City Council — Regular Meeting, December 8, 2025

City Manager's Agenda (9)

• CMA 2025 #282A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a federal update including an update on relevant court cases📖 read
• CMA 2025 #283A 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 DPW Salt Shed Replacement Project📖 read 📄 PDF
• CMA 2025 #284Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of a grant for the Center for Families program in the amount of $71,428.00. Funds will be used to assist families with resource navigation, parent leadership development, food access and distribution, and concrete supports, as well as connecting with families through resource fairs and community partners
• CMA 2025 #285A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-46, regarding use of the garden area between St. James Episcopal Church and the Beech Street Condominiums
• CMA 2025 #286A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-63, which requested public open-house meetings with Eversource regarding heat and electricity bills
• CMA 2025 #287A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-59, regarding 25 Lowell Street
• CMA 2025 #288A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to updates to institutional use regulationshousing-generalzoning📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF
• CMA 2025 #289A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to revised language for the Mass Ave Zoning Petitionzoning📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF 📄 PDF 📄 PDF
• CMA 2025 #290A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to revised language for the Cambridge Street Zoning Petitionzoning📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF

Communications (14)

14 resident communications received for this meeting — transit traffic (5) · housing general (3) · budget (3) · zoning (2) · bike lanes (2). Individual letters are summarized in the city's agenda and are not republished here, by policy.

Policy Orders (8)

• POR 2025 #162That the City Manager is requested to work with all relevant departments, boards, and commissions to strive to publish, whenever practicable, meeting agendas and all supporting documents, presentations, and related materials sufficiently in advance of public meetings to allow residents time to review and prepare
• POR 2025 #163That the City Manager is requested to work with the Community Development Department and the Inspectional Services Department staff to streamline the permitting process, including but not limited to creating a central role dedicated to the permitting process, the creation of a unified online permitting portal, and standardized timelines
• POR 2025 #164That the City Manager is requested to direct the Community Development Department (CDD) and Law Department to prepare a draft of a separate zoning petition to strengthen Active Use requirements on Cambridge Street and the Porter Square PUD subdistricts for sites that redevelop as single parcelszoning
• POR 2025 #165That the City Manager is requested to instruct the Community Development Department to reduce the recommendations for the Inman Square zoning sub-district (CAM-10) from a maximum of 10 stories to 8 stories with ground floor active use/retail as consistent with the majority of the Cambridge Street corridorzoning
• POR 2025 #166Policy Order regarding Interim City Clerk position extension
• POR 2025 #167Home Rule Petition for a Real Estate Transfer Fee
• POR 2025 #168That the City Council go on record in support of Lesley University faculty in their fight for a fair contract and urging President Steinmayer and Lesley University administration to support a just contract for its workerslabor
• POR 2025 #169That the City Council go on record urging the Massachusetts General Court to pass and for the Governor to sign legislation that would adopt Erin’s Law statewide to ensure that all children receive the education, support, and protections necessary to prevent sexual abuse and promote safe learning environments

Resolutions (16)

• RES 2025 #259Congratulations to Joanne Farwell on her retirement from the Cambridge Public School Departmentschools
• RES 2025 #260Congratulations to LiPai Chang on her retirement from the Cambridge Health Alliance
• RES 2025 #261Congratulations to Neeta Patel on her retirement from the Cambridge Health Alliance
• RES 2025 #262Congratulations to Michelle Schomacker on her retirement from the Cambridge Health Alliance
• RES 2025 #263Congratulations to David O'Connor on his retirement from the Information Systems Department
• RES 2025 #264Congratulations to Lieutenant Bryan O'Neil on his retirement from the Cambridge Fire Departmenttenants-rent
• RES 2025 #265Condolences on the death of Olga Milli
• RES 2025 #266Condolences to the family of Moses Moore
• RES 2025 #267Thanking Ellen Semonoff for her years of service to the City of Cambridge
• RES 2025 #268Condolences on the death of Catherine Mary Casey
• RES 2025 #269Condolences on the death of Lee Catherine Brown
• RES 2025 #270Resolution thanking Ayesha Wilson for her service
• RES 2025 #271Resolution on the death of Charles Coe
• RES 2025 #272Congratulations to Neal Alpert and Jen Tourtellot on their recent engagement
• RES 2025 #273Condolences on the death of Renee Inomata
• RES 2025 #274Congratulations to Elizabeth Hudson and Will on the birth of their daughterschools📖 read

Ordinances (2)

• ORD 2025 # 16An Ordinance has been received from Interim City Clerk Paula M. Crane, relative to amend the Zoning Map and Articles 2.000, 3.000, 4.000, 5.000, 6.000, 11.000 17.000, and 20.000 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance as follows with the intent of establishing four new zoning districts for the Massachusetts Avenue corridoraffordable-housingzoning📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF 📄 PDF 📄 PDF
• ORD 2025 # 17An Ordinance has been received from Interim City Clerk Paula M. Crane, relative to amend the Zoning Map and Articles 3.000, 17.000, and 19.000 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance as follows with the intent of establishing four new zoning districts for the Cambridge Street corridor PASSED TO A SECOND READING AS AMENDED IN COUNCIL DECEMBER 8, 2025 ELIGIBLE TO BE ORDAINED DECEMBER 22, 2025 TABLED IN COUNCIL DECEMBER 22, 2025zoning📖 read 📄 PDF

Other Business (4)

• ARS-25-31Awaiting Report Status Update 12.8.25police-safetyschoolstransit-traffic📖 read

• an update regarding legislative activity 📖 read 📄 PDF 📄 PDF 📄 PDF
• (untitled)
• a memorandum regarding pending Awaiting Reports that it wished to be carried forward to the newly elected City Council for their consideration in the next legislative terms 📖 read

Committee Reports (3)

• Ordinance Committee hearing of 2025-10-30 — Accepted [Unanimous]
• Committee hearing of (unknown date) — Passed To A Second Reading As Amended [6 To 3]
• Committee hearing of (unknown date) — Passed To A Second Reading As Amended [6 To 3]