Cambridge City Council meeting - January 25, 2010 - AGENDA

CITY MANAGER’S AGENDA
1. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Conor Piecham as a Constable Without Power for a term of three years, effective Jan 1, 2010.

2. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Beverly J. Bates as a member of the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust for a three year term effective Jan 1, 2010.

Jan 25, 2010

To the Honorable, the City Council:

I am hereby transmitting notification of the appointment of Beverly J. Bates as a member of the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust for a three year term effective Jan 1, 2010.

Beverly Bates is a Cambridge resident with an extensive background in affordable housing development and preservation of affordable housing. Ms. Bates is a Senior Vice President with The Community Builders (TCB), one of the largest non-profit developers of affordable and mixed-income housing in the country. Over more than twenty years with The Community Builders, Ms. Bates has assumed increasing levels of responsibility for affordable housing developments in Massachusetts and nationally. Today, Ms. Bates oversees the execution of all of TCB’s real estate development activities and supervises professional staff in the areas of finance, design and construction and project management. Prior to assuming this role in 2001, she was responsible for overseeing TCB’s Mid-Atlantic Region, where she oversaw the development of a wide variety of HOPE VI and affordable housing preservation projects. Ms. Bates was responsible for establishing TCB’s successful office in Pittsburgh and was formerly the Director of TCB’s Western Massachusetts operations. In these capacities, Ms. Bates has overseen the development of thousands of units of affordable and mixed-income housing, utilizing a wide range of public and private financing sources. Prior to joining TCB, Ms. Bates was the Financial Director of a successful non-profit community development corporation, and also held positions with the Massachusetts Community Development Finance Corporation and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Communities and Development.

Very truly yours, Robert W. Healy, City Manager

3. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following persons as members of the Cambridge Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Commission effective Jan 12, 2010:

Kevin Shpritzer (1-year term)

Julia Pallotta (2-year term)

Michael McKenzie (3-year term)

Mallory SoRelle (3-year term)

4. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Moacir Barbosa as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Cambridge Health Alliance to fill a vacancy for a term concluding June 30, 2011. [Mr. Barbosa is an active member of the Cambridge Community. He serves as the chairperson of the Men of Color Health Task Force, is a member of the Leadership Team for the Peaceable Schools Institute at Lesley College, and is on the Board of Trustees of the Phillips Brooks House Association at Harvard University. Mr. Barbosa has also been an active member of the Committee on Public and Community Health and Cambridge Public Health sub-committee and supported the Cambridge Health Alliance through its reconfiguration.]

5. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation not to adopt the Fanning, et al zoning petition as filed.

Dec 15, 2009

To the Honorable, the City Council,

Subject: The Fanning, et al. zoning petition to remove the Eastern Cambridge Housing Overlay designation from the area bounded by Cardinal Medeiros Avenue, Binney Street, the Grand Junction railway, and the edge of the Residence C-1 District, and to remove the FAR exemption for existing above-ground structured parking in the Industry A-1 District.

Recommendation: The Planning Board does not recommend adoption of the petition as filed.

1.The inclusion of the floor area of the existing above-ground parking garage in the calculation of the FAR for the One Kendall Square site, as proposed, would result in the existing development on that site exceeding the maximum allowed Gross Floor Area – thus disallowing any additional development. The Board believes that it would be unreasonable to effect a change of such magnitude on a single site.

2.The Eastern Cambridge Planning Study, which was the basis for zoning in this area, established a goal of encouraging the development of housing on the affected sites. The current Eastern Cambridge Housing Overlay designation provides incentives to favor the future development of residential uses over commercial or industrial uses. The proposed zoning change would remove such incentives.

The Board recognizes that significant development, including residential development, has been built or permitted in the Eastern Cambridge area since the current zoning was enacted in 2001. The residential incentives provided by the current zoning may or may not be appropriate in 2010, and the City Council may feel that it is the appropriate time to reexamine the issue of whether future housing development should continue to be encouraged on this site.

The Board also recognizes the valid concern of the petitioners with regard to establishing an appropriate transition between the higher-scale commercial uses in the One Kendall Square area and the lower-scale residential neighborhood to the north and west. The Board does not find the current zoning regulations to be inappropriate in providing for such a transition, but further study might reveal other, more effective alternatives.

If the City Council feels that any of these issues merit further exploration, the Planning Board would welcome the opportunity to work with staff to conduct additional study.

Respectfully submitted for the Planning Board,
William Tibbs, Chair

6. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to an increase of the appropriation of the Adult Basic Education (ABE) grant received from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in the amount of $12,878.00 to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Salary and Wages account ($12,420.00) and to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($108.00) and to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Travel and Training account ($350.00) and will support the Community Learning Center (CLC) in offering classes to adults who wish to improve their computer instruction, reading, writing and math skills and/or to obtain a GED or Cambridge Adult Diploma. In addition, English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes are offered for immigrants who need to improve their language skills.

7. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the transfer of $3,000 in the General Fund from Employee Benefits (health insurance) Salary and Wages account to Public Library Travel and Training account (judgment and damages) to cover present and future medical service costs for employees injured during the performance of their work duties.

8. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council for $16,890 to the Grant Fund Public Celebrations (Arts Council) Other Ordinary Maintenance account and will be used to provide mini-grants to artists, arts organizations and community groups in Cambridge.

ON THE TABLE
1. A communication was received from D. Margaret Drury, City Clerk, transmitting a copy of the referral of Order Number 15 of Dec 21, 2009, regarding increasing the amount of public information about elections while the election is in progress, to the 2010-2011 City Council. [Communications and Reports from City Officers #1 of Jan 11, 2010 Placed on Table.]

2. A communication was received from D. Margaret Drury, City Clerk, transmitting a copy of the referral of Order Number 16 of Dec 21, 2009, regarding the City Council’s policy on naming street corners, along with the attached Oct 27, 2006 report from the City Manager. [Communications and Reports from City Officers #2 of Jan 11, 2010 Placed on Table.]

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
3. A communication was received from D. Margaret Drury, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Vice Mayor Sam Seidel and Councillor David Maher, Co-Chairs of the Ordinance Committee, for a meeting held on Nov 18, 2009 for the purpose of considering a petition for a zoning amendment filed by Richard D. Fanning et al. to eliminate the Section 5.25.3 exemption of existing parking facilities in the calculation of floor area ratio (FAR) and to delete Sections 20.44.3, which specifies maximum heights for the area between the centerline of the railroad right of way and the centerline of Cardinal Medeiros Avenue in the East Cambridge Housing Overlay District. Planning Board hearing held on Nov 17, 2009. Petition expires Feb 16, 2010. [Committee Report Number Six of Dec 14, 2009 was Accepted and Referred to Unfinished Business.]

4. That the matter of the election of the Mayor be referred to Unfinished Business. Jan 11, 2010 ballot #2 taken (Councillor Davis two votes, Councillor Maher four votes and Councillor Reeves three votes). Item remains on Calendar.

COMMUNICATIONS
1. A communication was received from Stephen Diamond, Chair, Agassiz Neighborhood Council Agassiz Baldwin Community, transmitting thanks to the City Council for improving the visibility of the pedestrian crosswalks in their neighborhood.

2. A communication was received from the family of Joseph L. Gallegos, transmitting thanks to the City Council for the beautiful expression of sympathy.

RESOLUTIONS
1. Happy 75th Birthday wishes to Sophia Anastos.   Councillor Decker, Councillor Maher

2. Resolution on the death of Mary J. Scanlon.   Councillor Maher

3. Resolution on the death of Mary Rita (Fabrizi) Maher.   Councillor Maher

4. Resolution on the death of Enes M. (Leccacorvi) Donnelly.   Councillor Maher, Councillor Toomey

5. Resolution on the death of Robert B. Parker.   Councillor Toomey, Councillor Decker, Councillor Cheung

6. Congratulations to Marvin Gilmore, Carolyn Turk and Moacir Barbosa on the occasion of receiving for their achievements and commitment to the Cambridge community from the Elk’s Massasoit Lodge #129 of Cambridge.   Councillor Simmons

7. Resolution on the death of Philip Federico Jr.   Councillor Toomey

8. Resolution on the death of Margaret A. "Peggy" (Moore) Powell.   Councillor Toomey

9. Resolution on the death of Maria Grace (Teixeira) Abrantes.   Councillor Toomey

10. Resolution on the death of Antonio B. Resendes.   Councillor Toomey

11. Resolution on the death of Poppy (Frangos) Rubera.   Councillor Toomey

12. Resolution on the death of Stephen Pelletrino.   Councillor Toomey

13. Resolution on the death of Reverend Douglas Whitlow.   Councillor Simmons

14. Congratulating the students for their commitment to the TTT Mentor Program of TTT Foundation, Inc.   Councillor Simmons

15. Congratulating and thanking the Mentors for their commitment to the TTT Mentor Program of TTT Foundation, Inc.   Councillor Simmons

16. Happy 75th Birthday to a special Cantabrigian.   Councillor Toomey

17. Thanking Gail Enman for her fifteen years of service to CASPAR and to the entire Cambridge community.   Councillor Toomey, Councillor Simmons

18. Resolution on the death of Private First Class Michael R. Jarrett.   Councillor Decker

19. Thanking the 1369 Coffee House for their efforts taken on behalf of the people of Haiti and the people of Cambridge.   Councillor Seidel

20. Congratulations to Lieutenant Jack Albert of the Cambridge Police Department on his promotion to Deputy Superintendent.   Councillor Davis

21. Congratulations to Lieutenant Paul Ames of the Cambridge Police Department on his promotion to Deputy Superintendent.   Councillor Davis

22. Congratulations to Lieutenant Christine Elow of the Cambridge Police Department on her promotion to Deputy Superintendent.   Councillor Davis

23. Resolution on the death of April A. (Maddalo) Clemente.   Councillor Toomey

24. Congratulations to the AVID students at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School on their fundraiser to benefit the earthquake victims in Haiti.   Councillor Toomey

25. Resolution on the death of Joseph R. Zonghetti.   Councillor Toomey

26. Resolution on the death of Anne E. (Ciampa) Ventola.   Councillor Toomey

27. Resolution on the death of John E. Fitzgerald.   Councillor Toomey

ORDERS
1. That the City Manager is requested to address the complaints of the abutters of 220 Putnam Avenue regarding the illegal housing and raising of chickens and ducks at that address.   Councillor Simmons

2. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Assistant City Manager for Human Services, the Assistant City Manager for Community Development and the Superintendent of Schools to report back to this City Council on what can be done to assist the Kesher After School Program, which is now located in the St. James Church property and will be displaced by the development currently scheduled to begin on June 1, 2010.   Councillor Cheung

3. That the City Manager is requested to work with the Cambridge Housing Authority to create a Blanket Amnesty Policy for lease holders who receive family members arriving legally from Haiti.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor Davis and Councillor Cheung

4. That the City Manager is requested to instruct relevant City staff members to confer with both Cambridge Health Authority staff and all relevant school department staff, to include district schools, charter schools, private schools and parochial schools, and report back to the Council on how effective the school vaccine program was and how it might be improved upon in the future.   Councillor Kelley

5. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council on the recording of covenants associated with the Saint James Church and on whether the City can get its money back if a future project negatively impacts the historic aspects of the property that the City’s funding was intended to preserve.   Councillor Kelley

6. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the DCR and relevant City staff and have an explanation available at the City’s budget hearings about how the City and the DCR will be able to keep the City pool and the two DCR pools in Cambridge open through the end of the summer of 2010.   Councillor Kelley

7. That the City Council request the City Manager provide, in writing, a schedule for continued renovations of Cambridge youth centers, including the Moore Youth Center, with the understanding this is contingent on the availability of funds.   Councillor Simmons

8. That the City Council go on record expressing its sympathy for the suffering of the people of Haiti, and its support to them and their families.   Councillor Seidel

9. That the City Manager is requested to continue to work with the city departments, including the School Department, to adjust and respond to the changing needs of the Cambridge Haitian community in the future.   Councillor Davis, Councillor Simmons and Councillor Reeves

10. Dedication of the tot lot or a suitable location in the vicinity of Gondolfe Park at the corner of Massachusetts and Clarendon Avenues in honor of John J. Courtney.   Councillor Decker
Kelley - NO

11. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate City departments and, if necessary, State departments, to install the proper signage to make drivers who may be unfamiliar with the stretch of Memorial Drive past John F. Kennedy Street aware of the upcoming line of parked cars in the right hand lane.   Councillor Decker

COMMITTEE REPORTS
1. A communication was received from D. Margaret Drury, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Vice Mayor Sam Seidel, Chair of the Housing Committee, for a meeting held on Dec 8, 2009 to discuss issues regarding the Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA), including the multi-million dollar renovation plans, the vacancy on the CHA board, potential of federal acquisition of state-owned CHA units and any other issues regarding the CHA that might properly come before the committee.

2. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Deputy City Clerk, transmitting a report from Vice Mayor Sam Seidel, Chair of the Neighborhood and Long Term Planning Committee, for a meeting held on Dec 10, 2009 to discuss the current priority issues for the neighborhood associations in the City.

MISCELLANEOUS
1. Transmitting from the City Manager, the 2009 Town Gown Reports.

HEARING SCHEDULE
Mon, Jan 25
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Feb 1
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, Feb 2
6:00pm   School Committee Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Feb 8
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Feb 22
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Mar 1
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, Mar 2
6:00pm   School Committee Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Mar 8
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Mar 15
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, Mar 16
6:00pm   School Committee Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Mar 22
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Apr 5
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, Apr 6
6:00pm   School Committee Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Apr 12
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Apr 26
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

TEXT OF ORDERS
O-1     Jan 25, 2010
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to address the complaints of the abutters of 220 Putnam Avenue regarding the illegal housing and raising of chickens and ducks at that address.

O-2     Jan 25, 2010
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Assistant City Manager for Human Services, the Assistant City Manager for Community Development and the Superintendent of Schools to report back to this City Council on what can be done to assist the Kesher After School Program, which is now located in the St. James Church property and will be displaced by the development currently scheduled to begin on June 1, 2010; and be it further
ORDERED: That said report include discussion, inter alia, of the following possibilities:
   *Could Oaktree, the developers of the St. James property, be asked to delay the construction until the end of the 2009-2010 school year, enabling Kesher to fulfill its obligation to Cambridge families?
   *Could the Transportation Department of Cambridge Public Schools arrange a bus stop on the border of Cambridge and Somerville, as close as possible to the site on Somerville Avenue?
   *Are there vacant classrooms in any Cambridge school buildings that Kesher could rent until the end of this school year, giving us time to finalize the arrangements in Somerville (and giving Cambridge parents time to find alternate transportation for their children)? Could Oaktree Development participate in the attempts to find alternative space for the Kesher After School.

O-3     Jan 25, 2010
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR DAVIS
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: Relief efforts for those impacted by the earthquake in Haiti now include the transport of Haitians with US citizenship status or visas to the United States; and
WHEREAS: Family members of Haitians displaced by the earthquake who are served by Cambridge Housing Authority public and voucher programs will be called upon to house family members as they recover from this tragedy; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the Cambridge Housing Authority to create a Blanket Amnesty Policy for lease holders who receive family members arriving legally from Haiti.

O-4     Jan 25, 2010
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
WHEREAS: Public schools are an important venue through which to address public health issues such as mass vaccinations; and
WHEREAS: Recent H1N1 vaccination programs were not 100% successful in getting all children in a school vaccinated; now be it therefore
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to instruct relevant City staff members to confer with both Cambridge Health Alliance staff and all relevant school department staff, to include district schools, charter schools, private schools and parochial schools, and report back to the Council on how effective the school vaccine program was and how it might be improved upon in the future.

O-5     Jan 25, 2010
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
WHEREAS: Historical covenants associated with the Saint James Church in Porter Square may have an impact on what sort of development may or may not occur on the property; and
WHEREAS: Both the State and the City appear to have provided some funds for historical preservation of the Saint James Church; and
WHEREAS: It is not clear how the various covenants were recorded and how they will be interpreted; now be it therefore
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on the recording of covenants associated with the Saint James Church and whether the City can get its money back if a future project negatively impacts the historic aspects of the property that the City’s funding was intended to preserve.

O-6     Jan 25, 2010
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the State Department of Conservation and Recreation and relevant City staff and have an explanation available at the City’s budget hearings about how the City and the DCR will be able to keep the City pool and the two DCR pools in Cambridge open through the end of the summer of 2010.

O-7     Jan 25, 2010
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
WHEREAS: Many of the City’s youth centers have undergone extensive upgrades and modernization in recent years, including redesign or enhancements to outdoor recreation space and tot lots; and
WHEREAS: The Moore Youth Center and Hoyt Field tot lot are comparatively outdated and see significant use by pre-school programs and the diverse minority population of the neighborhood; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Council request that the City Manger provide, in writing, a schedule for continued renovation of Cambridge youth centers, including the Moore Youth Center, with the understanding this is contingent on the availability of funds.

O-8     Jan 25, 2010
COUNCILLOR SEIDEL
WHEREAS: The catastrophic earthquake in Haiti has caused untold destruction and loss of human life; and
WHEREAS: Haiti’s humanitarian crisis is a concern across the globe, and nations have rallied to aid Haiti in its time of need; and
WHEREAS: Cambridge and its residents have striven to do their part to aid the people of Haiti; and
WHEREAS: Cambridge recognizes the distress that many of its residents with ties to Haiti find themselves in at the current time; and
WHEREAS: The rescue, recovery and rebuilding of that island nation will be a long effort and require sustained commitment in the years ahead; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record expressing its sympathy for the suffering of the people of Haiti, and its support to them and their families; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Council work with the City Manager, City departments, the Cambridge Health Alliance, and Cambridge non-profits to do everything in its power to aid Cambridge residents who have ties to Haiti or who have the desire to help the people and the country of Haiti; 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 General Consulate of Haiti in Boston on behalf of the entire City Council.

O-9     Jan 25, 2010
COUNCILLOR DAVIS
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR REEVES
WHEREAS: On Jan 12, 2010, an earthquake of more than 7.0 magnitude struck Haiti causing extraordinary devastation and loss of life; and
WHEREAS: Cambridge is home to a large Haitian community and every individual in that community has family and friends who have been impacted by this momentous disaster; and
WHEREAS: That the City Council wishes to express its heartfelt concern and sympathy for those Cambridge residents with family and friends who are victims of the earthquake in Haiti; and
WHEREAS: The City Manager and his staff immediately responded to the crisis by setting up access to information and assistance; and
WHEREAS: Over the weeks and months to come, the needs and concerns of the Cambridge Haitian community will change as the extent of the human and physical damage caused by the earthquake becomes apparent, and the city should be prepared to help meet those needs and concerns as best it can; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to continue to work with the city departments, including the School Department, to adjust and respond to the changing needs of the Cambridge Haitian community in the future.

O-10     January 25, 2010  Kelley - NO
COUNCILLOR DECKER
ORDERED: That the City Council dedicate the tot lot or a suitable location in the vicinity of Gondolfe Park at the corner of Massachusetts and Clarendon Avenues in honor of John J. Courtney; and be it further
ORDERED: That the Executive Assistant to the City Council be and hereby is directed to confer with the family regarding a suitable dedication ceremony and communicate with the Department of Public works to arrange for the sign.

O-11     January 25, 2010
COUNCILLOR DECKER
WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of this City Council that driving on Memorial Drive past John F. Kennedy Street heading towards Watertown can be dangerous due to legal evening/overnight parking which blocks the right lane of Memorial Drive; and
WHEREAS: Although frequent drivers of this stretch of Memorial Drive may be aware of this permitted parking and anticipate the closure of the right lane of Memorial Drive as they approach Ash Street, there are drivers who may not be familiar with this stretch of Memorial Drive and are surprised by the sudden lane closure; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate City departments and, if necessary, State departments, to install the proper signage to make drivers who may be unfamiliar with the stretch of Memorial Drive aware of the upcoming line of parked cars in the right hand land; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this matter.

TEXT OF COMMITTEE REPORTS
Committee Report #1
The Housing Committee held a public meeting on Dec 8, 2009 beginning at 5:06pm in the Sullivan Chamber, 2nd floor, Cambridge City Hall. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss issues regarding the Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA), including the multi-million dollar renovation plans, the vacancy on the CHA board, potential of federal acquisition of state-owned CHA units and any other issues regarding the CHA that might properly come before the committee.

Present at the meeting were Vice Mayor Sam Seidel, Chair of the Committee; Councillor Henrietta Davis; Councillor Kenneth E. Reeves; City Clerk Margaret Drury; Gregory Russ, Executive Director of the CHA; Terry Dumas, Director of Planning and Development, CHA; Gloria Leipsig, Director of Operations, CHA; Michael Johnston, Deputy Executive Director, Leased Housing, CHA; Beth Rubenstein, Assistant City Manager for Community Development; Christopher Cotter, Director of Housing Community Development Department (CDD); Cassie Arnoud, Housing Planner, CDD; and Elaine DeRosa, Executive Director, CEOC.

Also present were tenants, representatives from other related agencies and members of the public. Those who provided public testimony are identified in the body of the report.

Vice Mayor Seidel convened the meeting and explained the purpose. He read the call of the meeting and requested that Mr. Russ begin with an update of the CHA’s capital renovations plan. Mr. Russ submitted the following written material for the record: A collection of documents dated Dec 3, 2009, submitted in response to City Council Policy Order #14 of Nov 16, 2009 and Order #1 of Nov 16, 2009 (Attachment A) and .additional material entitled "CHA Federalization Summary" dated Dec 8, 2009 (Attachment B). Mr. Russ said that federal government decided fairly recently that federal acquisition of existing state-funded units would qualify for Stimulus funding. HUD established a very short deadline for the submission of applications. The proposals had to be received by HUD by Nov 23rd. The CHA has applied for funds for 438 units in 12 separate proposals. They do not know how many will be accepted. The CHA held a public hearing, with 10-day published notice and also held meetings for tenants at all of the state-owned housing projects.

Mr. Russ said that the bottom line financial advantage to federal ownership is irrefutable. The CHA receives a federal operating subsidy of $300 per month unit, while the state subsidy is $199 per unit. The CHA is already spending $800,000 per year of federal funds to subsidize the operating costs of state units under the Moving to Work program. The state does not provide a regular allocation for capital expenses; the federal funding scheme does. Although the federal allocation is modest, it does enable the housing authority to be able to borrow money to make necessary capital improvements and know that they can rely on the regular capital allocation to pay the debt. If the state-owned units are acquired by the federal program, those units will be eligible for capital allocations going forward. On the state side, capital improvements must be funded by bond issues, which are not predictable.

Mr. Russ noted that there are some tradeoffs on the down side. About 18% of households might experience rent increases under the federal formula for rent calculation. The CHA will take steps to mitigate these rent increases. They are considering rent caps limiting the increase to no more than $100 per month for two years or delaying the increase entirely for one year for the state tenants who would be facing these increases.

Another issue is the difference in eligibility and rents with regard to undocumented residents of the United States. Under the rules for eligibility for federal units, at least one member of the household must be a documented resident of the United States, and no federal subsidies can go to benefit undocumented residents. The CHA has concluded that a family of current tenants in which some family members are documented and some are not could continue to occupy a unit as long as the occupancy of the undocumented members is not subsidized by federal funds. This could mean that the unit would be covered by a prorated federal subsidy that would not cover the rent of the undocumented family members, which in turn could mean a higher rent for the family unless the CHA could use non-federal funds, e.g., state funds to cover the rest of the rent. Again, the CHA is looking at capping any increases at $100 per month for two years or delaying the increase entirely for a year. Mr. Russ noted that there is an even bigger problem for undocumented families on the waiting list. They are still investigating the ramifications and potential solutions.

Mr. Russ requested Ms. Dumas to present the results of the CHA’s recent review of immigration status of CHA tenants, which is shown on the last page of the document dated 12/8/09 and entitled "CHA Federalization Summary" (Attachment B). Ms. Dumas said that the chart presents the worst-case scenario. They estimate that out of 524 affected units, there are potentially 20 completely undocumented families and 26 mixed families in which some members are documented and some are not. Ms. Dumas emphasized that the CHA has made a commitment that no current families residing in CHA housing will be displaced on account of the federalization. Ms. Dumas noted that the waiting list presents a separate issue.

Ms. Dumas also expressed the CHA’s appreciation for the support provided by the Alliance of Cambridge Tenants and Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services in this process. The next steps will be inspection of the units by HUD and CHA preparation for a closing by mid-January.

Vice Mayor Seidel asked what percentage of the total state units the 438 represent. Ms. Dumas said that Jackson Gardens and Lincoln Way (total of 305) are already in the process to become federal units. If all of the proposed units become federalized only one Roosevelt Towers mid-rise building and Putnam School (total of 108), part of Jefferson Park (109 units currently slated for demolition is 2-5 years) and three community residences would still be state-funded. In response to a question from Vice Mayor Seidel as to whether the change to federal status would be in perpetuity, Mr. Russ answered in the affirmative. He said that there would be a deed of trust with 40 year affordability agreements. Mayor Simmons asked whether the 40-year affordability agreements would create another expiring use problem. Mr. Russ said that it would not, that in the entire time of its existence Congress has never eliminated operating funding for the existing federal public housing units.

Councillor Reeves asked what effect federalization would have on the availability of Section 8 funds. Mr. Russ said that in their planning for the extensive capital improvement rehab of the CHA units, they had foreseen and reported on the possible use of up to 500 vouchers to support the financing plan for these improvements. Due to stimulus funds received in September 2009, the estimate has dropped to 250-375. Mr. Russ said that currently there are three kinds of vouchers: tenant-based, project-based and Moving To Work (MTW) sponsor-based vouchers intended to work with programs involving other agencies. Some of the tenant-based vouchers will be converted to project-based vouchers to support rehab work. There are currently 1,481 tenant-based vouchers, and this number may come down some. The only vouchers currently available are for emergency situations. Some vouchers are being used for temporary relocation of CHA tenants during rehab use. The waiting lists are closed and will remain closed during the rehab work.

Councillor Reeves asked whether single non-disabled men are able to get housing. Mr. Russ answered in the affirmative but noted that in some cases CORI may present a barrier.

Mayor Simmons said that she would like to work with the CHA to be better informed about what is going on, especially with respect to information about what lists are closed or open to new applicants. She suggested thinking about a newsletter or an email notification to City Councillors. Mr. Russ said that he would be happy to work with staff to set up some sort of email notification. He also noted that this information is available on the CHA website. Mayor Simmons expressed her appreciation of the possibility of an email notification system and urged inclusion of CDD and the Multi-Service Center.

Vice Mayor Seidel then moved to public comment.

Cheryl Anne Pizza-Zeoli requested that the CHA describe in more detail the process to be used in determining the documentation status of tenants.

Attorney Ellen Schacter, Greater Boston Legal Services, submitted a copy of a letter from her to the CHA dated Nov 17, 2009 (Attachment C). She thanked the CHA for their responsiveness to their concerns and urged the City Council to continue to look closely at the negative consequences to immigrant populations. She expressed continued concern for the effect on the rent structure for immigrant families. Rents would go up from the current rate of about 30% of income to 40% for every mixed immigrant family. This is what is happening already in federal housing. Right now, in the state-funded programs all families pay the same percentage of income. Ms. Schacter said that the CHA can change this negative result for mixed immigrant families by amending its housing plan. Nothing in federal law requires a 33% rent increase. Attorney Schacter informed the committee that the shelter population now includes a large percentage of former public housing tenants of federal units.

James Williamson, Jefferson Park, stated that he thought that there would be a chance to discuss other issues at this meeting, but almost all of the time has been spent on this issue of federalization. He urged the City Council to find time for another hearing in the near future. With regard to the federalization issues, he said that he agrees with the mayor that just having the information on the CHA website is not enough. He also suggested that the information provided not be limited to the capital process and that the CHA should not schedule meetings for Monday nights at the same time as the City Council meetings. Mr. Williamson also expressed concern about the long term stability of funds to pay for this large capital improvement program. Elaine DeRosa, Executive Director of CEOC, complimented the CHA for taking advantage of this opportunity but stressed that the resulting rent increases will be very difficult for these tenants. The thoughtfulness with which the CHA moves forward will determine the quality of life of some very vulnerable people. Ms. DeRosa requested that the committee ask the CHA for a timeline on when the vacant CHA board seat will be filled.

Bob Chamberlain, 116 Norfolk Street, Vice Co Chair of ACT, questioned why the CHA want to repair the 100 year-old building on Norfolk Street. He said that the CHA public hearing was well-attended by tenants and well-run by the CHA. He expressed concern about the federalization from the point of view of the residents. He is worried that the calculation of the federal rent will be too difficult for certain Building managers. He would like to have the City Council look closely at how these rents are calculated.

Vice Mayor Seidel requested that CHA staff respond to the questions raised by the public in their comments.

Mr. Russ said that the issue of the board seat is not within CHA control. The appointment must be made by the City Manager. With regard to the long-term stability of funding for capital improvements, at least the federal allocation formula contains a specific amount for capital repairs, although the amount is substantially below what public housing managers see as necessary. There is no such allocation in the state funding formula. Mr. Russ said that he does not agree with the calculation of the amount of the rent increases cited in tonight’s public comments. He agreed that the CHA does have ability to change the rent structure and that they intend to look carefully at a number of avenues to prevent rent increases from becoming unmanageable for their tenants.

Gloria Leipsig, Director of Operations, CHA, described the process used to arrive at their estimation of the number of undocumented and mixed immigrant families. She said that two staff members reviewed the files of all of the tenants. They looked at birth certificates, Social Security payment documents, recent births and any other documents in the files that could establish resident status. From the document survey they arrived at the numbers provided in this report. These numbers represent a worst-case scenario. As they move forward they will set up interviews with each member of the household, and they will send letters guaranteeing that no displacement will result from this process.

Councillor Kelley asked if the CHA will encounter other differences in federal and state rules in addition to the rules regarding undocumented residents. Mr. Russ said that the big change is the rent. There will be rules regarding capital expenditures and disposition. The CHA will still be required to pay prevailing wages in construction as they are under state funding laws. HUD also has rules encouraging resident employment.

Councillor Kelley asked how much of the capital improvement projected costs would be covered by the stimulus funds. Mr. Russ said that while these funds will be very helpful there is much more to be done. The construction budget is estimated at $310,000,000. Of this, the CHA has raised$121,000,000. Councillor Kelley asked what the $7,000,000 from the City’s Affordable Housing Trust will go towards. Mr. Russ said that it will go towards the construction at Jackson Gardens and Lincoln Way, along with $7,000,000 from the State and $7,000,000 from the CHA.

Vice Mayor Seidel asked Mr. Russ if the Commonwealth is trying to get out of the public housing business. Mr. Russ said that the economics of public housing are brutal. There are currently 55,000 unsustainable state units in Massachusetts.

Vice Mayor Seidel thanked all those present for their participation. The meeting was adjourned at 7:05pm.

For the Committee
Vice Mayor Sam Seidel, Chair

Committee Report #2
The Neighborhood and Long Term Planning Committee held a public meeting on Thurs, Dec 10, 2009 at five o’clock and forty minutes p.m. in the Ballroom at the Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Avenue.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the current priority issues for the neighborhood associations in the City.

Present at the meeting were Vice Mayor Sam Seidel, Chair of the Committee; Councillor Craig Kelley; Councillor Henrietta Davis; Beth Rubenstein, Assistant City Manager for Community Development; Stuart Dash, Director, Community Planning; Elaine Thorne, Jeff Roberts and Taha Jennings, Community Development Department (CDD); Ellen Semonoff, Assistant City Manager for Human Services; John Nardone, Public Works; Superintendent of Police Christopher Burke; Jeff Walker, Mayor’s Chief of Staff; Victoria Harris; and Deputy City Clerk Donna P. Lopez.

Also present at the meeting were Gretchen Friesinger, 16 Orchard Street; Charlie Marquardt, 10 Rogers Street; Joanna Herlihy, 410 Norfolk Street; Heather Hoffman and Mark Jaquith, 213 Hurley Street. Representatives from the neighborhood associations were as follows: ACN & CNA Eli and Nona Yarden; Margaret Fuller House Neighborhood Association Barbara Kibler and A. Goodridge; Mt. Auburn Neighborhood Association (MANA) Fleet Hill and Tom Stohlman; North Cambridge Stabilization Committee Carolyn Mieth; Agassiz Neighborhood Association Carol Weinhaus; Riverside Neighborhood Association Lawrence Adkins; Neighborhood Nine Association Bhupesh Patel; Cambridge Community Center David Gibbs; Wellington-Harrington Neighborhood Association Rudy Belliardi, Dick Fanning and Joseph Burke; Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Association (MCNA) Chris Robinson and George Metzger; ACN Carolyn Mieth and Stephen Diamond; Porter Square Neighborhood Association John H. Howard, President; Area Four Coalition Barbara Kibler, A. Goodridge and Minka vanBeuzekom and Citizens for Feasible Compliance Kathy Podgers.

Vice Mayor Seidel opened the meeting and stated the purpose. Introductions were made. Issues would be identified and then an exercise would be held to prioritize the issues. This would allow the City Council to have the issues before them for the next term. His goal is to have the neighborhood associations meet and get to know each other and see that some issues may be similar. He outlined the format of the meeting. Twelve topic headers were chosen by the committee chair. The twelve topics were: participation by city government, housing, safety, open space, green issues, human services, cleanliness, traffic and parking, crime, development, city services and building. He stated that the neighborhood association representatives would place "post-it" stickers on the topics in order to prioritize the issues. Comments on the topics could be written on the stickers.

Some comments were as follows:

Eli Yarden stated that an analysis should be done on how and when neighborhood associations were formed, the funding and function of the association.

Kathy Podgers stated that natural and open space should be separate topics.

Tom Stohlman stated that Transportation needed to be added to the topics. Traffic and parking is cars; transportation encompasses pedestrians, bicyclist and public transportation.

Lawrence Adkins stated that Employment, Economic Development and Retail needed to be added as a topic.

Rudy Belliardi stated that Education needed to be added to the topics.

At this point a mapping exercise took place. The results were as follows:

Notes from Mapping Exercise and Summary of Results
A review of available data shows that the list of participants represented all neighborhoods except for MIT (Area 2), Cambridge Highlands (Area 12) and Strawberry Hill (Area 13). However, given that notice of the meeting included a broad range of groups and was not limited to "official" representatives of neighborhood organizations, the concerns and issues raised at the meeting were not done in any group-sanctioned capacity. Also, the meeting did not limit the number of people who could attend from a single neighborhood, and consequently there were areas of the City who had more people contributing to the list and participating in the voting process.

A list of topic areas and "votes" by neighborhood representatives are detailed below. Summary results include:

• 25% (18 votes) of the 72 cast at the meeting identified the issues of development/zoning/urban planning as major priorities
• 24% of votes were almost equally given to the categories of open space (9) and housing [development] (8).
• 15% of votes identified issues pertaining to safety (6) and cleanliness (5)
• The remaining 35% of votes (26) identified priorities covered a spectrum of concerns, including structure and organization of neighborhoods, "green" issues, employment/economic development and transportation.
• An additional issue noted by a number of people in attendance was the need for a study of neighborhood associations - specifically how they are funded and how they function.

Vice Mayor Seidel thanked those present for their attendance. This information will be reported to the full City Council. The purpose of this meeting was to get a snapshot of neighborhood issues and will provide city staff with background information.

The meeting adjourned at seven o’clock and two minutes p.m.

For the Committee,
Vice Mayor Sam Seidel, Chair

AWAITING REPORT LIST
09-147. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on what barriers would prevent residents from raising chickens and what could be done to remove these barriers. Remains on Awaiting Report List at request of Councillor Davis
Councillor Davis and Full Membership 12/14/09 (O-2)

10-01. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on status of new smoke detector regulation and how the regulation related to Cambridge residential structures.
Councillor Davis and Full Membership 01/11/10 (O-2)

10-02. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on an assessment and plan for repairs and improvements of all school playgrounds.
Councillor Maher and Full Membership 01/11/10 (O-3)