City Council — Regular Meeting, May 5, 2025

City Manager's Agenda (9)

• CMA 2025 #109A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a Federal update
• CMA 2025 #110A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 24-14, regarding a home rule petition allowing Cambridge to end the practice of property owners passing on broker’s fees to tenantstenants-rent📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF
• CMA 2025 #111A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-19, which requested that the City Manager provide a report that includes a summary of all requests for approval of Surveillance Technology Impact Reports (STIRs) received by the City Council since the last summary report datepolice-safety
• CMA 2025 #112A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-16, regarding MBTA bus issueshomelessnesslaborpolice-safetytransit-traffic📖 read
• CMA 2025 #113A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-22, regarding a request 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” hours. PLACED ON THE TABLE IN COUNCIL MAY 5, 2025schoolstransit-traffic
• CMA 2025 #114A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Subandha Karmacharya as a member of the Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship for a term of three years📖 read
• CMA 2025 #115A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Carolyn Zern as a member of the Planning Board for a term of five years📖 read
• CMA 2025 #116A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the Planning Board recommendation on the AHO Heights Zoning Petitionaffordable-housinghousing-generalzoning📖 read
• CMA 2025 #117A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the prioritization of zoning prioritiesaffordable-housinghousing-generalzoning📖 read

Communications (6)

6 resident communications received for this meeting — transit traffic (4) · schools (2) · bike lanes (2) · zoning (2) · budget (2). Individual letters are summarized in the city's agenda and are not republished here, by policy.

Policy Orders (7)

• POR 2025 #64City Council support of the completion of the Mass Central Rail Trail
• POR 2025 #65That the Cambridge City Council go on record recognizing May 2025 as National Water Safety Month
• POR 2025 #66That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant staff to investigate bike pod storage options to be placed in suitable areas in the City to provide residents and visitors safe storage optionsbike-lanes📖 read
• POR 2025 #67That the City Manager is requested to prepare an update with details on the status of potential civilian flagger operations in the Cambridge police union contract and work with relevant city staff to explore a civilian traffic flagger program and update the current police union contract on the City's websitelaborpolice-safetytransit-traffic
• POR 2025 #68The City Manager is requested to confer with the Community Development Department to develop a timeline for the next Inclusionary Housing Study, explore remedies to address the lack of housing starts and provide for consideration draft amendments to the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, and explore other incentives to encourage developers to include affordable units beyond the requirement voluntarilyaffordable-housinghomelessnesshousing-generaltransit-trafficzoning📖 read
• POR 2025 #69That the City Manager is requested to include in the FY26 Operating Budget a continued commitment to Emergency Housing Vouchers for Permanent Supportive Housing and Mixed Status Families, and the Transition Wellness Center, as well as allocate the necessary resources to establish a municipal successor to Rise Up Cambridge that builds on its mission of providing direct, dignified economic support to familiesbudgethomelessnesshousing-generaltransit-traffic📖 read
• POR 2025 #70First floor retail policy order. RECONSIDERATION FILED BY COUNCILLOR TONERzoning📖 read 📄 PDF

Resolutions (14)

• RES 2025 #104Condolences on the death of Marguerite "Doris" Magliozzi
• RES 2025 #105Condolences on the death of Philomena (Durso) Donovan
• RES 2025 #106Condolences on the death of Sandra L. "Cookie" Saltman
• RES 2025 #107Condolences on the death of Alice C. Wadden
• RES 2025 #108Condolences on the death of Antoinette "Dolly" Frammartino
• RES 2025 #109Congratulations to Jose Aponte on his retirement from the Cambridge Housing Authorityhousing-general
• RES 2025 #110Congratulations to James Carvello on his retirement from the Cambridge Housing Authorityhousing-general
• RES 2025 #111Condolences on the death of Carol (Mingace) Basile
• RES 2025 #112Congratulations to Officer Eric Helberg on his retirement from the Cambridge Police Departmentpolice-safety
• RES 2025 #113Congratulations to Sergeant Thomas Maldonado on his retirement from the Cambridge Police Departmentpolice-safety
• RES 2025 #114Congratulations to Cheryl Wilson on her retirement from the City of Cambridge
• RES 2025 #115Congratulations to Lieutenant David Brown on his promotion to the rank of Deputy Superintendent with the Cambridge Police Departmentpolice-safetytenants-rent
• RES 2025 #116Congratulations to Lieutenant Michael Logan on his promotion to the rank of Deputy Superintendent with the Cambridge Police Departmentpolice-safetytenants-rent
• RES 2025 #117Resolution on the death of Doane Perry

Applications & Petitions (1)

• APP 2025 #19An application was received from Matt Mayo, requesting permission for a curb cut at the premises numbered 49 Alpine 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 association. RECONSIDERATION FILED BY COUNCILLOR NOLAN IN COUNCIL MAY 12, 2025transit-traffic📖 read 📄 PDF

Other Business (4)

• ARS-25-13Awaiting Report Status Update 05.05.25bike-lanesclimatetenants-renttransit-traffic📖 read
• AR-25-25That the City Manager is requested to establish a Lost and Found program at Cambridge City Hall
• AR-25-26That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Community Development Department to assemble a list of public and private spaces available to the public, indoors and outdoors, noting contact information and any associated requirements, ensuring that there are public meeting places identified in each neighborhood

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

Committee Reports (4)

• Human Services & Veterans Committee hearing of 2025-04-10 — Accepted As Amended [Unanimous]
• Human Services & Veterans Committee hearing of 2025-04-17 — Report Accepted [Unanimous]
• Ordinance Committee hearing of 2025-04-29 — Accepted [Unanimous]
• Committee hearing of (unknown date) — Passed To A Second Reading [Unanimous]