BEUDO

From: Patrick Barrett
Date: May 29, 2022

Dear Cambridge City Council,

I am writing to you with many questions regarding the changes proposed to the Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (“BEUDO”). I have read the proposed changes now a few times over and must confess that I barely understand them. Some of the language is clear enough but the practical application, consequences for non-compliance, reporting, and potential hardships caused by this change cannot be gleaned from the language presented. I am also not alone in my confusion as many property owners whom this ordinance will glance are either unaware that BEUDO exists at all or at the very least have no idea that changes with serious financial ramifications could be passed. I fear the Council is using this issue to play politics and lip service to the very real and serious demands that climate change will have on all of us. It is a policy change as blunt as the one proposed that leads me to believe this has less to do with the environment and more to do with ideology. If you made it this far I am grateful and will spare you any further narration; my questions are thus:

• Eversource currently only feeds 800 amps of “network” power to buildings in Central Square and likely elsewhere. The International Building code which the state has adopted has a very conservative rubric for determining energy demands often overstating them by a significant factor when remodeling, changing use, building an addition, etc. To meet the demands of this ordinance one would have to introduce switch gear, transformers, and other electrical apparatus at ground level or below grade. For a new building this is problematic but solvable (usually) for an existing structure the demand could be next to impossible. The clearances required and 24 access requirements alone are usually non-starters. So what happens in a zero lot line scenario and there is no place for these required upgrades?
• Emergency backup power is required for buildings of a certain size with elevators. The current options for this type of service is gas or diesel only. Are we going to tax building owners for whom there is no other means of compliance? Section 29c seems to attempt to address this but the requirement if for owners to seek out alternative fuel suppliers which is essentially forcing owners to buy from only Cambridge approved sources. I see no other mention of back up emergency power in this document.
• Central Square currently has only a one-way feed from Eversource. Literally half the Square cannot make use of solar power. I see no pressure from this Council or the City on Eversource to upgrade their feeds or infrastructure. Is it the “plan” of the Council to foist the responsibility solely on property owners?
• What happens if it is impossible to comply? Currently there is an additional tax for non-compliance but after 2035 what happens?
• Data collection for BEUDO at the very least seems incomplete. How can CDD derive an algorithm for carbon usage with a complete and detailed dataset? Do they use a similar one-size-fits-all calc like Eversource and our building code does? Why is data collection so poorly presented? Can we no get similar devices to those the Water Dept uses to collect usage data without sending an analog fill-in-the-blank? Can we at least get data input online through either Viewpoint or some other service?

We all agree that the environment is an important issue. We all strive to make our buildings more efficient. Aside from being environmentally conscious it’s also just good business sense. The proposed amendments read like an attack written by someone who does not know how buildings work. I suggest we scrap it … start with Eversource and good data collection. Let’s get all of the people who for the past eight years never even heard of BEUDO all up to speed. We can teach people how to make their buildings more efficient but without Eversource in tow this entire endeavor is futile … which I feel at least someone has to know that or should. If this passes in its current form I fear that only lawsuits and bitterness will proceed. It really doesn’t have to be that way and if the Council truly means to foster better climate stewardship then this proposal does not reflect the seriousness of that mandate nor the absolute dire need of real consequential change.

Good Luck,
Patrick W. Barrett

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From: Patrick Barrett
Date: June 18, 2022

Ordinance Committee and Cambridge City Council,

I am writing to you with several concerns about the proposed Council amendments to our BEUDO ordinance:

1. As currently written the amendment does not make any accommodation for federally mandated and state regulated emergency backup systems which either use diesel or gas.
2. The ordinance as written does not address the fact that currently Eversource provides about 52% of their electrical output through fossil fuels.
3. The ordinance as written illegally taxes “covered properties” under a euphemistic heading “Alternative Compliance Credit.”
4. The ordinance as written does not provide accommodation for buildings where transformers and switchgear, necessary to fully electrify, nor does it anticipate where to locate such devices where no exterior or code compliant interior space exists.
5. This ordinance as written does not provide accommodation for the costly and lengthy procurements through Eversource (current lead time ranges from 9 months to over a year) for devices that could cost small owners $1M-2M in retrofitting costs. Additionally, in most cases, the installation process will require buildings to shut down and evict tenants to upgrade. Please bear in mind that this will include residential tenants, hospitals, schools, restaurants, and just about any other commercial use housed in buildings that are considered a “Covered Property.”
6. The Ordinance as written considers a “Covered Property” to be:
   1. Buildings owned “singly or together” aggregating twenty-five thousand (25,000) sq ft or 50 dwelling units. Thus, this ordinance as written could include small residential property owners, any housing (public or private) aggregating 50 dwelling units “singly or together” and small commercial property owners all of whom would find the requirements impossible to comply with. (I do not see agreeing to pay a tax as “compliance.”)
7. Lastly and most importantly Councillors Zondervan and Nolan have activated an entire community likely filling your inboxes and social media with talking points based on the singular premise that this is all possible and that only greed and apathy keep us from achieving net zero. This is 100% false and not only a misuse of activist energy and worse; it upends the larger discussion that we all agree on: Climate Change is real, and we need to prepare. Further, up until a week ago, many of the “Covered Property” owners have been left out of the discussion. What I personally saw last week was a big table that only Harvard and MIT were allowed to sit at discussing a carbon tax credit system many of us know nothing about. For those of us not funded by billion-dollar endowments we would rather discuss the practical matter of tackling climate change without decommissioning our buildings, evicting tenants, paying an unjust and illegal tax, or being forced to spend resources on attorneys when we could be working together.

Many of us we are still struggling against the damage Covid has wrought on our families and businesses. We were locked down when most were not, we were forced to operate with at least one hand tied behind our backs while many you turned their backs on us. We are only now seeing a bit of daylight. I ask the Council to strike this amendment and vote to work with us. Let’s create incentives and take Eversource to task not new taxes and ill will. Lastly, I ask Councillor Zondervan to stop misleading his constituents, his ideology over people/reality methodology needs to be called out; eventually even his most ardent constituents will catch on and in the end all we get for his “glory” are inaction and wasted time. Vote no on these amendments and let’s unite for a better cleaner future.

Patrick W. Barrett

Linkage Increases - June 22, 2022 Ordinance Committee
To: Cambridge City Council
From: Patrick Barrett

Dear Ordinance Committee,

Attached is a brief synopsis of my point of view on the proposed linkage increases on the table for June 22. When the change was made in 2015 I made the sole protest of going down to 30k sq ft and thought the idea of tallying existing square footage would funnel development toward only the “highest and best use” which was laboratories and R&D. The 2019 nexus study shows exactly this. In an effort to capture dollars from the gold rush of lab uses throughout the city we have squelched infill development, repurposing existing sq ft for anything other than lab use, and obliterated the entertainments uses for the City. Further that this nexus study was done in December of 2019 should at least give some pause as the pandemic has changed this real estate landscape for decades to come. I kept it to one page … but I urge any of you concerned about livability and providing a fertile landscape of ideas and development in this city to read it and rethink what linkage is and what its actually supposed to do. I also urge this Council to expand their thoughts on what this city needs beyond simply affordable housing and to see this city from 30,000 feet not 2".

Good Luck,
Patrick W. Barrett III
617 778 3521

Incentive Project. Any new development that consists of at least thirty thousand (30,000) square feet of Gross Floor Area devoted to one or more of the following uses listed in Section 4.30 of the Zoning Ordinance: Sections 4.31 i-2 (Hotel or motel), 4.32 f (Radio and television studio), 4.33 b-5 (College or University not exempt by statute, specifically including those uses and facilities listed in Subsection 4.56 c-4, c-5, and c-6), 4.33 c (Noncommercial Research Facility), 4.33 d (Health Care Facilities), 4.33 e (Social Service Facilities), 4.34 (Office and Laboratory Use), 4.35 (Retail or Consumer Service Establishments), 4.36 (Outdoor Retail or Consumer Service Establishments), 4.37 (Light Industry, Wholesale Business and Storage), and 4.38 (Heavy Industry). For the purpose of this definition, new development shall mean (1) construction of new buildings or additions to existing buildings to accommodate uses in the above list, (2) substantial rehabilitation of buildings to accommodate uses in the above list for which the buildings were not originally used, or (3) Gross Floor Area whose use is changed from a use not included in the above list to a use included in the above list. In no case shall Gross Floor Area devoted to a Municipal Service Facility or Other Government Facility be considered an Incentive Project.

As the Council contemplates the change in linkage fee I ask that they review the policy and its effect on all uses allowed in our business and industrial districts other than just focusing solely on lab uses. In the 2019 nexus study which reviewed the effect of changes made to the inclusionary ordinance shows succinctly that 79.9% of all commercial development was categorized as “office/RD.”  The Council should ask for a further breakdown of this number as our ordinance that conflates Lab and Office uses as essentially the same category of use. Further of that commercial build 0% was in the hospitality area and only 4.7% of this was in the retail category, which includes anything from a shoe store to an opera house. I believe this heavily weighted development scheme is by design and to further increase linkage would not only hurt the city it would continue to funnel all development towards lab use. This is an unsurprising result coming from a study that claims restaurants have a 5 times greater impact on housing cost than R/D and lab.¹

In the pursuit of extracting a maximum tax on commercial development in the City of Cambridge the City has employed a “scorched earth” methodology where a restaurant, a hotel, a gym, a level 3 lab, and an opera house all have the same impact on the costs of housing and lack of supply, and all pay the same rate. As part of the change in 2015 Cambridge lowered the project threshold to 30,000 sq ft; based on the 2019 nexus report nine (9) projects were built under 30k sq ft for a total of 167k sq ft and twenty eight (28) projects were built over the 30k threshold of which each individual project was more than the total combined sq ft of the 9 under 30k.² Thus no one even attempted to build a project within the 30-50k threshold. Imagine trying to build a 30-50k sq ft theatre in the Cultural District of Central Square or trying to take the tens of thousands of commercial office space abandoned due to Covid and trying to make the math work for anything other than a lab use which currently can command as high as $200/sq ft? Why are we discouraging owners to “substantially rehabilitate” existing buildings? Further the date of this study is December 2019! At the very least two years plus of a pandemic ought to prompt some questions from this Council on the viability of an increase in the post Covid world.

Thus we have an overly aggressive tax scheme that disincentivizes any use other than lab, punishes restoration of existing parcels for anything other than lab, and overburdens arts, entertainment, and uses that could enhance and bring life to our business districts and communities. Please reject the increase in linkage fees, exempt existing sq ft for uses other than lab, and retore the project threshold to 50k sq ft as the current scheme doesn’t draw any revenue and it forces developers to make bad decisions that will greatly impact our business and cultural districts for decades to come.

1  Cambridge Nexus Study       pg 61 (Table 35)     Karl F. Seidman Consulting Services

2  Cambridge Nexus Study       pg 60     Karl F. Seidman Consulting Services

Cambridge Streets for All et al vs. City of Cambridge (filed June 10, 2022)

This action seeks declaratory and injunctive relief against the Defendant City of Cambridge to rescind and prevent the additional implementation of its Cycling Safety Ordinance, as amended in 2020 (“CSO”).…

Text of lawsuit (PDF original)

Link to court documents
[Click on “Click Here”; Search criteria – Court Department: “The Superior Court” (dropdown menu) – Court Division: “Middlesex County” (dropdown menu) – Company Name: Type “Cambridge Streets for All”]

Press Release from Plaintiffs:
Cambridge Residents and Small Businesses File Lawsuit Against City of Cambridge Over Razing of Street Parking on Cambridge Streets

Cambridge Streets for All (CSA), a diverse group of stakeholders comprised of retail store owners, medical offices, restaurants, neighborhood residents and more, filed a lawsuit today against the City of Cambridge seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against the Defendant City of Cambridge to rescind, restore and prevent the additional implementation of the city’s Cycling Safety Ordinance as amended in 2020.

The action describes a developing situation in Cambridge in which storefronts can’t serve customers because there is nowhere to park, where quiet side street neighborhoods will become de facto parking areas and loading docks, and where medical patients won’t be able to access the offices of their providers.

“Despite a series of packed City Council meetings, the message from residents and businesses that they are being harmed has continued to fall on deaf ears, CSA determined that taking legal action against this ordinance was our only recourse to be heard,” said CSA board member and Cambridge bakery owner Lee Jenkins. “They didn’t consult local businesses and residents when they drew up these plans in the middle of a pandemic and they’re not listening to us now. We believe improved bike lane access to be an excellent goal, but not when the parking for business customers and staff, as well as for neighborhood residents and patients of local medical providers is being completely gutted, which will clog side streets where people live.”

“It is surprising how many people across the City are totally unaware of the mandate to install separated bike lanes. That tells me there was not enough outreach from the city nor any meaningful citizen engagement. All people want is a chance to participate in a meaningful way,” said Joan Pickett, a homeowner in mid-Cambridge since 1998.

“I have lived and raised my family in Porter Square for over 25 years and have seen the area develop into a thriving neighborhood with a diverse middle-class community and business district,” said John Hanratty, Cambridge resident and homeowner. “When the city removed virtually all street parking for businesses and dedicated travel lanes for buses in North Cambridge, the installation appeared almost overnight and caught residents by surprise.”

Hanratty continued, “After seeing the negative impact the implementation of the quick-build bike lanes has had on businesses and traffic patterns on North Mass Ave, I am extremely concerned about how the imminent plans for Porter Square will irreparably harm the vibrant business community that exists here.”

“My business is a minority-owned barber shop that has been in business for 21 years in Cambridge,” said Harold Gilmer, owner of a barber shop on Mass Ave. “My shop, which specializes in razor cuts, has a broad clientele, the majority of whom come from outside Cambridge. More than 50% percent of my customers come by car.”

Gilmer added, “Past employees left because they could no longer afford paying parking tickets on top of their salary and tips. I estimate that my business has experienced about a 50% decline since installation of the quick-build bike lanes because people can no longer park near my shop.”

Longtime civic and environmental activist​​ and mid-Cambridge resident John Pitkin said, “For years I've witnessed how reductions in street parking have drained diversity and local business activity from Harvard Square, Inman Square and Cambridge Street. Streets make city life possible. They are essential infrastructure for residents and businesses.”

“This is not just about Porter Square or one neighborhood. The City's plan to install cookie-cutter bike lanes across the city excludes too many people and has already done too much damage. The City needs to take a hard look at how the new lanes are actually working and come up with a fairer plan that more people can support,” Pitkin said.

Jenkins concluded, “If the City of Cambridge continues moving forward with this process, which will effectively close many small, locally-owned businesses, what do we think will happen to the vacant spaces left behind? Cambridge is already over-developed with out-of-town and deep-pocketed interests having their way with the City Council. We need the people we elect to stand up for us, but instead they’re making decisions that will shut us down.”

About Cambridge Streets for All

CSA is a newly formed education and advocacy 501(c)3 founded by residents and businesses frustrated by the lack of responsiveness of Cambridge' City Council to concerns raised by the implementation of the Cycling Safety Ordinance (CSO).

Giving and Taking – June 13, 2022 Cambridge City Council meeting

The FY2023 Budget may have been adopted last week, but the Big Money continues this week with an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $49,000,000 to provide additional funds for the construction of the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools project AND an Order to take by a so-called “friendly” eminent domain proceeding a 3-story office building located at 689 Massachusetts Avenue. The latter Order comes as a consequence of City Council Order #2 of Sept 27, 2021. The net cost of the purchase is expected to be $13,763,557 plus an additional $2.75 million in funds for building fit-out as the City develops its plans to occupy the office space. One of the planned uses of this property will be to house the newly created Community Safety Department.

Here are the agenda items that piqued my interest this week:

Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board report with no positive or negative recommendation on the Craig Kelley, et. al. Zoning Petition. [CDD staff report]
pulled by Zondervan; Referred to Petition 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation to adopt, with additional comments, the Emissions Accounting Zoning Petition.
pulled by Zondervan; Referred to Petition (Zondervan) 8-0-1 (Simmons - ABSENT) - expected to be allowed to expire, amended, and resubmitted

Manager’s Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the second Progress Report due under the Cycling Safety Ordinance (Chapter 12.22 of the Cambridge Municipal Code), which is required to detail “…progress towards meeting the requirements set forth in Subsections C, D, E, F, G, and H.
pulled by Toner; Placed on File 9-0

In a related matter, the group “Cambridge Streets for All” filed a lawsuit on June 10 against the City of Cambridge challenging various aspects of the Bicycle Safety Ordinance - especially the process of how it was amended in 2020 and its implementation. I have no idea if this lawsuit has any chance of prevailing. I do, however, have some questions about whether the Ordinance takes management decisions out of the hands of the City Administration in violation of the City Charter. [Think about a scenario in which the City Council passed an ordinance mandating that all roads and sidewalks must be painted gold with rigid timelines for implementation regardless of cost or sense.] I also have a question about the fact that the City is supposed to have an appointed Traffic Board (established in 1961 by Special Act [Chapter 455] of the State Legislature) that provides an appeal process for all regulations promulgated by the Traffic Director. There is no record of there ever having been the necessary two-thirds vote of the City Council to revoke the provisions of this Special Act.

Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $49,000,000 to provide additional funds for the construction of the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools project located at 197 Vassal Lane.
pulled by Nolan; Appropriation/Loan Order Passed to 2nd Reading 8-1 (Zondervan - NO) [Note that this would bring the total cost to $299 million]; Reconsideration Fails 0-9

Manager’s Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 22-15, which requested a review of recent crashes at the intersection of Broadway and Highland Avenue.
Placed on File 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #10. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a recommendation that the City Council approve an Order to take by a so-called “friendly” eminent domain proceeding a 3-story office building comprising approximately 25,385 square feet (30,227 square feet with usable basement space) on a 0.23 acre lot located at 689 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139.
pulled by Mallon;

(1) Appropriation of $11,551,208 from Free Cash to pay the pro tanto, as set forth above and below (Order Adopted 9-0)

(2) Approve the Order of Taking (Order Adopted 9-0)

(3) Appropriation of $2,212,349 from Free Cash to settle the eminent domain damages claim and to pay the remainder of the purchase price of $14,500,000 after subtracting the pre-paid five year initial lease payment of $736,443 which will enable the City to acquire the Property and thereby resolve UUSC’s damages claim (Order Adopted 9-0)

(4) Appropriate $2,750,000 from Free Cash to develop plans, acquire the fit-out and furnishings and to undertake minor renovations for City departments to use and occupy the building. (Order Adopted 9-0)

(5) Reconsideration Fails 0-9

Manager’s Agenda #11. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of the Drinking Water Supply Protection (DWSP) Grant from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) for $102,968.50 to the Public Investment Fund Water Department Extraordinary Expenditures account which will be used for the for the Twin Pond Land Acquisition Project.
Order Adopted 9-0

Charter Right #2. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting a communication about the Charter Review Committee. [Charter Right – Azeem, June 6, 2022]
Placed on File 9-0

Charter Right #3. Creation of an Ad-Hoc Committee for the purpose of reviewing and selecting self-nominated residents and stakeholders to be on the Charter Review Committee. [Charter Right – Azeem, June 6, 2022]
further Amended (9-0) and Adopted 9-0 on June 13, 2022, Reconsideration Fails 0-9

Please note that applications to serve on the Charter Review Committee are due no later than Tues, June 28, 2022 at 11:00pm, and the names of those appointed to the Charter Review Committee will be announced no later than July 1, 2022.

Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to establish a “community healing initiative” plan to address the issues in our city.   Councillor Simmons
pulled by Simmons; notes recent anti-vax disruptions at Starlight Square event; Order Adopted 9-0

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to establish a notification system to all neighborhood residents, regardless of whether they own or rent their homes, within a set area where neighborhood disruptions such as infrastructure work or demolitions are scheduled to occur.   Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #5. Recognize June 19, 2022 as Juneteenth in the City of Cambridge, and in urging all Cambridge residents to reflect upon the meaning of this important day.   Councillor Simmons, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #6. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with DCR and all relevant City departments to expand Memorial Drive closures in the summer and fall of 2022.   Councillor Zondervan
pulled by Simmons; Adopted as Amended 9-0

Order #8. Proclaim June 25, 2022, to be “Pit Rat Day” to honor the history of The Pit and all of those who called it home.   Councillor McGovern
Order Adopted 9-0

Comments?

Yi-An Huang selected by Cambridge City Council as next City Manager

June 6, 2022 – The Cambridge City Council tonight voted 8-1 to select Yi-An Huang as the next City Manager to succeed Louis DePasquale when his contract ends on July 5, 2022. The initial City Council vote was 6-3 with Burhan Azeem, Dennis Carlone, Alanna Mallon, Patricia Nolan, Quinton Zondervan, and Sumbul Siddiqui voting for Yi-An Huang and Marc McGovern, Denise Simmons, and Paul Toner voting for Cheryl Watson Fisher. Subsequently, Paul Toner and then Marc McGovern changed their votes to Yi-An Huang to make it a final 8-1 vote.

After the vote, the City Council went into Executive Session to discuss strategy for contract negotiations as well as any possible procedure for choosing an Acting City Manager until Mr. Huang assumes his new role.

PS - The City Council also voted to appoint DPW Commissioner Owen O’Riordan to serve as Acting City Manager after Louis DePasquale leaves and before Yi-An Huang takes over. Excellent choice. - RW

Comments?

All in a Day’s Work – June 6, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

It would be difficult to identify a City Council meeting in recent history as potentially consequential as this one. The opening act will be the City of Cambridge Scholarship Awards Ceremony starting at 4:00pm. The Regular Meeting starting at 5:30pm includes the vote on the FY2023 Budget ($754,373,160 General Fund; $13,537,970 Water Fund; and $41,163,235 Public Investment Fund) as well as a total of $159.9 million in loan authorizations. Then there’s the matter of the 6:00pm Special Meeting to choose among four finalists who will be the next City Manager (Iram Farooq, Cheryl Fisher, Yi-An Huang, or Norman Khumalo) with a possible Executive Session thrown in if there are any contract matters to negotiate. It should be noted that there is no guarantee that five votes will coalesce on one candidate. There could be multiple ballots or the can might be kicked down the road a bit if they can’t get to five.

There are other agenda items as well – including the initial steps toward a Charter Review Commission. Here are the items that seem interesting and/or highly consequential:

City Manager Selection

6:00pm   The City Council will hold a Special Meeting to appoint one of the following finalists as the next City Manager: Iram Farooq, Cheryl Watson Fisher, Yi-An Huang and Norman Khumalo.
The City Council Meeting to discuss the City Manager hiring process will convene in open session. The City Council may then go into an Executive Session to conduct contract negotiations with a candidate for City Manager. The City Council will return to open session.

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting information regarding the Executive Session for the City Manager hiring process.
Order Adopted 9-0; Executive Session held

Here’s a little note from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA):

THE ROLE OF ELECTED OFFICIALS
Under the council-manager form, the elected officials (e.g. the council or board) are the legislative body and the community’s policy makers. Power is centralized in this body, which approves the budget and adopts local laws and regulations, for example. The elected officials also focus on the community’s big-picture goals, such as community growth and sustainability.

The elected officials hire a professional city, town, or county manager based on that person’s education, experience, skills, and abilities and NOT on their political allegiances. The elected officials supervise the manager’s performance, and if that person is not responsive and effective in their role, the elected officials have the authority to remove her or him at any time.

I am mentioning this primarily in response to some of the lobbying effort I have seen over the last several days - including a video promoting one particular candidate and featuring a City Council aide as well as others with known political affiliations. There have also been mass emailings sent by political organizations lobbying for other candidates. There is nothing illegal about any of this, but my hope is that each of the nine city councillors will make their decisions on behalf of the residents of the city and the City’s workforce – independent of any and all of this political lobbying.

I do have a favorite candidate and I have communicated that preference to the candidate as well as to several city councillors, but I want to be very clear that my inclinations have absolutely nothing to do with any organized group in the city nor any narrow agenda, and I fervently hope that whoever is chosen will not be beholden to any political interest or individual. - RW

By the way, I don't know that there’s necessarily a required procedure for how the selection will take place. This is not like the vote for Mayor where each councillor in turn names his/her selection for Mayor followed by possible vote changes prior to the gavel being struck three times signifying the end of the vote. The selection may happen via a motion by one of the councillors to hire one of the finalists and if that candidate receives five votes (with or without changes in the vote) then the matter is settled. I’m not sure if a Motion to Reconsider or the exercise of the Charter Right is permissible in this matter.

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Yi-An Huang selected by Cambridge City Council as next City Manager

June 6, 2022 – The Cambridge City Council tonight voted 8-1 to select Yi-An Huang as the next City Manager to succeed Louis DePasquale when his contract ends on July 5, 2022. The initial City Council vote was 6-3 with Burhan Azeem, Dennis Carlone, Alanna Mallon, Patricia Nolan, Quinton Zondervan, and Sumbul Siddiqui voting for Yi-An Huang and Marc McGovern, Denise Simmons, and Paul Toner voting for Cheryl Watson Fisher. Subsequently, Paul Toner and then Marc McGovern changed their votes to Yi-An Huang to make it a final 8-1 vote.

After the vote, the City Council went into Executive Session to discuss strategy for contract negotiations as well as any possible procedure for choosing an Acting City Manager until Mr. Huang assumes his new role.

PS - The City Council also voted to appoint DPW Commissioner Owen O’Riordan to serve as Acting City Manager after Louis DePasquale leaves and before Yi-An Huang takes over. Excellent choice. - RW

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FY2023 Budget Adoption and Loan Order Authorizations

Manager’s Agenda #1. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an order authorizing the City Manager to transfer necessary funds needed to maintain appropriation control as part of the fiscal end-of-year closeout process.
Order Adopted 9-0

Unfinished Business #2. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $14,600,000 to provide funds for the Municipal Facilities Improvement Plan. [Passed to a 2nd Reading May 2, 2022; To Be Adopted on or after May 23, 2022]
Order Adopted 9-0

Unfinished Business #3. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $15,000,000 to provide funds for the design and construction of a multi-use paths Danehy/New Street Path, Linear Park and Grand Junction Path, which runs from Henry Street to Gore Street on both City, MIT and MassDOT property. [Passed to a 2nd Reading May 2, 2022; To Be Adopted on or after May 23, 2022]
Order Adopted 9-0

Unfinished Business #4. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $1,800,000 to provide funds for the replacement of existing gas boilers at the Morse and Cambridgeport schools. [Passed to a 2nd Reading May 2, 2022; To Be Adopted on or after May 23, 2022]
Order Adopted 9-0

Unfinished Business #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $78,500,000 to provide funds for the construction of sewer separation, storm water management and combined sewer overflow reduction elimination improvements within the Port, Alewife and Central Square areas as well as the Sewer Capital Repairs Program and climate change preparedness efforts. [Passed to a 2nd Reading May 2, 2022; To Be Adopted on or after May 23, 2022]
Order Adopted 9-0

Unfinished Business #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $13,000,000 to provide funds for the reconstruction of various City streets, sidewalks and bike facilities. [Passed to a 2nd Reading May 2, 2022; To Be Adopted on or after May 23, 2022]
Order Adopted 9-0

Unfinished Business #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation and authorization to borrow $37,000,000 to provide additional funds for the construction of improvements at the Fire Station Headquarters Building located at 491 Broadway. [Passed to a 2nd Reading May 2, 2022; To Be Adopted on or after May 23, 2022]
Order Adopted 9-0

Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Anthony I. Wilson, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Patricia M. Nolan, Chair and Councillor Dennis J. Carlone Chair of the Finance Committee, for a public hearing held on May 10, 2022, May 11, 2022 and May 17, 2022 to discuss Fiscal Year 2023 Budget.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0
Zondervan motion to amend budget to reduce Police Dept. to $68,731,130 Fails 1-8 (QZ - YES)
General Fund Budget of $754,373,160 Adopted 8-1 (QZ-NO)
Water Fund Budget of $13,537,970 Adopted 8-1 (QZ-NO)
Public Investment Fund Budget of $41,163,235 Adopted 9-0

Though I don’t think there will be any controversy over these votes other than the usual token NO vote, it goes without saying that this is perhaps the single most consequential vote of the City Council in any given year. The only vote more consequential is the vote to select a City Manager.

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Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to proposed amendments to the Truck Safety Ordinance, Chapter 8.112.080 of the Cambridge Municipal Code (“Ordinance”). [Manager’s Letter] [Revised Truck Ordinance] [Proposed Order 6A] [Proposed Order 6B]
Order 6A Adopted 9-0; Order 6B Adopted as Amended (Zondervan) 9-0

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Memorial Drive Closure Kerfuffle

Charter Right #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Director of the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department to limit the blocking off of Memorial Drive to vehicular traffic to Sundays.
Tabled 8-1 (QZ-NO)

Communication #13. A communication was received from Lynn Cetrulo, regarding Traffic planning and road layouts.

Communication #17. A communication was received from Larry Cetrulo, regarding Traffic planning and road layouts.

I will note that the combination of the long Memorial Day weekend plus Boston Calling plus various commencement activities plus students moving out plus the Memorial Drive closure recently made Mt. Auburn Street and Putnam Avenue into a traffic nightmare. I’ll let others decide whether the overall effect of Memorial Drive closures from Saturday morning through Sunday night is a net benefit or if a smaller window of time would be preferable. I hope this is really more about community benefit than just a generic #WarOnCars.

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Notable Orders

Order #1. Urge Harvard University to work as quickly and deliberately as possible to ensure that the human remains of the nearly 7,000 indigenous peoples and 19 enslaved individuals currently in their possession are released to the appropriate parties.   Councillor Simmons
pulled by Simmons; Order Adopted 9-0 (voice vote)

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the appropriate City personnel and other appropriate parties to develop a standardized, transparent, and cohesive community engagement plan for the entire, department-wide municipal government.   Councillor Simmons
pulled by Simmons; Order Adopted 9-0 (voice vote)

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Charter Review Commission

Order #8. Creation of an Ad-Hoc Committee for ad-hoc committee for the purpose of reviewing and selecting self-nominated residents and stakeholders to be on the Charter Review Commission.   Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan
pulled by Nolan; Amended 7-2 (BA,QZ-NO); Charter Right - Azeem

Communications & Reports #4. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting a communication about the Charter Review Committee.
pulled by Nolan; Charter Right - Azeem

Sign me up. - RW

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A Committee Report (for a change)

Committee Report #2. The Ordinance Committee met on Apr 6, 2022 to conduct a public hearing on a petition to amend the zoning ordinance entitled “Article 22 Sustainable Design and Development” (Ordinance #2022-7).
pulled by Zondervan; suggests this be allowed to expire and be re-filed as amended; Accept Report, Placed on File 9-0 (voice vote)

Comments?

Monthly Updates from City of Cambridge DPW Recycling Division

Trash Carts Rolling Out June 6-24

New trash carts are right around the corner! Read our latest news or watch this video.

Requests for Trash Cart Changes:
We received more than 2,000 requests so forgive us if we make a few mistakes.

• If you think your cart delivery is a mistake, please request a change at CambridgeMA.Gov/Trash
• If you would like to change the size of the trash cart, you can use the same form.

Please note: we will not make any changes until after the trash carts are delivered; we will schedule the swap with you soon after.

Old Trash Barrels
Starting on June 11, the City will collect old trash barrels for special recycling. It may take 1-3 days for barrels to be collected. Your new cart will have a tag on it that will have these dates.

Find the dates and the following at CambridgeMA.Gov/Trash:
  • days you will receive the new trash carts,
  • cart size and dimensions,
  • default size and number of trash carts for your building.

Got new tenants? New neighbors?

Instead of baking cookies, welcome them to Cambridge with a brand-new kitchen compost bin. Delivered fresh to your doorstep!
  1. Fill out this form to have kitchen bins delivered to your building.
  2. Drop off a kitchen bin to each new resident.

June 11th Household Hazardous Waste Event

The next Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Day is Saturday, June 11 from 9am to 1pm at 65 Waverly Street, Cambridge.

For directions, accepted items, and more info please visit our website. If, after reviewing the HHW website, you are having trouble identifying the proper disposal method, email us. An estimated 10% of visitors at HHW days bring the wrong items.

Did You Know? Prescription medicines may be brought to the Cambridge Police Dept headquarters on 6th Street any time, any day.

Consider Getting a Rain Barrel

Residents have until June 5 to purchase a rain barrel for a discounted price of $79. After ordering, residents will be able to pick it up on Tuesday June 14 at DPW's 63 Mooney St site. To read more about the barrel and to place an order, click here.

There are several benefits to rain barrels. Capturing rainwater reduces runoff, lowers municipal water demands, saves energy at treatment plants, and improves residential stormwater management.

Reduce & Reuse Tips

Tip #1: Laboratory Plastics. As a life sciences epicenter, it's important that we consider ways to reduce, reuse, or recycle the tons of waste generated in labs across the City. A lot of the products used in labs can be hazardous or a biohazard and that requires special waste handling. However, some lab plastics can be reused or recycled. For example, labs go through many pipette tip boxes. Unfortunately, they're hard to recycle because recycling facilities are concerned with cross-contamination of lab-based recyclables. However, there have been some developments in finding a way to recycle plastics that aren't required to be handled in a special manner. Green Labs Recycling is a new venture based in Concord, MA. Many Cambridge institutions use their services to rescue plastics from the trash. Read more about their efforts here.

Tip #2: Tennis Balls. These aren't a major source of trash, but if you're an avid player or part of a tennis club, it may be of interest how to recycle those tennis balls after using them. Recycleballs.Org recycles tennis balls into new items. As usual, we would also recommend reusing tennis balls first. Give them to a neighbor's dog, or reuse them on the bottom of chair legs to prevent scratching the floor.

Take Our Waste Survey

Help us improve our services, please take our Waste Survey. Visit CambridgeMA.Gov/WasteSurvey to take it. Thank you!

Upcoming Dates

• Sat, 6/11: Household Hazardous Waste Event, 65 Waverly Street.
• Mon, 6/6 - Fri, 6/24: Delivery of new trash carts.
• Sat, 6/11 - Sat, 6/25: Retrieval of old trash barrels.
• Sat, 8/27: Household Hazardous Waste Event, Location TBD.

Email us to share other waste-related events!

Join Our Mailing List!

What Are We Reading?

To Solve the Fertilizer Crisis, Just Look in the Toilet (Bloomberg)
I’m a Fashion Editor, and I Shop at the Dump (NYTimes)
A Year Of Factory Errors (Lovin Spoonfuls)
Upcycled Products to Prevent 703 Million Pounds of Food Waste Per Year (Waste360)

Download the Zero Waste Cambridge App

With the Zero Waste Cambridge App you can:

• Set reminders and view calendars for trash, recycling, compost collection, and street cleaning.
• Get alerts for collection day delays due to holidays or weather events
• Use the Get Rid of It Right tool to find out how to dispose of waste
• Test your recycling skills with an interactive waste sorting game—fun for kids and adults!

Download the app for iOS or Android or find it online here.     DPW on Facebook     DPW on Twitter

Plague Report (June 21) - Happy Solstice! Case numbers are getting better, and wastewater counts continue their decline.

There were 44 new COVID positive tests reported on Tuesday, and the 7-day daily average dropped to 39.3. The total number of residents who have tested positive is now 29,842. The Cambridge total increased by 44 on Tuesday, 72 on Monday (covering 3 days), and 42, 65, 61, 83, 103 (covering 3 days), 47, 90, 90, 182, 156 (covering 3 days), and 101 in recent days. Time will tell how long this rocky road continues. The 7-day averages have dropping steadily for the last 3 weeks. The percentage of positive tests (measured over the last two weeks) is now 7.66% (previous rates 7.41%, 7.08%, 7.45%, 7.36%, 6.11%, 4.65%, 4.2%, 3.85%, 3%, 2.3%, 1.94%, 1.63%, 1.71%, 1.56%, 1.09%, 0.87%). Most importantly, the effects of the virus appear to be much milder than previous variants.

Click on graph above for latest Cambridge data.

June 21, 2022 Breakdown of Cases:
29842 tested positive (total) - an increase of 44 since Monday
166 confirmed deaths - 85 in long-term care facilities, 81 in general community
(1 new death recorded June 16)

Thanks to vaccinations, even though the 7-day averages were dreadful
the impacts were not as bad as they could have been.

City of Cambridge Covid Information     Harvard University COVID-19 data     MIT COVID-19 data

The surge in new positive tests has been due to a combination of the Delta and Omicron variants.
High vaccination rates have helped to blunt what might have been a larger surge and far more deaths.

Covid Cases by Age Group - through June 21, 2022

(click on above graph for the latest)
MWRA Biobot wastewater data - June 17, 2022

MWRA Biobot recent wastewater data - North System - June 17, 2022
The 7-day average reached as high as 8644 in January before dropping to as low as 101 in March. The recent
rise due to the BA.2 variants brought it back up to 1273. It now stands at 718 and has been generally dropping.

Sample Date	5/27	5/28	5/29	5/30	5/31	6/1	6/2	6/3	6/4	6/5	6/6	6/7	6/8	6/9	6/10	6/11	6/12	6/13	6/14	6/15	6/16	6/17
North System (copies/ml)	1043	1031	1246	919	1375	791	696	951	532	366	435	571	636	549	619	785	932	245	461	1392	1468	584
Northern 7-day Avg.	944	962	972	951	1038	1090	990	977	889	746	671	592	574	554	521	551	630	580	563	629	724	718

The main Omicron wave crested over three months ago, and the Omicron BA.2 subvariants are now the predominant threat (BA.2.12 at 51.6%, BA.2 at 30.8%, BA.4&5 at 11.3%, and 6.3% other as of June 17) as detected in wastewater samples in Middlesex County.

Omicron Variant Overview - week of June 1, 2022

Region	BA.1	BA.2	BA.2.12	BA.4&5	Other
Nationwide	0.0%	28.6%	63.2%	7.0%	1.2%
Midwest	0.0%	36.1%	58.2%	4.6%	1.1%
Northeast	0.0%	23.3%	68.2%	7.3%	1.2%
South	0.0%	24.8%	65.6%	8.4%	1.2%
West	0.0%	44.1%	48.4%	6.3%	1.2%

There was an Ordinance Committee meeting on April 13 “to conduct a public hearing on Ordinance #2022-2 charter change municipal code amendments.” At this meeting the following language was proposed by the City Solicitor and amended by the City Council:

Be it ordained by the City Council as follows:
That Cambridge Municipal Code Chapter 2.02 entitled “City Council” shall be amended by the addition of the following two sections:

Section 2.02.090 Annual Review of City Manager’s Performance

A. As provided in G.L. c. 43, § 116(a) the City Council shall prepare and deliver to the City Manager an annual written performance review of the City Manager’s performance.

B. The annual written performance review shall address the City Manager’s performance during the prior year and the issues work that the City Council would like to be addressed performed by the City Manager in the following year.

C. The written report of the annual performance review of the City Manager conducted by the City Council should be based upon written information submitted to the City Council by the City Manager in the regular course of the business of the City, and upon an oral performance review meeting conducted individually or severally by and between the City Councillors and the City Manager.

D C. The annual written performance review shall be completed and delivered to the City Manager by no later than March 30 of each year and shall encompass the City Manager’s performance during the preceding calendar year.

Section 2.02.100 Special Committee to Review the City Charter Every Ten Years

A. As provided in G.L. c. 43, §116(b), no later than July 1 in each year ending in 2, beginning in 2022 and every 10 years thereafter, the City Council shall establish a special committee tasked with reviewing the City Charter and recommending any proposed changes the special committee deems necessary or desirable.

B. The special committee shall:

(i) be made up of [NUMBER] 12-18 of registered voters of the City, not currently holding any elective office in the City;

(ii) include [NUMBER] [be made up of members selected by an ad hoc committee of four councillors appointed by the Mayor] of special committee members appointed by the Mayor, [NUMBER] of special committee members appointed by the City Manager, and [NUMBER] of special committee members appointed by the Superintendent of Schools;

(iii) hold all of its meetings in accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law and keep written minutes of all meetings which shall be submitted to and approved by the special committee at its next meeting;

(iv) hold not less than [NUMBER] of duly posted and advertised public meetings to seek input from members of the community on whether any changes to the City Charter should be made and the reasons why any proposed changes would be desirable, the beneficial effects that any such changes would have upon the electorate and the community in general, and the beneficial effects that any such changes would have upon the reasonable operation and effectiveness of City government;

(v) submit a written report to the City Council within one (1) year of its appointment, unless the special committee seeks an extension of the one-year period for enumerated reasons stated by the special committee and the City Council approves the requested extension of the one-year period by majority vote. The written report shall include any charter changes the special committee recommends as necessary or desirable by a two-thirds vote of the special committee, and shall include the reasons for the recommended changes to be made and the anticipated effects of the changes as set forth in subsection (iv) above; and

(vi) dissolve once it files its written report with the City Council.

C. Action on any proposed Charter changes shall be as authorized by law.

Both sections (as amended) were forwarded unanimously to the full City Council with positive recommendations.

Featured recent stories in the Cambridge Chronicle (the paper of record) - with some comments:

If you would like to subscribe or pick up a free paper copy at various sites, I encourage you to do so. It really is The Paper of Record.

Can you score a hole in one? Mini-golf courses to try this summer (June 17, 2022)
Note: We could really use one in or near Cambridge. A small portion of the Volpe Center property in Kendall Square would be a great location.

For Juneteenth, learn about court cases that helped end slavery in MA (June 17, 2022)

Weekend of hiking, paddling, art planned at 23rd annual Riverfest (June 16, 2022)
RiverFest to celebrate Sudbury, Assabet, Concord Rivers with hiking, paddling and more

Harvard Square at the center of Cambridge native's new novel (June 15, 2022)

Cambridge to celebrate Juneteenth with citywide events (June 15, 2022)

Cambridge Public Library celebrates Juneteenth (June 15, 2022)

Historic industrial building transformed into Cambridge arts center (June 15, 2022)
The Foundry will become a new creativity hub for Cambridge. Ribbon-cutting set for June 22.

The Chronicle Companion: Week of June 13-19, 2022 (posted June 13, 2022)

Harvard President Lawrence Bacow to step down next year (June 10, 2022)

PHOTOS: CRLS graduates Class of 2022 (June 10, 2022)

Full text of the 2022 CRLS valedictorian address (June 10, 2022 by Jade Backwater)

Cambridge nonprofit left in the dark about City-owned building (June 8, 2022)

New Moderna COVID-19 booster is showing superior response to Omicron (June 8, 2022)

Nonprofit executive Yi-An Huang to be next Cambridge city manager (June 6, 2022, updated June 7)

Justice still being sought for Charlene Holmes 10 years after fatal Willow Street shooting (June 6, 2022)

The Chronicle Companion: Week of June 6-12, 2022 (posted June 5, 2022)

Harvard Square cobbler, Felix Shoe Repair owner, discusses life at 87 (June 7, 2022, subscribers only)

Taking a trip this summer? Don't get stuck in traffic because of road work on these routes (June 2, 2022)

The Chronicle Companion: Week of May 30 - June 5, 2022 (posted May 30, 2022, updated May 31)

Veterans picked to be next Cambridge auditor, clerk (May 31, 2022)

Massachusetts couples' new book offers a history of Cambridge's global influence (May 26, 2022, updated May 27)

Recycling boat shrink wrap has environmental and supply chain issues (May 26, 2022, subscribers only)

MBTA redesign would add four bus lines in Cambridge (May 25, 2022)

The Chronicle Companion: Week of May 23-30, 2022 (May 22, 2022, updated May 23)

Gather around: Public patios enliven Inman Square in Cambridge (May 20, 2022 from CDD)

Finalists for Cambridge city manager released (May 19, 2022)

New England predicted to see nation's highest wholesale electricity prices this summer (May 18, 2022, subscribers only)

City launches Envision Cambridge dashboard (May 18, 2022)

Discount rain barrels available to Cambridge residents (May 18, 2022)
Deadline to purchase rain barrels is Sunday, June 5.

The Chronicle Companion: Week of May 16-22, 2022 (posted May 16, 2022)

Cambridge art installation to tackle Brattle Street slavery (posted May 13, 2022)

The Chronicle Companion: Week of May 9-15, 2022 (posted May 9, 2022)

3 top fishing spots around Cambridge (May 6, 2022)

10 municipalities endorse state Fair Share tax to address budget needs (May 5, 2022, Medford Transcript)

Baseball season kicks off with special parade in North Cambridge (May 4, 2022)

Body of man known as 'Michael' remains in limbo under state law (May 4, 2022)

The Chronicle Companion: Week of May 2-8, 2022 (posted May 2, 2022)