Cambridge InsideOut - June 13, 2017
Potential Topics:
1) Civic Updates and Opportunities
2) CRLS again using Ranked Choice Voting for Student Government Elections
3) Questions arise about campaign for $1b Union Square overhaul
(and what this may have to do with Cambridge)
4) Envision Updates
5) June 12 City Council meeting
6) May 22 City Council meeting
7) 2017 Candidates Cambridge Candidate Pages
Shapes of the campaign season to come
8) Candidate slates, political organizations, role of local media in the election.
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.
The City is currently preparing a Retail Strategic Plan to determine best practice policies and programs that will support and enhance the retail environment in Cambridge. The consultant team Larisa Ortiz Associates (LOA) and the Community Development Department’s Economic Development Division are leading the planning efforts and will identify short and long-term goals to propose for the City’s retail retention and recruitment strategy.
On Wednesday, June 14, 2017 please join us and the City Council's Economic Development and University Relations Committee at City Hall for a public hearing to discuss the final recommendations from Larisa Ortiz Associates in regards to the Retail Strategic Plan. Policy and programmatic opportunities related to the retail environment in Cambridge will also be discussed.
Meeting details:
Time: 4:30pm-6:30pm
Date: June 14, 2017
Location: Sullivan Chambers, Cambridge City Hall
For additional updates on the Retail Strategy, please visit: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Projects/EconDev/retailstrategicplan
Join thousands of Cambridge residents and visitors who will gather on Massachusetts Avenue in front of Cambridge City Hall (795 Massachusetts Ave.) for the City’s 20th Annual Dance Party. The portion of Mass. Ave., between Prospect and Bigelow streets, will be closed to traffic from 7pm – Midnight but open for dancing. This event is free and open to the public. MBTA: Red Line to Central Square.
The annual dance extravaganza with DJ spun music is a special opportunity for the entire Cambridge community to celebrate summer. After dark, colorful lights will be launched, adding to the magic of the evening.
PLEASE NOTE: MBTA #1 Bus Line will terminate in Central Square at 6pm and is expected to resume full service by Midnight. (Take the Red Line subway to travel between Central & Harvard Squares). The closest subway stop to the Dance Party is Central Square, then two blocks to City Hall.
For more information, contact Maryellen Carvello at 617-349-4301 or mcarvello@cambridgema.gov.
The City of Cambridge is sponsoring a Household Hazardous Waste collection day on Saturday, June 17th, from 9am to 1pm at Volpe Transportation Center - Parking Lot 4. Residents should access the lot via Munroe off Third St. Please see the map below.
This event is free and open to Cambridge residents (proof of Cambridge residency required), and for the first time, fire extinguishers will now be accepted at the event.
Proper disposal of household chemicals helps protect public health and the environment. Learn more about accepted materials, other guidelines, and future dates by clicking here, visiting www.cambridgema.gov/recycle, or calling Public Works at 617-349-4800.
INFRASTRUCTURE & ENVIRONMENT – Is Recycling Broken? (by Elizabeth Daigneau, Governing)
Lowell, MA – To survive and prosper, local recycling efforts are forging ways to update, upgrade and educate.
Maine Voted for a Better Way to Vote. The Courts Just Shot It Down (May 23, 2017 by Henry Grabar, Slate)
Ranked Choice Voting was approved by Maine voters last year, but the Maine Supreme Court has decided that it violated a very specific requirement in the Maine state constitution. The Massachusetts state constitution does not have that language. - RW
Starting with August utility bills, Cambridge residents and businesses currently enrolled in Eversource Basic Service will begin to receive cleaner electricity through the launch of the Cambridge Community Electricity program. In addition to increasing the amount of renewable energy in the city’s electricity supply, the Cambridge Community Electricity program will provide cost savings to Cambridge customers at the time of its launch. This new program uses the bulk buying power of the entire community to negotiate a better price for the Supplier Services portion of electricity bills, a process called electricity aggregation. Participants will be able to opt-out of the program at any time without penalty or fee.
“Through the Cambridge Community Electricity program, the City is furthering our commitment to combatting climate change by increasing the amount of renewable energy in our community’s electricity supply,” said Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager. The Cambridge Community Electricity program rates is fixed from July 2017 through January 2019 at a price lower than Eversource Basic Service at program launch. Though future cost savings are not guaranteed, the goal of the program’s fixed rate is to provide savings when compared with the average cost of the changing Eversource Basic Service prices.
Cambridge residents and businesses who currently receive Eversource Basic Service will be automatically enrolled in the Cambridge Community Electricity program’s Standard Green option, available for 10.486 cents/kWh (the current Eversource Basic Service rate is 10.759 cents/kWh). This option includes 25% more solar energy than required by the state, derived from renewable energy projects in or near Cambridge.
Residents and businesses also have the option of enrolling in 100% Green, which provides 100% renewable electricity generated by projects throughout New England. This option is available by request for 12.180 cents/kWh. “The Cambridge Community Electricity program reflects the City’s commitment to the Net Zero Action Plan. Increasing renewable energy options for residents and businesses brings us closer to achieving carbon neutrality by mid-century,” said Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development.
Electricity delivery, outage issues, and billing will continue to be handled by Eversource, and those who are eligible for discounts through Eversource will continue to receive the same benefits. Residents with solar panels on their property will continue to receive net metering credits, which will continue to be calculated based on the Eversource Basic Service rate.
Eligible customers will receive detailed letters about the program in June and the public is invited to attend any of the following information sessions:
| Tuesday, June 13 Citywide Senior Center 806 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139 12:30pm |
Monday, June 26 City Hall Annex 344 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139 6:00pm |
To opt-out prior to the program’s July launch, requests must be submitted by July 5, 2017 to Agera Energy at 1-888-589-7790 or online at www.masspowerchoice.com/cambridge, or by signing and returning the reply card received in the mail.
For additional information, visit the program website at www.masspowerchoice.com/cambridge. Questions or comments can be directed to Cambridge Community Electricity program consultants at 1-844-379-9934 or cambridge@masspowerchoice.com.
Coming up at the June 12, 2017 Cambridge City Council meetingIt's a loaded agenda this week. Not so many Council Orders, but plenty on the City Manager's Agenda and Committee Reports. Here are a few brief comments on some of these matters. Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request for authorization to transfer a leasehold interest in the property at 1-15 Vail Court to the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust and to appropriation $750,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Public Works Department Extraordinary Expenditures to facilitate the abatement and demolition of the existing structures on the site. The Vail Court project slowly moves along. In an ideal world there would be a more comprehensive plan for not only the Vail Court property but also the adjacent parking lot at Prospect St. and Bishop Allen Drive that could transform that whole block into something great. I haven't heard anything lately regarding challenges to the compensation for the eminent domain taking.
Manager's Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 17-4, regarding current or potential future public-private partnerships that could deliver an operational Foundry that consists of significant community space for the community. The gift that keeps on giving. </sarcasm> Manager's Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 17-39, regarding a report on the City's policy of conducting CORI checks on applicants of the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program. As the Manager's letter notes: "It is a state requirement that every staff person or volunteer who works with children in a licensed summer camp or a childcare setting must have gone thru the CORI process." Indeed, even those of us who teach at Harvard Summer School have to submit to this every year. However, as the letter says: "The CORI record results are not used in any way to deny young people an opportunity to participate in the Mayor’s Program." Seems fair enough. Community Benefits $$ Manager's Agenda #19. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following person as a member of the Community Benefits Advisory Committee for a term of three years, effective June 1, 2017: Kathryn Fenneman, Risa Mednick, Elizabeth Aguilo, Cibele Goncalves, Daniel Liss, Rowan Murphy, Amy Salomon, Geeta Pradhan, Susan Lapierre, Paul Parravano, Ellen Semonoff, Sandra Clarke, and Lisa Peterson (Chair) Manager's Agenda #20. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $3,728,500 from Free Cash to the Community Benefits Stabilization Fund. Manager's Agenda #21. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $1,366,506 from Free Cash to the Mitigation Revenue Stabilization Fund. This represents the culmination of an idea that was first proposed some years ago - namely that instead of "mitigation" being worked out in what sometimes were side deals with individual councillors in order to gain their support, money is now to be deposited into the General Fund, worthy recipients and projects will be vetted by the advisory committee, and then ultimately voted by a majority of the City Council. I'm still not sure how this would work for donations of real property (as was the case with the Foundry Building). A Bonanza of Planning Board Reports Manager's Agenda #22. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation not to adopt the Zoning Petition regarding rooftop spaces in the Harvard Square Overlay District. "...the Board believes that a more comprehensive examination of Harvard Square’s zoning needs, including community discussion, should be undertaken before implementing a single limited zoning change." Manager's Agenda #23. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation not to adopt the petition to rezone the block bounded by Third Street, Cambridge Street, Second Street and Gore Street from Business A to a new designation Business A-5. "...the Board believes that this petition would benefit from additional study and input from the community to determine if it should stand alone or if there should be a broader vision for the area as a whole, and also to determine the range of impacts such change(s) might have. Some of this study may occur in the future as the Envision Cambridge process focuses on major corridors, including Massachusetts Avenue and Cambridge Street." Manager's Agenda #24. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation not to adopt the Observatory Hill Village (Mahon, et al.) Zoning Petition. Committee Report #3. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Leland Cheung and Councillor Dennis J. Carlone, Co-Chairs of the Ordinance Committee, for a public hearing held on May 18, 2017 to discuss a zoning petition filed by the Friends of Observatory Hill Village to establish the Observatory Hill Village Overlay District. According to the petitioners, "the zoning petition was submitted to preserve the business residential mix [in this 3-block long stretch of Concord Ave.]. Developers have an economic interest and an incentive to replace commercial retail buildings with high end housing. This puts the businesses at risk." It seems likely that this petition is headed for re-working and re-filing. Manager's Agenda #25. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation (no recommendation at this time) on the Zoning Petition regarding vacant or abandoned buildings. The key sentence here is: "The Board also believes that the proposed fee structure needs to be reconsidered, especially in consultation with the Law Department as to the legality of certain of its provisions." Basically, the fee that was proposed is a clear regulatory taking and could never pass legal muster. Perhaps if they can replace that with something reasonable this petition could be re-filed and perhaps some good will come of it. Manager's Agenda #26. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation to adopt the City Council Petition on Short-Term Rental Housing. Committee Report #4. 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 May 31, 2017 to discuss a petition by the City Council to amend the Zoning Ordinance to create a new chapter 4.60 to regulate short-term rentals (STR). There may be some additional details to be ironed out prior to ordination, but this is the petition that seemes destined to pass. It will likely be passed to a 2nd Reading at this meeting and enter the queue for ordination in a couple of weeks or at the Midsummer meeting in August at the latest. The petition expires Aug 29. Manager's Agenda #27. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation not to adopt the Cockrill, et al., Petition on Short-Term Rental Housing. Committee Report #6. 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 May 24, 2017 to discuss the zoning petition filed by Latoyea Hawkins Cockrill, et al. to regulate short-term rental uses throughout the City. This petition was apparently filed by industry people who favor the proliferation of short-term rentals with minimal regulation. It won't be ordained and the City Council would be wise to just let it die without even being passed to a 2nd Reading. It's interesting that the first signer after whom the petition is named doesn't even support it. In the committee report Councillor Devereux suggests that in light of this fact the City should reconsider how petitions are named. In fact, there's already an established precedent for this situation. In the year 2000 the "Yoder Petition" was renamed the "Tringo Petition" when Ralph Yoder stated that he no longer supported the petition that bore his name. The new name was derived from the second signature on the petition. Perhaps we should now refer to the "Cockrill Petition" as the "Stonehouse Petition" after the next valid signature on the petition, but for all we know he may not support it either. Seriously, the petitioners should really be taken to the woodshed for how they pushed this petition. Manager's Agenda #29. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 17-7, regarding an update on the City's Community Choice Electricity Aggregation Plan. I'm now almost convinced that this may be a good thing. I've been getting offers for several years now from energy companies who want me to sign up with them and lock in a reduced rate. The Eversource rate is then often later adjusted to be lower, so I've always told them to take a hike. Apparently, with the City's arrangement I could go back to Eversource at any time if I don't like the relative cost, so I suppose I'll just go along. It's an opt-out arrangement, so many of us will just allow laziness to prevail. Manager's Agenda #34. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $750,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Public Works Department Extraordinary Expenditures Account to be used to conduct geotechnical, and environmental services to support the site assessment for a Concept Plan to site the new school on Callahan Field and future Feasibility Study for the Tobin School project. This could yield an attractive option to construct the new school adjacent to the existing school. The entire area used to be brickyards and then landfill. Manager's Agenda #36. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $1,000,000 from Free Cash to the Public Works Department Public Investment Fund Extraordinary Expenditures Account for the citywide curbside organics program. If all goes well we could have citywide organics collection possibly by next April. This appropriation will provide for purchase of a rubbish packer and purchase and delivery of curbside bins, kitchen collector pails and other materials and services necessary to roll out the program to approximately 20,000 households (in addition to the 5,200 households on the Monday trash route that currently have organics collection). Order #2. That the City Council condemn President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement and urge Governor Charles D. Baker to publicly commit to ensuring that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts similarly adheres to the goals and ideals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Mayor Simmons, Councillor Devereux, Councillor Cheung Nobody should be surprised by the introduction of this City Council order. My guess is that neither the Commonwealth nor the City will be changing any plans as a result of the bloviations of the current occupant of the White House. Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Community Development Department and the Planning Board to determine how Visual Preference Surveys (VPS) could be incorporated into the planning and zoning process. Councillor Carlone I did one of these surveys not long ago. It seemed like a useful exercise for things like building heights relative to street width and how retail fits in with residential. That said, I don't know that it would be wise to make this a binding requirement so much as an advisory measure of public support for various options. I hate to think where we'd be if every proposed change was subject to plebiscite. Order #9. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the License Commission with the intent of formulating a plan that will provide relief and fair compensation to liquor license holders that have been impacted by dramatic devaluing of their liquor license. Councillor Toomey The value of liquor licenses may go the way of taxicab medallions. I have sympathy for someone who sank a lot of money into the purchase of a liquor license from an existing license-holder, but the old phrase "caveat emptor" still applies. Taxpayers should not be asked to bear the lost value of something freely purchased by a willing buyer from a willing seller. Times change. The loss of value of a license in no way reduces the ability to operate a business profitably. Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor David P. Maher, Chair of the Government Operations, Rules & Claims Committee, for a public hearing held on May 22, 2017 to discuss the creation of a section in the agenda entitled “General Council Discussion;” and dedications to identify a suitable location site to honor the commitment to the City made by City Councillor and State Representative Timothy J. Toomey, Jr. and to identify an appropriate building to dedicate to Richard C. Rossi’s decades of service to Cambridge. I attended and gave testimony during the first part of this meeting. The topic grew out of a City Council order from Councillor Kelley to carve out a section in the City Council agenda where any councillor could inform his colleagues what he's been working on in a manner that doesn't violate the Open Meeting Law. What interested me is the emergent (and questionable) practice of some councillors holding unpublicized and essentially private meetings leading to policy proposals. There is a better way. Any councillor can give adequate notice and hold a public meeting of an ad-hoc committee (possibly with just one councillor) on any topic. Anyone interested in that topic could then attend and possibly provide useful input. 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 May 23, 2017 to discuss a proposed Municipal Code amendment to Title 8 entitled “Health and Safety” by adding a new Chapter 8.69 entitled “Running Bamboo Ordinance.” It looks like the City Council may finally be running with the Running Bamboo Ordinance. Now they'll have start thinking about the next thing to be banned. - Robert Winters |
Budget Passage - Notable May 22, 2017 Cambridge City Council Agenda Items
The Pike Order #1. City Council endorsement of the letter of Community Representative and former Mayor Henrietta Davis to Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack regarding the Allston I-90 project, prepared in consultation with the community and City of Cambridge officials. Mayor Simmons, Vice Mayor McGovern You should really understand the whole proposed project and not get too caught up in the details of whether or not the River Street exit ramp from Storrow Drive should be preserved as is. [Jan 19 Cambridge presentation] It's a VERY interesting project and there's no question that the current state of the affected area is ripe for significant change in every way. The FY2018 Budget Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Vice Mayor Marc C. McGovern, Chair of the Finance Committee, for public hearings held on May 2, 2017, May 10, 2017 and May 9, 2017 relative to the General Fund Budget for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2018 and recommending adoption of the General Fund Budget in the amount of $568,246,680. Committee Report #2. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Vice Mayor Marc C. McGovern, Chair of the Finance Committee, for a public hearing held on May 10, 2017 relative to the Water Fund Budget for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2018 and recommending adoption of the Water fund Budget in the amount of $13,973,850. Committee Report #3. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Vice Mayor Marc C. McGovern, Chair of the Finance Committee, for a public hearing held on May 10, 2017 relative to the Public Investment Fund for the City of Cambridge for Fiscal Year 2018 and recommending adoption of the Public Investment Budget in the amount of $19,912,815. Councillors - Please limit your "thank you" remarks to under one minute per councillor. Your unanimous vote on the Budget will send that message clearly enough. Peace, Love and Understanding It's not what you think. Then again, maybe it is. Order #2. City Council in support of Somerville officials in their efforts to achieve 20% affordable housing in all development projects. Councillor Carlone This is pretty clearly about whether or not a waiver should be granted in the Assembly Row project. The situation there was that the developer (Federal Realty) was eligible for the waiver because it had entered into a master planned agreement with the City of Somerville prior to the raising of the affordable housing requirement for a building of that size from 12.5 percent to 20 percent. On Thursday, May 18 the waiver was granted, so this Order is essentially moot (unless there are additional projects permitted prior to the increase in the inclusionary requirement). There is, however, one very questionable aspect to this City Council Order. It is not addressed to the Somerville Board of Alderman but rather calls on the Cambridge City Council "to stand in support of Somerville officials, like Alderman Matthew McLaughlin, in their efforts to achieve 20% affordable housing in all development projects." This reads an awful lot like a candidate endorsement. The Order also calls specifically for sending "a suitably engrossed copy of this resolution to Somerville Alderman Matthew McLaughlin on behalf of the entire City Council." This Order should really be amended to address the issue rather than the incumbent Somerville Alderman seeking reelection this November. - Robert Winters |
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, unclear if seeking reelection |
| 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 |
| Jeffrey Santos (new) | 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, actively fundraising |
| Quinton Zondervan | 9/15/1970 | 47 | 235 Cardinal Madeiros Ave., 02141 | announced, registered with OCPF, actively fundraising |
| Alanna Marie Mallon | 12/6/1970 | 46 | 3 Maple Ave., 02139 | announced, registered with OCPF, actively fundraising |
| Ronald Benjamin | 1/5/1971 | 46 | 172 Cushing St., 02138 | announced, registered with OCPF |
| Vatsady Sivongxay | 2/20/1982 | 35 | 59 Kirkland St. #2, 02138 | announced, registered with OCPF, actively fundraising |
| 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, actively fundraising |
| 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, actively fundraising |
| Sam Gebru | 11/20/1991 | 25 | 812 Memorial Dr., 02139 | announced, registered with OCPF, actively fundraising |
| Nadya Teresa Okamoto | 2/11/1998 | 19 | Canaday Hall B44, 22 Harvard Yard, 02138 | announced, registered with OCPF, actively fundraising |
| Gwendolyn Volmar (new) | 9/25/1985 | 32 | 13 Ware St. #4, 02138 | not yet announced, but 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 that he will 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 |
| Ilan Levy | 11/1/1967 | 50 | 148 Spring St. 02141 | ran in 2015, seems to be planning to do it again |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Laurance Kimbrough (new) | 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 |
| Fran Albin Cronin | 2/14/1952 | 65 | 1 Kimball Ln., 02140 | planning to seek reelection |
| 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 June 10) | |||||||
| Candidate | From | To | Start | Receipts | Expend | Balance | As Of |
| Benjamin, Ronald | 1-Jan-17 | 31-May-17 | 9.00 | 491.12 | 331.39 | 168.73 | 2-Jun-17 |
| Benzan, Dennis | 1-Jan-17 | 31-May-17 | 2097.45 | 62.40 | 1546.55 | 613.30 | 1-Jun-17 |
| Carlone, Dennis | 1-Jan-17 | 31-May-17 | 17827.87 | 2572.34 | 737.56 | 19662.65 | 1-Jun-17 |
| Cheung, Leland | 1-Jan-17 | 31-May-17 | 90880.32 | 0.00 | 8380.50 | 82499.82 | 5-Jun-17 |
| D'Ambrosio, Olivia | 1-Jan-17 | 31-May-17 | 122.75 | 5250.31 | 2193.80 | 3179.26 | 1-Jun-17 |
| Devereux, Jan | 1-Jan-17 | 31-May-17 | 8715.10 | 14297.25 | 2044.27 | 20968.08 | 2-Jun-17 |
| Gebru, Sam | 1-Jan-17 | 31-May-17 | 0.00 | 23358.00 | 21475.92 | 1882.08 | 1-Jun-17 |
| Kelley, Craig | 1-Jan-17 | 31-May-17 | 2231.84 | 230.52 | 445.00 | 2017.36 | 2-Jun-17 |
| Mallon, Alanna | 1-Jan-17 | 31-May-17 | 100.00 | 26265.00 | 5979.49 | 20385.51 | 1-Jun-17 |
| McGovern, Marc | 1-Jan-17 | 31-May-17 | 14966.66 | 16608.44 | 10359.46 | 21215.64 | 1-Jun-17 |
| Musgrave, Adriane | 16-May-17 | 31-May-17 | 0.00 | 5000.00 | 1750.00 | 3250.00 | 1-Jun-17 |
| Okamoto, Nadya | 16-Mar-17 | 31-May-17 | 0.00 | 2578.42 | 203.55 | 2374.87 | 2-Jun-17 |
| Santos, Jeffrey | 7-Jun-17 | 7-Jun-17 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7-Jun-17 |
| Siddiqui, Sumbul | 16-Feb-17 | 31-May-17 | 0.00 | 18014.60 | 2821.62 | 15192.98 | 2-Jun-17 |
| Simmons, Denise | 1-Jan-17 | 31-May-17 | 10179.79 | 7398.35 | 5025.91 | 12552.23 | 2-Jun-17 |
| Sivongxay, Vatsady | 1-Jan-17 | 31-May-17 | 0.00 | 17395.55 | 8108.48 | 9287.07 | 2-Jun-17 |
| Tierney, Sean | 1-Feb-17 | 31-May-17 | 0.00 | 7515.35 | 3514.48 | 4000.87 | 2-Jun-17 |
| Toner, Paul | 16-Feb-17 | 31-May-17 | 0.00 | 28339.25 | 7242.22 | 21097.03 | 2-Jun-17 |
| Toomey, Tim | 1-Jan-17 | 31-May-17 | 4069.67 | 26679.94 | 6741.86 | 24007.75 | 2-Jun-17 |
| Volmar, Gwen | 9-Jun-17 | 9-Jun-17 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9-Jun-17 |
| Zondervan, Quinton | 1-Jan-17 | 31-May-17 | 3510.00 | 12981.35 | 12798.08 | 3693.27 | 2-Jun-17 |
Campaign Finance Reports - 2017 City Council (updated June 5)
| Campaign Contributions (2017) - Total Receipts and Cambridge Receipts (updated June 13) |
||||
| Candidate | ID | Total Receipts | Cambridge Receipts | Percent Cambridge |
| Kelley, Craig | 14104 | $240.00 | $240.00 | 100% |
| D'Ambrosio, Olivia | 16520 | $5,250.00 | $5,000.00 | 95% |
| Devereux, Jan | 16062 | $13,813.50 | $12,893.50 | 93% |
| Carlone, Dennis | 15680 | $2,572.34 | $2,350.00 | 91% |
| Musgrave, Adriane | 16657 | $5,000.00 | $4,000.00 | 80% |
| McGovern, Marc | 15589 | $19,919.61 | $15,423.11 | 77% |
| Mallon, Alanna | 16530 | $26,365.00 | $14,905.00 | 57% |
| Zondervan, Quinton | 16516 | $9,150.83 | $5,021.00 | 55% |
| Toner, Paul | 16576 | $30,539.86 | $15,800.00 | 52% |
| Toomey, Tim | 12222 | $26,679.94 | $13,304.69 | 50% |
| Siddiqui, Sumbul | 16556 | $19,134.60 | $8,460.00 | 44% |
| Tierney, Sean | 16559 | $8,040.35 | $3,500.00 | 44% |
| Simmons, Denise | 13783 | $7,398.35 | $3,100.00 | 42% |
| Sivongxay, Vatsady | 16528 | $19,419.44 | $4,800.00 | 25% |
| Gebru, Sam | 16531 | $23,498.00 | $4,335.00 | 18% |
| Benjamin, Ronald | 16493 | $141.15 | $20.00 | 14% |
| Okamoto, Nadya | 16596 | $2,857.59 | $100.00 | 3% |
| Santos, Jeffrey | 16686 | $0.00 | $0.00 | - |
| Volmar, Gwen | 16691 | $0.00 | $0.00 | - |
| Cheung, Leland | 14923 | $0.00 | $0.00 | - |
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
4:00pm The City Council's Public Safety Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the various forms and mediums of communication between residents and the city, to include Commonwealth Connects, and how the Council may prioritize critical issues for data collection and reporting, also the Committee will discuss Order #11 of Oct 31, 2016 regarding the creation of a Commonwealth Connects category for residents negatively impacted by short-term rental activity; Order #8 of Apr 24, 2017 regarding creating a report system for mosquito harborage; and also bicycle-safety related incidents that would not generate a crash-report. (Ackermann Room)
8:00am-9:30am Recycling Advisory Committee (Sullivan Chamber, City Hall)
2:00pm The City Council's Human Services and Veterans Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the current opioid crisis on a state and local level, and what programs and plans exist to combat this epidemic. (Sullivan Chamber)
4:30pm The City Council's Economic Development and University Relations Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the final recommendations from Larisa Ortiz Associates in regards to the Retail Strategic Plan, as well as policy and programmatic opportunities related to the retail environment in Cambridge. (Sullivan Chamber)
For more information on the City's Retail Strategic Plan or to review the May 17 presentation, click here.
9:00-11:30am Envision Cambridge Economy Working Group meeting (2nd Floor Meeting Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)
6:00-8:30pm Envision Cambridge Housing Working Group meeting (2nd Floor Meeting Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)
11:00am-11:00pm Greek Festival in Central Square (14 Magazine St.)
11:00am-11:00pm Greek Festival in Central Square (14 Magazine St.)
11:00am-9:00pm Greek Festival in Central Square (14 Magazine St.)
5:00pm Special Presentation - A Celebration of Cambridge Volunteers (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
6:00-8:30pm Envision Cambridge Climate & Environment Working Group meeting (4th Floor Conference Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)
1:00pm 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. (Sullivan Chamber)
6:00-8:30pm Envision Cambridge Mobility Working Group meeting (Central Square Senior Center)
6:00pm Community Preservation Act (CPA) Committee Public Meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
The Community Preservation Act (CPA) Committee will hold a public meeting Thursday, June 22, at 6:00pm, in the Sullivan Chamber of Cambridge City Hall, 795 Mass. Ave. The meeting agenda will include providing the public an opportunity to suggest and recommend projects for CPA funding for Housing, Open Space and Historic Preservation for FY18. For more information, contact Karen Preval at (617) 349-4221 or kpreval@cambridgema.gov.
5:30pm Dance Complex's "25 and Dancing On" Festival - Day 1 (Dance Complex, 536 Mass. Ave.)
All Day Dance Complex's "25 and Dancing On" Festival - Day 2 (Dance Complex, 536 Mass. Ave.)
All Day Dance Complex's "25 and Dancing On" Festival - Day 3 (Dance Complex, 536 Mass. Ave.)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
7:00pm-11:00pm City Dance Party (Mass. Ave. in front of City Hall)
6:00-8:00pm Envision Cambridge Advisory Committee meeting (Citywide Senior Center, 806 Mass. Ave.)
Discussion topic: community interaction
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
