Charles Fried, former US solicitor general and Harvard Law professor, dies at 88

Charles Fried, former judge and US solicitor general who changed course on abortion, dies at 88
By Bryan Marquard Globe Staff,Updated January 25, 2024

In Memoriam: Charles Fried, former U.S. Solicitor General and longtime Harvard Law School Professor (1935-2024)
Jan 26, 2024, By Christine Perkins, Harvard Law Today

Cambridge Municipal Election News

Who has been raising and spending money? [Feb 2, 2022 - present]
(source - Mass. Office of Campaign and Political Finance)
Note: Expenditures last updated Jan 31, 2024.
Note: You may have to “Clear Cache” in order to refresh some of the embedded charts/tables for campaign finance.

City Council Campaign Finance - Sorted by Receipts

2023 Cambridge Candidate Pages     Calendar of 2023 Election-related events

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City Council Campaign Finance - Sorted by Expenditures

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Periodic OCPF Bank Reports

Union Contributions to Candidates - Incumbency Protection

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School Committee Campaign Finance

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Cost per #1 Vote - City Council 2023	Cost per #1 Vote - School Committee 2023

How Can We Miss You When You Won’t Go Away - January 29, 2024 Cambridge City Council meeting

Capitulation is the featured item on this week’s menu, and we’ll see if there are enough votes to send the Gaza stew back to the kitchen for revision. This meeting will take place entirely with Zoom for reasons that require explanation only for the extremely clueless. It will be interesting to see how many people sign up for Public Comment, and I do hope the Mayor asks each of them to state their home address (or at least their city of residence).

Here are the items worth noting for serious analysis and/or comic relief:

Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to PO24#4, regarding the possibility of acquiring the property located at 727 Massachusetts Avenue.
pulled by Simmons; comments by Simmons, City Manager Huang, Deputy City Manager O’Riordan; Placed on File 9-0

Charter Right #1. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to review the Across Sidewalk Electric Vehicle Charging (EV) Permit Pilot Program, eliminate the $200 annual permit fee and determine if the process can be simplified. [Charter Right – Simmons, Jan 22, 2024]
comments by Nolan, Azeem, Simmons, O’Riordan, Maura Pensak, Nolan; Referred as Amended to Transportation & Public Utilities Committee 9-0

Resolution #1. Resolution Congratulating Lisa Peterson.   Mayor Simmons

Resolution #2. Resolution Congratulating Sam Corda.   Mayor Simmons

Resolution #3. Condolences to the family of Maureen C. Morris.   Mayor Simmons, Councillor Toner, Councillor Pickett

Order #1. That the Community Development Department report back with any necessary edits to the attached zoning language that would allow unrelated people to live together in the City of Cambridge.   Councillor Azeem, Vice Mayor McGovern, Mayor Simmons, Councillor Siddiqui
Order Adopted 9-0

This was previously introduced as a citizen petition several years ago by an especially unhinged individual. It was pointed out at that time that restrictions on the number of unrelated persons living in a dwelling unit originally came about as a matter of public safety caused by unscrupulous landlords packing apartments with unrelated persons. That’s quite different than the situation of a reasonable number of unrelated persons choosing to live together as housemates. I do find it creepy that this proposal chooses to redefine the word “family.”

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Order #2. Calling for an Immediate Negotiated Ceasefire in Gaza.   Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Wilson, Vice Mayor McGovern, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
pulled by Siddiqui; comments by Siddiqui who wants to remove most or all of the “Whereas” clauses as a substitute order (capitulation), opposes other proposed amendments; comments by McGovern who seems to think that the protesting mob is representative of Cambridge residents, claims to not want to make any statements that alienate anyone (doubtful), supports the substitute order; comments by Wilson; comments by Sobrinho-Wheeler who says this is just about opposing violence; Siddiqui moves the Substitute Order; comments by Nolan who states that all councillors want peace and to question that is unfair, notes that the loudest voices don’t necessarily represent all residents of the city, agrees that most residents likely do want a negotiated cessation of hostilities, acknowledges shared blame toward Hamas and Netanyahu, notes personal attacks and bullying and need for people to treat each other with respect; Nolan offers amendments acknowledging Hamas as a terrorist organization and more; Azeem would keep original Order and amend that rather than the Substitute Order; Toner ready to vote; Pickett says we’ll never satisfy all those who spoke on this; Siddiqui withdraws substitute fearing it lacks the votes; Nolan moves amendments with Toner; amendments taken up one-by-one (some pass, some fail); eventually Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

I encountered some interesting pole decorations Inman Street on Saturday. Perhaps this goes under the category of “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. I took the liberty of redecoration. Heck, it’s not like I was tearing down posters of hostages. I consider Denise Simmons to be a personal friend, and I stick up for my friends. The proposed resolution is relatively benign, but I would still move to amend it to modify the phrase “support for an immediate, negotiated ceasefire by both Hamas and Netanyahu Administration” to something more like “support for a negotiated end to hostilities - conditional on the release of all hostages and the demilitarization of Gaza.” Then again, there’s no rational basis for the Cambridge City Council chiming in on this. On the other hand, there is a long history of the Cambridge City Council ineffectively chiming in on world affairs. See Boston Herald note from Aug 21, 1935, for example.

Late Order #5. That the topic of discussing foreign policy resolutions by the City Council be referred to the Government Operations, Rules & Claims Committee.   Councillor Azeem, Mayor Simmons
Comments by Azeem; Charter Right - Siddiqui

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Order #3. Supporting An Act establishing the municipal reforestation program (S.452/H.869).   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Pickett
pulled by Nolan; Nolan wishes to finalize; Order Adopted 9-0, Reconsideration Fails 0-9

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to work with the Traffic & Parking Department to take immediate action and make safety improvements to the intersection of Cardinal Medeiros Avenue, Binney Street, and Bristol Street as soon as possible.   Councillor Azeem, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler
pulled early by Sobrinho-Wheeler; comments by JSW, Huang, O’Riordan; Order Adopted 9-0

This is Zondervan’s corner. It’s worth noting that both sponsors of this Order donated money to the campaign of Boston City Councillor Kendra Lara after she crashed her car into a house in Jamaica Plain (Sobr.-Wheeler $10, Azeem $100). So much for commitment to traffic safety. - RW

Comments?

More to Come - January 22, 2024 Cambridge City Council meeting

Hopefully this will be an actual meeting and not a Zoom reaction to petulant socialist lunatics. The Committee appointments have also been made. Here are the interesting items on this week agenda:

Note: The meeting was again disrupted for a short while by the petulant socialist lunatics (PSL) and their infantile allies. One of their more endearing chants was, “Simmons, Simmons you can’t hide, you supported genocide.” They also chanted, “We’ll be back.” I’m sure they will, especially next week when it is expected that several city councillors will capitulate to the demands of the mob with a resolution having nothing whatsoever to do with the purview of the Cambridge City Council. If anyone thinks that will end this bad theater, I have some Nigerian oil futures you can purchase right now with a modest down payment to my offshore account.

Manager’s Agenda #2. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the Massachusetts Avenue Planning Study Working Group -- Cambridge Common to Alewife Brook Parkway.
pulled by Pickett; comments by Joan Pickett, Iram Farooq, Paul Toner; Placed on File 9-0

Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to direct the relevant City staff to evaluate the possibility of acquiring the property located at 727 Massachusetts Avenue.   Mayor Simmons, Vice Mayor McGovern
pulled by Simmons; comments by Simmons, McGovern; Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Order #3. That the City Manager is hereby requested to confer with relevant City departments on potential public renewable energy projects that could receive funding through the IRA Direct Pay provision.   Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Wilson
pulled early by Toner; comments by Toner, Huang, Farooq, Rasmussen, JSW, Nolan, Pickett, Wilson; Order Adopted 9-0

Order #4. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments with recommendations and legal opinions for adjusting transportation related fees and other considered changes.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Azeem
pulled early by Toner; comments by Nolan, Azeem, JSW (wants “progressive” fees), Toner; Acting City Solicitor Megan Bayer, Pickett, Owen O’Riordan; Order Adopted 9-0

Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to review the Across Sidewalk Electric Vehicle Charging (EV) Permit Pilot Program, eliminate the $200 annual permit fee and determine if the process can be simplified.   Councillor Nolan, Vice Mayor McGovern
pulled early by Toner; comments by Nolan, Toner, O’Riordan, JSW, Pickett, Huang, Azeem, Siddiqui, McGovern, Wilson, Simmons; Charter Right - Simmons

The Cambridge community also lost two very significant members this week: Rachael Solem and Planning Board member Louis Bacci.

Late Resolution #2. Condolences to the family of Louis J. Bacci Jr.   Mayor Simmons, Councillor Pickett, Councillor Toner
Comments by Pickett

Late Resolution #3. Resolution on the death of Rachael Solem.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Pickett, Mayor Simmons
Comments by Nolan, Pickett

Comments

City Council Committee Assignments: 2024-2025

Here’s a suggestion that I offered once upon a time that everyone thought was a good idea but which was never implemented:

Create a separate web page for each of the City Council committees that clearly shows a record of actions taken, links to videos and minutes of past meetings, what initiatives the committee is currently addressing, any relevent documents and presentations, and a mechanism for public comment and suggestions.

City Council subcommittees for 2024-2025
Committee	Members
Ordinance	McGovern (Co-Chair), Toner (Co-Chair), Azeem, Nolan, Pickett, Siddiqui, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Wilson, Simmons (committee of the whole - mayor ex-officio)
Finance	Nolan (Co-Chair), Pickett (Co-Chair), Azeem, McGovern, Siddiqui, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Toner, Wilson, Simmons (committee of the whole - mayor ex-officio)
Government Operations, Rules, and Claims	Toner (Chair), Azeem, McGovern, Pickett, Sobrinho-Wheeler
Housing	Azeem (Chair), Siddiqui (Chair), McGovern, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Wilson
Economic Development and University Relations	Toner (Chair), Siddiqui, Sobrinho-Wheeler, McGovern, Wilson
Human Services & Veterans	McGovern (Chair), Wilson (Chair), Sobrinho-Wheeler, Siddiqui, Nolan
Health & Environment	Nolan (Chair), Azeem, Siddiqui, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Wilson
Neighborhood and Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Art, and Celebrations	Pickett (Co-Chair), Sobrinho-Wheeler (Co-Chair), Azeem, Nolan, Siddiqui
Transportation & Public Utilities	Pickett (Chair), Azeem, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Toner, Wilson
Civic Unity	Simmons (Chair), Pickett (Chair), McGovern, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Wilson
Public Safety	Toner (Chair), Wilson (Chair), McGovern, Pickett, Siddiqui
Family Policy Council	Siddiqui (Co-Chair), McGovern (Co-Chair), Wilson
Special Committee on Rules	Toner (Chair)

The New City Council Begins to Take Shape - January 8, 2024 Cambridge City Council meeting

During Mayor Simmons’ remarks at the Jan 1 Inaugural meeting, she made reference to beginning the new City Council term with a clean slate. A lot of people feel the same way - including me. It’s almost guaranteed that some bad behavior will follow – especially if some councillors engage in shallow populism – but hopefully there will be enough fortitude to call BS when that needs to be said, and that goes triply if we continue to see the kind of unchallenged displays like we witnessed during the Inaugural meeting.

I was especially pleased to see the City Manager’s communication regarding the eternal backlog of “Awaiting Report” items - most of which really should not have been carried forward to the new City Council term. This is not to say that there are few things worthy of consideration on the list - only that it would be better to set some priorities first. City Council policy orders should not be “Letters to Santa” or “make work projects” for campaign workers occupying patronage positions as City Council Aides.

Here are the notable items in this week’s agenda (in my opinion, of course):

Manager’s Agenda #4. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Policy Orders and Awaiting Reports for the New Term.
pulled by Toner; Rules Suspended 9-0 to bring forward Comm. & Reports #2; Toner says he intends to move to place all Awaiting Report Items on File; Manager explains desire for Council to collaborate and prioritize; McGovern, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Siddiqui, Toner, Nolan, Wilson, Azeem, Pickett, Simmons remarks; Simmons notes need to update City Council Goals which have not changed since 2017, notes difference between goals and policy orders; Toner motion to place Comm & Rpts #2 and all items on Awaiting Report on File Approved 5-4 (BA,MM,JP,PT,DS - Yes; PN,SS,JSW,AW - No); Manager’s Communication #4 referred to Gov’t Operations 9-0

118 Communications (really 121 topics) — The tally is 51 on the proposed (and failed) BEUDO amendment to the amendments; 41 on Zondervan’s order re: police procedures; 22 calling on the City to evict Elbit Systems from Cambridge (mainly from people who don’t live in Cambridge); 4 protesting the City Council’s Nov 20 “Present” vote calling for a ceasefire in Gaza; 2 pro-municipal broadband; 1 anti-municipal broadband; 1 supporting of the Freedmen’s Commission, and 1 regarding traffic on N. Mass. Ave.

I’m highlighting these communications primarily to point out what may well have been the single most stupid idea floated at the last Charter Review Committee meeting - namely a proposal to require a pro/con tally of all public comment and communications to the City Council on various issues. For starters (and this was pointed out by more sensible voices), not every opinion is pro or con. There can be nuanced points of view (like almost all of my points of view). Also, those who are reasonably satisfied with the status quo rarely feel compelled to make public comment. Most public comment these days tends to be reflection of political organizing and often consists of less-than-well-informed diatribes (e.g., the belief that the City Council or the City Administration can evict a commercial tenant (Elbit Systems) associated with a country now in disfavor among the extreme left, or the fascist belief that the Planning Board could support zoning that singles out particular companies). “Direct Democracy” can be very appealing – until you realize that it can be little more than mob rule. I’ll choose representative democracy every time - even when I have concerns about the wisdom or the representativeness of the representatives.

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Order #1. That the City Manager is requested to consult DPW, CDD, IQHQ, Friends of Jerry’s Pond, Alewife Study Group and Mass Audubon about further changes and enhancements to Jerry’s Pond, improvements to the shoreline ecology and other improvements to the current plans for the Rindge Avenue public edge along Jerry’s Pond and investigate funding sources for such plans including the use of City moneys and resources.   Councillor Wilson, Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Vice Mayor McGovern
pulled early by Toner; remarks by Wilson, McGovern, Siddiqui, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Toner, Nolan, Pickett, Azeem; Deputy City Manager Owen O’Riordan, DPW Commissioner Kathy Watkins respond; Order Fails 4-5 (MM,SS,JSW,AW - Yes; BA,PN,JP,PT,DS - No)

Committee Report #1. The Neighborhood and Long-Term Planning, Public Facilities, and Arts and Celebration Committee held a public hearing on Sept 27, 2023 to discuss the future treatment of Jerry’s Pond, specifically the Rindge Avenue edge as it affects the community. The meeting on Sept 27, 2023 was recessed and reconvened on Dec 13, 2023. [text of report]
pulled by Toner (early); Placed on File 9-0

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Order #2. That the City Manager is requested to consult with relevant staff to consider using remaining ARPA funding to create a tuition relief opportunity with Lesley University for Cambridge employees and residents.   Councillor Siddiqui, Councillor Wilson, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Mayor Simmons
Order Adopted 9-0

Note: The meeting began in the Sullivan Chamber but was disrupted by the same petulant nitwits who disrupted the City Council Inauguration a week earlier. The remainder of the meeting was conducted in Zoom, and all public commenters who insisted on bringing up matters not on the agenda were summarily muted (in accordance with City Council Rules). - Robert Winters

Comments?

The Inaugural Protest, the Jan 8 Protest, and Future Disruptions - Time to Amend the Rules

We have a problem. Unless the City Council wishes to run and hide in Zoom every week for the foreseeable future, there needs to be some changes in the City Council Rules governing the conduct of the meeting and, in particular, Public Comment. There have been many times over the last few years when the number of people who have signed up numbered in the hundreds - with many of them calling in from locations scattered across the country whenever a national or foreign policy matter appeared on the City Council agenda (and even when it did not, such as at the most recent January 8 meeting). In part because Cambridge is seen as an attractive stage for conducting these kinds of demonstrations, it is not impossible to imagine a situation where a national campaign could orchestrate call-ins from thousands of people from all around the country or the world. In-person public comment provides a natural limit on how many people may sign up to speak, but there is effectively no limit when people can literally phone it in.

I propose that every speaker provide a real name and address in order to be eligible to speak, and that only actual Cambridge residents and those with business before the City Council have a right to give public comment. I would give the Mayor discretion to allow other non-residents to speak - as long as their number is relatively small. Failure to make such a rules change will continue to hinder the ability of residents to give public comment - as they may be limited to a minute or less if the number of speakers is too high.

There will also have to be some constraints on demonstrations within and near the Sullivan Chamber. It is perfectly OK for the City of Cambridge to regulate “time, place, and manner”. One such method is to establish a “free speech zone” outside of City Hall. What our city councillors need to understand is that failure to limit these demonstrations actually restricts the free speech of residents with legitimate reasons to offer public comment on matters on the City Council Agenda. - RW

RULE 24C. Public Comment.
1. Regular Business Meetings

a. Under the provisions of Chapter 43, Section 98 of the General Laws, Tercentenary Edition, individuals, and employees of the City shall have reasonable opportunity to be heard at any meeting of the City Council in regard to any matter considered thereat. Opportunities for individuals and employees of the City to be heard at all regular meetings, except for roundtable/working meetings, shall be provided directly after the reading of the record, if requested by the City Council (submission of the record of the previous meeting). Members of the public may comment upon items in the following categories of business: Motions for Reconsideration, City Manager’s Consent Agenda, Unfinished Business from preceding meetings, Applications and Petitions requiring approval or referral by the City Council, Consent Resolutions, Consent Policy Orders and Resolutions relating to policy analysis or development, Committee Reports, Roundtable/Working Meeting Minutes, Communications and Reports from Other City Officers. Each speaker shall limit their comments to no more than three minutes. In the event there are 20 or more speakers signed up, the amount of time allocated would be two minutes. Individuals are not permitted to allocate the remainder of their time to other speakers.

b. Procedure: An individual may sign up to speak before the City Council on-line via the City’s website from 9:00am on the Friday before the meeting until 6:00pm the day of the meeting or via telephone to the City Council office on the day of the meeting from 9:00am to 5:00pm. On the day of the meeting, between 5:00pm and 6:00pm, a computer terminal will be available to the public in the City Council Office for on-line signup until 6:00pm on the day of the meeting. There will be in-person assistance for those who need help signing up. The individual should indicate on the signup sheet their name, address, and which item(s) they are planning to address. Individuals will be heard in the order that they signed up whether they are participating in person or remotely.

2. Roundtable/working meetings.

Public comment shall not take place at roundtable/working meetings of the City Council, where no matter being discussed may be finally considered, in that no votes may be taken. Written comments will be accepted and made part of the record of the roundtable/working meeting. The opportunity for the public to make oral comments on items discussed at roundtable/working meetings shall be at the regular meeting at which the item may be considered for action by the City Council.

Candidate slates in 2023 election:

Cambridge Citizens Coalition (CCC) For City Council: Joan Pickett Doug Brown Cathie Zusy Robert Winters Ayesha Wilson John Hanratty Federico Muchnik Hao Wang Carrie Pasquarello Patty Nolan Paul Toner For School Committee: Elizabeth Hudson Robert “Bobby” Travers José Luis Rojas Villarreal	Cambridge Voters for Good Government (CV4GG) For City Council: Cathie Zusy Ayesha Wilson Joan Pickett Paul Toner Carrie Pasquarello Robert Winters Hao Wang	A Better Cambridge (ABC) For City Council: Burhan Azeem Adrienne Klein Marc McGovern Joe McGuirk Frantz Pierre Sumbul Siddiqui E. Denise Simmons Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler Ayesha Wilson	Our Revolution Cambridge (ORC) For City Council: Ayah Al-Zubi Joe McGuirk Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler Dan Totten Vernon Walker For School Committee: Richard Harding Andrew King José Luis Rojas Villarreal David Weinstein Rachel Weinstein	Cambridge Residents Alliance (CResA) For City Council: Ayah Al-Zubi Doug Brown Patty Nolan Sumbul Siddiqui Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler Dan Totten Vernon Walker Ayesha Wilson
	Cambridge Bike Safety (Bike) Burhan Azeem Marc McGovern Sumbul Siddiqui Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler Dan Totten Ayah Al-Zubi Peter Hsu Adrienne Klein Frantz Pierre Vernon Walker Patty Nolan			Boston Democratic Socialists of America (BDSA) For City Council: Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler Dan Totten Zondervan endorsees Ayah Al-Zubi Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler Dan Totten Vernon Walker

Slate Voting - A Limited Comparison

Our municipal elections in recent years have seen the rise of political action committees and various candidate slates. The effectiveness of these slates is somewhat difficult to measure due to various confounding factors - the greatest of which is the role of incumbents who have a serious advantage in any election system due primarily to far greater name recognition. Suffice to say that good performance and poor performance as elected officials also are major factors in the value of incumbency. The presence of incumbents on a candidate slate surely gives an overall boost to that slate. The number of candidates on the slate also has an effect. Here are some comparisons of the various slates and pseudoslates in the 2023 municipal election (see above for acronyms) with number of candidates on slate and number of incumbents in parentheses):

Slate:	CCC (11 - 2)	CV4GG (7 - 1)	ABC (9 - 4)	ORC (5 - 0)	CResA (8 - 2)	Bike (11 - 4)	Zondervan (4 - 0)	Incumbents (6)
Voted Top 5	2439	97	2431	228	926	2812	--	711
Voted Top 4	3104	246	4098	518	1955	4027	379	1506
Voted Top 3	4041	693	6192	880	3610	6113	727	3622

“Voted Top 5” counts how many voters ranked their top 5 choices within the slate; “Voted Top 4” counts how many voters ranked their top 4 choices within the slate; “Voted Top 3” counts how many voters ranked their top 3 choices within the slate. There were 23339 valid ballots cast in the City Council election.

Having more incumbents on a slate clearly helped, but there were relative few voters who gave all of their highest rankings to all incumbents. As is often the case, many voters choose to rank one of two new candidates high on their list.

Municipal Election Voting Comparison: 2021 vs. 2023

I am just now beginning to analyze the voting patterns of the recent municipal election compared to previous years. There’s a lot more analysis to come, but here’s a quick chart showing histograms of the number of people who voted by age (in 3-year groupings):

Number of people voting in the 2021 vs. 2023 municipal elections

Note, in particular, that the number of people voting in the 24-35 age range jumped considerably, the number of people in the 56-67 age range actually dropped, and the number of people in the 74-82 age range increased considerably. The number of people voting increased from 22,097 to 23,478 (based on available data from the registered voter list and the voter history files).

Here’s the sequence of histograms for 2017 through 2023:

Here are the changes in number of people who voted for 2017 to 2019, 2019 to 2021, and 2021 to 2023:

Feel free to interpret these changes as you see fit. Possible causes are changing demographics, who was targeted by candidates, and specific issues such as bike lanes and the AHO. More to come as the spirit moves me. - RW

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nov 28, 2022:
Roundtable - Municipal Broadband

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jan 30, 2023:
Roundtable w/School Committee

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

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

Feb 14, 2023:
City Council/School Committee Roundtable

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aug 7, 2023:
appointmentsto Cambridge Health Alliance Board of Trustees
reappointment of Ethridge King as an Election Commissioner
Legal standard used to compel changes or deny projects reviewed by the Historical Commission or Neighborhood Conservation District Commissions
proposed amendments to Cambridge Municipal Code re: Neighborhood Conservation Districts (NCD) and Landmarks Ordinance
appointment of Scott Walker to the Open Data Review Board as a City staff member
appointments to Climate Committee
memorandum regarding Cannabis Amendments Special Permit zoning petition
how Cambridge might participate in PACE Massachusetts pursuant to the PACE Act
project update on the Central Square Municipal Property Needs Assessment and Planning Study
2023 Affordable Housing Overlay Annual Report
appointments to Committee on Public Planting
report from the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
possibility of acquiring the property at National Guard Armory on Concord Ave.
Fossil Fuel-Free Demonstration Ordained
Thanks and appreciation to Cambridge School Committee Member Fred Fantini
Resolution on the death of Charles Ogletree
Chicken Keeping; De-Paving; Aligning Parking Fees With Climate and Transportation Goals
Request for all outstanding and recent (last 5 fiscal years: FY’23,’22,’21,’20,’19) lawsuits involving the CPD or individual members of CPD
Lots of old committee reports

Sept 11, 2023:
possible projections of build-out of the Alewife Quadrangle under the proposed AOD-Q zoning petition
extending the prior authorization for the City Manager or their designee to grant street obstruction approvals
appointment of Victoria Bergland as a member of the Cambridge Housing Authority
Alewife Overlay District: Quadrangle (AOD-Q) Zoning Petition Ordained
Congratulations to Nancy Glowa on her Retirement
commemorative plaque in honor of Atieno Simmons
Policy Order re: Improving the Quality of Life In and Around Central Square
Cop City Resolution
AHO 2.0 passed to 2nd Reading

Sept 18, 2023:
Cop City Reconsideration
appointment of Lauren Reznick as a member of the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority
recommendations of the Community Preservation Act Committee
Community Safety Department Update
City Manager’s Fall Update
Affordable Housing Overlay language and Planning Board report with no positive or negative recommendation
Congratulations to Karen Francis on her retirement from the City of Cambridge
proposed Home Rule Petition relative to amendments to the Fair Housing Ordinance

Oct 2, 2023:
public hearing related to setting the property tax rate classification
“Historical Buildings and Landmarks.” Ordained
Pierson, regarding Cambridge Lodging House Zoning Change

Oct 16, 2023:
“friendly” eminent domain taking of a parcel located at 41 Bellis Circle
establishment of an Opioid Settlement Stabilization Fund
AHO 2.0 Ordained
Resolution on the retirement of Steven A. Cohen from the City of Cambridge Planning Board
Resolution of the retirement of Hugh Adams Russell from the City of Cambridge Planning Board
replacing the existing community notice boards on the front lawn of City Hall with one or two digital signs
direct the appropriate City staff to establish an American Freedmen Commission
work with DPW to restore Linear Park by re-using the existing award-winning design
Henkeeping passed to 2nd Reading

Oct 30, 2023:
appointment of Claire Spinner as Assistant City Manager for Fiscal Affairs
Condolences to the family of Marie DiDomenico
deliver an update on Municipal Broadband and Digital Equity by December 2023
report back to the city council with a list of recommendations to reduce the use of miniature liquor bottles
banning various single-use plastics
prepare a report regarding the efficacy of establishing a dual reporting system for the Director of Public Health

Nov 6, 2023:
regarding the demographic information of dues-paying members of the municipal golf course
phased ban on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in Cambridge
more fully explore the Commonwealth’s recommendations from the Separated Bike Lane document, especially for all squares and along small business districts, schools, and key park entries, and with a focus also on the integration of pedestrian and biking infrastructure

Nov 20, 2023:
Home Rule petition regarding the Fire Chief position
Planning Board’s recommendation on the Hen-keeping Zoning Petition
East Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Study - Placed on File
Equity Inclusion Fall 2023 Update
relative to the American Freedmen Commission Ordinance
2023 Cambridge Resident Satisfaction Survey Results
Cannabis Business Permitting Proposed Ordinance
Resolution on the death of Teresa Solano Neighbor
Resolution in support of Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s Call for a Ceasefire - voting "Present"

Dec 4, 2023:
evaluation of the 2023 Street Cleaning Pilot Street Cleaning Pilot and recommended language for special legislation to increase fines
improvements at Danehy Park
Affordable Housing Trust for a term of three years; Appointments: Teresa Cardosi, and Alyson Stein. Re-appointment: Elaine DeRosa
Planning Board recommendation not to adopt the Pierson, et al., Zoning Petition
regarding a home rule petition for taking the Fire Chief position out of civil service
Leafblowers ordained
American Freedmen Commission Ordained
387 Communications
Congratulations to Paul Parravano on being named The Reverend E. K. Nichols Founder’s Awardee for 2023
Resolution on the death of Bernard Goldberg
QZ/PN BEUDO amendment passed to 2nd Reading
legal opinion regarding Carry Over Procedures for City Council Business
Charter Review Committee request for one-month extension

Dec 11, 2023:
Zondervan - CPD to fundamentally change how it responds to situations that could lead to violence and death.

Dec 18, 2023:
feasibility of purchasing property from Lesley University
Final Landmark Designation Report for Miss Markham’s School; Order Fails of Adoption 2-6-1
Surveillance Technology Impact Report which describes Body Worn Camera technology
update on Municipal Broadband and Digital Equity
$68000 additional funds for Charter Review Committee
Useful Idiots claiming snipers on rooftops at their Elbit protest; QZ milking Faisal
BEUDO Amendment Ordination Fails 4-5
Resolution on the death of Paul Parravano
Congratulations to Clifford Cook on his retirement from the City of Cambridge
Exit resolutions for Mallon, Carlone, Zondervan
Forward subset of Awaiting Report List to next City Council

Nov 18 - I got the ballot data for the recent municipal election last night, did my usual tests, and everything checks out (as, of course, it should). I also determined who all the replacements would be should any of the newly elected officials vacate their seat. (More on that later.) Later today I will be doing additional analysis and posting some of the more interesting results. The closeness of the final School Committee results (8 vote difference) creates the possibility that a recount may be sought, but there are good reasons for not doing so. Andrew King has until Wed, Nov 22 at 5:00pm to file signatures seeking a recount if he chooses to proceed with that option. [Update - Andrew King has decided to not seek a recount, so the election results are final.] - RW

City Council #1 Votes by Ward/Precinct     School Committee #1 Votes by Ward/Precinct

City Council #2 Vote Distribution     School Committee #2 Vote Distribution

City Council Replacements - in the event of a vacancy Burhan Azeem → Adrienne Klein Marc McGovern → Adrienne Klein Patricia Nolan → Cathie Zusy Joan Pickett → Cathie Zusy Sumbul Siddiqui → Ayah Al-Zubi Denise Simmons → Joe McGuirk Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler → Dan Totten Paul Toner → John Hanratty Ayesha Wilson → Joe McGuirk

School Committee Replacements - in the event of a vacancy Richard Harding → Andrew King Elizabeth Hudson → Eugenia Schraa Huh Caroline Hunter → Eugenia Schraa Huh José Luis Villarreal → Eugenia Schraa Huh David Weinstein → Eugenia Schraa Huh Rachel Weinstein → Andrew King

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Nov 17 - Final Official Election Results. The winners in the City Council election have not changed. However, in the School Committee election, Richard Harding is now the last person elected (by a margin of 8 votes) over Andrew King. - RW

City Council (in order of election): Sumbul Siddiqui Burhan Azeem Marc C. McGovern Patricia M. Nolan Paul F. Toner Jivan G. Sobrinho-Wheeler E. Denise Simmons Ayesha M. Wilson Joan F. Pickett	School Committee (in order of election): Rachel B. Weinstein Elizabeth Clark Polner Hudson David J. Weinstein Caroline M. Hunter José Luis Rojas Villarreal Richard Harding
Round-by-Round Results (PDF) - official City version	Round-by-Round Results (PDF) - official City version
Spreadsheet (PDF) - with transfer details	Spreadsheet (PDF) - with transfer details