Coming Up at the March 30, 2026 Cambridge City Council meeting
Street cleaning starts Wednesday, April 1. If you’re a chronic delinquent, your 2025 Resident Permit Parking sticker expires on Tuesday. I fully expect to see a long line of miscreants at the City Hall Annex on Monday and Tuesday.
Meanwhile, down the street at City Hall, we have these:
Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a federal update including an update on relevant court cases. [text of report]
Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to an overview of the City’s initial Artificial Intelligence efforts. [text of report]
Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to AR26-12 regarding Harvard Square pedestrianization. [text of report]
Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to AR26-3 (AR25-48) regarding establishing a formal policy that clearly defines the City’s role and financial responsibilities in supporting large-scale public events hosted by Cambridge-based non-profit and not-for-profit organizations, including criteria for fee waivers. [text of report]
Manager’s Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to AR26-9 regarding and report back to the Council on (i) legal parameters related to City funding and Tourism Destination Marketing District restrictions, and (ii) oversight and accountability related to the operation of the visitor information kiosk, and related governance expectations, including alignment with City priorities. [text of report]
Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to AR26-17 regarding proposed updates to the City’s Welcoming Community Ordinance. [text of report]
Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to initiate the planning process for Cambridge 400 and as part of this, to convene a Cambridge 400 Advisory Committee composed of members representing the range of stakeholders whose participation is needed to guide this work. Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui
Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant departments to review the current legal landscape and provide recommendations for how to regulate construction of large data centers in Cambridge. Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Zusy
On The Table #1. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to raise the fee of the parking permit program for all residents to $75, consider how to include a self-identified check off option so as not to increase administrative costs for a subsidized fee of $25 for residents who live in affordable housing, are enrolled in a program such as SNAP or are low income, remove the senior exemption for the residential parking permit program and lower the number of cars that individual residents are allowed to get a residential parking permit for from four to two. [Charter Right – Simmons, Feb 9, 2026; Tabled Mar 2, 2026]
There seemed to be some movement three weeks ago toward not eliminating the senior exemption – before Mayor Siddiqui intervened by tabling the matter so that any possible amendments could instead be discussed out of public view. We could also use a more honest accounting of the actual costs of administering the permit parking program. As someone comment at last week’s meeting, the Mass. Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) charges a registration fee of $50 every two years. How can the City’s Department of Congestion, Obstruction, and Aggravation (a.k.a. Transportation Department) justify triple that cost? Why can’t the fact that a motor vehicle is registered to a Cambridge address suffice? We do, after all, have access to the RMV database. Why must renewal be done every year rather than every two years?
Comments and additional details to follow.