City Council — Regular Meeting, August 4, 2025

City Manager's Agenda (25)

• CMA 2025 #190A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a federal update including an update on relevant court cases📖 read
• CMA 2025 #191A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to an update on Teamster strike and Republic Servicesbike-laneslabor📖 read
• CMA 2025 #192A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a request for the City Council to authorize the Purchasing Agent to award a contract for 5 years with an option to renew for an additional 5 years to the successful bidder on the Flexible Spending Services Bid
• CMA 2025 #193A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointments of members to the of the Commercial Parking Control Committee (CPCC)transit-traffic
• CMA 2025 #194Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of 704,800, received from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission Community Mitigation Fund to the Grant Fund Community Development Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($39,300); the Grant Fund Community Development Department Salaries and Wages account ($75,000); the Grant Fund Community Development Department Extraordinary Expenditures account ($12,000); the Grant Fund Community Development Department Travel and Training account ($1,000); the Grant Fund Arts Council Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($235,100); the Grant Fund Police Salaries and Wages account ($112,400); the Grant Fund Fire Extraordinary Expenditures account ($48,000); the Grant Fund Fire Travel and Training account ($32,000); and the Grant Fund Transportation Extraordinary Expenditures account ($150,000)artspolice-safety
• CMA 2025 #195Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $16,600 to the Grant Fund Historical Commission Salaries and Wages account ($14,500) and to the Grant Fund Historical Commission Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($1,475) and to the Grant Fund Historical Commission Travel and Training ($625). The funds will be used to support financial assistance to educate and inform the public about the city's architectural and social history through presentations to children and adults, publications, technical assistance, and an archive and non-circulating reference library
• CMA 2025 #196A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item #25-15 regarding the creation of plaque upholding the separation of church and state and gender equality
• CMA 2025 #197A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of John Nardone as a member of the Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC) for a term of five years
• CMA 2025 #198A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-28, regarding an update on the status of potential civilian flagger operations in the Cambridge Police Union contractlaborpolice-safetytransit-traffic📖 read
• CMA 2025 #199Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $30,000, received from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health’s (DMH) Jail Diversion Program, to the Grant Fund Police Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($30,000). This appropriation if approved represents funding through the first quarter of FY26. These funds, if approved will enable the department to continue the current co-response program with one clinician through September 2025police-safety
• CMA 2025 #200Transmitting 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 ($242,282.00), and to the Grant Fund Department of Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($21,533.00). Funds will be used to support the cost of 6 full-time staff and 1 part-time staff salaries. Additional funds will support Text-a Tip Fatherhood campaign, workshops, events, consultants, and program supplies
• CMA 2025 #201Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of of $46,000.00 to the Grant Fund Department of Human Service Programs Salaries and Wages account ($32,395.00), and to the Grant Fund Department of Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($13,605.00). This is a grant that DHSP has received for many years. Funds will be used to support the cost of 3 full-time staff salaries; food for parenting support programming (parent/child activity snacks, parent education series, and community building events); program supplies; and staff training
• CMA 2025 #202Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $1,089,817.00 to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Salaries and Wages account ($1,061,599.00), to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($27,018.00), and to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Travel and Training account ($1,200.00)
• CMA 2025 #203Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $1,437,938, from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Salary and Wages account ($19,720.00), and to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($1,418,218.00). This grant was awarded under the Federal Fiscal Year 2024 Continuum of Care Program competition. The Continuum of Care Program is authorized by the HEARTH Act of 2009. The Continuum of Care Program funds will be contracted with homeless services providers and cover the costs related to serving homeless personshomelessnesshousing-general
• CMA 2025 #204Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $2,161.22 to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Salary and Wages account ($1,261.22), and to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($900.00). The funds, received by the Friends of the CLC through a First Literacy mini-grant will be used to support an ESOL part-time teacher/advisor to offer the Eco Club class to CLC students, as well as pay for incentives for students who participate in the Student Leadership project this yearschools
• CMA 2025 #205A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a request for approval to seek authorization from the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General (the “IG”) for the City to use the Construction Manager at Risk (“CMaR”) procurement and construction method (the “CMaR Method”) in connection with the First Street Garage Life Safety Priority Project📖 read
• CMA 2025 #206Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $500,000, from the General Fund Employee Benefits Salaries and Wages Account to the General Fund Employee Benefits Travel and Training Account. Funds will be used to cover the costs of anticipated payments of workers compensation medical bills for personnel injured in the course of their job, through the end of FY26labor
• CMA 2025 #207A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-37, regarding full and open access to Linear Path at Westley Avenuepolice-safetytrees📖 read
• CMA 2025 #208A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-36, regarding a list of public and private spaces available to the public, indoors and outdoorsschoolszoning📖 read
• CMA 2025 #209A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the submission of the 2025 Affordable Housing Overlay Annual Reportaffordable-housinghousing-generalzoning📖 read 📄 PDF
• CMA 2025 #210A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-35, regarding a request that the City Manager explore and establish a City of Cambridge Electronic Records Archiving Policy📖 read
• CMA 2025 #211A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-36, regarding a further response to the request that the exception language in Chapter 2.129.040 Section J of the Cambridge Municipal Code be revised with language clarifying that Cambridge city employees shall not participate in federal immigration enforcement operations and that the sole role of Cambridge city employees during any action by ICE is only to protect public safety and not to assist or facilitate the work of icepolice-safety📖 read 📄 PDF
• CMA 2025 #212A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a Planning Board report regarding the Marasao, et al., Zoning Petition (Religious Uses)affordable-housinghousing-generalzoning📖 read
• CMA 2025 #213A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Policy Order Number 25-101, regarding Marasao, et al., Zoning Petitionaffordable-housinghousing-generallaborzoning📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF
• CMA 2025 #214A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a revised Letter of Commitment dated August 4, 2025 submitted on behalf of BMR-320 Charles LLC that will be incorporated by reference in the East Cambridge Community Enhancement Overlay District (ECCE District) if the Council adopts the zoning petitionzoning📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF

Communications (64)

64 resident communications received for this meeting — housing general (29) · zoning (20) · affordable housing (19) · transit traffic (12) · police safety (9). Individual letters are summarized in the city's agenda and are not republished here, by policy.

Policy Orders (8)

• POR 2025 #106That the City Manager is requested to direct the Community Development Department, in collaboration with the Finance Department, to conduct a comprehensive review of current permitting fees for residential development projects, with a focus on identifying opportunities to create a tiered fee structure that reduces or eliminates fees entirely particularly for smaller-scale and affordable housing developmentsaffordable-housinghousing-general
• POR 2025 #107That the City Manager is requested to allocate $25,000 in feasibility funds to support an exploratory process – potentially including stakeholder engagement, legal and technical assessments, and community outreach – to evaluate the creation of a Business Improvement District in Porter Square
• POR 2025 #108That the City Manager is requested to coordinate with the Community Safety Department, the Cambridge Police Department, and other relevant parties to ensure that the overnight use of the garden area between St. James Episcopal Church and the Beech Street condos is actively monitoredhomelessnesspolice-safety📖 read
• POR 2025 #109Declaring August 9, 2025, as Rocky Horror Day in the City of Cambridge
• POR 2025 #110That the City Manager is requested to work with the Department of Public Health, the Department of Public Works, and any other relevant City departments to develop a plan to install needle drop boxes in identified problem areas throughout the city📖 read
• POR 2025 #111City Council support of Representative McGovern Resolution on nuclear deproliferationbudgetclimate📖 read
• POR 2025 #112That the City Council go on record urging Governor of the Commonwealth Maura Healey and the Massachusetts Legislature to act without delay to safeguard the constitutional rights of indigent defendants and preserve the integrity of the Commonwealth’s criminal justice system by increasing compensation rates for bar advocates to ensure adequate participation statewide, and establishing pay parity with neighboring states and competitive future rates to prevent recurring crises
• POR 2025 #113Recognizing August as National Black Business Month 2025

Resolutions (12)

• RES 2025 #179Congratulations to Angela Orangio on her retirement from the Cambridge Health Alliance
• RES 2025 #180Resolution on the 90th Birthday of Mary (Miano) DiClemente
• RES 2025 #181Happy 100th Birthday to Retired Cambridge Police Officer Nicholas "Nick" Aranciopolice-safety
• RES 2025 #182Congratulations to Robert Sarchioni and Sarchioni's Variety for 47 years of service to the community and wishes him well in his retirement
• RES 2025 #183Condolences to the family of William Bruce "Bill" King
• RES 2025 #184Resolution on the death of Tom Lehrer
• RES 2025 #185Condolences on the death of Maria Cinira (Silva) Vicente
• RES 2025 #186Condolences to the family of Margaret “Peggy” Mickle
• RES 2025 #187Retirement of Dr. Lisa Dobberteen from the Cambridge Public Health Department
• RES 2025 #188Resolution on the death of Elizabeth Oberhauser Bohart
• RES 2025 #189Condolences on the death of Patricia M. (Kennedy) Boyle
• RES 2025 #190Late Condolence Resolution for Christley Harris

Applications & Petitions (4)

• APP 2025 #28An application was received from Lucas Ingemi, requesting permission for a curb cut at the premises numbered 9 Vincent 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 associationtransit-traffic📖 read
• APP 2025 #29An application was received from Meaghan Moriarty representing 212 Kitchen, requesting permission for a projecting sign at the premises numbered 212 Western Avenue approval has been received from Inspectional Services, Department of Public Works, Community Development Department and abutters📖 read
• APP 2025 #30An application was received from Craig Murphy representing Charles Schwab, requesting permission for a projecting blade sign at the premises numbered 1430 Massachusetts Avenue. approval has been received from Inspectional Services, Department of Public Works, Community Development Department and abutters proof of mailing📖 read
• APP 2025 #31A Zoning Petition Has been received from Martin Bakal in regard to Table 4.30, Sec. 4.40 Footnote with the intent of Restrictions on increasing pavement in Open Space Districtszoning📖 read 📄 PDF

Other Business (7)

• ARS-25-21Awaiting Report Status Update 08.04.25laborpolice-safetyschoolstransit-trafficzoning📖 read
• AR-25-41The City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to explore creative solutions that reduce car dependency, while expanding access to parking options nearby Broadwaytransit-traffic
• AR-25-42The City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to continue to work with stakeholders in the area including Harvard University and the Harvard Square Business Association to pursue options for pedestrianization on Lower Bow Street and to report on the option for automatic bollards for Winthrop and/or Bow Streettransit-traffic
• AR-25-43The City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to prepare an interim report on demolition requests and building permit applications, in order to facilitate a discussion on the outcomes observed during the first six months of the new Multifamily Housing Zoninghousing-generalzoning

• an update regarding legislative activity 📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF 📄 PDF
• proposed response to the Open Meeting Law Complaint from Charles Teague along with a copy of the Complaint 📄 PDF 📄 PDF 📄 PDF
• a memorandum regarding share questions and concerns regarding the recent incident at 243 Broadway involving the Cambridge Police Department on August 2, 2025 📖 read

Committee Reports (7)

• Human Services & Veterans Committee hearing of 2025-05-28 — Accepted [Unanimous]
• Public Safety Committee hearing of 2025-06-02 — Accepted [Unanimous]
• Civic Unity Committee hearing of 2025-06-11 — Accepted [Unanimous]
• Housing Committee hearing of 2025-06-17 — Accepted [Unanimous]
• Transportation & Public Utilities Committee hearing of 2025-06-18 — Accepted [Unanimous]
• Economic Development & University Relations Committee hearing of 2025-06-23 — Accepted [Unanimous]
• Ordinance Committee hearing of 2025-07-28 — Accepted [Unanimous]