Cambridge Municipal Election News

Aug 1, 2:15pm - One correction from yesterday. Peter Hsu did, in fact, submit nomination signatures for City Council and just made it to the ballot. Peter Hsu (exactly 50), Doug Brown (51 sigs), and Frantz Pierre (enough but still counting) have now submitted sufficient (provisionally) certified signatures to appear on the November City Council ballot. Caroline Hunter, Alborz Bejnood, Elizabeth Hudson, and Frantz Pierre (exactly 50) have now submitted sufficient (provisionally) certified signatures to appear on the November School Committee ballot.

July 31 (at the deadline) - There was a flurry of activity at the Election Commission today leading up to the 5:00pm deadline. Two new candidates pulled papers for City Council: Doug Brown, 35 Standish St., 02138 and Nathaniel Sandalou-Ash, 82 Richdale Ave., 02140. Two new candidates pulled papers for School Committee: William Hudson, 236 Walden St., 02140 and Elizabeth Hudson, 236 Walden St., 02140.

Many candidates turned in signatures as the deadline approached. Hao Wang, Federico Muchnik, and John Hanratty have now submitted sufficient (provisionally) certified signatures to appear on the November City Council ballot, and it appears that Frantz Pierre and Doug Brown will likely also meet the minimum threshold. Among those who pulled papers for City Council, James Williamson and Nathaniel Sandalou-Ash did not qualify for the ballot.

On the School Committee side, Richard Harding submitted sufficient (provisionally) certified signatures to appear on the November School Committee ballot, and it appears that Caroline Hunter, Alborz Bejnood, and Elizabeth Hudson will likely also meet the minimum threshold. Frantz Pierre may also make it over the threshold. Hao Wang, Susan Kale, Akbar Khuwaja, William Hudson did not turn in any signatures and will not appear on the School Committee ballot.

Here’s the corrected tally at the deadline (July 31, 5:00pm) for nomination signatures - all but one provisional certification of signatures still pending:

July 30 Note: We should know by 5:00pm Monday who the final field of candidates will be (pending certification of signatures, of course). After that my intention is that after I do the initial setup of the Cambridge Candidate Pages (which I partially completed today) I will then turn over the responsibility of maintaining them to others (for obvious reasons). Some candidates have already sent me information and photos, and other candidates are welcome to send me information and photos for the initial setup. The only real essentials needed are a good candidate photo, all the necessary contact information, and any websites or social media sites associated with your campaign, and perhaps an address or other information for making campaign contributions. Then I’ll step away and focus on being a candidate. - RW

July 27 - No new candidates today - just more signatures submitted. I have to teach class Friday morning and won’t be able to get an update before things close at noon, so if anyone else gets information on Friday please let me know.

July 26 - Former School Committee member Richard Harding pulled papers today for School Committee. Robert Winters and Gregg Moree have now submitted sufficient (provisionally) certified signatures to appear on the November City Council ballot. The Election Commission also met today to certify all signatures submitted to date that had been provisionally certified by the Election Commission staff.

July 25 - No new candidates today, but more nomination signatures were submitted. Andrew King, José Luis Rojas Villarreal, and David Weinstein have now submitted sufficient (provisionally) certified signatures to appear on the November School Committee ballot.

July 24 - One new School Committee candidate pulled papers on Friday: Akbar Khuwaja, 1039 Mass. Ave. #501, 02138. Burhan Azeem and Denise Simmons have now submitted sufficient (provisionally) certified signatures to appear on the November City Council ballot. [I personally turned in another 16 signatures today that should bring me up to 60 signatures, but only the 44 from Thursday have so far been provisionally certified.]

July 21 - I had to teach this morning and couldn’t visit the Election Commission for updates. If anyone knows of any new candidates who pulled papers today or any updates about signatures, please let me know. Personally, I turned in a sheet of 45 names yesterday and expect to have 44 of them certified, but I don’t yet know about that. I’ll be turning in more than enough to get past the goal post (50 certified signatures) early next week. Then comes the setting up of a candidate website and bank accounts and all the fun stuff that follows. I also have to figure out how best to handle the Cambridge Candidate Pages for reasons that probably don’t need to be explained. People really do use them and appreciate them. Anyone interested in handling that role who can be completely neutral and unbiased?

July 20 - One new candidate for School Committee today: Susan Kale, 5 Foch St., 02140. Joe McGuirk, Adrienne Klein, and Carrie Pasquarello have now submitted sufficient (provisionally) certified signatures to appear on the November ballot.

July 19 - Three new candidates for City Council today: Hao Wang (1 Longfellow Rd., 02138), Federico Muchnik (82 Richdale Ave., 02140), and John Hanratty (15 Mt. Vernon St. #7, 02140). In what now seems like a strange trend, Hao Wang also pulled papers for School Committee. Also, Patricia Nolan and Vernon Walker have now submitted sufficient (provisionally) certified signatures to appear on the November ballot. [Nod to John Hawkinson for gathering this information late Wednesday.]

July 17 - No new candidates today, but Rachel Weinstein and Eugenia Schraa Huh have now submitted sufficient (provisionally) certified signatures to appear on the November ballot.

July 14 - I heard from several City employees that City Manager Yi-An Huang issued a directive to all City employees (except elected officials) that being a City Council candidate is incompatible with some City employment due to the appearance of a conflict of interest, and that resignation or a leave of absence would be the required remedy. This (obviously and appropriately) applies to City Council aides and to anyone working in the Office of the Mayor. [Story here] Nonetheless, Mayor Siddiqui’s “Director of Constituent Services” Adrienne Klein apparently is disputing this policy.

There is a larger point here. The position of “City Council Aide” from the very start has had all the earmarks of a political patronage gig, and there are many examples of City Council aides being engaged in political work for the councillors to whom they report. This was totally predictable from the moment these “research assistant” positions were established approximately 20 years ago. These positions were originally part-time, but eventually became full-time positions – which, quite frankly, has never been justifiable. Effectively, we have for some time been in this situation where taxpayer dollars are supporting political operations. Our current City Manager deserves credit for finally recognizing at least some of this impropriety. He should really take it a step further and recommend that the City Council make use of a larger shared staff working, perhaps, out of the City Clerk’s Office, and hired entirely on the basis of qualifications for the job without any political considerations. And pigs may soon be flying over Cambridge.

July 13 - Two new City Council candidates pulled papers today: Carrie Pasquarello, 230 Upland Rd., 02140 and Peter Hsu, 70 Gore St. #2, 02141. Marc McGovern, Joan Pickett, and Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler have now submitted sufficient (provisionally) certified signatures to appear on the November ballot.

July 12 - Incumbent David Weinstein pulled papers for School Committee.
Sumbul Siddiqui, Ayesha Wilson, Paul Toner, and Cathie Zusy for City Council and Bobby Travers for School Committee have now submitted sufficient certified signatures to appear on the November ballot.

July 11 - One new School Committee candidate today - Alborz Bejnood, 166 Auburn St., Apt B, 02139.

July 10 - School Committee incumbents José Luis Rojas Villarreal and Caroline Hunter pulled nomination papers today as did new candidate Bobby Travers. That makes three incumbents who have now pulled papers. Fred Fantini is not running, and Ayesha Wilson is running for City Council, so that leaves David Weinstein as the only incumbent who has not yet pulled papers.

July 9 - As has been anticipated for several months, Quinton Zondervan has announced that he will not be seeking reelection. This leaves 6 of the 9 incumbents who will be seeking reelection.

July 5 - 7 more candidates for City Council and 1 more candidate (sort of) for School Committee pulled nomination papers on the 2nd day of availability (as of 4:40pm).

July 3 - 11 candidates for City Council and 1 candidate for School Committee pulled nomination papers on the 1st day of availability.

June 30 - Another new City Council candidates has filed paperwork with OCPF - Joan Pickett, 59 Ellery St. #1, 02138.

June 27 - As has been rumored for some time, Fred Fantini has now stated that he will not be seeking reelection to the Cambridge School Committee.

June 27 - School Committee member Ayesha Wilson (15 Concord Ave., 02138) has filed paperwork with OCPF as a candidate for City Council.

June 26 - Another new City Council candidates has filed paperwork with OCPF - Adrienne Klein, 7 Beech St. #308, 02140, currently Mayor Siddiqui’s “Director of Constituent Services”.

June 16 - Another new City Council candidates has filed paperwork with OCPF - Ayah Al-Zubi, 18 Inman St. #1, 02139, a recent Harvard graduate.

June 14 - As has been expected for many months, Dennis Carlone has announced that he will not be seeking reelection.

June 12 - Another new candidate filed paperwork today with OCPF - Vernon K. Walker, 165 Main Street, #1205.

June 8 - As expected, Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler has announced that he will again be a City Council candidate in 2023 seeking to regain the seat he lost in 2021.

June 1 - I just heard that Alanna Mallon announced that she will not be seeking reelection. Meanwhile, Peter Hsu of 70 Gore Street has filed the paperwork with the Office of Campaign & Political Finance as a candidate for City Council.

Who has been raising and spending money? [Feb 2, 2022 - Aug 1, 2023, 3:45pm] (source - Mass. Office of Campaign and Political Finance)
[more expenditure reports pending monthly bank reports]

2023 Cambridge Candidate Pages     Calendar of 2023 Election-related events

Preview and Postview - June 26, 2023 Cambridge City Council meeting

Here’s the rundown of interesting agenda items before the players run away:

BEUDO

Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Proposed Clarifications to Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance Amendments discussed at the June 12, 2023 Council Meeting. (CM23#191) [Manager’s memo] [June 22 BEUDO Amendment – clean version] [June 22 BEUDO Amendment – redline version]
pulled by Zondervan; Rules suspended 9-0 to bring forward Unfinished Business #5, Communications & Reports #3; BEUDO Proposal amended 9-0 with CDD language; Amendment by Mallon, Simmons, Toner, and McGovern re: hardships w/hospitals, large health/elder care facilities, and houses of worship (CR#3) - Nolan objects (with a speech), Carlone objects, Siddiqui objects, Amendment Fails 4-5 (AM,MM,DS,PT-Yes; BA,DC,PN,QZ,SS-No); Proposed Amendment to remove residential apartment buildings from Councillors Toner, McGovern and Simmons - Nolan objects (with a speech asserting that at some point the BEUDO restrictions will be made to apply to all residential buildings all the way down to single-family homes, calls those who disagree fear-mongers); Azeem doesn’t like fact that condo owners contacted but not renters; Carlone questions CDD and Ms. Rasmussen explains that all residential buildings will eventually be targeted - especially at any point of sale, time of lease, or time of renovation - with deadlines; Zondervan objects to amendment; Siddiqui asks CDD if they have additional recommendations, Farooq explains why CDD wants to include apartment buildings but exclude condo buildings; City Manager calls this doable, yet quotes use of RECs (Renewable Energy Credits) in Boston - a tax that can be used as a workaround when non-compliant; Toner wants to exclude all large apartment buildings with presumption that they will be addressed soon; McGovern says they'll go after a single-family home BEUDO mandate soon enough; Nolan asks if dorms would be covered; Farooq talks of voluntary inclusion of dorms by universities [recess], CDD proposes change to campus definition; Toner amendment Fails 4-4-1 (BA,AM,MM,PT-Yes; DC,PN,QZ,SS-No; DS-Absent); CDD Amendment Approved 9-0; On Rules Suspension to allow Simmons to vote on previous (Toner) amendment it is noteworthy that DC,PN,QZ,SS voted against suspension in order to prevent Simmons from casting her (deciding) vote, suspension prevails 5-4; Simmons recorded as Yes, so Toner amendment Prevails 5-4 (BA,AM,MM,PT,DS-Yes; DC,PN,QZ,SS-No); Nolan amendment Approved 9-0; Zondervan proposed amendment to move Net Zero deadlines up to 2025 and 2030 for New Covered Buildings; Nolan expresses appreciation of proposal and desire that no new building use fossil fuels; CDD expresses reservations about amendment and its aggressive standard, challenges buildings will have in meeting this standard - noting the use of “carbon credit” and other compliance taxes as workarounds; Azeem says this is all new to him and hard for him to support tonight, suggests referring to committee along with his desire to have BEUDO apply to all residential buildings; Mallon not supportive of amendment; Zondervan moves to refer his amendment to Ordinance Committee, Mallon objects to referral and suggests including this in discussion of Fossil-Free Demonstration proposal; McGovern notes that electric grid currently maxed-out and 85% fueled by fossil fuels (which makes all of this downright comical); Carlone cries crisis again; City Manager suggests that Council should do a better job at process of policy-making - either pass BEUDO now as it is and save Zondervan proposal for a later day, or delay passage of BEUDO; Motion to refer Zondervan amendment to Ordinance Committee Prevails 5-4 (BA,DC,PN,QZ,SS-Yes; AM,MM,PT,DS-No); Siddiqui confused about suspension of the rules (clearly motivated by those who did not want Simmons to be allowed to vote); Glowa explains that while a 2/3 vote needed for suspension of the rules, in this case it was technical difficulties on part of Simmons that prevented her from voting; McGovern notes how offensive it would be to prevent Simmons from voting in order to have your way; Toner notes that the recess was partly responsible for the difficulties; Azeem notes that councillors should be generous toward their colleagues; Nolan coldly says that we should follow our rules (really cold, and typically manipulative from Councillor Nolan); Zondervan wants to redo the vote on suspension; Simmons speaks of collegiality. Siddiqui calls for Reconsideration on previous motion to suspend rules - Reconsideration Prevails 7-2 (Carlone, Nolan - No); on Third Attempt, Toner amendment Prevails 6-3 (BA,DC,AM,MM,PT,DS-Yes; PN,QZ,SS-No); They screwed up yet again because of Carlone’s inattention, so another Reconsideration - Prevails 9-0; on Fourth Attempt, Toner amendment Prevails 5-4 (BA,AM,MM,PT,DS-Yes; DC,PN,QZ,SS-No); Simmons, Toner, McGovern, Zondervan, Carlone, Mallon, Nolan, Azeem, Siddiqui speeches; On Final Ordination of BEUDO as Amended: 8-0-0-1 (Simmons - Present); Reconsideration Fails 1-8 (Simmons - Yes); Mgr #2 Placed on File 9-0; Comm & Reports #3 Placed on File 9-0

On The Table #5. Proposed amendment to BEUDO. [Tabled – June 12, 2023]
Removed from Table 9-0; Placed on File 9-0

Unfinished Business #6. Ordinance entitled “Building Energy Use,” Chapter 8.67 of the Municipal Code of the City of Cambridge Building Energy Use Disclosure and Emission Reductions BEUDO (Ordinance 2021-26). [Passed to 2nd Reading June 5, 2023; To Be Ordained on or after June 26, 2023]
BEUDO Proposal amended 9-0 with CDD language; Amendment by Mallon, Simmons, Toner, and McGovern re: hardships w/hospitals, large health/elder care facilities, and houses of worship (CR#3) Fails 4-5 (AM,MM,DS,PT-Yes; BA,DC,PN,QZ,SS-No); Toner amendment to remove residential apartment buildings Prevails 5-4 (BA,AM,MM,PT,DS-Yes; DC,PN,QZ,SS-No); On Final Ordination of BEUDO as Amended: 8-0-0-1 (Simmons - Present); Reconsideration Fails 1-8 (Simmons - Yes); Mgr #2 Placed on File 9-0; Comm & Reports #3 Placed on File 9-0

Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Vice Mayor Mallon, transmitting proposed amendments to the Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance.   Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Toner, Councillor Simmons
Placed on File 9-0

Late Policy Order #8. Policy Order re: creating a BEUDO Compliance Advisory Committee.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toner
comments by Simmons; Charter Right - Azeem

The word on the street is that some version of BEUDO has the simple majority votes needed to pass. This really should be renamed “Building Energy Use Mandatory Retrofit Ordinance” (BEUMRO) or something similar because this is no longer just about “disclosure”.

Manager’s Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a Fossil Fuel Free Demonstration pilot. [Fossil Fuel Free Council Submission for June 26 2023] [225 CMR 24.00 (Updated)5.10.23] [Model Rule - Fossil Fuel Free Demonstration Project 5.10.23]
pulled by Zondervan; Rules suspended 9-0 to bring forward Charter Right #1 (with modified language); Comments by Zondervan, Toner, Simmons, Carlone, McGovern (on claims that “celebrity chefs” support this - really?), Nolan (who claims that there has been outreach over many years in support of this - really?, and also equates this with worker health?); Rasmussen (CDD) claims that outreach is being done and that she would like this to be ordained at Summer Meeting; Substitute Language Approved 7-2 (DS,PT-No); Passed to 2nd Reading 7-1-0-1 (Toner - No, Simmons - Present); Referred to Ordinance Committee 7-1-0-1 (Toner - No, Simmons - Present)

Charter Right #1. Fossil Fuel-Free Demonstration Pilot. [Charter Right – Zondervan, June 12, 2023]
Substitute Language Approved 7-2 (DS,PT-No); Passed to 2nd Reading 7-1-0-1 (Toner - No, Simmons - Present); Referred to Ordinance Committee 7-1-0-1 (Toner - No, Simmons - Present)

As the proposal states: “the Fossil Fuel-Free Demonstration is to restrict and prohibit new building construction and major renovation projects that are not fossil fuel-free.” This basically would mean that unless large wind turbines sprout up and massive solar arrays cover the city, all new buildings will be forced to rely on an increasingly unreliable electric grid. I can’t even get Eversource to restore the feed to my building that failed over 8 years ago, so Good Luck Cambridge!

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following person as a member of the Foundry Advisory Committee (FAC). This appointment is for a term of three years; Jameson Johnson.
Appointment Approved 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following persons as members of the Community Preservation Act (CPA) Committee. These appointments are for five years: Elaine DeRosa, Kathy Watkins, Taha Jennings, and David Lyons.
Appointments Approved 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of the following persons as members of the Community Benefits Advisory Committee. These appointments are for three years; Anya Bear and Elena Sokolow Kaufman.
Appointments Approved 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #14. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointments of the following persons as a members of the Planning Board. These appointments are for five years; Mary Lydecker, Ashley Tan, Tom Sieniewicz, Adam Westbrook, and Diego Macias.
pulled by Siddiqui; Appointments Approved 9-0

I would love to learn more about the criteria used to select the new Planning Board appointees. I still recall the Government Operations Committee meeting last year where councillors expressed concerns about possibly embarrassing an appointee by exercising their new veto power in open session. It was suggested at that time that they might prevent such discomfort by privately communicating their concerns to the City Manager outside of any open meetings. I have no idea if that’s how things are now playing out, but I do worry that for significant appointments such as the Planning Board, adherence to the agenda of a political group could well be the hidden test.

Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to an order requesting the rescission of the remaining amount [$2,600,000] of the loan order authorized by the City Council on May 23,2016 for the construction of the King Open/Cambridge Street Schools & Community Complex.
pulled by Siddiqui; Order Adopted 7-0-1-1 (Azeem - Absent; Simmons - Present)

Manager’s Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-60, regarding the review of the Parking Permit Program.
pulled by Toner; comments by Toner, Simmons, Azeem, Nolan; additional clarification from Brooke McKenna; Placed on File 9-0

This addresses the abuse of the Resident Parking Permit Program that had vehicles being rented out on a peer to peer car sharing model as part of a business enterprise. Nothing like using our dwindling supply of on-street parking to run a car rental business. Enough!

Manager’s Agenda #13. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report #23-29, regarding the legal opinion for issuing bonds for affordable housing.
pulled by Zondervan; comments by Zondervan (It’s not a hard “No”), Nolan; clarification by City Solicitor Nancy Glowa (It is a hard “No”); Placed on File 9-0

I can hear the hearts breaking among councillors who would like nothing better than to dip even further into the pockets of residential and commercial taxpayers to the tune of the half billion dollars that had been suggested. Solicitor: “Therefore, given that there is no general statutory authority to borrow for the purpose of affordable housing, if the City wishes to borrow for such purpose and does not want to do so under the specific statutory authority available under Chapter 44B, the City would be required to seek special legislation.” I can almost hear the fingers tapping on the keyboards drafting yet another Home Rule Petition to gather dust on Beacon Hill.

Manager’s Agenda #15. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board report recommending that the City Council not adopt the Franklin, et al., Zoning Petition.
Referred to Petition 9-0

Among other things, the Planning Board report has this to say: “Board members were unsure as to whether the proposed zoning changes would actually have the effect of reducing housing costs. Board members expressed concern that the proposed changes could have the opposite effect, resulting in the creation of more high end units, as the development potential of the parcels would also be increased. There was also some doubt expressed about whether the dimensional standards proposed were the “right ones”, and Board members expressed support for studying the proposed standards in greater detail to understand if they would complement the existing, prevailing development pattern in many parts of the City.” … “Many Board members felt that the Petition was too broad-brush to be particularly effective. Board members agreed that an overhaul of the City’s zoning should be accompanied by detailed study and a more robust public involvement process than what exists in a public hearing process as part of a zoning petition.” – True that.

Manager’s Agenda #16. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to PO23#49, regarding the review of multi-family properties on the market for potential affordable housing acquisitions.
pulled by Carlone; remarks by Carlone, Chris Cotter (CDD Housing), Nolan; Placed on File 9-0

The Manager’s communication is worth the read, but at some point everyone should take a step back and consider what the net effect and unintended consequences of this and related proposals (AHO on steroids, real estate transfer tax, dedicating 10% of the entire City Operating Budget, etc.) might be. It’s hard to “Envision”.

Manager’s Agenda #17. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to an update on Summer Programs. [text of report]
pulled by Simmons; comments by Simmons; comments by Liz Speakman (Community Safety Department), Ellen Semonoff, City Manager Huang, Carlone; Placed on File 9-0

RELEASING NAMES OF OFFICERS AND USE OF FORCE

Manager’s Agenda #18. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 23-37, regarding a Policy of Releasing Names of Officers and Use of Force. [text of report]
pulled by Zondervan; mumbling comments by Zondervan (wants to know when inquest will be completed, wants to know why officer names cannot be released); clarification by Police Commissioner Christine Elow, City Manager Huang, City Solicitor Glowa (notes that restriction by court applies to release of officer names); Placed on File 9-0

The Party for Socialism & Liberation kids will not be pleased. The adults in the room will continue to honor due process.

Manager’s Agenda #19. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to request that the City Council vote to designate the members of the Charter Review Committee as special municipal employees pursuant to G.L. c. 268A.
pulled by Siddiqui; clarification by City Solicitor Glowa; Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Mallon - Absent)

I don’t get this. These are volunteers.

Charter Right #2. Golf Course Demographic Information PO. [Charter Right – Zondervan, June 12, 2023] (PO23#117)
comments by Zondervan (who invokes “racism”), Nolan, Toner, Simmons (what will we do with this information?); Order Adopted 5-4 (BA,DC,PN,QZ,SS-Yes; AM,MM,DS,PT-No)

As I said two weeks ago: “I don’t really know how we got to the point of recording racial and other characteristics of people who choose to play golf. This is madness. Let’s also not forget that City Council Order from January 2022 that suggested closing part of the golf course in favor of such things as high density affordable housing development. That original Order was proposed by Councillors Nolan, Carlone, Zondervan, and Azeem.”

MATH IS GOOD

Charter Right #3. That the City Manager is requested to amend the Cambridge Math Circle budget up by $100,000 annually. [Charter Right – Toner, June 12, 2023] (PO23#118)
comments by Toner, Carlone, Mallon; Rules suspended to bring forward Comm & Reports #2; Mallon objects to this Order because “other nonprofits” not getting this funding; comments by Simmons, McGovern, Nolan, Siddiqui, Carlone (who notes that Council was OK with asking for add’l funding for CHA), Azeem; Order Adopted 5-4 (BA,DC,PN,QZ,SS-Yes; AM,MM,DS,PT-No)

Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Councillor Dennis Carlone, transmitting a document with supplementary information about Cambridge Math Circle. (COF23#114)

Charter Right #4. City Council support for MIT GSU’s right to a fair contract. [Charter Right – Toner, June 12, 2023] (PO23#119)
comments by Toner, Zondervan (accusing Toner of being a “union buster”), McGovern, Simmons; Toner Proposed Amendments (striking several “WHEREAS” clauses) Fail 2-7 (DS,PT-Yes); Order Adopted 8-0-0-1 (Toner-Present)

177 Communications - mainly AHO and Bike Lanes

Resolution #12. Congratulations to David J. Kale on his retirement from the City of Cambridge.   Councillor Toner, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone

I’ll miss seeing David around City Hall, but I hope to see him around town so that we can continue our regular conversations about baseball (and occasionally municipal finance and other crunchy topics).

Order #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the Law Department to review the proposed amended ordinance language and to work with the Law Department and the Historical Commission to provide an explanation of the legal standard that is used to compel changes or deny projects reviewed by the Historical Commission or Neighborhood Conservation District Commissions and report back to the full City Council by Aug 7, 2023.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Carlone - Absent)

I continue to have serious concerns about the efforts of some activists to eviscerate historic preservation in this historic city.

“ENABLING” LEGISLATION

Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to issue an RFP calling for an agency that will lead the City through a community process with all stakeholders that will include community education, feedback, location possibilities, and potential legal issues as it relates to Overdose Prevention Centers.   Councillor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan, Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Carlone - Absent)

Committee Report #1. The Human Services and Veterans Committee held a public hearing on Tues, June 13, 2023 from 3:00pm-5:00pm to discuss Overdose Prevention Sites, previously referred to as Safe Consumption Sites. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 8-0-1 (Carlone - Absent)

Councillor McGovern wants desperately to site such a facility in the heart of Central Square. As I have often said at various meeting regarding the future of Central Square: “We should plan for the Central Square we would like to see in the future, and not around those things we feel we are stuck with in the present.” You can change the names all you like, but this is basically a Drug Abuse Enabling Center.

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant departments, local business associations, and local businesses to communicate to all retail businesses operating in Cambridge to encourage them to keep doors closed when operating cooling systems and inform them of other energy saving tools.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Carlone - Absent)

What, no mandate? No ordinance? No fine?

Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to consider measures to improve the Cycling Safety Ordinance Business Impact Study.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern, Vice Mayor Mallon
pulled by Toner; comments by Nolan; Charter Right - Toner

Translation – Please pay no attention to what residents and businesses are actually saying and experiencing.

Order #6. That the Human Services & Veterans Committee hold a public hearing to discuss options for addressing the situation at Central House.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted, Referred to Human Services & Veterans Committee 8-0-1 (Carlone - Absent)

FYI – “Central House” is the Central Square YMCA building.

Order #7. That the City Council go on record in enthusiastic support of H.R.1433, the Philippine Human Rights Act, and in urging Representatives Katherine Clark and Ayanna Pressley to co-sponsor the existing bill.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone
pulled by Nolan; comments by Zondervan; Charter Right - Zondervan

Councillor Azeem announced recently that he would no longer be voting for foreign policies Orders such as this one. Regardless of sentiments expressed in Orders such as this, they really have no place in the Sullivan Chamber. - Robert Winters

Late Resolution #16. Condolences to the family of Saundra Graham.   Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Toner
comments by Simmons, McGovern; Resolution Adopted 8-0-1 (Carlone - Absent)

Late Resolution #18. Resolution on the death of Norman Thomas McIver.   Councillor Toner
Resolution Adopted 8-0-1 (Carlone - Absent)

Comments?

New Video Series Opens With Focus on Cambridge’s Charter Leading to Plan E

The Cambridge City Charter: From Town Meeting to Plan E premiered on Monday, May 15 at 5:30pm on CCTV Channel 9 and is now viewable on YouTube.

Created by a multi-generational team of writer-narrators John Pitkin and Robert Winters, both long-time Cambridge residents, and director Gregorio Leon, a 2016 graduate of CRLS and Emerson College, the video is introduced by WGBH’s Jim Braude. The Cambridge’s City Charter: From Town Meeting to Plan E combines historical documents, images, maps, and statistics to present a provocative half-hour overview of Cambridge’s first 94 years as a city and the origins of the current Plan E charter.

The episode examines our shared history through the lens of the City Charter and local elections. It shows how the Town Meeting style of government became impracticable and led to the consolidation of Old Cambridge, the neighborhood around Harvard College, with the villages of Cambridgeport and East Cambridge to create the city of Cambridge, chartered by the Commonwealth in 1846. The half-hour video presents a provocative and visually engaging review of the expansion of Cambridge as bridges linked Old Cambridge to Boston in the 18th and early 19th century, as migration drove population growth, suffrage expanded, and participation in local elections increased.

The second episode of Cambridge Civic View, now in production, will look at the 83-year history of the current Plan E charter. Since 1940, Plan E has defined our local government, given us the existing system of nine City Councillors with a City Manager as our chief executive, and established the ranked-choice proportional representation voting system used to elect our Councillors and School Committee.

Together, the first two episodes in the series will provide background and perspective on the issues facing Cambridge’s Charter Review Committee as it proposes changes to the Charter and for Cambridge citizens when they vote on whether to adopt proposed changes.

In November, Cambridge will elect a new City Council of nine at-large Councillors and a School Committee of six. Cambridge Civic View strives to engage and inform all residents, whatever their policy priorities and political values, on civic issues and how our municipal government and local democracy are working.

Cambridge’s City Charter: From Town Meeting to Plan E will be also be shown on CCTV Channel 9 (and on the web at https://www.cctvcambridge.org/channel-9/) at the following times: 4:30pm on Wed. May 17, 6:30pm on Fri. May 19, and 12:00pm on Sun. May 21 and is available for streaming from YouTube and for classroom use.

Comments?

BEUDO + AHO = Performance Art - a message from Patrick Barrett

June 11, 2023

Mayor Siddiqui and Cambridge City Council,

I am asking you to do a couple of things tomorrow night but first and foremost I ask that you attempt to take a look at the current state of our city. We are teetering on breaking into a billion dollar budget where our schools consistently underperform and nearly 8% of families have abandoned the system in just the last couple of years, small and large businesses are still failing at an accelerated rate burdened by excess pandemic debt and an ecosystem that has evaporated, Kendall Square is facing a 30% vacancy rate, drug dealers own Central Square emboldened enough to mug and strip a man naked in broad daylight for failure to pay a drug debt, and the general sense among those who do the work is that we are currently leaderless. Where in all of this is our City Council, Manager, and Department Heads? In truth many of you have little to no substantive connection to the City at all. Most of you do not have young or school aged children. Most of you do not now nor have you ever run a business in Cambridge. Most have not built the home they live in or any structure in Cambridge. Some have lived here generationally and that is terrific but we are talking policy and whether you’ve lived here for a day or seven centuries there are those with “skin in the game” and those that have none. Most, if not all of you, are activists each having their own area of “expertise” where the actual power to drive policy on these issues rests with the State or Federal government not the Cambridge City Council. Thus as stewards of the city you’ve very little that directly impacts you regarding schools, business, development, crime or even the lofty goals of your activism. Do any of you own or live in a BEUDO property? Are any of you currently on the waiting list for affordable housing? Do any of you have a child waiting to take algebra in 8th grade only to find out that has been taken off the table? I could go on for days ... this takes me to Monday night:

1) The AHO has always bothered me. It is a set of rules specially designed for a small group of developers with direct access to municipal funds that allows them to ignore anachronistic and obtuse zoning rules everyone else has to obey. If you are a homeowner and want to add additional bedroom or play room for your growing family it likely means a variance or special permit you’re never going to get but for the AHO developer there is no such impediment. It seems an odd result that home owners and property owners should face such steep headwinds for minor quality of life adjustments and that for a small group of developers they can simply do whatever they like. The amendment to the AHO is another reminder to me that when it comes to housing policy and zoning we really are just winging it. Anyone who builds anything (which is none of you currently on the Council) knows very well that 12-15 stories or infinity stories as previously contemplated is highly likely to produce nothing. Your current inclusionary zoning is so horribly broken your director of CDD is doing backflips to hide this fact. When San Francisco reduces from 25% to 12% and says it still doesn't work you can bet the same rules apply here or worse. Lastly, you received a communication from Susan Connelly last week that is the most coherent salient and informative communication I’ve ever read on the subject and you’d all be wise to read what she says and listen to her. 100% spot on. I hope you hit the pause button on this one and become a serious legislative body again. I do not care about heights, density, or anything else the so called NIMBY folk are accused of (the whole nimby v yimby game is another level of performance art) but I do care about results and like the 99.9% of Cambridge citizens who are not City Councillors it is baffling that we should face so many real immediate issues and yet you’ve chosen to not address any of them but instead have spent a year or more on what is essentially small town theatre.

2) BEUDO is another performative piece of legislation on the docket for Monday night. Will it reduce greenhouse gases in commercial and residential buildings? Of course not. The grid is 80-85% fossil fuel based and likely to stay so well past the 2030’s. CDD identified 20 buildings as the largest producers of GHGs in the city all of which are labs that will be exempt of gas hook up bans and are well capitalized enough to weather this new tax. Why focus on 20 buildings producing more than 50% of our GHGs when you can draft an incoherent set of rules that will devastate the least able to bear it? BUEDO will make residents and business owners rip out perfectly functional HVAC equipment, displace commercial and residential tenants, and further compress our economy during the worst commercial financing conditions of our time. This is obviously the work of people who do not trouble themselves with the details. Further, the amount of resources Eversource will now have to redirect to Cambridge will deny essential resources to other communities on the State’s 2050 timeline and create more havoc when the infrastructure we need rapidly needs to be located within our communities. You still haven’t even addressed the building to building or citywide infrastructure needed for any of this to work; unless of course this was all just about the tax. One billion dollar budget and you need a new tax? Really? Further, our 6.32 square mile billion dollar city will be pushing the remaining 10,559 square miles to the side so we can not only be “first” but the only one out in front of the State. This isn’t “green washing,” it’s “green bullying” and something as a City and as individual residents we should only feel shame in being a part of. To anyone watching, and there weren’t many, the entire “process” was a sham. CDD has ceased to adequately function for at least a decade now but their “work” on BEUDO highlighted a deep and powerful incompetence that I personally found stunning. However I think much like the Council, CDD is also primarily comprised of activists. Thus we have lots of policy and very little substance. In the end this will hurt any individual with a commercial or residential property swept up in a tax scheme they cannot comply with. In effect Cambridge is sending a message through this Council to pack up and leave ... only MIT and Harvard need apply. Message heard. In the meantime I ask that you vote Zondervan’s amendment down. CDD did not include it for good reason and what little policy was shaped by a transparent process with actual stakeholders ought to be preserved if for no other reason to not add more drama to the second act.

3) Gas Hook-Up ban. The final act in local theatre production is another light on substance heavy on pain for small businesses and especially those in the restaurant industry. I do not think there is anyone on the City Council who works in or owns a restaurant; yet another example of no skin in the game. We should absolutely NOT sign on the pilot program. We passed the specialized stretch code and we are about to pass BEUDO. We do not need any further constraints on small businesses. The pain of the pandemic which this Council absolutely exacerbated in yet another performative opera of incompetence is still very much with us. Restaurants will be feeling this pain for a generation. In Central Square only 11% of restaurants received any relief and even the ones that did closed. Gas hook-ups are essential to many different types of cuisine and are still industry standard though I do recall Councillor Nolan and Susan Rasmussen both stating the “high end” chefs prefer induction. I asked at the time for a source and am still waiting. It might be worth mentioning that induction stoves cost more, require specialized pots and pans, and are about 4-5 times more costly to fix ... I know I know ... details right? This type of prohibition was blocked by the Ninth Circuit court fought by a Restaurant lobby only a few short months ago. Lastly, the pilot will not affect medical facilities nor will it affect labs and that is how we know that this is yet another piece of performance art. Gas stoves are used by many Cambridge residents and chefs, and it’s hard to imagine in the home of Julia Childs we could be so neglectful to this industry. Do not approve this policy order and do not join this so called pilot program ... you’ve all done enough damage for one Monday.

There is so much more going on in our city besides affordable housing and regurgitated faux environmental policies that are currently failing everywhere they’ve been adopted. No matter what we do we cannot be “The First.” However we do have it within us to be The Model, but only if we pull back and get serious people in the room. We can get to better places on housing, environmental issues, crime/policing, and more but not with activists who only read the CliffsNotes nor a Community Development Department that is at its core broken. In the meantime please vote down Zondervan’s amendment and put the breaks on any AHO amendment to merge this policy with a comprehensive strategy that includes market rate housing and fixes inclusionary; a real housing policy for Cambridge. I would be remiss in not mentioning that this year will be C2’s tenth birthday. Ten years have passed since we had the chance to rezone and create thousands of new housing units in one of the last places in Cambridge to truly redevelop, but instead of working on that we push a bunch of nonsense that will produce nothing but distrust and enmity among residents; why? I'm not really much of a critic of the arts but this is absolutely the worst play I’ve ever seen.

PS: to those who act, perform, sing, and dance in actual theatre I love you and mean no harm.

Respectfully,
Patrick W. Barrett III

Grading on a Curve: The 2022-2023 Cambridge City Council

Jan 10, 2022:
Order to appoint a 20-25 person Cycling Safety Ordinance (from Dec 21, 2021);
Order to amend Alewife Overlay Districts 1-6 to insert a new section entitled Section 20.94.3 - Temporarily prohibited uses;
Chair of GovOps to serve as the City Council’s designee to coordinate with Randi Frank Consulting, LLC;
appointments to the City Council Committees

Jan 24, 2022:
Cambridge Net Zero Action Plan 2021- Update and Executive Summary;
Congratulations to Christine Elow on her appointment as Commissioner of the Cambridge Police Department;
Order opening up possiblility of other uses for golf course - Nolan, Carlone, Zondervan, Azeem;
Councillors Simmons and Toner to lead ad-hoc committee for the City Clerk and City Auditor positions;

Jan 31, 2022:
DePasquale memo on proposed amendments to the Municipal Code relative to recent charter changes;
report on potential modifications or adjustments to the recent improvements made on segment of Mass. Ave. from Dudley Street to Alewife Brook Parkway;
Mgr report on feasibility of creating a Cycling Safety Ordinance Advisory group;
Planning Board recommendations to not adopt the Cushing, et al., Zoning Petition and the Yamin, et al., Zoning Petition;
Ordinance Committee report on Yamin, et al., Zoning Petition;
Planning Board recommendation not to adopt the Francis Donovan, et al., Zoning Petition;
Resolution on retirement of David Albert - QZ votes NO;
Reintroduction of proposed Wage Theft Ordinance

Feb 7, 2022:
Zoning Ordinances of the City of Cambridge be amended to insert a new section 10.600, titled “On-Site Fossil Fuel Infrastructure” (killed Feb 28);
provide a legal opinion on whether the City Council can delegate the authority of curb cut approvals;
Order calling for eliminating all parking minimums in all residential zones;
Order calling for spending ARPA money on direct support for households and individuals;
Appoint Denise Simmons and Paul Toner as members of the City Clerk preliminary screening committee;
Municipal Code to add a new section titled “Article III Green Jobs.”
Article 22 of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Cambridge entitled “Sustainable Design And Development” to insert a new section
GovOps report on reviewing next steps in the City Manager search process;
Mayor Siddiqui appoints Fare Free Bus Pilot Working Group

Feb 28, 2022:
AAA rating from the nation's three major credit rating agencies;
Climate Resilience Zoning Task Force Report;
Zoning Petition from Craig A. Kelley regarding The Cambridge Transportation De-Carbonization and Congestion-Mitigation Bill;
support of potential Green Line extension to Porter Square;
amend all existing Community Host Agreements previously issued by the City by reducing the Impact Fee to 0.05% of Gross Revenue;
Proposed amendment to Chapter 2.78 of the Cambridge Code of Ordinance, entitled “Historical Buildings and Landmarks.”
Final Report of the Cambridge Advisory Committee on City Art, Monuments, & Markers

Mar 7, 2022:
report on reviewing Cambridge's contracts and purchases to identify vendors, manufacturers whose products used to perpetuate violations of International Human Rights Laws and Cambridge's policy on discrimination;
$730,000 from Free Cash for additional costs associated with the implementation of the Cycling Safety Ordinance;
update on status of planned implementation of cycling safety improvements in Porter Square;
disposition of property located at 35 Cherry Street to the Affordable Housing Trust;
Mallon Late Order to have City Manager explain the City's current policy regarding a remote work policy;
communication from Councillors Toner and Simmons regarding the search for the next City Clerk

Mar 21, 2022:
block rates for water consumption and sewer use for the period beginning Apr 1, 2022 and ending Mar 31, 2023;
Nolan auditioning for Purchasing Agent;
City Manager is requested to amend all existing Community Host Agreements;
direct the Community Development Department to immediately convene an Alewife Overlay District Zoning Proposal Working Group;
City Council supports H.3457/S.2309 in Mass. General Court re: regulation of e-bikes;
Mallon memo regarding updates on the City Manager search

Mar 28, 2022:
Manager/DCR communication re: Riverbend Park opening and potential expansion;
Petition requesting changes to the Cycling Safety Ordinance City Council;
support urging the Massachusetts Legislature and the residents of Cambridge to oppose House Bill 1234 and the proposed 2022 state ballot initiative;
Mallon, Nolan to work with Manager to appoint 3 senior City staff to screening committee for the City Auditor along with 2 other councillors

Apr 4, 2022:
pilot of SMART Box and SMART Pipe rodent control technology;
Amendment waiving dog license fees passed to 2nd Reading;
report from the Climate Crisis Working Group

Apr 11, 2022:
report on expediting the demolition and rebuilding permit process in the event of a natural disaster;
update on MassAve4 and request for approval for the approach and timeline for implementing separated bike lanes;
report on conducting a study to collect relevant economic data relating to business impacts from bike lane installations;
feasibility of purchasing property from Lesley University to address City goals;
recommendation from the Planning Board to adopt with additional considerations the Alewife Overlay Development Zoning Petition;
MBTA Communities Draft Guidelines presentation;
feasibility of implementing a program similar to NYC and any other ways to enforce the anti-idling law (bounty hunters);
consider a guaranteed income program that expands on Cambridge RISE and targets families in poverty in Cambridge ($22 million);
feasibility of providing all CRLS students free Charlie Cards

Apr 25, 2022:
Report regarding eliminating hostile architecture;
update from Planning Board on discussions of allowing Multifamily Housing citywide;
Amendment waiving dog license fees ordained 9-0;
Kelley zoning petition re-filed;
8 resolutions from Toner congratulating police officers - voted NO by Zondervan;
Request Manager Report on Boards and Commissions; 2 orders from Toner, Carlone, Simmons re: bike lanes fail 3-6 and 2-7;
consider smaller trash toters

May 2, 2022:
FY2023 submitted budget and appropriation orders & 7 loan orders;
$23,100,176 ARPA fund appropriation - Charter Right Zondervan;
Two Ordinance Committee reports re: Alewife Development Moratorium

May 9, 2022:
Manager response re: GLX project funding;
Manager response re: trash bin sizes;
Responses re: Alewife Moratorium proposed zoning amendments;
$23,100,176 ARPA fund appropriation;
Two Housing Committee reports re: raising the linkage fee rates

May 16, 2022:
Solicitor response to question raised at the May 9, 2022 Council Meeting concerning the Alewife Overlay Development Zoning Petition; Councillor Carlone notes that Alewife Triangle should not be included;
Order requesting info on progress on the Terminal Road connection (Alewife Quadrangle);
Zondervan, Carlone Order to allocate the remaining ARPA funding across community-serving applicants - Charter Right QZ;
drafting and finalization of the questions for the interviews of the City Clerk finalists;
drafting and finalization of the questions for the interview of the City Auditor finalists

May 23, 2022:
Special Meeting to unanimously appoint Joseph McMann as City Auditor and Diane LeBlanc as City Clerk - both for three-year terms;
appropriation of $11,000,000 from Free Cash to support major capital improvements at the Danehy Park Complex;
QZ, DC Order to allocate the remaining ARPA funding amended to reduce to $10.5 million; referred to Finance Committee mtg 2 days later which was then cancelled;
Linkage fee Petition Referred to Ordinance Committee and Planning Board;
Alewife Moratorium amended 5-4 (DC - NO) to exclude Triangle; Ordained 9-0;
drafting and finalization of the questions for the interview of the City Manager finalists;
Simmons Order to limit the blocking off of Memorial Drive to vehicular traffic to Sundays (Charter Right - Toner);
endorsing the establishment a Massachusetts Public Bank;
confer with City departments and gather community input to draft report on the impacts of the MBTA Bus Network Redesign;
Deputy City Clerk Paula Crane be appointed interim City Clerk as of June 1, 2022;
Government Operations, Rules and Claims Committee report on new guidelines for Boards and Commissions appointments;
Health and Environment Committee report on “Article III Green Jobs”

June 6, 2022:
City Council voted 8-1 to select Yi-An Huang as the next City Manager;
Special Meeting to negotiate an interim Acting City Manager contract on behalf of the City Council with Owen O’Riordan;
amendments to the Truck Safety Ordinance limit the blocking off of Memorial Drive to vehicular traffic to Sundays - TABLED;
FY2023 submitted budget and appropriation orders Adopted
Patrick Barrett remarks on BEUDO
Simmons Order to “develop a standardized, transparent, and cohesive community engagement plan for the entire, department-wide municipal government.”;
Creation of an Ad-Hoc Committee (Siddiqui, Mallon, Nolan, Toner) for reviewing and selecting self-nominated residents and stakeholders to be on the Charter Review Commission;
Zondervan motion to amend budget to reduce Police Dept. to $68,731,130 Fails 1-8 (QZ - YES);
Siddiqui communication about the Charter Review Committee

June 13, 2022:
Planning Board report with no positive or negative recommendation on the Craig Kelley, et. al. Zoning Petition;
Planning Board recommendation to adopt, with additional comments, the Emissions Accounting Zoning Petition;
second Progress Report due under the Cycling Safety Ordinance;
$49,000,000 to provide additional funds for the construction of the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools;
eminent domain - 689 Massachusetts Avenue: $11,551,208 + $2,212,349 + $2,750,000;
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;
Sundry communications were received, regarding the Bike Lane Lawsuit;
work with DCR and all relevant City departments to expand Memorial Drive closures in the summer and fall of 2022

June 27, 2022:
Louis DePasquale last meeting;
appropriation and authorization to borrow $4,500,000 for design, renovations to 105 Windsor Street (Charter Right - Zondervan);
Modify open space covenants w/Boston Properties in MXD;
$49,000,000 for Vassal Lane School finalized;
Congratulations to Louis A. DePasquale on his retirement;
Congratulations to James P. Maloney on the occasion of his retirement;
Congratulations to Arthur Goldberg on his retirement;
Congratulations to James Monagle on his retirement;
Direct $5 million to Traffic Calming, Traffic Signals and Vision Zero infrastructure;
plan for piloting more Harvard Sq. street closures for pedestrianization;
Two late abortion-related Orders;
ordinance amending Parking minimums and maximums referred to Planning Board and Ordinance Committee

July 5, 2022:
approve a contract with Owen O’Riordan as Acting City Manager

July 20, 2022:
vote on City Manager Huang’s contract;
Discuss Ad Hoc Charter Committee’s recommendation for a chair and appoint Kathleen Born as Chair

Aug 1, 2022:
report on funding received through the housing linkage program;
Affordable Housing Overlay Annual Report report on options to update the HomeBridge and Homeownership Programs;
extend authorization for City Manager to grant street obstruction approvals for sidewalk/street until June 30, 2023;
105 Windsor Street $4,500,000 appropriation order Tabled 9-0;
Lotsa retirements: Cheryl DePasquale, Maryellen Carvello, Thomas Riordan (DPW);
Order to ban Sale of Fur Apparel Products;
Order requesting to establish Task Force on Cambridge’s African American/Black Residents; Black Men and Boys Commission;
Incentive Zoning Program Data;
free bus service;
E bike delivery program;
NLTP, Human Services, Ordinance Committee (BEUDO) reports;
Climate Change Working Group report;
Fare Free Working Group report;
communication re: appointments to Charter Review Committee

Sept 12, 2022:
Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC) for FY2023;
Planning Board report with negative recommendation on the Accessory Parking Requirements Zoning Petition;
Resolution on the death of Peter Valentine;
Health and Environment Committee to hold a public hearing to discuss the issue of PFAS;
refer zoning petition regarding lab use to the Ordinance Committee and Planning Board - Charter Right, referred to committee;
Committee reports re: Linkage, parking minimums

Sept 19, 2022:
legal opinion on questions regarding proposed amendments to the Cannabis Business Permitting Ordinance;
death of Elie Yarden;
City Council go on record thanking Chief Gerard Mahoney for his service;
Order requesting to convene a North Massachusetts Avenue Corridor District Zoning Proposal Working Group;
Order to review and revise the Cambridge Street Code

Oct 3, 2022:
communication from Yi-An Huang re: Chief People Officer, Director of Community Engagement, Director of Emergency Management;
Planning Board report with a recommendation not to adopt the Incentive Zoning Rate Increase Petition;
Tax rate Hearing;
Cambridge Chamber of Commerce regarding joint Business/Institutional BEUDO letter;
Revised Cambridge Street Code order (Toner);
Elim. Parking minimums passed to 2nd Reading

Oct 17, 2022:
Linkage fee increased from $20.10 to $33.34/sq ft with exemptions;
Zoning Petition from Suzanne P. Blier, et. al - Harvard Square Zoning Petition, modification regarding frontage of financial institutions;
communication from Joan Pickett re: status of the citizens’ petition signed by 97 registered voters living on or near Brattle Street;
Resolution re: renaming Vassal Lane Upper School;
Simmons Order Seeking Development Analysis;
Government Operations, Rules & Claims Committee - potential changes to the City Council Rules

Oct 24, 2022:
report on Boards and Commissions;
3 rules changes proposed, including requirement for a second.
Policy Order Seeking Development Analysis - Tabled;
Removal of Parking Minimums Ordained 8-1 (Carlone NO);
Fur Sales Ban Ordained 9-0

Oct 31, 2022:
Toner motion to Place Kelley Petition on File fails 4-3-1-1;
Zoning Petition received from Patrick Barrett et al. North Mass Ave BA-5 Zoning District;
Petition Zoning Petition from Duane Callender (really Zondervan/Totten), et al. - Cambridge Lab Regulation Zoning Amendment;
Order asking City Solicitor to research questions re: requiring name/address during public comment;
Order to schedule a Roundtable meeting on Municipal Broadband;
Zoning petition re: quicker nexus study Passed to 2nd Reading

Nov 7, 2022:
Solicitor rejects proposal for fund designed to assist those City employees in same-sex marriages with paying for surrogacy services;
Planning Board report with a recommendation to adopt the Incentive Zoning Rate Study Petition, with clarifying changes;
MANY communications re: Garden Street and Brattle Street bike lanes and traffic changes;
Policy Order Regarding Traffic Flow on Garden Street;
Order to Ban Turns on Red Citywide;
Order to provide free MBTA Pass to all City employees;
Roundtable on Broadband scheduled (Nov 28);
Order asking for Capitol Projects Finance Meeting;
Order endorsing Revised MBTA Bus Redesign

Nov 14, 2022:
Climate Resilience Zoning Draft;
Charter Right item re: traffic flow on Garden Street, 85 out of 87 Communications re: Garden Street;
Order calling for Improved Marketing for Green Plus Cambridge Community Electricity;
Order calling for extending Outdoor Dining Policy;
Gov't Ops. On Rules Changes;
Health & Environment Committee - amend draft Net Zero Action Plan, accelerating timelines

Nov 21, 2022:
Manager response re: continuing the outdoor dining season and considering the extension of the reduced fee schedule;
Cambridge Redevelopment Authority to identify spaces in Central Square that would support the creation and protection of cultural and human services;
Municipal Property Inventory;
$ for Central Square area;
municipal property needs assessment and planning study;
resuming the use of the city-owned water supply on Nov 19, 2022;
review of the proposed language for Ordinance #2022-18, the Incentive Zoning Rate Study Petition;
14 Rules changes;
Amendments to the Affordable Housing Overlay - outrage, referred to committees;
Order requesting Workforce Housing Special Tax Assessments Zones;
Charles Sullivan regarding the Proposed Friendly Amendments to Ch. 2.78, Art. III;
Health & Env. Committee Report on water;
NLTP report on Neighborhood Conservation District Citizen’s Petition

Nov 28, 2022:
Roundtable - Municipal Broadband

Dec 5, 2022:
Home Rule Petition for a special act regarding a fire cadet program;
Planning Board report with a recommendation to adopt the Emissions Accounting Zoning Petition (Version 3) with clarifying comments;
Planning Board Zoning Petition to consider adoption of the attached Climate Resilience Zoning;
City Manager’s 90 Day Report;
Manager communication to suspend the Saturday closures of Memorial Drive between Greenough Boulevard and Western Avenue for the remainder of this year;
provide at least one vaccine clinic in December which will provide gift cards to residents who receive a COVID19 vaccination or booster;
work with the appropriate departments to conduct street cleaning without towing starting with the 2023 season;
Gov't Ops report on City Manager’s Annual Evaluation process

Dec 12, 2022:
Roundtable - Open Space Planning and Programming

Dec 19, 2022:
$ for purchase of water from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA);
appropriation of $700,000 for purchase of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) testing equipment;
appropriation of $9,812,215.88 from Free Cash to other categories consistent w/DOR protocoals;
changing the name of the City’s Climate Protection Action Committee’s (“CPAC”) to the “Cambridge Climate Committee.”;
Planning Board recommending adoption of the BZA Stipends Zoning Petition;
Planning Board report recommending adoption of the Suzanne Blier, et al., Zoning Petition;
to discuss strategies to mitigate and reduce overflow and cut through traffic (Garden St.);
death of Sheila Doyle Russell;
Information requests re: BEUDO, tree canopy;
Econ Dev report on BEUDO;
Human Services report re: Central Square;
Ordinance Committee report on BEUDO passed to 2nd Reading

Jan 9, 2023:
fatal officer-involved shooting in Cambridgeport;
Planning Board report recommending that City Council not adopt the Patrick Barrett, et al., Zoning Petition;
Planning Board report recommending that the City Council not adopt the Duane Callender, et al., Zoning Petition;
Cambridge Net Zero Action Plan 5-Year Review and Update;
Stretch Energy Code and Specialized Energy Code;
appointment of Vivek Sikri, Kimberly Kaufman, and Kathryn Carlson to the Cambridge Traffic Board;
possible ordination - Emissions Accounting Zoning Petition;
Zoning Petition from Douglas Brown regarding Amending Article 4, 5 and 8 incrementally modernizing residential zoning;
direct the Law Department to research whether the Barrett et al. petition would need to be refiled should there be a Letter of Commitment attached to the rezoning;
Expanding Municipal Employee Benefits Home Rule Petition;
Law Department to examine the Citizen’s Petition submitted by Suzanne P. Blier;
committee reports on Lab Ban #1, BZA Compensation, Citizen’s Petition submitted by Suzanne P. Blier, Community Safety Department and integration with HEART

Jan 18, 2023:
Special Meeting (Part 1) on Faisal shooting, Police Policies, Procedures

Jan 23, 2023:
report on feasibility of banning turns on red signal indications;
report on feasibility of conducting street cleaning without towing;
money for design of a transportation connection between Terminal Road and Wheeler Street;
Planning Board report recommending that the City Council adopt the Climate Resilience Zoning Petition;
Lotsa communications on Brown Zoning Petition and Faisal shooting;
Order asking to determine the feasibility of purchasing the property located at 37 Brookline Street;
Ordinance Committee reports on Barrett Petition and Callendar Petition

Jan 25, 2023:
Special Meeting (Part 2) on Faisal shooting, Police Policies, Procedures

Jan 30, 2023:
Roundtable w/School Committee

Feb 6, 2023:
bar on repetitive petitions;
Police Review and Advisory Board quarterly reports;
itemized statement of all materials, tools, and property owned by the Cambridge Police Department;
possible ordination of Removing the Limit on BZA Compensation;
Resolution on the death of Alice Wolf;
proposed BEUDO language to change the net zero deadline from 2050 to 2035 - Zondervan;
begin process of obtaining police body worn cameras for the Cambridge Police Department;
direct Police Commissioner Elow to work on providing publicly-accessible traffic stop, arrest and citation police data;
convene a meeting on Police Budget including body camera discussion;
look into the feasibility of automated traffic enforcement in Cambridge;
direct the Police Commissioner to explore additional less-than-lethal alternatives;
engage a third party, independent firm/consultant or university partner to review and examine the Cambridge Police Department’s policies and practices;
Apr 13, 2022 Ordinance Committee report on proposed ordinance number 2022-2, Charter Change Municipal Code Amendments;
Apr 20, 2022 report on continued public hearing on proposed BEUDO amendments;
Government, Operations, Rules, and Claims Committee wants more control over other Boards;
Jan 26, 2023 Ordinance Committee report on proposed Climate Resilience Zoning;
Diane LeBlanc, City Clerk, regarding the Douglas Brown Petition

Feb 13, 2023:
Final Landmark Designation Report for the Maria Baldwin-Alvaro Blodgett Houses;
Final Landmark Designation Report for the Cambridge Gas-Light Company Building;
Order asking to work with the residents at 931 Massachusetts Avenue to identify and provide a short-term parking spot;
legal opinion on the Doug Brown petition;
Free School Meals For All Students;
ensure the continuation of Riverbend Park closures on Saturdays and Sundays;
Policy Order Regarding Police Details - Toner
HOME-ARP Public Process [$2.3 million in additional ARPA funds]

Feb 14, 2023:
City Council/School Committee Roundtable

Feb 27, 2023:
report from CDD and the Law Department containing clarifying edits to the Climate Resilience Zoning Petition;
legal Opinion on whether the Barrett, et al. petition would need to be refiled;
2023 Goals and Metrics for the Annual City Manager Performance Review;
Executive Session to discuss the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property;
Amendments to Riverbend Park closures Order;
Amended Policy Order Regarding Police Details;
automated traffic enforcement Order adopted as amended;
Ordinance 2022-2 Chapter 2.02 entitled “City Council” ordained;
Flood Resilience Standards Ordained as Amended;
Re-Filed Kelley Petition;
support An Act to Promote Yes In My Backyard;
Harvard Square Zoning Petition as amended be sent to the full City Council with no recommendation;
Callender Petition and Policy Order 2022 #161 to the full City Council with a negative recommendation;
amended proposed Policy Order regarding Labs and Neighborhood Planning to the full City Council
work with Eversource re: infrastructure required to move Cambridge toward electrifying the city

Mar 6, 2023:
convening a North Mass Avenue Corridor District Zoning Proposal Working Group;
extra $40,000 for Charter Review Committee;
AAA ratings;
Annual Surveillance Report;
Emissions Accounting Zoning Petition ordained as Amended;
Retirement of Robert Steck, Sam Corda; Death of David Leslie;
provide language that would amend the Patrick Barrett et al. North Mass Ave BZ-5 Zoning District Petition;
support of the Tenant Protection Act HD.3922/SD.2368;
feasibility of municipally-funded housing vouchers;
City Manager requested to fund the HEART initiative and negotiate a contract for services with HEART;
ensure multi-family properties on the market are reviewed as quickly as possible as potential affordable housing acquisitions

Mar 20, 2023:
Police Commissioner Elow memos on bodycams and review;
block rates for water consumption and sewer use;
Allocation Plan for Cambridge’s HOME-ARP funds;
summary of a Planning Board Meeting on the 2022 Town-Gown Reports and Presentations;
municipal broadband feasibility study;
Ordain Green Jobs 9-0;
Michael Monestime et al. regarding Outdoor Use Zoning Petition for the Central Square Cultural District;
supporting Enabling Legislation for a Real Estate Transfer Fee 9-0;
Policy Order for Garden Street Accommodations

Mar 22, 2023:
Special Meeting w/Presentation from Charter Review Committee Order to give 6-month extension: Charter Right - Zondervan

Apr 3, 2023:
Revised Response to Proposed Amendments to Ch. 2.78, Art. III (Neighborhood Conservation District and Landmarks Ordinance);
Garden Street Safety Improvement Project local traffic analysis;
extension of time for the Special Committee/Charter Review Committee;
Patrick Barrett et al. North Mass Ave BA-5 Zoning District Petition Ordained as Amended 6-3;
139 Communications, esp. Garden St., HEART, AHO;
Request legal opinion which clarifies the state law on zoning petition signature requirements;
amend Rules 38.6, 32B, and 12 to align the City Council Rules with the decision made in Barron v. Kolenda;
Ordinance Committee Report on Chapter 2.78 Historical Buildings and Landmarks, Proposed Ordinance #2022-11;
Housing Committee report on potential amendments to the Affordable Housing Overlay;
Legal Opinion on Recent Supreme Judicial Court Case Regarding Public Comment

Apr 10, 2023:
cricket field in one of the Cambridge parks (Larch Road) and Zondervan Towers;
communication from DCR to the City regarding Memorial Drive closures;
City Manager 2023 Quarter One update;
146 Communications, mainly BEUDO, Garden Street;
Appointment of City Manager Performance Review Ad Hoc Committee;
Request legal opinion on the earliest possible date that potential changes to the charter could be voted on by the electorate;
formally request DCR to reconsider its decision to not close Memorial Drive on Saturdays;
NLTP committee report on potential amendments to the Affordable Housing Overlay;
Finance Committee report on FY24 Police Department’s budget

Apr 24, 2023:
appointment of members of the the Mass. Ave. Partial Construction Working Group;
report regarding exploring additional less-lethal alternatives;
Communication from Joan Pickett - Analysis of Cycling Safety in Cambridge Under the Cycling Safety Ordinance;
working group to conduct outreach in order to discuss and review options for use of the BB&N Field;
develop a policy that would lead to a ban on the use of gas-powered lawn equipment in Cambridge;
Michael Monestime Outdoor Use Zoning in the Central Square Cultural District passed to 2nd Reading

May 1, 2023:
FY2024 submitted budget and appropriation orders (9.9% increase in Budget), $167 million in Loan Orders;
needs assessment of the Danehy Park and recommendations for improvements; and irrigation updates;
Planning Board report with no positive or negative recommendation on the Michael Monestime et. al. Zoning Petition;
Zoning Petition from Ian Ferguson, et al. regarding Pitched Roofs;
Zoning Petition communication from Marie Elena Saccoccio, regarding Proposed Amendments to Ch. 2.78, Art. III.;
promptly draft a zoning petition to be considered for filing by the City Council, based upon the proposed Affordable Housing Overlay amendments now before the Housing Committee;
produce final draft ordinance language for the BEUDO amendments;
Econ. Dev. Committee report on practical impact of various city policies, regulations and ordinances on commercial and residential development and construction projects

May 8, 2023:
Final Landmark Designation Report for the Charles Hicks Saunders House;
Webster Ave. friendly eminent domain taking - Charter Right;
Proposed Cannabis zoning amendment;
Planning Board report with no positive or negative recommendation on the Kelley et. al. Zoning Petition;
update on Afterschool care;
update on the development of the City of Cambridge Community Safety Department;
Order requesting information on Kelley et al. Zoning Petition;
Order to determine the feasibility of purchasing available property from Lesley University to address City goals;
Order re: Online Publication of Legal Notices;
BEUDO Ordinance Committee reports

May 15, 2023:
update concerning the property at 333 Webster Avenue;
Webster Ave. eminent domain taking voted;
Order requesting to fund and implement the grant proposal for a community-scale geothermal heating and cooling system in Cambridge;
Order asking to initiate a planning process to determine the use of several parcels of land along Webster Avenue to accomplish Envision goals;
Order asking for petition(s) to lower speed limit as much as possible on all state highways that fall within Cambridge;
Zondervan Order to establish policy of releasing names of officers involved in any use of force incident - QZ Charter Right

May 22, 2023:
third annual Cycling Safety Ordinance (CSO) Progress Report;
Alewife Overlay District: Quadrangle (AOD-Q) Zoning Petition and Design Guidelines;
Toner Substitute Order re: releasing police officer names adopted 5-4 (AM,PT,QZ,SS - No);
QZ Order for Home Rule Petition regarding electing the Police Review and Advisory Board Fails 1-8;
Order requestion Law Department to provide opinion on whether the City could fund affordable housing construction through a bond issue

June 5, 2023:
amendments to the FY24 Submitted General Fund Budget (and corresponding Orders);
CDD memo re: amendments to the Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance - passed to 2nd Reading;
Loan Authorizations Adopted;
Zondervan motion to reduce the Police budget and defund Shotspotter Fails 2-7 (QZ,SS-Yes);
FY24 Budget Adopted;
Order asking to have Affordable Housing Trust budget to be 10% of the overall City budget - Adopted 6-3 (DC,PN,PT - No);
Order requesting further study on the proposed changes by the Franklin Petition;
Order calling for joint hearing re: effectiveness and recommendations on methods to collect data and establish measurable benchmarks and standards for Cycling Safety Ordinance;
Order for legal opinion on using traffic cameras to inform motorists of traffic violations, dangerous actions without issuing any citations

June 12, 2023:
proposed structure for the Cambridge Community Electricity program (CCE) for the period 2024-2025;
CDD potential amendments to the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO); referred as CC Zoning Petition to Ordinance & Planning Board;
Craig Kelley et al. Zoning Petition ordained;
Charter Review Timeline Legal Opinion, Request answer to several questions related to the timeline on voting a possible charter change;
establishment of a Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) Stabilization Fund w/$10,000,000 from Free Cash;
$1,000,000 from Free Cash for technical assistance in assessing and implementing the City’s BEUDO for new and existing City-owned buildings;
$250,000 from Free Cash for conditions assessment and preliminary feasibility study for 119 Windsor Street;
Amended CSO study Order adopted;
Proposed amendment to BEUDO;
Fossil Fuel Free Demonstration Pilot;
Golf Course Demographic Information Policy Order;
Automated Enforcement Home Rule Petition adopted

June 26, 2023:
BEUDU (BEUDERO) ordained with Toner amendment to remove residential apartment buildings
Fossil Fuel Free Demonstration pilot - Passed to 2nd Reading, referred to Ordinance Committee
legal opinion for issuing bonds for affordable housing
Planning Board appointments: Mary Lydecker, Ashley Tan, Tom Sieniewicz, Adam Westbrook, and Diego Macias
Planning Board report recommendation to not adopt Franklin, et al., Zoning Petition
Police Commissioner response on Releasing Names of Officers and Use of Force
Congratulations to David J. Kale on his retirement from the City of Cambridge
Death of Saundra Graham
Committee report on Overdose Prevention Sites a.k.a. Safe Consumption Sites