June 18, 2007 - Anything interesting on tonight's City Council agenda?

Here a few items that caught my attention:

City Mgr's Agenda #5. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 06-195, regarding a report on urban design process and advertising with restrictions related to the placement of public toilets in Central Square.

The communication quotes a response from MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas agreeing to begin a pilot program to expand public use of restrooms in the Central Square, Harvard Square, Porter Square, and Alewife T stations. In addition, the City is in final negotiations with the Salvation Army located at 328 Mass. Ave. to have their toilet facilities expanded for public use. Once the final agreements have been reached, signs will be posted indicating public restroom facilities at each location. This is a marvelous example of one public agency (the MBTA) stepping up to the plate in the public interest, and Mr. Grabauskas and his administration deserve credit and thanks for doing this.

City Mgr's Agenda #20. Transmitting communication from Robert W. Healy, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 07-64, regarding a report on the ongoing lawsuit between the parties to the joint venture for the development at North Point.

According to this communication, the partners in the North Point development (near Lechmere) are "hopelessly deadlocked with respect to continued development of the project." The matter is to be adjudicated in a Delaware court later this summer. Especially relevant to Cambridge is the issue of whether any agreements made with the City of Cambridge will be binding on the party or parties who buy out the others after the court's decision. The relocation of the Lechmere station may also hinge on the outcome. The City of Cambridge is not a party in this lawsuit, but the City's Law Department is continuing to monitor the proceedings.

Communication #6. A communication was received from Roseann T. Bongiovanni, President of the Chelsea City Council, transmitting a resolution adopted by the Chelsea City Council naming Chelsea a "Sanctuary City".

This communication is noteworthy primarily because Rosie Bongiovanni is planning to run for the State Senate seat being vacated by Jarrett Barrios, and what better way to appeal to the voters in the 11 wards of Cambridge in that Senate district than to advertise Chelsea's solidarity with Cambridge as a "sanctuary city."

Resolution #24. Resolution on the death of Will Stackman.   Councillor Sullivan

Order #1. That the City Council go on record dedicating a suitable location to Will Stackman.   Councillor Sullivan

Much appreciation to Michael Sullivan for the resolution and the order. My suggestion is to name the corner of Dewolfe St. and Cowperthwaite St. at Memorial Drive in honor of Will. This was the operations center of the Cambridge River Festival that Will staged for many years.

Order #4. That the City Manager confer with the head of the recycling division of the Public Works Department on the future plans to increase paper recycling and to the feasibility of providing an additional recycling bin, to compliment the current bin, specifically designed for the recycling of paper products.   Vice Mayor Toomey

The Cambridge Recycling Advisory Committee (of which I am a member) met last week to talk about the possibility of "single-stream" recycling in the future. This is where paper and comingled containers are intermixed in a single, larger recycling container. This discussion is in the context of plans for the processing facility (FCR in Charlestown) to re-engineer its facility for single-stream recycling in the near future - as it has already done at its Auburn facility. This change will likely have the greatest impact on places like Boston where recycling rates (less that 14%) are well below where they ought to be. Market prices for recycled material are very high now and FCR wants to capture much more material than is now the case. Cambridge's recycling rate (near 30%) is already pretty good, so single-stream collection would likely have less of a positive impact than would be the case in Boston. Another long-term possibility for Cambridge made possible by single-stream collection would be the ability to collect rubbish and recyclables in separate sections of a single vehicle (and most likely done in-house by City workers). The economic cost or benefit of such a change is still very unclear, but the discussion is now possible. In any case, there are still 3 years on our current recycling contract.

Order #8. That the City Council go on record dedicating a suitable location in the vicinity of Brattle and Church Streets in honor of Wayne "Rusty" Drugan.   Councillor Sullivan

Again, a good order from Michael Sullivan for a very good man, former Election Commissioner Rusty Drugan.

Order #13. That the City Manager confer with the appropriate departments to see what building permits have been pulled for 44 Brattle Street and that these permits be pulled immediately until the matter of terminating employees during renovation is resolved.   Councillor Decker

Even if the Ann Taylor Corporation consisted of money-grubbing scoundrels, how the hell would the City of Cambridge justify withholding building permits or occupancy permits just because some elected officials don't agree with the personnel decisions of the company? There's no way that the City can withhold or rescind permits for something like this without opening itself wide for litigation. This lunatic order should be filed alongside the order from late last year to rezone the site of the former Radisson Hotel to Open Space because some councillors disagreed with the personnel decisions of the new owner. That order was appropriately rescinded at the following meeting. - Robert Winters