8. Condolences to the family of Moses Moore.   Mayor Simmons

R-8     Dec 8, 2025
MAYOR SIMMONS

WHEREAS: The City Council was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Moses Moore on November 25, 2025; and

WHEREAS: Moses MacDonald Moore was born on March 9, 1932, in the family home on Western Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and

WHEREAS: Mr. Moore was a proud second-generation West Indian of Bajan heritage, the beloved son of Lambert and Constance Moore, and one of eight siblings, all of whom predeceased him, including Edna Heywood, Melvin Moore, Erskine Moore, Mildred Wyzard, Gwendolyn Francis, Ashton Moore, Harold Moore, and his twin brother, Francis; and

WHEREAS: Mr. Moore was a lifelong Cambridge resident who attended Cambridge Public Schools, beginning at the Houghton School under the guidance of Regina Key, and later graduating from Rindge Technical School; and

WHEREAS: Following high school, Mr. Moore honorably served in the United States Army, spending several years stationed in Germany during the Korean War era; and

WHEREAS: Mr. Moore married the love of his life, Corine Moore, sharing more than fifty years of devoted marriage until her passing in 2008, and rooting their family’s life and legacy in the same home that nurtured their beginnings; and

WHEREAS: Throughout his professional life, Mr. Moore served in various roles before retiring from the Cambridge Housing Authority in the mid-1990s, and dedicated decades of service to the community through the Elks Massasoit Lodge #129 in Cambridge, where he held numerous leadership positions, including two terms as Exalted Ruler; and

WHEREAS: Mr. Moore was also an active member of the VFW Post in Boston and a longtime congregant of St. Paul’s AME Church, where he worshipped faithfully; and

WHEREAS: Moses Moore lived a life defined by dedication – to his family, to his community, and to all in need – embodying strength, loyalty, and compassion, and traveling widely with Corine, including cherished visits to Barbados; and

WHEREAS: In his later years, Mr. Moore found joy in baking apple pies, making sweet bread, preparing his well-loved turkey soup, and sharing his warmth, humor, and quiet resilience with all who knew him; and

WHEREAS: Mr. Moore’s legacy continues through his large and loving family, including his six children – Leona Martin (Thomas), Debra Morris, Corinne Malcolm (Michael), Steven Moore (Jackie), Melvin Kevin Moore, and the late Willis David Moore – his eight grandchildren – Tonya Morris-Brown, Edward Bishop-Moore, Bianca Jackson, Desire Williams, India Moore, Rashad Morris-Jackson, Kimberley Martin, and Kaleb Moore – and his eight great-grandchildren: Daishaun, Destiny, Daniel, Dezmond, Ru’Chelle, Ramone, Taylor, and Milo; and

WHEREAS: Moses will also be fondly remembered by a host of extended family and friends, including Ms. Janet Mayfield, Ms. Veneta Hopper, and Mr. Marvin Gilmore, along with many others touched by his kindness and steady presence; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record extending its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Moses MacDonald Moore for their tremendous loss; 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 Moore family on behalf of the entire City Council.

9. Thanking Ellen Semonoff for her years of service to the City of Cambridge.   Mayor Simmons

R-9     Dec 8, 2025
MAYOR SIMMONS

WHEREAS: Assistant City Manager for Human Services Ellen Semonoff has recently announced her upcoming retirement from the City, which shall cap off a long and distinguished career of public service; and

WHEREAS: Ellen began her career in public service at the highest levels, clerking for United States Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and serving as Special Assistant to Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare Joseph A. Califano, Jr., experiences that shaped her lifelong commitment to social justice and human dignity; and

WHEREAS: Ellen brought this wealth of knowledge and dedication to the Cambridge municipal government, where she held several positions before ascending to Assistant City Manager in 2004, building the foundation for transformative leadership; and

WHEREAS: Under Ellen’s direction, the Department of Human Service Programs has grown to serve as the City’s principal vehicle for supporting residents across every stage of life, managing more than 600 employees and a budget exceeding $40 million; and

WHEREAS: Ellen has championed innovative programs that have become models for other municipalities, including Universal Pre-K, STEAM education initiatives, comprehensive childcare and family support services, youth and community programs, homeless services, workforce development, adult basic education, recreation programs, fuel assistance, summer nutrition programs, and services for seniors and residents with disabilities; and

WHEREAS: Ellen’s leadership extends beyond Cambridge, having served on the Cambridge Health Alliance Board of Trustees and earning appointment by President Barack Obama to a federal advisory group on prevention, treatment, and recovery policy; and

WHEREAS: Ellen has approached each challenge with wisdom, compassion, and an unwavering belief that every Cambridge resident deserves access to opportunity and support, her legacy will endure in the countless lives touched by the programs she built, the staff she mentored, and the community partnerships she fostered, and her good works shall continue to ripple throughout our community for many, many years to come; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record extending its deepest gratitude to Ellen Semonoff for her extraordinary service to the residents of Cambridge and in wishing her health, happiness, and fulfillment in her well-earned retirement; and be it further

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

12. Resolution thanking Ayesha Wilson for her service.   Mayor Simmons

R-12     Dec 8, 2025
MAYOR SIMMONS

WHEREAS: Ayesha Wilson grew up in Jefferson Park public housing, raised by a single Jamaican immigrant mother in a city of extraordinary wealth and persistent inequality – an experience that gave her not just empathy for Cambridge’s working families but an unwavering determination to change the systems that create such disparities; and

WHEREAS: Long before she sought elected office, Ayesha dedicated more than twenty years to the daily, demanding work of youth development – as a clinician, educator, CHA Work Force Program teacher-counselor, and teen program director – meeting young people in their struggles, believing in their potential, and equipping them with the skills and support to transform their own lives; and

WHEREAS: Elected to the School Committee in 2019, Ayesha chaired Special Education and Student Supports and drove the district toward meaningful racial equity policy, expanded mental health services when students needed them most, and helped build Universal Preschool from aspiration into reality – understanding that a city’s commitment to children must be measured in actual resources offered; and

WHEREAS: As a City Councilor elected in 2024, Ayesha has fought to expand Universal Preschool citywide, challenged exclusionary zoning that prices families out of their own city, championed affordable housing in every neighborhood, and defended Cambridge’s sanctuary status, always asking whose voices were missing from the room and whose needs were being overlooked in the policy; and

WHEREAS: Ayesha has led beyond City Hall as Executive Director of Emerge Massachusetts, as a member of the YWCA Cambridge Board of Directors, as a mentor in the YWCA GOLD Program, and as secretary of the Cambridge Branch NAACP – building pathways for the next generation of leaders while holding Cambridge accountable to its stated values; and

WHEREAS: Ayesha Wilson never stopped being that girl from Jefferson Park who believed Cambridge could live up to its promise, she has spent decades proving it could, one young person, one policy fight, one hard truth at a time, and she leaves public office having left this city more just and more accountable to the families who need it most; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the City Council extends its deepest gratitude to Councilor Ayesha Wilson for her years of public service, and in wishing her well as she enters her next fruitful chapter; and be it further

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

13. Resolution on the death of Charles Coe.   Councillor Nolan [Boston Globe obituary]

R-13     Dec 8, 2025
COUNCILLOR NOLAN

WHEREAS: The City Council was saddened to learn of the death of Charles Coe, Cantabrigian teacher and poet, on November 21 at age 73; and

WHEREAS: Charles Coe was born in Indianapolis and moved to Boston in the mid-1970s after dropping out of college and a brief stint in a Motown cover band in Nashville, Tennessee; it was in Boston where he found his voice as a poet publishing his first collection in 1999; and

WHEREAS: Charles served for almost twenty years on the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and he was a valued member of the statewide cultural and arts community, and his influence on generations of artists was widespread; and

WHEREAS: Charles lived in Huron Village and was an adored member of his community, remembered by neighbors as a generous, thoughtful spirit, a beloved character, a compassionate neighbor, and for his extraordinary ability to bring people together; and

WHEREAS: A poet extraordinaire, Charles published five books of poetry and a novella, and beyond his published works, was featured in Roberto Mighty’s 2016 short documentary, “Charles Coe: Man of Letters,” and before his untimely death he was working on a family memoir inspired by his sister’s death, and had several screenplays in progress; and

WHEREAS: Beyond his poetry, Charles was a singer, known for his deep, resonant baritone, which he could wield through any number of musical numbers and also as a vehicle for his poems, to which his voice gave remarkable feeling; and

WHEREAS: Charles was a staple and a central figure across many local literary circles, including the Mass Poetry Festival, long-running literary salons across Cambridge and Somerville, the Writers’ Room, Black Writers Reading series, arts advocacy boards, and the countless poetry readings and small gatherings where his presence was always warm and could be marked by his unmistakable laugh; and

WHEREAS: Charles was a passionate teacher and mentor, and he was adored by his students, as he taught in a wide variety of settings, including grade schools, high schools, colleges, writing conferences and workshops; and his career was voluminous: he has served as poet-in-residence at Wheaton College and at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York; he taught in Dingle, Ireland for the Bay Path University MFA Abroad program, and was an adjunct professor of English at Salve Regina University; and

WHEREAS: Charles was also a quiet yet staunch activist, and as a Black man in Boston his work sometimes reflected a difficult American history, and his poem “For the Ancient Boston Bar with Neon Shamrocks in the Windows, Recently Departed,” details an incident at an Irish bar where he was not welcomed, and yet his works spoke of his entire human experience: “loss makes brothers of us all”; and

WHEREAS: Charles offered mentorship, leadership, and a sense of community wherever he went, and his works reached out to his readers in a way that bound people to one another unmistakably; and

WHEREAS: A man whose insights and poetry peered deep into the human condition, Charles will be remembered for his kindness, insight, and boundless soul and his memory will remain with his friends; his works will live forever as a memory of his insight, compassion, and unending search for truth; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record expressing its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Charles Coe, for their tremendous loss; 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 family of Charles Coe on behalf of the entire City Council.

14. Congratulations to Neal Alpert and Jen Tourtellot on their recent engagement.   Mayor Simmons

R-14     Dec 8, 2025
MAYOR SIMMONS

WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the City Council that Neal Alpert, Chief of Staff to Mayor E. Denise Simmons, and Jen Tourtellot were engaged on November 22, 2025; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record extending its heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Neal Alpert and Jen Tourtellot on their recent engagement; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Neal Alpert and Jen Tourtellot on behalf of the entire City Council.

16. Congratulations to Elizabeth Hudson and Will on the birth of their daughter.   Councillor Toner, Mayor Simmons

R-16     Dec 8, 2025
COUNCILLOR TONER
MAYOR SIMMONS

WHEREAS: The Cambridge City Council has learned that Cambridge School Committee member Elizabeth Hudson and her husband Will welcomed their fourth child Golda Canfield Hudson to their family; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record welcoming the newest member of the Hudson family to the world and congratulating Elizabeth and Will Hudson on the birth of their daughter Golda Canfield Hudson; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to provide a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Hudson family on behalf of the entire City Council.

COMMITTEE REPORTS
1. The Ordinance Committee held three public hearings to review and discuss two Zoning Petitions by the Cambridge City Council, the Massachusetts Avenue Zoning Petition (CM25#235) , and the Cambridge Street Zoning Petition (CM25#234). The first hearing was held on Oct 30, 2025 at 5:30pm and recessed. The Committee reconvened and recessed again on Nov 13, 2025 at 5:30pm. The Committee reconvened and adjourned on Dec 2, 2025 at 5:30pm. [text of report] [attached communications] [revised Mass Ave petition] [revised Cambridge St petition]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0; Passed to 2nd Reading as Amended 6-3 (Nolan, Wilson, Zusy - No)
Oct 30 Present: McGovern, Nolan, Zusy
Oct 30 Remote Present: Azeem, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Toner, Wilson, Siddiqui, Simmons
Nov 13 Present: Azeem, McGovern, Siddiqui, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Wilson, Zusy
Nov 13 Remote Present: Toner
Nov 13 Absent: Simmons
Dec 2 Present: McGovern, Nolan, Siddiqui, Wilson, Zusy, Toner
Dec 2 Remote Present: Azeem, Sobrinho-Wheeler
Dec 2 Absent: Simmons

At the Dec 2, 2025 hearing the Ordinance Committee voted favorably on the following:

1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Community Development Department to draft language for amendments to the Massachusetts Avenue Zoning Petition and the Cambridge Street Zoning Petition recommended by the Community Development Department.

2. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Community Development Department to amend the hotel language to revert hotels back to the original zoning.

3. To forward the Massachusetts Avenue Zoning Petition to the full City Council with a favorable recommendation.

4. To forward the Cambridge Street Zoning Petition to the full City Council with no recommendation.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

A. An Ordinance has been received from Interim City Clerk Paula M. Crane, relative to amend the Zoning Map and Articles 2.000, 3.000, 4.000, 5.000, 6.000, 11.000 17.000, and 20.000 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance as follows with the intent of establishing four new zoning districts for the Massachusetts Avenue corridor. (ORD25#16) [revised Mass Ave petition]
Passed to 2nd Reading as Amended 6-3 (Nolan, Wilson, Zusy - No)

B. An Ordinance has been received from Interim City Clerk Paula M. Crane, relative to amend the Zoning Map and Articles 3.000, 17.000, and 19.000 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance as follows with the intent of establishing four new zoning districts for the Cambridge Street corridor. (ORD25#17) [revised Cambridge St petition]
Passed to 2nd Reading as Amended 6-3 (Nolan, Wilson, Zusy - No)

TEXT OF ORDERS
O-1     Dec 8, 2025  amended
MAYOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
COUNCILLOR TONER
VICE MAYOR MCGOVERN
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
COUNCILLOR ZUSY
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge is committed to ensuring that residents can fully understand, engage with, and participate in public meetings and decision-making processes; and
WHEREAS: Timely access to meeting agendas and supporting documentation, such as presentations, background memos, and related materials, allows members of the public to prepare informed public comment, follow discussions more effectively, and remain meaningfully involved in civic matters; and
WHEREAS: While many City departments and boards regularly publish detailed agendas and accompanying materials in advance of public meetings, the level of detail and timing of publication can vary, and not all meetings consistently post supporting documents ahead of time; and
WHEREAS: Residents have also noted that the City’s website, though robust, can present inconsistent navigation paths to meeting information, with some links leading only to an agenda and others leading to full packets of materials for the same meeting, making it difficult for users to reliably locate all relevant documentation; and
WHEREAS: Improving consistency, transparency, and ease of access to these materials would strengthen public trust, enhance civic participation, and support the City’s longstanding commitment to open government; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with all relevant departments, boards, and commissions to strive to publish, whenever practicable, meeting agendas and all supporting documents, presentations, and related materials sufficiently in advance of public meetings to allow residents time to review and prepare; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to assess opportunities to improve the consistency of how meeting information is posted and accessed on the City’s website – including clearer navigation paths, standardized posting practices, and improved user-friendliness – and report back to the City Council on recommended steps in a timely manner.

O-2     Dec 8, 2025  amended
COUNCILLOR AZEEM
COUNCILLOR ZUSY
COUNCILLOR TONER
VICE MAYOR MCGOVERN
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
WHEREAS: A November 21, 2025 Boston Business Journal article recently reported that Cambridge was ranked at the bottom of a national ranking of 500 cities for permitting efficiency; and
WHEREAS: Local developers have shared frustrations with projects taking almost two years to permit due to a lack of coordination between Community Development and Inspectional Services staff; and
WHEREAS: Even after Planning Board approval, it can take up to two to three months to receive a permit; and
WHEREAS: These inefficiencies are stymying Cambridge’s goal to enable housing production; and
WHEREAS: Many peer cities have adopted streamlined permitting processes to address these challenges; and
WHEREAS: Improving the City’s permitting workflow would reduce administrative burden while supporting economic activity, housing creation and neighborhood vitality; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the Community Development Department and the Inspectional Services Department staff to streamline the permitting process, including but not limited to creating a central role dedicated to the permitting process, the creation of a unified online permitting portal, and standardized timelines, and report back to the City Council not later than March 2026.

O-3     Dec 8, 2025
COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI
VICE MAYOR MCGOVERN
COUNCILLOR AZEEM
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
WHEREAS: The Cambridge Street and Mass Ave Zoning Petitions propose to establish new zoning districts, allow additional residential height in key locations, and incentivize Active Uses on the ground floor as outlined in the Our Cambridge Street Study and Mass Ave Planning Study; and
WHEREAS: Community members, small business owners, the East Cambridge Business Association, and Planning Board members have consistently emphasized the importance of stronger Active Use mandates on Cambridge Street and portions of Mass Avenue to support a vibrant, walkable corridor and protect small, local, and community-serving businesses; and
WHEREAS: The current Cambridge Street and Mass Ave Zoning Petition is structured to be generally more permissive than existing zoning and therefore cannot be amended within the petition itself to include more restrictive, corridor-wide Active Use mandates without filing a new petition; and
WHEREAS: The City Council has expressed ongoing interest in strengthening the long-term mixed-use character of Cambridge Street, portions of Mass Avenue, and other major corridors—including transparency requirements, minimum Active Use frontage, public-facing institutional uses, small-format retail opportunities, nonprofit and cultural uses, and other community-oriented ground-floor space; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Community Development Department (CDD) and Law Department to prepare a draft of a separate zoning petition to strengthen Active Use requirements on Cambridge Street and the Porter Square PUD subdistricts for sites that redevelop as single parcels.

O-4     Dec 8, 2025  Charter Right - Sobrinho-Wheeler
COUNCILLOR TONER
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
COUNCILLOR WILSON
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to instruct the Community Development Department to reduce the recommendations for the Inman Square zoning subdistrict (CAM-10) from a maximum of 10 stories to 8 stories with ground floor active use/retail as consistent with the majority of the Cambridge Street corridor.

O-5     Dec 8, 2025
MAYOR SIMMONS
VICE MAYOR MCGOVERN
ORDERED: That the appointment of Interim City Clerk Paula M. Crane be extended for an additional period of six months.

O-6     Dec 8, 2025  amended
COUNCILLOR NOLAN
COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
VICE MAYOR MCGOVERN
WHEREAS: The City Council has consistently supported statewide legislation to enact a real estate transfer fee for municipalities, and supported including a local option for transfer fees in statewide bills, and the City Council unanimously approved a Real Estate Transfer Fee Home Rule Petition in 2020; and
WHEREAS: The state legislature is currently considering enabling legislation which would allow all municipalities to pass transfer fees, and by filing a home rule petition, Cambridge can continue to put pressure on the state legislature to enact a real estate transfer fee for the purpose of creating and supporting local affordable housing; and
WHEREAS: Home rule petitions can only be carried over for one legislative session, and a new policy order will need to be passed in order to refile a home rule petition with the state legislature; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with relevant departments to review the previous home rule petition and prepare a new petition that would allow Cambridge to enact a Real Estate Transfer Fee to be sent to the state legislature; 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.

O-7     Dec 8, 2025
COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER
COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI
COUNCILLOR WILSON
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge has a long history of supporting workers’ rights and labor unions at the many higher education institutions located in the City, and deeply values its relationships with each one, particularly as higher education has come under attack at the federal level; and
WHEREAS: One such institution is Lesley University, where faculty and staff provide top-notch education to 3,100 undergraduate and graduate students, and this partnership allows Cambridge students, residents, and organizations to access key mental health, college preparation, and social services while providing on-the-ground training to Lesley University students; and
WHEREAS: Lesley University administrators are in contract negotiations with the 260 adjunct and core faculty members, members of SEIU Local 509, while faculty face program cancellations, firings, and increases in class sizes; and
WHEREAS: These changes, which have come in the middle of semesters and degrees, have had a direct impact on Lesley University students; and
WHEREAS: Lesley University faculty have asked for a modest cost of living increase, in line with inflation, sustainable workloads, and smaller class sizes to improve learning conditions for everyone, and have delivered a petition to Lesley University President Janet Steinmayer to demand the fairness and respect they deserve; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record in support of Lesley University faculty in their fight for a fair contract and urging President Steinmayer and Lesley University administration to support a just contract for its workers; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Lesley University President Janet Steinmayer and administrators on behalf of the entire City Council.

O-8     Dec 8, 2025
COUNCILLOR WILSON
MAYOR SIMMONS
COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI
WHEREAS: The City Council recognizes that Erin’s Law is a child sexual abuse prevention initiative designed to protect students through age-appropriate, evidence-based education that teaches children how to recognize, resist, and report abuse; and
WHEREAS: Erin’s Law is named for advocate and survivor Erin Merryn, whose efforts exposed critical gaps in prevention education and underscored that most perpetrators are known to the victim, demonstrating the urgent need for comprehensive instruction in all schools; and
WHEREAS: Erin’s Law requires that public schools provide students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade with vital lessons on safe and unsafe touch, safe and unsafe secrets, and how to seek help from a trusted adult, thereby empowering children to speak up and protecting them from further harm; and
WHEREAS: The law also mandates that school personnel receive training on identifying warning signs, understanding grooming behaviors, and fulfilling mandated reporter responsibilities, while families receive resources to recognize abuse indicators and support affected children; and
WHEREAS: With thirty-eight states already adopting Erin’s Law in some form, the City Council acknowledges that Massachusetts has the opportunity to strengthen its child protection framework by fully implementing this proven prevention model; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Council go on record urging the Massachusetts General Court to pass and for the Governor to sign legislation that would adopt Erin’s Law statewide to ensure that all children receive the education, support, and protections necessary to prevent sexual abuse and promote safe learning environments.