Cambridge InsideOut - Jan 3, 2023
Possible Topics:
2) Review of 2022 City Council actions, reactions, and inactions
3) Looking Ahead at 2023
4) Passing of Sheila Doyle Russell
Love and Elections
Reflections and notes from long ago
5) Dec 19 Cambridge City Council meeting
8) Catching Up on the (Official) Cambridge News
Jan 3, 2022 - The newly inaugurated 2022-23 Cambridge City Council today unanimously elected Sumbul Siddiqui as Mayor for the 2022-23 City Council term. The vote for Vice Chair (traditionally referred to as Vice Mayor) was 5-2-2 for Mallon-Simmons-Nolan. Alanna Mallon again elected Vice Mayor.
| EVENT | BA | DC | AM | MM | PN | SS | DS | PT | QZ | RESULT |
| Ballot #1 for Mayor | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | SS | Siddiqui 9-0 |
| Ballot #1 for Vice Chair | AM | PN | AM | DS | PN | PN | DS | DS | PN | Nolan 4, Simmons 3, Mallon 2 |
| Siddiqui switch to Mallon | AM | PN | AM | DS | PN | AM | DS | DS | PN | Nolan 3, Simmons 3, Mallon 3 |
| Zondervan switch to Mallon | AM | PN | AM | DS | PN | AM | DS | DS | AM | Mallon 4, Simmons 3, Nolan 2 |
| McGovern switch to Mallon | AM | PN | AM | AM | PN | AM | DS | DS | AM | Mallon 5, Simmons 2, Nolan 2 |
BA=Burhan Azeem, DC=Dennis Carlone, AM=Alanna Mallon, MM=Marc McGovern, PN=Patricia Nolan, SS=Sumbul Siddiqui, DS=Denise Simmons, PT=Paul Toner, QZ=Quinton Zondervan
The Mayors of Cambridge (1846 to present)
The City Clerks and City Managers of Cambridge
Note: Later in the day, the newly inaugurated School Committee chose Rachel Weinstein (a.k.a. “Member Rachel”) as its Vice Chair who will be responsible for naming members and Chairs to the various subcommittees of the School Committee.
Jan 17, 2022 – City Manager Louis A. DePasquale today announced Christine Elow has been named the permanent Commissioner of the Cambridge Police Department. She has served as the Acting Police Commissioner since August 2021 when she took over for Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr., who accepted an opportunity at Johns Hopkins Institutions. Elow becomes the first woman to lead the Cambridge Police Department since its inception in 1859.
“Over the last six months, I have worked closely with Acting Commissioner Elow, and her leadership, contributions, and collaborative spirit throughout this unprecedented time have been nothing short of impressive,” City Manager DePasquale said. “Ms. Elow has clearly demonstrated to the public and to me that she is the right person to lead the Cambridge Police Department. I am pleased to appoint Christine Elow as the permanent Commissioner for the Cambridge Police Department.”
Elow said, “My entire career has been dedicated to serving the Cambridge community. I grew up in Cambridge and love working in this city. Now, I look forward to building off what we have started since I was named Acting Police Commissioner and am truly honored to have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lead the department. I will remain committed to bringing change and transformation to public safety and working collaboratively with the community. I plan on doing everything I can to help CPD advance its mission and continue to serve as the model for policing in Massachusetts and the country.”
“Acting Commissioner Elow has earned the opportunity to lead the Cambridge Police Department on a permanent basis,” Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui said. “She is an exemplary role model and has gained my trust and the trust of many in the community through her leadership, integrity, and distinction. As a native Cantabrigian, Christine Elow has a lifelong commitment to our community, and I look forward to working with her in her new role.”
City Councillor E. Denise Simmons said, “I commend our City Manager for formally appointing Christine Elow as the permanent Commissioner of the Cambridge Police Department. Commissioner Elow was born and raised in Cambridge, she has worked hard and risen up through the ranks, and she truly understands this community. She has never forgotten where she has come from, and she understands the importance of forging strong, respectful relationships within the community she serves. I'm thrilled to have a woman of color serving as a powerful, positive example to the many young girls of color living in Cambridge. It is important that the diversity in our leadership positions reflects the diversity in our community, and it leads to better, more responsive policy-making. This is a truly good day for the City of Cambridge.”
Elow has been with the Cambridge Police since joining as an officer in 1995 after serving in the U.S. Navy for four years. She served in the Patrol Division and oversaw the Professional Standards Unit, where she was responsible for receiving, processing, and investigating complaints made against members of the Department. She later served as Deputy Superintendent for Day Patrol and Community Services. In 2017, Elow was appointed Superintendent, making her the highest-ranking female officer in the history of the Department. She is a strong proponent of community-driven policing, juvenile justice issues, procedural justice, police training and innovative hiring practices. Elow holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Curry College and a Master's Degree from the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security Program.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Elow was sworn-in at a private ceremony at the Cambridge Police Department.
Jan 18, 2022 – Under the Plan E Charter, the Cambridge City Council directly hires only 3 people - The City Manager, the City Clerk, and the City Auditor. There is currently a search process underway to identify a successor to City Manager Louis DePasquale when his contract ends on July 5, 2022. City Clerk Anthony Wilson informed the City Council in September that he would be leaving his position when his contract ends on May 31, 2022. Now City Auditor Jim Monagle has informed the City Council that he will be retiring from his position at the end of his contract - also on May 31, 2022.
Dear City Council,
After serving as City Auditor for the past 20 years, I am writing to inform you that I plan to retire at the end of my current term, which expires on May 31, 2022. It has been a tremendous honor to serve as City Auditor. I am proud of my record of providing independent and timely oversight of the City's finances and operations. Working closely with the Council, administration, and my team, I have carried out my duties to ensure that City's programs are executed legally, efficiently, and effectively. It has been a pleasure working for the City Councils during my tenure.
The role of City Auditor is not always well understood by the public because most of an auditor's work takes place behind the scenes and is buried in detailed financial reports. The staff of the Auditing Department works tirelessly to promote an honest, effective, and fully accountable City government. The collaborative nature of the auditing team and the passion each employee brings to their role plays a critical role in safeguarding against potential fraud or misuse of City resources. My staff's attention to detail is responsible for the timely creations of the City's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Schedule A, and Per-Pupil Report. These documents play a crucial role in providing financial information to the City Council, City Manager, the investment community, the state and federal governments, and the residents of Cambridge.
I have been fortunate to have worked with so many incredibly talented and dedicated staff during my tenure, and I want to thank each of them. I also want to thank the three City Managers I have worked with and each City department. The City Administration has always been collaborative, hardworking, and dedicated to serving the residents of Cambridge.
I want to thank the City Council for placing your trust in me and your dedication to your constituents and the City.
James Monagle
City Auditor
| Committee | Members |
| Ordinance | McGovern (Co-Chair), Zondervan (Co-Chair), Azeem, Carlone, Mallon, Nolan, Siddiqui, Simmons, Toner (committee of the whole - mayor ex-officio, quorum 5) |
| Finance | Carlone (Co-Chair), Nolan (Co-Chair), Azeem, Mallon, McGovern, Siddiqui, Simmons, Toner, Zondervan (committee of the whole - mayor ex-officio, quorum 5) |
| Government Operations, Rules, and Claims | Mallon (Chair), Carlone, Nolan, Simmons, Toner (5 members, quorum 3) |
| Housing | Simmons (Chair), Azeem, Carlone, Mallon, McGovern (5 members, quorum 3) |
| Economic Development and University Relations | Toner (Chair), Azeem, Mallon, Nolan, Zondervan (5 members, quorum 3) |
| Human Services & Veterans | McGovern (Chair), Azeem, Mallon, Toner, Zondervan (5 members, quorum 3) |
| Health & Environment | Nolan (Chair), Azeem, Carlone, McGovern, Zondervan (5 members, quorum 3) |
| Neighborhood and Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Art, and Celebrations | Carlone (Chair), Mallon, McGovern, Nolan, Zondervan (5 members, quorum 3) |
| Transportation & Public Utilities | Azeem (Chair), McGovern, Nolan, Toner, Zondervan (5 members, quorum 3) |
| Civic Unity | Simmons (Chair), Carlone, Mallon, Toner, Zondervan (5 members, quorum 3) |
| Public Safety | Zondervan (Chair), Azeem, McGovern, Nolan, Toner (5 members, quorum 3) |
The Mayor shall serve as ex-officio member of all committees of the City Council.
Today's meeting of the City Council's Government Operations, Rules & Claims Committee primarily focused on the proposed calendar for the City Manager search process and some discussion of how the Screening Committee that would select the priority candidates and finalists might be formed. The significant of the latter cannot be overstated. If any great candidates cannot get past the screening committee then nobody will have a chance to evaluate those candidates, and the City Council will only be able to choose from the pool of candidates recommended by the Screening Committee – unless, of course, they go with former City Councillor Tim Toomey's advice that “it only takes 5 votes” to select a candidate even if that person is not in the pool of those who survived the screening.
The City Council and the City Administration often claim to be quite transparent in all that they do – even in the Zoomy Pandemic World – even though many people would beg to differ. One person during public comment even remarked that it wasn't at all obvious how to even access the agenda of this meeting. True or not, the point is that the City Council and its committees as well as the City Administration really need to be MORE transparent, and simply saying that information is included in the City's updates or posted somewhere on the City website isn't really enough. One need only consider some of the chatter about bike and bus lane implementation to understand that just because public information exists that doesn't necessarily translate into transparency or engagement.
Anyway, here is the agenda and the schedule discussed at today's meeting. There does seem to be a heavy tilt toward “advocacy groups”. My sense is that there may be a need for public engagement outside of the parameters prescribed by this committee or the firms hired to assist in the search process. - RW
Government Operations Rules & Claims Committee - Jan 25, 2022 Agenda
- Timeline presentation & adoption
- Focus groups & Town Halls
- Employee engagement
- Screening Committee
- City Staff liaison
PotentialFocus Groups: (amended Feb 17)
- Non-profit community leaders
- Affordable Housing providers
- Senior Resident Representatives
- CRLS Students
- Homeless Shelter providers
- Small Business owners
- Racial Justice Organizations (renamed)
MBK, Equity Road Map, The Black Response/HEART, Families of Color Coalition- Environment and Climate Leaders (renamed)
Environment (Green Cambridge, Mothers Out Front, Public Planting committee, Friends of Riverbend Park, Charles River Conservancy, Friends of Riverbend Park, Magazine Beach Park)
[it was suggested that CRWA, 350 Mass, and Sunrise Cambridge be added]- Cambridge Public School and Community School Parents (modified, renamed)
Community School parents- Arts Community
- Transportation Advocates (renamed)
Transportation (Cambridge Bike Safety, Transit Advisory, Bicycle Committee, Pedestrian Committee, Friends of Grand Junction)- Faith based community (Cambridge Black Pastors Alliance, other faith leaders)
- ACT/CHA Tenant Council (renamed)
- Public School Staff & administrators
- Disability Community (added)
- Non Market Rate Housing Residents (renamed)
Low Income Housing residents- Unhoused Residents
- Neighborhood Associations (Part 1: East/Port/Mid/C-port): ECPT, WEHA Neighborhood Association, MCNA, Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association, Port Neighborhood Association
- Neighborhood Associations (Part 2: North/West/Alewife/Highlands): Fresh Pond Residents Alliance, Cambridge Highlands Neighborhood Association, Maria Baldwin/Agassiz Neighborhood Association, Porter Square Neighborhood Association, Harvard Square Neighborhood Association, North Cambridge Stabilization Committee
- Immigrant Community (new)
Note: The following categories were dropped from the original list:
- Business Association ED’s/Chamber of Commerce/Cambridge Local First
- University Relations
- Cambridge Anti-Racism, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee (employee group)
- Board and Commissions members
Town Halls:
- Cambridge resident and stakeholder
- Cambridge municipal employees
Screening Committee composition:
(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
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).
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
Mar 21 communication from Chair Mallon of Gov't Operation Committee:
Dear City Council colleagues,
I am pleased to share the following updates on the City Manager search. We have since moved on from the community engagement portion of the search timeline, which culminated in the creation of the leadership profile, or job description. (As discussed at last week’s Government Operations meeting, we have made a slight adjustment to the timeline, but are still on track to complete our search by mid-June.) During the month of February we received community and employee feedback through:
• Employee Town Hall
• Employee Survey
• Department Head Meetings with Randi Frank
• 15 minute Employee drop-in sessions with Randi Frank
• 20 focus groups through Cortico
• Over 4,000 unique pieces of feedback from 700+ residents and stakeholders on the coUrbanize site
A first draft of the leadership profile was presented to the (gov ops committee members?) and public at the Mar 2nd Government Operations, Rules, and Claims committee meeting, where committee members suggested feedback and edits. To allow enough time for these edits to be made, a follow-up committee meeting was scheduled for Mar 9th and the final leadership profile was presented and approved. This editing process ultimately moved the timeline back by one week, but we are currently in the process of recruiting applicants with the profile. To capture a wide variety of applicants, both with traditional and non-traditional experience, Randi Frank LLC is distributing the leadership profile to a wide array of organizations around the country and world. For a complete list, click here.
While Randi Frank and her team receive applications, we need to identify an Initial Screening Committee to review candidates during the first round of interviews. The (Initial) Screening Committee will be made up of 15-19 individuals who are interested in playing yet another vital role in the City Manager search process, and ultimately help decide who moves on as a finalist. For those who need it, financial assistance, language translation (ESOL/ASL), and a brief interview skills workshop will all be available through our search partner, Randi Frank LLC. Those who are interested will need to be available from 9am – 5pm on the following dates:
Wednesday, May 4
Thursday, May 12
Friday, May 13
Applications will be accepted until 5:00pm on Thursday, Mar 31st.
Please access the application form here.
I encourage you all to share the self-nomination form with your networks and community as we want to capture a diverse array of Cambridge voices to be part of this next step in the process.
I will continue to keep you informed and updated on the progress of the search. As always, you can check the City’s dedicated webpage and subscribe to the coUrbanize site for updates sent right to your inbox.
Thank you, Alanna Mallon, Vice Mayor
Initial Screening Committee for the City Manager Search Finalized (Apr 14, 2022)
| Brian Burke - Resident Advocate Kathleen Moore - Resident Advocate Susan Fleischmann - Resident Advocate Banti Gheneti - Resident Advocate Mo Barbosa - Health & Human Services Representative Rachel Weinstein - Cambridge School Committee Representative Christine Elow - Public Safety Advocate Michael Monestime - City Planner |
Vernon Walker - Non Profit Representative Thomas Lucey - Higher Education Representative B. Kimmerman - Large Business Representative Jason Alves - Small Business Representative Elaine DeRosa - Affordable Housing Advocate Chris Cassa - Arts/Recreation Advocate James Kaufman - Municipal Finance Representative |
Feb 23, 2022 – The City of Cambridge today announced that due to the sustained improvement to the City’s COVID-19 metrics over the past month, Cambridge will lift its mask requirement for indoor public places effective at 11:59pm on Sunday, March 13, 2022. Cambridge has seen a steady decrease in reported cases, test positivity, and COVID-19 virus detection in the City’s municipal wastewater monitoring program. Additionally, according to data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 92% of residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 76% of residents are fully vaccinated, and 45% have received a booster dose.
Effective Monday, March 14, 2022, the City of Cambridge will follow the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s mask advisory for vaccinated and unvaccinated residents consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s mask guidance and will not require the use of face masks in indoor public places in Cambridge.
Residents are encouraged to follow the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and CDC recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated people, and businesses are reminded that they may continue to require the use of face masks inside their establishments if they wish.
Consistent with the City’s phased approach to reopening City buildings and programs, masks will continue to be required for all employees and visitors in municipal buildings, regardless of vaccination status, through Sunday, March 27, 2022.
The updated Emergency Order Requiring Use of Face Masks in Indoor Public Places is available here.
Many people will still choose to wear masks in certain places and situations after the mask requirement ends, and the Cambridge Public Health Department has provided information on finding high-quality masks. In addition, masks continue to be required on public and private transportation and in healthcare facilities and other specified settings.
All residents are encouraged to get vaccinated and are reminded that the City of Cambridge provides free daily COVID-19 testing at various sites across the city. Appointments and additional information about the testing program are available at www.cambridgema.gov/testing.
For more information and regular COVID-19 updates, visit www.cambridgema.gov/covid19 to sign up for daily City email updates.
There was an Ordinance Committee meeting on April 13 “to conduct a public hearing on Ordinance #2022-2 charter change municipal code amendments.” At this meeting the following language was proposed by the City Solicitor and amended by the City Council:
Be it ordained by the City Council as follows:
That Cambridge Municipal Code Chapter 2.02 entitled “City Council” shall be amended by the addition of the following two sections:Section 2.02.090 Annual Review of City Manager’s Performance
A. As provided in G.L. c. 43, § 116(a) the City Council shall prepare and deliver to the City Manager an annual written performance review of the City Manager’s performance.
B. The annual written performance review shall address the City Manager’s performance during the prior year and the
issueswork that the City Council would like to beaddressedperformed by the City Manager in the following year.
C. The written report of the annual performance review of the City Manager conducted by the City Council should be based upon written information submitted to the City Council by the City Manager in the regular course of the business of the City, and upon an oral performance review meeting conducted individually or severally by and between the City Councillors and the City Manager.
DC. The annual written performance review shall be completed and delivered to the City Manager by no later than March 30 of each year and shall encompass the City Manager’s performance during the preceding calendar year.Section 2.02.100 Special Committee to Review the City Charter Every Ten Years
A. As provided in G.L. c. 43, §116(b), no later than July 1 in each year ending in 2, beginning in 2022 and every 10 years thereafter, the City Council shall establish a special committee tasked with reviewing the City Charter and recommending any proposed changes the special committee deems necessary or desirable.
B. The special committee shall:
(i) be made up of
[NUMBER]12-18 of registered voters of the City, not currently holding any elective officein the City;(ii)
include [NUMBER][be made up of members selected by an ad hoc committee of four councillors appointed by the Mayor]of special committee members appointed by the Mayor, [NUMBER] of special committee members appointed by the City Manager, and [NUMBER] of special committee members appointed by the Superintendent of Schools;(iii) hold all of its meetings in accordance with the requirements of the Open Meeting Law and keep written minutes of all meetings which shall be submitted to and approved by the special committee at its next meeting;
(iv) hold
not less than [NUMBER] ofduly posted and advertised public meetings to seek input from members of the community on whether any changes to the City Charter should be made and the reasons why any proposed changes would be desirable, the beneficial effects that any such changes would have upon the electorate and the community in general, and the beneficial effects that any such changes would have upon the reasonable operation and effectiveness of City government;(v) submit a written report to the City Council within one (1) year of its appointment, unless the special committee seeks an extension of the one-year period for enumerated reasons stated by the special committee and the City Council approves the requested extension of the one-year period by majority vote. The written report shall include any charter changes the special committee recommends as necessary or desirable by a two-thirds vote of the special committee, and shall include the reasons for the recommended changes to be made and the anticipated effects of the changes as set forth in subsection (iv) above; and
(vi) dissolve once it files its written report with the City Council.
C. Action on any proposed Charter changes shall be as authorized by law.
Both sections (as amended) were forwarded unanimously to the full City Council with positive recommendations.
City Manager's Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the FY2023 submitted budget and appropriation orders.
Here's a spreadsheet showing how things have changed from last year, from 2 years ago, and from 18 years ago.
Here's an alternate version that shows proposed vs. actual and projected budgets.
The biggest changes:
Mayor's Office budget increased 29.7% - reasons unknown
Election Commission budget increased 23.7% - likely related to costs of Early/Mail-In Voting
Human Rights Commission budget increased 32.1% - reasons unknown
Peace Commission budget increased 20.2% - reasons unknown
New budget category for “Community Safety” with a proposed budget of $2,874,570 - Details
Overall City Budget increase of 7.2% over FY2022 Adopted Budget
Loan Authorizations increased from $83,910,865 to $159,900,000 [Note: it was $275,300,000 in FY2021]
Apr 28, 2022 – I am expecting the City of Cambridge FY2023 Budget Summary to be included in the City Council’s May 2 meeting materials available later today. I am especially interested in what the document says about the proposed new “Community Safety” budget category and whether this includes patronage funding for the “HEART proposal” that has been advocated by several political entities. My main question is whether any allocation for a purpose such as this is subject to M.G.L. Chapter 30 (Uniform Procurement Act) which would require competitive bidding from qualified vendors for services such as this. I am hopeful that the City administration will propose a better model that works in conjunction with the Cambridge Police Department.
The full FY2023 Budget Book should be available on Monday, though it might be available online before that. Budget Hearings start May 10.
10:30pm Special Meeting of the City Council to conduct interviews and potentially appointment the next City Auditor and City Clerk. (Sullivan Chamber and Zoom)
The candidate for City Auditor is Joseph McCann. The candidate for City Clerk is Diane LeBlanc.
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber and Zoom)
Note from Councillor Toner regarding City Clerk search: We received 32 applicants for City Clerk. We invited 10 for interview. 8 accepted interview. We invited 4 back for second interview. We selected 2 very strong candidates as finalists to bring to the full City Council for consideration and a vote. One of the finalists decided to withdraw their name at the last minute before we were about to go public. The selection committee felt confident in moving forward with our remaining finalist. I am proud of the process we conducted and I think we have a great final candidate. I hope the rest of the City Council agrees. If not they can vote to start the process all over again. [Late Communication]
May 18 – The screening process is complete and the candidates are now down to a short list. If the current schedule holds, there should be public meetings for community interviews and City Council interviews in early June followed by a vote of the City Council to formally appoint their new City Manager.
6:00pm Special City Council Meeting to interview candidates for the Office of City Manager (Sullivan Chamber and Zoom)
The City Council will conduct public interviews with the four finalists: Iram Farooq, Cheryl Fisher, Yi-An Huang, and Norman Khumalo
Cambridge City Manager Search 2022 Cambridge City Manager Leadership Profile (final revision of job posting)
The City Clerks and City Managers of Cambridge
To: Cambridge City Council
From: Sumbul Siddiqui, Mayor
Date: May 19, 2022
Subject: Communicating information regarding the City Manager finalists
To the Honorable, the City Council:
The City Manager Initial Screening Committee, Co-Chaired by City of Cambridge Personnel Director Sheila Keady Rawson and me, announced the names of the four finalist candidates being forwarded to the entire City Council for consideration.
The finalists are:
Iram Farooq - Ms. Farooq is currently the Assistant City Manager for the Community Development Department (CDD) in the City of Cambridge since 2015. Prior to that, she served as Chief of Policy & Planning in CDD and as a Senior Project Manager for Land Use & Zoning starting in 1999. Ms. Farooq has a Master’s in Landscape Architecture with special emphasis on Land Planning from Harvard University.
Cheryl Fisher - Ms. Fisher is currently the City Solicitor for the City of Chelsea, MA since 2003. She served as Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Cambridge from 1999-2003. Prior to that, she served as Assistant Regional Counsel II for the Department of Social Services for the Commonwealth of MA and a Field Attorney for the National Labor Relations Board in Boston. Ms. Fisher has her Juris Doctor (Law degree) from Boston College.
Yi-An Huang - Mr. Huang is currently the Executive Director of Boston Medical Center (BMC) Hospital Clinical Operations since 2021. Between 2018 and 2021 he served as Chief Transformation Officer and Senior Director - Population Health Analytics for the BMC Health Plan. From 2013 to 2018 he served as Senior Director of Clinical Operation, Director of Strategy and Senior Project Manager for the BMC Hospital. Mr. Huang has a Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard University.
Norman Khumalo - Mr. Khumalo is currently the Town Manager of Hopkinton, MA since 2009. He served as Assistant Town Manager of Westford, MA from 2002-2009, and served for 6 months as Interim Town Manager. Prior to that he served as a Town Planner, Planner and Transportation Project Manager in Massachusetts. He also served from 1993 to 1997 with Oxfam America in the Boston office, and served in the Planning Field in Zimbabwe. Mr. Khumalo has a Master’s in Public Administration from Carleton University, Canada and a Master’s in Regional & Urban Planning from the University of Zimbabwe.
A “Meet the Finalists” forum will be held on Tuesday, May 31st, 2022, from 6-9 p.m., in the Fitzgerald Auditorium at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, 459 Broadway, where members of the public will have an opportunity to meet and hear each finalist’s vision for the City and answer questions. On Wednesday, June 1st, beginning at 6:00 p.m., in the Sullivan Chamber, 2nd floor of Cambridge City Hall, the City Council will conduct public interviews with the four finalists.
The City Council is expected to vote to appoint the next City Manager during a Special City Council Meeting on Monday, June 6th. Each meeting will be broadcast on 22-Cityview or Channel 99, and can also be live-streamed online on Zoom.
The Initial Screening Committee was appointed by an ad-hoc committee of the City Council and was composed of 15 community members reflecting citywide constituencies, and four City Council members. Randi Frank, LLC the Executive Search Firm hired to assist with the recruitment and hiring process, presented candidates for the committee’s review. This position attracted a diverse group of close to 30 candidates. The Initial Screening Committee conducted an in-depth review of 10 candidates held on May 12th and 13th.
The interviews performed by the Initial Screening Committee were preceded by close to 20 recorded community focus groups, feedback received through our dedicated search website, and resident and employee Town Hall meetings, all of which led to the development of a leadership profile used during the recruitment phase. I am grateful to all who have participated in the City Manager Search Process and encourage all residents to attend the upcoming meet and greet session.
Additional information about the City Manager search process can be found www.cambridgema.gov/CityManagerSearch.
Respectfully,
Mayor Siddiqui
May 31 – I have traveled cross-country many times and I can tell you that there are two distinct ways to do so (other than means of travel, e.g. hitchhiking, riding the Dog (Greyhound bus), driving a VW Bus alone, driving a VW Bus with a friend, etc.). The first way is to carry a camera and record all sorts of things (or a phone for all you thoroughly modern Millies). The other way is to just experience it - no camera. I'm glad for the times I brought my camera, but I generally have a greater fondness for the trips I simply experienced (including getting arrested for armed robbery, but that’s another story that we need not get into here - though I can tell you it was a case of mistaken identity).
So tonight I went to the “Meet the Finalists” forum featuring the four finalists for Cambridge City Manager with no notepad for recording juicy quotes, slips of the tongue, profound observations – and I didn’t write down a single word. I did have a camera – but just for getting some serviceable headshots of the finalists (Iram Farooq, Cheryl Fisher, Yi-An Huang, and Norman Khumalo) since I had a hard time finding anything good on the Internets. I really just wanted to look into the faces of the candidates, listen to how they spoke (rehearsed vs. sincere), whether they exhibited any clear differences in perspective (they did), and simply let my instincts take over.
I do have a favorite among the finalists, but I’m going to refrain from telling you who that is until (maybe) after all is said and done. I will say that all four of these candidates are very qualified and would bring distinctly different experience, skills and personal qualities to the job.
The City Council will have a Special Meeting on Wed, June 1 starting at 6:00pm to “interview” these finalists, and they are expected to vote at yet another Special City Council meeting at 6:00pm on Mon, June 6 (likely interrupting their regular 5:30pm meeting for this purpose). There is no guarantee that 5 votes will be gathered on any one of these candidates at that meeting, so the process could see several ballots and maybe even additional meetings before a decision is made and the white smoke is released from the roof of City Hall. Honestly, I have no idea how this group of city councillors will come together to make this decision or what kind of wheeling and dealing may go on behind the scenes in order to reach a decision. Transparency is a great concept except when it isn’t. - RW
 Norman Khumalo |
 Yi-An Huang |
 Cheryl Fisher |
 Iram Farooq |
Yi-An Huang selected by Cambridge City Council as next City ManagerJune 6, 2022 – The Cambridge City Council tonight voted 8-1 to select Yi-An Huang as the next City Manager to succeed Louis DePasquale when his contract ends on July 5, 2022. The initial City Council vote was 6-3 with Burhan Azeem, Dennis Carlone, Alanna Mallon, Patricia Nolan, Quinton Zondervan, and Sumbul Siddiqui voting for Yi-An Huang and Marc McGovern, Denise Simmons, and Paul Toner voting for Cheryl Watson Fisher. Subsequently, Paul Toner and then Marc McGovern changed their votes to Yi-An Huang to make it a final 8-1 vote.
After the vote, the City Council went into Executive Session to discuss strategy for contract negotiations as well as any possible procedure for choosing an Acting City Manager until Mr. Huang assumes his new role.
PS - The City Council also voted to appoint DPW Commissioner Owen O’Riordan to serve as Acting City Manager after Louis DePasquale leaves and before Yi-An Huang takes over. Excellent choice. - RW
July 1, 2022 - The Ad Hoc Selection Committee (Alanna Mallon, Sumbul Siddiqui, Patricia Nolan, Paul Toner) reviewed 122 highly qualified applicants and has selected 15 Charter Review Committee members: Kaleb Abebe, Jessica Dejesus Acevedo, Mosammat Faria Afreen, Kathleen Born (Chair, appointed by City Council July 20), Nikolas Bowie, Kevin Chen, Max Clermont, Jennifer Gilbert, Kai Long, Patrick Magee, Mina Makarious, Lisa Peterson, Ellen Shachter, Susan Shell, and Jim Stockard.
All Committee members are registered Cambridge voters as required by the Charter. Per the passage of the ballot initiatives in November 2021, the Committee will review the current Plan E Charter, hold community forums, and gather input from all stakeholders and residents. The Committee will recommend changes they believe will improve and modernize Cambridge’s structure and governance to the City Council. Any recommendations the City Council accepts will be put before all voters in a municipal election prior to adoption. The Committee is expected to take up to one year to complete its work with the first meeting to be held at the end of this month or beginning of August.
More information will be available on a dedicated City webpage in the coming weeks.
Please direct any questions to the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Michael Scarlett at mscarlett@cambridgema.gov.
Current (Plan E) Cambridge City Charter (as amended)
 Remembering Peter Valentine |
 Home of Peter Valentine |
Sept 10, 2022 – I learned today from Bill Cunningham that Elie Yarden passed away on Sept 5. [Green Party Remembrance]
Oct 14, 2022 – A section of Garden Street between Huron Avenue and Concord Avenue will become a one-way for people driving as part of the Garden Street Safety Improvement Project.
The City of Cambridge expects the road to switch to one-way operation the evening of Monday, October 24, if weather allows workers to make changes to major road markings.
The switch to one-way vehicle traffic heading eastbound (toward Cambridge Common and Harvard Square) accompanies other changes, including new separated bike lanes traveling in both directions, crosswalk improvements, and changes to parking and loading.
It will take about one week to install new traffic signals, update metal street signs, and add major markings to the road. In November, the city will complete the project by adding bicycle stencils, flex posts, and colored surface treatments.
“The new street layout incorporates suggestions that the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department heard in four community meetings,” said Project Manager Stephen Meuse. “The idea to make the road one-way to vehicles comes from community members. Residents asked us to preserve as much parking as possible and preferred one-way bike lanes on each side of the street, instead of a two-way bike lane on one side of the street.”
This project helps the City of Cambridge meet the requirements of the Cycling Safety Ordinance, which mandates the installation of 25 miles of separated bike lanes, including on Garden Street, by approximately 2026.
“Separated bicycle lanes increase comfort for people biking by using a buffer zone and physical barrier to separate them from vehicles,” said Assistant Director for Street Management Brooke McKenna. “This separation increases safety, and building a network of these separated lanes will encourage more people to bike by more-comfortably connecting important destinations throughout Cambridge.”
A small section of planned separated bike lanes between Waterhouse Street and Concord Avenue cannot be fully installed until the MBTA removes overhead catenary wires previously used to power electric trolleybuses. Until then, the block will have a standard bike lane instead of a separated one.
Conditions will also improve for pedestrians: by installing separated bike lanes, crossing distances at crosswalks become shorter and the roadway narrows visually for drivers, encouraging lower speeds. Changing the street to a one-way also means that pedestrians will only have to cross one lane of vehicle traffic. The city will repaint existing crosswalks and install a push-button activated flashing crosswalk sign at Waterhouse Street.
The project also brings changes to parking and loading on Garden Street: the City prioritized retaining permit parking spaces closer to Harvard Square, but the total permit spaces on the street will decrease from 112 to 59. The number of accessible/disability parking spaces will increase from three to five, and a new loading zone will be installed near Shepard Street.
“This project is ‘quick-build’, which means that we won’t dig into the ground or make changes to the width or shape of the road,” said Meuse. “Instead, we’ll make improvements using paint, stencils, flex-posts, and new signage and signals.”
Find plans, FAQs, and more information on the project at www.cambridgema.gov/GardenStHuronMason.
Oct 24, 2022 – Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang is seeking new members for the Cambridge Traffic Board, a three-member board established to review petitions regarding the adoption, alteration, and repeal of the city’s Traffic Rules and Regulations and to provide advice and consultation to the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department.
Board members are appointed by the City Manager; a chairperson will be designated by the City Manager each year from among the three members. Members serve a three-year term and are eligible for reappointment.
The Traffic Board was established pursuant to Chapter 455, Acts of 1961, an Act establishing a Department of Traffic and Parking in the City of Cambridge as amended by Section 7 of Chapter 786 of the Acts of 1962, Chapter 340 of the Acts of 1972, Chapter 239 of the Acts of 1977, Chapters 166, 424, and 585 of the Acts of 1981 and Chapter 441 of the Acts of 1991.
Applicants must be Cambridge residents. Persons holding public office in Cambridge and salaried employees of the City of Cambridge are not eligible for appointment.
The City of Cambridge is committed to advancing a culture of antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion. All board and commission members in Cambridge must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies. Women, minorities, veterans, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Members of the Traffic Board should be able to:
The Traffic Board meets on an as-needed basis based on submission, if any, of petitions and for necessary consultation with Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department leadership. Under the provisions of the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, meetings are usually required to be in person, although the Traffic Board may meet remotely under the temporary Open Meeting Law provisions established during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Members must review petitions and petition materials prior to each meeting they attend.
Individuals interested in being considered should apply by using the city’s online application system at www.cambridgema.gov/apply and selecting “Traffic Board” in the list of Current Vacancies. A cover letter and résumé or summary of applicable experience can be submitted during the online application process. Paper applications are available in the City Manager’s Office at Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, November 21, 2022.
You really can't expect too much at the first meeting of a new City Council term, especially with two rookies on the team. Of the 80 items awaiting report from the previous term, 44 have been carried over to the new term (including 5 new ones), and 36 were dispatched to oblivion (a good thing, in my humble opinion).
Charter Right #1. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to appoint a 20-25 person Cycling Safety Ordinance Implementation Advisory Committee to advise and improve upon the implementation of the citywide bicycle safety infrastructure and to establish recommendations on mitigating any concerns raised in regard to this infrastructure, with the appointments to be announced no later than Jan 31, 2022. [Charter Right – Zondervan, Dec 20, 2021]
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0
Charter Right #2. That the City Manager is requested to convene meetings between his office, the Director of the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department, and with the heads of the Neighborhood Business Associations, with the Neighborhood Associations, and within each of the Cambridge Housing Authority’s senior buildings, to ensure that these stakeholders are given the opportunity to collaborate on devising new plans that will inform the City’s approach going forward in establishing citywide bicycle-safety infrastructure that works for bicyclists, motorists, pedestrians, seniors, those with mobility impediments, the local business community, and all our residents. [Charter Right – Zondervan, Dec 20, 2021]
Order Adopted as Amended by Substitution 9-0
Order #2. That Article 20.90 - Alewife Overlay Districts 1-6 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance be amended to insert a new section entitled Section 20.94.3- Temporarily prohibited uses. Councillor Nolan, Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Azeem
Referred to Ordinance Committee & Planning Board 9-0
I'm just trying to figure out if Councillors Nolan, Carlone, Zondervan, and Azeem are trying to take over the Fresh Pond Golf Course. There's also these:
Charter Right #1. That the City Council designates the Chair of Government Operations, Rules, and Claims Committee to serve as the City Council’s designee to coordinate with Randi Frank Consulting, LLC as well as appropriate City officials in carrying out the executive recruitment process for a new City Manager search process. That the City Manager is requested to ask the Purchasing Agent to coordinate with the Chair of Government Operations, Rules and Claims committee to engage the services of the identified Community Engagement Specialist(s) to work with Randi Frank Consulting, LLC in the executive recruitment for a new City Manager. [Charter Right – Simmons, Jan 10, 2022]
Order Adopted 9-0
Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting information regarding the Clerk search process.
Placed on File 9-0
Communications & Reports #4. A communication was received from City Auditor, James Monagle, transmitting a memorandum regarding his retirement at the end of his current term.
Placed on File 9-0
Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments and committees to present a report to the Neighborhood & Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebration Committee which includes information on the history, membership data of golf course users, environmental conditions, and a legal analysis of what uses are currently permitted or what would be involved in changing use for other city needs. Councillor Nolan, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Azeem
Charter Right - Toner
Committee Report #1. The Health & Environment Committee met on Dec 22, 2021 to discuss the BEUDO amendments. [Minutes] [Cover Letter] [Proposed Amendments – red-lined] [Proposed Amendments – clean] [City Solicitor Letter]
Proposed Amendments Referred to Ordinance Committee 9-0
[Note: There was overwhelming opposition to this Order during Public Comment. The only people speaking in favor of the Order seeking to change the use of the Fresh Pond Golf Course were from “Our Revolution” and the “Cambridge Residents Alliance”.]
If you don't dig what's going down (or coming down), Zoom in to Monday Night Live. In addition to the meeting agenda, there will plenty of other agendas on display - some hidden, some not. Amid mixed precipitation and metaphors, here are some potentially stormy items:
Charter Right #2. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments and committees to present a report to the Neighborhood & Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebration Committee which includes information on the history, membership data of golf course users, environmental conditions, and a legal analysis of what uses are currently permitted or what would be involved in changing use for other city needs. [Charter Right - Toner, Jan 24, 2022]
Substitute Order Adopted 9-0
Manager's Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 22-1, regarding the feasibility of creating a Cycling Safety Ordinance Advisory group.
Placed on File 9-0
Here are a few choice items from this week's agenda:
Order #6. That the City Council appoints City Councillors Denise Simmons and Paul Toner as members of the City Clerk preliminary screening committee to begin the application and interviewing process for the new City Clerk, and to report back to the full City Council, as required by law, for the public interviewing of recommended finalists for the City Clerk position. Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0
Committee Report #1. The Government Operations, Rules and Claims Committee met on Jan 26, 2022 for the purpose of reviewing next steps in the City Manager search process.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0
Communications & Reports #6. A communication was received from Vice Mayor Mallon, transmitting a memorandum regarding updates on the City Manager search.
Placed on File 9-0
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.”
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
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
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
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 #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)
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
It looks like a pretty light agenda this week. Here are a few notable items:
Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Vice Mayor Mallon, transmitting a memorandum regarding updates on the City Manager search. [memo] [timeline] [outreach] [leadership profile] [application for Initial Screening Committee]
Placed on File as amended (voice vote)
Spring is springing and the turf wars continue. This week features a citizens petition to modify the Bicycle Safety Ordinance and with it a golden opportunity for city councillors to double-talk their way to stardom. Here are some of the agenda items that I found interesting this week:
On the Table #3-9. Appointments and Reappointments to City Boards & Commissions on hold while City Council pipes in Muzak to appointees.
Order #4. City Council support urging the Massachusetts Legislature and the residents of Cambridge to oppose House Bill 1234 and the proposed 2022 state ballot initiative and ensuring that the rights of workers remain solid and strong for generations to come. Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Toner, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted as Amended
My favorite phrase in this Order: “The Commonwealth of Massachusetts enjoys a long and distinguished history in the fight for workers’ rights and protections from exploitation from capitalists and corporate interests…”. Alas, life in The Peoples Republik.
Short agendas are as welcome as the flowers in springtime. There are Net Zero policy orders this week, though I’m sure they’ll be a few agenda-come-latelies before the night is through. Here are the things I found interesting:
On the Table #2-8. Appointments and Reappointments to City Boards & Commissions on hold while City Council pipes in Muzak to appointees.
The City Council has apparently scheduled a Government Operations meeting on Tues, Apr 12 at 10:00am to discuss new guidelines for Boards and Commissions appointments. That should prove interesting, especially the wealth of intention floating between the lines of all that is said and not said. Perhaps they’ll settle on something similar to the rather chilling call of the meeting for this week’s two scheduled meetings of the City Council’s Ad-Hoc Committee to appoint the Preliminary Screening Committee for the hiring of the City Manager to discuss the reputation and character of applicants for the City Manager Preliminary Screening Committee. [I considered applying, but now I’m glad I didn’t.]
Charter Right #1. The Ordinance Committee met on Feb 9, 2022 to conduct a public hearing on proposed amendments to the Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (2021-26). [Charter Right – Zondervan, Mar 28, 2022] [Committee Report]
Tabled - Zondervan (voice vote)
Here are the first things that popped up from the ground this week:
Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on MassAve4 and request for approval for the approach and timeline for implementing separated bike lanes on these critical segments of Massachusetts Avenue. [Cover Letter] [Report] [Order]
pulled by Carlone; Kathy Watkins says median removal to be considered more generally as part of “partial build” (as opposed to “quick build”), removal of catenary wires; Joseph Barr suggests that some parking could be retained; Zondervan says that if this modified timeline is not approved then Quick Build is the only option under the ordinance; Mallon reads prepared statement, proposes amendment; Toner notes that Ordinance could be changed and that self-imposed deadline is detrimental, cannot support any of the proposals; Simmons notes past promises that bike projects would later be evaluated but never were, notes great impacts on local businesses; McGovern asks about timelines; Nolan expresses shock re: $55 million cost for 2.5 miles of bike project, Kathy Watkins explains; Nolan emphasizes need to reduce number of cars; Toner suggests shifting some sidewalk space; Siddiqui supports Order as a “pre-step”; Mallon amendments approved 9-0; Charter Right - Carlone
Manager’s Agenda #3. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 22-10, regarding a report on conducting a study to collect relevant economic data relating to business impacts from bike lane installations.
pulled by Toner; concerned expressed about hearing from business owners; Placed on File 9-0
Pardon my cynicism, but all of this just strikes me as political talk with little real desire or plans to deviate from the current ideological path. Please prove me wrong. I would so much rather see trees and flowers rising from the ground than white plastic posts.
On the Table #1-7. Appointments and Reappointments to City Boards & Commissions on hold while City Council pipes in Muzak to appointees.
There is a meeting of the Government Operations, Rules and Claims Committee scheduled for tomorrow, April 11 at 10:00am, “to discuss new guidelines for Boards and Commissions appointments.” Whither that goes no one knows, but the prospect of councillors evaluating the “reputation and character of applicants” remains chilling, especially when we all know that this is really about seating only those who support increased housing density regardless of other factors.
Here are the items of significance that jumped out at me this week:
Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update from the Planning Board on discussions of allowing Multifamily Housing citywide.
pulled by Azeem; Referred to Housing Committee 9-0
Charter Right #2. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to an update on MassAve4 and request for approval for the approach and timeline for implementing separated bike lanes on these critical segments of Massachusetts Avenue. [Charter Right - Carlone; Apr 11, 2022]
Order Adopted 8-1 (Simmons - NO)
Order #3. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Traffic and Parking Department to work diligently with the MBTA to remove the catenary wires as soon as possible, and/or investigate the possibility of the City removing the catenary wires itself and commit to moving forward with the design and installation of the proposed “partial construction” bike lanes only when the wires have been removed. Councillor Toner, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons
pulled early by Toner; Fails 3-6 (Carlone, Simmons, Toner - YES)
Order #6. That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the Traffic and Parking Department to forego its original plan for “quick build” implementation and ensure that the implementation of bike lane infrastructure in Porter Square is accomplished as part of the whole of the Massachusetts Avenue 4 section, when the catenary wires and median strip are removed so that Porter Square may be included in the plans for “partial construction” infrastructure as part of one, cohesive plan stretching from Dudley Street to Waterhouse Street to be completed no later than Apr 30, 2026. Councillor Toner, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons
pulled early by Toner; Fails 2-7 (Simmons, Toner - YES)
Lotsa communications about bike lanes.
Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting a letter sent to the MBTA.
Placed on File 9-0
On The Table #5-11. Appointments and Reappointments to City Boards & Commissions on hold while City Council pipes in Muzak to appointees.
Approved 8-0-1 (Carlone - ABSENT)
Order #2. City Manager Report on Boards and Commissions. Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Carlone - ABSENT)
On the Table #13. The Ordinance Committee met on Feb 9, 2022 to conduct a public hearing on proposed amendments to the Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (2021-26). [Charter Right – Zondervan, Mar 28, 2022; Tabled Apr 4, 2022 - Zondervan] [Committee Report]
Adopted Amendments (as circulated to councillors but not to public) 9-0; Placed on File 9-0
When we actually get a Committee Report (now rarer than hen’s teeth), it ends being Tabled. Some of us actually like to know what City Council committees are doing without having to run through long and boring videos that often do not provide any accompanying documentation.
As expected, the FY2023 City of Cambridge Budget has arrived just in time for the Budget Hearings to get underway. As the potholes grow larger and cash falls like manna from heaven, I’m buckling my seat belt for several weeks of emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion, climate change, municipal broadband, alternatives to policing, de-funding the police and, of course, bikes lanes. Public Comment will likely bring cries that the City Budget has no HEART (but plenty of CARP), plus outrage from the Left (and especially Councillor Zondervan) about the ~$5 million increase in the Police Dept. budget.
Though not on this agenda, I can’t help but speculate how things will play out politically ~18 months from now when the funds for the promised $22 million in ARPA funds to be paid in monthly $500 installments directly to eligible residents runs out (just in time for the next municipal election). I’m very curious about who will be making the eligibility decisions. I also fully expect there will be a lot of pressure to extend or even expand the program permanently out of local taxes - though that would require state legislative action.
Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the FY2023 submitted budget and appropriation orders.
pulled by Nolan; Referred to Finance Committee 8-0-1 (Siddiqui - ABSENT)
Here’s a spreadsheet showing how things have changed from last year, from 2 years ago, and from 18 years ago.
Here’s an alternate version that shows proposed vs. actual and projected budgets.
Committee Report #1. The Ordinance Committee met on Mar 9, 2022 to conduct a public hearing on a petition to amend Article 20.90 - Alewife Overlay Districts 1-6 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance by inserting a new section entitled Section 20.94.3 - Temporarily prohibited uses (ORDINANCE #2022-1). [Text of Committee Report #1]
Report Accepted, Placed on File; 5 Orders Adopted 8-0-1 (Siddiqui - ABSENT)
Committee Report #2. The Ordinance Committee met on Apr 7, 2022 to continue a public hearing on a petition to amend Article 20.90 - Alewife Overlay Districts 1-6 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance by inserting a new section entitled Section 20.94.3 - Temporarily prohibited uses (ORDINANCE #2022-1). [Text of Committee Report #2]
Report Accepted, Placed on File; Order Adopted 8-0-1 (Siddiqui - ABSENT), Petition Passed to 2nd Reading as Amended 8-0-1 (Siddiqui - ABSENT)
Though this should have been addressed several years ago when concepts for the Alewife Quadrangle were discussed in some detail, it sure looks like the City Council is on the verge of passing their proposed development moratorium. Needless to say, a moratorium is not an actual plan. – Robert Winters
If all goes well, this meeting should go quickly. The Budget Hearings start the next morning at 9:00am. Here are a few things that might stir some interest:
Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 22-16, regarding Alewife Overlay District Zoning Proposal Working Group and POR 2022 #84 contained in Committee Report Item Number 1 of May 2, 2022 regarding CDD’s current workload. [text of response]
pulled by Carlone; Placed on File 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to updated information that was requested by the Ordinance Committee at its hearing on Apr 7, 2022, relative to the Alewife Overlay Districts Zoning Petition as well as a legal opinion from City Solicitor Nancy E. Glowa, regarding legal questions raised by the Ordinance Committee at the same Apr 7, 2022 hearing. [CDD Memo] [Zoning Opinion (May 9)] [Alewife Opinion (Apr 7)]
pulled by Zondervan; Rules suspended to bring forward Unfinished Business #9; Amendment Adopted 9-0; Communication Referred to Petition 9-0
Unfinished Business #9. That Article 20.90 - Alewife Overlay Districts 1-6 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance be amended to insert a new section entitled Section 20.94.3 - Temporarily prohibited uses (ORDINANCE #2022-1). [Passed to 2nd Reading May 2, 2022; To Be Ordained on or after May 23, 2022]
Amendment Adopted 9-0
Charter Right #1. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $23,100,176 received from the U.S. Department of Treasury through the new Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CLFRF) established by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), to the Grant Fund Finance Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account which will be used for a number of projects related to City Council priority areas particularly: homelessness and housing support, COVID testing, mental health services, job training, food insecurity, small business support, and infrastructure including items related to water, and broadband. [Charter Right – Zondervan, May 2, 2022]
Zondervan wants to Table; Nolan disagrees; Carlone ready to approve and notes that councillors not consulted on $22 million on RISE; Azeem asks Manager how he sees this and what would happen if Tabled; Azeem will vote to approve; Zondervan has expectation that HEART would be funded under contract through new Community Safety Department (based on what?); Siddiqui suggests that Council wants HEART funded even though it would duplicate proposed services; Motion to Table Fails 1-8 (Zondervan - YES); Appropriation Adopted 9-0
There seems to be an organized effort to divert some of this ARPA money toward the ill-founded “HEART proposal” - simply because the ARPA money doesn’t have the same Ant-Aid Amendment protections against political patronage that ordinary tax revenue has. There are messages on various listservs encouraging people to engage in Public Comment on this topic. I am forbidden to comment on at least two of these democracy-challenged listservs, but I did manage a response on one of them. Here it is:
I don’t wish to get into a back-and-forth on this topic, but I do want to emphasize that the FY2023 City Budget has already allocated $2,874,570 in creating a new Community Safety Department that includes 6 full-time budgeted employees.
As the budget narrative says: “The Community Safety Department (CSD) is a newly established department that coordinates community driven solutions to enhance safety and wellness in the community by providing key services and programs targeted at the most vulnerable populations. Based on identified needs in the community for an alternate non-police response to non-violent and behavioral crisis calls and reducing or preventing violence in the community, the Department’s mission is to support the community through a trauma-informed framework and evidence-informed solutions… The Department will be responsible for overseeing the Cambridge Alternative Response Program, as well as other efforts to make the community a safer place to live, work, and experience for all.”
In addition, there are 2+ new budgeted positions in the Emergency Communications Department that appear to be related:
To provide funding for a new Assistant Director of Public Safety IT position.
To provide funding for a new PSIT Project Manager position.
To provide funding for a new Licensed Social Worker position (1/2 year).Any additional ARPA funding for the so-called “HEART Program” would be nothing more than redundant political patronage.
Robert Winters
Committee Report #2. The Housing Committee met Mar 16, 2022 to conduct a public hearing to continue discussions around potentially raising the linkage fee rates. [Committee Report #2]
Report Accepted, Placed on File; Orders A and B Adopted, Order C strategically Tabled 9-0
This City Council has never seen a fee increase it hasn’t liked and maintains a desire to increase fees to the maximum regardless of any other factors (unless, of course, it might cost them votes). - Robert Winters
City Auditor James Monagle and City Clerk Anthony Wilson will be making their exit at the end of this month with City Manager Louis DePasquale following in early July. Three simultaneous processes have been underway seeking their successors, but one of them seems headed to a conclusion this week with a communication that Joseph McCann from the City’s Auditing Department is being recommended to the full City Council to be elected as our new City Auditor. [Note: There is now a Special Session scheduled for Mon, May 23 at 10:30pm to conduct interviews and potentially appoint the next City Auditor and City Clerk.]
Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, in response to a question raised at the May 9, 2022 Council Meeting concerning the Alewife Overlay Development Zoning Petition. [Solicitor’s Response]
pulled by McGovern; Referred to Petition (Unf. Bus. #2) 9-0
Unfinished Business #2. That Article 20.90 - Alewife Overlay Districts 1-6 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance be amended to insert a new section entitled Section 20.94.3 - Temporarily prohibited uses (ORDINANCE #2022-1). [Tabled May 2, 2022; To Be Ordained on or after May 23, 2022]
Councillor Carlone noted that he felt that the Alewife Triangle should not be included in the proposed moratorium
Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to confer with all relevant City departments, consultants, and the Alewife Quad Working Group on any and all progress on the Terminal Road connection and any related projects. Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Toner, Councillor Carlone
pulled by Carlone; Order Adopted as Amended 9-0
On the Table #1. Section 11.202(b) of Article 11.000 Special Regulations linkage fee, be amended by substitution (Ordinance #2022-14). [Tabled May 9, 2022]
Order #7. That the City Manager is requested to allocate the remaining ARPA funding, in compliance with the Final Rule, across community-serving applicants. Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone
pulled by Nolan;
Azeem notes that he cannot support the original policy order because he wants subsidized housing proposals to be fully funded;
Zondervan wants the applicants to be funded rather than the projects proposed;
McGovern would prefer to not allocate this all at once, concerned about proposal from Nonprofit Coalition to be given $20 million to spread around;
Toner will not support order as proposed;
Mallon notes that there are already $190 million worth of proposals - well in excess of available funding, also concerned about proposals made at the Finance Committee;
Amended 6-1-0-2 (QZ - NO; AM,DS - Present);
Charter Right - Zondervan
There are a couple of councillors who continue to be unable to resist the urge for political patronage.
Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Vice Mayor Alanna Mallon, transmitting information regarding the City Auditor Search. Vice Mayor Mallon
Placed on File 9-0
See above. A vote is expected next week on the appointment of Joseph McCann from the City’s Auditing Department as our new City Auditor. [Note: There is now a Special Session scheduled for Mon, May 23 at 10:30pm for this purpose.] One down, two to go. There’s also the question of whether the City Council wishes to update the job description.
Order #8. That the City Council delegate the drafting and finalization of the questions for the interviews of the City Clerk finalists scheduled for May 23, 2022 to the co-chairs of the City Clerk Preliminary Screening Committee. Councillor Toner, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0
Order #9. That the City Council delegate the drafting and finalization of the questions for the interview of the City Auditor finalists, scheduled for May 23, 2022, to the chair of the City Auditor Preliminary Screening Committee. Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted 9-0
There is an actual meeting agenda this week, but much of the attention now is on the fact that the four finalists for the City Manager position have been revealed and a vote is expected in early June. In the meantime, it’s likely that the appointments for both the City Auditor and the City Clerk will be made at a Special City Council Meeting earlier in the day on Monday, May 23, starting at 10:30am. Unless something unexpected happens, we’ll likely have both Joseph McCann appointed as City Auditor and Diane LeBlanc appointed as City Clerk with both expected to assume their new positions in June.
Note: At a Special Meeting earlier in the day the City Council unanimously appointed Joseph McMann as City Auditor and Diane LeBlanc as City Clerk - both for three-year terms.
Communications & Reports from City Officers #3. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting information about the City Manager finalists. [Iram Farooq] [Cheryl Fisher] [Yi-An Huang] [Norman Khumalo]
Order #1. That the City Council delegate the drafting and finalization of the questions for the interview of the City Council Manager finalists, scheduled for June 1st, 2022, to Randi Frank, LLC with assistance from the City’s Personnel Director Sheila Keady Rawson and with input from individual councillors by confidential submission of requested questions to Randi Frank for her consideration. Vice Mayor Mallon
pulled by Mallon; Adopted as Amended 9-0
The public’s chance to “Meet the Finalists” will take place at the Fitzgerald Auditorium (CRLS) on Tues, May 31 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm, and the City Council interviews will take place during a Special City Council Meeting on Wed, June 1 starting at 6:00pm. The City Council is expected to vote to appoint the next City Manager during a Special City Council Meeting on Monday, June 6th. The meeting will be broadcast on 22-Cityview or Channel 99, and can also be live-streamed online on Zoom. Unless one candidate manages to earn 5 votes right away, it’s not at all clear how the selection will proceed from there.
Unfinished Business #3. That Article 20.90 - Alewife Overlay Districts 1-6 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance be amended to insert a new section entitled Section 20.94.3 - Temporarily prohibited uses (ORDINANCE #2022-1). [Tabled May 2, 2022; To Be Ordained on of after May 23, 2022]
pulled by Toner; Motion to Amend to substitute Alewife Overlay Districts 1-6 with Alewife Overlay Districts 1-5 (Toner) Approved 5-4 (BA,AM,MM,DS,PT - YES; DC,PN,QZ,SS - NO)
[Note: This takes Alewife Triangle out of the moratorium area. Carlone supported this one week earlier and flip-flopped.]
Ordained as Amended 9-0
Committee Report #1. The Government Operations, Rules and Claims Committee met on Apr 12, 2022 to discuss new guidelines for Boards and Commissions appointments.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0
Late Order #9. That Deputy City Clerk Paula Crane be appointed interim City Clerk as of June 1, 2022 and until the permanent City Clerk shall assume office. Mayor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0
It would be difficult to identify a City Council meeting in recent history as potentially consequential as this one. The opening act will be the City of Cambridge Scholarship Awards Ceremony starting at 4:00pm. The Regular Meeting starting at 5:30pm includes the vote on the FY2023 Budget ($754,373,160 General Fund; $13,537,970 Water Fund; and $41,163,235 Public Investment Fund) as well as a total of $159.9 million in loan authorizations. Then there’s the matter of the 6:00pm Special Meeting to choose among four finalists who will be the next City Manager (Iram Farooq, Cheryl Fisher, Yi-An Huang, or Norman Khumalo) with a possible Executive Session thrown in if there are any contract matters to negotiate. It should be noted that there is no guarantee that five votes will coalesce on one candidate. There could be multiple ballots or the can might be kicked down the road a bit if they can’t get to five.
There are other agenda items as well – including the initial steps toward a Charter Review Commission. Here are the items that seem interesting and/or highly consequential:
City Manager Selection
6:00pm The City Council will hold a Special Meeting to appoint one of the following finalists as the next City Manager: Iram Farooq, Cheryl Watson Fisher, Yi-An Huang and Norman Khumalo.
The City Council Meeting to discuss the City Manager hiring process will convene in open session. The City Council may then go into an Executive Session to conduct contract negotiations with a candidate for City Manager. The City Council will return to open session.
Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, transmitting information regarding the Executive Session for the City Manager hiring process.
Order Adopted 9-0; Executive Session held
Yi-An Huang selected by Cambridge City Council as next City ManagerJune 6, 2022 – The Cambridge City Council tonight voted 8-1 to select Yi-An Huang as the next City Manager to succeed Louis DePasquale when his contract ends on July 5, 2022. The initial City Council vote was 6-3 with Burhan Azeem, Dennis Carlone, Alanna Mallon, Patricia Nolan, Quinton Zondervan, and Sumbul Siddiqui voting for Yi-An Huang and Marc McGovern, Denise Simmons, and Paul Toner voting for Cheryl Watson Fisher. Subsequently, Paul Toner and then Marc McGovern changed their votes to Yi-An Huang to make it a final 8-1 vote.
After the vote, the City Council went into Executive Session to discuss strategy for contract negotiations as well as any possible procedure for choosing an Acting City Manager until Mr. Huang assumes his new role.
PS - The City Council also voted to appoint DPW Commissioner Owen O’Riordan to serve as Acting City Manager after Louis DePasquale leaves and before Yi-An Huang takes over. Excellent choice. - RW
Committee Report #1. A communication was received from Anthony I. Wilson, City Clerk, transmitting a report from Councillor Patricia M. Nolan, Chair and Councillor Dennis J. Carlone Chair of the Finance Committee, for a public hearing held on May 10, 2022, May 11, 2022 and May 17, 2022 to discuss Fiscal Year 2023 Budget.
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0
Zondervan motion to amend budget to reduce Police Dept. to $68,731,130 Fails 1-8 (QZ - YES)
General Fund Budget of $754,373,160 Adopted 8-1 (QZ-NO)
Water Fund Budget of $13,537,970 Adopted 8-1 (QZ-NO)
Public Investment Fund Budget of $41,163,235 Adopted 9-0
Charter Review Commission
Order #8. Creation of an Ad-Hoc Committee for ad-hoc committee for the purpose of reviewing and selecting self-nominated residents and stakeholders to be on the Charter Review Commission. Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan
pulled by Nolan; Amended 7-2 (BA,QZ-NO); Charter Right - Azeem
Communications & Reports #4. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting a communication about the Charter Review Committee.
pulled by Nolan; Charter Right - Azeem
The FY2023 Budget may have been adopted last week, but the Big Money continues this week with an order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $49,000,000 to provide additional funds for the construction of the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools project AND an Order to take by a so-called “friendly” eminent domain proceeding a 3-story office building located at 689 Massachusetts Avenue. The latter Order comes as a consequence of City Council Order #2 of Sept 27, 2021. The net cost of the purchase is expected to be $13,763,557 plus an additional $2.75 million in funds for building fit-out as the City develops its plans to occupy the office space. One of the planned uses of this property will be to house the newly created Community Safety Department.
Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommendation to adopt, with additional comments, the Emissions Accounting Zoning Petition.
pulled by Zondervan; Referred to Petition (Zondervan) 8-0-1 (Simmons - ABSENT) - expected to be allowed to expire, amended, and resubmitted
Manager’s Agenda #8. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to order requesting the appropriation and authorization to borrow $49,000,000 to provide additional funds for the construction of the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools project located at 197 Vassal Lane.
pulled by Nolan; Appropriation/Loan Order Passed to 2nd Reading 8-1 (Zondervan - NO) [Note that this would bring the total cost to $299 million]; Reconsideration Fails 0-9
Manager’s Agenda #10. A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to a recommendation that the City Council approve an Order to take by a so-called “friendly” eminent domain proceeding a 3-story office building comprising approximately 25,385 square feet (30,227 square feet with usable basement space) on a 0.23 acre lot located at 689 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139.
pulled by Mallon;
(1) Appropriation of $11,551,208 from Free Cash to pay the pro tanto, as set forth above and below (Order Adopted 9-0)
(2) Approve the Order of Taking (Order Adopted 9-0)
(3) Appropriation of $2,212,349 from Free Cash to settle the eminent domain damages claim and to pay the remainder of the purchase price of $14,500,000 after subtracting the pre-paid five year initial lease payment of $736,443 which will enable the City to acquire the Property and thereby resolve UUSC’s damages claim (Order Adopted 9-0)
(4) Appropriate $2,750,000 from Free Cash to develop plans, acquire the fit-out and furnishings and to undertake minor renovations for City departments to use and occupy the building. (Order Adopted 9-0)
(5) Reconsideration Fails 0-9
Charter Right #2. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting a communication about the Charter Review Committee. [Charter Right – Azeem, June 6, 2022]
Placed on File 9-0
Charter Right #3. Creation of an Ad-Hoc Committee for the purpose of reviewing and selecting self-nominated residents and stakeholders to be on the Charter Review Committee. [Charter Right – Azeem, June 6, 2022]
further Amended (9-0) and Adopted 9-0 on June 13, 2022, Reconsideration Fails 0-9
Please note that applications to serve on the Charter Review Committee are due no later than Tues, June 28, 2022 at 11:00pm, and the names of those appointed to the Charter Review Committee will be announced no later than July 1, 2022.
This will be the last regular City Council meeting until the Aug 1 Midsummer Meeting and then in the fall on Sept 12. This will also be Louis DePasquale’s last regular meeting as City Manager. Here is my first pass at the interesting stuff:
Multiple Communications re: bikes lanes, the Cycling Safety Ordinance, and lawsuit filed by Cambridge Streets for All.
Resolution #8. Congratulations to Louis A. DePasquale on his retirement from his position as City Manager for the City of Cambridge. Councillor Toner, Councillor Simmons
pulled by Toner; Resolution Adopted 9-0
Resolution #11. Congratulations to James P. Maloney on the occasion of his retirement from the position of Chief Operating Officer of the Cambridge Public Schools. Councillor Toner, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
pulled by Toner; Resolution Adopted as Amended 9-0
Resolution #14. Congratulations to Arthur Goldberg on his retirement from the position of Deputy City Solicitor for the City of Cambridge. Councillor Toner, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
pulled by Mallon; Resolution Adopted as Amended 9-0
Resolution #15. Congratulations to James Monagle on his retirement from the position of City Auditor for the City of Cambridge. Councillor Toner, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui
pulled by Mallon; Resolution Adopted as Amended 9-0
I have known all of these men for a long time and they all deserve praise for all that they have contributed over the years.
Summertime and the livin’s easy, but the boys and girls of summer are back for their annual Midsummer meeting this Monday. Here are a few notable votables:
Manager’s Agenda #19. A communication transmitted from Owen C. O’Riordan, Acting City Manager, relative to the submission of the Affordable Housing Overlay Annual Report.
pulled by Mallon; most AHO projects (as many of us predicted) are on existing properties of CHA, Just-A-Start, etc.; McGovern celebrates the lack of any process; Referred to Housing Committee 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #20. A communication transmitted from Owen C. O’Riordan, Acting City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 21-35 regarding options to update the HomeBridge and Homeownership Programs.
pulled by Mallon; notable that CDD shows at best lukewarm support of increasing homeownership opportunities and building of wealth; Referred to Housing Committee 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #21. A communication transmitted from Owen C. O’Riordan, Acting City Manager, relative to a request that the City Council extend its prior authorization for the City Manager to grant street obstruction approvals, which are required for restaurants to operate outdoor dining on the sidewalk or street until June 30, 2023.
pulled by Toner; Order Adopted 9-0
As much as I would like to see Covid retreat into obscurity by next season, it’s pretty clear that some of the accommodations made in the state of emergency have worked out pretty well in some places (like Central Square) and should continue.
Order #11. 105 Windsor Community Process. Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone
pulled early by Zondervan; Tabled (Zondervan) 9-0
Lotsa Communications opposing the planned Brattle Street Separated Bike Lanes.
Communications & Reports #4. A communication was received from Mayor Siddiqui, transmitting information regarding the Charter Review Committee.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (Nolan ABSENT)
There is apparently a first meeting scheduled for Tuesday, August 16 at 5:00pm (remote meeting - how very disappointing). Time will tell if this group turns out to be objective, rational, and reasonable.
It may not be Buckingham Palace or Balmoral Castle, but the virtual crown has now officially changed heads as Yi-An Huang takes over as Cambridge City Manager. Our new City Clerk Diane LeBlanc and her staff are also exhibiting some royally good initiative in catching up on the backlog of City Council minutes – and hopefully soon some of the dozens of missing City Council committee reports from the last several years – even if only brief reports to complete the record. I also like the brevity of this week’s committee reports that give just the basic actions with references to videos that are all available on the City website. Adding timestamps for key moments is my only suggestion.
Manager’s Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board report with negative recommendation on the Accessory Parking Requirements Zoning Petition.
Pulled by Carlone; Refer to Petition (Zondervan) 9-0
Committee Report #5. The Ordinance Committee met on Aug 3, 2022 to conduct a public hearing on Ordinance #2022-8, an ordinance amending Parking minimums and maximums. [Text of Committee Report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0
It’s worth noting that the Planning Board’s negative recommendation was unanimous. This, of course, will not stand in the way of the ideologues. Most people are perfectly agreeable regarding waiving or eliminating parking requirements in the city’s major squares and transit nodes, but that doesn’t necessary extend to every square inch of the city unless, of course, your alphabet ends after the first three characters. There are plenty of neighborhoods which currently have a delicate equilibrium in parking that are likely to be greatly disrupted by either adding a lot of new Priuses or replacing hundreds of on-street parking spaces with white plastic posts. We used to actually care about unintended (and intended) consequences back when thinking was part of the equation.
Our Friend Peter
Resolution #2. Resolution on the death of Peter Valentine. Councillor Simmons
Order #7. That the Dedication Committee hold a special meeting to expedite the process of naming the corner of Brookline Street and Franklin Street in honor of Peter Valentine. Councillor McGovern, Mayor Siddiqui, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0
The Short-Term View of Long-Term Planning
Order #8. That the Health and Environment Committee of the City Council hold a public hearing to discuss the issue of PFAS, and overall water quality, cost of operating our own water department, cost of MWRA versus Cambridge Water Department and other appropriate factors to be considered and work with the City Manager, the Water Board, and relevant city staff to set up the initial meeting this fall. Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Azeem
Pulled by Toner; Order Adopted as Amended (Toner), Referred to Health & Environment Committee 9-0
Suffice to say that any notion of abandoning Cambridge’s water supply and its high quality water treatment facility would be incredibly short-sighted and unwise (and expensive). That said, any opportunity to educate Cambridge residents (and city councillors) about how they get their water (and what becomes of their wastewater) is worth pursuing.
Linkage & Labs
Order #10. That the City Council refer the zoning petition regarding lab use to the Ordinance Committee and Planning Board for a hearing and report. Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
Charter Right - Toner
Committee Report #4. The Ordinance Committee held a public hearing on July 27, 2022 to continue discussions around an Ordinance potentially raising the linkage fee rates. (#2022-14). [Text of Committee Report]
Suspend Rules; pulled early by Zondervan; Referred to Petition 9-0
Committee Report #6. The Ordinance Committee held a public meeting on Sept 7, 2022 to continue the discussion around Ordinance # 2022-14, Section 11.202(b) of Article 11.000 Special Regulations Linkage Fee, proposal to amend by substitution, raising linkage fee rates. [Text of Committee Report]
pulled early by Zondervan; Petition amended as below* 8-1 (Zondervan - NO); Passed to 2nd Reading 9-0; Referred to Petition 9-0
Communications & Reports #3. A communication was received from Councillor Zondervan, transmitting a further amendment to the Linkage Fee Petition.
pulled early by Zondervan; Referred to Petition 9-0
Late Communications & Reports #4. A communication was received from Councillor Zondervan, clarifying his proposed amendment to the Linkage Fee Petition.
Referred to Petition 9-0
Late Order #12. That the City Manager direct the City Solicitor answer any legal questions that came up during the discussion that occurred during the regular City Council meeting on Sept 12th. Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Carlone, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Toner, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0
Revising Cambridge’s Incentive Zoning Ordinance is long overdue, and the amendments that were passed in committee are on the right track – despite the claims of some low-information advocacy groups. It’s not all about maximizing revenues for a single purpose. The Community Development Department should also develop better language to make clear the definition of “lab”. Though some are and can be dreadful neighbors due to light, noise, and other intrusion, not all laboratory uses are plagues on their neighbors – and some of them are doing miraculous work. The greater issue is the fact that some of Cambridge’s current ordinances greatly incentivize the construction of laboratory uses over other desirable uses, and that needs to change.
Committee Report #1. The Government Operations, Rules and Claims Committee met on Mar 2, 2022 for the purpose of reviewing the draft leadership profile, and next steps in the City Manager search process. [Text of Committee Report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0
34 pages of old news that should have been reported 5 months ago. Now where are the other 11 Gov’t Ops. committee reports from this year and the previous two City Council terms that were never filed? If these were my students they’d be struggling to earn a “D”.
Committee Report #3. The Ordinance Committee met on July 26, 2022 to reconvene and continue a public hearing on proposed amendments to the Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (Ordinance #2021-26). [Text of Committee Report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0
Last week was the first City Council meeting for newly minted City Manager Yi-An Huang, and he’ll be back for seconds this week. Here’s a sampler from this week’s buffet:
Charter Right #2. That the City Council refer the zoning petition regarding lab use to the Ordinance Committee and Planning Board for a hearing and report. [Charter Right - Toner, Sept 12, 2022]
Mayor Siddiqui again says “charterwritten”, Toner offers amendments but Zondervan is not interested; McGovern proposes sending Toner proposed amendments along with petition to Planning Board and Ordinance Committee, but this is not permissible; McGovern proposes Tabling both and taking up issues in Economic Development Committee and Long-Term Planning Committee; Toner hopes to discuss, delay for 6 months; Azeem agrees; Mallon agrees on Tabling; Tabled 9-0, Toner withdraws proposed amendments for now
Order #1. That the City Council refer the attached zoning petition regarding the Housing Contribution Rate to the Ordinance Committee and Planning Board for a hearing and report. Vice Mayor Mallon
Order Adopted 9-0; Referred to Ordinance Committee and Planning Board
Lotsa-Listserv-Generated (LLG) Communications on the matter of proposed amendments to the Incentive Zoning Ordinance (Linkage Fee).
I’m not sure that there’s much to do this week other than to refer the lab restriction zoning petition to the Ordinance Committee and Planning Board, but suffice to say that there are contrasts between the “command and control” approach of banning lab uses and the more economically enlightened view of adjusting incentives to promote alternatives. I also still don’t know how the City defines a “lab”.
Resolution #1. Resolution on the death of Elie Yarden. Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons
I have know many “activists” over the years – some of whom have been very difficult people – but Elie Yarden was always thoughtful and kind to me even when our views were as different as different can be.
Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to direct the Community Development Department to convene a North Massachusetts Avenue Corridor District Zoning Proposal Working Group Policy Order Proposing a North Massachusetts Avenue (NMA) Corridor Working Group for the purpose of developing comprehensive zoning recommendations. Councillor Toner, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Nolan
Pulled by Toner; Charter Right - Azeem
This is a very promising Order. I will note, however, that unlike the days of yore when CDD would study and process things to death before coming to any conclusions, they often now arrive with conclusions and simply run interference during any subsequent public process. Let’s hope this time is different.
Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to direct the Community Development Department to work with Councillors Azeem and Simmons on all necessary preparations for the next meeting in the discussion on potentially allowing multi-family housing to be built citywide. Councillor Azeem, Councillor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0
Generally speaking, allowing more flexibility in the kinds of residential housing that are permissible in any of the city’s residential zones is a good thing. I do worry, however, that this may just be the first step toward blenderizing Cambridge in the long term into just high density porridge. Personally, I like the fact that different parts of Cambridge have very different histories, densities, lot sizes, and residential patterns.
Order #7. That the City Manager is requested to direct the Traffic, Transportation and Parking Department to convene a series of meetings with the Vision Zero, Pedestrian Committee, Bicycle Committee, the newly appointed Bicycling Advisory Committee, Cambridge Police Department, and any other departments deemed necessary, to review and revise the Cambridge Street Code. Councillor Toner, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Nolan
Pulled by Toner; Mallon substitute Order; Charter Right - Simmons
There was a time when cycling advocates would proudly display their “One Less Car” or “Share the Road” T-shirts. Those were the days of peace and love and peasant blouses. Now it’s Lycra and spandex and “War on Cars” and “Separated Bike Lanes”. I also remember when the City’s Traffic Department and the Transportation Folks in CDD would emphasize safe operation of bicycles. Somewhere along the road the emphasis shifted from safe operation and cooperation to segregation. Meanwhile, lots of newfangled “mobility devices” have emerged and safe operation seems like an afterthought. - Robert Winters
Here are a few items that warrant further comment this week:
Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to an update on new positions. [responds to Awaiting Report Items 22-37 and 22-40]
pulled by Carlone; Placed on File 9-0
Here come the “Chief People Officer”, the “Talent Officer”, the Director of Community Engagement, and the Director of Emergency Management. I’m not quite sure what to make of the first three of these new positions.
The Linkage Question
Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 22-62, regarding requests for a legal opinion and additional analysis on linkage fee rate increase discussion.
pulled by Carlone along with Mgr #6, Mgr #7, Unf. Business #4, Comm. & Reports #1; McGovern amendment adopted 9-0; Referred to Petition
Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board report with a recommendation not to adopt the Incentive Zoning Rate Increase Petition.
pulled by McGovern; Referred to Petition 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #7. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a communication received from the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust regarding the Incentive Zoning amendment.
pulled by McGovern; Referred to Petition 9-0
Unfinished Business #4. Section 11.202(b) of Article 11.000 Special Regulations linkage fee., be amended by substitution. (Ordinance #2022-14). [Passed to 2nd Reading Sept 12, 2022; To Be Ordained on or after Oct 3, 2022]
Removed for discussion and amendment, returned to Unfinished Business
Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Councillor Marc McGovern, transmitting a proposed amendment to the linkage fee.
McGovern amendment adopted 9-0; Referred to Petition
Late Order #12. That the City Manager direct the Community Development and the Law Department to review the amendment that states that exclusing the first 30,000 sq ft for buildings less that 60,000 sq ftin total size and sharing feedback, and report back to the City Council by the regular City Council meeting on Mon, Oct 17. Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Zondevan, Councillor Azeem
Order Adopted 8-0-0-1 (Carlone - PRESENT)
We’ll see how this goes, but it will be very disappointing if this all comes down to just maximizing revenue generation without regard to any other incentives or unintended consequences.
Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to direct the Community Development Department to convene a North Massachusetts Avenue Corridor District Zoning Proposal Working Group by June 15, 2023. Councillor Toner, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Nolan
pulled by Toner; Order Adopted 9-0
To repeat what I said from the previous meeting: “This is a very promising Order. I will note, however, that unlike the days of yore when CDD would study and process things to death before coming to any conclusions, they often now arrive with conclusions and simply run interference during any subsequent public process. Let’s hope this time is different.”
Wild in the Streets
Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to direct the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department to meet with and receive input from the Vision Zero, Pedestrian, Bicycle Committee, the Council on Aging, the Transit Advisory Committee, the Commission for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Board, Cambridge Police Department, and any other departments, to review and revise the Cambridge Street Code, promulgate the updated guide throughout the city, and develop recommendations for staffing and methods of improving traffic enforcement. Councillor Toner, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern
pulled by Toner; Charter Right - Zondervan
It is noteworthy that at the previous meeting a number of prominent members of the bicycle lobby took issue with the idea of updating the Cambridge Street Code, and at least two councillors carried their water. Go figure.
On the Table #3. That the City Council refer the zoning petition regarding lab use to the Ordinance Committee and Planning Board for a hearing and report. [Tabled Sept 19, 2022]
Removed from Table by Toner 8-1 (QZ - NO); Amended by Toner, Mallon; Amendment Adopted 8-1 (BA - NO); Order Adopted as Amended 8-1 (QZ - NO); Referred to Economic Development and University Relations Committee and the Neighborhood & Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations Committee for a review and discussion
Unfinished Business #5. Transmitting Communication from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of appropriation and authorization to borrow $4,500,000 to provide funds for the design and construction of building renovations to the vacant City owned property at 105 Windsor Street. [Passed to 2nd Reading Sept 12, 2022; To Be Ordained on or after Oct 3, 2022]
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0
BEUDO Communications
Communications #31. A communication was received from Patrick W. Barrett III, regarding BEUDO Meeting Recap.
Communications #40. A communication was received from Nancy E. Donohue, Director of Government and Community Relations, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce regarding joint Business/Institutional BEUDO letter. [Joint Business/Institutional BEUDO letter] [BEUDO April 2022 letter] [BEUDO questions from 9-15-22] [BEUDO Amendment Requirements]
The “conversation” continues in spite of the tin ears of some councillors.
The councillors had a private, unannounced retreat last week where they learned to get along. Yeah, right. This week they’re back to bide their time as some of them continue to “charter” a course to take over the government. Some of the more notable agenda items this week are:
Incentive Zoning and Linkage
Manager’s Agenda #10. Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of a Housing Contribution made under the Incentive Zoning provisions of the Zoning Ordinance in the amount of $1,565,953 from DIV 35 CPD, LLC to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
Order Adopted 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #13. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Policy Order O-12 dated Oct 3, 2022, regarding review of recent proposed amendments to the Incentive Zoning Rate Petition.
pulled by Toner; Placed on File 9-0
Unfinished Business #3. The Ordinance Committee held a public hearing on July 27, 2022 to continue discussions around an Ordinance potentially raising the linkage fee rates. (#2022-14). [Text of Committee Report]
Rules suspended (Toner) to take this with Mgr #13; Placed on File 9-0
Unfinished Business #4. The Ordinance Committee held a public meeting on Sept 7, 2022 to continue the discussion around Ordinance # 2022-14, Section 11.202(b) of Article 11.000 Special Regulations Linkage Fee, proposal to amend by substitution, raising linkage fee rates. [Text of Committee Report]
Rules suspended (Toner) to take this with Mgr #13; Placed on File 9-0
Unfinished Business #6. Section 11.202(b) of Article 11.000 Special Regulations linkage fee, be amended by substitution. (Ordinance #2022-14) [Passed to 2nd Reading Sept 12, 2022; To Be Ordained Oct 17 or Oct 24, 2022]
Rules suspended (Toner) to take this with Mgr #13;
Toner amendment [“so long as there is no change of use”] Adopted 5-4 (BA,DC,PN,DS,PT - YES; AM,MM,QZ,SS - NO);
Azeem Amendment [“has obtained a building permit for reconstruction within three years”]
Adopted 6-3 (BA,DC,MM,PN,DS,PT - YES; AM,QZ,SS - NO);
Zondervan amendment [“for incentive projects less that 60,000 sq ft in total gross-floor-area”] Adopted 9-0;
Zondervan proposed amendment to strike final sentence Fails 4-5 (AM,MM,QZ,SS - YES; BA,DC,PN,DS,PT - NO);
Main Amendment Ordained as Amended 9-0; Reconsideration (Nolan) Fails 1-8 (QZ - YES)
Comm. #61. A communication was received from Patrick W. Barrett III, regarding linkage labs and Central Square.
Placed on File 9-0
Over 15 years ago I wrote an essay for The Alewife titled “Getting Board and Commissioned” that was basically an appeal for residents to apply to serve on City boards and commissions. I would still encourage people to do so based on all the same reasons I expressed in that essay. Things are potentially a bit different now in that for some of these boards you could be subjected to scrutiny by elected councillors and their political handlers. That’s a shame, but it’s still worth applying. One thing that has been missing for a very long time is a full accounting of what City boards continue to exist. Some were created based on short-term concerns and have either quietly disappeared or were officially discontinued.
Perhaps the most intriguing of these is the Traffic Board (officially the “Traffic and Parking Commission”) that was created in 1961 by a Special Act of the Massachusetts Legislature and quietly disappeared at least 20 years ago but which legally continues to exist (and due to the “holdover” rules in Massachusetts its 3 members continue to be legal appointees to that board). The significance of this particular board (and the Special Act that created it) is that (a) it grants authority to the Traffic Director to make or change regulations, and (b) it is the legal mechanism via which citizens can appeal a traffic or parking regulation issued by the Traffic Director. City Manager Communication #4 is the first time in decades that acknowledges the Traffic Board. There are a few other interesting items as well, but Mgr #4 is definitely the highlight. It also proposes stipends for some of the City’s boards and commissions. It also clarifies which City boards and commissions are subject to City Council review of appointees.
Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report items numbered 21-52 & 22-25, regarding a report on Boards and Commissions. (CM22#207) [Manager’s Communication] [Info Charts] [Job Description Best Practices] [Standard Demographic Battery for Cambridge Surveys] [Boards/Commission Application] [Survey of Other Communities – Stipends] [Zoning Petition Recommended Language - Removing Limit on BZA compensation]
Attachment A [Info Charts] referred to Gov't Operations Committee; Attachment F [Zoning Petition Recommended Language - Removing Limit on BZA compensation] referred to Ordinance Committee and Planning Board as a City Council Zoning Petition; Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0
This is one of the more substantial items in recent years to appear on the City Manager’s Agenda. It includes:
The Manager’s Office has provided a long-overdue accounting of all City boards, commissions, and other committees with details on number of members, how each board came to be, which are or are not subject to City Council approval of members, and which are or are not in the Cambridge Municipal Code but which are not technically “boards or commissions” (and are therefore not subject to City Council review of appointments). As mentioned above, this is the first time in decades that the City is acknowledging that the “Traffic and Parking Commission” was never legally discontinued and which provides a legitimate avenue via which residents can appeal regulations issued by the Traffic Director.
I don’t personally see much value in providing stipends to board members. I seriously doubt if such financial considerations factor into most residents’ decisions on whether or not they want to serve on a City board or commission. The level of time commitment is surely a factor, but that is hardly addressed by offering a modest stipend. I’m also not enamored by term limits because any board or organization can benefit from having a mix of new members and long-term members with long-term perspectives.
Not specifically addressed in the Manager’s communication is the issue of “self-perpetuation” of existing boards and the practice of City staff often deciding who may or may not be appointed based on whether or not the appointee shares the philosophy or agenda of the staff person reviewing the list of possible appointees. My feeling has always been that all appointees to City boards have to represent the interests of all residents and not just use their position for their own personal advocacy or that of City staff.
I also feel strongly that there should be a periodic review of all boards, commissions, committees, and task forces to assess their current relevance and whether some might be discontinued, merged, or redefined. A sunset can be a beautiful thing.
If the Traffic Board can come back from the grave, I suppose anything is possible. Here are a few items of interest on this week’s agenda:
Applications & Petitions #3. A Zoning Petition Has been received from Duane Callender, et al. Cambridge Lab Regulation Zoning Amendment.
Pulled by Mallon raising issue and objecting to Zondervan and his Aide (Dan Totten) doing an end run to supercede previous City Council petition and what it means to be collegial; Referred to Ordinance Committee & Planning Board 9-0
It is interesting that a similar zoning proposal introduced on Sept 12 by Councillors Zondervan & McGovern (a.k.a. The Odd Couple) that would have banned labs from “fragile districts including Central Square, Harvard Square, and Cambridge Street” was viewed as needing further discussion and refinement and was referred to the Economic Development Committee and Long-Term Planning Committee rather than have the zoning petition clock start ticking by referring it to the Ordinance Committee and Planning Board. Councillor Zondervan at that time was not pleased by this and, apparently, this has now resulted in its reintroduction as a citizens petition which necessarily will start the clock. This is somewhat insulting to the majority of councillors who, presumably, wanted to have that further discussion and refinement. That said, this new petition is different in that it at least attempts to distinguish between what the drafters of the petition see as good vs. evil “lab” uses.
Apparently the quickest roads to City Hall right now are via Brattle Street and Garden Street. Here are the agenda items that drove me to comment:
Lotsa Communications about bike lanes and the collateral damage of cut-through traffic caused by the City’s latest “engineering” solutions.
Order #1. Policy Order Regarding Traffic Flow on Garden Street. Councillor Toner, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Carlone
pulled by Toner; comments by Toner, Simmons, Carlone, Nolan, McGovern, Zondervan (proposes amendments), Mallon, Siddiqui, Toner (willing to acept amendments), Carlone, Azeem, Nolan, Simmons; Charter Right - Simmons
Order #2. Ban Turns on Red Citywide. Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Azeem, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Carlone
pulled by Mallon (who apparently advertised this proposal with the print and broadcast press), amendment proposed; comments by Azeem, Carlone, Zondervan, Toner (notes that Traffic Director already has authority to impose “No Turn on Red”), McGovern (notes Alewife Brook Pkwy at Rindge Ave. backups), Nolan, Simmons, Siddiqui; Mallon amendment passes 9-0; Amend to add McGovern, Zondervan, Nolan, Carlone as cosponsors passes 9-0; Nolan amendment (as further amended by Zondervan) passes 9-0; Order Adopted 7-2 [Simmons, Toner - NO]
I suppose more fur will fly when they take a second pass at last week’s Order re: traffic disruptions caused by the partial one-way conversion of Garden Street for bicycle comfort (as well as the new questionably executed Brattle St. bicycle facilities). Predictably, there were zillions of communications both last week and this week both from less frequent commenters caught by surprise as well as the usual suspects who can always be counted on to toe their particular party line regardless of actual facts.
Charter Right #1. Policy Order Regarding Traffic Flow on Garden Street. [Charter Right – Simmons, Nov 7, 2022]
Order Adopted as Amended 9-0
87 Communications - all but two of which focus on the Garden Street “experiment”. It’s worth noting that only 13 of the 87 communications arrived after the Nov 7 meeting, but since the relevant Order was delayed via Charter Right they’re all still timely.
Let me guess - 100 people will Zoom in during Public Comment reading scripted comments about how wonderful the bicycle comfort lanes are, or how the Traffic, Parking & Transportation lives to make driving as difficult as possible (true), or how if anyone disagrees with any aspect of the Bicycle Safety Ordinance they must be passively trying to kill people. There are good reasons why I generally skip Public Comment these days.
Wed, Dec 14 (Hearing Schedule)
3:00pm The Public Safety Committee is holding a public meeting to discuss the implementation of the new Community Safety Department and integration with HEART.
The so-called “H.E.A.R.T. proposal” (Holistic Emergency Alternative Response Team) was first introduced in May 2021 by activists who were openly hostile to police and who repeatedly referred to police as “slave-catchers”. Everyone, including Cambridge Police, agree with the idea that not all emergency calls need to be or should be handled by uniformed and armed police. The City came back with a more rational proposal with the creation of a new Community Safety Department along with a system called CARP (Cambridge Alternative Response Program) that would integrate alternate emergency response with Emergency Communications - in contrast with the activist proposal that would have created a completely separate system divorced from City government (except for the funding). The availability of federal ARPA money with minimal strings attached led to the activists seeking an alternate way to justify their existence. Since then I have heard rumors that the people behind the HEART proposal had an inside track to get a contract under the new department - something some of us consider highly problematic. I hope this is just an unfounded rumor. Some city councillors, Mr. Zondervan in particular, continue in their effort to assume an executive role by asserting that the Community Safety Department will be integrated with HEART even though there is no such reference in the FY2023 Budget. It continues to astound me that Mayor Siddiqui chose to appoint Councillor Zondervan as Chair of the Public Safety Committee. - Robert Winters
Perhaps it’s a good time to burn some bridges and take sides. The 2023 Municipal Election Season has now begun and there is some detritus that needs to be disposed.
Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Policy Orders 2022 number 290 & 291 [Awaiting Report 22-82], regarding continuing the outdoor dining season and considering the extension of the reduced fee schedule.
pulled by Zondervan; Placed on File 9-0
Though this may not be the response some councillors wanted, but it makes total sense - especially in regard to how much of the space taken in the public way for cold weather outdoor dining went unused most of the time last winter.
Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Reports Items Numbered 16-111, 18-38, and 20-61, regarding Municipal Property Inventory. [Report]
Pulled by Nolan; Charter Right - Zondervan
Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the City of Cambridge resuming the use of the city-owned water supply on Nov 19, 2022.
pulled by Nolan; Placed on File 9-0
Speaking of infrastructure, it’s great to have you back again, Cambridge Water.
Order #15. Amendments to the Affordable Housing Overlay. Councillor Azeem, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Zondervan
pulled by Toner; Azeem amendment Fails (BA,MM,DS,QZ - YES; DC,AM,PN,PT,SS - NO)
QZ amendment to Require Committee Reports by Jan 31, 2022 Fails 4-5 (BA,MM,DS,QZ - YES; DC,AM,PN,PT,SS - NO)
Toner Amendment to send to Housing Committee and NLTP Committee (rather than to Ordinance Committee & Planning Board) Adopted 8-1 (QZ - NO)
Order Adopted as Amended 8-1 (QZ - NO)
This may well be the most outrageous proposal I have ever seen from this or any other Cambridge City Council. Please read the full text of this Order and the accompanying maps. It simply blows past decades of thoughtful, deliberative planning and public participation in favor of dramatic upzoning without any meaningful opportunity for public response or input. I will add that we may now be at the point where proposals such as this will have to be viewed through a “regulatory taking” lens in the sense that what is allowed and what is proposed to be allowed for government-sponsored developers is dramatically more than what is allowed for ordinary property owners. It seems as though the policy of this City Council has become completely skewed toward moving privately-owned property toward “social housing” – and they apparently are willing to keep skewing the rules to benefit their chosen developers (who are likely also the ones drafting the regulations) until they achieve this shift.
I feel some obligation to now talk about proportional representation elections. In the absence of any true civic and political infrastructure in Cambridge, our municipal elections have become dominated by single-issue advocacy groups. In the absence of a true local newspaper willing to listen to community concerns and provide objective journalism, political propaganda has become the rule, and that includes partisans embedded in neighborhood listservs eager to attack anyone who might stand in the way of their respective agendas. So here is my first bit of advice when it comes time to vote in the next municipal election – in addition to considering which candidates you find acceptable and ranking them by preference, think even more about which candidates you should exclude from your ballot. We are now in a period where voting for candidate slates is being strongly encouraged, and in an environment where most residents remain unaware of the actions and proposals of councillors and candidates, propaganda can dominate. The truth is that some candidates win regardless of endorsements and it’s demonstrably false to claim that a majority of voters support policies of your organization simply because they are included on your candidate slate. We have never actually polled Cambridge voters about specific issues, and the range of criteria used by most voters in their candidate preferences is as wide as an ocean.
The ABC group (more properly called “A Bigger Cambridge”) has never made a secret of its long-term mission - namely to dramatically increase heights and densities everywhere in Cambridge, to eliminate all neighborhood conservation districts and historic preservation regulations, and to “streamline” permitting in the sense that most or all rights to object to development proposals should be eliminated. One of their principal officers even suggested a target population of at least 300,000 for Cambridge a few years ago (that’s about triple the current population). This is like the reincarnation of Robert Moses as Jane Jacobs rolls over in her grave. I actually ranked 3 of the 9 candidates ABC endorsed in the 2021 municipal election. I will not rank any of their endorsees again even if I like them personally, and I encourage others to do the same. This, by the way, should not be viewed in any way as an endorsement of any other candidates or candidate slates - despite what some activists may choose to think (or tweet).
Order #18. That the memo from Charles Sullivan regarding Comments on Citizen’s Petition to Amend Ch. 2.78, Article III, Neighborhood Conservation Districts and Landmarks and the memo from Charles Sullivan regarding the Proposed Friendly Amendments to Ch. 2.78, Art. III be forwarded to the full City Council with the recommendation to refer said memos to the Ordinance Committee for further discussion. Councillor Carlone
Order Adopted 9-0
Committee Report #2. The Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning Committee conducted a public meeting on Oct 25, 2022 to discuss the Neighborhood Conservation District Citizen’s Petition: Historical Commission Proposed Response. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 9-0
Suffice to say that the “Neighborhood Conservation District Citizen’s Petition” is one of ABC’s policy goals to minimize or eliminate public review of development proposals. As for Neighborhood Conservation Districts in general, while I absolutely would not want them to dictate what paint I can use on my house or the requirement of materials that are dramatically more expensive, I absolutely support their underlying purpose. In spite of the Robert Moses view of things, I believe there are many things in Cambridge worthy of preservation.
The clock is running down on the first half of the game. Time to get a beer or decide to be a candidate or both. Here’s hoping that Maura Healey is in a Cambridge appointing mood this month and next so that we can open up some seats and bring in some prospects from the minors. Here’s what’s on this week’s dance card:
Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board report with a recommendation to adopt the Emissions the Accounting Zoning Petition (Version 3) with clarifying comments. [Planning Board report]
pulled by Zondervan; Referred to Petition 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board Zoning Petition to consider adoption of the attached Climate Resilience Zoning. [Planning Board Zoning Petition]
pulled by Nolan; Referred to Planning Board & Ordinance Committee 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the City Manager’s 90 Day Report.
pulled by Mallon; Placed on File 9-0
Communications & Reports #1. A communication was received from Vice Mayor Mallon, transmitting information regarding the City Manager Annual Review process. [City Manager Performance Review] [Proposed City Manager Annual Performance Review Process] [City Manager Draft Annual Performance Review Template]
Placed on File as Amended 9-0
I especially liked this note in the Manager’s Report: “Finally, many of our greatest challenges are fundamentally regional issues - housing, homelessness, climate change, and transportation. We often view our work within our 6.4 square miles, but there is a need for greater coordination with our neighbors and state government. As we enter 2023 and welcome a new Healey administration, I’m looking forward to Cambridge having a greater voice to advocate for and collaborate to find solutions that match the scale of our challenges.”
And this: “As with all relationships, I believe the relationship between the City and Council is not a static arrangement that can be written down or governed through contract provisions. Relationships are interactions between people over time and built on mutual respect, shared norms, communication, and trust. There will be mistakes and areas for improvement, and we won’t agree on every issue, but I’m committed to creating a government that works and where we are increasing alignment and trust between the City, Council, and community.”
Perhaps the greatest indication of the mettle of our new City Manager will be how he handles all the upcoming appointments to City Boards & Commissions. Will political considerations outweigh other factors? For at least this one observer, those appointments and how the city councillors handle or mishandle their newfound power to review (some of) these appointments will be very telling. The City Manager also speaks of “greater empowerment for leaders and staff,” but accountability and answering for poor decisions and the willingness to change direction when warranted are just as important. The same goes for all of our elected officials.
Order #3. That the City Manager is requested to work with the appropriate departments to conduct street cleaning without towing starting with the 2023 season. Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Azeem
pulled by Nolan; Charter Right - Simmons
I have mixed feelings about this - especially as a resident who has been voluntarily clearing the storm drains in my neighborhood for decades. I have always appreciated a good curb-to-curb cleaning during the warmer months and plowing snow as close to the curb as possible during winter. Having even one vehicle to go around negates much of this benefit. I would be happier if a new policy had some discretion, i.e., if the crews and police feel that little is gained by towing in a specific occasion then a pricey ticket may be sufficient. Unfortunately, there are many people now living in Cambridge who might just write that off as the “cost of doing business” as they wallow in their negligence. - Robert Winters
It’s that time of year for the pre-holiday gathering. Here are a few items of interest on this week’s agenda:
Manager’s Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 22-79, which requested that the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department and Department of Public Works meet with and receive input from residents living on the streets in the impacted area [around Garden St.] to discuss strategies to mitigate and reduce overflow and cut through traffic, including the proposal mentioned in the order, or other traffic calming or traffic diversion methods, and report back to the Council on any short-term recommendations no later than December 19. [TPP memorandum]
pulled by Toner; Placed on File 9-0
…and the Judge wasn’t going to look at the twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy pictures with the circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was to be used as evidence against us.
Resolution #5. Resolution on the death of Sheila Doyle Russell. Councillor Toner, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan
I have known many city councillors since the time I began paying attention to things, but Sheila Russell tops my ticket as the councillor and Mayor I most enjoyed being around. Nobody else even comes close to her mix of wit, wisdom, and willingness to pull a friendly prank on colleagues. The Sullivan Chamber has never been the same since she retired from the Council in 1999.
Order #1. That City Manager be requested to direct Legal Department and CDD to review the final language of the emissions accounting zoning petition, and make any recommended adjustments, including to the effective date, to the city council prior to ordination. Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0
Order #2. That City Manager be requested to direct CDD to work with relevant stakeholders to provide a preliminary estimate of the cost and time burden of compliance with the emissions accounting provision, prior to ordination. Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0
Order #3. That City Manager be requested to direct CDD to work with relevant stakeholders to inform the design of future regulations associated with accounting for embodied emissions. Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0
It’s almost as though our “progressive” councillors have discovered the concept of “unintended consequences.” Keep dreaming.
Committee Report #2. The Economic Development and University Relations Committee met on Tues, Nov 22, 2022 to conduct a public meeting to receive an update on the BEUDO amendments from the Community Development Department and a discussion of the environmental and economic impact of BEUDO on residential, business and academic properties/communities. Meeting was recessed and not adjourned. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 7-0-2 (McGovern, Simmons - ABSENT)
Committee Report #5. The Ordinance Committee held a public meeting on Tues, Dec 6, 2022, at 1:00pm to discuss proposed Ordinance #2022-20, Emissions Accounting Zoning. The Committee voted favorably to send three policy orders to the City Council that appear on this agenda in the Policy Order section. Further, the Committee voted to send proposed Ordinance #2022-20, Emissions Accounting Zoning as amended, to the Full Council with a favorable recommendation to Pass to a 2nd Reading. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File, Passed to 2nd Reading 7-0-2 (McGovern, Simmons - ABSENT)
Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Councillor Nolan and Mayor Siddiqui transmitting a Charter Review Committee Status Update.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (McGovern - ABSENT)
The authors state: “As of this communication, the CRC has met almost a dozen times.” — Actually, the CRC has met exactly 7 times. The first meeting of any substance was the most recent Meeting #7 on Dec 6. I have no idea how the authors decided that “the CRC has met almost a dozen times.” All of the meetings have been in Zoom with very limited public attendance or public comment – the opposite of what a process of this significance should be.
The authors state: “The vote to draft a new charter was done with the understanding and knowledge that a new charter could, if desired, maintain every element of the current charter. Starting fresh with a new charter means that the charter would no longer use Plan E, a form of charter no longer allowed in the Commonwealth. Current municipal government charters are usually based on a model charter with each element of the charter decided by the municipality based on needs and circumstances.” — This statement is contradictory. The Plan E Charter is still an option under Chapter 43 of the Massachusetts General Laws with the formal exception that the use of proportional representation (PR) as an election method was subsequently repealed. However, under the provisions of Chapter 43B (Home Rule Procedures Act) and Chapter 43C (Optional Forms of Municipal Administration Act), a city may propose various election methods, including proportional representation (PR) as currently used in Cambridge or (hopefully) a modified version that no longer has the awkward dependence of the order in which ballots are counted. In other words, and as stated in the authors’ first sentence, “a new charter could, if desired, maintain every element of the current charter.” I will add that on May 18, 2022 the Northampton City Council unanimously approved a home rule petition to implement Ranked Choice Voting and PR using the Modified Inclusive Gregory Method. The proposal is essentially the same as the Home Rule Petition from Amherst that proposd to use the Weighted Inclusive Gregory Method (WIGM). The point is that Massachusetts cities have again begun to consider proportional representation methods using improved versions of what Cambridge has used for the last 80+ years, and this is permissible under Massachusetts laws relating to elections. Whether any of these Home Rule Petitions survive the legislature remains an open question. In the case of Cambridge, our current PR system is “grandfathered” and may continue to be used without state legislative approval.
The authors state: “If we are to consider changes to be put on the ballot for 2023, the CRC work must be completed in a timely fashion and the City Council would need to work expeditiously to decide on what proposal to put before the voters. A home rule would have to be filed and passed in order for the ballot question to be put forth.” — Translation: Regardless what this CRC recommends, the current city councillors, subject to state legislative approval, would be the sole deciders on what would go before the voters - unlike an elected Charter Commission which would be able to propose changes independent of what the current councillors may feel is in either their best interests or that of the city. In other words, I wouldn’t expect to see any proposals survive to November 2023 that don’t either maintain or enhance either the power or electablity of the incumbents.
There are several significant themes that really should be considered in the ongoing charter discussions. For example: (1) the loss of neighborhood representation when the role of wards in representation was effectively eliminated in 1940; and (2) the mechanisms for “redress of grievances” with which a reasonable number of citizens can force a hearing and possibly a vote on a specific matter. Previous charters all had such a mechanism, but under the Plan E Charter the barrier is extremely high and any such petition is seen merely as a request that can be simply “Placed on File” with neither a hearing, a vote, or any other consideration.
By the way, in Meeting #7 of the CRC, members were given a review of the current modified Plan E Charter. The document was pretty familiar – it’s the very same document I produced from the original printed text some years ago complete with my choice of formatting and fonts - and even the links to documents on the Cambridge Civic Journal site on proportional representation and chapter fifty-four A. Prior to that, even though Cambridge has been operating under the Plan E Charter since the 1941 election there had been no reference anywhere on the City website to what actually constituted the Plan E Charter. You’re welcome. - Robert Winters
City of Cambridge Mayor Emeritus, Sheila Doyle Russell recently passed away peacefully in her home. She was my friend, but like most things I expect to write here, that seems an inadequate summation. I served as her Campaign Manager for the 7 elections she won for Cambridge City Council and as her Chief of Staff during her tenure as Mayor. These roles set me on my own path in public service, but ultimately were just functions I performed which don’t do much to define our friendship. Notwithstanding, since I did write most of the narrative media used to both request and justify support from the thousands of constituents she served so well in her public service career, these functions provide me a unique, although certainly not definitive, perspective on her life. I never wrote anything for her audience of many without first writing it for the review and approval of Sheila.
I preferred watching Sheila review those materials in person, as I valued her initial expressions while she read as a means to dissect what would always be her more measured assessments in conclusion. As both audience and subject of those narratives, her feedback, positive or negative, was part of an extended ongoing conversation we had about who she was, and how she viewed herself as a public servant. Always insightful, often argumentative, and sometimes unequivocally final in her rejection, I learned about her while she also taught me about myself. I’m acutely aware that this writing is my first on Sheila as the subject that will not receive her corresponding critique and approval. I find that circumstance daunting, but whenever I’d get reluctant to write something, Sheila would say “just give it a go.”
Sheila knew me since childhood as one of many Cambridge kids from a close group of mid-century working-class families helping each other stake a claim to the American dream. Amid stories of JFK and Tip O’Neil, they created their own Cambridge version of what is often referred to as the Irish immigrant political machine. I think Sheila would prefer the Gaelic term “Clann” to describe her constituency, not just for its Irish origins, but because the original meaning is flexible and inclusive depending on how it’s used. Perhaps this ambiguity is part of the reason its original meaning has been so corrupted in modern terminology. It’s root, literally and figuratively, is to plant and grown extensions that are connected. It embodies the family you are born into, the family you choose, and/or the family that welcomes you without prejudice. To care for your Clann means to grow beyond yourself.
Sheila’s Clann was planted in the Catholic Irish working class, but like the neighborhoods she knew so well, it grew extensions with each wave of change. The Irish, Italian, French, and Haitian families that shared the same faith in the same parishes as well other African American, Armenian, and Jewish families who shared similar dreams and challenges found representation in Sheila’s Clann. As a working class widowed woman and mother, Sheila’s own journey reflected the challenges and frustrations other Cambridge women of her generation experienced as the simple American dream of their youth evolved to be both more inviting and more elusive. She won over more than the occasional academic atheist as well with her genuine wit, wisdom, and humor.
Conversely, I would often use the more accessible, albeit banal words such as “community” and “constituency” to describe the people of this common good. Yet after nearly 15 years of watching Sheila read the words I wrote for the purpose of telling people who she was, I know she found terms like these, with their presumptive emphasis on simple demographic attributes, insufficient and unsatisfying. As a politician Sheila was a romantic. Not in the sloppy sentimental mockery of the term, but in the purest philosophical definition of the word. She possessed an awesome natural ability to connect with people as individuals through her genuine empathy and her capacity to validate the importance of anyone that approached her. In a word, she loved them.
As her campaign manager, I was typically more utilitarian in grouping these people by their attributes. In my mind, democratic elections were about candidates marshaling limited resources to optimize public support for a set of positions and ideas to be represented within the institutional bodies of government. I thought in terms of wards, precincts, and probabilities. I constructed the scaffolding and trellis around Sheila’s Clann, but she tended its growth. I targeted voters, but Sheila knew them and loved them.
Even to her last days, she maintained a deep encyclopedic knowledge of the people in her Clann. Not only in the academic attributes of my comfortable utilitarian domain, but in the meaningful romantic connections of the living Clann. When her personal recollections didn’t register with me, Sheila would usually begin a seemingly boundless recitation of associations; “she lived across the street from” or “you played hockey with his brother” or “she was married to Jimmy who worked with Leo at the gas company”. Sometimes she would throw me a more utilitarian bone such as “always voted absentee because she couldn’t do the stairs”. I never reached the limits of her depth on the people she cared about. After several failing attempts to jog my utilitarian memory, she would usually look at me silently for a moment, perplexed at my incomprehension. At first, I wondered if she was judging me, but I realized later that she always had another option to offer but was assessing if continuing on the current path would just freak me out. Sheila could always dive deeper, but I think she worried that it would give me the bends.
Sheila lived her entire 87 years as a native, lifelong Cantabrigian. However, where she existed was that inexpressible space in between the romantic and the utilitarian. Sheila’s Clann was not a collection of individuals that shared some things in common. It was a beating, breathing life of its own, defined as much by the connections and interactions between as by the individuals themselves. As social media platforms increasingly promote the vain promises of their connection algorithms, it has often occurred to me that these are nothing more than pale mutations of how Sheila’s mind worked organically. We are increasingly living in that mutated world of algorithms that is all utility and no romance. John Stuart Mill, the great English philosopher once wrote that whoever could master both romanticism and utilitarianism would possess the entire English philosophy of their age. I suspect that Sheila would smile and quip that the Irish easily find what the English are still looking for.
True also for the proportional representation election system used in Cambridge, which Sheila would reference in shorthand to the uninitiated as the “Irish System”. She had a deep intuitive understanding of how rank voting improved how people expressed their representative preferences, but more importantly, how it incentivized candidates like her to emphasize our connections rather than our differences. In the days of paper ballots, Sheila relished attending “The Count” where full consideration of voter’s choices recorded in penciled preferences took almost a week to fully tabulate. For Sheila, “The Count” wasn’t just about the suspense and drama of the protracted process. It was about the time spent with the friends and supporters of her Clann gathered in the designated watch area. Together we watched and learned how she achieved the requisite proportion of votes (quota) from her primary supporters woven together with additional support cultivated among the secondary preferences of voters that initially made other choices. Each PR count was a lesson in the importance of cultivating connections rather than forcing voters into hard choices. Often it was a hard lesson to learn for many first-time ego-driven candidates more suited to the traditional yet inferior winner-take-
all elections. In other words, it was a lesson in growth.
It’s why I chose the photos included here to represent the Sheila I want to remember. As someone who made a personal practice of reading the expressions of Sheila as they pertain to her public persona, I think these photos capture her at one of her most cherished moments, one vote away from achieving the election quota and removing her name card identifying her as a candidate in the running. No ballrooms or podiums. No canned speeches in opposite pockets, depending on the outcome. Just friends, and friends of friends and associates and colleagues and fellow citizens gathered together in the same space to congratulate the elected and to console and thank the defeated for their best efforts in representing the public interest. This is Sheila as her best public self, caught on camera in the inexplicable space between the romantic and utilitarian sides of political life, perfectly balanced and at ease. To me, this is her true self, and will remain my lasting image of Sheila.
People often ask me why, with my years of campaign experience and ardent interest in election reform, I haven’t offered my services to other candidates. My standard answer is that every election campaign I managed took place before social media was invented, and I haven’t been able to identify, let alone adapt, to the utility of that new order. That’s true enough, but the more pertinent answer is simply that I’ve never met another Sheila. I’m still just the apprentice to the master, learning how to be part of something that can grow beyond myself.
I visited Sheila at her home shortly before her death. Her body was frail and failing, but the Clann algorithms were still processing like they always did. She told me how much she missed reading the newspapers. She could still see them if held close, but her arms could not keep steady enough to read them the way she enjoyed, usually cover to cover. She didn’t say this as a lament for her present infirmity. She said it as a problem to be solved, as if she was contemplating some combination of prosthetics and contraptions that would allow her to continue learning about the people in the places she cared for. I didn’t say goodbye to Sheila the last time a saw her, only because she didn’t give any indication she was going somewhere. I don’t regret that at all. It was pretty much on brand for Sheila.
I patiently await the long anticipated new birth of freedom when we have an election system for representative governance that allows Sheila’s approach to public service to be more rule than exception. There are positive signs. The good people at FairVote.org who are advocating for this exceptionally important right, and the existence and hopefully eventual adoption of The Fair Representation Act; and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences creation of the “Our Common Purpose” plan for sustaining the American experiment. Right smack in the middle of Cambridge is Harvard Professor Danielle Allen, who for me is the closest contender for the title of next-gen Sheila 2.0 with the academic chops to document and teach what Sheila demonstrated so naturally.
Increasingly, there are more people who understand and can reconcile our shared cultural history with our changing world without sacrificing the romantic ideals of personal and civic connection on the altar of expedient political utility. I remain hopeful that we’ll recognize and preserve the value in what Sheila demonstrated for us during her life of public service. If we succeed, we may take some comfort in knowing that government of the romantics, by the romantics, for the romantics, shall not perish from the earth.
Sincerely and Hopefully,
David R. Goode
Dec 12, 2022 – Former Mayor Sheila Russell passed away early this morning at her longtime home on Hawthorn Park in West Cambridge.
RUSSELL, Sheila T. (Doyle) Of Cambridge and Hull, Massachusetts, passed away Monday, December 12th peacefully at home. Wife of the late Mayor Leonard J. Russell; mother of Lenny and his wife Sandy Russell of Hull, Eileen and her husband John Struzziery of Hull, Nancy and her husband Ed Grabowski of Somerville, Katie and her husband Scott Somers of Peabody and predeceased by her son William “Billy” Russell. Loving grandmother of Alyse Brussard and her husband Tom of Boxford, Courtney Hooson and her husband John of Hull, Emily Struzziery of Hull, Caitlin Russell and her fiancé Bobby Murphy of Cambridge, Molly Struzziery of Hull, Meghan Russell of Westport, Patrick and Timmy Grabowski of Somerville and Niamh Walsh and Nolan Somers of Peabody. Great-grandmother of Hazel and Tripp Brussard and Ellie Hooson. Beloved sister of Nancy (Doyle) Navin, the late Marylou (Doyle) Crowley and James “Buddy” Doyle. She also leaves behind many extended family and friends, especially her gang fondly nicknamed “The Murphy Chicks”.
Sheila was fortunate to have been able to raise her five children in Cambridge and Hull, then enjoyed a rewarding career serving on the City Council and then as the Mayor of the City of Cambridge. Sheila touched the lives of so many. She would often talk about her cherished memories and friendships from St. John’s, St. Peter’s, the Hull Yacht Club and the Russell campaign trail. During her tenure as Mayor, Sheila was very proud of bringing the Irish famine monument to the Cambridge Common. As a City Council Woman, Sheila was a champion for many causes, Cambridge businesses and especially for the elderly and for elder services. She was a tireless leader for establishing the Cambridge Citywide Senior Center. In her retirement, her work and dedication were honored in the opening of the Sheila Doyle Russell Community and Youth Center. Although Cambridge was always first in her heart and mind, she enjoyed spending summers at home, entertaining on her front porch and enjoying the beautiful breeze off Hull Bay.
Relatives and friends are invited to Visiting Hours at Saint John’s Church, 2254 Mass Ave. in North Cambridge on Monday, December 19th, from 4-7pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated in the church on Tuesday, December 20th at 11am. Burial to follow in Cambridge Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to The Cambridge Program Friends, for Individuals with Special Needs, 1 Hardwick Street, Cambridge, MA 02141.
Dec 13 – My coffee cup this morning. The passing of a great friend will also be occasion for reunions with other great friends.
A few comments culled from the early issues of the Cambridge Civic Journal:
Nov 1997 – The comic highlight occurred when an Order came up congratulating Councillor Ken Reeves on his upcoming guest appearance in “The Nutcracker” at CRLS. Sheila Russell commented that “I usually do old-fashioned melodramas myself. The last one I was in was ‘The Scheme of the Shiftless Drifter’”. You just gotta love Sheila.
Dec 1997 – This meeting wasn’t exactly one for the ages, but Mayor Sheila Russell showed the good humor that has characterized her term as Mayor. After a discussion about posting “No Dogs Allowed” signs at City tot lots, Sheila said, “All we have to do now is teach the dogs how to read.” Later in the meeting, after a long discussion about whose responsibility it was to clean up the fall leaves after street sweeping was over and whether or not to extend the street cleaning season, Sheila suggested that we should put an Office of Tree Trainer in next year’s budget whose responsibility would be to train trees to drop their leaves directly into the barrels. We don’t yet know who’ll be Mayor this term, but already I’m missing Sheila’s way of keeping everyone at ease.
Jan 1998 – What Makes a Mayor: In my opinion, there are two Councillors who are entirely suitable for the job - Frank Duehay and Sheila Russell. Both have the experience and are moderate enough to be widely acceptable to the public. They are both capable of bringing disparate interests together and of promoting consensus and bipartisanship, ideals that are often elusive in a council elected via proportional representation.
Feb 1998 – Who reads the papers? – The next order of business was a discussion of the costs of legal advertising in local newspapers. The City principally advertises in the Cambridge Chronicle, but deadlines and legal requirements often require that ads go into the Tab, especially those of the Planning Board. The Boston Globe is considerably more expensive. The highlight of the discussion occurred when Counc. Russell asked why we wouldn’t use the Herald since some people never read the Globe. Ken Reeves asserted that some people never read the Chronicle, a clear reference to past differences he’s had with the Chronicle. Councillor Russell responded by saying, “Some people say they never read it but they know every word that was there.” Everyone laughed.
Feb 1998 – Councillor Born and Councillor Russell reminded the Council of how flocks of sheep in roads in Ireland could serve as an effective traffic-calming tool. [Yes, they were joking.]
Mar 1998 – The highlight of this meeting for me was Councillor Sheila Russell’s heartfelt account of the role played by the Marist Fathers and the Holy Union Sisters at Our Lady of Pity Church in North Cambridge, widely know as “The French Church.” She described in wonderful detail growing up in that area and of the good-natured rivalry between children from St. John’s Church and the French Church and of the dedication of the nuns at both churches to serving their community. “That parish was a wonderful, vibrant parish. They did everything for their parishioners. They had plays, they had shows, they had suppers, and they just kept all the traditions alive. So we thank them for what they did for the North Cambridge community and we will miss them.” A short while later, Councillor Russell said “I met my husband at that church. They used to have the University Trio - Nellie, Oscar, and Spike.” It is for moments like this that I continue to go to City Council meetings and to listen to the stories that are told there.
Mar 1998 – Councillor Russell: “That’s why it’s so hard to get people to serve on boards. We hear criticism of the Manager for not making timely appointments to boards. Why should people serve if they’re treated so shabbily?”
Apr 1998 – The comic highlight of the meeting occurred when Councillor Galluccio was needled by fellow councillors about his late entry in the running of the Human Services Road Race the day before. Apparently the good councillor neglected to set his clock forward to daylight saving time and had to be roused out of bed. Councillor Russell and City Mgr. Healy both made reference to the infamous Rosie Ruiz entry in the Boston Marathon. Mayor Duehay said of his vice-mayor, “I depend on you to be there!” Councillor Russell got the biggest laugh when she said, “I was a sleeper in that race.”
Apr 1998 – One of the strangest exchanges occurred during a discussion of Councillor Russell’s Order, responding to a constituent’s call, to refer the issue of “wind chimes” to the Noise Subcommittee of the Environment Committee, chaired by Councillor Born. Councillor Russell facetiously said, “This is a very serious situation. It is the cause of great deliberation and I know I put it in the right hands.” I have come to enjoy the mutual needling of the dynamic duo of Councillors Born and Russell. … Not to be outdone, Councillor Reeves said, “This is one of those moments when I really should just shut up. This worries me. The day will come when someone is wearing a certain shade of yellow and someone else will say ‘That offends me.’ You live in the city. You coexist with a lot of things or you live in the desert and you have no problems....In Somerville, they’re not talking about wind chimes.”
Apr 1998 – A discussion among councillors about the relative merits of supposedly self-cleaning public toilets took place in response to a communication from Central Square Business Association president Carl Barron concerning public urination. Councillors Reeves and Triantafillou heartily recommended these facilities. Councillors Born and Davis expressed some reservations about them. Councillor Russell volunteered to go to Paris on a fact-finding mission.
May 1998 – Councillor Russell provided the biggest smiles of the evening when, in referring to a VFW parking lot on N. Mass. Ave., had some fun by giving as neutral and non-Boston a pronunciation as she could muster to the words “park” and “parking” and then referred to it as a “vehicle storage area”.
June 1998 – The ever-wise Councillor Russell remarked about how most neighborhoods in Cambridge have their share of festivals and other events. “It’s what makes Cambridge Cambridge. It is being a good neighbor to partake in these things and to accept a little extra noise.” Regarding newly arrived residents, she said, “There should be a ‘Ten Commandments’ of how people should be tolerant in Cambridge.”
June 1998 – Councillor Russell: “I feel the same way. I've lived in Cambridge my whole life. When I first moved to my neighborhood, on Huron Ave. you could go to a five-and-dime store, a drug store, a barber shop, a hardware store. Now we have art galleries. Councillor Reeves is right. Now we have to put nets around the ball fields so that the ball doesn’t bounce into people’s yards.”
Sept 1998 – Mr. Yoder’s remarks about wildlife in the Alewife area led to various jokes from councillors about geese and goose droppings at the golf course. Councillor Triantafillou noted the increase in the skunk population which caused Councillor Russell to joke that she would put in a Council Order to regulate skunks.
Oct 1998 – With the City Council taking calls that night for input on its goals and objectives, Councillor Russell suggested that they should have a call-in to get Vice Mayor Galluccio a date. He responded by saying, “How many lines do they have up there?” To this, Councillor Russell responded, “One will be enough.”
Oct 1998 – Among other topics that came up was the possibility of requiring pitbulls to be muzzled. (Bill Jones suggested that their owners should be muzzled.) When discussion turned to the subject of people bringing their dogs to the Cambridge Cemetery, Councillor Russell said, “I think this meeting’s going to the dogs!”
May 1999 – The time since the last issue of the CCJ has been a time of great civic angst for this writer. The announcements by Mayor Frank Duehay and Councillor Sheila Russell that they will not be seeking reelection this fall have been very unsettling. These outstanding civil servants have been the most stable influences on the City Council for some time and the prospect of City Hall without them gives me no comfort. We can only hope that the elections this fall lead to future councillors who can match the wit and wisdom of these two individuals.
Mar 1999 – The closing moments of the meeting featured several councillors reciting their favorite “Washington's Rules of Civility” from a Globe piece distributed by Councillor Davis. Sheila Russell’s choice: “Be not tedious in discourse, make not many digressions, nor repeat often the same manner of discourse.”
May 1999 – When Councillor Born asked if the Cook Petition would preclude garden statuary, Mr. LaTremouille said that it would, because it was taking up space, drawing a parallel with the recent art controversy at Fresh Pond. He said there could be an enormous statue that would take up the whole backyard. Councillor Russell asked if this meant she couldn’t have a statue of the Blessed Mother or some other shrine. Apparently, the petition as written would prohibit this. (This provision was revised the next day to allow shrines.)
May 1999 – During a discussion of the proposed new rules for the City Council meeting, Mayor Duehay quipped, “I think they love us as we are.” To this, Councillor Russell responded, “I take the pulse of the city, and it’s erratic.”
May 1999 – Councillor Galluccio spoke to his order welcoming back the New England Patriots, noting that his mother has been watching the Patriots for 25 years. To this Councillor Russell responded, “I thought she’d made better use of her time.”
May 1999 – The most significant business at this meeting was the passage of the FY2000 budget and the accompanying orders. Of somewhat less significance was Councillor Russell’s order to explore the use of mimes in crosswalks to demonstrate pedestrian safety.
Dec 1999 – Since this was the last meeting for three outgoing city councillors, farewell remarks by Sheila Russell, Frank Duehay, and Katherine Triantafillou were in order. Councillor Russell gave a brief speech and left her magic wand for the next mayor “to use wisely.”
Sheila Russell To Leave City Council Position (Harvard Crimson, May 3, 1999)
Former mayor to retire after 14 years in office
“She has been the glue that holds the council together,” said Preceptor in Mathematics Robert Winters, the publisher of the Cambridge Civic Journal, a monthly political newsletter. “She became one of the binding agents that builds a bridge between the different factions,” he said.
…
Russell was first elected to the council in 1985, when her husband, former Mayor Leonard Russell, died. She served as mayor from 1996 to 1997. An Independent, Russell became known as an advocate for elderly residents as well as for residents of West and North Cambridge, Winters said.
It’s that time of year for the pre-holiday gathering. Here are a few items of interest on this week’s agenda:
Manager’s Agenda #1. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a public health update.
Placed on File 9-0
Awaiting Report #22-85. Report on organizing a vaccine clinic in December which will provide gift cards to residents who receive a COVID19 vaccination or booster. Vice Mayor Mallon, Mayor Siddiqui (O-2) from 12/5/2022
[Note: This event took place on Thurs, Dec 15, 2022.]
Manager’s Agenda #5. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to approval requested for appointments of new members and reappointments to the Cambridge Library Board of Trustees.
Appointments Approved 9-0
I propose that City Council review of Board appointments work like jury selection where each councillor gets one peremptory challenge per Council term. That would be more honest than what I expect we’ll otherwise soon be seeing.
Manager’s Agenda #6. Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $4,709,473 from the Water Fund Balance, Retained Earnings ($2,354,737) and from Free Cash ($2,354,736), to the Water Fund Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($3,392,903) and to Water Public Investment Extraordinary Expenditures account ($1,316,570) to fund the purchase of water from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA).
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #7. Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $700,000 from Water Fund Balance (Retained Earnings) account to the Water Public Investment Extraordinary Expenditures account, to fund the purchase of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) testing equipment.
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #8. Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation in the amount of $9,812,215.88 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Capital Projects Control Account ($7,036,323.82); to the Grant Fund Historical Control Account ($29,909.04); to the Grant Fund Public Celebrations Control Account ($78,836.02) and to the Grant Fund Police Control Account ($92,457), as well ($2,574,690) to the Capital Receivables account. This is an accounting transaction adjustment requested by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR), Division of Local Service) based on a change in their position and will eliminate negative balances which have been included in our annual Free Cash calculation for several years.
Order Adopted 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #9. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to changing the name of the City’s Climate Protection Action Committee’s (“CPAC”) to the “Cambridge Climate Committee.”
pulled by Nolan; Placed on File 9-0
Not to be confused with Conservative Political Action Coalition (CPAC), I’m sure.
Manager’s Agenda #10. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board recommending adoption of the BZA Stipends Zoning Petition, with additional comments.
pulled by Carlone; Referred to Petition 9-0
Why not just pass around $75 debit cards to everyone who shows up?
Manager’s Agenda #11. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board report recommending adoption of the Suzanne Blier, et al., Zoning Petition, with additional considerations.
Referred to Petition 9-0
Manager’s Agenda #12. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 22-79, which requested that the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department and Department of Public Works meet with and receive input from residents living on the streets in the impacted area [around Garden St.] to discuss strategies to mitigate and reduce overflow and cut through traffic, including the proposal mentioned in the order, or other traffic calming or traffic diversion methods, and report back to the Council on any short-term recommendations no later than December 19. [TPP memorandum]
pulled by Toner; Placed on File 9-0
…and the Judge wasn’t going to look at the twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy pictures with the circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was to be used as evidence against us.
Charter Right #1. That the City Manager is requested to work with the appropriate departments to conduct street cleaning without towing starting with the 2023 season. [Charter Right – Simmons. Dec 5, 2022]
Order Adopted as Amended 6-1-1-1 (Toner - NO, McGovern - ABSENT, Simmons - PRESENT)
[From the previous meeting…] I have mixed feelings about this - especially as a resident who has been voluntarily clearing the storm drains in my neighborhood for decades. I have always appreciated a good curb-to-curb cleaning during the warmer months and plowing snow as close to the curb as possible during winter. Having even one vehicle to go around negates much of this benefit. I would be happier if a new policy had some discretion, i.e., if the crews and police feel that little is gained by towing in a specific occasion then a pricey ticket may be sufficient. Unfortunately, there are many people now living in Cambridge who might just write that off as the “cost of doing business” as they wallow in their negligence.
18 Communications, including 5 from Young Kim and 4 from the inevitable Bob LaTrémouille.
Is cooking a Christmas goose still a tradition?
Resolution #5. Resolution on the death of Sheila Doyle Russell. Councillor Toner, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Simmons, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Azeem, Councillor Carlone, Vice Mayor Mallon, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan
I have known many city councillors since the time I began paying attention to things, but Sheila Russell tops my ticket as the councillor and Mayor I most enjoyed being around. Nobody else even comes close to her mix of wit, wisdom, and willingness to pull a friendly prank on colleagues. The Sullivan Chamber has never been the same since she retired from the Council in 1999.
Order #1. That City Manager be requested to direct Legal Department and CDD to review the final language of the emissions accounting zoning petition, and make any recommended adjustments, including to the effective date, to the city council prior to ordination. Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0
Order #2. That City Manager be requested to direct CDD to work with relevant stakeholders to provide a preliminary estimate of the cost and time burden of compliance with the emissions accounting provision, prior to ordination. Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0
Order #3. That City Manager be requested to direct CDD to work with relevant stakeholders to inform the design of future regulations associated with accounting for embodied emissions. Councillor Zondervan, Councillor McGovern
pulled by Zondervan; Order Adopted 9-0
It’s almost as though our “progressive” councillors have discovered the concept of “unintended consequences.” Keep dreaming.
Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to provide an updated tree canopy projection and provide up-to-date tree data to reflect the effect of the 2022 drought and plans to remedy tree loss as soon as possible. Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Toner
Order Adopted 9-0
Committee Report #1. The Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning Committee met on Wed, Oct 19, 2022 to conduct a public meeting to discuss the Cambridge Street Study: Findings and Recommendations Update. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 8-0-1 (McGovern - ABSENT)Report Accepted, Placed on File 8-0-1 (McGovern - ABSENT)
Committee Report #2. The Economic Development and University Relations Committee met on Tues, Nov 22, 2022 to conduct a public meeting to receive an update on the BEUDO amendments from the Community Development Department and a discussion of the environmental and economic impact of BEUDO on residential, business and academic properties/communities. Meeting was recessed and not adjourned. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 7-0-2 (McGovern, Simmons - ABSENT)
Committee Report #3. The Human Services and Veterans Committee met on Tues, Nov 29, 2022 to conduct a public meeting to discuss the unhoused population in Cambridge and uptick in substance use in Central Square. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 7-0-2 (McGovern, Simmons - ABSENT)
Committee Report #4. The Neighborhood & Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts & Celebrations Committee held a public meeting on Wed, Nov 30, 2022 to receive and update on the latest recommendations from the Alewife Zoning Working. Meeting was recessed and not adjourned. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File 8-0-1 (McGovern - ABSENT)
Committee Report #5. The Ordinance Committee held a public meeting on Tues, Dec 6, 2022, at 1:00pm to discuss proposed Ordinance #2022-20, Emissions Accounting Zoning. The Committee voted favorably to send three policy orders to the City Council that appear on this agenda in the Policy Order section. Further, the Committee voted to send proposed Ordinance #2022-20, Emissions Accounting Zoning as amended, to the Full Council with a favorable recommendation to Pass to a 2nd Reading. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File, Passed to 2nd Reading 7-0-2 (McGovern, Simmons - ABSENT)
Committee Report #6. The Ordinance Committee held a public meeting to continue the discussion of Pregnancy Centers, proposed Ordinance #2022-16 on Dec 6, 2022 @3pm. The Committee voted to send proposed Ordinance #2022-16 as amended, Crisis Pregnancy Centers, to the full Council with a favorable recommendation to Pass to a 2nd Reading. [text of report]
Report Accepted, Placed on File, Passed to 2nd Reading 8-0-1 (McGovern - ABSENT)
Communications & Reports #2. A communication was received from Councillor Nolan and Mayor Siddiqui transmitting a Charter Review Committee Status Update.
Placed on File 8-0-1 (McGovern - ABSENT)
The authors state: “As of this communication, the CRC has met almost a dozen times.” — Actually, the CRC has met exactly 7 times. The first meeting of any substance was the most recent Meeting #7 on Dec 6. I have no idea how the authors decided that “the CRC has met almost a dozen times.” All of the meetings have been in Zoom with very limited public attendance or public comment – the opposite of what a process of this significance should be.
The authors state: “The vote to draft a new charter was done with the understanding and knowledge that a new charter could, if desired, maintain every element of the current charter. Starting fresh with a new charter means that the charter would no longer use Plan E, a form of charter no longer allowed in the Commonwealth. Current municipal government charters are usually based on a model charter with each element of the charter decided by the municipality based on needs and circumstances.” — This statement is contradictory. The Plan E Charter is still an option under Chapter 43 of the Massachusetts General Laws with the formal exception that the use of proportional representation (PR) as an election method was subsequently repealed. However, under the provisions of Chapter 43B (Home Rule Procedures Act) and Chapter 43C (Optional Forms of Municipal Administration Act), a city may propose various election methods, including proportional representation (PR) as currently used in Cambridge or (hopefully) a modified version that no longer has the awkward dependence of the order in which ballots are counted. In other words, and as stated in the authors’ first sentence, “a new charter could, if desired, maintain every element of the current charter.” I will add that on May 18, 2022 the Northampton City Council unanimously approved a home rule petition to implement Ranked Choice Voting and PR using the Modified Inclusive Gregory Method. The proposal is essentially the same as the Home Rule Petition from Amherst that proposd to use the Weighted Inclusive Gregory Method (WIGM). The point is that Massachusetts cities have again begun to consider proportional representation methods using improved versions of what Cambridge has used for the last 80+ years, and this is permissible under Massachusetts laws relating to elections. Whether any of these Home Rule Petitions survive the legislature remains an open question. In the case of Cambridge, our current PR system is “grandfathered” and may continue to be used without state legislative approval.
The authors state: “If we are to consider changes to be put on the ballot for 2023, the CRC work must be completed in a timely fashion and the City Council would need to work expeditiously to decide on what proposal to put before the voters. A home rule would have to be filed and passed in order for the ballot question to be put forth.” — Translation: Regardless what this CRC recommends, the current city councillors, subject to state legislative approval, would be the sole deciders on what would go before the voters - unlike an elected Charter Commission which would be able to propose changes independent of what the current councillors may feel is in either their best interests or that of the city. In other words, I wouldn’t expect to see any proposals survive to November 2023 that don’t either maintain or enhance either the power or electablity of the incumbents.
There are several significant themes that really should be considered in the ongoing charter discussions. For example: (1) the loss of neighborhood representation when the role of wards in representation was effectively eliminated in 1940; and (2) the mechanisms for “redress of grievances” with which a reasonable number of citizens can force a hearing and possibly a vote on a specific matter. Previous charters all had such a mechanism, but under the Plan E Charter the barrier is extremely high and any such petition is seen merely as a request that can be simply “Placed on File” with neither a hearing, a vote, or any other consideration.
By the way, in Meeting #7 of the CRC, members were given a review of the current modified Plan E Charter. The document was pretty familiar – it’s the very same document I produced from the original printed text some years ago complete with my choice of formatting and fonts - and even the links to documents on the Cambridge Civic Journal site on proportional representation and chapter fifty-four A. Prior to that, even though Cambridge has been operating under the Plan E Charter since the 1941 election there had been no reference anywhere on the City website to what actually constituted the Plan E Charter. You’re welcome. - Robert Winters
I would like to informally gather a group of concerned Cambridge residents to form a Study Group to better understand the Cambridge City Charter - past, present, and future - in detail. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current Charter? How did we come to have the current (Plan E) Charter? What improvements to the governmental form and election methods might be advisable? [References]
This Study Group would be separate from the “official” Cambridge Charter Review Committee that was recently appointed by several city councillors. Among other things, this group can monitor the official review committee, discuss and critique any proposals coming from that committee, and independently propose alternatives. If you are interested, please let me know. - Robert Winters
5:30-7:30pm Charter Review Committee Virtual Meeting #9 (Zoom)
Note: The fact that the requirement for Charter Review is part of the revised Plan E Charter means that appointments to the committee should have been made by the City Manager subject to review by the full City Council. Instead, all of the appointments were made by an ad-hoc group of 4 councillors without any review of the full City Council. Archived recordings of virtual meetings are available here. The official site is: cambridgema.gov/charterreview
There were 41 new COVID positive tests reported today (covering 4 days) and the 7-day daily average dropped from 12.9 to 12.1. The total number of residents who have tested positive is now 34,710 (not including me and possibly thousands of others who have tested positive at home). The Cambridge total increased by 41 today (covering 3 days), and 13, 18, 23, 62 (covering 4 days), 15, 24, 104 (due to year-end adjustments), 35, 35 (covering 3 days), and 38 in recent days. Time will tell where this is headed, especially with the expected post-holiday rise and as the BA.4&5, the BF.7, the BQ.1, and the even newer XBB variant work their way through. The 7-day averages are now back in the 10-20 range. The percentage of positive tests (measured over the last two weeks) stands at 8.29% (previous rates 8.5%, 5.84%, 4.90%, 4.73%, 5.03%, 5.38%, 6.50%, 7.65%, 7.38%, 7.27%, 6.75%, 5.65%, 5.91%, 6.40%, 6.05%, 5.94%, 6.15%, 5.72%, 6.87%, 7.32%, 7.55%, 7.69%, 6.88%, 5.98, 6.47%, 7.66%, 7.41%, 7.08%, 7.45%, 7.36%, 6.11%, 4.65%, 4.2%, 3.85%, 3%, 2.3%, 1.94%, 1.63%, 1.71%, 1.56%, 1.09%, 0.87%). Most importantly, the effects of the latest virus variants (along with vaccinations) appear to be much milder.
A new coronavirus variant has taken over, sparking concerns of a winter surge (Boston Globe, Nov 21, 2022)
Scientists expect a rise in infections but say the vaccines should still protect against severe disease.
Click on graph above for latest Cambridge data.
Jan 3, 2023 Breakdown of Cases:
34710 tested positive (total) - an increase of 41 since Friday
[includes 4490 Harvard (0 new) and 2811 MIT (0 new)]
180 confirmed deaths - 92 in long-term care facilities, 88 in general community
1 new death reported Dec 21 (from August) (long-term care)
Thanks to vaccinations, even though the 7-day averages were dreadful
the impacts were not as bad as they could have been.
City of Cambridge Covid Information Harvard University COVID-19 data MIT COVID-19 data
High vaccination rates have helped to blunt what might have been a larger surge and far more deaths.
Covid Cases by Age Group - through Dec 30, 2022
(click on above graph for the latest)
MWRA Biobot wastewater data - Dec 28, 2022
MWRA Biobot recent wastewater data - North System - Dec 28, 2022
The 7-day average reached as high as 8644 (copies/mL) in January 2022 before dropping to as low as 101 in March.
The BA.2 variants brought it back up to 1273 in May before dropping to under 400.
The wastewater figures are now rising rapidly due to the latest variants.
BQ.1 is now dominant locally and the 7-day average now stands at 1931 (copies/mL).
| Sample Date | 12/12 | 12/13 | 12/14 | 12/15 | 12/16 | 12/17 | 12/18 | 12/19 | 12/20 | 12/21 | 12/22 | 12/23 | 12/24 | 12/25 | 12/26 | 12/27 | 12/28 |
| North System (copies/ml) | 834 | 1108 | 1033 | 1123 | 1012 | 789 | 1701 | 1476 | 1359 | 1593 | 1891 | 2551 | 1386 | 1597 | 2377 | 2423 | 1630 |
| Northern 7-day Avg. | 1179 | 1149 | 1140 | 1090 | 1044 | 946 | 1055 | 1145 | 1179 | 1254 | 1351 | 1542 | 1671 | 1656 | 1772 | 1925 | 1931 |
The fastest-growing variant right now appears to be the BQ.1 variant. The percentages detected in wastewater samples in Middlesex County are now BQ.1 at 60.3%, BA.5 at 36.7% and BA.4 at 3.0. All other variants are currently negligible as of the week of Dec 12. [updated Dec 16]
Omicron Variant Overview - as of Dec 14, 2022 [updated Dec 28]
| Region | BA.2* | BA.4* | BA.5 | BF.7 | BQ.1* | XBB | Other |
| Nationwide | 6.9% | 1.8% | 36.8% | 3.2% | 44.9% | 5.0% | 1.4% |
| Midwest | 4.4% | 1.8% | 47.0% | 2.9% | 42.8% | 0.0% | 1.1% |
| Northeast | 8.4% | 3.5% | 26.4% | 5.0% | 42.2% | 13.3% | 1.2% |
| South | 8.2% | 1.7% | 38.9% | 1.5% | 45.0% | 3.3% | 1.4% |
| West | 5.2% | 0.6% | 36.7% | 4.2% | 48.5% | 3.3% | 1.5% |
An asterisk (*) indicates that sub-lineages are included. “Other” indicates all other lineages of SARS-CoV-2.
Shortage of Children’s Fever and Pain-Reducing Medications: What Families Can Do (Dec 30, 2022)
Call 988 Three Digits for Individuals Experiencing Suicidal Crisis and Emotional Distress (Dec 29, 2022)
City of Cambridge Closures and Service Information for New Years Holiday and Christmas Tree Collection Schedule (Dec 27, 2022)
Test positive for COVID-19? Reach out if you need help (Dec 23, 2022)
City of Cambridge to Make Free Rapid Antigen At-Home Test Kits Available for the Public (Dec 22, 2022)
Library Expands Tech Takeout Service (Dec 20, 2022)
Shoot Straight Basketball Begins January 7 (Dec 19, 2022)
City of Cambridge Closures and Service Information for Christmas and New Years Holidays (Dec 15, 2022)
White House Offers Free COVID-19 At-Home Tests (Dec 15, 2022)
Toys for Tots -2022 (Dec 15, 2022)
City of Cambridge Announces Participatory Budgeting Winning Projects. Residents Voted on How to Spend $1 Million to Improve Cambridge (Dec 14, 2022)
Mayor Siddiqui Announces 2nd Annual Winter Gift Card Drive (Dec 14, 2022)
Support Your City by Serving on One of Several Boards with Vacancies. Application Deadlines Approaching Soon (Dec 13, 2022)
Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang Announces Staff Appointments and Changes to Organizational Reporting Structure (Dec 13, 2022)
Cambridge Martin Luther King Day Commemoration Returns in 2023 (Dec 9, 2022)
Alyssa Pacy and Sarah Yasuda Interview (Dec 8, 2022)
City of Cambridge to Provide People Who Live or Work in Cambridge $75 Debit Cards at COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic on Dec 15, 2022 (Dec 8, 2022)
Winter Programming at the War Memorial (Dec 8, 2022)
GIS Data Download Updates (Dec 6, 2022)
Dates Announced for Next Police Exam and Application Deadline; Cambridge Police Department to Host In-Person Recruiting Information Session on December 13, 2022 (posted Dec 6, 2022)
Cambridge Public Health Department Reports Rise in COVID-19 Infections After Thanksgiving Holiday (Dec 6, 2022)
Housing Study Findings Presentation (Dec 6, 2022)
Firefighter Recruit Training (Dec 6, 2022)
Emerald Tutu Video (Dec 5, 2022)
Keep your tree and decorations fire safe (Dec 5, 2022)
Cambridge Seeking Members for the BIPOC-Owned Business Advisory Committee - Application Date Extended to 12-19-22 (posted Dec 5, 2022)
Support Your City by Serving on One of Several Boards with Vacancies. Application Deadline for Some Boards is Mon, Dec 12 (posted Dec 5, 2022)
We're Adding Separated Bike Lanes to Hampshire Street – and We Want to Hear From You (Dec 2, 2022)
Winter Warming Center Open (Dec 1, 2022)
Fiscal Year 2023 Assessing Layers (Dec 1, 2022)
How Would You Spend $1 Million to Improve Cambridge? Vote on Participatory Budgeting Projects Dec 1-11, 2022 (posted Dec 1, 2022)
Final Cambridge St. planning meeting on Dec. 15 (posted Dec 1, 2022)
Caroline M. Hunter to Fill Vacant School Committee Seat (Dec 1, 2022)
Renew Parking Permits Online (Dec 1, 2022)
City Hall Front Entrance Closed for Construction June 6 - August 1 (June 2, 2022)
Request: Please relocate the flags over the entrance so that the message from Frederick Hastings Rindge is no longer obscured.
4:00pm The City Council’s Ordinance Committee will hold a public hearing on Citizens Zoning Petition from Patrick Barrett et al. North Mass Ave BA-5 Zoning District Petition (AP22#52). (Sullivan Chamber and Zoom)
5:30-7:30pm Charter Review Committee Virtual Meeting #9 (Zoom)
Note: The fact that the requirement for Charter Review is part of the revised Plan E Charter means that appointments to the committee should have been made by the City Manager subject to review by the full City Council. Instead, all of the appointments were made by an ad-hoc group of 4 councillors without any review of the full City Council. Archived recordings of virtual meetings are available here. The official site is: cambridgema.gov/charterreview
6:00pm School Committee Meeting (Attles Meeting Room, CRLS)
The next Regular Meeting will be held on Tues, Jan 3 at 6:00pm for the purpose of discussing any and all business that may properly come before the Committee.
5:00pm The City Council’s Ordinance Committee will hold a public hearing on Citizens Zoning Petition from Duane Callender, et al. Cambridge Lab Regulation Zoning Amendment (AP22#53). (Sullivan Chamber and Zoom)
5:30pm Cambridge Election Commission (Zoom)
I. PUBLIC COMMENT II. MINUTES III. REPORTS 1. Executive Director’s Report 2. Assistant Director’s Report 3. Commissioners’ Reports |
IV. ACTION AGENDA Old Business SFI Update New Business FY’24 Budget 2022 Election Debrief |
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber and Zoom)
1:00pm The City Council’s Housing Committee will hold a public meeting to get an update from the Community Development Department on planning underway to develop changes in the City’s affordable homeownership programs. (Sullivan Chamber and Zoom)
8:00-9:30am Recycling Advisory Committee meeting (Zoom)
3:00pm The City Council’s Gov’t Ops Committee will hold a public meeting for the purpose of reviewing recent report of Boards and Commissions from the City Manager which are subject to City Council approval, and to discuss the City Clerks request for a dedicated email address for City Council communications. (Sullivan Chamber and Zoom)
5:30-7:30pm Charter Review Committee Virtual Meeting #10 (Zoom)
Note: The fact that the requirement for Charter Review is part of the revised Plan E Charter means that appointments to the committee should have been made by the City Manager subject to review by the full City Council. Instead, all of the appointments were made by an ad-hoc group of 4 councillors without any review of the full City Council. Archived recordings of virtual meetings are available here. The official site is: cambridgema.gov/charterreview
1:00pm The City Council’s Civic Unity and Economic Development and University Relations Committees will hold a joint public meeting to receive and update on the current state of the Cannabis industry in Cambridge and Massachusetts. (Sullivan Chamber and Zoom)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber and Zoom)
5:30pm City Council meeting (Sullivan Chamber and Zoom)
12:00pm The City Council’s Finance Committee will conduct a public meeting to discuss the FY24 Capital Budget, and future investment priorities in Cambridge’s physical infrastructure ahead of the FY24 budget cycle. (Sullivan Chamber and Zoom)