CHARTER RIGHT
1. That the City Council designates the Chair of Government Operations, Rules, and Claims Committee to serve as the City Council’s designee to coordinate with Randi Frank Consulting, LLC as well as appropriate City officials in carrying out the executive recruitment process for a new City Manager search process. That the City Manager is requested to ask the Purchasing Agent to coordinate with the Chair of Government Operations, Rules and Claims committee to engage the services of the identified Community Engagement Specialist(s) to work with Randi Frank Consulting, LLC in the executive recruitment for a new City Manager. [Charter Right – Simmons, Jan 10, 2022] (PO22#5)
Order Adopted 9-0

O-5     Jan 10, 2022   Charter Right - Simmons
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
VICE MAYOR MALLON
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge is embarking on the hiring of a new City Manager; and
WHEREAS: Extensive community outreach and engagement is necessary to ensure all community stakeholders have a voice in the process and selection of a new City Manager; and
WHEREAS: Deep knowledge of Cambridge is necessary to do this critical engagement and outreach; and
WHEREAS: Through the RFP Evaluation process it was determined that additional local supports would be needed to ensure the type of outreach and engagement this process warrants; and
WHEREAS: Members of the RFP Evaluation Committee identified two local firms, coUrbanize and Cortico to assist with this effort and have submitted a scope of work to support the Executive Search Firm retained to lead the search; and
WHEREAS: Now that the RFP process for hiring a consultant to perform an executive recruitment for a new City Manager has been concluded, and Randi Frank Consulting, LLC has been awarded the executive recruitment contract, there is no other action for the RFP Evaluation Committee to undertake; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Council designates the Chair of Government Operations, Rules, and Claims Committee to serve as the City Council’s designee to coordinate with Randi Frank Consulting, LLC as well as appropriate City officials in carrying out the executive recruitment process for a new City Manager search process; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager is requested to ask the Purchasing Agent to coordinate with the Chair of Government Operations, Rules and Claims committee to engage the services of the identified Community Engagement Specialist(s) to work with Randi Frank Consulting, LLC in the executive recruitment for a new City Manager.

4. Congratulations to Christine Elow on her appointment as Commissioner of the Cambridge Police Department.   Councillor Simmons

R-4     Jan 24, 2022
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS

WHEREAS: On January 17, 2022, Acting Police Commissioner Christine Elow was appointed permanent Commissioner of the Cambridge Police Department, becoming the first woman ever to lead the 329-person department since its founding in 1859; and

WHEREAS: Commissioner Elow grew up in Cambridge and, since joining the Cambridge Police Department in 1995, she has held numerous positions, including serving in the Patrol Division and overseeing the Professional Standards Unit, serving as deputy superintendent for day patrols and community services, and serving as superintendent of operations; and

WHEREAS: Commissioner Elow has also been instrumental in leading the department’s social justice operations, seeking to keep the community safe while approaching this work in a holistic and respectful manner, and she has remained steadfast in working to cultivate and strengthen mutually trusting relationships with the members of the community she and her officers serve; and

WHEREAS: With her appointment to lead the Cambridge Police Department, Commissioner Elow shall doubtlessly continue to do a tremendous job on behalf of the Cambridge community, leading the Cambridge Police Department into a brand new era with the intelligence, confidence, and fortitude she has always exhibited; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record congratulating Commissioner Christine Elow for her well-deserved appointment to leading the Cambridge Police Department; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Commissioner Christine Elow on behalf of the entire City Council.

2. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting information regarding the Clerk search process. (COF22#5)
Placed on File 9-0

Jan 24, 2022

To: Cambridge City Council
From: Sumbul Siddiqui, Mayor
Date: Jan 20, 2022
Subject: Communicating information regarding the Clerk search process

To the Honorable, the City Council:
I would like to update you all on the search process to hire a new City Clerk to replace Anthony Wilson when his term as City Clerk concludes in June of 2022.

After conferring with the Chair of Government Operations, Vice Mayor Mallon, and Councillor Simmons and Councillor Toner, I am pleased to share that Councillor Simmons and Councillor Toner have agreed to lead the ad-hoc committee for the City Clerk position. The ad-hoc committee will update the job description and have it posted. The ad-hoc committee will also designate an interview panel, which will include City Councillors, along with the City Council’s Executive Assistant Naomie Stephen and to-be-designated staff members (one each) from the Personnel Department, the City Manager’s Office, and the City Solicitor’s Office. The interview panel will review all the applications and conduct a first round of interviews to choose the top two or three candidates as finalists. The finalists will be interviewed publicly by the full City Council.

Councillor Simmons and Councillor Toner will keep the City Council apprised with any updates.

Sincerely,
Sumbul Siddiqui, Mayor
City of Cambridge

4. A communication was received from City Auditor, James Monagle, transmitting a memorandum regarding his retirement at the end of his current term. (COF22#7)
Placed on File 9-0

Jan 24, 2022

Dear City Council,
After serving as City Auditor for the past 20 years, I am writing to inform you that I plan to retire at the end of my current term, which expires on May 31, 2022. It has been a tremendous honor to serve as City Auditor. I am proud of my record of providing independent and timely oversight of the City's finances and operations. Working closely with the Council, administration, and my team, I have carried out my duties to ensure that City's programs are executed legally, efficiently, and effectively. It has been a pleasure working for the City Councils during my tenure.

The role of City Auditor is not always well understood by the public because most of an auditor's work takes place behind the scenes and is buried in detailed financial reports. The staff of the Auditing Department works tirelessly to promote an honest, effective, and fully accountable City government. The collaborative nature of the auditing team and the passion each employee brings to their role plays a critical role in safeguarding against potential fraud or misuse of City resources. My staff's attention to detail is responsible for the timely creations of the City's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Schedule A, and Per-Pupil Report. These documents play a crucial role in providing financial information to the City Council, City Manager, the investment community, the state and federal governments, and the residents of Cambridge.

I have been fortunate to have worked with so many incredibly talented and dedicated staff during my tenure, and I want to thank each of them. I also want to thank the three City Managers I have worked with and each City department. The City Administration has always been collaborative, hardworking, and dedicated to serving the residents of Cambridge.

I want to thank the City Council for placing your trust in me and your dedication to your constituents and the City.

James Monagle
City Auditor

TEXT OF ORDERS
O-1     Jan 24, 2022
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
ORDERED: That the City Council and School Committee hold a joint virtual roundtable on Mon, Feb 14, 2022, at 5:30pm to receive an update from the City Manager and relevant departments on the next steps towards the implementation of universal Pre-K in Cambridge.

O-2     Jan 24, 2022
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
VICE MAYOR MALLON
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: A CRLS student was recently struck and injured by a vehicle while in the crosswalk on Broadway in front of CRLS while arriving for school; and
WHEREAS: This intersection is heavily utilized by students and CRLS employees before and after the school day, as well as during lunch and at the conclusion of after school clubs and athletics; and
WHEREAS: While some safety features already exist including signage and an island to make crossing safer, this area would benefit from additional safety improvements such as flashing beacons to ensure drivers know they are in a school zone; and
WHEREAS: These improvements to one of the busiest school zones in Cambridge would bring pedestrian safety measures up to par with other CPS school locations and neighboring universities in the city, and help us reach our City-wide commitment to Vision Zero; and
WHEREAS: Additional preventative safety measures will help to lower the chance of another student or pedestrian being in harm’s way while safely utilizing CRLS school zone crosswalks and reduce the hardships of vehicular crashes; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department to determine what safety improvements could be made to this area as soon as possible and report back to the City Council.

O-3     Jan 24, 2022
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
COUNCILLOR CARLONE
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
COUNCILLOR AZEEM
WHEREAS: The Fresh Pond Golf Course in West Cambridge is the largest open space in Cambridge and has been enjoyed as welcome green space for decades; and
WHEREAS: Cambridge has operated the golf course to ensure the sport is accessible to community residents, including keeping course fees low to ensure more diverse users, and supporting the CRLS golf team when most urban high schools charge fees or do not have a golf team due to barriers; and
WHEREAS: Golf is an important and safe outdoor activity, with many residents participating, yet golfer needs should be balanced with the need for open public space for residents, most of whom do not play golf; and
WHEREAS: Golf participation nationwide has declined, although recent trends show more millennials, women, and girls participating; and
WHEREAS: Golf trends suggest that 6-hole and par-3 courses are increasingly popular in urban settings and may provide an opportunity to increase usage and still provide a golfing experience; and
WHEREAS: Cambridge continues to seek space to meet many different community needs including open space, tree canopy, DPW operations, affordable housing, and other uses; and
WHEREAS: The City seeks to encourage outdoor activity and physical activity among residents and the recent growth in sports like orienteering, which involves more CPS students than golf, suggests an opportunity for creative thinking about public spaces; and
WHEREAS: When the golf course was opened to the public free of charge during the early months of the pandemic, the space was widely utilized by people – individuals, groups, and families – of a wide age range, walking, jogging, reading, and playing; and
WHEREAS: In light of these trends, it makes sense to review whether the current use of this large swath of public land restricted to golf players for much of the year is best use, if other uses are possible and should be considered, or if other uses could be incorporated into golf operations; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the Law Department, Historical Commission, Community Development Department, the Golf Course Staff, the Department of Human Services Recreation Division, the Public Planting Committee, Fresh Pond Advisory Committee, Department of Public Works and other relevant departments to present a report to the Neighborhood & Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebration Committee, which includes but is not limited to information on the history of the golf course, membership data of golf course users including by zip code, environmental conditions, and a legal analysis of what uses are currently permitted or what would be involved in changing use for other city needs; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Council request that the Chair of the Neighborhood & Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts, and Celebration Committee schedule a public hearing to discuss this City-owned land parcel; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council by Mar 30, 2022 to enable a committee hearing this spring.

O-4     Jan 24, 2022  Amended
VICE MAYOR MALLON
COUNCILLOR AZEEM
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
WHEREAS: The existing City’s Inspectional Services Demolition Permitting system makes no allowances for a differentiated, nor expedited, process for occurrences where a building has significantly deteriorated as a result of a natural disaster, such as a fire; and
WHEREAS: The current application for a Demolition Permit requires a site plan, including architectural drawings of the proposed construction to be built following demolition, which can be costly to procure and difficult to obtain in the immediate aftermath of such a traumatic event; and
WHEREAS: There can be significant delays, in some cases over 12 months, in the current Demolition and Building Permit procedure which should not apply to cases where the structure is significantly damaged by a natural disaster, such as Historical Commission demolition delay and others; and
WHEREAS: The length of the current Demolition and Permitting process presents victims of natural disasters with additional financial burdens during an already difficult time, as well as causing other problems on their damaged property such as rodents and other nuisances; and
WHEREAS: There needs to be a separate and expedited process for buildings that have been damaged due to a natural disaster, such as fire; and
WHEREAS: Since this policy order was originally introduced, there have been multiple fires affecting multi-family residences, and not having an expedited process, and a dedicated City staff member to help guide these residents through the Demolition and Rebuilding permitting process has prolonged the return of residents to their homes; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Inspectional Services Department, the Department of Public Works, the Cambridge Historical Commission and other relevant City departments to determine the feasibility of expediting the Demolition and Rebuilding permitting process in the event of a natural disaster, including but not limited to: instituting a committee with members from the aforementioned three Departments, and creating a dedicated point person within Inspectional Services to serve as a liaison to assist property owners throughout the process; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to ensure the online explanations of, and forms pertaining to, demolition permitting be changed to reflect the aforementioned changes to the demolition permitting process in the event of a natural disaster, should these changes be adopted; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager report back to the City Council by the Feb 28, 2022 City Council meeting.

O-5     Jan 24, 2022
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: Animals that are slaughtered for their fur endure tremendous suffering; and
WHEREAS: Animals raised on fur farms typically spend their entire lives in cramped and filthy cages; and
WHEREAS: Fur farmers typically use the cheapest killing methods available, including suffocation, electrocution, gas, and poison; and
WHEREAS: Fur farms are reservoirs and transmission vectors for dangerous zoonotic diseases, including SARS coronaviruses, that threaten public health, including in the City of Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: COVID-19 infections have been confirmed at fur farms in Europe and the United States, and scientific studies have linked mink, raccoon dogs, and foxes – the animals most commonly farmed for their fur – to a variety of coronaviruses; and
WHEREAS: The fur production process is energy intensive and has a significant environmental impact, including air and water pollution; and
WHEREAS: Runoff from the fur production process contains high concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen, which are the most common forms of water pollution in the United States, including Massachusetts; and
WHEREAS: The tanning and dying processes used in fur production use toxic chemicals and heavy metals like chromium and formaldehyde; and
WHEREAS: Considering the wide array of alternatives for fashion and apparel, the City Council finds that the demand for fur products does not justify the unnecessary killing and cruel treatment of animals, harm to the environment, and the public health risks to the people of the City of Cambridge caused by these practices; and
WHEREAS: The City Council believes that eliminating the sale of fur products in Massachusetts will decrease the demand for these cruel and environmentally harmful products and promote community awareness of animal welfare and, in turn, will foster a more humane environment in Massachusetts and enhance the reputation of the State; and
WHEREAS: House Bill 965 and Senate Bill 623 would prohibit the sale, offer for sale, display for sale, trade, and distribution of fur products in Massachusetts, with certain exemptions; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record in support of House Bill 965 and Senate Bill 623 and urge the Massachusetts Senate to pass this bill; 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 Cambridge delegation to the Massachusetts Legislature on behalf of the entire City Council.

O-6     Jan 24, 2022
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Dedication Committee to consider the request from Councilor McGovern for a suitable location to dedicate a street corner in honor of James Wallace.
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward this order to the Dedication Committee for their review and approval.

TEXT OF COMMITTEE REPORTS
Committee Report #1
The Health & Environment Committee will meet to discuss the BEUDO amendments.
Date: Wed, Dec 22, 2021, 1:00pm, Sullivan Chamber
Present: Zondervan, Carlone, Nolan, Sobrinho-Wheeler
Absent: McGovern

Councillor Zondervan called the meeting to order and gave the floor to City staff for a presentation.

Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager in charge of Community Development (CDD), introduced City staff, which included Suzanne Rasmussen and Seth Federspiel as well as Arthur Goldberg from the Law Department.

Seth Federspiel, Climate Program Manager at CDD, explained that the majority of our emissions in Cambridge come from buildings. He stated that commercial buildings of at least 25,000 square feet, and residential properties with at least 50 units, comprise the majority of the square footage, energy usage and the greenhouse gas emissions in the city. The remaining 30% of existing buildings are proposed to be addressed by separate requirements to make improvements to them at the time of sale, and then supported by the custom retrofit program to assist in making those improvements. Similarly, for addressing new buildings, the city is anticipating adopting the state net-zero energy stretch code when it becomes available later in 2022.

Mr. Federspiel stated that the proposal before the committee strikes a good balance between flexibility, predictability and simplicity. The key components of the proposal were summarized in a PowerPoint presentation, which is attached to these minutes. He described various compliance options, including credits and compliance pathways for campuses. He explained that under the proposal the first compliance period would begin in 2025.

Councillor Zondervan opened the floor for clarifying questions.

In response to questions from Councillor Carlone, Mr. Federspiel stated that the intent of the penalty would apply per building to campuses. He stated that the first set of strategies is through on-site improvements, and by reducing energy consumption due to improved facades, then the greenhouse gas emissions from those energy sources would go down accordingly. He added that reporting data would be verified by a third-party auditor.

In response to questions from Councillor Nolan about the substantial increase of buildings being constructed in Cambridge, Mr. Federspiel stated that the overall building greenhouse gas inventory has gone up slightly from 2012 to 2019. There has been a significant increase in the amount of buildings in the city over that time period.

Councillor Zondervan made a PowerPoint presentation as well which is included in the minutes.

Councillor Zondervan stated that the city should reduce the emissions from the worst emitters, which are mainly laboratory buildings, more drastically. He proposed amendments that would change the deadline for net-zero from 2050 to 2035 and then simplify the reduction schedule to a 20% reduction in 2025, and 8% a year after that.

Councillor Zondervan opened the floor to public comment.

Marjorie Davies, speaking on behalf of the Cambridge chapter of Mothers Out Front, stated she is impressed with the work that the city has put into these amendments but is very worried that Cambridge is not moving fast enough.

Elena Legato asked the committee to act with urgency on the BEUDO amendments.

Hannah Mahoney encouraged the committee to consider amendments to make the BEUDO ordinance as strong as possible.

Sharon DeVos stated that buildings in Cambridge must move to 100% clean renewable energy by 2035.

David Brad Kim, a member of the climate protection Action Committee, an advisory body to the city manager, stated that the city needs to set the emission reduction goals beyond the 40% reduction target set for 2030.

Peter Crawley expressed concerns about greenwashing related to the claim of net zero.

No further public commenters.

In response to questions from Councillor Nolan, Seth Federspiel stated that the early baseline option included stakeholder feedback, to include major retrofits in 2014. Staff tried to pick a year that was early enough that it would enable buildings to capture those reductions, but not so early that it is not reasonable to expect that there would be data to be able to set a baseline. He stated that there could be difficulty in setting an average to compare physics labs versus biology labs versus chemistry labs and so on.

Susanne Rasmussen, Director of Environmental and Transportation Planning, added that some buildings in the lab sector have very high energy use intensity, but that this is not necessarily because those buildings are more inefficient than other buildings. Additional analysis would be needed to really understand which buildings are outliers because they are being inefficiently operated.

Councillor Carlone stated he would like to see a fine at $300 per ton. He encouraged the city to be stricter with high intensity buildings like labs.

Councillor Zondervan and Attorney Goldberg discussed the Law Department’s concern that imposing certain fines could be viewed as an improper tax.

Councillor Nolan expressed concern that some buildings could meet the BEUDO threshold without doing anything other than the expected greening of the regional electric grid.

Councillor Zondervan moved to refer the ordinance to the full city council with no recommendation.
Yeas: Carlone, Nolan, Zondervan
Absent: Councillor McGovern, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler

Meeting adjourned.

[Minutes] [Cover Letter] [Proposed Amendments – red-lined] [Proposed Amendments – clean] [City Solicitor Letter]

Ordinance #2021-26 A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-84 regarding BEUDO (Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance) proposed amendments.

A communication was received from Assistant City Manager, Community Development, Iram Farooq, transmitting City of Cambridge Getting to Net Zero Action Plan BEUDO Amendment Proposal.

A communication was received from Councillor Zondervan, transmitting a presentation regarding BEUD (ER) O Amendments.