City Council — Regular Meeting, March 24, 2025

City Manager's Agenda (13)

• CMA 2025 #54A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to recommendations for the block rates for water consumption and sewer use for the period beginning April 1, 2025 and ending March 31, 2026housing-general📖 read 📄 PDF
• CMA 2025 #55A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the City of Cambridge retaining its AAA rating from the nation's three major credit rating agenciesbudget📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF
• CMA 2025 #56A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Yoyo Yau to the Coordinating Council for Children Youth and Families (also known as “Family Policy Council”) effective March 24, 2025
• CMA 2025 #57A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Proposed Amendments -- Cambridge Municipal Code 13.08, Water System Regulations and Chapter 13.12, Water Reservoirs. PASSED TO A SECOND READING IN COUNCIL MARCH 24, 2025 ELIGIBLE TO BE ORDAINED ON APRIL 7, 2025📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF
• CMA 2025 #58Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $346,020, from Free Cash, to the General Fund Public Works Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account for expenses associated with pre-treating and salting of roads, snow plowing and snow removal contracts
• CMA 2025 #59Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $500,000 from Free Cash to the Public Investment Fund Public Works Department Extraordinary Expenditures account, for street repairs required due to significant winter weather damage. This season the Department had sixteen salting, three plowing and two hauling events to pre-treat, de-ice and clear roads, sidewalks and bike lanesbike-lanes
• CMA 2025 #60A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-14, regarding a report on snow operations with a focus on crosswalks and pedestrian islandsbike-lanespolice-safetyschoolstransit-traffic📖 read
• CMA 2025 #61A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-10, regarding explore potential actions the City can take to mitigate the impact of Eversource price hikes, staff have provided an update on recent cost increases and various City and Eversource support programs
• CMA 2025 #62Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $289,000 from the Mitigation Revenue Stabilization Fund to the Public Investment Fund Community Development Extraordinary Expenditures account. These mitigation funds will be used to maintain Bluebikes bikeshare equipment in a state of good repair
• CMA 2025 #63A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a summary of a Planning Board Meeting on the 2024 Town Gown Reports and Presentationsclimatehousing-generalschoolstrees📖 read
• CMA 2025 #64A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a proposed Home Rule Petition prepared by the Law Department which would raise the sound business practices and written quote contract thresholds under M.G.L. c. 30B for City contracts with certified disadvantaged businesses📖 read 📄 PDF
• CMA 2025 #65A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-7, regarding a request to work with appropriate departments to prepare a communication to DCR Commissioner Arrigo, urging that a study of traffic conditions at the intersections of Western Avenue and River Street at Memorial Drive and Soldiers Field Road (commonly referred to as “the box”), be included in their FY26 Capital Plan, with the goals of improving efficiency and safety at these intersectionstransit-traffic📖 read
• CMA 2025 #66A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to renewal of the Half Crown-Marsh Neighborhood Conservation District CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR AZEEM IN COUNCIL MARCH 24, 2025📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF 📄 PDF

Communications (73)

73 resident communications received for this meeting — housing general (63) · zoning (61) · budget (51) · transit traffic (10) · affordable housing (9). Individual letters are summarized in the city's agenda and are not republished here, by policy.

Policy Orders (5)

• POR 2025 #36That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Community Development Department to develop a timeline for the next Incentive Zoning Nexus Studyzoning
• POR 2025 #37That the City Manager is requested to work with the Office of the Housing Liaison and all relevant departments to ensure the successful implementation of an outreach and assistance campaign to provide broad and equitable access to eviction record sealing for eligible Cambridge tenantshousing-generaltenants-rent
• POR 2025 #38That the City Manager is requested to work with the School Department, the Department of Public Works, and other relevant departments to open the publicly owned parking at the King Open/Cambridge Street Upper School Complex for either residential free parking or commercial parking opportunities during “off” hoursschoolstransit-traffic
• POR 2025 #39That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments and institutional stakeholders currently operating some form of shuttle to explore options for a municipal transit pilot programtransit-traffic
• POR 2025 #40Policy Order re Transgender Day of Visibility

Resolutions (10)

• RES 2025 #56Congratulations to William Renzi on his retirement from the Department of Public Works
• RES 2025 #57Congratulations to Ana Nava on her retirement from the Cambridge Health Alliance
• RES 2025 #58Congratulations to Leona Golden on her retirement from the Cambridge Health Alliance
• RES 2025 #59Welcome American Library Association President Cindy Hohl to Cambridge
• RES 2025 #60Condolences on the death of Gladys "Pebble" Gifford
• RES 2025 #61Congratulations to Joanne Bosco on her retirement from the Cambridge Health Alliance
• RES 2025 #62Congratulations to Seamus Whelan on his retirement from the Cambridge Health Alliance
• RES 2025 #63Condolences on the death of Kitty Dukakis
• RES 2025 #64City Council appreciation to Ovadia Robert Simha for his many contributions to the community
• RES 2025 #65Congratulating the Grand Opening of GreenSoul

Ordinances (1)

• ORD 2025 # 8An Ordinance has been received from City Clerk Diane P. LeBlanc, relative to Cambridge Municipal Code 13.08, Water System Regulations and Chapter 13.12, Water Reservoirs📖 read

Applications & Petitions (3)

• APP 2025 #15An application was received from Cambridge Community Foundation requesting permission for 60 temporary pole banners along 99 Bishop Allen Drive announcing "MAKING GOOD" from March 114, 2025 through September 2, 2025📖 read
• APP 2025 #16An application was received from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School requesting permission for 8 temporary banner pole banners along Central Square and CRLS campus announcing "CONGRATULATIONS CRLS GRADUATES" from May 30, 2025 through July 31, 2025schools📖 read
• APP 2025 #17An application was received from MGM Development Co. requesting permission for a curb cut at the premises numbered 74 Hammond Street; said petition has received approval from Inspectional Services, Traffic, Parking and Transportation, Historical Commission and Public Works. Response has been received from the neighborhood associationtransit-traffic📖 read

Other Business (5)

• ARS-25-8Awaiting Report Status Update 3.24.25bike-lanesclimatetransit-trafficzoning📖 read
• AR-25-17The City Manager is requested to appoint the members of a working committee tasked with integrating the objectives of both the Task Force to Examine the Status and Wellbeing of the City’s African American/Black Population and the Commission on the Status of Black Men and Boys into a unified, actionable framework (Report Back in 30 days)
• AR-25-18The City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate City departments to draft language to create an Ordinance to insure that vacant store fronts and commercial properties keep their properties in safe and clean conditions
• AR-25-19The City Manager provide the Council with a report before May 31, 2025, that includes a summary of all requests for approval of Surveillance Technology Impact Reports received by the city council during the prior year pursuant to Section 2.128.030 or Section 2.128.040 of the Surveillance Ordinance, including whether the City Council approved, disapproved, or required modifications to the Surveillance Technology Impact Reports received, for the Council to review and adoptpolice-safety

• an update regarding legislative activity 📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF 📄 PDF

Committee Reports (4)

• Health & Environment Committee hearing of 2025-02-24 — Accepted
• Neighborhood & Long Term Planning Committee hearing of 2025-02-25 — Accepted
• Finance Committee hearing of 2025-02-26 — Accepted
• Health & Environment Committee hearing of 2025-03-19 — Accepted