Campaign Trailhead and Summer Vacation – June 28, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

This is the last City Council meeting until the Midsummer meeting in August and then again in September. These are the days when councillors are setting the table for their respective political sales pitches with an eye toward the November municipal election. Here are the items that seem most notable:

Note: Even though City Hall is open, only 4 councillors (Toomey, Siddiqui, Nolan, Carlone) bothered to actually show up while the other 5 continued to call in from the privacy of their own homes. I went there just to reacquaint myself with the surroundings.

Public comment seems to be dominated by people who want to sell dope and want to have money funneled their way via City ordinance. It's also worth noting that this meeting was not accessible via the Open Meeting Portal nor via the new streaming video link. I was only able to access the meeting via Zoom. It is somewhat bewildering how we can never seem to master our chosen technologies.

Manager's Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-41, regarding a report on closing Mass Ave from Prospect Street to Sydney Street on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Charter Right - McGovern

While we may respect the intention of the Order that led to this report, there are significant reasons for not routinely shutting down this important thoroughfare. It's also not necessary since so much of the action is on the sidewalks and places of business. That said, we really should revive something like the Central Square World's Fair and host a few really signature events each year in Central Square. It really is the most happening place in Cambridge.

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Manager's Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to recommendation from the Planning Board and communication from Community Development Department and Law Department staff related to the Cannabis Delivery Zoning Petition. [Law Dept. memo] [recommended amended text of petition]
Placed on File 9-0

Unfinished Business #7. ORDINANCE 2021-8 Cannabis Delivery Zoning Amendments. [PASSED TO A SECOND READING ON JUNE 14, 2021; TO BE ORDAINED ON OR AFTER JUNE 28, 2021]
Amended 8-0-1 as proposed in Mgr #8 (Toomey PRESENT); Ordained 8-0-1 (Toomey PRESENT)

Order #11. That the Chairs of the Ordinance Committee convene a hearing on amending the Cannabis Business Permitting Ordinance to extend the preference period.   Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

While I can certainly respect the notion of affirmatively acting to give some disadvantaged people a leg up in economic opportunities, there does come a point where you cross over into the realm of political patronage and we may now be crossing that line. I will add that we may very soon see at least four cannabis retailers in Central Square in addition to any “cannabis courier establishments.” Meanwhile, Graffiti Alley, the parking lots, the sidewalks of Central Square, and even the public toilets continue to see a thriving environment for drug sales - cannabis and otherwise.

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Charter Right #1. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $65,019,211, received from the U.S. Department of Treasury through the new Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CLFRF) established by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), to the Grant Fund Finance Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account which will be used to. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN IN COUNCIL JUNE 21, 2021]
Sobrinho-Wheeler Motion to Table Fails 2-7 (JSW,QZ - YES); Order Adopted 9-0; Reconsideration Fails 0-9

The Manager's report on this topic last week was very informative, and also served as a reminder of just how much effort and money was expended during this pandemic on the essential services need to get through this dark tunnel. I seriously hope the Council rhetoric doesn't devolve into wish lists and giveaways. I will be far more interested to see if forthcoming federal infrastructure legislation can somehow tip the balance to turn some desirable projects from infeasible to not only feasible but recommended, and that includes things like bridges connecting the Alewife Triangle and Quadrangle and other desirable connections. We should have some "shovel ready" plans in place in order to take advantage of any federal funds for such permanent improvements. Let the pandemic relief and recovery money go to pandemic relief and recovery.

Charter Right #2. That the City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to determine the feasibility of establishing a pilot reparations program that would take a to-be-determined percentage of revenue from local cannabis sales and distribute these monies to local Black-owned businesses and to economic empowerment applicants. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN IN COUNCIL JUNE 21, 2021]
Tabled 9-0 (Simmons)

Please note that this proposal is characterized as a “pilot reparations programs” which suggests that there will be more proposals to come. I absolutely agree with the idea of economic empowerment and providing strategic advantages, but I absolutely disagree with the concept of reparations.

Charter Right #3. That the City Council go on record in favor of filing of the attached Home Rule Petition entitled: AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE TO INCLUDE A BALLOT QUESTION ON THE NOVEMBER 2, 2021 MUNICIPAL BALLOT RELATIVE TO THE HOME RULE CHARTER. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR TOOMEY IN COUNCIL JUNE 21, 2021]
Late Amendments unseen by the public Approved 8-1 (Toomey - NO); Order Approved as Amended 8-1 (Toomey - NO); Reconsideration Fails 0-9
Apparently, there will be one track that asks Attorney General to opine on legality, then straight to municipal ballot; other track is Home Rule petition to state legislature.

There were only two extremely-low attendance Zoom meetings on this topic, and the proposal to hand over the authority to approve all appointments to City boards and commissions is nothing more than a power grab guaranteed to politicize all City boards and destroy any possibility of proportionality in the membership of those boards. This would be a major structural change with not only unintended consequences but, more fundamentally, intentional consequences. In short, if five city councillors want to have the Planning Board or any other board be 100% compliant with their point of view (or their endorsing organization's point of view) – even if the appointees have no other qualifications – they will be able to do so if this proposed change is approved. The other two proposed changes are benign - requiring an annual review of the City Manager's performance and a review of the Charter every decade (unless 5 city councillor can completely control who participates in the charter review - see above).

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Unfinished Business #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to proposed amendments to the Tree Protection Ordinance. [PASS TO A SECOND READING ON JUNE 14, 2021; TO BE ORDAINED ON OR AFTER JUNE 28, 2021]
Amended 8-0-0-1 (Toomey - PRESENT)
Ordained as Amended 7-1-0-1 (Toomey - NO; Simmons - PRESENT)

Order #1. That the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge be amended to insert a new row in section 4.31 “Residential Uses” regarding the service of post-operative care for a dog.   Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon
Referred to Ordinance Committee & Planning Board 9-0
Reconsidered 9-0; Adopted as Amended by Substitution 9-0

This is an example of what the City Council actually should be doing, i.e. recognizing a problem and fixing it – no ideology required. There apparently was a recent BZA case where it was decided that providing care for the pet of a friend was a technical zoning violation. This zoning amendment is intended to remedy that zoning malady.

Order #2. City Council support of HD.3403 and SD.2340, An Act Relative to Fare Free Buses.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #3. City Council support of the Cambridge Transit Advisory Committee’s suggested configuration for the #47 Bus.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #4. City Council endorsement of the Agassiz Neighborhood name being changed to the Baldwin Neighborhood in honor of Maria L. Baldwin.   Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui
Charter Right - Nolan

Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Personnel Department, and other relevant City departments to examine and implement a flexible, permanent remote work policy for City employees who can perform their tasks remotely.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Toomey ABSENT)

I agree completely that there should be continued flexibility for some City workers, but I see no reason whatsoever at this point for city councillors not showing up in person at City Council meetings.

Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to work with the DPW and the family to install a suitable memorial in a meaningful location, including a new tree planting, to honor the life of Luca Gibson.   Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #7. That the City Manager is requested to instruct the City Solicitor to prepare an ordinance which allows individual condominium owners the ability to obtain a City construction permit to repair known structural and other safety violations even without a majority of the building’s condominium owners’ vote of approval.   Councillor Carlone, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 8-0-0-1 (McGovern PRESENT)

This would open some interesting legal cans of worms. Even more fundamentally, the transition over the last 40 years from individual ownership of whole properties to condominium ownership has produced more than a few unintended consequences and long-term maintenance issues that could use a fresh look. Unilateral action by one condo owner leading to assessments for all owners may not be the best or even the legal solution.

Order #8. That the City Manager is requested to work with the Finance and Personnel Departments to examine stipend models for the City's multi-member bodies.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0

I suppose that examining the issue is harmless, but I still cannot warm up to the idea of paying members of boards and commissions. I would rather see a change in culture that rewards constructive civic participation in other ways. Former Mayor David Maher understood this and hosted events thanking residents who volunteer to serve on City boards and commissions. Covid notwithstanding, it's a shame that subsequent mayors failed to see the value in such recognition. This isn't all about money.

Order #10. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Law Department, Cambridge Development Department, and the City Manager’s Housing Liaison to discuss and advise on a condominium conversion ordinance.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted; Referred to Law Department and to Housing Committee 7-1-0-1 (Toomey - NO; McGovern - PRESENT)

Those horses left the barn 25 years ago and much of the city's multi-family stock has already been converted (and with it one of the most time-tested routes to middle class stability). This is just a political attention-getting move now.

Committee Report #1. The Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations Committee and the Housing Committee conducted a joint hearing on Wed, Feb 17, 2021 to discuss the elimination of single and two-family only zoning and restrictions on the type of housing that can be built city-wide.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

This is the kind of actual conversation that we should be having - as opposed to intense densification proposals like the so-called "Missing Middle" petition that will soon be expiring and could potentially be reintroduced (likely an even worse iteration). There are strong arguments in favor of liberalizing zoning to allow multi-family homes in all residential zones, and it is also reasonable to review the allowable densities every once in a while without necessarily opening the floodgates to demolition and redevelopment in places that are now functioning well. Cambridge has an interesting brand of density that works in its own curious ways in most neighborhoods, but it also has a variety of densities that provide choices for people with different needs and preferences. We need a little more Jane Jacobs and a little less Robert Moses. Perhaps most of all we need to have local zoning ordinances that allow reasonable people to do reasonable things.

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Anthony Wilson, City Clerk, transmitting information regarding the Early Voting Home Rule Legislation.
Modified Home Rule Petition Re-Filed 9-0; Report Placed on File 9-0

This matter has been on the City Council Calendar for ages and may even become obsolete depending on what the state legislature finally decides regarding permanently establishing such things as "no excuse absentee voting," ballot dropboxes, and other accommodations. The City Clerk has readied this for re-filing the Home Rule petition, but I'm not so sure that this will be necessary or even advisable at this point. I also would not want to burden the Election Commission staff unnecessarily if there are other perfectly good alternatives. - Robert Winters

Comments?

Chartering a Course to Nowhere - Featured Items on the June 21, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

As we wend our way to a summer without masks, with more fun, and with (hopefully) less Zoom, we are also fast approaching the day (July 1) when municipal election candidates may pick up nomination papers and start collecting signatures in their quest to represent or misrepresent the citizens of Cambridge. Meanwhile, up at the virtual Sullivan Chamber (could you bozos PLEASE get off Zoom and start meeting in person?) there are these items up for consideration on the summer solstice:

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting questions for the COVID-19 Update.
Placed on File 9-0

Unfinished Business #5. Amending City Council Rules for Remote Participation. [ADOPTED IN COUNCIL JUNE 14, 2021; MUST BE ADOPTED AGAIN IN COUNCIL JUNE 21, 2021 PURSUANT OF RULE 36B]
Adopted 9-0

Permitting remote public comment is a good thing, but not if it's just script-reading orchestrated via social media. As for councillors meeting remotely, if you're physically able to show up you should show up.

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Manager's Agenda #3. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $1,000,000 from Free Cash, to the Public Investment Fund School Department Extraordinary Expenditures account to conduct a comprehensive review and assessment of our older elementary school buildings in the City.
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (JSW - Absent)

Manager's Agenda #6. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request for authorization of a spending limit of $1,900,000 for Fiscal Year 2022, for the Renewable Energy and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction revolving fund (Revolving Fund), pursuant to Chapter 3.24 of the Municipal Ordinance titled “Departmental Revolving Funds”.
Order Adopted 9-0

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Manager's Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-37, regarding renaming the Central Square Library. [June 21, 2021 Law Department response]
Placed on File 9-0

Essentially, the authority to rename a City library building rests with the Library Board of Trustees appointed by the City Manager and ultimately with the City Manager. The City Council Order has been heard and Library officials and the City Manager will now establish a task force to determine how best to proceed.

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to work with all appropriate City Departments to issue a second RFP that will work in conjunction with the current RFP, to assess the feasibility of building housing above the Central Square Library, and this RFP should include information on funding possibilities.   Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui
Adopted as Amended 9-0

This is rapidly turning into a competition for who can propose the largest changes for the Central Square library at the greatest cost. One councillor last week even proposed a 19-story subsidized housing project for the site. Another suggested eliminating the Green Street Garage completely based on the belief that cars will soon be disappearing.

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Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui and Councillor Simmons transmitting information about the community process for changing the name of Agassiz / Neighborhood 8. [Agassiz neighborhood Council letter]
Accept Report, Placed on File 9-0

Growing up in New York City, all of the public elementary schools and junior high schools had numbers instead of names. They also had names (I think), but nobody used those names and most people didn't even know those names. It wasn't until high school that your school had an actual name (like Flushing High School, in my case). Looking back, maybe this wasn't such a bad system - just like identifying Cambridge neighborhoods by the numbers on that ~1950 map drawn up by Mark Fortune and the Planning Department staff at that time. A rose is a rose is a rose. If the residents in the currently-named Agassiz neighborhood want to make a change, so be it. The name of my Mid-Cambridge neighborhood will likely stand thanks to its lack of reference to any real person. Then again, perhaps Mark Fortune had a friend names Jonathan MidCambridge who hopefully didn't harbor any dreadful theories.

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Manager's Agenda #10. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $65,019,211, received from the U.S. Department of Treasury through the new Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CLFRF) established by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), to the Grant Fund Finance Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account which will be used to ……
Charter Right - Zondervan

As the Manager says, “Funds are intended to: • Support urgent COVID-19 response efforts to continue to decrease spread of the virus and bring the pandemic under control; • Replace lost public sector revenue to strengthen support for vital public services and help retain jobs; • Support immediate economic stabilization for households and businesses; and • Address systematic public health and economic challenges that have contributed to the inequal impact of the pandemic on certain populations.”

I'm sure this won't stop councillors from proposing all sorts of ways to break into this newfound piggy bank.

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Unfinished Business #4. Live Acoustic Entertainment Ordinance. [PASSED TO SECOND READING IN COUNCIL JUNE 7, 2021; TO BE ORDAINED ON OR AFTER JUNE 21, 2021]
Ordained as Amended 9-0

This is pretty much guaranteed to be ordained, and that's probably a good thing - even though no thought whatsoever has been paid to possible unintended consequences.

Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to determine the feasibility of establishing a pilot reparations program that would take a to-be-determined percentage of revenue from local cannabis sales and distribute these monies to local Black-owned businesses and to economic empowerment applicants.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor Nolan
Charter Right - Zondervan

I suspect this violates state law, but even if it doesn't explicitly violate state law it's still a dreadful road to follow when you begin earmarking revenue based on race.

Order #2. That the City Council go on record in favor of filing of the attached Home Rule Petition entitled: AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE TO INCLUDE A BALLOT QUESTION ON THE NOVEMBER 2, 2021 MUNICIPAL BALLOT RELATIVE TO THE HOME RULE CHARTER.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Carlone
Charter Right - Toomey

I seriously hope one of the councillors exercises his or her Charter Right to delay this. There were only two extremely-low attendance Zoom meetings on this topic, and the proposal to hand over the authority to approve all appointments to City boards and commissions is nothing more than a power grab guaranteed to politicize all City boards and destroy any possibility of proportionality in the membership of those boards. In short, if five city councillors want to have the Planning Board or any other board be 100% compliant with their point of view (or their endorsing organization's point of view) they will be able to do so if this proposed change is approved. The other two proposed changes are benign - requiring an annual review of the City Manager's performance and a review of the Charter every decade (unless 5 city councillor can completely control who participates in the charter review - see above).

Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee met on Mar 10, 2021 to continue discussion on the Real Estate Transfer Fee Home Rule Petition.
Accept Report; Placed on File; Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

The endless quest continues to raise more revenue without any regard to potential impacts. I seriously hope there are enough people in the state legislature who have the capacity to assess the cumulative effect of all these proposals, but I'm not so sure that this is the case. - Robert Winters

Comments?

Craven Attention - June 14, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Here's my first pass at this week's effort:

Manager's Agenda #5. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $500,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Library Extraordinary Expenditures account to fund a comprehensive Library Building Program Study and Feasibility Study for the Central Square Branch Library.
Order Adopted 9-0

Many of us who spend a lot of time in Central Square and think about Central Square will likely agree that even though the proposed improvements are appreciated there should really be a Grand Vision for the library and the Green Street parking garage in the context of the whole district. For example, unless you believe that all cars and all parking should be abolished (in which case you should really take up farming or ascetic religion), proposals to build on surface parking lots (or continue Starlight Square) might want to consider where those vehicles might park (at least until the Rule of Robots). A couple more parking levels on Green Street might make sense even if only as a place for the robots to live.

Manager's Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-18, regarding a report on the City's annual stationery expenditures and percentage spent at local retailers.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager's Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to first Progress Report due under the Cycling Safety Ordinance (Chapter 12.22 of the Cambridge Municipal Code), which is required to detail “…progress towards meeting the requirements set forth in Subsections C, D, E, F, G, and H. Such report shall include details on the Separated Bicycle Facilities planned for the coming twelve months.”
Referred to Transportation and Public Utilities Committee 9-0

No comment.

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On the Table #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to further proposed amendments to the Tree Protection Ordinance and draft regulations. [TABLED IN COUNCIL MAY 17, 2021] [May 17 memo] [changes] [regulations]
Passed to 2nd Reading as Amended 7-0-0-2 (DS,TT - PRESENT)
Note: Special thanks to Councillor Toomey for pointing out the hypocrisy of the City Councillors eagerly wanting to relieve the Cambridge Police of various public safety responsibilities while adding on the responsibility of enforcement of the Tree Protection Ordinance. The ordinance was subsequently amended.

Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee met on Apr 28, 2021 to discuss the Tree Protection Ordinance. [proposed amendments to the Tree Protection Ordinance]
Reports Accepted, Placed on File 9-0; Ordinance Passed to 2nd Reading 7-0-0-2 (DS,TT - PRESENT)

Committee Report #1B. The Health & Environment Committee met on Oct 13, 2020 to discuss amending the Tree Protection Ordinance based on the findings of the Urban Forest Master Plan Task Force.

Committee Report #1C. The Health and Environment Committee met on Nov 10, 2020 to continue discussing amending the Tree Protection Ordinance based on the findings of the Urban Forest Master Plan Task Force.

The updated ordinance should be approved this month - probably next week. The final draft regulations are not as onerous for homeowners as they could have been, but the onward march of government control over your property continues.

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Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Community Development Department, the Assessing Department, the Finance Department, and other relevant City departments to explore the feasibility of purchasing properties for sale in the Alewife area to address City goals.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Carlone
Adopted 8-0-1 as Amended (TT - ABSENT)

Order #2. That the Mayor be and hereby is requested to schedule a Roundtable meeting to discuss how the American Rescue Plan funds may best be utilized in Cambridge.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui
Adopted 9-0

Order #10. That the Co-Chairs of the Finance Committee schedule a hearing to discuss the $65 million Cambridge is eligible to receive from the American Rescue Plan, and to begin the discussion on how the money can best be spent to advance racial, economic, and environmental justice in our community.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone
Adopted 9-0

Note: “General infrastructure spending is not covered as an eligible use outside of water, sewer, and broadband investments or above the amount allocated under the revenue loss provision.” I really wish we could take some of that money and build a couple of bridges connecting the Alewife Triangle and Quadrangle and maybe build a pedestrian bridge over the Little River connecting to the Science Park area.

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Order #4. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Public Health Department, the Inspectional Services Department, the Cambridge Housing Authority, and other relevant City departments to determine if the City has the discretion to waive this rule (state sanitary code re: heating & cooling), and the circumstances in which the City could administer this waiver, and report back to the City Council.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui
Adopted 9-0

This Order grew out of the recent heat wave and the strange fact/claim that the change from heating to cooling in CHA buildings couldn't happen until June 15 regardless of conditions. The world might be a better place if we just put the administrators out to pasture and put the supers and custodians in charge.

Order #6. Amending City Council Rules for Remote Participation.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Adopted 9-0 as Amended

The State Legislature seems to be on the verge of extending the right of elected officials to continue “phoning it in” (we'll see tomorrow), but I hope they don't. I really hope we return to in-person meetings. The matter of public comment is a somewhat separate matter that can be adjusted simply by amending the City Council Rules - hence this Order. I wish they would at least restrict remote public comment to Cambridge residents and invited guests. Elected officials and City staff should simply show up in person unless they are physically unable to attend.

Order #7. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to adopt certain policies related to Open Space.   Councillor Carlone, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
Adopted 9-0 as Amended

Order #8. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the Traffic & Parking Department to make these immediate improvements to the safety of this intersection (Cardinal Medeiros Avenue, Binney Street, and Bristol Street) and to all intersections in the city that are similarly malfunctioning, and to implement longer term changes as soon as possible.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Nolan
Adopted 9-0

Order #9. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to work with City staff to provide an update on the cost of each license and permit required by businesses in Cambridge.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan
Adopted 9-0

The would be useful information to see in one place, and I think most of use will readily agree that fees should be reasonable and bear at least some connection with the costs associated with the regulations. As far as continuing to waive or significantly reduce fees, unless you waive the enforcement and reduce the personnel, all you're doing is moving the cost over to the property tax.

Committee Report #2. The Ordinance Committee met on May 12, 2021 to conduct a hearing on the Cannabis Delivery Zoning Amendments and Municipal Code Amendments.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Perhaps I should make a short list of the highest priorities of this Council term and the previous term. Cannabis promotion would high on that list.

Committee Report #3. The Public Safety Committee met on Jan 6, 2021 to conduct a public hearing on the Cambridge Police Department inventory list.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

The Zondervan/Sobrinho-Wheeler war on law enforcement continues. - Robert Winters

Comments?

Solicited and Unsolicited Advice - June 7, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

There are a number of interesting items on this week's agenda - especially the legal analysis of City Solicitor Nancy Glowa on a number of topics.

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager's Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-39, regarding the status of the Gold Star Mothers Pool opening plans for the June through September summer season of 2021.
Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #4. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting questions for the COVID-19 Update.
Placed on File 9-0

Resolution #9. Thank You Claude A. Jacob.   Mayor Siddiqui
Tabled 9-0

Manager's Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-23, regarding a report on permanently extending remote participation in City Council and board and commission meetings.
Placed on File 9-0

I'm really looking forward to the day when Covid updates are relegated to history rather than daily updates. I'm also eagerly looking forward to the day when City Hall, the City Hall Annex, the libraries, and all other City buildings are fully reopened. The justification for keeping them closed is rapidly fading, and when the Governor's emergency declaration expires on June 15 (or another date if the state legislature approves an extension) there will be no legal basis for denying public access.

As for the matter of the continuation of remote access to public meetings, please read the opinion of the City Solicitor in Mgr's Agenda #11. In my opinion, we should return forthwith to in-person meetings with the option of remote access for Cambridge residents and invited guests. Elected officials and City staff should no longer be "phoning it in" unless they are physically unable to attend in person.

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Manager's Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a summary of a Planning Board Meeting on the 2020 Town-Gown Reports and Presentations.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager's Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to new appointments and reappointment of members of the Harvard Square Advisory Committee.
Placed on File 9-0

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Manager's Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation not to adopt the Missing Middle Housing (Fuller, et al.) Zoning Petition.
Refer to Petition 9-0

Order #6. That City Manager be and is hereby requested work with the Law Department to provide an analysis of what impact the recently enacted state Housing Choices law has on the Missing Middle Housing Zoning petition.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Simmons, Vice Mayor Mallon
Refer to Petition 9-0

I stand by my well-considered opinion that this is a terrible petition that has only grown worse as amendments to the proposal have been introduced in order to garner political support. At this point its passage has more to do with the fealty of some elected officials to the “A Better Cambridge” group than in doing what is best for the city and its residents. There is certainly a reasonable case to be made for allowing multi-family housing to be built in all residential zones and relaxing some parking requirements (especially near transit), but that is not what this zoning proposal is primarily about. It also has nothing to do with addressing any historical remnants having to do with race - in spite of the purposefully misleading rhetoric of the proponents. This is a proposal for dramatically increasing residential density - and not just in areas that currently have lower densities.

Many of us feel that Cambridge is already a relatively dense city - in fact, one of the most dense in the country - and that this proposal has more to do with creating development opportunities than it has to do with either housing affordability or good urban planning. There is also an element of hubris implicit in this petition, i.e. the notion that Cambridge can unilaterally address housing supply issues that properly must be addressed at a regional level and with modifications to the regional transportation system. There are opportunities for transit-oriented residential development that can and should be considered, but that is not part of this proposal. Perhaps the most telling comment was stated by one of the letter-writing proponents on a personal web page, “I am creating a better strategy for investments. I own multiple units in upstate NY, Rhode Island and Ohio. I currently reside in Massachusetts and am trying to find a few deals here.” Enough said.

It is interesting that Councillors Sobrinho-Wheeler, Simmons, and Mallon are so concerned about how many votes will be minimally required to ram this travesty through. Perhaps the time has come to consider how many votes may be needed to elect or replace some councillors this November.

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Manager's Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-2, regarding the possibility of implementing a Sheltered Market Program, and Awaiting Report Item Number 21-4, regarding conducting a Spending Disparity Study on City Purchasing.
Placed on File 9-0

This is a very interesting legal analysis in spite of the somewhat cryptic "Sheltered Market Program." At issue is the degree to which City purchasing may give advantages to "historically disadvantaged groups" without running afoul of current laws and judicial decisions. It's not always clear where "doing the right thing" ends and where political patronage begins. The City Solicitor recommends “that the City, in order to determine whether a sheltered market program under G.L. c. 30B, § 18 can be implemented in Cambridge, first conduct a disparity study to review and analyze whether there are present effects of past discrimination for which such a program would be intended to address. If it is determined that a basis exists for the City to implement a sheltered market program following a disparity study, the next step to implement such a program would be for the City to authorize the Purchasing Agent to establish such a program by: (1) a vote of a majority of the City Council; and (2) the approval of the City Manager.”

Manager's Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request for support for the City of Cambridge to join in the formation of a Boston Cambridge Tourism Destination Marketing District.
Placed on File; Order Adopted 7-0-0-2 (JSW,QZ - PRESENT)

Manager's Agenda #10. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a response regarding the City Council having its own budget for outside legal research.
Placed on File 9-0

The saga continues. I sometimes get the impression that the “bold, progressive change” councillors will simply never accept the notion that whatever they want to do still has to conform to existing laws, and that any opinion to the contrary is met with open hostility. The City's Law Department has created a mechanism through which most or all of their needs can be met, but perhaps that's not the real point. The combination of calls for charter change in conjunction with pursuits such as this is really about gathering more power and authority to the local legislative body. In my opinion, this is a wrongheaded quest – and the fact that this is taking place behind the veil of Covid-related limitations to transparency makes it all the worse.

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Charter Right #1. Cambridge HEART Proposal. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Zondervan In Council May 25, 2021]
Approved 8-0-0-1 (Toomey - PRESENT)

Communications #9. A communication was received from Judith Nathans, regarding H.E.A.R.T Proposal and Public Safety Task Force Recommendations.
Placed on File 9-0

The bottom line is that whether ideas and recommendations come from a City-appointed Task Force or as suggestions from a small group of activists, any implementation will still lie with the Police Commissioner and the City Manager – presumably guided by need and best practices and informed by some of the programs that have been successful elsewhere. There is simply no value in casting this matter in terms of a political quest to “Defund the Police” or the absurd notion of “Abolish the Police” either in whole or in specific locations in Cambridge. There is also no value in casting this as a choice between “H.E.A.R.T. proposal vs. Task Force Recommendations.” If there are good ideas that make sense in the context of Cambridge, I would rather put my trust in those who understand public safety and who have proven themselves to be open to creative solutions, e.g. Police Commissioner Branville Bard.

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Adopting the Budget

Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Anthony I. Wilson, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor E. Denise Simmons, Chair and Councillor Dennis J. Carlone Chair of the Finance Committee, for public hearings held on May 11, 2021 commencing at 9:00am and May 18, 2021 commencing at 10:00am and on May 19, 2021 commencing at 6:00pm to discuss Fiscal Year 2022 budget.
General Fund Budget of $707,104,105 Approved 7-0-0-2 (JSW,QZ - NO)
Note: Zondervan motion to reduce Police Dept. Budget to $65,000,000 failed 2-7 (JSW,QZ - YES)
Water Fund Budget of $13,016,825 Approved 9-0
Public Investment Fund Budget of $38,610,865 Approved 9-0

Unfinished Business #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $5,000,000 to provide funds for the reconstruction of various City streets and sidewalks. [Passed to a Second Reading In Council May 10, 2021; to be Adopted on or after May 24, 2021]
Order Adopted 9-0

Unfinished Business #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $10,000,000 to provide funds for the Municipal Facilities Improvement Plan. … [Passed to a Second Reading In Council May 10, 2021; to be Adopted on or after May 24, 2021]
Order Adopted 9-0

Unfinished Business #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $1,800,000 to provide funds for various Schools for projects that include: asbestos abatement in various schools, replace the front plaza and failing masonry wing walls and recaulking the building at the Haggerty School, replace emergency generator and extend exhaust at Cambridgeport, recaulking precast panels at CRLS Field House, unit vents engineering at the Fletcher Maynard Academy and Longfellow building and replace the gym floor at the Amigos School. [Passed to a Second Reading In Council May 10, 2021; to be Adopted on or after May 24, 2021]
Order Adopted 9-0

Unfinished Business #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $28,500,000 to provide funds for the construction of sewer separation, storm water management and combined sewer overflow reduction elimination improvements within River Street and Harvard Square areas as well as the Sewer Capital Repairs Program and climate change preparedness efforts. [Passed to a Second Reading In Council May 10, 2021; to be Adopted on or after May 24, 2021]
Order Adopted 9-0

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Councillor Zondervan, transmitting information on the FY22 police budget.

In most years the Budget Adoption and approval of Loan Orders for major capital projects tends to be rather pro forma with most councillors lavishing praise on all those involved (often well-deserved) and some councillors choosing to take a stand either on principal or simply to gain some political advantage. On the School Department budget, I have to side with Councillor Nolan, in particular, who may have seemed contrarian but was simply pointing out that we often don't maintain very high standards for our schools and we achieve even less. Expressing disapproval may seem cruel in light of all the Covid-related difficulties of the past year, but even that should not let the School Committee or the School Department off the hook. Personally, I have for a long time felt that the focus of Cambridge schools has been far more about social engineering and indoctrination than about academic excellence. It's particularly grating to listen to School Committee members who have developed their own dialect of "edu-speak" that allows them to "talk around" just about any matter of substance.

As for the rest of the City budget, I fully expect there to be plenty of grandstanding from the “bold progressive change” crowd on either the Police budget or the IT budget (because of the municipal broadband saga) and maybe a few other items before the Bottom Line comes to a final (presumably successful) vote.

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Unfinished Business #9. Zoning Amendments related to Retail and Consumer Service Establishments as amended on May 17, 2021 (Ordinance # 2021-3) [Passed to a Second Reading on May 17, 2021; to be Ordained on or after June 7, 2021]
Ordained 9-0

Unfinished Business #10. Zoning Amendments related to Home Occupations (ORDINANCE #2021-4) [Passed to a Second Reading on May 17, 2021; to be Ordained on or after June 7, 2021]
Ordained 9-0

These could be ordained at this meeting, but I would be lying if I told you that I understood much about the proposed changes or the potential intended or unintended consequences.

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Order #5. Live Acoustic Entertainment Ordinance.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Carlone
Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0

This might be OK, but the fact that percussion is considered acoustic and requires no amplification causes me some concern. Then again, the proposal does suggest that any performances must still conform to existing laws, including the Noise Ordinance. That said, I would be happier if the License Commission still had a role in at least reviewing these things and effecting compromises when appropriate. There is also a level of ambiguity in the proposal when it says “within the perimeter of their business.” Does this include outdoor patios? What about the case of relatively loud acoustic performance in a location abutting a residence - possibly where someone is working from home like so many of us are doing these days?

Order #7. That the City Manager and staff be requested to examine car storage policies and discuss potential updates with the City Council at a meeting of the Transportation Committee.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0

Regardless of any other merits this proposal may have, let's at least be aware of the fact that it proposes to eliminate residential and commercial parking minimums citywide and (though it doesn't explicitly say so) significantly jacking up residential parking permit fees. So if you do choose to own a motor vehicle there will be greater competition for on-street parking and significantly greater expense for the “privilege” of doing so.

Committee Report #2. Neighborhood & Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts & Celebration Committee – Committee Meeting - May 26, 2021 at 10:00am.
Report Accepted, Placed on File, Order Adopted 9-0

The purpose of the meeting was to consider the reappointment of Conrad Crawford to the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Board (slam dunk) and to discuss the pilot of street closures in Harvard Square. Street closure discussions in Cambridge are often a witch's brew of "ban cars" sentiments and creative ideas for improving street life and local retail. The bottom line is that emergency vehicles still need to get through, and it is often the case that when you ban vehicles from one street it becomes just a game of "Whack-A-Mole" when the vehicles simply shift to alternate routes. The Great Exceptions to this are those streets that have been designated (or should be designated) as "woonerfs" - a Dutch term for what is essentially a shared, low volume street. In Cambridge, think Winthrop Street (by Grendel's Den), Palmer Street (Club Passim), and the yet-to-be made spectacular Blanche Street at the edge of Central Square (which is still just a delivery alley at best). There are some other streets that could be operated as shared streets or ban all but emergency vehicles without creating a cascading vehicular hellscape. Making Palmer Street an interesting street (and not just artsy fartsy) would be a good place to start. Even a hot dog vendor would be a great improvement.

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting information about Homelessness Working Group.
Placed on File 9-0

There is no doubt that more is needed in this arena, but these investigations can end up as reports on shelves – and the simple truth is that these are regional problems and when one well-meaning city like Cambridge does things to address these problems it often ends up paradoxically increasing the problems in that city as individuals migrate to where the enhanced services are to be found. For example, when Boston cracks down on Methadone Mile, some of that just relocates to Central Square. - Robert Winters

Comments?

Who's Zoomin' Who? - May 24-25, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

A temporary cease-fire may be going into effect in Israel and Gaza, but that won't stop the Zoom speeches this Monday. Lots of rhetorical rockets were fired last week. This week there's likely to be a lot of response and maybe even some skirmishes. What all this has to do with the City of Cambridge escapes me. [Note: This meeting was recessed and continued to a May 25 Special City Council meeting starting at 5:30pm.]

Here are some things that struck a chord or a nerve:

Manager's Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request the adoption of a statutory small business exemption for personal property accounts equal to or less than $10,000 in assessed value and the authorization for an exemption for personal property accounts equal to or less than $20,000 in assessed value, by requesting a special act from the Legislature and the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Orders Adopted 9-0

This exemption has been in effect for the current FY21 fiscal year, and the City sought and received a Special Act of the legislature to allow the City to make the exemption permanent. Perhaps most notable in this communication is this: “Not only will this tax exemption assist small businesses financially and administratively, but it will also relieve the burden upon the City for the collection and accounting of small accounts.”

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Manager's Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request to approve the acquisition of land in Lincoln, Massachusetts for the purpose of adding to the City’s watershed lands for water supply protection and conservation purposes. [Water Board Letter] [Map/Plot Plan]
Orders Adopted 9-0

Manager's Agenda #8. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of the PFAS Treatment Grant in the amount of $115,680.00 received from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection 's Drinking Water Program (DEP) to the Public Investment Fund Water Extraordinary Expenditures account which will assist in the effort to remove Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from our finished water and will also help to offset the costs of the ongoing Cambridge Water Department bench-scale study to determine the effectiveness of granular activated carbon (GAC) to remove PFAS from our water.
Order Adopted 9-0

Unlike other items on this meeting agenda (see below) that have no connection whatsoever to the City of Cambridge but which will draw public comments galore, these two items have everything to do with one of the most essential services provided by our local government - the provision and security of clean drinking water. These items will likely draw little, if any, public comment.

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Charter Right #1. In Support of H.R.2590, “The Palestinian Children and Families Act”.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Nolan In Council May 17, 2021]
Resolution Adopted 9-0

Charter Right #2. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the Purchasing Department to review Cambridge’s corporate contracts and identify any companies that are in violation of Cambridge’s policy on discrimination, including (but not limited to) Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Hewlett Packard Incorporated over their role in abetting apartheid in the Middle East, and to suggest alternatives for Cambridge to explore in order to ensure the city embody the values it put on paper.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Carlone [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Nolan In Council May 17, 2021]
Order Adopted as Amended by Substitution 9-0 (see notes below)

Note 1: Zondervan introduced an amendment to the substitute language specifically calling out Hewlett-Packard (and implicitly endorsing BDS).
Amendment Fails 3-6: YES - DC,JSW,QZ; NO - AM,MM,PN,DS,TT,SS

Note 2: Zondervan introduced another amendment to the substitute language saying same but w/o specifically calling out Hewlett-Packard (yet still implicitly endorsing BDS).
Amendment Fails 3-6: YES - DC,JSW,QZ; NO - AM,MM,PN,DS,TT,SS

Note 3: Zondervan introduced another amendment regarding right of people to defend themselves and specifically calling out Israeli government attacks against Palestinian people (replacing Netanyahu w/Israeli government and removing any reference to any negative actions by Hamas and Israel's right to exist).
Amendment Fails 3-5-0-1: YES - JSW,QZ,SS; NO - AM,MM,PN,DS,TT; PRESENT - DC

Note 4: Sobrinho-Wheeler introduced an amendment to the substitute language amending “ORDERED: That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to work with the Purchasing Department to review Cambridge’s corporate contracts and purchases to identify any vendors or manufacturers whose products are used to perpetuate violations of International Human Rights Laws and Cambridge’s policy on discrimination.”
Amendment Passes 6-3: YES - DC,AM,MM,JSW,QZ,SS; NO - PN,DS,TT

Approximately 25 communications relating to last week's Resolution and Policy Order regarding Israel, Gaza, and boycotts.

At last count on Monday morning, there were 426 people signed up for Public Comment with the overwhelming majority of those signed up expected to comment on these two matters that have nothing whatsoever to do with the City of Cambridge. A Special Meeting was scheduled for Tues, May 25 to continue the meeting. The Monday meeting was all Public Comment (apparently 537 people).

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Applications & Petitions #1. A petition was received from Loren Crowe, requesting that the City Council ordain ordinance language relative to the creation and operation of Neighborhood Conservation Districts in the city. [Text of Petition]
Referred to Ordinance Committee 8-0-1 (Carlone ABSENT) [Note: QZ motion to Place on File failed 1-7-1]

This petition appears to be the latest skirmish in a battle that began when some people in East Cambridge sought to create a neighborhood conservation district a couple of years ago. This tit-for-tat battle has now turned into a “cause” for those who see preservation as antithetical to their idea of “progress.” What comes to mind when I see these battles for power and control are Jane Jacobs vs. Robert Moses in New York City, and the demolition of over half of Boston's West End to make way for Jerome Rappaport's Charles River Park. “If You Lived Here You'd Be Home Now” - but only if you never lived here before.

Order #2. That the City Council amend the Article 22 of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge entitled “SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT” to insert a new section 22.24.4 (Ordinance #2021-13).   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan
Referred to Ordinance Committee & Planning Board 8-0-1 (Carlone ABSENT) - This is same zoning peition filed in April, re-filed due to expiration.

This is being billed by its authors as the “Cambridge Green New Deal Zoning Petition.” It is presented as being primarily about reporting requirements for emissions associated with the construction and maintenance of new buildings and is being pitched in terms of “green jobs” and “economic opportunity and climate justice for our most vulnerable residents.” However, it appears to really be about forcing the elimination of natural gas as a fuel source (which cannot currently be banned according to a ruling from the Mass. Atty. General), and additional government control over property, e.g. “The developer will present a payment schedule for how to zero out the Total Emissions of the building, using a social cost of carbon formula approved by CDD. The payment schedule may be annualized over a period not to exceed 10 years. The outstanding balance shall act as a lien on the property in case it is sold. Any offset must demonstrate direct benefits to low-income and minority communities in Cambridge, including economic opportunity through job creation and or financial savings through e.g. utility bill reductions.” Oh yeah, and “any residential buildings that include affordable units” will be exempt from any of the proposed requirements.

This current City Council can be characterized best by one word: “Control”

Order #3. Cambridge HEART Proposal.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Carlone
Charter Right - Zondervan

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Councillor Simmons and Councillor McGovern, transmitting a memorandum regarding the Report for Future of Public Safety Task Force.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Carlone ABSENT)

The so-called "HEART proposal" comes from the group that calls itself “The Black Response” and is fundamentally rooted in the abolition of traditional police. It appears that its presentation at this moment is meant as a challenge (more like a short circuit) to the report from the Task Force which nonetheless shares some similar ideas. We are fortunate to have a Police Commissioner and a City administration open to reasonable suggestions and it will be interesting to see if some helpful reallocation of resources grows from these suggestions without jeopardizing public safety. The deliberations of the Task Force have been far from transparent, but there was at least some effort to involve a greater cross-section of the community. Emphasis is needed about what exactly constitutes “the community” with councillors and residents alike routinely claiming what is not theirs in any reasonable sense. Contrary to some of rhetoric offered at the recent FY22 Budget Hearings, a proposal from a small unrepresentative group of advocates does not translate into “the community has spoken.” - Robert Winters

Don't forget about these:

Tues, May 25

3:00pm   The City Council's Health and Environment Committee will meet to discuss proposed amendments to the Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) that would drive down energy use and emissions in existing buildings in Cambridge as well as an update on the Net Zero Action Plan 5-Year Review process and recommendations.  (Sullivan Chamber) [Chair = Zondervan]

Wed, May 26

10:00am   The City Council's Neighborhood and Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts & Celebrations Committee will conduct a public hearing on the reappointment of Conrad Crawford to the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Board and to discuss the pilot of street closures in Harvard Square.  (Sullivan Chamber) [Chair = Nolan]

12:00pm   Special Meeting of the City Council  (Sullivan Chamber)
Note: There has been no notice whatsoever of the purpose of this Special Meeting.
Late Breaking News: The City Clerk finally posted the agenda for this Special Meeting on Monday afternoon. “The City Council will hold a special meeting to discuss the charter assessment conducted by the Collins Center.”

Thurs, May 27

Time Unknown   The City Council's Civic Unity Committee shall meet to discuss the recently released 'Social Equity Legislation in Cannabis: A National Study of State and Local Approaches' by the Initiative organization.  (Sullivan Chamber) [Chair = Simmons]

Tues, June 1

3:00pm   The City Council's Economic Development and University Relations Committee will conduct a public hearing on the small business grant and loan programs managed by the Economic Development Division of the Community Development Department throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.  (Sullivan Chamber) [Chair = Mallon]

Wed, June 2

2:00pm   The City Council's Neighborhood and Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts & Celebrations Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the Alewife Envision Plan.  (Sullivan Chamber) [Chair = Nolan]

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will meet to conduct a public hearing on an order to amend the Municipal Code of the City of Cambridge to insert new section Restricting the Use of Chemical Crowd Control Agents and Kinetic Impact Projectiles.  (Sullivan Chamber) [Co-Chairs = Carlone, McGovern]

Tues, June 8

11:00am   The City Council's Economic Development and University Relations Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss strategies and opportunities to alleviate permit and license fees for small businesses, through possible consolidation or elimination.  (Sullivan Chamber) [Chair = Mallon]

Wed, June 9

11:00am   The City Council's Health and Environment Committee will meet to discuss the city's progress on our Zero Waste Plan, and relevant items referred to committee, including eliminating single use plastics.  (Sullivan Chamber)

5:00pm   The City Council's Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts & Celebrations Committee will hold a public hearing to follow-up from the initial neighborhood group hearing and further discuss how the City can work with groups.  (Sullivan Chamber) [Chair = Nolan]

Thurs, June 10

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Cambridge Missing Middle Housing Zoning Petition (Ordinance #2021-2).  (Sullivan Chamber) [Co-Chairs = Carlone, McGovern]

Tues, June 15

11:00am   The City Council's Government Operations Committee will meet to discuss the hiring of the next City Manager.  (Sullivan Chamber) [Chair = Simmons]

Comments?

Foreign Affairs and Other Adventures – May 17, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Election-year dynamics are in full swing as our incumbents tailor their appeal to voters whose attention lies both inside and outside the borders of our little 6.39 square mile peoples republic. Here are the items that drew my attention this week:

Manager's Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-58, regarding a report on creating a comprehensive digital, postal, and traditional media outreach campaign educating residents on the Cambridge eviction moratorium, tenants' rights, and resources available to at-risk tenants.
Placed on File 9-0

Now that the Governor has announced that we're going to 100% Reopening as of May 29 and all the Covid indicators are rapidly trending in a good direction, is there any legal justification for maintaining the eviction moratorium? By the way, there is no indication of any “tsunami of evictions” coming any time soon in Cambridge, and the communication notes that “Thankfully, numbers have been very low in Cambridge, and we believe this is due in part to the strong and ongoing partnerships the City has built and continues to build with property management companies.” It is, however, an election year, so I expect to see a tsunami of rhetoric coming regardless.

Manager's Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-3, regarding a report on the parameters on eligible expenses from Free Cash.
Referred to Finance Committee 9-0 (Mallon)

This is great to have some clarity for our research-challenged councillors. There are definitely some councillors who would like nothing more than to hand out cash and prizes - especially to those whose memories run until at least next November - but state law and the Mass. Constitution does not grant such ease to cities and towns. We are obliged to be creative (as in paying restaurants to provide meals on a fee for service basis during the pandemic) or at least to cast such expenditures in terms of broad public benefit even if the resources are going directly to individuals (as is the case with most housing programs).

Manager's Agenda #7. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $70,000 from the Mitigation Revenue Stabilization Fund to the Public Investment Fund Community Development Extraordinary Expenditures account from mitigation funds contributed by Regency Centers to the Harvard Square Improvement Fund as a condition of special permit #PB334 which will be used for the purchase and installation of public space improvements on Palmer Street in Harvard Square.
Order Adopted 9-0

This expenditure is pocket change, but the intention (I believe) is to work with the abutting property owners on Palmer Street to recreate it as a much more active and interesting space where the boundary between private and public space is intentionally blurred. This alley is necessary for deliveries and other utilitarian needs, but with very little other traffic it's a perfect location for music and other performances. Movies, hot dog vendors, and other street food would also be nice. Making this a spectacular space will likely cost significantly more than $70K, but I'm sure some of the abutters can chip in. Maybe we can have a pickup game of stick-ball there sometime. If you hit the Coop bridge on the fly, that has to be at least a triple.

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Manager's Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to revised versions of the Retail Zoning Petition and Home Occupations Zoning Petition.
Petition Amended by Substitution (CDD text) 9-0; Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0

Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee held a public hearing on Apr 14, 2021 regarding the Retail Uses Zoning Recommendations - Refiled (Ordinance #2021-3) and the Home Occupations Zoning Recommendations - Refiled (Ordinance #2021-4).
Report Accepted, Place on File 9-0

Much of this is long overdue, but the list of proposed changes is just long. Would anyone like to translate and simplify for the rest of us?

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On the Table #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-64, requesting Home Rule language to allow for acoustic live entertainment performances in small businesses under certain conditions without a license. [TABLED IN COUNCIL FEB 22, 2021]
Placed on File 9-0

Manager's Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to additional information on a Acoustic Music response currently On the Table. [License Commission Mar 9, 2021 Memo] [License Commission Feb 22, 2021 Memo]
Placed on File 9-0

This new response from the License Commission makes a lot of sense. One area that never gets the attention it deserves is how the City and the License Commission balance competing interests in mixed use zones, e.g. when a venue that could generate noise is in close proximity to apartments. This becomes especially important with more people working from home.

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Manager's Agenda #10. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-13, regarding next steps on implementation of Universal Pre-K.
Placed on Table 9-0 (Sobrinho-Wheeler)

I like reading these kinds of things. All too often the refrain from City leaders is about public assistance rather than economic and personal empowerment; and education - from pre-K on up to college-level classes - is a big part of what constitutes empowerment.

Manager's Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to further proposed amendments to the Tree Protection Ordinance and draft regulations. [Attachment A] [Attachment B] [Attachment C]
Placed on Table 9-0 (Zondervan)

Please, councillors, just let homeowners make reasonable choices about how we manage our property without inflicting onerous requirements or excessive costs just because you think you know what's best. That may involve a little trust. Is that something you can warm up to?

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Charter Right #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with all relative City departments, the Central Square BID and the MBTA to close Mass Ave. from Prospect Street to Sydney Street on Friday and Saturday evenings from 7:00pm to 1:00am through September 2021 and report back to the Council. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN IN COUNCIL MAY 10, 2021]
Order Adopted 8-0-0-1 (Zondervan - Present)

Order #3. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Community Development Department, the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department, the City Manager's Small Business Advisory Committee, the Cambridge Business Coalition, and other relevant City Departments to outline a plan for future outdoor dining and necessary City supports to ensure its’ success.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

It has been great seeing how creative some business owners (and business associations and business improvement districts) have been as they navigated the pandemic working cooperatively with City departments. I expect this will continue long after the pandemic. That said, just closing down a street for the sake of saying you closed down a street isn't especially helpful. Shutting down Mass. Ave. every Friday and Saturday night would have a lot of ripple effects on transportation and on the surrounding streets, and it's not at all clear what, if any, benefits might result. The action is on the sidewalks and outdoor patios right now and not in the middle of the street. Save the full closures for a few targeted events on some summer and fall weekend afternoons. Definitely make the extended patios a permanent part of the non-winter pedestrian experience in places like Central Square.

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Charter Right #3. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to instruct the Law Department to review the proposed ordinance to reduce or limit campaign donations, POR 2020 #240, and respond to the City Council, in a reasonable time, with suggested edits, comments and recommendations. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN IN COUNCIL MAY 10, 2021]
Order Adopted 9-0

Charter Right #4. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the City Solicitor’s Office to draft a Home Rule Petition that would cap campaign contributions to any City Council candidate to $200 per person, per year, per candidate. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN IN COUNCIL MAY 10, 2021]
Order Adopted 7-2 (Carlone, Zondervan - NO)

I seriously think this is more political distraction than anything else. There's a morality faux fight implicit in all this that's borderline pathetic. If you simply shine a very bright light on candidates whose campaigns are fueled from questionable sources, that should be enough.

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Resolution #5. Resolution on the death of John E. "Jack" Flynn.   Councillor Toomey
Resolution Adopted 9-0

This was really sad news. I hadn't heard a word about Jackie in years. He was once upon a time a fixture in the City Clerk's office and at City Hall.

Resolution #6. Death of Jenna Santos.   Mayor Siddiqui
Resolution Adopted 9-0

I read about this in a School Committee communication. It has been a rough year for current CRLS students and some recent CRLS graduates. I heard just the other day about another recent CRLS graduate who died of a drug overdose in Central Square.

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Resolution #7. In Support of H.R.2590, “The Palestinian Children and Families Act”.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern
Charter Right - Nolan

Order #6. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the Purchasing Department to review Cambridge’s corporate contracts and identify any companies that are in violation of Cambridge’s policy on discrimination, including (but not limited to) Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Hewlett Packard Incorporated over their role in abetting apartheid in the Middle East, and to suggest alternatives for Cambridge to explore in order to ensure the city embody the values it put on paper.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Carlone
Charter Right - Nolan

I respectfully disagree.

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Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to (1) refresh the rainbow benches outside of City Hall by June 1, 2021, (2) re-paint the crosswalks in colors that represent the Trans Flag, the Pride Flag, the Bi Flag and the People of Color Pride Flag by June 1, 2021, and (3) light City Hall up in rainbow colors in recognition of Pride Month from June 1, 2021-June 12, 2021.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0

This is all well and good, but at some point the question has to be raised regarding how long any given “statement” should remain on City Hall or the surrounding area. For example, the “Juneteenth” flag appeared on City Hall last summer when that day (June 19) was recognized. One might reasonably think that the flag would come down after the holiday and return again this summer, but it remained all year - most likely because of the racial theme during a difficult year. What is awkward here is that even the suggestion that such a flag should be removed until the next celebration could likely be viewed as a hostile act. Nobody is likely to ask about policies regarding such matters because of the discomfort, but there really should be policies and practices that apply to such commemorations and statements. While I'm risking offense, I may as well also note that those POW-MIA flags have been flying now probably since the Vietnam Conflict was still raging. Here's a suggestion - charge the Civic Unity Committee with making recommendations regarding how and for what duration flags and similar things should be displayed.

Order #2. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Massachusetts State Police, and MassDOT to develop a holistic plan for managing the traffic and congestion in the Alewife area and report back to the City Council.   Councillor Nolan, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Cambridge comes full circle. For those who didn't just move here, let me remind everyone that this is precisely what kicked off the whole adventure that resulted in the “Envision Cambridge” process. It's almost like our “Envision” needs a new prescription every year.

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Order #4. The City Manager be and hereby is requested to consult with relevant Department heads and the nonprofit community on "Digital Equity" and report back to the Council with an implementation plan, schedule, and request for appropriation.   Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Order #5. That the City Manager be and hereby is ordered to consult with relevant Department heads on other broadband benefits programs offered by the Federal government, and report back to the City Council on the City’s plans to leverage these funds in pursuit of Digital Equity.   Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

I often wonder these days how many City Council orders are ghost-written on Cottage Street or Laurel Street or in some Somerville apartment. By the way, I signed the original petition for municipal broadband, but the more this drags on the more my doubts grow regarding whether that's even a good road to travel. Sometimes it just seems more like just a wedge issue that exists primarily to argue for charter reform and/or clear-cutting the City administration. - Robert Winters

Comments?

Of interest on the May 10, 2021 City Council Agenda

Big ticket loan authorizations, juggling finances, tax implications, political machinations and more.

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a COVID-19 Update.
Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui transmitting questions for the COVID-19 Update.
Placed on File 9-0

I have been updating the COVID data and graphs every day for over a year now, and there is nothing I would like more than to see the daily new infections drop to zero so that the graphs will have literally nothing to show and we can all just call it a day and start focusing on other things. We are now down to single digits, and you can actually see faces emerging again.

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Manager's Agenda #2. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of the FY2021 Cultural Investment Portfolio Program Grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council in the amount of $12,100 to the Grant Fund Historical Commission Salaries and Wages account ($12,100) which will continue to support part-time archives assistants, who maintain the public archive of Cambridge history.
Order Adopted 9-0

Manager's Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-11 regarding filling vacant positions.
Placed on File 9-0

Leaving budgeted positions unfilled was a key component of the City's strategy for navigating the pandemic with its diminished revenue and added expenses. This year's Budget Book shows that FY2020 had an Adopted Budget of $665,550,940 but actual expenditures of $639,240,005 - a savings of $26,310,935. The FY2021 Adopted Budget was $702,432,985, but the Projected FY2021 expenditures are $705,360,745 - just $2,927,760 more than was adopted in June 2020. The new total FY2020 Budget is $735,203,865.

It remains to be seen what the net effect of the pandemic will be on revenues and the resulting tax rates that will be determined in the Fall. Suffice to say that commercial tax revenues are tied to income generation from those properties, and many of them remained vacant or partially vacant for much of this past year. I would like very much to learn more about the property tax abatement applications and whether or not this could result in a significant shift of the tax burden from commercial properties onto residential properties - even if only for a year or two. Needless to say, revenue sources like the hotel/motel tax will be a fraction of what they have been prior to the pandemic and many fees have been reduced or waived.

The Budget Hearings start tomorrow (Tues, May 11). This week's hearing will include the Cambridge Police Department (CPD) Budget along with many other department budgets. Look for plenty of political grandstanding. The FY2020 CPD Adopted Budget was $63,384,730 and the FY2020 actual expenditures were $61,191,815. Last June the CPD Adopted Budget was $65,925,945 amidst the confused complaints of those who thought we were Minneapolis, and the FY2021 projected CPD expenditures should ring in at around $63,919,100. The FY2022 Budget calls for $68,731,130. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the City Council insisted on reducing this by some token amount just so they could include that in their campaign literature.

Don't be surprised if by Tuesday evening you find me arguing in favor of replacing proportional representation elections by a system of random selection of 9 people from the Registered Voting List.

Manager's Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-31, regarding funding for housing stabilization assistance in the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget.
Placed on File 9-0

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Manager's Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $28,500,000 to provide funds for the construction of sewer separation, storm water management and combined sewer overflow reduction elimination improvements within River Street and Harvard Square areas as well as the Sewer Capital Repairs Program and climate change preparedness efforts.
Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0

Manager's Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $1,800,000 to provide funds for various Schools for projects that include: asbestos abatement in various schools, replace the front plaza and failing masonry wing walls and recaulking the building at the Haggerty School, replace emergency generator and extend exhaust at Cambridgeport, recaulking precast panels at CRLS Field House, unit vents engineering at the Fletcher Maynard Academy and Longfellow building and replace the gym floor at the Amigos School.
Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0

Manager's Agenda #10. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $10,000,000 to provide funds for the Municipal Facilities Improvement Plan. Funds will support improvements at the Department of Public Works Complex, Moses Youth Center HVAC Design, fire notification system installation at 11 buildings, Coffon building bathroom rehab and upgrades and MFIP study. Also, included is funding to support fire station improvements including: Lafayette Square fire station improvements (floor slab, kitchen and gym flooring replacement), Taylor Square fire station improvements (decontamination showers, installation and parapet improvement), East Cambridge fire station improvements (sanitary storm system replacement and generator installation) and Lexington Ave. fire station driveway construction.
Passed to 2nd Reading 8-0-1 (Simmons Absent)

Manager's Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $5,000,000 to provide funds for the reconstruction of various City streets and sidewalks.
Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0

These loan authorizations (bonds) total $45,300,000. In addition, the FY2022 Public Investment Budget (Pay-As-You-Go) is proposed to be $38,610,865. This brings the total proposed amount for Public Investment to $83,910,865. The funding sources are: Bond Proceeds ($16,800,000), Chapter 90 ($2,706,330), Community Development Block Grant ($1,549,380), Departmental Revenue ($6,027,155), Mitigation Revenue ($3,403,000), Parking Fund Revenues ($1,150,000), Property Taxes ($15,725,000), Sewer Bond Proceeds ($28,500,000), Sewer Service Charges ($2,750,000), Water Fund Balance ($1,800,000), and Water Service Charges ($3,500,000)

The amounts associated with bonds will be paid over time through the Debt Service budget which was $74,269,970 (actual) in FY2020, $78,854,890 (projected) in FY2021, and $82,441,070 (proposed) for FY2022. Just for the sake of comparison over the years, the Debt Service was $8,277,290 in FY1992, $11,493,110 in FY2000, $23,917,070 in FY2005, $43,293,670 in FY2010, and $50,446,035 in FY2015. The choice to pay for much of the capital investments via bonds is at least in part due to the low interest rates we can get thanks to our AAA bond ratings.

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Manager's Agenda #13. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the first Cycling Safety Ordinance report which analyzes the block-by-block impacts of installing quick-build separated bike lanes on four specific segments of Massachusetts Avenue, as identified in Section 12.22.040 (E) of the ordinance.
Refer to Transportation & Public Utilities Committee 9-0

The rhetoric will be entertaining. Parking is now referred to as "private vehicle storage" in order to characterize it as diametrically opposite to "community benefit." The underlying presumption is that all righteous people will soon travel and shop via bicycle - except for those surly laborers who actually deliver your goods, fix your plumbing, install your solar panels and vegetated roofs, etc. By the way, how was your latte this morning?

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Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with all relative city departments, the Central Square BID and the MBTA to close Mass Ave. from Prospect Street to Sydney Street on Friday and Saturday evenings from 7:00pm to 1:00am through September 2021 and report back to the Council.   Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons
Charter Right - Zondervan

I don't yet know of anyone in the Central Square business community who supports this, and I'm sure that the traffic that's diverted to the parallel residential streets will go over superbly with the residents on those streets. I'm not saying that there can't be some positive aspects to this, but it strikes me as naive and political as opposed to informed and practical. Selectively re-purposing some streets in Central Square during certain hours and certain days has a lot of merit (and some of this is already planned), but vacating the Massachusetts Ave. roadway on weekend evenings seems neither necessary nor helpful. A more helpful suggestion would be to help facilitate a few summer weekend closures for festivals with music - assuming, of course, that the Covid numbers continue to drop.

Order #2. In support of H. 3559, An Act Relative to Public Transit Electrification.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Toomey
Order Adopted 9-0 as Amended

This is specific to public transit and calls for (a) blocking any proposed conversion to fuel-powered buses on any of bus routes now powered by overhead wires; (b) having an all-electric MBTA bus fleet within approximately a decade; and (c) converting all commuter rail lines from diesel to electric. While I find a lot of this to be unnecessarily rigid, especially in terms of the durability and route flexibility of the buses, I would like to see not only the electrification of many of the commuter rail lines, but also the folding of some of those lines into an expanded rapid transit system with far more frequent service.

Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee met on Feb 24, 2021 conduct a public hearing on the following ordinance amendments.
(1) That the City Council adopt a municipal ordinance to reduce or limit campaign donations from donors seeking to enter into a contract, seeking approval for a special permit or up-zoning, seeking to acquire real estate from the city, or seeking financial assistance from the city.
(2) The Cambridge City Council direct the City Manager to work with the City Solicitor’s Office to draft a Home Rule Petition that would cap campaign contributions to any City Council candidate to $200 per person, per year, per candidate and limit candidate loans to $3,000 per election cycle.
Charter Right - McGovern

We have heard variations of these proposals more times than I care to count, and the legal complications of some of the proposed ideas aren't even worth repeating at this point. It's as though proposals like this are integral parts of the campaign rhetoric of some candidates - and whether they are ever implemented in some form is almost irrelevant.

Local political campaigns nowadays do not necessarily require a fortune to be successful - and there is a lot of evidence that the keys to a successful campaign have more to do with social media and shoe leather than with mammoth campaign war chests. In fact, there are some voters (like me) who look upon excessively funded campaigns with more suspicion than respect. The increasing role of political action committees (PACs) in local campaigns is not even being raised by city councillors, and that goes especially for those councillors who are backed by these PACs and appear on their candidate slates - even as the campaign accounts of these PACs are being converted to "Independent Expenditure PACs" with little or no transparency. [References: Cambridge City Council Campaign Receipts 2021 and Cambridge City Council Campaign Receipts 2019]

Personally, I would rather see voluntary caps on spending and full disclosure by all players in the political campaigns - including all organizations who are working to unlevel the playing field and influence the outcomes. A roster of all the people associated with these organizations would also be helpful since simply calling yourselves "Better" means about as much as saying "Make Cambridge Great Again" when what you're really doing is just creating more investment opportunities to exploit (not that there's anything wrong with investment). - Robert Winters

Comments?

For Your Consideration on the May 3, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting agenda

Here are the things I found interesting, alarming, or downright absurd this week:

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a COVID-19 update.
Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting questions for the COVID-19 update.
Placed on File 9-0

It was a pleasure going for a walk this weekend without the mask (except when in close proximity with other people). Let's hope that things continue on the road to normalcy (or at least close to normal).

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Manager's Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appointment of The Port Infrastructure Project Working Group, effective May 3, 2021 for a period of 12-15 months.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager's Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-25, regarding a report on monitoring drought conditions and an update on demand projections.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager's Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-66, regarding a report on establishing a Black and Brown-Owned Business Task Force.
Placed on File 9-0

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Manager's Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the FY2022 submitted budget and appropriation orders. [FY2022 Summaries] [FY2022 Budget Book]
Referred to Finance Committee 9-0

I like to track how the budgets of the various City departments change from year to year and in the long term. Here's a chart showing the one-year and two-year changes as well as the 17-year changes.

The big jumps upward this year are for the Law Department (up 23.4% in one year and 38.6% over two years), the Executive Department, i.e. the City Manager's Office (up 14.3% in one year and 28.8% over two years), and the Animal Commission (up 12.4% in one year but just 0.9% over two years). It is notable that the Mayor's Office budget dropped 15.3% from the previous year. The overall proposed budget is up 4.7% from the previous year and 10.5% from two years earlier.

It's not so easy to ascertain from just the summaries how the Covid-19 pandemic expressed itself in the FY22 Budget, but perhaps that will become more clear when information about positions purposely left unfilled is known. There will also be $83.9 million in Loan Authorizations for Capital Projects that will appear on next week's agenda.

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Charter Right #1. That the City Manager is requested to present a plan to the City Council to increase the affordable homeownership stock over the next 10 years by financing the construction of affordable homeownership units through a bond issue of no less than $500 million. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS IN COUNCIL APR 26, 2021] [Order #3 of Apr 26, 2021]
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

As I said last week: “I think it's a great idea to encourage and even facilitate homeownership - especially for those who have lived in Cambridge for a long time or possibly their entire lives. Of course in Cambridge-speak, the phrase ‘affordable homeownership’ doesn't just mean facilitating the purchase of a home. There are always strings attached with ‘social housing,’ and ultimately a ‘homeowner’ could never actually build up any significant equity in the property. For many prospective homeowners, looking elsewhere would still likely be the better long-term option. A program I could definitely warm up to would be one involving loan guarantees to assist prospective homeowners seeking to buy housing in the big wide housing world with fewer strings attached.”

Order #6. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Community Development Department, the Affordable Housing Trust, and other relevant City departments to provide options to update the HomeBridge and Affordable Home Ownership Programs to better align with the City’s values, and promote racial equity and socioeconomic justice.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

See above. The Housing Division of the City's Community Development Department is so addicted to control of the city's housing stock that it's doubtful they'll ever shift their priorities toward actual home ownership and economic equity. The Cambridge municipal view of “socioeconomic justice” generally involves some form of government control and limited or nonexistent equity.

Charter Right #2. That the City Manager is requested to work with the Cambridge Police Department to present a plan to the City Council for demilitarization, including the destruction and recycling of all rifles and shotguns, and elimination of the Lenco Bearcat. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS IN COUNCIL APR 26, 2021] [Order #5 of Apr 26, 2021]
Order Adopted as Amended by (McGovern) Substitution 8-1 (Zondervan - NO)

See my comments from last week on this item. To repeat: “I don't believe most city councillors ever consider the really exceptional circumstances where greater security is needed. They see only situations where people engaged in protests are offended by ‘the optics’ of large vehicles, weapons, and extra defensive gear. It's a great luxury (and privilege) to never have to consider the exceptional circumstances.”

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On the Table #4. That the City Council shall have its own budget for outside legal research to be utilized at the discretion of the Council when designated by a majority of members in pursuance of the Council’s authority to exercise the legislative powers of the City as specified in the City charter. [TABLED IN COUNCIL APR 26, 2021] [Amended Order #8 of Apr 12, 2021]
Adopted as Amended 7-2 (Simmons, Toomey - NO)

On the Table #5. A communication was received from City Solicitor, Nancy E. Glowa, transmitting Legal Opinion Regarding Request to Have Legal Resources Committed to Assist City Council with Legal Research and Drafting of Ordinances Pursuant to Orders Voted Upon in Public at Scheduled City Council Meetings. [TABLED IN COUNCIL APR 26, 2021] [Late Communication of Apr 26, 2021]
Placed on File 9-0

My comments from last week, including in the aftermath of the Late Communication from City Solicitor Nancy Glowa (who was simply stating facts and not "defending her turf" as some have described her comments): “If this were to happen there is no doubt whatsoever that we would soon see five councillors hand-picking their own lawyer who would then be pitted against the City Solicitor - a recipe for chaos. Furthermore, the City Council is under no obligation to abide by the legal advice of the City Solicitor - though that would generally be a rather poor choice.”

Ms. Glowa's well-researched and informative communication includes the following: “However, it is not possible, legally or ethically, to provide independent legal counsel to the City Council that would not be under the direction of and reporting to the City Solicitor for the reasons set forth above. It could lead to "dualling lawyers", representing different components of the same client - the City of Cambridge - a situation which “creates a serious potential for confusion and contradiction in the direction of the City's litigation, as well as the potential for disruption of the City's business in the event that the advice rendered differs between each attorney.”

In addition to this Late Communication, the City Solicitor forcefully reminded the City Council of the potential jeopardy of proceeding with the Order as originally written. Specifically, Section 107 of the Plan E Charter (which is part of the Mass. General Laws) states that “Neither the city council nor any of its committees or members shall direct or request the appointment of any person to, or his removal from, office by the city manager or any of his subordinates, or in any manner take part in the appointment or removal of officers and employees in that portion of the service of said city for whose administration the city manager is responsible. Except for the purpose of inquiry, the city council and its members shall deal with that portion of the service of the city as aforesaid solely through the city manager, and neither the city council nor any member thereof shall give orders to any subordinate of the city manager either publicly or privately. Any member of the city council who violates, or participates in the violation of, any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, and upon final conviction thereof his office in the city council shall thereby be vacated and he shall never again be eligible for any office or position, elective or otherwise, in the service of the city.

After the April 26 meeting Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler opined that this section of the Charter was only meant to prevent a councillor from forcing the firing of a City employee. That is a woefully incorrect reading of this clause. Some councillors appeared to be mock-offended at the suggestion of jail time, but it should be obvious to anyone who can read that the greater penalty would be removal from office and the prohibition from ever seeking that office again.

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Unfinished Business #7. A Zoning Petition has been received from Amy Oliver, regarding that the City require the installation of GREEN ROOFS vegetated or BioSolar on future construction and significant rehab of buildings that are 20,000 square feet and larger. [PASSED TO A SECOND READING IN COUNCIL APR 12, 2021] [Text as Amended on Apr 26, 2021]
Ordained as Amended 6-0-0-3 (Mallon, Simmons, Toomey - PRESENT)

Though the Planning Board voted 8-1 against this petition as originally drafted, our compulsively prescriptive City Council will likely ordain this by a comfortable margin.

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Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to ensure that additional funding for Housing Stability shall be made available throughout FY22 if the City Council advises that the need is present.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Order #3. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to work with Community Development and Traffic, Parking and Transportation to include an EV requirement in their review of development projects, including that a minimum of 25% of all parking spaces shall be EVSE-Installed, meaning a parking space equipped with functioning Level 2 Chargers, or the equivalent thereof must be provided, and that all parking spaces be EV-ready, meaning raceway to every parking space, adequate space in the electrical panel, and space for additional transformer capacity; the City approved EV Requirement Equivalent Calculator must be used if chargers other than Level 2 Chargers are installed.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 9-0

There is little doubt that with electric vehicles becoming more common there will have to be a lot more rethinking about how "filling stations" give way to "charging stations". Even with the best of new battery technologies it's unlikely that the time needed to charge up an electric vehicle will ever be close to the time it takes to fill up the gas tank. It's not hard to imagine a future where charging is widely available in most garages, but it's not nearly so easy to imagine how cars parked on the street will routinely access the necessary charging. I imagine long road trips will also have to be reimagined to allow time and the means for charging. All this makes me think of a relevant song by Phil Ochs.

Order #5. That the Cambridge City Council goes on record in support of the Bathroom Bill of Rights being sponsored by Free to Flush.   Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0

I wonder if this Bathroom Bill of Rights will encompass the right to deal and inject drugs or provide sexual services like the toilet now parked on City Hall property on the Inman Street side. The red indicator on the door used to mean "occupied" but now means "open for business."

Order #7. Free The Vaccine Resolution.   Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted 9-0

I believe resolution of this is already happening even without a Cambridge City Council resolution.

Order #8. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to work with the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department to apply for the Shared Streets and Spaces Grant Program and if grants are received to work with the community before implementation of a program.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

It's nice that the Cambridge City Council recognizes some of the adaptation and success that has come about thanks to the initiative of the Central Square BID in cooperation with the City administration, but I don't really know what role, if any, the City Council has played in any of this other than the photo ops.

Order #9. That the Cambridge City Council go on record standing in solidarity with the MNA nurses campaigning for fair contract negotiations with Cambridge Health Alliance.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
Order Adopted 9-0

Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee met on Dec 9, 2021 to conduct a public hearing on the Cannabis Delivery-Only Zoning Ordinance petition.
Report Accepted, Placed on File, Order Adopted 9-0

It's all about the money - and picking the winners.

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting charter assessment: review and reform. [2nd Memo provided late]
Placed on File 9-0

Rarely have I seen a more vacuous communication as this. It refers to the attached memo that supposedly contains “an overview of the individual discussions with each Council member, recommendations and alternatives for the Council to consider, and potential next steps for this process.” There was no attachment other than a link to the previous memo from nearly 7 weeks earlier. It's pretty clear that conversations on this topic have been happening but only in this Council's characteristic lack of transparency. - Robert Winters

Comments?

Monday Night Live - Featured Items from the April 26, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Here you go:

Manager's Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Simmons ABSENT)

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting questions for the COVID-19 update.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Simmons ABSENT)

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Manager's Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-16, regarding creating a Commercial Composting Pilot program. [Report from DPW]
Placed on File 9-0

Manager's Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to proposed amendment to Section 8.66 of the Municipal Ordinance related to Tree Protection and related Orders. [attachment A][attachment B][attachment C][attachment D]
Orders Adopted 8-1 (Toomey - NO) to (1) pass the amendment through all stages of legislation in one session pursuant to City Council Rule 20, and (2) to extend the temporary moratorium to June 30, 2021.

Another Ordinance Committee meeting is scheduled for this Wed, Apr 28 to take care of any remaining details prior to ordination. It is my understanding that even though the current proposal calls for permits for removal of "Significant Trees" even on small lots, there is at least some recognition that exceptions should be made re: mitigation – e.g. dead and dangerous trees, exceptional circumstances, etc. I just hope that if a homeowner has a sensible plan there won't be any burdensome costs imposed or other punitive actions. Homeowners should have a right to make reasonable choices without government intervention.

It's worth noting that developers of subsidized housing projects can do whatever they damn well please.

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Manager's Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to follow up materials relative to the Green Roofs Zoning Petition. [Report]
Referred to Petition 9-0

Unfinished Business #4. A Zoning Petition has been received from Amy Oliver, regarding that the City require the installation of GREEN ROOFS vegetated or BioSolar on future construction and significant rehab of buildings that are 20,000 square feet and larger. [PASSED TO A SECOND READING IN COUNCIL APR 12, 2021 TO BE ORDAINED ON OR AFTER APR 26, 2021]
Amended and left on Unfinished Business for another week

This will likely have the votes necessary for ordination either this week or next week. Debate continues on whether an all-solar option should be allowed. This proposal would only apply to new construction with gross floor area in excess of 25,000 sq ft.. It was a bit chilling, however, to hear one city councillor suggest that this should apply to a roof as small as 1,000 sq ft even for renovations. While I think it would be great if homeowners were willing to do such a roof treatment, it is likely that maintaining a "green roof" (as opposed to some solar panels) would be neither simple nor inexpensive. Anyone who has ever had to diagnose and correct a roof leak will understand this.

It's worth noting that developers of subsidized housing projects can do whatever they damn well please.

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Charter Right #1. That the City Council shall have its own budget for outside legal research to be utilized at the discretion of the Council when designated by a majority of members in pursuance of the Council’s authority to exercise the legislative powers of the City as specified in the City charter. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS IN COUNCIL APR 12, 2021]
Amended 9-0; Tabled 5-4 (DC,AM,MM,DS,TT - YES; PN,JSW,QZ,SS - NO)

LATE COMMUNICATION
Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from City Solicitor, Nancy E. Glowa, transmitting Legal Opinion Regarding Request to Have Legal Resources Committed to Assist City Council with Legal Research and Drafting of Ordinances Pursuant to Orders Voted Upon in Public at Scheduled City Council Meetings. [original]
Tabled 5-4 (DC,AM,MM,DS,TT - YES; PN,JSW,QZ,SS - NO)

To repeat: “If this were to happen there is no doubt whatsoever that we would soon see five councillors hand-picking their own lawyer who would then be pitted against the City Solicitor - a recipe for chaos. Furthermore, the City Council is under no obligation to abide by the legal advice of the City Solicitor - though that would generally be a rather poor choice.”

In addition to this Late Communication, the City Solicitor forcefully reminded the City Council of the potential jeopardy of proceeding with the Order as originally written. Specifically, Section 107 of the Plan E Charter (which is part of the Mass. General Laws) states that “Neither the city council nor any of its committees or members shall direct or request the appointment of any person to, or his removal from, office by the city manager or any of his subordinates, or in any manner take part in the appointment or removal of officers and employees in that portion of the service of said city for whose administration the city manager is responsible. Except for the purpose of inquiry, the city council and its members shall deal with that portion of the service of the city as aforesaid solely through the city manager, and neither the city council nor any member thereof shall give orders to any subordinate of the city manager either publicly or privately. Any member of the city council who violates, or participates in the violation of, any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, and upon final conviction thereof his office in the city council shall thereby be vacated and he shall never again be eligible for any office or position, elective or otherwise, in the service of the city.

After the meeting Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler opined that this section of the Charter was only meant to prevent a councillor from forcing the firing of a City employee. That is a woefully incorrect reading of this clause. Some councillors appeared to be mock-offended at the suggestion of jail time, but it should be obvious to anyone who can read that the greater penalty would be removal from office and the prohibition from ever seeking that office again.

Order #1. Divestment from Fossil Fuels and Private Prisons.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan
Adopted as Amended 9-0

It's not so clear that the City of Cambridge has ever invested in either fossil fuels or private prisons. This Order seems to be directed more toward investment choices of the Cambridge Retirement Board. Though I'm sure such advice should be seriously considered, it's not at all clear whether the City Council should be directing how the Cambridge Retirement Board invests funds for current and future retired City employees.

Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to present a plan to the City Council to increase the affordable homeownership stock over the next 10 years by financing the construction of affordable homeownership units through a bond issue of no less than $500 million.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Simmons
Charter Right - Simmons

I think it's a great idea to encourage and even facilitate homeownership - especially for those who have lived in Cambridge for a long time or possibly their entire lives. Of course in Cambridge-speak, the phrase “affordable homeownership” doesn't just mean facilitating the purchase of a home. There are always strings attached with “social housing,” and ultimately a “homeowner” could never actually build up any significant equity in the property. For many prospective homeowners, looking elsewhere would still likely be the better long-term option. A program I could definitely warm up to would be one involving loan guarantees to assist prospective homeowners seeking to buy housing in the big wide housing world with fewer strings attached.

Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to work with the Cambridge Police Department to present a plan to the City Council for demilitarization, including the destruction and recycling of all rifles and shotguns, and elimination of the Lenco Bearcat.   Councillor Zondervan
Charter Right - Simmons

When I read an Order like this, my mind immediately drifts back to that day some years ago when the President of the United States and the President of China made a visit to Sanders Theater/Memorial Hall at Harvard. There were thousands of people lining the streets and the security was impressive - with one exception. I was able to step out onto a roof overlooking the motorcade with a direct line of sight from four stories up (think Texas Book Depository). A few minutes later a swarm of police rushed up to that rooftop to very politely escort me and another person from this roof that they previously had no idea was accessible. Worry not, there were snipers who would have prevented any bad intentions on my part.

The reason this little adventure comes to mind is that I don't believe most city councillors ever consider the really exceptional circumstances where greater security is needed. They see only situations where people engaged in protests are offended by “the optics” of large vehicles, weapons, and extra defensive gear. It's a great luxury (and privilege) to never have to consider the exceptional circumstances.

Order #7. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Director of Personnel and the Law Department on updating the City of Cambridge’s Parental Leave Policy for City of Cambridge employees.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

Committee Report #1. The Housing Committee will conduct a public hearing to receive updates from the Community Development Department, the Cambridge Housing Authority, Homeowners Rehab, Inc., and Just-A-Start on the work they are currently engaged in, and the impact of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic upon their operations.
Accept Report, Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, communicating information from the School Committee.
Placed on File 9-0

Lots of informative reading for your civic pleasure. - Robert Winters

And don't forget about these:

Wed, Apr 28

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the proposed amendments to the Tree Protection Ordinance.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Thurs, Apr 29

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Broad Canal Zoning Petition.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Comments?

A Peek at the April 12, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting agenda

Here are a few things coming up:

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Placed on File

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting questions for the COVID-19 Update.
Placed on File

The beat goes on. Things will get better but right now the variants are temporarlity making things worse. That said, I have seen good statistical models that suggest that the latest wave may peak by early May and drop substantially as we head into June and July. For the moment, however, we still have to take precautions, get vaccinated, and curb our enthusiasm.

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Charter Right #1. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $130,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Electrical Extraordinary Expenditures account which will fund the purchase of a new aerial bucket truck. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR NOLAN IN COUNCIL APR 5, 2021]
Order Adopted 8-1

Regardless of Councillor Nolan's enthusiasm to obliterate fossel fuels, motor vehicle, and anything that might create emissions (like cows?), there is more than a touch of micromanagement when a city councillor second-guesses a vehicle purchase that had already been vetted for its environmental worthiness (it's bio-diesel, but not electric).

Resolution #2. That the City Council go on the record in support of this session’s proposed TOPA bills, SD.1672 and HD.2984, and in urging the Cambridge State Legislative Delegation to advance this legislation to swift passage.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone
Resolution Adopted 8-1 (Toomey - NO)

My guess is that this resolution will pass without any substantial questions - and there should be questions raised about these bills. For example, should it be the rule that the "right of first refusal" can be assigned to a third-party entity so that existing tenants are not the ones getting an advantage in possible home-ownership opportunities? As one friend with first-hand knowledge of the Washington, DC law noted: “It is largely a mistake and hasn’t really done much for DC real estate values or tenant protections. The right in DC is transferable which has created a sub-market that has really only harmed small owners who need to sell in a pinch or in estate succession.”

My personal take on the proposal is that it is yet another attempt to move residential property from private ownership to “social ownership” with no real intention of empowering existing tenants to own their own housing. If you think this is about the admirable goal of forming tenant-owned coops, think again.

Order #1. Policy Order re: Making Remote Participation Permanent.   Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Carlone - ABSENT)

Order #2. Policy Order Re: Making Remote Public Participation Easier.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Carlone - ABSENT)

I spoke at a Government Operations Committee meeting on this topic last week. While I think it is clearly a good idea to continue to provide an opportunity for people to chime in remotely, this will never be a substitute for in-person participation. Getting 120 seconds to hastily read a statement with no opportunity for any back-and-forth interaction is more political theater than actual democracy. More importantly, remote participation should not just be about public comment.

On several occasions in the past I testified at Government Operations Committee meetings that there should be a separate website for every City Council committee that clearly shows what the current activity of the committee is, what actions have been taken or are pending, all supporting documents, and a mechanism for public input with a mechanism for ongoing feedback. I also believe that aides should assigned to committees rather than to individual councillors. Say what you will about remote participation during the pandemic, but the dark side is that much of the City Council business now takes place entirely out of view, and springing late orders at Council meetings or recruiting a parade of Zoom commenters is a poor substitute for deliberative public process.

Order #4. That the City and CPD create laminated, information cards detailing how an individual can file complaints and concerns regarding their interactions with CPD.   Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted 9-0

I remember a day when the Cambridge Police Department produced a series of trading cards (same size as baseball cards) for most and possibly all members of the Police Department. They even had a card for City Manager Bob Healy (I have it in my collection). Making informational business cards available may be useful, but I preferred the trading cards.

Order #5. That the Chair of Civic Unity schedule a meeting to discuss survey results, progress made to date, and recommendations to diversify City’s Boards and Commissions.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

With all that has gone down over the last year it's worth noting that the last time the City Council's Civic Unity Committee held a meeting was in May 2019 during the previous City Council term. Perhaps we should just trade it in for a Civic Disunity Committee and call it a day. Regarding the boards and commissions, the real difficulty has generally been in getting enough people to apply.

Order #6. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to consult with the Water Department and report back to the City Council by the end of the month on plans for monitoring the situation, for early communication on conserving water and for instituting water savings measures, and to inform the Water Board of this request.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0

Information is good. I will, however, point out that anyone (including city councillors) can go to the Water Department site to learn most of this information. In particular, there's a Drought Status page.

Order #7. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Community Development Department, the Law Department, and the City Manager’s Housing Liaison to discuss and advise on ways to increase equity in the initial application process for tenants looking to rent in Cambridge that does not violate fair housing laws.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Some of us don't do credit checks at all, but I certainly wouldn't want to deny a property owner the right or choice to do a credit check of potential tenants. On the other hand, if the sponsors of this Order want to personally contribute to a fund to underwrite any losses due to nonpayment of rent, that would be a very generous thing for them to do.

Order #8. That the City Council shall have its own budget for outside legal research to be utilized at the discretion of the Council when designated by a majority of members in pursuance of the Council’s authority to exercise the legislative powers of the City as specified in the City charter.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Carlone, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan
Charter Right - Simmons

If this were to happen there is no doubt whatsoever that we would soon see five councillors hand-picking their own lawyer who would then be pitted against the City Solicitor - a recipe for chaos. Furthermore, the City Council is under no obligation to abide by the legal advice of the City Solicitor - though that would generally be a rather poor choice.

Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee met on Feb 4, 2021 to conduct a public hearing on the Green Roofs zoning petition.
Report Accepted as Amended 9-0

Committee Report #2. The Ordinance Committee met on Mar 31, 2021 to continue a public hearing on the Green Roofs zoning petition.
Report Accepted; Passed to 2nd Reading as Amended 9-0
[Note: Two late policy orders were passed - (1) requesting information about possible impacts of removing the rooftop parking exemption, and (2) where to insert the phrase "That all affordable housing projects, including those that fall under the Affordable Housing Overlay, will be exempt from this section."]

I expect this will pass to a 2nd Reading and may even be ordained in a few weeks in its amended form. It is worth noting, however, that the Planning Board recommended against adoption and I would hope that all of the Planning Board's concerns are fully addressed before ordaining this. – Robert Winters

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And don't forget about these:

Wed, Apr 14

10:00am   The City Council's Health and Environment Committee will meet to conduct a public hearing regarding the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Retail Uses Zoning Recommendations - Refiled (Ordinance #2021-3) and the Home Occupations Zoning Recommendations - Refiled (Ordinance #2021-4).  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Thurs, Apr 29

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Broad Canal Zoning Petition.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Comments?

First Look at the April 5, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Here you go - picks of the letter:

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (DS - ABSENT)

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting questions for the COVID-19 Update.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (DS - ABSENT)

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Manager's Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointment of Charles J. Marquardt as an Election Commissioner for a four-year term, effective Apr 1, 2021.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager's Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following person as a member of the Community Preservation Act Committee for a term of five years, effective Apr 5, 2021: Owen O'Riordan and Mary Flynn.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager's Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation to adopt with comments for further consideration, Article 8.000 Nonconformity Zoning Petition.
Refer to Petition 9-0

Unfinished Business #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Zoning Petition which amends Article 8.000 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance. [PASSED TO A SECOND READING IN COUNCIL MAR 22, 2021; TO BE ADOPTED ON OR AFTER APR 5, 2021]
Ordained 9-0

Manager's Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation to adopt both the Retail Uses Zoning Petition and the Home Occupations Zoning Petition, with comments for further consideration.
Refer to Petition 9-0

Order #1. That the Housing Committee be and hereby is requested to schedule a hearing to discuss the Housing Choice Law and its potential implications for housing projects in Cambridge with representatives from the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, and community housing organizations.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Order #2. That the City Council amend the Article 22 of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge entitled “SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT” to insert a new section 22.24.4.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan
Amended and Referred to Ordinance Committee & Planning Board 9-0

Committee Report #1. The Neighborhood & Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations Committee met on Nov 24, 2020 to discuss Awaiting Report response on Harvard Square street closures.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, communicating information from the School Committee.
Placed on File 9-0

Late Order #5. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to ensure that all the information on the City's list of neighborhood organizations be updated, that a specific staffer be tasked with ensuring that the information is updated on an annual basis, and that the City Manager be and is requested to report back to the City Council on this matter in a timely manner.   Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

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And don't forget about these:

Wed, Apr 7

2:00pm   The City Council's Government Operations, Rules & Claims Committee will meet to discuss the policy order seeking to make remote participation in City Council meetings permanent.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

5:30pm   The City Council's Human Services and Veterans Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss plans for reopening of after school programs and summer camp opportunities through the City of Cambridge.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Thurs, Apr 8

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Cambridge Missing Middle Housing Zoning Petition (Ordinance #2021-2).  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Wed, Apr 14

10:00am   The City Council's Health and Environment Committee will meet to conduct a public hearing regarding the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Retail Uses Zoning Recommendations - Refiled (Ordinance #2021-3) and the Home Occupations Zoning Recommendations - Refiled (Ordinance #2021-4).  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Thurs, Apr 29

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Broad Canal Zoning Petition.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

 

Comments?

Trash Talking - March 29, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Here's my take on the interesting stuff:

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting questions for the City Manager's COVID-19 update.
Placed on File 9-0

My first vaccination appointment is this week (thanks, Jason and Patrick!) and I remain hopeful that the light at the end of the tunnel is shining more brightly. I am, however, getting anxious about the current rise in the 7-day average for the number for residents testing positive. Everyone I know is taking all the right precautions, but I'm worried that some people, particularly younger people, are getting careless.

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Manager's Agenda #4. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $1,500,000, from Free Cash, to the Public Investment Fund Public Works Extraordinary Expenditures account, to purchase and distribute standardized trash barrels to all residential buildings in the City’s trash program.
Order Adopted 9-0

Though I hope I'm not reading too much in-between the lines, there seems to be just a hint here that standardization and City-issuance of containers may at some point translate into greater regulation of how much solid waste will be permitted per building. That's perfectly OK by me since my building produces remarkably little trash (well, maybe some trash-talking!). If the City does move forward with this, I hope they can couple the program with requirements for better trash management for multi-family and mixed-use buildings, e.g. managing waste for the building as a whole rather than every unit individually. Some buildings simply have far more containers than they actually need.

When the recycling toters were first introduced I asked if it would be OK to keep a a single modest-sized toter for my triple-decker and use the old blue bins for any overflow, and I was told that would be OK. I hope the same will be the case for the rubbish containers. Many of us have limited space for bulky containers.

Manager's Agenda #5. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $335,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Public Works Extraordinary Expenditures account, to purchase and install Big Belly solar compactors on Cambridge Street between Inman Square and Lechmere Station.
Order Adopted 9-0

This seems like a nice addition, but I hope it doesn't become an expensive maintenance nightmare. The Big Bellies in Central Square are often broken, though our valiant Central Square BID ambassadors do a great job of keeping things clean and reporting any problems.

Manager's Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 19-58, regarding a report on drafting an ordinance banning single use plastic items.
Referred to Health & Environment Committee 9-0

Here's what I wrote nearly two years ago when this proposal was first introduced at the May 13, 2019 meeting: “One bit of advice — this time consider heeding the advice of the Advisory Committee and don't make changes on the fly at a committee hearing. Even better, spend some time learning about the recycling industry - from recovery of materials through the end markets. Recycling is as much about practicality as it is about idealism, and getting out too far ahead of the curve can often be counterproductive.”

I handled the Cambridge Recycling Hotline for at least 5 years and I can't tell you how many times a "wishcycler" would say something like "well it ought to be recyclable" when they were putting items in the blue bins which had no available market. In the case of plastic utensils there's the added difficulty that there's no practical way to distinguish the compostable from the noncompostable utensils, and even the compostable ones can only biodegrade under conditions not available under most composting systems.

I am in full agreement with the recommendations in the report. By the way, I served on the Recycling Advisory Committee for 22 years.

Manager's Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-23, regarding a report on implementing a curbside textile recycling program.
Referred to Health & Environment Committee 9-0

One of the inevitable outcomes of the pandemic and the increased amount of time most people spent at home was the desire to clear out years of accumulated materials - including textiles. This translated into lots of overflowing clothing donation bins as well as donations to various organizations that accept such donations.Once upon a time I set up an arrangement at the Cambridge Recycling Center for donations that would be collected by The Garment District (where the previous owners had family roots as the "rag men" going back many decades earlier). There is absolutely a demand for this service (but don't discount the value of Freecycle and "Buy Nothing Cambridge" and other online mechanisms for directly sharing things). The DPW report says that there are corrently no donation bins on City property, but I think there may still be one on Fulkerson Street at the Kennedy-Longfellow building.

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Manager's Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to request for approval to submit a Home Rule Petition that (1) would authorize the City of Cambridge (“City”) to relocate land protected by Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution (“Article 97”) at the Father Callanan Playground and Fields in Cambridge (“Callanan Field”) that are adjacent to the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools (the “Site”), and (2) would authorize the City to construct subsurface geothermal wells under a portion of the Callanan Field.
Order Adopted 9-0

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Order #3. That the Mayor is requested to work with the Finance Committee chairs to schedule a roundtable meeting of the Council as soon as possible to discuss budget priorities for Fiscal Year 22.   Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted 9-0

It's almost April. The FY22 Budget Book is probably almost ready to go to print. It seems a bit late in the game to ask for a Roundtable meeting to go over budget priorities for FY22. Those discussions should have happened before January. All that's left is the tweaks - unless the idea is to just crack open the piggy back and spread it around. I know that there are some councillors who openly talk about dramatically increasing property taxes "because we're a wealthy city". It's at times like these that I feel thankful for Bob Healy and Rich Rossi and Louis DePasquale and David Kale and many others who have done their best to moderate tax increases and prevent sticker shock over the years. It's one of the best aspects of our Plan E Charter.

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Late Order #4. That the Chair of the Civic Unity Committee be and hereby is requested to schedule a virtual meeting of the Safe Streets, Safe City initiative as soon as possible to provide a forum for the Cambridge Police to report back on any information about the murder of Mr. Louis-Jacques and other recent episiodes of gunshots that can be shared with the community, and for area stakeholders to begin sharing information and planning on how we can all work collaboratively to keep this community safe as we enter the summer months.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

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Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor, Sumbul Siddiqui, communicating information from the School Committee.
Placed on File 9-0

Teachers and staff are gettin' jabbed and soon enough the students will join in the jabbing. I never thought I would look forward to the gradual return to normalcy as so unbelievably extraordinary. - Robert Winters

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And don't forget about these:

Tues, Mar 30

6:30pm   Planning Board meeting  (Remote Meeting - web and Zoom only)

Public Hearings

6:30pm   Missing Middle Housing Zoning Petition
Zoning petition by Carolyn Fuller, et. al. to amend the Zoning Map of the City of Cambridge to reclassify all land currently in Residence A-1, Residence A-2, Residence B, Residence C, or Residence C-1 Districts as being in a newly created Residence N District, and to amend Articles 3.000, 4.000, 5.000, 6.000, and 11.000 of the Zoning Ordinance by deleting provisions effective in the Residence A-1, Residence A-2, Residence B, Residence C, and Residence C-1 Districts and creating use and dimensional requirements applicable in the new Residence N District, and by deleting minimum off-street parking requirements for nontransient residential uses, among other amendments. (Materials)

Wed, Mar 31

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will meet to continue a public hearing on the Green Roofs zoning petition.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Thurs, Apr 8

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Cambridge Missing Middle Housing Zoning Petition (Ordinance #2021-2).  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Wed, Apr 14

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on the Retail Uses Zoning Recommendations - Refiled (Ordinance #2021-3) and the Home Occupations Zoning Recommendations - Refiled (Ordinance #2021-4).  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Comments?

Rites and Rongs of Spring - March 22, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Here's my vernal-eyed view of this week's proceedings:

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a COVID-19 update on vaccination rollout.
Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #4. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting questions for the City Manager's COVID-19 update.
Placed on File 9-0

Still searching for that vaccination. Preregistered for Covid vaccine. Got a call telling me to call 211 to book an appointment. Called 211 and was told there are no appointments available. So what was the call about? This is typical Massachusetts. Who can I bribe to get a vaccination appointment? (I'm age-eligible.)

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Manager's Agenda #2. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of a grant received from MAPC in the amount of $52,250 which will be used for technical assistance for 1) planning and permitting the expansion of the floating wetland pilot in the Charles; 2) outlining and disseminating a permitting road map and lessons learned that can enable similar capital, resiliency projects; and 3) engagement with the wider community to support understanding of water quality and to inform the expansion process.
Order Adopted 9-0

I really do like projects like this, but as long as it's now OK to put things in the river, how about a floating boardwalk on the back side of the Museum of Science garage to create a quiet pedestrian connection on the river away from the traffic on the Craigie Bridge? Decades have now passed since this idea was “floated.”

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Manager's Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to proposed amendments to the Tree Protection Ordinance. [DPR letter] [proposed ordinance changes]
Referred to Ordinance Committee 8-1 (Toomey - NO)

On the Table #5. The Health & Environment Committee met on Oct 13, 2020 to discuss amending the Tree Protection Ordinance based on the findings of the Urban Forest Master Plan Task Force.
Referred to Ordinance Committee 8-1 (Toomey - NO)

On the Table #6. The Health & Environment Committee met on Nov 10, 2020 to continue discussing amending the Tree Protection Ordinance based on the findings of the Urban Forest Master Plan Task Force.
Referred to Ordinance Committee 8-1 (Toomey - NO)

Among the shortcomings in the proposed revised Tree Protection Ordinance is that it only considers single lots in isolation. The removal of a "significant tree" on one lot would trigger significant cost or tree replacements on that lot even if the removal might be greatly beneficial to trees on an adjacent lot. There are also no guidelines regarding what might be considered dangerous, e.g. very close proximity to a building. Prior to ordination there should also be provided a list of some examples with actual costs so that people can get a sense of the potential burdens that may be imposed on homeowners.

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Manager's Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to recommendations for the block rates for water consumption and sewer use for the period beginning Apr 1, 2021 and ending Mar 31, 2022. [City Manager letter]
Order Adopted 9-0

Water rates are proposed to go up 1% and sewer rates are proposed to go up 8% for a combined increase of 6.5%. For the lowest block, it'll cost you $3.05 to buy 750 gallons of water and $13.51 to get rid of it.

Manager's Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to suggested zoning text amendments as well as amendments to Chapter 5.50 of the Municipal Code regarding cannabis delivery businesses. [Law Department memo] [Zoning text] [Municipal Code]
Referred to Ordinance Committee & Planning Board 9-0

The proposed zoning and ordinance changes replace the recently expired zoning proposal. Though I don't oppose any of the individual proposed cannabis business locations I often think about what the cumulative effect of all of this might be. Cambridge doesn't generally do a very good job of considering The Big Picture when pushing their favored few things, and cannabis has definitely been a favored thing over the last few years among councillors.

Resolution #6. Standing in Solidarity with Asian Community and Condemning White Supremacy.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey
Adopted as Amended 9-0

I don't suppose you'll find anyone around here who supports any of the things that this Order condemns, but both "Resolved" statements in the resolution draw conclusions that may not necessarily be true.

Order #1. Opposing wood-burning biomass plants.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
Adopted as Amended 9-0

Order #2. In Support of the FARE Act.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui
Adopted 9-0

This proposal would make public transit free on the days of all statewide primary and general elections. The idea of making it free every day is not actually insane.

Order #3. Making Remote Participation in City Council Meetings Permanent.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Carlone, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Zondervan
Adopted as Amended 9-0

I'm pretty sure that remote participation is here to stay in some form or another regardless of this City Council order. There are a few observations I might make about the whole experience. First, it does provide more equitable access to public meetings, so I guess that's a positive from a democracy point of view. On the other hand, it has facilitated what I sometimes call “democracy by the pound” where tech-savvy organizers can marshal their troops to read scripted comments from the comfort of home. Like the much-maligned-of-late and far-to-easy-to-invoke filibuster rule, I generally leans toward having at least minor hurdles to increase the fraction of serious democratic participants and ideas. Perhaps showing up in person to a meeting isn't the only way to do this and we have seen ill-informed parades of actual people at public meetings in recent years carrying the flag of their various noble causes. The depth of the pond just seems more shallow of late. On balance, I'd say that ensuring some remote participation is still a good thing - especially for those who may be physically less able to make their way to the Sullivan Chamber or other civic venue. I still prefer to do things in person.

There's another aspect of this virtual zoom-government that I consider to be a Big Problem. Citizens may get to tune in to watch the political equivalent of Hollywood Squares and maybe even give their 120 seconds of public comment before being muted with no opportunity for rebuttal (which you could always do in person outside the Sullivan Chamber). They may even be able to watch the recorded meetings in their leisure time. However, Open Meeting Law or not, there's a lot of deliberation and decision-making that now takes place out of public view. Significant proposals often simply rise out of the virtual firmament and the public gets to react far more than it gets a chance to act and often too late to make any real difference. Neighborhood listservs have become the dreadful forum of action and reaction in which the loudest voices take up a lot more space than rational discussion. Social media campaigns have become the norm, and much of it is indistinguishable from propaganda.

Order #5. Opposing The MBTA Service Cuts.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern
Adopted as Amended 9-0

This is one of those cases where both sides are right. It sucks to cut back on public transportation while there's still a pandemic, but because of the pandemic the ridership is a fraction of what it used to be and it's crazy to be operating empty and near-empty trains and buses. Perhaps a Reality Compromise can be found. It's not all about “winning.”

Committee Report #1. The Public Safety Committee met on Oct 14, 2020 to discuss traffic enforcement and Order #14 of July 27, 2020.
Accept Report, Placed on File 9-0

Committee Report #2. The Ordinance Committee met on Oct 28, 2020 to discuss the Real Estate Transfer Home Rule Petition.
Accept Report, Placed on File 9-0

The more I think about this the less I like it - even though it would likely not affect me personally (unless the redistributionists really go wild). In truth, I don't like any revenue proposal that dedicates all the revenue to a single purpose, e.g. subsidized housing. It takes decisions about financial priorities out of the hands of the local legislature. I'm even having second thoughts about the Community Preservation Act for similar reasons. The rumor is that this Home Rule Petition doesn't stand a chance in the State Legislature, though some believe that it could lead to enabling legislation that might allow any city or town to sock it to the seller. I hope not. Local control does not necessarily translate into fairness.

Committee Report #3. The Ordinance Committee met on Feb 11. 2021 to conduct a public hearing a petition to amend Article 8.000 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance.
Accept Report, Placed on File 9-0; Passed to 2nd Reading

This is more of a technical correction based on recent court opinions and will like be passed to a 2nd Reading and ordained in a few weeks.

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui and Vice Mayor Mallon transmitting information about a Commercial Composting Pilot Program in Cambridge. [Cambridge Table to Farm Commercial Composting Report] [Cambridge Table to Farm Composting Fact Sheet]
Placed on File 9-0

I generally find this to be a good proposal, but there is a part of me who wonders whether this is more about cost avoidance for small businesses than it is about environmental salvation.

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting an update on the Charter Assessment Review. [Siddiqui memo] [Collins Center memo] [Appendices]
Placed on File 9-0

I piped up about this at last week's Government Operations Committee meeting about the initial steps of the city manager search process. It seems a bit awkward to be talking about hiring the next city manager at the same time that some councillors are privately (and publicly) talking about shifting more power to themselves by possibly moving away from a city manager form of government. That would be a dreadful outcome, but once again that problem of invisibility behind the Zoom screen rears its ugly head. Overturning a system that has worked well for 80 years is not something that should be considered lightly.

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting communicating information from the School Committee.
Placed on File 9-0

With all this talk about searching for an interim school superintendent and then a "permanent" school superintendent in addition to the initial steps to search for the next city manager, all I can think of is John Wayne, Natalie Wood, and Jeffrey Hunter. - Robert Winters

Comments?

Et tu, Brute? Beware The Ides of March – March 15, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Here are a few items of interest:

Reconsideration #1. Task Force Transparency.
RECONSIDERATION FILED BY COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN ON MAR 9, 2021
Reconsideration Fails 4-5 (DC,PN,JSW,QZ - YES; AM,MM,DS,TT,SS - NO)

Last week's amended resolution seemed like a proper response to the original policy order, so my impression of this call for reconsideration is that either (a) Councillor Zondervan wants to continue milking this issue for all it's worth, or (b) he's sulking because six of his colleagues shot down his proposal to have his committee co-host any future public meetings of the Task Force. I expect this move for reconsideration will fail by the same 3-6 vote.

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Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting questions for the City Manager's COVID-19 update.
Placed on File 9-0

Order #3. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Purchasing Department to provide a report detailing the City’s annual stationary expenditures, what percentage of that budget is spent at local retailers, and whether this percentage can be increased during the Covid-19 crisis.   Councillor Simmons
Adopted as Amended 9-0

The City's creativity in partnering with local restaurants to support Covid-related emergency food programs was fabulous, but there comes a point where this crosses the line into well-intentioned political patronage. There's also the matter of M.G.L. Chapter 30B which governs municipal procurement. [Chapter 30B Remains in Effect During COVID-19 Public Health Emergency] In the meantime, if you need any stationery supplies, consider buying them at a place like University Stationery or Bob Slate. Chapter 30B doesn't apply to you!

Resolution #6 (was Order #7). Thank You to My Brother's Keeper Cambridge.   Mayor Siddiqui
Adopted 9-0

Order #9. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to re-implement capacity restrictions on indoor dining to ensure the safety of restaurant workers, diners, and Cambridge residents until widespread vaccination of the general public is achieved in the coming weeks.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Failed 2-6-0-1 (JSW,QZ - YES; AM,MM,PN,DS,SS,TT - NO; DC - PRESENT)

I seriously hope this City Council Order goes nowhere fast. The distancing requirements are still in effect and that's really the limiting factor on capacity in places like restaurants and other indoor spaces. The sponsors of this Order don't seem to understand the concepts of managing risk and navigating your way safely from bad to better. The fact that they continue to cite Somerville as the wellspring of greater wisdom only makes me question more the role of city council aides, including the current Somerville City Council president. In the meantime, City Manager Louis DePasquale has repeatedly stated that Cambridge restrictions are subject to change as the need arises.

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Unfinished Business #8. A Zoning Petition has been received from Arvind Srinivasan regarding zoning language relative to the Alewife Quadrangle Northwest overlay. [Passed to a 2nd Reading Mar 1, 2021; to be ordained on or after Mar 15, 2021. The deadline for ordination is Mar 16, 2021.]
Ordination Fails 1-7-0-1 (DS - YES; AM,MM,PN,JSW,TT,QZ,SS - NO; DC - PRESENT)
City Solicitor Glowa noted that because the Planning Board gave a positive recommendation this petition (or a similar one) may be re-filed at any time. (Otherwise there would have been a 2-year period during which re-filing would be prohibited.) The petitioner has so far indicated no intention to re-file and could develop their properties as-of-right under existing zoning. It was also revealed by the Solicitor that under the recent "Housing Choice" legislation this petition would have required only a simple majority (5 votes) for ordination due to the housing component that was part of the petition.

The odds seem to favor this petition expiring even if this means the owner/developer going forward with plans as-of right that provide little or no additional benefits (such as a bridge over the RR tracks). Then again, perhaps a rabbit will be pulled out of a hat Monday night that results in the necessary six votes for ordination. I'll say flat out that I hate the very idea of "contract zoning", i.e. Let's Make A Deal, but I would really like to see something better made of this corner of Cambridge with connections between the Quadrangle and the Triangle and also across the Little River (thought that's more of a DCR matter).

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Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the Department of Public Works, the Economic Development Division of the Community Development Department, the Budget Department, Cambridge Table to Farm, the local Business Associations, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, and other relevant groups to explore the feasibility of creating a Commercial Composting Pilot Program to serve at least 100 small businesses with fewer than fifty employees.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Nolan
Adopted 9-0

As a long-time promoter of composting I was glad to see this Order. However, as the Order states: "As this program will likely have budget implications similar to the 2018 Small Business Recycling Pilot, this possibility should be examined before the next fiscal year begins." Ideally, recycling and composting should yield financial benefits in addition to environmental benefits, but this is not always the case and any potential costs have to be taken into account.

Order #2. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Historical Commission to initiate a process to begin chronicling the rich and vibrant history of people of color in Cambridge, similar to other City-commissioned books such as “We Are the Port: Stories of Place, Perseverance, and Pride in the Port/Area 4 Cambridge, Massachusetts 1845-2005” and “All in the Same Boat” and “Crossroads: Stories of Central Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 1912-2000”.   Councillor Simmons
Adopted 9-0

This would be a good project - hopefully as part of a continuing series of less-recorded histories of the people and families who have lived in Cambridge over its nearly 300 years from village to town to city.

Order #4. Student Loan Crisis.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan
Adopted 9-0

I have long viewed cancellation of student debt as just a form of political patronage. There may be some room for forgiveness of some of this debt, but restructuring the debt at low interest rates has always seemed like the most fair way to address this. By the way, I do believe there should always be free or low-cost university options - just like I had when I went to college.

Order #5. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to work with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to open Riverbend Park before the end of March and on other days in addition to Sundays, and explore the feasibility of extending Riverbend Park to the BU Bridge and beyond.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan
Adopted 9-0

Here we go again. I expect we'll again see Saturday and Sunday closures from April through November from Western Avenue to the Eliot Bridge, but any extension is unlikely for the same reasons DCR has provided in the past. Meanwhile, there are long-term plans to redesign of the Memorial Drive Greenway between the BU Bridge and the Eliot Bridge that hopefully will get back on track as the public health emergency wanes.

Resolution #5 (was Order #6). Ending the U.S. embargo on Cuba.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan
Adopted 9-0

File this under "Qaddafi and other foreign relations initiatives".

Order #8. Order to amend the Municipal Code of the City of Cambridge to insert new section Restricting the Use of Chemical Crowd Control Agents and Kinetic Impact Projectiles.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan
Referred to Ordinance Committee 9-0

Apparently much of last week's related discussion went in one ear and out the other. Maybe even in five ears and out the other five.

And let's not forget this:
Tues, Mar 16
3:00pm   The Government Operations, Rules and Claims Committee will meet to discuss the initial steps that must be undertaken to establish the search process for the next City Manager.   (Sullivan Chamber)

And so it begins. Pardon my cynicism but I would rather put my faith in random selection of a city manager than entrust the task to the current crop of city councillors. Unfortunately, it's their call under the Charter. Come to think of it, perhaps we should advocate for a Charter change to have the Cambridge City Council chosen by lottery from the registered voter list. - Robert Winters

Comments?

Getting to know your job (or not) - Preview of the March 8, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

When you have watched the Cambridge City Council for over three decades (as I have) you develop certain expectations. For example, when there are no City Council orders calling for the overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi, you start to worry if everyone is feeling OK or if they are in need of some intervention. You also come to expect a fair number of poorly-researched "drive-by orders" asking the City Manager and staff to dedicate many hours to explore some barely-formed notion that someone heard about in Santa Monica or elsewhere. I'm reasonably OK with the latter (mainly because I don't have to follow up on the requests for information), but I have always found the former (foreign intervention) to be just a bit out of the range of the role of the City Council. This week we'll hear about farmers in India.

Another common situation is the failure of some city councillors to understand what they can and cannot do under our Plan E Charter. In recent months we have seen efforts to micromanage City departments - most notably the License Commission and the Police Department (CPD), but also the Public Health Department. Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, in particular, has repeatedly expressed his frustration when five councillors expressing a point of view fails to result in all hands on deck carrying it out. In other words, his notion of a city manager is to not actually be a manager but rather a messenger incapable of making managerial decisions regarding logistics, financing, approving contracts, labor negotiation or much of anything else - as if doing so is somehow a breakdown in “democracy”.

One case in point this week is seen in the responses from the City Solicitor regarding whether the Cambridge City Council can forbid the use of tear gas by CPD (which it hasn't actually used for nearly half a century). It's now essentially a moot point thanks to recent state legislation and CPD policies restricting its use, but the Solicitor does take the councillors to school regarding the limits of Council authority in matters such as this. I generally find the expressed dichotomies of some councillors to be willfully ignorant. They may see this as a choice between peaceful negotiation and tear gas, but the significant choice really only comes up in a full-scale riot or insurrection when it's a choice between lethal and non-lethal force - and it's good to have non-lethal options in that case.

Some councillors a few weeks ago expressed frustration regarding the role of the License Commission in managing potential conflicts regarding live entertainment and enforcement of the Noise Ordinance in allowing acoustic music without a license. It's great that the City Council wants to recommend some changes, but they also have the luxury of never having to adjudicate the conflicts. That said, the License Commission seems to have understood the desired goals and they are now proposing ways to realize those goals while still being able to adjudicate conflicts - something that is definitely not the job of a city councillor.

It is entirely proper for a city councillor to second-guess the decisions of the City Manager and his staff. It would also be proper for a councillor or even a majority of councillors to tell the Manager that they think one of his departments is dysfunctional. If the Manager remains unresponsive, a simple majority of the City Council can even exercise its nuclear option and send the Manager packing. On the other hand, if a city councillor chooses to bypass the Manager and directly browbeat a department head or other employee, that might actually cross the line into felony territory. Councillors need to know their limitations. That goes for their aides as well.

Here are the visible highlights this week:

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting COVID-19 Update Questions.
Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, communicating information from the School Committee.
Placed on File 9-0

Order #1. Mobile Vaccines Policy Order.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #2. Waiving Business Fees.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Carlone, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #3. Honoring the Cambridge Lives Lost to COVID-19.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0

The City's many responses to the pandemic continue. Vaccinations are increasing and there is light at the end of the tunnel, but the 7-day averages of new cases are no longer decreasing - and this is a cause for some concern. It may be the presence of virus variants, and I'm sure the count will soon be decreasing again. In the meantime, we remain vigilant - and hopeful.

And soon there will be baseball.

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Manager's Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation on the Green Roofs Ordinance (Oliver, et al.) Zoning Petition.
Referred to Petition 9-0

The Planning Board recommends against adoption of this petition in its present form. While the intentions of the petitioners are to be respected, the petition is highly deficient in terms of definitions, practical considerations regarding maintenance and cost, and how the proposed requirements would interact with code requirements related to safety, accessibility, and building mechanical systems. It's also unclear how this proposal dovetails with existing zoning regulations and other proposals now under consideration.

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Manager's Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Calendar Item Number 2 dated Nov 2, 2020, which requested draft ordinance language to prohibit the use of tear gas in Cambridge.
Placed on File 9-0

“I am of the opinion that the authority to dictate what weapons are used by Cambridge police officers when carrying out their official duties, under the City's Plan E Charter and its Home Rule powers, rests with the City Manager and not the City Council; that future changes in weapons and equipment already in use by the Police Department would likely be subject to collective bargaining as to the impact of such changes; and that an ordinance restricting police officers from carrying assault weapons would thus be invalid as inconsistent with or frustrating the purposes of State law.” — That sums it up pretty well. Both responses from the City Solicitor are worth reading.

Charter Right #2. Task Force Transparency. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS IN COUNCIL MAR 1, 2021 (Order #2 of Mar 1, 2021)]
Adopted as Amended by Simmons Substitution 9-0
[after QZ amendment to have joint meeting w/Public Safety Committee failed 3-6 (DC,JSW,QZ - YES)]

Regarding the Task Force, I'll repeat what I said last week: “Apparently Councillor Zondervan and I have the same wish but likely for diametrically opposite reasons. I have been asking to get access to these meetings (or at least the recordings) of the new Task Force on the Future of Public Safety, and apparently now so is he. My concern is that I don't want to see problematic people dominating the conversation, and I suspect Councillor Zondervan may desire to ensure the exact opposite. Public Safety, in my view, translates into an improved police force sharing specific responsibilities with others as appropriate. Others openly express a desire to abolish police entirely. That's a non-starter for me and not a plausible outcome of this process, but I would like to at least sample the dialogue.”

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Charter Right #3. Shelter Wages. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN IN COUNCIL MAR 1, 2021 (Order #4 of Mar 1, 2021)]
Adopted as Amended 9-0

Again, repeating what I said last week: “I have no idea what constitutes an appropriate wage for people who work at the 240 Albany Street wet shelter, but it's not a City-owned facility and it serves the region and not just Cambridge residents. My understanding is that the City's Living Wage Ordinance applies to people working for the City and to companies bidding on City contracts. Does this describe how the Bay Cove (formerly CASPAR) shelter operates? This is not the only facility they operate. [“Each year, Bay Cove provides services to more than 25,000 individuals and families who face the challenges of developmental and intellectual disabilities, mental illness, substance use disorder, homelessness and/or aging, at more than 170 program sites in Metro Boston and southeastern Massachusetts.”] There are waiver provisions in the ordinance. I'm curious to see how this plays out. After all, there are other shelter facilities in Cambridge that are not funded via City contracts. Would they all then be obliged to raise wages even if their funding sources cannot support it?”

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On the Table #7. The Health & Environment Committee met on Oct 13, 2020 to discuss amending the Tree Protection Ordinance based on the findings of the Urban Forest Master Plan Task Force. [TABLED IN COUNCIL MAR 1, 2021 BY COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN]

Committee Report #1. The Health and Environment Committee met on Nov 10, 2020 to continue discussing amending the Tree Protection Ordinance based on the findings of the Urban Forest Master Plan Task Force.
Tabled 9-0 (Zondervan)

Once again, I hope that this City Council will somehow see the wisdom in not overly restricting reasonable choices of homeowners or burdening them with unreasonable costs.

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Unfinished Business #9. The City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with the City of Cambridge Law Department to review the above changes to the language of the Domestic Partnerships Ordinance and report back to the Council. [PASSED TO A SECOND READING IN COUNCIL JULY 27, 2020. TO BE ORDAINED ON OR AFTER SEPT 14, 2020]
Ordained as Amended 7-0-0-2 (Simmons, Toomey - PRESENT)

Committee Report #2. The Ordinance Committee met on Jan 20, 2021 to conduct a public hearing on amendments to the Domestic Partnership Ordinance.
Placed on File 9-0; Ordained as Amended 7-0-0-2 (Simmons, Toomey - PRESENT)

It looks like this may be ordained after many months of discussion. I'll withhold my opinion regarding the need for such detailed revision.

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Order #4. That the Cambridge City Council goes on record in support of the farmer protests in India.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

See my remarks above.

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Order #5. That the City Manager consult relevant staff to implement universal Pre-K in Cambridge.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

This has been in the works for some time, and I look forward to seeing what the detailed implementation of this goal will actually looks like as we eventually emerge from this Covid nightmare. I suspect there will be plenty of nuance - in part informed by having a pre-K Montessori School on one side of me and a Rock & Roll Daycare on the other side of me and an elementary school building across the street. Any comprehensive plan will have to integrate new options with existing options in a way that parents and taxpayers can afford. - Robert Winters

Comments?

March Madness - March 1, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Here we go on the road to Spring and hopefully something at least a little closer to normalcy.

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting questions for the COVID-19 update.
Placed on File 9-0

Though the overall trends are good, I am a little concerned that the 15-day moving average of new infections seems to have stopped its decline. Whether via vaccination or vigilance, those numbers have to be driven down.

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Manager's Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to additional information and revised Financial Analysis for the Alewife Zoning Petition.
Referred to Committee Report #3

Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee met on Dec 16, 2020 to conduct a public hearing on the Alewife Quadrangle Northwest Overlay petition.
Referred to Report #2

Committee Report #2. The Ordinance Committee met on Feb 10, 2021 to conduct a public hearing on the Alewife zoning petition.
Referred to Report #3

Committee Report #3. The Ordinance Committee met on Feb 16, 2020 to conduct a public hearing to continue discussion on the Alewife zoning petition.
Passed to 2nd Reading as Amended by Substitution 6-3 (DC,MM,PN,DS,JSW,SS - YES; AM,TT,QZ - NO)

The committee reports seem to suggest some continuing reluctance to approve this petition for reasons that vary all over the map. This may be the best shot at getting the bridge over the tracks that everyone seems to want, and if it does happen I hope it can at least support small shuttle buses rather than just bicycles and pedestrians. Linking the Alewife Quadrangle and Triangle in a meaningful way is a very worthwhile goal. It would be even better if there could be multiple crossings and a new commuter rail stop.

One person at the Dec 16 hearing said, "A single bridge really does not address the needs of the majority of the current workers and residents in the area. Three bridges would be optimal. Two bridges creating a loop for a shuttle with both directly benefit the residents at large but also provide linkage to potential customer servicing businesses." Though that might push things into deal-breaker territory, I agree with the general sentiment. I'll add that if DCR can build an additional simple pedestrian bridge over the Little River north of this area that would make for a perfect combination.

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Manager's Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the City of Cambridge retaining its AAA rating from the nation's three major credit rating agencies. [Moody's] [Standard & Poor's] [Fitch]
Placed on File 9-0

Even with the financial pressures from the pandemic we still managed to again pull off a triple triple. As usual, I'm sure there will be some people who will find a way to spin this as a bad thing.

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Charter Right #1. The Health & Environment Committee met on Oct 13, 2020 to conduct a public hearing to discuss amending the Tree Protection Ordinance based on the findings of the Urban Forest Master Plan Task Force. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN IN COUNCIL FEB 22, 2021]
Tabled 9-0 (Zondervan)

I suppose we'll have to wait a little longer to resolve this, but I continue to hope that this City Council will somehow see the wisdom in not overly restricting reasonable choices of homeowners or burdening them with unreasonable costs.

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On the Table #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-64, requesting Home Rule language to allow for acoustic live entertainment performances in small businesses under certain conditions without a license. [TABLED IN COUNCIL FEB 22, 2021] [Related: Late Order #4 of Feb 22 meeting]

I'm not sure how this will ultimately play out, but at the very least I hope this City Council can appreciate that there may be differences in what should be permitted in a central business district like Central Square or Harvard Square or the Porter Square Shopping Center vs. some of the smaller neighborhood mixed use zones where there can be conflicts between entertainment uses and residential uses. I hope they can also consider the fact that uses by time of day are not really found in the zoning code and that it's really the License Commission that helps to smooth out the potential conflicts.

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On the Table #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-63, which requested a review of the granting of an extension for the 605 Concord Avenue project. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCIL NOLAN IN COUNCIL FEB 3, 2021; TABLED IN COUNCIL FEB 8, 2021]
Placed on File 9-0

On the Table #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a further response to Calendar Item Number 2, regarding a report on reviewing the granting of an extension for the 605 Concord Avenue project, which was previously answered as Awaiting Report Item Number 20-63 on Feb 1, 2021. [TABLED IN COUNCIL FEB 22, 2021] [Related: Late Order #5 of Feb 22 meeting]
Placed on File 9-0

Both of these communications are still just as clear as an unmuddied lake or an azure sky of deepest summer - and laying on the table won't make them any clearer. You don't change the rules in the middle of the game.

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Applications & Petitions #3. A Zoning Petition has been received from Beals Associates Inc. regarding Broad Canal Subdistrict Zoning Petition as submitted with strike outs.
Referred to Ordinance Committee & Planning Board 9-0

Highlights: Up to 582,000 additional square feet in the form of an infill building between the two existing buildings; expanded retail space; activation of the ground floor and the public realm along Main Street and the Broad Canal; proposed floating restaurant in the Broad Canal; Broad Canal restoration and maintenance; upgrades to Poor Man’s Landing in the Charles River; restoration of the DCR Boathouse (old MDC Boathouse) near the Museum of Science.

Order #1. Lowell Street Property.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

This takes me back about 30 years to 1990-1991 when then City Councillor Ed Cyr proposed that the City identify various City-owned properties as possible housing sites - a "Land Bank". The list included about a dozen locations, including such places as the dead-end of Norfolk St. near DPW, the park house at the Corporal Burns Playground, and (you guessed it) 25 Lowell Street. I don't have a strong opinion on this specific Order either way, but I do find it bizarre that there is now such a frenzy to densely develop every possible square inch of Cambridge land - especially if that land has an 02138 zip code.

We used to think in terms of prioritizing "transit-oriented development" or "smart growth". Now it's just "development" and "growth" and the desire to build everywhere at maximum density regardless of any and all other factors. I guess this is how some people define "a better Cambridge" - not me. Several weeks ago some councillors expressed a desire to build on a newly-acquired softball field. Soon they'll be taking up a proposal to more than double the allowable density across much of the city. It's like they put amphetamines in the Cambridge Kool-Aid.

Order #2. Task Force Transparency.   Councillor Zondervan
Charter Right - Simmons

Apparently Councillor Zondervan and I have the same wish but likely for diametrically opposite reasons. I have been asking to get access to these meetings (or at least the recordings) of the new Task Force on the Future of Public Safety, and apparently now so is he. My concern is that I don't want to see problematic people dominating the conversation, and I suspect Councillor Zondervan may desire to ensure the exact opposite. Public Safety, in my view, translates into an improved police force sharing specific responsibilities with others as appropriate. Others openly express a desire to abolish police entirely. That's a non-starter for me and not a plausible outcome of this process, but I would like to at least sample the dialogue.

Order #3. Budget Reallocation Update.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted 9-0

This appears to be primarily a prompt by the sponsors to accelerate their desire to "Defund the Police".

Order #4. Shelter Wages.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Charter Right - Zondervan (with Mallon amendments pending)

I have no idea what constitutes an appropriate wage for people who work at the 240 Albany Street wet shelter, but it's not a City-owned facility and it serves the region and not just Cambridge residents. My understanding is that the City's Living Wage Ordinance applies to people working for the City and to companies bidding on City contracts. Does this describe how the Bay Cove (formerly CASPAR) shelter operates? This is not the only facility they operate. [“Each year, Bay Cove provides services to more than 25,000 individuals and families who face the challenges of developmental and intellectual disabilities, mental illness, substance use disorder, homelessness and/or aging, at more than 170 program sites in Metro Boston and southeastern Massachusetts.”] There are waiver provisions in the ordinance. I'm curious to see how this plays out. After all, there are other shelter facilities in Cambridge that are not funded via City contracts. Would they all then be obliged to raise wages even if their funding sources cannot support it?

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, communicating information from the School Committee.
Placed on File 9-0

Though informative, this communication also reports the unbearable tragedy of the suicide of a 10th grader in the Cambridge Public Schools. The process of finding an interim and "permanent" Superintendent of Schools continues, and expanded in-person learning begins this week on Monday. - Robert Winters

Comments?

Featured Items on the Feb 22, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

Here's my Broadway view of this week's Civics in Cambridge:

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting questions for the COVID-19 Update.
Placed on File 9-0

The numbers continue to look better and vaccination opportunities are slowly opening up. I suppose I should go seek a jab or two one of these days.

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Manager's Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the Final Landmark Designation Report for the St. Augustine's African Orthodox Church at 137 Allston Street.
Adopted 9-0

This building clearly needs landmark status as the report recommends, but I'll say once again that I always love reading reports like this from the Cambridge Historical Commission. I went on a tour of this church and other Cambridgeport churches a couple of years ago and I got to explore just about every corner of this building right down to the plumbing. I even received a blessing in the basement. This church is the real deal.

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Manager's Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a proposed amendment to Section 8.66 of the Municipal Ordinance relating to Tree Protection and related Order.
Rules Suspended 7-2 (DS, TT - NO) to allow ordination in a single session;
Ordained 7-2 (DS, TT - NO)

Committee Report #1. The Health & Environment Committee met on Oct 13, 2020 to conduct a public hearing to discuss amending the Tree Protection Ordinance based on the findings of the Urban Forest Master Plan Task Force.
Charter Right - Zondervan

The City Council will officially kick the can down the road another 60 days to April 29. I sincerely hope that when they do finally come around to finalizing an ordinance that it will have sufficient flexibility for homeowners to make reasonable decisions without incurring unreasonable costs or having to face unnecessarily burdensome procedures.

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Manager's Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-64, requesting Home Rule language to allow for acoustic live entertainment performances in small businesses under certain conditions without a license.
Tabled 9-0

Late Order #4. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to instruct the Law Department to draft a home rule petition and a zoning amendment to allow acoustic music performances without a license.   Vice Mayor Mallon
Adopted 8-0-0-1 (Toomey - PRESENT)[Note: The City Council's failure to consider unintended consequences here is a spectacular failure. Perhaps that will be discussed at a future meeting.]

In short, the License Commission recognizes that it has an important role to play in ensuring that Cambridge businesses and residents can peacefully coexist. Anyone who lives in a mixed-use area of the city (like I do) understands this. Only one of the current city councillors lives in such an area.

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Manager's Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 19-144, regarding the feasibility of creating a Fire Cadet Program.
Home Rule Petition Adopted 9-0

Good plan, but it's remarkable that a Home Rule Petition is even necessary to do something like this. Civil service laws may have been created with the best intentions, but they should never thwart good initiatives like this. It must be pointed out, however, that there are many laws passed with the best intentions that can have serious negative consequences.

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Manager's Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a further response to Calendar Item Number 2, regarding a report on reviewing the granting of an extension for the 605 Concord Avenue project, which was previously answered as Awaiting Report Item Number 20-63 on Feb 1, 2021.
Tabled 9-0 (after Councillor Nolan exercised her Charter Right initially even though this was obviously not new business).

Late Order #5. That the City Solicitor report back to the City Council on whether or not the City can require written notice be sent to all abutters, both property owners as well as tenants, regarding the scheduling of a hearing regarding the extension of a building permit request to the Planning Board.
Adopted 9-0

The previous communication on this was as clear as an unmuddied lake or an azure sky of deepest summer. One of the oldest and most important rules is that you don't change the rules in the middle of the game. If a development proposal secures financing based on a certain set of requirements, retroactively changing those requirements jeopardizes the financing and viability of the project. In this case it's the Planning Board's authority to grant extensions "for good cause" and they voted to do so. It's not the place of the Cambridge City Council to second-guess those decisions.

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Order #1. Policy Order re: Services for the Unhoused.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Toomey, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
Adopted as Amended 9-0

In short, it's been a while since the City did a comprehensive review of how such matters are addressed and it's overdue, especially in light of some of the extraordinary pressures caused by the pandemic. The City has done a very good job in devising short-term solutions in an emergency setting, but it would be helpful to take a step back and look at these matters more holistically - and not just as a shallow political response to phone-in democracy.

Committee Report #2. The Neighborhood & Long-Term Planning; Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations Committee held a public hearing on Wed, Nov 18, 2020 to discuss the Municipal Broadband Feasibility Study RFP.
Placed on File 9-0

My prediction is that by the time the City decides on a course of action and invests mightily in such infrastructure, the technology will be rendered obsolete by space lasers. - Robert Winters

Comments?

February 8, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting featured attractions

First of all, congratulations to Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, and to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on their Super Bowl victory. As for those who took the opportunity to disparage Brady for his political inclinations, I just want to remind you that this was just a football game.

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on Covid-19 vaccination rollout.
Placed on File 9-0

The Covid-19 numbers have been trending in a good direction lately. That's cause for guarded optimism. Also, even though the start of spring training and the 2021 baseball season will be delayed, a 154 game schedule has been proposed, and hopefully the vaccinated fans will at some point outnumber the cardboard cutouts in the stands.

Manager's Agenda #5. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $1,000,000 from the Community Benefits Stabilization Fund to the Grant Fund Human Services Other Ordinary Maintenance for the purpose of entering into grant agreements with nonprofit organizations to provide services to vulnerable residents during the COVID-19 emergency and recovery.
Order Adopted 9-0

Money well spent. It will be interesting to see in a few months what cumulative impact this dreadful pandemic will have on City finances (and taxes). The numbers I have heard for commercial and residential vacancies have been stunning.

Charter Right #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-63, which requested a review of the granting of an extension for the 605 Concord Avenue project. [Charter Right Feb 3 - Nolan]
Tabled 9-0 (Nolan)

Charter Right #2. Policy Order re Renaming Fairmont Avenue. [Charter Right Feb 3 - Simmons]
Withrawn (Rescinded) 9-0

Perhaps this item was delayed when other residents of Fairmont Ave. found out that their address might be changing.

Charter Right #3. Eliminating Hostile Architecture. [Charter Right Feb 3 - Nolan]
Order Adopted 7-0-0-2 as Amended (DS,TT - PRESENT)

I expect we'll have another parade of clueless Harvard Young Democratic Socialists reading from their script. By the way, none of the examples of "hostile architecture" attached to the Order is particularly hostile. There is such a thing as hostile architecture, but this ain't it.

PUBLIC COMMENT TEMPLATE

Hi, my name is _____. I live on______. [ State your relationship to Cambridge. E.g. I have lived here for 7 years, I was unhoused, I attend X university, I work in Cambridge, I grew up in Cambridge ].

I’m here today to urge the City of Cambridge to support Charter Right 3 and councilor Zondervan’s amendment to that policy order. Our unhoused community already suffers from lack of non-congregate shelter and resources every single day, and taking away one of the few sheltered places they can safely rest does nothing more than reinforce that harm. 

We hear the argument often that the hostile architecture installed is actually installed for the benefit of disabled and senior citizens. Unhoused people frequently fall into both of those categories. So I don’t think the council should accept Vice Mayor Mallon and Councillor Nolan’s amendments. Vice Mayor Mallon’s amendment removes the ask to create design guidelines for future projects, the ask to remove existing hostile architecture in the city, and the specific reference to Carl Barron Plaza which will soon be redesigned. Councillor Nolan’s amendment shifts the balance of the order uncomfortably towards housed people. These amendments hide behind legitimate concerns for the elderly and disabled communities in order to act against the interest of the most vulnerable unhoused seniors and disabled people. Members of the unhoused community have supported the specific asks in this policy order, and they should remain.

I am glad that the city has provided some services to the unhoused community already in the face of the pandemic. We have never said that the city has done NOTHING for the homeless community. We understand that the city spent $10 million on supporting non-profits who address homelessness, but the city has spent $0 dollars on non-congregate shelter, and that is what we want to highlight. Instead of spending Cambridge taxpayer funds to support unsafe shelter, the city should have used federal FEMA funding over the past year to support safe non-congregate shelter. Unlike what was said in last week’s meeting, Spaulding is a congregate shelter, and not a non-congregate one. What homeless community members have explicitly asked for are private spaces, and Spaulding definitionally does not meet this demand. Thank you for your time.

I have never been a fan of robots.

Order #1. Retail Table of Land Use Update PO.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui
Referred to Ordinance Committee & Planning Board 9-0

This is important.... and complicated.

Order #4. Redesigning Cambridge Voting Stickers.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
Order Adopted 9-0

Apparently having a sticker that says simply "I Voted" is insufficiently woke.

Order #5. That the City Manager instruct his staff to develop a ten-year infrastructure plan for the City Council that outlines all future needs and plans for infrastructure, public safety and public services.   Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

I agree with this Order completely. Waiting for utility companies such as Eversource to plan in any comprehensive way is a hopeless quest. Perhaps we should should energize the City's Pole and Conduit Commission. - Robert Winters

Comments?

Pre/Post-Groundhog Day featured attractions – Feb 3, 2021 Cambridge City Council meeting

Here goes — A lot to chew on.....

The Feb 1 meeting was postponed to Wed, Feb 3 due to the Snow Emergency.

Starting with The Plague
Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on COVID-19.
Placed on File 9-0

Order #2. Policy Order re: Establishing an On-Site Vaccination Program.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #4. Policy Order re: Covid-19 Protocols at Affordable Housing Worksites.   Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #7. Vaccinating CPS Staff Plan PO.   Vice Mayor Mallon
Tabled - Mallon (9-0)

Order #8. Supporting the School Committee.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted as Amended 7-1-0-1 (Zondervan - NO, Sobrinho-Wheeler - PRESENT)

Stay Positive and Test Negative. Seriously, we should get all teachers and school staff vaccinated and able to do their jobs without fear as soon as humanly possible.

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Coronagenda
Charter Right #1. That the City further investigate renting space from the New England School of English to house appropriate members of our unhoused community. [CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS IN COUNCIL JAN 11, 2021]
Adopted as Amended 7-0-0-2 (DS,TT - PRESENT)

This now obsolete Order (the space on Green Street has been rented as state-funded temporary housing for a some time now) was contained in the Nov 12 committee report of a public hearing on homelessness. The New England School of English apparently made available their dormitory space on Green Street that had been vacant due to the current pandemic. It was never meant to be a long-term arrangement. Activists are using this opportunity to push an agenda centered on the demand that the City establish and fund non-congregate shelter/housing for unhoused individuals. Not addressed in their demands is the fact that without similar facilities being established in Boston and elsewhere this effectively becomes a regional facility drawing people from all over the Greater Boston area. Also not addressed by the activists are the staffing and logistical challenges associated with a clientele with a high incidence of substance abuse and mental health challenges. Indeed, during the relatively short time the Green Street facility has been open there have been several drug overdoses and one suicide (jump from the parking garage across the street). One of the great luxuries of activism is that you rarely have to deal with the hard stuff.

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A little open space while we still can.... and the joys of mitigation
Manager's Agenda #5. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $5,717,250 from the Mitigation Stabilization Fund to the Public Investment Fund Department of Public Works Extraordinary Expenditures account. Funds were received from contributions to the East Cambridge Open Space Fund and will be used will be used to fund the design and construction of three new parks in the East Cambridge/Kendall Square area; Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. Park, Triangle Park and Binney Street Park.
Order Adopted 9-0

Manager's Agenda #10. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $3,174,389 from Free Cash to the Mitigation Revenue Stabilization Fund which will be used to fund specific future projects, which will require separate individual appropriations by the City Council.
Order Adopted 9-0

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Zoning and legal matters
Manager's Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 19-142, regarding a report on determining the feasibility of expediting the demolition and rebuilding permitting process in the event of a natural disaster.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager's Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-63, which requested a review of the granting of an extension for the 605 Concord Avenue project.
Charter Right - Nolan

Manager's Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation to adopt with comments and suggested modifications, the Alewife Quadrangle Northwest Overlay District (Srinivasan, et al.) Zoning Petition.
Referred to Petition 9-0

"The Board encourages the City Council to carefully consider to what extent a bridge may or may not be guaranteed as part of a Quadrangle Northwest Master Plan Special Permit and what types of alternatives would be acceptable to the City." – Ideally, this area should have its own commuter rail stop and multiple crossings over the railroad tracks, including at least one crossing that would permit shuttle buses and possibly other vehicles. The Alewife Triangle and Quadrangle should be united rather than forever remain separate oversized cul-de-sacs. Property owners and developers should recognize the value in this or seek another line of work.

Unfinished Business #5. A Zoning Petition has been received from Cambridge Redevelopment Authority regarding a Zoning Ordinance to reflect the proposed changes to the KSURP. [PASSED TO A SECOND READING IN COUNCIL JAN 11, 2021. TO BE ORDAINED ON OR AFTER JAN 25, 2021] [Petition and Memo] [Draft Letter of Commitment]
Ordained 9-0

Communications #1. A communication was received from Tom Evans, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, submitting a Letter of Commitment to accompany the MXD Zoning Petition and Kendall Square Urban Redevelopment Plan submission.
Adopted, Letter of Commitment incorporated; Placed on File 9-0

Ordination seems likely at this meeting. I'll leave the details as a reading assignment.

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And then there's this
Applications & Petitions #1. A Zoning Petition has been received from Carolyn Fuller - Ordinance #2021-2 Cambridge Missing Middle Housing Zoning Petition. [Text of petition] [signatures]
Referred to Ordinance Committee and Planning Board for Hearing and Report 9-0

The organization that calls itself "A Better Cambridge" (ABC) has now fully earned its alternative name "A Bigger Cambridge". The crux of this petition is the merging of the Residence A-1, A-2, B, C, and C-1 districts into a single unified Residence N district with dramatically increased allowable density (FAR 1.25 - Floor-Area-Ratio, the ratio of built living area as a fraction of the land area of the lot) and greatly diminished front, side and rear setbacks. It also permits additional height to allow 3 stories across all these combined districts. The appellation "Missing Middle Housing" has, in fact, nothing to do with this proposal other than as a sales pitch. In addition to allowing multi-family housing in all zones, this is simply a petition to increase - by a factor of 2 to 3 in many cases - the amount that can be built across the city - a real Gold Rush for property developers. For example, the Res A-1 and A-2 districts currently permit a 0.5 FAR; Res C permits a 0.6 FAR; and Res C-1 permits a 0.75 FAR. This proposal simply blows the lid off all of these allowable densities. Apparently, the fact that Cambridge is already one of the densest cities in the United States is simply not enough for the Sim City players who form the core of "A Bigger Cambridge". In terms of affordability for the "missing middle" there is simply nothing in this petition that would indicate this as a likely outcome. The affordability of the traditional two-family or three-family home in years past came with the responsibilities of being a landlord with the rents helping to cover the mortgage. This proposal would more likely result in even larger single-family homes (McMansions) and a greater stock of high-end condominiums and investment properties.

It's true that Cambridge has a lot of nonconforming buildings that could not have been built under current zoning, including my own triple-decker (land area 3,133 sq ft, total living area 3,978 sq ft, and an FAR of 1.27 with negligible side setbacks and a very small yard). If I were proposing changes to Cambridge zoning I would likely allow some additional density where it makes sense, but I certainly would not recommend the replication of my own situation on my tiny lot as the new standard.

What exactly is the goal of ABC? New York City ranks 6th with a population density of 27,016 per square mile. San Francisco ranks 21st at 17,246. Somerville is 16th at 18,432. Cambridge ranks 26th in the USA at 16,355. Boston is 51st at 13,321. Chicago is 75th at 11,868. Philadelphia is 95th at 11,234. Berkeley is 110th at 10,753. Cambridge is not Belmont (5,317/sq mi).

Suffice to say, I think the general lay of the land in Cambridge today is actually quite good - an interesting balance of densities and housing types. Some greater flexibility for property owners might be a good thing, but wholesale redefinition of the city would not be a wise choice.

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Bikes, bikes, and more bikes and other transportation matters
Manager's Agenda #11. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $115,300 received in donations received from MIT Real Estate, Museum of Science, and CambridgeSide to the Public Investment Fund Community Development Department Extraordinary Expenses account which will be used for costs associated with the BlueBikes bikeshare system.
Order Adopted 9-0

Manager's Agenda #12. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $452,600 from the Mitigation Revenue Stabilization Fund received from various sources to the Public Investment Fund Community Development Extraordinary Expenditures account which will be used for the purchase and expenses of Bluebikes bikeshare equipment.
Order Adopted 9-0

Manager's Agenda #14. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number Awaiting Report 19-75, regarding the feasibility of partnering with a local research institution to conduct a study that determines how many ridehail vehicles are on the roads during both on and off-peak times and their impacts on congestion and safety.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager's Agenda #15. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 19-151, regarding the feasibility of making Porter Square and Massachusetts Avenue between Roseland Street and Beech Street a quick-build complete street with bus priority.
Placed on File 9-0

2013 Cambridge commuter shares: 28% transit, 24% walk, 7% bike, 4% carpool. The numbers have likely shifted a bit since 2013 but even with BlueBike stations and various infrastructure changes across the city it's unlikely that the share of residents biking will ever rival transit or walking. At any given time are there more bikes on Cambridge roads or Ubers? If electric vehicles and or/autonomous vehicles proliferate, what do you think will be the result?

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21st Century Commerce
Manager's Agenda #13. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-56, regarding establishing a plan that will allow for greater outreach and technical assistance to women-and-minority-owned businesses and small businesses that have not yet received financial assistance to assess any future City funding. [CDD report]
Placed on File 9-0

Resolution #14. The Cambridge City Council, hereby assembled, urges Amazon to meet and confer with the Cambridge community, included, but not limited to, representatives of labor unions including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 25.   Councillor McGovern, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey
Adopted 9-0

Order #1. Spending Disparity Study PO.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted 9-0

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Thank You Notes
Resolution #7. Retirement of CCTV Executive Director, Susan Fleischmann.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons
Charter Right - Mallon

Resolution #15. Thank You to Lisa Peterson.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan
Adopted 9-0

Resolution #17. Thank You to Elizabeth “Liza” Malenfant Paden.   Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Toomey
Adopted 9-0

I have known all of these Great Women of Cambridge for decades. Susan Fleischmann is the one who pushed me to start doing TV broadcasts - initially with Election Night coverage and then eventually the sequel to the original Cambridge InsideOut. I first met Lisa Peterson when she worked in the City Manager's Office during Bob Healy's tenure. She was our point person during the early days of Cambridge Recycling about 30 years ago. Liza (and, really, all you have to say is Liza in Cambridge civic circles and everyone knows who you mean) has been a friend in and out of City government - along with her extended family - for close to 30 years. The total hours I kept Liza from getting back to work on Inman Street over the years gabbing about life and politics and how the city operates is something we'd better not talk about lest they dock her retirement.

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A growing chorus of voices from Fairmont Avenue
Order #6. Policy Order re: Renaming Fairmont Avenue.   Councillor Simmons
Charter Right - Simmons

Oh, the hardship. I guess we'd also better start worrying about Washington Ave. vs. Washington St., Highland Ave. vs. Highland St., Oxford Ave. vs. Oxford St., and Wyman St. vs. Wyman Rd. Life in Cambridge is just so difficult.

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Luxury Seating
Order #9. Eliminating Hostile Architecture.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui
Charter Right - Nolan

Methinks the sponsors of this Order (and the activists who inspire them) wouldn't know the difference between hostile and helpful.

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Cambridge City Council on Hallucinogens
Order #10. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to direct city staff to work with the City’s state and federal partners in support of decriminalizing all Entheogenic Plants and plant-based compounds.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
Order Adopted 8-1 (Toomey - NO)

This Order may actually explain a lot about the behavior of the Cambridge City Council. Perhaps when the pandemic winds down they can decorate the Sullivan Chamber with Peter Max posters and pipe in some Donovan songs like "Mellow Yellow" and "Sunshine Superman". Bringing back black lights would also be a nice touch.

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Carrots or Sticks
Committee Report #1. Health & Environment Committee met on Aug 11, 2020 meet to discuss the Net Zero Action Plan FY20 progress report and to receive a general update on the plan including the upcoming 5-year review process.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Greater efficiency is always a good thing, but incentives are always better than mandates when it comes to private homes. I don't think enough councillors fully understand this. - Robert Winters

Comments?

Insurrection and Featured Items on the January 11, 2021 City Council Agenda

The news has become an endless series of rearrangements of the words and phrases "25th Amendment", impeachment, insurrection, Pence, Trump, Pelosi, Cruz, and Hawley - as Trump manages to continue owning the headlines by any means necessary. At this rate the Biden Inauguration on January 20 might get as far as Page 2 in the New York Times below the fold. Any early initiatives of the incoming Administration will get less attention than the repercussions of the Jan 6 Invasion of Idiots. Let's not forget that this "insurrection" involved the murder of a police officer. It's incredible how violence in the name of politics with little or no consequence has become normalized in this country. That has to change. The right to peaceful assembly does not include the right to murder or to threaten people or to destroy property without consequence simply because you're angry.

I just hope the Joint Chiefs of Staff are keeping a watchful eye on the “football”. The best plan I've heard so far (from Rep. James Clyburn) is to play Censure the Menace, pass Articles of Impeachment, and then wait 100 days before proceeding with a post-transition impeachment trial in order to reclaim the agenda before cooking the goose and relegating him to the darkest dungeon of American history. Though almost nobody ever seems to talk about it, we should also be having a serious discussion about the flaws in our election systems that yield perverse results like we have had to endure for the last four years. Unfortunately, after elections have passed and some have declared victory and others have conceded defeat, almost everyone quickly forgets the flawed mechanisms of the democracy they so want to defend.

Here you go (but please don't storm City Hall to overthrow the government):

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a COVID-19 update.
Placed on File 9-0

The current daily rate of new positive Covid-19 tests is alarming in spite of the promise of the roll-out of vaccinations. Other than the fact that a large proportion of new cases are among people in the 20-29 and 30-39 age ranges, there hasn't been much information on specific means of transmission, e.g. reckless gatherings, routine letting your guard down, or transmission at the workplace or other specific sites. I would prefer it if councillors would focus more on targeted prevention than on equitable infection.

Resolution #3. Congratulations to Mayor Marty Walsh.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey
Adopted 9-0

At least it's not Sanders. Meanwhile, more than a few hats appear to be headed for the Boston Mayoral Ring which could well result in typical vote-splitting in a plurality election leading to a top-two runoff between those lucky enough to not have their prime constituency split in a many-candidate primary. Ranked Choice Voting would be preferable, but I guess voters only understand that when betting on horses.

Order #2. Lighting Up City Hall for a National Moment of Unity and Remembrance.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toomey
Adopted 9-0

Perhaps we should arrange for the lights to continuously flicker or be put on a dimmer switch.

Order #4. That the City Manager and his staff prepare a memorandum outlining any federal, state or municipal law that restricts the City of Cambridge from allocating direct financial assistance to residents, non-profit agencies or small businesses and to develop a plan to offer direct financial assistance to Cambridge residents, non-profit organizations and small businesses suffering during the Covid-19 Pandemic.   Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

The Anti-Aid Amendment for starters. There are creative ways to provide such aid indirectly, and we've seen that for much of this past year via contributions to the Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund. There are legitimate reasons for concern about direct financial assistance, but I'll leave it to the City Solicitor to provide those lessons. Meanwhile, here's a good reference courtesy of the Town of Natick.

Order #5. That the City Council go on record asking the MBTA to reconsider bench bars at the Central Square T any T station in the City of Cambridge.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted as Amended 8-1 (Simmons - NO)

This reminds me of when over 20 years ago we recommended installing hospitable benches throughout Central Square despite warnings that they would be immediately occupied by drunks and other substance abusers. My attitude at the time was to simply make sure there were a lot more benches than drunks, but a lot of business owners saw it differently. Many benches were moved or removed over time from very problematic locations, but apparently the reduction of benches still failed to cure alcoholism or drug abuse. I never cared for the addition of hostile mid-bench barriers but, then again, I also think cops (or social workers for the "defunders") should be enforcing a "move along, buddy" policy with vagrants. I guess I'm just old-fashioned. I hope I haven't triggered anyone.

Addendum to Order #5: One of the things I have come to appreciate as I grow older is how many standards for ADA and otherwise can really matter in ways I never previously appreciated. For example, when the building inspectors told me I had to put in a banister on a very short stairwell going down to my basement I thought it was ridiculous and reluctantly installed the banister. Later I came to realize how useful it was. When I had balance issues a while back I really came to appreciate things like handholds and even the importance of relatively level sidewalks. Live and learn. Unless I hear otherwise I'll trust the MBTA's call on their benches. I always thought they needed at least side rails. To the organized parade of local members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) who chose to use this issue as yet another organizing tool, perhaps one day you'll understand.

Committee Report #2. Ordinance Committee met on Nov 19, 2020 to discuss on the KSURP Zoning Ordinance Amendment.

Committee Report #3. Ordinance Committee met on Jan 5, 2021 to continue discussion of the KSURP Zoning Ordinance Amendment petition. [Order Printout] [Appl. & Petition Printout] [Petition & Memo]
Reports Accepted, Placed on File 9-0, Petition Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0

This football appears to be on the tee and ready to be kicked off to a 2nd Reading. The deadline for ordination is February 17. - Robert Winters

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Meet the New Year, Same as the Old Year - Featured Items on the January 4, 2021 Cambridge City Council Agenda

There are two things in my daily/weekly routine that fill me with dread. The first is when I check the latest count of Covid infections and deaths among Cambridge residents. The most recent count indicated 51 new infections but fortunately no new deaths. However, after a long period of no new deaths (it was pinned at 100 for 82 days), there have been 8 new reported deaths since Dec 15, and this is very alarming. My other moment of dread is when I check the agenda for the next City Council meeting. That's when I expect to see the latest attempt by our elected scolds to dictate to Cambridge residents what they in their imagined brilliance feel is The Way Things Must Be. Whether it's dictating how to manage trees in my yard or whether my gas stove should be banned, they are always in the hunt for further ways to limit personal choice or play to the latest trendy movements. Thankfully, this week they gave us a break, but who know what's in the pipeline. Sometimes I think that constitutional rights may be the only recourse.

The last meeting of 2020 had some interesting late additions. They emerged from Executive Session with a late appropriation order for a $1.4 million legal settlement (or so it appears). We are only left to speculate whether this was related to the Vail Court eminent domain taking of a few years ago or something else. In the Vail Court case, if the property owners had any sense (they didn't) they could have built a mixed income residential development that would have added vitality to that corner of Central Square. Instead, the City felt compelled to take the property by eminent domain for the usual uninspired purposes. Had that property been redeveloped in concert with the underutilized parking lot at the corner of Prospect Street we could have seen a really interesting revitalization of what may be the single most drab location in the Greater Central Square area. That, of course, would have required creative thinking and negotiation from the Community Development Department, but instead we ended up with asphalt and legal settlements. Then again, perhaps the $1.4 million was for hush money. At least that would make for a more interesting story.

The other big story from the previous meeting was the $18.5 million eminent domain taking of an athletic field along Fresh Pond Parkway and the simultaneous disposal of the Green Ribbon Open Space Report from March 2000 (see comments of previous meeting if interested). Predictably, the councillors endorsed by ABC (A Bigger Cambridge) would prefer to Build Baby Build on that land. Clearly Cambridge has far too much open space. </sarcasm>

Here's my first pass at the marginally interesting stuff this week:

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on COVID-19.
Placed on File 9-0

Charter Right #1. Policy Order re: Covid-19 Vaccines.
Adopted as Amended 8-1 (Zondervan - NO)

Order #4. That the City Council go on record supporting the School Committee in aligning School opening and closing with the “Schools and Path to Zero” framework with the goal of opening up all schools for in person learning, and supporting all efforts to include as many students as practically possible for at least some in person learning, with the goal of full time in person learning as soon as it can be done safely.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons
Adopted 9-0

There was a great little book published some years ago called Innumeracy - Mathematical Illiteracy and its Consequences by John Allen Paulos. I often think of this book and it's theme when reading or hearing from city councillors or from more than a few people in the City's employ. Whether it's in promoting development with few goals or quantification, or the laundry list of brainstorming ideas that was dubbed "Envision Cambridge," or in making sense of the relative risk of Covid-19 infection from various activities, innumeracy is often the rule. Regarding the public schools, at some point three metrics were chosen to determine whether our schools would be primarily in-person or done via remote learning. If we exceed 2 of the 3 metrics, it's shutdown time for all the schools. That's where we are right now - average of 25.7 new cases/day (the limit is 25, so a slight excess) and 851.5/ml viral copies in wastewater testing (limit is 100/ml).

The crux of Order #4 seems to be to support the proposal to open the schools and keep them open just as long as individual schools can demonstrate that they are maintaining and ensuring a low-risk environment. I have no idea what the thinking of School Committee members is on this matter, but I do like the basic idea of evaluating each situation on its own merits.

As for the Order re: vaccines held over from the last meeting, I'll simply note that on the one hand our councillors want to ensure that only the most effective vaccines are made available to Cambridge residents, but they also want us to be last in line only after all higher-risk communities have been vaccinated (Order #3 of Dec 21). The truth is that most of these decisions are not in the hands of city councillors but more appropriately in the hands of public health officials, and for this I am grateful.

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Manager's Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the biennial City of Cambridge Resident Telephone Survey for 2020.
Placed on File 9-0

I used to actually read these survey results, but I now question their validity. On the housing question in particular, I will simply note that possibly 100% of residents want housing to be affordable, but that's not the same as endorsing the City's approach to "affordable housing." So many satisfaction surveys are more a function of the way the questions are asked than of the responses received. By the way, I believe that mom and apple pie are still highly regarded.

Manager's Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Zoning Petition which amends Article 8.000 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance.
Referred to Ordinance Committee and Planning Board 9-0

Since the court decision leading to this recommendation would favor slightly more flexibility for owners of single-family and two-family homes, I'll not be surprised if there's resistance to the recommendation by the density boosters who would prefer that Cambridge be more like Coop City in the Bronx. The nerve of someone wanting to live in a single- or two-family home. Don't they know there's a crisis going on? </sarcasm>

Manager's Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 20-72, regarding keeping Riverbend Park opened beyond Dec 27, 2020.
Placed on File 9-0

Sorry folks. I guess the ample sidewalks and paths alongside Memorial Drive will have to be repopulated for the duration of the season.

Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Law Department to draft Home Rule Petition language for a Fire Cadet Program similar to the language used in the Police Department Home Rule Petition.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Toomey, Councillor Simmons
Adopted 9-0

This is a good idea, but I still find it remarkable that a Home Rule Petition is required to create programs like these.

Order #3. That the Cambridge City Council formally expresses its interest in joining other cities actively pursuing digital equity and internet access by signing up for Next Century Cities.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan
Adopted 9-0

In all the controversy and committee meetings about the possibility of investing in municipal broadband, there are a few things that don't get nearly enough attention. One is the matter of TV - you know, as in television programs. You would think from the proponents that TV (Cable or otherwise) is something only senior citizens want. Maybe it's true and that nobody under 50 watches television anymore, but it never seems to be part of the discussion. Another matter rarely addressed is the matter of who would actually provide the content and connectivity. It's not the same as water or electricity where you simply introduce the water or voltage to the conduit. Another point not emphasized nearly enough is that cities where municipal broadband has been established tend to be those who already operate their own electric utilities - and we don't. Anyway, I don't know much about Next Century Cities, but they seem to be concerned only with equity rather than content.

Committee Report #1. The Economic Development & University Relations Committee met on Nov 19, 2020 to discuss challenges and opportunities that exist in City purchasing, procurement and programs for MWBEs and other historically disadvantaged businesses and non-profits in Cambridge.
Report Accepted; Placed on File; Order Adopted 9-0

Committee Report #2. The Public Safety Committee met on July 7, 2020 to conduct a public hearing on the Cambridge Police Department's Use of Force Policy and related matters.
Report Accepted; Placed on File 9-0

These reports are included for information only. Meanwhile, Councillor Zondervan is having another committee meeting this week in which he'll continue his campaign to defund the police. Political theater is such a poor substitute for real entertainment. - Robert Winters

Comments?