TAX RATE HEARING
1. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the FY27 tax rate. [City Manager’s Letter][Tax Rate Orders]

Agenda 1a     Sept 28, 2026
ORDERED: That the City Council classifies property within the City of Cambridge into five property classes allowed for the purpose of allocating the property tax levy.
Additionally, that the City Council hereby adopts a residential factor of .564988 for the purpose of distributing the property tax levy.

Agenda 1b     Sept 28, 2026
ORDERED: That the City Council approves a thirty (30) percent residential exemption for owner-occupied homes.

CHARTER RIGHT
1. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Cambridge Police Department and other relevant departments to develop a coordinated July 4th response plan for the Cherry Street, Harvard Street, and Fletcher Maynard Academy area to ensure that this spot not be utilized for the illegal use of fireworks. [Charter Right – Simmons, Sept 14, 2026] (PO26#163)

O-4     Sept 14, 2026  Charter Right - Simmons
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY
WHEREAS: In recent years, residents in the area around Cherry and Harvard Street have raised recurring concerns about illegal fireworks and firecracker activity during the July 4th holiday period, including activity occurring late into the night in and around the Fletcher Maynard Academy schoolyard; and
WHEREAS: Residents report that while this activity often stops when police arrive, it resumes shortly after police leave, creating ongoing public safety, fire safety, noise, and quality-of-life concerns for the surrounding neighborhood; and
WHEREAS: A more thoughtful, coordinated, and proactive response may be necessary in order to help prevent these recurring disruptions, protect school property, and preserve the peaceful use of the surrounding residential neighborhood; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Cambridge Police Department and other relevant departments to develop a coordinated July 4th response plan for the Cherry Street, Harvard Street, and Fletcher Maynard Academy area to ensure that this spot not be utilized for the illegal use of fireworks; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to explore temporarily securing the Fletcher Maynard Academy schoolyard during the July 3rd through July 5th holiday period, or during the overnight hours when illegal fireworks activity is most likely to occur; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the Cambridge Police Department to consider a sustained visible presence in the area during the evening and late-night hours of the July 4th holiday period, rather than relying solely on repeated calls for service; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on the proposed coordinated response plan.

Proposed Amended Order (Al-Zubi, Sobrinho-Wheeler)
WHEREAS: In recent years, residents in the area around Cherry and Harvard Street have raised recurring concerns about illegal fireworks and firecracker activity during the July 4th holiday period, including activity occurring late into the night in and around the Fletcher Maynard Academy schoolyard; and
WHEREAS: Residents report that while this activity often stops when police arrive, it resumes shortly after police leave, creating ongoing public safety, fire safety, noise, and quality-of-life concerns for the surrounding neighborhood; and
WHEREAS: A more thoughtful, coordinated, and proactive response may be necessary in order to help prevent these recurring disruptions, protect school property, and preserve the peaceful use of the surrounding residential neighborhood; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Cambridge Police Department and other relevant departments Community Safety Department and HEART as the community lead, in coordination with other relevant departments, to develop a coordinated July 4th response plan for the Cherry Street, Harvard Street, and Fletcher Maynard Academy area to ensure that this spot not be utilized for the illegal use of fireworks; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to explore temporarily securing the Fletcher Maynard Academy schoolyard during the July 3rd through July 5th holiday period, or during the overnight hours when illegal fireworks activity is most likely to occur; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the Cambridge Police Department Community Safety Department and HEART to consider a sustained visible presence in the area during the evening and late-night hours of the July 4th holiday period, rather than relying solely on repeated calls for service; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on the proposed coordinated response plan.

COMMUNICATIONS
1. Beth Kon – The effects of upzoning on Cambridge

2. Beverly Seidenberg – Resident input Support for pausing and amending the MFHO

3. Brendan Hickey – IZ unit cliff

4. Buck Ewing – Antrim Area Parking and Housing REPORT

5. Deneen Crosby – CDD recommendations for MFH zoning amendments

6. Genevieve Coyle – what the MFH amendment has brought

7. Jason Alves – Cambridge Street Active Use

8. Jeffrey Miller – Mass Ave Potholes

9. Karen Brushett – Draft Stormwater Regulations

10. Lissa Galluccio – Petition from Residents at 700 Huron Ave. to Stop the Outer Huron Ave bike lanes

11. Phillip Sego – Comments on Sept 16 amendments to the MFHO (also signed by Michael Yogman, Suzanne Blier, Elizabeth Feigenbaum, Marilee Meyer, Amy Flax, Debra Shapiro, Abigail Ransmeier, Heinrich Lipp, Nancy W. Carpenter, Kiril Alexandrov, Doug Brown, Liz Byron Loya, Carlos Loya, Sara Nelson, Ann Stewart, Robert O’Neil, Cary Saunders, Louise Venden, Alex Loud, Nancy Young)

12. Lucy H. Patton – Two questions regarding housing

13. Charles Hinds – Letter from ECPT to the Planning Board regarding Alexandria Zoning Petition (PET26#3)

14. Arthur Strang – Police Training & Behavior and Surveillance Cameras in Cambridge (such as Flock)

15. Lissa Galluccio – Letter to request delay and reconsideration of Outer Huron Ave. Bike Lanes

16. Young Kim – Request for City Council Consideration of Joint Committee Recommendations

17. Jeffrey Miller – Mass Ave Potholes

3. Happy 102nd Birthday to Marvin Gilmore.   Councillor Simmons

Res-3     Sept 28, 2026
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS

WHEREAS: Marvin E. Gilmore, Jr. has long been a cherished member of the Cambridge and Greater Boston communities, devoting his extraordinary life to expanding opportunity, advancing equality, and opening doors for others; and

WHEREAS: Mr. Gilmore was born on September 23, 1924, and recently celebrated his 102nd birthday, an occasion to celebrate both a long and richly lived life and the generations of people who have benefited from his service, leadership, and friendship; and

WHEREAS: Mr. Gilmore served honorably during World War II as a member of the 458th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, helping to liberate Europe while confronting the segregation and discrimination faced by Black servicemen in his own country; and

WHEREAS: Following his military service, Mr. Gilmore continued his work to build a more just society, co-founding Unity Bank and Trust Company, the first Black-owned and operated commercial bank in New England, and helping to expand access to capital and economic opportunity for communities too often denied both; and

WHEREAS: Throughout his distinguished life, Mr. Gilmore has brought determination, generosity, and vision to his roles as an entrepreneur, advocate, mentor, and community leader, encouraging others to pursue their ambitions and helping them find the means to do so; and

WHEREAS: His contributions have touched the lives of entrepreneurs, veterans, artists, activists, and young people, and his example continues to remind us of what one person can accomplish through courage, persistence, and a lasting commitment to the well-being of others; and

WHEREAS: Mr. Gilmore gathered with family and friends at La Fabrica Restaurant in Central Square on September 27, 2026 to commemorate his 102nd trip around the sun, surrounded by those whose lives he has enriched and who hold him in great affection and esteem; and

WHEREAS: The Cambridge City Council is pleased to join his loved ones and the broader community in celebrating this extraordinary milestone and expressing its gratitude for his many decades of service; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record extending its deepest admiration, heartfelt gratitude, and warmest birthday wishes to Marvin E. Gilmore, Jr. on the occasion of his 102nd birthday, with every wish for continued happiness, good health, and the company of family and friends; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Mr. Marvin Gilmore on behalf of the entire City Council.

COMMITTEE REPORTS
1. The Housing Committee and the Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebration Committee held a public hearing on June 25, 2026 to continue discussion of the 2025 Multifamily Zoning Amendments and consider potential modifications. The Committees also reviewed PO26#123, relative to proposed amendments to the Multifamily Zoning Ordinance. The June 25, 2026 Committee meeting recessed and reconvened on Sept 16, 2026. At the Sept 16, 2026 meeting both Committees voted favorably to recommend to the full City Council adoption of the proposed Policy Order, as amended, requesting that the City Manager work with CDD and relevant City Departments to prepare zoning language based on the recommendations discussed at the Sept 16, 2026 joint Committee hearing. [text of report]
June 25 Attendance:
Present: Al-Zubi, Azeem, McGovern, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Zusy, Flaherty, Nolan
Also Present: Simmons, Siddiqui
Sept 16 Attendance:
Present: Al-Zubi, Azeem, McGovern, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Zusy, Flaherty, Nolan
Also Present: Siddiqui, Simmons (remote)
Proposed Order: That the City Manager is requested to work with CDD and relevant City departments to prepare zoning language based on the recommendations discussed in the Sept 16, 2026 Joint Housing and Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning Committees for consideration by the full City Council.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Al-Zubi, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler (PO26#173)

TEXT OF ORDERS
O-1     Sept 28, 2026
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
VICE MAYOR AZEEM
COUNCILLOR AL-ZUBI
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge is one of the most densely populated cities in Massachusetts, where residents live, walk, and bike along narrow, historic streets that already carry heavy volumes of commercial truck traffic on corridors such as Massachusetts Avenue, Memorial Drive, and Route 2; and
WHEREAS: Congress is considering H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act, which includes an amendment creating a ten-year pilot program that would allow trucks weighing 91,000 pounds, 11,000 pounds over the current federal limit, onto interstate highways and the local roads that connect to them; and
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge adopted a Vision Zero policy in 2016 and later passed its own Cambridge Truck Safety Ordinance requiring side guards and additional mirrors on large trucks operating in the city, a measure taken directly in response to cyclists killed in collisions with trucks on Cambridge streets, showing how seriously this City already takes the danger posed by large commercial vehicles; and
WHEREAS: Middlesex County, home to Cambridge, recorded 480 large truck crashes in 2024 alone, resulting in 5 deaths and 226 injuries, and of the county’s 821 bridges, 91 are rated in poor condition (FMCSA/NHTSA/FHWA); and
WHEREAS: Statewide, Massachusetts recorded 2,150 large truck crashes in 2024, resulting in 32 deaths and 1,236 injuries. Of the Commonwealth’s 5,311 bridges, over 76 percent have been rated in poor/fair condition by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), giving Massachusetts the second smallest share of bridges rated in good condition of any state in the country; and
WHEREAS: A statewide local bridge study conducted by CABT and county engineers from around the country found that 266 local, non-interstate bridges would be put at risk of needing replacement at a cost of more than $2.2 billion if 91,000-pound trucks were allowed on the road (FHWA); and
WHEREAS: The United States Department of Transportation’s own research has found that heavier trucks require significantly longer distances to stop and are involved in crashes at substantially higher rates than trucks operating at the current 80,000-pound limit; and
WHEREAS: The National League of Cities and the United States Conference of Mayors are among the national organizations that have joined law enforcement, safety, and infrastructure groups across the country in opposing any increase to federal truck size or weight limits; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the Cambridge City Council go on record opposing any federal legislation, including H.R. 8870 and the BUILD America 250 Act, or any pilot program that would increase truck weight or length limits on the Interstate Highway System or impose these larger configurations on Massachusetts’ infrastructure; and be it further
ORDERED: That the Cambridge City Council call on Congress to prioritize public safety, protect local authority over local roads and bridges, and reject any increase in truck size or weight limits; and be it further
ORDERED: That the Cambridge City Council urge Congress to restore and strengthen, rather than reduce, funding for federal motor carrier safety enforcement; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copies of this resolution to Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Edward J. Markey, Representative Katherine Clark, and Representative Ayanna Pressley on behalf of the entire City Council.

O-2     Sept 28, 2026
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
VICE MAYOR AZEEM
ORDERED: That the regular City Council meeting scheduled for Monday, October 26, 2026, be and hereby is canceled.

O-3     Sept 28, 2026
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
COUNCILLOR AL-ZUBI
ORDERED: That the City Council hold a joint Roundtable/Working Meeting with the Cambridge School Committee on Mon, Oct 26, 2026, from 4:00-6:00pm, to discuss the FY28 budget planning process and ongoing macro-economic trends in Cambridge.

O-4     Sept 28, 2026
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
COUNCILLOR AL-ZUBI
ORDERED: That the City Council hold a Roundtable/Working Meeting on Mon, Nov 30, 2026, from 4:00-6:00pm, to discuss the future uses of City-owned properties.

O-5     Sept 28, 2026
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
WHEREAS: Encore Casino and Resort workers are ambassadors for Greater Boston area travelers and tourists; and
WHEREAS: The over 1,400 members of UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 who do the work at the casino reflect the strength and diversity of the City of Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 workers believe one job should be enough to live in the city they work in, raise a family, and retire with dignity; and
WHEREAS: After months of negotiations, UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 have gone on strike indefinitely at Encore Boston Harbor; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the Cambridge City Council go on record expressing support for the strike of UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 workers, honor the strike by not eating, meeting, or sleeping at Encore Casino while a labor dispute is in effect, and join all picket lines and encourage all City employees to do the same; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to the General Manager of Encore Boston Harbor on behalf of the entire City Council.

O-6     Sept 28, 2026
COUNCILLOR AL-ZUBI
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
WHEREAS: Paraprofessionals, substitutes, and clerks in the Cambridge Public Schools provide direct instructional, clerical, and support services to students and staff, including students with disabilities and students who are multilingual learners, and are essential to the daily functioning of the District; and
WHEREAS: The paraprofessionals of the Cambridge Public Schools are represented by Unit E of the Cambridge Education Association, one of six bargaining units through which the Association represents approximately 1,500 District employees, and the Association and the Cambridge School Committee have been in negotiations since early 2026, with the District reporting more than seventeen formal bargaining sessions as of September 4, 2026; and
WHEREAS: As reported by Cambridge Day on June 17, 2026, the starting salary for a paraprofessional working a seven-hour day in the Cambridge Public Schools is $31,640.25; and
WHEREAS: The City Council does not set the terms and conditions of employment of Cambridge Public Schools employees, which are matters within the jurisdiction of the School Committee and the subject of collective bargaining between the School Committee and the Cambridge Education Association, and the City Council expresses no view on the conduct of those negotiations by either party; and
WHEREAS: The City Council may nonetheless speak for itself on matters affecting the people who work in Cambridge, as it did on June 1, 2026, in adopting PO26#108 in support of hotel workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 26; and
WHEREAS: That nothing in this order is intended to request information concerning the bargaining positions of either party, or to interfere in any way with the conduct of those negotiations; and
ORDERED: That the Cambridge City Council go on record expressing its support for the paraprofessionals, substitutes, and clerks of the Cambridge Public Schools represented by the Cambridge Education Association, and its view that those who support the education of Cambridge students should be able to afford to live in the community they serve; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council within thirty days on the status of the negotiations between the Cambridge School Committee and the Cambridge Education Association, in executive session if the Law Department advises that a report in open session would disclose collective bargaining strategy.

O-7     Sept 28, 2026
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
WHEREAS: Each year, from September 15 through October 15, communities across the United States observe Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrating the histories, cultures, traditions, achievements, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans; and
WHEREAS: The observance began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week and was expanded in 1988 to a month-long celebration, with the September 15 start date reflecting the independence anniversaries of several Latin American nations; and
WHEREAS: Hispanic and Latino communities represent a rich diversity of cultures, identities, languages, traditions, and experiences, and generations of Hispanic and Latino Americans have made enduring contributions to government, education, business, science, the arts, public service, civil rights, and countless other areas of American life; and
WHEREAS: Cambridge is strengthened by its Hispanic and Latino residents, families, workers, students, educators, entrepreneurs, artists, advocates, and community leaders, whose talents, traditions, perspectives, and civic engagement enrich the life and character of our city; and
WHEREAS: Hispanic Heritage Month provides an opportunity to honor these contributions, celebrate the many cultures represented within the Hispanic and Latino communities, and deepen our understanding of the histories and experiences that continue to shape Cambridge and the nation; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the Cambridge City Council go on record recognizing September 15 through October 15, 2026 as Hispanic Heritage Month and in extending its appreciation to the Hispanic and Latino residents of Cambridge for their many contributions to the life of our community; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Council encourages all members of the Cambridge community to join in celebrating and learning about the diverse histories, cultures, traditions, and achievements of Hispanic and Latino people in Cambridge and throughout the United States.

O-8     Sept 28, 2026
COUNCILLOR ZUSY
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY
WHEREAS: Outer Huron is Cambridge’s recreational hub with Fresh Pond Reservation, Russell Community Center (offering programs for teens, seniors, and disabled youth), the Fresh Pond Golf Course, Glacken Field (two little league fields, home of West Cambridge Little League), a tot lot, waterplay area and a basketball and tennis court and is also the home of VFW Mount Auburn Memorial Post 8818; and
WHEREAS: Many using these public amenities regularly drive and need to park to transport heavy sports equipment, youth and seniors; and
WHEREAS: Parking within the abutting neighborhood, Strawberry Hill, is already limited due to the student drop offs and pick-ups and staff parking at the Haggerty School and Parents’ Nursery School and parking scarcity will increase with more development; and
WHEREAS: On-street parking along Outer Huron Avenue also serves residents of Parkside Place, a large residential development where 30% of residents are low income, garage parking is rented separately for an additional fee, and a 2021 parking analysis found that approximately 22% of vehicle-owning residents parked on-street along Huron Avenue; and
WHEREAS: Over 1,400 people, including 70 of them from Parkside Place, have signed petitions asking to postpone rolling out these bike lanes because of their negative parking impact; and
WHEREAS: As the Outer Huron Ave. survey shows on page 6, very few cyclists ride along Outer Huron and City data documents that no bike/vehicle accidents were reported as occurring there between 2016 and 2024 – and road speed, a concern shared by Cambridge DOT, could be slowed with traffic calming measures rather than separated bike lanes; and
WHEREAS: Given the City’s current fiscal constraints, transportation investments should be carefully evaluated to ensure that available resources are directed toward demonstrated safety needs while minimizing unintended impacts on access to publicly funded municipal amenities, including by prioritizing improvements at intersections and other locations where safety concerns have been identified; and
WHEREAS: These Outer Huron bike lanes were not part of the original Bicycle Safety Ordinance and never prioritized; and
WHEREAS: The argument for them is that they will complete the network, but Belmont won’t be implementing the Grove Street Redesign Project, which will feed into them, until at least 2028; and
WHEREAS: The Cycling Safety Ordinance defines “Connectivity” in terms of routes between major origins and destinations in the City (§ 12.22.030(D)), and the Council should therefore assess whether Outer Huron advances that goal while Belmont’s Grove Street project remains pending, or whether another qualifying segment could do so with fewer parking and access impacts for nearby residents and users of recreational, senior, and disability programs; and
WHEREAS: The proposed design will eliminate approximately 44 on-street parking spaces from a heavily used area where alternative parking options are limited, with Belmont seeking to keep Grove Street from becoming overflow parking for Cambridge, Parkside Place hesitant to lease spaces to the city, and nearby land uses, including the cemetery and golf course, further limiting opportunities to replace the lost parking; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the implementation of separated bike lanes on Outer Huron Avenue be postponed for 5 years as this proposal is predicated on too many alternative parking unknowns, and that another half mile of bike lane be swapped in to fulfill the Bicycle Safety Ordinance 25-mile commitment or that the City reduce the BSO obligation to 24.5 miles due to financial constraints as per the ordinance; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with City staff and the Bicycle Safety Committee to find another solution to fulfilling the City’s obligation to implement 25 miles of separated bike lane network by November 2026 or due to our new financial constraints, modify the commitment.

O-9     Sept 28, 2026
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
COUNCILLOR AL-ZUBI
WHEREAS: Head Start is a federal grant program that provides high-quality early education and comprehensive services, including health, mental health, nutrition, disability, and family supports, to children from birth to age 5 from families living below the federal poverty level, families experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, and children with disabilities; and
WHEREAS: Head Start serves over 10,000 young children each year in Massachusetts through 28 agencies, including Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) which serves Cambridge children and families; and
WHEREAS: Head Start, launched in 1965 and governed by the Head Start Act, is regulated by the Head Start Program Performance Standards, which set a consistent minimum of quality for education, health and safety, workforce, and accountability while allowing programs to design services around local needs; and
WHEREAS: On August 6, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), “Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs,” that would rescind these standards and replace them with a much shorter framework that would, among other things:
  • eliminate federal standards for teaching and learning, group size, ratios, and staff qualifications;
  • remove prohibitions on the suspension and expulsion of young children;
  • remove requirements for developmental screenings, mental health services, and health and dental care;
  • end self-attestation of homelessness and child age when documentation is unavailable, threatening access for 8% of families nationwide;
  • end the deduction of excess housing costs from income calculations, harming families in high-cost states like Massachusetts;
  • require all education to be provided only in English and disallow incentives for bilingual educators;
  • cut the allowable administrative cost cap from 15% to 5%; and
WHEREAS: The Massachusetts Head Start Association, along with other experts and advocates, has warned that the NPRM would have negative effects, including increasing class sizes, reducing the teacher workforce, lowering educator salaries, eliminating jobs and key roles such as bilingual educators, and making some children ineligible for programs; and
WHEREAS: Cambridge is a diverse, multilingual community, and amid this federal uncertainty the City must uphold support for Head Start programs play for children and families in Cambridge, and for our city as a whole; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the Cambridge City Council go on record in strong support of Head Start and the Program Performance Standards that ensure the teaching, learning, health, and welfare of children, families, and classrooms; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Council opposes the NPRM as written and urges HHS to withdraw it; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this resolution to the Cambridge state legislative delegation, the Secretary of HHS, the Massachusetts Head Start Association, and CAAS leadership, on behalf of the entire City Council.

O-10     Sept 28, 2026
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
WHEREAS: The Human Services & Veterans Committee held a hearing in May 2025 on sex work and sex trafficking to consult with various stakeholders and community members on these issues; and
WHEREAS: Part of that meeting focused on how the criminalization of consensual adult sex work in Massachusetts has contributed to sex workers’ increased exposure to violence, economic instability, housing insecurity, deportation, incarceration, trafficking, exploitation, and barriers to accessing health care, legal protections, and public safety resources; and
WHEREAS: Empirical research finds that criminalizing consensual adult sex work discourages individuals from reporting violence, exploitation, or trafficking due to fear of arrest or prosecution; and
WHEREAS: Empirical research also finds that people with marginalized identities and societal positionality such as undocumented, transgender, and unhoused people, as well as people who struggle with substance abuse, become sex workers as a means of survival; and
WHEREAS: The City Council expressly opposes sex trafficking, the sexual exploitation of minors, violence, and abuse in all forms; and
WHEREAS: Evidence demonstrates that the vast majority of sex workers enter the sex industry due to economic need, and supporting people in the industry needs to involve a dual approach of providing material resources so people can leave the sex industry if they wish to, and guaranteeing labor rights and protections from discrimination to those who choose to continue working in the industry; and
WHEREAS: The City Council recognizes the legal and factual distinction between consensual adult sex work and sex trafficking, which under 18 USC §1591 involves using force, fraud, or coercion (hereinafter, “unlawful means”) to compel another person to engage in a commercial sex act; and
WHEREAS: Consensual adult sex workers frequently increase their safety by working with other adults, sharing workspaces, sharing housing expenses, hiring security or screening services, and engaging in mutual aid arrangements that reduce vulnerability to violence, theft, and trafficking; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the relevant staff and departments to implement the recommendations following the May 2025 Human Services & Veterans Committee meeting, such as strengthening anti-poverty measures, establishing a dedicated CARE Team call and referral line, prioritizing commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking prevention efforts for LGBTQIA+ youth, and report back to the City Council on progress; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the relevant staff and departments, including the Cambridge Public Health Department and the Domestic and Gender Based Violence Prevention Initiative, to report back on how sex workers can reach health, harm reduction, and victim services without being reported to police; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record to hereby express its belief that the arrest of adult persons for consensual sex work should continue to be amongst the lowest law enforcement priorities for the City of Cambridge; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Council expresses its belief that the Middlesex County District Attorney should cease prosecution of persons for consensual adult sex work and cease prosecution of persons who provide support services to sex workers absent unlawful means; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record urging the State House to support efforts to achieve the full decriminalization of consensual adult sex work statewide; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this Policy Order to Cambridge’s delegation to the Massachusetts General Court, the Middlesex County District Attorney, the Massachusetts Governor, and the Massachusetts Attorney General on behalf of the entire City Council.

O-11     Sept 28, 2026 (proposed in Committee Report #1)
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
COUNCILLOR AL-ZUBI
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
WHEREAS: The 2025 Multifamily zoning was a transformative policy change and is producing many projects that add housing units throughout the city; and the City of Cambridge is seen as a leader in facilitating more housing and addressing zoning that unfairly restricted adding housing units; and
WHEREAS: Concerns about the scale and impact of some of the project, as well as confusion over requirements, edge cases, and interaction with existing City requirements for stormwater retention, green score, and building code merit consideration of amendments now that a year and a half has passed and the zoning has gone through a substantial review, led by the Housing and Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning Committees; and
WHEREAS: CDD has presented recommendations on amendments which will help maintain the core concept of enabling multifamily development in all neighborhoods of the city without negatively impacting housing production, but will add clarity to the process, improve objectives for stormwater regulation, green factor, and building code requirements; and
WHEREAS: Amendments include changes to dimensional requirements, which are still more permissive than previous zoning; create clearer standards for green factor, stormwater requirements, and building code regulations; add some incentives to reduce projects with larger unit sizes in a few cases; and clarify textual references that resolve uncertainty within the zoning; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That modeling of the impact of proposed amendments on housing creation by the Community Development Department be presented to the City Council and any proposed amendments be neutral or lead to a net increase in housing units compared to current zoning; and be it further
ORDERED: That no amendments shall be proposed that reduce the amount of affordable, inclusionary housing units that may be built under current zoning; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with CDD and relevant City departments to prepare zoning language based on the recommendations discussed in the September 16, 2026 Joint Housing and Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning Committees for consideration by the full City Council; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council in a timely manner.