Henrietta Davis
2003 Candidate for Cambridge City Council
Home address:
120 Chestnut Street
Cambridge MA 02139
Contact information:
Tel: 617-547-0877 (home)
website: www.henriettadavis.org
e-mail: henrietta@henriettadavis.org
(campaign)
hdavis@cambridgema.gov
(for City Council business)
Send contributions to:
- Vice Mayor: 2002-2003; Chair, Health and Environment Committee; Public Safety Committee; and Vice Chair, University Relations Committee
- City Councillor, 1996-present
- Member, Cambridge School Committee, 1988-1995
- Administrator, Agassiz Preschool, 1985-1994
- Freelance journalist: Time, Life, Money and National Public Radio , 1975-1985
- Social worker and community planner, 1967-1974
Education:
- Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, MPA, 1997
- Harvard Law School Negotiation Workshop, 1995
- Boston College School of Social Work, Master of Social Planning, 1972
- University of Rochester, B.A., in English Literature 1967
Housing:
WHAT I WILL DO
I will work for more affordable housing. As a city, we
have a good record in developing such housing for our low-income families.
Now, I will continue that work and also promote housing that will allow
our middle-class families to remain in the city-- and to attract new
families.
WHAT I HAVE DONE
The City Council and the city staff have worked
together, setting housing as the number one priority of the city. I've
worked with my fellow councillors to create many incentives to build or
preserve housing, to increase overall the supply of affordable housing
using many different strategies.
Through my newsletter, published three times yearly, I’ve supplied
information that has enabled new homeowners to find housing using our
first-time homebuyer program. I introduced a measure, now under
consideration, to use an inclusionary zoning tool to promote the building
of additional middle-income housing. I also promoted newly adopted zoning
that makes it possible to build housing anywhere in the city. I’m proud
to say that city efforts have led to over 6000 affordable units built or
preserved, 16% of all housing. I support our efforts in every way I can.
Quality of Life:
WHAT I WILL DO
I will continue my vigilance as new "quality of
life" problems – such as the proliferation of cell phone antennas
-- arise. I will continue to enable citizens to be able to reach city
government to get things fixed, trees planted, and noise levels turned
down.
WHAT I HAVE DONE
Because quality of life issues are so important to
people living in a city I have made this a focus of my council work.
Through my efforts, the city will acquire and maintain its own street
lights so we can make sure ourselves that there are no more dark, unlit
streets. I’ve called for stronger regulations on the placement of cell
phone antennas. Through my efforts, the city is addressing noise arising
from mechanical devices on old and new buildings. I'm proud that I
obtained regulations to tow cars whose alarms were going off without
stopping.
Also related to quality of life is the opportunity to
get around the city without using a car. Read more about that under the
section on land use planning and transportation.
Municipal Finance & Government:
WHAT I WILL DO
I plan to assure that an agreement is reached with MIT
so that a payment in lieu of taxes is guaranteed in the future. Also, that
an agreement is reached about properties that come off the tax rolls--so
that taxes will continue to be paid on those properties at a rate that
goes up with inflation. I will work so that our City Council goals,
particularly for neighborhood preservation, are better reflected in our
budget.
WHAT I HAVE DONE
The City of Cambridge is doing very well financially
especially when compared to other cities and towns in Massachusetts. Our
current situation is a result of good management by our City Manager and
his staff, and also a result of growth that we experience because we are
at the hub of biotech research. What I have done is firstly to support the
City Manager and his staff, and secondly to work to balance development in
the community--which benefits the tax base -- with the impact of that
development on the quality of life in the city. I have consistently voted
to downzone the city in order to protect neighborhoods and assure the
city's livability. In addition, in order to improve our resources for
housing, historic preservation and open space, I advocated for the passage
of the Community Preservation Act, which has returned to the city
$10,309,646 since its passage.
Environment and Public Health:
WHAT I WILL DO
I believe we need more effort to achieve a cleaner
environment. For the next two years we need to implement "green"
purchasing by all city departments. We also need to strengthen zoning to
promote the development of more high performance "green"
buildings throughout the city. I will also press for the full
implementation of the city's climate protection plan.
WHAT I HAVE DONE
Together with health-care professionals and
environmental activists, we are making our city a healthier place to live
and work. I am proud to have taken the lead in winning City Council
approval of a smoking ban in all bars and restaurants. I brought together
the parties necessary to get a majority Council vote. As chair of the
Health and Environment Committee, I’ve led the movement to promote the
goal for all new city buildings -- government and private alike – to be
built as high-performing green buildings. We’ve already made a start at
the 57 Inman St. City Hall Annex. In addition, I led the Council to adopt
goals for city purchasing of environmentally friendly products. I'm proud
to say that I facilitated an agreement between the city, Harvard and MIT
to reach a 40% recycling goal by 2005, heading toward 60% for the entire
city by 2010.
I led the Council in passing a Climate Protection Plan
and I also serve as the city's legislative liaison to the Cities for
Climate Protection, a group of more than 300 cities worldwide that are
taking action against global warming and forging a path for others to
follow.
I also promoted the installation of energy efficient
LED traffic lights, saving thousands of dollars for the city and
benefiting the environment at the same time.
Henrietta's
answers to Sierra Club questions
Henrietta's
speech at the Candidate Environmental Forum September 20, 2003
Transportation:
WHAT I WILL DO
I am passionate about making this city safe for people
of all ages to walk and bicycle. I will continue that work by focusing on
ways that bicyclists can make their way through the city on continuous
safe routes.
WHAT I HAVE DONE
For six years, I was the chair of the city council's
Traffic and Transportation Committee advocating for alternative modes of
transportation to the private automobile. Together with transportation
planners from the city, I've worked to make this an easier place for
people of all ages to get around. We pushed for the posting of route and
schedule information at T bus stops... and they’re going up, route by
route, throughout the city. I’ve also gotten the city to install more
shelters at bus stops. I’m committed to working for shuttle service for
the new public library and helped to start the EZ Ride Shuttle from
Cambridge to North Station. I was an early and enthusiastic backer of the
Zipcar program, which gives drivers an alternative to owning their own
cars... and I’m proposing that city agencies develop a “ride-sharing”
program for workers.
Two years ago, I became the chair of the Public Safety
Committee, so that I could press for a city-wide traffic safety program.
That program, called Points for Safety, will protect bicyclists,
pedestrians and motorists. For that, I have secured a commitment from the
Police Department to increase the enforcement of laws against red-light
running. In cooperation with the Cambridge Bicycle Committee, I'm
spearheading a campaign to educate drivers and passengers to look for
bicyclists before opening car doors. Also, there will be an emphasis on
stopping for pedestrians in crosswalk by both motorists and bicyclists. By
working with bicycle and pedestrian activists and the Police Department,
we will make our streets safer.
Land Use, Planning, and Development:
WHAT I WILL DO
Our neighborhoods are the building blocks of our city.
I will continue to press for planning and zoning that assures that the
city protects its neighborhoods. And I will actively support the
neighborhood plans developed by hard working citizen committees.
WHAT I HAVE DONE
With committed neighborhood activists, we are
protecting neighborhoods and preserving open space. I’ve secured city
staff to assist the Agassiz neighborhood on working with Harvard on its
plans for future growth and called for a study of Mass Ave from Porter
Square to Harvard Square to avert overdevelopment in that corridor. I’ve
called for the implementation of neighborhood study plans, created by the
hard work of citizen committees. Their recommendations must result in
action. I’ve led the effort to preserve a valuable white maple forest,
at the Cambridge-Belmont line and adjacent to the Alewife reservation,
that is threatened by a proposed commercial development. I’ve sponsored
zoning protections for all MDC park land and city open space. We must do
all we can to protect all the open space we have.
University Relations:
WHAT I WILL DO
There is so much to be done in this area. I will press
for better planning by the city to set out appropriate expectations for
growth by universities and appropriate protections for neighborhoods. I
will work towards firmer cooperative ventures in housing, education and
the environment.
WHAT I HAVE DONE
As Vice Chair of the University Relations committee I
have worked to create a positive and constructive relationship with our
neighboring universities. Rather than focusing only on the difficult parts
of that relationship, I have promoted cooperation, asking for the
universities' help with schools, for example. We have been working in five
areas: city finances, planning and development, schools, housing and the
environment.
Cooperative work is ongoing relative to the environment
and a new commitment to a 40% recycling rate by Harvard, MIT, the city
government and Cambridge Hospital is a good example of that. I pressed for
a commitment from MIT on its in lieu of tax payments and on taking
property off the tax rolls. The universities should also assist and plan
together with us for future housing needs in the community.
The universities intend to grow! The vitality of the
universities adds to the vitality of the city if it's not overdone. If the
city can plan its own future, clearly setting limits of development,
university growth will be less contentious. I've won support from the City
Council for a planning study of Mass Ave between Porter and Harvard
Squares which should set out the expectation for future growth limits on
Lesley University and Harvard University in that corridor. Other efforts,
including passage of downzoning in Riverside to protect that neighborhood
which I will be a part of in the next few weeks, are crucial.
Civic participation:
WHAT I WILL DO
I will press for more public information about boards
and commissions so that people can apply to join them. I will continue to
supply information to the public, because information is power.
WHAT I HAVE DONE
I've worked together with citizens by providing
information and responding to concerns. I've produced a newsletter three
times a year, whether it's election season or not, to give a heads-up
about the issues we all care about. Also, I distributed a “Useful
Numbers” card for easy access to city offices. There are little things
that make a difference, such as making sure that meeting notices and other
information are displayed at city buildings. I also encouraged the use of
a special telephoning system called reverse 911 to call people for
street-cleaning and crime alerts. Finally, I welcome feedback from you by
phone and email about your concerns!
Children and Cambridge Public Schools:
WHAT I WILL DO
After years of turmoil, we must restore confidence in
our school system. As a first step, I will work with our three
universities -- Harvard, MIT and Lesley -- to secure their help in
teaching math, science and technology to our young people.
The consolidation of elementary schools from 15 down to
13 has created changes in the way that children and adults make use of
human service department programs. It has also meant that the buildings,
Graham & Parks and Longfellow School buildings are now vacant.
I will work to assure that there is a reasonable
planning process about the re-use of those buildings. Since some human
service programs were relocated, it makes sense to assess what happened to
people who were using them. Are they still being served? This is an issue
that needs immediate attention.
WHAT I HAVE DONE
I served for eight years on the School Committee, prior
to serving on the City Council. I have consistently advocated for
excellent public schools. Together with parents and city councillors, I am
working to strengthen our schools and helping our children to be smart,
healthy, and to have fun, too. As Vice Chair of the University Relations
Committee, I’ve secured the support of our neighbor universities to
promise to help our schools. As co-chair of the Healthy Children Task
Force, I’m leading and supporting programs to combat obesity. We are
working with all schools and families to educate them in preventing and
reducing obesity through healthy eating and physical activity. As a
founder of the Cambridge Walks program, I am promoting “Walk Your Child
to School” day. With the help of others on the Healthy Children Task
Force and the school department, we’ve secured funding for mental health
services at every elementary school.
Other:
For more information or copies of my past newsletters, go to www.henriettadavis.org.