Cambridge InsideOut - July 11, 2017
Usual Topics:
1) Civic Updates and Opportunities
2) 2017 Candidates Cambridge Candidate Pages
Shapes of the campaign season to come
3) PR Office Hours
4) Some History of Proportional Representation
5) Do the number of vacancies affect the chance that an incumbent is ousted?
6) Regulation of Short-Term Rentals Pending
7) Harvard Square Updates
8) Central Square Updates
9) June 26 City Council meeting
10) Civic Calendar
Continuing Question: How will the turmoil in national politics trickle down to the local level and, in particular, how might it influence the Cambridge municipal election?
Speculation: After over a century of non-partisan Cambridge elections (a major tenet of "The Cambridge Idea" dating back to the late 1800s), there are indications that "Our Revolution", the Bernie Sanders-driven national entity and effectively an emergent political party separate from the Democratic Party, may back candidates in the 2017 Cambridge municipal election.
Right now...
July 5, 2017 – Cambridge City Manager Louis DePasquale is seeking to fill vacancies for members and alternate members on the Cambridge Historical Commission, Avon Hill Neighborhood Conservation District (NCD) Commission, Half Crown-Marsh NCD Commission and Mid Cambridge NCD Commission.
The Cambridge Historical Commission, a body of seven members and three alternates, establishes historic preservation policy for the city and administers two historic districts, the Harvard Square Conservation District, the citywide landmark and demolition ordinances, and the preservation grant program for rehabilitation assistance.
Neighborhood Conservation Districts were established by City ordinance beginning in 1983. NCD designation recognizes the particular design qualities of distinctive neighborhoods and encourages their protection and maintenance for the benefit of the entire city. The three NCD commissions in Cambridge each include five members and three alternates. Most members must be residents of the neighborhoods. More information and maps of the Avon Hill, Half Crown-Marsh, and Mid Cambridge NCDs are available at cambridgema.gov/historic/districtsHistoricProperties/districtsmap.
Each of the four volunteer commissions meets monthly. All are supported by the professional staff of the Historical Commission. Applicants should have an interest in architecture, local history or neighborhood preservation and be committed to protecting the historic resources and built environment of the City. Appointments to the Commission are made by the City Manager with regard to a diversity of viewpoints. Minority candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.
Individuals interested in being considered should apply by using the city’s online application system at cambridgema.gov/apply and selecting the relevant commission(s). A cover letter and résumé or summary of applicable experience can be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, August 14, 2017.
July 5, 2017 – Cambridge City Manager Louis DePasquale is seeking persons interested in serving on the Cambridge Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship (CIRC).
The Commission consists of 11 volunteer members, who are appointed by the City Manager, following an application and interview process. The term of the appointment is three years. Commissioners are expected to be knowledgeable about immigrant rights and citizenship and must be residents of Cambridge. It is desirable for this Commission to be fully representative of the diverse Cambridge community.
Cambridge welcomes immigrants and wants to encourage their success and access to opportunity and advancement in this country. It will be a goal of this Commission to get the message of welcome out, through collaboration with organizations that already provide services and outreach to our immigrant community.
The Commission will act as a centralizing organization in Cambridge, to address immigrant rights and citizenship issues through providing information, referral, guidance, coordination and technical assistance to other public agencies and private persons, organizations and institutions engaged in activities and programs intended to support immigrant rights and citizenship.
Commissioners are expected to work with other members of the Commission and staff to fulfill the goals and objectives of the Cambridge Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship Ordinance (CMC Chapter 2.123).
Individuals interested in being considered should apply by using the city’s online application system at cambridgema.gov/apply. A cover letter and résumé or summary of applicable experience can be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, August 14, 2017.
| Candidates who have pulled nomination papers (as of July 11, 1:30pm) | |||||||
| Candidates | Office | Address | Birthdate | Occupation | Signatures | Certified* | Notes |
| E. Denise Simmons | CC | 188 Harvard St. #4B, 02139 | 10/2/1951 | Mayor | 50(July 6) | 50 | July 3 |
| Dan Lenke | CC | 148 Richdale Ave., 02140 | 3/31/1947 | - | July 3 | ||
| Sam Gebru | CC | 812 Memorial Dr., 02139 | 11/20/1991 | Self-Employed | 50(July 3),33(July 3) | 45+28=73 | July 3 |
| Gwen Volmar | CC | 13 Ware St. #4, 02138 | 9/25/1985 | University Admin. | 70(July 6) | 59 | July 3 |
| Ronald Benjamin | CC | 172 Cushing St., 02138 | 1/5/1971 | - | 80(July 7) | 66 | July 3 |
| Jeff Santos | CC | 350 3rd St. #809, 02142 | 5/28/1963 | Radio Host | 83(July5) | 79 | July 3 |
| Paul Toner | CC | 24 Newman St., 02140 | 4/28/1966 | Teacher, Lawyer | 50(July 6),37(July 7) | 49+35=84 | July 3 |
| Vatsady Sivongxay | CC | 59 Kirkland St. #2, 02138 | 2/20/1982 | - | 50(July 10),7(July 10) | 49+7=56 | July 3 |
| Marc McGovern | CC | 15 Pleasant St., 02139 | 12/21/1968 | Social Worker | 99(July 10) | 83 | July 3 |
| Craig Kelley | CC | 6 Saint Gerard Terr. #2, 02140 | 9/18/1962 | Politician | 86(July 10) | 73 | July 3 |
| Sumbul Siddiqui | CC | 530 Windsor Street, 02141 | 2/10/1988 | Attorney | 96(July 10) | 78 | July 3 |
| Sean Tierney | CC | 12 Prince St., 02139 | 3/10/1985 | Lawyer | 49(July 6),28(July 10) | 45+25=70 | July 3 |
| Nadya Okamoto | CC | 220 Banks St. #5, 02138 | 2/11/1998 | Student | 100(July 10) | 86 | July 3 |
| Quinton Zondervan | CC | 235 Cardinal Madeiros Ave., 02141 | 9/15/1970 | Entrepreneur | July 3 | ||
| Michelle Lessly | CC | 410 Memorial Dr., 02139 | 5/12/1983 | - | July 3 | ||
| Jan Devereux | CC | 255 Lakeview Ave., 02138 | 5/13/1959 | City Councillor | 50(July 7),19(July 11) | 46+18=64 | July 3 |
| Richard Harding | CC | 189 Windsor St. #1, 02139 | 10/16/1972 | Administration | July 3 | ||
| Alanna Mallon | CC | 3 Maple Ave., 02139 | 12/6/1970 | Nonprofit Admin. | 99(July 10) | 93 | July 5 |
| Josh Burgin | CC | 812 Memorial Drive, 02139 | 2/7/1976 | - | July 5 | ||
| Dennis Carlone | CC | 9 Washington St. #6, 02140 | 5/7/1947 | Architect | July 5 | ||
| Adriane Musgrave | CC | 5 Newport Rd. #1, 02140 | 10/14/1985 | - | July 5 | ||
| Timothy J. Toomey | CC | 88 6th St., 02141 | 6/7/1953 | City Councillor | July 5 | ||
| Bryan Sutton | CC | 764 Cambridge St. #6, 02141 | 5/19/1982 | Management | July 5 | ||
| Gregg Moree | CC | 25 Fairfield St. #4, 02140 | 6/16/1957 | perennial candidate | July 6 | ||
| Leland Cheung | CC | 157 Garden St., 02138 | 2/11/1978 | City Councillor | July 10 | ||
| Olivia D'Ambrosio | CC | 270 3rd Street #305, 02142 | 9/13/1983 | - | July 10 | ||
| David J. Stern | CC | 50 Follen St. #516, 02138 | 5/10/1952 | - | July 11 | ||
| Jake Crutchfield | SC | 281 River St. #1, 01239 | 3/31/1987 | Teacher | 50(July 3),38(July 6) | 35+34=69 | July 3 |
| Will MacArthur | SC | 18 Shea Rd., 02140 | 5/24/1998 | Student | 50(July 5) | 40 | July 3 |
| Fred Fantini | SC | 4 Canal Park #203, 02141 | 6/8/1949 | Retired | 47(July 6),42(July 10),11(July 11) | 47+41+_=88 | July 3 |
| Richard Harding | SC | 189 Windsor St. #1, 02139 | 10/16/1972 | Administration | July 3 | ||
| Mannika Bowman | SC | 134 Reed St., 02140 | 11/27/1979 | - | 100(July 10) | 92 | July 5 |
| Fran Albin Cronin | SC | 1 Kimball Ln., 02140 | 2/14/1952 | Aide | July 5 | ||
| Patty Nolan | SC | 184 Huron Ave., 02138 | 8/28/1957 | School Committee | July 5 | ||
| Laurance Kimbrough | SC | 24 Aberdeen Ave., 02138 | 7/3/1979 | Educator | July 6 | ||
| Kathleen Kelly | SC | 17 Marie Ave. #1, 02139 | 3/8/1960 | Social Worker | July 10 | ||
Signatures are unofficially certified by Election Commission staff pending approval by Election Commission.
July 11 - We have a new City Council candidate: David J. Stern. That makes 27 for Council and 9 for School Committee. We're still waiting to hear from Ilan Levy for City Council and Emily Dexter for School Committee.We're now up to 14 candidates for City Council and 3 candidates for School Committee who have met the minimum number of required signatures (shown in bold in the table).
July 10 - Emily Dexter is having a Campaign Kick-Off party on Wednesday, July 26, 6-8pm at Asgard's Pub, 350 Mass Ave.
July 10 - Leland Cheung and Olivia D'Ambrosio pulled papers for City Council and Kathleen Kelly pulled papers for School Committee. Many candidates turned in signatures today.
July 7 - Fran Cronin's campaign issued a press release regarding "More Early Childhood Education in Cambridge".
July 6 - Perennial candidate Gregg Moree has pulled papers for City Council.
July 5 - Five more candidates pulled nomination papers for City Council (including Tim Toomey) for a total of 23 (including Richard Harding who pulled papers for both races). Three more candidates pulled papers for School Committee for a total of 7 so far.
July 3 - School Committee candidate Will MacArthur hosted a "Picnic & Politics" event at Danehy Park. In attendance were School Committee candidates Will MacArthur, Laurance Kimbrough and Emily Dexter as well as City Council candidates Craig A. Kelley, Alanna Mallon, Marc McGovern, Jeffrey Santos, Sumbul Siddiqui, Sean Tierney, and Quinton Zondervan. That's 10 candidates in all - pretty impressive!
Monday, July 3 - Municipal Election Nomination Papers available at Election Commission office from 8:30am to 8:00pm. Nomination papers will be available through the July 31 submission deadline during regular Election Commission hours. A minimum of 50 valid signatures must be filed and a candidate may submit up to 100 signatures. Once a voter's signature has been recorded for a particular candidate, it cannot be used for another candidate in the same race. That is, a voter should sign for exactly one candidate for City Council and one candidate for School Committee.
July 3 - Richard Harding has pulled papers for both City Council and School Committee. This is not the first time he's done that. He also pulled papers for both races in 2009 but only gathered signatures for School Committee.
July 3 - We have two new City Council candidates - Dan Lenke and Michelle Lessly.
July 3 - We have a new candidate for School Committee: Jake Crutchfield (who also ran in 2015)
A press release is included on Jake's Candidate Page.
July 1 - Paul Toner has picked up several union endorsements.
June 30 - And then there were 23. Bryan Sutton has filed papers with the Commonwealth to be a City Council candidate.
June 29 - Josh Burgin has filed papers with the Commonwealth to be a City Council candidate.
June 26 - Ilan Levy will apparently again be a City Council candidate.
June 22 - Fran Cronin will be hosting an issue forum on Tues, June 27 starting at 6:00pm at Atwood's Tavern (877 Cambridge St.).
June 21 - Marc McGovern has posted a re-election announcement.
June 21 - Denise Simmons has formally announced her reelection campaign and the date of her Campaign Kickoff (July 13).
June 21 - Paul Toner has hired Hannagh Jacobsen as Campaign Manager and has received the endorsement of Mass Retirees.
June 20 - Adriane Musgrave will have her campaign kickoff on Sat, June 24 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at Christopher's in Porter Square.
June 18 - No new candidates to report, but at what point does calling oneself a "progressive" in an election where all candidates are "progressive" render the term completely meaningless?
June 10 - We have a new City Council candidate: Gwen Volmar
June 9 - We have a new School Committee candidate: Laurance Kimbrough
June 7 - We have a new City Council candidate: Jeffrey Santos
The following City Council candidates have either had or scheduled a campaign kickoff event or announced their candidacy (20):
Ron Benjamin, Dennis Carlone, Olivia D'Ambrosio, Jan Devereux, Sam Gebru, Craig A. Kelley, Ilan Levy, Alanna Mallon, Marc McGovern, Gregg Moree, Adriane Musgrave, Nadya Okamoto, Jeffrey Santos, Sumbul Siddiqui, Denise Simmons, Vatsady Sivongxay, Sean Tierney, Paul Toner, Gwen Volmar, and Quinton Zondervan.
The following individuals have not yet formally announced their candidacy but are expected to be City Council candidates (4): Josh Burgin, Dan Lenke, Michelle Lessly, Bryan Sutton
The following individuals have not yet announced their City Council candidacy and it's not yet clear if they will (4):
Dennis Benzan, Leland Cheung (has pulled papers), Richard Harding, Jr. (pulled papers for both CC and SC), Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. (has pulled papers)
The following School Committee candidates have either had or scheduled a campaign kickoff event or formally announced their candidacy (9):
Manikka Bowman, Fran Cronin, Jake Crutchfield, Emily Dexter, Alfred B. Fantini, Kathleen Kelly, Laurance Kimbrough, Will MacArthur, Patricia M. Nolan
The following individuals have not yet formally announced their candidacy but are expected to be School Committee candidates (1):
Richard Harding, Jr.
2017 Cambridge Candidate Pages
2017 Campaign Event Listings and Candidate Forums
[Note: Only events open to the general public (with or without RSVP) will be listed.]
Campaign Finance Reports - 2017 City Council
Probable City Council and School Committee candidates for 2017 (with age at time of election)
| City Council Candidate | Birthdate | Age | address | Notes |
| Timothy J. Toomey | 6/7/1953 | 64 | 88 6th St., 02141 | incumbent, first elected in 1989, pulled papers July 5 |
| E. Denise Simmons | 10/2/1951 | 66 | 188 Harvard St. #4B, 02139 | incumbent, first elected in 2001 |
| Craig Kelley | 9/18/1962 | 55 | 6 Saint Gerard Terr. #2, 02140 | incumbent, first elected in 2005 |
| Leland Cheung | 2/11/1978 | 39 | 157 Garden St., 02138 | incumbent, first elected in 2009 |
| Dennis Carlone | 5/7/1947 | 70 | 9 Washington St. #6, 02140 | incumbent, first elected in 2013 |
| Marc McGovern | 12/21/1968 | 48 | 15 Pleasant St., 02139 | incumbent, first elected in 2013 |
| Jan Devereux | 5/13/1959 | 58 | 255 Lakeview Ave., 02138 | incumbent, first elected in 2015 |
| Dan Lenke | 3/31/1947 | 70 | 148 Richdale Ave., 02140 | pulled papers July 3 |
| David J. Stern (new) | 5/10/1952 | 65 | 50 Follen St. #516, 02138 | pulled papers July 11 |
| Gregg Moree | 6/16/1957 | 60 | 25 Fairfield St. #4, 02140 | perennial candidate, pulled papers July 6 |
| Jeffrey Santos | 5/28/1963 | 54 | 350 3rd St. #809, 02142 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Paul Toner | 4/28/1966 | 51 | 24 Newman St., 02140 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Ilan Levy | 11/1/1967 | 50 | 148 Spring St. 02141 | apparently running based on email |
| Quinton Zondervan | 9/15/1970 | 47 | 235 Cardinal Madeiros Ave., 02141 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Alanna Mallon | 12/6/1970 | 46 | 3 Maple Ave., 02139 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Ronald Benjamin | 1/5/1971 | 46 | 172 Cushing St., 02138 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Richard Harding | 10/16/1972 | 45 | 189 Windsor St. #1, 02139 | pulled papers for both CC and SC |
| Josh Burgin | 2/7/1976 | 41 | 812 Memorial Dr. #1411, 02139 | definitely running, registered with OCPF |
| Vatsady Sivongxay | 2/20/1982 | 35 | 59 Kirkland St. #2, 02138 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Bryan Sutton | 5/19/1982 | 35 | 764 Cambridge St. #6, 02141 | registered with OCPF |
| Michelle Lessly | 5/12/1983 | 34 | 410 Memorial Dr. #123, 02139 | pulled papers July 3 |
| Olivia D'Ambrosio | 9/13/1983 | 34 | 270 3rd Street #305, 02142 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Sean Tierney | 3/10/1985 | 32 | 12 Prince St. #6, 02139 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Gwen Volmar | 9/25/1985 | 32 | 13 Ware St. #4, 02138 | definitely running, registered with OCPF |
| Adriane Musgrave | 10/14/1985 | 32 | 5 Newport Rd. #1, 02140 | definitely running, registered with OCPF |
| Sumbul Siddiqui | 2/10/1988 | 29 | 530 Windsor Street, 02141 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Sam Gebru | 11/20/1991 | 25 | 812 Memorial Dr. #614A, 02139 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Nadya Okamoto | 2/11/1998 | 19 | 220 Banks St. #5, 02138 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Dennis Benzan | 1/25/1972 | 45 | 1 Pine St., 02139 | served 2014-15, may seek reelection |
| Nadeem Mazen | 9/20/1983 | 34 | 720 Mass. Ave. #4, 02139 | has informed colleagues he'll not seek reelection |
| James Williamson | 1/13/1951 | 66 | 1000 Jackson Pl., 02140 | perennial candidate |
| Gary Mello | 5/24/1953 | 64 | 324 Franklin St. #2, 02139 | ran several times |
| Nathan Taylor Thompson | 10/12/1985 | 32 | 31 Tremont Street $#3, 02139 | probably not running, registered with OCPF |
| Andrew King | 4/17/1986 | 31 | 40 Essex St., 02139 | conflicting reports on whether or not a candidate |
| Romaine Waite | 6/7/1991 | 26 | 60 Lawn St. #5, 02138 | not announced, but may try again |
| School Committee Candidate | Birthdate | Age | address | Notes |
| Fred Fantini | 6/8/1949 | 68 | 4 Canal Park #203, 02141 | incumbent, first elected in 1981 |
| Richard Harding | 10/16/1972 | 45 | 189 Windsor St. #1, 02139 | incumbent, first elected in 2001, pulled papers for both CC and SC |
| Patty Nolan | 8/28/1957 | 60 | 184 Huron Ave., 02138 | incumbent, first elected in 2005 |
| Kathleen Kelly | 3/8/1960 | 57 | 17 Marie Ave. #1, 02139 | incumbent, first elected in 2013 |
| Emily Dexter | 3/16/1957 | 60 | 9 Fenno St., 02138 | incumbent, first elected in 2015 |
| Mannika Bowman | 11/27/1979 | 37 | 134 Reed St., 02140 | incumbent, first elected in 2015 |
| Fran Albin Cronin | 2/14/1952 | 65 | 1 Kimball Ln., 02140 | planning to seek reelection |
| Laurance Kimbrough | 7/3/1979 | 38 | 24 Aberdeen Ave., 02138 | definitely running for School Committee |
| Will MacArthur | 5/24/1998 | 19 | 18 Shea Rd., 02140 | definitely running for School Committee |
| Jake Crutchfield | 3/31/1987 | 30 | 281 River St. #1, 01239 | speculation that he may run again |
| Elechi Kadete | 9/30/1989 | 28 | 10 Laurel St., 02139 | will likely not run again this year |
| David J. Weinstein | 12/10/1972 | 44 | 45 S. Normandy Ave., 02138 | ran in 2015, possibility for 2017 |
2017 Cambridge Candidate Pages
There are others who are likely to be candidates but who have not yet chosen to be identified as such. Please let me know of other candidates. Not all of the individuals listed above may wish to be identified as candidates, and I will be more than happy to remove those names (unless I am absolutely certain they will be running!). Anyone who has filed papers with OCPF (Office of Campaign & Political Finance) is assumed to be running for City Council. - RW
| Campaign Finance Summaries - City Council 2017 (updated July 6, 1:15pm) | |||||||
| Candidate | From | To | Start | Receipts | Expend | Balance | As Of |
| Benjamin, Ronald | 1-Jan-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 9.00 | 680.92 | 682.36 | 7.56 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Burgin, Josh | 16-Jun-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 0.00 | 500.00 | 0.00 | 500.00 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Carlone, Dennis | 1-Jan-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 17827.87 | 14776.22 | 737.56 | 31866.53 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Cheung, Leland | 1-Jan-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 90880.32 | 0.00 | 8830.50 | 82049.82 | 5-Jul-17 |
| D'Ambrosio, Olivia | 1-Jan-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 122.75 | 5250.31 | 3426.02 | 1947.04 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Devereux, Jan | 1-Jan-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 8715.10 | 19353.05 | 7826.07 | 20242.08 | 5-Jul-17 |
| Gebru, Sam | 1-Jan-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 0.00 | 27398.50 | 26451.96 | 946.54 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Kelley, Craig | 1-Jan-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 2231.84 | 461.04 | 534.00 | 2158.88 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Lenke, Dan | 3-Jul-17 | 3-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Lessly, Michelle | 3-Jul-17 | 3-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Levy, Ilan | 26-Jun-17 | 26-Jun-17 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 26-Jun-17 |
| Mallon, Alanna | 1-Jan-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 100.00 | 29293.00 | 11604.43 | 17788.57 | 3-Jul-17 |
| McGovern, Marc | 1-Jan-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 14966.66 | 21818.84 | 12640.56 | 24144.94 | 5-Jul-17 |
| Moree, Gregg | 6-Jul-17 | 6-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6-Jul-17 |
| Musgrave, Adriane | 16-May-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 0.00 | 6298.64 | 2907.59 | 3391.05 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Okamoto, Nadya | 16-Mar-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 0.00 | 4605.43 | 697.55 | 3907.88 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Santos, Jeffrey | 7-Jun-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 0.00 | 260.00 | 44.72 | 215.28 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Siddiqui, Sumbul | 16-Feb-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 0.00 | 25569.60 | 6167.04 | 19402.56 | 5-Jul-17 |
| Simmons, Denise | 1-Jan-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 10179.79 | 7592.33 | 7920.97 | 9851.15 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Sivongxay, Vatsady | 1-Jan-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 0.00 | 21962.16 | 11109.31 | 10852.85 | 5-Jul-17 |
| Stern, David J. | 11-Jul-17 | 11-Jul-17 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 11-Jul-17 |
| Sutton, Bryan | 16-Jun-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 0.00 | 100.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 | 5-Jul-17 |
| Tierney, Sean | 1-Feb-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 0.00 | 13589.60 | 5365.17 | 8224.43 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Toner, Paul | 16-Feb-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 0.00 | 31969.25 | 13692.25 | 18277.00 | 3-Jul-17 |
| Toomey, Tim | 1-Jan-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 4069.67 | 28180.89 | 8124.26 | 24126.30 | 5-Jul-17 |
| Volmar, Gwen | 9-Jun-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 0.00 | 2763.26 | 27.13 | 2736.13 | 5-Jul-17 |
| Zondervan, Quinton | 1-Jan-17 | 30-Jun-17 | 3510.00 | 19331.35 | 17243.72 | 5597.63 | 5-Jul-17 |
Campaign Finance Reports - 2017 City Council (updated July 5)
| Campaign Contributions (2017) - Total Receipts and Cambridge Receipts (updated July 11, 10:30am) |
||||
| Candidate | ID | Total Receipts | Cambridge Receipts | Percent Cambridge |
| Kelley, Craig | 14104 | $480.00 | $480.00 | 100% |
| Burgin, Josh | 16709 | $954.52 | $954.52 | 100% |
| Sutton, Bryan | 16713 | $100.00 | $100.00 | 100% |
| D'Ambrosio, Olivia | 16520 | $5,250.00 | $5,000.00 | 95% |
| Carlone, Dennis | 15680 | $2,572.34 | $2,350.00 | 91% |
| Devereux, Jan | 16062 | $21,933.50 | $19,978.50 | 91% |
| Santos, Jeffrey | 16686 | $1,401.61 | $1,116.61 | 80% |
| McGovern, Marc | 15589 | $24,511.67 | $19,391.49 | 79% |
| Musgrave, Adriane | 16657 | $6,298.64 | $4,000.00 | 64% |
| Mallon, Alanna | 16530 | $29,393.00 | $16,888.00 | 57% |
| Zondervan, Quinton | 16516 | $15,916.37 | $8,261.65 | 52% |
| Toner, Paul | 16576 | $33,335.11 | $17,150.00 | 51% |
| Toomey, Tim | 12222 | $28,180.89 | $13,305.64 | 47% |
| Siddiqui, Sumbul | 16556 | $26,214.60 | $11,845.00 | 45% |
| Tierney, Sean | 16559 | $14,819.60 | $6,575.00 | 44% |
| Simmons, Denise | 13783 | $8,063.30 | $3,200.00 | 40% |
| Benjamin, Ronald | 16493 | $470.95 | $170.00 | 36% |
| Volmar, Gwen | 16691 | $5,789.60 | $1,704.00 | 29% |
| Sivongxay, Vatsady | 16528 | $21,972.16 | $4,975.00 | 23% |
| Gebru, Sam | 16531 | $27,876.00 | $5,963.00 | 21% |
| Okamoto, Nadya | 16596 | $5,436.74 | $510.00 | 9% |
| Cheung, Leland | 14923 | $0.00 | $0.00 | - |
| Levy, Ilan | 16173 | $0.00 | $0.00 | - |
| Lenke, Dan | -- | $0.00 | $0.00 | - |
| Lessley, Michelle | -- | $0.00 | $0.00 | - |
| Moree, Gregg | 14683 | $0.00 | $0.00 | - |
| Stern, David J. | -- | $0.00 | $0.00 | - |
Question #1: What, if any, relationship is there between the number of City Council vacancies and the number of new candidates elected? As of July 4, there will be two City Council vacancies (two incumbents who are not seeking reelection) in the election this November, and people are asking what this might foretell. The basic answer is that there are too many other factors in play. There have been elections with no vacancies and 4 challengers elected, and there have been elections where the existence of vacancies has had no effect on the incumbents. It is, however, more common than not that the number of newly elected candidates exceeds the number of vacancies. See the table below.
Question #2: How does the candidate who gets the most #1 votes fare in the next election? Generally, if you're the "top dog" in one election, you will almost certainly do well in the next election, though there are two notable exceptions for City Council and several for School Committee. A "top dog" has never been defeated in the next election. See the table below for how well the previous "top dog" fared in the next election.
| Cambridge City Council Elections | ||||
| Year | Vacancies | Newly elected | Most #1 votes in prev. election | Rank in #1 votes in election |
| 1943 | 1 | 3 | Francis Sennott | 4th |
| 1945 | 3 | 5 | John H. Corcoran | died in office |
| 1947 | 0 | 2 | John D. Lynch | 1st |
| 1949 | 2 | 3 | John D. Lynch | 4th |
| 1951 | 0 | 1 | Edward A. Crane | 1st |
| 1953 | 0 | 2 | Edward A. Crane | 3rd |
| 1955 | 1 | 2 | Edward Sullivan | 1st |
| 1957 | 1 | 1 | Edward Sullivan | 1st |
| 1959 | 1 | 2 | Edward Sullivan | did not run |
| 1961 | 0 | 3 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1963 | 2 | 2 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1965 | 0 | 1 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1967 | 0 | 2 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1969 | 2 | 3 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1971 | 2 | 3 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1973 | 1 | 2 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1975 | 0 | 1 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1977 | 0 | 4 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1979 | 0 | 2 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1981 | 1 | 1 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1983 | 0 | 1 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1985 | 0 | 2 | Walter Sullivan | 1st |
| 1987 | 0 | 0 | Walter Sullivan | 2nd |
| 1989 | 3 | 4 | David Sullivan | did not run |
| 1991 | 0 | 0 | Alice Wolf | 1st |
| 1993 | 2 | 3 | Alice Wolf | did not run |
| 1995 | 1 | 1 | Kenneth Reeves | 1st |
| 1997 | 0 | 0 | Kenneth Reeves | 8th |
| 1999 | 2 | 3 | Anthony Galluccio | 1st |
| 2001 | 2 | 2 | Anthony Galluccio | 1st |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | Anthony Galluccio | 1st |
| 2005 | 0 | 1 | Anthony Galluccio | 1st |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | Anthony Galluccio | did not run |
| 2009 | 0 | 1 | Henrietta Davis | 1st |
| 2011 | 0 | 1 | Henrietta Davis | 4th |
| 2013 | 2 | 4 | Leland Cheung | 1st |
| 2015 | 0 | 1 | Leland Cheung | 8th |
| 2017 | 2 | ?? | Nadeem Mazen | did not run |
In 27 of 37 City Council elections, the number of challengers elected exceeded the number of vacancies.
In 8 elections in which there were 2 vacancies, an incumbent was defeated in 6 of these elections.
| Cambridge School Committee Elections | ||||
| Year | Vacancies | Newly elected | Most #1 votes in previous election | Rank in #1 votes in election |
| 1943 | 2 | 3 | James Cassidy | did not run |
| 1945 | 2 | 2 | Cora B. Conant | 1st |
| 1947 | 2 | 3 | Cora B. Conant | did not run |
| 1949 | 2 | 3 | Bradley Dewey | did not run |
| 1951 | 2 | 2 | James Cassidy | did not run |
| 1953 | 3 | 3 | Pearl K. Wise | 1st |
| 1955 | 4 | 5 | Pearl K. Wise | did not run |
| 1957 | 1 | 2 | Judson Shaplin | 1st |
| 1959 | 2 | 2 | Judson Shaplin | did not run |
| 1961 | 3 | 3 | William Barnes | did not run |
| 1963 | 1 | 2 | James Fitzgerald | 1st |
| 1965 | 0 | 0 | James Fitzgerald | 1st |
| 1967 | 2 | 2 | James Fitzgerald | 4th |
| 1969 | 2 | 3 | Francis Duehay | 3rd |
| 1971 | 1 | 2 | James Fitzgerald | 3rd |
| 1973 | 2 | 2 | David Wylie | did not run |
| 1975 | 0 | 2 | James Fitzgerald | 5th |
| 1977 | 0 | 1 | Alice Wolf | 1st |
| 1979 | 0 | 1 | Alice Wolf | 1st |
| 1981 | 2 | 2 | Alice Wolf | did not run |
| 1983 | 1 | 2 | Sara Mae Berman | did not run |
| 1985 | 2 | 2 | Francis Cooper | 1st |
| 1987 | 2 | 2 | Francis Cooper | 2nd |
| 1989 | 1 | 1 | Tim Toomey | did not run |
| 1991 | 2 | 2 | Frances Cooper | did not run |
| 1993 | 2 | 2 | Henrietta Davis | 1st |
| 1995 | 1 | 2 | Henrietta Davis | did not run |
| 1997 | 0 | 1 | Alice Turkel | 1st |
| 1999 | 2 | 2 | Alice Turkel | 1st |
| 2001 | 1 | 2 | Alice Turkel | 2nd |
| 2003 | 1 | 2 | Alfred Fantini | 2nd |
| 2005 | 0 | 2 | Nancy Walser | 3rd |
| 2007 | 1 | 2 | Patty Nolan | 4th |
| 2009 | 1 | 2 | Marc McGovern | 4th |
| 2011 | 0 | 1 | Alfred Fantini | 1st |
| 2013 | 2 | 2 | Alfred Fantini | 2nd |
| 2015 | 1 | 2 | Patty Nolan | 1st |
| 2017 | 0 | ?? | Patty Nolan | ?? |
In 21 of 37 School Committee elections, the number of challengers elected exceeded the number of vacancies.
In 11 elections in which there was 1 vacancy, an incumbent was defeated in 10 of these elections.
In 16 elections in which there were 2 vacancies, an incumbent was defeated in only 4 of these elections.
Here Comes Summer - Featured Attractions for the June 26, 2017 Cambridge City Council meeting
Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 17-31, regarding a report on the status of the Community Garden program. This is useful information. However, any property owner can make space available for gardeners - residential property owners, institutional owners, and others. Even the narrowest strips of land can be gardened. Some of the best community gardens in Cambridge have been on private property. Manager's Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 17-6, regarding an analysis and evaluation of "pop up" bicycle lanes. Order #10. That the City Manager is requested to work with the appropriate City departments to accelerate the planning and installation of two or more protected bike lanes by September, to produce a plan by October 2017 for the roll-out of protected bike lanes on all major city thoroughfares, to ensure that the Bike Plan recommendations are fully implemented on all road projects, and that additional infrastructure changes to provide for safety are implemented when possible. Councillor Devereux, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Cheung, Vice Mayor McGovern First, don't count on there being any actual analysis and evaluation of the "pop up" bicycle lanes. Unless there's a fatality in one of them they'll remain regardless how dysfunctional or unnecessary thay may be. As for this latest Council order on the subject, I'm now finally starting to get a sense of what the word "progressive" really means - pushing through changes with minimal analysis and without consulting those affected under the belief that they will one day agree with you. In other words - the opposite of actual democracy. There is a place for segregated bike paths - primarily along arterial roadways, but there are plenty of reasons why they are not ideal for streets with many cross streets and driveways. They also send the rather clear message that cyclists are not welcome on the road and they should stay on the sidewalk like obedient children. Manager's Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the Street Performers Ordinance as well as Arts Council staffing and programming. Not much to say here - just interesting information. Manager's Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Numbers 17-46, 17-47, 17-48 and 17-49, short term rentals. The regulation of short term rentals has become the central legislative theme for this year. There will be at least one more Ordinance Committee meeting to refine things, and ordination is expected at the Midsummer meeting (August 7). Manager's Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an amendment to the City’s previous submission of a Home Rule Petition to the Legislature whereby I requested authorization to include in the planned reconstruction (the “Project”) of the King Open / Cambridge Street Upper School and Community Complex (“KOCSUS”) the area that is presently occupied by the public swimming pool known as the Gold Star Pool (the “Pool Site”) and to construct subsurface geothermal wells in a portion of Donnelly Field that lies directly along and adjacent to the current southerly boundary of the KOCSUS site. Again, not much to say here - just interesting information. Charter Right #1. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Affordable Housing Trust with the view in mind of immediately contacting the Episcopal Divinity School to begin negotiations for the purchase of 8-acre Episcopal Divinity School site for construction of critically needed affordable housing units including single occupancy spaces and middle income housing, particularly housing for eligible Cambridge residents, families, starter apartments for young adults, veterans, homeless and seniors who have been displaced. [Charter Right exercised by Vice Mayor McGovern on June 19, 2017.] It's very unlike that any portion of this site will become available for subsidized housing - for a variety of reasons. It is, however, fun to listen to the well-heeled activists come up with creative ways to oppose it while still trying to look like high-minded progressives. For this, thank you Councillor Toomey for filing the Order. Unfinished Business #10. An amendment to the Municipal Code Ordinance that Title 8 entitled “Health and Safety” be amended by adding a new Chapter 8.69 entitled “Running Bamboo Ordinance.” The question comes on passing to be ordained on or after June 26, 2017. Perhaps this will be ordained at this meeting. My only question is: "What will the Cambridge City Council ban next?" Applications & Petitions #2. A rezoning petition has been received from MIT/GSA Volpe to amend the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance by adding a new Section 13.90 to Article 13.000 and amend the Zoning Map to add new PUD-7 District. Committee Report #2. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Dennis J. Carlone and Councillor Leland Cheung, Co-Chairs of the Ordinance Committee, for a public hearing held on June 7, 2017 to have a general discussion to receive an update on the planning that has been going on for the Volpe Project. [appended materials] This has been a long time coming. If you want to learn more and participate, MIT is hosting a workshop on Thurs, June 29 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm in the Kendall Marriott hotel. There will be plenty of other opportunities in the future to be heard. Order #1. City Council support of Massachusetts House of Representatives bill H.3542, legislation to establish a Massachusetts Infrastructure Bank designed to encourage borrowing and facilitate growth for municipalities. Councillor Carlone, Councillor Mazen, Councillor Devereux It's an interesting idea, but my sense is that it would make more sense for municipalities facing far greater challenges and with fewer resources than Cambridge. Our AAA bond rating has its advantages. Order #2. That the City Manager is requested work with the Department of Public Works and the Cambridge Arts Council to formally review the use of the Fern Street path as currently designed and consider options to ensure that the path functions as a safe, shared bicycle and pedestrian path and to work with the Department of Public Works to consider whether it is appropriate and feasible for a skateboarding feature to be included at Danehy Park. Councillor Devereux The planners delivered a skate park that was never mentioned when they were selling the concept to neighbors as an artsy bike path. Order #7. That the City Manager is requested to confer with Department of Public Works and Cambridge Fire Department (CFD) staff and other relevant City officials to determine if new facilities are needed by either DPW or CFD to best carry out their respective missions in the future and, if so, what type of facilities they would need and how much space that would require and where they might possibly be located. Councillor Kelley, Councillor Toomey, Vice Mayor McGovern This is an important matter that has to be explored, but sufficiently large sites are disappearing fast - especially in parts of the city where access to and from the site can be done efficiently. Committee Report #3. A communication was received from Paula Crane, Deputy City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Jan Devereux, Chair of the Economic Development and University Relations Committee, for a public hearing held on May 17, 2017 to discuss updates and data collected thus far for the Retail Strategic Plan, and other matters pertaining to the Study. [appended materials] This continues to be an interesting topic both in the committee and as part of the Envision Cambridge process. That said, the City doesn't control economics or consumer habits, so the best we can do will always be a good guess. - Robert Winters |
Civic Infrastructure (from Dec 1, 2015)
Civic landscape today dominated by single-issue advocacy and neighborhood groups that often do not represent their neighborhoods. Common pattern is that some dominant characters eventually drive out other participants rendering the group a narrow agenda-driven entity. Some groups (PSNA, Agassiz-Baldwin) generally have a better focus such as (a) children (Agassiz), or (b) cooperation with the local business community (PSNA).
Groups like the Cambridge Residents Alliance are dominated by zoning and, arguably, efforts to slow or stop new development - residential or commercial/office/lab. The Fresh Pond Residents Alliance is of this type (in addition to serving as a launching point for a City Council candidacy).
For the Cambridge Schools there are also advocacy groups (Special Ed and others), but not necessarily a general forum for broader discussion.
June 7, 2009 - Once upon a time there was a civic organization in Cambridge known as the Cambridge Civic Association (CCA). It was formed in 1945 out of several organizations that had been existed through the 1930s and that had lobbied the state legislature to create the Plan E Charter option (1938) which featured a city manager form of government and proportional representation elections for city council and school committee. These reforms were central to model charter reform movements active in the United States from the early 1900s. The central theme of the CCA in its early days was "good government" in the sense of being anti-patronage and for professionally managed local government. This changed with the introduction of rent control at the end of the 1960s after which the CCA shifted leftward and became permanently lashed to the mast of the rent control vessel. Though the CCA still exists on paper (I believe), it rapidly declined after the statewide abolition of rent control (late 1994) and essentially disappeared a decade later (early 2005).
I bring up the ghost of the CCA today only to point out that when it was created it had some very admirable goals. Here's the original Mission Statement of the CCA:
Purposes: This association is formed for the following purposes:
- 1. To promote businesslike, honest, and efficient conduct of local government, open to public scrutiny.
- 2. To induce residents to take an active interest in the affairs of the City of Cambridge.
- 3. To encourage and support the candidacy of men and women seeking election to public office and to support intelligent, wholesome leadership in public affairs.
- 4. To assure that the best qualified persons are appointed to positions in the City government after consideration of all qualified candidates.
- 5. To promote among the citizens of Cambridge equitable distribution and benefit of public services and equal opportunity for economic security, education, and social advancement.
- Possible additions:
6. To foster an environment of mutual cooperation between local business districts and the neighborhoods they serve.These are pretty good founding principles for a civic organization.
One founding principle of the CCA that fell into disuse over the years is listed above as #3: To encourage and support the candidacy of men and women seeking election to public office and to support intelligent, wholesome leadership in public affairs. Indeed, I can personally testify to the fact that in its dying years the only reason the CCA made endorsements at all was because the CCA-endorsed incumbents wanted the benefit of having an advertised CCA slate of candidates that would help secure their reelection. There was precious little effort to recruit new candidates or to support them. Today, the benefits of incumbency are greater than ever. The cost of political campaigns have become absurdly high and most of the incumbents now have (City paid) staff who are inevitably political appointees who directly or indirectly assist in the reelection efforts of their bosses. The deck is increasingly stacked against challengers. Furthermore, the salary and benefits for elected councillors are now so sweet that it is unlikely that any of them would ever want to move on to another job.
The Advent of PR in Cambridge - by David Goode
CIVIC CALENDAR
6:30pm 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
3. Board of Zoning Appeal
The Planning Board will review the Board of Zoning Appeal Special Permit application for Fast Order Food at 8 Brattle Street by &pizza pursuant to Section 10.50 Repetitive Petitions to determine if specific and material changes in the conditions are found in the application.
4. North Point #179
• Intersection alignment
• Reparcelization of Q
• Design Review of Q1
• Reparcelization of R
• Redistribution of Gross Floor Area
Public comment will be taken during these design reviews.
5:30pm Cambridge Election Commission meeting (1st Floor Meeting Room, 51 Inman St.)
I. MINUTES II. REPORTS 1. Executive Director’s Report 2. Assistant Director's Report 3. Commissioners' Reports III. PUBLIC COMMENT |
IV. ACTION AGENDA Old Business 1. Municipal Election, November 7th New Business --- |
6:00-8:00pm Envision Cambridge Advisory Committee meeting (Citywide Senior Center, 806 Mass. Ave.)
Discussion topic: community interaction
5:30pm The City Council's Neighborhood and Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the next steps for the Foundry Building including: financing, community benefit, non-profit ecosystem, and community engagement. (Dr. Henrietta S. Attles Meeting Room, CRLS)
3:30pm The City Council's Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss a zoning petition by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to create a new Planned Unit Development Overlay District (PUD-7) over the area known as the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center site in Kendall Square. This hearing to be televised. (Dr. Henrietta S. Attles Meeting Room, CRLS, 459 Broadway)
5:30pm Special (Midsummer) City Council meeting (Dr. Henrietta S. Attles Meeting Room, CRLS, 459 Broadway)
6:00-8:00pm Envision Cambridge Advisory Committee meeting (4th Floor Meeting Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)
Discussion topic: corridor visioning and analysis
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
8:00am-9:30am Recycling Advisory Committee (Sullivan Chamber, City Hall)
6:00-8:00pm Envision Cambridge Advisory Committee meeting (Citywide Senior Center, 806 Mass. Ave.)
Discussion topic: present focus area working group recommendations, review and comment
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
8:00am-9:30am Recycling Advisory Committee (Sullivan Chamber, City Hall)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
Municipal Election. Polls are open 7:00am until 8:00pm. The Preliminary Election Count will follow at the Cambridge Senior Center in Central Square.
The Preliminary PR Count will take place at the Senior Center after the polls close.
9:00pm Cambridge Election Commission meeting. (Senior Center, 806 Mass. Ave.)
I. MINUTES II. REPORTS 1. Executive Director's Report 2. Assistant Director's Report 3. Commissioners' Reports |
III. ACTION AGENDA Unfinished Business 1. 2015 Municipal Election – Nov 7, 2017 New Business |
The PR Election Count continues at the Cambridge Senior Center as auxiliary ballots are tabulated and Unofficial Results are determined.
9:00am Cambridge Election Commission meeting. (Senior Center, 806 Mass. Ave.)
I. MINUTES II. REPORTS 1. Executive Director's Report 2. Assistant Director's Report 3. Commissioners' Reports |
III. PUBLIC COMMENT IV. ACTION AGENDA Unfinished Business 1. 2017 Municipal Election New Business |
8:00am-9:30am Recycling Advisory Committee (Sullivan Chamber, City Hall)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
4:30pm The Cambridge Election Commission will meet to finalize the 2017 Cambridge Municipal Election results, including any provisional ballots and overseas absentee ballots (if any). (1st Floor Meeting Room, 51 Inman St.)
4:30pm COUNTING OF PROVISIONAL BALLOTS
5:00pm COUNTING OF OVERSEAS BALLOTS
The Official 2017 Election Results will be tabulated, certified, and announced after these ballots are included.
I. MINUTES II. REPORTS 1. Executive Director's Report 2. Assistant Director's Report 3. Commissioners' Reports |
III. PUBLIC COMMENT IV. ACTION AGENDA Unfinished Business 1. 2017 Municipal Election New Business |
The City Council goes on Summer Vacation after this meeting except for what will likely be a fun-filled Midsummer Meeting on August 7. Here are a few items that drew my attention this week: