Letter from Young Kim regarding City Manager's Agenda items 1 and 2

1 Crane, Paula From: Young Kim <[email removed]> Sent: Monday, May 1, 2023 9:23 AM To: Siddiqui, Sumbul; Mallon, Alanna; Azeem, Burhan; Carlone, Dennis; McGovern, Marc; Nolan, Patricia; Simmons, Denise; Toner, Paul; Zondervan, Quinton; City Clerk Cc: City Manager; Cambridge Charter Review Committee; O'Riordan, Owen Subject: City Manager Agenda #1 & 2 Dear Mayor, City Councillors and City Clerk, City Manager (CM) Huang is following the same business-as-usual practices, which perpetuates the same lack of transparency and accountability of his predecessors. His cover letter for the FY2024 submitted budget and appropriation order, for example, is identical to the FY2023 submittal letter save for the simple changing of “The Submitted Budget” to “The budget book,” with a promise that “The Submitted Budget and back up materials will be available to the City Council” at the City Council meeting. There is no way for anyone to review or for any of the public to comment on the proposed budget when the budget book and backup material are not available before the meeting. Please require the City Manager to submit these records as well as cost justification for the CSO implementation to its completion before referring his submission to the Finance Committee. My request is based on the fact that the approved FY24 appropriation plan of $40,000,000 in Section VI – Public Investment of FY23 Budget Book, mushroomed to the authorization request of the CM’s Agenda Item #2 to borrow $50,000,000 to provide funds for the reconstruction of the Mass Avenue between Waterhouse Street and Alewife Parkway (ABP). This is a whopping 25% increase from the projected plan just a year ago. In his submitted budget, former CM DePasquale added scope to the approach and timeline of MassAve4 project which was approved just the previous week but kept the appropriation plan at $40,000,000. And now, CM Huang drops the other shoe, increasing the approved appropriation plan by 25%. This raises many questions which includes but not limited to: 1. Does it really cost $10,000,000 more to revisit previously implemented separated bike lanes using quick-build from Dudley Street to ABP (Installed Fall 2021) and from Roseland Street to Beech Street (Installed Summer 2022), together to be called Segment E? 2. With no visibility of actual cost of Segment E quick Build, including cost of any mitigation plans yet to be developed, was the cost effective given the short period between completion and the do- over? 3. If CM can change the budget at will, does the cost matter at all or is the sky the limit for CSO implementation? When the public demanded delay, however, in the Porter Square project until the catenary wires came down, we were told it can’t be delayed because of CSO dictated timeline. 3. The submitted operating expenses for education for FY24 is $245,000,000. Is borrowing 20% of what we spend on our children’s education for just 2 miles of the projected 25 miles of separated bike lanes a wise allocation of taxpayers’ money? 4. If the timeline for the separated bike lanes from Waterhouse Street to ABP is the same as the approved timeline for Mass Ave Dudley St. to Beech St. (Segment A of MassAve4) and Mass Ave Roseland St. to Waterhouse St. (Segment B), then the project will be completed by the end of FY26. How can we make CM accountable if there is an overrun of $50,000,000 borrowed? 5. CM must submit and get approval for approach and timeline for MassAve4 - Mass Ave Partial Construction Project just as former CM had to for MassAve4. The approach will have to include measures not to duplicate or waste MassAve4 work to date, including the House Doctor engineering support at a contract value of $1,121,196.00. 6. Approved FY23 Budget included $5,000,000 for the Complete Streets Program MassAve4 -- Harvard Sq Bus Stops (1/2 funding) from Plympton St. to Garden St. This is Segment C and D of MassAve4 that the City Council approved full construction on 4/25/2022. This will put the total capital cost of MassAve4 - Mass Ave Partial Construction Project to be $60,000,000. Total capital budget

2 for CSO implementation also includes the unknown capital cost CSO implementation component of the River Street and unaccountable operating cost of all the CSO projects. So, the capital expenditure alone is fast approaching $100,000,000 if all operating expenditures are accounted for.3. Respectfully yours, Young Kim Norris Street