Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

March 16, 2022

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 541-542: March 15, 2022

Episode 541 – Cambridge InsideOut: Mar 15, 2022 (Part 1)

This episode was recorded on Mar 15, 2022 at 6:00pm. Topics: Ides of March; Spring Training Baseball; Covid status; City Manager search & interim possibilities; Council complaints & light workload; Board appointments – “apply at your own risk”; misunderstanding the Charter and roles of councillors vs. manager. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]


Episode 542 – Cambridge InsideOut: Mar 15, 2022 (Part 2)

This episode was recorded on Mar 15, 2022 at 6:30pm. Topics: “Moving Forward Together” w/o most involved councillor; Planning Board discussions re: single-family zoning, evolving roles as planners vs. petition reviewers; building the tax base; some history of Kendall Square, University Park, NorthPoint, Alewife Triangle, Alewife Quadrangle; planning before and after demise of rent control; Blurred Envision; real routes to affordability requires transit and not unilateralism; flexibility in residential uses. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

March 5, 2022

In Like a Lemming, Out Like a Loon – March 7, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

In Like a Lemming, Out Like a Loon – March 7, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

The Charter-Changers will this week charter a course through the sea of Charter Right agenda items pulled last week for reasons unknown. The rhetoric should be priceless in justifying why residents volunteering their time and talents should be challenged by privileged councillors acting as tools for political organizations. Save for the holdover items, the agenda is relatively brief this week. Here are a few notable items:

Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-42, regarding a report on reviewing Cambridge’s corporate contracts and purchases to identify any vendors or manufacturers whose products are used to perpetuate violations of International Human Rights Laws and Cambridge’s policy on discrimination.
pulled by Carlone (trying to narrow focus to computer companies, i.e. Hewlett-Packard); McGovern notes that products are often comprised of parts from many companies; Zondervan characterizes Solicitor response as a "refusal to respond to the policy order"; Placed on File 9-0

One of the great misunderstanding of occasional Council-watchers is that a short agenda translates into a short meeting. The problem with that is that it fails to account for the “political theater” associated with some items that might otherwise be easily dismissed and placed on file. Such is the case with this quite rational and sensible response from the City Solicitor in response to last year’s marathon-inducing order that was anti-Israel and pro-BDS (Boycott-Divest-Sanction). [Reference: Charter Right #2 of May 24-25, 2001, from Order #6 of May 17, 2021] That kerfuffle was poorly resolved by a) removing the specific reference to Hewlett-Packard and affirming Israel’s right to exist (an amendment that was opposed by Councillors Sobrinho-Wheeler, and Zondervan and Mayor Siddiqui); and b) broadening the scope of the order to include “any vendors or manufacturers whose products are used to perpetuate violations of International Human Rights Laws and Cambridge’s policy on discrimination.”

More recently, there was a letter published online on Jan 27, 2022 written by John Roberts, Nancy Murray, Denise Bergman, Kathy Roberts, Jude Glaubman, and Chris Affleck that sought to reignite the kerfuffle. The Solicitor’s response pretty clearly illustrates why boycotting and otherwise targeting every entity who may have done business that a few councillors seem unsavory is a bottomless pit. If this City Council must engage in foreign entanglements, there are more universally acceptable targets available other than Israel. That, of course, will not sway Councillor Zondervan who is likely now massing virtual troops at the border of City Hall. The best course of action for the City Council can be summarized in three words – “Placed on File”.

Note: Nobody actually spoke on this item during Public Comment. Once again, it was all tiresome talking points about bike lanes.


Manager’s Agenda #11. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $730,000 from Free Cash to the General Fund Traffic and Parking Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($700,000), and to the General Fund Traffic and Parking Department Extraordinary Expenditures account ($30,000) for additional costs associated with the implementation of the Cycling Safety Ordinance.
pulled by Toner; Order Adopted 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on the status of our planned implementation of cycling safety improvements in Porter Square along Massachusetts Avenue between Beech Street and Roseland Street.
pulled by Toner; Order Adopted 8-1 (Zondervan – NO)

Pardon me for not wading into the polluted waters surrounding the Cycling Safety Ordinance (CSO – an acronym which has been more widely used for Combined Sewer Overflow). Perhaps the most significant thing worth noting is the announcement that there will be a minor delay in implementation of the CSO in one section – an unspeakable horror for the adherents of the Cambridge Bicycle Safety group who seek to enforce pledges from compliant incumbents and challengers to cover their ears, eyes, and mouths whenever the notion of amending that ordinance or deviating even slightly from its mandates is mentioned.


Manager’s Agenda #14. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request to approve the disposition of property located at 35 Cherry Street (the “Property”) to the Affordable Housing Trust to facilitate the development of affordable housing.
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0

There were a number of ideas proposed for use of this lot but, well, you know where all those considerations are ultimately filed.


Late Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council on the findings of the “Future of Telework” Committee, and to explain the City’s current policy regarding a remote work policy in the Weekly Digest this Friday, March 11th; and to submit a full report with recommendations to the full City Council at the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting on Monday, March 21st.
Order Adopted 5-2-1-1 (Mallon, McGovern, Nolan, Zondervan, Siddiqui – YES; Azeem, Toner – NO; Simmons – ABSENT, Carlone – PRESENT)

The discussion illustrated some basic misunderstanding by Vice Mayor Mallon and Mayor Siddiqui regarding the distinction between their role as city councillors and the role of the City Manager in regardless to City employees. In contrast, Councillor Azeem showed a clear understanding of the role of city councillors under the Plan E Charter (Bravo, Councillor Azeem!). Councillors Toner and Carlone also showed wisdom in their vote.


Manager’s Agenda #16. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request to move to Executive Session to discuss the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property as discussion in an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the public body.
Executive Session Held

I have no idea if this is in regard to something new or the potential resolution of something old still in litigation, e.g. Vail Court. Whatever happened to that? I really wish the City had the vision to do something creative with the taken-by-eminent-domain Vail Court property in concert with the adjacent huge parking lot at Prospect St. and Bishop Allen Drive. Mediocrity should not be the rule.


Stolen from August 1974 National LampoonCharter Right #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointment of Michael P. Gardner as a member of the Cambridge Retirement Board for a term of three years, effective Mar 1, 2022. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Placed on File 9-0 (not subject to City Council review)

Charter Right #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Maxwell Solet as a new member of the Board of Trustee of the Cambridge Health Alliance for a term to expire June 30, 2024. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Placed on File 9-0 (not subject to City Council review)

Charter Right #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for new appointments and reappointment to Open Data Review Board for a term of two year. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointment and new appointment to the Water Board. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointments to the Fresh Pond Master Plan Advisory Board. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for new appointments and reappointments to the Mid Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Commission. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for a new appointment and reappointments to the Avon Hill Neighborhood Conservation District Commission. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointments to the Half Crown-Marsh Neighborhood Conservation District Commission. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for a new appointment and reappointments to the Historical Commission. [Charter Right – Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

The tap dance continues. On the one hand, it is right and proper that the City Council should establish some ground rules for their newfound veto-power over appointments to City boards & commissions. On the other hand, politicizing board appointments was and is a terrible idea. Will the appointments be farmed out to City Council committees to be turned into politically-charged tribunals? Will a new “Review Committee” be established to process them all? Or will the Council just vote on each set of appointments after councillors beholden to political organizations have had an opportunity to delete the names of those appointees unacceptable to their handlers? Inquiring minds want to know.

NOTE: Anyone who thinks it is OK to refer to an item made subject to the Charter Right as having been “charterwritten” needs to enroll in some basic English grammar classes.


Charter Right #14. A Zoning Petition has been received from Craig A. Kelley regarding The Cambridge Transportation De-Carbonization and Congestion-Mitigation Bill.. (Ordinance #2022-10) [Charter Right – Carlone, Feb 28, 2022]
Referred to Ordinance Committee and Planning Board 9-0 (Carlone)

Though my guess is that Craig Kelley’s petition won’t survive in its initial form, he deserves credit for reopening the conversation of such things as car-sharing and how electric vehicle charging can be made more widely available. Abutter concerns will not and should not be easily dismissed, but this is still a conversation that needs to take place. I won’t be buying an electric car (or an eclectic car) any time soon, but if I ever do the matter of charging for those of us without driveways can’t be dismissed, and even if battery improvements make things somewhat faster it likely won’t be as fast as filling up the tank. Let’s also not forget that the electrical infrastructure maintained by Eversource will likely need a tremendous amount of reinvestment as vehicles and buildings become more dependent on the electric grid.

Charter Right #15. That the City Manager is requested to work with DCR to pilot an expansion of Memorial Drive closures along any segments east of Western Avenue that could be used as parkland. [Charter Right – Simmons, Feb 28, 2022]
Order Adopted as Amended 8-0-0-1 (Simmons – PRESENT)

This is likely still a non-starter for a variety of reasons. Besides, actual parkland is better than pretend parkland that’s covered in asphalt and only available one or two days per week during a portion of the year.

Charter Right #16. That the City Manager is requested to amend all existing Community Host Agreements previously issued by the City by reducing the Impact Fee to 0.05% of Gross Revenue and to refrain from placing this burden upon any future HCAs that may yet be issued. [Charter Right – Zondervan, Feb 28, 2022]
Amended to add Zondervan as sponsor (and withdraw his proposed amendments); Tabled 9-0 on motion of Simmons

I am endlessly entertained by the City Council’s attempts to override economics in the pursuit of accomodation of the politically connected. In Washington, DC former elected officials become lobbyists, and in Cambridge and Boston they go into cannibis sales. Are there any other taxes and fees being waived for other businesses – especially now that Covid seems to be in retreat – or is this just a weed thing?

Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to consult with the Department of Public Works to introduce the SMART Box rodent control system in Cambridge.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Proposed City Council Order #5: That the City Manager be and herby is requested to appoint a Rodent Rights Commission in order to ensure that all members of the order Rodentia and the genus Rattus be granted the full rights and privileges as all other Cambridge residents – especially in regard to exposure to electric currents and other matters of environmental justice.

Committee Report #1. The Housing Committee met on Dec 1, 2021 to conduct a public hearing to resume its discussion of the Sept 20, 2021 Policy Order that seeks to amend the Zoning Ordinance via potentially raising the linkage fee. [Report]
Report Accepted; Placed on File 9-0

Tax, tax tax – spend, spend, spend. Let others worry about the details and potential consequences.

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Councillors Toner and Simmons, transmitting a memorandum regarding the search for the next City Clerk. [Outreach List] [Search timeline] [Job posting]
Placed on File 9-0

Where are John Wayne and Jeffrey Hunter now that we need them? – Robert Winters

March 2, 2022

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 539-540: March 1, 2022

Episode 539 – Cambridge InsideOut: Mar 1, 2022 (Part 1)

This episode was recorded on Mar 1, 2022 at 6:00pm. Topics: Ukraine invasion hits home; higher education reinventing itself; adjusting the center; Covid updates; assaulting the Boards; efforts to eviscerate neighborhood conservation districts and some history of their success; turning grudges into policy. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]


Episode 540 – Cambridge InsideOut: Mar 1, 2022 (Part 2)

This episode was recorded on Mar 1, 2022 at 6:30pm. Topics: dependent vs. independent councillors; charter review; city manager search; budget process misunderstandings; purpose of City Council orders under Plan E; some history of responsiveness of city managers and the nuclear option; AAA bond ratings; regulation and taxation; envisioning transit and urban planning. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

March 1, 2022

Cambridge’s Bike Lane Mandate Hurts Us All – by John Pitkin

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council,cycling,transportation — Tags: , , , , , — John Pitkin @ 11:57 am

An op-ed by former City Councillor Jen Devereux in Cambridge Day belittles the growing opposition of residents to Cambridge’s bike lane mandate. She likens it to a conspiracy about a word game, castigates opponents’ “sky-is-falling rhetoric,” and admonishes them with therapeutic advice that, “feelings are not facts and emotions are not truth.”

Her call for a return to norms and an end to what she terms the “bike wars” rings hollow because she ends her piece with a reminder that two people have been “killed by drivers” in Porter Square since 2016. This strikes me as ironic, since the “bike wars” she laments were touched off by cycle advocates’ using two 2016 cyclist fatalities as a rhetorical battering ram to advance new cycle lanes in Inman Square, Cambridge Street and Brattle Street.

Organized cycle advocates d/b/a Cambridge Bike Safety used this emotional appeal to shut down debate and short-circuit consideration of financial, environmental and social costs as well as alternative means to improve safety for all. Those who voiced objections were even labeled “killers” by association with the unfortunate and, by all accounts, blameless drivers in the fatal crashes.

It is said that “Truth is the first casualty of war.” The same can be said of our “bike wars.” Facts are rarely checked and only valued for their emotional impact or clickability, and the arguments or interests of opponents are dismissed out of hand..

If we want to move forward from this situation a good first step would be to see it not as a “war” but a “social dysfunction,” not zingers flying between partisans, but the equivalent of a heart attack of endemic mistrust in our body politic. It affects everyone and harms us all, because if we don’t trust each other, if we don’t trust our government, we won’t be able to act with the unity we need to meet the existential threats of climate change or the immediate needs of our community. We have to figure out how to work together on common solutions to critical problems, and the bike lane disputes are a distraction from the real work that must be done.

Trust cannot be restored by City Councillors tut-tutting citizens for voicing concerns about the bike lanes when the actual impacts become apparent. Indeed City Council created the current civic mess by not involving the very people – the body politic – that they represent.

The contentious discourse and public debate that Ms. Devereux bemoans could and should have taken place before the mandates in the Cycling Safety Ordinance were enacted in 2019 and strengthened in 2020. She acknowledges that “parking is the third rail of politics.” Other City Councillors must also know. Yet to this day the majority of the City Council as well as City administrators play down the scope of the bike lane mandate, branding them as benign “bicycle safety improvements.” And obligatory public notices of community meetings and installation of new bike lanes were utterly ineffective, leaving most residents and business owners in the dark until the eve of installation.

But now the truth is coming out that the Bike Lane Mandate is a big deal. It touches the “third rail” of parking. And the City Council’s defective process has created a giant mess.

The mandated lanes comprise a 26 mile network, covering 10% of Cambridge’s public streets, including Mass. Avenue and other major arteries, and must be completed or in construction by 2026.

It will mean removing many hundreds of parking spaces, in some areas half or all of the parking, as well as loading zones needed for deliveries to and pickups from businesses. Costs are not known but will be substantial. Engineering services alone for the first Quick-Build lanes, not including implementation, have averaged $160 thousand per mile.  The full design and build of just one major intersection, Inman Square, is budgeted to cost close to $10 million.

The financial impacts on local businesses are not known because the City has not asked the affected businesses.  In places were parking has already been removed some business owners report that their revenues have dropped 45%.  A parking access and loading zones are removed over time, there are reasonable fears that commercial dead zones will spread to sections of Mass. Avenue, Cambridge Street and Huron Avenue where there are now thriving, diverse shopping districts.

Thousands of residents who rely on street parking and access to homes, necessary services, and local shops will also be adversely impacted.

The scope of the Bike Lane Mandate is so broad and complex that the City Council might reasonably have put it on the ballot for residents to vote on in a municipal referendum before acting on it. Instead, the City Council passed the mandate after limited public discussion and debate and deputized the Director of Transportation, Traffic and Parking to inform the affected residents and owners in community meetings of what “cycling safety” means for them.

Now that citizens more clearly understand the grand plan and how it affects them, we are starting to see the beginnings of the kind of vigorous, contentious, factual debate that is needed for democracy to work and that we as Americans expect. These stirrings should not be discouraged or tamped down, but rather welcomed as a hopeful beginning of the civil discourse we urgently need to build trust in one other and strengthen our community.

John Pitkin
18 Fayette Street
Cambridge, MA 02139

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

December 17, 2021

Pandemic Council Term Ends as the Pandemic Rages On – Dec 20, 2021 City Council Agenda

Pandemic Council Term Ends as the Pandemic Rages On – Dec 20, 2021 City Council Agenda

That's All Folks!This will be the last meeting of the 2020-2021 Cambridge City Council which will likely be remembered for its lack of cohesion and the distant quality of its remote public meetings held in Zoom. The increased access of remote public comment was arguably a plus but any advantages were outweighed by the scripted nature of call-in comments driven by social media and the complete lack of meaningful interaction between members of the public and between elected officials and the public. A two-minute Zoom speech with the clock ticking followed by an abrupt mayoral cutoff is hardly a model for public participation. Perhaps even more problematic was the tendency for consequential policies to be developed and implemented in relative isolation and obscurity.

As the councillors head for the exits until Seven of Nine of them return to base for the January 3 Inaugural, here are the more interesting and/or disturbing items on this week’s agenda:

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

This should be an interesting update in light of the recent surge in positive Covid tests in Cambridge and elsewhere. I won’t be at all surprised if additional restrictions are forthcoming. I hope there can be a little more light shed on the principal causes of the current surge. Is the Omicron Variant a factor? Personally, I’m getting my booster today and I hope everyone has done so or is scheduling it for very soon.

Unfinished Business #5. 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; Ordinance #2020-27. [Tabled – Nov 8, 2021; Passed to 2nd Reading – Dec 6, 2021; To Be Ordained on or after Dec 20, 2021]
Mallon amendment to make ordinance contingent on approval of Home Rule Petition and Governor’s signature FAILS 4-5 (AM,MM,DS,TT – YES; DC,PN,JSW,QZ,SS – NO); Ordained 7-1-0-1 (Toomey – NO; Simmons – PRESENT)

As I have said before, this proposal seems like a real can of worms with varying interpretations of who should or should not have additional limits placed on their political campaign donations. Disclosure should be enough. In truth, the amount of questionable political donations and the number of candidates willing to accept such donations have declined significantly in recent years. Even with their donations limited, I expect that the role of “independent expenditure political action committees” will likely only grow.


Resolution #1. Thanks to Manikka Bowman for her years of service on the Cambridge School Committee.   Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui
Resolution Adopted 9-0

Resolution #2. Thanks to Councillor Tim Toomey For his years of service to the City of Cambridge and its residents.   Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui
Resolution Adopted 9-0

Resolution #6. Thanks to City Councillor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler for his public service.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone
Resolution Adopted 9-0

Congratulations to all departing elected officials, but a special shout-out to Councillor Tim Toomey who has been diligently doing his job for many years through a variety of political environments. I wish him all the best in his retirement and fully expect that he will continue to provide constituent services well beyond his exit from political office.


Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to appoint a 20-25 person Cycling Safety Ordinance Implementation Advisory Committee to advise and improve upon the implementation of the citywide bicycle safety infrastructure and to establish recommendations on mitigating any concerns raised in regard to this infrastructure, with the appointments to be announced no later than January 31, 2022.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey
Charter Right – Zondervan

Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to convene meetings between his office, the Director of the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department, and with the heads of the Neighborhood Business Associations, with the Neighborhood Associations, and within each of the Cambridge Housing Authority’s senior buildings, to ensure that these stakeholders are given the opportunity to collaborate on devising new plans that will inform the City’s approach going forward in establishing citywide bicycle-safety infrastructure that works for bicyclists, motorists, pedestrians, seniors, those with mobility impediments, the local business community, and all our residents.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey
Charter Right – Zondervan

I fully expect a lot of double-speak as some councillors pretend to actually care about the concerns of many residents who are now facing or will soon be facing the impacts of some major changes in roadway configurations regardless whether they provide any net benefit. I also expect very little acknowledgement of the unintended consequences, e.g. the inability of delivery people to legally do what they need to do. The basic template usually reads something like “blah blah blah … and such that this does not in any way change the mandates of the Bicycle Safety Ordinance” – even if everything being requested is fair and reasonable. There are some times when I feel as though we have no representation at all – proportional or otherwise.


Order #4. That the Cambridge City Council go on record requesting that Massachusetts Municipal Depository Trust create a portfolio option as soon as possible for all municipalities that has no exposure to fossil fuels or prisons or their funders.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Simmons – ABSENT)

This may be all well and good, I still think there’s some hubris on the part of elected officials in wanting to dictate how the retirement money of employees must be invested.


Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate City departments to ensure multi-family properties on the market are reviewed as quickly as possible as potential affordable housing acquisitions.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted as Amended 8-0-1 (Simmons – ABSENT)

Order #6. That the City Council go on record urging the Baker Administration and the Legislature to reverse course and changes and do whatever it takes to continue the Emergency Rental Assistance Program and Residential Assistance for Families in Transition program as they are currently operating, and making use of additional ARPA funds as needed.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Committee Report #1. The Housing Committee met Sept 23, 2021 to discuss the Condo Conversion Ordinance.
Report Accepted, Placed on File; Order Adopted 7-0-0 -2 (McGovern, Toomey – PRESENT)

At some point there needs to be an analysis of the cumulative effect of all the policy decisions that have been made or proposed over the last several years in the housing arena, especially in regard to the question of the net shift from privately-owned housing toward government-owned or government-controlled housing. Order #5 seems to suggest that whenever a multi-family home is up for sale the ever-deepening pockets of Cambridge should outbid all others and take it permanently off the market rather than have anyone own something in which they can build some equity.


Order #10. That all items pending before the City Council and not acted upon by the end of the 2020-2021 Legislative Session be placed in the files of the City Clerk, without prejudice provided that those proposed ordinances which have been passed to a second reading, advertised and listed on the Calendar under "Unfinished Business" during the 2020-2021 City Council term, along with any other pending matters on the Calendar listed as "Unfinished Business," shall be forwarded to the next City Council and further provided that any items pending in committee or appearing on the City Manager’s “Awaiting Report List” may, at the discretion of the appropriate body, be forwarded to the next City Council.   Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Anthony Wilson, City Clerk, transmitting an update regarding legislative activity.
Placed on File 9-0

I really hope that most of the items in “Awaiting Report” are allowed to expire and that the new 2022-2023 City Council starts off with a relatively clean slate. One of the items goes back 5 years. In truth, there is no good reason that so many of these items should be languishing so long for a report back. If the associated Order called for something that is either infeasible or purely symbolic or just plain silly, the City Manager and staff should simply provide a timely single-paragraph response saying as much. If a majority of councillor are still insistent on pursuing some initiative, chasing wild geese, tilting at windmills, or obtaining some information, they can always file another Order or have it out with the City administration. – Robert Winters

Late Order #11. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to coordinate with the appropriate City personnel in order to establish an indoor mask mandate in common spaces of all buildings and indoor environments throughout the City of Cambridge, and that he report back to the City Council on this matter in a timely manner.   Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Toomey
Order Adopted 9-0

Late Order #12. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to allow all employees who are able to perform their duties remotely to work from home until further notice.   Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0

Late Order #13. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to establish a proof of vaccination requirement for certain activities and establishments in the City of Cambridge, including but not limited to indoor dining, bars, nightclubs, gyms and indoor entertainment venues; and report back to the City Council by its January 10th meeting.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Toomey
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

December 8, 2021

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 527-528: Dec 7, 2021

Episode 527 – Cambridge InsideOut: Dec 7, 2021 (Part 1)

This episode was recorded on Dec 7, 2021 at 6:00pm. Topics: Covid-19 updates; Bike Lane Battles, confirmation bias of studies, and some history of bicycle advocacy; campaign finance limitations and City Council contorted rhetoric. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters
[On YouTube] [audio]


Episode 528 – Cambridge InsideOut: Dec 7, 2021 (Part 2)

This episode was recorded on Dec 7, 2021 at 6:30pm. Topics: Zoom reflections; campaign finance facts & fallacies; Battles of Righteousness – virtue signalling and hypocrisy; policy orders as policies and not mandates; strong mayor vs. city manager systems; Awaiting Report Forever; tribunals for board appointments coming soon. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

November 7, 2021

Post-Election Mayoral Arm-Twisting Season Begins – November 8, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Post-Election Mayoral Arm-Twisting Season Begins – November 8, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Mayor Al VellucciThe Election is over save for the overseas votes, and it’s pretty much a wash. We replaced the retiring Tim Toomey with Paul Toner, and, for the kids, Sobrinho-Wheeler with Burhan Azeem. All of the incumbents were reelected to the School Committee and we added the lavishly well-funded Akriti Bhambi to fill the soon-to-be vacated seat. It’s always interesting to see how people associated with the various slates view these elections entirely through the lens of their respective slates and agendas with barely any acknowledgment of the fact that almost all of the incumbents were reelected based on their individual campaigns.City Hall coin

Now begins the season of phone calls and private meetings during which the various mayoral hopefuls try to make their case to be the next all-powerful weak mayor. Needless to say, Mayor Siddiqui’s 4121 #1 Votes gives her an edge (if she wants it), but I’m sure others will make the case in the name of “equity” and “whose turn it is” to ascend to the hallowed throne. Meanwhile, has anyone heard anything at all about where we stand on the rather important matter of selecting the next City Manager? Oops, I guess they must have forgotten.

As for the business of city councilling, here’s a sampler of what’s up for discussion/action/inaction this week:

Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-84 regarding BEUDO (Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance) proposed amendments. [CDD Memo] [current draft] [City Solicitor opinion]
Referred to Health & Environment Committee 9-0

Covered under the proposed amendments are: (1) municipal property with one or more buildings with 10,000 sq ft or more; (2) one or more non-residential building(s) where such building(s) singly or together contain 25,000 to 49,999 sq ft); and (3) one or more residential building(s) that singly or together contain 50 or more residential dwelling units – rental or condos. So my electric and gas bills can stay safely in my bottom drawer – for now. Some councillors are already looking ahead to the day when they can drop the bar down to cottages or people living in a van down by the river.

Unfinished Business #5. Ordinance #2021-24 (Oct 25, 2021 Order #3) That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the City Solicitor and the appropriate staff to review the language of this proposed ordinance amendment and to report back to the City Council in advance of the next City Council meeting. [Passed to a 2nd Reading Oct 25, 2021; To Be Ordained on or after Nov 8, 2021]
Ordained as Amended 8-0-1 (Carlone – ABSENT)

How Dare You!This will pass 9-0 unless one of the councillors casts a protest vote because the proposal to label gas pumps doesn’t go far enough. Maybe the next step will be stenciling city roads with “How Dare You!” and a little Greta image.

Order #1. That the City Council go on record requesting that the forthcoming new Universal Design Playground located in Danehy Park be named the Louis A. DePasquale Universal Design Playground.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Toomey
Charter Right – Sobrinho-Wheeler (don’t let the door hit you on the way out, councillor)

There are some who choose to protest the naming of public facilities after people who are either still living or still working for the city. Just a reminder that we’re not issuing postage stamps or minting coins (well, except for perhaps Al Vellucci). So here’s to Thomas W. Danehy Park, the Walter J. Sullivan Water Treatment Facility, the Robert W. Healy Public Safety Building, and Timothy J. Toomey Park, and the Louis A. DePasquale Universal Design Playground. My ideal is a bit different, courtesy of the late, great John Prine.

Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to work with the appropriate City departments, as well as the Commission of Persons with Disabilities and the Special Education Parents Advisory Council, to develop a plan to install fully accessible equipment in every playground throughout the city.   Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

This would be great, but presumably it means “in addition to the existing playground equipment” as opposed to “replace all playground equipment”. I doubt if monkey bars and skate parks can be made fully accessible.

Envision AlewifeOrder #4. That Article 20.90- Alewife Overlay Districts 1-6 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance be amended to insert a new section entitled Section 20.94.3 – Temporarily prohibited uses.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui
Charter Right – Toomey

Committee Report #1. The Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts & Celebrations Committee met on June 2, 2021 to conduct a public hearing to discuss the Alewife Envision Plan.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

I’m all for coming up with a grand vision for this area with multiple bridges crossing the tracks and all sorts of fun, new additions. That said, don’t you think all this grand visionary stuff should have been put in place long before parcels were sold with the presumption that they could be built out under existing zoning? Parcels in this area were apparently only very recently sold for a sum in the neighborhood of half a billion dollars. If the City were to now pass either temporary or permanent zoning changes that significantly decrease the development potential, it sure seems like a good case could be made by the new owners that they should be compensated for that loss. I hope that won’t happen, but this says a lot about the consequences of City Council inaction or lack of a coherent vision. By the way, the order contains one of the more interesting maps from the 1979 Alewife Revitalization study, a.k.a. “The Fishbook”.

Order #5. Upper Mass. Ave. Bike Lane Improvements.   Councillor Nolan
Amended 7-2 (DS,TT – NO); Charter Right – Simmons

The latest installment in the ongoing turf wars over roadway allocation where politicians deftly try to please all of the people all of the time. The problem here is, of course, that these things should never have been enshrined into an ordinance with inflexible mandates. But hey, don’t forget to sign The Pledge. Meanwhile, Cambridge roads are starting to feel more like a Habitrail for hamsters – overly prescriptive and thoroughly inflexible.

Committee Report #3. The Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts & Celebrations Committee and the Housing Committee met on Aug 24, 2021 to conduct a joint follow-up hearing to continue the discussion on the elimination of single and two-family only zoning and restrictions on the type of housing that can be built city-wide.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0An Even Better (Bigger) Cambridge

Now that the election has passed it will be interesting to see how fast The Densifiers try to rush through their Big Plans. I do like the idea of relaxing some of the restrictions to allow more multi-family homes, but I would prefer to see housing growth based more on available opportunities than on wholesale revision and density doubling densification based on a transient and trendy philosophy and historical revisionism. We have been down that road before.

Committee Report #4. The Ordinance Committee met on Oct 20, 2021 to conduct a hearing on an ordinance amendment to reduce or limit campaign donations.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 7-0-0-2 (DS,TT-Present)

Policy Order/Home Rule Petition: That the attached Home Petition titled “Petition For An Act Authorizing The City Of Cambridge To Enact An Ordinance To Limit And Monitor Campaign Donations In Local Elections By Individuals Seeking Financial Reward From The City Of Cambridge” be forwarded to the General Court for adoption.   Councillor Carlone
Order and Home Rule Petition Tabled 7-0-0-2 (DS,TT-Present)

Late Order #6. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to instruct the Law Department to provide a legal opinion regarding the effect of the proposed Ordinance to Limit and monitor campaign donations on the petitioners of a Citizens’ Petition and the Owners, Board members and employees of an organization seeking financial assistance from the City of Cambridge; and to draft enforcement language and to draft language exempting labor unions from the Ordinance and to provide an opinion about whether Somerville’s Ordinance regarding campaign donations would survive a legal challenge.   Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 9-0

While I may agree with the general idea of this proposal, the devil may lie in the details. It’s not always so clear which donors to campaigns are seeking or will eventually receive financial reward. For example, if someone contributes either money or labor toward a political campaign and is currently hired or is later hired as a City Council Aide, would that be a violation? Or is political patronage not covered under the proposed ordinance? – Robert Winters

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