City Council — Special Meeting, August 5, 2024

City Manager's Agenda (27)

• CMA 2024 #151Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $24,020 to the Grant Fund License Commission (Consumer’s Council) Salaries and Wages account ($22,010); and the Grant Fund License Commission (Consumer’s Council) Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($2,010). The funds will be used to allow the Consumers' Council to continue the mediation of consumer complaints from individuals in Cambridge as well as in Somerville, Arlington, Belmont, Watertown and Waltham which do not have their own complaint mediation program
• CMA 2024 #152A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a recommendation from the Cambridige Election Commission regarding the assignment of thirty-two (32) police officers and any additional officers as required to the City’s polling locations for all elections in FY25, pursuant to G.L. c. 54, §72police-safety📖 read
• CMA 2024 #153A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to an update on the Safety Net Family Shelterhomelessness
• CMA 2024 #154A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to an update on the Cambridge Preschool Programschools📖 read 📄 PDF
• CMA 2024 #155Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $263,815.00 to the Grant Fund Department of Human Service Programs Salaries and Wages account ($240,096.00), and to the Grant Fund Department of Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($23,719.00)
• CMA 2024 #156Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $180,000.00 to the Grant Fund Department of Human Service Programs Salaries and Wages account ($106,947.40), to the Grant Fund Department of Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($54,052.60), and to the Grant Fund Department of Human Service Programs Travel and Training account ($19,000.00). This is a grant that DHSP has received for many years. This grant covers twelve months of programming and will be used by the Center for Families to support a portion of the cost of 4 full-time staff and 2 part time staff salaries
• CMA 2024 #157Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $1,148,777.00 to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Salaries and Wages account ($1,105,839.00), to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($41,738.00), and to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Travel and Training account ($1,200.00)
• CMA 2024 #158Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $213,494.00 to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Salaries and Wages account ($211,085.00), to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($1,123.00), and to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Travel and Training account ($1,286.00)
• CMA 2024 #159Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $100,000.00 to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Salaries and Wages account ($42,982.00) and to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($57,018.00)
• CMA 2024 #160Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $7,000.00 to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account. These funds are used annually to supplement fuel assistance payments
• CMA 2024 #161Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $1,999.31 to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($1,999.31). These funds from MASSCAP, Inc. a private organization, will be used to provide assistance to Cambridge and Somerville residents with natural gas heating bills
• CMA 2024 #162Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $85,000.00 from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($85,000.00). The Department of Human Service Programs operates the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) serving Cambridge and Somerville. The additional $85,000.00 in LIHEAP client benefits will be used for payment of clients’ primary heating source, or for payment of a secondary heating source if there is no outstanding primary source balancehousing-general
• CMA 2024 #163Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $98,214.00, to the Grant Fund Human Service Department Programs Salaries and Wages account. These funds will be used to maintain the capacity of the Cambridge Employment Program by continuing to fund a vocational case manager to provide career counseling and case management services to Cambridge residents seeking employment, particularly those residing in public housingaffordable-housinghousing-general
• CMA 2024 #164Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $513,500.00 to the Grant Fund Human Services Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($513,500.00). This award will be used to provide nutritious meals to Cambridge youth at over 50 meal sites throughout the City during the summer months when schools are closedschools
• CMA 2024 #149A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a Surveillance Technology Impact Report (STIR). CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR SOBRINHO-WHEELER IN COUNCIL AUGUST 5, 2024police-safety📖 read
• CMA 2024 #150A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to to a Surveillance Technology Impact Report (STIR)police-safety📖 read
• CMA 2024 #165Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of 243,689.30, to the Grant Fund Police Department Extraordinary Expenditures account. This grant will support the purchase of some of the hardware necessary for the implementation of the Department’s Body Worn Camera (BWC) Programpolice-safety
• CMA 2024 #166Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of 120,000, received from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health’s Jail Diversion Program, to the Grant Fund Police Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($120,000). Grant funds will be used to support costs related to contracted services of a specially trained clinician that is responding to mental health calls throughout the citypolice-safety
• CMA 2024 #167A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Numbers 24-033, 24-034 & 24-038, regarding Vision Zero responses
• CMA 2024 #168Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $175,000 from the Mitigation Revenue Stabilization Fund to the Public Investment Fund Traffic Extraordinary Expenditures account. These mitigation funds were received as part of the MIT PUD5 (south of Main Street / Kendall Square) Special Permit (PB #303) and will be used to partially fund the design of the Cambridge Street separated bike lanes and other associated street improvementsbike-lanestransit-traffic
• CMA 2024 #169A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report 24-19, regarding researching incentives and support for residents without carsbike-lanesbudgetclimatetransit-traffic📖 read 📄 PDF
• CMA 2024 #170Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $527,800, received from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission Community Mitigation Fund to the Grant Fund Community Development Department Extraordinary Expenditures account ($175,000); the Grant Fund Traffic Extraordinary Expenditures account ($150,000); the Grant Fund Community Development Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($105,000); the Grant Fund Traffic Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($50,000); and the Grant Fund Police Salaries and Wages account ($47,800)police-safetytransit-traffic
• CMA 2024 #171A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the submission of the 2024 Affordable Housing Overlay Annual Reportaffordable-housinghousing-generalzoning📖 read 📄 PDF
• CMA 2024 #172Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $634,165.54, received from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the HOME Program to the Public Investment Fund Housing Department Extraordinary Expenditures account ($570,748.99) and to the Grant Fund Housing Department Salaries & Wages account ($63,416.55)housing-general
• CMA 2024 #173Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $2,420,070 received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of the Housing Opportunities for People with Aids (HOPWA) Grant, to the Grant Fund Community Development Department Other Ordinary Maintenance Account ($2,347,468) and to the Grant Fund Community Development Department Salaries and Wages Account ($72,602). The funds will be used for assisted living programs and supportive services, shelter services, rental assistance and housing search serviceshomelessnesshousing-general📖 read
• CMA 2024 #174Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $43,431 in the allocated amount for the FY25 Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) funding to be appropriated to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($18,316); and to the Public Investment Fund Community Development Extraordinary Expenditures account ($25,115)housing-general📖 read
• CMA 2024 #175A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to an update on the Request for Information (RFI) for 84 & 96 Bishop Allen Driveartshousing-generaltransit-traffic📖 read 📄 PDF

Communications (87)

87 resident communications received for this meeting — bike lanes (56) · transit traffic (48) · police safety (9) · schools (8) · housing general (7). Individual letters are summarized in the city's agenda and are not republished here, by policy.

Policy Orders (16)

• POR 2024 #96That the City Manager is requested to reach out to the Executive Director of the Cambridge Housing Authority to explore the feasibility of utilizing the large screen televisions in the community rooms of CHA buildings to enable seniors living in these buildings to participate in (via public comment) and view City Council meetings as they are held; and be it furtherhousing-general
• POR 2024 #97That the City Council requests that the Chair of the Human Services and Veterans Committee schedule a hearing to discuss concerns, evaluate current shelter operations, and explore potential improvements to ensure the welfare of shelter clientshomelessnesstransit-traffic📖 read
• POR 2024 #98That the City Manager is requested to take the necessary actions to ensure the City’s Gold Star Pool remains open through the end of September 2024, and shall be ready to open at the start of June 2025, three weeks earlier than the pool opened this year
• POR 2024 #99That the City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City staff to work with the City of Somerville to address the parking signage on Seven Pines Avenuetransit-traffic
• POR 2024 #100That the City Manager is requested to work with all relevant city and state departments to amend the Do Not Enter sign at the entrance of Whittemore Avenue from Alewife Brook Parkway to include an exception for abutters
• POR 2024 #101That the City Council will only consider Charter Review Committee recommendations which received a 2/3rds vote as stated in the Charter Review Ordinancecharter📖 read
• POR 2024 #102Requiring a 2/3rds vote for approving changes to be forwarded to the legislature and the voters on a future ballot. RECONSIDERATION FILED IN COUNCIL AUGUST 5, 2024 BY COUNCILLOR TONER TABLED IN COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 9, 2024📖 read
• POR 2024 #103That the Mayor is requested to form a Special Committee of the Whole or hold a special City Council meeting to discuss the Charter Review Committee recommendations and plan the process moving forwardcharter
• POR 2024 #104That the City Manager is requested to urge the necessary departments to reconsider the initial plans for the Upstream Bridge/Draw One Bridge to include the construction of the pedestrian/bicycle pathway as has always been planned for the Draw One Bridge for train renovation and Upstream Bridge for pedestrian/bike crossingbike-lanestransit-traffic
• POR 2024 #105Recognize August to be "National Black Business Month" and in calling upon residents, local institutions, and businesses to recognize and support Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs throughout our community
• POR 2024 #106That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant staff and departments to conduct outreach to Cambridge colleges and universities about the pilot University Pass Program and coordinate with the MBTA and report back to the City Council on these outreach effortstransit-traffic
• POR 2024 #107That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant staff and departments to create a listserv for residents to sign up for that automatically emails an alert to subscribers when a board or commission vacancy occurs
• POR 2024 #108That the City Manager is requested to work with the Law Department to provide a legal opinion on whether Cambridge can enact a local ordinance or regulation similar to H.3685, which would prohibit associations from unreasonably restricting the use of a solar energy system, or whether the City should submit a Home Rule Petition to ensure access to solar energy for residentsclimate
• POR 2024 #109That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant departments to review climate leading heating and cooling regulations and direct the appropriate departments to develop and implement a policy that aligns with Cambridge’s climate leadership to ensure that City operated buildings have default temperatures that align with health and sustainability best practices , including differing guidelines for workplace occupancy hours and outside of business hoursclimate
• POR 2024 #110That the City Manager is requested to work directly with the MBTA regarding the redevelopment of the Alewife garage and advocate for City prioritiestransit-traffic
• POR 2024 #111City Council endorsement of S.750, Primary Care for You (PC4YOU) legislation that doubles Primary Care investment and increases health equity in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Resolutions (18)

• RES 2024 #183Congratulations to George Hinds on 25 Years of dedication to the youth of the Cambridge
• RES 2024 #184Congratulations to Chrisine Doucet on her retirement from the Department of Human Services
• RES 2024 #185Condolences on the Death of Louis Tuccinardi
• RES 2024 #186Condolences on the Death of Laurie K. Bartee
• RES 2024 #187Condolences on the Death of Patricia "Pat" Daley
• RES 2024 #188Congratulations to Kenneth Atwell on his retirement with the Cambridge Health Alliance
• RES 2024 #189Congratulations to Fire Lieutenant Robert Golden on his retirementtenants-rent
• RES 2024 #190Congratulations to Kevin Lucey on his retirement from the Cambridge Public Library
• RES 2024 #191Congratulations to Josephine Reddin on her retirement from the Cambridge Health Alliance
• RES 2024 #192Resolution on the death of Inez Mary Salesman
• RES 2024 #193Birthday wishes for Lawson Fitzherbert Greene on his 100th Birthday
• RES 2024 #194Thanks to Flagg Street Studio and the Central Square BID for their commitment to the cultural and public life of the City
• RES 2024 #195Resolution on the death of Francis Henry "Frank" Janul
• RES 2024 #196Congratulations to Ellen Philbin on her retirement from the Cambridge Retirement Department
• RES 2024 #197Congratulations to Cara Seiderman on her retirement from the Community Development Department
• RES 2024 #198Condolences on the death of Leonard Vigilante
• RES 2024 #199Congratulations CRLS Coach George "Geo" Rodriguez for being named 2024 Coach of the Year by the MA Basketball Coaches Association
• RES 2024 #200Condolences on the Death of Len Solo

Applications & Petitions (6)

• APP 2024 #24An application was received from Harvard Arts Museum requesting permission for 22 temporary pole banners around Cambridge Commons, Quincy Street and Cambridge Street Hovey to Felton announcing Free Every Day until November 29, 2024arts📖 read
• APP 2024 #25An application was received from Walter Westcott, requesting permission for a curb cut at the premises numbered 60 Rindge Avenue; said petition has received approval from Inspectional Services, Traffic, Parking and Transportation, Historical Commission and Public Works. No response has been received from the neighborhood associationtransit-traffic📖 read
• APP 2024 #26An application was received from Ryan Boucher, requesting permission for a curb cut at the premises numbered 55 Harvey Street; said petition has received approval from Inspectional Services, Traffic, Parking and Transportation, Historical Commission and Public Works. No response has been received from the neighborhood association. Response from the Residents of Westley Avenue has been included. CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR NOLAN IN COUNCIL AUGUST 5, 2024transit-traffic📖 read
• APP 2024 #27An application was received from Kistine Braccidiferro representing Jamie's Icecream, requesting permission for a projecting sign at the premises numbered 88 Kirkland Street approval has been received from Inspectional Services, Department of Public Works, Community Development Department and proof of abutters mailings has been provided📖 read
• APP 2024 #28An application was received from Frank Meroney representing The Gardner School, requesting permission for a projecting sign at the premises numbered 111 First Street approval has been received from Inspectional Services, Department of Public Works, Community Development Department and proof of abutters mailing has been providedschools📖 read
• APP 2024 #29An application was received from Eric Franco representing CVS, requesting permission for a projecting sign at the premises numbered 624 Massachusetts Avenue approval has been received from Inspectional Services, Department of Public Works, Community Development Department and abutter📖 read

Other Business (9)

• ARS-24-17AR Status Update 8.5.24artsbike-lanesbudgethousing-generaltransit-traffic📖 read
• AR-24-35Report back to the City Council with an update on the Children Savings Accounts Program with the East Cambridge Savings Bank
• AR-24-36Provide a plan for keeping residents, businesses and public safety officials informed about the status of current and future inter-jurisdictional transportation projectspolice-safety
• AR-24-37That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to consider a number of city application processes and find ways to reduce paper and printing waste
• AR-24-38City Manager be and hereby is requested to begin the process to make immediate changes to the 5 most dangerous intersections across the city, or more if possible, with a special focus on reducing the risk posed by trucks to pedestrians and cyclists, and report back on this matter by the first council meeting in September, 2024, providing a timeline to the City Council for completion of these projects and intersection improvements over the rest of this construction season, as well as for plans for a continuous program of safety audits for dangerous intersections or following severe crashesbike-lanestransit-traffic

• an update regarding legislative activity 📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF 📄 PDF
• an update from The Government Operations, Rules, and Claims Committee regarding Charter Review
• Tenant's Rights and Resources Notification Ordinance 📄 PDF
• ORD 2024 # 3 : An Ordinance has been received from City Clerk, relative to Tenants Rights 8.71.040.2 Notice by the City, City may publicize and provide information at events/programs about the requirements of

Chapter 8.71 more frequently [housing-general, tenants-rent] 📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF

Committee Reports (10)

• Health & Environment Committee hearing of 2024-05-23 — Report Accepted [Unanimous]
• Neighborhood & Long Term Planning Committee hearing of 2024-06-12 — Report Accepted [Unanimous]
• Health & Environment Committee hearing of 2024-06-18 — Report Accepted [Unanimous]
• Ordinance Committee hearing of 2024-06-20 — Report Accepted [Unanimous]
• Committee hearing of (unknown date) — Passed To A Second Reading As Amended [Unanimous]
• Government Operations Rules & Claims Committee hearing of 2024-06-25 — Report Accepted [Unanimous]
• Economic Development & University Relations Committee hearing of 2024-06-26 — Report Accepted [Unanimous]
• Housing Committee hearing of 2024-06-27 — Report Accepted [Unanimous]
• Human Services & Veterans Committee hearing of 2024-07-16 — Report Accepted [Unanimous]
• Housing Committee hearing of 2024-07-17 — Report Accepted [Unanimous]