Committee Report CR-4

The Civic Unity Committee held a public meeting on December 18, 2003, beginning at 4:38 p.m. in the Sullivan Chamber.  The meeting was held for the purpose of discussing the functions and operations of the Riverside Oversight Committee.

Present at the meeting were Councillor Marjorie C. Decker, Chair of the Committee, Vice Mayor Henrietta Davis, Councillor Kenneth E. Reeves and City Clerk Margaret Drury.  Also present were City Manager Robert W. Healy, Assistant City Manager for Community Development Beth Rubenstein, Stuart Dash, Director of Community and Neighborhood Planning for the Community Development Department (CDD).  The following residents attended:  Alec Wysoker, 36 Jay Street, Phyllis Bauman, 19 Bay Street, and Lawrence Adkins, Hayes Street.  Representing Harvard University were Mary Ann Jarvis and Tom Lucey, both from the Office of Community and Government Affairs.

Councillor Decker convened the hearing and explained the purpose.  She began with a discussion of the function and structure of the new committee and noted that residents had expressed concern about who would represent Harvard on the committee as well as the small number of neighborhood residents proposed by City Manager in his December 8, 2003 communication to the City Council.

Ms. Bauman said that residents do not really know what the committee will be doing, so it is very hard for them to know who are the right people for the committee.

Mr. Healy said that his perspective is that the committee’s function is to make sure that the agreement, as worked out after many hours of negotiations, would be implemented as agreed.  He stated that the committee’s job is not to modify the agreement.

Mr. Adkins said that it is too early to make the committee so small.  Trust is very recent, and it would be an injustice to the neighborhood group that has worked together.

Councillor Decker said that she and Councillor Galluccio had discussed the issue and both agree that the committee should be expanded.  She and Councillor Galluccio had discussed adding three more people, Ms. Bauman, Mr. Adkins and Alan Joslin.  She asked whether those residents present would see their proposal as providing adequate neighborhood representation.

Mr. Healy said that he apologizes for any anxiety or distrust occasioned by his appointments. He was trying to act quickly to be responsive to the request for an oversight committee.

Mr. Wysoker asked if the meetings would be public meetings so that other members of the community could come.  Councillor Decker said that yes, the meetings will be public, and other members of the community can attend, but they cannot necessarily participate in the discussions.  She added that she and Councillor Galluccio also intend to be a part of the committee process.

Councillor Decker then moved the discussion to the issue of the function of the committee.  She noted that Mr. Healy sees the committee as overseeing implementation of the agreement and asked him for further explanation.  Mr. Healy said that the agreement requires particular steps to be taken.  He sees this group as monitoring those steps.  He invited Ms. Rubenstein to comment.

Ms. Rubenstein said that she sees the committee as tracking the steps to make sure that they happen, actually, going through the agreement and tabbing it for all the points of which the committee will be keeping track.  There are decision points within the agreement, for example, the amount of housing.

Ms. Bauman said that she sees the function of the committee the same way.  However, there are lots of details, for example, the park.  In addition, there is a great deal of neighborhood concern about the construction and construction mitigation.  She also sees a big communication piece, keeping a tie with the neighborhood, improving relations between the neighborhood and the university, perhaps utilizing a web site, among other methods.

Mr. Healy said that the communications suggestion is an excellent idea, definitely part of the role he envisions the committee assuming.

Councillor Decker said that the oversight committee’s charge is to oversee the agreement, and there is some room for interpretation that has to be worked out before the project gets to the Planning Board.

Councillor Reeves said that this is a wonderful opportunity to begin again with the spirit of “we are all in the car together.”  He also noted the importance of building in institutional memory because there will always be turnover among participants representing the city, the university and the neighborhood.  Councillor Reeves expressed his hope that this committee will be involved in the affordable housing issues.

Mr. Wysoker said that he is speculating that the City Manager has concerns that the committee will be having discussions about the color of the bricks, but the committee does have to look at the plans.  The committee does have a veto power to take to the City Council.  Mr. Healy said that he does not agree that the committee’s function is to pass on individual building design.

Councillor Decker cautioned those present not to be frightened of the future based on particular statements made at the table today.  The committee will evolve organically.  The questions and suspicions will not go away, but the committee is a place to hash them out.  She added that she would like to know more about the structure.

Councillor Davis said that what seems to have created success in the Agassiz  process is the intent of all parties to meet the needs of all of the others.  The best way is for the parties to meet together to work out these details.

Mr. Adkins said that he has been attending the joint Harvard/Neighborhood meetings. The whole point is to make sure that everyone gets the information.  While email and web sites can be a good addition, there are many people who do not have these tools, and old-fashioned paper communication, such as a newsletter, cannot be overlooked.

Mr. Healy said that the committee needs to have an organizational meeting and to establish a good communication system.  He suggested the second week in January and added that although he could appoint a chair, it might be more democratic for the committee to elect a chair.