Policy Order O-4

WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge shares state elected officials with the surrounding communities of Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Everett, Somerville and Watertown; and

WHEREAS: These communities share many of the same challenges including the lack of affordable housing, education needs, poverty, public transportation, and environmental issues; and

WHEREAS: Despite sharing these challenges and being geographically close to one another, elected officials and city administrators from these communities never gather together to discuss these regional and shared interests; and

WHEREAS: The gathering of elected officials and city administrators from these communities to discuss these issues could lead to a unified effort to lobby the state for greater support to address these and other issues; now therefore be it

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work with the Mayor to reach out to representatives and city officials in these other communities to gauge interest in forming an inter-city committee which would meet three times per year to discuss and develop strategies for common issues that would be best handled regionally with support from the state; and be it further

ORDERED: That the City Manager and Mayor report back to the City Council.