2. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following members to the Police Review and Advisory Board. (CM26#2) [text of report]
New appointments: Caleb Zachary Demers, Belicia Wilkinson
pulled by Simmons; comments by Simmons, PRAB Exec. Director Carolina Almonte, Nolan, Huang; Appointments Approved 9-0

3. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following members to the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Commission. (CM26#3) [text of report]
New appointments: Aaron Canto (one-year term), Pauke Corstens (two-year term), Ksenia Kaladiouk (three-year term), Alex Van Praagh (one-year term)
New Alternate Members: Min Ho Kim (one-year term), Felix Rosen (two-year term), Jacquelyn Fahey Sandell (three-year term)
Reappointments: Katinka Hakuta (three-year term), Catherine Tice (two-year term)
pulled by Azeem to note that though the City Council now has the power to review all appointments, he has a different point of view from all of these appointees - “That’s democracy.”; Appointments Approved 9-0

CHARTER RIGHT
1. That the City Manager works with the Government Operations and Civic Unity Committee to hold hearings to discuss new ideas to honor and remember individuals (i.e. communal memorial garden, wall or path), criteria for eligibility, a committee structure with diverse representation of the city residents, and a means for recording and maintaining our current and future memorials. [Charter Right – Simmons, Dec 22, 2025] (PO25#172)
comments by Simmons; Order Adopted 9-0

O-1     Dec 22, 2025  Charter Right - Simmons
COUNCILLOR TONER
MAYOR SIMMONS
VICE MAYOR MCGOVERN
COUNCILLOR ZUSY
WHEREAS: The City Council suspended the Street Sign and Bench Dedication program at its meeting on Dec 16, 2024 PO24#160; and
WHEREAS All previous requests for consideration that were voted on and approved by the City Council prior to December 16, 2024, are being reviewed and processed by the Dedication Committee; and
WHEREAS: There is a desire to end the practice of naming Streets and Benches and consider new opportunities and criteria to honor and commemorate residents in our public spaces; now therefore, be it,
ORDERED: The City Manager and Dedication Committee permanently end the Street and Bench Dedication program and work to process any remaining outstanding requests; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager works with the Government Operations and Civic Unity Committee to hold hearings to discuss new ideas to honor and remember individuals (i.e. communal memorial garden, wall or path), criteria for eligibility, a committee structure with diverse representation of the city residents, and a means for recording and maintaining our current and future memorials.

2. Restricting Eligibility for On-Street Resident Parking Permits in New Transit-Oriented Developments. [Charter Right – Simmons, Dec 22, 2025] (PO25#173)
comments by Simmons, Zusy, Azeem, Flaherty; Order Adopted 9-0

O-2     Dec 22, 2025  Charter Right - Simmons
COUNCILLOR ZUSY
COUNCILLOR AZEEM
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
WHEREAS: Increased automobile ownership associated with new residents moving into the City raises concerns related to traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, while also affecting residents who rely on automobiles, including families with young children, individuals with disabilities, seniors, and service workers; and
WHEREAS: It is estimated that a substantial share of residents in new transit-oriented developments (within a half mile from the MBTA) will nonetheless own vehicles, increasing demand for limited on-street resident parking spaces; and
WHEREAS: The City seeks to encourage the use of public transit and other sustainable modes of transportation, while recognizing that some residents are choice-limited and unable to forgo car ownership; and
WHEREAS: The City of Somerville has addressed similar challenges by making most residents of new transit-oriented developments ineligible for on-street resident parking permits, while providing exemptions through an application process for choice-limited residents, including individuals with disabilities and residents of affordable housing units, pursuant to Somerville Traffic Rules and Regulations, Article XV, Section 15-2.1; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager request legal, transportation and planning staff to identify policy options to achieve the above stated goals and communicate the impact of proposed policy choices on other stated City goals so Council can make an informed decision on how to move forward by March 1, 2026.

ON THE TABLE
3. An Ordinance has been received from Interim City Clerk Paula M. Crane, relative to amend the Zoning Map and Articles 3.000, 17.000, and 19.000 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance as follows with the intent of establishing four new zoning districts for the Cambridge Street corridor. [Passed to 2nd Reading, Dec 8, 2025; Eligible to be Ordained Dec 22, 2025; Expires Jan 28, 2026] (ORD25#17) [Revised][Published]
No Action Taken
Reference: Dec 22, 2025 Manager’s Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a revised Cambridge Street zoning petition. (CM25#311) [CDD memo] [Revised Cambridge St Petition (Markup)][Revised Cambridge St Petition (Clean)][Revised Cambridge St Map][Revised Cambridge St Map Descriptions][Combined Mass Ave/Cambridge St. amendments (Markup)][Combined Mass Ave/Cambridge St. amendments (Clean)]

2. Resolution on the death of Robert S. Hurlbut Jr.  Councillor McGovern, (Councillor Zusy, Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui)
comments by McGovern, Zusy, Nolan, Siddiqui, Flaherty

R-2     Jan 12, 2026
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN

WHEREAS: Robert S. Hurlbut Jr., a lifelong resident of Cambridge and a deeply respected civic leader, died peacefully on December 22, 2025, surrounded by his family, at the age of 92; and

WHEREAS: Bob Hurlbut devoted his life to education, community service, and philanthropy, guided by a deep belief in opportunity, equity, and the responsibility of communities to care for one another; and

WHEREAS: He was born on March 31, 1933, and grew up in Cambridge, later graduating from St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, and Harvard College, before beginning a distinguished career in education as a teacher in the Newton Public Schools and later as principal of the Park School in Brookline; and

WHEREAS: During his 24 years as Head of School at the Park School, he transformed it from a neighborhood institution into a leading metropolitan school that served a broad and diverse student population from Boston and surrounding communities, and was remembered by students, families, and faculty for his warmth, accessibility, joy, and genuine care for others; and

WHEREAS: In 1994, Bob Hurlbut became the first Executive Director of the Cambridge Community Foundation, where over 21 years he expanded the Foundation’s reach and impact, strengthened partnerships with local nonprofits, and supported critical work in education, food security, student mentoring, mental wellness, housing stability, and services for individuals experiencing homelessness; and

WHEREAS: Under his leadership, the Foundation created the first Cambridge Community Needs Assessment and launched Cambridge Volunteers, while growing its assets from $12 million to $33 million, leaving a lasting institutional legacy that continues to benefit the City of Cambridge; and

WHEREAS: After his formal retirement, he remained deeply engaged in civic life, with a particular focus on youth philanthropy and local journalism, including his early and generous support in helping to establish the nonprofit news organization Cambridge Day; and

WHEREAS: Bob Hurlbut was known throughout the community for his kindness, good humor, and joyful spirit, whether celebrating school traditions, remembering birthdays, or opening his home to colleagues and friends, and he exemplified a life of service lived with grace and humility; and

WHEREAS: He was predeceased by his wife, Nancy Gannett, and is survived by his three children, Angie of New Haven, Rob of San Francisco, and Sam of New York, as well as six grandchildren, to whom he was a wise, loving, and inspiring presence; and

WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge has been immeasurably enriched by his decades of leadership, generosity, and steadfast commitment to the common good; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the City Council of the City of Cambridge hereby expresses its profound sorrow at the passing of Robert S. Hurlbut Jr. and extends its deepest condolences to his family and loved ones; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the City Council honors and gratefully acknowledges his extraordinary contributions to education, philanthropy, civic life, and the wellbeing of the Cambridge community, and recognizes that his legacy will continue to be felt for generations to come.

COMMITTEE REPORTS
1. The Government Operations, Rules, and Claims Committee held a public hearing on Thurs, Dec 4, 2025 to discuss the organizational changes to the Equity & Inclusion Department. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0
Present: McGovern, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Zusy
Remote Present: Azeem
Also Present: Nolan, Siddiqui, Wilson, Simmons
Absent: Toner

TEXT OF ORDERS
O-1     Jan 12, 2026
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: Residents along Fayerweather Street, particularly near the intersections with Walnut Street and Field Street and adjacent to St. Peter’s Field and New Park, have raised longstanding concerns about vehicles accelerating and traveling at excessive speeds along this narrow, residential roadway; and
WHEREAS: Fayerweather Street experiences conditions that heighten pedestrian risk, including parked vehicles on both sides of the street, limited sightlines at intersections, and frequent use by children, families, and elderly residents accessing nearby parks and neighborhood open spaces; and
WHEREAS: Residents have reported repeated near-miss incidents involving vehicles and pedestrians, particularly where vehicles turn off Walnut Street and accelerate along Fayerweather Street; and
WHEREAS: While Fayerweather Street has previously been converted to one-way traffic as a safety measure, concerns about speeding persist, suggesting that additional traffic-calming interventions are warranted; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the appropriate City departments, including the Department of Transportation, to evaluate and install a series of speed humps along Fayerweather Street, with particular attention to the stretch between Walnut Street and Field Street; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this matter within 90 days.

O-2     Jan 12, 2026
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY
WHEREAS: While the City of Cambridge is experiencing declining assessed values in its commercial properties, it is nonetheless committed to maintaining a stable and predictable residential tax base, and seeks to promote economic vitality across the city by increasing foot traffic that supports retailers, restaurants, entertainment venues, cultural organizations, and hotels; and
WHEREAS: It is agreed that public tax dollars must be deployed effectively and strategically; and
WHEREAS: On December 16, 2025, the Economic Development & University Relations Committee held a hearing to review the City’s support for tourism promotion, including the operations and funding of the Cambridge Office of Tourism; and
WHEREAS: The Committee heard testimony expressing strong support for the Office of Tourism’s role in promoting Cambridge, alongside concerns regarding coordination, transparency, governance, and the clarity of goals and performance measures; and
WHEREAS: The Committee also identified legal constraints related to the Tourism Destination Marketing District that limit changes to baseline City funding, while highlighting opportunities to improve collaboration, information-sharing, and alignment among City departments and commercial districts; and
WHEREAS: There was broad agreement among Councilors and stakeholders that improved structure, communication, and accountability (via such measures as implementing the creation of an annual public report from the Office of Tourism) are necessary to strengthen City-supported tourism promotion; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to immediately convene and staff a standing coordination group including the Cambridge Office of Tourism, relevant City departments, and representatives of the City’s business associations to support regular communication, advance planning, and alignment of tourism promotion with neighborhood economic activity; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the City Solicitor and the Community Development Department to review 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; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council within six months on findings, progress made, challenges identified, and any recommended policy or budgetary actions.

O-3     Jan 12, 2026  Charter Right - Simmons
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY
WHEREAS: City Hall serves as the central civic space for governance, public participation, and the delivery of essential municipal services, and must remain accessible while ensuring the safety of all who work in or visit the building; and
WHEREAS: Municipal buildings across the United States have, at various times, been the sites of serious acts of violence directed at elected officials, municipal employees, and members of the public; and
WHEREAS: On November 27, 1978, San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated inside San Francisco City Hall, demonstrating the grave risks that can arise within government facilities; and
WHEREAS: On July 23, 2003, New York City Council Member James Davis was fatally shot inside New York City Hall during a City Council session, highlighting vulnerabilities in legislative spaces designed for public access; and
WHEREAS: On February 7, 2008, a gunman opened fire during a public meeting inside the Kirkwood, Missouri City Hall council chamber, killing multiple municipal officials and a responding police officer; and
WHEREAS: On January 5, 2026, an individual forcibly entered Lawrence City Hall in Kansas, breached secured internal office space housing senior municipal leadership, and was fatally shot following an altercation with a trained and authorized city employee, resulting in the temporary closure of City Hall and disruption of municipal court operations; and
WHEREAS: These incidents illustrate that acts of violence and forced entry within municipal buildings are neither hypothetical nor unprecedented, and that unauthorized access to secured government spaces can rapidly escalate into life-threatening situations; and
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge has a responsibility to safeguard City employees, elected officials, volunteers, and members of the public while maintaining transparency, openness, and meaningful civic engagement; and
WHEREAS: Many municipalities have responded to similar risks by implementing layered safety measures, including access controls, trained security personnel, emergency response protocols, and modernized security technology; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to conduct a comprehensive review of existing safety and security measures at Cambridge City Hall, which shall include an assessment of physical access controls, visitor screening practices, on-site security staffing and training, emergency response and evacuation protocols, and the use of security technologies such as surveillance systems and alarm monitoring; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council with findings, recommended improvements, and a proposed implementation timeline for this enhanced safety plan no later than 90 days from now.

O-4     Jan 12, 2026
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: A century ago, in February 1926 – at a time when racial segregation, political disenfranchisement, and racial violence were legally sanctioned and socially entrenched – historian Carter G. Woodson established Negro History Week to promote the serious study and public recognition of Black history, culture, and achievement; and
WHEREAS: Negro History Week was founded during the height of the Jim Crow era, when the “separate but equal” doctrine governed American law, Black Americans were systematically excluded from civic participation, and white supremacist violence posed an ever-present threat to Black life and advancement; and
WHEREAS: The creation of Negro History Week represented a deliberate and principled assertion that Black history is inseparable from American history, and that the nation’s founding ideals could not be meaningfully celebrated or defended while large portions of its population were erased, marginalized, or denied basic rights; and
WHEREAS: Negro History Week laid essential groundwork for future civil rights advances and was later expanded into Black History Month, reinforcing the idea that historical understanding is not static, but must be actively cultivated and defended across generations; and
WHEREAS: As the nation marks its 250th anniversary amid ongoing social, political, and institutional challenges, it is especially critical to acknowledge both how far the country has come and how much of its progress has been the result of sustained struggle, organizing, and moral clarity – often in the face of profound resistance and repeated setbacks; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Council go on record acknowledging 2026 as the Centennial Celebration of Negro History Week, and recognizing its enduring contribution to the nation’s understanding of itself; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Council go on record urging that this centennial be recognized as a meaningful complement to the nation’s 250th anniversary, underscoring that the American experiment has been strengthened by those who have challenged exclusion, demanded accountability, and expanded the promise of democracy, and encouraging the City’s educational, cultural, and civic institutions, and the public at large, to engage in learning and reflection around this dual milestone as a necessary foundation for informed civic participation and democratic responsibility.

O-5     Jan 12, 2026  amended
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
COUNCILLOR ZUSY
COUNCILLOR AL-ZUBI
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge has been considering best uses for all City-owned property, and has recently done work to reassess a large portfolio in the Central Square area as part of the Central Square Lots Study, and the Council has supported a number of purchases of properties over the past decade with a goal of ensuring a comprehensive and collaborative approach to considering best use of all City-owned properties; and
WHEREAS: On September 26, 2016, the City Council approved the City Manager’s recommended acquisition of 139 Bishop Allen Drive (1-15 Vail Court), in order to “redevelop the property for the… uses of providing much needed affordable, senior and/or transitional housing;” and on June 12, 2017 the City Council voted to “transfer a leasehold interest in property to the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust for the construction of low- and moderate-income housing;” and litigation surrounding the acquisition of property has recently been resolved; and
WHEREAS: On December 21, 2020, the City Council approved the City Manager’s recommended acquisition of 185 Larch Road with the goal of using the parcel “for open space use or any other municipal uses or purposes” and the City Council passed PO23#72 requesting a working group and community process to develop recommended uses for the City Council to consider; and
WHEREAS: On May 15, 2023 the City Council approved the City Manager’s recommended acquisition of 333 Webster Avenue to be used in the interim by the Department of Public Works and in the future to be used to “further the goals of Envision Cambridge in the long term, primarily for affordable housing and open space;” and indicated that “we expect to conduct a community process associated with the property with those goals in mind;” and
WHEREAS: On August 23, 2023 the City Council approved the City Manager’s recommended acquisition of 41 Bellis Circle (since renamed 135 Sherman Street) to be used for “general municipal uses, which may include municipal operations, stormwater management and/or affordable housing;” and a recent community meeting was held to discuss future use of the property; and
WHEREAS: Development in the Alewife Quadrangle by Healthpeak, dubbed as “Cambridge Point,” regulated by the City Council approved Alewife Overlay District - Quadrangle, is expected to continue in late 2026, has the possibility of resulting in large land conveyances to the City of Cambridge for public use to be identified in a PUD Special Permit (Art. 20.1100.5.1.2); and
WHEREAS: In addition to the above-referenced properties, the City has a portfolio of owned properties it leases out to tenants as well as properties it leases for use for City-uses, including the properties referenced in CM22#231, some of which were addressed as part of the Central Square Lots Study; and
WHEREAS: The City Council has expressed a willingness and a desire to work through questions of use of public land with the City administration and in addition to the City-owned properties considered during the Central Square Lots Study, the use of other City-owned property should be considered in collaboration with the City Council and the community; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with relevant departments to prepare for a Council discussion on best future uses for City-owned properties and the processes for redevelopment; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council at the time of a Roundtable discussion on the topic.

O-6     Jan 12, 2026
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
VICE MAYOR AZEEM
ORDERED: That the regular City Council meeting scheduled for Mon, Feb 2, 2026 be a Roundtable/Working meeting to discuss the results of the 2025 Cambridge Resident Survey.