Cambridge InsideOut - November 29, 2016
Potential Topics:
1) Notable Notes - Weddings, Births, and other announcements
The Lucius R. Paige papers are now available at the Cambridge Room of the Cambridge Public Library.
[Lucius Paige was the Cambridge Town Clerk, the City Clerk, and the author of History of Cambridge, 1630-1877 (published in 1877).]
Next Participatory Budgeting VOTE: December 3-9, 2016! - starts this Saturday
Do you live in Cambridge? Are you at least 12 years old? Then come out and vote between December 3-9 for your favorite PB projects and decide how to spend $700,000 of the City's capital budget!
Residents can vote online at pb.cambridgema.gov or in person at dozens of events around town. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen to participate in this process.
What's on the ballot?
Over 60 volunteer Budget Delegates worked hard this fall researching 548 ideas submitted by community members and developed 20 final proposals for the ballot. Voters can choose up to 5 of the following 20 projects. You don't need to rank your choices or do any math.
Universal Design: Playgrounds for Everyone! ($100,000)- Danehy Park: Fitness, Signs, Dog Park Lights & Scoreboards ($140,000)
- Shade and Wet Weather Canopies for Playgrounds ($146,000)
- Learn about Nature in the Port ($10,000)
- Cambridge Street Art Trail ($25,000)
- All-In-One Mobile Performance Stage & Art Space ($98,000)
- Lighting Landmarks: CHLS Gate & Sumner Statue ($45,000)
- Little Free Libraries for Children ($37,000)
- Bicycle Desks for Cambridge Students ($113,000)
- Wireless Speakers for Youth Centers ($25,000)
- Upgrade the Moore Youth Center ($80,000)
- Free Public WiFi in Columbia Park ($32,000)
- Kinetic Energy Tiles ($50,000)
- Solar-Powered Real-Time Bus Tracker Displays ($150,000)
- Building a Strong and Safe Bike Community ($114,000)
- Safer Crosswalks for Busy Roads ($104,000)
- Solar Power Shines! ($260,000)
- Hydration Stations in Four Locations! ($37,000)
- Safe Naps for Cambridge Preschoolers! ($4,000)
- (2-3) Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations ($30,000)
To learn more about each project and about the PB voting process, please visit pb.cambridgema.gov or contact us in the City's Budget Office.
Joint Statement of
Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons and City Manager Louis A. DePasquale
Regarding Cambridge as a Sanctuary City
Nov 17, 2016 – The recent national political climate has generated considerable concern and anxiety on the part of many Cambridge residents, especially members of our immigrant communities. The City of Cambridge wants to clearly state to our community that it is committed to supporting and promoting the safety, health, and well-being of all of its residents. As a Sanctuary City, Cambridge affirms the basic human rights and dignity of every human being and provides education, health and other services to all residents of Cambridge, regardless of their immigration status.
“The City of Cambridge has been a Sanctuary City since April 1985, when the City Council first took steps to protect and support refugees fleeing from political violence and human rights violations in El Salvador, Guatemala and Haiti,” said Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons. “In 1999, the City Council expanded that support to all residents, regardless of immigration status, and has regularly reaffirmed that over the last 20 years. Today, the City of Cambridge remains just as committed to all of our residents as we have been over the past 31 years.”
The City provides support and resources ranging from a Cambridge Immigrant Rights Commission to programing at the Cambridge Community Learning Center to a Community Engagement Team that works to connect hard to reach populations with City services.
“Every Cambridge resident – regardless of their status – is encouraged to seek and obtain assistance from the many resources available to the Cambridge community. Cambridge remains a welcoming community for all,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale.
Furthermore, a core principle of the Cambridge Police Department’s Community Policing philosophy is that all community members are encouraged to seek and obtain police assistance and protection, regardless of their specific immigration and/or documentation status. The enforcement of the nation’s civil immigration laws are the primary responsibility of the federal government and the Cambridge Police Department does not undertake immigration-related investigations and does not routinely inquire into the specific immigration status of any person encountered during normal police operations.
As Mayor and City Manager of Cambridge, we remain committed to the City’s Sanctuary City status and the services and support that we provide to the Cambridge Community.
Mayor E. Denise Simmons City Manager Louis A. DePasquale
The full text of the Cambridge Police Department’s Secure Communities & ICE Detainers policy is available at www.cambridgepolice.org/Publications. Past City Council Policy Orders are available at www.cambridgema.gov/CityCouncil.
[References: 1985 Sanctuary City resolution 2006 Sanctuary City resolution Joint Statement by City Manager & Mayor Simmons]
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Last week, the MBTA launched a survey to better understand the needs for late night MBTA service. This is an important step in ensuring the next iteration of late night service is done right, and is accessible to the population that might most benefit from it. The survey is available in several languages until Dec 16, 2016. For more information or to obtain printed surveys contact Tegin Bennett at tbennett@cambridgema.gov
Survey: www.mbta.com/nightbus
There are, in fact, several distinct area to watch over the next few years:
(a) the MIT-Kendall area where new development is just now getting started;
(b) the Volpe site;
(c) the Northwest Campus area in the southern part of Cambridgeport (Albany Street and vicinity); and
(d) the area in the vicinity of Massachusetts Ave. between Vassar Street and Albany Street.
Members Sought for Cambridge GLBT Commission
City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking individuals to fill vacancies on the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) Commission. Prospective Commissioners must either reside or work in Cambridge.
The mission of the Commission is to advocate for a culture of respect and to monitor progress toward equality of all persons with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. The Commission also monitors policies and practices that have a positive effect on the health, welfare and safety of all persons who live, visit or work in the City of Cambridge with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. Current projects include working with Housing and Health Care organizations who serve LGBTQ+ Seniors and Youth After School activities.
The Commission normally meets on the 4th Thursday of each month and Commissioners are expected to volunteer some time outside of meetings for various projects. Although it is not a requirement for application, it is recommended that applicants attend a Commission meeting to see how it operates; the next meeting is on Thursday, Dec. 1, from 6-7:30 p.m., at Windsor Street Community Health Center, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 119 Windsor St., Cambridge.
For more information about the Commission, visit www.cambridgema.gov/glbt. Minutes, and other information can be found there. Visit the Commission’s FaceBook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Cambridge.GLBT.Commission.
A Letter of Interest with a brief resumé should be sent via mail or e-mail by Monday, Dec 12 to:
Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager
City of Cambridge
795 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
Ph. 617-349-4300
E-mail: citymanager@cambridgema.gov
Seeking Recycling Advisory Committee Applicants - Learn about joining the Recycling Advisory Committee.
City of Cambridge Recycling Advisory Committee Vacancy - Deadline Extended to Dec 2
The City of Cambridge is seeking residents and local professionals interested in serving on the Advisory Committee on Environmentally Desirable Practices/Recycling Advisory Committee (RAC) beginning January 2017. The RAC is a volunteer committee which provides advice, recommendations, and assistance to the Department of Public Works (DPW) regarding recycling, composting, reuse, and waste reduction. The DPW strives to meet the goals of the MassDEP Solid Waste Master Plan to reduce residential trash. The RAC does this through research, feedback, public outreach, and event planning.
Cambridge Recycling began in 1989 with a few volunteers dedicated to beginning a recycling drop-off program. Today, the City recovers more than 11,000 tons/year of recyclables from more than 44,000 households. Many residents drop off food scraps and every public school has composting. The curbside food scraps collection pilot diverts over six tons per week, and will expand citywide in the fall of 2017.
Currently the City’s goals to reduce waste match those in the MA Solid Waste Master Plan. Using 2008 as a baseline year, the City aims to reduce trash 30% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. Some strategies that City staff have identified to realize this reduction in trash include maximize recycling, educate and increase reduction of food waste while implementing food scrap collection programs; strengthen programs that encourage reuse, repair and donation of durable goods and materials; and support extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation for problem products.
The Committee has been active for over 20 years and consists of at least nine members with a demonstrated interest in the topics listed above. Members serve a three-year term and are expected to attend monthly meetings (Sept-June). The City seeks members that represent local businesses and property managers, Cambridge residents and users of the Recycling Center, universities, non-profit organizations and social service agencies whose goals overlap with waste reduction.
Duties, Responsibilities, and Minimum Requirements include:
- Attend and participate in monthly meeting, held second Wednesday of the month (September-June) at 8am;
- Participate in creating committee direction and implementation of ideas;
- Take a leadership role in projects, such as doing research, organizing & attending events, advocating for Extended Producer Responsibility legislation, etc;
- Work with the Public Works Recycling Division, Climate Protection Committee, and other appropriate City staff to provide feedback on City initiatives and collaborate on various projects;
- Research different approaches to communication, education and best practices for recycling, composting, reuse and waste reduction programs;
- Disseminate outreach materials and post flyers in the community to educate the public;
- Write articles for all varieties of media promoting City programs and services including newspaper editorials, blog posts, newsletter articles, etc;
- Initiate, plan, attend and run events to promote recycling, composting, reuse and waste reduction;
- Recruit additional volunteers for specific events and projects;
- Meet with the community and participate in at least 2-3 events, such as Danehy Park Family Day, Family Fun Day, Fresh Pond Day, May Fair, block parties;
- Continually promote positive recycling, composting, reuse, and waste reduction whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Helpful Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Marketing;
- Advocacy for state and federal policy on extended producer responsibility;
- Knowledge of the reuse industry;
- Familiarity with the Cambridge Public Schools;
- Knowledge about using recycled materials
Interested persons should submit a letter of interest by email by Friday, December 2, 2016 describing their relevant experience and their professional/personal interest in these issues to:
Lisa Peterson, Acting City Manager
City of Cambridge
795 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
E-mail: citymanager@cambridgema.gov
Please note that all current Committee members interested in serving again must submit a letter of interest.
All Cambridge Boards & Commissions
Seeking Volunteers for Harvard Square Kiosk Working Group
The City of Cambridge would like to share two important updates regarding the Harvard Square Placemaking process.
The City is seeking volunteers to serve on a new Harvard Square Kiosk Working Group. This working group is being created to advise the City Manager on the vision, programming, operations and governance of the Harvard Square kiosk and plaza. Letters of Interest are due by December 2, 2016. For more information and instructions for sending a letter of interest, please click on the link provided.
Comment Period Open on the Draft Request for Proposals Harvard Square Kiosk Consulting Services
As you may know, the City is interested in issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for hiring a consultant to assist the City to create a vision for the programming, operations and governance of the Harvard Square Kiosk. We would like to provide an opportunity for input on the scope and evaluation for the RFP consulting services. The comment period on the RFP will extend through November 29th, and comments will inform any changes to the RFP before it is posted.
To review the RFP and directions to submit your comments, click on the link to the Harvard Square Placemaking webpage and look under the "Latest" tab: https://www.cambridgema.gov/cdd/projects/parks/hsquarepublicspace
Please indicate in an email back to us if you wish to continue receiving information on the process. We look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to share this with your networks.
For more information, visit the Harvard Square Placemaking website: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Projects/Parks/hsquarepublicspace.aspx
Cambridge Human Rights Commission Vacancy - Deadline Extended to Dec 2
Acting City Manager Lisa Peterson is seeking persons interested in serving on the Cambridge Human Rights Commission (CHRC). Made up of 11 members who serve three-year terms, the CHRC meets on the first Thursday of every month at 6pm. The Commission seeks Cambridge residents representing the diversity of Cambridge. The application deadline for this commission has been extended to Friday, Dec 2, 2016.
Commissioners are expected to work with other members of the Commission and staff to fulfill the goals and objectives of the Cambridge Human Rights Commission Ordinance (CMC Chapter 2.76). Commissioners are expected to attend monthly meetings, participate in subcommittees on outreach and public education, and work with Commission staff on the investigation, mediation and resolution of complaints filed with the Commission which allege discrimination in housing, public accommodations, employment or education based upon race, color, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin or ancestry, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, family status, military status or source of income.
For more information, contact Nancy Schlacter, Cambridge Human Rights Commission, at 617-349-4396 or nschlacter@cambridgema.gov. Letters of interest, including resume and/or applicable experience, can be sent via mail, fax or e-mail by Friday, December 2, 2016 to:
Lisa Peterson, Acting City Manager
City of Cambridge
795 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
E-mail: citymanager@cambridgema.gov
Book Release - Building Old Cambridge by Susan E. Maycock and Charles M. Sullivan (published by MIT Press)
2) Comments on (a) the Sanctuary City Roundtable, (b) the Central Square Advisory Committee meeting on Nov 28; and the Central Square Restoration Zoning Petition before the Planning Board (Nov 29 at 7:00pm) and Ordinance Committee (Dec 1 at 3:00pm).
Mon, Nov 28
5:30pm City Council Roundtable meeting to discuss the City's status as a Sanctuary City. No public comment. No votes will be taken. Meeting will not be televised. (Sullivan Chamber)
6:00pm Central Square Advisory Committee meeting (2nd floor meeting room, City Hall Annex)
The Central Square Advisory Committee will review: 907 Main Street hotel (postponed), Central Square Zoning Petition (postponed), review of a proposed bus shelter on Prospect Street at Bishop Allen Drive (outbound), and a proposal for crossing Mass Avenue with the storm water pipes (delayed while Mass. Historical reviews plans).
Tues, Nov 29
7:00pm Planning Board meeting (2nd Floor Meeting Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)
General Business
1. Update from the Community Development Department
2. Adoption of Planning Board meeting transcripts
Public Hearings
7:00pm Zoning Petition by Nabil Sater, et al., to amend the Zoning Ordinance in the Central Square Overlay District, Section 20.300. This petition is also known as the Central Square Restoration Zoning Petition.
General Business
3. MIT SoMA Building #4 and Open Space Design Review
Potential $14 million impact (annually) if federal money discontinued to "Sanctuary City" locations. The City Manager emphasizes that nothing has happened yet, so this is primarily about planning - just in case. There are also potential impacts to various local nonprofit organizations.
Central Square Restoration Petition (or here)
CDD memo to Planning Board re: Central Square Restoration Petition (written Nov 22 for Nov 29 meeting)
Dec 1, 3:00pm Ordinance Committee meeting on Central Square Restoration Petition - no agenda or other materials yet posted
Response to the “Central Square Restoration” Zoning Petition from the Cambridge Residents Alliance
Inflammatory Flyer distributed in The Port containing false statements re: Central Square Restoration Petition
Zoning Petitions - Past and Present
3) Nov 21 City Council meeting
 While the Orange Emperor prepares to assume the throne, Cambridge responds with symbolic acts of virtual warfare. I expect that the next two months will be dominated by discussions of Sanctuary Cities and declarations of our municipal virtue.
Here are the City Council agenda items that seem most noteworthy:
Manager's Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on the drought conditions.
The drought persists, but things appear to be less dire than they seemed a month ago. The reservoirs are slowing gaining water and we have been able to use Cambridge water to some degree, so the cost of purchasing MWRA water is less than was projected.
Manager's Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to various projects and initiatives related to the City’s Bicycle Safety Work Plan.
City staff seem to be approaching this more thoughtfully than the "my way or the highway" approach suggested in recent City Council orders. For example, there is a substantial analysis of the pros and cons of completely revising the good plans already developed for Huron Avenue. Based on that analysis and the impacts associated with making major changes to the design at this point in construction, City staff does not plan to modify the layout of Huron Avenue.
There definitely are some modifications to street configuration and on-street parking that can be made for greater bicycle safety, but this is best done in conjunction with a thoughtful process involving all stakeholders - and not with the banging of drums. It is worth noting that at a recent City Council committee meeting on a possible increase in the cost of a resident parking permit, one councillor clearly stated that she hoped that by jacking the sticker price up sufficiently high it would lead to enough people giving up their vehicles so that parking could be eliminated from most or all of Broadway, Cambridge Street, Hampshire Street and Massachusetts Avenue. She especially liked that Uber vehicles would more easily be able to pick up passengers on these streets. Public process may be time-consuming, but it's far preferable to a dictatorial City Council.
Manager's Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the zoning amendments with recommended changes to the Inclusionary Housing Provisions.
Presumably, the zoning amendment process will now commence with referral to the Planning Board and Ordinance Committee. It will be interesting to see if the shifting economic forecasts associated with changes in Washington, D.C. will affect the view of how viable the proposed 20% Inclusionary Zoning percentage might be.
Charter Right #1. The City Manager confer with the City Solicitor on the possibility of allowing non-citizen Cambridge residents to vote in municipal elections without a home-rule petition. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Cheung on Nov 7, 2016.]
Perhaps the juxtaposition of this with the Sanctuary City discussion may give this a boost, but I still think that individual cities and towns should not be setting their own policies in matters such as this. For a hundred years the standard has been that Citizenship = "Right to Vote", and a lot of us agree with that definition. I will again add that just about everyone is a citizen of some country and they likely still retain those voting rights even if they currently reside in Cambridge.
Order #3. That all Awaiting Report items on the Awaiting Report List on Nov 7, 2016 be placed on file. Councillor Cheung
Perhaps most of the slate should be wiped clean, but maybe councillors should be afforded the privilege of selecting a few or the more substantial requests for retention on the list. While they're at it, we could also use a little Fall Cleaning of some of the items that are On the Table collecting dust and going nowhere. The City Clerk will, I'm sure, appreciate the gesture.
Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to commit to funding any and all programs that may be in jeopardy should the federal funds affect the viability of these programs. Councillor Cheung, Mayor Simmons, Councillor Kelley
Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to forward a letter to Cambridge organizations and City Departments regarding the status of our Sanctuary/Trust Act City and what this means for working non-citizens and the resources available. Vice Mayor McGovern, Mayor Simmons, Councillor Devereux, Councillor Mazen
[References: 1985 Sanctuary City resolution 2006 Sanctuary City resolution Joint Statement by City Manager & Mayor Simmons]
Order #8. Nov 28th Roundtable/Working Meeting be changed to discuss Cambridge remaining a Sanctuary City. Mayor Simmons, Vice Mayor McGovern
As an exercise, let's separate out the substance of these Sanctuary City resolutions from all the other statements of conditions, causes, and virtue.
The essential clauses of the 1985 resolution are:
"The City Council wishes to clarify its desire not to expend City resources, beyond the requirements of federal law, in voluntarily assisting or cooperating with investigations of alleged violations of immigration law by Salvadorean, Guatemalan or Haitian refugees, or in gathering or disseminating information on the citizenship status of those residing in the City of Cambridge"; and
"RESOLVED: That the City of Cambridge not participate in any form in the compounding of injustice against refugees from El Salvador, Guatemala and Haiti or in the federal government's persecution of those, who in good faith, offer humanitarian assistance to the refugees"; and
"ORDERED: That the City Council declares it to be the policy of the City of Cambridge that, to the extent legally possible, no department or employee of the City of Cambridge will violate established or future sanctuaries by officially assisting or voluntarily cooperating with investigations or arrest procedures, public or clandestine, relating to alleged violations of immigration law by refugees from El Salvador, Guatemala or Haiti, or by those offering sanctuary"; and
"ORDERED: That no city employee or department, to the extent legally possible, will request information about or otherwise assist in the investigation of the citizenship status of any City resident, will disseminate information regarding the citizenship of a City resident, or condition the provision of City of Cambridge services or benefits on matters related to citizenship."
The 2006 resolution actually added little other than statements about how the Cambridge City Council at that time disagreed with a bill then working its way through the U.S. Congress.
Those were some pretty substantial statements in 1985, but they really aren't all that severe. In a nutshell, they basically say that the City of Cambridge won't carry out the work of the federal government in carrying out a policy with which the City of Cambridge has great disagreement. The federal government doesn't round up people who have failed to pay parking tickets while in the City of Cambridge, so this is, in some respects, just a statement that we'll do our jobs and the federal government can do their jobs.
What is insidious about the current situation is the threat of federal funds being withheld to any city choosing to not do the job of federal authorities. That's almost like saying that we're going to withhold your paycheck until you do your boss's job in addition to your own. Cambridge residents pay federal taxes (sorry, you can't claim the Peoples Republic of Cambridge as a sovereign state), so federal funding is really just a mechanism through which we get back some of our own money. What is most offensive is the manner in which the federal government attempts to micromanage local communities via the threat of withholding federal funds that they have extracted from residents of those same communities via taxation. This practice has been growing for years and is not particular to the latest dispute over Sanctuary Cities. Even President Obama threatened to withhold educational funds based on failure to reconfigure bathrooms, and there are plenty of other examples of federal authorities using taxation as a means of dictating policy.
So, the question I have is simply this: What aspects of Cambridge's Sanctuary City resolutions are actually in violation of federal law? Indeed, the last statement of the 1985 resolution states quite clearly that "the provisions of this Resolution shall be severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this Resolution is declared by a court of component jurisdiction to be contrary to the Constitution of the United States or of the Commonwealth or the applicability thereof to any agency, person or circumstances is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this Resolution and the applicability thereof to any other agency, person or circumstances shall not be affected thereby."
Order #7. That the City Council go on record requesting that the Co-Chairs of the Ordinance Committee hold a hearing or hearings on the attached proposed surveillance ordinance, and that representatives of the ACLU be invited to this hearing or hearings to discuss the necessity of such an ordinance. Mayor Simmons
I'm not exactly sure who wrote the text of this proposed surveillance ordinance, but I'm pretty sure he wears a tin foil hat.
On the Table #7. The City Manager coordinate with the Finance Department, Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, and community stakeholders to outline a proposed system of governance, management, and stakeholder engagement for the Foundry, to be discussed in a public forum with the Council and community. [Charter Right exercised by Councillor Toomey on Oct 31, 2016.]
Committee Report #2. A communication was received from Paula Crane, Deputy City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Nadeem Mazen, Chair of the Neighborhood and Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebration Committee, for a public hearing held on Oct 6, 2016 to discuss the redevelopment of the Foundry Building.
The more I hear about this the better I feel about how the City and the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority came to this point. It seems as though every piece of real estate for which the City Council has some control has become a political football in a game in which All Great Things ride on the outcome. The Foundry is, at the end of the day, just another building. The City has lots of buildings serving community purposes, including multiple Youth Centers and all of the Community Schools programs. While everybody stamps their feet about The Foundry, where is the fervor about all of these other City programs and facilities? Perhaps the best thing would be to start viewing The Foundry as just another asset in an enlarged inventory of facilities. Maybe then we could start thinking less selfishly and more holistically. When was the last time the City Council and the School Committee looked at the bigger picture and asked if we're making the most of all of the City's assets?
Comments?
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4) Wed, Nov 16 Envision Cambridge Advisory Committee - observations and comments
5) Continuing Discussion of the Presidential Election Results, the Fallout.
What should we expect over next few years (federal government actions, political realignments, political movements)
THE MUNICIPAL SITUATION IN CAMBRIDGE
A Paper read at the Annual Meeting of the National Municipal League at Chicago, April 28, 1904
BY HENRY N. WHEELER, PRESIDENT OF THE LEAGUE
PRECEDED BY A PROGRAM OF THE WORK OF THE LEAGUE FOR 1904
[original PDF]
CIVIC CALENDAR
Mon, Nov 28
5:30pm City Council Roundtable meeting to discuss the City's status as a Sanctuary City. No public comment. No votes will be taken. Meeting will not be televised. (Sullivan Chamber)
6:00pm Central Square Advisory Committee meeting (2nd floor meeting room, City Hall Annex)
The Central Square Advisory Committee will review: 907 Main Street hotel, Central Square Zoning Petition, review of a proposed bus shelter on Prospect Street at Bishop Allen Drive (outbound) and a proposal for crossing Mass Avenue with the storm water pipes.
Tues, Nov 29
7:00pm Planning Board meeting (2nd Floor Meeting Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)
General Business
1. Update from the Community Development Department
2. Adoption of Planning Board meeting transcripts
Public Hearings
7:00pm Zoning Petition by Nabil Sater, et al., to amend the Zoning Ordinance in the Central Square Overlay District, Section 20.300. This petition is also known as the Central Square Restoration Zoning Petition.
General Business
3. MIT SoMA Building #4 and Open Space Design Review
Thurs, Dec 1
3:00pm The City Council's Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing on a zoning petition by Nabil Sater, et al., to amend the Zoning Ordinance in the Central Square Overlay District, Section 20.300. This hearing to be televised. (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30-8:00pm Volpe Working Group Meeting (Cambridge Innovation Center, One Broadway, 14th Floor)
The next meeting of the Volpe Working Group will be held Thurs, Dec 1, 2016, 5:30-8:00pm, at the Cambridge Innovation Center, One Broadway, 14th Floor. Members of the public are welcome to attend. We ask that you RSVP before the meeting if possible, and please bring identification for entry into the building. At this meeting, the working group will continue discussion of key planning and urban design topics raised at the first meeting such as public space and connections, promoting a sense of neighborhood, and strengthening Kendall Square's civic identity. Discussion will include comparable examples and precedents from other places. More information on the Volpe Working Group is available at: www.cambridgema.gov/volpe
Mon, Dec 5
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Tues, Dec 6
6:00pm School Committee meeting (Attles Meeting Room, CRLS, 459 Broadway)
Wed, Dec 7
5:00pm The City Council's Economic Development and University Relations Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss recent and anticipated development projects and commercial and institutional leasing in Harvard Square, and how such changes may affect the future of Harvard Square. (Sullivan Chamber)
Mon, Dec 12
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Wed, Dec 14
8:00am Recycling Advisory Committee (Sullivan Chamber, City Hall)
Mon, Dec 19
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Tues, Dec 20
6:00pm School Committee meeting (Attles Meeting Room, CRLS, 459 Broadway)
Wed, Dec 21
5:30pm Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Board Meeting (Police Station, 125 Sixth St., First Floor Community Room)
[Meeting Agenda and supporting materials]