Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

February 4, 2022

Don’t Worry About The Government – Selections from the February 7, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 9:38 am

Don’t Worry About The Government – Selections from the February 7, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Here are a few choice items from this week’s agenda:

Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a COVID-19 update.
Placed on File 9-0Feb 6 Covid 7-day averages

The Covid numbers have been improving daily. Harvard dining halls have now opened at full capacity and required testing has been reduced. The questions now should be about when the City’s various requirements will be reduced or eliminated as we transition from pandemic to endemic.

Charter Right #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-93, regarding proposed amendments to the Municipal Code relative to recent charter changes (Ordinance #2022-2). [Charter Right – Nolan, Jan 31, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 – Nolan

The big question for me will be how the next round of charter revision plays out. The pattern over the last few years has been one of city councillors seeking more privilege and authority (personal aides, designated parking spaces, private offices, veto power over appointments to City boards & commissions). They have even now asserted themselves as the primary source of all future charter revision by assuming power to appoint all members to any future charter review commission. Will the next call be for a popularly elected mayor and the elimination of the current city manager form of government (even as they are in the process of hiring a city manager)? Depending on how the first round goes, there may be the need for citizens to petition for their own elected charter review commission. In the 1930s, the combination of political patronage, poor fiscal management, and elevated taxes led to a citizens movement to adopt Plan E. History may well repeat itself, but perhaps only after considerable fiscal turmoil.

I will also point out that there are still no protocols in place for how the City Council will review appointments to City boards & commissions or if this authority applies to all boards, commissions, task forces, or ad-hoc committees.City Hall

Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to consult with the appropriate City staff to determine the feasibility of establishing additional compensation for the City’s essential employees in accordance with the considered State legislation framework.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Toner
Order Adopted 9-0

This may be a good idea, but there is something odd about crediting additional years toward an employee’s pension as if this was some new form of currency. One might think that providing “hazard pay” to employees who came to work through the worst part of the pandemic would be the more appropriate action.

Order #2. That Article 10.000 of the Zoning Ordinances of the City of Cambridge be amended to insert a new section 10.600, titled “On-Site Fossil Fuel Infrastructure”.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Carlone
Charter Right – Zondervan

Order #8. Amendment to Article 22 of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge entitled “Sustainable Design And Development” to insert a new section.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan
Referred to Ordinance Committee and Planning Board 7-0-0-2 (Simmons, Toner – PRESENT)

Order #2 calls for a zoning amendment that would mandate no new gas hookups in new or substantially rehabilitated buildings – except subsidized housing development. Order #8 would mandate emissions reporting for all major new projects and substantially rehabilitated buildings – except any residential buildings that include affordable units.

Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to instruct the City Solicitor to provide a legal opinion on whether the City Council can delegate the authority of curb cut approvals to the Inspectional Services Department through the City Manager.   Councillor Azeem, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted as Amended 8-1 (Carlone – NO)

When Marjorie Decker was on the City Council she would regularly question why the City Council should be involved in the approval of curb cuts. In contrast, other councillors over the years have jealously guarded their ability to either block projects or extract benefits using (or abusing) this authority. Delegate it.

Order #4. That section 6.36 entitled, Schedule of Parking and Loading Requirements, of Article 6.000, entitled “Off Street Parking And Loading Requirements And Nighttime Curfew On Large Commercial Through Trucks”, of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge be amended.   Councillor Azeem, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
Amended 9-0; Charter Right – Simmons

Order #9. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct staff from the Community Development and Law Departments to examine the Zoning Ordinance and provide amendment language for consideration by the City Council to remove all other references to parking minimums, including in Articles 13.000, 14.000, 15.000, 16.000, 17.000, and 20.000.   Councillor Azeem, Councillor Zondervan, Councill McGovern
Amended 9-0; Charter Right – Simmons

I have mixed feelings about this. The creed over the last decade or two has been that new housing near public transit should have relaxed or no parking minimums. Now that density has become the new religion with the added belief that automobiles are the work of the devil, the new wave is for eliminating parking minimums everywhere. Insofar as many tenants and owners may still want a place to park their Electric BMW, it’s likely that some developers will continue to build parking into their projects in order to maximize value. It’s not so clear how less affluent people who have to drive to jobs elsewhere will make out – other than to fight over the diminishing supply of on-street spaces when they return home. Pretty soon every day may feel like street cleaning day.

Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to report to the City Council on options for spending ARPA money on direct support for households and individuals facing eviction, housing instability, and/or homelessness.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 9-0

I’m sure some of this makes good sense, but I would like to see some documentation of the “acute crisis of homelessness, housing instability, and eviction in Cambridge” that this proposal seeks to address as well as the means via which eligibility for this new form of public assistance would be determined. I recall there being claims a year ago about the coming “tsunami of evictions” but I’m not so sure that metaphorical storm ever struck. Nobody questions that housing costs are high in Cambridge, but it’s hard to make a direct connection between that reality and the pandemic.

Order #6. That the City Council appoints City Councillors Denise Simmons and Paul Toner as members of the City Clerk preliminary screening committee to begin the application and interviewing process for the new City Clerk, and to report back to the full City Council, as required by law, for the public interviewing of recommended finalists for the City Clerk position.   Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Committee Report #1. The Government Operations, Rules and Claims Committee met on Jan 26, 2022 for the purpose of reviewing next steps in the City Manager search process.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #6. A communication was received from Vice Mayor Mallon, transmitting a memorandum regarding updates on the City Manager search.
Placed on File 9-0

One of my favorite all-time films starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Natalie Wood and others is John Ford’s “The Searchers”. I hope the City Council’s triple search process ends as well.

Order #7. Amend Section 2.66 of the Municipal Code to add a new section titled “Article III Green Jobs.”   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui
Referred to Health & Environment Committee 9-0

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting information regarding the Fare Free Bus Pilot Working Group.
Placed on File 9-0

Let me guess what the recommendation will be… You need look no further than the name of the working group. – Robert Winters

January 30, 2022

The siege is soon to be lifted

Filed under: Cambridge — Tags: , , , — Robert Winters @ 1:41 pm

City of Cambridge Lifts Snow Emergency Parking Ban
Ban lifted as of 6:00pm on Sunday, January 30

Jan 30, 2022 – The Snow Emergency Parking Ban in effect will be lifted in the City of Cambridge as of 6:00pm on Sunday, January 30, 2022. Residents parked in one of the City’s Snow Emergency Off-Street Parking locations should exit within 2 hours after the ban has been lifted to avoid being charged.

If travel is required, please clear all snow off of vehicles, including the roof, prior to driving, use extra caution, and leave additional distance between other vehicles and snow crews.

Property owners should remove snow from sidewalks next to their property or business by 1:00pm today as City Ordinance requires sidewalks to be cleared of snow within 12 hours of daytime snowfall and before 1:00pm when it has fallen overnight. Property owners must also remove or melt all ice within 6 hours of the time it forms. There is a $50 fine for each day of non-compliance. Residents and property owners are asked to promptly clear snow and remove ice next to their property, and corner properties are reminded that they are required to shovel and clear ramps at corners near their properties to help make crossing safer for all. Uncleared sidewalks can be reported online at cambridgema.gov/commonwealthconnect or by using the Commonwealth Connect app for iPhone/Android. Additionally, the City is encouraging residents and businesses to clear snow from the nearest fire hydrants and catch basins.

Property owners are asked that when shoveling their sidewalks to please maintain a minimum of 36 inches clear width so that people who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices (also parents using strollers, etc.) can navigate the sidewalk. The Cambridge Commission for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) requests that a 48-inch clear width be created when possible – this gives an extra measure of safety. Additionally, CCPD urges residents and businesses to pay particular attention to the corners, where one sidewalk meets another – shovel the full length and width of curb ramps, so that pedestrians with disabilities can get to the crosswalks. Business owners are requested, if there is a disability parking space on the street near your storefront, to please take the extra time to shovel a clear path to that space, so that your customers with disabilities can visit your establishment. In particular, shovel a space wide enough so that vans with lifts can deploy the lift onto the sidewalk.

Power outages should be directly reported to Eversource at 800-592-2000 and downed wires in Cambridge should be reported to 911.

The public can follow updates on Twitter at @CambMA. The City uses the hashtag #CambMASnow on Twitter to help the public follow the conversation. In addition to following updates on the City’s website and social media, members of the public are encouraged to sign-up to receive notification of snow emergency parking bans at: CambridgeMA.GOV/Snow.

Snow! Snow!
Holding back the plows!

Snow! Snow!
The traditional blessing of the snow shovellers

Broadway snow

January 19, 2022

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 533-534: January 18, 2022

Filed under: Cambridge,Cambridge government,Cambridge InsideOut,covid — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 12:56 pm

Episode 533 – Cambridge InsideOut: Jan 18, 2022 (Part 1)

This episode was recorded on Jan 18, 2022 at 6:00pm. Topics: Police Commissioner Christine Elow and some history of Chief vs. Commissioner; optimistic Covid update; bikes & buses – controversy and alternatives; ideology within Community Development Department; future prospects. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters
[On YouTube] [audio]

Episode 534 – Cambridge InsideOut: Jan 18, 2022 (Part 2)

This episode was recorded on Jan 18, 2022 at 6:30pm. Topics: Filibuster and the value of slow legislation; Charter questions – past, present, and future; Envision history; Charter Change while seeking new City Manager, City Clerk (and City Auditor); proportional representation (PR) realities and distortions by single-issue politics; role of planning within CDD vs. responding to partisan petitions; PR revisions for fractional transfers should be part of future Charter revision discussions. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

September 19, 2021

Featured Items on the September 20, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Filed under: 2021 election,Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 2:42 pm

Featured Items on the September 20, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Here are my choices for the notable stuff:Peoples Republic of Cambridge

Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the recommendations of the Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC) for FY2022.
19 Orders Adopted; Reconsideration Fails 0-9

80%-10%-10%. Never changes.

Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request for approval to submit an amendment to the proposed Home Rule Petition for a special law regarding a fire cadet program for the City of Cambridge Fire Department.
Order Adopted 9-0; Reconsideration Fails 0-9

Just a technical revision for clarity.

Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Community Development Department, the City Solicitor, and other appropriate City staff to compile a report detailing the efforts the City has made toward creating LGBTQ+-Friendly Housing over the past decade, to state what impediments had been identified in realizing this effort, and to outline recommendations for how the City may successfully create such housing within the next three years.   Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

I still don’t understand the intent of this, though apparently the legal opinion that this “might violate federal fair-housing laws” has led to a more “affirmative action” alternative rather than the previous segregated housing proposal which seemed fundamentally regressive.

Order #4. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to work with the Public Health Department and report back to the City Council on the milestones that will be used to determine when the indoor mask mandate will no longer be needed.   Councillor Nolan, Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

This Order is primarily a request for public information, i.e. “it would be helpful for the community to know how decisions are made and what specific milestones need to be achieved.” At first glance I thought it was yet another attempt by inexpert councillors to micromanage our public health professionals. I actually would love to know what the milestones will be – and I hope they come real soon.

Order #5. That section 11.202(b) of Article 11.000 of the Zoning Ordinance, regarding the linkage fee, be amended by substitution.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone, Councillor McGovern
Referred to Housing Committee, Ordinance Committee, and Planning Board 9-0 as Amended

Our “squeeze ’em ’til it hurts” councillors are proposing to increase in one giant leap the Incentive Zoning Linkage Fee from the current $20.10 per square foot to $33.34 per square foot for new commercial developments of more than 30,000 square feet of gross floor area. That’s a 66% increase. The fee sat at $4.58 per square foot of new commercial development from 1988 to 2015 when it was increased to $12 per square foot plus periodic annual and CPI adjustments that brought it to the current $20.10 per square foot in 2020.

Order #6. Council Support of H.926, The Massachusetts Schoolchildren Pesticide Protection Act.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Nolan, Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

This is absolutely a good idea, but it’s always worth remembering that prior to the (hopefully thoughtful and cautious) use of pesticides and other means to combat food-borne pathogens, sickness and death as well as some cancers (notably stomach cancer) were very common. The Modern World giveth and taketh away.

Order #7. That the City Council urges the US Congress to fulfill its obligation to prevent nuclear war, as outlined in the Back from the Brink campaign.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0 as Amended

So good to see the Cambridge City Council engaging again in what it does best – national and foreign policy.

Order #9. That the City Council schedule a hearing of the Ordinance Committee for the purposes of amending the Ordinance of the City of Cambridge regarding MUNICIPAL BUILDING PERMITS and WAGE THEFT.   Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor McGovern
Referred to Ordinance Committee 9-0

Among other things, it’s interesting that in this proposal the City Council is already presuming to have veto power over City Manager appointments. Also, the proposed “Wage Theft Enforcement Committee” would require that “No less than half the committee members shall be Cambridge residents, and no less than half shall be union/labor representatives.” In other words, existing labor unions would control all proposed enforcement.

I will note that even in the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance there is no mention of any union requirements. Indeed, a search for the word “union” in the Zoning Ordinance returns no results.

Committee Report #1. The Transportation and Public Utilities Committee met on July 14, 2021 to discuss car storage policies in Cambridge.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

The Cambridge City Council’s never-ending war on motor vehicles continues. Councillor Zondervan stated that “car storage is one of the worst land uses cities employ and hopes to achieve zero car storage and usage through policy regime.” Councillor Zondervan has a parking space on his property.

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from City Clerk, Anthony I. Wilson, transmitting memorandums from City Solicitor, Nancy E. Glowa regarding Minor Correction to Ballot Question No. 3 Which Is to be Placed on the Nov 2, 2021 Ballot Pursuant to Calendar Item No. 3 of 6/28/21. [Note: Date of Election Day corrected – RW]
Amended text Approved 9-0; Report Placed on File 9-0

There is much that can be said on this topic and I will continue to do so in the days to come. The most significant change is the proposal to effectively give a bare majority of the City Council the right to control 100% of the membership of all City boards and commissions. So much for representation of minority viewpoints or, for that matter, expertise from anyone other than those favored by 5 councillors.

As further evidence of the shoddy work of the proponents of these ballot questions, the proposal that would require annual performance reviews of the city manager (which, by the way, they already have the power to do) would amend section 116 of the Plan E Charter that has to do with “General election laws; applicability” even though this proposed change has zero to do with elections. It seems pretty obvious that this should more properly amend section 103 that concerns “City manager; appointment; qualifications; compensation; removal.” Reading is apparently a lost art.

Personally, I feel that the primary intention of these “reforms” is simply to transfer some measure of executive power away from the city manager to the legislature (City Council) – which is supposed to be a policy-making body. The other two ballot questions are superfluous. It’s also worth noting that there was essentially zero public process leading up to the Council’s decision to place these particular questions on this November’s municipal ballot. There are potentially some good amendments to the Charter that could have been considered (for example, modifying the PR elections to eliminate ballot order dependence), but those were never discussed. – Robert Winters

July 21, 2021

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 511-512: July 20, 2021

Filed under: 2021 election,Cambridge,Cambridge InsideOut,elections — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 3:17 pm

Episode 511 – Cambridge InsideOut: July 20, 2021 (Part 1)

This episode was broadcast on July 20, 2021 at 6:00pm. Topics: NYC mayoral RCV primary completed; Boston mayoral election and Independent Expenditure PACs; Cambridge candidates and nomination papers, esp. Kathleen Kelly & Caroline Hunter; Candidate Pages; political “times”; buzzards circling for #2 votes behind ill-fated candidates. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

Episode 512 – Cambridge InsideOut: July 20, 2021 (Part 2)

This episode was broadcast on July 20, 2021 at 6:30pm. Topics: “car storage”, rhetorical warfare, subverting the dominant paradigm; real vs. Potemkin changes; Animal Farm and strategic political dishonesty; Cambridge water – treatment, quality, watershed, fire protection, redundancy. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

November 1, 2020

National High Anxiety – The Eve of Decision – Highlights from the Nov 2, 2020 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Filed under: 2020 Election,Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 10:33 pm

National High Anxiety – The Eve of Decision – Highlights from the Nov 2, 2020 Cambridge City Council Agenda

I can’t imagine that there are too many people focusing right now of what’s happening in the Sullivan Chamber. For the handful who are, here are a few things of some possible interest:Safety Last - Harold Lloyd

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

Manager’s Agenda #2. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $100,000 from Free Cash to the General Fund Executive Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account to support the City’s Patio Heater Reimbursement Program.
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #7. That a Joint Roundtable for members of the City Council and School Committee be held on Tues, Nov 10, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm for the purpose of discussing the impact of COVID-19 on Cambridge Public Schools.   Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Life in The Age of Covid continues. Though the numbers have been relatively contained here in Cambridge, the number of new infections has been going up a bit lately even though there have been no Trump rallies here. Mask up and take care.

Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative draft alternative language to the Green Energy Analysis Zoning Petition.
Referred to Petition 9-0

On the Table #3. Green Energy Analysis Zoning Amendment. [TABLED ON MOTION OF COUNCILLOR CARLONE IN COUNCIL OCT 5, 2020]
Passed to 2nd Reading as Amended 9-0

I expect this will move forward this Monday.

Manager’s Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request for approval to increase of the fee for a Resident Parking Permit/Pass, which is currently $25, to $40, by amending the provisions of Chapter 10, Section 10.17.070 of the Municipal Code.
Failed of Adoption 4-5 (DC,DS,JSW,QZ – YES; AM,MM,PN,TT,SS – NO)

The extra $15 won’t break anyone, but there are probably three or four councillors who would gladly increase it ten-fold or more if they had the votes to do it (I’m glad they don’t). If the City Manager is coming forward with this now based on his concern for more revenue, my guess is that next year’s budget and property taxes will probably also jump.

Charter Right #1. That the City Council adopt a municipal ordinance to reduce or limit campaign donations from donors seeking to enter into a contract, seeking approval for a special permit or up-zoning, seeking to acquire real estate from the city, or seeking financial assistance from the city. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS IN COUNCIL OCT 26, 2020] [Text of Order #4 of Oct 26, 2020]
Referred to Ordinance Committee 9-0

Late Order #9. The Cambridge City Council direct the City Manager to work with the City Solicitor’s Office to draft a Home Rule Petition that would cap campaign contributions to any City Council candidate to $200 per person, per year, per candidate and limit candidate loans to $3,000 per election cycle.
Referred to Ordinance Committee 8-1 (Carlone – NO)

The Charter Right delayed the rhetorical doublespeak exercises last week. Now that there’s been a week to practice their speeches, let the games begin! Personally, I think many people who make political contribution have conflicts of interest and not just "evil developers."

Charter Right #2. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to work with the Solicitor to draft Ordinance language to prohibit the use of tear gas in Cambridge. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS IN COUNCIL OCT 26, 2020] [Text of Order #5 of Oct 26, 2020]
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Tear gas is not used in Cambridge, so why the need for an ordinance?

On the Table #4. An application was received from Charles Doty, requesting permission for a curb cut at the premises numbered 810 Main Street; said petition has received approval from Inspectional Services, Traffic, Parking and Transportation, Historical Commission and Public Works. No response has been received from the neighborhood association. [TABLED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS IN COUNCIL OCT 26, 2020]
Order Adopted 8-0-0-1 (Simmons – PRESENT)

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Councillor Simmons, transmitting a memorandum regarding Cambridge Brands Curb Cut.
Placed on File 9-0

It’s the Great Candy Kerfuffle of 2020. Cambridge Brands is simply trying to do a significant electrical upgrade and along with that some modest changes to their loading operations and waste management. They’ll also be doing everything in a way that respects the existing architecture. I read some of the "evidence" from Councillor Simmons about this and found it to be insignificant and petty. Candy manufacturing at this site has been a fixture in Central Square for over a century, and Cambridge Brands has maintained that tradition and been a good neighbor for the last quarter century.

Businesses should not have to kiss the asses of either city councillors or anyone else every time they ask for approval for a completely reasonable purpose. Cambridge Brands is not planning a gigantic expansion or anything else that might trigger the usual shakedown process for "community benefits." There should be no controversy here.

Communications #1. A communication was received from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Micheal K. Owu, MIT Volpe PUD-7 Special Permit Pre-Application Conference with the City Council.
Placed on File 9-0

I’m glad to see some movement on the plans for the Volpe site. I still feel that miniature golf has a important role to play in the site plans. And maybe a batting cage.

Resolution #2. Resolution on the death of Rick Jarvis.   Councillor Simmons
Resolution Adopted 9-0

Resolution #3. Resolution on the death of Richard McKinnon.   Councillor Toomey, Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern
Resolution Adopted as Amended 9-0

Both of these deaths caused me to shudder. I have known and respected Rich McKinnon for as long as I have been going up to City Hall – and that’s been nearly 35 years. I knew Rick Jarvis when he worked for ComElectric. I planned a whole infrastructure display at an Earth Day event nearly 30 years ago featuring water, sewer, electric, and waste management, and Rick was kind enough to put together a lot of great information on the region’s electrical infrastructure and be there for the event. We stayed in touch after that but not for a while. His death comes as quite a shock.

Resolution #4. Congratulations to Fred Fantini.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey
Resolution Adopted 9-0

As the Resolution says, "Fred Fantini is the longest serving elected School Committee member in the history of Cambridge." He shall henceforth be known and "The Award-Winning Dean of the Cambridge School Committee." (It doesn’t say that in the Resolution.)

Order #4. That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Dedication Committee to consider the request for a suitable dedication in the vicinity of CCTV’s office located at 438 Massachusetts Avenue in honor of retiring CCTV Executive Director Susan Fleischmann.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Accolades aside, Susan Fleischmann has been perhaps the most staunch supporter of free speech I have known in Cambridge, and CCTV has benefited greatly from Susan’s leadership for many years.

Order #2. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Community Development Department to commence the public process with the Port neighborhood and surrounding communities to determine the future use of the 35 Cherry Street parcel for affordable housing, and in conjunction with the community, determine the type of housing that would meet the most pressing needs in the area.   Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui
Charter Right – Zondervan

Order #3. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Public Information Office, the Housing Liaison, the Multi-Service Center, the School Department, and other relevant City departments to create a comprehensive digital, postal, and traditional media outreach campaign educating residents on the Cambridge eviction moratorium, tenants’ rights, and resources available to at-risk tenants.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #8. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Community Development Department about analyzing eviction data from 2018 through 2021 and come back with a plan on how to use this data to inform our next action steps.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to consult with the relevant departments about the feasibility of posting all applications for building permits online as soon as available.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor McGovern
Order Adopted 9-0

There have been lots of suggestions along these lines for some time and lots of promises unfulfilled. A related proposal a few years back called for indexing all building permits, special permits, variances, and covenants associated with any given property in a manner that’s easy to access. It’s remarkable to me how many times good ideas have been proposed (sometimes by me) that cause many a head to nod in agreement and which are then completely forgotten or not acted upon. For example, don’t you think every City Council committee should have its own web page where anyone can track the work of the committee and make comments and suggestions? I made that suggestion more than once at Government Operations Committee meetings. Nothing but the sound of crickets. – Robert Winters

February 10, 2020

First Pass at the Feb 10, 2020 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council — Tags: , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 12:11 am

First Pass at the Feb 10, 2020 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Manager’s Agenda #4. Transmitting communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $1,200,000 from Free Cash, to the Public Investment Fund Public Works Extraordinary Expenditures Account for expanded tree planting and continued implementation of the Urban Forestry Master Plan recommendations.City Hall

Unfinished Business #3. TPO (Tree Protection Ordinance) Extension PO [Passed to a Second Reading on Jan 27, 2020. To Be Ordained on or after Feb 10, 2020]

It seems likely that the Tree Removal Moratorium extension will breeze through. Ideally, the Council would at least amend it to allow for some additional flexibility, especially for long-term residents who are simply maintaining their property rather than redeveloping it. Hope springs eternal, but I don’t have much faith that reason will prevail here or when they finally get around to implementing any master plan recommendations.

Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to amending the Cambridge Municipal Code to insure a Welcoming Community Ordinance. [Red-Lined version][Clean version]

Unfinished Business #4. That the Cambridge City Council amend the Municipal Ordinances of the City of Cambridge to insert a new Chapter 2.129, entitled “WELCOMING COMMUNITY ORDINANCE” [Passed to a Second Reading on Jan 27, 2020. To Be Ordained on or after Feb 10, 2020.]

I expect this too will breeze through ordination either this week or very soon, but the rhetoric over restrictions on police activities should prove interesting, especially the clarifications from the City Solicitor in the section on the "Role of Police Department in immigration enforcement" to make it consistent with federal statutes.

Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to work with the residents of the Agassiz neighborhood in furthering this important neighborhood conversation and in helping make a determination as to how to arrive at an appropriate, official name change for this neighborhood.   Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui

Cambridge neighborhood names have no real legal standing. Some of them, like Mid-Cambridge, were invented by what was once called the Planning Department back when they were making maps for federal grant programs. So in some sense this is just feel-good stuff. Maybe we should just use Zip Codes to avoid any future historical crisis.

Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to rename the maintenance area within the Ryan Garage at 147 Hampshire Street in honor of Sydney Cox, with this becoming known as the “Sydney James Cox Maintenance Facility”.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey

This continues what has become a DPW tradition of naming its buildings and facilities for some of our great long-time dedicated DPW employees.

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to confer with relevant City departments on the feasibility of instituting a program to install rings on parking meters to expand bicycle parking options.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui

This has been suggested in the past by me and by others, and the stock answer at the time was that locking bikes to parking meters somehow obstructed access to motor vehicles. Geometry and reality contradict this. The only exception would be bikes with trailers. Maybe we’ll get a different answer this time around.

Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Department of Human Services and other relevant departments to determine the feasibility of both expanding the Head Start program hours and adding additional scholarships to improve access to high-quality, early childhood educational resources.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone, Councillor McGovern

The single most important thing we can do to lessen inequality is to support programs like Head Start that help to level the playing field so that residents can one day succeed on their own terms. If somebody wants education we should provide it one way or another.

Order #7. That the City Council go on record calling for the Parliament of India to uphold the Indian constitution by repealing the Citizenship Amendment Act, stopping the National Register of Citizens, and taking steps towards helping refugees by ratifying various UN treaties on refugees.   Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Nolan

We’re barely one month into this Council term and it’s already looking like we need a change in the City Council Rules to establish a standing Foreign Policy Committee.

Committee Report #2. Report of the Ordinance Committee – Committee Meeting – Feb 5, 2020 5:30 PM [PDF][HTML]

This concerns the Alexandria zoning petition to establish a Grand Junction Pathway Overlay District. It is noteworthy in that the petition was likely to die a lonely death unless an alternative site for the proposed Eversource electrical substation on Fulkerson Street could be found. Thanks to the intervention of City Manager Louis DePasquale and others, an alternate site seems to have been identified but not yet revealed. – Robert Winters

November 20, 2018

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 355-356: Nov 20, 2018

Filed under: Cambridge,Cambridge InsideOut — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 10:59 pm

Episode 355 – Cambridge InsideOut: Nov 20, 2018 (Part 1)

This episode was broadcast on Nov 20, 2018 at 5:30pm. Topics: Thanksgiving memories; Nov 19 City Council meeting highlights – First Street Garage saga, Surveillance Ordinance, Street Performers Ordinance. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

Episode 356 – Cambridge InsideOut: Nov 20, 2018 (Part 2)

This episode was broadcast on Nov 20, 2018 at 6:00pm. Topics: Nov 19 City Council meeting highlights – Street Performers Ordinance, Climate-related committee appointments, bicycle safety (asp. the Craigie Bridge & Museum Way). Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

« Newer Posts — Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress