Cambridge City Council meeting - March 25, 2019

CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA
1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-114, regarding bicycle signage on Brattle Street.
Placed on File

2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a recommendation from the Planning Board to adopt the Petition to change the floor area ratio (FAR) for hotel use in the Industry B (IB) district from 2.75 to 4.0.
Referred to the Petition

3. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $75,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Department of Human Services Programs Extraordinary Expenditures account which will be used to conduct a study to determine appropriate and necessary repairs to the concrete and circulation system at the War Memorial Pool.
Order Adopted 9-0

4. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $560,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Fire Extraordinary Expenditures account which will fund the refurbishing of a 2002 Pierce Rear-Mount Aerial Ladder Truck.
Order Adopted 9-0

5. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $593,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Fire Extraordinary Expenditures account which will fund the replacement of a 2007 Pierce Pumper Fire Truck.
Order Adopted 9-0

6. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $911,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Emergency Communications Extraordinary Expenditures account which will fund the necessary equipment for the radio replacement program.
Order Adopted 9-0

7. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $250,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Emergency Communications Extraordinary Expenditure account which will fund a new radio site for the Conventional Radio System in the eastern portion of the city.
Order Adopted 9-0

8. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of a Traffic Enforcement Grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security's (EOPSS) Traffic Enforcement Grant Program in the amount of $6,370 to the Grant Fund Police Department Salary and Wages account which will fund high-visibility traffic enforcement of motor vehicle laws, related to impaired driving.
Order Adopted 8-1 (Kelley - NO)

9. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of the FY19 Shannon Grant for $24,094.87 received from the Metropolitan Mayors Coalition’s Community Safety Initiative through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to the Grant Fund Police Department Salary and Wages account ($19,904) and the Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($4,190.87) which will be dedicated to hot spot patrols, Metro Gang Task Force participation, and the Focused Deterrence program, and to support the Sion Chambers Area IV Late Night Basketball League at the Community Art Center.
Order Adopted 9-0

10. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the transfer of $65,000 from the General Fund Employee Benefits (Insurance) Salary and Wages account to the General Fund Police Travel and Training (Judgment and Damages) account to cover current and anticipated medical services for the remainder of the fiscal year for personnel injured in the performance of their duties.
Order Adopted 9-0

11. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to recommendations for the block rates for water consumption and sewer use for the period beginning Apr 1, 2019 and ending Mar 31, 2020. [Manager's Letter] [Order]
Order Adopted 9-0

CHARTER RIGHT
1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the bi-annual City of Cambridge Resident Telephone Survey for 2018.
Referred to Government Operations, Claims and Rules Committee - Kelley

2. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a supplemental appropriation of $2,600,000 from Free Cash to the Public Works Other Ordinary Maintenance account to fund snowstorm related expenses associated with snow plowing and snow removal contracts, salt, other materials, repair costs.
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Simmons ABSENT)

3. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $400,000 from Free Cash to the Public Works Public Investment Fund Extraordinary Expenditures account to fund snowstorm related road repairs.
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Simmons ABSENT)

4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-86, regarding a report on replacing failed 4000K LED streetlights.
Placed on File

5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-142, regarding a report on efforts to educate cyclists about riding safety and sharing the road especially at intersections.
Placed on File

6. That the City Manager direct the appropriate City staff to examine the need and possibility of neighborhood preference in Cambridge in the short and long-terms.
Placed on File

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to proposed amendments to the following ordinance: and proposed amendments to Chapter 14.04 of the Cambridge Municipal Code (the "Fair Housing Ordinance"). Fair Housing (passed to a 2nd reading) AWAITING HOME RULE LEGISLATION-BEFORE PROPOSAL CAN BE ORDAINED

8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-108, regarding a report on offering early voting in City Council and School Committee Elections. PENDING RESPONSE FROM LEGISLATURE

9. An application was received from Citizens Bank, requesting permission for a 1 illuminated projecting sign and 7 awnings at the premises numbered 822 Somerville Avenue, approval has been received from Inspectional Services, Department of Public Works, Community Development Department and no abutter response.

10. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Dennis J. Carlone and Councillor Craig A. Kelley, Co-Chairs of the Ordinance Committee, for a public hearing held on Feb 27, 2019 to discuss a proposed amendment to the Municipal Code in Title Twelve entitled “Streets, Sidewalks and Public Places” by adding a new Chapter 12.22 entitled “Cycling Safety Ordinance” ON OR AFTER APR 8, 2019 THE QUESTION COMES ON PASSAGE TO BE ORDAINED

APPLICATIONS AND PETITIONS
1. An application was received from Harvard Square Business Association requesting permission for thirty-eight temporary banners on poles in Harvard Square announcing Welcome to Historic Harvard Square on May 1, 2019 thru Apr 1, 2020.
Order Adopted

2. A Zoning Petition has been received from Hemenway & Barnes LLP. on behalf of Verizon New England Inc., seeking to amend the Zoning Map to certain provisions of Article 20 of the Zoning Ordinance to allow the creation of a "Ware Street Innovation Space" Overlay District. Note that Ware Street is the only property affected by this petition.
Referred to Ordinance Committee & Planning Board

Ware Street Innovation Space Overlay Zoning Amendment

The undersigned owner of land to be affected by this petition hereby petitions the Cambridge City Council as follows:

To see if the City Council will vote to amend the Zoning Map of the City of Cambridge as follows:

That the approximately 60,988 square foot parcel along the northwesterly side of Ware Street and shown on Assessors' Map 135 as Lot 123, currently zoned Residence C-1, be rezoned to create a new overlay zoning district entitled "Ware Street Innovation Space Overlay District", with the existing Residence C-1 District to remain as the base zoning district.

To see if the City Council will vote to amend Article 20.000 of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge by adding the following text after Article 20. __ :

20._ Ware Street Innovation Space Overlay District

20._ Establishment and Scope.
There is hereby established the Ware Street Innovation Space Overlay District which shall be governed by the regulations and procedures specified in this Section. The Ware Street Innovation Space Overlay District encompasses the property designated Map 135, Lot 123 on the Cambridge Assessors' Map.

20._ Purpose.
It is the purpose of this Section to augment existing zoning regulations in order to support local start-up enterprises and entrepreneurs seeking short-term office space proximate to Harvard Square and to take advantage of the unique opportunity to leverage connections to equipment housed at the existing Telephone Exchange facility to promote cutting edge technology incubation and innovation.

20._ Applicability.
The provisions set forth in this Section shall apply solely within the Ware Street Innovation Space Overlay District and only to existing structures housing Telephone Exchange Uses.

20._ Requirements.

20._._ Use. Notwithstanding the use limitations of the base zoning district or any other overlay zoning district, Innovation Space shall be allowed within the Ware Street Innovation Space Overlay District upon the granting of a special permit by the Board of Zoning Appeal, subject to the requirements set forth in this Section.

20._._ Innovation Space Characteristics. For purposes of this Section 20._, Innovation Space shall have the following characteristics:

a. The total amount of building area dedicated to Innovation Space shall not exceed 10,000 square feet.

b. Durations of occupancy agreements (or other similar membership or lease agreements) with individual office occupants shalt be for periods not to exceed six (6) months.

c. No single business entity may occupy more than one thousand square feet or ten percent {10%) of the entire Innovation Space provided in the Overlay District, whichever is greater.

d. The average size of separately contracted private office suites may not exceed 400 square feet of gross floor area.

e. Innovation space shall include shared resources (i.e., co-working areas, conference space, classroom space, office equipment, showroom, shop or lab equipment, storage, circulation, supplies and kitchens) available to all occupants/members of the space.

f. Individual entities occupying Innovation Space may include small businesses, incubators, small research laboratories, office space for investors and entrepreneurs, facilities for teaching and for theoretical, basic and applied research, product development and testing and prototype fabrication or production of experimental products.

g. The owner of a building where Innovation Space is located may enter into a lease, license, or other contract, management, operating or occupancy agreement with a third party whereby the third party provides, administers and manages the Innovation Space without violating the requirements of this Section as the same may be varied by the Board of Zoning Appeal pursuant to Section 20. __

h. The Board of Zoning Appeal may by special permit allow variations in the specific standards and characteristics set forth in this Section 20._._ if the Board of Zoning Appeal finds that the Innovation Space, as proposed, will be consistent with the purposes of these standards and characteristics.

20._._ Special Permit Criteria. In granting a special permit for Innovation Space within the Ware Street Innovation Space Overlay District, in addition to the general criteria for issuance of a special permit as set forth in Section 10.43 of this Ordinance, the Board of Zoning Appeal shall find that the following criteria are met:

(a) All Innovation Space area shall be accommodated within the footprint of the existing building without any need for external alterations or additions.

(b) Traffic generated by users of the Innovation Space shall not create a substantial adverse impact on nearby residential uses.

(c) No on-site parking shall be provided for users of the Innovation Space, other than for Innovation Space occupants with disabilities.

(d) The Innovation Space shall not generate excessive noise that would create a substantial adverse impact on nearby residential uses.

(e) Lighting associated with the Innovation Space shall not create a substantial adverse impact on nearby residential uses.

(f) The site of the Innovation Space shall be designed such that it provides convenient, safe and secure access and egress for users of the space.

(g) Access to the Innovation Space shall be limited to members/occupants of the space and invitees of the owner/operator so as to minimize foot traffic in the surrounding residential neighborhood.

(h) The Innovation Space shall benefit the local economy.

20._._ Off Street Parking, Bicycle Parking and Loading Requirements. Within the Ware Street Innovation Space Overlay District, the Board of Zoning Appeal may grant a special permit to waive any off-street parking, bicycle parking, and loading requirements applicable to Innovation Space under this Ordinance, provided that the total square footage of Innovation Space does not exceed 10,000 square feet of gross floor area.

20._._ Signs and Illumination. Within the Ware Street Innovation Space Overlay District, the Board of Zoning Appeal may grant a special permit to waive any sign and/or illumination requirements applicable to Innovation Space under this Ordinance if it finds that such waiver will minimize the impacts of the Innovation Space on nearby residential uses.

20._._ Nonconformity. Notwithstanding any provision of Article 8.000 of this Ordinance to the contrary, the Board of Zoning Appeal may grant a special permit for the enlargement or alteration of any preexisting structure within the Ware Street Innovation Space Overlay District housing an Innovation Space use, if it finds that such enlargement or alteration is either necessary to allow the structure to comply with any applicable code, ordinance or regulation (including without limitation building code) or to accommodate equipment necessary to support the Innovation Space use.

COMMUNICATIONS
1. A communication was received from Carolyn Magid, 71 Reed Street, regarding support of Policy Order #13 and Policy Order #15.

2. A communication was received from Louise Parker, 1 Warwick Park, regarding support of Policy Order #13.

3. A communication was received from Louise Parker, 1 Warwick Park, regarding support of Policy Order #15.

4. A communication was received from Dana Bullister, 155 5th Street, regarding medicare for all and Section 8 housing vouchers.

5. A communication was received from Alan Meyers, 84 Amory Street, regarding support of Policy Order #13.

6. A communication was received from Sheli Wortis, 106 Berkshire Street, regarding support of Policy Order #13.

7. A communication was received from Lisan Mo, regarding housing vouchers - Policy Order #13.

8. A communication was received from Ann Fleck-Henderson, regarding City Council resolution.

9. A communication was received from Catalina Arboleda, 950 Massachusetts Avenue, regarding ENVISION Plan for Cambridge.

10. A communication was received from Peter Valentine, requesting the City order Twining Co. to remove the fence blocking access to a City owned bench.

11. A communication was received from Peter Valentine, regarding keeping the well-being and concerns of the people secure.

12. A communication was received from Peter Valentine, regarding it being alright to be a human being forever.

13. A communication was received from Charles T. Hinds, President, ECPT, regarding support of Policy Order 2019 #81.

14. A communication was received from Robert J. La Tremouille, regarding tree protection.

15. A communication was received from Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler, 19 Trowbridge Street, in support of Policy Order #12 relating to the funding for affordable housing.

16. A communication was received from Hasson Rashid, 820 Massachusetts Avenue, regarding the Affordable Housing Zoning Overlay and any item that relates directly or indirectly to homelessness.

17. Three communications received in support of Policy Order #2 and #3 related to the arts.

18. A communication was received from Tara R. Greco in opposition to additional funding of $20 million dedicated to affordable housing in the FY20 budget.

19. Sundry communication received in support of Policy Order #12 to double the funding for affordable housing construction.

RESOLUTIONS
1. Retirement of John Hathaway from the Cambridge Fire Department. Mayor McGovern

ORDERS
1. That the City Council declaring Apr 2, 2019 as Autism Awareness Day. Mayor McGovern
Order Adopted

2. That the City Manager confer with the Community Development Department, Economic Development Department, and the Cambridge Arts Council to designate a staff member in the Economic Development Department as an "arts liaison." Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern
Order Adopted as Amended

3. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the License Commission, Cambridge Arts Council, and IT Department to create a dedicated comprehensive "arts friendly" licensing web page. Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern
Order Adopted

4. That the City Council go on record proclaiming Apr 1–7, 2019 as Cambridge Public Health Week. Mayor McGovern
Order Adopted

5. That the City Manager confer with the Mayor's Office, Commission on Persons with Disabilities, and Police Department to increase accessibility to the deaf community by hiring American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and using apps such as Language Line Solutions to communicate with the deaf community in their first language. Councillor Mallon, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Toomey
Order Adopted

6. That a Roundtable meeting be scheduled for Tues, Apr 9, 2019, at 5:30pm in the Sullivan Chamber, City Hall, for the purpose of discussing the Affordable Housing Zoning Overlay proposal. Mayor McGovern
Charter Right - Mallon

7. That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Dedication Committee to consider the request from Councillor Toomey to rename the “Ann Marie Sarchioni Square” at the corner of Ames and Broadway to the “Sarchioni Sisters Square." Councillor Toomey
Order Adopted

8. That the City Manager is requested to consult with the Electrical Department on whether City Hall’s non-essential lights and/or outdoor illuminating lights may be turned off on the evening of Saturday, March 30 between 8:30 and 9:30pm, in observance of Earth Hour and to place Earth Hour 2019 on the City’s calendar and to promote public awareness and participation in Earth Hour through social media and other channels. Vice Mayor Devereux, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted

9. City Council support of increased State funding to the Health Incentive Program (HIP). Councillor Mallon, Vice Mayor Devereux
Order Adopted

10. That the City Manager is requested to consult with the appropriate City departments to make the necessary provisions to televise and record the Ordinance Committee hearing on “Accessory Dwelling Units” for 2:00pm on Tues, Apr 2, 2019. Councillor Kelley
Order Adopted

11. That the City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to examine the need and possibility of implementing the Pilot Displacement Preference program in Cambridge, especially when new housing is constructed in an existing neighborhood where displacement is occurring. Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Siddiqui
Order Adopted

12. That the City Manager is requested to double the annual funding (from the FY19 Adopted Budget) over the next 3 to 5 years to reach a combined total minimum of $30 million per year (plus any additional use of “Free Cash”) in the areas of Affordable housing construction, tree canopy, Preschool enrollment scholarships/space, Central Square revitalization and Cultural Arts District and the arts in general. Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Siddiqui
Order Adopted as Amended

COMMITTEE REPORTS
1. A communication was received from Paula M. Crane, Deputy City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Alanna Mallon and Councillor Sumbul Siddiqui, Co -Chairs of the Human Services and Veterans Committee, for a public hearing held on Feb 26, 2019 to discuss what measures are being enacted to instill a greater level of confidence in local Cambridge Health Alliance centers to prevent another occurrence of this nature.
Report Accepted, Placed on File

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

Tues, Mar 26
10:00am The Government Operations, Rules and Claims Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss a proposed change to City Council Rule 39 entitled “Rules of Travel” to be amended to be entitled “Rules of Travel and Other Council related expenditures”. (Sophie Room)
1:00pm The Neighborhood and Long Term Planning Facilities, Arts and Celebration Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss Cambridge’s Memorial Tree Program and ways to revitalize the program in order to increase participation citywide. (Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, Mar 27
3:00pm The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss a zoning petition filed by Melissa and Christopher Grippo et al to amend the Zoning Ordinance by adding at the end of section 5.30.11 a sentence that reads; notwithstanding the foregoing, in Industry B District, a hotel use (Section 4.31.2) shall be governed by the second number (4.0) for purposes of determining the maximum ratio of floor area to lot area. THIS HEARING WILL BE TELEVISED. (Sullivan Chamber)

Thurs, Mar 28
5:00pm The Housing Committee will conduct a public hearing to continue discussions on the Affordable Housing Overlay District. (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, Apr 2
2:00pm The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to continue discussion on a petition filed by the City Council to amend the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge in section 4.22 to allow for a special permit for the alteration of a single, two-family or accessory structure in existence as of January 2019 to provide one accessory apartment, if appropriate conditions are met. (Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, Apr 3
1:00pm The Transportation & Public Utilities Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss Applications and Petition #4 of Mar 4, 2019 submitted by the Cambridge Taxi Drivers Owners Association on whether additional regulation on Transit Network Companies (TNC) could be implemented in Cambridge. (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the zoning petition filed by Stephen R. Karp, Trustee of Cambridge Side Galleria Trust to add a new Section 13.100 to Article 13 and amend the zoning map to add a new PUD-8 District Overlay. THIS HEARING WILL BE TELEVISED. (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, Apr 9
1:30pm The Government Operation and Rules Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the logistics and feasibility of implementing early voting in City Elections and to discuss the possibility of pursuing a Home Rule petition to lower the voting age to City elections to 16 years old. (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Apr 22
5:30pm City Council Meeting - Budget Submission (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, Apr 23
3:00pm The Health and Environment Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the Zero Waster Master Plan and ways to reduce single use plastics in Cambridge. (Ackermann Room)

Wed, Apr 24
12:00pm The Economic Development & University Relations Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss a Cambridge vacant property registration ordinance. (Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, May 1
9:00am Finance Committee hearing to discuss proposed FY20 City Budget. THIS HEARING WILL BE TELEVISED. (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss a petition to amend the Municipal Code in Chapter 8.16 entitled “Noise Control” by deleting sections 16.081 through 16.081.7 to prohibit the use of leaf blowers in the City of Cambridge. (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, May 7
9:00am Finance Committee hearing to discuss proposed FY20 City Budget. THIS HEARING WILL BE TELEVISED. (Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, May 8
6:00pm Finance Committee hearing to discuss FY20 School Department Budget. THIS HEARING WILL BE TELEVISED. (Sullivan Chamber)

Thurs, May 9
9:00am Finance Committee hearing to discuss proposed FY20 City Budget (if necessary). THIS HEARING WILL BE TELEVISED. (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, May 20
5:30pm City Council Meeting - Budget Adoption (Sullivan Chamber)

TEXT OF ORDERS
O-1 Mar 25, 2019
MAYOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is associated with a group of developmental disorders, comprising a wide range of symptoms, skills, and levels of disability that can affect anyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic background; and
WHEREAS: ASD is estimated to be the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM), affecting one in sixty-eight children in the United States; and
WHEREAS: There is currently no cure for autism, but early diagnosis and intervention, as well as ongoing support from family, doctors, therapists, and educators are crucial to successful outcomes of individuals with autism; and
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge will proudly observe Autism Awareness Day on Apr 2, 2019 as we move beyond awareness and into acceptance of Autism; and
WHEREAS: The Mayor’s Office, Fletcher-Maynard Academy, King Open School, Cambridgeport School, Cambridge Street Upper School, and Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School have coordinated their efforts to recognize Cambridge students and Cambridge residents with Autism on this day; and
WHEREAS: To commemorate the occasion, Cambridge will join an international movement to illuminate historic monuments and buildings in blue by lighting up Cambridge City Hall during the week of Apr 1, 2019; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Council go on record declaring Apr 2, 2019, as “Autism Awareness Day” in the City of Cambridge; and be it further
ORDERED: That at the City Council meeting on Apr 1, 2019, a motion to recess will be made at the appropriate time so that the City Council has the opportunity to attend the Autism Awareness Day “Lighting Up” Ceremony; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and is hereby requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this resolution to Susan Gurry, Chairperson of the Cambridge Autism Awareness Day Committee; Principal Robin Harris of the Fletcher-Maynard Academy; Principal Darrell Williams of the King Open School; Principal Katie Charner-Laird of the Cambridgeport School; Principal Damon Smith of Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School; and Principal Manuel Fernandez of the Cambridge Street Upper School, on behalf of the entire City Council.

O-2 Mar 25, 2019 Amended
COUNCILLOR MALLON
MAYOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: Artists and arts organizations are a unique subset of our small business community that need additional supports to thrive in our City, especially when their innovative business models do not fit neatly into categories laid out in the Table of Uses or permitted/allowed events; and
WHEREAS: Opening an arts-related business requires coordination between several City departments, but artists and arts organizations often lack a single point of entry who would serve as a single point of contact and entry for artists and arts organizations seeking help with zoning, permitting, licensing, and any other aspects of operating a small business in the City of Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: The Arts Council, License Commission, Inspectional Services Department, and others involved in the permitting process all have key resources available for the artist community, but there are more opportunities to create inter-departmental connections to provide additional support through creating a single point of entry via a City staff member; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Community Development Department, Economic Development ~~Department~~ Division, and Cambridge Arts Council to explore the possibility of designating a staff member in the Economic Development ~~Department~~ Division as an "arts liaison"; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council in a timely manner.

O-3 Mar 25, 2019
COUNCILLOR MALLON
MAYOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: Navigating the bureaucracy of the licensing and permitting process has been identified as a major challenge by the artist community; and
WHEREAS: The License Commission has already made improvements and adjustments to their website, particularly to clarify the types of events that do and do not require one-day permits, however there is more potential for creating a more streamlined and arts-friendly experience; and
WHEREAS: The Arts community has expressed interest in expanding on these improvements by creating an online "one-stop-shop" to apply for licenses and permits for a diverse set of performances and cultural events, similar to cities such as Austin, Texas's City Stage; and
WHEREAS: The License Commission plays an important role in ensuring safety and respect for surrounding residential neighborhoods, but the current website messaging around arts and cultural events should convey a more positive tone in encouraging innovative and vibrant arts programming, especially for applicants new to the process; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the License Commission, Cambridge Arts Council, and IT Department to explore the possibility of creating a dedicated and comprehensive page on the License Commission website which is "arts friendly", easy to navigate, regularly updated and maintained, provides a calendar of permitted arts events to avoid overlap and conflict, and creates highly-visible interdepartmental connections to serve as a "one-stop-shop" for developing arts and cultural events and spaces; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council in a timely manner.

O-4 Mar 25, 2019
MAYOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the City Council that National Public Health Week, organized by the American Public Health Association, is celebrated across the country from April 1–7 with an ongoing focus on creating the healthiest nation in one generation by ensuring conditions where everyone has the opportunity to be healthy; and
WHEREAS: All people deserve the opportunity to live long, healthy, and productive lives; in the U.S. today, significant and life-threatening disparities in health care access, disease burden, premature death and infant mortality persist across our communities and between neighborhoods only a few miles apart—this is unacceptable in a country as wealthy and medically advanced as ours; and
WHEREAS: Recognizing the value of a strong public health system, Cambridge has made substantial investments in public health, health care, and other initiatives that prevent illness from occurring in the first place; and
WHEREAS: The Cambridge Public Health Department achieved national accreditation in 2018, a reflection of its commitment to public health innovation; recognizing that good health results from more than having a doctor and insurance, the health department has partnered with city departments and community organizations to create and implement the Cambridge Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)--the city’s five-year health agenda; and
WHEREAS: Over 40 city and community partners have made tangible progress in the four CHIP health priority areas for the city: healthy eating and active living; mental health and substance abuse; violence prevention; and healthy, safe, and affordable housing; and
WHEREAS: The Cambridge Public Health Department is now embarking on a new community health assessment this April and will be seeking input from people who live, learn, work, and play in Cambridge about how to create a healthier city for all; and
WHEREAS: Amid partisan national efforts to erode long-standing protections for vulnerable populations, Cambridge is showing that there is another, brighter way forward; our city’s public schools are adhering to Obama-era healthier meal guidelines despite the recent rollback of these standards by the federal government; our city recently allocated funding to expand the number of children in public schools and city-run preschools who have access to free meals; our police department is setting the national bar for procedural justice; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record proclaiming Apr 1–7, 2019 as Cambridge Public Health Week in appreciation of the extensive work on the part of the public and private sectors in the city to promote healthy living, prevent disease and injury, and respond to threats to our well-being; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Claude A. Jacob, Chief Public Health Officer at the Cambridge Public Health Department, on behalf of the entire City Council.

O-5 Mar 25, 2019
COUNCILLOR MALLON
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge is striving to be more inclusive and accessible in every City department, in delivering City services, and when hosting City events; and
WHEREAS: Communication with the deaf community should be through their first and preferred language, which is American sign language, not written communication; and
WHEREAS: There are multiple opportunities for the City to make our communication with the deaf community more accessible, such as having interpreters present when critical information is conveyed through press conferences with the Mayor, City Manager, or Police Commissioner; and
WHEREAS: In the area of public safety specifically, many cities such as San Francisco are using apps to connect with virtual interpreters so that officers can speak with deaf victims, witnesses, or perpetrators of crimes in their first language; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Mayor’s Office, Commission on Persons with Disabilities, and Police Department to explore the possibility of hiring American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters to translate at City press conferences; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Police Department and all other appropriate departments to explore the possibility of using an app, such as “Language Line Solutions” to enable officers and other City personnel to communicate with the deaf community; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council in a timely manner.

O-7 Mar 25, 2019
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
WHEREAS: When construction started on the corner of Ames and Broadway, the dedication plaque for Ann Marie Sarchioni was removed; and
WHEREAS: Since that time, the three remaining Sarchioni sisters, Barbara, Alice and Catherine, have passed away; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the Executive Assistant to the City Council confer with the Dedication Committee to consider the request from Councillor Toomey to rename the “Ann Marie Sarchioni Square” at the corner of Ames and Broadway to the “Sarchioni Sisters Square”; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward this order to the Dedication Committee for their review and approval.

O-8 Mar 25, 2019
VICE MAYOR DEVEREUX
MAYOR MCGOVERN
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge has demonstrated its commitment to fighting climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the City’s Net Zero Action Plan; and
WHEREAS: Earth Hour is an annual event sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in which people in over 7,000 cities around the world participate by turning off all non-essential lights for one hour to show they are committed to fighting climate change, and to help raise awareness about this global emergency; and
WHEREAS: Last year, over 17,900 monuments and landmark buildings switched off their lights, including the United Nations, the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, Seattle’s Space Needle, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa Tower, Sydney’s Opera House, and city halls around the world; and
WHEREAS: Earth Hour 2019 will take place on Saturday, March 30 from 8:30 to 9:30pm; and
WHEREAS: 2019 marks the 13th consecutive international Earth Hour observation; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to consult with the Electrical Department on whether City Hall’s non-essential lights and/or outdoor illuminating lights may be turned off on the evening of Saturday, March 30 between 8:30 and 9:30pm, in observance of Earth Hour; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Director of Communications and Community Relations and other City staff to place Earth Hour 2019 on the City’s calendar and to promote public awareness and participation in Earth Hour through social media and other channels.

O-9 Mar 25, 2019
COUNCILLOR MALLON
VICE MAYOR DEVEREUX
WHEREAS: The Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) was launched in 2017 to ensure that families using SNAP benefits have the ability to buy fresh, local produce by providing a dollar-for-dollar match on all SNAP dollars used at local farm stands, farmers’ markets, mobile markets, and community supported agriculture programs; and
WHEREAS: Since its launch in 2017, HIP participants have spent more than $9 million on local produce, with 55,000 households and 102,000 individuals having increased access to fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables; and
WHEREAS: Out of these 55,000 households, almost 55% include a senior, 30% include a child, and 33% include a person with a disability, all populations that historically have trouble accessing locally grown produce, despite the proven health benefits and savings of $1.9 million in public health costs; and
WHEREAS: Since 2017, local farmers have seen sales increase 600%, generating $1.12 for every dollar spent, and an additional $10 million in financial transactions in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS: The success of the Healthy Incentives Program has so far outpaced its growth that additional resources need to be allocated, especially as the program predicts 15% growth over the next year; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record supporting the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative in their ask that the Massachusetts State Legislature allocate the needed additional $8.5 million to the Healthy Incentives Program for the 2020 Fiscal Year; 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 Legislative Delegation, Representative Aaron Michlewitz: Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senator Michael Rodrigues, Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee on behalf of the entire City Council.

O-10 Mar 25, 2019
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to consult with the appropriate City departments to make the necessary provisions to televise and record the Ordinance Committee hearing on “Accessory Dwelling Units” for 2:00pm on Tues, Apr 2, 2019, with no set ending time.

TEXT OF COMMITTEE REPORTS
Committee Report #1
The Human Services and Veterans Committee held a public hearing on Tues, Feb 26, 2019 at 10:07am in the Sullivan Chamber to discuss the lessons learned from the death of Laura Levis, and to discuss what measures are being enacted to instill a greater level of confidence in local Cambridge Health Alliance centers to prevent another occurrence of this nature.

Present at the hearing were Councillor Mallon and Councillor Siddiqui, Co-Chairs of the Committee; Vice Mayor Devereux; Councillor Simmons; Councillor Zondervan; Louis DePasquale, City Manager and member of the CHA Board of Trustees; Ellen Semonoff, Assistant City Manager for Human Services and member of the CHA Board of Trustees; Jerry McCue, member of the CHA Board of Trustees; Claude Jacob, Chief Public Health Office, Cambridge Public Health Department; Liana Ascolese; Neal Alpert; Liz Walker; and Deputy City Clerk Paula M. Crane.

Also present were Peter DeMarco, Patrick Wardell, CEO, Josh Posner, Chair, board of Trustees, Dr. Assaad Sayah, Chief Medical Officer, Lynette Alberti, Chief Nursing officer/Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), Kim Keough, David Cecere, Marc Levy, Jo Solet, Mary Cassesso and Gerry McCue.

Councillor Mallon convened the hearing and stated that the meeting will be audio and video recorded.

She read the Call of the Meeting. Councillor Mallon invited introductions and read a prepared written statement (ATTACHMENT A). Councillor Mallon then gave an overview of the agenda for the hearing (ATTACHMENT B).

Councillor Mallon invited Mr. DeMarco to share opening remarks. Mr. DeMarco thanked that Committee for pursuing more answers and solutions regarding Laura’s death and Cambridge Health Alliance’s actions and response. He spoke about his wife Laura’s Cantabrigian side. He stated that Laura worked in Cambridge for the last 10 years of her life. He said that Cambridge was her second home and a special place to Laura. He said that changes must be made so that no one’s life ends like Laura’s did. He said that “Losing Laura,” is a story that he wrote about Laura’s death that was in the Boston Globe last year. He said that the CHA withheld the truth surrounding Laura’s deaths from their families for more than two years. He said that if you have continued to read the Globe, the CHA has tried to do a 180 degree turn and have tried to be open and honest and work towards solutions which is so important. He said that he would like the City Council would consider honoring Laura’s memory by supporting two bills that have been filed at the State House related to Laura’s death (ATTACHMENTS C & D). He explained that one would be called “Laura’s Law” which would allow the Department of Public Health to set standards for safe patient access to emergency care as such standards really do not exist at present. He said that other bill would allow victims of the worst kind of medical errors a viable way to see justice through the court system by setting aside State caps on damages in favor of a jury verdict. He said that this avenue is not available to his family nor any other patient of the CHA. He thanked the Committee for remembering Laura as it means so much to him.

Patrick Wardell thanked the Committee for the opportunity to come together over this important issue and he expressed the entire organization’s sadness over the loss of Laura. He said that they have met with and apologized to Mr. DeMarco and accept responsibility for system failures. He said that the CHA is taking this very seriously at the management and board level which is where the responsibility lies. He said that it is up them to ensure that the staff has the tools, training and processes required to do their jobs and they failed to do that. Equally important, Mr. Wardell said that the CHA understands that transparency and accountability to patients and their family is an essential aspect of healthcare delivery. He stated that the CHA is examining what led to the communications breakdown. He said that the CHA was invited to discuss the lessons learned from this tragedy and the actions they have and are taking to improve safety at CHA and to share these learnings across the industry. He explained that Dr. Sayah will talk about the clinical care, key aspects about how an Emergency Department operates and process for apology and disclosure around unanticipated outcomes. He said that Lynette Alberti is leading the emergency access improvement efforts and partners with others across the CHA organization to improve safety and quality.

He introduced Josh Posner who would like to address the Committee.

Josh Posner said that CHA representatives are here to discuss its learning and actions surrounding this tragedy. He stated that on behalf of the CHA Board, he has and continues to convey its apologies to Mr. DeMarco and Laura’s family as well as CHA’s commitment to understanding what happened and what can be done to improve safety and become a better organization. He said that the CHA Board believes in the mission of the CHA as an essential safety health net system and has confidence in the dedicated staff who deliver on that mission every day. He said that they also share in the grief expressed by Mr. Wardell and hope that its’ actions effectively reflect its commitment to addressing this very seriously and systematically. He explained that a Special Committee of the Board of Trustees was formed to understand the events related to CHA’s internal and external response to Laura’s death. He said that they are considering both the systemic issues that may have led to the delay in accessing care and the communications with the family. He said that the CHA engaged Foley Hoag LLP to conduct an independent review. He said that Martha Coakley and Dean Richlin are leading the effort which began in January. He said that they expect the review to be complete in late March and plan to share results with the public this spring. He said that they will learn from this sad event and implement specific action steps (in addition to those that have already been undertaken) to ensure CHA is a safer and stronger organization.

Dr. Assaad Sayah, Chief Medical Officer, conveyed his apologies to Mr. DeMarco and Laura’s family. He said that he is an Emergency Physician with 30 years of experience. He said that before he was Chief Medical Officer at CHA, he spent 14 years as Chief including 8 years at CHA. He said that the CHA’s Emergency Departments provide excellent care and play an essential role in the communities it serves. He said that it is clear that the CHA failed Laura. He said that the exterior facilities did not help Laura find her way to the unlocked main entrance door to the Emergency Department. He noted that they think in part that Laura went to the ambulance bay entrance because it was brightly lit than the main entrance. He said that this is a locked entrance at CHA which is the standard at hospitals across the country as to ensure that EMT’s have unblocked, immediate access to the Emergency Department while also protecting the privacy of patients. He explained that since the tragedy, they have assessed and improved the exterior lighting, signage and entrances to improve access and safety for patients. He said that some of the steps that were taken include: reorganization of the entrance, adding a second walk-in entrance adjacent to the ambulance bay that is open 24/7 and clearly marked with an illuminated EMERGENCY sign, increase of light lumens at the main entrance and decrease of lumens inside the ambulance bay to attract patients to appropriate doors, activated sensors that ring inside the Emergency Department when someone enters the waiting area/hallway during the overnight hours so staff are alerted to a new visitor and come out and greet patients, and hired an external wayfinding company to reassess access to the Emergency Departments. He commended that the CHA is still learning and expects to learn more from the Foley Hoag LLP independent review. He said that the CHA is committed to sharing its experience and learning to inform industry-wide improvement strategies.

Lynette Alberti joined her colleagues and staff at CHA in expressing her apologies to Mr. DeMarco and Laura’s family. She said that she has been deeply involved in the review and response to Laura’s case which happened before she joined the system. She said that in reviewing the events leading up to Laura’s admission, a number of issues were identified that needed to be addressed including communication with 911 and local police, staff roles, and policies and processes for search of patients on hospital grounds. She said that it is now known that Laura’s 911 call and the vital information she provided was never shared with the Somerville Hospital Emergency Department. She said that the urgency of the situation was not communicated during the first call from the Somerville Police Department nor when the CHA called back to the Police Department to get Laura’s phone number so they could call and help her find her way. she said that they were told that a police officer had been sent to check the area and CHA staff was still trying to identify the address on Tower Street where Laura’s phone pinged when the Somerville Fire Department found Laura. She said that that the CHA’s expectation would be that a public safety officer would go outside to assist the patient in finding their way. She said that this did not happen that evening and the responsibility lies with the leaders for not ensuring that roles and responsibilities were clear to all, not with the individual staff members. She said that there are new systems in place to ensure that the staff has the training, tools and processes to respond going forward. She said that the nursing staff is responsible first for the patients currently under their care. She explained that safe protocols and systems need to be in place to help when unusual situations and they have reinforced to staff that they can and should exercise discretion and flexibility to assure that CHA’s obligations are met. She noted that drills are being planned to reinforce training and assess performance with expectations. She said that CHA has opened a new system-wide security hub that is based at the Somerville Hospital campus that is staffed 24/7 and equipped with a state-of-the-art surveillance system. She explained that the CHA has reached out to local police departments to establish direct communications to the Emergency Departments and trained staff on how to gather additional information when a call has confusing or limited information being shared. She said that CHA has obtained a new address for the Somerville Hospital Main Entrance and Emergency Department, 33 Tower Street, to eliminate confusion with other entrances. She said that the CHA has updated GPS markers to provide more accurate directions to those using cell phones and apps to locate the entrance. She concluded by saying that the CHA is working with an external expert to reassess its wayfinding so that it can continue to learn and improve.

Dr. Sayah said that this was a tragic moment and the CHA failed in multiple ways in providing the appropriate guides and access. He stated that once Laura was brought into the Emergency Department, the clinical team responded appropriately and provided excellent care for Laura. He said that Laura was stabilized and transferred to the ICU at the Cambridge Hospital. A clinical review of the case was conducted and found that Laura’s care was of high quality and appropriate. He said that the transfer happened shortly after the 7:00 a.m. shift change when providers go through a formal handoff, transferring care from one provider to another. He said that the CHA believes that the clinical providers handles this transition properly. He said that when staff spoke to Mr. DeMarco that morning, they shared with him everything that they knew but unfortunately, they did not have all the facts of what had happened outside the hospital. He stated that the Emergency Department staff realized that this was an unusual occurrence and reported it internally to the Emergency Department leadership and to the CHA quality department. He said that the CHA quality department conducted a full review and a root cause analysis and reported the outcome at the CHA Board Quality Committee and subsequently to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. He said that this information was never shared with the clinical team caring for Laura nor with Laura’s family. He stated that at some point in the care of immediately after her death, the CHA should have communicated to the family. He noted that this is clear, and the CHA continues to apologize for the pain this has caused Mr. DeMarco and Laura’s family.

He said that a major focus of learning is on the failure points in this process. He said that challenged happened (literally and figuratively) outside the clinical care delivery process. He explained that while the CHA has very clear processes for sharing information about what happens in the clinical care process, there was a gap. He said that the CHA has made some immediate improvements but know this can be a complex process and there is more to do to improve transparency and trust. He said that the CHA is conducting a thorough review of the internal disclosure and apology process. They have added additional steps, accountability and checkpoints to the process.

Patrick Wardell stated that when the CHA had the opportunity to speak with Mr. DeMarco, it was clear to the CHA that there may be a role for CHA in the creation of a legacy for Laura. He said that they stand committed to working with Senator Jehlen, Representative Barber and Mr. DeMarco in support of the bill that was referenced earlier. He said that the CHA stands ready to speak with Mr. DeMarco and family in terms of assisting them with a proper legacy for the untimely death of his wife.

Councillor Simmons expressed her condolences to Mr. DeMarco for the loss of his wife. She said that it takes a great deal of strength and perseverance to do the advocacy that he is undertaking. She said that now that we know who Laura is, what can be done to make it better going forward. She said that it is about what can be done to be better.

Councillor Siddiqui stated that she heard the word “shortcomings” and she said that these were not shortcomings, they were complete failures. She said that when thinking about transparency and accountability, we must think about that standard and what it means. She said that she is conflicted because the transparency piece feels very delayed. She said that the accountability piece is something that we must continue to think about. She said that sharing Laura’s legacy is an important way to do that. She expressed her condolences to Mr. DeMarco.

Councillor Zondervan expressed his condolences. He said that he is heartbroken by this tragedy. He affirmed that he is pleased that the right and necessary conversations are taking place.

Vice Mayor Devereux extended her condolences. She said that she appreciates everyone’s candor. As it relates to new systems and practices, she asked if there have there been occasions where these new practices have come into play already. Dr. Sayah responded that there have been two situations but neither took place at the Somerville. He said that the interventions and education came into play.

Councillor Simmons said that the City Council has no real jurisdiction over the CHA and it does not write the CHA rules or run the facilities. She noted that there is a good working relationship between the CHA and the City. She asked if CHA rules are codified and if there is training on the same. She said that the response is appropriate but the further we get from the incident, the further we get from what was done. She said that she would love to see in writing what was done so far and plans for the future. She said that she would like to see a 5-year plan. She said that the only was to ensure that in the future it does not happen, is to constantly look to see if the job is being done appropriately. She said that she would appreciate seeing this information in writing with dates and appropriate changes looking forward. That is the way to assure that we are constantly making improvements and are held accountable.

Councillor Mallon echoed Councillor Simmons’ sentiments. She wondered if this could be part of the report that will be made public at the end of March or early spring. Mr. Wardell stated that it is important when they are trying to address a very critical part of the response that they are able to build in up front what means they will have for review and make certain that as time passes, we don’t lose the focus that is needed. He said that over the last few years at the CHA, they have had a strong emphasis around process improvement techniques. He said that it is important that the CHA provides the tools and resources for staff, so they can do a good job. He said that it is critical to build in up front that means of review. He said that the CHA care is excellent but there is no question how fundamentally they failed Mr. DeMarco and his family.

Councillor Zondervan stated that he is frustrated by the lag between new innovations that we are able to develop in the software industry and their adoption by the medical profession. She said that we can order a ride from Lyft or Uber and the location is very accurately communicated to the driver. He asked what it will take for that kind of transmission of that same information to happen through the 911 system. Dr. Sayah responded that through this review, they discovered that if you request Uber to drive to Somerville Hospital they will take you to the Highland entrance, not the main entrance. He stated that the CHA was able to change the address to the hospital so when it is googled you are directed to the main entrance. As it relates to 911, in general, that technology is about 15-20 years behind. He stated that through a lot of work nationally they were able to enhance to move from 911 to E911 so when the caller is calling, at least from a landline, the address would be found. He stated that it is more recently through a cell phone although that is not adopted nationwide. He said that there is now a national move to make that a requirement for all municipalities to adopt locating the caller from a cell phone, not through a region. He said that most 911 systems are run by municipalities with many rules and regulations. He said that there is a need for standardization across the country. He said that we need to move from local to national standards. He said that Massachusetts systems are way more advanced than many around the country but there is always room for improvement.

Councillor Simmons said that when a caller calls 911, it goes to the State Police. She said that this is a huge problem. She asked how to influence public policy. She said that 911 works well with a landline but many people use cell phones.

Councillor Mallon said that she spoke with Ms. Giacobbe, Director of Emergency Communications, and she was told that Cambridge does have next generation 911 which will send your local call to the local 911. She said that this is not the case in every community. She said that if Uber knows exactly where she is, 911 calls should know exactly where she is as well. She said that the committee can certainly have another conversation with more information on the next generation 911 system.

Councillor Mallon said that she called 911 last year and it was routed to the State Police and she was surprised with how many rings it took to get her back to the local police. She said that time is critical and every minute counts. She said that any technological advances that can be made are important. She said that the FCC has estimated that 10,000 deaths can be prevented in the United States every year if emergency responders can get there 1 minute earlier.

Councillor Mallon said that as it relates to communication, everyone read about this story in the Boston Globe. She said that there have been significant and immediate changes that the CHA has put into place around their own communication in their own organization. She said that public health officials and the City Council in Cambridge were not notified. She asked what kind of external communication protocols the CHA has put into place since this incident. Dr. Sayah said that communication is something that needs to be done better across the board. He said that the CHA has been working closely with the Community Department to create those policies and procedures. He said that a lot of work is done on an individual basis through many of the people in the organization. He said that there is a communication tree that was created in the organization to relay information and important critical news or intervention to stakeholders that is managed through the Community Department. He said that communication is done on multiple level, some through press release but a lot is done one-to-one. He said that the CHA is reviewing how to communicate better within the clinical team and with the families. Councillor Mallon said that communication between the families and the medical staff is the most important piece. She said that it is also important to keep in mind that there are public safety officers, City Councillors and others that need to know so that they can respond in an appropriate fashion.

Mr. DePasquale stated that the Board clearly talked about is that once the chain is sent out, the City Council gets notified immediately as well as any other elected officials. He said that this should have been in place earlier, but it is place currently.

Councillor Mallon asked what is being done at the other CHA facilities in terms of immediate interventions such as lighting, signage and another entrance, to ensure that something similar doesn’t happen at other facilities. Ms. Alberti said that immediately after the incident, the group that formed put action plans in place. She explained that in light of the incident, it has come to light to look at the original action plan and they are spreading the effort over the three CHA campuses. She said that an external form has conducted an assessment at all facilities and they received a comprehensive assessment with recommendations. She said that they are in the process of evaluating the recommendations. Councillor Mallon asked if there is a survey that can be given to patients regarding wayfinding to find out about their experience.

Vice Mayor Devereux said that she has heard that other private hospitals in the area are also reviewing their own policies. She asked about the potential for the CHA to hold an educational forum to learn from what is being put in place at the CHA. Dr. Sayah said that the CHA was contacted informally by organizations in the area. He noted that he is working with the Massachusetts Hospital Association and they are planning a forum in May or June that will be announced to all hospitals.

Councillor Mallon asked about the protocol moving forward as it relates to notification to family members. Dr. Sayah said that when Laura was brought to the Emergency Department she was in critical condition. He said that it takes time to get a patient stabilized. Once stabilized, he said that the team looked at the record and found next of kin and Mr. DeMarco was contacted. He said that the focus of the team is to take care of a patient’s clinical condition. He said that he spoke with two emergency physicians who took care of Laura and both are devastated. He said that both physicians are clear that the clinical care was absolutely appropriate. He said that the physicians did their best and communicated the information that they had. Councillor Mallon said that she assumes that others in the Emergency Department who are not part of the clinical team could potentially notify family. She recalled that when she was in the Emergency Department with her daughter, within minutes of entering the Emergency Department, her pediatrician was on the phone with her. She said that the pediatrician got a ping that she had checked in with her daughter. She said that she knows that the processes are in place, but she does not know how going forward there could be a process where the next of kin could get pinged by a nonclinical staff member. Dr. Sayah said that the CHA pioneered the ping to the primary care physician ten years ago by automating it. He said that soon as a person registers, the primary care physician gets a call and an email. He said that he agrees that there is opportunity to improve communication. Councillor Simmons asked who else could have provided the service to contact family member. Dr. Sayah said that they are working on improving communication with the family in a timely way.

Councillor Zondervan asked if it would be possible to automatically contact next of kin. Dr. Sayah responded that they are looking into that possibility.

Vice Mayor Devereux asked how CHA staff finds out who the next of kin is if someone comes to the Emergency Department unaccompanied. Dr. Sayah said that once a patient is stable, staff will call the Police, check patient belongings, etc. He said that they do their best to find that information. Vice Mayor Devereux asked if there is something that patients should carry in their wallets in these rare instances. Dr. Sayah noted that it is important to carry a card which has contact information, medical history, allergies, etc. for the Emergency Department as well as for the primary care physician. Ms. Alberti added that there is a feature in cell phones under the title of ICE which stands for “In Case of Emergency” that bypasses a password. Councillor Mallon said that this is can be used for critical information.

Mr. DeMarco said that he was curious about the two incidents since Laura’s death where the changes that were made at the CHA have assisted someone in finding their way to the Emergency Department or hospital. Dr. Sayah said that the incident happened in the evening hours and a lab technician was leaving the hospital at the end of shift and found a young man by the main entrance who was semi-conscious with another person standing next to him. He said that the lab technician notified staff who assisted the young man and his friend. He said that without the action on the part of the lab technician, there could have been a tragic outcome. He stated that the other situation was one where a gentleman coming to the Cambridge Hospital after hours and public safety personnel met him as he walked in and brought him to the Emergency Department. He said that this gentleman was in the main entrance to the hospital.

Mr. DeMarco asked about the additional review and evaluation from an outside agency regarding the lighting, signage and wayfinding. He asked the representatives from the CHA to elaborate on some of the findings of that evaluation. Ms. Alberti said that she was not prepared to speak to the details of the evaluation which is approximately 75-page document. She said that some of it has to do with standardizing signs, changing the fonts to make all of them similar, lumin recommendations, additional signage recommended, and partial tree obstruction to signs. She said that they were impressed with the recommendations and are taking them very seriously. Mr. DeMarco asked the name of the firm that conducted the review. Ms. Alberti responded that the firm’s name is 96 Point located in Cambridge. He asked if he could get a copy of that report. Ms. Alberti responded in the affirmative. Ms. Alberti said that her recollection is that there was not recommendation regarding monitoring but there were recommendations about signage on those doors. Mr. DeMarco asked if the report contains any recommendations regarding monitoring of other prominent hospital doors and installation of panic buttons, door bells, or video intercoms. Dr. Sayah said that they are looking at a blue light with intercom technology in particular areas with a two-way video to communications center. Mr. DeMarco asked how many hospitals are monitored, how many hours are they monitored, and how many doors are monitored.

He asked for an overview of the “eyes and ears” that are in place via the Somerville Hospital safety hub. Dr. Sayah said that the central monitoring center is a 24/7 manned command center with multiple screen televisions overlooking over 500 cameras throughout the hospitals and clinics. He added that the system has intelligence software that would gravitate towards areas of activity. He said that they are also monitoring all 911 calls in and out of the system. He said that if a 911 call is coming from the Police Department, it would go to where the place is and the center. He said that the call would be recorded. He said that any 911 calls coming out of the system from any of the clinics, it would also go indirectly to the center and monitored and recorded. Mr. DeMarco asked how many employees will monitor the central monitoring center. Mr. DeMarco said that it is one person. He asked if it is that person’s sole responsibility. Ms. Alberti said that this person is not a public safety officer, it is a specific role that they have been hired for. She said that there is a manager of that department as well.

Mr. DeMarco said that Mr. Wardell previously mentioned that CHA would be in support of the legislation that he has filed with Senator Jehlen and Representative Barber and others. He asked Mr. Wardell if he would be willing to vocally support both these pieces of legislation in Laura’s honor. Mr. Wardell answered in the affirmative. He said that in addition to that, the CHA would like to participate with Mr. DeMarco and the legislators in any suggestions to improve upon the plan as is currently described. He said that the CHA would also be able to partner with Mr. DeMarco to meet with the MHA or other organizations so that this is something that the industry can support while still achieving what Mr. DeMarco is attempting to do in Laura’s honor.

NOTE: On Feb 27, 2019, the City Clerk’s Office received a communication from Mr. Wardell (ATTACHMENT E) clarifying a response that he provided to one of Mr. DeMarco’s questions about the CHA’s support of recently filed legislation. The communication stated that CHA fully supports “Laura’s Law” and will collaborate with Senator Jehlen, Representative Barber and Mr. DeMarco on how to improve Emergency Department access and safety across the industry. He stated that he misheard Mr. DeMarco’s question and unintentionally indicated support for the cap bill as well. He said that the CHA Board and leadership team are still evaluating the legislation and have not made any decisions. The communication apologized for the confusion and shared this clarification with Mr. DeMarco as well.

Mr. DeMarco said that Dr. Sayah mentioned that in May or June there will be date and time to hold a forum to discuss with other hospitals the lessons learned. He said that he would like to part of this forum and Dr. Sayah said that he would be welcome.

Mr. DeMarco acknowledged that Mr. Wardell has announced his retirement and he asked how the CHA will honor their commitment to change and to honor Laura and how will Laura’s story be conveyed to Mr. Wardell’s replacement. Mr. Wardell responded that the point of continuity is the Board. He said that they have placed a clear expectation on managerial leadership that they create an atmosphere that is receptive to the ideas that have been put forward and for the CHA to accomplish the things that are on the list and ensure that these things are built in. He said that he did tender his retirement recently, but it was with the understanding that he will be present to have the conversations.

Mr. Posner added that as the CHA Board Chair, they take this very seriously. He that they are committed to seeing this through and using this as fuel to improve the organization and address the weaknesses and failures. He said that the board is unified in that feeling. He said that CHA is a terrific organization with wonderful people. He said that the CHA’s mission is important to the City of Cambridge and all the communities that it serves. He said that as it relates to a legacy and honoring Laura’s memory, he said that her personally he looks forward to talking with Mr. DeMarco about ideas that he has. He noted that some of those ideas are around improvements within the organization and some will be improvements that other health care providers will understand and make themselves. Councillor Mallon said that she has spoken to Mr. Posner regarding the transition period.

Public Comment at 11:28am.

Marc Levy, Oxford Street, stated that he has the privilege of editing the work of Sue Reinert when she writes about the Cambridge Health Alliance for Cambridge Day. He said that he was struck by Councillor Siddiqui’s comments about transparency and accountability. He said that Mr. DeMarco first wrote about this death in November of 2018 and it was not the first chance to learn about the death. He said that Ms. Reinert learned of it in late 2017 and asked the CHA about it but the CHA chose not to be transparent about it. He said that this was first reported publicly on Jan 2, 2018 in Ms. Reinert’s reporting on Cambridge Day. He said that there is something symptomatic about how institutions try to handle media these days by putting out press releases and doing social media. He said that when a member of the media asks questions, those question are often dismissed and sometimes treated with hostility and the answers are put off and often incomplete. He stated that this approach taken by the City of Cambridge unfortunately. He said that Ms. Reinert is the only person doing regular coverage of the CHA for the people of Cambridge. He said that her relations with the CHA can be difficult and he does not believe that it feels like the CHA is trying to be transparent and accountable. He says that this can make it feel like the Cha is sometimes hiding something, even when it is not. He shared an exchange of emails that he had with the press office at the CHA that resulted from Ms. Reinert’s regularly writing about the CHA and the subsequent need for images to illustrate them. He said that this is not a practical approach for Cambridge Day and raises the risk that access would conditional- that the CHA would let the media in for a photo when it was good news, but not for bad. He shared e-mails that took place with CHA staff (ATTACHMENT F).

Public comment closed at 11:33am.

Councillor Mallon stated that ambulances are expensive, and a growing number of people are using rideshare organizations to get to the hospital. She asked if there has been any discussion about partnership with these ridesharing services to ping the hospital if a patient is on their way or working with these organizations to talk about ambulance procedures. Dr. Sayah said that he is not aware of any such conversation but noted that it may be a good topic for the forum.

Councillor Siddiqui said that as it relates to honoring Laura’s life, she thinks about the broader issue of asthma. She said that an educational aspect could be a part in honoring Laura’s life.

Councillor Mallon added that she would like the City Council to honor Laura’s memory in some way in collaboration with Mr. DeMarco. She stated that she looks forward to what the CHA comes up with moving forward. She said that she is interested in legislation and removing the cap in certain circumstances. She said that it is heartbreaking that there will not be financial renumeration for Mr. DeMarco’s loss.

Mr. DeMarco thanked all present for remembering Laura and taking her death seriously. He said that we must do what we can to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. He said that he looks forward to continuing to hear about findings and recommendations.

Councillor Mallon thanked Mr. DeMarco and the representatives from CHA that attended this hearing. She thanked Mr. DeMarco for his work over the last several months to ensure that the communication is open and honest and there is an outcome that is deserved for Laura.

Councillor Mallon and Councillor Siddiqui thanked all those present for their attendance.

The hearing adjourned at 11:39am.

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

AWAITING REPORT LIST
16-26. Report on the possibility of the City Council implementing a zoning change, on the permitting of all new restaurants where a wood-fired oven is used as a significant method of food preparation. On a communication from Councillor Kelley requesting that this matter be forwarded to the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Councillor Carlone, Councillor Devereux, Councillor Kelley (O-5) from 4/4/2016

16-42. Report on plans for the former Riverside Community Health Center on Western Avenue, including transfer of ownership of the building to the City and the process for determining future usage. On a communication from Councillor Kelley requesting that this matter be forwarded to the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Vice Mayor McGovern (O-1) from 5/2/2016

16-83. Report on drafting possible legislation and other recommendations for interim actions to identify and address the public health impacts of any commercial wood-fired ovens. On a communication from Councillor Kelley requesting that this matter be forwarded to the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Mayor Simmons (Calendar Item #4) from 10/31/2016

16-101. Report on the potential of building below market rental housing on City-owned parking lots along Bishop Allen Drive. On a communication from Councillor McGovern requesting that this matter be forwarded to the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Vice Mayor McGovern, Mayor Simmons (O-4) from 12/12/2016

16-108. Report on whether people displaced and qualify for Emergency Status who are using Section 8 in other cities or towns can retain their resident preference for the purpose of Inclusionary Housing. On a communication from Councillor Kelley requesting that this matter be forwarded to the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Mayor Simmons, Councillor Toomey (O-4) from 12/19/2016

17-22. Report on the potential growth of next-generation wireless technology in the City, to include: the expected footprint of citywide coverage from just one company and what market competition might produce; the integration of public and private infrastructure to support the network; what local standards the City might hope to maintain relative to aesthetics and safety; and how this new technology fits into our Broadband access plans. On a communication from Councillor Kelley requesting that this matter be forwarded to the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Councillor Cheung, Councillor Devereux, Councillor Kelley (O-14) from 2/27/2017

17-87. Report on a schedule for resubmitting a revised draft of the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance that incorporates clearer wording and/or more clearly explains each section in less technical jargon and is more coherent in its entirety, with the goal of seeing such an Ordinance adopted by the end of this City Council term. On a communication from Councillor Kelley and Councillor Devereux requesting that this matter be forwarded to the 2018-2019 Legislative Session.
Councillor Carlone, Councillor Devereux (O-8) from 9/18/2017

18-6. Report on information regarding electronic device usage by City-elected officials.
Councillor Toomey (O-7) from 1/22/2018

18-15. Report on any other relevant City Department to gain a sense of who is purchasing buildings in Cambridge.
Councillor Simmons (O-3) from 2/5/2018

18-21. Report on the feasibility of initiating a formal transit study and action plan of the Alewife area in response to unanimous concerns of the Envision Alewife Working Group.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Siddiqui (O-7) from 2/26/2018

18-37. Report on the possibility of accepting the City of Boston's invitation to join their intergenerational housing pilot program.
Councillor Mallon, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey (O-1) from 3/26/2018

18-38. Report on inventory of all City-owned vacant buildings and lots and the City's plans for them, if any.
Councillor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Siddiqui (O-2) from 3/26/2018

18-44. Report on ensuring an additional commitment of $20 million from the City’s budget is devoted over the next five years toward the City’s efforts to preserve and create affordable housing units.
Councillor Simmons, Councillor Siddiqui (O-6) from 4/23/2018

18-53. Report on an updated schedule for resubmitting a revised draft of the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance that incorporates suggestions from the Light Cambridge Committee by June 11, 2018.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Carlone (O-1) from 5/14/2018

18-60. Report on a small business parking pilot that would allow temporary on-street employee parking during typical daytime operating hours.
Councillor Mallon, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons (Calendar Item #1) from 5/14/2018

18-61. Report on commissioning a public art piece, statue, or memorial that would commemorate the dedication of women in Cambridge to passing the Nineteenth Amendment.
Councillor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Siddiqui (O-5) from 6/4/2018

18-65. Report on working with the Mayor’s Summer Youth Program and other appropriate City departments to organize a Town Hall Meeting for Cambridge youth.
Councillor Simmons, Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern (O-5) from 6/18/2018

18-66. Report on establishing a Young Adult Civic Unity Committee to be modeled after the Citizen Civic Unity Committee and to recruit applicants from all across the community and across all socio-economic backgrounds.
Councillor Simmons (O-7) from 6/18/2018

18-68. Report on determining the permitting and legality issues of Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing in the City of Cambridge.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Zondervan (O-11) from 6/18/2018

18-73. Report on establishing and implementing a dynamic new initiative that will seek to place Port residents (ages 18 and over) on paths to jobs with family-sustaining wages.
Councillor Simmons (O-6) from 6/25/2018

18-83. Report on an action plan to work with the City’s Community-Based Organizations to create a network of summertime evening programming to reduce the threat of violence in the City’s public spaces in 2019 and beyond.
Councillor Simmons, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Mallon (O-9) from 7/30/2018

18-85. Report on the feasibility of appointing an advisory committee to work through resiliency elements raised during the Envision process and through the Brown petition.
Councillor Toomey (O-13) from 7/30/2018

18-86. Report on the feasibility of adopting a policy of replacing any failed 4000K LED streetlights with warmer alternatives as opportunities arise, and offering shielding/filtering upon request from nearby residents whenever possible.
Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux (O-14) from 7/30/2018

18-87. Report on the navigational editing capabilities of the City of Cambridge.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Mallon, Vice Mayor Devereux (O-16) from 7/30/2018

18-90. Report on the feasibility of establishing a crosswalk at the intersection of Soden Street and Western Avenue.
Councillor Simmons (Calendar Item #3) from 9/24/2018

18-91. Report on drafting a plan that shall allow the Mayor’s Annual Harvard Senior Luncheon to be held regardless of the weather conditions.
Councillor Simmons, Councillor Siddiqui (Calendar Item #4) from 9/24/2018

18-93. Report on the sale of The Constellation Center's Parcel C in Kendall Square.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Toomey (Calendar Item #7) from 9/24/2018

18-96. Report on how the City views internet-based platforms as opportunities for outreach and communication and what sort of guidelines have been, or are being, developed to help everyone understand how the City’s various departments do or do not utilize these communication resources and how any communications on these platforms are managed so that the messaging and information is kept up-to-date.
Councillor Kelley (Calendar Item #10) from 9/24/2018

18-100. Report on taking all possible immediate actions to preserve and restore Linear Park.
Councillor Zondervan, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Kelley (O-3) from 9/24/2018

18-107. Report on prioritizing the Public Safety outreach measures in the FY20 budget.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Simmons (O-5) from 10/15/2018

18-108. Report on offering early voting in City Council and School Committee Elections.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Siddiqui (O-1) from 10/29/2018

18-114. Report on opportunities and plans to increase signage or other communication efforts to help ensure that all users of Brattle Street between Eliot and Mason Streets understand the cyclists may be using Brattle Street in the opposite direction of prevailing motor vehicle traffic. See Mgr #1
Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux (O-14) from 10/29/2018

18-115. Report on the current status of the Surveillance Technology Ordinance and a date the City Council can expect an updated version of the proposed Ordinance.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Carlone (O-16) from 10/29/2018

18-119. Report on evaluating the existing capacity of fire stations in the Kendall Square area and whether a new fire station is needed, and if so, determining the feasibility of locating a plot of land for this use.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Toomey (O-2) from 11/5/2018

18-122. Report on the possibility of posting a "no trucks" sign on Hancock Street.
Councillor Mallon, Councillor Siddiqui (O-3) from 11/19/2018

18-123. Report on ensuring funding for our municipal media services.
Councillor Mallon, Councillor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Devereux, Mayor McGovern (O-9) from 11/19/2018

18-127. Report on providing a timeline when the City Council can expect to receive the draft zoning and public health regulations for urban farming.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Mallon, Councillor Zondervan (O-1) from 11/26/2018

18-129. Report on conducting a comprehensive, independent planning, and parking study of the neighborhood and use of the First Street Garage within 6months.
Councillor Zondervan, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone (Calendar Item #1) from 11/19/2018

18-130. Report on working with the Chair of the Civic Unity Committee, the Director of the Cambridge Library, the Director of 22-CityView, the Director of the Women’s Commission, and any other appropriate City personnel to begin planning for a public discussion in recognition of 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage.
Councillor Simmons, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Mallon, Vice Mayor Devereux (O-3) from 12/3/2018

18-132. Report on the negative traffic impact regarding the Davis Square Neighborhood Plan.
Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux (O-5) from 12/3/2018

18-133. Report on raising the fines for blocking both loading zones and bike lanes to a comparable rate to Boston for the 2020 fiscal year.
Councillor Mallon, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Kelley (O-9) from 12/3/2018

18-134. Report on creating a more inclusive city website, including an Open Meeting Portal registration form that does not require the use of gendered pronouns, salutations or titles.
Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Mallon (O-11) from 12/3/2018

18-136. Report back on submitting a proposal that candidates would agree to not accept donations from person outside of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Councillor Toomey (O-15) from 12/3/2018

18-138. Report on Improving Pedestrian Safety and all relevant traffic calming measures to reduce speeding, implementing different paving surfaces, narrowing traffic lanes, installing pedestrian crossing placards affixed to the ground and adding raised intersections.
Mayor McGovern, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Zondervan (O-1) from 12/10/2018

18-139. Report on the possibility of planting a substantial-sized tree at the corner of Inman Street and Massachusetts Avenue, directly on the front lawn of City Hall.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Zondervan (O-2) from 12/10/2018

18-140. Table of Uses
Councillor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Siddiqui (O-1) from 12/17/2018

18-141. Safe way to bring power across sidewalks
Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan (O-2) from 12/17/2018

18-142. Targeting advertising efforts to education cyclists
Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Toomey (O-3) from 12/17/2018

18-143. Business entity's beneficial ownership
Councillor Siddiqui, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan (O-4) from 12/10/2018

18-144. Process for obtaining and analyzing Eviction data
Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone (O-6) from 12/17/2018

19-1. Report on the recently adopted regulations of the short-term rental revenue and the necessary steps to impose and access the revenue from the excise and community impact fees.
Mayor McGovern (O-4) from 1/7/2019

19-2. Report on allocating a percentage of hotel/motel tax revenue and adult use cannabis tax revenue to the arts in the FY20 budget.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern (O-5) from 1/7/2019

19-3. Report on establishing a Central Square Improvement Fund and allocate no less than 25% of funds generated to the arts.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern (O-6) from 1/7/2019

19-4. Report on the City's 1% for arts ordinance, which projects have met the threshold and which have fallen short, and whether it can be adjusted to account for ensuring that all mediums and disciplines of art, including live performance art, receive funding.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Simmons (O-7) from 1/7/2019

19-5. Report on how to provide public representation to the major project Selection Committees.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone (O-14) from 1/7/2019

19-6. Report on outlining how a prolonged Federal Government shut-down may impact the people of Cambridge.
Councillor Simmons, Councillor Mallon, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Siddiqui (O-1) from 1/14/2019

19-7. Report on Boston’s Electric Vehicle Charging Station Home Rule Petition and propose similar language for the City Council to consider.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Carlone (O-2) from 1/14/2019

19-9. Report on determining what facilities, parking changes, and other improvements to the pavement conditions are possible to make Cambridge’s stretch of Webster Avenue a Complete Street.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Siddiqui (O-4) from 1/14/2019

19-10. Report 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.
Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Mallon, Councillor Carlone (O-6) from 1/14/2019

19-11. Report on the feasibility of eliminating the use of plastic water bottles at City and School events.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Mallon (O-4) from 1/28/2019

19-12. Report on the legality and constitutionality of the proposed “Cambridge Publicly Financed Municipal Election Program” and the “Cambridge Municipal Election People’s Pledge.”
Councillor Toomey, Councillor Kelley (O-8) from 1/28/2019

19-13. Report on conferring with Eversource and the appropriate City departments to undertake a series of studies and analyses related to finance, health and safety, building design, and long-term electricity needs before the construction of a substation in East Cambridge.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Toomey (O-3) from 2/4/2019

19-14. Report on conducting inventories of both local arts organizations and private foundations that may support them.
Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern (O-4) from 2/4/2019

19-15. Report on the possibility of setting up an assistance fund/program to help low-income and/or elderly/disabled residents manage bed bug infestations.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan (O-9) from 2/4/2019

19-16. Report on the “Super Sunday” road race that was held on Feb 3, 2019 and if the proper procedures were followed in issuing permits and when/if the neighbors were notified.
Councillor Toomey (O-13) from 2/4/2019

19-17. Report on an update of the status of efforts by MIT's International Center for Air Transportation and MassPort's Community Advisory Committee to study, assess and address noise issues associated with flights in and out of Logan Airport.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Zondervan (Calendar Item #1) from 1/7/2019

19-18. Report on sharing regular project updates from the GSA and MITIMCO on the new Volpe Center.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan (O-13) from 1/7/2019

19-19. Report on the empty tree wells in the Port area and establish a plan for replenishing these throughout the spring season and determine where additional "smart" trash receptacles can be placed throughout the Port.
Councillor Simmons, Councillor Mallon, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Kelley (O-5) from 2/11/2019

19-20. Report on seeking additional funding for affordable housing concerns.
Councillor Simmons, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern (O-6) from 2/11/2019

19-21. Report on the process for establishing a formal, thorough review of the City’s Affordable Home Ownership programs, incorporating a plan for obtaining and analyzing substantial quantitative data inclusive of all types of units.
Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Toomey (O-3) from 2/25/2019

19-22. Report on the feasibility of allowing small businesses to host live acoustic music performances without a license, and if feasible, present the City Council with a proposal to allow such performances.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern (O-5) from 2/25/2019

19-23. Report on amending the Zoning Ordinance “Table of Uses” to allow for lodging houses in Residential A1, A2, and B Zoning Districts and to determine what tax incentives could be utilized to assist in the conversion of single-family/multi-family houses into lodging houses.
Councillor Toomey, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Siddiqui, Mayor McGovern (O-7) from 2/25/2019

19-24. Report on plans to make the pedestrian crossing of Massachusetts Avenue at Day Street more predictably safe for pedestrians.
Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Toomey, Mayor McGovern (O-8) from 2/25/2019

19-25. Report on information that is offered to limited equity condominium owners regarding the ability to recoup extraordinary repair and maintenance costs, the procedure that is in place to inform purchasers of existing or possible construction and maintenance issues that may result in higher-than expected condo fees, and the possibility of allowing roommates to cover unexpected expenses.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Simmons, Mayor McGovern, Councillor Toomey (O-10) from 2/25/2019

19-26. Report on communicating directly with the Volpe Center about the possibility of having their staff help the City set up a Micro-Mobility Pilot program in the Kendall Square area.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan (O-11) from 2/25/2019

19-27. Report on providing an update on the Firehouse improvements allocation.
Mayor McGovern, Councillor Mallon, Councillor Toomey (O-12) from 2/25/2019

19-28. Report on expediting zoning based on the 2015 Commercial Land Use Classification Study and exploring the feasibility of hiring more zoning planners.
Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Mallon, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone (O-13) from 2/25/2019

19-29. Report on providing data on speed and vehicle counts on Garden Street between Concord Avenue and Linnaean Street and identify potential measures to improve its pedestrian and bicycle safety.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Carlone (O-2) from 3/4/2019

19-30. Report on how traffic safety concerns may be addressed on Madison Avenue.
Councillor Kelley (O-4) from 3/4/2019

19-31. Report on reviewing design or signage changes to improve safety at the intersection of Third Street and Spring Street.
Mayor McGovern, Councillor Toomey (O-1) from 3/18/2019

19-32. Report on the number of fines for failure to clear sidewalks issued from the winter of 2014-15 through the winter of 2018-19.
Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Kelley (O-4) from 3/18/2019

19-33. Report on updating the bike data count chart, along with other data tables and charts, in the Cambridge Bicycle Plan to reflect 2016 and 2018 data.
Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Zondervan (O-9) from 3/18/2019

19-34. Report on how the data collected from the Broadway Eco-Display is used to inform the City’s transportation planning efforts and to address the possibility of installing additional Eco-Display counters at the highest trafficked bicycle locations to provide more comprehensive information about bike use and other vehicles such as scooters.
Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Zondervan (O-10) from 3/18/2019

19-35. Report on the status of any micro-mobility pilot programs or partnerships in Cambridge.
Councillor Kelley (O-12) from 3/18/2019

19-36. Report on how the Parking and Transportation Demand Management Ordinance is being used anecdotally, what the participation rates and trends are, and how it’s administered.
Vice Mayor Devereux (O-17) from 3/18/2019

19-37. Report on moving a Transit Benefit Ordinance proposal to an action plan.
Vice Mayor Devereux (O-18) from 3/18/2019

	Annual Consumption*	FY19 Water Rate	FY20 Proposed Water Rate	FY19 Sewer Rate	FY20 Proposed Sewer Rate
Block 1	0 – 40 CcF	$3.02	$3.02	$11.00	$11.77
Block 2	41 – 400 CcF	$3.24	$3.24	$11.63	$12.44
Block 3	401 – 2,000 CcF	$3.44	$3.44	$12.49	$13.36
Block 4	2,001 – 10,000 CcF	$3.65	$3.65	$13.45	$14.39
Block 5	Over 10,000 CcF	$3.96	$3.96	$14.30	$15.30