City Council — Regular Meeting, September 8, 2025

City Manager's Agenda (9)

• CMA 2025 #215A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a federal update including an update on relevant court cases📖 read
• CMA 2025 #216Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $10,200.00 to the Grant Fund Fire Salaries and Wages account ($8,200.00) and to the Grant Fund Fire Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($2,000.00) to provide funds to continue the SAFE Program that educates students in the dangers of fire and its effect on people, property, and the environment. The amount allocated to salary and wages will cover the overtime costs for the firefighters who participate in the programschools
• CMA 2025 #217Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $3,100.00 to the Grant Fund Fire Salaries and Wages account ($3,100.00) to provide funds for the Senior SAFE Program that educates seniors in the dangers of fire and its effect on people, property, and the environment. The amount allocated to salary and wages will cover the overtime costs for the firefighters who participate in the program
• CMA 2025 #218Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $120,000, received from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health’s (DMH) Jail Diversion Program, to the Grant Fund Police Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($120,000). Grant funds will be used to continue the Co-response program with one clinician through June 2026police-safety
• CMA 2025 #219Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $10,000, to the Grant Fund Police Department Salaries and Wages Account ($5,000) and to the Grant Fund Police Department Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($5,000). Grant funds will be used to support costs related to providing aftercare support such as supplies that individuals can bring with them to detox such as clothing, supplies (including Narcan) and personal hygiene products and transportation to treatment or clinical care services. A portion of the funding will also be allocated towards providing dedicated POST outreach servicespolice-safety
• CMA 2025 #220Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of of $217,963.00, to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Salaries and Wages account ($211,997.00), to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($4,680.00), and to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Travel and Training account ($1,286.00). In addition to the ABE teaching (Math and ELA -English Language Arts), this grant provides funding for the Career Connections program, advising (education, and career advising), professional development for teachers and staff, as well as advising services at the Cambridge and Woburn Career Centersartsschools
• CMA 2025 #221Transmitting 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 ($42,963.00) and to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs Other Ordinary Maintenance account ($57,037.00). The purpose of the grant is to provide an integrated education and training program for immigrant adults in the Metro North area who are interested in becoming certified nursing assistants and home health aides (CNA/HHA)
• CMA 2025 #222A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Sephany Alexis, Sally Benbasset, and Christina Turner and the reappointment of Elizabeth Aguilo, Rowan Murphy, and Michelle Lower as members of the Community Benefits Advisory Committee for a term of three years
• CMA 2025 #223A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to amendments to the Cambridge Tobacco Ordinance

Communications (36)

36 resident communications received for this meeting — zoning (9) · police safety (7) · housing general (6) · transit traffic (4) · homelessness (4). Individual letters are summarized in the city's agenda and are not republished here, by policy.

Policy Orders (11)

• POR 2025 #114That the City Council go on record recognizing November 2025 as Alzheimer's Awareness Month and in formally endorsing Cambridge's continued participation in the "Light the World in Teal" initiative on November 3, 2025
• POR 2025 #115That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Department of Transportation, the Commission for Persons with Disabilities, and any other relevant City departments to assess the current accessible parking capacity in the vicinity of Kendall Square and identify potential solutions, which may include adding dedicated accessible parking spaces, creating short-term accessible loading/unloading zones, or implementing other reasonable accommodationstransit-traffic
• POR 2025 #116That the City Manager is requested to consult with the appropriate City departments, including the City Solicitor’s Office, to establish a formal policy that clearly defines the City’s role and financial responsibilities in supporting large-scale public events hosted by Cambridge-based non-profit and not-for-profit organizations
• POR 2025 #117That the City Manager is requested to work with the appropriate City staff to ensure that, effective immediately (and for each fiscal year in which the Office for Tourism continues to receive TDMD funding) that the City shall redirect its municipal funding to distribute those funds equally among the Central Square Business Improvement District (BID), the East Cambridge Business Association, the Harvard Square Business Association, and the Kendall Square Association. CHARTER RIGHT EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR TONER IN COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 8, 2025. REFERRED TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & UNIVERSITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE IN COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 15, 2025
• POR 2025 #118That the City Manager is requested to work with the Community Development Department, the City Assessor, and all other relevant departments to develop a comprehensive policy for future private development projects in the city
• POR 2025 #119Proclaim the week of September 15 through September 21, 2025 as National Diaper Need Awareness Week in the City of Cambridge
• POR 2025 #120That the City Manager is requested to confer with the Election Commission, the City Solicitor, and the City Clerk, and report back to the City Council no later than the September 15, 2025 City Council meeting on the Policy Order regarding the deadline for Charter Changecharter
• POR 2025 #121That the City Manager is requested to work with all relevant departments to seek input from the community as well as direct outreach to condo owners and short-term rental operators and develop additional recommendations based on the discussion in the Ordinance Committee
• POR 2025 #122That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant departments and multi-member bodies to report back to the City Council and inform the community of the work of, and when the recommendations coming from the Micromobility Commission will be available
• POR 2025 #123That the City Manager is requested to consult with relevant departments about the implications of deploying license plate readers and provide recommendations as to whether adjustments in plans for deployment should be made in light of changes since approval in Februarypolice-safety📖 read
• POR 2025 #124That the City Manager is requested to work with all relevant departments on zoning amendments to incentivize multifamily zoning while allowing reasonable development of single and two- family homes, the “balanced incentive approach” which is Option Four outlined in the presentation to the NLTP Committeezoning

Resolutions (13)

• RES 2025 #191Condolences on the death of Thomas W. Collins
• RES 2025 #192Condolences to the family of Joan Whitaker
• RES 2025 #193Condolences to the family of John Semper
• RES 2025 #194Congratulations to the winners of the Bluebike PSA Poster Design Contest
• RES 2025 #195Congratulations to Cynthia Shelton Harris for her promotion to Executive Director of Veterans’ Services
• RES 2025 #196Condolences on the death of Elizabeth Camacho
• RES 2025 #197Acknowledging the 60th Anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in Boston
• RES 2025 #198Condolences on the death of Daniel E. Sheehan
• RES 2025 #199Condolences on the death of Lorraine F. Erb-Grande
• RES 2025 #200Condolences to the family and friends of Mary Leno
• RES 2025 #201Congratulations to Virginia B. Johnson on her nomination for an Emmy Award for her work on the Netflix series American Primeval
• RES 2025 #202Congratulations to Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar on its Grand Opening in Watertown
• RES 2025 #203Congratulations to The Sacramento Community Garden

Applications & Petitions (4)

• APP 2025 #32An application was received from Brian Chipman representing Cannabis Dispensary, requesting permission for a projecting blade sign at the premises numbered 1960 Massachusetts Avenue approval has been received from Inspectional Services, Department of Public Works, Community Development Department and abutters proof of mailing📖 read
• APP 2025 #33An application was received from William Rothfuchs, requesting permission for a curb cut at the premises numbered 48 Park 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 2025 #34An application was received from Yi Yue, requesting permission for a curb cut at the premises numbered 29 Line 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 #35Request has been received from Sam Stienberg representing CVS, regarding Revocation of Bond #012023137 for CVS, 1390 Massachusetts Avenue. Response from the Inspectional Services Department has been received confirming said sign has been removed📖 read

Other Business (6)

• ARS-25-22Awaiting Report Status Update 09.08.25schoolstransit-trafficzoning📖 read
• AR-25-44The 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
• AR-25-45The 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

• an update regarding legislative activity 📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF 📄 PDF
• a memorandum regarding City Voter Guide for Ballot Questions - Proponent Argument for Proposed City Charter 📄 PDF 📄 PDF 📄 PDF
• COF 2025 #115 : A communication was received from Lesley Waxman Assistant Director Cambridge Election Commission

, transmitting a request Letter - In Favor Argument City Charter. 📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF

Committee Reports (3)

• Government Operations Rules & Claims Committee hearing of 2025-08-12 — Accepted
• Neighborhood & Long Term Planning Committee hearing of 2025-08-14 — Accepted
• Ordinance Committee hearing of 2025-08-27 — Accepted