CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA
1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to votes necessary to seek approval from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue of the tax rate for FY2022.
Referred to Special Meeting at 6:30pm on Tax Classification; 11 Orders Adopted
Sobrinho-Wheeler, Zondervan voted against using Free Cash and overlay surplus/reserves to reduce tax rate.

Oct 4, 2021
To the Honorable, the City Council:

In the attached document, I am requesting that the City Council take the votes necessary to seek approval from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue of the tax rate for FY2022.

Very truly yours,
Louis A. DePasquale
City Manager

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. That the City Council vote to authorize the use of $22,500,000 in Free Cash to reduce the FY22 tax rate.
Order Adopted 7-2 (JSW,QZ - NO)

2. That the City Council vote to authorize $2,500,000 in overlay surplus/reserves to be used for reducing the FY22 tax rate.
Order Adopted 7-2 (JSW,QZ - NO)

3. That the City Council vote to authorize $9,500,000 from the City Debt Stabilization Fund to be used as a revenue source to the General Fund Budget, which is an increase of $1,000,000 than what was included in the FY22 Adopted Budget.
Order Adopted 8-1 (QZ - NO)

4. That the City Council classify property within the City of Cambridge into the five classes allowed for the purpose of allocating the property tax.
Order Adopted 9-0
It is further recommended that the City Council adopt a minimum residential factor of 62.9395%.
Order Adopted 9-0

5. That the City Council approve the residential exemption factor of 30% for owner occupied homes, which should result in a residential tax rate of $5.92 upon final approval by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. In addition, based upon final approval by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue the commercial tax rate is anticipated to be $11.23.
Order Adopted 9-0

6. That the City Council vote to double the normal value of the statutory exemptions.
Order Adopted 9-0

7. That the City Council vote to increase the FY22 exemption allowed under Massachusetts General Laws (MGL) Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 17D from $341 to $346.
Order Adopted 9-0

8. That the City Council vote to increase the FY22 asset limits allowed under Massachusetts General Laws (MGL) Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 17E from $67,379 to $68,322.
Order Adopted 9-0

9. That the City Council vote to increase the FY22 income and assets limits for elderly persons (age 65 or older). Income limits of $27,860 to $28,250 for those who are single and $41,792 to $42,377 for those who are married, asset limits of $55,718 to $56,498 for those who are single and $76,612 to $77,685 for those who are married, as allowed under MGL, Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 41D.
Order Adopted 9-0

10. That the City Council vote the income limit for deferral of real estate taxes by elderly persons (at least 65 years old) as determined by the Commissioner of Revenue for the purposes of MGL, Chapter 62, Section 6, subsection (k), for a single person who is not head of household ($61,000) and for a married couple ($92,000), as allowed under MGL Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 41A. The reduction of the interest rate to 4% for deferred taxes, which was approved by the City Council previously, will continue.
Order Adopted 9-0

3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-22, regarding updating neighborhood organization lists.
Placed on File 9-0

Oct 4, 2021
To the Honorable, the City Council:

In response to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-22, regarding updating neighborhood organization lists, Assistant City Manager for Community Development Iram Farooq reports the following:

The Community Development Department (CDD) maintains a list of neighborhood organizations on its website. CDD recently reached out to known neighborhood organizations listed on the website to ensure information is current and accurate. Neighborhood planners are tasked with reaching out to neighborhood organizations annually to keep the information updated. Moreover, the webpage now includes clear information on how leaders of new or existing neighborhood organizations can report changes to neighborhood planners. CDD is currently working to further improve user friendliness of its neighborhood organizations webpage.

Very truly yours,
Louis A. DePasquale
City Manager

4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-33, regarding Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment standards in the review of development projects.
Placed on File 9-0

Oct 4, 2021
To the Honorable, the City Council:

In response to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-33, regarding Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment standards in the review of development projects, Assistant City Manager for Community Development Iram Farooq and Traffic, Parking & Transportation Director Joseph Barr report the following:

Since receiving Policy Order O-3 of May 3, 2021, staff in the Community Development Department (CDD) and Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department (TP+T) have begun recommending EVSE-installed and EVSE-ready parking facilities as part of developments seeking a Project Review Special Permit from the Planning Board. This process has involved working with developers early in the design process so that they understand the City’s expectations and the staff role in recommending conditions for the Planning Board to incorporate into its approval of special permits.

In the months since receiving the Policy Order, most of the proposals seeking Project Review Special Permits have not included the construction of new parking facilities. The one Planning Board case that has included new parking facilities was the MIT Volpe Exchange Parcel Planned Unit Development, which includes two large new below-grade parking garages. As a condition of the PUD special permit granted in July, MIT significantly increased the EVSE spaces originally proposed and committed to design all of its parking facilities to be EVSE-ready and to initially equip 10% of spaces with EVSE chargers, and to monitor demand annually in order to increase the number of EVSE chargers so that future EV users would be accommodated as demand increases.

Staff will continue to work with applicants and the Planning Board to incorporate EVSE standards into new parking facilities for future projects.

Very truly yours,
Louis A. DePasquale
City Manager

TEXT OF ORDERS
O-1     Oct 4, 2021
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
VICE MAYOR MALLON
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
WHEREAS: Just over a decade ago, the City of Cambridge made an initial effort to develop a Green Jobs training and employment program targeting the City’s NRS (Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy) eligible residents; and
WHEREAS: This initial $100,000 contract (with the Asian American Civic Association) ran from April 2010 through September 2011, it was funded with Community Development Block Grant Funds, and it began with sixteen residents enrolled, thirteen of whom graduated from the program, five of whom were placed in jobs, and four of whom were still working in the field a year later; and
WHEREAS: Due to a variety of factors, this initial effort to create a durable Green Jobs training and employment program did not yield the robust results that were initially hoped for, yet there are important lessons to be learned from this experience that can and should be applied to a renewed effort to create a more durable, more robust program; and
WHEREAS: There remains a strong desire by many for the City to create a viable Green Jobs training and employment program, and the need for the City to more aggressively address issues pertaining to climate change, climate justice, job creation, and job placement has only increased over the past decade; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to make available the appropriate staff and information pertaining to past efforts to establish a Green Jobs program to the Chairs of the Civic Unity Committee, the Human Services and Veterans Committee, the Economic Development and University Relations Committee, and the Health and Environment Committee in order to allow a joint hearing of these committees to be convened to discuss lessons learned from the previous Green Jobs program, and how to move forward with re-establishing a Green Jobs Program for the City of Cambridge.

O-2     Oct 4, 2021  Amended
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
WHEREAS: In recent years, the City of Cambridge has done an admirable job in working to recruit and retain a workforce that more accurately reflects the diversity of the population it serves, but the City has lagged when promoting minority workers – particularly women of color – to positions of authority; and
WHEREAS: As this is a community that urges all local businesses and institutions to foster equity in their hiring and promotion practices, and to place an emphasis on recruiting, retaining, and promoting women and minorities to leadership positions, it becomes all the more imperative that the City practices what it preaches in this regard; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to establish a written plan designed to ensure that Black people, LatinX, Indigenous people, and people of color will be recruited by the City, trained, and placed in leadership positions throughout the municipal government to better reflect the community that is served by this government; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to present this plan to the City Council prior to the end of this calendar year.

O-3     Oct 4, 2021
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
VICE MAYOR MALLON
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
WHEREAS: Language justice is the fundamental right every person has to communicate, to understand and to be understood in the language(s) and method in which they feel most comfortable, which includes the communication rights of individuals with preferred languages other than English as well as person with communication-related disabilities; and
WHEREAS: Language justice provides an opportunity for communities to reframe their commitment to residents by ensuring that all individuals, regardless of the way they communicate, are valued, respected, and can participate fully in the democratic and social processes of the community; and
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge is dedicated to improving the quality of life for everyone in our community and ensuring all residents have meaningful and equitable access to programs, services and stakeholder engagement, especially for underrepresented, underserved communities, and the most vulnerable residents, including, but not limited to, communities of color, persons with disabilities, and individuals for whom English is not the preferred language for communication, either verbal or written; and
WHEREAS: About 8% of the Cambridge population does not speak English very well as defined by the American Community Survey, and the same survey found that linguistically isolated individuals are more likely to be technologically isolated, with at least 15% lacking any access to the internet or computers at home; and
WHEREAS: Plain language in all forms of written communications gets information across in the shortest time possible, allows more people to quickly understand the message, simplifies translation into other languages, and helps make information more accessible to wider audiences; and
WHEREAS: Language justice is needed to effectively engage with families, and the City Council has already adopted a resolution to its commitment to family engagement; and
WHEREAS: The COVID-19 pandemic underscored that language justice is critical for effective and equitable communication about public health, and the City of Cambridge translated essential materials and set up a phone system with 7 language lines to support residents who preferred to communicate in a language other than English in applying for Mayor’s Disaster Relief and Housing Stabilization funds; and
WHEREAS: It is essential to the entire community’s health and safety to broaden language justice practices in order to support all Cambridge residents in getting the information they need to stay informed and healthy; and
WHEREAS: Over the last year the Family Policy Council established a Language Justice Working Group comprised of representatives from the City, schools, and community partners that gathered information from those who live and work in Cambridge, reviewed existing demographic data, researched what Cambridge and other communities are doing to address language access issues, and developed recommendations; and
WHEREAS: The Family Policy Council continues to collaborate with and learn from other cities (i.e. Seattle WA, Denver CO, Boston MA); and
WHEREAS: By focusing on language justice as a city, the City can increase the number and ways in which people in Cambridge interact with and are connected to their local government, schools, health systems, nonprofits and other essential services; and
WHEREAS: Implementing a language justice policy is an important step in the path towards language justice in the City of Cambridge and will result in a stronger community with increased engagement, partnership, belonging, and trust; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct appropriate staff to design a Language Access Plan in conjunction with the Cambridge Public Schools, which includes a shared template, unified strategy, phased roll-out, timeline, budget, staffing, and goals to ensure Cambridge advances language justice and is a welcoming and just city; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to provide the City Council information about the appropriate funding needed to support the implementation of the Language Access Plan as part of the FY23 budget process.

O-4     Oct 4, 2021
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
WHEREAS: The City continues seeking ways of encouraging and enabling greater levels of civic engagement and participation in the discussions that shape our community; and
WHEREAS: One method of increasing civic engagement would be for the City to re-establish the Community School Neighborhood Councils that used to be a fixture in this community, but which have languished in recent years; and
WHEREAS: The re-establishment of the Community School Neighborhood Councils would help create a durable mechanism to allow for a more robust exchange of information between the City and community members, it would encourage a more diverse mix of voices to be heard, and it would likely enhance the policies and programs created by the City, and make them more responsive to the needs of residents; and
WHEREAS: In re-establishing the Community School Neighborhood Councils, the City should take pains to ensure that the barrier for participation for those from lower-income families is minimal, and that the voices of Black and Brown families should be centered in the discussions; and
WHEREAS: In furtherance of this endeavor, the City might wish to also consider the concept of providing childcare and/or stipends to those who participate in these Community School Neighborhood Councils; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to re-establish the Community School Neighborhood Councils, and to report back to the City Council on this effort before the close of this calendar year.

O-5     Oct 4, 2021
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY
WHEREAS: Taking part in outdoor recreational activities can greatly improve physical and mental health, made especially clear during the past year and a half of the pandemic; and
WHEREAS: Paddle tennis and pickleball are outdoor sports both of which are growing in popularity nationwide, as physically rigorous, yet easy to learn, social, and accessible to all ages; and
WHEREAS: The sports together attract a diverse audience in terms of gender, race and ethnicity; although the high cost of most paddle ball opportunities prohibit participation by the full range of people interested; and
WHEREAS: Paddle tennis and pickleball can share courts, with paddle tennis played during winter and therefore played year-round, whereas many sports are not accessible in winters; and
WHEREAS: Paddle tennis is an exclusive sport - out of 112 courts in Massachusetts, none are open to the public; all charge membership and court fees, most are invitation-only country clubs with substantial initiation fees which would make Cambridge potentially the first municipality to provide equitable access to this sport; and
WHEREAS: There is substantial interest amongst Cambridge residents in these sports, as evidenced by the many projects submitted during the latest round of Participatory Budgeting, currently under review; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Council go on record requesting that the Neighborhood & Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations Committee hold a hearing to discuss the ways the city might support residents interested in having pickle and paddle ball opportunities available; and be it further
ORDERED: That the hearing include representatives from youth groups, residents, and City departments as determined appropriate by the City Manager.

O-6     Oct 4, 2021  Amended
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
VICE MAYOR MALLON
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS
WHEREAS: On September 27, graduate student workers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology formally announced a campaign to establish the MIT Graduate Student Union affiliated with the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), and that day hosted a kickoff rally attended by over 1,000 graduate students and community members; and
WHEREAS: MIT graduate students are essential workers who keep MIT functioning and thriving as an institution day-to-day by teaching classes, conducting research, writing papers, filing patents, running programming, staffing conferences, and applying for grants; and
WHEREAS: In their issues program, the MIT GSU aims to win:

1) Fair expectations and adequate resources for their work,

2) Safe, equitable, and dignified workplace free of systemic barriers and sexual harassment,

3) Financial security and guaranteed institutional support,

4) Affordable housing and comprehensive benefits, and

5) Equal academic and professional opportunities for international students; and

WHEREAS: The MIT GSU unionization effort builds on efforts by Reject Injustice through Student Empowerment (RISE) –a coalition of Graduate Students for a Healthy MIT (G4HMIT), the Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA), and the Graduate Student Council Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee (GSC DEI)—to fight for racial, economic, and social justice at MIT, which the City Council affirmed and commended with a policy order on September 21, 2020; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record in support of the MIT GSU and their right to collectively bargain for their rights; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Council urges the MIT administration to bargain with the MIT GSU in good faith upon NLRB recognition; 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 MIT GSU, and members of the MIT administration, including President Reif.

O-7     Oct 4, 2021
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
COUNCILLOR CARLONE
WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the City Council that many Cambridge families have been denied after school or out of school time (OST) slots this year, particularly in the Community Schools programs, in some cases jeopardizing employment and leaving parents and caregivers without childcare options; and
WHEREAS: Even before the pandemic, under the best of conditions, there was never enough capacity to accommodate all families in need of after school care; and
WHEREAS: Participating children derive immeasurable academic, social, physical, and mental health benefits from these programs; and
WHEREAS: The City Council recognizes the importance of providing after school programming until at least 6pm for every Cambridge family who needs or wants such programming; and
WHEREAS: The City Council recognizes that providing more equitable access to expansive after school programming is essential to support and uplift the city’s low income and Black and Brown families; and
WHEREAS: Capacity at Community Schools programs could be immediately expanded by hiring additional staff; and
WHEREAS: The feasibility of adapting and implementing the highly successful King Open Extended Day program model in all schools in the district should be explored; and
WHEREAS: Youth Center programming should be expanded to Saturdays; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to present a plan, which includes funding, and the findings of any feasibility study of any DHSP and any other city department providing children and/or city youth programs, for rapidly expanding out of school time in the city to create enough slots for all families who need it.

O-8     Oct 4, 2021
COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the City Council that many Cambridge families have been denied after school or out of school time (OST) slots this year, particularly in the Community Schools programs, in some cases jeopardizing employment and leaving parents and caregivers without childcare options; and
WHEREAS: Due to the rippling effects of COVID-19, high priority families are more detrimentally impacted and must lead and be partnered with to address their needs in out of school time programming; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to convene a Caregiver Advisory Council that is overly represented by high priority families in partnership with DHSP that engages key stakeholders that includes, but is not limited to, the Agenda for Children, current and former out of school time staff and leadership, and out of school time community benefit organizations. Such a council will receive reports as ordered by Policy Order 2021 #201 that describe who applied and were enrolled, capacity, staffing, and outreach efforts.

O-9     Oct 4, 2021  Amended
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
WHEREAS: Because of the large share of high-value commercial property in the city, Cambridge has among the lowest property tax rates in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS: As a result, a property assessed at a certain amount in Cambridge is levied significantly less in property taxes than a property assessed at the same value in most other cities and towns in Massachusetts; and
WHEREAS: While the tax rate is based on the fiscal year budget, which the City Manager and City Council must agree on each year, the City Council has in previous years voted to further reduce the tax rate by using funds from Free Cash and the Overlay Surplus, which reduce the tax rates both for homeowners and also larger landowners like MIT and the Blackstone Group; and
WHEREAS: Cambridge has significant challenges to address including an affordable housing crisis, digital equity, climate resiliency and others and continuing to use Free Cash and Overlay Surplus funds to further reduce property tax rates is a policy choice that merits further discussion by the City’s policymakers; and
WHEREAS: Cambridge also has a residential property tax exemption which reduces the rate on buildings where the owner has a primary residence but does not currently apply to residential buildings occupied by renters; and
WHEREAS: Municipalities including Provincetown have extended their residential property tax exemption to properties with full-time renters to increase the progressiveness of the levy; and
WHEREAS: Municipalities have a number of policy tools to ensure that revenue generation falls progressively on those who can most afford to pay rather than regressively and many of the experts in this field are based in Cambridge; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the Housing Committee and Finance Committee hold a joint public meeting to discuss the property tax rate and progressive revenue.

O-10     Oct 4, 2021
MAYOR SIDDIQUI
WHEREAS: On June 6, 2016, the City Council resolved to recognize every subsequent second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: There are over 600 Native Nations in the United States, where 6.8 million Americans identify as Native American and 244 in Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge believes that the culture of Native American people is one to be promoted, the history is rich, diverse, and worthy of celebration; and
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge will continue to observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the second Monday in October to promote the beautiful Native American culture that exists in Cambridge and recognize the violence that Native Nations have been subjected to; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record to state its continued observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 11, 2021; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to affix the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Banner above JFK Street and Mt Auburn Street beginning on October 7, 2021 for no less than one week; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this Resolution to the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs, the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness and the Natives at Harvard College.

TEXT OF COMMITTEE REPORTS
Committee Report #1
The Health and Environment Committee met to conduct a public hearing regarding the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Date: Wed, Apr 14, 2021, 10:00am, Sullivan Chamber
Present: McGovern, Zondervan, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Nolan
Absent: Carlone

Councillor Zondervan called the meeting to order and opened the floor to City staff.

Louie DePasquale, City Manager, read a brief statement from Dr. Assaad Saya stating that the city is not aware of any serious side effects resulting from any of the vaccinations delivered. The city manager then gave a presentation which is attached to these minutes. He stated that the city has launched initiatives to aid Cambridge residents, businesses, and nonprofits. The city has activated the mayor's disaster relief fund to support individuals, families and small businesses experiencing financial hardship. Awarded grants and loans to small businesses, including in collaboration with the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority on a $1,000,000.00 interest loan program. Created a housing Stabilization Fund to support Cambridge households with six months of housing assistance and more programs.

Claude Jacob, Chief Public Health Officer, stated Cambridge was the first city in the state to provide onsite surveillance testing for all residents in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. Over 2700 tests were conducted over the course of three rounds in a couple months, and this model was replicated statewide. The City launched a mobile testing program in the Port neighborhood last summer, where there were higher rates of COVID-19 infection for Black, Latinx and multiracial residents.

Nancy Glowa, City Solicitor, stated that the law department has played a critical role in ensuring that the city acted quickly and took necessary actions to respond to the pandemic, protect the public health, provide emergency relief to the public, and continue to provide essential city services to residents and businesses.

Branville Bard, Police Commissioner, stated that the Police Department assisted with the planning, support and security for the temporary emergency shelter located at the War Memorial (moved to the Spaulding Wellness Center, and the Warming Center, run by the department human service programs (in the Senior Center on Mass. Ave.). The Police Department played a leading role in the acquisition and distribution of masks and face coverings for the public.

Gerard E. Mahoney, Acting Chief of the Fire Department, stated that the fire department has been on the front lines with Emergency Medical Response testing and vaccines. They instituted the drive-thru testing site with the cooperation of the CambridgeSide Mall. The fire prevention Bureau has assisted and worked collaboratively with Public Works, the License Commission, the Law Department, and the City Manager's office, coordinating various efforts to assist the restaurant industry in the city to facilitate outdoor dining.

Christina Giacobbe, Director of Emergency Communications and 911, stated her department implemented workforce protections to safeguard public safety employees, as well as creating COVID-19 SharePoint sites for fire police and emergency communications to support department operations and information sharing.

Owen O’Riordan, Commissioner of Public Works, stated that the primary focus of the Department of Public Works at the outset of the pandemic was to ensure essential services for members of the community. The DPW developed building capacity and layout plans for each and every public building in the city, identifying six-foot distancing between employees and restricting adjacencies. It also meant establishing one-way systems throughout our buildings, installing, and maintaining 200 hand sanitizing stations, placing 300 Plexiglas barriers in offices and reception areas, purchasing and installing 1000 air purifiers with HEPA filters in municipal buildings, and fully disinfecting all of these buildings every weekend for the last 60 weeks.

Ranjit Singanayagam, Commissioner of Inspectional Services, stated that most building inspectors were out in the neighborhood enforcing the construction moratorium. Inspectors worked with grocery store managers and other food distributors on signage, occupancy levels and health and safety protocols.

Joseph Barr, Director of Traffic, Parking & Transportation, stated that his department expanded online customer service and reworked the resident permit renewals process both for the 2020 and 2021 renewals. They also provided assistance related to outdoor dining.

Nicole Murati Ferrer, Director of the License Commission, stated that pre-COVID, all of the License Commission’s business was mostly conducted online, so the COVID shutdowns did not affect their interactions with businesses or the public.

Matthew Nelson, Assistant to the City Manager, stated that the City Manager’s Office established and facilitated a 20-member construction Advisory Committee. This committee consisted of representatives from the building trades, construction industry, developers, small business community and relevant city staff and was established as part of the construction moratorium in Cambridge. Outcomes from the committee included producing Cambridge specific COVID guidelines and phasing timelines. The Office also established virtual office hours to talk to businesses.

Maura Pensak, Housing Liaison, stated that the city implemented a four-pronged rapid response strategy that included education and outreach activities, program development, policy implementation and increased capacity to provide additional housing stability services and resources. Christina Giacobbe, Director of Emergency Communications and 911, stated her department implemented workforce protections to safeguard public safety employees, as well as creating COVID-19 SharePoint sites for fire police and emergency communications to support department operations and information sharing.

Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager of Community Development, the city provided direct financial support through grant programs to residents to support rent and mortgage payments to small businesses for continuing operations and recovery and to nonprofits.

Ellen Semonoff, Assistant City Manager for Human Service, stated that staff coordinated and funded services for those experiencing homelessness. The Department oversaw over $7 million in brand new contract funding for homeless services during a pandemic and our multi–Service Center staff provided eviction prevention services to hundreds of individuals and families.

Maria McCauley, Director of Libraries, stated that the Cambridge Public Library team and departmental and community collaborators worked to get physical and virtual library resources to the community. They checked out 248,000 physical materials and processed 271,000 returned items.

Tanya Ford, Executive Director of the Election Commission, stated that her department handled unprecedented levels of mail in voting, adapting to sweeping changes in election law. Election staff worked around the clock, in order to process applications for mail-in ballots, and tracking ballots as they were returned. The total turnout for the election in September was 33,261 of the 71,469 voters in the City of Cambridge, which was 47% of the registered voters, a record turnout for a primary election.

David Kale, Assistant City Manager for Fiscal Affairs, explained how the Finance Department maintained the city’s fiscal operations throughout the pandemic.

Councillor Zondervan opened the floor to questions from the committee.

Councillor Nolan commended the city on its work.

Councillor Zondervan moved to close public comment.
Yea: McGovern, Zondervan, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Nolan
Absent: Carlone

In response to a question from Councillor Zondervan about preparation for future crises, Commissioner Mahoney stated that the Fire Department has had numerous emergency preparedness exercises, on events ranging from power failure, tremendous amounts of snow, school shootings and medical emergencies. He added that there are opportunities for the public to participate in these exercises.

In response to a question from Councillor Nolan on how this experience might lead to improvements in city operations, Mr. DePasquale stated that city departments have started to have those discussions.

Assistant City Manager Semonoff added that there is already an increased and deepened level of communication and collaboration between city departments.

Mr. Jacob added that city departments also collaborated to combat misinformation about the pandemic.

Lee Gianetti, Director of Communications & Community Relations, added that since the beginning of the pandemic, the material that the city put out to the public has been in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Amharic, Bengali, Haitian Creole, in simplified Chinese. This is something that is going to continue moving forward.

Councillor McGovern thanked the staff for their hard work.

In response to a question from Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler about the mask mandate, Mr. Jacob stated that the expert advisory council will be discussing this issue.

In response to a question from Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler how restrictions will be rolled back, Mr. Jacob stated that the city is being conservative and recognizes the inconvenience for residents and guests.

Mr. DePasquale stated that the state issued the mask mandate, and the city will reassess when the state lifts its mandate.

In response to a question from Councillor Zondervan about shared streets, Mr. Barr stated that the city ultimately decided that there were too many issues that could not be resolved and issues that were beyond the city’s control.

Ms. Farooq added that one of the lessons learned from the experiment is that the city started with a focus on the mobility function and really picked these important arterials (instead of smaller side streets) which is what created part of the conflict (between motorists and pedestrians/bicycle riders).

In response to a question from Councillor Zondervan about election turnout, Ms. Ford stated it is up to the state about the mail in ballot process. She believed that the mail in ballot process did increase turnout (in addition to) the politics of the election.

Councillor McGovern moved to adjourn 11:52am.
Yea: McGovern, Zondervan, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Nolan
Absent: Carlone

Documents received:
A communication was received from City Manager, Louis A. DePasquale, communicating information for the Health and Environment Committee hearing on Apr 14, 2021.