Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

April 25, 2011 City Council Agenda – An Air of Resignation

The most interesting item on this week’s agenda is a March 10 communication to the Mayor from Councillor Simmons in which she informs him that she has resigned from half (5) of the City Council committees on which she serves. Why only half a resignation? If the job no longer interests you, why not go all the way? Oh yeah – big paycheck, minimal responsibilities, great retirement and health care benefits, and your own personal valet.

Manager’s Agenda #1. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the FY2011 submitted budget and appropriation orders.

This is, of course, the big item on the agenda – the biggest item of the year. The Budget Hearings (mostly pro-forma during which the same councillors ask the same questions they ask every year) are still to come with a final vote expected in mid-May. That said, the Budget Hearings (and the conversations that you can have with City officials while the hearings are happening) can be one of the best lessons for new City Council candidates.

Charter Right #1. That the City Manager is requested to begin filing the necessary paperwork with the Federal Railroad Administration to designate the East Cambridge railroad crossings as an official Quiet Zone. [Charter Right exercised on Order Number Three of Apr 4, 2011.]

Charter Right #2. That the City Manager is requested to relay opposition to additional train service through East Cambridge until a full environmental impact assessment and a public participation process are completed. [Charter Right exercised on Order Number Four of Apr 4, 2011.]

These two Orders from the April 4 meeting appear to be primarily obstructions to the Tim Murray Express. Normally I find obstructionist tactics to be distasteful, but Lt. Gov. Tim’s fast-tracking of his Worcester to North Station rail plan leaves little other choice.

Charter Right #5. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the City Solicitor and other relevant City staff and report back to the City Council with a detailed and formal legal opinion on the ability of 5.28 conversions to bypass use prohibitions in the Table of Uses. [Charter Right exercised on Order Number Eight of Apr 4, 2011.]

Presumably there will be some kind of legal opinion forthcoming on this before the re-filed zoning petition comes to a vote. It seems clear enough that the answer will not be what Councillor Kelley wants to hear, i.e. that it is often the case that some parts of the zoning code (or any law for that matter) supersede other parts.

Communications #1. A communication was received from Carl F. Barron, transmitting thanks for the resolution on his speedy recovery.

Best wishes to Carl – the man who stuck with Central Square through the toughest of times.

Resolution #13. Welcome Gather Here, a fabric, yarn and fibers store, to Cambridge.   Councillor Seidel

This is in the building next to mine, right next to the new yoga studio. Just down the street is the Broadway Bicycle School. Until recently, this stretch of Broadway was "Antique Row" where at one time there were perhaps 7 businesses dealing in antiques and other vintage goods. They are all gone now, but perhaps we have the nucleus of a new theme for the block – participatory arts and crafts. Gather Here appears to be quite popular – a most welcome addition to the block.

Resolution #57. Happy 50th Birthday wishes to Budget Director David Kale.   Councillor Toomey

David, you don’t look a day over 49! I hope you’ll have my copy of the Budget Book waiting for me Monday night after the councillors get theirs.

Resolution #66. Congratulations to Assistant City Manager for Human Services Ellen Semonoff on being appointed by President Obama as a member of the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion and Integrative and Public Health.   Councillor Decker, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Maher

An excellent choice by El Presidente. Ellen has always been one of the most sincere and dedicated people I have known in Cambridge City government. It’s a good thing this is just an advisory committee because we’d like to keep her.

Resolution #69. Acknowledge May 22, 2011 as Harvey Milk Day.   Councillor Simmons

Let’s not forget that when Harvey Milk was murdered in 1978, San Francisco Mayor George Moscone was also murdered. The murderer, Dan White, was sentenced to only 5 years in prison after killing these two men. Fortunately, this murderer had the good grace to commit suicide in 1985 a little over a year after being released from prison. How does a double murderer get sentenced to only 5 years in prison? Answer – blame it on the twinkies.

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to confer with relevant City staff and report back to the City Council on the feasibility of allowing property owners to get separate sewerage and water meters so that people are not charged sewerage rates for water used outside the home.   Councillor Kelley

Property owners have had this option for many years, though you might never know it from the Water Department’s website. There is no "sewerage meter" involved – just a separate water meter for outdoor irrigation use. The property owner is billed for the water passing through both meters, but only the domestic use meter is billed for sewerage. Call the Water Department if you have a substantial amount of outdoor water use. There are costs involved in the installation, but it may be worth it if your irrigation use is substantial.

Order #5. That the regular City Council meeting scheduled for Mon, May 9, 2011 be changed to a Round Table for the purpose of discussing the planning process for Kendall and Central Squares with the Community Development Department and the consulting firm Goody Clancy.   Mayor Maher

The public meetings yet to be scheduled by Goody Clancy and the Community Development Department will be the place to go. My guess is that this Roundtable meeting will primarily be an opportunity for a few Red Ribbons to be waved about in honor of an unimpressive effort that will hopefully soon draw to a close in time for a more substantial planning process to commence. If the Red Ribbon Etc. Commission has had any value at all, it will be in the continuing efforts of some business owners and property owners who have taken on initiatives for the betterment of Central Square independent of any ribbons or municipal election campaigns.

Order #7. That the City Manager is requested to instruct the Director of Traffic, Parking and Transportation to create a plan which would reduce the overall pedestrian crossing distance of the highway to the relocated Lechmere Station by reducing the proposed number of traffic lanes, either through lanes or dedicated turn lanes, and to work with the MassDOT to implement the plan and report back to the City Council.   Councillor Toomey

This Order is a constructive response to a rumored plan from the Dept. of Transportation to actually widen the highway in the vicinity of the Lechmere Station – a plan that is bewildering at best. Every plan to date associated with the relocation of the Lechmere Station to the NorthPoint side of the O’Brien Highway (formerly Bridge Street) indicated an "urban boulevard" that would be much more pedestrian friendly than the current configuration and with no additional traffic lanes. Let’s hope that the urban boulevard prevails over some obsolete highway plan.

Order #11. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council with a complete and comprehensive list of all concessions made to the City and broader Cambridge community by developers and the universities in exchange for zoning relief, special permits, or Council approval.   Councillor Cheung

This is a most interesting order. There are some councillors who believe sincerely in the idea of zoning relief as currency to be spent to purchase "community benefits." Others (including me) find the practice to be the slipperiest of slippery slopes in which almost anything goes as long as the price is sufficiently high. It’s bad enough that the unquenchable desire for additional real estate taxes often conflicts with good planning, but it’s even worse when zoning votes are delivered in exchange for one-time monetary contributions to favored charities. Perhaps this Order together with Order #11 of Feb 7, 2011 and Order #1 of Dec 13, 2010 will help shine a little sunlight onto this questionable practice.

Committee Report #2. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Deputy City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Leland Cheung, Chair of the Economic Development, Training and Employment Committee and Councillor Sam Seidel, Chair of the Neighborhood and Long Term Planning Committee for a joint public meeting held on Mar 22, 2011 to discuss the future of the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority.

This was a very interesting committee meeting in which a lot of misconceptions about the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority were dispelled. Some very informative background material on the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority is available courtesy of Bob Simha and Joesph Tulimieri.

Communications and Reports from City Officers #1. A communication was received from City Councillor E. Denise Simmons, transmitting her withdrawal from the Transportation, Traffic and Parking, Neighborhood and Long Term Planning, Human Services, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations and University Relations Committees.

This is not the first committee resignation of the current City Council term, but it’s the biggest by far. Councillor Decker quit the Neighborhood and Long-term Planning Committee a year ago and Councillor Toomey quit as co-chair of the Ordinance Committee a few months ago. Councillor Simmons’ resignation from 5 committees is unprecedented in the several decades during which I’ve followed the Cambridge City Council. As Woody Allen once said, "eighty percent of success is just showing up." I’m sure there is a back story of some kind here – perhaps the frustration of dealing with colleagues who feel that "their committee" is a personal venue for acting out. Then again, Councillor Simmons’ Civic Unity Committee is really a committee of one.

Councillor Simmons states in her letter that "the number of committees that I sit on has become an impediment to my effectiveness as a City Councillor." To this I’ll simply note that through the end of March, Councillor Cheung had attended 44 committee meetings and Councillor Seidel had attended 41 committee meetings. Councillor Simmons had attended only 19 committee meetings and had chaired only 5 of them. I have a lot of respect for people who actually show up for work and do their job in exchange for their salary and benefits. For a city councillor to walk away from most of her committee assignments while still enjoying a substantial paycheck and the luxury of a personal staff assistant is despicable. Candidates take note – there may be a City Council seat available this November. – Robert Winters

April 4, 2011 City Council Agenda – Trains, Trends, & Mileage

It’s mostly routine stuff this week. Here are a few that stood out for me:

Manager’s Agenda #1. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 11-30, regarding a report on a plan and timeline for the implementation of a curbside composting program.

The short version: Great idea, 3000 tons per year of food scraps could be diverted, but processing capacity is a major barrier to expansion, so we’ll have to wait a few years until an organics recycling facility in the Boston area is a reality.

Manager’s Agenda #2. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 11-35, regarding a report on data regarding demographic and population trends though the year 2025.

In addition to the information in the report, some miscellaneous Cambridge demographic information (including recent US Census information) is assembled at http://rwinters.com/docs/population.htm. The information in the report is clear enough, but it’s still not clear exactly what information the councillors (and Mr. Seidel in particular) were looking for with this request.

Manager’s Agenda #9. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $350,000 to the Community Development Public Investment Fund Extraordinary Expenditures account from the revenue sources described below to allow for the hiring of a consultant to work on the future development of Kendall Square and Central Square.

It’s worth emphasizing that neither the City administration nor the City’s consultant can really determine what eventually is developed in Central Square, in Kendall Square, or those spaces between and beyond these areas. Proposals for traffic changes and design for the public spaces, i.e. streets and sidewalks, will certainly come of this, and maybe even a few zoning recommendations, but ultimately the ball will be in the court of those who own the property and who pay for any development. Boston-based Goody Clancy is the chosen consultant.

Manager’s Agenda #14. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the request to re-file a zoning petition to amend Section 5.28.2 of the Zoning Ordinance.

Order #8. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the City Solicitor and other relevant City staff and report back to the City Council with a detailed and formal legal opinion on the ability of 5.28 conversions to bypass use prohibitions in the Table of Uses.   Councillor Kelley and Councillor Cheung

Some form of an amendment to this section of the Zoning Ordinance will eventually be passed, but apparently the core amendments are going to be re-filed with new hearings before the Planning Board and the Ordinance Committee.

Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to begin filing the necessary paperwork with the Federal Railroad Administration to designate the East Cambridge railroad crossings as an official Quiet Zone.   Councillor Cheung and Vice Mayor Davis

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to relay opposition to additional train service through East Cambridge until a full environmental impact assessment and a public participation process are completed.   Vice Mayor Davis and Councillor Cheung

It’s interesting that the standard method of objecting to a proposal is not to oppose it directly but to weigh it down with regulatory hurdles. Best of luck, councillors, as we hop on board the Lt. Gov. Tim Murray Express!

Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to commit the necessary staff and resources to explore the possibility of increasing the number of Single Residency Occupancy units or studio apartments in Cambridge.   Councillor Simmons

Exactly what is Councillor Simmons’ wish here? Is she claiming that there are not enough studio apartments in Cambridge? Or is she trying to expand the supply of rooming houses for people "in transition," i.e., in and out of institutions of one kind or another? Is there any doubt that most of these will end up in Central Square?

Order #10. That the City Manager is requested to confer with relevant City department heads and members of area university communities regarding the safety of nuclear reactors in Cambridge.   Councillor Seidel

No one will question the importance of safety of these reactors, but this is just a re-run of the same inquiries made a number of years ago. Look it up, councillor. You may find that all of your questions have already been answered several times over.

Order #11. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council on the possibility of inclusion of visuals in Cambridge zoning documents to aid in the understanding of requirements and regulations.   Councillor Seidel

How about pop-up books? Colorforms?

Order #12. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the City Solicitor to determine whether the goals of the proposed bill in the Massachusetts House of Representatives Number 00958 (attached) could be accomplished by home rule petition, and, if so, to draft a home rule petition to be returned to the City Council by the City Council meeting of May 2, 2011.   Councillor Seidel

In a nutshell, the idea is to allow individual cities and towns to have more control in the determination of fines for a variety of motor vehicle and other violations. Great idea, as long as it doesn’t turn into just another way to increase revenue.

Committee Report #2. A communication was received from D. Margaret Drury, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor E. Denise Simmons, Chair of the Civic Unity Committee for a public meeting held on Mar 9, 2011 to continue discussing with the Civic Unity Citizen Advisory Committee the recommendations of the Cambridge Review Committee Report: "Missed Opportunities, Shared Responsibilities," and implementation of these recommendations.

I’ll refrain from extended comments on this other than to say that "To Protect and Serve" is the only mission statement necessary for the Cambridge Police; and maybe it’s not the best practice for an individual city councillor to hand-pick a "Civic Unity Citizen Advisory Committee" as a means of getting additional mileage out of a minor incident on Ware Street. – Robert Winters

March 7, 2011 City Council Agenda: – Foreign Affairs Redux… and the Muddy Charles Under Siege

There are at least two potentially flammable items on this week’s agenda. First, there’s this:

Manager’s Agenda #3. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 11-02, regarding a report on unfair financial burden placed on same-sex married employees of Cambridge.

Though the report seems reasonable enough, some of the more activist elements may come out demanding something more than mere reason. The response from the Personnel Department is worth the read.

Sadly, Councillor Toomey’s exercise of his Charter Right last week on an Order of Councillor Decker could lead to a bad rerun of last week’s anti-Israel speechmaking. It would come as no surprise if this issue also brought out the other side this week. The relevant item is this:

Charter Right #2. That the City Council go on record seeking information about the nature of a delegation to Israel. [Charter Right exercised on Order #20 of Feb 28, 2011.]

Members of the "Peace Commission," their friends, and their former executive director will likely once again (from the safety of the Sullivan Chamber) inexpertly instruct the city councillors about Middle Eastern affairs. Let’s just hope it doesn’t go on for another two hours. On a lighter note, the prophet of Franklin Street apparently has some late-breaking news about either the Rapture or the Apocalypse – set to occur sometime this month:

Communications #1. A communication was received from Peter Valentine, 37 Brookline Street, to assist a planet wide understanding of an upcoming major planet wide event.

Resolution #13. Retirement of Richard Scali from the License Commission.   Mayor Maher

According to Marc Levy’s Cambridge blog, Mr. Scali has been on a personal leave of absence for at least the last four months.

Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to begin a process with City Department Heads to determine possible projects that could be completed with the help of Code for America and be prepared to apply for their 2013 program.   Councillor Toomey

This Order comes on the heels of last week’s Order #3 and Order #19 of a similar nature. Perhaps there may be further "innovation agendas" down the road for City departments unrelated to the middle school proposal now before the School Committee.

Order #3. That the City Manager is hereby requested to direct the appropriate department heads to look into whether the City of Cambridge would benefit from a curb side composting program and the means in which we could implement such a program.   Councillor Cheung

Having spent many years as Cambridge’s "Compost Man," I could say much about this Order. Ultimately it’s a great idea for a host of reasons, but there are financial and logistical challenges that cannot be denied. Nonetheless, perhaps one day soon we may see the return of the "honey wagon" to the streets of Cambridge.

Order #4. That the Cambridge City Council go on record encouraging MIT to allow for the Muddy Charles Pub to remain open.   Councillor Cheung and Councillor Toomey

Though one could accuse Councillors Cheung and Toomey of butting into university affairs, I’m with them on this one. The Muddy was always a favorite of mine when I was in graduate school at MIT. It’s also the place where I watched Bucky "Bleepin’" Dent hit the home run in the playoff game in 1978 between the Yankees and the Red Sox. Having grown up as a Yankees fan, I was on the unpopular side that day and had to leave the Muddy via the window at the end of the game. Eventually, I changed allegiances. It will be a sad day indeed should the Muddy Charles Pub be forced to close – not to mention completely inconsistent with MIT traditions.

Order #8. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council in the immediate future on the feasibility of using City-installed and City-managed cameras as part of an overall safety program for the immediate Clifton Street area.   Councillor Kelley

Mayor Maher will also support this. Anyone else? Or is Nancy Murray of the ACLU still pressing your buttons?

Order #10. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council with data regarding demographic and population trends through the year 2025 for the City of Cambridge.   Councillor Seidel

It’s hard to imagine that City staff can actually make such predictions going out more than a few years, but whatever they come up with will likely be interesting and potentially provocative. – Robert Winters

Feb 28, 2011 City Council Agenda – National & Foreign Affairs Night

This week brings a bonanza of Council Orders wishfully intended to direct the course of national and foreign affairs. There are five Orders relating to labor issues in the State of Wisconsin that read like photocopies of Talking Points memos from the National Democratic Party. Perhaps there should be a separate category for Parrot Orders like these. There’s also an Order about Libya and the soon-to-be-deceased Colonel Qaddafi from Councillor Simmons, and an Order from Councillor Decker objecting to the fact that some City officials and others had the audacity to learn a thing or two from Israeli security experts. The horrors! Meanwhile, back home, Councillor Reeves apparently wants to institute an affirmative action policy for liquor licenses. You can’t make this stuff up!

Here are the agenda items that warrant comment:

City Manager’s Agenda #9. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 10-138, regarding a report on the feasibility of adding historical sub-signs to street signs and the possibility of commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812 with street sub-signs.

As the Manager reports, "Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department staff have met with the Historic Commission and over the next few weeks will be meeting again to work out a small scale historic signage program that will focus on the streets related to important historic places and dates in the War of 1812." This is one of the great things about living in Cambridge. There’s a historical component to nearly everything in the city – either because it was itself historical or, in the case of the Cambridgeport street names, it commemorates an historical event. There’s also something endearing about the fact that we can commemorate the site of the Washington Elm where the United States Army began and retain street names commemorating the War of 1812 while being one of the few cities in the USA to have a "Peace Commission".

City Manager’s Agenda #18. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 10-130, regarding a report on the status of installing community gardens at Riverside Press Park.

The Manager reports that "A recommendation for $60,000 for this purpose will be included in the submitted FY12 Capital Budget for City Council consideration." We’re also waiting to hear of any progress on the possibility of the Whittemore Avenue and Magoun Street community garden coming into City ownership – the subject of a Feb 7 Order and a recent Executive Session. Let’s hope that works out.

City Manager’s Agenda #22. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 11-09, regarding North Massachusetts Avenue development.

According to the Manager’s report, "In response to neighborhood interest, CDD is developing a revision to the current zoning which would require commercial uses on the ground floor of most new projects, and provide a strong incentive to include ground floor retail. This proposed revision is expected to be the subject of a public discussion at the Planning Board in early spring, and followed by submission to the City Council."

This is good news, but there’s more to be done. Cambridge has been in a transitional state for more than a decade during which small-scale neighborhood retail has been transforming into condominium housing (because that’s where the money is). This has also been the case with old industrial and institutional buildings – sometimes with undesirable results as evidenced by the current dual zoning petitions to revise Section 5.28 of the Zoning Ordinance. It may be time for a more comprehensive look at the various mixed-use zones throughout the city.

Applications & Petitions #1. A zoning petition has been received from Zevart M. Hollisian, Trustee of Garabed B. Hollisian Trust and L-Z Realty Trust and Seth D. Alexander, President, MIT Investment Management Company, requesting the City Council to amend the Zoning Ordinance by extending the Cambridgeport Revitalization Development District from Green Street out to Massachusetts Avenue in the area adjacent to Blanche Street; said parcel to be developed by Forest City.

This University Park extension has been anticipated for the last several months and follows on the heels of the proposed Novartis expansion and its own zoning petition for an area just a block away from the MIT proposal. This kind of piece-by-piece reactive zoning is not the way to plan the future of a city. Taken together, these two proposals have the potential to transform that section of Massachusetts Avenue significantly. Some of this is welcome and long overdue, but the proposed scale of these combined developments will completely change that area, especially in regard to building heights. It’s curious that we have a City Council subcommittee called the "Neighborhood and Long-term Planning Committee" that appears to do little relating to the apparent purpose of the committee other than to react to zoning petitions. Ultimately, if recent history is any indication, the likely outcome will be that the developers will get everything they want, and the elected officials will be content to extract questionable "community benefits packages" to be used as political currency.

Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to communicate with the Assessing Department and with the owners of the buildings in Central Square to notify them of Red Ribbon Commission future meetings.   Councillor Reeves and Councillor Cheung

This Order requires comment. By most accounts, the current "Red Ribbon Commission" has been a failure. The initial invitees were primarily business and property owners, though some neighborhood residents chose to crash the party. Nonetheless, this Order calls for contacting the property owners. The minutes of a recent Central Square Business Association meeting contain the following statement about the Red Ribbon Commission: "Board members reported on general dissatisfaction with progress and focus of monthly commission meetings and subcommittees. The Property Owners subcommittee has not even met yet, and there have been complaints that the Infrastructure subcommittee was closed to new members. It was agreed that board members will push for more focus through their sub-committee assignments. George (Metzger) will consider making a more direct outreach to Councilor Reeves."

Meanwhile, at last week’s East Cambridge Planning Team forum on Kendall/Central Squares, Mr. Reeves told of all the "exciting" things that were coming out of his commission. Really? In truth, the only interesting developments now occurring in Central Square are those that have been happening independent of Reeves’ commission – largely the result of a gradually recovering economy. The Reeves commission has basically consisted of Councillor Reeves repeatedly (and annoyingly) telling everyone about how personally offended he was to have been out of the loop as MIT and Forest City hatched their plans for their upcoming University Park expansion out to Mass. Ave. That’s the whole dynamic – Reeves floats an unformed idea or an expression of dissatisfaction and the participants react. It will be interesting to see what, if any, "exciting" things come out of this commission – just in time for this fall’s municipal election.

Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to work with the City’s Economic Development staff and License Commission to identify potential minority candidates for future liquor licenses.   Councillor Reeves

The intent of Reeves’ Order seems to be to somehow bring about either the transfer of liquor licenses or the addition of new liquor licenses specifically for business owners meeting specific racial or ethnic criteria. I hope I’m not the only one offended by this. If the City Council passes rubbish like this, then they should all be sent packing. This Order warrants a Roll Call vote. Who will support affirmative action for liquor licenses?

Order #3. That the City Manager is hereby requested to confer with the Budget Department and direct the appropriate department heads to create a program in Cambridge similar to the Boston’s Department of Urban Mechanics which will develop and implement new ideas that improve City service delivery and report back to the City Council with a funding and human resource plan to implement such a program.   Councillor Cheung

Order #19. That as part of the upcoming budget process, the City Manager is requested to create a capital budget for the development of internet and mobile-based tools and set aside funds for the personnel necessary to enact such development.   Councillor Cheung, Councillor Decker

These two Orders cover essentially the same topic – creating more technologically innovative ways for the City to conduct its affairs. This includes things as simple as expanding the list of bills payable online to more complex tools for engaging residents to be active participants in civic affairs (including reporting and response mechanisms for everything from potholes and unshoveled sidewalks to license and zoning violations).

Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council with details of the purchase agreement for Northpoint.   Councillor Toomey and Councillor Cheung

This is news to this observer. As the economy slowly recovers, Northpoint development is bound to follow. Moving the Lechmere station and expansion of the Green Line to West Medford are intertwined with this development. Significant alterations to the road network around Lechmere and the nature of the Monsignor O’Brien Highway (formerly Bridge Street) all hinge on what happens at Northpoint.

Order #8. Amendment to Cambridge Municipal Code regarding City Manager’s contract being posted 96 hours before it is to be voted on by the City Council.   Councillor Cheung

It’s curious that this is being proposed now. Unless there’s some kind of late breaking news, the next discussion of this contract is a year away. Perhaps this is a case of blog-driven legislation. It’s a good idea in any case to have more of this out in the open and this is a very reasonable proposal, though anyone who has been paying attention would have read the 2002 contract, the 2006 contract, and the current 2009 contract right here at the Cambridge Civic Journal – no need to assign the task to some Northeastern students to "research" this. My recollection is that at the time each of these contracts was signed, there was minimal public comment and the source of the commentary was entirely predictable. I was there for all of the contract signings going back to the early 1990s and I gladly exchanged a handshake with Bob Healy each time.

Order #11. That the City Council calls on various international stakeholders, including the United States, to advocate for the immediate resignation of Colonel Qaddafi.   Councillor Simmons

Orders like this are why people make jokes about Cambridge. "That the City Council calls on various international stakeholders, including the United States, to advocate for the immediate resignation of Colonel Qaddafi." Yeah, I’m sure that will tip the balance.

Order #13. That the City of Cambridge go on record thanking Governor Deval Patrick for standing in solidarity with the workers from Wisconsin and all across the country who are being attacked.   Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Davis and Councillor Cheung

Order #14. That the City of Cambridge go on record thanking Congressman Capuano for standing in solidarity with the workers from Wisconsin and all across the country.   Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Davis and Councillor Cheung

Order #15. That the City of Cambridge go on record as standing in solidarity with the Massachusetts AFL-CIO in support of all union workers who are being attacked.   Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Davis and Councillor Cheung

Order #16. That the City of Cambridge go on record as standing in solidarity with the workers from Wisconsin and all across the country.   Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Davis and Councillor Cheung

Order #22. That the City of Cambridge go on record as standing in solidarity with AFSCME and all public employee union workers.   Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Davis and Councillor Cheung

These are five nearly identical Orders laced with phrases like "attempt to bust the union", "unions have been the backbone of this country", "Wall Street recklessness and CEO greed", "Governor Walker is in bed with the billionaire Koch brothers", and "standing in solidarity with the workers from Wisconsin". I understand the appeal of these sentiments, but it would be so much more productive if Cambridge City officials and elected officials across the country would directly address the underlying issues even as they raise their fists and prepare "to get a little bloody." There are distinctions between unions in the private sector and public employee unions, including the right to strike. Also, anyone who does not work for the government expects to pay more than a token percentage of their health care insurance costs (my share is 25%, for example) and most would argue that government employees should pay a percentage comparable to other employees. There are legitimate issues here and we would all benefit from a real discussion. Unfortunately, what we get instead is "solidarity" and an unwillingness to acknowledge some of the major structural problems in municipal, state, and federal budgets across the country. It’s great for political organizing and generating campaign contributions, but it’s also evasive – not unlike the shallow rhetoric of some of the Tea Party activists. By the way, city councillors, would you care to disclose all the details of your pension plans and health care contributions?

Order #20. That the City Council go on record seeking information about the nature of a delegation to Israel.   Councillor Decker

It’s difficult to understand why Councillor Decker gets so worked up about Israel as evidenced by her statement that "This trip was designed to observe Israel’s ‘counter-terrorism strategies and tactics’, tactics which are associated with indefinite detention, illegal occupation, torture, lacking any constitutional guidance." There are neighboring countries where any "infidel" is not even permitted to set foot in the country and where women are, for all intents and purposes, enslaved and subject to "honor killings" and other unspeakable horrors. Mysteriously, no City Council Orders are drafted highlighting that reality.

Order #21. That the City Manager is requested to hire a consultant nationally recognized as an expert to assess the strengths and weaknesses of how Cambridge does economic development and propose actions for improvements.   Councillor Cheung, Councillor Simmons and Councillor Decker

The main thrust of this Order is that "as part of the upcoming budget process, the City Manager be and hereby is requested to create a budget for an increased scale of economic development activity, including programs for the recruitment of job-creating companies to the city, support services for growing companies, and any other recommendations the aforementioned consultant may offer." The Order seems to suggest that Cambridge is somehow economically disadvantaged and that the situation is dire and in need of emergency intervention. Is this really the case? Most indications would seem to suggest otherwise.

Committee Report #2. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Deputy City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Leland Cheung, Chair of the Economic Development, Training and Employment Committee for a public meeting held on Jan 25, 2011 to discuss reviewing ordinances detrimental to community goals.

The call of this meeting was a bit puzzling. The original phrasing was "to discuss current city ordinances that are hurting business growth," but this was changed to the more benign "to discuss reviewing ordinances detrimental to community goals". Nonetheless, virtually all of the suggestions presented at the meeting were about easing restrictions that might hinder business growth. Some of the ideas presented are quite good, but many of us have come to the realization that "streamlining" a process can just as easily lead to limiting the ability of neighbors to ensure peaceful coexistence with their commercial neighbors. For many of us, including those of us who live in a Business A-1 zone, this can have very personal consequences. – Robert Winters