Possible Topics:Cambridge InsideOut - Jan 28, 2020
Possible Topics:
1) Kobe Bryant Remembered - Graffiti Alley
2) Notable Items on the Jan 27, 2020 Cambridge City Council Agenda
3) Annual Campaign Finance Reports
4) Judge sides with medicinal marijuana seller against Cambridge law; city mulls next steps
6) It's Opening Day - Jan 13, 2020 Cambridge City Council meeting
7) City Council subcommittees for 2020-2021
8) Recycling is becoming so expensive that some towns don’t know what to do
9) 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
10) 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
11) City Manager Contract on the horizon
12) The future of Harvard Square
13) the future of Central Square
14) The future of Porter Square
15) The future of Lechmere Square
16) Civic Calendar
Notable Items on the Jan 27, 2020 Cambridge City Council AgendaHere's my first pass at the interesting stuff ("interesting", of course, being a relative term): Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the recommendation to reappointment of Gerard Clark as a member of the Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) Board of Commissioners for a term of 5-years. Manager's Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following person as a new member of the Affordable Housing Trust Board for a term of three years, effective Jan 22, 2020: Elaine DeRosa Manager's Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointment of the following members of the LGBTQ+ Commissioner for a term of three years, effective Feb 6, 2020: Mal Malme, Robert Parlin, Aren Stone, Catherine Grams, Noelani Kamelamela, Gregory MacDonough and Britt Huhmann Many board appointments this week. The City Manager is "the appointing authority" under the City Charter, but there are two boards for which City appointments require City Council confirmation - the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority and the Cambridge Housing Authority - so the CHA appointment will likely be referred to the Housing Committee for a formal hearing. [Members of Cambridge Boards & Commissions (updated Jan 24, 2020)] Manager's Agenda #4. Transmitting communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $46,000 from Free Cash to the General Fund Elections Department Salary and Wages account ($6,145) and to the General Fund Elections Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($39,855) which will be used to cover the additional costs associated with recently approved early voting for the Presidential Primary, Mar 3rd, 2020. Early Voting for the Presidential Primary will be available Feb 24 through Feb 28 at 6 locations [www.CambridgeMA.gov/EarlyVoting]. Election Day is Mar 3, 2020. Unfinished Business #3. Fuel pump warning labels [Passed to Second Reading on Jan 13, 2020 to be ordained on or after Jan 23, 2020.] I expect this perfectly meaningless gesture will be ordained unanimously. Resolution #2. Congratulations to Sydney Cox for 45 Years at DPW. Councillor Simmons One of the best things about being involved in recycling and composting promotion in Cambridge was the opportunity it afforded me to meet so many of the really great people at the Department of Public Works - many of whom, including Sydney Cox, have careers with the City spanning many decades. The annual DPW Commissioners Awards Ceremony in the spring has always been one of my favorite City events (and not just for the cookout!). Resolution #11. Resolution on the death of Richard B. Griffin. Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons Richard was one of the most decent people I ever met in Cambridge civic life. Perhaps the most moving tribute I have seen is this editorial by Cambridge Chronicle editor Amy Saltzman: Richard Griffin, longtime Chronicle columnist, dies at 91 Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to confer with relevant City Departments, and, where relevant, the MBTA and counterparts in other municipalities for routes not wholly in Cambridge, on the feasibility of instituting and funding a fare-free pilot bus program. Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Siddiqui The chance of doing this just within the boundaries of Cambridge is very low. The idea, however, is not crazy. If done more broadly it could be transformative, but the cost would not only be in lost fare revenue. Ridership would likely jump, and more buses (and drivers) would have to be added with greater frequency of buses (shorter headways). This would also likely lead to demands for more routes as well. Order #9. That the Cambridge City Council amend the Municipal Ordinances of the City of Cambridge to insert a new Chapter 2.129, entitled WELCOMING COMMUNITY ORDINANCE. Councillor Carlone, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui Sanctuary City Rebranded
Committee Report #2. Report of the NLTP Committee - Dec 19, 2019, 5:30pm (Cambridge Carnival) Committee Report #3. Report of the Health & Environment Committee - Jan 22, 2020, 2:30pm (Tree Protection Ordinance) There are more effective strategies than an outright ban on new gas hookups. Hopefully the various "stakeholders" can make their case, but it's likely that this will be just one more step down the Road To Ban Everything. As for where the "Tree Protection Ordinance" is headed, I'm sure those trees will be lining The Road To Ban Everything. Any notion that the eventual permanent version of the Tree Protection Ordinance will allow reasonable people to do reasonable things is likely pure fantasy. - Robert Winters |
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.
| All Candidates and Committees have now filed: ABC PAC (A Better Cambridge) Cambr. Bike Safety PAC CCC PAC (Cambridge Citizens Coalition) Democracy for Cambridge PAC (Cambridge Residents Alliance) Our Revolution Cambridge PAC Akiba, Sukia Azeem, Burhan Carlone, Dennis Franklin, Charles Kelley, Craig Kopon, Derek Levy, Ilan Mallon, Alanna McGovern, Marc |
McNary, Jeffery Mednick, Risa Moree, Gregg Musgrave, Adriane Nolan, Patty Pitkin, John Siddiqui, Sumbul Simmons, Denise Simon, Benjamin T. Sobrinho-Wheeler, Jivan C. Toomey, Tim Williams, Nicola A. 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 | 10/04/19 | 12/31/19 | 0.00 | 18167.22 | 12961.46 | 5205.76 | 01/21/20 |
| 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 | 08/02/19 | 12/31/19 | 100.00 | 2900.03 | 2820.03 | 180.00 | 01/21/20 |
| 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 | 08/02/19 | 12/31/19 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 01/23/20 |
| 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 | 07/02/19 | 12/31/19 | 0.00 | 22587.02 | 16495.88 | 6091.14 | 01/21/20 |
| 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. | 04/02/19 | 12/31/19 | 10.00 | 12125.95 | 11114.51 | 1021.44 | 01/21/20 |
| 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 | 01/01/19 | 12/31/19 | 460.59 | 45820.35 | 45921.41 | 359.53 | 01/21/20 |
Jan 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.
Jan 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.
It's Opening Day - Jan 13, 2020 Cambridge City Council meeting
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 |
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.
View of Little River wetland area
Cabot, Cabot, Forbes proposal - Northwest Alewife Triangle
Cabot, Cabot, Forbes proposal - Northwest Alewife Triangle
DCR Master Plan - Alewife Reservation
Envision Cambridge - Alewife
Envision Cambridge - Alewife
CIVIC CALENDAR (abridged)
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.
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# 288
40 Thorndike Street – Amendment to Special Permit application by LMP GP Holdings, LLC, c/o Leggat McCall Properties, LLC to reduce the required amount of off street parking by 150 spaces and to convert approximately 24,000 square feet of approved office space to an additional 24 units for a total of 48 dwelling units of affordable housing pursuant to Sections 5.28.2 Conversion of a Non-Residential Structure to Residential Use, 6.35 Reduction of Required Parking, and 10.43 Special Permit. (Notice) (Materials)
General Business
3. PB-179
Cambridge Crossing Parcels G & H – Design Update (Materials)
2:30-5:00pm Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Design Review Meeting (Police Station, First Floor Community Room, 125 Sixth St.)
• Facade Modification Proposal for 325 Main Street and Phase Two Public Realm Design Development Discussion, Kendall Square Urban Renewal Area, Parel Four
• Core Power Yoga Signage Proposal for 145 Broadway, Kendall Square Urban Renewal Area, Parcel Two
• Google Signage and Facade Modification Proposal for 150 Broadway, Kendall Square Urban Renewal Area, Parcel Three
6:00-7:30pm Central Square Advisory Committee meeting (4th Floor Conference Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)
The Central Square Advisory Committee will be joined by staff in the Community Development Department and Public Works Department who will provide updates on current and future Central Square Projects, including the River Street Reconstruction Project, the MBTA Elevators on Mass Ave, and The Port Stormwater Project.
5:30pm The City Council's Ordinance Committee will meet to reconvene its hearing on the Harvard Square Zoning Petition. (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)
9:00am School Committee Special Meeting (Pearl K. Wise Library, CRLS)
Special Meeting of the School Committee for the purpose of a retreat focusing on an overview of the District Wide Framework and the current goals and objectives for the district, School Committee Norms, Role of Subcommittees, and discussion on planning a future retreat with district administrators and the Building Equity Bridges leadership team.
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)
10:00am The City Council's Government Operations/Rules and Claims Committee with meet to discuss potential amendments to the Rules of the of City Council. (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)
6:00pm School Committee meeting (Attles Meeting Room, CRLS)
Note: The School Committee will entertain a motion to convene in Executive Session immediately following the Regular Meeting on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, in the School Committee Conference Room, 459 Broadway, Cambridge, for the purpose of discussing strategy for bargaining as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the Cambridge School Committee.
6:30pm Planning Board meeting (2nd Floor Meeting Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)
General Business
1. Town-Gown Reports
Town Gown Reports are submitted annually by Cambridge's educational institutions. The reports include information about student, staff and faculty populations, parking and transportation, and current and future development plans.
On Tues, Feb 4, 2020 at 6:30pm the Planning Board will hold a meeting to discuss Town Gown reports submitted at the end of 2019. You are invited to attend the meeting and hear presentations by Harvard University, MIT, and Lesley University.
The Planning Board meeting will be held at the Second Floor Conference Room at 344 Broadway. This building is located at the intersection of Inman Street and Broadway and houses the Community Development and Traffic Departments.
The Town Gown Reports can be viewed online on the Community Development Department website at: http://www.cambridgema.gov/towngown
For more information about the Town Gown report, please contact Cliff Cook, Senior Planning Information Manager, at 617-349-4656 or ccook@cambridgema.gov.
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.
6:00pm Human Rights Commission meeting (2nd Floor Conference Room, 51 Inman St.)
6:00pm School Committee Budget Retreat (Attles Meeting Room, CRLS)
Budget Retreat on for the purpose of an update on the FY20-21 Budget Development
Mon, Feb 10
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)
5:30pm Joint City Council/School Committee Roundtable Meeting - Feedback from Community Meetings (Attles Meeting Room, CRLS)
Roundtable/Working Meeting for members of the City Council and School Committee for Tues, Feb 11, 2020 at 5:30pm in the Henrietta Attles Meeting Room at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, 459 Broadway, to begin discussions on a preliminary budget for Fiscal Year 2021.
Note: The School Committee will entertain a motion to convene in Executive Session immediately following the Roundtable Meeting on Tuesday, February 11, 2020, in the School Committee Conference Room, 459 Broadway, Cambridge, for the purposes of hearing Level III grievances with the CEA Units A&B and CEA Unit E as part of collective bargaining and for the purposes of discussing strategy for collective bargaining and litigation strategy as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining and litigation positions of the School Committee.
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.]
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)
6:00-7:30pm Central Square Advisory Committee meeting (4th Floor Conference Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)
The Central Square Advisory Committee will meet to review two proposals: a 4-story addition to an existing building for the development of 29 micro units (located at 544 Mass Ave), and the conversion of a vacant space for restaurant use (located at 93 Windsor Street).
Mon, Feb 24
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)
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.)
Mon, Mar 2
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)
6:30pm East Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Study Committee (East End House, 105 Spring Street)
7:00am-8:00pm Presidential Primary (citywide)
2:30-5:00pm Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Design Review Meeting (Police Station, First Floor Community Room, 125 Sixth St.)
5:30-7:30pm Transit Advisory Committee (Senior Center)
7:00-8:30pm Climate Change, Conservation, and the Role of Native Plant Horticulture (Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge)
Jesse Bellemare, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Smith College
As our world warms, the distributions of many native plant species are shifting with the climate. But not all species will keep pace with modern climate change, and some could face extinction. This poses a dilemma— what role should we take in helping native plant populations migrate? How do we balance our instinct for preservation with the risk of a relocated plant species disrupting the ecology of its new region? Jesse Bellemare will explore these questions in the context of the constant evolution of plant ranges over time, and the current insights we can gain from native plant horticulture. [Flyer]
Jesse Bellemare’s research focuses on the ecology and biogeography of forest plants in the eastern United States. He has authored numerous scientific articles about the impacts of climate change, invasive insects, and land-use history on plant populations. He is currently the president of the New England Botanical Club.
6:00pm Human Rights Commission meeting (2nd Floor Conference Room, 51 Inman St.)
Mon, Mar 9
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)
8:00-9:30am Recycling Advisory Committee (RAC) Meeting (Sullivan Chamber, City Hall)
5:30-7:30pm Bicycle Committee meeting (4th Floor Conference Room, 344 Broadway)
Mon, Mar 16
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)
6:30pm East Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Study Committee (East End House, 105 Spring Street)
time not specified School Committee Budget Workshop (location not specified)
5:30pm Cambridge Redevelopment Authority Board Meeting (Police Station, First Floor Conference Room, 125 Sixth St.)
6:00-7:30pm Central Square Advisory Committee meeting (4th Floor Conference Room, City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway)
time not specified Public Hearing on FY 2021 Proposed School Department Budget (location not specified)
Mon, Mar 23
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber - Televised)
time not specified School Committee Budget Workshop (location not specified)
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.)
time not specified School Committee Budget Workshop (location not specified)
Committee Report #1. 
The 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.