Cambridge InsideOut - Jan 21, 2020

Robert and JudyPossible Topics:

1) Annual Campaign Finance Reports Due Jan 20

2) 2020 School Committee Vacancy Recount - David Weinstein elected

3) The 20,000 Club - Total #1 Votes Cast for Candidate (1941 - 2019)

4) Civic Opportunities

5) It's Opening Day - Jan 13, 2020 Cambridge City Council meeting

6) City Council subcommittees for 2020-2021

7) Recycling is becoming so expensive that some towns don’t know what to do

8) Priorities & Initiatives for new City Council term

a) Housing - Overlay or Something Else

b) Tenant Protections

c) Condo Regulations

d) Gas ban

e) Central Sq projects

f) Wellington/Harrington, Columbia/Webster Sts, and Green Line Extension

g) Alewife Triangle Planning & DCR Alewife Master Plan - Bridges to Somewhere

h) Achievement Gap, new paradigms, and freakonomics

i) Grand Junction Path; and what remains of the Urban Ring plans

j) Public financing of municipal elections

9) The Good & Bad of Plan E Today

a) Is Proportional Representation really proportional? Proportional to what?

b) Citizen Boards & Commissions - Representation vs. Advocacy

c) Transportation Silos - Bike Committee, Pedestrian Committee, Transit Committee; but no advisory committees on traffic congestion, motor vehicle transportation, or emerging mobility modes

10) City Manager Contract on the horizon

11) The future of Harvard Square

12) the future of Central Square

13) The future of Porter Square

14) The future of Lechmere Square

15) Civic Calendar


Annual Reports for Candidates Deadline - Jan 20, 2020

Depository Candidate and Committee Reporting Schedule
Statewide (Consitutional), House, Senate, District, County and Governor's Councillor Candidates, Political Action Committees (PACs), People's Committees, the State Party Committees, Mayor, and City Council Candidates in Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Fall River, Framingham, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Newton, Quincy, Somerville, Springfield and Worcester file the following reports with OCPF....

Depository candidates and committees also file a summary year-end report which is due on January 20th of the following year. The year-end report summarizes all deposit and expenditure activity for the year, lists any savings accounts (and balances), and provides disclosure of all in-kind contributions received or liabilities incurred during the year.

Note: Cambridge School Committee candidates must also file their year-end reports by January 20 with the Cambridge Election Commission.

Candidates and Committees who have filed:
ABC PAC (A Better Cambridge)
Cambr. Bike Safety PAC
Democracy for Cambridge PAC (Cambridge Residents Alliance)
Our Revolution Cambridge PAC
Azeem, Burhan
Carlone, Dennis
Franklin, Charles
Kelley, Craig
Kopon, Derek
Levy, Ilan
Mallon, Alanna
McGovern, Marc
Mednick, Risa
Moree, Gregg
Musgrave, Adriane
Pitkin, John
Siddiqui, Sumbul
Simmons, Denise
Sobrinho-Wheeler, Jivan C.
Toomey, Tim
Williams, Nicola A.
Candidates and Committees who have not yet filed:
CCC PAC (Cambridge Citizens Coalition)
Akiba, Sukia
McNary, Jeffery (raised/spent no money, report not required)
Nolan, Patty
Simon, Benjamin T.
Zondervan, Quinton
2019 Annual Reports (deadline Jan 20, 2020)
Candidate From To Start Receipts Expend Balance Filed
ABC PAC 01/01/19 12/31/19 3,651.29 15289.15 16859.56 2080.88 01/20/20
CCC PAC 0.00
CResA PAC 07/24/19 12/31/19 0.00 3166.77 1811.54 1355.23 01/21/20
Cambr. Bike Safety PAC 01/02/19 12/31/19 0.00 3530.00 3423.37 106.63 01/07/20
Our Revolution Cambridge PAC 10/12/19 12/31/19 0.00 1427.00 1367.00 60.00 01/07/20
Akiba, Sukia 0.00
Azeem, Burhan 05/07/19 12/31/19 0.00 14459.25 13860.37 598.88 01/05/20
Carlone, Dennis 01/01/19 12/31/19 10088.58 33141.63 35850.17 7380.04 01/04/20
Franklin, Charles 03/12/19 12/31/19 0.00 33326.60 31624.44 1702.16 01/08/20
Kelley, Craig 01/01/19 12/31/19 4161.09 39355.58 29116.32 14400.35 01/15/20
Kopon, Derek 07/02/19 12/31/19 0.00 9716.72 9716.72 0.00 01/07/20
Levy, Ilan 01/01/19 12/31/19 88.83 200.51 217.56 71.78 01/21/20
Mallon, Alanna 01/01/19 12/31/19 3587.26 41495.41 40035.94 5046.73 01/12/20
McGovern, Marc 01/01/19 12/31/19 32131.34 65463.30 81297.87 16296.77 01/13/20
McNary, Jeffery 0.00 0.00
Mednick, Risa 07/15/19 12/31/19 0.00 19618.99 16171.28 3447.71 01/20/20
Moree, Gregg 08/02/19 12/31/19 0.00 1500.00 1500.00 0.00 01/08/20
Musgrave, Adriane 01/01/19 12/31/19 498.79 40851.07 36616.54 4733.32 01/14/20
Nolan, Patty
Pitkin, John 07/30/19 12/31/19 2012.00 12292.68 13328.57 976.11 01/20/20
Siddiqui, Sumbul 01/01/19 12/31/19 9581.51 31474.28 25619.80 15435.99 01/21/20
Simmons, Denise 01/01/19 12/31/19 4291.50 62819.75 57959.61 9151.64 01/12/20
Simon, Benjamin T. 0.00
Sobrinho-Wheeler, Jivan C. 03/15/19 12/31/19 0.00 27478.13 25361.49 2116.64 01/10/20
Toomey, Tim 01/01/19 12/31/19 26797.26 51740.85 63345.76 15192.35 01/19/20
Williams, Nicola A. 03/18/19 12/31/19 0.00 30512.88 30815.01 (302.13) 01/20/20
Zondervan, Quinton 460.59

David WeinsteinJan 16, 2020 - As expected, David Weinstein was elected at the Jan 16 Vacancy Recount to the Cambridge School Committee seat vacated by Emily Dexter (who was elected in the November 2019 municipal election but decided not to serve the term to which she was elected).

Dexter Vacancy Recount (Jan 16, 2020) - David Weinstein elected


2020 School Committee Vacancy Recount

City SealJan 9, 2020 – A vacancy has been created in the School Committee due to the decision of Emily Dexter to not serve as a member of the School Committee for the term beginning January 6, 2020. Pursuant to the Cambridge Charter and Massachusetts General Law Chapter 54A, the Cambridge Election Commission will hold a Vacancy Recount to fill the seat.

This “Vacancy Recount” of Emily Dexter’s ballots will be held on Thursday, January 16, 2020 at 5:30pm in the Election Commission office, 51 Inman Street (1st Floor), Cambridge, Mass. Tanya L. Ford-Crump, the Election Commission Executive Director, has been designated as the Director of the Count for this purpose.

Eligible candidates will be invited to attend and are entitled to appoint two witnesses and two alternative witnesses provided that written notice of the names and addresses of the appointees signed by such candidate is filed with the Election Commission no later than 24 hours before this Vacancy Recount.


Related: Cancel Culture Makes Everything Look Worse Than It Is (Meghan Daum)


The 20,000 Club - Total #1 Votes Cast for Candidate (1941 - 2019)

Walter Sullivan 61066  (All City Council)
Alfred E. Vellucci 53443 (18401 School Committee + 35042 City Council)
James F. Fitzgerald 53244 (52635 School Committee + 609 City Council)
Alfred B. Fantini 50135 (All School Committee)
Edward Crane 44551 (All City Council)
Francis Duehay 42731 (14292 School Committee + 28439 City Council)
Joseph E. Maynard  33260 (31000 School Committee + 2260 City Council)
Alice K. Wolf 33004 (16,007 School Committee + 16,997 City Council)
Timothy J. Toomey 32774 (6913 School Committee + 25861 City Council)
E. Denise Simmons 28516 (12927 School Committee + 15589 City Council)
John D. Lynch 27685 (All City Council)
David P. Maher 26394 (14864 School Committee + 11530 City Council)
Thomas W. Danehy 25934 (All City Council)
Pearl K. Wise 25734 (17378 School Committee + 8356 City Council)
Henrietta Davis 24984 (11480 School Committee + 13504 City Council)
Daniel J. Clinton 22855 (8059 School Committee + 14796 City Council)
Barbara Ackermann 22546 (10566 School Committee + 11980 City Council)
David A. Wylie 22232 (12504 School Committee + 9728 City Council)
Joseph A. DeGuglielmo 20732 (All City Council)
Kenneth E. Reeves 20172 (All City Council)
Gustave M. Solomons 20085 (19236 School Committee + 849 City Council)
Patricia M. Nolan 20000 (18315 School Committee + 1685 City Council)

Cambridge Water Board Member Sought

City SealJan 17, 2020 – City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking a Cambridge resident to fill a vacancy on the Cambridge Water Board.

The Cambridge Water Board is a five-member board appointed by the City Manager that acts in an advisory role to the Managing Director of the Cambridge Water Department. Members typically assist in developing, modifying and approving policy related to Water-department owned land and land use.

The board generally meets on the second Tuesday of the month, from 5-6:30pm, at the Walter J. Sullivan Water Purification Facility, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge.

Applications to serve on this committee can be submitted to City Manager Louis A. DePasquale using the City’s online application system at cambridgema.gov/apply. A cover letter and resume or applicable experience should 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 application deadline is February 15, 2020.


Members Sought for Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeal

City SealJan 6, 2020 – Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking persons interested in serving on the Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeal (BZA). Board of Zoning Appeal members must be residents of the City of Cambridge; and women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Made up of five members and up to seven associate members, the Board of Zoning Appeal reviews applications for special permits and applications for variances from the terms of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance, in accordance with G.L. c.40A and the Zoning Ordinance. The BZA also hears and decides appeals of orders and determinations made by the Commissioner of the Inspectional Services Department pursuant to G.L. c.40A, §8 and the Zoning Ordinance. Additionally, the BZA reviews applications for comprehensive permits, pursuant to G.L. c.40B. In evaluating applications and petitions, the Board conducts public hearings and votes on the application or petition’s conformance with the provisions of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance.

The Board of Zoning Appeal meets twice each month on Thursday evenings for approximately 3-4 hours. The Board of Zoning Appeal is subject to the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, G.L. c.30A, §§18-25, and all deliberations of the Board occur at public meetings. The meetings are also audio recorded and may be video recorded. As part of their time commitment, Board members are expected to review application and petition materials prior to each meeting. Materials may include development plans, impact studies, narrative descriptions, provisions of the Zoning Ordinance, information from city departments, written comments from the public, and other documents.

Ideal candidates would possess the ability to participate in a collaborative process, work with other Board members to consider diverse ideas, apply the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance to the facts presented in applications and petitions, and reach a decision. Members should also have strong attentiveness and listening skills. While there is no requirement for a technical background, interest and understanding of development, architecture, urban design, and zoning is desirable.

Individuals interested in being considered should apply by using the city’s online application system at cambridgema.gov/apply and finding “Board of Zoning Appeal” in the list of Current Vacancies. 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 Mass. Ave. The deadline for submitting applications is Jan 31, 2020.


Members Sought for Temporary Net Zero Action Plan Task Force

City SealJan 6, 2020 – City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking members to serve on a temporary Net Zero Action Plan Task Force that will contribute to the comprehensive review of the Cambridge Net Zero Action Plan to phase out greenhouse gas emissions from buildings throughout the community. The Net Zero Action Plan, CambridgeMA.gov/net zero, was adopted by the Cambridge City Council in June 2015.

The review process for the new Task Force, which will meet once a month from February through June 2020, will include evaluation of the program impact to data; consideration of options to adjust the Net Zero Action Plan Framework; and adoption of an updated framework that reflects current climate science, policy, technology, and equity considerations. The Task Force will provide feedback and input to each of the project elements and represent essential stakeholder interests in the implementation of the updated Net Zero Action Plan.

Applicants with subject-matter experience in a field that would help to inform a robust and equitable Net Zero Action Plan update are encouraged to apply. This includes applicants with technical expertise in building design, construction, and operation, and energy efficiency and renewable energy technology and policy as it applies to buildings. It also includes applicants who represent community interests related to buildings and greenhouse gas emissions, underserved communities, health and safety, and local climate change advocacy groups. Representatives from city departments, neighboring municipalities, and state agencies are expected to serve on the committee in an advisory capacity.

Applications to serve on this committee can be submitted to City Manager Louis A. DePasquale using the City’s online application system at cambridgema.gov/apply. A cover letter and resume or applicable experience should be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Mass. Ave. The application deadline is Jan 24, 2020.


Cambridge Human Services Commission Vacancies

City SealDec 12, 2019 – Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale is seeking Cambridge residents interested in volunteering to serve on the nine-member Human Services Commission.

The Commission advises the City Manager and the Assistant City Manager for Human Services on human services policy issues, needs assessment, and funding allocations. With the Department of Human Service Programs, the Commission also promotes activities that enhance the quality of life for Cambridge residents. Over the years, the Commission has responded to local needs by recommending Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for a wide range of programs offered by the City and community agencies.

The Commission usually meets with the Assistant City Manager for Human Services on the second Thursday of each month from 5:30-7:30pm, at the Citywide Senior Center, 806 Mass. Ave. Commission members serve without compensation. For more information, contact Mike Payack at 617-349-6208 or mpayack@cambridgema.gov.

Applications to serve on this committee can be submitted to City Manager Louis A. DePasquale using the City’s online application system at cambridgema.gov/apply. A cover letter and resume or applicable experience must be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Mass. Ave. The application deadline is Fri, Jan 17, 2020.


It's Opening Day - Jan 13, 2020 Cambridge City Council meeting

City HallThe is the first regular City Council meeting of the 2020-21 term. The mayoral vote at the Jan 6 Inauguration was a single take, and newly minted Mayor Siddiqui broke the record for fastest City Council committee appointments. Here are a few items on the agenda of some interest.

Unfinished Business #4. Amendment to Chapter 8.12 of the Municipal Ordinances of the City of Cambridge. [Passed to a Second Reading on Dec 16, 2019 To Be Ordained on or after Dec 29, 2019]

This is the proposed municipal ordinance that would ban mobile fueling operations throughout Cambridge, i.e. where a vehicle shows up where you are and fills your gas tank for you. As I said when this was first introduced as a zoning amendment last October: "Yet more evidence of the lazy ass, 'call the servants' times that we now live in. If pumping your own gas at the filling station is so burdensome that you must use a phone app to have the 'little people' show up to do it for you, then maybe it's time to reconsider your life choices."

Applications & Petitions #1. A Zoning Petition has been received from Christopher Schmidt, regarding an amendment to Section 2.000 of the Zoning Ordinance.

This is a simple and sensible proposal that would amend the definition of "family" in the Zoning Ordinance to remove restrictions on unrelated family members. Specifically, it would simply say: "Family. One or more persons occupying a dwelling unit and living as a single nonprofit housekeeping unit."

The current definition is this:

Family. One or more persons occupying a dwelling unit and living as a single nonprofit housekeeping unit; provided that a group of four or more persons who are not within the second degree of kinship shall not be deemed to constitute a family.

Notwithstanding the definition in the preceding paragraph, a family shall be deemed to include four or more persons not within the second degree of kinship occupying a dwelling unit and living as a single, nonprofit housekeeping unit, if said occupants are handicapped persons as defined in Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended by the “Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988.” Such unrelated individuals shall have the right to occupy a dwelling unit in the same manner and to the same extent as any family in the first paragraph of this definition.

It's unknown when the last time the current definition was ever enforced, and households consisting of several unrelated persons are very common in Cambridge and the region. The only potential downside of this simplification might be that an apartment specifically designated as "family housing" may become just another roommate situation.

Resolution #2. Resolution on the death of Carol Cerf.   Councillor Simmons

Resolution #5. Resolution on the death of Susan Noonan-Forster.   Councillor Toomey

Resolution #9. Resolution on the death of Thomas F. Courtney.   Councillor Toomey, Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern

I knew Carol Cerf from the CCA Board over 25 years ago and would often run into her on her bicycle for years after that. She was one of the more kind and generous people I met in local politics over the years. There was a moment of silence at the Jan 6 School Committee Inauguration noting the death of Susan Noonan-Forster. Thomas F. Courtney, among many other notable distinctions, was the father of our most beloved Deputy City Clerk Paula Crane.

Order #4. TPO Extension PO.   Councillor Zondervan

The cryptic summary refers to a proposed extension of the Tree Protection Ordinance, i.e. Moratorium, from the current expiration date of March 11, 2020 to December 31, 2020. The Order also encourages that more permanent language be soon established based on recommendations of the Urban Forest Master Plan Task Force. I can only hope that some flexibility is written into the more permanent ordinance to allow reasonable homeowners to do reasonable things without exorbitant cost, but recent trends tend to be the opposite.

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting information from the Jan 7, 2020 Regular Meeting of the School Committee.

It's good to see intermural communication like this from the Mayor to the City Council regarding School Committee matters.

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, announcing the formal 2020-2021 appointments to the City Council Committees.

This has to be a new record for fastest City Council committee appointments. It usually takes weeks and Mayor Siddiqui had it done in three days. - Robert Winters

Comments?


City Council subcommittees for 2020-2021

Committee Members
Ordinance
(0 meetings, 4 scheduled)
Carlone (Co-Chair), McGovern (Co-Chair), Mallon, Nolan, Siddiqui, Simmons, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Toomey, Zondervan
(committee of the whole - mayor ex-officio, quorum 3)
Finance
(0 meetings, 0 scheduled)
Carlone (Co-Chair), Simmons (Co-Chair), Mallon, McGovern, Nolan, Siddiqui, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Toomey, Zondervan
(committee of the whole - mayor ex-officio, quorum 3)
Health & Environment
(0 meetings, 1 scheduled)
Zondervan (Chair), Carlone, McGovern, Nolan, Sobrinho-Wheeler
(5 members, quorum 2)
Public Safety
(0 meetings, 1 scheduled)
Zondervan (Chair), Carlone, Mallon, McGovern, Sobrinho-Wheeler
(5 members, quorum 2)
Government Operations, Rules, and Claims
(0 meetings, 0 scheduled)
Simmons (Chair), McGovern, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Toomey, Zondervan
(5 members, quorum 2)
Housing
(0 meetings, 0 scheduled)
Simmons (Co-Chair), Sobrinho-Wheeler (Co-Chair), Mallon, McGovern, Zondervan
(5 members, quorum 2)
Economic Development and University Relations
(0 meetings, 0 scheduled)
Mallon (Chair), Nolan, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Toomey, Zondervan
(5 members, quorum 2)
Human Services & Veterans
(0 meetings, 0 scheduled)
McGovern (Chair), Mallon, Nolan, Simmons, Toomey
(5 members, quorum 2)
Neighborhood and Long Term Planning,
Public Facilities, Art, and Celebrations

(0 meetings, 0 scheduled)
Nolan (Chair), Carlone, Mallon, McGovern, Zondervan
(5 members, quorum 2)
Transportation & Public Utilities
(0 meetings, 0 scheduled)
Sobrinho-Wheeler (Chair), Mallon, Nolan, Toomey, Zondervan
(5 members, quorum 2)
Civic Unity
(0 meetings, 0 scheduled)
Simmons (Chair), Carlone, Mallon, Nolan, Toomey
(5 members, quorum 2)

The Mayor shall serve as ex-officio member of all committees of the City Council.


Thinking about the Alewife Triangle, Quadrangle and surrounding area

Alewife1
View of Little River wetland area

Alewife2
Cabot, Cabot, Forbes proposal - Northwest Alewife Triangle

Alewife3
Cabot, Cabot, Forbes proposal - Northwest Alewife Triangle

Alewife4
DCR Master Plan - Alewife Reservation

Alewife5
Envision Cambridge - Alewife

Alewife6
Envision Cambridge - Alewife


CIVIC CALENDAR (abridged)

Tues, Jan 21

3:30pm   School Committee Budget Subcommitee Meeting  (Media Cafe, CRLS)
There will be a Meeting of the Budget Sub-Committee (Committee of the Whole), on Tues, Jan 21 at 3:30pm in the Media Cafe, CRLS for the purpose of a Community Meeting #1 inviting input from the Public and Staff on the FY20-21 School Department Budget Priorities. It is anticipated that the Public Hearing will end by 5:30pm.

6:00pm   School Committee Regular Meeting  (Attles Meeting Room, CRLS)
David Weinstein will take the oath of office at the beginning of this meeting.

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# 357
966 Cambridge Street (Harvard Glass building) – Special Permit application by Advesa MA, Inc. to convert the existing space into a Retail Cannabis Store pursuant to Section 11.800 (Cannabis Uses). (Notice) (Materials)

7:00pm   PB# 339 (continued from 11/12/2019)
541 Massachusetts Avenue – Amendment to Special Permit application by Revolutionary Clinics to colocate a Retail Cannabis Store in an existing Medical Marijuana Dispensary pursuant to 11.800 Cannabis Use Special Permit and Section 10.43 General Special Permit criteria. (Notice) (Materials)

Board of Zoning Appeal Cases

BZA-017227-2019
222 Jacobs Street (PB-179) – Variance to install a non-conforming wall sign. Art. 7.000, Sec. 7.16.22 (Signs), Art. 10.000, Sec. 10.30 (Variance). (Materials)

Wed, Jan 22

2:30pm   The City Council's Health and Environment Committee will meet to discuss the recommendation from the Urban Forest Master Plan Taskforce and outline potential amendment to the Tree Protection Ordinance.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

5:00pm   The City Council's Public Safety Committee will meet to discuss Annual Surveillance Report submitted by the City Manager to the City Council on Dec 9, 2019.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

5:30pm   Cambridge Election Commission meeting  (1st Floor Meeting Room, 51 Inman St.)

Thurs, Jan 23

6:00pm   Pedestrian Committee Meeting  (City Hall Annex, 4th Floor Conference Room, 344 Broadway)

6:00pm   Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship meeting  (2nd Floor Conference Room, 51 Inman St.)

6:00-8:00pm   Special Meeting of the Fresh Pond Reservation Master Plan Advisory Board  (Walter J. Sullivan Water Treatment Facility, 250 Fresh Pond Pkwy)
This meeting will be covering uses of Glacken Field, which is critical to youth sports in the city.

Sat, Jan 25

10:00am   School Committee Budget Subcommitee Meeting  (Cambridge Senior Center, 850 Mass. Ave.)
There will be a Meeting of the Budget Sub-Committee (Committee of the Whole), on Sat, Jan 25 at 10:00am in the Dr. Henrietta S. Attles Meeting Room, CRLS for the purpose of a Community Meeting #2 inviting input from the Public on the FY20-21 School Department Budget Priorities. It is anticipated that the Public Hearing will end by 2:00pm.

Mon, Jan 27

5:30pm   City Council meeting  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Tues, Jan 28

6:00pm   School Committee Special Meeting  (Attles Meeting Room, CRLS)
Special Meeting of the School Committee for the purpose of a Budget Retreat on Tues, Jan 28 at 6:00pm in the Dr. Henrietta S. Attles Meeting Room, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, 459 Broadway, Cambridge, for the purpose of reviewing input from Community Meetings on the Budget.
Note: The School Committee will entertain a motion to convene in Executive Session immediately following the Budget Retreat on Tues, Jan 28, 2020, in the School Committee Conference Room, 459 Broadway, Cambridge, for the purpose of hearing a Level III CEA Unit C clerical grievance as part of collective bargaining and to discuss strategy for collective bargaining for the CEA Units A&B and Unit C) as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the Cambridge School Committee.

Wed, Jan 29

6:00pm   Central Square Advisory Committee meeting  (4th Floor Conference Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)

Thurs, Jan 30

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will meet to reconvene its hearing on the Harvard Square Zoning Petition.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Mon, Feb 3

5:30pm   City Council meeting  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

6:30pm   East Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Study Committee  (East End House, 105 Spring Street)

Wed, Feb 5

5:30-7:30pm   Transit Advisory Committee  (Senior Center)

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will meet to reconvene its hearing on the Alexandria Grand Junction Pathway Overlay District.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

7:00-8:30pm  Nature’s Best Hope  (Harvard University Science Center, Hall B, 1 Oxford St., Cambridge)
Doug Tallamy, Professor of Entomology and Wildlife Biology, University of Delaware
Recent headlines about global insect declines, the impending extinction of one million species worldwide, and three billion fewer birds in North America are a bleak reality check about how ineffective our current landscape designs have been at sustaining the plants and animals that sustain us. Such losses are not an option if we wish to continue our present-day standard of living on Planet Earth. The good news is that none of this is inevitable. Doug Tallamy will discuss simple steps that each of us can — and must take — to reverse declining biodiversity and to explain why we, ourselves, are nature’s best hope. [Flyer]
Doug Tallamy is the nationally acclaimed author of Bringing Nature Home, and the co-author of The Living Landscape. In 2013, he was awarded the Garden Club of America’s Margaret Douglas Medal for Conservation Education. His newest book, Nature’s Best Hope, is being released the day before this event, and copies may be purchased at the lecture.

Thurs, Feb 6

6:00pm   Human Rights Commission meeting  (2nd Floor Conference Room, 51 Inman St.)

time not specified   School Committee Budget Retreat  (location not specified)

Mon, Feb 10

5:30pm   City Council meeting  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Tues, Feb 11

time not specified   Joint City Council/School Committee Roundtable Meeting - Feedback from Community Meetings  (proposed date, location not specified)

Wed, Feb 12

8:00-9:30am   Recycling Advisory Committee (RAC) Meeting  (Sullivan Chamber, City Hall)

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will meet for a hearing on an order to amend section 11.202(b) of the zoning ordinance.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

5:30-7:30pm   Bicycle Committee meeting  (4th Floor Conference Room, 344 Broadway)

5:30pm   Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Board Meeting  (Police Station, First Floor Conference Room, 125 Sixth St.)

Mon, Feb 17

6:30pm   East Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Study Committee  (East End House, 105 Spring Street)
[Note: This is the Presidents Day Holiday, so this scheduled meeting will likely be cancelled or rescheduled.]

Tues, Feb 18

5:30pm   The City Council's Ordinance Committee will meet for a hearing on a petition to amend the definition of family in the Cambridge the zoning ordinance.  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Wed, Feb 19

6:00pm   Central Square Advisory Committee meeting  (4th Floor Conference Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)

Mon, Feb 24

5:30pm   City Council meeting  (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)

Thurs, Feb 27

6:00pm   Pedestrian Committee Meeting  (City Hall Annex, 4th Floor Conference Room, 344 Broadway)

6:00pm   Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship meeting  (2nd Floor Conference Room, 51 Inman St.)