Cambridge City Council meeting - May 20, 2013 - AGENDA

RECONSIDERATION
1. Councillor Toomey has notified the City Clerk of his intention to move reconsideration of the vote taken on May 6, 2013 failing to adopt Policy Order Number Eight filed by Councillor vanBeuzekom requesting that Rule 16 of the City Council Rules pertaining to "Reconsideration of a Vote" be referred to the Government Operations and Rules Committee for review and revision.
Placed on file under Rule 19

CITY MANAGER’S AGENDA
1. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 13-54, regarding a report on developing a working group to review dog park issues.

2. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 13-57, regarding a report on publicizing the new location of the Cambridge Multi Service Center.

3. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 13-46, regarding a report on procedures in plan for covering Inspectional Services inspectors that are on vacation or sick leave.

4. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 13-62, regarding a report on evaluating and incorporating traffic signaling during very low traffic volume times. [Note: Harvard/Lee not on list - but there is a loop detector there that does not detect bicycles.]

MEMORANDUM
To: Robert Healy
From: Susan Clippinger
Date: May 14, 2013
Re: CRS 447115

While in some communities – generally in suburban and rural areas – the flashing red/yellow mode is used in the overnight hours, its use in Cambridge would not be appropriate. During this mode, the pedestrian signals are shut off and do not operate. Pedestrians do still use the streets at these hours and their safety is important. Particularly at night when visibility is low, pedestrian signals are essential to protect the safety of those on foot. Second, flashing yellow signals never turn red, and this can cause speeding on main streets. Instead of using flashing mode, we have programmed traffic signals during the overnight hours with a special timing plan with low traffic in mind: the cycle times are reduced so as to minimize idling of vehicles.

Loop detectorThe roster of intersections where sensors are used is seen below. Sensors buried in the pavement work by detecting a mass of metal above. All Cambridge traffic detectors are set to detect bicycles. Settings can be changed if necessary – if a cyclist finds than a detector is not seeing the bicycle, the Traffic Department can adjust the loop. Also, since bicycles have less metal than vehicles, a bicycle that is not stopped in the proper spot might not trigger the sensor. The sensor's detection field is strongest on its edges; therefore we recommend that cyclists stop directly above the right-hand edge of the sensor, which is visible as a large rectangle in the middle of the approach lane. (See diagram.)

Loop Detector locations

Intersection   Intersection
Cambridge St. Hunting St.          Concord Ave. Craigie St.
Cambridge St. Highland Ave.   Concord Ave. Alpine St.
Cambridge St. Camelia Ave.   Concord Ave. Moulton St.
Mass Ave. Roseland St.   Huron Ave. Lakeview Ave.
Rindge Ave. Clifton St.   Mount Auburn St.   Hawthorne St.
Garden St. Sherman St.   Garden St. Linnaean St.
Western Ave. Howard St.   First St. Charles St.
Oxford St. Everett St.   First St. Thondike St.
Oxford St. Forest St.   Gore St. Sixth St.
Mt. Auburn St.   University Rd.   River St. Howard St.
Gore St. Lambert St.   Third St. Charles St.
Broadway Lee St.   Concord St. Waterhouse St.
Broadway Trowbridge St.      

CHARTER RIGHT
1. An application was received from Muireann Glenmullen requesting permission for a curb cut at the premises numbered 93 Kirkland Street; said petition has received approval from Inspectional Services, Traffic, Parking and Transportation, Historical Commission and Public Works. No response has been received from the neighborhood association. May 7, 2013 neighborhood association response received. Charter Right exercised by Councillor Kelley on Applications and Petitions Number Three of May 6, 2013.
Tabled - Maher

ON THE TABLE
2. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-09, regarding a report on the use of coal and on Cambridge becoming coal-free. City Manager Agenda Number One of Mar 5, 2012 Placed on Table on motion of Vice Mayor Simmons on Mar 5, 2012.

3. Urge greater cooperation from the Cambridge Housing Authority to better serve the people of Cambridge. Order Number Two of Apr 9, 2012 Placed on Table on motion of Vice Mayor Simmons on Apr 9, 2012.

4. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Community Development Department and other relevant departments in order to present to the City Council a map of Cambridge that shows, by location and by date, all of the areas where construction is and will be taking place over the coming decade. Order Number Four of Apr 9, 2012 Placed on Table on motion of Councillor Toomey on Apr 9, 2012.

5. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item No. 12-28, regarding temporary ramps and obstructions in construction zones. City Manager Agenda Number Eight of Apr 23, 2012 Placed on Table on motion of Councillor Kelley on Apr 23, 2012.

6. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-35, which requests a report on whether there were any public safety officers that falsified their emergency medical training re-certification while employed by the City of Cambridge. Charter Right exercised by Councillor Toomey on City Manager Agenda Number Two of May 21, 2012. Placed on Table on motion of Councillor Toomey on June 4, 2012.

7. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-63 regarding a report on safety issues at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Vassar Street. City Manager Number Twenty-three of July 30, 2012 Placed on Table on motion of Councillor Kelley on July 30, 2012.

8. That the City Manager is requested to confer with relevant City staff and report back to the City Council on whether a tagging program could be implemented to notify owners of bicycles that have been removed from sign posts by the Department of Public Works and contact information for retrieval of said bicycle. Order Number Fourteen of July 30, 2012 Placed on Table on motion of Councillor vanBeuzekom on July 30, 2012. Councillor Toomey recorded in the negative on Tabling.

9. That the Cambridge City Council go on record urging the members of the Massachusetts Committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling to pass MA House Bill 4165, "An Act Relative to Speed Limits." Charter Right exercised by Councillor Decker on Order Number Eleven of Nov 19, 2012. Order Number Eleven of Nov 19, 2012 Placed on Table on motion of Councillor Toomey on Dec 3, 2012.

10. That the City Manager is requested to work together with the appropriate city officials including the City Solicitor and report back to the City Council regarding modification of the ordinance (10.12.030) that links the awarding of a one yearlong Visitor Parking Permit per household to the purchase of a $25 Cambridge Resident Parking Permit. Charter Right exercised by Councillor Decker on Order Number Eight of Jan 28, 2013. Order Number Eight of Jan 28, 2013 Placed on Table on motion of Councillor vanBeuzekom on Feb 11, 2013.

11. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 12-90, regarding a report on Executive Session to discuss lawsuits. City Manager Agenda Number Seven of Feb 25, 2013 Placed on Table on motion of Councillor Kelley on Feb 25, 2013.

12. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Director of Traffic, Parking and Transportation to determine the feasibility of implementing a pay-by-phone parking meter program in Cambridge, and report back to the City Council with recommendations as soon as possible. Order Number Two of Mar 18, 2013 Placed on Table on motion of Councillor Kelley on Mar 18, 2013.

13. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 13-29, regarding a report on the feasibility of not allowing residents of new buildings to obtain on-street resident parking stickers. City Manager Agenda Number Two of Apr 1, 2013 Placed on Table on motion of Councillor Kelley on Apr 1, 2013.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
14. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Ordinance Committee, for a public hearing held on Apr 3, 2013 to discuss an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to create a new Section 6.100 Bicycle Parking, and to create a new definition for Bicycle Parking in Article 2.000, modify the yard standards in Article 5.000 as they relate to bicycle parking and modifying various sections of Article 6.000 to remove references to bicycle parking. The question comes on passing to be ordained on or after May 6, 2013. Planning Board hearing held Mar 19, 2013. Petition expires June 17, 2013. May 6, 2013 substituted language referred to Unfinished Business and remained on Unfinished Business.

15. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $2,180,000 to provide funds to supplement other financing sources for improvements to the Cambridge Common. The question comes on adoption on or after May 13, 2013.
Loan Order Adopted 9-0

16. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $1,000,000 to provide funds for the reconstruction of several streets and sidewalks. The question comes on adoption on or after May 13, 2013
Loan Order Adopted 9-0

17. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $54,658,000 to provide funds for construction of sewer separation, stormwater management and combined sewer overflow reduction elimination improvements within the City's Alewife Watershed, Harvard Square, Agassiz, and Cherry Street/South Massachusetts Avenue areas as well as the Sewer Capital Repairs Program. The question comes on adoption on or after May 13, 2013.
Loan Order Adopted 9-0

18. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow an additional $500,000 to provide funds for improvements to the Kendall Square area including Main Street between Broadway and Ames Street including the reconstruction of streets and sidewalks and the installation of new pedestrian-scale public lighting, street furniture, trees, and other beautification measures. The question comes on adoption on or after May 13, 2013.
Loan Order Adopted 8-0-0-1

APPLICATIONS AND PETITIONS
1. An application was received from City of Cambridge Human Services Department requesting permission for a temporary banner across Massachusetts Avenue at City Hall announcing Run & Ride @ CambridgeSide on June 23, 2013.

2. An application was received from Carolyn Callender requesting permission for a curb cut at the premises numbered 96 Griswold Street; said petition has received approval from Inspectional Services, Traffic, Parking and Transportation, Historical Commission and Public Works. Approval has been received from the neighborhood association.

3. An application was received from Orinoco requesting permission for a sandwich board sign in front of the premises numbered 56 JFK Street.

4. An application was received from Rosie's Bakery requesting permission for a sandwich board sign in front of the premises numbered 1796 Massachusetts Avenue.

5. An application was received from Saints Constantine and Helen Church, requesting permission for a temporary banner across Massachusetts Avenue at City Hall announcing the Grecian Festival June 14th - June 16th.

COMMUNICATIONS
1. A communication was received from Charles Teague, 23 Edmunds Street regarding Cottage Park Avenue Water Main.

2. A communication was received from Robert J. La Tremouille, 875 Massachusetts Avenue regarding a follow up on the initial meeting of the Transit Advisory Committee.

3. A communication was received from Emily Van Dyke, 2020 43rd Avenue E., Seattle, WA regarding public toilets on the Cambridge Common.

4. A communication was received from Lindsay Greimann, 975 Memorial Church, Cambridge regarding public toilets on the Cambridge Common.

5. A communication was received from Claribel Santiago, 71 Sacramento Street, Cambridge regarding public toilets on the Cambridge Common.

6. A communication was received from Kasey Phillips, 16 Chauncy Street, Cambridge regarding public toilets on the Cambridge Common.

7. A communication was received from David Wiederspahn, 1 Leonard Avenue, Cambridge regarding public toilets on the Cambridge Common.

8. A communication was received from Ralph Vetters MD, 67 Walnut Street, Somerville regarding public toilets on the Cambridge Common.

9. A communication was received from Jeremy Bixby regarding public toilets on the Cambridge Common.

10. A communication was received from Claudette Hawk, 8 Wright Street, Cambridge regarding public toilets on the Cambridge Common.

11. A communication was received from Aileen Novero, 1643 Cambridge Street, Cambridge regarding public toilets on the Cambridge Common.

12. A communication was received from Maureen Catalano, 111 Kirkonan Court, Scotts Valley, CA regarding public toilets on the Cambridge Common.

13. A communication was received from Daniel T. Weller regarding public toilets on the Cambridge Common.

14. A communication was received from I. S. regarding public toilets on the Cambridge Common.

15. A communication was received from Webb Brown, 50 Stoneleigh Circle, Watertown regarding public toilets on the Cambridge Common.

16. A communication was received from Thomas A. Dewire, Jr., James Michael Dewire, Trustees, Dewire Family Trust regarding the curb cut application for 93 Kirkland Street.

17. A communication was received from Thomas A. Dewire, Jr. et al. regarding the curb cut application for 93 Kirkland Street.

18. A communication was received from Mark Boyes-Watson and Muireann Glenmullen, Managers, 93 Kirkland Street LLC regarding the curb cut application for 93 Kirkland Street.

19. A communication was received from former Mayor Francis H. Duehay, 26 Lowell Street urging the City Council to adopt the School Department budget.

RESOLUTIONS
1. Urge Cantabrigians to remember and pay tribute to the nation's defenders, living and deceased, on Memorial Day, May 27, 2013.   Councillor Kelley

2. Retirement of Carol Basile from the School Department.   Mayor Davis

3. Retirement of Donna Sousa from the School Department.   Mayor Davis

4. Resolution on the death of Reverend Dr. John Dykstra Eusden.   Mayor Davis

5. Resolution on the death of Ruth Virginia Marshall.   Councillor Reeves

6. Congratulations to Ovuline for being recognized in the Boston Business Journal.   Councillor Cheung

7. Congratulations to Socrative for being recognized as a Mass High Tech Company to Follow by the Boston Business Journal.   Councillor Cheung

8. Congratulations to Steve Papa as the Chairman of Infinio.   Councillor Cheung

9. Thanks to Reverend Jebediah Mannis and the volunteers who run the Outdoor Church for their work in tending to vulnerable members of the community.   Vice Mayor Simmons

10. Resolution on the death of Morris J. Gentile.   Councillor Toomey, Mayor Davis

11. Resolution on the death of Joseph "Babe" Amoroso.   Councillor Maher

12. Resolution on the death of Pearl (Tatilbaum) Schertzer.   Councillor Toomey

13. Congratulations to Carl White on being named Volunteer of the Year by the Cambridgeport Children's Center.   Councillor Cheung

14. Sympathy to the family of Radka Zagoroff Donnell Vogt.   Mayor Davis

15. Congratulations to Rallyt on being recognized as a Mass High Tech Company to Follow by the Boston Business Journal.   Councillor Cheung

16. Congratulations to the senior class of Breakthrough Greater Boston for their 100% college attendance rate.   Councillor Cheung

17. Congratulations to the Cambridge Health Alliance for being recognized for its outstanding Asian Mental Health Program at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Asian American Commission's Annual Unity Dinner.   Councillor Cheung

18. Congratulations to the Boston Boy Choir School on the occasion of their 50th anniversary.   Mayor Davis

19. Congratulations to Ambassador Swanee Hunt for being recognized by Emerge Massachusetts for her leadership in advancing women's representation in politics and public safety.   Vice Mayor Simmons

20. Thanks to all organizers and participants of the 2013 MIT-Cambridge Senior Luncheon on May 15, 2013.   Mayor Davis

21. Resolution on the death of Keith Handsaker.   Councillor Cheung

22. Condolences to Judy Cronin on the death of her mother Sheila Cronin.   Councillor Maher

23. Wishes of peace to Ken Thomson.   Mayor Davis

24. Congratulations to Jen and Michael DiFava on the birth of their daughter MacKenzie DiFava on May 16, 2013.   Councillor Toomey

25. Happy 90th Birthday wishes to Derona Buschell.   Vice Mayor Simmons

26. Happy Birthday wishes to Elvernoy Holland.   Vice Mayor Simmons

27. Congratulations to James P. Maloney Sr. on his recent promotion to the "Patriot's Circle" and for having his book Common Cause, Uncommon Courage added to the collection at the National World War II Museum.   Councillor Maher

28. Resolution on the death of Mariano T. Correia.   Councillor Toomey

29. Resolution on the death of Bob Stevens, former Director of Veterans Services.   Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Decker, Councillor Maher

30. Congratulations to James Gray for his years of service to the veterans in the Cambridge community.   Vice Mayor Simmons

31. Resolution on the death of Madelyn A. (Cohane) McKie.   Councillor Cheung

32. Condolences to the family of Patricia "Pat" Orr.   Vice Mayor Simmons

33. Resolution on the death of Robert Brogan.   Councillor Toomey

34. Resolution on the death of Sylvia McGillicuddy.   Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Decker

35. Condolences to all affected by the tornadoes in Oklahoma City.   Vice Mayor Simmons

ORDERS
1. That the School Department budget be discharged from the Finance Committee and be referred to the full City Council for adoption at the City Council meeting of May 20, 2013.   Mayor Davis and Councillor Decker
Withdrawn

2. That the City Manager is requested to develop a progress report on all of the non-zoning recommendations submitted by the Central Square Advisory Committee   Councillor Cheung, Councillor Reeves and Vice Mayor Simmons

3. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Department of Public Works to develop a regular maintenance program to ensure that the handles for the BigBelly trash receptacles and chutes remain clean.   Councillor Cheung

4. That the City Manager is requested to update the City Council on what steps have been taken to address the matter of the utility pole located in the middle of Fainwood Circle, what steps have been taken to inform the residents on progress that has been made and to provide an estimated timeframe for when this will be resolved.   Vice Mayor Simmons

5. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Cambridge Public Library about removing time limits for all elementary, middle, and high school students using the computer for academic purposes.   Councillor Cheung

6. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate departments about completing the Alewife entrance to the Minuteman Bikeway   Councillor Cheung

7. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate city staff to provide a report to the City Council reviewing the feasibility of installing solar-powered LED bus arrival time displays on all bus shelters within the city.   Councillor vanBeuzekom

8. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Cambridge Arts Council and high school administration on the possibility of creating a Falcon carving out of the tree stump that remains in the newly redesigned courtyard of Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School.   Councillor Toomey

9. That the City Council schedule a Roundtable Meeting on June 10, 2013 at 5:30pm to meet with the School Committee members, the Superintendent of Schools and the School Department as a follow-up meeting to discuss issues raised in the FY14 School Department Budget hearing held on May 9, 2013.   Mayor Davis

10. That the City Council go on record urging the members of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture to pass MA House Bill 757 before July 1, 2013 so that this season's mosquito population can be better controlled.   Councillor vanBeuzekom

11. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate city staff to consider making an application to the Rockefeller Foundation so that Cambridge may become one of the 100 Resilient Cities.   Councillor vanBeuzekom

12. That the City Manager is requested to provide a status update on the park renovation process from the Community Development Department and report back to the City Council.   Councillor Cheung

13. That the City Manager is requested to explore how the City of Cambridge can adjust the structure of its commissions to make them project-based and have the appropriate levels of funding for projects.   Councillor Cheung

14. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City and CPS staff members to review City Library policies to determine how the libraries may best support CRLS students and to report back to the City Council on this matter.   Councillor Kelley

15. That the approved prior dedication location for the Cremins family be changed to Broadway and Quincy Street to meet the requirements of Dig Safe.   Mayor Davis and Councillor Maher

16. That the City Manager is requested to confer with relevant City and State staff and report back to the City Council with a list of "major" road projects, their start dates and anticipated end dates.   Councillor Kelley

17. That the City Council respectfully urges the Chair of the Finance Committee to convene further budget hearings, to allow for additional discussions, with the hope of resolving any outstanding concerns that individual City Councillors may have regarding the FY2014 School Budget.   Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Kelley and Councillor Cheung
Failed 4-5

18. That the City Manager is requested to instruct the Director of Traffic, Parking and Transportation to evaluate and reprint the bike lanes near the intersection of Broadway and Hampshire Street and evaluate the need for repainting of bike lanes city-wide.   Councillor Toomey

19. That the City Manager is requested to instruct the Director of Traffic, Parking and Transportation to evaluate the intersection of Tremont Street and Gardner Road with the view in mind of installing a Stop sign at that location.   Councillor Toomey

COMMITTEE REPORTS
1. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Marjorie C. Decker, Chair of the Finance Committee, for public hearings held on Apr 30, 2013 and May 9, 2013 relative to the General Fund Budget for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2014 and recommending adoption of the budget in the amount of $321,831,240. The School Budget remained in committee.
School Budget discharged from committee and General Fund Budget ($472,820,685) adopted as amended 8-1-0 (Kelley - NO)

2. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Marjorie C. Decker, Chair of the Finance Committee, for a public hearing held on May 9, 2013 relative to the Water Fund Budget for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2014 and recommending adoption of the budget in the amount of $14,238,700.
Water Fund Budget ($14,238,700) adopted 9-0

3. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, Interim City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Marjorie C. Decker, Chair of the Finance Committee, for a public hearing held on May 9, 2013 relative to the Public Investment Fund for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2014 and recommending adoption of the budget in the amount of $92,715,930.
Water Fund Budget ($92,715,930) adopted 9-0

COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICERS
1. A communication was received from Councillor Minka vanBeuzekom transmitting a copy of a letter from David Gibbs, Executive Director of Cambridge Community Center, Inc. regarding the process to be used for the distribution of community benefits funds.

2. A communication was received from Councillors Cheung, Kelley, Reeves and Vice Mayor Simmons transmitting a copy of a letter to Mayor Davis regarding the Cambridge School Department budget.

Mayor Henrietta Davis
795 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

Dear Mayor Davis:

With only three of all nine Councillors voting in favor of the Cambridge School Department budget on Thursday, it is clear that there is a heightened level of frustration and angst amongst the Council – one that should not go unnoticed. The principal duty of the Cambridge City Council is to exercise fiduciary control over the City of Cambridge to ensure that it is meeting and exceeding the goals set by the Council each session. As adopted in December of 2011, one of our principal goals is to "strengthen and support human services, public education, and out of school learning in Cambridge for the benefit of residents of all ages". On May 9, the will of the Council showed that questions and concerns remain as to whether the budget makes significant strides towards meeting this integral goal.

Many citizens throughout the City share this concern. In each of the last three Citizen Satisfaction Surveys, the quality of our public schools has been the top ranking concern amongst all Cambridge residents. It is crucial that all elected and appointed officials understand the importance of addressing the concerns that our community has expressed and that many Councillors raised in regard to the budget as it was presented at the May 9 Finance Committee meeting. We recognize that the wealth of concerns that were raised at this point may not be met in the next year, much less be solved during this current budget discussion, but it is important for the District to acknowledge that these concerns are real and that the District, coordinating with Cambridge's elected officials and relevant City staff, will address them and develop a comprehensive, data-driven and outcomes-oriented long term plan to work towards accomplishing them in the years to come.

In particular, we think the District must make a clear and focused effort in these areas:

1. Research has time and time again demonstrated that youngsters who participate in a high-quality preschool program demonstrate higher levels of academic achievement, more socially responsible behavior, and make significantly higher earnings as an adult. We must invest in early childhood education to ensure that each and every child in Cambridge has the opportunity to attend preschool, and the current budget should more clearly explain how CPSD is supporting this notion now and how that support will be continued in the future. If the budget does not address this concern, it is not in line with the Council's goal of strengthening public education.

2. Throughout discussions about CPSD with current, former, and prospective families, classroom management, school climate and teacher training are consistently recurring issues, as is supported by past CPSD parent surveys. We would like to see a budget that sets clear goals for teacher training as it relates to classroom management and school climate, along with associated data about student disciplinary issues. We understand that the CPSD budget cannot include every effort that the District is making, but it is important that the budget reflect the attempts made to address major concerns raised by the families it has been created to serve. A failure to assess these issues in the current budget is not in line with the Council's goal of strengthening public education.

3. Family engagement has been another important issue that the FY2014 School Department budget appears to overlook. The Family Liaisons play critical roles in ensuring that parents have a steady guide through all school-related issues and concerns, and they are tireless advocates for the children they work with, often going above and beyond their job descriptions to ensure that our kids get the very best educational experience possible. Study after study has shown that children do better at school when there is an active partnership with the parents and the families, yet the money devoted to Family Liaisons and the family engagement process is nowhere as robust as it needs to be. A failure to assess this great need in the current budget is not in line with the Council's goal of strengthening public education.

4. Understanding why students and families opt to leave the District, whether it be to attend a charter school, private school, or school in another district, is crucial for schools to improve. At present, the City spends approximately 9-11 million dollars annually, depending on state reimbursement formulas, on charter schools and a significant proportion of school-aged residents opt not to attend Cambridge public schools. Making an aggressive attempt to understand what educational needs that families perceive CPSD as not well-equipped to meet seems like a logical first step in figuring out how to address these concerns. If we do not address the concerns of residents who ultimately decide to send their children to academic institutions outside of CPSD, the Council is not furthering its goal of strengthening public education in the City of Cambridge.

5. The Council has committed to an extensive school building upgrade project that will add a quarter of a billion dollars to our City's debt load, a figure that will bring our total debt load beyond the level at which we have traditionally set the limit. Additionally, we've discussed the potential of extended day, expanded pre-k, eventually expanding the wrap around program, giving computers to kids, broader world language offerings, an office of college success, and other potentially large programmatic expenditures which are not accounted for in the long-term budgetary plan. While we are fully in support of investing in programs and facilities to give our students and staff the facilities they need to grow and thrive, we need a more comprehensive long-term picture to make informed decisions about expenditures that will ultimately be reflected in higher taxes for our residents. We also need to understand the trade-offs and considerations that go in to thinking about how these programs and facilities will increase our return on investment, given that Cambridge already has one of the highest per pupil costs in the state. The failure of the budget to address this concern is not in line with the Council's goal of "[evaluating] City expenditures with a view of maintaining a strong fiscal position and awareness of the impact on taxpayers while providing a high quality array of city services".

6. There is a concern that the population growth may not keep pace with the amount of building renovation called for in the proposed school budget. It would be most unfortunate if, after a decade of renovations, the City has four state-of-the-art school buildings with precious few students to occupy them. This is why it is important that we have at least a five-year projection for the Innovation Agenda. We would be much better served if we have a sense of how much this will cost going forward, if we can anticipate what additional expenses may need to be called for, what additional positions may be created that will need funding, how many students will be expected to be housed in these buildings, and so forth. The failure of the budget to address this concern is not in line with the Council's goal of "[evaluating] City expenditures with a view of maintaining a strong fiscal position and awareness of the impact on taxpayers while providing a high quality array of city services".

7. Why, in a District that is very multi-cultural, do so many events, activities, programs and awards seem to be demographically disparate? The systemic inequities and racial unbalances that continue to exist between student populations strongly impact the ability of all of our children to reach their full potential. Failure to address this concern is not in line with the Council's goal to "value and support the racial, socio-economic, cultural and religious diversity of our city".

Given the scope of the $150,000,000 CPSD budget, along with the roughly 22 million dollars in charter school payments and school construction debt service, it is clear to us that not all of our concerns will be able to be met immediately. We would like a clear commitment from the School Committee and CPSD staff that the next budget year will start with a focused discussion with the City Council and City staff of the above-listed concerns, and that measurable steps will be taken to ensure that additional concerns of families, students, and members of the community are addressed as well. If we can get that clear commitment, we would be willing to support this year's CPSD budget and work with all concerned parties to make sure future budgets better reflect the fiscal and educational concerns of the City.

Several years ago, we initiated the practice of holding City Council-School Committee Roundtables to increase the amount of communication between these two bodies, in the hopes of avoiding the very situation in which we now find ourselves. It would appear that we either need to increase the number of Roundtables we hold each year, or we need to set aside specific Roundtables each year to devote exclusively to discussing drafting the school budget, to ensure that City Councillors are able to publicly provide feedback as a group and air concerns during the budget drafting process.

Please feel free to contact us directly should you have any questions or concerns about this communication.

Sincerely,
Councillor Leland Cheung
Councillor Craig Kelley
Councillor Kenneth E. Reeves
Vice Mayor E. Denise Simmons

Cc: Councillor Marjorie Decker, Finance Committee Chair
City Council
School Committee
Superintendent Jeff Young
City Manager Bob Healy
Deputy City Manager Richard Rossi

3. A communication was received from Jeffrey M. Young, Superintendent of Schools regarding the Cambridge School Department Budget.

To: Cambridge City Council
From: Jeffrey M. Young, Superintendent of Schools
Re: FY14 Budget
Date: May 16,2013

First of all, I want to thank you for your consistent support for the Cambridge Public Schools, both budgetarily and by your presence at so many school events. I also appreciate your interest in making CPS a model of excellence in urban education. I share that desire as does the School Committee.

The City Councilors have always been vocal advocates for excellence and equity for our school children.

This proposed budget represents months of analysis of the best way to allocate a reasonable budget that helps the system press forward for success. The budget will not include everything on the wish list but it is fair and is a reasonable amount to work with for the coming year. Other programmatic initiatives will need to be weighed and considered in future budget cycles.

I understand that you have received some material in response to questions posed at the Finance Committee. More information will be forthcoming. I look forward to constructive dialogue on the important educational issues that interest our community.

4. A communication was received from Mayor Henrietta Davis transmitting a copy of a memorandum from Carolyn L. Turk, Deputy Superintendent of Schools regarding School Climate, Bullying Prevention and Conflict Mediation.

5. A communication was received from Mayor Henrietta Davis regarding the School Budget.

6. A communication was received from Mayor Henrietta Davis transmitting a copy of a memorandum from Carolyn L. Turk, Deputy Superintendent of Schools regarding Capital Improvements and Corresponding Educational Planning.

LATE COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICERS
7. A communication from Mayor Henrietta Davis regarding the FY2014 School Budget.

Memorandum

To: City Council
From: Mayor Henrietta Davis
RE: FY14 School Budget
Date: May 17, 2013

I want to acknowledge my colleagues on the Council for their continued commitment to Cambridge schools. The education of our children in Cambridge and providing all kids with an opportunity to excel and succeed is extremely important and for many of us (if not all) our number one priority.

Nonetheless, it's important to remain mindful of the separation of powers between the School Committee and the City Council (for more on this topic see the attached letter from the Mass. Association of School Committees).

Specifically related to the letter dated 5/16/13: I can't speak for a School Committee that hasn't been elected yet, but as the FY15 CPSD budget process begins in the fall, I'm sure the School Committee and the Superintendent will certainly consider the concerns of the City Council.

The Superintendant has already begun to address many of the issues the Council has raised – some of these materials have been transmitted to you already – and he has expressed a willingness to continue the dialogue.

As you know I have scheduled a City Council/School Committee Roundtable to tackle some of the issues raised and I look forward to continuing to find appropriate avenues to work collaboratively moving forward.

-HD

Cc: School Committee; Robert Healy, City Manager; Rich Rossi, Deputy City Manager; Louis DePasquale, City Treasurer; Donna Lopez, City Clerk

Attachment: Letter from Massachusetts Association of School Committees (written by Glenn Koocher)

HEARING SCHEDULE
Mon, May 20
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, May 22
3:30pm   The Government Operations and Rules Committee will conduct a public meeting to review the status of positions reporting directly to the City Council.  (Ackermann Room)
4:30pm   The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss a zoning petition from Michael Phillips, et al., requesting the City Council to amend the Zoning Ordinance to the Special District 2 (SD-2) zoning district in North Cambridge. This hearing to be televised.  (Sullivan Chamber)

Thurs, May 23
2:00pm   The Cable TV, Telecommunications and Public Utilities Committee will conduct a public meeting for the purpose of assessing the findings and recommendations of the Gartner Report on the City of Cambridge's Information Technology Strategic Plan.  (Sullivan Chamber)
5:00pm   The Public Safety Committee will conduct a public meeting to continue to discuss the proposed City of Cambridge Security Camera Policy.  (Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, May 29
6:00pm   The Cable TV, Telecommunications and Public Utilities Committee will conduct a public meeting for the purpose of developing measures through which immigrants in Cambridge can have improved access to computers and the internet.  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, June 3
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, June 4
4:30pm   The Neighborhood and Long Term Planning Committee will conduct a public meeting to explore the potential and long term impact of developing urban agriculture initiatives throughout the neighborhoods in the City of Cambridge.  (Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, June 5
3:00pm   Civic Unity Committee  (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm   The Public Safety Committee will conduct a public meeting to continue to discuss the proposed City of Cambridge Security Camera Policy.  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, June 10
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Tues, June 11
5:00pm   The Neighborhood and Long Term Planning Committee will conduct a public meeting to discuss assessing the current status of Central Square following the Central Square Advisory Committee's non-zoning recommendations and exploring potential options to make the neighborhood a safer and more family-friendly area.  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, June 17
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, June 19
4:30pm   The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss a zoning petition from Jenny Popper-Keizer, et al., requesting the City Council amend the Zoning Ordinance and Map from SD-8A to Residence C-1 in the area bounded by Allston Street to the north, Putnam Avenue to the south, Sidney Street to the west and Waverly Street to the east. This hearing to be televised.  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, June 24
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Wed, June 26
4:30pm   The Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss proposed changes to the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance relating to rainwater separation in residential buildings. This hearing to be televised.  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, July 29
5:30pm   Special City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Sept 9
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

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

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

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

Mon, Oct 7
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Oct 21
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Oct 28
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

Mon, Nov 4
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

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

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

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

Mon, Dec 9
5:30pm   City Council Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber)

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

TEXT OF ORDERS
O-1     May 20, 2013
MAYOR DAVIS
COUNCILLOR DECKER
ORDERED: That the School Department budget be discharged from the Finance Committee and be referred to the full City Council for adoption at the City Council meeting of May 20, 2013.

O-2     May 20, 2013
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
COUNCILLOR REEVES
VICE MAYOR SIMMONS
WHEREAS: From 2011-2012, the 21 person Central Square Advisory Committee worked tirelessly to develop a set of thoughtful recommendations to guide the City of Cambridge towards achieving a more livable, connected, diverse, and interactive community in Central Square and the Osborne Triangle; and
WHEREAS: Comprised of neighborhood residents, property owners, and representatives of businesses and institutions, the committee was thoughtful to consider input from the broader community throughout the development of their recommendations; and
WHEREAS: It is essential for the City of Cambridge to assess the Committee's zoning and non-zoning recommendations to ensure the future success of Central Square; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to develop a progress report on all of the non-zoning recommendations submitted by the Central Square Advisory Committee; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Council receive this report prior to the Neighborhood and Long Term Planning Committee Meeting scheduled to discuss Central Square on June 11, 2013.

O-3     May 20, 2013
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge has made great strides in improving the efficiency and environmental sustainability of its trash collection procedures through the use of solar-powered BigBelly trash and recycling receptacles; and
WHEREAS: However, the outside condition of the BigBelly trash receptacles often dissuades people from using them, as the handles of the chutes are often sticky or have waste residue on them; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Department of Public Works to develop a regular maintenance program to ensure that the handles for the chutes remain clean and report back to the City Council.

O-4     May 20, 2013
VICE MAYOR SIMMONS
WHEREAS: On May 14, 2012, the City Council adopted an Order asking that the City Manager confer with the appropriate City departments and utility companies to determine what measures could be implemented to address concerns regarding a utility pole located in the middle of Fainwood Circle. The pole supports cables and wires from multiple utility companies and has long been a concern to Fainwood Circle residents during hurricanes, snow storms, and other severe weather events which may cause the pole to topple and injure people or property; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to update the City Council on what steps have been taken to address this matter, what steps have been taken to inform the residents of Fainwood Circle on progress that has been made in this matter, and to provide an estimated timeframe for when this matter will be resolved.

O-5     May 20, 2013
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: The City Council takes great pride in supporting youth throughout our community that prioritize academic achievement; and
WHEREAS: At present, the Cambridge Public Library has a two-hour time limit on all computer usage; and
WHEREAS: Although students who are using the computer to complete their homework are allowed to continue to work beyond the two-hour mark, they must ask to do so; and
WHEREAS: Many students may not be aware that they can extend this time for academic purposes if need be; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Cambridge Public Library about removing time limits for all elementary, middle, and high school students using the computer for academic purposes and report back to the City Council.

O-6     May 20, 2013
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: Biking is one of the City of Cambridge's most popular, healthful, and sustainable transportation options; and
WHEREAS: The Minuteman Bikeway is a 10-mile paved multi-use trail that runs from Bedford to the Alewife station in the City of Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: At present, the Alewife entrance to the Minuteman Bikeway, located at Alewife Station Access Road, has yet to be completed; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate departments about completing the Alewife entrance to the Minuteman Bikeway and report back to the City Council.

O-7     May 20, 2013
COUNCILLOR VANBEUZEKOM
WHEREAS: Addressing the challenges and opportunities for multiple modes of transportation to safely share roads and sidewalks is a goal of the City Council; and
WHEREAS: A commitment to efficient and timely mass transit via the bus services throughout the city supports the multiple modes goal; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate city staff to provide a report to the City Council reviewing the feasibility of installing solar-powered LED bus arrival time displays on all bus shelters within the city.

O-8     May 20, 2013
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Cambridge Arts Council and high school administration on the possibility of creating a Falcon carving out of the tree stump that remains in the newly redesigned courtyard of Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School.

O-9     May 20, 2013
MAYOR DAVIS
ORDERED: That the City Council schedule a Roundtable Meeting on June 10, 2013 at 5:30pm to meet with the School Committee members, the Superintendent of Schools and the School Department as a follow-up meeting to discuss issues raised in the FY14 School Department Budget hearing held on May 9, 2013.

O-10     May 20, 2013
COUNCILLOR VANBEUZEKOM
WHEREAS: MA House Bill 757 - "An Act Relative to Pesticide Licensing and Mosquito Control" is currently under review with the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture; and
WHEREAS: West Nile Virus, a mosquito-transmitted disease, is a growing concern in urban centers such as Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: The State of Massachusetts had 33 cases of infection last year with 6 of these cases occurring within Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: The best method of reducing rates of infection, is for municipalities, businesses and individual citizens to reduce breeding populations of mosquitoes by eliminating or baiting standing pools of water where mosquitoes breed; and
WHEREAS: This bill will allow storm drains and catch basins to be baited by a municipal staff person with a mosquito-control agent in a manner that is more cost effective and expedient than is currently allowed; and
WHEREAS: Passing this bill will support the goals of both the state and city by protecting the health of all residents; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record urging the members of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture to pass MA House Bill 757 before July 1, 2013 so that this season's mosquito population can be better controlled; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this resolution to members of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture and the Cambridge Legislative Delegation on behalf of the entire City Council.

O-11     May 20, 2013
COUNCILLOR VANBEUZEKOM
WHEREAS: Building resilience is about making people, communities and systems better prepared to withstand catastrophic events - both natural and manmade - and better able to bounce back quickly and emerge successfully from shocks and stresses; and
WHEREAS: As natural and man-made shocks and stresses grow in frequency, impact and scale, many cities are largely unprepared to respond to, withstand, and bounce back from disasters; and
WHEREAS: Public and private sector leaders within cities are expressing an increasing desire to build greater resilience, yet may not have the technical expertise to create and execute resilience strategies on a city-wide scale; and
WHEREAS: An example of a core characteristic of a resilient system is "spare capacity," which ensures that there is a back-up or alternative available when a vital component of a system fails; and
WHEREAS: Cambridge is in the midst of a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Study which may recommend building greater resiliency in our city; and
WHEREAS: The Rockefeller Foundation is sponsoring the 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge -- a $100 million effort to build urban resilience around the world; and
WHEREAS: City officials will have the opportunity to nominate the City of Cambridge to be part of this award, through a formal application process that opens in August, 2013; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the appropriate city staff to consider making an application so that Cambridge may become one of the 100 Resilient Cities; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this matter.

O-12     May 20, 2013
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge is in the midst of renovating three neighborhood parks in Cambridgeport, including Alberico Park, David Nunes (Old Morse) Park, and Fulmore Park; and
WHEREAS: In April 2013, significant construction activity resumed at the parks and are said to be approaching completion; and
WHEREAS: Many nearby residents have expressed a desire for a status update on the park renovations in their neighborhoods; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to provide a status update on the park renovation process from the Community Development Department and report back to the City Council.

O-13     May 20, 2013
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge has a variety of commissions that provide City departments and officials with a wealth of information and feedback about how the quality of life in Cambridge could best be heightened; and
WHEREAS: In order for these commissions to function to the highest level of their ability, it is essential for the City to provide them with the tools that they require to grow and thrive; and
WHEREAS: Some commissions, especially the GLBT Commission, are limited due to under-funding and under-staffing; and
WHEREAS: A thorough examination of the manner by which Cambridge's commissions currently function, how the City could facilitate increased collaboration amongst them, and the extent to which the City could encourage them to develop project-based solutions through increased funding has the potential to impact significant changes throughout the City of Cambridge; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to explore how the City of Cambridge can adjust the structure of its commissions to make them project-based and have the appropriate levels of funding for projects and report back to the City Council.

O-14     May 20, 2013
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
WHEREAS: There is some confusion about what sort of computer access is allowed at Cambridge libraries, to include the Main Library; and
WHEREAS: For many students, especially those at CRLS, library computer access is an important part of doing their school work; and
WHEREAS: Teaching staff at CPS and City library staff do no always understand what services are required, restricted or desired and services to CPS students might be better provided with a clearer understanding of these issues; now be it therefore
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with relevant City and CPS staff members to review City Library policies to determine how the libraries may best support CRLS students and to report back to the City Council on this matter.

O-15     May 20, 2013
MAYOR DAVIS
COUNCILLOR MAHER
ORDERED: That the approved prior dedication location for the Cremins family be changed to Broadway and Quincy Street to meet the requirements of Dig Safe.

O-16     May 20, 2013
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
WHEREAS: Street construction projects in or impacting Cambridge can prevent a bewildering combination of traffic impacts to people moving in and through Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: Partially because some of these projects are not "Cambridge" projects but are on DCR property, there is no clear place to determine the status of these various projects, whether it be the 3.5 year Longfellow Bridge project that starts in June 2013, the ongoing Harvard Overpass rebuild, the Western Avenue reconstruction or more: now be it therefore
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with relevant City and State staff and report back to the City Council with a list of "major" road projects, their start dates and anticipated end dates; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with relevant City staff to determine how best to update this information and make it readily available to the general public on a regular basis and report back to the City Council on this issue.

O-17     May 20, 2013
VICE MAYOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR KELLEY
COUNCILLOR CHEUNG
WHEREAS: The Finance Committee met as a "committee of the whole" on May 9, 2013 to discuss the proposed School Department Budget for FY2014, and it became apparent during this meeting that several City Councilors had a number of serious, lingering questions that would need to be resolved prior to their voting to move this budget out of committee; and
WHEREAS: These City Councillors requested that the School Superintendent and the School Committee provide a rough cost estimate for the first five years of the Innovation Agenda; provide information on how charter school tuition and out-of-district tuition expenses might be better monitored and controlled; provide assurances that these three school buildings yet to be renovated will not limit the resources available to other, more immediate programming needs; clarification as to how this budget will strengthen our commitment to family outreach and engagement; and provide a better understanding of how this budget will address closing the Achievement Gap; and
WHEREAS: The City Councillors raised these questions with the intention of assuring that the School Budget for FY2014 would be as strong and as clear as possible, and with the understanding that asking such specific questions, even at this stage of the budgeting process, is both their right and their duty as elected officials who are charged with ensuring the taxpayers' money is spent wisely and responsibly; and
WHEREAS: The City Councillors that voted against moving this proposed School Budget out of committee did so with the understanding that another Finance Committee meeting was tentatively scheduled for May 16, 2013. The sole purpose of this meeting was to allow for any further budget discussions that might be needed at this stage, to ensure that any unresolved concerns could be addressed before the budget would be forwarded to the City Council for a final vote; and
WHEREAS: For reasons that remain unclear, the Finance Committee subsequently cancelled the hearing that was to take place on May 16, 2013. It is important to reiterate that the purpose of these hearings is to ensure that the School Department receives the funding necessary to provide our students with the highest-caliber education possible. It does a tremendous disservice to our students, and to the taxpaying public, to curtail this discussion if individual city councilors still have questions that could be resolved within the allotted timeframe for our budget hearings; and
WHEREAS: The City Council is committed to voting on the FY2014 School Budget no later than the June 3, 2013 City Council meeting, to ensure that the June 5 adoption deadline is not missed and to ensure that there will be no negative repercussions or disruptions to the Cambridge Public School teachers, administrators, or, most importantly, the students; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Council respectfully urges the Chair of the Finance Committee to convene further budget hearings, to allow for additional discussions, with the hope of resolving any outstanding concerns that individual City Councillors may have regarding the FY2014 School Budget.

O-18     May 20, 2013
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to instruct the Director of Traffic, Parking and Transportation to evaluate and reprint the bike lanes near the intersection of Broadway and Hampshire Street and evaluate the need for repainting of bike lanes city-wide; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this matter.

O-19     May 20, 2013
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to instruct the Director of Traffic, Parking and Transportation to evaluate the intersection of Tremont Street and Gardner Road with the view in mind of installing a Stop sign at that location; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this matter.

TEXT OF COMMITTEE REPORTS
Committee Report #1
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, comprised of the entire membership of the City Council, to which was referred the GENERAL FUND BUDGET for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2014 in the amount of $472,820,685 held public hearings on this matter on Apr 30, 2013 and May 9, 2013 commencing at 9:00am and on May 9, 2013 commencing at 4:00pm in the Sullivan Chamber.

THE FINANCE COMMITTEE has referred the GENERAL FUND BUDGET for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2014 in the sum $321,831,240 * to the full City Council with a favorable recommendation.

For the Committee,
Councillor Marjorie C. Decker, Chair

*The School budget remained in committee.

Committee Report #2
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, comprised of the entire membership of the City Council, to which was referred the WATER FUND for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2014 in the amount of $14,238,700 held a public hearing on this matter on May 9, 2013 commencing at 9:00am in the Sullivan Chamber.

THE FINANCE COMMITTEE has referred the WATER FUND for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2014 to the full City Council for the adoption of the enclosed order in the total amount of $14,238,700.

For the Committee,
Councillor Marjorie C. Decker, Chair

Committee Report #3
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, comprised of the entire membership of the City Council, to which was referred the PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2014 in the amount of $92,715,930 held a public hearing on this matter on May 9, 2013 commencing at 9:00am in the Sullivan Chamber.

THE FINANCE COMMITTEE has referred the PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2014 to the full City Council for the adoption of the enclosed order in the total amount of $92,715,930.

For the Committee,
Councillor Marjorie C. Decker, Chair

AWAITING REPORT LIST
12-29. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the no left turn on the Cambridge Common and to remove the bicycle prohibition on certain streets, such as Whittemore Avenue. Referred back for additional information on 3/5/2012.
Councillor Kelley 02/13/12 (O-17)

12-40. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on improper leases and rental of owned affordable housing units. Reconsideration filed by Councillor Toomey on 6/11/2012. Report referred back to City Manager for more information on motion of Councillor Toomey on 6/18/12.
Councillor Reeves, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Vice Mayor Simmons & Councillor vanBeuzekom 03/19/12 (O-3)

12-51. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the feasibility of finding additional office space for the City Council.
Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Reeves & Councillor vanBeuzekom 04/23/12 (O-5)

12-64. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on current status of the Inlet Bridge and what steps the City can take to ensure that agreements with the Commonwealth are upheld.
Councillor Toomey and Full Membership 05/21/12 (O-1)

12-71. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the possibility of converting the vacant lots at the corner of Watson and Brookline Streets and at 35 Cherry Street to community gardens or open space.
Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Toomey & Councillor vanBeuzekom 06/04/12 (O-10)

12-78. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on expanding the number of Cambridge parks/playing fields with public toilets. Referred back to the City Manager on 6/18/12 on motion of Councillor Kelley.
Councillor vanBeuzekom and Full Membership 06/11/12 (O-5)

12-81. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on meeting with No. Mass Avenue neighbors, businesses and neighborhood groups about whether additional alterations to the median strip would be appropriate.
Councillor Kelley and Full Membership 06/11/12 (O-9)

12-91. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the installation of lower and decorative lighting along Cardinal Medeiros Avenue.
Councillor Toomey and Full Membership 07/30/12 (O-6)

12-104. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on data requested on the Andrews Petition during an Ordinance Committee hearing last term that has not yet been received.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 07/30/12 (O-34)

12-107. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the number of Cambridge residents that are working as part of organized labor on development projects along with the percentage of minority and women members and what sort of communication takes place with the Rindge School of Technical Arts and local Unions.
Councillor Toomey and Full Membership 09/10/12 (O-14)

12-109. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on what strategies other cities have used to dissuade land-banking.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 09/10/12 (O-21)

12-115. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on making accommodations for voters when elevators are not working or there are other barriers at polling locations on election days. Referred back for additional information by Councillor Decker on 10/22/2012. Further report provided and referred back by Councillor Decker on 11/5/2012.
Councillor Decker, Mayor Davis, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Toomey & Councillor vanBeuzekom 09/24/12 (O-6)

12-123. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on suggestions to control the rodent population.
Councillor vanBeuzekom, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons & Councillor Toomey 10/22/12 (O-3)

12-124. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on feasibility of finding additional secure locations for the disposal of prescription drugs.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 11/05/12 (O-4)

12-126. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the feasibility of ensuring all city sponsored committee hearings (such as the E-gov committee) are available online.
Councillor Cheung, Councillor vanBeuzekom and Full Membership 11/05/12 (O-6)

12-128. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on creating a pilot program for installing mini exercise stations on major walking routes throughout the City.
Mayor Davis, Councillor Cheung, Councillor Decker, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Toomey & Councillor vanBeuzekom 11/19/12 (O-1)

12-129. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on installation of additional public drinking fountains working in conjunction with the Arts Council on interesting designs.
Mayor Davis, Councillor Cheung, Councillor Decker, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Toomey & Councillor vanBeuzekom 11/19/12 (O-2)

12-130. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on developing a process to promote universal design and visitability in all Cambridge Public buildings.
Mayor Davis and Full Membership 11/19/12 (O-3)

12-132. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on incorporating permanent bathroom facilities at the Cambridge Common; conduct a study for permanent bathroom facilities in all public squares; and provide a list of all locations where portable bathroom facilities are currently used.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor vanBeuzekom, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves & Vice Mayor Simmons 11/19/12 (O-8)

12-133. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on preparing language to amendment the Municipal code banning polystyrene-based disposable food containers.
Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis and Full Membership 11/19/12 (O-10)

12-136. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on a plan of action to reinforce and secure restaurant bins in a way that separates food waste for composting.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 11/19/12 (O-14)

12-137. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on an analysis of the entire past election of wait times and strategies for what would be necessary to reduce wait times to less than 10 minutes and on making information available on wait times at polling locations throughout the day. Referred back for more information by Councillor Decker on 12/17/2012.
Councillor Cheung, Councillor vanBeuzekom, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons & Councillor Toomey 11/19/12 (O-16)

12-140. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on special permit process pursuant to MGL 40A as it relates to the impact of re-filing a zoning petition on pending special permits for special permits that have been granted.
Councillor Kelley and Full Membership 11/19/12 (O-9)

12-150. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on convening a task force to look into the creation of providing permanent public restrooms at high volume locations such as public parks and squares.
Mayor Davis 12/10/12 (O-16)

12-152. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on establishing a reduced small business parking rate for local business owners at city garages.
Councillor Toomey and Full Membership 12/17/12 (O-1)

12-153. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on ways to ban tandem tractor-trailers from entering the city with a view in mind of requiring large freight vehicles of a certain size to transfer freight to a smaller vehicle before entering the city.
Councillor vanBeuzekom and Full Membership 12/17/12 (O-4)

12-154. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the sale of the Sullivan Courthouse including what zoning changes will be needed and reasons for Leggat McCall being chosen as the developer.
Councillor Toomey 12/17/12 (O-9)

12-156. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on preparing language to create a Pathway Overlay District.
Councillor Toomey 12/17/12 (O-12)

12-157. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the cost, user price, and payback period if Cambridge were to build its own broadband network
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 06/04/12 (O-8)

13-04. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the City's plans for the property located at 205 Western Avenue.
Councillor vanBeuzekom and Full Membership 01/14/13 (O-6)

13-09. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on improving logistical challenges of deliveries and trash removal to and from businesses as they related to adjacent residents.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 01/14/13 (O-11)

13-12. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the feasibility of participating in the Code for America Peer Network.
Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Toomey & Councillor vanBeuzekom 01/28/13 (O-6)

13-15. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on meeting with NSTAR officials to establish a firm timeline for maintenance and replacement plans for the transformers and electrical systems that serve the city to ensure that local businesses and residential communities are fully serviced.
Councillor Cheung, Councillor Reeves and Full Membership 02/11/13 (O-5)

13-19. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on refining procedures to uphold existing ordinances that prohibit the reservation of cleared on-street parking spaces by placing objects in the spots.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 02/25/13 (O-4)

13-24. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on assessing the feasibility of necessity of utilizing the services provided by the Springfield Data Center and MassGIS's Oliver mapping tool.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 02/25/13 (O-11)

13-28. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on applying for the Code for America Fellowship Program.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 03/04/13 (O-1)

13-32. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on what flooding, drainage, sightline, maintenance and traffic flow issues exist at Linear Park and who is responsible for addressing them.
Councillor Kelley and Full Membership 03/04/13 (O-7)

13-33. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the possibility of adding a RSS feed options to all of the City's websites. Referred back to the City Manager by Councillor Cheung on 4/22/2013.
Councillor vanBeuzekom and Full Membership 03/04/13 (O-8)

13-34. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the current investigate of the murder of Charlene Holmes.
Vice Mayor Simmons and Full Membership 03/18/13 (O-1)

13-35. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on plans to publicize the upcoming special election.
Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Councillor Toomey & Councillor vanBeuzekom 03/18/13 (O-5)

13-37. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the feasibility of installing fiber-optic conduits when doing sewer reconstruction.
Councillor Cheung, Councillor vanBeuzekom, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves & Councillor Toomey 03/18/13 (O-7)

13-38. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on measures Cambridge can take to prevent the transport of ethanol.
Councillor Toomey, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves & Councillor vanBeuzekom 03/18/13 (O-8)

13-39. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on feasibility of implementing a "Don't Block The Box" policy for Cambridge.
Vice Mayor Simmons and Full Membership 04/01/13 (O-4)

13-40. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on ways in which the Cambridge Works Program might affiliate itself with Building Pathways, an intensive program sponsored by the Boston Building Trades Council.
Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 04/01/13 (O-5)

13-41. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on conferring with SuperTours as to the feasibility of altering their bus tour route to one that provides more interesting sightseeing opportunities to tour participants while improving the quality of life of residents of Cambridge Street.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 04/01/13 (O-8)

13-42. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the feasibility of shortening the traffic light cycle times at the intersection of Broadway and Ames Street.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 04/01/13 (O-10)

13-43. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on how Cambridge can include a participatory budgeting portion in the 2014 budget.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 04/01/13 (O-12)

13-45. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on how the taxi and livery industry can modernize its services, provide heightened customer service, and protect drivers.
Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons & Councillor vanBeuzekom 04/08/13 (O-9)

13-46. Report from the City Manager:  See Mgr #3
RE: report on the procedures in place for when Inspectional Service inspectors are on vacation or extended sick leave so that projects that need inspecting are not delayed.
Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons & Councillor vanBeuzekom 04/08/13 (O-10)

13-47. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the feasibility of updating the Library's room usage policy to allow for an online calendar and request system.
Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons & Councillor vanBeuzekom 04/22/13 (O-2)

13-48. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the feasibility of providing City Councillors with more Exchange server space to send, receive and store emails.
Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons & Councillor vanBeuzekom 04/22/13 (O-3)

13-50. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on formally applying to the Federal Rail Administration for establishing Quiet Zones.
Councillor vanBeuzekom, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves & Vice Mayor Simmons 04/29/13 (O-3)

13-51. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on clarifying the expiration date for zoning petitions filed in the City.
Councillor vanBeuzekom, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons & Councillor Toomey 04/29/13 (O-4)

13-53. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on applying to the Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive program for grants that will fund publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations; electric vehicles; and hybrid vehicles.
Councillor vanBeuzekom, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Kelley, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons & Councillor Toomey 04/29/13 (O-6)

13-54. Report from the City Manager:  See Mgr #1
RE: report on developing a working group to review dog park issues.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Toomey & Councillor vanBeuzekom 04/29/13 (O-8)

13-55. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on efforts to develop a working group to review public bathroom issues.
Councillor Kelley, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Toomey & Councillor vanBeuzekom 04/29/13 (O-9)

13-57. Report from the City Manager:  See Mgr #2
RE: report on publicizing the new location of the Cambridge Multi-Services Center.
Vice Mayor Simmons, Councillor Cheung, Mayor Davis, Councillor Decker, Councillor Maher, Councillor Reeves, Councillor Toomey & Councillor vanBeuzekom 05/06/13 (O-1)

13-58. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on reason for multiple outages over the last year in the East Cambridge area and what steps are being taken to prevent future outages.
Councillor Toomey and Full Membership 05/06/13 (O-3)

13-59. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on how the capacity of the Cambridge Works program can be increased.
Councillor vanBeuzekom, Councillor Reeves and Full Membership 05/06/13 (O-4)

13-60. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the feasibility of donating old computers to the non-profit agencies in lieu of recycling them.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 05/06/13 (O-6)

13-61. Report from the City Manager:
RE: report on the feasibility of implementing a program to collect and rehabilitate abandoned bikes to distribute to low-income residents, similar to Boston's Roll it Forward program.
Councillor Cheung and Full Membership 05/06/13 (O-7)

13-62. Report from the City Manager:  See Mgr #4
RE: report on how the city transportation planners evaluate and incorporate traffic signaling during very low traffic volume times including where sensors are located, the specific intersections and specific location of in-road sensors not triggered by bicycles.
Councillor vanBeuzekom and Full Membership 05/06/13 (O-9)