COVID-19 Ideas and Suggestions

CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL Quinton Y. Zondervan City Councillor MEMORANDUM To: Cambridge City Council From: Quinton Y. Zondervan, City Councillor Date: March 19, 2020 Subject: COVID-19 ideas and suggestions Dear Colleagues, These are trying times and we will get through this by working together. The following is a non-exhaustive list of ideas and suggestions from my office for strengthening our response to the coronavirus epidemic in Cambridge. As we combine our ideas and diversity of expertise we will produce the best outcomes that we collectively can. In terms of our own function as a legislative body, I think the Council should prioritize these three things: 1. Avoidance of all possible in-person interactions for the next 2 to 3 weeks. The next few weeks are most critical for flattening the ​curve​. Any effort put into social distancingtactics over the next few weeks will protect our most vulnerable residents by reducing their risk of contracting the virus and having to seek treatment in overcrowded hospitals. It is essential that the Council model this behavior by conducting our own business entirely online using the Zoom video conferencing platform, as several other cities are doing, including Newton. While I fully respect and commend the efforts that have already been made to reduce everybody’s risk, health experts simply do not recommend physical gatherings of the size we saw at the March 16 regular council meeting at this time. When the public sees councillors and CITY HALL, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02139 EMAIL: qzondervan​@​cambridgema.gov

CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL Quinton Y. Zondervan City Councillor staff in close physical proximity during our council meetings, they are receiving mixed messages about the importance of taking precautions to protect against the spread of COVID-19. It makes no sense to have any part of our council meetings be in-person during this critical period when we have the technology to completely avoid that. 2. Continuing to function as the legislative body that directs the city administration’s efforts It is essential that the council continue to meet and conduct business related to the COVID-19 outbreak, even over these next few weeks. The rapidly-changing nature of the situation will only continue, and it is important that we have regularly scheduled opportunities to discuss and approve any appropriations that the City Manager puts forward, uplift the concerns of our residents, and have frank discussions about necessary policy changes as we respond to the pandemic. We need to work together to fill in the gaps that have been created in the lives of all our neighbors and give everyone as much stability as possible, especially the most vulnerable and those with the most essential needs. This emergency has exposed how thoroughly unprepared we are to deal with situations like this, and it is going to take considerable time, effort and attention for us to catch up to it. 3. Maintaining transparency and the public trust We are fortunate to have the ability to continue conducting business in the age of COVID-19 using online technologies, but we must also be mindful of the downsides. The integrity of our public process is at stake when residents are not able to give public comment or even watch us conduct business. I have already spoken with residents who are concerned about council meetings moving online because they do not have internet access at home. Other residents have struggled to adjust to the online system for giving public comment, and public comment was not audible to me last Monday night through the remote participation audio link. The city should provide a low-stakes training session for residents who would like to learn and practice using these technologies, in order to be as accommodating, inclusive, and transparent as possible. While the level of transparency and accessibility we usually enjoy may not be possible for now, we should avoid advancing significant non-emergency legislation until we have made adjustments to this new normal, so as to not lose the public trust which is so essential to our democracy. At some point in the hopefully not too distant future, we will reach a “new normal” CITY HALL, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02139 EMAIL: qzondervan​@​cambridgema.gov

CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL Quinton Y. Zondervan City Councillor that is more stable, and we may find that we have capacity and ability to work transparently on other important priorities. We can always reevaluate at that time, but for now working on other detailed policies will only distract from what we must be most focused on, which is responding to the immediate crisis. To accomplish the above I recommend that we do the following: 1. Conduct all city council meetings entirely via the Zoom platform starting Monday, March 23, while continuing to stream the meetings to the general public via all existing channels. 2. Limit our meeting agendas to our response to the coronavirus pandemic, and anything else that is time sensitive and urgent. 3. Ensure maximum public participation via Zoom, including public comment. 4. Ensure city websites are accessible to the maximum range of devices and internet connection setups possible. In addition, the most important thing we can do is to educate the public on the need for maximal social isolation. It is important to stay home except for walks/fresh air, and to keep a distance of 15 feet from other people when outside of the home (minimum 6 feet but a small risk of transmission remains even at that distance). Here’s a list of suggestions/ideas that have been communicated to us that are worth considering further: 1. Large apartments: ​Many residents live in large apartment buildings and aspects of social distancing are logistically challenging. The city should work with the CHA, non-profit housing providers, and private landlords to minimize the risk of transmission in shared spaces. The city should develop guidance from both the landlord and tenant perspective. New York City has ​already​ begun this work. Here are some examples of things to include: CITY HALL, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02139 EMAIL: qzondervan​@​cambridgema.gov

CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL Quinton Y. Zondervan City Councillor a. Guidance for minimizing risk in communal laundry rooms, washrooms, mailrooms, elevators, stairwells, and other shared spaces. b. Guidance for times when it is necessary for a landlord to enter the home of a tenant. c. General infection prevention strategies and disinfection guidance. d. Additionally, the city should work with building managers to ensure that first responders know where people with special emergency/medical needs live in each building, and that any especially vulnerable residents of each building are receiving the protection and attention they need. 2. Small businesses: ​Many are concerned about the impact of social distancing on our small businesses, restaurants, and bars. Here are some steps we should consider immediately (some may already be in the works): a. The city should use its platform to exert pressure on both the federal and state government to implement significant relief, including tax relief and extensions, deferred payment plans for rents, mortgages, utility bills, grants, providing bailout funds, and emergency zero-interest loans b. The city should leverage its considerable resources to supplement as necessary the financial relief provided by state and federal authorities. c. The city should create a centralized resource for employers and employees to provide assistance and guidance, as San Francisco ​already has done​. d. The city should work with Cambridge Local First and other business associations to develop centralized resources for members of the public interested in supporting local businesses during the emergency. This could include a list of restaurants and other businesses offering delivery services, online goods for purchase, or gift cards for sale. e. The city should work with Cambridge Local First and other business associations to provide special assistance to and promotion of businesses that are newly transitioning to a takeout and delivery model. Residents won’t necessarily know that these services are even being offered. CITY HALL, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02139 EMAIL: qzondervan​@​cambridgema.gov

CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL Quinton Y. Zondervan City Councillor 3. Taxation, billing, and fees: ​With economic forecasts looking bleak and many residents already out of work, the city should do what it can to defer or eliminate taxes, billing, and fees, including the following: a. Defer collection on any taxes, bills, or fees that it possibly can, including excise taxes, water bills, and parking permit fees for the time being. b. Waive the additional fee burden that is presented when making an online payment to the city. c. Provide access, education and training for anyone who is not used to paying bills online. d. Continue with street cleaning, but not ticket or tow cars for the next month or two. CITY HALL, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02139 EMAIL: qzondervan​@​cambridgema.gov