Possible Topics:Cambridge InsideOut - May 15, 2018
Possible Topics:
1) May 14, 2018 City Council meeting
2) The Prospect of a Central Square Arts Overlay
3) May 7, 2018 City Council meeting
4) Inman Square (Vellucci Plaza), Porter Square (intersection redesign), Harvard Square (MayFair, Palmer Street), Central Square (Green St. garage, Manning Apts, MLK Plaza, Library, Central Flea)
5) The Triviality of SeeClickFix
6) April 30 City Council Meeting
7) Some Observations on the Cambridge City Budget (1992-present)
8) News, Upcoming Events, etc.
On the Agenda - May 14, 2018 Cambridge City Council meetingFirst... what's still Not On the Agenda (even though letters continue to pour in to the City Council commenting on this Non-Order): The HP Divest matter. Wherefore art thou? Perhaps it's with all the other missing Orders highlighting Bad Behavior (real or perceived) by governments around the world. On the domestic front, there are these: Manager's Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-13, regarding electric vehicles. It's an interesting report and it seems like the City is using good sense in knowing when and under what circumstances vehicles should be changed over to all-electric or hybrid-electric. Nobody wants to see a fire engine or police car crap out in an emergency situation because its battery ran down. This report also brings to mind two competing philosophies when it comes to making changes to meet environmental or other goals - the Carrot or the Stick. Some (like me) prefer the carrot to encourage people to make changes, i.e. to provide incentives or offer a convincing argument to make a switch, e.g. to participate in curbside organics collection or to buy efficient vehicles or appliances. Others are all about the stick, e.g. changing the Zoning Ordinance to TELL people what they have to do to be righteous - or else. I have long felt that mandates are what people make when they fail to make a convincing case on the merits. Charter Right #1. That the City Manager is requested to work with the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department to develop a small business parking pilot that would allow temporary on-street employee parking during typical daytime operating hours. [Charter Right Exercised By Mayor McGovern.] Councillor Mallon, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons I'm interested to see where this goes. People seem to have forgotten that there used to be a lot more unregulated spaces around the city, i.e. neither Resident Only nor sporting a parking meter. In fact, it has often been said by the folks at Traffic & Parking that parking meters are installed not for the revenue but rather to ensure sufficient turnover adjacent to businesses. I don't know that I believe them anymore. What I do remember is that an enormous number of unregulated spaces were changed to regulated spaces during the days of the Interim Parking Freeze because that was one way to get spaces in the Commercial Parking Bank that could be used in the permitting of new commercial development. The deal was that for every two spaces you regulated you could put one in The Bank. Prior to that there were unregulated spaces that were available to people who worked at local businesses or who taught in Cambridge schools. I'm sure some of the anti-vehicle zealots in the Community Development Department would set themselves on fire rather than agree to ease up on any parking restrictions, but simple deregulation of some spaces in some areas (while keeping some time restriction for nonresidents) might actually be a good way to resolve this dilemma. Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council by June 11 with an updated schedule for resubmitting a revised draft of the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance that incorporates suggestions from the Light Cambridge Committee. Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Carlone I was wondering when this would again be brought back into the spotlight. The original idea to tone down lights glaring through bedroom windows was worthwhile (even though it originally - and wrongly - appeared as a proposed zoning amendment rather as a municipal ordinance) before it got clogged up and bogged down by its own details. That and the desire of some people to clamp down on lighting in places where they have no business calling the shots. Indeed, there are some places, e.g. Central Square, that would benefit by the return of some pretty spectacular lighting.
Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to explore the possibility of improving road safety conditions on Clinton Street. Councillor Zondervan, Mayor McGovern, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Carlone As near as I can tell, it took just one car getting clipped when backing out of a Clinton Street driveway to get this response. There must be some Very Special People living on Clinton Street. To borrow from the statement in this petition, I just want to point out that "there are small children and pets and elderly people" living on probably every street in Cambridge. Perhaps we all deserve to have "three speed bumps or speed platforms" installed along the lengths of all our streets. Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to complete a tree canopy study based on the April 2018 LiDAR data before the end of 2018, and to complete future LiDAR based studies as frequently as possible, but no more often than once a year. Councillor Zondervan, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Kelley I do like seeing the data generated by these studies, but I also find it curious how trees have become the defining Cambridge political topic for 2018. From one bandwagon to another, I suppose. I am once again reminded that there are Carrot Councillors and Stick Councillors. Some will prefer to give you encouragement and incentives to preserve trees on your property, while the others will make you hire a lawyer and file a string of permit applications before taking action against your resident Ents. - Robert Winters |
On the Agenda - May 7, 2018 Cambridge City Council meetingAnother week, another nonappearance of the much-heralded "Divest HP" matter. Perhaps it will never appear - good riddance. As for actual agenda items, here are some: Manager's Agenda #1. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of a supplemental appropriation of $125,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Public Works Department Extraordinary Expenditures account to support the revitalization of the Martin Luther King Plaza, the art components and enhance the primary entrance into the Central Square Branch Library. While the improvements are appreciated, what would be even better is if an additional deck or two were added to the Green Street garage to compensate for future losses if and when housing (and more) is built on some of the area's surface parking lots. The whole facade of the library branch should also be reimagined. Today it appears to be little more than a public urinal and shelter for substance abusers. This would never be tolerated in Harvard Square, so why do we tolerate it in Central Square? Charter Right #1. That the Ordinance Committee be and hereby is requested to review and consider the proposed amendment to §10.17.070-- “Fees for Residential Parking Stickers” for a hearing and report. [Charter Right exercised by Mayor McGovern on Apr 30, 2018] When the lead sponsor of an Order calling for increases in Resident Permit fees responds to a Facebook comment that said "Ban cars" with a "Like", then I have to believe this isn't really about the revenue. Communication #15. A communication was received from Steve Sands, 4 Buckingham Street, regarding Hewlett Packard Boycott. I normally don't pay much attention to these sorts of things (except for the fun or it), but this gentleman captures the absurdity of the HP thing perfectly. Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to work with the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department to develop a small business parking pilot that would allow temporary on-street employee parking during typical daytime operating hours. Councillor Mallon, Councillor Siddiqui Oh my God! A reasonable viewpoint about compromise and reality. Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to work with all Harvard Square stakeholders, including the Harvard Square Business Association, the Harvard Square Neighborhood Association, abutting businesses, and Harvard University to actively engage the community in a design charrette process with a view in mind towards making Palmer Street a more active and inviting pedestrian walkway and public space. Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Mallon, Mayor McGovern Great idea, and I would love to participate even though I don't fit into any of the named categories. Shared streets (woonerfs) are a great idea that seems to fail in the execution, e.g. Palmer Street, Blanche Street. I want to see both of those streets looking like a crowded street fair after all the trucks have made their deliveries. Palmer Street, in particular, is perhaps the street with the least motor vehicle traffic and it's in the middle of busy Harvard Square. It's interesting that nobody seemed to give a damn about Palmer Street until the Harvard Square Business Association tried to do something positive about it and caught grief for it.
Order #7. That the City Manager is requested to develop a plan to achieve the above policy goals as it relates to the digital divide. Councillor Zondervan, Mayor McGovern, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Simmons This week's "I want municipal broadband" Order. I would like to see an Order that asks for a Cable TV package that can get Red Sox games for less than $100/month. Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from City Clerk Donna P. Lopez, transmitting a communication from Councillor Kelley, transmitting a memorandum regarding Bike Lanes, Street Use, and Micro-Mobility Challenges Facing Cambridge. I really like reports like this from Councillor Kelley. Sometimes he seems like the only councillor who thinks broadly about transportation and the future. [Hint: It's not just about PVC plastic posts, segregation, and aggressive political lobbies claiming "turf".] - Robert Winters |
10:30am Jane's Walk – Jazz and Rock at an Old Trolley Stop
Meet at 10:30am at Carl Barron Plaza in the heart of Central Square. Hosted by Boston Globe reporter Michael Kenney.
Stand at the corner of Brookline Street and Massachusetts Avenue, and, depending on the hour, you will hear sounds of jazz and rock from The Middle East restaurant and nightclub. But there was a time, a century ago, when instead there would have been the clatter of trolleys heading up from their car barn. Michael Kenney, longtime Boston Globe city-reporter now independently researching Cambridge’s history, will lead us through a choice sample of local historical layers of city life up to the present. We will head down Pearl Street from Mass. Ave. for a half dozen or so blocks and then walk back up the parallel Brookline St, one block east, passing – among many intriguing sights – the old car barn itself and the 1920s EMF electrical supply warehouse, now studio space for two hundred musicians. End at The Middle East café, where those who wish may purchase lunch and continue the conversation.
Every Sunday, May - October
11:00am-5:00pm The Central Flea Returns every weekend starting this Sunday (University Park, Sidney Street)
The Central Square Business Association (CSBA) + New England Open Markets are pumped for the return of the Central Flea! As you may have noticed, the Flea will have the same awesome vintage, antique, arts, etc. vendors you've come to know and love – but we've also got a few new things up our sleeves. We've moved to the other side! Of #CentralSQ, that is. Join us at University Park (91 Sidney St, Cambridge, MA) for a Flea surrounded by gorgeous greenery.
We're excited to announce that Lamplighter Brewing Co. will be opening an all-new beer garden at the Flea this year! When you're tired of shopping, stop by for a cold one.
So there's a public meeting on Thursday, May 3 regarding what is called the "South Massachusetts Avenue Corridor Safety Improvements Project". The meeting will take place from 6:00pm to 8:30pm at MIT, Room 2-190 (182 Memorial Drive, Simons Building). The essentials from the meeting notice are:
"To improve safety and reliability for users of the street, the City of Cambridge is evaluating 'quick build' changes to Massachusetts Avenue from Sidney Street to Memorial Drive with an emphasis on increasing the comfort and convenience of people walking, biking and riding buses. This project supports the City’s Vision Zero goal to reduce and eliminate serious injuries/fatalities from crashes, as well as City policies that promote the use of sustainable ways to travel in Cambridge."
Having seen a few notices and having attended more than my share of meetings, allow me to interpret. When the public notice uses the word "comfort" or the phrase "comfort index", that's code for "separated bike lanes", i.e. PVC plastic posts bolted to the road, and I can pretty much guarantee that regardless whether this gives any safety improvement or if it creates significant traffic problems, the entire matter is nonnegotiable. The purpose of the meeting is to tell you what has already been decided, and the only public input that might have any effect will be in regard to aesthetic matters (color of the posts) and whether or not even more parking spaces should be removed to compensate for any potential hazards at intersections or reduced visibility.
This project will likely not be nearly as controversial as what was done to Cambridge Street or Brattle Street (due to the scarcity of residents along this stretch of Mass. Ave.), but I imagine there could be some concerns from the businesses since it's likely that most or all parking may soon disappear. Perhaps the only real question at this point is whether all of the parking disappears or if traffic is reduced to one lane each way for the whole stretch (which may well result in traffic being backed up during some hours along the entire stretch). One things is virtually certain – if you don't think that segregated bike lanes are a good idea here, you may as well stay home because nobody will hear you. - RW
Not a day goes by without a flurry of SeeClickFix (Commonwealth Connects) requests for matters ranging from dangerous to absurdly trivial. In addition to the ridiculous complaints about armored vehicles parking in a bike lane (because the cyclists wants the driver to carry sacks of money to a loading zone a block away) or a flatbed truck queued up at a construction site (and they want him to do what? - keep circling around the block with many tons of steel on a long, wide vehicle?) to matters so trivial that it could make your head spin. For example, I saw one this morning from 23 Clinton Street where the complainant says: "Can you please remove white mark left on brick sidewalk by parking dept?" Perhaps I should file a string of complaints about the large hot top temporary patch on my sidewalk left by NStar (before they became Eversource) that's now been there for most of the past decade plus a medley of various painted markings from Traffic & Parking, the Dig Safe folks, etc. Let's also not forget those 02138 sensitive souls who lost their minds over the color of their NEW sidewalk having a shade that didn't quite match their ideal. Good grief!
Leaving April, Come What May - Spring Treats on the April 30, 2018 City Council Menu
Manager's Agenda #1. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a supplemental appropriation of $200,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Public Works Extraordinary Expenditures account to fund the abatement and demolition of Vail Court. Mister DePasquale, Tear Down These Walls! Manager's Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the Final Landmark Designation Report for the Blake & Knowles Foundry at 101 Rogers Street. Manager's Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the Final Landmark Designation Report for the Cheney Read House at 135 Western Avenue. These are highlighted because I really enjoy these histories and appreciate the work put in by the Historical Commission in producing them. Charter Right #1. An application was received from the Harvard Square Business Association requesting permission for a temporary lighted banner across the Public Way located at 12 Palmer Street. [plus Communications #6,7,8,9,13] Much Ado About Nothing. Objections from those who probably also disapprove of multi-colored Christmas lights as being too garish. Resolution #1. Congratulations to the recipients of the Outstanding City Employee Awards. Mayor McGovern This awards event is one of my favorite City events. The attendees are almost entirely City employees and their families, but it's an open event and really special. Order #3. That the Ordinance Committee is requested to schedule a public hearing to consider the proposal put forward by the City Manager to amend Chapter 12.16, Section 12.16.170 of the Municipal Code, (the “Street Performers Ordinance”). Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Carlone The proposed changes primarily involve easing up the fee structure for some street performers. Order #4. Campaign Finance Reform. Councillor Toomey I haven't yet seen a proposal for municipal election campaign reform that I can support and which is legal. I'm also not yet convinced that there's a need for this at the local level. Order #5. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to provide a report on the history of Constellation Charitable Foundation's Parcel C in Kendall Square including tax status and other relevant information on the site. Councillor Toomey, Councillor Mallon This is a timely Order. The City Council may want to consider some changes to the zoning for this site as well as ways to leverage the original intentions formulated nearly 20 years ago when what was then the ComEnergy site was developed by David Clem and Lyme Properties as Cambridge Research Park. A performing arts center may still be a good use to be integrated into the site by the next owner if the finances and zoning can be made to work. Order #6. That the City Council go on record supporting the Mass Senior Action Agenda. Councillor Simmons It's good common-sense legislation. Order #8. That the Ordinance Committee be and hereby is requested to review and consider the proposed amendment to §10.17.070-- “Fees for Residential Parking Stickers” for a hearing and report. Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Kelley, Vice Mayor Devereux As near as I can tell, Councillor Zondervan's rationale behind his proposal to jack up the resident parking fee to $35 and then $40 is that Somerville charges $40. Some have argued that the fee should be nominal rather than either punitive (because motor vehicle operators are considered evil in Cambridge) or just another revenue generator. A $40 fee isn't going to convince many people to give up their vehicle, but many of us don't appreciate councillors raising fees simply because they can or because they get a rush out of the revenue paid by drivers being used to create obstructions to driving in the city. Order #10. That the City Manager is requested to prioritize the installation of protected bike lanes and bicycle traffic signals in Porter Square. Councillor Zondervan, Vice Mayor Devereux, Councillor Carlone The proposed changes that were presented a couple of months ago were pretty good for all users, including cyclists. Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Paula M. Crane, Deputy City Clerk, transmitting a report from Chair Councillor E. Denise Simmons, of the Civic Unity Committee, for a public hearing held on Mar 27, 2018 to discuss whether the City's Boards and Commissions adequately reflect the demographic makeup of the community. Goals vs. Requirements - That is the question. I'll stick with goals. Committee Report #2. A communication was received from Donna P. Lopez, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Vice Mayor Jan Devereux, Chair of the Transportation and Public Utilities Committee, for a public hearing held on Wed, Apr 11, 2018 to discuss topics related to the MBTA bus service. Committee Report #3. A communication was received from Paula Crane, Deputy City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Sumbul Siddiqui, Chair of the Economic Development and University Relations Committee, for a public hearing held on Mar 28, 2018 to discuss Retail Strategic Plan. I could say more about any of these committee reports, but for now they are provided here only for your reading pleasure. - Robert Winters |
Department-by-Department Budget Summaries: FY1992 through FY2019
Department-by-Department Full-Time Positions: FY1992 through FY2019 (with total employee counts back to 1981)
May 19, 2018 – City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking Cambridge residents interested in serving on the city’s Committee on Public Planting.
The Public Planting Committee is charged with the responsibility of promoting and improving the quality and diversity of plantings throughout all areas of Cambridge. This includes: reviewing planting plans for new public work in the city; advising the city on effective maintenance of public plantings; supporting the role of the City Arborist; and encouraging interest in public plantings in all neighborhoods. Candidates should have an interest in urban forestry and landscape issues, and, ideally, experience in horticulture. The Committee usually meets on the second Wednesday of each month from 5:30-7pm, at the Department of Public Works, 147 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, MA.
The deadline for submitting applications is June 11, 2018. Applications can be submitted to City Manager Louis A. DePasquale using the City’s online application system at www.cambridgema.gov/apply. A cover letter and resume or 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.
For more information about the committee, contact David Lefcourt, City Arborist, at 617-349-6433 or dlefcourt@cambridgema.gov.
May 7, 2018 – City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking to fill a vacancy on the Board of Trustees for the Cambridge Public Library.
Library trustees are volunteer community representatives, library advocates, and leaders in the establishment of goals and policies for the Cambridge Public Library system. Trustees are a vital link between the library staff and the community and work to ensure the quality of library services, collections, and programs, and to make certain that the library reflects and is relevant to the community.
Trustees serve a 3 year term and are expected to attend monthly board meetings, committee and community meetings, appropriate continuing education workshops or conferences, and library programs as their schedules allow.
Ideal candidates will have an interest in and passion for public libraries and an understanding of the importance of the public library as a center of information, culture, recreation, and life-long learning in the community. Candidates should also have knowledge of the community, including an awareness of diverse social and economic conditions, needs and interests of all groups. Strong verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking skills are required. Trustees work productively as a team. It is also important for candidates to understand how the role of the public library is evolving and how information technology and societal changes inform the library’s future.
The deadline for submitting applications is June 4, 2018. Applications can be submitted to City Manager Louis A. DePasquale using the City’s online application system at www.cambridgema.gov/apply. A cover letter and resume or 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. For more information about the role of Library trustees, contact Maria McCauley, Director of Libraries at 617-349-4032 or mmccauley@Cambridgema.gov.
May 2, 2018 – Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking to fill a vacancy on Cambridge’s Open Data Review Board and is looking for representatives from public, private, academic, or nonprofit sectors with expertise in or relevant experience with Open Data.
The city’s Open Data Program makes government data easily available in useful formats, and is intended to increase transparency, foster engagement among residents, and create new opportunities for collaboration between Cambridge and the public.
The Review Board, comprised of at least three residents and four or more city employees, will meet quarterly to help ensure that the program balances its goals of transparency and accessibility with the city’s obligation to protect private, confidential, and sensitive information.
The Board will make recommendations to the City Manager and Open Data Program Manager on policies, rules, and standards related to Cambridge’s Open Data Program, including methods for determining the appropriate level of accessibility for new datasets and timelines for making new datasets available.
Specifically, the Review Board will help answer the following questions:
For more information about Open Data Review Board, contact Josh Wolff, jwolff@cambridgema.gov. The deadline for submitting applications is June 4, 2018. Applications can be submitted to City Manager Louis A. DePasquale using the City’s online application system at www.cambridgema.gov/apply. A cover letter and resume or 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.
Apr 20, 2018 – City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking a resident to fill a vacancy on the Cambridge Human Rights Commission.
The Cambridge Human Rights Commission (CHRC) seeks Cambridge residents representing the diversity of Cambridge. 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.
The Human Rights Commission is made up of 11 members who serve three-year terms. Meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month at 6:00pm.
The deadline for submitting applications is May 25, 2018. Applications can be submitted to City Manager Louis A. DePasquale using the City’s online application system at www.cambridgema.gov/apply. A cover letter and resume or 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. For more information, contact Nancy Schlacter, Cambridge Human Rights Commission, at 617-349-4396 or nschlacter@cambridgema.gov.
Upcoming Envision Cambridge Meetings – Join the Conversation this May
Alewife Public Meeting - Agenda
Wednesday, May 16, 6:30-8:30pm
Tobin School Cafeteria, 197 Vassal Lane
Envision Cambridge Advisory Committee Meeting - Agenda
Wednesday, May 23, 6:00-8:00pm
Citywide Senior Center Ballroom, 806 Massachusetts Ave.
For more information about Envision Cambridge, visit envision.cambridgema.gov.
Apr 25, 2018 – The City of Cambridge will launch its fifth Participatory Budgeting (PB) cycle from June-December 2018. Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of the capital budget.
For this next process, the City will set aside $900,000 for capital projects to improve the community. Winning projects from past PB cycles include a public toilet in Central Square, musical instruments for CRLS, a freezer van for prepared food rescue, solar panels for the Main Library roof, water bottle fill stations, and many others.
The City is seeking volunteers to serve on the PB Outreach Committee for the 2018 cycle. Volunteers will help ensure that the next PB process engages as many community members as possible.
Outreach Committee members will serve throughout the PB5 cycle (May-December 2018) by:
The Outreach Committee schedule is as follows:
*Locations for all meeting will be in and/or around Central Square.
Outreach Committee members will work closely with Budget Office staff to make PB5 the most successful cycle yet. Food will be provided at Outreach Committee meetings and each volunteer will receive a PB T-shirt.
Cambridge residents interested in serving on the PB Cambridge Outreach Committee can apply online at www.Cambridgema.gov/PB5Outreach or contact Matt Nelson in the Budget Office at pb@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-4270. The deadline to apply is May 11, 2018.
For more information about the PB process visit pb.cambridgema.gov.
Apr 23, 2018 – City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 Outstanding City Employee Award. The annual award recognizes a select number of employees for superior performance, positive attitude, hard work and dedication to public service. The recipients were honored at a ceremony on Friday, May 11, at 9:00am, in the Sullivan Chamber of Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue.
The City Manager also presented an award in honor and memory of the late Brian Murphy, to a person who is committed to making government improve the lives of others.
Congratulations to our 2018 Outstanding City Employees:
The 2018 Brian Murphy Award was presented to former City Manager Richard C. Rossi
In THE COLOR OF LAW, Richard Rothstein makes irrefutable that the segregation laws and policies passed by all levels of government expressly and systematically promoted the discriminatory patterns that persist to this day.
Pro-housing group "A Better Cambridge (ABC)" will host a Boston-metro community conversation with Richard Rothstein who will discuss his widely acclaimed book, The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. Through clear prose and extensive research that Ta-Nehisi Coates has lauded as "brilliant,” Rothstein’s book describes the forgotten story of how our federal, state, and local governments explicitly encouraged racial segregation across the country - in blue states, red states and as recently as the 2008 housing crisis. Today we are living with the repercussions of these policies with, for example, extreme racial wealth inequality and a stubborn achievement gap in our schools. This one-of-a-kind conversation will take place on May 22nd, at 6:30pm at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School Fitzgerald Theater.
A panel discussion will follow Rothstein’s presentation, featuring Chrystal Kornegay, Executive Director of MassHousing; Dr. Atyia Martin, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Northeastern and former Chief Resilience Officer of Boston; Eva Martin-Blythe, Executive Director of the Cambridge YWCA; and Bob Terrell, Executive Director of the Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston; The conversation will be moderated by The Boston Globe’s Ideas Editor, Dante Ramos.
“The Color of Law is one of those rare books that will be discussed and debated for many decades. Based on careful analyses of multiple historical documents, Rothstein has presented what I consider to be the most forceful argument ever published on how federal, state and local governments gave rise to and reinforced neighborhood segregation.”– William Julius Wilson, author of The Truly Disadvantaged
ABC founder and chairman, Jesse Kanson-Benanav, is thrilled to welcome Mr. Rothstein, saying that “in a progressive community like Cambridge and a deep blue state like Massachusetts, we often lose sight of how our own housing and land use policies have contributed to the government-sanctioned segregation that Mr. Rothstein writes about.” And while Cambridge makes a small but ominous appearance in the book, specifically with regard to the intentional racial segregation when the Washington Elms & Newtowne Court public housing developments were first built, “the community discussion following Mr. Rothstein’s presentation will provide more local context, explore how we continue to perpetuate segregation in Cambridge and Greater Boston, and examine what we can do about it.”
The event is free and open to the public, but registration at www.abettercambridge.org is strongly recommended. Doors open at 6:00pm and the discussion begins at 6:30pm. Copies of Rothstein's book will be available for purchase. Advanced purchases are encouraged at The Harvard Bookstore and Porter Square Books.
Richard Rothstein is a research associate of the Economic Policy Institute and a Fellow at the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He lives in California, where he is a Fellow of the Haas Institute at the University of California–Berkeley. The Color of Law was a Publisher's Weekly Top 10 Best Books of 2017 and was a finalist for the National Book Award.
A Better Cambridge (ABC) is a non-profit organization made up of Cambridge residents who are committed to building a more diverse and sustainable city with housing for all people. They support increased housing of all kinds, smart, eco-friendly density, and growth that is public-transit centered, to create vibrant, walkable, bikeable, livable neighborhoods. Through education and advocacy, they seek to impact the public conversation, include under-represented groups, and encourage thoughtful, smart planning and policy.
CIVIC CALENDAR
4:00pm 2018 City of Cambridge Scholarship Awards Ceremony. This meeting to be televised. (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
1:00pm The City Council's Neighborhood and Long Term Planning, Arts and Celebrations Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the proposed Cambridge policy relating to the sale of adult-use cannabis. This hearing is to be televised. (Sullivan Chamber)
5:00pm The City Council's Housing Committee shall meet in order to receive and discuss updates from the Community Development Department on housing production in Cambridge, the development of an Affordable Housing Overlay District plan, and Inclusionary Zoning Draft Regulations (including eligibility preferences). The Committee shall also ask the Community Development Department to advance the conversation on tenant protections. (Sullivan Chamber)
6:00pm Regular School Committee meeting (Henrietta Attles Meeting Room, CRLS, 459 Broadway)
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
Public Hearings
6:30pm PB# 336 1043-1059 Cambridge Street – Special Permit application by 418 Real Estate LLC, c/o Hope Legal Law Offices to construct a mixed use building with 18 residential units and 4,564 square feet of ground floor commercial use(s) pursuant to Sections 19.20 Project Review, Article 2.000, footnote 16 exemption for basement floor area, 10.43 Special Permit, and 6.35 Reduction of parking requirement. (Notice) (Materials)
8:00pm PB# 26 125 CambridgePark Drive – Amendment to Special Permit application by PPF OFF CambridgePark Drive, LLC to allow the use of a retail business and consumer service use in the ground floor of the existing office building pursuant to Sections 10.40 Special Permit, 20.94.1 Retail Business and Consumer Service Establishment Use, 4.35.e café use, and 4.35.f.1 Restaurant use. (Notice) (Materials)
5:30pm Cambridge Election Commission meeting (1st Floor Meeting Room, 51 Inman St.)
5:30pm City Council meeting and expected Budget Adoption (Sullivan Chamber)
2:00pm The City Council's Transportation and Public Utilities Committee will conduct a public hearing to follow-up on Policy Order #7 of March 5, 2018 on the future of dock-less bikes in Cambridge. (Sullivan Chamber)
2:00pm The City Council's Economic Development & University Relations Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss an Arts Overlay District ordinance that would achieve the goals of creating and preserving spaces for the arts in the Central Square Cultural District. (Sullivan Chamber)
1:30pm The City Council's Health and Environment Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the City of Cambridge getting to NET Zero Action Plan: Fiscal Year 2017 progress report as well as the Low Carbon Energy Supply Strategy and to receive a general update on the NET Zero Action Plan. (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
12:00pm The City Council's Transportation and Public Utilities Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss an overview on car sharing. (Ackerman Room)
6:00pm Regular School Committee meeting (Henrietta Attles Meeting Room, CRLS, 459 Broadway)
1:00pm The City Council's Public Safety Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the role and duties of the Police officer assigned to City Hall. (Sullivan Chamber)
2:00pm The City Council's Ordinance Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss a proposed amendment to the Street Performers Ordinance in section 12.16.170 in the Municipal code. (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm City Council Roundtable/Working Meeting for the purpose of discussing Envision Cambridge. (Sullivan Chamber)
5:00pm The City Council's Housing Committee will meet for an as yet undisclosed purpose. (Sullivan Chamber)
4:00pm The City Council's Public Safety Committee will conduct a public hearing to receive an update on the Short-Term Rental Ordinance. (Ackermann Room)
8:00-9:30am Recycling Advisory Committee (RAC) Meeting (Sullivan Chamber, City Hall)
4:30pm 2018 Volunteer Awards Ceremony (Sullivan Chambers)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber)
3:30pm The City Council's Public Safety Committee will conduct a public hearing to discuss the City's Cyber Security Policy. (Ackermann Room)
5:30pm The City Council's Ordinance Committee will meet. (Sullivan Chamber)
Applications & Petitions #1. A petition was received from Sue Butler, et al, regarding concerns of excessive speed on Clinton Street in mid-Cambridge, requesting the City install three speed bumps or speed platforms along the length of Clinton Street.
Once again, the much-heralded "Divest HP" matter is NOT on this week's agenda, so if you want to get excited about this irrelevant initiative, come back in another week or so. Meanwhile, we close out April and look forward to the Lusty Month of May with the following featured treats: