Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

May 23, 2011

May 23, 2011 City Council Agenda Highlights – Budget Adoption

Filed under: City Council — Tags: , — Robert Winters @ 1:45 pm

May 23, 2011 City Council Agenda Highlights – Budget Adoption

The main item on the menu is the adoption of the FY2012 Budget and a variety of final authorizations to borrow money for capital projects. The Manager’s Agenda also includes responses to 12 of the 36 items on the 2011 Awaiting Report list. Another 16 items from 2010 remain on Awaiting Report. Perhaps a little more spring cleaning is in order.

Manager’s Agenda #5. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 11-53, regarding a report on way to make the Follen Street/Little Concord Avenue intersection safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.

Bicycle safety expert John Allen has a few things to say regarding the original Order as well as in response to this report. John Allen is the author of Street Smarts, a guide for safe cycling that has been adopted in several states. It is generally best to heed his advice even when it goes against current trends/fads. I know of no one who understands the nuts and bolts of bicycling safety more than John Allen.

Manager’s Agenda #11. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 11-12, regarding a report on any foreseeable tax revenue implications of Vertex’s decision to leave Cambridge.

The analysis from Director of Assessment Bob Reardon indicates that the length of time associated with Vertex’ exodus as well as the continuing high demand for Cambridge lab space will result in no significant tax impacts. The sky shall not fall.

Manager’s Agenda #12. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to information regarding Information Technology (IT), which was requested at the Information Technology Department (ITD) Budget Hearing.

Though much of this report will appeal only to techies, two items are noteworthy:

• Citizen Complaint System – Enhancements to the current Cambridge Request System (CRS) to allow the public to enter a complaint directly to the work order system and receive notification of the work order ticket, an estimate of when the problem will be resolved and notification when the problem is resolved. The Complaint System will include access to a website database that shows the ticket and status.

• An Optimized Search Function – Using Google Search, enhance the search function on the City website to return more relevant information.

Manager’s Agenda #15. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to dedicated funding for GLBT Commission activities.

Manager’s Agenda #16. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 11-02, regarding a report on tax treatment of health benefits for couples in same sex marriages.

The first of these provides $2,500 in supplemental funds to the GLBT Commission in addition to continuing support from other departments. This may not satisfy those who would prefer a dedicated staff position, but the whole matter of staffing for this and similar commissions still needs some attention and political will. The second of these indicates that the total financial impact of this added benefit is quite manageable – the estimated cost to the City with full implementation is approximately $12,000 per year; for the School Department the cost with full implementation is estimated to be closer to $21,000 per year.

Charter Right #2. That the City Manager is requested to ask the City’s private law firm to waive any statute of limitations defense regarding potential liability to Cambridge for its actions and advice in the Monteiro case. [Charter Right exercised by Vice Mayor Davis on Order Number Fourteen of May 16, 2011.]

Perhaps this Order is now moot since the expiration referenced in this Order occurred yesterday. It’s hard to know for sure what the intent of this Order was, but its author appears to be Councillor Kelley’s mentor Richard Clarey who has been at war with the City Manager for perhaps two decades. On the surface, the Order seems designed to drive a wedge between the City administration and its outside legal counsel. Specifically, if the City’s actions in the dismissal of a problematic employee were done on the advice of this legal counsel, the case can be made that City’s actions were not "retaliation." This Order suggests that the City should retain the option of suing its own legal counsel – not exactly the best move in ongoing litigation.

Budget-related items to be voted at this meeting:

Committee Report #1. Finance Committee Report for public hearings held on May 4, 2011, May 11, 2011 and May 12, 2011 relative to the General Fund Budget for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2012 and recommending adoption of the budget in the amount of $439,008,170.

Committee Report #2. Finance Committee Report for a public hearing held on May 11, 2011 relative to the Water Fund Budget for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2012 and recommending adoption of the budget in the amount of $14,902,620.

Committee Report #3. Finance Committee Report for a public hearing held on May 11, 2011 relative to the Public Investment Fund for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2012 and recommending adoption of the budget in the amount of $11,613,225.

Unfinished Business #10-13, 15-17. Various orders requesting appropriation and authorization to borrow:
• $1,300,000 to provide funds for improvements to Alberico, David Nunes and Fulmore Parks and the establishment of a community garden at Riverside Press Park;
• $33,754,300 to continue sewer projects in the Harvard Square, Agassiz, Western Avenue and Alewife Watershed areas of the City.
• $2,000,000 to provide funds for improvements to several City facilities including the East Cambridge and Inman Square Fire Stations and the Ryan Garage/Simard Building at Public Works;
• $2,000,000 to provide funds for the reconstruction of several streets included in the Complete Streets Initiative as shown in the five year street and sidewalk program;
• $2,000,000 to provide funds for the second phase of the reconstruction of the Harvard Square Tunnel (Cambridge Street Underpass);
• $300,000 to provide funds to facilitate coordination among the various consultants working on the design and planning projects for Kendall Square and perform interim repairs in the area; and
• $3,000,000 to provide funds for the architectural design and construction of an elementary school to be either rebuilt or renovated as part of the multi-year Elementary School Rebuilding Program.

Barring a delayed Rapture, it’s expected that the General Fund Budget ($439,008,170) will pass on an 8-1 vote with Councillor Kelley, as always, voting in the negative. You can expect a speech from Kelley regarding the Law Department budget, possibly conflated with the topic of Charter Right #2. Though the Annual Budget is the single most important vote by the City Council almost every year, there are basically never more than a few minor changes to the Manager’s submitted budget – regardless how much time is spent pontificating about the Budget. High priority items for individual councillors are usually worked out (when feasible) before submission of the proposed Budget, so the adoption is usually noncontroversial. If Cambridge’s financial resources were as strained as many other Massachusetts cities and towns, it might be an entirely different story.

Unfinished Business #14. Ordinance Committee Report for a public meeting held on Mar 2, 2011 to consider a zoning petition originally filed by Chestnut Hill Realty and re-filed by the City Council to create a new section that would allow for the construction of rental units in the basement levels of existing multifamily buildings in Residence C Districts within 1200 feet of Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge Street or the Red Line through a special permit process. The question comes on passing to be ordained on or after May 16, 2011. Planning Board hearing held Mar 29, 2011. Petition expires May 31, 2011.

This "workforce housing" petition will likely be voted at this meeting or be allowed to expire if there are insufficient votes to pass it. As has been mentioned here many times, the amount of campaign contributions that flowed from the petitioner to several elected councillors makes this a vote worthy of scrutiny.

Committee Report #4. Ordinance Committee Report for a public hearing on Apr 6, 2011 and a follow-up public meeting on May 17, 2011 to consider a petition to amend the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance filed by Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, joined by M.I.T. as land owner, to allow for the creation of a new Special District 15 along a portion of Massachusetts Avenue between Albany Street and Windsor Street opposite the location of the Novartis main campus at the former Necco Building.

This will likely be Passed to a 2nd Reading tonight, perhaps with the amendments recommended by the Planning Board. When it comes to a final vote, most likely in a few weeks, it will almost certainly be passed. Together with the concurrent MIT/Forest City petition affecting an area just up the street on Mass. Ave., there will likely be a major transformation of Mass. Ave. over the next few year between Sydney Street and the railroad tracks. – Robert Winters

May 20, 2011

Response to City officials’ comments about Concord/Follen

Filed under: Cambridge government,City Council,cycling,Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — jsallen @ 8:49 pm

Robert Winters has posted a comment (#3 here) to my post about bicycling issues on the May 16 City Council agenda. Robert quotes Assistant City Manager for Community Development Brian Murphy and Traffic, Parking & Transportation Director Susan Clippinger about Follen Street and Little Concord Avenue. Their response, by way of the City Manager, is addressed to the City Council at next week’s meeting.

Their response (again, in comment #3 here) addresses some of the issues with the Follen Street/Concord Avenue installation, and reflects some progress.

Serious design issues, however, will still remain:

  • The configuration still has the same blind corners.
  • Because of the location of the curb cut into the brick plaza, bicyclists traveling away from the Common must still swerve to the right, toward approaching motor traffic, to reach the curb cut at the crosswalk on the far side of Follen Street. Bicyclists entering from the brick plaza are still close to a wall which also obscures motorists’ view of them.
  • Motorists approaching on Follen Street still won’t have a stop sign — see this Google Street View (and still not in 2020)– despite the blind corners.
  • The contraflow bike lane adjacent to wrong-way parking remains.
  • There is another blind corner at the Garden Street end of the pedestrian plaza, particularly for cyclists who continue toward the Radcliffe Quadrangle on the sidewalk (and many do, though that is inadvisable).
  • The “bike box” on Concord Avenue leads to more confusion than anything else, as described here. Also, many cyclists ride east on the north sidewalk, so they can access the plaza directly, posing a risk of head-on collisions with westbound cyclists and pedestrians at the blind corner between the sidewalk and the plaza.

Contraflow bicycle travel would be safer if parking were removed from one side of Follen Street — however, the public insists on using public street space for private car storage. As a bicycling advocate and former Cambridge resident who owned a (rarely used) car and had no other place to park it than the street, I can see both sides of this issue. It is not going to go away. The people who laid out Cambridge’s streets could not foresee the deluge of private motor vehicles that would descend on the city, and had no plan either to accommodate it or to forestall it.

I do think that a very significant safety improvement could be made without removing parking, by reversing the direction of one-way motor traffic on Follen Street and Little Concord Avenue. Then cyclists headed toward the blind corner would be going in the same direction as motorists. The motorists would be going very slowly here, and cyclists could easily merge toward the center of the roadway. A curb cut into the plaza in line with the center of the roadway would avoid cyclists’ having to swerve right. This curb cut would lead cyclists traveling toward the Common to the right side of the street.

A contraflow bike lane could then be installed on the south side of Little Concord Avenue, but it would still be adjacent to wrong-way parking. I’d rather see shared-lane markings far enough from parked cars to allow a motorist to start to exit a parking space without running head-on into a cyclist or forcing that cyclist into oncoming traffic. One-way, slow streets where bicyclists are allowed to travel contraflow are common in Germany, without bike lanes, and research has demonstrated their safety.

As to Murphy’s and Clippinger’s comments:

Motor vehicle volumes on the street are very low and most drivers are ones who live there and use the street regularly. The contraflow lane was installed to improve safety for cyclists by creating a dedicated facility for them to ride in and through the presence of pavement markings to remind motorists that bicyclists are traveling there.

The low motor-vehicle volume argument is an example of what I call “bean counter” safety analysis. I have heard the same argument before from Cara Seiderman, in connection with the wrong-way contraflow lane on Scott Street. This approach offers cyclists and motorists only statistical comfort, leaving them defenseless against actually preventing a crash through their own actions — as in “well, I can’t see over the SUV parked in front of my car, but probably no cyclist is coming so I’ll pull out.”

The bike lane does serve as a buffer to help prevent collisions between cars and other cars, but it doesn’t pass the test of preventing collisions between cars and cyclists. The comforting words “dedicated facility” don’t actually describe how it works in practice. Reminding motorists that bicyclists are traveling in the bike lane doesn’t count for much if the motorists can’t see the bicyclists.

Clippinger describes a safety analysis which looked at generalities about traffic volume. The claim that the dedicated facility was installed to improve safety may describe intention, but it does not describe either the design, or the outcome. This is a crash hotspot, remember. I have described design issues, and some solutions that look rather obvious to me. The city, as usual, installed a boilerplate bike lane design without much insight into whether it actually would be functional and safe.

May 16, 2011

About bicycling issues on City Council agenda tonight, May 16, 2011

Filed under: City Council,cycling,planning — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — jsallen @ 11:03 am
A cyclist and a motorist approach the blind corner at Concord Avenue and Follen Street

A motorist cuts off a cyclist at the blind corner of Concord Avenue and Follen Street

The city's own picture of this scene shows a cyclist happily steering straight toward a curb.

A picture of the same scene from the City's Web site shows a cyclist happily steering straight toward a curb, which is cropped out of the picture.

Looking from the opposite direction, this is the path a bicyclist must take, swerving toward traffic to reach the curb cut.

Looking from the opposite direction, this multiple-exposure photo shows the path a bicyclist must take, swerving toward Follen Street traffic to reach the curb cut at the crosswalk.

This post attempts to shed some light on agenda items on tonight’s City Council agenda.

The quoted sections are from another commenter. I’m not sure I know how to reach him, and time is pressing. I don’t know whether I have permission to use his name, so I won’t. The unindented paragraphs  are my own. We’ll start with the other person who commented.

Two of the three items on the city council agenda are interesting examples of problems related to bicycle infrastructure that has been implemented over the past several years.  The third is simply a request to fill potholes, but includes an ignorant comment about bicycles needing to ride near the curb (not true according to Massachusetts law or Cambridge ordinance).

That is agenda item O-7 on the page linked here

The first bicycle facility problem is a contra-flow lane through a blind corner where motorists have no expectation that there will be contra-flow traffic of any sort as they round the corner on a one-way street.

http://bit.ly/iAHCfU

That is agenda item O-3 on the page linked here.

The street view is looking south on Follen Street as it intersects (Little) Concord Avenue.  The bike lane crosses in a contraflow manner from left to right, and then continues across the small brick plaza to the right to join with Garden Street and the continuation of Concord Avenue.  The intersection just beyond the plaza is the same one where Cambridge has installed a bike box critiqued by John Allen

(http://bit.ly/jQN595).

The contraflow bike lane is adjacent to wrong-way parking, another odd feature of this installation — see this for a description and explanation of wrong-way parking:

http://bikexprt.com/bikepol/facil/lanes/contraflow.htm#scottst

Upon reaching the corner, bicyclists have to ride out past a stop bar and stop sign before they can see around the corner. A stop sign requires two actions, a stop and a yield. The yield is what actually prevents a collision — but it is only possible where you can see conflicting traffic.

Many if not most of the bicyclists approaching this intersection are Harvard students headed up to the Radcliffe quadrangle. Are we to assume that they aren’t bright enough to figure out that they must yield? The problem is that nobody ever instructed them, and many have little bicycling experience as they suddenly find themselves dependent on a bicycle for transportation. Also, the stop bar isn’t where there’s anything to yield to unless a pedestrian happens to be crossing — it encourages running the stop sign, sort of like traffic ju-jitsu: aha– fooled ya!.

See Google Street View looking toward the stop sign:

http://tinyurl.com/4yfz9bc

I have a discussion of this contraflow bike lane in the page linked below this paragraph. The third photo down the page shows the stop sign. I prepared the page linked below years ago, shortly after the installation. This was clearly going to be a problem location.

http://bikexprt.com/massfacil/cambridge/harvardsq/litlconc.htm

The curb ramp on the far side of the intersection is located at the end of the crosswalk rather than in line with the bike lane. Bicyclists must ride toward approaching traffic to reach the ramp.

Bicyclists coming in the opposite direction off the little pedestrian plaza are hidden by a wall and subject to similar risks. This entire treatment is a prime example of Cambridge’s principle of Design by Wishful Thinking.

The second problem is at a rather unremarkable intersection, so it is not clear to me why there would be issues.

See Council Order O-19 on the page linked here.

http://bit.ly/kQWgBQ

The street view is looking south on Ellery Street as it approaches Broadway.  Ellery is a narrow one-way street with a bike lane.  Traffic is typically slow, but can be heavy at rush hour.  Broadway is a two-way narrow connecting through street with parking and no bicycle infrastructure in this area.  Traffic typically runs about 25-30mph, slower and heavier at rush hour.  The intersection is also at the corner of a local public high school campus.  Neither street is difficult to cycle on if you have at least modest traffic experience.

There is a flashing yellow and red overhead signal indicating a stop sign for Ellery Street entering from the north.  I tried to find data related to the several accidents cited, but did not see anything apparent on the Cambridge city web site.  I can speculate that most of the car/bike accidents are probably due to scofflaw behavior — either bicyclists in the Ellery bike lane not heeding the stop sign as they continue across Broadway, or wrong-way riders in the Ellery Street bike lane illegally approaching Broadway from the south.  Also likely would be standard right hook, left cross, and failure to yield collisions caused by motorists, but I don’t see why those would be any worse at this intersection.

I see a double-whammy right-hook provocation for bicyclists headed south on Ellery Street, in that the bike lane on the far side of the intersection is to the left of parking (and in the door zone, as is usual in Cambridge), while the bike lane on the near side is at the curb and carried all the way up to the intersection. So, bicyclists are encouraged to overtake motorists on the right, then merge left inside the intersection where motorists turn right.  I think that the high traffic volume and prevalence of high-school students probably also account for the number of crashes. There probably are scofflaw crashes too. Yes, it would be very interesting to see details so as to get a handle on what is actually happening here.

I’m not looking for any answers, but I thought people on this list might be interested in what Cambridge lawmakers are thinking.

May 16, 2011 City Council Agenda Highlights

Filed under: City Council,Kendall Square — Tags: , — Robert Winters @ 2:23 am

May 16, 2011 City Council Agenda Highlights

There was actually a Special City Council meeting last week (May 9) to move along three capital budget items that were subject to the charter right at the May 2 meeting. Details are available here. The City Manager’s Agenda this week contains a variety of transfers of funds between statutory categories within a number of departmental budgets – general housekeeping in advance of the anticipated vote on the annual budget next week. There are also Planning Board reports on two current zoning petitions – one unfavorable (Chestnut Hill Realty) and one favorable (Novartis) with proposed amendments.

Manager’s Agenda #13. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to a recommendation from the Planning Board not to adoption the Chestnut Hill Realty Zoning Petition.

Unfinished Business #15. A communication was received from D. Margaret Drury, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Sam Seidel, Chair of the Ordinance Committee for a public meeting held on Mar 2, 2011 to consider a zoning petition originally filed by Chestnut Hill Realty and re-filed by the City Council to create a new section that would allow for the construction of rental units in the basement levels of existing multifamily buildings in Residence C Districts within 1200 feet of Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge Street or the Red Line through a special permit process. The question comes on passing to be ordained on or after May 16, 2011. Planning Board hearing held Mar 29, 2011. Petition expires May 31, 2011.

The City Council could potentially vote on the Chestnut Hill Realty petition at this meeting. This petition reeked of mendacity from its introduction as a vehicle supposedly for the creation of basement "workforce housing." It seemed clearly designed entirely to maximize potential revenue from existing properties. The Planning Board report explains some of the negative aspects of the petition without explicitly calling out the petitioners for their mendacity. One potentially interesting aspect to this petition is the extraordinary amount of money that was passed from the top brass of Chestnut Hill Realty into the campaign accounts of (at least) two city councillors. Even if innocent of attempting to buy votes, the scale of the contributions cast enough doubt to fill a basement (or several basements).

Manager’s Agenda #14. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation on the petition by Novartis Institutes of Biomedical Research to create a new Special District 15 on the site bounded by Massachusetts Avenue, Albany Street, Osborn Street, State Street and Windsor Street.

This petition will likely be passed to a 2nd Reading and come to a final vote in the next few weeks. It seems certain that this petition will prevail with appropriate amendments. The Planning Board seems to have done a good job in proposing design guidelines and regulating the massing of any future buildings, though the 85 foot height limit on the Mass. Ave. frontage may seem a bit high. The maximum height in the affected area could be as great as 140 feet. In any case, this portion of Mass. Ave. and the neighboring section that is the subject of the MIT/Forest City petition will likely soon experience a radical transformation – hopefully for the best.

Charter Right #1. A petition has been received from Theresa M. Stone, Executive Vice-President and Treasurer, MIT, together with a transmittal letter from Steven C. Marsh, Managing Director, MIT Investment Management Company to amend the Zoning Ordinances of the City of Cambridge to add a new section 13.80 to the Zoning Ordinances entitled PUD-5 District and to amend the Zoning Map to add a new PUD-5 District in the Kendall Square area; said petition rezones a 26-acre parcel in the Kendall Square area. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Toomey on Applications and Petitions Number Four of May 2, 2011.] [Text of petition]

The May 9 City Council Roundtable meeting with the Goody Clancey consulting firm working on the Kendall Square/Central Square (K2C2) analysis yielded a fairly optimistic response from most in attendance. The scale of MIT’s proposal for Kendall Square is very significant – enough to have triggered a major backlash movement had it been introduced a decade or so ago – yet most affected parties now seem more interested in working constructively with the City, MIT, and other major property owners in the area to ensure the maximum benefit to the adjacent neighborhoods. The change has been gradual, but there has been a radical shift in the manner in which major development proposals are now received by both elected officials and residents. With some good faith on all sides, there is the possibility of some great outcomes.

At one of the recent East Cambridge Planning Team forums about the future of Kendall Square, I made some suggestions that might have been viewed as ridiculous, i.e. a batting cage and/or a miniature gold course in the heart of the new Kendall Square. I actually wasn’t kidding. Anyone who knows the ways of MIT will understand that the unusual and even the seemingly ridiculous can often be exactly the right match. Perhaps a rollercoaster that wraps around the buildings?

Order #7. That the City Manager is requested to designate the appropriate person to fill the pot holes and dangerous road imperfections on the stretch of Putnam Avenue between Western and Massachusetts Avenues, especially those that appear near the curbs where bicyclists must ride.   Vice Mayor Davis

I’m glad someone said it. Usually, the City does an impressive job at patching the potholes at the end of winter. This year it’s been an adventure on many streets, including Pleasant St. between Mass. Ave. and Western Ave., Mt. Auburn Street near Fresh Pond Parkway, many portions of Broadway, and other Cambridge roads. Is this the new traffic calming technique?

Order #9. That the City Council go on record as requesting that the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy maintain the existing State laws governing cable licensing, which adequately protect cities and towns, residents of the Commonwealth, and video service providers.   Vice Mayor Davis

I’m not entirely convinced about this. While I don’t believe cities and towns should lose the ability to negotiate good contracts with potential television providers, it would be a shame if potential competitors to Comcast (The Evil Empire) were dissuaded from doing business in Cambridge. The status quo is not the best.

Order #12. That the City Manager direct the appropriate department heads to install a discreet, unobtrusive, drop down projector presentation screen in the Sullivan Chamber and report back to the City Council.   Councillor Cheung

You might have to rearrange or remove some of the painted portraits of former mayors in order to accommodate the screen. I have some suggestions where you could start.

Order #14. That the City Manager is requested to ask the the City’s private law firm to waive any statute of limitations defense regarding potential liability to Cambridge for its actions and advice in the Monteiro case.   Councillor Kelley

It’s hard to tell what Councillor Kelley’s motive is here. He recently said how he wants the City Council to take over the Law Department (not exactly kosher under the city charter). My guess is that Kelley is just taking direction from his handlers in order to undermine the City’s legal strategy.

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 Apr 26, 2011 to conduct a follow-up meeting on outdated city ordinances.

There are some interesting proposals contained in the committee report. I especially like the idea of permitting food vendors in city parks, though I imagine they would probably be selling organic roll-ups rather than hot dogs or sausages – this is Cambridge after all. I’m a little concerned about some of the proposed changes affecting mixed residential/commercial areas. I don’t believe any of the city councillors live in such zones, but I live right in the middle of one. Will they look after my best interests? Sometimes the only way residents can negotiate for a peaceful existence is when businesses have to seek a variance for a change of use. It doesn’t prevent the change so much as help to ensure that it’s something we can all live with. – Robert Winters

May 2, 2011

May 2, 2011 City Council Agenda – The Budget Cometh

Filed under: City Council,Kendall Square — Tags: , , — Robert Winters @ 12:50 am

May 2, 2011 City Council Agenda – The Budget Cometh

Top of the Agenda is the Budget Overview by the City Manager, 6 major loan authorizations, and an expenditure related to the consultants addressing planning issues for the Kendall Square/Central Square area. The content of each item speaks for itself. The Budget Hearings start this Wednesday.

Manager’s Agenda #8. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $2,000,000 to provide funds for the second phase of the reconstruction of the Harvard Square Tunnel (Cambridge Street Underpass).

Manager’s Agenda #9. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $300,000 to provide funds to facilitate coordination among the various consultants working on the design and planning projects for Kendall Square and perform interim repairs in the area.

Manager’s Agenda #10. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $1,300,000 to provide funds for improvements to Alberico, David Nunes and Fulmore Parks and the establishment of a community garden at Riverside Press Park.

Manager’s Agenda #11. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $33,754,300 to continue sewer projects in the Harvard Square, Agassiz, Western Avenue and Alewife Watershed areas of the City.

Manager’s Agenda #12. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $3,000,000 to provide funds for the architectural design and construction of an elementary school to be either rebuilt or renovated as part of the multi-year Elementary School Rebuilding Program.

Manager’s Agenda #13. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $2,000,000 to provide funds for improvements to several City facilities including the East Cambridge and Inman Square Fire Stations and the Ryan Garage / Simard Building at Public Works.

Manager’s Agenda #14. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $2,000,000 to provide funds for the reconstruction of several streets included in the Complete Streets Initiative as shown in the five year street and sidewalk program.

Unfinished Business #12. That the FY2012 City Budget be referred to the Finance Committee, with the exception that the Budget Overview be postponed to a certain date, that being the May 2, 2011 City Council meeting and will be placed on Unfinished Business at which time the City Manager will give an overview of the FY2012 City Budget. [Order Number Twelve of Apr 25, 2011 referred to Unfinished Business.]

Discussion and action on several Orders from April 25 were postponed via charter right. These include:

Charter Right #3. 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. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Reeves on Order Number Eleven of Apr 25, 2011 (Councillor Cheung).]

Councillor Cheung’s Order concerns the "community benefits" and other forms of soft currency associated with the wheeling and dealing for zoning amendments – a questionable practice that elected officials seem to relish. It’s no wonder that discussion of the Order was postponed.

Charter Right #4. That the City Manager is requested to review all PILOT agreements with non-profits and institutions in the city. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Kelley on Order Number Thirteen of Apr 25, 2011 (Vice Mayor Davis and Councillor Simmons).]

This Order from Councillors Davis and Simmons is motivated by Mayor Menino’s recent initiative in Boston and calls for a review of all existing and potential payment-in-lieu-of-tax agreements with non-profits and institutions in Cambridge. At the last meeting, Vice Mayor Davis expressed some dissatisfaction that Menino had not also gone after religious institutions for taxes. It’s not at all clear what the sponsors of this Order would like to see come out of this review, and it’s worth noting that it was not so long ago that the City of Cambridge executed long-term PILOT agreements with (at least) both Harvard and MIT.

Applications & Petitions #4. A petition has been received from Theresa M. Stone, Executive Vice-President and Treasurer, MIT, together with a transmittal letter from Steven C. Marsh, Managing Director, MIT Investment Management Company to amend the Zoning Ordinances of the City of Cambridge to add a new section 13.80 to the Zoning Ordinances entitled PUD-5 District and to amend the Zoning Map to add a new PUD-5 District in the Kendall Square area; said petition rezones a 26-acre parcel in the Kendall Square area. [Text of petition]

This petition has been anticipated for some time. The full buildout associated with this zoning proposal is very significant, but it’s mostly confined to an area within the existing MIT campus. Neighboring East Cambridge nonetheless has a significant stake in the outcome. This is primarily a good and interesting proposal if anything close to the image presented at public meetings becomes reality. Based on the recent optimistic actions of all the major Kendall Square property owners we’ve seen lately, good things will come – regardless of any role the City or its consultants have yet to play.

Communications #1. A communication was received from Thomas J. LaRosa, Acting General Counsel, Department of Conservation and Recreation, informing the City that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, acting through the DCR, has under consideration the acquisition of approximately 2.2753+ acres of land, or other property interest, in the City of Cambridge. The property is located between a previously protected section of the Watertown Greenway in Watertown and Fresh Pond.

This concerns the railroad right-of-way that runs along Fresh Pond, behind the Shaw’s on Mt. Auburn Street, along the ege of the Mt. Auburn Cemetery and into Watertown. Hopefully, this will soon become a recreational path – a plan that’s been discussed for an eternity but which may finally become a reality.

Resolutions #28-63 by Councillor Reeves are a regurgitation of the Cambridge winners of the Boston Phoenix’s 2011 "Best of Boston" reader contest. That’s 36 totally irrelevant suitably engrossed resolutions costing perhaps $5 or more each plus postage. It’s just great spending other people’s money. This makes you wonder what exactly is the job description of a city councillor.

Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Director of Traffic, Parking and Transportation to examine how parking spaces are designated for delivery/loading with a view towards reclaiming some of these spaces for the use of the general public.   Councillor Simmons

You know, if the City’s Traffic Board mandated by state law had been appointed, there may have been a vehicle for residents and businesses to actually petition for changes in how these spaces are regulated. Just saying….

Order #7. That the City Council amend Rule 23A which deals with the Order of Business to include a dedicated section for Councillors to make announcements.   Councillor Simmons

Does this really require a change in the Rules just to make occasional announcements? Answer – No.

Committee Report #1. A communication was received from D. Margaret Drury, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Sam Seidel, Chair of the Ordinance Committee for a public meeting held on Mar 2, 2011 to consider a zoning petition originally filed by Chestnut Hill Realty and re-filed by the City Council to create a new section that would allow for the construction of rental units in the basement levels of existing multifamily buildings in Residence C Districts within 1200 feet of Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge Street or the Red Line through a special permit process.

Communications & Report #1. A communication was received from Councillor Sam Seidel, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, regarding motion to discharge the Ordinance Committee of the Re-filed Chestnut Hill Zoning Amendment Petition.

As I’ve said before, regardless of the merits this is a case where you have to follow the money. The petitioners (Zuker and company of Chestnut Hill Realty) have contributed obscene amounts of money to the political campaigns of several city councillors. They are asking for the right to squeeze nearly 200 additional units of housing into the basements of existing buildings and have comically referred to this cash bonanza as "workforce housing".

Committee Report #3. A communication was received from D. Margaret Drury, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Sam Seidel and Councillor Timothy J. Toomey, Co-Chairs of the Government Operations and Rules Committee for a public meeting held on Apr 14, 2011 to discuss moving to a paperless City Council Agenda, connecting City Council goals and City Department staff and City Council Committees to foster efficient and collaborative results and a proposal to amend the Municipal Code to require posting of the City Manager’s contract 96 hours before it is to be voted on by the City Council.

Though I could not attend this meeting, the report seems to suggest that (a) half the councillors would like to keep their printed agendas; and (b) they’re willing to pass either a rules change or an ordinance regarding the posting of a future contract in advance of the vote, but they’re not sure which. Great. Wonderful. But not really all that important. – Robert Winters

April 25, 2011

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

Filed under: City Council — Tags: , — Robert Winters @ 12:46 am

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 3, 2011

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

Filed under: City Council — Tags: , — Robert Winters @ 10:58 pm

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 21, 2011

March 21, 2011 City Council Agenda – Water & Snow & Everything Else

Filed under: City Council — Tags: , , — Robert Winters @ 1:19 pm

March 21, 2011 City Council Agenda – Water & Snow & Everything Else

Here are the highlights as seen from my vantage point high atop Broadway in Mid-Cambridge.

Resolution #31. Congratulating Mr. Michael Muehe, Executive Director of the Cambridge Commission for Persons with Disabilities, for receiving the 2011 Advocate and Activist for Disability Rights Award.   Mayor Maher

Read the Cambridge Chronicle story on Michael’s well-deserved award. Cambridge is lucky to have him.

City Manager’s Agenda #3. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 11-26, regarding a report on the details of the purchase agreement for Northpoint.

The entire report is interesting. In particular, it states that "the MBTA will convey the site of the existing Lechmere Station to Pan Am, following the completion of the new Lechmere Station." This is important for those who have envisioned a public market for this space. Any such proposals must now be brought to Pan Am and development partners HYM Investment Group.

City Manager’s Agenda #4. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the block rates for water consumption and sewer use for the period beginning Apr 1, 2011 and ending Mar 31, 2012.

Agenda Item No. 4A     Mar 21, 2011
ORDERED: That the following block rate for water consumption and sewer use in the City of Cambridge be in effect for the period beginning Apr 1, 2011 and ending Mar 31, 2012.

  Annual Consumption* FY11 Water Rate FY12 Proposed
Water Rate		 FY11 Sewer Rate FY12 Proposed
Sewer Rate
Block 1 0-40 CcF $3.02 $3.02 $7.86 $7.86
Block 2 41-400 CcF $3.24 $3.24 $8.32 $8.32
Block 3 401-2,000 CcF $3.44 $3.44 $8.93 $8.93
Block 4 2,001-10,000 CcF $3.65 $3.65 $9.62 $9.62
Block 5 Over 10,000 CcF $3.96 $3.96 $10.23 $10.23

*All rates are per CcF. CcF is an abbreviation of 100 cubic feet. One CcF is approximately 750 gallons; and be it further

ORDERED: That the Senior Citizens Discount Program as established in FY91 be continued. This program gives either a 15 percent or 30 percent discount on water/sewer bills, depending upon certain qualifications. Any resident who owns and occupies his/her own home and who is 65 or older on July 1 qualifies for the 15 percent discount. This discount may not exceed $90 for the fiscal year. To qualify for the 30 percent discount, a homeowner must be 70 years of age or older and must have been granted the Clause 41C Elderly Real Estate Exemption, which is based on the demonstrated financial need. This discount may not exceed $180 for the fiscal year.

The Manager’s recommendations are noteworthy in that the water & sewer rates will remain unchanged.

City Manager’s Agenda #8. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $1,264,000 from Free Cash to the General Fund Public Works Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($1,114,000) and to General Fund Public Works Extraordinary Equipment account ($150,000) to cover current and anticipated additional snowstorm expenses associated with snow plowing contracts, salt and other material and repair costs.

Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Deputy City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Craig Kelley, Chair of the Transportation, Traffic and Parking Committee for a public meeting held on Feb 10, 2011 to discuss snow clearance and operations issues.

Everyone knew that this winter’s snow was going to be costly. Now we have estimates of the the actual costs (so far). It’s interesting that the City is anticipating the reimbursement for a portion of the snow-related costs from FEMA. One point that should be made is that in neighboring towns with overnight parking bans, snow clearance was much easier to accomplish than in Cambridge where it’s really no longer possible (or desirable) to impose such a ban. Newton not only has no requirement for residents to clear sidewalks, they also don’t expend any effort to assist pedestrian traffic. In Newton Center, for example, there were snow banks several feet high blocking crosswalks. Pedestrians walking along Rte. 16 near Newton-Wellesley Hospital had no other option than to share the travel lanes with fast-moving motor vehicles. Sure, some parts of Cambridge were less than ideal, but we were better than fellow AAA-bond-rated Newton in every way.

One very important point made by commenters is that the lack of drainage at crosswalks was as great a problem as the snow mounds and that the ability to correct this is often beyond the means of residents armed only with shovels and icebreakers.

Order #5. That the annual CPI-U adjustment for members of the City Council and School Committee as described by City Ordinance be waived until FY13.   Mayor Maher

As the Order states: "Employees of the City of Cambridge who are represented by a variety of collective bargaining agreements have responded to the current economic climate by accepting a zero percent (0%) increase for FY12 which begins on July 1, 2011." The City Council and School Committee in this Order voluntarily accept the same waiver of any pay increase until FY13.

Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to look into the feasibility of doing a "deep clean" of our city, including but not limited to, extra street sweeping if necessary, aggressive removal of graffiti and trash collection on sidewalks and in parks.   Councillor Decker

This is a very good idea, though any notion of the City doing a "deep clean" should be done in concert with resident initiatives – many of which are already being planned. City resources can only be stretched so much, but there’s a huge reservoir of civic-minded residents who are more than willing to plan and participate in neighborhood cleanups and similar initiatives. In fact, it’s probably the best way for neighborhood groups to gain legitimacy among residents – far moreso than showing up for hearings before City boards and commissions or stepping up to the Open Mike at a Monday night City Council meeting. If you really want to make a difference, join forces with City Year or a similar organization.

Order #7. That the City Manager is requested to confer with MassDOT to add the underpasses in their proposal to rehabilitate the Anderson Bridge and request that MassDOT work with the Cambridge Community Development Department and the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department to refine and implement this plan.   Vice Mayor Davis and Councillor Cheung

As attractive as this idea is, it’s not without logistical difficulties or potential negative consequences. The presence of pedestrians and cyclists on the street is one aspect of "traffic calming" and banishing a portion of these pedestrians and cyclists to an under-bridge crossing may have the unintended consequence of relinquishing the intersections at either end of the bridge to motor vehicles. Tunneling through the bridge structure for a pedestrian underpass may also create a difficult-to-maintain attractive nuisance that cyclists and pedestrians may actually choose to avoid. The best idea I’ve heard is to erect a boardwalk underpass like the one under the BU Bridge on the Boston side of the Charles River, but the word is that some in the rowing community are objecting to this idea. It’s cheaper to build, easier to maintain, and much more pedestrian-friendly than a dark tunnel.

Order #8. That the City Council hereby requests that President Obama and our Congressional delegation does not cut the Community Services Block Grant funding and to restore any lost funding so that the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee and other community action agencies can continue to do the important work that they do.   Mayor Maher

OK, there are some marvelous services performed by CEOC, but one might hope that an Order like this would at least recommend that CEOC evaluate its various services for potential cost-savings in light of potential loss of funding. On a related note, I recommend the New York Times Op-Ed column "Make Everyone Hurt" by David Brooks. It’s just not sensible to insist that every program everywhere continue to be fully funded regardless of the economic circumstances.

Order #9. That the City Manager is requested to consult with the Assistant City Manager for Community Development and review the current facade improvement program to target specific squares for greater facade improvement and an expanded budget to accomplish this goal.   Councillor Reeves

Perhaps a little quantification of the current costs and limitations of the City’s Facade Improvement Program would be in order. Is the current budget inadequate? This Order also hints at giving Central Square favored status in the provision of these funds and it’s not so clear that advocates from other parts of the city will agree with this intent.

Order #10. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Cambridge Peace Commission and the Cambridge Commission on the Status of Women on how their future programming efforts might include public information programs which highlight political unrest around the world, the status of men, women and children in these emerging states, what role America has played previously and should be playing now and in the future in these places.   Councillor Reeves

I should probably just keep my mouth shut about Orders like this. I have never been convinced that it is the role of the City of Cambridge to act as either an information clearinghouse or as a conduit for political advocacy in international affairs. There are plenty of other organizations, some based in Cambridge, that do this on their own dime. People who are keen on these issues should support those organizations.

Order #11. That the City Manager is requested to convene a meeting with the Council, Community Development Department, Planning Board, and other relevant stakeholders to inform all about the future planning efforts for Kendall Square, Central Square and other areas of the city.   Councillor Reeves

This is, of course, a good idea. We can only hope that the good councillor will not use this as yet another opportunity to express his disappointment in not being consulted by MIT planners or his disagreement in the hiring of the new Assistant City Manager for Community Development. The comic aspects of these red-ribbon tirades have worn off and it has become boring and unproductive.

Committee Report #4. 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 Feb 9, 2011 to hear a presentation from the Cambridge Police Department (CPD) on what action has been taken with regard to the recommendations of the Cambridge Review Committee Report: "Missed Opportunities, Shared Responsibilities."

As I began reading this report, I have to admit that I was expecting it to be yet another obsolete rehash of the Great Gates-Crowley Kerfuffle. In fact, the report indicates that Police Commissioner Haas has taken advantage of that situation to enhance the training in the Cambridge Police Department in regard to de-escalation in some interactions when appropriate. – Robert Winters

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