.25 – Floor-Area-Ratio, the ratio of built living area as a fraction of the land area of the lot) and greatly diminished front, side and rear setbacks. It also permits additional height to allow 3 stories across all these combined districts. The appellation "Missing Middle Housing" has, in fact, nothing to do with this proposal other than as a sales pitch. In addition to allowing multi-family housing in all zones, this is simply a petition to increase – by a factor of 2 to 3 in many cases – the amount that can be built across the city – a real Gold Rush for property developers. For example, the Res A-1 and A-2 districts currently permit a 0.5 FAR; Res C permits a 0.6 FAR; and Res C-1 permits a 0.75 FAR. This proposal simply blows the lid off all of these allowable densities. Apparently, the fact that Cambridge is already one of the densest cities in the United States is simply not enough for the Sim City players who form the core of "A Bigger Cambridge". In terms of affordability for the "missing middle" there is simply nothing in this petition that would indicate this as a likely outcome. The affordability of the traditional two-family or three-family home in years past came with the responsibilities of being a landlord with the rents helping to cover the mortgage. This proposal would more likely result in even larger single-family homes (McMansions) and a greater stock of high-end condominiums and investment properties.

It’s true that Cambridge has a lot of nonconforming buildings that could not have been built under current zoning, including my own triple-decker (land area 3,133 sq ft, total living area 3,978 sq ft, and an FAR of 1.27 with negligible side setbacks and a very small yard). If I were proposing changes to Cambridge zoning I would likely allow some additional density where it makes sense, but I certainly would not recommend the replication of my own situation on my tiny lot as the new standard.

What exactly is the goal of ABC? New York City ranks 6th with a population density of 27,016 per square mile. San Francisco ranks 21st at 17,246. Somerville is 16th at 18,432. Cambridge ranks 26th in the USA at 16,355. Boston is 51st at 13,321. Chicago is 75th at 11,868. Philadelphia is 95th at 11,234. Berkeley is 110th at 10,753. Cambridge is not Belmont (5,317/sq mi).

Suffice to say, I think the general lay of the land in Cambridge today is actually quite good – an interesting balance of densities and housing types. Some greater flexibility for property owners might be a good thing, but wholesale redefinition of the city would not be a wise choice.

Bikes, bikes, and more bikes and other transportation matters
Manager’s Agenda #11. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $115,300 received in donations received from MIT Real Estate, Museum of Science, and CambridgeSide to the Public Investment Fund Community Development Department Extraordinary Expenses account which will be used for costs associated with the BlueBikes bikeshare system.
Order Adopted 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #12. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $452,600 from the Mitigation Revenue Stabilization Fund received from various sources to the Public Investment Fund Community Development Extraordinary Expenditures account which will be used for the purchase and expenses of Bluebikes bikeshare equipment.
Order Adopted 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #14. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number Awaiting Report 19-75, regarding the feasibility of partnering with a local research institution to conduct a study that determines how many ridehail vehicles are on the roads during both on and off-peak times and their impacts on congestion and safety.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #15. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 19-151, regarding the feasibility of making Porter Square and Massachusetts Avenue between Roseland Street and Beech Street a quick-build complete street with bus priority.
Placed on File 9-0

2013 Cambridge commuter shares: 28% transit, 24% walk, 7% bike, 4% carpool. The numbers have likely shifted a bit since 2013 but even with BlueBike stations and various infrastructure changes across the city it’s unlikely that the share of residents biking will ever rival transit or walking. At any given time are there more bikes on Cambridge roads or Ubers? If electric vehicles and or/autonomous vehicles proliferate, what do you think will be the result?

21st Century Commerce
Manager’s Agenda #13. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-56, regarding establishing a plan that will allow for greater outreach and technical assistance to women-and-minority-owned businesses and small businesses that have not yet received financial assistance to assess any future City funding. [CDD report]
Placed on File 9-0

Resolution #14. The Cambridge City Council, hereby assembled, urges Amazon to meet and confer with the Cambridge community, included, but not limited to, representatives of labor unions including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 25.   Councillor McGovern, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey
Adopted 9-0

Order #1. Spending Disparity Study PO.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted 9-0

Thank You Notes
Resolution #7. Retirement of CCTV Executive Director, Susan Fleischmann.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons
Charter Right – Mallon

Resolution #15. Thank You to Lisa Peterson.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan
Adopted 9-0

Resolution #17. Thank You to Elizabeth “Liza” Malenfant Paden.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Toomey
Adopted 9-0

I have known all of these Great Women of Cambridge for decades. Susan Fleischmann is the one who pushed me to start doing TV broadcasts – initially with Election Night coverage and then eventually the sequel to the original Cambridge InsideOut. I first met Lisa Peterson when she worked in the City Manager’s Office during Bob Healy’s tenure. She was our point person during the early days of Cambridge Recycling about 30 years ago. Liza (and, really, all you have to say is Liza in Cambridge civic circles and everyone knows who you mean) has been a friend in and out of City government – along with her extended family – for close to 30 years. The total hours I kept Liza from getting back to work on Inman Street over the years gabbing about life and politics and how the city operates is something we’d better not talk about lest they dock her retirement.

A growing chorus of voices from Fairmont Avenue
Order #6. Policy Order re: Renaming Fairmont Avenue.   Councillor Simmons
Charter Right – Simmons

Oh, the hardship. I guess we’d also better start worrying about Washington Ave. vs. Washington St., Highland Ave. vs. Highland St., Oxford Ave. vs. Oxford St., and Wyman St. vs. Wyman Rd. Life in Cambridge is just so difficult.

Luxury Seating
Order #9. Eliminating Hostile Architecture.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui
Charter Right – Nolan

Methinks the sponsors of this Order (and the activists who inspire them) wouldn’t know the difference between hostile and helpful.

Cambridge City Council on Hallucinogens
Order #10. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to direct city staff to work with the City’s state and federal partners in support of decriminalizing all Entheogenic Plants and plant-based compounds.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
Order Adopted 8-1 (Toomey – NO)

This Order may actually explain a lot about the behavior of the Cambridge City Council. Perhaps when the pandemic winds down they can decorate the Sullivan Chamber with Peter Max posters and pipe in some Donovan songs like "Mellow Yellow" and "Sunshine Superman". Bringing back black lights would also be a nice touch.

Carrots or Sticks
Committee Report #1. Health & Environment Committee met on Aug 11, 2020 meet to discuss the Net Zero Action Plan FY20 progress report and to receive a general update on the plan including the upcoming 5-year review process.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Greater efficiency is always a good thing, but incentives are always better than mandates when it comes to private homes. I don’t think enough councillors fully understand this. – Robert Winters

January 19, 2021

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 487-488: January 19, 2021

Filed under: 2021 election,Cambridge,Cambridge InsideOut — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 11:37 pm

Episode 487 – Cambridge InsideOut: Jan 19, 2021 (Part 1)

This episode was broadcast on Jan 19, 2021 at 6:00pm. Topics: Inauguration & Insurrection; Apr 1971 vs. Jan 2021 in DC; I Beg your Pardon; Starting up the Biden Administration; avoiding civil war; Covid-19 Status and vaccination roll-out; Schools, Superintendent resignation, between a rock and a hard place. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

Episode 488 – Cambridge InsideOut: Jan 19, 2021 (Part 2)

This episode was broadcast on Jan 19, 2021 at 6:30pm. Topics: Public Safety and Populist Politics; hostile architecture, the MBTA and ADA; public discourse vs. political theater; civics vs. politics; the paradox of liberalism; municipal election candidates and wild cards. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

September 1, 2020

Cambridge InsideOut Episode 471: Sept 1, 2020

Filed under: 2020 Election,Cambridge,Cambridge InsideOut — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 11:46 pm

Episode 471 – Cambridge InsideOut: Sept 1, 2020

This episode was broadcast on Sept 1, 2020 at 6:00pm. Topics: Virus tales; spending actual money; Primary Day – ballots, MA 4th CD, runoffs and Ranked Choice Voting; Constitutional curiosities; yearning for better politics; Socialism vs. choices of an affluent society; Political conventions and the rhetoric of chaos and violence – perception vs. reality; Shared streets – an appraisal; Revising the Charles; Starlight Square; slow reopening of schools, libraries, senior centers; emergence of “learning pods as a school alternative; good virus news from universities. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in this episode]

July 21, 2020

Cambridge InsideOut Episode 468: July 21, 2020

Filed under: Cambridge,Cambridge InsideOut,Central Square — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 10:22 pm

Episode 468 – Cambridge InsideOut: July 21, 2020

This episode was broadcast on July 21, 2020 at 6:16pm. Topics: 19th Amendment; Pandemic continues; Starlight Square and Central Square in transition; City Manager’s Contract; Changes in Roads and Squares and Around Town; The Empty City; City Council/School Committee Updates. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in this episode]

June 29, 2020

Getting Primed for the Summer Recess – Featured items on the June 29, 2020 Cambridge City Council agenda

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council,Fresh Pond — Tags: , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 12:39 am

Getting Primed for the Summer Recess – Featured items on the June 29, 2020 Cambridge City Council agenda

Here are the things that might be interesting on this week’s agenda:City Hall

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

Always interesting. Things may be getting worse elsewhere in the USA, but we’ve had a few days now with no new reported cases and no new deaths from the virus. It’s now even OK to remove the masks outside if you can keep your distance. Meanwhile, the three new "shared streets" are now in place – and largely vacant so far.

Charter Right #1. That the Cambridge City Council go on record in support of including a two-track Grand Junction railway crossing in MassDOT’s Allston Multimodal Improvement Project plans and urges the FMCB to vote in favor of this inclusion. [Order #7 of June 22; Charter Right – Toomey]

Light Rail or Bus Rapid Transit only, please.

Charter Right #2. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to obtain an itemized statement of all materials, tools, and property owned by the Cambridge Police Department. [Order #9 of June 22; Charter Right – Simmons]

In addition to a complete accounting of all stationary supplies and toilet paper, I demand to know if the Cambridge Police Department possesses any specialized secret agent equipment from MI6.

Charter Right #4. Alternative Policing PO. [Order #12 of June 22; Charter Right – Zondervan]Cambridge Police

In a nutshell, this Order asks that various unarmed alternative emergency response programs be considered in addition to whatever CPD is already doing in this regard.

Order #1. That the City Council go on record in full support of the state legislation “An Act relative to saving black lives and transforming public safety” as a first step in changing law enforcement standards, use of force, and reporting in Massachusetts.   Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler

This Order recommends that the State legislature endorse the same law enforcement standards that Cambridge now uses. I can’t argue with that.

Order #3. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the appropriate City personnel to establish a plan designed to provide a thorough, system-wide review of the entire municipal government to identify and remove any vestiges of systemic racism and/or racial bias in any and all City departments, to establish clear, transparent metrics that will help further this critical endeavor, and to report back to the City Council on this matter no later than Sept 14, 2020.   Councillor Simmons

Charter Right #6. That the City Manager be and hereby is directed to provide the City Council with an update on the formal Anti-bias / Cultural Competency Strategic Plan. [Order #14 of June 22; Charter Right – Zondervan]

Order #4. That the Chair of the Civic Unity Committee schedule hearings to discuss how to best incorporate language into the City Council’s rules that will call for anti-bias, anti-racist, and cultural sensitivity trainings to be held on a yearly basis.   Councillor Simmons

For a long time and especially during recent "Defund the Police" and "Abolish the Police" campaigns I have heard it stated how ineffective such trainings are. I’m inclined to agree, but it does create jobs for those people doing the trainings.

Order #5. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Assistant City Manager of Community Development to determine how to best protect and preserve our commercial spaces that support our small business operators and maintain continuity in our commercial districts, and report back to the City Council with recommendations at the September 14th City Council meeting.   Councillor Toomey

This is one of the Orders I find most interesting and important. A lot of retail in Cambridge has been dying on the vine even before the coronavirus came to town. Montessori schools, Rock & Roll Daycare and similar facilities and, more recently, cannabis-related operations have rushed in to fill the void. With the constraints imposed by public health standards it’s not at all clear what can survive to next year. Some residential conversions may follow, but I suspect the only real solution will be a lot of renegotiation of leases and finding a new equilibrium between what rents can be afforded and the sustainability of many Cambridge businesses at least in the near term.

Charter Right #7. That the City Manager confer with the City’s Housing Liaison and Multi Service Center to discuss a variety of long-term housing solutions and tenant protections and report back to the City Council on July 27, 2020. [Order #15 of June 22; Charter Right – Zondervan]

I suspect any discussion of this will dovetail into the discussion of Order #6 below.

Order #6. That the City Council go on record in support of H.3924, An Act Enabling Local Options for Tenant Protections, which is currently under consideration before the Massachusetts State Legislature.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone

One point is clear: Any city councillor who votes to support this Order is voting in support of bringing back full throttle rent control to Cambridge. The referenced bill is interesting in that it would allow any city or town in the Commonwealth to create its own version of rent regulation ranging from benign to draconian (and you know full well that Cambridge would eventually go full draconian). It is my understanding that even though there may currently be some greater degree of support for such regulation due to the pandemic, this is not a bill that will likely make it through the legislative process, and it’s even less likely that Governor Baker would ever sign it. There have been bills proposed that might actually have sufficient support (one proposal would simply put a cap on exhorbitant – and I do mean exhorbitant – rent increases for continuing tenants), but this is not such a bill. This bill is primarily about control – and only to a lesser degree about rent.

Order #8. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the City Manager’s Housing Liaison and Multi Service Center on implementing a Tenants Rights and Resource Notification Act that would require owners and management companies to include tenant rights and resource information when issuing eviction notifications including at the initial Notice to Quit stage and report back to the City Council on July 27, 2020.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor McGovern

This is a far more tame Order than the above referenced Order #6.

Order #7. That the City Manager work with the Department of Human Services Recreation Division and other relevant departments to determine the feasibility of identifying one evening or day per week that the Fresh Pond Golf Course can be open to the public for general use.   Councillor Nolan, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone

The western parts of Cambridge are not lacking in open space assets. In truth, I have yet to see any open space in Cambridge so crowded that one might mistake it for Coney Island. I’m not so sure that there really is any demand for hanging out on the golf course grass, but it is worth mentioning that there are golf courses in the Boston metropolitan area where people do walk across parts of the golf course and have to be mindful of flying golf balls, e.g. Ponkapoag Pond in Canton and Mt. Hood Municipal Golf Course in Melrose. Even the Granite Links golf course in Quincy is supposedly open to hikers passing through, though the golfers do often object.

Golf Course

Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Anthony I. Wilson, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councilor Simmons, Chair of the Government Operations, Rules & Claims Committee, for a public hearing held on Feb 19, 2020.

Committee Report #2. A communication was received from Anthony I. Wilson, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councilor Simmons, Chair of the Government Operations, Rules & Claims Committee, for a public hearing held on Mar 12, 2020.

I have no idea what the Feb 19 hearing was about, but I do know that the Mar 12 meeting had to do with possible renewal of the City Manager’s contract. No details are provided in either report other than to state that these meetings took place on those dates. Perhaps we need a new Agenda section entitled "Committee Non-Reports".

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting considerations about reopening schools this fall.

Will they re-open? Will half the students be required to stay home on any given day? Will Zoom get tenure? – Robert Winters

May 18, 2020

Big Loans and Bigger Speeches – May 18, 2020 Cambridge City Council Agenda Notes

Filed under: Cambridge,Cambridge government,City Council — Tags: , , , , — Robert Winters @ 4:51 pm

Big Loans and Bigger Speeches – May 18, 2020 Cambridge City Council Agenda Notes

The boys and girls will again have a virtual shindig this week in and out of the Sullivan Chamber. I’m still counting on an innovative Kendall Square startup to develop special glasses that can filter out the glare of virtue signaling, but until then there’s this:Budget Season!

Manager’s Agenda #2. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $500,000 from the Massachusetts. Department of Environmental Protection to the Grant Fund Public Works Department Extraordinary Expenditures Account which will be supplemented with $379,000 in City funds to purchase three plug-in hybrid rubbish packers that will replace three diesel powered rubbish packers.

“And we was fined $50 and had to pick up the garbage…..” – Stockbridge, MA

Manager’s Agenda #3. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $6,500,000 to provide funds for the design and construction of various water pollution abatement projects, including but not limited to Sewer Capital Repairs Program and climate change preparedness efforts.

Manager’s Agenda #4. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $5,000,000 to provide funds for the reconstruction of various City streets and sidewalks.

Manager’s Agenda #5. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $16,000,000 to provide funds for the Municipal Facilities Improvement Plan which will support improvements at the Department of Public works Complex including the Ryan Garage, Lafayette Square Firehouse structural repair, and other municipal buildings.

Manager’s Agenda #6. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $9,000,000 to provide funds for the construction of improvements of the Lexington Avenue and River Street Firehouses.

Manager’s Agenda #7. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $237,000,000 to provide funds for the design and construction of the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper School.

Manager’s Agenda #8. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $1,800,000 to provide funds for various Schools for repairs to electrical service, roof replacement, chiller replacement, floor replacement and replacement of bi-directional amplifier and antenna in various school buildings.

These are the annual Loan Authorization orders that accompany the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Note the big fish in there – $237 million to borrow for the design and construction of the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper School. Last year’s loan authorizations totaled $74.3 million and $88.15 million the year before that. I suppose we’ll be seeing a tidy little jump in debt service next year even with our AAA bond rating. I hope one of the city councillors at least asks what the projections for residential real estate taxes might be for the next cycle. It’s not like other budgets are being slashed. Once again, here’s a chart showing the one-year and two-year changes to department budgets as well as the 16-year changes.

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

Expect more grandstanding from the usual suspects as soon as the City staff have completed their reports. There’s nothing like a good crisis to practice your political speech-making. Frankly, I just want to hear what the Cambridge response might be to Governor Baker’s cautious "phase one re-opening plan." I expect some councillors will continue to harp on street closures as the One Big Answer to All Things.

Charter Right #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the Police Department to provide information to the City Council about social media protocols and what disciplinary action has been taken as result of the Department’s social media use incident.

I really wish some councillors understood the City Charter and actually listened last week to what the City Solicitor (correctly) had to say. The last thing we need are politically driven councillors micromanaging City employees. By the way, if a City Council aide calls for the firing of a City employee, is that a violation of Chapter 43, Section 107?: “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.”

Order #2. Creating an Arts Recovery Advisory Committee.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor McGovern

Order #3. That the City Council go on record in strong support of Bill HD. 5054 relative to restaurant delivery commissions during the COVID-19 state of emergency.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to provide an immediate update to the Council on the digital equity research initiative and advisory board, and on efforts to ensure reliable access to the Internet citywide.   Councillor Nolan, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Zondervan

Regardless how one feels about municipal broadband, I think we do need some answers about how some version of universal Internet access can be achieved if only for the purpose of educational access in a school year conducted via Zoom and similar platforms.

Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Election Commission and Board of Election Commissioners to determine the feasibility of universal vote-by-mail for the City of Cambridge.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone

I’ll take this one. If you boys and girls were paying attention when there was the previous debate about "early voting" for municipal elections, it was explained to you at that time that such authority lies with the State and not with the City – hence the Home Rule Petition that is now collecting dust in the foyer of the State House and which is dutifully included in every City Council agenda packet by our City Clerk. The City cannot simply enact universal vote-by-mail via a Council vote or by a vote of the Election Commission. That authority resides with State government – and I expect that universal vote-by-mail may well be forthcoming from our glacial legislature. That said, if they were to simply permit "no excuse absentee voting" which everyone seems to understand is both feasible and politically acceptable, that would likely address most of the concerns about safety in voting. Time’s a wastin’, legislators.

Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to amend the Cambridge emergency advisory on face coverings/masks to require face coverings be worn inside common areas of multi-unit buildings with the exception of 2-and 3- family buildings and in all workplaces where more than one person is present at all times.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor McGovern

Good idea. Even in my triple-decker, the tenants and I maintain social distancing in a way that might make you think we don’t get along. (We do.)

Order #7. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to develop and present to the City Council a comprehensive strategy for how we are going to reopen the city.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler

By "present to the City Council a comprehensive strategy", the authors of the Order no doubt mean "present to the City Council a plan to carry out the specific strategies that we hereby propose". This seems to be a recurring theme of these councillors.

Order #9. That Chapter 2.108 be amended by inserting a new section 2.108.140.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler

Some of you may recognize this as just a reformulation of the eminent-domain-like proposals from these same socialist councillors from a few weeks ago. When nobody salutes your flag, just sew the threads into another flag. There are better ways to handle an emergency than confiscating whatever property suits you.

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, communicating information from the School Committee’s Special Meetings held on May 7, 2020.

Are we actually still providing public education in Cambridge or are school staff just lending a few suggestions to those students who are now being effectively home-schooled by their parents – while a lot of other students are enjoying an early summer vacation?

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