[00:00:03]
WE ARE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
I AM GOING TO CALL TODAY'S ORDINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING TO ORDER.
THE CALL OF TODAY'S MEETING IS TO REVIEW THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ORDINANCE AND DISCUSS POTENTIAL UPDATES INCLUDING ALLOWING THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDING TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A
[ROLL CALL]
ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS PRESENT.COUNCIL OF FLAHERTY, ABSENT COUNCILOR MCGOVERN.
ABSENT COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER.
PRESENT, PRESENT, COUNCILLOR SUI.
PRESENT, YOU HAVE FIVE MEMBERS RECORDED AS PRESENT.
PURSUANT TO CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025, ADOPTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR, THE CITY IS AUTHORIZED TO USE REMOTE PARTICIPATION AT MEETINGS OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL AND ITS COMMITTEES.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDS THIS MEETING AND MAKES IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR FUTURE VIEWING.
IN ADDITION, THIRD PARTIES MAY ALSO BE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING.
IN ADDITION TO HAVING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL PARTICIPATE REMOTELY, WE HAVE ALSO SET UP ZOOM TELECONFERENCE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE VISIT THE CITY COUNCIL SECTION OF THE CITY'S WEBPAGE.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK ARE POSTED THERE.
ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED SIGN UP PROCEDURE, YOU WILL RECEIVE A LINK TO THE ZOOM MEETING.
TO WATCH THE MEETING, PLEASE TUNE INTO CHANNEL 22 OR VISIT THE OPEN MEETING PORTAL ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
WITH THAT, ALL OF TODAY'S VOTES WILL BE BY ROLL CALL.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL START OFF, UM,
[COMMUNICATIONS FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS]
WITH A PRESENTATION FROM CITY STAFF.WE'LL THEN GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT WE'LL GO TO QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL.
WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO CITY STAFF FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, JUST IN TERMS OF INTRODUCTIONS, FIRST, SANDRA CLARK, UM, I AM THE CURRENT CHAIR OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
JOINED WITH ME IS, UM, SUE WALSH, ALSO A CITY MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE.
TAHA JENNINGS, ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE CITY, MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE.
WE ALSO HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLKS JOINING US FROM THE COMMITTEE.
UM, I SEE BEHIND ME, SALLY BASSON, ROWAN MURPHY, AND ELLEN.
UM, I'M SORRY, ELENA, I'M GOING TO MESS UP YOUR LAST NAME IF I SAY IT OUT LOUD.
ELENA, I'LL SPEAK RIGHT INTO YOU.
UM, THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO ARE JOINING US ONLINE, UM, AND MAY BE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, UM, TO THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS, UM, ORDINANCE.
WE HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION AND, UM, GOING TO ASK WHOEVER IS NAVIGATING THE POWERPOINT TO SHARE THAT NOW.
SO, JUST TO HELP US NAVIGATE WHERE WE'RE HEADING, WE HAVE, UM, A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS OR AREAS, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE HERE.
UM, WE'RE GONNA GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND ALSO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE JUST TO GIVE SOME CONTEXT, UM, AND THEN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE FUNDS THAT ARE DISTRIBUTED AND ADMINISTERED.
AND THEN WE'LL REVIEW THE KEY PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND THEN HAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS.
SO LAST YEAR THE COUNCIL IDENTIFIED THE I THANK YOU.
I'M GOING TO INTERRUPT AND ALSO, UM, GIVE SPACE FOR, UM, CITY SOLICITOR.
'CAUSE SHE'S BEEN AN INSTRUMENTAL PART OF THIS PROCESS AND PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
SO LAST YEAR THE COUNCIL IDENTIFIED THAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ORDINANCE CONTAINED LANGUAGE THAT RESTRICTED THE USE OF THE FUNDS FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS CAPITAL OR OPERATING, AND THAT THE RESTRICTIONS MAY HAVE PREVENTED, UM, SOME OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUNDS FROM BEING, UM, DISTRIBUTED IN A WAY THAT COULD HELP NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS MORE FULLY MEET THE NEEDS OF RESIDENTS.
SO IN 2025, THE COUNCIL ASKED THE CITY SOLICITOR TO REVIEW THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ORDINANCE TO DRAFT AN AMENDMENT THAT COULD ALLOW COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUNDS TO BE USED
[00:05:01]
MORE BROADLY BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING FOR CAPITAL EXPENSES.AND THAT WAS THROUGH AWAITING REPORT, 25 40.
GIVEN THE RESTRICTIONS, THE CITY COUNCIL ALSO ASKED THE CITY SOLICITOR TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO RESPOND TO THE REQUEST.
WE WERE ASKED TO IDENTIFY IF AND HOW COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUNDS COULD BE USED MORE BROADLY AND MORE FLEXIBLY.
SO WHILE COORDINATING WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT, THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE IDENTIFIED A FEW ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY ASSIST THE COMMITTEE TO MORE EFFECTIVELY DISTRIBUTE FUNDS TO NONPROFITS TO MEET RESIDENT NEEDS.
ULTIMATELY, THE GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS AND THE CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY.
SO, THROUGHOUT THE BRIEF PRESENTATION, WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW THE KEY PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND TO SET SOME CONTEXT IN DOING THAT.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TO BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT THE FUND, THE COMMITTEE AND CURRENT STATUS.
SO MY FELLOW MEMBER, UM, SUE WALSH, WILL SHARE THE OVERVIEW OF EACH OF THESE.
I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR DELTON FAMILY SERVICES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS. AND SINCE ELLEN SEMINARS RETIREMENT, I HAVE SERVED AS THE DHSP REPRESENTATIVE TO THE COMMITTEE.
UM, SO WE'RE JUST GONNA GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY AND BACKGROUND ON THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN 2015, AND THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS CREATED TO IDENTIFY THE PRESSING NEEDS OF CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS, EVALUATE APPLICATIONS BY NONPROFITS TO PROVIDE PROGRAMS OR SERVICES TO MEET THOSE NEEDS AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GRANT AWARDS SUPPORTED BY MITIGATION FUNDS DESIGNATED FOR COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
SINCE 2017, THE COMMITTEE HAS ADDRESSED THE COMPLEX NEEDS OF CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS THROUGH FUNDING FOR PARTNERSHIPS.
SO WE ADOPTED A PARTNERSHIP MODEL FOR FUNDING.
EACH OF THOSE PARTNERSHIPS RECEIVED OVER $1 MILLION TO RESPOND TO THE TOP TIER NEEDS THAT HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
AND THOSE NEEDS WERE HOUSING STABILITY, FINANCIAL SECURITY, AND MENTAL HEALTH.
SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, THERE WERE TWO ROUNDS OF COVID EMERGENCY AND RECOVERY GRANTS ISSUED 10 K EACH, A SMALLER AMOUNT TO OVER 100 NONPROFITS, AND EACH ROUND TOTALED ABOUT 2 MILLION.
AND SO THAT'S THE STATUS OF THE FUNDING THAT HAS BEEN RELEASED THUS FAR.
THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE FUND, THERE'S BEEN OVER $20 MILLION PLEDGED TO THE CITY FOR COMMUNITY BENEFITS PURPOSES THROUGH ZONING AMENDMENTS AND AGREEMENTS, BUT THE RECEIPT OF FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS IS DEPENDENT.
ON DEVELOPMENT MILESTONES BEING MET.
SO THE TIMING OF FUTURE FUNDING IS UNCERTAIN.
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT UP TO 3.2 MILLION COULD BE RECEIVED OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, BUT APPROXIMATELY 8.6 MILLION HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND 7 MILLION OF THAT HAS BEEN EXPENDED, LEAVING 1.6 MILLION REMAINING AND AVAILABLE TO BE EXPENDED, UM, BY THE COMMITTEE.
THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS COMMITTEE IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING TOWARDS AN APPROACH TO RECOMMEND HOW TO ALLOCATE THOSE REMAINING $1.6 MILLION IN FUNDS.
SO THERE WERE, UM, THREE PROPOSED, UM, OR THE KEY PROPOSED AMENDMENTS THAT WILL HIGHLIGHT.
THERE'S ALSO A FOURTH AS WELL AS JUST SOME CLEANUP OF LANGUAGE GOING ON.
UM, BUT THE FIRST ONE, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT DIRECTLY RESPONDS TO THE POLICY ORDER AND THE REQUEST FROM AR 40 D.
SO WE ARE PROPOSING TO MODIFY, UM, THE USE OF FUNDS TO INCLUDE CAPITAL AND OR OPERATING FUNDS AS A PERMISSIBLE USE.
[00:10:02]
WELL, I DON'T WANNA GET AHEAD OF MYSELF.THE CITY SOLICITOR OPINED THAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUNDS ARE LIKELY NOT SUBJECT TO THE ANTI AID AMENDMENT, AND THEREFORE CAN BE USED FOR CAPITAL AND OUR OPERATING EXPENSES AS LONG AS THEY ARE ADVANCING GOALS OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT ORDINANCE.
WE LOOKED AT THIS AND THOUGHT, WELL, WHAT COULD THAT DO? HOW COULD THAT HELP? WE BELIEVE THAT THE AMENDMENT COULD PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY FOR THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO FUND WHAT COULD HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT.
FLEXIBILITY IS IMPORTANT TO MEETING NEEDS BECAUSE WHAT WE HEAR FROM OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS IS THAT HAVING THE ABILITY TO USE FUNDS, UM, IN A BROADER WAY, UM, COULD HELP THEM MORE EFFECTIVELY MEET THE NEEDS OF OF RESIDENTS.
UM, IT COULD ADD ANOTHER TOOL THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED IN A FUTURE FUNDING FRAMEWORK, ALLOWING FLEXIBILITY FOR GRANTEES TO USE FUNDS WHERE AND HOW THEY ARE MOST NEEDED.
WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS THAT OPERATING FUNDS, OPERATING EXPENSES AS A PERMISSIBLE USE WOULD HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON HOW PROGRAMS ARE DELIVERED.
IT GIVES FLEXIBILITY IN A LESS RESTRICTIVE WAY.
THIRD, UM, IT WOULD HELP RESIDENTS BY BUILDING GREATER CAPACITY FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO DELIVER IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS. SO WHETHER USING IT FUNDS FOR, UH, CAPITAL PURPOSES OR OPERATING EXPENSES ORGANIZATIONS, IT WOULD HELP TO BUILD GREATER CAPACITY AND SO THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO FUNCTION WITH GREATER EFFECTIVENESS AND BETTER SERVE RESIDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY OVERALL.
AND LAST ON THIS, UM, PAGE, UM, IT WOULD MAKE THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT STABILIZATION FUND A MORE EFFECTIVE VEHICLE FOR NONPROFITS.
SO CREATING, OR NOT CREATING, BUT ENHANCING, UM, THE POOL THAT COULD BE, UM, DISTRIBUTED, UM, IN A WAY TO MEET NEEDS THROUGH MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS RATHER THAN, UM, PARTICULAR OR SPECIFIC EARMARKED ORGANIZATIONS.
IT CREATES THE ABILITY FOR THE STABILIZATION FUND THROUGH THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO DISTRIBUTE THOSE FUNDS FOR CAPITAL OPERATING, UM, OVERALL.
THE SECOND KEY PROPOSED AMENDMENT IS TO MODIFY THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT.
THERE ARE MANY RESOURCES AVAILABLE THAT IDENTIFY RESIDENT NEEDS, INCLUDING ASSESSMENT DONE BY CAMBRIDGE INSTITUTIONS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
THAT INCLUDES HOSPITALS, PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND WE ALSO HAVE LEARNED THROUGH WORKING WITH OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY OVERALL THAT THE TOP 10 NEEDS ARE STILL VERY MUCH RAIL, VERY MUCH IN FRONT OF US, AND LESS LIKELY TO CHANGE SUBSTANTIALLY OVER TIME.
THE INITIAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT IDENTIFIED 12 CATEGORIES BROKEN INTO HIGHEST TIER NEEDS.
FIRST BEING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, FINANCIAL STABILITY, MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.
THE NEXT TIER BEING FOOD SECURITY, UM, OR AS WE'RE SEEING IT NOW, INSECURITY, THERE ARE, UM, ALSO ADDITIONAL CATEGOR ADDITIONAL ITEMS IN THE MID TIER AND ALSO THE LOW TIER LOWEST TIER.
AND IN THE PAST, AS SUE HAD MENTIONED, WE FOCUSED ON THE HIGHEST HERE.
UM, NEEDS, THE COMMITTEE BELIEVES THAT THERE ARE AVAILABLE DATA FROM LOCAL AND REGIONAL SOURCES THAT PROVIDE CLEAR AND THOROUGH PICTURE OF COMMUNITY CHALLENGE IN THE AREAS OF NEED, AND THAT WE HAVE OTHER, UM, RESOURCES TO ACHIEVE THE SAME GOAL AND TO SHORTEN THE TIMELINE BY LOOKING TO THOSE, RATHER THAN, UM, DOING A SPECIFIED NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
SO THE AMENDMENT COULD LESSEN THE BURDEN ON RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN DUPLICATIVE, UM, ASSESSMENT EFFORTS.
WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CONSTANTS, AS I MENTIONED, IN CONSULTATION WITH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND USE OF, AND TO USE INFORMATION THAT CONTINUES TO BE USEFUL AND RELIABLE, RATHER THAN BURDENING RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE TO TELL US.
WE BELIEVE THAT IT COULD SUPPORT RESIDENTS MORE CONSISTENTLY BY POTENTIALLY REDUCING TIME BETWEEN FUNDING CYCLES.
SO, UM, HAVING A FUNDING FRAMEWORK THAT GETS RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, MORE QUICKLY TO SUPPORT RESIDENTS.
AND LAST ON THIS, MAKE FUNDING PRIORITIES MORE PREDICTABLE.
IT WOULD HELP THE COMMITTEE AND ALSO NONPROFITS FOCUS BETTER
[00:15:01]
ON THE PRIORITIES OF WORKING TOWARDS MOVING THE NEEDLE IN CERTAIN KEY AREAS OF FOCUS.THE NEXT KEY ONE IS TO CLARIFY GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
WHEN THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ORDINANCE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2015, IT INCLUDED EIGHT GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
IN 2017, THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED NINE ADDITIONAL GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
THIS AMENDMENT WOULD REFLECT THE TOTAL SET OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT, UM, PRINCIPLES BECAUSE THE EXTRA, THE ADDITIONAL NINE WERE RECOMMENDED BY THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT ADVISOR COMMITTEE BACK IN 2017.
AS THEY WORKED ALONG WITH NONPROFITS ALONG WITH CITY, UM, RESIDENTS TO IDENTIFY HOW BEST TO FOCUS THE FUNDS, IT WOULD BRING GREATER TRANSPARENCY TO THE VALUES THAT DRIVE THE COMMITTEE'S ACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
THROUGH THE ADDITION OF THOSE NINE, THE PRINCIPLES WERE ORGANIZED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES THAT WERE ADOPTED AFTER THE INITIAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
SO ALL OF THOSE 17 FALL INTO EITHER FRAMING NEEDS, THOUGHTFULLY, BUILDING ON EXISTING ASSETS AND PROGRAMS, AND SIMPLIFYING THE APPLICATION PROCESS, NOT ON THE SCREEN.
BUT ADDITIONALLY, I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT THERE IS ANOTHER AMENDMENT, UH, THAT CLARIFIES HOW NONPROFIT, UM, MEMBERS, UM, OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ARE SELECTED.
IT MAKES IT SIMPLER IN THAT IT CLARIFIES THAT NOT ONLY WILL THERE BE CONTINUING MEMBERSHIP AND, UM, PARTNERSHIP ON THE, ON THE COMMITTEE, BUT THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE MULTIPLE NOMINEES FOR EACH OF THE TWO NON THE, THE TWO CNC REPRESENTATIVES.
I THINK THAT WAS IMPORTANT AT THE START BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT NO PRECEDENT, BUT IT CLARIFIES THAT IT JUST NEEDS TO BE PRESENTED TO THE CITY MANAGER AND THEN THE CITY MANAGER WOULD APPOINT.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, WE ARE GONNA GO NOW TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE ANY FOLKS SIGNED UP.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE.
I'LL, UH, WE'LL ASK IF THERE ARE ANY FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO SIGN UP IN TROUBLE FOR COMMENT.
ANY, ANY FOLKS ONLINE WHO WOULD LIKE TO GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT? ALRIGHT.
DON'T THINK WE'RE SEEING ANY HANDS.
WE CAN GO NOW TO COUNCIL QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION.
UH, I HAD A COUPLE, BUT WE'LL TURN IT OVER FIRST TO MY COLLEAGUES TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
OH, UH, SO, UH, MAYOR SADIKI AND THEN, THEN COUNCILOR NOLAN.
COUNCILOR NOLAN, YOU CAN GO FIRST.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT, THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS.
WE'RE HERE SO THAT WE CAN IMPROVE THIS REALLY IMPORTANT PROGRAM.
CAN YOU JUST REVIEW AGAIN THROUGH YOU CHAIR THE OUTREACH THAT HAPPENED INTO THE LARGER COMMUNITY TO AND TO BEFORE ALL THIS WORK WAS BROUGHT TOGETHER? BOTH, I, I KNOW THAT THE NONPROFIT COALITION IS HERE, I SEE MEMBERS OF, OF THE FUNDING COMMUNITY.
I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHAT THAT KIND OF OUTREACH LOOKED LIKE SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE ASSURED.
AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE WORK.
I KNOW YOU DID A LOT, SO I JUST WANNA HEAR ABOUT IT.
UM, WHEN THE, UM, WHEN THE ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED BACK IN 2015, UM, THERE WAS A, A COMMUNITY BENEFITS NEEDS ASSESSMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT WAS STOOD UP.
AND THOSE FOLKS BETWEEN 20, UM, 15, 20 17 MET WITH, UM, NOT ONLY THE NONPROFIT COALITION, BUT UM, VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WITH RESIDENTS, WITH CITY MEMBERS TO IDENTIFY NEEDS.
THAT WAS AT, UM, THE NAVIGATION AND DIRECTION OF A CONSULTANT TDC AT THE TIME.
AND THERE WAS OVER A YEAR WORTH OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT, UM, LED US TO THE, UM, THE PRINCIPLES THAT WERE INCLUDED IN AND ADOPTED IN THE 2017 ASPECT OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ORDINANCE, AS WELL AS THE TOP TIER, THE MID TIER, AND THE LOWER TIER NEEDS.
SINCE THEN, WE HAVE HAD VARIOUS FORMS WITH, UM, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY
[00:20:01]
WHEN WE WERE DOING THE, UM, LARGER SCALE GRANTS.SO WE DID PLANNING GRANTS, WE DID IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS THAT WERE INTENDED TO LAST OVER THREE YEARS.
THEY ACTUALLY ENDED UP LASTING OVER FOUR YEARS.
WE MET WITH NONPROFIT COMMUNITY.
WE DID, UM, OUTREACH, WE DID FORUMS. WE INVITED PEOPLE IN TO TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT THOSE NEEDS, UM, UH, WERE AFFIRMING THOSE NEEDS.
ALSO THEN, UM, HAVING OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER TWEAKS TO THAT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE GRANTING AND THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE WERE PUTTING OUT THERE WAS ACTUALLY ADDRESSING THE NEEDS.
AND, UM, THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WE ALSO HAD, UM, ADDITIONAL FORMS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
EVEN THOUGH ONCE WE HAD THE, THE PLANNING GRANT FORMAT, WE HAD THE IMPLEMENTATION GRANT FORMAT, WE HAD, UM, WE HAD CONTINUAL INTERACTION WITH NONPROFIT MEMBERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ON TARGET.
THAT THIS WAS RESPONDING IN A WAY AND STRUCTURED IN A WAY THAT, UM, THE FOLKS ON THE GROUND REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE NEEDS TO BE AND THAT WE WERE MEETING THOSE NEEDS.
SO THAT, OVER THE LAST YEAR, JUST IN, IN REFERENCE TO THESE SPECIFIC AMENDMENTS, HOW WAS THAT PROCESS UNFOLDING? OH, MY APOLOGIES.
UM, THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE THREE TO FOUR PEOPLE OF THE 13 MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE THAT ARE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WE HAVE, UM, ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE, THE CAMBRIDGE NONPROFIT COALITION TO OTHERS THAT ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO INDEPENDENT, UM, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, AND THEN ALSO THE CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
UM, WE, UM, HAD WORK GROUPS WITHIN THE, UM, COMMITTEE ITSELF TO, TO THINK ABOUT, TALK ABOUT, REVIEW AND CONSIDER THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, IN MAKING THESE AMENDMENTS, UH, OR PROPOSING THESE AMENDMENTS, IT WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THE FILTER FOR THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN, UM, THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE, UM, NONPROFIT COMMUNITY AND BRINGING THE PERSPECTIVES, BRINGING THE, UM, INPUT FROM ALL OF THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY SERVE WITH THE NONPROFIT COALITION SERVING, UM, REPRESENTING HUNDREDS OF, OF NONPROFITS.
SO, UM, NOT A DIRECT ENGAGEMENT ON THESE PARTICULAR AMENDMENTS, BUT, SO REALLY RELYING ON BOOTS ON THE GROUND THAT WOULD HELP US TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, I THINK UNDERSTANDING FROM THE, UM, EVALUATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS, UM, WHAT IS EXPEDIENT TO CARRY FORWARD? I DON'T KNOW IF PEERS HAVE OTHER THOUGHTS.
YEAH, I, I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND, 'CAUSE THE REALITY IS THIS CAME UP BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME DIFFERENCE OF OPINION AND SOME REAL TENSION WITHIN THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT CAME ABOUT PARTLY 'CAUSE THERE WASN'T ENOUGH COMMUNICATION AMONG VARIOUS NONPROFITS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT AND ENSURING THIS, THAT THESE SETS OF AMENDMENTS WILL ADDRESS THAT SO THAT WE DON'T END UP IN, IN A SIMILAR SITUATION IN THE FUTURE.
WHICH I THINK ALL OF US UNDERSTAND IS, IS PART OF THE GOAL.
SO THE, YOU KNOW, OUTREACH AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THE NEEDS THOUGHTFULLY.
AND I THINK THIS IS A BALANCE OF CITYWIDE AND NEIGHBORHOOD BASED, RIGHT? WE HAVE BOTH CITYWIDE IMPLICATIONS AND SOMETIMES THERE'S PROJECTS THAT ARE VERY SPECIFIC, UH, IMPACT ON A SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THAT WAS TRYING TO BALANCE IT.
AND SOMETIMES WE MAY NEED TO ADJUST THAT OR NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT BALANCE, UM, CAN VARY.
ALSO, SOMEONE'S OPINION ON IT MAY VARY.
SO I, I, I DID WANNA HEAR WHAT KIND OF OUTREACH AND MAKING SURE THAT THIS WAS DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH A RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS.
AND SO THAT WAS MY MAIN QUESTION.
UH, CHAIR SABRINA, WE WHEELER, I YIELD.
AS, UH, MAYOR SIDIKI, OTHER COUNSELORS, OR GO MAYOR SIDIKI AND THEN COUNCILLOR ZUI.
MAYOR SIDIKI, THANK YOU, UH, THROUGH YOU.
UH, I WANTED TO SAY THAT, UH, I'M GLAD THAT WE ARE HERE, UH, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MAKING THESE AMENDMENTS, UM, AS THE PACKET SHOWS, THE POLICY ORDER HAD BEEN SUBMITTED IN JUNE, UM, I THINK AT OUR LAST MEETING LAST YEAR.
AND THAT WAS A RESULT OF VARIOUS CONVERSATIONS AMONG COUNSELORS, UM, CITY STAFF, UH, AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, TO, TO DO THIS, UH, BASED ON VARIOUS, VARIOUS REASONS.
SO I'M GLAD THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE
[00:25:01]
HERE.THE SPIRIT OF THE ORIGINAL POLICY ORDER WAS TO BROADEN WHAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS CAN DO AND BETTER BE A, AND BE A BETTER VEHICLE FOR NONPROFIT SUPPORT AND, UH, AND PARTNERSHIP.
AND I THINK FROM THE COUNCIL SIDE, IT WAS CLEAR THAT ONE OF THESE CHANGES MEANT IT SHOULD ALLOW, UH, FOR NONPROFITS TO USE THESE FUNDS FOR CAPITAL EXPENSES, WHICH WERE SOMETHING THAT WE WERE HEARING, UH, AS A NEED.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UM, I CONTINUE TO SEE THIS KIND OF BROADENING AS A FIRST STEP, BUT IT WILL REALLY BE ULTIMATELY THE COMMITTEE, UH, THAT DRIVES A PROCESS THAT WILL KIND OF DEFINE, DEFINE HOW THE WORK CHANGES.
UH, AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD, UM, TO SEEING THAT.
I THINK A QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, IT'S BASED ON ONE OF THE PAGES.
IT SAYS THAT THERE'S ABOUT $1.6 MILLION LEFT CURRENTLY IN THE FUND, AND THAT THE COMMITTEES TALKING THROUGH A PROCESS, UH, AROUND HOW TO DISTRIBUTE THAT MONEY.
SO I'M CURIOUS, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE THERE? UH, YOU KNOW, IS THAT PROCESS, AND BECAUSE I'M SURE NONPROFITS ARE WONDERING, IS THAT PROCESS GOING TO BE COMPLETED, UM, BY, BY JUNE, UH, BY MAY.
SO I'D LOVE IF THERE'S ANY INSIGHT ON THAT TIMELINE PIECE.
THE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN, UH, FOCUSING ITS EFFORTS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS ON, UM, DEVELOPING A FUNDING FRAMEWORK AS WELL AS A TIMELINE FOR HOW BEST TO, UM, DISTRIBUTE AND ADMINISTER THE REMAINING FUNDS.
IT, IT'S A LOT, BUT IT'S A SMALL AMOUNT IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE NEED.
UM, SO THINKING THROUGH HOW BEST TO ADMINISTER THAT, IT'S NOT TO THE SCALE OF THE LARGER GRANTS THAT WE'VE DONE.
IT IS PERHAPS MORE THAN WHAT WE DID IN SOME OF THE EMERGENCY GRANTS.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A CLEAR, UM, REPLICABLE AND SUSTAINABLE FRAMEWORK FOR, FOR MOVING FORWARD.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN, UM, SMALLER AMOUNTS, MAYBE SOME MID-SIZE AMOUNTS, AND IN WAYS THAT WE CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF, OF THE RESIDENTS THROUGH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, WE ARE WORKING, UM, AT A PACE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TARGETING A FRAMEWORK FOR, BY THE SUMMERTIME TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT COULD BE.
UM, AND THAT IS WITH THE INPUT OF OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS AS WELL, OUR MEMBERS.
I, I THINK I WOULD JUST SAY, I THINK THE SUMMER SEEMS FAR, UM, AND I KNOW THERE'S VARIOUS NEEDS AND SO I WOULD SAY, I, I TOTALLY HEAR THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A REPLICABLE FRAMEWORK AND YOU, YOU GOTTA GET THIS RIGHT.
AND I THINK THERE'S THIS PIECE AROUND, UM, THERE'S VARIOUS NEEDS AND HOW DO YOU MATCH KIND OF THAT URGENCY.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH, UM, THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, BUT I WANT TO SEE MORE.
UM, I WANNA SEE KIND OF THE PROGRESS AROUND HOW WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING TO, UM, DISTRIBUTIONS, UH, IN A BEFORE NEXT TIME THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, AND I'M SURE THAT'LL HAPPEN, BUT I THINK FROM OUR END, UH, SOME OF THIS, IT'S, UM, BASED ON KIND OF WHAT WE'VE, I WILL JUST USE.
I, BUT I, I'VE HEARD AROUND THE NEEDS THAT SOME OF THESE NONPROFITS HAVE.
UM, I THINK EXPEDIENCY WHILE HAVING A STRONG, FAIR GROWTH, UH, FRAMEWORK CAN HAPPEN.
SO WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, I THINK DEFINING WHAT THE SUMMER MEANS, IS THAT BY LAST MEETING IN JUNE? OR IS THAT, YOU KNOW, EARLY FALL, UH, WOULD LOVE TO GET MORE CLARITY AT SOME POINT AROUND THAT, AROUND, UH, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO THAT'S CALLED ALL I REALLY HAD, I KNOW THIS IS KIND OF, IT'S A PROCESS AND IT TAKES TIME.
I THINK YOU ALL HAVE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS AND HAVE BEEN INFORMED ON HOW TO MOVE THIS ALONG.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, THAT, THAT'S KIND OF ALL I, UH, WANTED TO SAY.
BUT I'M GLAD WE ARE FINALLY AT THIS POINT.
IF I, THROUGH YOU MIGHT RESPOND, UM, WE HEAR YOU, WE HEAR YOU.
WE HEAR OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS AS WELL.
AND SO WE DO HAVE A, A, A SENSE OF URGENCY.
[00:30:01]
SUMMER MEANS FALLAND SO WE ARE WORKING TO GET, UM, THAT OUT.
I THINK WE, WE LEARNED A LOT FROM THE EMERGENCY GRANTS WHEN WE WERE DOING SMALL AMOUNTS AND WANT TO, UM, WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A PROCESS THAT IS COMMENSURATE WITH THE TYPES OF GRANTS AND THE AMOUNTS OF GRANTS THAT WE ARE GETTING OUT THE DOOR AS WELL.
SO IF WE'RE DOING, IF WE END UP WITH SMALLER GRANTS, THEN THE PROCESS THAT WOULD MORE ALIGN WITH THAT IF WE END UP WITH LARGER GRANTS WITH SOMETHING THAT WOULD MORE ALIGN WITH THAT.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE HEARING FOR SURE, RIGHT, COUNCILOR
THEN I'LL PUT MYSELF ON STACK, UH, COUNCILLOR EY.
I HAVE, UM, TWO QUESTIONS AND THEN I HAVE A COMMENT.
BUT ONE, UM, SO FOR, I CERTAINLY SUPPORT, UM, OUR SUPPORTING, UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS OF NONPROFITS OR THAT TO BE CONSIDERED AS, UH, ONE OF THE ALLOCATIONS OF FUNDS.
MY OTHER QUESTION IS WITH THE CLARIFICATION OR THAT MY QUESTION IS WITH THE CLARIFICATION OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
SO ARE THE, I DON'T SEE WHAT THE 17 GUIDING PRINCIPLES ARE.
ARE THEY LISTED SOMEWHERE? 'CAUSE IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.
I MEAN, MAYBE THEY'RE ON PAGES, UH, TWO AND THREE OF THE ACTUAL ZONING CHANGES WHEN IT SAYS FRAMES NEEDS THOUGHTFULLY BUILD ON EXISTING ASSETS AND PROGRAMS, PROMOTE HOLISTIC APPROACHES, INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION.
ARE THOSE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES? WHAT ARE THEY? YES.
SO IF, YEAH, IF WE ARE LOOKING AT THE MARKED UP COPY OF THE, UM, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS MM-HMM
UM, ON PAGE PAGE TWO AND THREE, UM, SECTION 2.12 7.060, THERE IS, UM, THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES INCLUDE 17 ITEMS THAT ARE CHARACTERIZED AS FRAMING NEEDS THOUGHTFULLY, BUILDING ON EXISTING ASSETS AND PROGRAMS, PROMOTING HOLISTIC APPROACHES, INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION, AND ALSO SIMPLIFYING THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
SO THE TOTAL OF THOSE ARE THE 17 GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
AND MY OTHER QUESTION IN THIS MAY ENGAGE OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, MELISSA PETERS AS WELL, IS, SO I STILL REMAIN A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUND AND HOW IT RELATES TO MITIGATION, UM, DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I, I WANNA SUPPORT OUR NONPROFITS.
AND I'VE SAID IN THE CHAMBER THAT I, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE ESPECIALLY AS A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT ISN'T HAPPENING, I ACTUALLY FEEL AS THOUGH THE CITY SHOULD BE MAKING AN ANNUAL ALLOCATION TO SUPPORT NONPROFIT OR NONPROFIT PARTNERS.
BUT CDD IS OFTEN INVOLVED IN DISCUSSIONS OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS, WHICH INCLUDE OPEN SPACE.
SO WE GOT THE TIM TUMI PARK OR ARTS AND CULTURAL RESOURCES LIKE THE GLOBAL ARTS LIVE THEATER, WHICH IS GONNA BE SPECTACULAR AT 5 85 THIRD STREET.
UM, WE WILL CERTAINLY NEED PARKING.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, SO WHERE IS LIKE, THOSE ARE COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT ARE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT WON'T GO DIRECTLY TO NONPROFITS.
SO WILL MITIGATION FUNDS, SOME OF THEM STILL BE NEGOTIATED OR MITIGATION BE NEGOTIATED BY CDD, AND THEN THERE WILL BE SOME FUNDS THAT WILL GO TO THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS POT.
COUNCILLOR ZI THROUGH YOU CHAIR SABRINA WHEELER.
SO, THROUGH CONTRACT ZONING, THIS, UH, THE COUNCIL CAN AMEND ZONING, ZONING, UM, W WITH A LETTER OF AGREEMENT ATTACHED TO IT WITH THE DEVELOPER TO, UH, FUND DIFFERENT COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
SO AS YOU INDICATED, THAT COULD BE IN EXCHANGE FOR LAND THAT COULD BE REDEVELOPED FOR OPEN SPACE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, IT COULD BE A PART OF A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT THAT INCLUDES A BUILDING COMPONENT FOR A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY USE.
IT COULD ALSO BE, UM, A CASH CONTRIBUTION TO DIFFERENT, UM, COMMUNITY NEEDS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CAN DICTATE.
UM, SO CERTAINLY ONE OF OUR GOALS IS, UM, MAKING SURE THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUND IS AVAILABLE AS ONE OF THOSE MITIGATION OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AND WORKING WITH DEVELOPERS, UM, TO, UM, NOW PARTICULARLY WITH THIS, IF THIS ZONING, UH, OR IF THIS ORDINANCE CHANGE GOES INTO EFFECT, UM, THIS FLEXIBILITY THAT IT ALLOWS FOR THE FUND TO USE FOR BOTH CAPITAL AND OPERATING FUNDS IS HUGE.
AND SO LETTING DEVELOPERS KNOW THAT THAT IS, THIS IS AN AVAILABLE,
[00:35:01]
UM, MITIGATION, UH, SOURCE THAT THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO, I THINK WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT.UM, AS WE, UH, INDICATED IN A PRIOR RESPONSE, THERE ARE A LOT OF LEGAL, UM, AND PRACTICAL MATTERS WHEN WITH CONTRACT ZONING.
AND SO IT HAS TO BE A VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION FROM THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
SO WE CAN'T PRESCRIBE HOW THAT BE USED, BUT WE CAN, UM, LET THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY KNOW WHAT THE NEEDS ARE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO OFTENTIMES THOSE CAN BE, UM, YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHAT, UM, THEY'RE WILLING TO CONTRIBUTE.
SO IT COULD BE MORE LIMITED IF IT'S A, A PIECE OF LAND THAT THEY HAVE THAT THEY WANNA EXCHANGE.
UM, BUT WHEN IT IS A CASH CONTRIBUTION, I THINK THAT'S WHEN WE, UM, HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF THIS FUND IS SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO.
AND WE, UM, WILL COMMIT TO DOING THAT.
AGAIN, THROUGH YOU CHAIR AGAIN.
SO THE CDD WOULD THEN, SO YOU WOULD HELP CALCULATE LIKE WHAT APPROPRIATE, THE APPROPRIATE CONTRACT ZONING AND COMMUNITY BENEFIT MITIGATION AMOUNT MIGHT BE, BUT THEN YOU WOULD STILL GUIDE, UM, DO THE INITIAL SORT OF, UH, DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DEVELOPER SAYING, WELL, WE REALLY NEED THIS LAND FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, OR WE REALLY NEED THIS LAND FOR OPEN SPACE OR PARKING, OR, AND WE ALSO HAVE, WE ALSO HAVE THIS POT THAT YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO.
IS THAT, IS THAT RIGHT? SO YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD BE ON THE FOREFRONT IN ONE OF THE, AND YOU MIGHT BE ENCOURAGING FUNDS TO GENERALLY GO IN A CERTAIN DIRECTION.
I REALIZE IT HAS TO BE VOLUNTEER, BUT YOU WOULD, THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUND WOULD BE AN OPTION.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND, AND TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, TEAM COMES WITH A FIRST PROPOSAL AND, UM, THEY'LL COME TO, DOESN'T, NOT NECESSARILY IN THIS ORDER, BUT THEY'LL COME TO CITY COUNSELORS, THEY'LL COME TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATION, THEY'LL COME TO NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, UM, AND THEY'LL GET FEEDBACK FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
AND SO WE MIGHT SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY NOT SOMETHING WE SEE AS AN IMMEDIATE NEED, OR WE ACTUALLY HAVE A GREATER NEED HERE.
WHY DON'T YOU, YOU KNOW, TALK TO, UH, A PARTICULAR GROUP ABOUT THIS NEED.
AND WE CAN CERTAINLY, UM, BASED ON KIND OF HAVING A FULLER VIEW OF THE ISSUES, HELP KIND OF NAVIGATE THAT.
AND THAT TRIES TO GET TO, UM, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AROUND IT BEING A CITYWIDE V VERSUS A NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
AND, AND SOMETIMES THAT MAKES SENSE AND SOMETIMES THERE ARE MORE COMMUNITYWIDE, UH, ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, UM, A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE I, I, UM, ANYWAY, I, I THINK, UM, THE TOP 10 NEEDS ARE ALWAYS, I THINK, GONNA BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, FOOD INSECURITY.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE REAL, REAL NEEDS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ALSO WITH, UM, CONTRACT ZONING ARE, UM, RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS, NEEDS THAT EVERY COMMUNITY NEEDS FOR GREATER PUBLIC HEALTH.
JUST TO BE A LIVABLE COMMUNITY AND A HEALTHY COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO HAVE ARTS AND CULTURE.
I WILL MENTION THAT, UM, UH, MAYOR SIM OR, OR FORMER MAYOR SIMMONS AND, UM, COUNCILOR NOLAN AND I WERE ALL AT THE SOMERVILLE CAMBRIDGE ALDER SERVICES LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST LAST WEEK, AND THEY WERE REALLY IMPRESSING UPON US THE, THE NEED FOR MONEY FOR HOME CARE COSTS FOR OUR SENIORS.
THERE'S A REAL CONCERN ABOUT THEIR LOSS OF SNAP BENEFITS AND, UM, UM, SUBSIDIZING HOUSING.
SO ANY, ANYWAY, WE, WE DO HAVE ENDLESS NEEDS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND I WILL SUPPORT THESE AMENDMENTS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION FOR ALL THE WORK ON THIS.
I'M VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF THESE CHANGES TO ALLOW THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUND TO BE USED FOR CAPITAL EXPENSES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF NONPROFITS IN, IN CAMBRIDGE WITH NEEDS LIKE THIS AND, AND HAVING THIS ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY, UH, WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
WE HAVE A LOT OF NONPROFITS THAT OWN THEIR BUILDINGS THAT ARE VERY OLD BUILDINGS THAT, UH, NEED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SY SYSTEMS AND SOMETIMES NEED, UH, YOU KNOW, REVAMPS COMPLETELY THAT ARE A HUNDRED YEAR OLD PLUS BUILDINGS DOING GREAT WORK, BUT IN, IN VERY OLD SPACES.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF NONPROFITS THAT DON'T OWN THEIR BUILDINGS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE THINKING ABOUT SPACE, TRYING TO, UH, WONDER HOW MUCH LONGER THEY CAN CONTINUE TO STAY IN CAMBRIDGE.
WHO COULD, COULD USE CAPITAL SUPPORT FOR THAT.
UM, MY FIRST QUESTION WAS ON THAT, UH, SIDE OF IT, UM, THERE, THERE'S NOT A TON OF FUNDING AT THE MOMENT IN THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUND, $1.6 MILLION,
[00:40:01]
YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE A NONPROFIT THAT WE'RE RENTING ITS SPACE, WE'RE, WE'RE SAY, WE NEED TO BUY A BUILDING, COULD WE GET SUPPORT FROM THAT? BUT WOULD THESE CHANGES ALLOW NOT JUST CAPITAL, UH, FIXES, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO, YOU KNOW, FIXING A LEAKY ROOF ON A BUILDING OF A NONPROFIT OWNS, COULD, COULD IF WE MADE THESE CHANGES, THE CAPITAL FUND BE USED TO BUY A BUILDING FOR A NONPROFIT? OR WOULD WE NEED TO DO ADDITIONAL CHANGES FOR THAT? DO YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT? THANK YOU TO YOU, MR. CHAIR.UM, SO THE CHANGE TO THE ORDINANCE, UM, LEMME JUST GRAB, DOES SAY THAT WE ARE REMOVING THE CLAUSE THAT SAID THAT THERE CAN'T BE, UM, CAPITAL OR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, UM, OR OPERATIONAL EXPENSES.
SO THOSE ARE CURRENTLY ALLOWED, I THINK THEN, UM, ACQUISITION, YOU KNOW, GOING TOWARDS ACQUISITION COSTS IS PART OF THEIR CAPITAL EXPENSES.
SO I DON'T SEE THAT AS A PROHIBITION.
I JUST WANTED TO, UH, CLARIFY THAT AND MAKE SURE IF WE NEEDED TO MAKE THAT ADDITIONAL CHANGE, WE COULD, UM, THAT'S SUPER HELPFUL.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS MORE ON THE, UH, COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUNDING SIDE.
I THINK THIS IS A, A GREAT CHANGE TO MAKE, AN IMPORTANT CHANGE TO MAKE, UH, TO ALLOW IT TO BE USED FOR CAPITAL EXPENSES TO REALLY MAKE IT USEFUL.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THERE IS, IS FUNDING IN THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUND TO, UH, ALLOW IT TO BE USED THAT WAY.
SO THAT, THAT WAS, UM, I WANTED TO ASK IF, UH, YOU ALL COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE'RE FUNDING THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUND CURRENTLY.
UM, HOW MUCH IS COMING FROM THE ANNUAL BUDGET VERSUS HOW MUCH IS COMING FROM, UH, MITIGATION FUNDS FROM INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS AND JUST, THERE'S BEEN $20 MILLION PLEDGED.
WHERE HAS THAT 20 MILLION COME FROM AND, AND, UH, HOW MUCH OF THAT HAS COME, YOU KNOW, ANNUAL LEAVE VERSUS IN A BIG LUMP SUM FROM ONE PARTICULAR PROJECT? IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
THROUGH YOU, MR. CHAIR, BACK TO YOU.
UM, THAT MONEY IS, UH, AN ESTIMATED AMOUNT BASED ON ZONING AGREEMENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY OUT THERE.
SO IT STILL DEPENDS ON THE AMOUNT OF TOTAL NEW GROSS FLOOR AREA THAT ENDS UP HAPPENING.
SO IT, IT'S NOT A DEFINITE AMOUNT, BUT IT IS AN AMOUNT THAT'S PLEDGED BASED ON THE ZONING AGREEMENTS CURRENTLY OUT THERE.
ALL OF THAT FUNDING IS THROUGH PRIVATE DEVELOPER AGREEMENTS.
THERE'S NOTHING IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET THAT GOES TOWARDS COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
UM, BUT I WOULD JUST, UM, AND I'LL DEFER BACK TO THE CITY SOLICITOR ON THIS, UM, PART OF THE REASON THAT COMMUNITY BENEFITS IS NOT SUBJECT TO ANTI AID AGREEMENTS OR ANTI AID LAWS IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT CITY FUNDS.
THESE ARE PRIVATE FUNDS GOING IN INTO IT.
UM, THAT SORT OF LEADS TO THE SECOND POINT, WHICH WAS A, YOU KNOW, MORE OF A COMMENT OF FOLKS, YOU KNOW, HAVE, UH, ONE OPINE ON ANOTHER.
I THINK IT IS A PIECE WE ARE STILL WRESTLING WITH AFTER WE MAKE THIS CHANGE, WHICH IS FIGURING OUT HOW WE GET, UH, CAPITAL FUNDS TO NONPROFITS THAT, THAT, UH, NEED IT.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, A BIG REASON FOR THIS CHANGE IS BECAUSE THE WAY THE MITIGATION FUNDS HAVE WORKED TRADITIONALLY IS THAT IT'S BEEN A NONPROFIT VERY CLOSE TO A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
UM, AND THAT'S WORKED OKAY FOR, FOR SOME NONPROFITS OR IN SOME CASES, BUT WE, WE HAVE NONPROFITS IN THE CITY THAT ARE, ARE NOT CLOSE TO WHERE DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS.
I WAS TALKING TO ON THE RISE THIS MORNING, WHICH IS LOCATED IN MID CAMBRIDGE.
THERE ARE NOT GONNA BE A LOT OF LARGE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN MID CAMBRIDGE.
THEY ALSO HAVE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
I THINK THE CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY CENTER IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE LOCATED IN RIVERSIDE.
NOT A LOT, A LOT OF LARGE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS HAPPENING IN RIVERSIDE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF CAPITAL EXPENSES.
AND SO THIS, THIS CHANGE WILL ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.
I GUESS I, I DO WANT TO PUSH US AND, AND WOULD LOVE IF, IF STAFF WANNA OPINE ON THIS, HOW WE'RE GETTING MORE FUNDING IN THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUND TO DO THAT.
I THINK THERE'S $1.6 MILLION IN THERE, THERE CURRENTLY JUST TO LIKE, HAVE PUT IT IN CONCRETE TERMS. HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, A NONPROFIT COMES TOMORROW AFTER WE MAKE THIS CHANGE AND SAYS, LOOK, GREAT, I, I HEARD THE CITY MADE THIS CHANGE.
WE'RE ALLOWED TO USE IT FOR CAPITAL EXPENSES.
NOW WE NEED SOME, SOME ASSISTANCE IN THE CAPITAL, CAPITAL PROJECTS.
$1.6 MILLION JUST ISN'T A, A LOT OF MONEY TO ACTUALLY HELP WITH THE CHANGE.
LIKE, WE COULD COULD SAY, AGREE THAT'LL BUY YOU A, YOU KNOW, A ONE BEDROOM CONDO IN CAMBRIDGE.
THERE AREN'T A LOT OF, UH, NONPROFITS THAT ARE JUST LOOKING FOR A ONE BEDROOM CONDO.
IT'S, IT'S MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OFTENTIMES FOR THESE CAPITAL EXPENSES.
SO JUST TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW, HOW WE'RE FUNDING IT, HOW WE'RE PUTTING FUNDING ASIDE IF WE'RE MAKING THIS CHANGE, HOW WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING MORE FUNDING IN THERE.
WE, WE DON'T HAVE A REQUIREMENT CURRENTLY FOR MITIGATION FUNDS TO GO IN THAT IT IS, UH, ALL SORT OF ON A ONE-OFF BASIS.
[00:45:02]
UM, IS IT SOMETHING WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT CONSIDERED TO HAVE A FORMULA EITHER IN THE ORDINANCE OR, I HEAR THE, THE POINT FROM CDD AND THE, THE SOLICITOR THAT MITIGATION FUNDS HAVE TO BE VOLUNTARY.IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD DO THROUGH A BEST PRACTICE FROM THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO SAY, LOOK, WE, WE CAN'T REQUIRE YOU TO DO ANYTHING.
IT IS OUR BEST PRACTICE THAT 20% OF MITIGATION FUNDS GO DIRECTLY INTO THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AS THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT.
I GET THE DESIRE FOR FLEXIBILITY THAT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A PARK WE WANT TO GET, THERE IS AN OPEN SPACE, IT'S A PARTICULAR PROJECT.
I WORRY THAT THERE IS ALWAYS GONNA BE, ALWAYS GONNA BE ONE PROFIT, ONE NON-PROFIT RIGHT NEAR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT THAT SAYS, LOOK, WE'RE, WE'RE DOWN THE BLOCK.
WE SHOULD GET ALL THE MITIGATION FUNDS FOR THIS PROJECT, AND WE'RE JUST NOT GONNA END UP WITH SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF FUNDING IN THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT WE CAN USE FOR THE, BEYOND THE RISES AND THE CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY CENTERS OF THE WORLD.
IF WE DON'T HAVE AN EXPECTATION THAT 20%, 30%, 50% OF MITIGATION FUNDS GOES INTO THE DEVELOPMENT FUND, IF WE'RE ALWAYS JUST DOING IT ON A ONE-OFF BASIS.
I HOPE THAT QUESTION MADE SENSE.
LEMME KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO RESTATE IT, BUT WOULD LOVE TO, TO HEAR ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT.
UH, THROUGH YOU, UH, MR. CHAIR, BACK TO YOU, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THAT $1.6 MILLION IS PROBABLY NOT INCREDIBLY SIGNIFICANT WHEN IT COMES TO THE CAPITAL NEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER TO THAT IS, BUT I WILL SAY THAT I, I BELIEVE THAT JUST BUILDING AWARENESS ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY AS, UM, ASSISTED CITY MANAGER, UH, FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MENTIONED, THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT STEP BECAUSE IF DEVELOPERS ARE AWARE THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU WANNA PUT MONEY BACK TOWARDS A COMMUNITY, HERE'S A PROCESS WHERE YOU CAN DO THAT.
AND THERE'S A COMMITTEE THAT'S VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHERE IT GOES AND HOW IT CAN BEST HELP THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, CDD IS GONNA BE DOING THAT MOVING FORWARD.
HAVING THE COUNCIL AWARE OF THIS PROCESS AS WELL, I THINK IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK IT WILL GO A LONG WAY NOW.
I CAN'T SPEAK FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE OF THINGS AND IN THE WIDER ECONOMY AND HOW THINGS ARE SLOWING DOWN OR, OR WHATEVER.
BUT I THINK IS, IF THERE'S ENOUGH AWARENESS ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY, UM, WE CAN SEE MAYBE POTENTIALLY SOME CHANGES THERE IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY COMING INTO IT.
IF I MIGHT ADD ONE THING THROUGH YOU, UM, CHAIR, UM, THE COMMITTEE HAS VERY OFTEN TAKEN A CITYWIDE VIEW, UM, AS OPPOSED TO JUST ONE SINGULAR AREA VIEW.
CERTAINLY THERE'S A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT THAT HAPPENS THROUGHOUT, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, PARTICULARLY THOSE IMPACTED, UM, BY DEVELOPMENT ARE, ARE, ARE ADDRESSED.
UM, BUT I THINK THE AWARENESS IS ALSO EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR THAT REASON BECAUSE WE HAVE NONPROFIT COMMUNITIES THAT SERVE CITYWIDE.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF, UM, VARIOUS NONPROFITS THROUGH THE POOL OF FUNDS THAT IS AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE OR THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS STABILIZATION FUND IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, UM, AS A VEHICLE.
AND JUST JUST TO ADD, UM, TO YOU CHAIR, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE KEY LEGAL TEST IS THAT IT'S VOLUNTARY, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE GUIDELINES AND BEST PRACTICES AROUND WHO TO ENGAGE, UH, WHAT, UH, WHAT'S AVAILABLE FOR, FOR FUNDING.
SO THAT CERTAINLY, UM, IS ALL ON THE TABLE.
AND I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS ULTIMATELY IS A CITY COUNCIL CONTRACT ZONING IS A CITY COUNCIL DECISION.
SO CITY COUNCIL CAN, CAN CERTAINLY, UH, ASK THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, TEAM TO, UM, PROVIDE SPECIFIC, UH, BENEFITS AND SEE IF THAT'S AGREED TO.
UM, THAT'S HELPFUL TO THINK THROUGH.
I MEAN, UH, JUST TO PULL ON THAT THREAD A LITTLE BIT, ELABORATE A BIT, I DO THINK, YEAH, THE AWARENESS AS MR. JENNINGS SAID IS, IS IMPORTANT HELPING DEVELOPERS KNOW THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE, THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUND RATHER THAN TO ONE SPECIFIC NONPROFIT.
I DO WORRY A LITTLE BIT THAT THAT IS LESS ATTRACTIVE TO DEVELOPERS.
I THINK JUST TO LIKE, SPEAK ABOUT THE POLITICS OF ZONING, I THINK PART OF THE, THE REASON THAT IT HAS, HAS WORKED OUT THIS WAY SO MUCH IS THAT WHEN, WHEN A DEVELOPER IS PROPOSING A ZONING CHANGE, THERE ARE VERY LOCAL IMPACTS TO THAT.
THERE ARE TRAFFIC IMPACTS, THERE ARE NOISE IMPACTS TO FOLKS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S VERY ATTRACTIVE TO SAY, WE'RE GONNA GIVE $20 MILLION TO A NONPROFIT IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD TO HELP, UH, WIN OVER FOLKS WHO ARE OTHERWISE CONCERNED ABOUT THE TRAFFIC IMPACTS AND THE NOISE IMPACTS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THAT THOSE FOLKS WILL NOT, YOU KNOW, OPPOSE THE PROJECT, THEY WILL SUPPORT THE PROJECT.
[00:50:01]
YOU'RE SAYING AS A DEVELOPER, WE'RE NOT GONNA GIVE IT TO A SPECIFIC NONPROFIT, WE'RE GONNA VOLUNTARILY GIVE IT TO A CITYWIDE FUND.I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT GETS YOU THE SUPPORT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IF WE'RE NOT REQUIRING IT IN SOME WAY, OR AT LEAST SAYING IT'S A BEST PRACTICE.
IF WE'RE JUST SAYING, LOOK, IT'S VOLUNTARY FOR DEVELOPER, YOU CAN, YOU CAN VOLUNTARILY GIVE IT TO ONE NONPROFIT OR YOU CAN VOLUNTARILY GIVE IT TO THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUND YOUR CHOICE.
I JUST, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE A LOT OF DEVELOPERS VOLUNTARILY CHOOSING TO DO THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUND ROUTE.
THAT'S WHY I THINK WE, WE NEED TO, TO THINK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS OR BEST PRACTICES ARE OF FORMULA AROUND THAT.
UM, THAT'S JUST TRYING TO THINK THROUGH HOW THIS IS GONNA PLAY OUT IN, IN PRACTICE AND MAYBE AVOID SOME OF THE, THE CHALLENGES WE'VE, WE'VE DEALT WITH IN THE PAST.
UM, AND I'M VERY MUCH, UH, INTERESTED IN, IN CONTINUING TO WORK ON THAT AND WEIGH IN.
'CAUSE I UNDERSTAND IT'S ULTIMATELY SORT OF COUNCIL'S DECISION, BUT JUST DOING IT ON A ONE-OFF BASIS AND HOPING DEVELOPERS SORT OF VOLUNTARILY CONTRIBUTE, I THINK COULD STILL BE A, A RECIPE FOR A LITTLE BIT OF A, A TRICKY SITUATION.
UH, COUNCILLOR SIMMONS, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE FINISHED.
UH, THANK YOU MR. CHAIR, UH, THROUGH YOU.
A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I JUST READ THROUGH THE, I THINK THAT'S, THE ENTIRE ORDINANCE IS HERE BEFORE US, AND I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN IT, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT THERE.
IS THERE SOMETHING BUILT IN THAT WE AUTOMATICALLY REVIEW OVER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, LIKE EVERY THREE YEARS, EVERY FIVE YEARS? SO THERE'S NOT THIS REALLY LONG GAPS BEFORE WE REVIEW TO SEE IF THE ORDINANCE IS DOING WHAT IT'S DOING.
I'M VERY HAPPY THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, BUT THERE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF PRACTICE, UH, A TRIGGER THAT SAYS, WE'VE HAD THIS ORDINANCE IN PLACE FOR X NUMBER OF YEARS, THIS IS PURPOSE.
IS IT DOING WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO? DOES IT NEED TO BE REFINED AND REVIEWED? IF IT DOESN'T EXIST, THAT'S FINE.
I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER BUILDING THAT IN.
THE SECOND THING IS, UM, IT SAYS THAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN 2015.
SEEMS LIKE WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION LONGER THAN THAT.
BUT I JUST WANNA SAY, AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN HERE FOR A MINUTE, WAS PART OF THE REASON IT SPEAKS TO WHAT YOU SAID, MR. CHAIR, WAS THE IDEA OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUND WAS TO PROVIDE SOME EQUITY.
BECAUSE IF YOU DIDN'T, IF YOUR NONPROFIT WAS IN A CERTAIN PART OF THE CITY, YOU WOULD NEVER GET MITIGATION FUNDS BECAUSE MITIGATION FUNDS WAS VERY NEIGHBORHOOD OR GEOGRAPHICALLY SPECIFIC.
SO THE WHOLE IDEA OF THIS WAS TO EVEN THE PLAYING FIELD, WHICH IT HAS AND HAS NOT, BUT THE BIGGER PIECE IS MAKING SURE THAT YOU CAN USE IT FOR MORE, UM, BROAD USE IT BROADER THAN WE HAVE BEEN USING IT BEFORE.
SO I'M PLEASED ABOUT THAT AND CERTAINLY SUPPORT THE, UM, THE CHANGES.
BUT WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN KNOWING IN ADDITION IS ONE, DO WE HAVE A, LIKE WE DO IN SOME OF OUR, UH, ORDINANCES, SAY, LET'S HAVE A LOOKSIE.
AND IF WE DON'T, I THINK THEY'D BE IMPORTANT TO SAY WE SHOULD EVERY FIVE YEARS EVALUATE SO THAT WE DON'T GET SO FAR DOWN THE ROAD SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS HAS BEEN REALLY UNBALANCED BECAUSE OF THUS.
AND SO, AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS, I, IT IT, THE IDEAS, I REMEMBER IT FOR THE MITIGATION FUND WAS BECAUSE IT WAS SO GEOGRAPHICALLY SPECIFIC.
IF YOU WERE IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE CITY, YOU'D HAVE A, A SHOT.
BUT IF YOU LIVED, AND I THINK YOU BROUGHT IT UP, RIVERSIDE OR CAMBRIDGEPORT JUST WOULD NOT HAPPEN.
SO, UH, IF I COULD HEAR THROUGH YOU, MR. CHAIR, THROUGH, UH, DEPUTY CLARK, UM, ARE WE THINKING ABOUT ADDING THAT LANGUAGE ABOUT, UH, REVIEWING MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, AUTOMATIC PUTTING INTO THE ORDINANCE, AN AUTOMATIC REVIEW MM-HMM
OVER FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME.
COUNCIL SIMMONS, UM, THROUGH YOU CHAIR.
UM, THE EXISTING, UH, ORDINANCE ACTUALLY DOES, UM, NOD TO A REVIEW OR REPORT, UM, THAT WOULD COME FROM THE CITY MANAGER TO THE COUNCIL.
UM, THE FIRST OF THAT KIND WAS THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT.
THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THAT, UM, WAS PROVIDED, UM, IN 2025 AFTER HAVING, UM, GONE THROUGH A SERIES OF, UH, EMERGENCY GRANTS AND THEN A FOUR YEAR, UM, IMPLEMENTATION GRANT THAT ADDRESSED THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE FOUR PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, WE WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT AS WE DO EXPEND AND DISTRIBUTE MORE FUNDS THAT WE WOULD HAVE, UM, FUTURE REPORTS AS WELL.
UH, THANK YOU DEPUTY CLARK THROUGH YOU, MR. CHAIR, TO DEPUTY CLARK OR TO THE PANEL? I STILL THINK, OR MAYBE IT'S MORE TO THE COUNCIL WE MAY WANNA CONSIDER HAVING, BUT I WOULD SAY MAYBE A FIVE YEAR REVIEW BUILT IN, LEAVING IT TO THE CITY MANAGER, WHICH IS A CO I UNDERSTAND A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IS UNDER THE CARE CUSTODY AND CONTROL THE CITY MANAGER, BUT IT MAY NOT BE ON HIS RADAR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT SOMETHING THAT HE THINKS ABOUT.
AND MAYBE IT MIGHT HELP US PREEMPT ANY DISCREPANCIES OR IMBALANCES IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS IF WE'RE
[00:55:01]
LOOKING A LITTLE BIT MORE OFTEN WITH THAT.UH, COUNCILOR ZUBI HAS HER HAND UP.
YEAH, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION IN THIS WORK.
I, I KNOW THIS IS, AS OTHER COUNSELORS HAVE SAID, HAS BEEN, UM, A CONVERSATION THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR US TO HAVE.
AND I'M DEFINITELY WHAT AROUND WHAT MAYOR SIDIKI SAID, AND CHAIR SABRINA WHEELER SAID AROUND THE QUESTIONS ON THE TIMELINE OF FUNDING AND HOW WE NAVIGATE THOSE MECHANISMS ARE SUPER CRITICAL.
UM, SIMILAR IN THE SENSE THAT 1.6 MILLION JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE MUCH TO WORK WITH.
AND I'M CURIOUS IF THERE ARE WAYS FOR US TO SERVE AS A PROXY, UH, TO HELP GET MORE FUNDING WHILE WE WAIT ON PLEDGED MONEY FROM DEVELOPERS.
IS IS THERE A WAY FOR US THROUGH YOU CHAIR TO NAVIGATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT? I'M NOT SURE WHO STAFF UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
DO YOU MAYBE NEED COUNCILOR ZUTA? COUNCILOR ZUBE? COULD YOU, COULD YOU SAY A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE QUESTION OR RESTATE THAT? YEAH, YEAH, I CAN RESTATE IT.
SO IN TERMS OF THE $20 MILLION THAT'S PLEDGED, IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO ACT AS A PROXY FOR THAT TO BE ABLE TO GET MORE FUNDING TO NONPROFITS, UM, WHILE WE WERE WAITING ON THAT FUNDING TO COME IN SO THAT WE'RE NOT WORKING WITH SUCH A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY LEGALLY CONSIDERING, UH, THE PIECE ON, YOU KNOW, IT BEING VOLUNTARY AND ALSO IT HAVING TO COME FROM PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT DUE TO THE, THE A, UH, THE A TO A LAW INTO A LAW, UH, CITY'S SOLICITOR.
UM, SO I THINK WHAT COUNCILLOR ZUBIE IS ASKING IS IF WE HAVE THIS 20 MILLION IN, UM, DEVELOPMENT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE COMING TO THE CITY, IF THE DEVELOPMENT MOVES FORWARD, IS THERE A WAY TO USE CITY FUNDS OR, OR SOME OTHER WAY OF USING FUNDS IN RELIANCE ON THE FACT THAT WE'LL EVENTUALLY GET THE 20 MILLION, SO TO BE ABLE TO MOVE SOONER THAN THAT.
UM, AND SO IF THAT IS THE QUESTION, I DON'T THINK THERE IS A WAY TO DO THAT BECAUSE, UM, WHAT GIVES US THE FLEXIBILITY WITH THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS FUNDS ARE THAT THEY ARE NOT FUNDS RAISED BY TAXATION.
AND, UM, SO WE CAN'T SUBSTITUTE FUNDS THAT ARE RAISED BY TAXATION WITH THE SAME FLEXIBILITY WHILE WE'RE WAITING TO GET THOSE PAYMENTS.
AND ADDITIONALLY, IF THOSE DEVELOPMENTS DON'T END UP HAPPENING, UM, THOSE WE WON'T EVER GET THOSE FUNDS, UH, AND THEN WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LIKE, PAY THE CITY BACK FOR THE MONEY THAT'S BEEN EXPENDED.
THAT'S, YEAH, THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW.
UH, JUST TRYING TO THINK OF WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN ALSO HELP, UM, SUPPORT, AGAIN, THIS LIKE SMALLER 1.6 MILLION.
I'D BE CURIOUS ALSO TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS WHEN A DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL HAPPENS.
IS THE PROTOCOL THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW THAT A DISCUSSION FIRST HAPPENS WITH SOMEONE FROM CDD STAFF? UH, THANK YOU THROUGH YOU CHAIR.
SO, UM, THE RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICE IS TYPICALLY, UM, THE DEVELOPER WILL COME TO STAFF FIRST TO UNDERSTAND THE, THE ZONING, UM, AND THE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.
UM, AND THEN GIVEN IF THAT, TYPICALLY WHEN THIS CONTRACT ZONING IS IN PLACE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ASKING TO BUILD A, A LARGER BUILDING OR DIFFERENT TYPE OF USE THAT'S NOT ALLOWED UNDER ZONING.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THEY NEED, UM, A ZONING AMENDMENT.
SO THAT'S WHERE IT DICTATES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME TYPE OF, UM, LETTER OF AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
UM, AT THAT TIME THEN, UH, WE WOULD TALK TO THEM ABOUT, UH, BEST PRACTICES AROUND ENGAGEMENT, ABOUT WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF WHY ARE WE NOT, THAT'S NOT ALIGNED WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN OR A CITYWIDE PLAN, OR MAYBE THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE AMENABLE.
UH, WE GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS AND GUIDELINES ON THAT ABOUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE, WHETHER THAT'S HOUSING, NONPROFIT, OPEN SPACE, UM, SO FORTH.
UM, AND THEN THAT DEVELOPER, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, IS OBLIGATED TO TALK WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS COUNSELORS.
AND AGAIN, ULTIMATELY IT IS THE COUNSELOR'S DECISION TO ALLOW, UM, TO MAKE THAT ZONING CHANGE.
AND SO THAT'S THE FIRST CONVERSATION AND I THINK IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WE, WE HELP TO TRY TO GUIDE THAT CONVERSATION TO MAKE IT, TO BE, UH, THE BEST OUTCOME
[01:00:01]
FOR, FOR THE COMMUNITY.COUNCILLOR ZUBE, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, THROUGH YOU CHAIR, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR SHARING A BIT MORE ABOUT THAT PROCESS, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ALSO SEEING THE WAYS THAT THOSE GUIDELINES THAT YOU HAVE IN THERE ARE IMPLEMENTED IN COORDINATION WITH CDD AND HOW ALSO SOME OF THOSE GUIDING PRACTICES WORK OUT SO THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN MORE OF THE NONPROFIT STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PROCESS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, WE HAVE A CONCRETE APPROACH TO HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE EQUITY CONCERNS.
UM, AND I THINK TO YOU CHAIR YOUR POINT ON, YOU KNOW, HOW A DEVELOPER NAVIGATES, UM, SOMETHING THAT'S FAR MORE FOCUSED ON ONE SPECIFIC NONPROFIT VERSUS LIKE LARGER CITYWIDE IS DEFINITELY AN INTERESTING, UH, THING TO THINK ABOUT.
AND I'D BE, I'D I, I'D WANNA ADVOCATE FOR REALLY BRINGING IN THOSE NONPROFITS AS STAKEHOLDERS TO BE ABLE TO HELP DEVELOP THAT PROTOCOL AND THAT PROCESS.
BECAUSE I, I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU ARE WORKING ON, WHEN YOU'RE WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY, ON SUPPORTING OUR RESIDENTS WITH THEIR NEEDS, IT IS USUALLY FAR MORE COLLABORATIVE THAN IT IS COMPETITIVE.
AND WHEN WE APPRECIATE THAT APPROACH, I THINK BRINGING THEM IN IS GONNA BE REALLY HELPFUL IN FIGURING OUT HOW WE MAKE THIS THE MOST EQUITABLE PROCESS THAT WE CAN ALL YIELD.
AND, UH, COUNCILOR MCGOVERN WITH A STANDUP, UH, THANK YOU MR. CHAIR THROUGH YOU.
UM, I AGREE WITH A LOT OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE, THE CONCERNS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE NONPROFITS THAT, UH, AREN'T IN PARTS OF THE CITY THAT, UH, ARE GONNA SEE A WHOLE LOT OF DEVELOPMENT IN MAKING SURE THAT, UM, THEY GET THE ATTENTION THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT THEY DESERVE.
UM, THIS MAY SEEM LIKE A SMALL THING IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, BUT I ALSO THINK WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST IS JUST, UM, JUST SOME CONFUSION AROUND THE TERMS AND THE DEFINITIONS.
I KNOW WE'RE CHANGING THE DEFINITION IN THIS ORDINANCE OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS TO INCLUDE CAPITAL AND, UH, EXPENDITURES.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, I MEAN, WHAT WE SAW A LOT WITH, WITH PREVIOUSLY AND, AND CERTAINLY WITH, UM, THE BIOMED PROJECT IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CERTAINLY A LOT OF FOLKS IN PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, OR IN THE CITY IN GENERAL WHO, UH, DON'T USE NONPROFITS.
THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY THINKING OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS AS OUR NONPROFIT SERVICES.
THEY'RE THINKING COMMUNITY BENEFITS AS WIDENING THE SIDEWALK OR PLANTING TREES OR, YOU KNOW, DOING OTHER THINGS THAT OFTEN COME WITH, UM, WITH THIS MONEY, UM, OR THESE AGREEMENTS.
SO HOW, HOW DO WE HELP SORT OF DISTINGUISH THESE TWO THINGS? BECAUSE I THINK THAT LED TO A LOT OF THE CONFUSION WITH THE BIOMED PROJECTS AND, UM, WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IN THIS ORDINANCE ARE NONPROFIT BENEFITS, RIGHT? OR SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE RIGHT TERM, BUT, UM, HOW DO WE ADD SOME CLARITY SO THAT WE DON'T END UP IN A SITUATION WHERE A DEVELOPER SAYS, I AM DOING COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
LOOK, I'M DOING THESE, YOU KNOW, FIXING THE PARK, OR I'M, OR I'M DOING THIS, OR THE OTHER THING WHEN REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, MONEY TO GO TO THE, TO THE COUNCIL MEMBER.
GOVERNOR, DID YOU, WERE YOU WRAPPED UP? IT LOOKS LIKE YOU YEAH, I DID THAT.
OR DID, DID YOU HEAR ME OKAY? I MEAN, I MEAN, I JUST WONDER ABOUT THE, THE, THE DEFINITION OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS AND HOW DO WE, 'CAUSE THAT CAN MEAN A LOT OF THINGS TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS RIGHT.
THE CRUX OF THE, THE ISSUE, AND I, UM, I WOULD KIND OF PUT, PUT IT INTO TWO BUCKETS, RIGHT? THERE'S, THERE'S DEVELOPMENT MITIGATION YOU HAVE TO DO FOR, UM, THE PHYSICAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROJECT IN EXCHANGE FOR GETTING, UH, A SPECIAL PERMIT OR, OR ZONING ENTITLEMENT.
SO IF YOU ARE, UM, IF THE DEVELOPER'S ASKING TO BUILD A BIGGER BUILDING, UM, THEY, UM, THAT'S GONNA GENERATE TRAFFIC AND, UM, IT'S GONNA HAVE IMPACT ON THE, THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE WOULD BE THINGS LIKE PLANTING TREES, UH, TRAFFIC MITIGATION, UM, URBAN DESIGN, UM, STANDARDS OR SETBACKS TO HELP MITIGATE SOME OF THOSE PHYSICAL IMPACTS.
AND SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I, I SEE PART OF THE, THE, THE PLANNING AND DESIGN, UM, PLANNING BOARD PURVIEW PROCESS.
I, I SEE THIS AS ADDITIONAL TO THAT.
SO THESE TYPES OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS ARE IN ADDITION TO THOSE, UM, KIND OF PHYSICAL MITIGATION THE DEVELOPER HAS TO DO, UM, WHAT DOES CITY COUNCIL FEEL IS, UH,
[01:05:01]
REQUIRED TO, UH, AND I'LL STILL USE MITIGATE, IS TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF THIS DEVELOPMENT THAT, THAT THE CITY IS ALLOWING TO BE BUILT UNDER THE ZONING CHANGES.AND SO THAT COULD BE, UH, THINGS THAT I THINK ARE ABOVE AND BEYOND.
SO IT COULD BE, UH, LIKE NONPROFIT CONTRIBUTIONS.
IT COULD BE, UH, CONVEYANCE OF LAND FOR CERTAIN, UH, PUBLIC GOODS, UM, AND SO FORTH.
SO I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIKE COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT'S LIKE LOWERCASE, UM, BE BENEFITS, WHICH COULD BE, DEPENDING ON YOUR VIEW OF DEVELOPMENT, IT COULD BE ANY DEVELOPMENT IS, IS BRINGING COMMUNITY BENEFITS, IS BRINGING MORE HOUSING OR, OR TAX REVENUE THROUGH COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
UM, BUT I, I DO THINK, UM, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS THAT MORE, UH, CRYSTALLIZED, UM, ADDITIONAL, UH, CONTRIBUTION THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE FOR THE ZONING THAT'S BEING, UM, NEGOTIATED.
COUNCIL MCGOVERN, UM, LAST THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR THROUGH YOU.
UM, AND I'LL JUST SAY LASTLY, I MEAN, I KNOW IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO DO AND MAYBE WE CAN'T, BUT I DO AGREE WITH THE, THE CHAIR AND OTHERS COMMENTS AROUND, UM, IS IF IT IS POSSIBLE JUST TO THINK ABOUT THE WHOLE, SOME SORT OF PERCENTAGE ALLOTMENT.
I JUST THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK TO MOST DEVELOPERS, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST WANT PREDICTABILITY AS WELL, RIGHT? AND THEN THEY CAN FIGURE OUT THEIR COSTS AND HOW THEY'RE GONNA DO THINGS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE THINGS ENTER THE, YOU KNOW, THE POLITICAL REALM, UM, IT GETS MESSY.
WHERE IF WE COULD JUST SAY, LOOK, THIS IS 10%, 20%, 25%, WHATEVER IT IS, YOU KNOW, GOES TO THIS, YOU KNOW, TO TO, TO THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY.
IT, IT AVOIDS, YOU KNOW, EVEN JUST THE APPEARANCE THAT, YOU KNOW, COUNSELORS ARE, YOU KNOW, PLAYING FAVORITES OR, OR, OR, UM, DEVELOPERS ARE PLAYING FAVORITES AND IT JUST ADDS MORE PREDICTABILITY TO, TO THE PROCESS.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S, THAT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE, BUT JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
UH, OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COUNCILLOR ZUI.
I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT, UM, THESE AMENDMENTS, WHICH SEEM GREAT, UM, THEY WILL NOT IMPACT BIOMED'S REALTIES COMMITMENT TO THE EAST END HOUSE, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S A DONE DEAL THAT'S SETTLED, WE'LL GO FORWARD.
OTHER QUESTIONS, COUNCILOR NOLAN? THANK YOU, UM, ALL, AND THANKS ALL FOR THE COMMENTS.
I, THESE SEEM LIKE VERY APPROPRIATE, UM, CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE.
I'M ALSO GRATEFUL TO THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE WORKED ON IT.
I DO WANNA, UM, SECOND WHAT COUNCILOR MCGOVERN SAID ABOUT ENSURING THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THERE'S COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT GO TO NONPROFITS, WHICH ARE APPROPRIATE.
AND THERE MAY BE COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A HEARN FIELD HAS, IS THE BENEFIT OF SOME THAT'S NOT THROUGH A NONPROFIT, BUT THROUGH THE CITY.
AND THERE MAY BE SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS OR SOME OTHER WAY THAT WE NEED SOMETHING DONE ON OUR STREETSCAPE.
SO I, I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT'S PART OF, I THINK THE NEGOTIATION AND ALSO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING YOU MENTIONED, UM, CHAIR SABRINA WHEELA, WHICH IS, WE'RE DOING THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF YOU'RE ASKING FOR SOMETHING WE'RE NEGOTIATING.
UM, IT'S KIND OF ALL OPEN TO WHAT IT IS THAT THE CITY DECIDES IS NEEDED.
THAT'S WHY NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND THERE ARE ALSO TIMES WHEN IF THE ZONING'S IN PLACE AND IT'S AS OF RIGHT THEN THERE'S NO NEED FOR NEGOTIATION.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE'S NOT SOME DEVELOPERS WHO DO NEGOTIATE IT.
CERTAINLY IQHQ IN NORTH CAMBRIDGE, EVERYTHING THEY DID WAS AS OF RIGHT.
AND YES, THERE WAS AN EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY PROCESS THAT LED TO A CHANGE, MANY CHANGES IN THAT DEVELOPMENT THAT WERE RE DOWN TO THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY.
I DO HOPE WE CAN, UM, ALSO UNDERSTAND AND MOVE FORWARD.
I'M GLAD THAT IT WAS RAISED THAT THE 20 MILLION SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A PERIOD WHEN MANY OF THOSE DEVELOPMENTS MAY OR MAY NOT MOVE FORWARD.
SO, UM, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THE ZONING OVERALL IS BENEFITING THE CITY FROM WHAT IT IS THAT IT'S BRINGING IN.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY I SUPPORT THESE AMENDMENTS.
I BELIEVE THERE'S ALREADY ONES THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED BY THE CITY SOLICITOR AS PART OF THE BACKUP.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE NEXT STEP IS FOR US TO, TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TO, OR ORDAINMENT OR, I DON'T KNOW IF BASED ON THIS CONVERSATION THERE'S ANY OTHER CHANGES WE WANT.
BUT I DO WANNA CLARIFY COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
AS COUNCILOR MCGOVERN SAID, IT MAY BE USEFUL FOR ALL OF US TO SAY SOME SET PERCENT GOES TO THIS POOL, SOME SET PERCENT GOES TO ANOTHER POOL AND SOME, OR MAYBE IT VARIES BY PROJECT, BUT I, I THINK IT IS A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING FOR US TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT BALANCE.
UM, TO THE QUESTION ABOUT NEXT STEPS ON THIS TO, UH, THE CITY SOLICITOR AND OR THE CLERK, UM, WOULD THAT BE, WOULD WE NEED A MOTION TO SEND THIS BACK TO THE FULL COUNCIL? WOULD THAT BE THE, THE
[01:10:01]
APPROPRIATE FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION? OKAY.AND ISN'T THE THREE AMENDMENT JUST THREE? IT'S, THERE'S THREE AMENDMENTS AS PART OF THIS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I'M CLARIFYING THE RIGHT MOTION, UH, TO YOU, MR. CHAIR.
IN THE, UM, ATTACHED RED LINE VERSION OF THE ORDINANCE THAT'S IN THE PACKET, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STRIKEOUTS, OR UNDERLINED AND BOLDED CHANGES THAT, UM, COVER THE AMENDMENTS THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT TODAY.
UM, SO THE NEXT STEP COULD BE TO SEND THESE TO THE COUNCIL WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION, SO THEN IT CAN GET PASSED TO A SECOND READING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE WE, WE GO TO THAT MOTION AND HEAD TOWARDS ADJOURNMENT? UH, COUNCILLOR NOLAN.
UM, I JUST HAD A QUESTION ON THE APPOINTMENT FOR THE TERMS. IT SAYS THE MEMBERSHIPS, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP SHALL CONSIST OF 13 MEMBERS ALL APPOINTED BY THE CITY MANAGER AND THE MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED FOR TERMS OF THREE YEARS.
IS THERE ANY EXPECTATION THAT THEY WOULD BE, UM, STAGGERED MEMBERSHIP OR COULD THEY ALL REVOLVE AT THE SAME TIME? THANK, YEAH, THANK YOU.
UH, THE NON-CITY MEMBER MEMBERSHIPS, UM, ARE AT DIFFERENT TIMES SO THAT THEY ARE STAKED AS THERE ARE VACANCIES.
WE WILL GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, UM, IDENTIFY, UM, NEW MEMBERS AND PROPOSE THOSE FOR APPOINTMENTS.
SO NOT EVERYBODY DOES, UM, HAVE THE SAME EXPIRATION DATE.
I DIDN'T SEE THAT ENUMERATED HERE.
IT MAY, IT MAY BE THERE, IT MAY BE IMPLICIT, BUT IF THAT'S THE INTENT IS TO HAVE THAT, I THINK IT SHOULD BE MADE EXPLICIT.
I, I DON'T WANNA HOLD THIS UP FOR MOVING FORWARD, BUT IF THE INTENT IS TO HAVE SOME KIND OF STAGGERED, UH, MEMBERSHIP SO IT DOESN'T ALL CHANGE AT ONCE, THEN PERHAPS WE MIGHT WANNA CONSIDER THAT.
UNLESS THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UM, WE CAN TAKE A MOTION FROM MAYOR SIDIKI TO SEND THIS TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL WITH A FAVORABLE RECOMMENDATION.
AND YOU HAVE SIX MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, AND THREE RECORDED IS ABSENT.
THANK YOU ALL, UM, FOR THE CONVERSATION TODAY.
THANK YOU TO THE, THE CITY STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THIS.
MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS, UH, AND WITH, UH, THAT I'LL TAKE A MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR NOLAN TO ADJOURN.
AB ABSENT COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER.
AND YOU HAVE SIX MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, AND THREE RECORDED IS ABSENT.