CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA
1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the FY19 submitted budget and appropriation orders.
Referred to Finance Committee

Apr 23, 2018
To the Honorable, the City Council:

I am hereby transmitting the FY2019 submitted budget and appropriation orders. The budget book and backup materials will be available to the City Council for the meeting scheduled for Mon, Apr 3, 2018.

Very truly yours, Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager

2. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $5,000,000 to provide funds for the Municipal Facilities Improvement Plan.
Passed to 2nd Reading

Apr 23, 2018
To the Honorable, the City Council:

Please find attached an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $5,000,000 to provide funds for the Municipal Facilities Improvement Plan. Funds will support interior and exterior improvements at the City Hall Annex; ventilation improvements at Fire Department Headquarters and Porter Square Firehouse; and upgrades of HVAC, plumbing, lighting, electrical, mechanical, accessibility and interior and exterior finish work at multiple sites.

This order is being submitted for the Apr 23, 2018 City Council meeting to allow the City Council to vote on this order on May 21, 2018, which is the projected date for City Council adoption of the FY19 Budget. Approval of loan orders on budget adoption night has been the practice for several years.

If passed to a second reading on Apr 23, 2018, the City will comply with all legal requirements so that the order may be adopted on May 21,2018. Please see the Public Investment Section in the FY19 Submitted Budget for additional information on these projects. The Finance Committee hearing on the FY19 Public Investment Budget is scheduled for May 8, 2018.

Very truly yours, Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager

Agenda Item Number 2     Apr 23, 2018
ORDERED: That $5,000,000 is appropriated, in addition to any amounts previously appropriated, for the purpose of planning and financing building renovations, including but not limited to the following projects in the municipal facilities improvement plan;
  • Interior and exterior improvements at the City Hall Annex
  • Ventilation improvements at Fire Department Headquarters and Porter Square Firehouse
  • HVAC, plumbing, lighting, electrical, accessibility, mechanical, and interior and exterior finish work at municipal buildings citywide and to meet this appropriation the Treasurer with the approval of the City Manager is authorized to borrow $5,000,000 under Chapter 44 of the General Laws or any other enabling authority; and be it further
ORDERED: Any premium received by the City upon the sale of any bonds or notes approved by this vote, less the cost of preparing issuing and marketing them, and any accrued interest received upon the delivery of such bonds or notes, shall be applied to the payment of project costs approved by this vote, thereby reducing the amount authorized to be borrowed to pay such costs by a like amount.

3. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $650,000 to provide funds for various School building infrastructure projects, and a new boiler at an Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.
Passed to 2nd Reading

Apr 23, 2018
To the Honorable, the City Council:

Please find attached an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $650,000 to provide funds for various School building infrastructure projects, and a new boiler at the Solomon Building at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. This order is being submitted for the Apr 23, 2018 City Council meeting to allow the City Council to vote on this order on May 21, 2018 which is the projected date for City Council adoption of the FY19 Budget. Approval of loan orders on budget adoption night has been the practice for several years.

If passed to a second reading on Apr 23, 2018, the City will comply with all legal requirements so that the order may be adopted on May 21, 2018. Please see the Public Investment Section in the FY19 Submitted Budget for additional information on this project. The Finance Committee hearing on the FY19 Public Investment Budget is scheduled for May 8, 2018.

Very truly yours, Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager

Agenda Item Number 3     Apr 23, 2018
ORDERED: That $650,000 is appropriated, for the purpose of financing building renovations, including but not limited to, the following projects:
  • Boiler replacement at the Solomon Building Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
  • Building upgrades at district elementary schools
and to meet this appropriation the Treasurer with the approval of the City Manager is authorized to borrow $650,000 under Chapter 44 of the General Laws or any other enabling authority; and be it further
ORDERED: Any premium received by the City upon the sale of any bonds or notes approved by this vote, less the cost of preparing issuing and marketing them, and any accrued interest received upon the delivery of such bonds or notes, shall be applied to the payment of project costs approved by this vote, thereby reducing the amount authorized to be borrowed to pay such costs by a like amount.

4. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $61,500,000 to provide funds for various water pollution abatement projects, including construction of sewer separation, storm water management and combined sewer overflow reduction elimination improvements within the The Port neighborhood, and the River Street neighborhood.
Passed to 2nd Reading

Apr 23, 2018
To the Honorable, the City Council:

Please find attached an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $61,500,000 to provide funds for various water pollution abatement projects, including construction of sewer separation, storm water management and combined sewer overflow reduction elimination improvements within the The Port neighborhood, and the River Street neighborhood. Funding will also support the Sewer Capital Repairs Program and climate change preparedness efforts. This order is being submitted for the Apr 23, 2018 City Council meeting to allow the City Council to vote on this order on May 21, 2018 which is the projected date for City Council adoption of the FY19 Budget. Approval of loan orders on budget adoption night has been the practice for several years.

If passed to a second reading on Apr 23, 2018, the City will comply with all legal requirements so that the order may be adopted on May 21, 2018. Please see the Public Investment Section in the FY19 Submitted Budget for additional information on this project. The Finance Committee hearing on the FY19 Public Investment Budget is scheduled for May 8, 2018.

Very truly yours, Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager

Agenda Item Number 4     Apr 23, 2018
ORDERED: That $61,500,000 is appropriated, in addition to any amounts previously appropriated, for the purpose of financing the design and construction of various water pollution abatement projects, including but not limited to:

Construction of sewer separation, storm water management and combined sewer overflow reduction elimination improvements within River Street neighborhood and The Port neighborhood as well as the Sewer Capital Repairs Program and climate change preparedness efforts, including without limitation all costs thereof as defined in Section 1 of Chapter 29C of the General Laws; that to meet this appropriation the Treasurer with the approval of the City Manager is authorized to borrow $61,500,000 and issue bonds or notes therefore under G.L. c.44 and/or Chapter 29C of the General Laws or any other enabling authority; that such bonds or notes shall be general obligations of the City unless the Treasurer with the approval of the City Manager determines that they should be issued as limited obligations and may be secured by local system revenues as defined in Section 1 of Chapter 29C; that the Treasurer with the approval of the City Manager is authorized to borrow all or a portion of such amount from the Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust established pursuant to Chapter 29C or the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and in connection therewith to enter into a loan agreement and/or a security agreement and/or financial assistance agreement with the Trust or the Authority and otherwise to contract with the Trust and the Authority and the Department of Environmental Protection with respect to such loan and for any federal or state aid available for the projects or for the financing thereof; and that the City Manager or any other authorized City official is authorized to enter into a project regulatory agreement with the Department of Environmental Protection, to expend all funds available for the projects and to take any other action necessary to carry out the projects.

ORDERED: Any premium received by the City upon the sale of any bonds or notes approved by this vote, less the cost of preparing issuing and marketing them, and any accrued interest received upon the delivery of such bonds or notes, shall be applied to the payment of project costs approved by this vote, thereby reducing the amount authorized to be borrowed to pay such costs by a like amount.

5. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $21,000,000 to provide funds for the reconstruction of various City streets and sidewalks.
Passed to 2nd Reading

Apr 23, 2018
To the Honorable, the City Council:

Please find attached an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $21,000,000 to provide funds for the reconstruction of various City streets and sidewalks. $18,000,000 of this loan order is attributable to the improvement project related to sewer infrastructure upgrades at River Street/Carl Barron Plaza. This order is being submitted for the Apr 23, 2018 City Council meeting to allow the City Council to vote on this order on May 21, 2018 which is the projected date for City Council adoption of the FY19 Budget. Approval of loan orders on budget adoption night has been the practice for several years.

If passed to a second reading on Apr 23, 2018, the City will comply with all legal requirements so that the order may be adopted on May 21, 2018. Please see the Public Investment Section in the FY19 Submitted Budget for additional information on this project. The Finance Committee hearing on the FY19 Public Investment Budget is scheduled for May 8, 2018.

Very truly yours, Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager

Agenda Item Number 5      Apr 23, 2018
ORDERED: That $21,000,000 is appropriated for the purpose of financing the repair and/or reconstruction of various City streets and sidewalks; and to meet this appropriation the Treasurer with the approval of the City Manager is authorized to borrow $21,000,000 under Chapter 44 of the General Laws or any other enabling authority; and be it further
ORDERED: Any premium received by the City upon the sale of any bonds or notes approved by this vote, less the cost of preparing issuing and marketing them, and any accrued interest received upon the delivery of such bonds or notes, shall be applied to the payment of project costs approved by this vote, thereby reducing the amount authorized to be borrowed to pay such costs by a like amount.

6. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a supplemental appropriation of $1,000,000 from Free Cash to the Public Works Public Investment Fund account to fund snowstorm related road repairs and capital equipment.
Adopted 9-0

Apr 23, 2018
To the Honorable, the City Council:

I am hereby requesting a supplemental appropriation of $1,000,000 from Free Cash to the Public Works Public Investment Fund account to fund snowstorm related road repairs and capital equipment.

This winter saw 66.9 inches of snow fell in the City, 21 salting events, and 7 major snow storms. This resulted in over $750,000 in needed roadway improvements, and the end of life for one large salter, and two sidewalk tractors totaling $250,000.

Very truly yours, Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager

Apr 23, 2018
To the Honorable, the City Council:

I am hereby requesting a supplemental appropriation of $2,475,000 from Free Cash to the General Fund Public Works Other Ordinary Maintenance account to fund snowstorm related expenses associated with snow plowing and snow removal contracts, salt, other materials, repair costs.

This winter saw 66.9 inches of snow, 21 salting events, and 7 major snow events utilizing the services of private contractors. Throughout this winter season, the City spent $2,105,000 on contractors, $325,000 on materials, and an additional $45,000 on repairs to fences, resulting in a $2,475,000 snow and ice deficit.

Very truly yours, Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager

7. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a supplemental appropriation of $2,475,000 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.
Adopted 9-0

Apr 23, 2018
To the Honorable, the City Council:

I am hereby requesting a supplemental appropriation of $2,475,000 from Free Cash to the General Fund Public Works Other Ordinary Maintenance account to fund snowstorm related expenses associated with snow plowing and snow removal contracts, salt, other materials, repair costs.

This winter saw 66.9 inches of snow, 21 salting events, and 7 major snow events utilizing the services of private contractors. Throughout this winter season, the City spent $2,105,000 on contractors, $325,000 on materials, and an additional $45,000 on repairs to fences, resulting in a $2,475,000 snow and ice deficit.

Very truly yours, Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager

8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-23, relative to repairs to the Harvard Square Portland Loo and methods to prevent service interruptions in the future.
Placed on File

Apr 23, 2018
To the Honorable, the City Council:

Please find attached a response to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-23, relative to repairs to the Harvard Square Portland Loo and methods to prevent service interruptions in the future, received from Public Works Commissioner Owen O'Riordan.

Very truly yours, Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager

Apr 18, 2018
TO: Louis DePasquale City Manager
FROM: Owen O’Riordan Public Works Commissioner
Re: Awaiting Report 18-23 of 02/26/2018 regarding why repairs to the Harvard Square Portland Loo took so long, and what proactive methods are being taken into consideration to prevent service interruptions in the future.

In response to the above referenced awaiting report please be advised that the Public Works Department has been working with the vendor of the Portland Loo since the toilet was first installed in Harvard Square in February of 2016 to address cold weather issues. The toilet has remained under warranty since that time. While our impression is that overall the installation has been a successful one, from the outset we have struggled keeping it operational during cold weather months. During the first six months after its opening we had the manufacture make several modifications to the system to keep the water systems within the unit from freezing. We also added these modifications to the specifications that were put together for the Central Square installation.

In February of this year we found that the original insulation on the water piping at the back of the unit had failed and caused additional freezing at the rear water supply at the main pipeline into the unit. The toilet was then shut down and a full evaluation was done to determine a long-term solution to the problem. Work was subsequently scheduled to replace the broken waterline, replace failed water valves, and to get the piping professionally insulated. While none of this work was overly complicated it did involve several contractors and needed to be scheduled in sequence before we were able to get things back up and running.

Because of their experience with Cambridge (The North East is one of their colder installation locations), The Portland Loo company has provided major upgrades to operate in severe weather conditions. As an option to potential buyers in extreme cold weather situations, the Loo now offers non-freezing protection that has been tested down to 6 degrees Fahrenheit. This new option uses an electrical heat trace around all piping and interior toilet bowl areas. The cold weather upgrade circulates 3500 watts of heated water around these parts ensuring the pipes and toilet drain won't freeze.

With these modifications standard now on the Cambridge models, and additional insulation that we have installed at both locations we feel that we can reasonably minimize future long-term shutdowns.

11. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following person as a member of the Election Commission effective May 2, 2018 for a term of four years: Victoria Harris
Placed on File

Apr 23, 2018
To the Honorable, the City Council:

I am hereby transmitting notification of the appointment of the following person as an Election Commissioner effective May 2, 2018 for a term of four years:

Victoria Harris
Ms. Harris holds a Master’s Degrees in Public Health and Social Work from Boston University and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Cambridge Community Center and the Advisory Committee for the Friends of Cambridge Rindge and Latin school. Her experience includes community advocacy, non-profit management, volunteer coordination, community based participatory research and working with diverse populations. The members of the Board of Election Commissioners are excited to welcome the new member and look forward to working with her.

12. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following persons as a members of the Arts Council Advisory Board for a term of three years, effective May 1, 2018: Olivia D'Ambrosio and Michael Monestime.
Placed on File

Apr 23, 2018
To the Honorable, the City Council:

I am hereby transmitting notification of the appointment of the following persons as a members of the Arts Council Advisory Board for a term of three years, effective May 1, 2018:

Olivia D’Ambrosio
Ms. D'Ambrosio is a working artist, educator, and organizational founder and leader living Neighborhood Nine. Ms. D’Ambrosio brings a great deal of direct experience to the table as a working artist in theater, as Founder/Artistic Director of Bridge Repertory Theater, and as a faculty member in Drama as part of the MIT Creative Writing Program. In addition to these professional credentials, Ms. D’Ambrosio would bring proven experience working on behalf of key issues related to university relations and advocacy for artists, art-making, cultural economic development and the issues and experiences of the LGBTQ+ community in Cambridge and the region. Ms. D’Ambrosio lives near Lesley University’s College of Arts and Design and Maud Morgan Arts and can be an advocate and conduit for ongoing communication and support of those and other arts-focused organizations in and around the Porter Square.

Michael Monestime
Mr. Monestime is a resident in the Cambridgeport Neighborhood and serves as the Executive Director of the Central Square Business Association and Co-Director for the Central Square Cultural District. Through his work with the Central Square Cultural District, Mr. Monestime felt that an even closer association with the City via the Arts Advisory Board would be beneficial. Mr. Monestime has proven success with experiential marketing, developing turnkey corporate partnerships, and managing positive community organizing and engagement. As a Master’s Degree candidate at UMASS Boston in Urban Planning & Community Development, Mr. Monestime would bring unique skill and experience in this arena to the work of the Arts Council in developing programs and engaging in external fundraising to accomplish the work of supporting creative initiatives and connecting residents to arts and cultural experiences in Cambridge and the region. In addition to his strong focus on Central Square as a retail district, Mr. Monestime formerly managed corporate relations for the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and established his own creative placemaking and experiential marketing firm in Cambridge, entitled: Resurfaced. As a parent of young children in CPS, Mr. Monestime would also bring his family’s experience in the public school district to bear on his work with Cambridge Arts. [Note: Michael and his family now live in North Cambridge.]

O-4     Apr 23, 2018
VICE MAYOR DEVEREUX
WHEREAS: The bus tunnels in the Harvard Square MBTA station are scheduled for repair; and
WHEREAS: The MBTA's tentative schedule suggests that the Upper Tunnel will be closed for 3-4 months in late 2018 and the Lower Tunnel will be closed for 3-4 months in early 2019; and
WHEREAS: The details of the project have yet to be released to the City of Cambridge or stakeholders; and
WHEREAS: The project is likely to create confusion, relocation of stops, minor schedule adjustments, and increased foot traffic in Harvard Square for the 6-8 month period that the tunnels will be closed; and
WHEREAS: While the roadways of the tunnels are being repaved, it is in the City of Cambridge’s best interest to advocate for other improvements to the tunnels which have fallen into a state of significant and dangerous disrepair; and
WHEREAS: During the Transportation and Public Utilities Committee Hearing of Apr 11, 2018, residents and City Councillors voiced requests to, at minimum, improve the lighting in the tunnels and to provide additional benches or other seating in the tunnels; and
WHEREAS: There is significant water damage and corrosion of many of the light fixtures, structural poles and maintenance doors in the tunnel, that could present a public safety danger and must be improved; and
WHEREAS: The public art that is displayed in the tunnels is also in need of maintenance; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Community Development Department, Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department, the Department of Public Works, and any other City departments to work with the MBTA to address the above listed necessary improvements to the Harvard Square Station Tunnels while they are being renovated; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council when the MBTA releases its plans for construction and mitigation with information about the project and efforts by staff to work with the MBTA to advocate for these improvements.

O-6     Apr 23, 2018  Amended
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the appropriate City staff to ensure that an additional commitment of $20 million from the City’s budget is devoted each year over the next five years toward the City’s efforts to preserve and create affordable housing units, and to report back to the City Council on this in a timely manner.

O-7     Apr 23, 2018
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
WHEREAS: The Constellation Charitable Foundation purchased land in Kendall Square in 1996 with specific deed restriction to enhance the area; and
WHEREAS: The Constellation Charitable Foundation planned to build a performing arts center on the site known as Parcel C; and
WHEREAS: Construction has not started on Parcel C and no building permits have been issued for development; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to contact the owners to receive an update on plans for the Parcel C site and when development can be expected to begin.

O-10     Apr 23, 2018
VICE MAYOR DEVEREUX
COUNCILLOR CARLONE
WHEREAS: The dock known as Poorman’s Landing on the East Cambridge side of the Charles River is owned by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and is in a state of significant disrepair; and
WHEREAS: Poorman’s Landing is frequently used by residents, office workers, visitors, and boaters, and is a critical resource for our first responders in emergencies and for special events; and
WHEREAS: The dock is currently failing and decaying, with issues including broken or missing decking, missing or failing rub rails, and missing and broken cleats; and
WHEREAS: The dock is currently not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and
WHEREAS: The dock is in urgent need of repair, due to its value to the East Cambridge community, first responders, and the reality that its current condition is a safety threat to all users; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to consult with the appropriate City Staff, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Friends of Poorman’s Landing, and the East Cambridge Planning Team to ensure the timely repair of Poorman’s Landing.

O-12     Apr 23, 2018
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI
WHEREAS: The Housing Committee has been identifying items for further consideration throughout this term, and among those has been the creation of an Affordable Housing Overlay District; and
WHEREAS: In furtherance of this discussion, it will be necessary to obtain the appropriate language from the Community Development Department and the Solicitor’s Office needed to establish the Affordable Housing Overlay District; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Community Development Department and the City Solicitor to produce language for a zoning proposal for use by the Housing Committee that contains information pertaining to the above-stated goal, and to report back to the City Council on this matter in a timely manner.

TEXT OF COMMITTEE REPORTS
Committee Report #1
The Neighborhood & Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts & Celebration Committee held a public hearing on Mar 22, 2018 beginning at 4:02pm in the Sullivan Chamber.

The purpose of the hearing was to gain a better understanding of the extent of the City's digital divide and to explore possible ways to increase digital access, including the Cambridge Broadband Task Force recommendations and Tilson Report (options 1, 2, and 3) and any other suggestions made in Policy Order #7 of Feb 12, 2018 or any other related matters.

Present at the hearing were Councillor Zondervan, Chair of the Committee; Councillor Craig Kelley; Councillor Sumbul Siddiqui via remote participation; Lisa Peterson, Deputy City Manager; David Kale, Assistant City Manager for Fiscal Affairs; Lee Gianetti, Director of Communications and Community Relations; Mary Hart, Chief Information Officer; Mike Dugas, Deputy Director, Information Technology; Steve Lenkauskas, City Electrician; Matt McLaughlin; Nora Bent; Dan Totten; Anna Lee Hirschi; and Deputy City Clerk Paula M. Crane.

Also present were Dr. K. "'Vish'' Viswanath, Professor of Health Communication at the Harvard School of Public Health; Saul Tannenbaum, Cambridge Broadband Task Force member; Yao Chi Fu; Lin Jingyi; Nancy Ryan; Christopher Schmidt; Bill Cunningham; Teresa Cardosi; Paula Cortes; Mark Day; Sebastien Naginski; Erika Naginski; Glenna Wyman; Susan Fleischmann; Angela Holm; Judith Nathans; E.J. Barnes; Ilan Levy; and Shanti Renfren.

Councillor Zondervan outlined the agenda for this hearing (ATTACHMENT 1). He stated that 18 written communications were received by the Deputy City Clerk and asked that these communications become part of the permanent record of the hearing (ATTACHMENTS 2-20).

Councillor Zondervan read from prepared written opening remarks (ATTACHMENT 21). He spoke about considering all possibilities to bridge the digital divide. He stated that he came to the United States as a 15-year old immigrant and learned to program computers, which has become his ticket to access the digital economy. He stated that the digital divide is a real challenge for real people in the community and added that it severely limits access to education, economic opportunity, better health and many great services that Cambridge provides to its residents.

Councillor Zondervan invited Saul Tannenbaum to share his personal remarks. Mr. Tannenbaum gave a summary of his personal remarks (ATTACHMENT 22). He gave a history of the 2006 pilot project that installed wireless access points throughout Newtowne Court. He said that in 2006, the City Manager appointed a Digital Divide Committee which included members from the City Council, School Committee, City human services and technology agencies, the Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA), CCTV and other community agencies. A copy of the document containing a summary of the Cambridge Broadband Task Force Phase 1 Recommendations and an executive summary of the Municipal Broadband Study conducted by Tilson for the City of Cambridge was distributed for this hearing (ATTACHMENT 23). Mr. Tannenbaum explained that assessments of both the WIFI program and computer support programs were undertaken. He noted that WIFI service was not terminated when the pilot ended with no support for longer term WIFI support or maintenance. He said that the City replaced WIFI hardware a few years later in response to resident complaints. He said that in the winter 2013/2014 volunteers from the Digital Divide Committee fixed what they could of the WIFI system which meant replacing outdoor cables. Mr. Tannenbaum said that 2017 Envision Cambridge does not even see the digital divide as an issue.

Mr. Tannenbaum gave a timetable of the work of the Broadband Task Force. He said that the City hired Tilson which is a well-respected consulting firm to assist the Broadband Task Force with examining options to increase competition, reduce pricing, and improve speed, reliability and customer service for residents and businesses. The findings of this work were reported in 2016. He said that Tilson recommended three options that reflected the goals and the need for government intervention: small build, medium build and large build. He said that the Broadband Task Force rejected all three. The reasons for the rejection showed the path forward. He explained that the first option was "a small build" which was fiber to CHA properties. He said that there was no outreach to the low-income communities to find out problems that were being experienced. He added that this option was also rejected because the City has affordable housing units outside of CHA properties and this did not address those households. He said that there was no service delivery plan and the network could not be expanded to a citywide network. He said that one recommendation was to do outreach and discover problems and develop a solution as it was important for the City not to take half measures. He said that the second option was a medium build of a dark fiber network and have commercial companies finish it. He noted that the task force viewed this as a subsidy and felt if Cambridge were to do that, it should just write a check. He said that Tilson did not have courage of their convictions with this option. He said that it seemed like a gamble and it was effectively a subsidy. He explained that the last option was municipal broadband with large build. He said that even the municipal broadband advocates on the task force felt this premature. He said that community conversation was necessary for this commitment and there was not a detailed financial analysis. They recommended that the financial feasibility be done as well as broad community outreach to put the City Manager and the City Council in a position to make a fully informed decision.

Mr. Tannenbaum said that the FCC has abdicated all regulatory authority and it has given its authority to the Federal Trade Commission. He said that they are dismantling “Lifeline” subsidies for low-income families. He said that this will be a bad time for free and open internet. He said that when the federal government fails to protect our interests, we turn to our local government and expect it to fill that gap. He said that Cambridge needs to fill the gap.

Councillor Zondervan thanked Mr. Tannenbaum and introduced Dr. Viswanath. Dr. Viswanath gave an overview of his PowerPoint presentation (ATTACHMENT 24). He said that over the last 15 years they have documented digital inequalities and the effect that it has on people's health. He noted that communication inequalities impact other aspects of life. Dr. Viswanath said that the idea of digital inequalities is global problem. He said that use of internet is related to gross national product. He said that it is a variation within countries. He stated that the people who do not have broadband are the disproportionally poor, minorities and senior citizens. He explained that if we provide access to digital services, it improves many facets of one's life. He said that providing digital access can improve the lives of all people. Dr. Viswanath explained that every aspect of life is influenced by providing digital access. He said that he believes that digital services are engrossed in life and it is critical to provide access. He said that some people argue that it is just about cell phone and subscriptions and that smart phones can be a solution. He remarked that people go in and out of the digital spectrum and that inconsistent access is something that we must pay attention to. He said that people frequently lose access so it is important to think about consistent, sustained access to services over a period of time. He explained that for certain sections of the population, we must think about training and capacity building. He said that technical support is critical. He concluded by stating that we must look at specific groups to ensure that they are part of the 21st century phenomenon. Councillor Zondervan thanked Dr. Viswanath for his comments and participation in the hearing.

Councillor Zondervan explained that Trevor Jones from Otelco Corporation was unable to participate in the hearing and stated that he would give an overview of Mr. Jones' PowerPoint presentation (ATTACHMENT 25).

Mr. Tannenbaum said that the Broadband Task Force discussed many of these options and the framework they came to is that the purest solution was that the City pay for the network and recouping the cost through subscription model. He said that their view was that they did not know how much the premises network would cost and the right way to approach it would it was to be cognizant of money saving models. He said that the end point is to figure the cost and then figure out a business and financing model. He said that he thinks that building out and then having an open access network with a company operating it is an attractive model. He said that most cities do not have the financial stability that Cambridge has.

Councillor Zondervan asserted that the main idea of Mr. Jones' approaches is to see the possibilities.

Ms. Peterson introduced Steve Lenkauskas; Lee Gianetti, Chair of the Broadband Task Force; Mary Hart; and Mike Dugas. She said that talking about digital equity and access is important. She acknowledged that the Broadband Task Force did a lot of good work with an amazing group of people. She said that there was not agreement by the City to move forward on what it will take to build a municipal network. She noted that the cost was very high. She explained that the City Manager does not want there to be any misunderstanding. She said that Mr. DePasquale does not want to put out scope of services if he thinks that financially it is not in the best interest of the City to build a municipal network. She affirmed that the City Manager is very interested in digital equity. She said that the City Manager is very interested in moving forward to figure out what is a better plan to provide better access to the internet for people who do not currently have it available to them. She noted that this may be an incremental approach.

Lee Gianetti thanked the presenters. He said that during the time 2014-2016 when the Broadband Task Force was engaged in its work, the rewarding part was the interactions at the meetings. He said that it was a learning lesson when people disagreed. He said that the goal is to ensure that people have access to reliable and affordable internet. He urged people to read the Tilson Report and the Broadband Task Force recommendations. He explained that in 2014, former City Manager Richard Rossi appointed the task force and after they presented their findings, a new City Manager was named. He said that Mr. DePasquale does not have interest in Cambridge financing a municipal broadband system. He said that there are a number of vendors who are interested in getting into the Cambridge market to build an internet system in Cambridge. He said that they have spoken to consultants who focus on digital equity so the city can build upon the work of the Tilson Report. He said that there have been discussions with Seattle as it relates to their focusing on digital equity. He said that the Tilson Report gives a solid foundation of understanding of what it would take to build a municipal network in Cambridge. He said that one comment that has stuck in his mind is that we do not have a technological problem, we have a goal problem. He said that the goals of the task force will help in the next steps. He said that it is important to partner with the public to ensure that we continue to move forward together.

Mary Hart stated that the WIFI in the city currently is in public meeting locations throughout the city. She said that there was an experiment in 2007 to see if it would be possible to roll out WIFI citywide, but technically it was not feasible. She said that the City did keep the installation at Newtowne Court up until last year. She noted that the City is working to replace access in Newtowne Court. She said that there are no plans to expand this service but the City will continue to maintain and improve the service itself. She said that just last month, Comcast connections were discontinued at Newtowne Court.

Councillor Zondervan said that he would like to talk about the Manning Apartments. He said they are actively being renovated and that durng a tour that he attended it was mentioned to him that the building has ethernet throughout and the City's fiber network runs into the basement of the building but these two are not connected. He said that he has heard that there are companies that could provide ISP services and he asked about the possibility of having a private company provide internet service in the Manning using the City's fiber network as the backbone and the building's wiring to provide the service to the individual residents.

Ms. Peterson said that in terms of being able to provide fiber to some public housing developments, it is not a technology issue, it is a policy issue. She said that the CHA has some buildings that is internet service ready if they could connect to a fiber connection. She noted that the right agreements must be worked out. Mr. Gianetti said that they had some meetings with the CHA to talk through this sort of option. He said that there would be six properties that would have brand new wiring and ethernet cable in every apartment. He noted that the biggest challenges would be who people would call with problems, how is it going to work, and who is paying for the service agreements. He added that another challenge is how to start dealing with the wireless access and is that a good enough service.

Mr. Tannenbaum said that he recalls that the issue with WIFI in Newtowne Court was that the access point showed up in residents' apartments without any introduction. He said that they did not have a good understanding of what it was. He said that is why the Broadband Task Force emphasized outreach. He said that there is no way to shortcut outreach. He said human service agencies and non-profits need to help with suspicion.

Councillor Zondervan said that he is not hearing the reason why the City cannot put out a bid and get vendors to be the service provider that bridges the ethernet and the City's fiber. Ms. Peterson responded that that the City is not in this type of business. She said that it is an individual household's responsibility and not a business that the City has been in, in terms of providing internet service and access to a household. Ms. Peterson said that talking about using the City's fiber is one thing but if we are talking about being able to use internet in a household, that is a different level of service.

Mr. Lenkauskas said that a company can bring fiber to a building but the question is where to pass that fiber off to feed the building. Councillor Zondervan said that the whole idea is that the City has fiber optic running into a building and they could be the service provider to the residents. He said that the City would just be giving permission to connect to the fiber optic.

Mike Dugas said that by adding unknown internet, it would be a security risk to mix with the City's fiber or data network. He said that there would need to be separation between networks. He said that if there is fiber, it is locked and secure. Councillor Zondervan said that provided that there is fiber running into the building, there are conduits where additional fiber could be run. Mr. Dugas said conceptually, yes. He said that there are about 350 wireless access points in the city. He said that since that building is not City-owned, we do not pull fiber to these buildings. Councillor Zondervan said that perhaps there are City-operated conduits and there may be ways to break the distance. He explained that he is trying to understand if this is impossible or just difficult. Councillor Zondervan asked what are the obstacles in this concrete situation to bridge this divide. Ms. Peterson responded that there are a number of issues around security. She said that it is a matter of the policies and cost implications and who is paying for what. She said that this needs to be built in the most secure way with protocols around use. She added that there are policy implications that need to be discussed but concluded that technically, bringing fiber into the building could be done.

Councillor Kelley said that we all want to get to the same place but we are not sharing information about efforts sufficiently. He said that it is fair to say that people who have been paying attention to this may feel that this discussion is stalled and going nowhere. He said that he would love to know that the discussion is going someplace.

Councillor Siddiqui said that she is hearing that there is a lot to figure out when talking about people living in public housing and low-income housing. She said that we must be clear to everyone that we do have a commitment and the City Council wants to figure it out. She said that it is incumbent to close the digital divide. She said that she is confused about the priority. She said that she has concerns about goals and how to reach them.

Councillor Zondervan said that one way to get to any level of commitment is to understand how much is currently spent on closing the digital gap. He asked what level of funding is being applied to the problem and what would the City be comfortable with to try to make progress on policy and practical questions that are being faced. Ms. Peterson responded that it would be important to hear from the City Council exactly what the goal is. She said that if the goal is digital equity, the City Manager will move on developing a path forward. She noted that there has been a stall in terms of the recommendation from the Broadband Task Force and the transition in the administration as well as trying to understand what would be the goals moving forward. She said that it is difficult to determine how much money has been spent on the digital divide.

Councillor Kelley said that he thought that the City Council was clear that they wanted a broader range of outreach to give people the ability to grab internet access where they live. He said that being connected is something that people need when they need it. He said that he gets the feeling that the City has stalled or paused on how much money will be spent on the digital divide. He said that he feels that the City Council's focus is the provision of fast internet access that people can afford.

Councillor Zondervan said that the School Department provided Chromebooks to all incoming freshmen this year and they will be provided to all students in the high school next year. He said that Chromebooks are useless without an internet connection. He said that not all the people who need access live in public housing. He noted the need to coordinate efforts so there are solutions to ensuring that students have connectivity. He said that it would be useful if there were some sense of cost accounting and estimate of what we are spending on the solution and what we are getting for that spending. Councillor Zondervan added that it would be great if people could borrow computers with internet access from the library to extend digital access to all who need it in a fair and equitable manner.

Public comment began at 5:29pm.

Nancy Ryan, 4 Ashburton Place, thanked the members of the Broadband Task Force. She thanked Dr. Viswanath for his research. She said that the conversations need to be around the idea that all people need intemet, no matter where they live in the city. She said that there needs to be a broad system that services people where they are. She begged the community residents who understand technological issues and the City administration to move on from the notion that we cannot do this. She said that we can. She said that she would like publicly-owned system.

Christopher Schmidt, 17 Laurel Street, read from a prepared written statement (ATTACHMENT #26) regarding the fact that all residents need reliable, in-home internet access to bridge the digital divide. He said that almost 80% of household spend 15% of their income on internet. He said that reliable access is a critical access of the internet in the modem age. He said that bringing internet to CHA properties will not solve the digital divide. He said that the most effective long-term solution is to break the Comcast monopoly and create a citywide network.

Theresa Cardosi, 7 Woodrow Wilson Court, said that she does not know any public housing that has internet except two senior facilities. She said that timing is a big part of getting internet. She noted that it is difficult to just go to public places. She said that if a person is at home, a person can access the internet. She said that all places, not just public housing, need digital access. She said that when applying for jobs, the applications are on-line. She said that it is difficult to schedule the visit to a public building. She said that it is important for Cambridge to put some money toward the digital divide. She said that it is not fair that people that can pay for it end up getting an upper hand because those without internet do not have equal opportunity.

Glenna Wyman, 25 Eighth Street, Truman Apartments, stated that she was speaking on behalf of Bill Cunningham who is a longtime resident of Newtowne Court. She said that Mr. Cunningham was unable to testify at this hearing. Mr. Cunningham said that there was a tenant council meeting at Newtowne Court and it was problematic for people to get access. She said that she pays her Verizon bill and it is quite high. She said that in her building, if you have a laptop you can go to the Community Room to access internet as you cannot access the internet from the sixth floor and above. She said that there is no privacy in the Community Room.

Roy Russell, 40 Cottage Street, spoke on behalf of Upgrade Cambridge. He read from a prepared written statement (ATTACHMENT 27) stating that a City-owned network that provides reliable high-speed internet service to all of Cambridge, regardless of the ability to pay, is necessary to address digital equity as well as provide Cambridge with a 21st century competitive advantage. He said that he appreciates Ms. Peterson's comment about providing quality access into people's homes. He said that there is frustration with Comcast. He said that he pays the lowest available amount for internet service and his friends in Somerville get better service for less than one-third of what he is paying in Cambridge.

On a motion by Councillor Zondervan to close Public Comment, the roll was called and resulted as follows:
YEAS: Councillor Kelley, Councillor Siddiqui, and Councillor Zondervan – 3
ABSENT: Councillor Carlone, Councillor Toomey – 2
and the motion - Carried.

Councillor Siddiqui said that she looks forward to working on a clear policy for the future.

Councillor Zondervan stated that it is the responsibility of the City Council to set a clear policy direction moving forward.

Lisa Peterson stated that she looks forward to further defining the path forward.

Councillor Zondervan thanked all those present for their attendance.

On a motion by Councillor Zondervan to adjourn the hearing, the roll was called and resulted as follows:
YEAS: Councillor Kelley, Councillor Siddiqui, and Councillor Zondervan – 3
ABSENT: Councillor Carlone, Councillor Toomey – 2
and the motion - Carried.

The hearing adjourned at 5:57pm.

For the Committee,
Quinton Y. Zondervan, Co-Chair
Councillor Dennis J. Carlone, Co-Chair

Committee Report #2
The Public Safety Committee held a public hearing on Wed, Mar 21, 2018 at 3:03pm in the Ackermann Room.

The purpose of the hearing was to discuss the implementation of the Short-Term Rental Ordinance.

Present at the hearing were Councillor Kelley, Chair of the Committee; Vice Mayor Devereux; Councillor Toomey; Councillor Zondervan; City Solicitor Nancy Glowa and Vali Buland, First Assistant City Solicitor; Inspectional Services Commissioner Ranjit Singanayagam; Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development; Robert Reardon, Director of Assessing; Will Durbin, Chief of Staff for Mayor McGovern; and City Clerk Donna P. Lopez. Councillor Siddiqui was also present and was participating in the meeting remotely.

Also present were Tracy Sorto, Jimmy Gomez, Robyn Culbertson and Nancy Ryan.

Councillor Kelley announced that the meeting was being audio recorded privately. Councillor Kelley convened the hearing and explained the purpose. An agenda was distributed (ATTACHMENT A).

Councillor Kelley went through remote participation process. Councillor Kelley announced that there was a quorum of the committee present in the room. He stated that Councillor Siddiqui will not be attending the meeting and will be participating remotely in the hearing. He explained that this information must be recorded in the hearing minutes. Councillor Kelley asked Councillor Siddiqui to confirm that the hearing was audible to her. Councillor Siddiqui responded in the affirmative. Councillor Kelley announced that Councillor Siddiqui is clearly audible to the committee. Councillor Kelley announced that all votes taken in the hearing must be roll call votes.

Councillor Kelley opened public comment. No one appeared and public comment was closed.

Councillor Kelley gave a brief overview of this ordinance and the process. This is a hearing on the short-term rental (STR) ordinance implementation. He spoke of an illegal STR in his neighborhood. He stated that SIRs are part of a global economy. He stated that the Massachusetts House Committee is looking at state legislation on STRs. He gave a Power Point Presentation (ATTACHMENT B). He gave an overview of the history of the STR Ordinance. The theme of the STR regulation is to make STRs safe, fair and legal. He gave the definition of a STR. He stated that the Inspectional Services Department website has information on STRs and informational sessions have been held (ATTACHMENT C). He outlined the issues to be discussed at this hearing. He stated that STRs have never been legal in Cambridge.

Commissioner Singanayagam explained that 78 applications have been received and no registrations have been issued; they will be issued on Apr 1, 2018. He stated that complaints have been filed on STRs and inspectors have been sent to the STRs. He stated that there are many STRs in the city. A third party may need to be hired to gather information on STRs. Enforcement is currently underway for those units that do not qualify as a STR. Zoning does not allow STR usage in most of the City. He stated that Housing Inspectors are used to do inspections of STR units. Councillor Kelley stated that there are roughly 1500 units on line operating as STR and have not started the application process. This is a huge issue. Commissioner Singanayagam explained that the City needs to get the STR locations in the City and then notice can be sent that they are operating STRs illegally and then they can be fined. He stated that if a complaint is received about the operation of STR an inspector is sent out. Councillor Kelley noted that there are roughly 1500 STR units not in compliance with the ordinance and that could lead to a huge volume of last minute applications and related processing challenges. He asked what will be done on Apr 1st regarding these units. Commissioner Singanayagam stated that services are being looked at currently; there is no contract to obtain vendor STR compliance services.

Vice Mayor Devereux stated that because the ordinance does not become effective until Apr 1st the City cannot have a vendor as a data scraper to locate the illegal units. Commissioner Singanayagam stated that the City has tried to work with Airbnb and no information has been provided. He explained that unless the City knows that a STR is being conducted nothing can be done. Vice Mayor Devereux questioned what type of communication with Airbnb was used. Commissioner Singanayagam responded that emails were used and that there was no response.

Councillor Zondervan stated that currently Airbnb lists 300 rental units. Commissioner Singanayagam noted that the addresses for the rental units are not listed. Councillor Kelley stated that there are organizations that will run data scraping information and will contact the owners of the STR units. Councillor Kelley noted that the next step to ensure compliance has not been set up for after Apr 1st. Commissioner Singanayagam explained that funding needed to be secured from the City Manager for this service. He stated that he thought Airbnb would help the City with this information. Councillor Kelley questioned when will letters of non-compliance go out. Commissioner Singanayagam stated that the non-compliance letters will be sent out next month. Councillor Kelley asked how can the City Council help to ensure that this happens on Apr 1. Commissioner Singanayagam stated that he will get a list of all Airbnb establishments and letters will be sent from Inspectional Services Department. Councillor Kelley spoke about the amount of work needed to be done for the 1500 non-compliance units and asked how the work flow will be handled. He asked how is the City prepared to deal with this. Commissioner Singanayagam stated that the City could go to court to get access to property.

Councillor Toomey asked when a complaint is issued and a property owner does not come to door, how is this handled. Commissioner Singanayagam responded that a registered letter is sent and then the City could go to court to gain access. City Solicitor Glowa noted that this will be a process. If this starts out aggressively the word will get out and individuals will back off from doing STRs. This process may take a few months.

Councillor Zondervan questioned if there are other types of enforcement. He suggested that the City rent rooms undercover and then charge the property owners. City Solicitor Glowa explained that these are policy and budgetary decisions needed to be made by the City Manager. She stated that deploying resources needed the City Manager input. A foundation needs to be laid before seeking court action.

Vice Mayor Devereux asked if the ordinance requires Airbnb to have Cambridge STRs be registered. Mr. Durbin said this was limited to zoning. There is nothing on the Airbnb site that explains that before establishing an STR you must file with Inspectional Services Department. City Solicitor Glowa stated that when the City met with Airbnb they stated that they would put a registration number on the website.

Mr. Reardon stated that Airbnb is waiting for the state to propose state legislation because that might change local rules. There was cooperation, but Airbnb is hoping that state legislation will override the Cambridge ordinance. This state bill (ATTACHMENT D) is increasing in momentum. This is a waiting game on the part of Airbnb.

Councillor Siddiqui questioned how many people showed up for the informational sessions. Commissioner Singanayagam responded 12-15 people per session. Mr. Durbin added that the state bill passed under Ways and Means and that amendment #6 would be detrimental to the Cambridge ordinance. There is expected to be a vote on this amendment tomorrow. Councillor Kelley stated that this section prevents Cambridge from collecting local excise tax but does not seem to keep the City from having its own relevant zoning. Mr. Reardon stated that the City Council would have to accept the provisions of this state law.

Councillor Kelley stated that the City would have to opt into this. A wait and see attitude could be taken. Cambridge needs to be able to move quickly to do what it said it would do or to be clear that the City staff wants to put a pause to see what the state will do. Either would be fine but there needs to be clarity. He stated that there is an underestimation of the work that the STR ordinance will require. The City needs to be ready to move forward when the rules are known. It could be 1500 licenses or violations and that is a lot of work to process.

Vice Mayor Devereux stated that she did not know that the state was debating this. This is unfair to the cities and towns and time, money and staff time that has been spent. She noted that if the state votes in the next week the City can wait on implementation.

Councillor Toomey stated that it depends on the time at the state and that the latest action at the state can be July 31, 2018 but that lots of legislative actions can change before they are finalized. Councillor Kelley stated that the City may be in limbo for several months and law can be changed at any time afterwards. He wanted to make a decision to wait based on what is adopted by the state.

Councillor Zondervan stated that it is unclear how home rule or state law would affect the Cambridge Ordinance. The City has to opt in. The current ordinance is enforceable and could be enforced as of Apr 1. Mr. Reardon explained that the City expected cooperation from data platforms. He stated that the City does not want to be spending resources if this is passed by the state because if we change our rules in response to state action it will be very confusing for everyone.

Councillor Kelley asked what ability does the legislature have to override Cambridge zoning. City Solicitor Glowa noted that the zoning act could be amended. She stated that she wanted to read and to understand the impact of the state bill. It is unlikely it will affect current zoning.

Councillor Zondervan asked what are the penalties. Commissioner Singanayagam responded that the fine is $300 per day. Councillor Kelley stated that the challenge of catching a violator is daunting for City staff. He stated that it is not legal now and 78 applicants have applied and 24 have attended the informational sessions. People are doing their registrations in good faith and a City compliance effort cannot be delayed forever. He spoke about continuing enforcement on a complaint driven basis.

Vice Mayor Devereux stated that once content of this hearing is known, were she a STR operator, she would not register yet. City Solicitor Glowa commented that Airbnb that is following this legislation very closely. She added that the 78 applicants are small STRs and not large platform operators with many units. There is a limited benefit to instituting aggressive enforcement without knowing the final status of relevant state law. Councillor Kelley noted that the only disadvantage to the City's not opting into a potentially restrictive state law is the loss of excise tax which is something Cambridge may not like but could afford.

City Solicitor Glowa stated that she did not want to discuss possible litigation strategy as this will depend on the outcome. Mr. Reardon stated that letters can be sent out to landowners in the City to explain that Airbnb is regulated by City Ordinance. He further stated that it would be ideal if Airbnb put the City's requirements on their website. The down side is that tenants may be doing STRs without landlord knowledge. City Solicitor Glowa explained that the reason that the City is not moving forward to send letters in the event that something changes with the state.

Councillor Zondervan spoke about the excise tax and as he reads the state legislation this is significant revenue lost that would help to enforce the ordinance.

Vice Mayor Devereux asked will zoning change. City Solicitor Glowa responded that she has not read the legislation and opting in may not have ability to have a zoning ordinance provision. Councillor Zondervan stated that currently the bill is to opt in and impose restrictions on local regulations but this will change as the state bill progresses.

Assistant City Manager Farooq stated her concerns about enforcement and wanted to wait to see the state legislation and to create a fall back plan. This would allow a more concrete plan. She stated that business renters may be easier to identify. Commissioner Singanayagam stated that letters have been sent to the management companies who run STRs.

Councillor Kelley stated that he is frustrated with where the City is, but understands moving forward may lead to confusion. The City is underestimating the amount of work to manage those who have not yet registered properly and the time needed for future registrations. He encouraged the City to have a data scraper on site. Ms. Farooq explained that the bid process could take 2-3 months to get a vendor to do this work. She stated that if this cannot be handled properly it will not be good for the City. Councillor Kelley stated that he wanted this vendor ready when the state law is passed. City Solicitor Glowa commented on the contracting process and decision-making process. She spoke about the importance of collecting the data and communicating to the property owners.

Councillor Toomey stated that regarding the state bill that Airbnb is active at the state lobbying on this. Vice Mayor Devereux asked what can be done to protect the City Ordinance. Councillor Kelley responded that something will be submitted by the City Council opposing state restrictions on local regulation. Ms. Farooq requested that in drafting a resolution that it contain the housing piece. Councillor Kelley stated that those who play by the rules the City sets, whether for STRs or new mobility devices or marijuana, need to have faith that the City will enforce the rules or they may be at a disadvantage compared to scofflaws.

Mr. Reardon spoke about the data scraper information. He stated that the data is not that good. He urged caution about notifying the right individuals. He stated that the state legislation will be resolved sooner rather than later. Councillor Kelley stated that he wanted a plan in place.

At this time Councillor Kelley made the following motion:
ORDERED: That the Public Safety Committee does not support any legislation that would remove the option of municipalities to pass an ordinance regulation short·term rentals (STR).
On this motion the roll was called and resulted as follows:
YEAS: Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillors Kelley, Siddiqui and Toomey – 4
The motion Carried

Councillor Kelley thanked all those present for their attendance.

The following communication was received from William D. Burns, Senior Adviser, Airbnb, outlined the outreach efforts that Airbnb has undertaken in Cambridge (ATTACHMENT E).

The hearing adjourned at 4:09pm.

For the Committee,
Councillor Craig Kelley, Chair

Committee Report #3
The Neighborhood & Long-Term Planning; Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations Committee held a public hearing on Apr 18, 2018 at 3:00pm in the Sullivan Chamber.

The purpose of the hearing was for the purpose of reviewing and confirming the City Manager's selection of Margaret Drury as a member of the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority (CRA) Board for a term of five years.

Present at the hearing were Councillor Carlone and Councillor Zondervan, Co-Chairs of the Committee; Councillor Siddiqui; Councillor Toomey; Councillor Kelley; Councillor Simmons; Mayor McGovern; Louis DePasquale, City Manager; and Paula M. Crane, Deputy City Clerk.

Also present were Tom Evan, Executive Director, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority (CRA); Kathy Born, member of the CRA board; and Margaret Drury, member of the CRA board.

Councillor Carlone stated that the committee has received a communication from Sally Arnold in support of this appointment and asked that this be made part of the permanent record of the hearing (ATTACHMENT A).

Councillor Carlone stated that the communication to the City Council from City Manager DePasquale recommending the reappointment of Ms. Drury (ATTACHMENT B) and a communication from Ms. Drury regarding this appointment (ATTACHMENT C) has been supplied to the Committee and the public.

Mr. DePasquale noted that this is an important appointment. He stated that Ms. Drury understands the importance of working with residents, the City Council and the City Manager for positive outcomes. He stated that Ms. Drury and Ms. Born have worked well in transforming the CRA. He noted that Ms. Drury works well with Mr. Evans and the board. He said that he is pleased to make this recommendation and he thanked Ms. Drury for all that she has done for the City of Cambridge.

Councillor Toomey thanked City Manager DePasquale for making this recommendation to the City Council. He said that CRA is a great agency and added that it was good to see new people step in to turn the agency around. He said that Ms. Drury was a longtime employee of the City of Cambridge and did an admirable job in her previous positions at Rent Control and the City Clerk's Office. He stated that Ms. Born is a great asset to the CRA. He noted that the area of Binney and Third Streets bring life and activity to the area in Kendall Square. He stated his support for this appointment.

Councillor McGovern said this is a fantastic appointment and added that he has complete faith and trust in Ms. Drury's work.

Councillor Carlone gave Ms. Drury the opportunity to speak on her reappointment to the CRA board.

Ms. Drury stated that the CRA board works well together. She noted that the members have different but complementary backgrounds as it is comprised of two attorneys, two architects and one planner with experience in open space. She noted that the members have a real agreement on how they want to be as a board and for the goals of the CRA. She commented that they aim to be transparent and she feels that they have lived up to that goal. She noted that share the goal of trying their best to utilize development funds that come from Kendall Square developments for the benefit of the public and the Cambridge residents who have not received benefits from this economic machine. She explained that the first thing that she and Ms. Born were tasked with was hiring a new Executive Director as this position is an important piece of the work of the CRA. She said that the CRA has the benefit in negotiating for development that can be used to help the city as the City does not have the same amount of flexibility due to the statute. She noted that the CRA is working on the Foundry project to utilize the benefits that the CRA gets for benefits for the community that they otherwise would not have access to.

Councillor Carlone noted that the presence of Mr. Evans and Ms. Born at this hearing shows their support of this appointment.

Ms. Born said that it has been a pleasure to serve on the CRA board with Ms. Drury and said that she is an asset to the board. She noted that some members of the City Council have had seen the benefit of Ms. Drury's sage managerial and legal and parliamentary skills put to work for the City Council. She noted that Ms. Drury's skill set is equally appreciated at the CRA.

Mr. Evans stated that he fully endorses the City Manager's recommendation of this appointment. He said that the CRA is a high functioning board and works well together. He said that the members of the board are willing to debate and discuss issues until they reach agreement. He added that Ms. Drury's moral compass is a benefit to ensuring that the CRA is doing the right thing.

Councillor Zondervan said that he is supportive of this appointment and is grateful for the work of the CRA. He noted that he is learning about the CRA and would like the opportunity to learn more. He explained that if he asks challenging questions, they are more out of ignorance than confrontation. He stated that he has had opportunity to attend a few CRA presentations and board meetings. He asked the role that the CRA board plays making decisions in terms of development. He asked what decisions are being made to sculpt development. Ms. Drury responded that the previous Executive Director that had been at the CRA for 25 years had a close relationship with Boston Properties who is the master developer from the beginning of urban redevelopment. She noted that he was more willing to accept the position of Boston Properties that sometimes affordable housing would have to wait because the businesses needed more space. She stated that it was the responsibility of the CRA to approve development plans of a project and she noted that the current CRA board did not approve any development until they saw evidence that affordable housing would happen within the project. She said that this was a wake-up call to Boston Prope1tics because they took the push for affordable housing much more seriously. She said that the CRA approves the design and construction of a project. She said that currently there is a plan that has been negotiated between Boston Properties and the CRA for what will happen to the spaces in between the buildings to make them into a more livable place to be.

Mr. Evans said that after the a project development at 88 Ames Street was underway, the CRA initiated a rezoning petition to increase development rights in the MXD district. He said that one of the major changes was to increase the affordable housing requirements above and beyond what the inclusionary housing requirements were at that time. He said that the CRA pushed that number to the point that this MXD district has the highest requirement of affordable housing in the city. He noted that the CRA is receptive to the policy direction of the City Council.

Councillor Simmons stated that if she had a vote as a member of this committee, she would give it. She said that she has served with Ms. Drury for many years and she does not know anyone who is more committed to her work. She said that she is pleased that Ms. Drury would want to continue to work with the CRA and the City. She gave a resounding recommendation for Ms. Drury.

Councillor Kelley said that he is entirely supportive of this appointment. He cautioned that although there is trust between the CRA board, Mr. Evans and the City Council, it must not prevent us from thinking about a time when new skill sets and knowledge are needed. He said that it can be deceptively comforting and perhaps damaging to the organization to go back to the familiar.

Councillor Siddiqui thanked Ms. Drury for her service. She said that she looks forward to working with Ms. Drury in the future. She noted that as someone who grew up in affordable housing in the area, it is important to keep the residents in mind.

Ms. Drury said that the CRA board and the Executive Director welcome the members of the City Council and the public to attend their meetings. Mr. Evans stated that the members of the City Council should feel free to approach CRA staff to have conversations about the CRA and its work.

Councillor Carlone stated that his is impressed by the fact that Ms. Drury, Ms. Born and Mr. Evans have interest in the City as a whole. He said that Ms. Drury was a strong participant at a recent Alewife meeting which shows that she is interested in all areas of the City. He said that there is no question that the CRA has been transformed. He said that the fact that the team wants to continue is quite telling. He said that the CRA is a mechanism that is very unique in the city. He noted that the beauty of the CRA is that it is another vehicle that gives the City the ability to implement difficult projects.

Councillor Zondervan stated that he would like to learn more about the role that the CRA played in the Foundry Building. Ms. Drury responded that the City Council decided that the CRA would be a good vehicle for determining a plan for the building to ensure that it would be a benefit to the City and its residents.

Councillor Zondervan asked about the process in deciding what projects the CRA will work on. He asked if the criteria for such a decision is financially based, capacity based, or geographically based. Ms. Drury responded that that each circumstance is different and she offered to meet with Councillor Zondervan to answer any specific questions that he may have as it relates to the work of the CRA. Mr. Evans added that the CRA works with the City of Cambridge to decided when the CRA will become involved in a project.

Councillor Born said that she when she was a City Councillor, she had no idea what the CRA was doing. She stated her hope that there is currently not the same feeling. She said that the CRA considers itself as acting on behalf of the government of the city. She said that the closeness of goals is very important. She stated that the CRA welcomes input from the City Council. She said that the CRA has substantial financial assets and it is their passion that these assets be spread to the people in the city that can benefit from what those assets can buy.

Councillor Zondervan asked about other projects that the CRA envisions would benefit underserved communities in Cambridge. Ms. Drury said that there are a lot of ongoing projects that can be of enormous benefit. She spoke about the transportation work that the CRA is involved in. She said that the work that is planning and conceptual on transit issues is important. She stated that the Binney and Third Street civic space is wonderful and it is utilized by those in Kendall Square. She stated her hope that the CRA can be useful in the Alewife area and she added that it would be a real benefit to the City to find a way for the CRA to be involved. She stated that there are some pieces of the planning that still need to be done and the CRA would be a helpful voice.

Mr. Evans spoke about an MXD zoning requirement that 25% of the innovation space would be set aside as below market to provide opportunities for individuals to enter the innovation economy. He said that they are looking to have a workforce readiness campus in the heart of Kendall Square where they can bring in programs to aid in entering the innovation economy. Councillor Carlone said that the Volpe zoning required the petitioner to set up a job training facility and he hopes that the CRA will participate. Councillor Zondervan added that he would be very happy to collaborate or discuss new ideas as it relates to the innovation economy.

Councillor Toomey made the following motion:
ORDERED: That the Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations Committee forward a favorable recommendation to the full City Council confirming the reappointment of Margaret Drury as a member of the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Board for a term of five years.
The motion passed on a voice vote of five members.

Councillor Carlone reiterated that the CRA meetings are open to the public and added that the CRA does listen to comments which allows people to feel that they are part of the discussion.

Councillors Carlone and thanked all those present for their attendance.

The hearing adjourned at 3:47pm.

For the Committee,
Councillor Dennis J. Carlone, Co-Chair
Councillor Quinton Y. Zondervan, Co-Chair