2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-126, regarding the River Street Infrastructure and Streetscape Project.
Placed on File

Jan 14, 2019
To the Honorable, the City Council:

In response to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-126, regarding the River Street Infrastructure and Streetscape Project, received from City Engineer Kathy Watkins, Traffic, Parking and Transportation Director Joseph Barr and Assistant City Manager for Community Development Iram Farooq report the following:

PROJECT FUNDING
In FY18 the City Council appropriated $34M for the design and construction of sewer and drainage infrastructure improvements and surface enhancements on River Street between Memorial Drive and Central Square, including Carl Barron Plaza.

SCOPE OF PROJECT
The overall scope of the project includes upgrading the sanitary sewer, stormwater and water subsurface infrastructure while developing a new surface design for River Street, the bus terminal area at River and Magazine Streets near Central Square, and Carl Barron Plaza. The project aims to create a streetscape design that meets the needs of all the various users and in a way that engages the local community, contributes to overall enhancement of the neighborhood, and meets the City’s goals related to infrastructure, transportation, open space, urban forestry, and urban design.

Key goals of the project:
• River Street Subsurface: Replace aging utility infrastructure so that critical utility services can continue to be provided to the community and enhance the ability of the sewer and drainage systems to handle large storm events, in a sustainable manner, in an era of climate change. Coordinate with private utilities to facilitate upgrades of their infrastructure.

• River Street Surface: Create a streetscape design that enables people to travel safely and comfortably by various modes, while enhancing the neighborhood context, meeting environmental goals, and supporting local businesses. River Street is a key transportation corridor and functions as a pair to Western Avenue for cyclists, transit operations and motor vehicles, and is also a designated truck route. River Street is not as wide as Western Avenue, so the design will not be able to simply replicate the Western Avenue layout. Nevertheless, providing a high-quality pedestrian environment, inviting open spaces, separated bike facilities as identified in the bicycle plan, and improved transit amenities and operations are critical to the success of the project.

• Carl Barron Plaza: Redesign the major public open space of Central Square, including considerations of public art, fixed and/or unfixed furniture, circulation, access, plantings, and landscaping.

WORKING GROUP
In December of 2018, the City appointed a 15-member Working Group to represent a cross-section of resident and business interests in the corridor, as well as representatives from relevant citizen advisory committees. Working Group members will advise the City on design issues associated with the reconstruction of the River Street corridor and Carl Barron Plaza. The Community Development, Public Works, and Traffic, Parking & Transportation departments will staff the Working Group.

The first meeting of the Working Group is scheduled for Jan 29, 2019 and will include committee introductions, review of city policies, overview of the infrastructure needs of the area, update on design and construction schedule, and a brainstorming session on effective public engagement. All Working Group meetings will include time for public comment.

PROJECT SCHEDULE
The community outreach and design processes will occur throughout 2019 and into early 2020. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2020.

Very truly yours, Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager

6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-120, regarding the focus of Envision Cambridge goals during community presentations.
Placed on File

To: Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager
From: Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development
Date: Jan 8, 2019
Re: Awaiting Report #18-120 dated Nov 5, 2018 Regarding Focus of Envision Cambridge Goals during Community Presentations

In response to the above referenced policy order, we submit the following. The Envision Cambridge community process resulted in draft recommendations across six planning topics: housing, economy, mobility, climate & environment, urban form, and community wellbeing. Over 175 recommendations were generated and presented to the public for feedback in summer 2018.

Since that time, the Community Development Department (CDD) conducted analysis on and presented conceptual frameworks to the public for three zoning ideas included in the 175 recommendations: an 100% affordable housing overlay, a “super inclusionary” zoning idea, and an environmental performance incentive. As recommended by Council, CDD is broadening public outreach to get feedback and buy-in on the Envision Cambridge goals and strategies, encouraging a more holistic approach, rather than a focus on three particular zoning ideas. When community groups specifically ask for information on the three zoning ideas, CDD is providing the requested information but also working to ensure that the public understands how the ideas fit into the context of the entire Envision Cambridge process.

In addition, CDD staff have created an infographic and fact sheet (attached) to clarify the 100% affordable housing overlay concept and address any misconceptions related to its potential implementation or impact. These materials will be used during future community presentations and are available online at https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Projects/Housing/affordablehousingoverlay

7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-97, regarding a report on updating vacant property database and reviewing strategies presented in the Storefront Vacancies Best Practices Report.
Placed on File

To: Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager
From: Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development
Date: Jan 8, 2019
Re: Awaiting Report 18-97 dated Sept 24, regarding updating the vacant property database and reviewing strategies presented in the Storefront Vacancies Best Practices Report

In response to the above-mentioned policy order, we report the following.

The City’s Retail Strategic Plan was completed in June 2017, and many of its recommendations to help Cambridge’s small businesses were implemented in Fiscal Year 2018. Initiatives included documenting storefront vacancies best practices, creating a small business data dashboard, promoting commercial district assessments, and hosting small business open houses and a small business summit.

Based on the Storefront Vacancy Best Practices report completed in 2018 and comments at the Sept 12, 2018 Economic Development & University Relations Committee meeting, Community Development Department (CDD) staff have been working on a variety of programs including:

• Created a vacant storefront initiative webpage that includes:

o A storefront vacancy database first created in July-August 2018; data is being collected and the database is updated quarterly. Information includes owner or leasing company, former tenant (if known), square footage, length of vacancy (if known), and ownership structure. From 2nd quarter 2018 to 3rd quarter 2018, vacancies have decreased from 56 to 51 storefronts, an 8.9% decrease.

o Storefront activation resources such as popup/activation/placemaking specialists like No Longer Empty, CultureHouse, Spaceus, and the Cambridge Arts Council.

• Published district assessments to highlight opportunities in the city’s commercial areas. The Central Square district assessment was completed in 2018, and Inman Square was released in January 2019. The next assessment will be for Porter Square and will be conducted in FY20.

• Launched a vacant storefront creative design contest on Jan 3, 2019 to provide property owners with original artwork to display in their vacant storefront.

o Open to artists of all ages & backgrounds; all types of media accepted; artwork must be original.

o 5 winners will receive a one-time honorarium of $1,000 each

o Store/property owners will be able to download and print the winning artwork to display as window installations throughout the city starting spring 2019

• Added a range of resources on CDD’s Small Businesses Resources web page, including the Greater Boston Legal Services and Harvard Transactional Law Clinics.

• Reviewing internal and external barriers to pop up retail in the city of Cambridge, including permitting, licensing, property owner insurance, etc.

• Reviewing community crowd sourcing platforms to develop community supported businesses/ideas for specific vacant properties.

• Planning a property owner/agent meeting for spring-summer 2019 to discuss vacancy activation strategies and other city priorities.

In addition, with the creation of a new senior position to support Cambridge small businesses, Pardis Saffari has been promoted to Economic Development Senior Manager, and is working directly as the City’s small business liaison. This includes collaborating with other City departments on matters such as small business licensing and permitting processes, City project construction mitigation, and other municipal functions that support the vitality of Cambridge’s retail and small businesses. This adds additional capacity to CDD to work with small businesses in Cambridge.

9. Retirement of James Cassidy Sr. from the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department.   Mayor McGovern

R-9     Jan 14, 2019
MAYOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: James Cassidy Sr. served the City of Cambridge and its residents from 1965-2018 through his work with the Department of Public Works and the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department; and
WHEREAS: James used his skills to provide a wide variety of functions for the Department of Public Works while serving as a Laborer; and
WHEREAS: James served as a Foreperson with the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department; and
WHEREAS: James worked hard and demonstrated a positive work ethic; he consistently went above and beyond his required job duties; and
WHEREAS: James was recognized for his exemplary service with the Outstanding Employee Award in April 2005; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record expressing its appreciation to James Cassidy Sr. for his fifty-three years of dedicated service to the residents and to the City of Cambridge and wishes him much happiness in his retirement; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to James Cassidy Sr. on behalf of the entire City Council.

10. Retirement of Timothy MacDonald from the Water Department.   Mayor McGovern

R-10     Jan 14, 2019
MAYOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: Timothy MacDonald served the City of Cambridge and its residents through his work with the Water Department; and
WHEREAS: Timothy used his skills to provide a wide variety of functions for the Water Department while serving as the Manager of Water Operations and Director of Water Operations; and
WHEREAS: Timothy worked hard and demonstrated a positive work ethic; he consistently went above and beyond his required job duties; and
WHEREAS: Timothy was recognized for his exemplary service with the Outstanding Employee Award in April 2016; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record expressing its appreciation to Timothy MacDonald for his dedicated service to the residents and to the City of Cambridge and wishes him much happiness in his retirement; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Timothy MacDonald on behalf of the entire City Council.

12. Retirement of Robert Reardon from the Assessing Department.   Mayor McGovern

R-12     Jan 14, 2019
MAYOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: Robert Reardon served the City of Cambridge and its residents for the past forty years; and
WHEREAS: Robert used his skills to provide a wide variety of functions including serving as a substitute teacher, Administrative Assistant to Councillor Danehy, Principal Assessor, and Director of Assessment; and
WHEREAS: Robert worked hard and demonstrated a positive work ethic; he consistently went above and beyond his required job duties; and
WHEREAS: Robert served as a mentor and role model to new employees; he was admired and will be dearly missed; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record expressing its appreciation to Robert Reardon for his dedicated service to the residents and to the City of Cambridge and wishes him much happiness in his retirement; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Robert Reardon on behalf of the entire City Council.

14. Resolution on the death of Paul Wilson.   Councillor Zondervan

R-14     Jan 14, 2019
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
WHEREAS: The City Council was deeply saddened to learn that Paul Wilson, a Cambridge resident and longtime employee at Lotus/IBM, passed away unexpectedly on Jan 2, 2018; and
WHEREAS: Paul’s death will leave a void in the lives of all his surviving family, who he was deeply devoted to, including his mother, Hildegard Wilson, his sister, Elizabeth Dobbins and her husband Ephraim, his brother, Charles "Charlie" Wilson Jr. and his wife Elizabeth, and his nephew, John Jacob Wilson; and
WHEREAS: Through sentiments shared by neighbors, friends, and colleagues after his passing, it is clear that Paul had a profound and lasting impact on everyone he met; and
WHEREAS: Paul spent most of his career at Lotus/IBM, where he was a beloved colleague known for his caring personality, deep insight, and unique ability to brighten the day of anyone around him; and
WHEREAS: Paul was a gentle giant and a cherished friend who enjoyed astronomy, watching sports, being outdoors, and was greatly excited to begin cycling around Cambridge this Spring as a new member of the municipal bike share program BlueBikes; and
WHEREAS: Paul will be sorely missed by all he touched and loved; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record extending its deepest sympathy to the family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors of Paul Wilson during this time of tremendous loss; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to the family of Paul Wilson on behalf of the entire City Council, with our most sincere appreciation for the contributions he made to the Cambridge community over many years.

TEXT OF ORDERS
O-1     Jan 14, 2019  Amended
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR MALLON
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI
WHEREAS: Beginning at midnight on Dec 22, 2018, the federal United States Government entered into a partial government shut-down, and as of the first week of 2019, this shut-down has remained in effect; and
WHEREAS: While partial government shut-downs have occurred numerous times over the past two decades, rarely extending beyond two weeks, there is no clear sense of when this current shut-down will end, nor how the people of Cambridge might be negatively impacted if this is not quickly resolved; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the appropriate City personnel to compile a report outlining how a prolonged Federal Government shutdown may impact the people of Cambridge, particularly focusing upon our most vulnerable residents, and what contingency plans the City may need to consider if this shut-down continues beyond January; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back on this matter to the City Council in a timely manner, and to post his findings on the City’s website in a prominent location.
ORDERED: And be it further that the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a copy of this Policy Order to the Cambridge Delegation to the State House, with the hope that similar legislation will be filed to urge Governor Baker to explore and report back on what the Commonwealth can expect from the prolonged shut-down, and what steps can be taken to mitigate the impacts upon our most vulnerable residents.

O-3     Jan 14, 2019
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
WHEREAS: On Nov 3, 2014, the Council unanimously adopted a policy order for the City Manager to confer with the Managing Director of the Water Department on whether the department is monitoring aged pipelines to prevent unexpected breaks and if information on the age of the pipes is readily available to which there was no report back to the Council; and
WHEREAS: Recent water main breaks have raised awareness about the age of some water main infrastructure; and
WHEREAS: Water main breaks are disruptive and predicting them may or may not be possible; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Managing Director of the Water Department and report back to the City Council on whether the department is monitoring aged pipelines to prevent unexpected breaks and if information on the age of the pipes is readily available.

O-5     Jan 14, 2019  Withdrawn by Unanimous Consent
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
COUNCILLOR CARLONE
WHEREAS: Boston recently ranked in the top 10 worst cities in the United States for traffic congestion, and in 2017 ranked seventh worst in the country and nineteenth worst in the world, with effects radiating throughout the metro area including Cambridge; and
ORDERED: That the Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning Committee be and hereby is requested to hold a public hearing to explore the feasibility of Transit X and their potential to provide an affordable, equitable, safe, practical, congestion-reducing, and eco-friendly public transportation solution for our community.

O-6     Jan 14, 2019
COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR MALLON
COUNCILLOR CARLONE
WHEREAS: At the Dec 10, 2018 meeting of the City Council, the Community Development Department presented its response to Awaiting Report #18-58 dated May 21, 2018, a report on its eviction data collection which assembled publicly available data retrieved from Massachusetts court system electronic records on eviction complaints filed between 2013 and 2017; and
WHEREAS: The Community Development Department noted that although it does have a host of anecdotal data on factors causing forced displacement, such as instances of tenants vacating due to rent increases, the lack of sufficiently available and quantifiable data makes it difficult to determine direct causes for displacement; and
WHEREAS: The City Council observed that--in addition to the need for a more fastidious process of data collection and analysis by the Community Development Department—the City’s legal services partners may be an excellent source for further quantitative data that might serve to better inform the City’s understanding of eviction trends and patterns and consequently its targeted prevention efforts; and
WHEREAS: The City would therefore greatly benefit from working with its legal service provider partners to establish a mechanism and/or protocol for sharing detailed eviction outcomes data (see attachment for list of example variables); now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Community Development Department and the City’s legal services providers on establishing a system of information-sharing and/or alternative method for making available that data which may be of beneficial use to the City in analyzing displacement; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this matter in a timely manner.

Example Eviction Outcome Variables for Legal Services Providers
1. Prevented eviction
2. Prevented eviction/occupant retained possession
3. Prevented or delayed eviction
4. Tenancy Preserved
5. Obtained other favorable outcome in a housing case
6. Summary Process filing avoided
7. Overcame illegal eviction (e.g. lockout)
8. Delayed eviction
9. Delayed eviction up to 3 months
10. Delayed eviction 3-6 months
11. Delayed eviction 6-9 months
12. Delayed eviction 9-12 months
13. Delayed eviction 12-18 months
14. Delayed eviction more than 18 months
15. Obtained access to housing
16. Prevented Denial of Public Housing
17. Overcame illegal charges by landlord
18. Obtained relief and/or damages resulting from fraudulent landlord actions such as cross metering and illegal charges
19. Overcame denial of tenant's rights under lease
20. Enforced tenant's rights to decent, habitable housing
21. Obtained repairs to dwelling
22. Obtained damage for and/or correction of bad housing conditions
23. Prevented lockout or utility termination by landlord
24. Enforced security deposit rights
25. Obtained monetary damages or rent abatement
26. Obtained order/judgment for money damages
27. Prevented denial of public housing tenant's rights
28. Prevented housing discrimination
29. Obtained relief for illegal housing discrimination
30. Obtained reasonable accommodation of Tenant disability
31. Avoided foreclosure or other loss of home
32. Prevented or delayed foreclosure
33. Advice, brief services or referral on a Housing matter
34. Prevent Subsidy Termination
35. Prevented Termination from public housing
36. Obtained or Preserved a housing subsidy
37. Prepared Pleadings/Court Paperwork
38. Obtained access to affordable housing unit
39. Obtained offer of public/subsidized housing unit
40. Obtained access to other housing
41. Alternate Housing obtained
42. Obtained temporary/emergency stay of execution
43. Tenant/Occupant removed by constable
44. Obtained determination eligible public/subsidized housing
45. Obtained offer of public/subsidized housing
46. Obtained representation in a housing case with no other outcome

O-8     Jan 14, 2019
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
VICE MAYOR DEVEREUX
COUNCILLOR MALLON
COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI
WHEREAS: Recent climate change reports from the IPCC and the Federal Government indicate that our current efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are insufficient to achieve the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius as agreed to by the entire world in Paris in 2015; and
WHEREAS: The City’s Net Zero action plan includes a short term (1-4 years) “Custom Retrofit Program” action that contemplates funding energy efficiency improvements in local buildings to obtain greenhouse gas emission reductions; and
WHEREAS: The Net Zero action plan includes an action to explore a “Local Carbon Fund” that contemplates local carbon offsets that fund energy efficiency projects in the city; and
WHEREAS: Cambridge Community Electricity Program is starting a new 24-month electricity supply contract with Direct Energy effective Jan 15, 2019; and
WHEREAS: The new program will collect a small amount of money, $0.002/kWh, from participants in the Standard Green and 100% Green Plus options as permitted by the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS: Standard Green will receive greener electricity than available through Eversource Basic Service by supporting the construction of new local community solar projects; and
WHEREAS: The Standard Green price will change to 11.12 cents/kWh, which is lower than Eversource’s January 2019 through June 2019 residential price of 13.704 cents/kWh; and
WHEREAS: 100% Green Plus (a new and improved version of the 100% Green option) will continue to receive 100% renewable electricity through the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs) from existing renewable energy projects in New England and will receive additional solar electricity from the local community solar projects; and
WHEREAS: The 100% Green Plus price will be 11.94 cents/kWh, also less than Eversource’s winter 2019 Basic Service price of 13.704 cents/kWh; and
WHEREAS: Rate payers who already receive a means-tested discount from Eversource retain the same discount as part of the CCE program; and
WHEREAS: Around 660 of approximately 39,000 CCE subscribers (< 2%) chose the 100% Green option in 2017/2018, after considerable outreach and marketing by city staff and local community organizations; and
WHEREAS: Building local community solar projects is an even more effective means to transition our energy supply to 100% renewable energy than buying RECs; and
WHEREAS: Building local community solar projects will benefit Cambridge residents by making cheaper, renewable energy available to community members who cannot put solar on their own roofs; and
WHEREAS: The new CCE program design is a significant improvement upon the previous program design and an important step towards the goal of achieving 100% renewable energy supply by 2035 set by the council in 2017; and
WHEREAS: Providing additional options in 100% Green Plus in the future, may inspire more people to participate, helping to overcome the challenges of outreach; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the Community Development Department and the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to explore the feasibility of designing the next iteration of the CCE program (which would start in 2021) to include the following characteristics:

1. An opt-out program (“Standard Green”) that collects no more than the difference (if positive) between the contracted electricity cost and the prevailing Eversource basic service rate, with the extra funds going towards community solar projects in Cambridge (“Community Solar Fund”).

2. An opt-in program (“100% Green Plus”) that charges no more than $0.05/KwH in addition to the contracted electricity cost, and thereby provides rate-payer donated funds to be used for the following purposes (“Community Energy Fund”):

1. Additional Funding for the Community Solar Fund.

2. Energy efficiency projects that benefit means tested, low-income tenants and homeowners, by reducing their energy bills;

and be it further
ORDERED: That this matter be referred to the Health and Environment Committee for further discussion.

TEXT OF COMMITTEE REPORTS
Committee Report #1
The Public Safety Committee held a public hearing on Tues, Dec 18, 2018 at 3:03pm in the Sullivan Chamber.

The purpose of the hearing was to explore the responsibilities and capacities of CPD officers or other officers working in Cambridge under CPD authority, such as out-of-town officers working a construction detail, to respond to bike related collisions, whether car/bike, bike/bike, bike/mobility device or bike/pedestrian, to include providing instructions and guidance on how to follow-up with accident reports and to also explore current efforts to update and digitalize both the state Citation and the state Accident report form.

Present at the hearing were Councillor Kelley, Chair of the Committee; Councillor Siddiqui; Joseph Barr, Director of Transportation, Traffic and Parking Department; Deputy Superintendents of Police Pauline Carter-Wells, Jack Albert and Christine Elow; and City Clerk Donna P. Lopez.

Also present were Dan Biles, 393 Broadway; Major Richard Ball and Lieutenant James Hanson, State Police.

Councillor Kelley convened the hearing and explained the purpose. He stated that those who get in bike collisions do not know what they need to do. He stated that he got hit by another bike when he stopped his bike to allow a pedestrian to cross in a crosswalk and the officer did not know what to do either. He stated that reporting may be changing in the RMV. A RMV accident report form was distributed (ATTACHMENT A).

Councillor Kelley stated that this will be an important challenge in the future when there are more collisions on bikes or Micromobility devices. He asked if there is a difference for the state police.

Police Deputy Superintendent Jack Albert stated that motor vehicle crashes are easy for officers; bike collisions are more difficult. There is no regulation by the RMV that mandates a report be taken for a bike collision. If a bicyclist has an injury with a crash report this would be on record. And Cambridge police will take reports of a non-motor vehicle crash even where there was no injury.

Councillor Kelley asked in his bike situation what would happen. Deputy Superintendent Albert stated that an incident report is taken and if there is an injury the person is taken to the hospital and that transport is documented. He stated that the accident reports are filled out electronically in the cruiser. Councillor Kelley asked can anyone file an electronic accident report. Deputy Superintendent Albert stated that there is no report required by the RMV. One can be downloaded and filed with the insurance company. Civilians have to fill out the paper form.

Major Ball stated that the report states that it only needs to be taken if there is $1,000 worth of damage, which is a low barrier for typical crashes. He stated that the crash form is not the appropriate form for a bike/bike crash. This is for a motor vehicle crash. He stated that the state police would take the information on a bike crash and will not file a form with the RMV. They have no form for anything that does not involve a car. Deputy Superintendent Albert stated that the Cambridge police will file a report with the RMV for motor vehicle crashes. There is no form for a bike crash. Mr. Barr stated that the bikes do not have a license and the RMV does not look at this as a motor vehicle. The RMV does not care if a vehicle is not registered with the RMV and no driver’s license is required to use it. Councillor Kelley asked about mopeds. Mr. Barr responded that mopeds are a motor vehicle. Major Ball stated that there is a requirement to have a driver’s licenses to operate a moped.

Councillor Kelley noted that the only form is the RMV form. Lieutenant Hanlon spoke about finding cause for a bike incident. He stated that if a motorized moped has less than 50 cc the RMV does view that vehicle as being under its jurisdiction. He stated that a citation could be issued to a cyclist in a bike/bike violation. The incident would be documented only by the state and a violation would be issued and it is not sent to the RMV. Councillor Kelley asked what is filed. Lieutenant Hanlon responded it is a standard incident report and it covers scooters and bikes, but it is not a motor vehicle-related form. These incident reports are generally used for liability issues.

Councillor Siddiqui asked how often to people ask for copies of incident reports. Deputy Superintendent Elow responded frequently. Deputy Superintendent Carter-Wells stated that most jurisdictions may not take reports for non-motor vehicle incidents, but Cambridge and the state police do. Councillor Kelley suggested that the City could create its own form. Deputy Superintendent Albert stated that it is better to go to the state and ask them to create a form because the bike incidents are increasing, and it is a regional issue. Councillor Kelley stated that who at the state would create this form and has the authority to collect the data. Major Ball responded the Executive Office of Public Safety. Deputy Superintendent Albert noted that this is up to the local authority and the state police. Councillor Kelley what is asked from the Executive Office of Public Safety. Lieutenant Hanlon stated that if an injury is involved this form should be filed. Many jurisdictions would take cyclists to pick up their bike and let things go at that with no form taken or filed. Councillor Kelley asked can a cyclist insist on an incident report.

Lieutenant Hanlon responded in affirmative and would have to be filled out by an officer and cannot be fill out by the cyclist. Deputy Superintendent Albert stated that officers can take the information and fill out the form in their cruiser and the cyclists would have to go to police station to request a copy of report. If an officer is working on a detail and cannot take the report, the detail officer can request another to come to the scene and fill out the report. If medical attention is needed this is documented. The report will be listed under the names of both the officer requesting another officer come fill out the form and the officer that filled out the form, as well as the date, time and location of the incident.

Lieutenant Hanlon spoke about if a cyclist crashes with another cyclist and commits a violation of motor vehicle law, they are legally required to provide their name to the officer but if the officer has no reason to think there was a particular violation of motor vehicle laws they are under no obligation to provide their name to the police officer.

At this time, it was announced that the hearing was being privately recorded.

Lieutenant Hanlon stated that a bike-on-bike type incident would be investigated but there is no legal authority to insist that the information about the cyclists involved be provided to the officer absent statements from witnesses, the officer’s own observations and so forth. This is only required with vehicles that are regulated and activities that require licenses under motor vehicle regulations. He stated that there is no legal recourse to the officer that the information be provided. Councillor Kelley asked even if there is an injury. Deputy Superintendent Elow stated that the incident would be documented. Councillor Kelley asked if an officer did not see the violation they would have no jurisdiction to require identification be provided. Lieutenant Hanlon stated that under certain circumstances a cyclist could be issued a motor vehicle violation for violating a traffic law and then would be required to provide identification and if they refuse to do that they could be arrested. But the officer still needs to see the violation. Deputy Superintendent Albert explained that if a cyclist is cited for a violation it does not go against the cyclist’s insurance.

Mr. Barr explained that a moped of 50 cc and under gets a sticker and the driver does need a driver license. Lieutenant Hanlon stated that a driver’s license can be requested if the vehicle requires one to have a license to operate the vehicle. Electric scooters would fall into this category at this point.

Councillor Kelley asked Mr. Barr if you were designing a form to request the state to create what information would be needed in a non-vehicle type incident. Mr. Barr spoke about crash reports for motor vehicles when looking at safety at intersections and this information is helpful to improve safety. He stated that it is hard to know about non-car crashes between bikes and pedestrians as opposed to near misses, unease and so forth but if an incident report has been filed this detail can provide important information. He stated that the missing link between crashes and public health is the unknown about what happens after the ambulance leaves but that is beyond policing. He noted the importance of proper coding of incidents to determine patterns. He spoke about tracking these incidents back to the Emergency Room. Councillor Kelley noted that there is no way to capture this information if there is no incident report for a non-motor vehicle incident; the only data captured is the data through the RMV form. Mr. Barr stated that there is a 3-year delay in MassDOT’s centralized reporting and data review. Mass Dot is working on creating additional modes of transportation. Cambridge may get data faster from CPD on our own roads but that is not a regional effort, which may more appropriately lie with MassDOT. Councillor Kelley asked how do we move data collection away from registered vehicles. Mr. Barr spoke about capturing more data with the additional motorized vehicles that are being utilized but he noted that what CPD will do with crash data may not be exactly what others might want them to do with that data. He stated that there will be a discussion at the state level in the winter about scooters and their uses and that crash/incident reporting is an ongoing discussion which benefits from law enforcements input. Lieutenant Hanlon asked about allowing or prohibiting these motorized scooters and skateboards in bike lanes. Mr. Barr stated that electric bikes and mopeds may be moved outside of bike lanes as it is scary, for example, to have mopeds blend in and out of bike lanes. He stated that road use and relevant regulations may wind up being determined by vehicle size and speed and operating characteristics.

Councillor Kelley stated that many micro-mobility platforms do not require a license and if there is a collision and no reasonable expectation that there was a violation the officer cannot demand a driver’s license. This data gap could leave injured parties with no source of legal remedy. He wanted to standardize the incident reporting on a statewide level.

Councillor Kelley opened public comment at 3:47pm.

John Hawkinson, 2 Clinton St., asked if this is not a battery or assault and law enforcement would have the authority.

Dan Biles, 393 Broadway, spoke about cyclist wearing black at night, without a light, and if in a car he would be pulled over by the police. He stated that there is a Massachusetts statute on the books that this is not allowed. He asked what steps are being taken to prevent a death.

Councillor Kelley closed public comment at 3:49pm.

Councillor Kelley asked about assault and battery. Deputy Superintendent Albert stated that a crash between cyclists and pedestrians would be an incident report and the same for the state police. Unless law enforcement knew it had been an assault, they would not file charges.

Councillor Kelley thanked all those present for their attendance.

The hearing adjourned at 3:51pm.

For the Committee,
Councillor Craig Kelley, Chair

Committee Report #2
The Human Services and Veterans Committee held a public hearing on Tues, Oct 30, 2018 at 3:04pm in the Sullivan Chamber to receive an update of existing/in progress workforce development programs.

Present at the hearing were Councillor Siddiqui and Councillor Mallon, Co-Chairs of the Committee; Vice Mayor Devereux; Councillor Carlone; Ellen Semonoff, Assistant City Manager for Human Services; Sue Walsh, Division Head/Workforce Development; Susan Mintz, Adult Employment Director, Office of Workforce Development; George Hinds, Director of Youth Employment; Nadia Davila, Youth Services Specialist; Allyson Allen, Director of Employment Planning and Development, Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP); Lisa Hemmerle, Economic Development Director, Community Development Department (CDD); Sarah Stillman; Liana Ascolese; and Paula M. Crane, Deputy City Clerk.

Also present were Tom Evans, Executive Director; Carlos Peralta, Project Manager; Erica Schwartz, Project Manager, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority (CRA); Sarah Gallop, Co-Director, Office of Government and Community Relations, MIT; Deborah Ruhe, Executive Director, Just-A-Start (JAS); Fred Fantini, School Committee Member; Stephanie Couch, The Foundry Consortium; and Peter Valentine.

Councillor Siddiqui convened the hearing and thanked those in attendance. She first directed all in attendance to introduce themselves. She then gave opening remarks (ATTACHMENT A).

Councillor Mallon noted that the meeting was being audio and video recorded. She read aloud the Call of the Meeting from the Agenda provided for the hearing (ATTACHMENT B). She said that she looks forward to the discussion and the many to come. She hopes that this will be the first of many discussions to come.

Councillor Mallon said that she hopes that this is the first of many conversations about workforce development. She said that in her previous and current life working on anti-poverty programs in the city, it is clear that in order to work on this issue holistically and truly lift people out of poverty, we need to be thinking not just about immediate needs but permanent and stable housing in safe neighborhoods and access to good paying jobs with benefits and ensuring that the residents are taking part in the innovation economy that exists in the city. She said that over the last several years with the Backpack Program, she has been disheartened to see the lack of post-graduation opportunities for some of these students. She said that she wants to understand where the gaps are and who are among the most vulnerable. She said that this must be a public/private partnership approach with DHSP, partners in the non-profit and for-profit in order to take the holistic approach that the young people and residents need.

Ellen Semonoff started by mentioning that at some point she hopes the discussion will cover the joint study that the CRA and the City (through Human Services and Economic Development) are doing to try to better understand the needs of the City’s residents. She noted the shared, strong desire to have more training programs and emphasized that these programs must be designed to effectively meet the needs of those the office hopes to serve. She then turned the conversation over to the staff who oversee the City’s direct-service operations around workforce development.

Susan Mintz gave an overview of the handout describing the three Office of Workforce Development Adult Programs (18+) (ATTACHMENT C). She noted that the Cambridge Employment Program has been in existence for at least 35 years. She explained that the Cambridge Works Program is celebrating its 10th anniversary in October. She explained that the Next Up pilot program began in Fall 2018. She introduced Allyson Allen.

Allyson Allen gave an overview of the Cambridge Employment Program and the Cambridge Works Program (ATTACHMENTS D & E).

Nadia Davila gave an overview of the upcoming Next Up Program. She said that the program launched in mid-September and supports graduates, aged 18-24, who are not enrolled in college or a training program and need help planning their next step. She explained that there was a 2-week orientation and internships were started. She said that it was important to look for sites with supervisors who could be mentors to the participants. She said that there are 13 young people in the program. She noted that initially, there were 32 people who were interested; 22 people were interviewed and 15 people accepted the offer to participate. She said that with career coaching, they have developed relationships with the participants.

She said that this program provides support and structure and makes referrals to address needs. She explained that participants were found through partnerships that support young people in Cambridge. She said that the RSTA Guidance Department, the Extension School and the Reaching All Youth Committee also made referrals to the program. Allyson Allen added that professional development consists of 4 hours per week where participants can practice professional development skills.

Councillor Siddiqui thanked the presenters.

Vice Mayor Devereux said that gender was listed on the Next Up statistics but not on the other programs. She said that for this cohort of Next Up, there is a significantly higher number of young men. She asked if this is the same in the other two programs. Nadia responded that CEP is typically even at this point and Cambridge Works is generally more males than females.

As it relates to reporting of arrests and convictions, Councillor Siddiqui asked if the city has tried to help some of these individuals (if it is appropriate and if their records can be expunged) and connect them to resources. Susan Mintz answered in the affirmative. She said that they have referred people to these types of resources and have, in the past, brought in guest speakers to work with the Cambridge Works participants to review everything that they need to know as it relates to their records, CORIs, and steps that can be taken. Ms. Semonoff added that there have been instances in which participants have been arrested while in the program, that past criminal activity can come back and threaten to potentially derail these participants. She explained that Cambridge Works Program staff have at times accompanied participants to court and provided a “pitch” on behalf; e.g. stating that the participant holds a stable job and that an adverse court outcome might negatively impact their progress. She said that although this is not a typical activity [of staff], it has happened with some regularity.

Councillor Siddiqui noted that one-third of the residents that sign up for the Cambridge Employment Program don’t actually enoll. She asked about the various factors that occur and how this works.

Allyson Allen said that there is a pre-registration period and what happens a lot of the time is that it is not the right timing for people. She said that a family member may become ill or they need to leave the country. She said that sometimes a participant may find a job before the start of the program. She explained that an orientation followed by an appointment with a counselor. She added that the program is very structured, and some participants find that the structure does not work for them.

Councillor Mallon asked how many staff members work solely on the Cambridge Works Program.

Allyson Allen responded 2.5. In terms of people that apply, Councillor Mallon asked if there is room for expansion of programs. Ms. Mintz said that more people apply than are accepted but those numbers have diminished. She said that there are fewer candidates. She is reluctant to think about expanding this program because part of this program is a result of the relationship building that has taken place. She explained that they lose ability to know participants and provide such direct support to everyone.

Councillor Mallon asked if there is a Cambridge high school requirement and if there is a way to use that as one of the things that would allow a person to access this program. Ms. Semonoff said that they would want to think carefully about what it would mean if eligibility was changed for programs that are directed to people with current Cambridge residency. She said that it would mean a significant expansion of a lot of programs if the city served people that no longer lived in Cambridge.

Councillor Mallon said that one of the criticisms of the Cambridge Works Program is that it does not pay enough. She said Cambridge has a living wage of $15.00 and she questioned if there is a way to increase this pay. Ms. Semonoff said that the legal answer is that because it is a training wage and program, there is an exemption in the Living Wage Ordinance. She said that many people want a City job when starting the program. She commented that the Cambridge Works Program is not a root to a City job. She said that one of the concerns is that if the Living Wage was paid to these participants, helping people to move to the next position was a more difficult task. She explained that the rationale was less about money and more about the fact that the city is paying people for their hours with pay across the board for those hours. Councillor Mallon said that this would feed into the conversation of partnerships.

Councillor Mallon asked if any mental health work is built into the program. Susan Mintz said that it is a problem. She noted that there is a shortage of providers as well as insurance issues. She said that 15 or 20 years ago it was a challenge to get people to accept that they may benefit from mental health support but currently a majority of people are often interested in getting help. She said that finding providers who look like the people requesting services is difficult. Ms. Semonoff said that they recognize that this is likely to be an issue that will be continually seen.

Councillor Carlone applauded Councillors Siddiqui and Mallon for focusing on this subject. He said that one of the best parts of being a City Councillor for him is see the work being done in the Cambridge Works Program and experiencing how young people have begun to turn their lives around. He noted that he would like information on the successes of the participants of that program. He said that having an idea of the successes would be beneficial. As it relates to the size of the programs, he noted his agreement with Councillor Mallon. He said that it would be good to learn what is working well, and why programs cannot be expanded.

As it relates to mental health, Councillor Carlone said that loneliness is a critical issue. He said that 42 million people in the United States suffer from severe loneliness. He said that reaching those with mental health issues earlier is imperative.

Councillor Siddiqui talked about the different models of mental health services that exist. She noted that the city has a great partner with the Cambridge Health Alliance and she said it is important to look at all factors that will impact an individual. She said that if the root cause is not determined, we will not get anywhere. She said that it is clear that because of affordability, more and more former residents applied but no longer live in Cambridge.

Deborah Ruhe, JAS, gave an overview of JAS’s two 2 adult training programs: Biomedical Careers Training Program and IT Training Program (ATTACHMENT F). She stated that the Biomedical Careers Training Program is a free 9-month intense program that includes classes and laboratory experience. She explained that JAS has had to shrink the program so there are only 20 accepted each year. She said that they are constrained by the availability of lab space. She said that this is a January start, so they are doing lab during the summer. She said that they aim to get 10 Cambridge residents into the program. She said that it is highly attended by older immigrants, many of whom have education in their home countries that they cannot use here. She said that an evaluation of the program by the McCormack School at UMass Boston has shown that this program increases participants’ earnings by almost $15,000 in the first year alone with a 94% placement rate in the industry. She stated that the people are getting into sustainable jobs with benefits. She said that they would love to see this program expanded. She said that based on the success of this program, their goal was to expand and have another program so last January they started the IT Training Program which is 100% funded by philanthropy, corporations and foundations. She said that this program is being run in connection with the Bunker Hill Community College. She said that in the IT program a student will exit with college credits while under the Biomedical program, they must apply for credits. She said that the first cohort of the IT Program graduated in September. Ms. Ruhe explained that recruitment is done via word of mouth and information sessions. She said that some are held in JAS housing as well as CHA Housing. They get approximately 300 inquires but approximately 150 apply. She said that they have determined that many of the applicants could not qualify because of their English or Math skills and they have partnered with the Cambridge Community Learning Center to evaluate and assess and then tutor to get participants into the pipeline.

She stated that funding is a challenge to sustain these programs. She said that they are looking at the potential of having these programs more employer-centered. She said that there are a handful of companies that they have received grants from. She stated that the lab space is another issue.

Ms. Ruhe then gave an overview of JAS’s 2018 Education and Workforce Training Programs (ATTACHMENT G). She noted that it is interesting that the Biomedical Careers Program is 70% female and the IT Careers Program is 60% female. She said that the program participants are very diverse.

Ms. Ruhe noted that JAS also has a YouthBuild Program which is a comprehensive youth development program for 16 to 24-year-olds who have dropped out of high school. She noted that participants are in the program for 1-2 years and they are given the options of using the HiSET alternative or receiving a diploma. She noted that the diploma portion may be dropped because it is very expensive to run. She noted that there are sixty participants in that program. She noted that participants are receiving construction experience as well while in the program. She noted that this experience includes light carpentry, painting, working at the CHA and the Chelsea Housing Authority as well as a house on 5th Street. She explained that YouthBuild has been in existence for close to 25 years and more and more graduates are going onto college. She said that JAS has a teen work program that helps teens get jobs while they are in school. She said that they also participate in the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program.

Councillor Carlone asked Ms. Ruhe if any of the students in the YouthBuild go on to the unions and make it a career opportunity or is it solely a bridge to gaining confidence. Ms. Ruhe responded that there are approximately 200 Youth Build programs in the United States. She said that YouthBuild Boston is connected to the unions and are pipelining kids into the trades. She explained that the JAS program is trying to open participants to many different careers. She said that it is ultimately the student’s choice. She said that JAS is not connected to unions.

Councillor Mallon stated that the Biomedical Program is great and noted that she has attended one of their graduations. She asked Ms. Ruhe if there are other opportunities for lab space. Ms. Ruhe responded that participants are in a class from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and therefore it is a significant amount of lab time for someone to give. She said that they have talked to community labs at Biogen and Novartis and these companies are particularly focused on who they want in their labs and they are not excited to give a semester’s worth of lab time. She said that they are looking at other community colleges but noted that proximity is an issue. Councillor Mallon said that the City Council would look forward to helping to facilitate these conversations. Councillor Mallon asked about the funding for the Biomedical and IT programs. She asked how much money we are talking about for these programs. Ms. Ruhe responded that it is approximately $250,000 to $300,000 per program. She added that they received $500,000 from the ECMC Foundation. Vice Mayor Devereux asked if Cambridge College has labs. Ms. Ruhe responded that she does not believe that they do.

Councillor Siddiqui said that JAS’s evaluation of the existing workforce training landscape showed that IT came out on the top of the list. She asked if there are other industries that JAS was thinking about but due to funding and other factors, did not consider. Ms. Ruhe said that they used consultants and they looked at hospitality, back office and a variety of other things. They looked at IT because of the job market. She said that they are trying to get people into a career pathway.

Councillor Carlone said that when thinking about lab space, there are other ways to get public access. He said that there are at least 2 developers who are trying to get increased density for lab buildings. He said that some are providing public benefits. He said that he has thought that the City should be asking for Pre-K space but given that these are labs, and both are near the T, it would be great to get what is needed by JAS in writing. He said that in Boston, there is a staff person that analyzes the value of increased zoning. He said that the City Council generally asks for 1 million dollars for public benefit in Kendall Square. He said that this is something that could be done in lieu of that or as part of reasonable compensation.

Fred Fantini said that the partnership with BHCC cannot be overlooked. He noted that community colleges can be a pipeline for careers. He said that many school systems have many students graduating with Associate Degrees. He said that the focus is changing from academics to career paths. He said that employers need to engage in career path opportunities for our children in bigger ways.

Tom Evans stated that the CRA has not been directly involved in workforce development for many years. He said that they created JAS and decided that it was best served as a non-profit. He said that through the leadership of the City Council when they came through with some increased development consideration for Kendall Square that there was an urging that they should be doing more in this area and making connections between the Kendall Square economy and the communities surrounding Kendall Square. He said that the CRA took that to heart. He noted two efforts that they are working on: opportunity space which is part of Kendall Center development in process currently and the Foundry. He stated that as part of the rezoning for the MXD district, they created a requirement for innovation space. He said that through the direction of the City Council, they added a factor which was a below market innovation space requirement. He said that under construction on the 8th floor of the CRA building, they are creating opportunity space. He said that the idea is to create a shared space for job development, training, and career support programs, in a central location close to the employers of Kendall Square. He said that they are looking at how to create synergy between programs in that space. He said that they have put out an RFQ and they are talking to providers about whether they want to occupy that space. He said that the CRA would like this to be operational in January. He said that through this opportunity space discussion, they have been talking with Kendall Square Association to conduct outreach and get connections between these programs and the employment base in Kendall Square. He said that this is just being launched so they do not have demographics. He said that as it relates to the Foundry, when they put forth the RFP for an operator at The Foundry, they made workforce development a prominent element of what they were looking for. He noted that when speaking about the Foundry as a community space, they were hearing about the need for creating a space that would help make connections between Kendall Square and the community through technology, STEAM education, performance and other community facilities.

Stephanie Couch said that one of the things that interested many of the members of The Foundry Consortium is the challenges of getting people from low-income backgrounds and people of color interested in pursuing with IT and STEM careers. She said that the opportunity of the Foundry is that people have many reasons to come through the doors and discover strengths in these areas. She said that this is an extra benefit of the Foundry. She said that as they look at operating the building, there are opportunities for internships and apprenticeships at this site. She said that they have a lot of shared spaces within the Foundry and the shared spaces will be available sometimes for free, sometimes at below market rate and sometimes at market rate. She noted the intended requirement that those who have office space in the Foundry must be contributing in ways that will be synergies with those employers. She said that those who choose to use the spaces will bring their own programming as there will not be a lot of control over the programming. She said that they do not have money as a foundry operator to run its own programs but many of the people who have been active in the Foundry are attached to programs and can see themselves as renting the spaces, so they can expand their own programmatic efforts. She said that she is a program provider. She said that she has worked with high school teachers and teams of students and they help the young people learn to invent technological solutions to the problems they have in their own backyards. She said that the desire of young women and students from diverse backgrounds to be able to solve every day problems transforms their lives. She said that many students are set that they will go down the STEM path. She said that a solution in Cambridge must involve a partnership with nonprofits and the educational system. Ms. Semonoff noted that the City of Cambridge does partner with Ms. Couch. Ms. Couch affirmed that the partnership with the City of Cambridge has been fantastic. She said that at all levels, the City of Cambridge is very partnership oriented.

Sarah Gallop said that Councillor Carlone talked about how the City works with people who are bringing forward zoning petitions. She said that it is a chance for the petitioner and the City to talk about important needs in the city. She talked about the job connector operation with the City and MIT regarding the Volpe zoning. She said that MIT has been working to ensure that they will meet deadline. She said that they hired Roosevelt Smith as a consultant. She said that Mr. Roosevelt’s expertise is community building and consensus building so that we can understand challenges and the role that MIT can play in the job connector. She said that they had an initial kickoff and they received terrific advice and guidance along with excellent feedback. She said that the second step was to bring together a dozen community leaders from the Community Arts Center, the Margaret Fuller House, Tutoring Plus, East End House, members of the Volpe Working Group, the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association, members of the neighborhood working groups, and members of the Cambridge Police Department because they work closely with youth. She said that MIT left the consultant with the group because MIT wants to ensure a free exchange of ideas. She said that MIT has received the report from that meeting. She explained that the next meeting was a follow-up with the consultant and some of the workforce development staff. She noted that the next step will be to meet with City Councillors. She said that all that input will give MIT idea of what they need to achieve at this place. She said that it is exciting as it has never been done. She said that MIT is eager to collect more input and implementation. Councillor Carlone asked Ms. Gallop about the timeline. Ms. Gallop said that the doors need to be open in April 2019. She noted that the location of the Job Connector is 792 Main Street. Ms. Gallop said that this space will be what the City Council thinks it should be. Councillor Siddiqui said that she would love to see the report if that is shareable. Ms. Gallop said that there is not a report currently, but they will create a proposal that outlines what they heard.

Councillor Mallon said that Boston has a pathway program into the building trades, but Cambridge does not have such a program. She said that the City could partner with the building trades and figure out how to set aside some apprenticeship programs for Cambridge kids. She asked how the City can create the pathways. She said that there are kids that feel disenfranchised at the high school. She said that they need alternate pathways. She said that she feels very strongly about such a program. She said that there will be a lot of hospitality jobs once Volpe is online and Kendall Square begins filling in. She said that it is important to connect our kids to higher paying jobs. She questioned if there is an opportunity for Cambridge Works participants to work in the 792 Main Street location. Mr. Fantini stated that it would be beneficial bring someone in, such as the author of “Pathways to Prosperity” Nancy Hoffman, help the City to develop pathways. He asked the City Councillors to ask MIT to conduct an assessment of the RSTA program to ensure that it leads to a career pathway. He said that a fresh look would be helpful. He said that this is hard work and you need the best and brightest people on board.

Deborah Ruhe said that the Cambridge Community Foundation is convening a meeting to discuss culinary art jobs and entrepreneurships.

Ms. Mintz said that the Loop Lab is an organization founded by Chris Hope who received a placemaking grant with the idea of training young people in sound engineering, podcasting, videocasting and training program for a small group of young people. She noted that the program was launched this month and the City helped with their site visit from the funder. Councillor Mallon said that she is excited about seeing the Loop Lab. She said that this is a career path that is growing.

Councillor Siddiqui told Ms. Gallop that the City Councillors are happy to add their thoughts into how to use the space.

In response to a question by Councillor Siddiqui regarding the study that was done by UMass, Ms. Walsh said that regarding unions and building pathways, the City has over many years done recruitment to try to bring in Cambridge residents to take advantage of the building pathway program with not great success. She said that the City is open to suggestions. She said that there is probably growth and inroads that can be made, and they would love the City Council’s participation in figuring out how to reach the right kind of candidate. She stated that it is a nut that the City is trying to crack but there is a disconnect.

Mr. Fantini said that there is a lot of employers that don’t allow internships because they are too young. He said that may be part of the answer. He said that we must find a way to get our kids in when they are in high school. He said that we must try to find pathway to make it happen.

Councillor Mallon said that right now with the Jobs Connector, it may be a piece of the puzzle that is missing.

Sue Walsh said that in terms of the study, everything that has been heard today will be useful. She said that DHSP and CDD, in partnership with the CRA, is working with the UMass Donahue Institute to take a deeper dive than what has been seen before. She said that the staff feels that demographics have changed quickly. She said that it is important to get a handle on more than what the labor market date is showing. She said that they plan to work with Donahue with the goal of looking at data that is available through the American Community Survey, and what the census data tells us. She said that they will reach out to get JAS data and then look at who made it into programs and how this compares with what the census data tells us. That therefore we need real, on the ground data from focus groups and thorough information from those we are looking to bring in [to these programs]. She said that although we may have data on who is participating in programs, what we don’t have is information on who is not taking advantage of services. She emphasized that a next step should be doing focus groups of priority applicant residents. She stated the need to reach out through Mr. Evans and others to find out what businesses are saying, and where the disconnects exist, and then put it all together in a final report with recommendations. Councillor Siddiqui said that it will be interesting to see the overlap between this analysis and the Foundry analysis.

Stephanie Couch said that they have done work with community colleges in California and their dual enrollment programs with their high schools. She said that one of the challenges is that both in their high schools and community colleges they have very robust pathway efforts for each industry sector. She said that with the rate of change in technologies, they are basing their programs on the three-year labor market information and by the time the students get through the programs, they do not have the skills that the employers need. She said that many of the adults, especially in the 18-24 age range, are not in school because they face barriers around having to work. She said that there is dialogue about effective learn and earn strategies, how to demonstrate competency in alternate ways. She said that if we are going to rely on something new and different to demonstrate that a person can do a job, the employers have to buy into that alternate system. She stated that this must be a partnered conversation. She said it is a social fabric issue.

Tom Evans said that the growing companies are places where there is a lot of opportunity but not the robust infrastructure to create programs. This is a place that we feel we can plug in, when companies are about to scale, but they don’t yet necessarily have a whole HR and diversity & inclusion wing, and this is a place where we can help them a lot. He said that with IT in particular, there is emerging technology in all industries now—like financial services and healthcare and so forth—and yet they are not wired to create programs in the same way that say [a company like] Akamai is. He said he thinks this is a place where IT training in particular can be helpful in providing a variety of pathways for employment, combined with an understanding of where the many applications for technological opportunity exist. He said that this is a piece of what they are trying to bring into the research.

Councillor Siddiqui noted that they were out of time, and thanked all those present for their attendance and for sharing about their respective programs. She said that the Committee is looking forward to the follow up conversations after this. She thanked everyone again for coming and moved to adjourn the hearing.

The hearing adjourned at 5:02pm.

For the Committee,
Councillor Sumbul Siddiqui, Co-Chair
Councillor Alanna M. Mallon, Co-Chair