2022 Parking Permit Renewal Deadline Extended

To provide additional time to process 2022 resident parking permit applications, the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department is extending the validity of 2021 Resident and Visitor Parking Permits to a new expiration date of May 16, 2022.

Note: This only begs the questions: How much more on-street parking is going to be removed - and where and when? Perhaps the next step will be to print a very large Scarlet Letter A on the sticker to shame all the sinful Automobile drivers.

Department of Public Health updates COVID-19 death definition
Revised data capture more accurately the acute impact of COVID in the Commonwealth

Mar 10, 2022 – Beginning Monday, March 14, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) will update the criteria used for identifying COVID-19 deaths to align with guidance from the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. Currently, the COVID death definition includes anyone who has COVID listed as a cause of death on their death certificate, and any individual who has had a COVID-19 diagnosis within 60 days but does not have COVID listed as a cause of death on their death certificate. The updated definition reduces this timeframe from 60 days to 30 days for individuals without a COVID diagnosis on their death certificate.

The revision follows the recommendation of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to create a standardized approach for states to use for counting COVID-19 deaths. Several other states are adopting this definition.

Massachusetts has applied this new definition retroactively to the start of the pandemic in March 2020. As a result, 4,081 deaths in Massachusetts that were previously counted as associated with COVID will be removed. In addition, approximately 400 deaths not previously counted but identified through a manual process of matching death certificates with medical records will be added to the COVID-19 death count. The state’s overall COVID death count, therefore, will decline by 3,700.

Full statement from the Mass. Department of Public Health

Mar 8, 2022 – Government Operations Committee - City Manager search

This meeting of the City Council's Government Operations, Rules & Claims Committee focused on revisions to the proposed calendar for the City Manager search process, some discussion of how the Screening Committee that would select the priority candidates and finalists will be formed, and finalizing the job listing (Leadership Profile).

Cambridge City Manager Search

2022 Cambridge City Manager Leadership Profile (final revision of job posting)

Revised City Manager Search Timeline
(approx. 3-week delay from original timeline)

Outreach Efforts for Cambridge City Manager Search

Screening Committee composition (from Jan 26 meeting):

(4) City Council members

(3) Resident representatives (who have demonstrated advocacy in support of community needs)*

(2) Business related representatives (with demonstrated partnership experience, ideally from a large and a small business)

(1) Representative from the Cambridge School Committee or a senior School Department administrative representative

(1) Public Safety representative (Police/Fire departments)

(1) Person with demonstrated knowledge of municipal finance

(1) Health and Human Services/Public Health representative

(1) Representative with knowledge of City Planning and Development (experience in urban design and transportation issues preferred)

(1) Higher education/institutional partner

(1) Public art and/or recreational representative

(1) Affordable housing advocate

(1) Non-profit community representative

(1) Representative who advocates for the quality of our community’s civic and social wellbeing

In Like a Lemming, Out Like a Loon – March 7, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

The Charter-Changers will this week charter a course through the sea of Charter Right agenda items pulled last week for reasons unknown. The rhetoric should be priceless in justifying why residents volunteering their time and talents should be challenged by privileged councillors acting as tools for political organizations. Save for the holdover items, the agenda is relatively brief this week. Here are a few notable items:

Manager's Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-42, regarding a report on reviewing Cambridge's corporate contracts and purchases to identify any vendors or manufacturers whose products are used to perpetuate violations of International Human Rights Laws and Cambridge's policy on discrimination.
pulled by Carlone (trying to narrow focus to computer companies, i.e. Hewlett-Packard); McGovern notes that products are often comprised of parts from many companies; Zondervan characterizes Solicitor response as a "refusal to respond to the policy order"; Placed on File 9-0

One of the great misunderstanding of occasional Council-watchers is that a short agenda translates into a short meeting. The problem with that is that it fails to account for the “political theater” associated with some items that might otherwise be easily dismissed and placed on file. Such is the case with this quite rational and sensible response from the City Solicitor in response to last year’s marathon-inducing order that was anti-Israel and pro-BDS (Boycott-Divest-Sanction). [Reference: Charter Right #2 of May 24-25, 2001, from Order #6 of May 17, 2021] That kerfuffle was poorly resolved by a) removing the specific reference to Hewlett-Packard and affirming Israel's right to exist (an amendment that was opposed by Councillors Sobrinho-Wheeler, and Zondervan and Mayor Siddiqui); and b) broadening the scope of the order to include “any vendors or manufacturers whose products are used to perpetuate violations of International Human Rights Laws and Cambridge’s policy on discrimination.”

More recently, there was a letter published online on Jan 27, 2022 written by John Roberts, Nancy Murray, Denise Bergman, Kathy Roberts, Jude Glaubman, and Chris Affleck that sought to reignite the kerfuffle. The Solicitor's response pretty clearly illustrates why boycotting and otherwise targeting every entity who may have done business that a few councillors seem unsavory is a bottomless pit. If this City Council must engage in foreign entanglements, there are more universally acceptable targets available other than Israel. That, of course, will not sway Councillor Zondervan who is likely now massing virtual troops at the border of City Hall. The best course of action for the City Council can be summarized in three words – “Placed on File”.

Note: Nobody actually spoke on this item during Public Comment. Once again, it was all tiresome talking points about bike lanes.

Manager's Agenda #11. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $730,000 from Free Cash to the General Fund Traffic and Parking Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($700,000), and to the General Fund Traffic and Parking Department Extraordinary Expenditures account ($30,000) for additional costs associated with the implementation of the Cycling Safety Ordinance.
pulled by Toner; Order Adopted 9-0

Manager's Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on the status of our planned implementation of cycling safety improvements in Porter Square along Massachusetts Avenue between Beech Street and Roseland Street.
pulled by Toner; Order Adopted 8-1 (Zondervan - NO)

Pardon me for not wading into the polluted waters surrounding the Cycling Safety Ordinance (CSO - an acronym which has been more widely used for Combined Sewer Overflow). Perhaps the most significant thing worth noting is the announcement that there will be a minor delay in implementation of the CSO in one section - an unspeakable horror for the adherents of the Cambridge Bicycle Safety group who seek to enforce pledges from compliant incumbents and challengers to cover their ears, eyes, and mouths whenever the notion of amending that ordinance or deviating even slightly from its mandates is mentioned.

Manager's Agenda #14. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request to approve the disposition of property located at 35 Cherry Street (the “Property”) to the Affordable Housing Trust to facilitate the development of affordable housing.
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0

There were a number of ideas proposed for use of this lot but, well, you know where all those considerations are ultimately filed.

Late Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to report back to the City Council on the findings of the “Future of Telework” Committee, and to explain the City's current policy regarding a remote work policy in the Weekly Digest this Friday, March 11th; and to submit a full report with recommendations to the full City Council at the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting on Monday, March 21st.
Order Adopted 5-2-1-1 (Mallon, McGovern, Nolan, Zondervan, Siddiqui - YES; Azeem, Toner - NO; Simmons - ABSENT, Carlone - PRESENT)

The discussion illustrated some basic misunderstanding by Vice Mayor Mallon and Mayor Siddiqui regarding the distinction between their role as city councillors and the role of the City Manager in regardless to City employees. In contrast, Councillor Azeem showed a clear understanding of the role of city councillors under the Plan E Charter (Bravo, Councillor Azeem!). Councillors Toner and Carlone also showed wisdom in their vote.

Manager's Agenda #16. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request to move to Executive Session to discuss the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property as discussion in an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the public body.
Executive Session Held

I have no idea if this is in regard to something new or the potential resolution of something old still in litigation, e.g. Vail Court. Whatever happened to that? I really wish the City had the vision to do something creative with the taken-by-eminent-domain Vail Court property in concert with the adjacent huge parking lot at Prospect St. and Bishop Allen Drive. Mediocrity should not be the rule.

Charter Right #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointment of Michael P. Gardner as a member of the Cambridge Retirement Board for a term of three years, effective Mar 1, 2022. [Charter Right - Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Placed on File 9-0 (not subject to City Council review)

Charter Right #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Maxwell Solet as a new member of the Board of Trustee of the Cambridge Health Alliance for a term to expire June 30, 2024. [Charter Right - Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Placed on File 9-0 (not subject to City Council review)

Charter Right #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for new appointments and reappointment to Open Data Review Board for a term of two year. [Charter Right - Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointment and new appointment to the Water Board. [Charter Right - Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointments to the Fresh Pond Master Plan Advisory Board. [Charter Right - Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for new appointments and reappointments to the Mid Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Commission. [Charter Right - Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for a new appointment and reappointments to the Avon Hill Neighborhood Conservation District Commission. [Charter Right - Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointments to the Half Crown-Marsh Neighborhood Conservation District Commission. [Charter Right - Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

Charter Right #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for a new appointment and reappointments to the Historical Commission. [Charter Right - Mallon, Feb 28, 2022]
Tabled 9-0 (Mallon)

The tap dance continues. On the one hand, it is right and proper that the City Council should establish some ground rules for their newfound veto-power over appointments to City boards & commissions. On the other hand, politicizing board appointments was and is a terrible idea. Will the appointments be farmed out to City Council committees to be turned into politically-charged tribunals? Will a new “Review Committee” be established to process them all? Or will the Council just vote on each set of appointments after councillors beholden to political organizations have had an opportunity to delete the names of those appointees unacceptable to their handlers? Inquiring minds want to know.

NOTE: Anyone who thinks it is OK to refer to an item made subject to the Charter Right as having been “charterwritten” needs to enroll in some basic English grammar classes.

Charter Right #14. A Zoning Petition has been received from Craig A. Kelley regarding The Cambridge Transportation De-Carbonization and Congestion-Mitigation Bill.. (Ordinance #2022-10) [Charter Right - Carlone, Feb 28, 2022]
Referred to Ordinance Committee and Planning Board 9-0 (Carlone)

Though my guess is that Craig Kelley's petition won't survive in its initial form, he deserves credit for reopening the conversation of such things as car-sharing and how electric vehicle charging can be made more widely available. Abutter concerns will not and should not be easily dismissed, but this is still a conversation that needs to take place. I won't be buying an electric car (or an eclectic car) any time soon, but if I ever do the matter of charging for those of us without driveways can't be dismissed, and even if battery improvements make things somewhat faster it likely won't be as fast as filling up the tank. Let's also not forget that the electrical infrastructure maintained by Eversource will likely need a tremendous amount of reinvestment as vehicles and buildings become more dependent on the electric grid.

Charter Right #15. That the City Manager is requested to work with DCR to pilot an expansion of Memorial Drive closures along any segments east of Western Avenue that could be used as parkland. [Charter Right - Simmons, Feb 28, 2022]
Order Adopted as Amended 8-0-0-1 (Simmons - PRESENT)

This is likely still a non-starter for a variety of reasons. Besides, actual parkland is better than pretend parkland that's covered in asphalt and only available one or two days per week during a portion of the year.

Charter Right #16. That the City Manager is requested to amend all existing Community Host Agreements previously issued by the City by reducing the Impact Fee to 0.05% of Gross Revenue and to refrain from placing this burden upon any future HCAs that may yet be issued. [Charter Right - Zondervan, Feb 28, 2022]
Amended to add Zondervan as sponsor (and withdraw his proposed amendments); Tabled 9-0 on motion of Simmons

I am endlessly entertained by the City Council's attempts to override economics in the pursuit of accomodation of the politically connected. In Washington, DC former elected officials become lobbyists, and in Cambridge and Boston they go into cannibis sales. Are there any other taxes and fees being waived for other businesses - especially now that Covid seems to be in retreat - or is this just a weed thing?

Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to consult with the Department of Public Works to introduce the SMART Box rodent control system in Cambridge.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Proposed City Council Order #5: That the City Manager be and herby is requested to appoint a Rodent Rights Commission in order to ensure that all members of the order Rodentia and the genus Rattus be granted the full rights and privileges as all other Cambridge residents - especially in regard to exposure to electric currents and other matters of environmental justice.

Committee Report #1. The Housing Committee met on Dec 1, 2021 to conduct a public hearing to resume its discussion of the Sept 20, 2021 Policy Order that seeks to amend the Zoning Ordinance via potentially raising the linkage fee. [Report]
Report Accepted; Placed on File 9-0

Tax, tax tax – spend, spend, spend. Let others worry about the details and potential consequences.

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Councillors Toner and Simmons, transmitting a memorandum regarding the search for the next City Clerk. [Outreach List] [Search timeline] [Job posting]
Placed on File 9-0

Where are John Wayne and Jeffrey Hunter now that we need them? - Robert Winters

Comments?

Neighborhood Consternation Districts - February 28, 2022 Cambridge City Council Agenda

The densifiers are massing at the borders of Cambridge neighborhoods. The next few weeks and months should prove interesting as appointees to neighborhood conservation districts, the Historical Commission, and other boards may find themselves in the crosshairs of densifiers and control freaks. There's even a City Council order this week that seeks to redefine, and perhaps eviscerate, neighborhood conservation districts. We'll see how the review of board appointments plays out, but at this point I fully expect to soon be saying: “I told you so.”

Here are some items of interest on this week's agenda:

Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a COVID-19 update.
pulled by Siddiqui; Placed on File 9-0

Manager's Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the reappointment of Michael P. Gardner as a member of the Cambridge Retirement Board for a term of three years, effective Mar 1, 2022.
Charter Right - Mallon

Manager's Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Maxwell Solet as a new member of the Board of Trustee of the Cambridge Health Alliance for a term to expire June 30, 2024.
Charter Right - Mallon

Manager's Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for new appointments and reappointment to Open Data Review Board for a term of two year.
Charter Right - Mallon

Manager's Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointment and new appointment to the Water Board.
Charter Right - Mallon

Manager's Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointments to the Fresh Pond Master Plan Advisory Board.
Charter Right - Mallon

Manager's Agenda #10. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for new appointments and reappointments to the Mid Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Commission.
Charter Right - Mallon

Manager's Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for a new appointment and reappointments to the Avon Hill Neighborhood Conservation District Commission.
Charter Right - Mallon

Manager's Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for reappointments to the Half Crown-Marsh Neighborhood Conservation District Commission.
Charter Right - Mallon

Manager's Agenda #13. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to approval requested for a new appointment and reappointments to the Historical Commission.
Charter Right - Mallon

Order #11. Amendment to Chapter 2.78 of the Cambridge Code of Ordinance, entitled “Historical Buildings and Landmarks.”   Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons, Vice Mayor Mallon
pulled by Toner; Solicitor explains that this is a City Ordinance under Home Rule, not subject to M.G.L. Ch. 40C, and may be amended by City Council; Referred to NLTP Committee 5-4 (motion of Zondervan) [Carlone, Nolan, Toner, Zondervan, Siddiqui - YES; Azeem, Mallon, McGovern, Simmons - NO]

Manager's Agenda #14. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the City of Cambridge retaining its AAA rating from the nation's three major credit rating agencies.[Moody’s] [S&P] [Fitch]
pulled by Toner; Placed on File 9-0

Manager's Agenda #15. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the Climate Resilience Zoning Task Force Report.
pulled by Nolan; referred to Health & Environment Committee 9-0 (motion of Nolan)

Manager's Agenda #16. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a request for approval of the special act that has been enacted by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, entitled “Chapter 19 of the Acts of 2022, An Act Authorizing the City of Cambridge to Use Certain Land for General Municipal Purposes and the Installation of Subsurface Geothermal Wells” at the Father Callanan Playground and Fields in conjunction with the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools Project.[Tobin Article 97 Plan] [Tobin Art 97 Special Act Parchment] [Tobin Special Act Order]
Order Adopted 9-0

Manager's Agenda #17. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a communication from City Solicitor Nancy E. Glowa, relative to a further response to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-93 regarding a report on proposed amendments to the Municipal Code relative to recent charter changes.
pulled by Nolan; Placed on File, Referred to Ordinance Committee 9-0 (motion of Zondervan)

On The Table #4. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-93, regarding proposed amendments to the Municipal Code relative to recent charter changes. (Ordinance #2022-2). [Charter Right - Nolan, Jan 31, 2022; Tabled Feb 7, 2022]
Refer to Ordinance Committee 9-0 (motion of Zondervan)

Charter Right #1. That Article 10.000 of the Zoning Ordinances of the City of Cambridge be amended to insert a new section 10.600, titled “On-Site Fossil Fuel Infrastructure”. [Charter Right - Zondervan, Feb 7, 2022]
Placed on File 9-0 (based on negative opinion from Atty. Gen. Maura Healey on comparable proposed ordinance in Brookline)

Charter Right #2. That section 6.36 entitled, Schedule of Parking and Loading Requirements, of Article 6.000, entitled “Off Street Parking And Loading Requirements And Nighttime Curfew On Large Commercial Through Trucks”, of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge be amended. [Charter Right - Simmons, Feb 7, 2022]
Referred to Transportation & Public Utilities Committee 9-0

Charter Right #3. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct staff from the Community Development and Law Departments to examine the Zoning Ordinance and provide amendment language for consideration by the City Council to remove all other references to parking minimums, including in Articles 13.000, 14.000, 15.000, 16.000, 17.000, and 20.000. [Charter Right - Simmons, Feb 7, 2022]
Referred to Transportation & Public Utilities Committee 9-0

Applications & Petitions #5. A Zoning Petition has been received from Craig A. Kelley regarding The Cambridge Transportation De-Carbonization and Congestion-Mitigation Bill.
Charter Right - Carlone

113 Communications covering various topics but overwhelmingly about bike lanes.
Placed on File 9-0

Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Economic Development division and other appropriate departments with the intention of conducting a study to collect relevant economic data relating to business impacts from bike lane installations now and for a full year once the bike network is completed, positive or negative, which will help inform future installations of bike lanes along commercial corridors.   Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toner, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 9-0 as Amended

Resolution #2. Thanks to Anne Shuhler and the entire Classic Graphx team for more than 35 years of exemplary service to the people and businesses of Cambridge.   Councillor Simmons

Resolution #8. That the City Council go on record thanking Izzy Maldonado and his family for over 41 years of serving up some of the finest comfort food in Cambridge at Izzy’s Restaurant & Sub Shop, and in wishing the family well as the beloved institution passes into memory.   Councillor Simmons

Resolution #11. Happy 80th Birthday wishes to Peter Valentine.   Councillor Zondervan

Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to amend all existing Host Community Agreements previously issued by the City by reducing the Impact Fee to 0.05% of Gross Revenue and to refrain from placing this burden upon any future HCAs that may yet be issued.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Toner, Councillor Azeem
Charter Right - Zondervan

Order #4. That the Mayor is requested to schedule a Special Meeting of the City Council and invite the Mayor of Somerville, Somerville City Councillors, the Cambridge Police Department, the Somerville Police Department, and others to discuss how to work together to address the gun activity taking place between our youth in our communities.   Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Toner, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan
Adopted 8-0-1 as Amended (Siddiqui ABSENT)

Order #7. That a City Manager Search ad-hoc committee of the Cambridge City Council be formed for the purpose of reviewing and selecting self-nominated residents and stakeholders to be on the candidate preliminary screening committee.   Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #10. That the City Manager is requested to work with DCR to pilot an expansion of Memorial Drive closures along any segments east of Western Avenue that could be used as parkland.   Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Nolan
Charter Right - Simmons

Committee Report #1. The Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations Committee met on Oct 13, 2021, to conduct a public hearing to discuss the long-term plan for school buildings, including a systemwide summary of status of plans, update on current projects, any plans for future relocations, and projections for enrollment changes over time. [Report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Committee Report #2. The Health & Environment Committee and the Human Services & Veterans Committee met on Dec 8, 2021, to discuss the redesign of Carl Barron Plaza with a special focus on the needs of the unhoused community and the ideas presented within Communication #10 from the Oct 18, 2021, regular meeting. [Report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Committee Report #3. The Ordinance Committee met on Dec 15, 2021, to conduct a public hearing on the Off Street Parking Zoning petition (Ord #2021-23) [Report not available]
Present: unknown - no report
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0 (even though there was no report)

Committee Report #4. The Human Services and Veterans Committee met on Dec 16, 2021, to hold a public hearing to receive a report from the Department of Human Services Programs regarding changes made to DHSP after school programs. [Report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Councillor Simmons, transmitting a memorandum regarding Final Report of the Cambridge Advisory Committee on City Art, Monuments, & Markers.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Councillor Nolan and Councillor Carlone regarding FY24 budget priorities.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0

Late Resolution #12. Support potential Green Line extension to Porter Square.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui
Resolution Adopted 9-0

Late Order #12. That the City Manager be and is hereby requested to light City Hall blue and yellow this week in honor of Ukraine.   Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

Comments?   Additional details may follow.

Tempest Tossed

Feb 21, 2022 – I have been looking over various articles and other references about Cambridge lately, and one thought keeps recurring to me - and has to do with definitions and unilateralism.

I have to confess that even though I have been in Cambridge (at the same address) for 44 years now, I actually grew up in New York City - Whitestone, Queens. Where I grew up may have been viewed as suburban by some people, but it was definitely within New York City and, like most areas of NYC, characterized not by large lots and palatial mansions, but by relatively small lots and what many people used to call “starter homes” even though many of them are now on to their 3rd generation of family occupants. Virtually all of the open lots have long since been built upon, and even that farm across from my junior high school (yes, we still had a working farm all the way through the time I was in college) has now become a housing development.

When we moved (in my infancy) from Astoria to Whitestone, it was largely driven by my father’s unwillingness to be a “cliff dweller” - what he used to call people who lived in apartment buildings. There were definitely some apartment buildings in Whitestone, but it was mainly those much-maligned single-family homes. That’s where I spent the next two decades. After living for a short while in a trailer in Flagstaff, Arizona, I found my way to Cambridge and became a cliff-dweller - just a 3-family cliff, mind you, but a big change from what I was accustomed to - with housemates, the sounds of other building residents coming and going, complaints about noise, and getting along with the landlord. After 8 years I became the landlord and with that came lots of other concerns - mortgages, real estate taxes, utilities, boilers, shoring up porch foundations, fixing plumbing problems, tenant relations - the whole nine yards.

But I digress.

It often seems to me that those advocating for one position or another see Cambridge as some kind of island on which all problems can and should be solved entirely within the island, and often by pushing hard against the tide of economics. If the demand for housing - largely driven by the influx of higher wage tech employees - causes home prices (and rents) to rise steeply, the “solution” offered is to create an entirely separate “affordable” housing system entirely within the island or to build ferociously to get everyone on the island who likes Island Life. I do, in fact, agree with some of that - especially when it comes to elderly people on fixed incomes and people who were born and raised here and want to stay close to family. Unlike many others (whether they openly acknowledge this or not), I am not a fan of “social housing” in general. I think there’s a lot of value - financial and personal - in actually owning your own home. I often think that City planners and advocates in Cambridge put almost no emphasis on ownership - perhaps due to other political beliefs (hint, hint).

One of my biggest beefs with “Envision” is that it didn’t really set any targets or measures of success when it comes to “affordable housing”, i.e. housing divorced from market housing. It just wanted more, more, more.

I have been a mathematician for most of my life, and one thing just about every mathematician knows is the importance of good definitions. The relative softness of the definitions of “affordable housing”, “subsidized housing”, “social housing”, etc. has always been an annoyance to me, and I think much of the definitions are politically motivated. After all, something like “100% affordable housing” sells a lot better than historical terms like “housing project” or “public housing”. A rose is a rose is a rose.

An even more fundamental definition for me is how cities and urban areas are defined. The aforementioned Island of Cambridge is actually not an island. It's part of an entire metropolitan area consisting of a lot of cities and towns - most notably our Big Sister to the south. One of the things I stated over and over and over again (remember the Dave Clark Five?) during the Envision process was that the proposed significant residential development in Union Square, Somerville would likely have a greater effect on housing costs in Cambridge than most of the other policies and proposals being discussed. I still believe that, but I suppose we'll have to wait until all those housing units are finished and available to find out. The point, however, is not just that a thousand housing units in Somerville will affect costs in Cambridge, it’s that ultimately the only way good housing options will come about is to adjust the boundaries of the island.

Many of my friends growing up eventually found jobs “in the city” - which in New York-ese means Manhattan (an actual island, though 4 of the 5 boroughs of New York are actually on islands, including Queens). Other friends who had lived in Manhattan eventually settled in parts of Brooklyn and even across the Hudson in New Jersey. That’s what it took to find the kind of housing they wanted (including some great live/work space for artists). It helped a lot that public transportation in and around NYC was extensive and pretty dependable at all hours of the day and night. My friends continue to identify as New Yorkers, and some of the places they moved have become pretty fabulous - which, I suppose, may also translate into eventually being less affordable which has often been the fate of the risk-takers and urban homesteaders.

It was often said that if you couldn’t find what you wanted at a reasonable cost in Cambridge, you could find something in Somerville or Arlington. Now that radius has expanded to West Medford, Everett, Chelsea, and beyond. The question is not simply whether you can find what you want at a good price in Cambridge. It's really a question of whether you can find something close to what you want at a reasonable cost with reasonable transportation options. And sometimes those options may not be available on the island.

Robert Winters