Cambridge City Council meeting - May 1, 2017 - AGENDA
[Councillor Cheung and Mayor Simmons were ABSENT]

CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA
1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointment of the following persons as a members of the Police Review & Advisory Board effective May 1, 2017 for a term of five-years: Ann Coyne, Laurance Kimbrough, and Lucy Murray-Brown
Adopted

May 1, 2017
To the Honorable, the City Council:

I am hereby transmitting notification of the reappointment of the following persons as members of the Police Review & Advisory Board effective May 1, 2017 for a term of five-years:

Ann Coyne has served since her appointment in April 2012. In May 2016, Ann was elected as chair of the Police Review & Advisory Board, and in that capacity, has not only lead the Board, but has also been a thoughtful advisor to me in my role as executive secretary.

Laurance Kimbrough has used his background in education to take the lead in outreach to young people and to community activists in Cambridge. Most recently, he has been working with Cambridge Police Department to develop a new community-based training for the Cambridge Police Department on the intersection of historical racism and policing in the current environment.

Lucy Murray-Brown has been conducting outreach to neighborhood groups, immigrant communities, and domestic violence advocates, working to ensure that those who might feel most vulnerable feel comfortable coming forward with any complaints or concerns about the police.

Very truly yours, Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager

2. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of the FY17 MOVA Victim Services Training Grant for $14,000 received from the Victim and Witness Assistance Board through the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance to the Grant Fund Police Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account which will provide funding for “Trauma-Informed Approaches to Law Enforcement” training in collaboration with the Cambridge Domestic and Gender-Based Violence Prevention Initiative.
Order Adopted 7-0-2

3. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of the Shannon Grant for $20,405.25 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 ($16,932.45) and the Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($3,472.80) which will be dedicated to hot spot patrols and Metro Gang Task Force participation.
Order Adopted 7-0-2

4. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $240,000 of Virtual Net Metering (VNM) credits to the General Fund Public Works Other Ordinary Maintenance account to cover invoices related to the VNM agreement for the photovoltaic project known as “Summer Street Solar.”
Order Adopted 7-0-2

To the Honorable, the City Council:

I am hereby requesting the appropriation of $240,000 of Virtual Net Metering (VNM) credits to the General Fund Public Works Other Ordinary Maintenance account to cover invoices related to the VNM agreement for the photovoltaic project known as “Summer Street Solar.”

The project is set to come on line imminently. Under the agreement the City will receive monthly checks from Eversource representing the value of the credits and will pay the solar developer 85% of the credits received. Checks will be deposited into a revenue account. Due to the timing of the projects the estimated payments were not included in the FY17 budget.

The City executed this and other virtual net metering agreements as part of the strategy our energy broker recommended to help finance the procurement of 100% renewable energy.

Background
The 2008 Massachusetts Green Communities Act created incentives for solar developers to work with municipal entities to develop projects. The municipality executes an agreement with a solar developer to purchase the entire output of a commercial scale solar array at a set price per kWh and then effectively sells the entire output of the array to the utility in return for net metering credits equal to a higher price per kWh.

The City has signed five VNM contracts for close to 6 megawatts of solar, including, most recently, rooftop arrays at Alewife MBTA and the route 128 MBTA facility in Westwood.

Very truly yours, Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager

ON THE TABLE
1. The City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate departments to organize regular suppers on the second Saturday of each month, starting on the 13th of August, with free food for the Cambridge community in open public spaces throughout the various Cambridge neighborhoods. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Mazen on June 20, 2016. Tabled on a motion by Councillor Mazen on June 27, 2016.]

2. The City Manager coordinate with the Finance Department, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, and community stakeholders to outline a proposed system of governance, management, and stakeholder engagement for the Foundry, to be discussed in a public forum with the Council and community. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Toomey on Oct 31, 2016. Placed On The Table on voice vote of six members on motion of Councillor Toomey.]

3. An application was received from Mundo/Lux, requesting permission for a sandwich board sign in front of the premises numbered 2 Bow Street. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Cheung on Dec 19, 2016. Placed On Table on a voice vote of 8 on motion of Councillor Cheung on Jan 9, 2017.]

4. That the City Manager is requested to work with the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department and any other relevant City department to survey of city residents, work, and visitors to determine who is interested in parking in the City. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Kelley on Jan 30, 2017. Placed On Table on a motion by Councillor Cheung on Feb 6, 2017.]

5. That the City Manager is requested to establish the requirement that all appointments to the City's commissions, advisory committees, and task forces reflect the City's diversity and that the Civic Unity Committee is asked to sign off on all such appointments going forward. [Charter Right exercised by Mayor Simmons on Feb 27, 2017. Tabled on a motion by Councillor Cheung on a voice vote of 8 members on Mar 6, 2017.]

APPLICATIONS AND PETITIONS
1. Re-filed application was received from Cambridge Trust Company, requesting permission for four awnings at the premises numbered 415 Main Street. Approval has been received from Inspectional Services, Department of Public Works, Community Development Department and abutters.
Order Adopted

2. An application was received from Cambridge Arts Council requesting permission for two temporary banners across JFK Street at Mount Auburn Street and across Massachusetts Avenue at Pearl and Norfolk Streets announcing the Cambridge River Festival on June 3rd.
Order Adopted

COMMUNICATIONS
1. A communication was received from Sonia Kowal, President, Zevin Asses Management, LLC, 11 Beacon Street, Boston, regarding renewable energy.

2. A communication was received from Kiril Stefan Alexandrov, Co-Founder and Senior Adviser, International Economic Alliance, 1151 Massachusetts Avenue, regarding affordable housing.

3. A communication was received from Peter Valentine, 37 Brookline Street, regarding saving the dollar.

4. A communication was received from Josephine Mullan, 40 Gold Star Road, regarding the Fresh Pond rail trail.

5. A communication was received from Ellen Mass, President, Friends of Alewife Reservation, 104 A Inman Street, regarding lighting on rail trail.

6. A communication was received from Kathleen Fitzgerald, 28 Murray Hill Road, regarding the bike path between Fresh Pond and Mt. Auburn.

7. A communication was received from Kathy Watkins, 90 Fawcett Street, transmitting comments on several items on the Apr 24, 2017 City Council Meeting.

8. A communication was received from Saul Tannenbaum, 16 Cottage Street, regarding the Manager's report on the Surveillance Ordinance.

9. A communication was received from Inge Schneier Hoffman, Lecturer on Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard University Medical School, regarding saving trees.

10. A communication was received from Candace Young, 15 1/2 Shepard Street, regarding the lighting of the new Greenway.

11. A communication was received from the Department of Public Utilities transmitting a copy of the Condensed Financial Return for the year ended Dec 31, 2016 for NSTAR Gas Company, doing business as Eversource Energy.

12. A communication was received from the Department of Public Utilities transmitting a copy of the Condensed Financial Return for the year ended Dec 31, 2016 for NSTAR Electric Company, doing business as Eversource Energy.

RESOLUTIONS
1. Congratulations to Breakthrough Greater Boston on their 25th anniversary.   Councillor Cheung

2. Congratulations to the Asian Community Development Corporation on its 30th anniversary.   Councillor Cheung

3. Congratulations to Liz Speakman on receiving the BARCC Beacon Award.   Vice Mayor McGovern

4. Resolution on the death of Janet Ellen (Cignetti) Cormier.   Councillor Toomey

5. Resolution on the death of Arvilla Sarazen.   Councillor Toomey, Mayor Simmons

6. Congratulations to the Central Square Theater, the Underground Railway Theater, and the Nora Theater Company for the honors they received for The Convert, Arcadia, and Bedlam’s Twelfth Night & What You Will at the Independent Reviewers of New England Awards.   Councillor Devereux

7. Congratulations to the East End House on its 13th Annual Cooking For A Cause event.   Councillor Cheung

8. Congratulations to Brendan Kells on receiving the George C. Watson Award for Excellence in Teaching Economics from The Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies.   Councillor Cheung

9. Congratulations to Gisel Saillant on receiving the Richard Aieta Award for Promising New Teacher from The Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies.   Councillor Cheung

10. Congratulations to Father Volmar Scaravelli on receiving the Jorge Fidalgo Community Service Award from the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers.   Mayor Simmons

11. Congratulations to Project Health CV on receiving the 2017 Manuel N. Coutinho Outstanding Volunteer Award from the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers.   Mayor Simmons

12. Congratulations to Larry Fish on receiving the Man of The Year Award from the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers.   Mayor Simmons

13. Congratulations to Dr. Ana Nava on receiving the Mary and Manuel Rogers Lifetime Community Service Award from the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers.   Mayor Simmons

14. Resolution on the death of Gertrude A. (O'Keefe) DiPietro.   Councillor Maher

15. Congratulations to John B. Cruz III on receiving the Alvaro Lima Outstanding Business Award from the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers.   Mayor Simmons


16. Congratulations and wishes of success to the East Cambridge Business Association as well as its participants and sponsors on the upcoming Inman Eats! 2017 Festival to be held on May 21, 2017.   Councillor Toomey

17. Resolution on the death of Robert A. Dahl.   Councillor Maher

18. Recognize May 4, 2017 as Day of Prayer in the City of Cambridge.   Councillor Maher


ORDERS
1. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the necessary stakeholders to determine the practicality of buying the Tokyo site and converting it into affordable housing units.   Vice Mayor McGovern, Councillor Devereux
Order Adopted

2. That the City Council strongly urge the Cambridge Health Alliance to further its sterling commitment to creating community and supporting jobs by choosing a contractor that has a track record of maintaining the current staff, providing family sustaining wages and benefits, a third-party complaint procedure, and a fair procedure for disciplinary matters as it relates to housekeeping services.   Mayor Simmons, Vice Mayor McGovern
Order Adopted

COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICERS
1. A communication was received from Mayor E. Dennis Simmons, regarding Policy Order #13 from Apr 24, 2017 Meeting.
Placed on File

Office of the Mayor
Apr 27, 2017
Re: Communication Re Policy Order #13 from Apr 24, 2017 Meeting

Dear Ms. Lopez:

I am writing in reference to Policy Order #13, which was passed at the City Council meeting held on Apr 24, 2017, without discussion. Upon further reflection on this Order, my initial inclination was to move for Reconsideration so that the City Council could have a discussion on the floor about this at the next City Council meeting; however, ceremony, and pulling this for further discussion is not an option. Nevertheless, I do wish to give voice to some of my concerns about this Order for the record.

I very much believe that taking steps to move toward 100 percent renewable energy by 2035 is a laudable goal, and communities across the globe need to be taking more aggressive and coordinated actions to protect our environment. Global warming is real, the negative impact of human activity upon our environment is real, and Cambridge has an important role to play in working to reduce our carbon footprint. This is something that I believe the entire City Council agrees upon.

That said, I believe that the City Council must be more mindful in how we work toward this goal. It would be irresponsible of us as a governing body to create policies in service of any specific goal without pausing to contemplate and acknowledge the impacts they may have on various aspects of our community. There is always the danger of doing the right thing the wrong way, and we must be mindful of the fact that enacting policies too broadly can potentially create negative unintended consequences for segments of our community. In this case, I am specifically thinking about the impact that Policy Order #13 may have upon the small business community of Cambridge, and upon individual homeowners.

Voicing these concerns is not meant to pit any one part of our community against the other. People who are concerned about the environmental can be equally concerned about our local economy, and vice versa. Yet, just as business owners must be mindful of how some of their past practices (for example, utilizing the use of flimsy, single-use plastic bags) have had negative, unintended consequences on the environment, those who are working to protect the environment must be mindful of how some of the legislation they have championed (for example, mandating that businesses of all sizes meet the same clean energy requirements on the same timetable, or that all businesses comply with the PTDM Ordinance) can have negative unintended consequences for small business owners.

I know that the goal for people who are working to push Cambridge toward having a smaller carbon footprint and using cleaner energy is to protect our environment, and not to add overly burdensome regulations to our local business community. Policy Orders like Policy Order #13 are not intentionally crafted in such a way as to potentially drive mom-and-pop businesses out of existence. Yet, when we create legislation with broad s

consider the potential impacts upon all facets of the community, we risk ending up with well-meaning but not fully vetted policies that can, unfortunately, have negative impacts upon our city. My hope is that the City Manager and his staff can take these concerns to heart as this specific legislation is enacted, and, looking forward, that my colleagues and I can strive to be more thoughtful and deliberate as we create important, far-reaching policies for our city. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely, Mayor E. Denise Simmons

HEARING SCHEDULE
Mon, May 1
5:30pm   City Council Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, May 2
9:00am   The Finance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss FY2018 City Budget. This hearing to be televised. (Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, May 3
3:30pm   The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on a zoning petition from Mark Lechmere, LLC, Owner and Amadan Management, LLC, Manager, of the property at 207 and 227 Cambridge Street to amend the existing zoning at that location to authorize the construction of a 45 unit residential building with small scale retail on the ground floor and parking below grade. This hearing to be televised. (Sullivan Chamber)

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

Tues, May 9
6:00pm   The Finance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss FY2018 School Department Budget. This hearing to be televised. (Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, May 10
9:00am   The Finance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss FY2018 City Budget. This hearing to be televised. (Sullivan Chamber)

Thurs, May 11
9:00am   The Finance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss FY2018 City Budget (if necessary). This hearing to be televised. (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, May 15
4:00pm   2017 Scholarship Award Ceremony  (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, May 16
3:30pm   The Housing Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss tenant protections, anti-displacement policies, and Inclusionary Housing tenant selection policies; the Committee will also discuss any updates received from the CHA, including a report on the issuance of CHA Housing Choice Vouchers to public housing applicants. (Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, May 17
3:30pm   The Economic Development and University Relations Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss updates and data collected thus far for the Retail Strategic Plan, and other matters pertaining to the Study. (Sullivan Chamber)

Thurs, May 18
3:30pm   The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on a zoning petition from the Friends of Observatory Hill Village, to establish the Observatory Hill Village Overlay District. This hearing to be televised. (Sullivan Chamber)

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

Tues, May 23
3:30pm   The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss a proposed Municipal Code amendment to Title 8 entitled “Health and Safety” by adding a new Chapter 8.69 entitled “Running Bamboo Ordinance.” (Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, May 24
3:30pm   The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the zoning petition filed by Latoyea Hawkins Cockrill, et al. to regulate short-term rental uses throughout the City. This hearing to be televised. (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, May 30
4:30pm   The Public Safety Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the role of police officers in the community, the installation of a police substation in Central Square and the stationing of a uniformed police officer in City Hall.  (Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, May 31
3:30pm   The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss City Council proposed zoning amendments to create a new chapter to regulate short-term rentals. This hearing to be televised. (Sullivan Chamber)

Thurs, June 1
5:30pm   The Neighborhood and Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the open data portal, an update from the open data review board, and future opportunities for open data in Cambridge.  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, June 5
5:30pm   City Council Roundtable/Working Meeting to discuss Envision Cambridge citywide, including the Alewife planning. No public comment. No votes will be taken. This meeting to be televised. (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, June 6
3:30pm   The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss a proposed amendment to the Municipal Code in Title 6 entitled ”Animals” to insert a new Chapter 6.20 entitled “Restrictions on the sale of Animals in Pet Shops.”  (Sullivan Chamber)

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

Mon, June 19
5:00pm   Special Presentation - A Celebration of Cambridge Volunteers  (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

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

Mon, Aug 7
5:30pm   Special City Council Meeting  (Dr. Henrietta S. Attles Meeting Room, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, 459 Broadway)

Mon, Sept 11
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Sept 18
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Sept 25
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Oct 2
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Oct 16
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Oct 23
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

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

TEXT OF ORDERS
O-1     May 1, 2017
VICE MAYOR MCGOVERN
COUNCILLOR DEVEREUX
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge has been undergoing a housing crisis; and
WHEREAS: The owner of the Tokyo is amenable to selling the property, which opens the door for a possible collaboration with the City to convert the space into affordable housing units; and
WHEREAS: The Tokyo’s location in the Parkway Overlay District across from Fresh Pond Reservation warrants special planning attention so that any future use is compatible with and enhances the adjacent residential neighborhood and the soon-to-be­reconstructed Tobin Vassal Lane Upper School; and
WHEREAS: It would be beneficial to engage with an affordable housing developer to learn how to best utilize this site to increase affordable housing in Cambridge; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the necessary stakeholders to determine the practicality of buying the Tokyo and converting into affordable housing units, and report back to the City Council on these findings.

O-2     May 1, 2017
MAYOR SIMMONS
VICE MAYOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: The City Council has recently learned that the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) has opened the bid process to procure housekeeping services at all of its’ facilities; and
WHEREAS: The CHA is to be commended for its commitment to maintaining good, family-supporting jobs for the people who work directly for the organization, as well as for the people who work with the companies that do business with the CHA; and
WHEREAS: There are concerns, however, that due to the bidding process, the CHA may choose a housekeeping contractor who does not have a proven track record of maintaining the current staff with the same level of family-supporting wages and benefits as those currently in place, and in fact, depending upon which contractor is chosen, there are concerns that all the individuals currently employed as housekeeping staffers could be laid off; and
WHEREAS: It is understood that some contractors may put forward proposals that are considerably less expensive than others, and these less expensive proposals could be attractive to the CHA, which is operating under very real economic constraints; and
WHEREAS: Nevertheless, the CHA should be mindful of the fact that in many cases, the promise of savings from certain vendors is not due to innovative cleaning methods, leaner profit margins, or more efficient management, but rather due to diminishing the standards that the people who clean the CHA’s facilities currently enjoy; and
WHEREAS: Choosing a vendor that pays lower wages could well lead to higher turnover of the housekeeping staff, lower quality of service, and the potential to have a revolving door of cleaning staff who will make less of an effort to uphold the high standards and conditions in the hospitals and clinics that make up the Cambridge Health Alliance; and
WHEREAS: The City Council understands that a third-party is administering the bidding procedure, yet the CHA is ultimately responsible for its contract and can certainly make its preferences be felt in this process; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Council go on record strongly urging the Cambridge Health Alliance to further its sterling commitment to creating community supporting jobs by choosing a contractor that has a track record of maintaining the current staff, providing family sustaining wages and benefits, a third-party complaint procedure, and a fair procedure for disciplinary matters; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Patrick Wardell, CEO of the Cambridge Health Alliance, on behalf of the entire City Council.

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.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Devereux, Councillor Carlone (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.
Vice Mayor McGovern (O-1) from 5/2/2016

16-51. Report on the City's policies and best practices in the use and supervision of City Council interns.
Councillor Kelley (O-5) from 6/6/2016

16-52. Report on the City’s use of push-button caution lights at crosswalks and to determine any decrease in pedestrian legal rights should they be hit.
Councillor Kelley (Calendar Item #3) from 6/13/2016

16-53. Report on the feasibility of either using City funds to subsidize the cost of installing and removing air conditioning units from Cambridge Housing Authority-owned apartments at a reduced cost.
Mayor Simmons (Calendar Item #4) from 6/13/2016

16-66. Report on how traffic laws pertaining to crosswalks are currently enforced throughout the City and whether there can be stricter laws to ultimately increase pedestrian safety.
Mayor Simmons (O-12) from 8/1/2016

16-71. Report on the feasibility of creating a temporary jobs program geared toward Cambridge’s homeless population and/or determine the feasibility of awarding homeless with priority in the City’s 9-week temporary jobs program.
Vice Mayor McGovern, Mayor Simmons, Councillor Cheung, Councillor Mazen (O-8) from 9/12/2016
Referred back to City Manager on motion of Vice Mayor McGovern

16-74. Report on producing a new status report that reviews the Harvard Square Conservation District’s effectiveness since 2005, and that considers whether new zoning regulations may be necessary to fulfill the community’s goals.
Councillor Devereux, Councillor Carlone (O-18) from 9/12/2016

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.
Mayor Simmons (Calendar Item #4) from 10/31/2016

16-84. Report on determining which pedestrian crosswalks are in need of additional on street signage.
Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor McGovern, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Simmons (O-6) from 10/31/2016

16-86. Report on which public campaign finance options are legal for municipal elections in Cambridge.
Councillor Mazen (O-14) from 10/31/2016

16-89. Report on conducting a traffic safety review of the Brattle Street, Sparks Street, and Craigie Street intersection.
Councillor Devereux (O-1) from 11/7/2016

16-94. Report to consider higher frequency enforcement in key transit junctions and corridors.
Councillor Mazen (O-8) from 11/7/2016

16-100. Report on suggested changes to Cambridge’s policy regarding advertising revenue that could help support the continuation and expansion of Hubway in the City of Cambridge.
Councillor Toomey (O-1) from 12/12/2016

16-101. Report on the potential of building below market rental housing on City-owned parking lots along Bishop Allen Drive.
Mayor Simmons, Vice Mayor McGovern (O-4) from 12/12/2016

16-103. Report that all money raised during this campaign is distributed to the Wellington Harrington residents impacted by this incident and when all funds are distributed.
Councillor Toomey (O-6) from 12/12/2016

16-106. Report on an outreach and communications plan for renters in Cambridge about the importance and availability of renters insurance and assist low-and moderate-income tenants in acquiring affordable renters insurance policies.
Councillor Devereux (O-10) 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.
Councillor Toomey, Mayor Simmons (O-4) from 12/19/2016

17-4. Report on potential future public-private partnerships that could deliver an operational Foundry that consists of significant community space for the community.
Councillor Toomey (O-6) from 1/23/2017

17-6. Report on how the success of "pop-up" lanes will be measured and what lessons we expect to learn from them to help implement safer bicycling facilities throughout the City.
Councillor Kelley (O-9) from 1/23/2017

17-7. Report on a full update on the City's Community Choice Electricity Aggregation Plan.
Councillor Cheung (O-1) from 1/30/2017

17-8. Report on a full report from the Urban Agriculture Task Force.
Councillor Cheung (O-3) from 1/30/2017

17-12. Report on the possibilities of using salt in a more judicious manner, finding non-salt options or removing excess salt when the ice threat has stopped while the salt still remains.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Devereux, Vice Mayor McGovern (O-3) from 2/6/2017

17-14. Report on exploring whether designating the portion of Windsor Street between Cambridge Street and South Street as “one way” would decrease the opportunities for future accidents in this area.
Mayor Simmons (O-5) from 2/6/2017

17-19. Report on compiling a list of legal resources and a list of frequently-asked-questions for undocumented people living in Cambridge, and to post this information on a new “Immigration Concerns” resource page on the City’s main website and to determine what other specific steps the City can and should take to protect undocumented persons living in Cambridge during the Trump Administration.
Mayor Simmons (O-5) from 2/27/2017

17-21. Report on whether a stop sign can be re-installed at the intersection of Green Street and Hancock Street, and whether there are additional measures the City can and should be taking to make this intersection safer for vehicles and pedestrians alike.
Mayor Simmons (O-6) from 2/27/2017
Referred back to City Manager on motion of Mayor Simmons

17-20. Report on whether a Municipal ID program could be established in Cambridge.
Mayor Simmons, Vice Mayor McGovern, Councillor Mazen (O-11) from 2/27/2017

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.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Devereux, Councillor Cheung (O-14) from 2/27/2017

17-24. Report on options for the old Harvard Square Theater within 30 days of receiving said notice, with their long-terms plans for this property.
Councillor Cheung, Councillor Devereux, Vice Mayor McGovern (O-16) from 2/27/2017

17-26. Report on the possibility of a temporary mural to be created to screen the project site along Cambridge Street.
Councillor Toomey (O-4) from 3/6/2017

17-27. Report on the feasibility of a Homelessness Trust Fund.
Vice Mayor McGovern (O-7) from 3/6/2017

17-28. Report on the feasibility of creating a warming shelter in the City of Cambridge.
Vice Mayor McGovern (O-8) from 3/6/2017

17-29. Report on the feasibility of installing a hitting tunnel at Danehy Park for youth and high school sports.
Councillor Toomey (O-3) from 3/20/2017

17-30. Report on the City of Cambridge partnering with the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Cambridge Neighborhood Association to revitalize Magazine Beach.
Vice Mayor McGovern, Mayor Simmons (O-1) from 4/24/2017

17-31. Report on the status of the Community Garden program.
Councillor Devereux (O-3) from 4/24/2017

17-32. Report on how the health of senior residents will be monitored during heat events and how the dangers associated with such events will be mitigated.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Toomey (O-6) from 4/24/2017

17-33. Report on bringing Massachusetts closer to 100% renewable energy by 2035, and ensure that the benefits of renewable energy are realized by Massachusetts residents from all walks of life and supporting a goal of using 100% clean and renewable energy in Cambridge, including in building energy use and transportation, by 2035.
Councillor Devereux, Vice Mayor McGovern (O-13) from 4/24/2017