[00:01:19]
YOU ALL, YOU GUYS ALL SET? ALL RIGHT.
I'M GONNA CALL TODAY'S JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UNI UNIVERSITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING TO ORDER.
THE CALL OF TODAY'S MEETING IS TO HOLD A JOINT PUBLIC HEARING WITH HARVARD UNIVERSITY TO DISCUSS AND RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON THE HARVARD UNIVERSITY PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES AGREEMENT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE PILOT.
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS PRESENT, MADAM CLERK FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND UNIVERSITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE, COUNCILOR ZUBIE.
AND YOU HAVE FIVE MEMBERS RECORDED AS PRESENT FOR THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
PRESENT, PRESENT, VICE ABSENT.
ABSENT COUNCILLOR, SABRINA WHEELER.
AND YOU HAVE SIX MEMBERS, I'M SORRY.
FIVE MEMBERS RECORDED IS PRESENT AND FOUR RECORDED IS ABSENT PURSUANT TO CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025, ADOPTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE CITY OF 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 RECORDINGS, THIS VIDEO RECORDS THIS MEETING AND MAKES IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR FUTURE VIEWING.
THIRD PARTIES MAY ALSO BE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING THIS MEETING.
IN ADDITION TO HAVING MEMBERS IN 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 WEBPAGE.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK A POSTED DEAR, ONCE YOU'VE COMPLETED SIGN A PROCEDURE, YOU WILL RECEIVE A LINK TO THE ZOOM MEETING.
TO WATCH A MEETING, PLEASE TUNE INTO CHANNEL 22 OR VISIT THE OPEN MEETING PORTAL AND THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
WITH THAT, ALL OF TODAY'S VOTES, IF ANY, WILL BE BY ROLL CALL.
SO THE PROCESSES OF THE MEETING, UM, WILL BE, WE'LL HAVE REMARKS FROM THE CITY MANAGER, FOLLOWED BY A PRESENTATION FROM HARVARD.
UM, IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, I DON'T BELIEVE ANY ARE AT THE MOMENT, UH, WE'LL ENTERTAIN THAT PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO DISCUSSION.
I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE, UH, OPERATING IN VERY UNCERTAIN TIMES, AND, UM, WE APPRECIATE THE PARTICIPATION OF HARVARD HERE TODAY, AND WE APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
[00:05:01]
UM, I WOULD TURN IT OVER TO THE CITY MANAGER AND I'D ASK EVERYONE JUST TO SIMPLY INTRODUCE THEMSELVES, UH, BEFORE THEY SPEAK, UH, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE PEOPLE, UM, AT HOME THAT WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE.SO, MRS. CITY MANAGER, THANK YOU.
AND MAYBE WE CAN DO INTRODUCTIONS REALLY QUICKLY AND THEN I CAN OPEN US UP.
I'M JANE KERSEY, THE STRATEGIC ADVISOR TO THE CITY MANAGER.
I'M THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER FOR FISCAL.
AND DO WE WANT, UH, TOM, DO YOU WANNA DO INTRODUCTIONS? I'M KENDALL MAR TRUMBLE FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY.
TOM LUCY FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY,
SO, MR. CITY MANAGER, PLEASE PROCEED.
UM, THANK YOU, CHAIR FLAHERTY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD OPEN AND SAY THAT, UM, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY STRONG, UM, AND COLLABORATIVE.
UM, I THINK I'VE SAID BEFORE THAT CAMBRIDGE ISN'T CAMBRIDGE WITHOUT HARVARD, UM, AND HARVARD ISN'T HARVARD WITHOUT CAMBRIDGE.
UM, WE ARE INCREDIBLY INTERTWINED IN OUR HISTORY, UM, IN THE WORK THAT IS DONE TOGETHER, AND THE CHARACTER OF BOTH THE UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY, UH, AND OUR COMMUNITIES, UH, DEEPLY, DEEPLY OVERLAP.
UM, AND SO I THINK THE RELATIONSHIP HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE THAT IS VERY CLOSE.
UH, EVEN THOUGH WE MAY NOT AGREE ON EVERY SINGLE THING, I THINK THERE'S JUST SUCH A RECOGNITION THAT WE ARE, UH, SYMBI, SYMBIOTIC AND TOGETHER.
AND THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS THAT WE WORK TOGETHER, UM, AND MAKE THIS COMMUNITY BETTER FOR THAT COLLABORATION.
UM, I WOULD MAYBE EVEN JUST CALL OUT THE WAYS, SMALL WAYS AND BIG WAYS THAT OFTEN AREN'T SEEN THAT THE UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY COLLABORATE.
UM, MR. LUCY WILL TALK THROUGH SOME OF THE BIG PROGRAMS THAT, UH, HARVARD RUNS AND WAYS THAT IT CONTRIBUTES.
UM, BUT I KNOW FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, THE UNIVERSITY HAS ALWAYS STEPPED UP WHEN THERE'S A NEED.
UM, DURING THE RECENT SNOWS, THE UNIVERSITY DOES SUPPORT A LOT OF OUR OPERATIONS.
UM, WE HAVE RECEIVED HELP FROM THE UNIVERSITY AROUND THE FIRE STATION RENOVATION, UM, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT LOGISTICAL CHALLENGE.
UM, AND SO THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS THAT, THAT I THINK WE WORK TOGETHER.
AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE CITY IS PROVIDING A LOT OF SUPPORT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE WORK THAT THE UNIVERSITY IS DOING IN THE CITY, FROM THE RENOVATIONS ON THE UNDERGRAD HOUSES TO THE NEW ECONOMICS BUILDING GOES SMOOTHLY.
AND, AND WE'RE ALWAYS JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY.
SO WE APPRECIATE THIS RELATIONSHIP IN THE WORK THAT'S, UH, DONE TOGETHER.
UH, THE PILOT PROGRAM IS ULTIMATELY AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, THIS IS A CHALLENGING MOMENT FOR THE UNIVERSITY, UH, AND I THINK WE'LL GET A BIT MORE OF AN UPDATE IN TERMS OF WHERE THINGS ARE.
UH, WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES THAT ARE DEEP AND REAL IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, AND THAT MANY OF THOSE HAVE, UM, HAVE CONTINUED EVEN AFTER, UH, ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO.
AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT THE UNIVERSITY HAS A CONTINUED ROLE TO PLAY IN.
UM, AND THE INVESTMENTS, THE WAYS THAT THE UNIVERSITY CONTRIBUTES FINANCIALLY, RECOGNIZING THAT IT'S TAX EXEMPT, BUT ULTIMATELY THROUGH THE PILOT PROGRAM, SUPPORTING THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING ON EVERYTHING FROM HOUSING SUPPORTING FAMILIES AND PEOPLE IN NEED SCHOOLS THROUGH THE PILOT PROGRAM THAT COMES INTO THE CITY'S BUDGET, THAT IS ALL ALSO AN IMPORTANT PIECE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION MORE THAN A YEAR AGO.
UM, AND I THINK IN RECOGNITION OF HOW MUCH UNCERTAINTY THERE WAS LAST YEAR, UM, HARVARD AGREED TO A ONE YEAR $6 MILLION PILOT PROGRAM, AND THIS WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.
UM, SO THIS WAS A 2020, A 28% INCREASE.
IT WAS, IT WAS SO SIGNIFICANT THAT, UH, COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN IS COUGHING, UM, BUT
AND WHILE WE'VE MADE SO MUCH PROGRESS IN SO MANY ISSUES, THERE IS CONTINUED NEED FOR US TO MAKE INVESTMENTS.
UM, SO WE CONTINUE TO BE IN A NEGOTIATION AND WE HOPE TO COME TO A LONGER TERM AGREEMENT.
UH, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS DISCUSSION, PROVIDING THE COUNCIL WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT, UM, AND, AND ALSO HEARING FROM, FROM YOUR VOICES.
UM, SO APPRECIATE, UM, KENDALL AND TOM FOR BEING HERE AND, UH, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS DISCUSSION.
UH, MR. CITY MANAGER, MR. LUCY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA, OH, GREAT.
AND THEN CAN I JUST CUE NEXT SLIDE? OKAY.
[00:10:01]
WOULD JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.UM, PLEASED TO JOIN YOU AND TALK THROUGH SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS ABOUT HAR HARVARD AND THE CITY WORK TOGETHER.
UM, I THINK WHILE THERE'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT FOCUS ON OUR CONSISTENT VOLUNTARY CONTR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS, THESE ARE ONLY ONE ASPECT OF HARVARD'S BROADER SUPPORT OF THE CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS, AND THE LONGSTANDING COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP THAT THE UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY HAVE.
UM, BOTH HARVARD AND THE CITY SHARE KEY PRIORITIES SUCH AS EDUCATION, INCLUDING TEACHING, LEARNING AND RESEARCH, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, HEALTH AND FOOD SECURITY, AND CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY GOALS.
AND IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, WE ARE PLANNING TODAY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH HIGHLIGHTS OF A SERIES OF LONG-TERM ENGAGEMENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CITY THAT WE HAVE, UM, AND SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE UNDERTAKE IN THESE AREAS OF OUR ONGOING RELATIONSHIP WITH CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING, OUR SUPPORT FOR KEY CITY GOALS AND INITIATIVES, HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR RESIDENTS, ACCESS TO OUR CAMPUS AND PROGRAMS, AND FINALLY, OUR LOCAL SPENDING.
IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SUPPORTING CPS HAS LONG BEEN A PRIORITY FOR HARVARD.
WE WORK WITH CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO ENSURE THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES TO ACHIEVE ACADEMIC SUCCESS.
HARVARD PROGRAMS ARE IN EVERY SINGLE CPS SCHOOL, AND AN FY 25 REACHED OVER 3,700 CPS STUDENTS.
OUR PROGRAMS RANGE FROM INITIATIVES THAT BENEFITS ALL STUDENTS AT VARIOUS GRADE LEVELS TO THE HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER SCHOOL TO ENSURE INTERNSHIPS IN HARVARD LABS AND PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP GAP FOR FAMILIES.
WE OFFER THE MIND MATTERS PROGRAM IN WHICH WE WORK WITH THE CPS FAMILY ENGAGEMENT TEAMS TO GIVE PARENTS THE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS TO SUPPORT EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL AND ACADEMIC NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS AGES THREE TO EIGHT.
AND WE'RE ALSO PROUD OF THE ONGOING ACCESS TO HARVARD COLLEGE THAT EXISTS FOR CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS.
OVER THE LAST ACADEMIC YEAR, 23 STUDENTS FROM CAMBRIDGE WERE ADMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY, UM, AND CAMBRIDGE SCHOOLS HAVE LONG BEEN A PIPELINE TO THE UNIVERSITY WITH 120 BEING ADMITTED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
HARVARD PROVIDES CPS WITH KEY ELEMENTS TO THEIR COLLEGE AND CAREER AWARENESS CURRICULUM AS WELL.
AND SO, TWO SUCH PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE REALLY PROUD OF OUR PROJECT, TEACH AND EDUCATION DAY, THIS IS WHERE WE BRING EVERY SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADER TO CAMPUS.
UM, EVERY SIXTH GRADER VISITS FOR EDUCATION DAY TO MEET WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS EXPERIENCE CAMPUS LIFE.
AND THIS YEAR THEY ATTENDED A WOMEN'S BASKETBALL GAME AND THEN THROUGH PROJECT TEACH EVERY, EVERY SEVENTH GRADER VISITS CAMPUS FOR A FULL DAY OF EMERGENT.
THEY ATTEND SESSIONS LED BY HARVARD FACULTY AND STUDENTS IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS, INCLUDING SCIENCE, HISTORY, AND ARTS.
THEY MEET WITH STUDENTS, TAKE A TOUR OF CAMPUS, UM, AND HAVE A VISIT AT THEIR SCHOOL AS WELL.
THE HARVARD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY ALSO SUPPLEMENTS CPS SCIENCE CURRICULUM AND WELCOMES HUNDREDS OF CPS STUDENTS FOR FIELD TRIPS AND PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AT VARIOUS GRADE LEVELS.
OTHER HARVARD MUSEUMS AND THE AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER OFFER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND FREE ADMISSION.
AND FOR CRLS STUDENTS, WE OFFER SEVERAL STEM LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING THE EMERGING SCIENTISTS PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY.
THIS PROGRAM CONNECTS STUDENTS WITH HARVARD RESEARCHERS AND INCLUDES AN EVOLUTION DAY, FIELD TRIP, AND TWO HIGH SCHOOL INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
HARVARD ALSO PROVIDES CRLS STUDENTS WITH INTERNSHIPS AND MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES.
SO EXAMPLES INCLUDE THE LONGSTANDING SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM, THE SCIENCE AND RESEARCH MENTORING PROGRAM, AND THE RADCLIFFE EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM THROUGH SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM.
SPECIFICALLY, WE WORK WITH THE CITY TO PLACE STUDENTS IN WORK ENVIRONMENTS THAT WILL HELP THEM TO GAIN PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND EVALUATE CAREER OPTIONS.
AND THE SCIENCE AND MENTORING PROGRAM PROVIDES CRLS STUDENTS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON A YEAR LONG RESEARCH PROJECT IN ASTROPHYSICS UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF A HARVARD OR MIT PROFESSOR SCIENTISTS, EXCUSE ME.
UM, AND THEN THE RADCLIFFE EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM CONNECTS SOPHOMORES WITH HARVARD UNDERGRADUATES FOR A YEAR LONG RESEARCH PROGRAM.
WE ALSO OFFER CPS TEACHERS FREE AND REDUCED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, UM, AND ARE REALLY TRYING TO ALWAYS CONTINUE TO BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP.
[00:15:01]
FINALLY, THE CAMBRIDGE HARVARD SUMMER ACADEMY IS A PARTNERSHIP FUNDED BY HARVARD THAT SERVES AS SUMMER SCHOOL FOR CRLS, WITH ACADEMIC INTERVENTIONS DESIGNED TO CLOSE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS.AND THEN THE HARVARD CRIMSON SUMMER ACADEMY IS A RIGOROUS ENRICHMENT PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES ACADEMICALLY TALENTED, BUT FINANCIALLY CHALLENGED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH THE SKILLS MENTORING AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT NEEDED TO EXCEL IN COLLEGE.
SO STUDENTS IN THIS PROGRAM RECEIVE A STIPEND SO THAT THEY CAN ATTEND SUMMER CLASSES IN PLACE OF A SUMMER JOB.
THEY RECEIVE A LAPTOP AND A SCHOLARSHIP TO OFFSET THE COST OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD THAT 94% OF SUMMER OF CRIMSON SUMMER ACADEMY GRADUATES COMPLETE COLLEGE IN FOUR YEARS.
HARVARD CONTINUES TO SUPPORT AND COLLABORATE WITH THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE AND LOCAL NONPROFITS ON VARIOUS SOCIAL JUSTICE EQUITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES.
OUR PARTNERSHIP FOR FOOD WITH, FOR FOOD FOR FREE ADDRESSES CHRONIC HUNGER IN CAMBRIDGE IN GREATER BOSTON.
HARVARD DONATES FOOD FROM ITS DINING HALLS TO FOOD FOR FREE, AND THEN THEY DISTRIBUTE MEALS TO THOSE IN NEED.
AND A TYPICAL WEEK IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR, HARVARD DONATES APPROXIMATELY 2000 MEALS AND PROVIDES FOOD FOR FREE WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO ENSURE THEY HAVE THE OPERATIONAL CAPACITY TO DELIVER THE FOOD.
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL SERVES THE COMMUNITY THROUGH IN-HOUSE CLINICS AND STUDENT RUN VOLUNTEER GROUPS.
AND HLS STUDENTS PROVIDE FREE LEGAL AID TO RESIDENTS ON ISSUES RANGING FROM HOUSING, FAMILY LAW, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, CONSUMER PROTECTION, CRIMINAL DEFENSE, AND IMMIGRATION.
AND IN A TYPICAL YEAR, MORE THAN 9,000 HOURS OF PRE OF PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES ARE DELIVERED TO CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS.
HARVARD HAS A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WHICH OFFERS CAMBRIDGE AND ALSTON BRIGHTON RESIDENTS WITH MARKET DRIVEN SKILLS-BASED PROGRAMS, WORKSHOP, WORKSHOPS, AND EVENTS.
AND WE ALSO ARE PROUD TO PARTNER WITH ORGANIZED LABOR TO SUPPORT CAREER DEVELOPMENT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF TRADESPEOPLE PEOPLE.
HARVARD WORKS WITH THE CITY ON A RANGE OF ISSUES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS.
THESE INCLUDE DESIGNING AND INSTALLING BIKE FACILITIES, IMPROVING THE PUBLIC REALM IN HARVARD SQUARE, HARVARD HAS IMPLEMENTED OVER $10 MILLION IN PUBLIC REALM IMPROVEMENTS IN HARVARD SQUARE IN RECENT HISTORY.
HARVARD ALSO SU HANDLES ALL OF THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE OF JFK MEMORIAL PARK AND PROVIDES STORAGE AND LAY DOWN AREAS FOR CITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, WE CONSISTENTLY HELP TO ADDRESS LARGE SNOW EVENTS BY PROVIDING LAND SO THE CITY CAN REMOVE SNOW FROM PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE PATHS.
AND WE PROVIDE RESIDENTS TO ACCESS TO GARAGES DURING SNOW EMERGENCIES.
WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO HOUSING THAT INCLUDES BOTH ADDING AFFORDABLE AND MARKET RATE HOUSING TO THE AREA, IN ADDITION TO HOUSING ALL OF OUR UNDERGRADUATES AND OUR GRADUATE STUDENTS ON CAMPUS, SO THAT ALL OF THE UNDERGRADUATE POPULATION IS HOUSED ON CAMPUS.
AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO HOUSE 57% OF OUR GRADUATE STUDENTS.
WE WORK WITH THE CITY AND OTHER CAMBRIDGE BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO CREATE AND PRESERVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
WE HAVE A LONGSTANDING COLLABORATION WITH THE CAMBRIDGE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THE LATEST RESULT OF THIS COLLABORATION, WHICH ENABLED THE RENOVATION OF THE ST.
PAUL'S RECTORY PROPERTY LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF MOUNT AUBURN IN DUL.
THIS INCLUDES 19 AFFORDABLE UNITS, TWO OF WHICH ARE USED AS SINGLE ROOM OCCUPANCIES TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS REGIONALLY.
THE HARVARD LOCAL HOUSING COLLABORATIVE REVOLVING LOAN PROGRAM HAS ENABLED MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN CAMBRIDGE AND BOSTON.
HARVARD HAS ALSO WORKED TO ADDRESS THE HOUSING ISSUES OF GREATER BOSTON BY CREATING MARKET RATE HOUSING THAT INCLUDES AFFORDABLE UNITS IN AUSTIN.
THE CONTINUUM PROJECT AT BARRY'S CORNER CREATED 325 UNITS OF HOUSING, 42 OF WHICH WERE AFFORDABLE UNITS.
AND AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THE FIRST PHASE OF THE ENTERPRISE RESEARCH CAMPUS WAS JUST COMPLETED.
AND THAT INCLUDES 343 UNITS OF HOUSING, 86 OF WHICH ARE 25% OF WHICH ARE AFFORDABLE UNITS AND VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO CAMBRIDGE.
WE'VE ALSO RECENTLY ENABLED TWO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS IN AUSTIN.
FIRST THROUGH THE DONATION OF LAND AT 65 SEATTLE STREET, AND THROUGH FUNDING OF THE ACQUISITION OF HILL MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH ON NORTH HARVARD STREET, WHICH WILL BE CONVERTED FOR SENIOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
HARVARD CONTRIBUTES TO THE CULTURAL VITALITY OF CAMBRIDGE BY PROVIDING RESIDENTS WITH FREE ACCESS TO HARVARD MUSEUMS AND TO PERFORMING IN VISUAL ARTS ON CAMPUS, INCLUDING ARTS FEST AND ARTS.
[00:20:01]
FY 25, THERE WERE OVER 50,000 CAMBRIDGE VISITORS TO THE HARVARD ART MUSEUMS AND MUSEUMS OF SCIENCE AND CULTURE.HARVARD HAS BEEN THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN CAMBRIDGE FOR THE PAST 25 CONSECUTIVE YEARS, AND SERVES AS A MAJOR ANCHOR AND DRIVER OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
THERE ARE 4,413 CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS DIRECTLY EMPLOYED BY HARVARD.
AND OVER $517 MILLION WAS PAID TO CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS AND WAGES, SALARIES, AND BENEFITS, AND FY 25.
IN ADDITION TO EMPLOYING THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS, HARVARD BOLSTERS THE LOCAL ECONOMY THROUGH SPENDING.
HARVARD PAID 9.2 MILLION FOR CITY SERVICES SUCH AS WATER, SEWER, AND OTHER PERMIT FEES IN 2025, AND SPENT OVER 200 MILLION ON CONSTRUCTION SUPPLIES AND SERVICES IN CAMBRIDGE.
HARVARD IS A CULTURAL ANCHOR IN THE COMMUNITY AND DRAWS THOUSANDS OF VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD EACH YEAR, WHETHER AT ANNUAL EVENTS SUCH AS VISITAS, WHICH TOOK PLACE THIS PAST WEEKEND OR COMMENCEMENT, WHICH DRAWS OVER 30,000 PEOPLE ANNUALLY TO THE SQUARE.
AND WHILE THERE ARE MANY OTHER COLLABORATIONS AND PROGRAMS, TIME BASICALLY LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO SHARE THEM ALL.
UM, AND THESE ARE ALL OF THE REMAINDER OF OUR KIND OF CAMPUS RESOURCES FOR YOU OR REACH OUT DIRECTLY.
JUST WANT TO ADD A COUPLE QUICK POINTS.
UM, SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO STATE THE OBVIOUS THAT HARVARD, AND THAT IS THAT HARVARD REALLY, REALLY VALUES ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
UM, WE HOPE THAT SOME OF THE, UH, ENGAGEMENT THAT KENDALL OUTLINED EVIDENCE THAT, AND WE THINK THAT FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THAT IS THAT WE HAVE MADE A VOLUNTARY FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE CITY FOR DECADES.
UM, SO WE, WE SHARE THE THOUGHT THAT IT IS A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP WHERE OUR HISTORIES ARE INTERTWINED.
FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THAT IS WE'RE BOTH GONNA BE CELEBRATING 400 YEARS SINCE OUR FOUNDING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS THAT WE SHOULD, SHOULD BE FUN.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'LL SAY WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS TEAM, UH, TO DO THAT.
UM, AND DESPITE THE UNCERTAINTIES THAT YOU HEARD OF, UH, AND THERE ARE MANY, UH, WE ARE CERTAIN, TO GO BACK TO MY ORIGINAL POINT THAT WE VALUE OUR CITY AND WE WANT TO PUT TOGETHER A LONG-TERM PROGRAM RELATED TO OUR VOLUNTARY PAYMENTS.
UM, SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
AND, UH, THIS POINT, LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM THE COUNCIL AND OTHERS.
UM, WE'RE REALLY HERE TO LISTEN TODAY AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
UH, WAS ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? IS MR. CHAIR, WE STILL HAVE A NO ONE SIGNED UP.
SEEING NONE, UH, I'LL JUST NOTE THAT FOR THE RECORD AND I'LL RECOGNIZE, UH, MAYOR SIDIKI, UH, WHO'S, UH, ARRIVED.
AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TO THE, UH, TO THE WELL LAID OUT PRESENTATION.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, TWO THINGS.
I THINK IT GOES OUT SAYING THAT THESE ARE VOLUNTARY PAYMENTS AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HARVARD AND CAMBRIDGE IS INEXTRICABLY INTERTWINED.
OUR HISTORIES ARE, UH, MERGED AND WE'VE GOT A LOT IN COMMON.
UH, AND RISING TIDES RAISE ALL SHIPS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO AS THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES, HOPEFULLY, UM, BECOME MORE STABLE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND, UH, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL.
AND I, UH, WOULD RECOGNIZE I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UM, THE CHAIR OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, UH, COUNCILOR NOLAN.
THANK YOU EVERYONE HERE FOR THIS, UH, IMPORTANT DISCUSSION.
I WILL NOTE, HAVING HEARD FROM A LOT OF THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOLS, IT'S SOMETHING I ALWAYS THINK OF FIRST, THOSE OF US WHO SERVED ON SCHOOL COMMITTEE AND SAW LITERALLY DAY TO DAY, EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL WITH PROJECTS ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND ALSO HAVING KNOWN HARVARD STUDENTS WHO WERE PART OF THOSE, WHETHER IT WAS CIVICS EDUCATION OR TUTORING THROUGH PBH OR THE HARVARD CRIMSON SUMMER ACADEMY, THE SUP, THE SUMMER URBAN.
IT IS JUST INCREDIBLE HOW MUCH THAT EDUCATION AS AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION, ALTHOUGH ALL OF THAT EDUCATION WAS FOR MORE LIKE K THROUGH 12, NOT NOT THE COLLEGE LEVEL, AND YET THE HARVARD CRIMSON SUMMER ACADEMY AND SO MANY OTHERS ARE PREPARING KIDS.
AND THE SUMMARY OF THE HOUSING IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO REALIZE.
'CAUSE THAT HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME, WHETHER IT'S THE LOAN FUND OR MAKING
[00:25:01]
SURE THAT THERE'S MORE HOUSING FOR GRAD STUDENTS, WHICH TAKES OFF SOME OF THE PRESSURE FOR THE OTHER HOUSING THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE TAKEN UP, UM, BY GRAD STUDENTS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE.AND THEN ARTS FIRST, I GOTTA SAY, IS ONE OF THOSE INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND FOR ANYONE WHO ISN'T ALREADY BOOKED FOR THIS ENTIRE WEEKEND, IT STARTS, I THINK EVEN TONIGHT.
AND IT GOES FOR THREE FULL DAYS OF PROGRAMMING OF LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF, UM, FREE PERFORMANCES ACROSS ALL GENRES OF MUSIC, THEATER, DANCE THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE.
AND I KNOW MY KIDS STILL REMEMBER US TAKING THEM THERE AND MAYBE EVEN IN INSPIRED THEM TO, TO BE INVOLVED OUR SON IN, IN ACAPELLA LATER ON.
UM, I WANNA NOTE A COUPLE THINGS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE WORK TOGETHER ON, FOR INSTANCE, THE PEDESTRIANIZATION OF BO STREET, WHICH INCLUDED ANOTHER REAL PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE HALF OF THE STREET IS HARVARD PROPERTY AND HALF OF IT IS CITY, CITY-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES.
I PERSONALLY LOOK FORWARD TO EVEN MORE PEDESTRIANIZATION IN HARVARD SQUARE.
AND I KNOW THAT, THAT HARVARD HAS, HAS THOUGHT ABOUT THAT WITH JUST AN EYE TOWARDS BRINGING MORE VIBRANCY THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THAT THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF PROJECTS THAT CANNOT HAPPEN WITH BOTH THE CITY AND, AND THE UNIVERSITY.
UM, AND I RECOGNIZE THOSE, THOSE TOWN GOWN REPORT SUMMARIES ARE PRETTY STUNNING, AS WAS SAID, WITH THE LARGEST EMPLOYER.
UM, AND I THINK THE SECOND OR THIRD LARGEST TAXPAYER FOR THE PROPERTY THAT'S NOT, THAT IS TAXABLE.
IT'S STILL A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION.
I, I DO HAVE A QUESTION, WHICH I, I REALIZE I DIDN'T SEND YOU IN ADVANCE, SO IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER, IT'S FINE.
BUT I DID WONDER, GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT YOU PRESENTED, HAS IT EVER BEEN CALCULATED THE VALUE OF ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU DO PROVIDE? THERE'S THIS HUGE ARRAY WE JUST HEARD, AND I KNOW THIS IS JUST A SUMMARY OF THE TOP LEVEL, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHETHER THERE WAS EVER AN ATTEMPT TO QUANTIFY THAT, BECAUSE WE FOCUS ON PILOT AS THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT GETS, UM, GIVEN TO THE CITY, WHICH, WHICH MAKES SENSE.
'CAUSE THAT'S A, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE CAN THINK ABOUT.
BUT ALL OF THESE TOGETHER ALSO ARE, HAVE A MONETARY VALUE THAT I'M JUST INTERESTED IN WHETHER THAT'S EVER BEEN CALCULATED.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THROUGH YOU CHAIR FLAHERTY TO HARVARD OR TO OUR, UM, A CM SPINNER OR SOMEONE ELSE.
MR. LUCID, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OR, YEAH, I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION IN MY TIME.
WE HAVEN'T, IT, IT'S, IT'S BEEN MORE ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP AND RESPONDING TO NEEDS OF THE CITY.
UM, A LOT OF THE PROGRAMS YOU HEARD ABOUT, WE DON'T INVENT, RIGHT? IT'S IN DEEP DISCUSSIONS WITH EITHER, UH, THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AT THE TIME WITH THE CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME.
UM, SO THAT'S HOW THOSE THINGS GENERALLY EMERGE.
BUT WE'VE NEVER VIEWED IT AS SOMETHING WE VIEW IT AS BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND HAVING A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP AND VALUING OUR RELATIONSHIP, NOT AS, UM, THERE'S CERTAINLY A COST TO THAT.
UM, BUT WHAT I'M, I'M, I'M PERSONALLY HAVE NO INTEREST IN ADDING THAT UP.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO RECOGNIZE JUST WHAT THE BREADTH OF OF PROGRAMS ARE.
THAT WAS NOT THAT I, I THINK WE SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE SOME SENSE OF IT.
CERTAINLY THIS BREADTH OF PROGRAMS, I'M NOT SAYING SPEND A LOT OF HOURS CALCULATING IT, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT PARTLY BECAUSE I REMEMBER FROM OVER THE YEARS, PEOPLE GO BACK AND FORTH, WE UNDERSTAND IT'S A VERY TURBULENT TIME RIGHT NOW FOR ALL OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
THERE'S FINANCIAL STRAIN THAT NOBODY WOULD'VE ANTICIPATED TWO YEARS AGO THAT THAT IS THERE NOW.
AND YET PEOPLE LOOK AT, OH MY GOSH, HARVARD IS SO WEALTHY.
CAN'T WE JUST HAVE LOTS MORE, UM, FUNDING FROM THEM? AND I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMIND PEOPLE, YES, IT'S A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP AND THERE ARE THESE OTHER, UH, PROGRAMS THAT HARVARD DOES.
UM, AND AS, AS, AS AN ALUM, I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT AND PROUD OF ALL THOSE CONNECTIONS.
AND AS A CITY COUNSELOR, I'M VERY GRATEFUL.
AND AS A CITY RESIDENT, I'M REALLY GRATEFUL.
AND I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE WITH THESE VOLUNTARY PAYMENTS.
AND, AND I THINK TODAY THE QUESTION IS WHETHER IT WOULD BE A LONG TERM OR A SHORTER TERM.
AND I KNOW I HEARD SOME SENSE FOR A LONGER TERM.
I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO THAT BY THE END OF, OF JUNE, WHICH IS WHEN THIS PARTICULAR ONE COMES UP.
SO, SO IF, IF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK, I THINK I'D BE CURIOUS AS TO WHETHER WE THINK WE COULD HAVE A FULL FLUSH DISCUSSION OF SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE LONGER THAN PERHAPS A ONE YEAR EXTENSION.
BECAUSE A LONGER TERM, WHICH I UNDERSTAND HARVARD MIGHT PREFER, I, I THINK REQUIRES MORE DISCUSSION AND MORE TALK ABOUT WHAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT, THAT IN THIS ONE, IF I'M RIGHT IN REMEMBERING IT, IT EXPIRES JUNE 30TH IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING TO EXTEND IT.
YOU NOTICE YOU'RE WEARING A MAROON TIE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS A FOR HARVARD TODAY, BUT A LITTLE CRIMSON AND LITTLE CRIMSON MAROON IS, UH,
[00:30:01]
YEAH.WELL, I WON'T EVEN CALL THEM A RIVAL BECAUSE IT'S NOT FAIR WHEN HARVARD COMES OVER AND GETS PANTSED TO THE HEIGHTS.
UM, THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, MR. MANAGER, I THINK YOU, YOU, YOU STOLE MY LINE OF, UH, CAMBRIDGE IS IN CAMBRIDGE WITH WITHOUT HARVARD, AND HARVARD ISN'T HARVARD WITHOUT CAMBRIDGE, BUT I'M SURE I STOLE IT FROM SOMEBODY BEFORE THAT.
SO, UM, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND I BELIEVE THAT, AND, AND AS SOMEONE WHO, I THINK KENDALL GREW UP HERE, COUNCILOR FLAHERTY GREW UP HERE, UM, SOMETIMES IT'S TOUGH FOR TOWNIES TO ADMIT THAT HARVARD IS, YOU KNOW, IS A BENEFIT TO THE CITY.
UM, WE WEREN'T RAISED THAT WAY.
UM, BUT, UH, BUT THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO, I, I MEAN, MY GUESS IS THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THIS INFORMATION, RIGHT? AND, AND THEY DON'T KNOW OF ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT, THAT THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE AND, AND THAT, AND THE THINGS THAT YOU DO FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK SHARING THIS INFORMATION MORE THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, THE ONCE A YEAR WHEN THIS DISCUSSION HAPPENS AROUND THE, UM, TOWN GOWN REPORT AND THINGS IS, IS, IS PROBABLY A GOOD THING.
UH, AND ALSO BECAUSE IT, I I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THESE PROGRAMS EXIST, RIGHT? THEY DON'T KNOW THEY CAN GO TO THE MUSEUMS FOR FREE.
THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THEY CAN DO ALL THIS STUFF.
SO AS MUCH AS WE CAN PUBLICIZE THAT SO THAT, YOU KNOW, MORE PEOPLE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT HARVARD IS BEING TARGETED BY THE CURRENT, UH, ADMINISTRATION IN THE WHITE HOUSE, NOT OUR ADMINISTRATION.
UM, AND, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE CERTAINLY UNCERTAIN.
IT'S ALSO TRUE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE LOCALLY IN CAMBRIDGE ARE FACING FOR SOME OF THE SAME REASONS AND SOME DIFFERENT REASONS, UM, FACING SOME TIGHTER FINANCIAL TIMES THAN, THAN WE'RE USED TO.
SO I THINK AS WE, AS WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE PREDICAMENT THAT YOU'RE IN AND THE UNCERTAINTY THAT YOU'RE IN.
BUT THIS MAY BE A TIME WHEN WE NEED TO RELY ON, YOU KNOW, OUR UNIVERSITIES AND OUR PARTNERS, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA BE AS FLUSH TO DO THE THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE NEED TO DO IN THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A GREAT CITY, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR ITS RESIDENTS, FOR YOUR STUDENTS.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF YOUR STUDENTS WILL STAY ON AND, AND WANNA LIVE HERE AND STAY HERE.
AND, UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS PART OF THAT SORT OF SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS WE THINK ABOUT THIS MOVING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, I, I, I THINK THERE'S GONNA, I DON'T THINK IT'S UNREASONABLE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE EXPECTING A LITTLE MORE THAN WHAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING IN THE PAST BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA NEED IT MORE SO THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST.
UM, I, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I I, I APPRECIATE THE SLIDES, UM, UH, OR THE, THE INFORMATION ABOUT ALSTON.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT AS, UH, UH, TOM, AS YOU POINTED OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR HISTORIES ARE LINKED.
WE'RE BOTH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN, HARVARD'S BEEN HERE AS LONG AS CAMBRIDGE AND VICE VERSA.
AND I FORGET, MAYBE HARVARD WAS FIRST.
I DON'T, AND I FORGET HOW THE NUMBERS WORK, BUT WE'VE ALL BEEN HERE A LONG TIME.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, AS YOU'VE MOVED INTO ALSTON, WHICH IS WAS SORT OF NEWER TERRITORY, YOU KNOW, FOR EXPANSION FOR HARVARD, WE'RE SORT OF SEEING A LOT OF DEALS BEING MADE WITH BOSTON TO SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA BUILD THESE 1300 UNITS OF HOUSING, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, RIGHT? BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT WITH CAMBRIDGE, YOU KNOW, 400 YEARS AGO.
AND, AND SO IT'S GREAT THAT THOSE THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF A BENEFIT THOSE ARE, ARE TO US, RIGHT? AND, AND HOW DO PEOPLE ACCESS THOSE UNITS, UM, IF THEY'RE IN BOSTON, DO BOSTON RESIDENTS GET PREFERENCE OVER CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS, EVEN THOUGH HARVARD'S IN CAMBRIDGE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S, IT'S MUDDLED, RIGHT? SO THAT'S ALL GREAT THAT YOU'RE DOING ACROSS THE RIVER, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE THOSE TYPES OF OFFERS HAPPENING HERE TOO.
AND IT'S A DIFFERENT POSITION.
YOU'RE NOT LOOKING TO EXPAND HERE, REALLY.
RIGHT? WHERE ARE YOU GOING? YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE YOU GONNA EXPAND TO? SO, UM, AND YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO QUITE NEGOTIATE AND SWEETEN THE POT IN THE WAY YOU HAVE TO DO IN BOSTON, RIGHT? SO, UM, SO HOW DO WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AROUND HOUSING, HOW IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT ISSUE IS AND, AND BRINGING HOUSING PRICES DOWN FOR YOUR STUDENTS, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, COUNSELOR NOLAN, YOU TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.
LIKE YOU CAME HERE TO GO TO SCHOOL AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CITY.
LIKE WE ALWAYS BRAG ABOUT, WE, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HERE MY WHOLE LIFE, BUT I DIDN'T CHOOSE IT.
YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE CHOOSE TO LIVE HERE, RIGHT? AND, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO.
AND THERE WERE 40 YEARS AGO, 50 YEARS AGO, THEY
[00:35:01]
COULD DO THAT.YOU COULD GO TO HARVARD, YOU COULD RENT A PLACE FOR A LITTLE BIT, AND THEN BUY A HOUSE.
UM, AND SO THIS IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, AS WELL, AND THEIR FUTURES.
UM, SO I HOPE THAT AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS MORE, WE CAN, WE CAN REALLY THINK ABOUT THE HOUSING ISSUE, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN, EVEN MORE CL UH, EXPANDING THAT EVEN MORE.
I THINK WHAT WOULD ALSO HELP IN, IN, IN, MAYBE IN SOME OF THESE REPORTS, I, I THINK, I THINK WHAT PEOPLE TEND TO DO IS THEY JUST, THEY LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINE, RIGHT? AND THEY SAY, HARVARD'S ENDORSEMENT IS, YOU KNOW, 12 CAJILLION DOLLARS, RIGHT? AND THEY PAY $4 MILLION IN PILOT.
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE FULLY UNDERSTAND.
I DON'T THINK I FULLY UNDERSTAND SORT OF WHAT THAT ENDOWMENT IS FOR, WHAT YOU CAN SPEND IT ON, WHAT YOU CAN'T SPEND IT ON.
WHAT, SO EVEN SOME EDUCATION THAT, I MEAN, IT, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THAT MONEY IS SITTING IN A BANK ACCOUNT SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU CAN JUST WRITE A CHECK, RIGHT? SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S A LOT OF UNDER, SO PEOPLE JUST LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND THEY SAY, WOW, THIS IS A GROSS DISPARITY
UM, BUT I DON'T THINK PEOPLE ALWAYS UNDERSTAND THE INTRICACIES OF THAT AND HOW THAT WORKS.
SO MAYBE SOME EDUCATION OR SOMETHING IN THE, IN THE REPORT ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND THEN, UM, I WOULD SAY, BUT YOU KNOW, EVEN IF YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU TAKE THE SORT OF THE ENDOWMENT PIECE OUT OF IT, AND YOU, AND YOU LOOK AT JUST PROPERTY TAX, RIGHT? WHICH UNIVERSITIES DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR EDUCATIONAL, THEIR EDUCATIONAL USES, THAT'S THE STATE CONSTITUTION.
UM, STILL, I MEAN, I THINK IF YOU HAD, IF THAT WASN'T THERE AND YOU DID HAVE TO PAY PROPERTY TAXES ON THAT, IT WOULD BE, I FORGET WHAT THE LAST NUMBER I SAW WAS, BUT IT WAS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT IN COMPARISON TO WHAT PILOT IS.
AND SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT GONNA, WE'RE NOT GONNA JIVE THOSE TWO THINGS AND, AND, AND MAKE THAT PERFECT.
BUT IT IS A PRETTY SERIOUS, IT IS A PRETTY SERIOUS GAP, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TO, TO DO MORE.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, FOR NOW, MR. CHAIR, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE OTHER PIECE OF THIS IS THE, UM, THERE'S ALSO THE SECONDARY SORT OF IMPACT AT HARVARD.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW MANY YOU EMPLOY IN CAMBRIDGE, RIGHT? BUT, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S MONEY THAT'S BEING SPENT IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY, RIGHT? THAT, THAT YOU HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON.
UM, YOU LOOK AT HARVARD SQUARE, I MEAN, I THINK PROBABLY THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO SHOP IN HARVARD SQUARE ARE EITHER STUDENTS, HARVARD EMPLOYEES OR TOURISTS WHO ARE COMING HERE FOR HARVARD, RIGHT? UM, WOULD HARVARD SQUARE BE HARVARD SQUARE? WOULD THOSE, THOSE BUSINESSES ARE STRUGGLING.
IMAGINE IF, IF HOW MUCH THEY WOULDN'T BE HERE, THEY WOULDN'T BE IN EXISTENCE IF HARVARD, YOU KNOW, WASN'T HERE.
SO THERE'S A SECONDARY SORT OF FINANCIAL IMPACT THAT YOU HAVE ON THE COMMUNITY THAT, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU MEASURE IT, BUT IT, IT'S ALSO VERY SIGNIFICANT.
SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO MORE OF THIS DISCUSSION.
I, I DO REALLY HOPE THAT WE CAN, UM, I DON'T EXPECT YOU GUYS TO PAY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF WHAT YOU WOULD PAY IN PROPERTY TAXES.
UM, BUT I DO HOPE THAT, AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT YOU'VE ALREADY AGREED TO UP THAT SUM A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I HOPE WE CAN DO A LITTLE BIT MORE, AND I HOPE WE CAN FOCUS MORE ON, UH, MORE SPECIFICALLY ON HOUSING AND HOW DO WE MAKE THIS CITY MORE AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYBODY.
AND I'LL YIELD MR. CHAIR, WE ARE GONNA GO TO, UH, MEI, AND WE'VE GOT COUNCILOR ZUBIE ONLINE, AND THEN CONS ZUI.
AND, UH, I HAD SIMILAR REMARKS TO BOTH MY COLLEAGUES, BUT WANTED TO JUST START AND SAY, I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED OUR RELATIONSHIP.
WE'VE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY MY, YOU KNOW, THROUGH COVID, THROUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE GIFT CARD DRIVES THROUGH, UM, RISE THROUGH CAMBRIDGE PROMISE.
THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN JUST, UH, REALLY GREAT PARTNERS.
SO I WANTED TO JUST START WITH, UH, THAT, AND, UH, APPRECIATING THAT.
I THINK WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE IS AROUND WHAT I'VE SEEN TO CLARIFY JUST FOR MY SAKE AND MAYBE THE PUBLIC'S SAKE AROUND, UH, WHAT WE HEAR IS, YOU KNOW, THE ENDOWMENT, THE WHAT, 56.9 BILLION.
UH, BUT ACTUALLY THERE WAS AN OPERATING DEFICIT AND OF A NUMBER OF MILLIONS.
UM, AND SO HOW DOES THAT WORK? AND I THINK, UM, HAVE YOU AS A UNIVERSITY, HAVE THERE BEEN HIRING FREEZES? LIKE ARE THERE THINGS THAT YOU CAN SHARE? UH, THERE, UM, I ASK THAT BECAUSE CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING OUR CITY GOALS AND INITIATIVES, MOST OF THIS DOESN'T STOP YOU STILL DOING IT, BUT WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE SEEING ON THE GROUND AND WHAT CHANGES THE UNIVERSITY HAS HAD TO MAKE, UM, GIVEN SOME OF THE OPERATING CHALLENGES.
[00:40:01]
YOU COULD, UM, ANSWER THAT.ON THE ENDOWMENT, JUST TO TRY TO DO IT VERY BRIEFLY, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS THE ENDOWMENT, RIGHT? IT'S 15,000 PLUS ACCOUNTS, AND, UH, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE FUNDS ARE, UH, DIRECTED TOWARDS THE DONORS INTENTIONS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THE FREE I'M GONNA TAKE OUT OF THAT IN THERE.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU CAN RUN A DEFICIT, BECAUSE THOSE MONIES CAN ONLY BE VERY SPECIFICALLY SENT SPENT RATHER ON, ON SPECIFIC CAUSES.
THEY'RE LAID OUT IN THOSE GIFT AGREEMENTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DO MARKS, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WE GOT TO DO A BETTER JOB OF GIVING ENDOWMENT 1 0 1 OUT TO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, BUT WE, WE'VE HAD, HAD HIRING FREEZES, THERE HAVE BEEN LAYOFFS.
UM, EACH DEPARTMENT, EACH THROUGH THE SCHOOLS HAS ALL OR ALL MANDATED TO MAKE BUDGET CUTS.
UM, BOTH, WE MADE 'EM DURING THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AS WE WERE FLYING, AND FOR NEXT YEAR AS WELL, WHICH WE SHARE YOUR FISCAL YEAR, SO JULY 1ST.
SO THERE WERE CUTS BOTH THIS YEAR AND THERE'LL BE CUTS NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE, IT'S JUST VERY UNCERTAIN.
THAT'S HOW THIS IS ALL GONNA PLAY OUT WITH LAWSUITS AND FEDERAL POLICY AND WHO'S GONNA BE ALLOWED TO BE COME TO THE SCHOOL.
UM, SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION A LITTLE BIT.
AND AS FAR AS KIND OF THE LAYOFFS, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY AFFECTED? I WOULDN'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
BUT PRESUMABLY BECAUSE OF LAYOFFS, THERE'S, YOU'RE ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE EMPLOYER, SO IT'S LIKELY THAT WE DO HAVE RESIDENTS WHO'VE BEEN AFFECTED, RIGHT? WE UNIVERSITY, DEPENDING ON HOW YOUR ACCOUNT HAS ABOUT 18,000 EMPLOYEES, IF 4,500 OF THEM ARE CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS, ODDS ARE, YEAH.
I THINK I ECHO WHAT COUNCILOR MCGOVERN HAS SAID AROUND THE HOUSING PIECE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT IS AN AREA THAT, UH, IS THE NUMBER ONE CITY GOAL, AND ARE THERE WAYS THAT WE CAN DO MORE? UH, OBVIOUSLY WE SEE WHAT MI T'S DOING THEY'RE SELLING, AND, UM, IT'S GREAT THAT YOU'VE HAD THAT LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP WITH CAMBRIDGE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT OTHER WAYS, I DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC WAYS.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE CAN TALK MORE, BUT I THINK IT'S ALWAYS BEEN AN, I THINK IT'S A GROWING AREA OF, UH, HOW DO WE, HOW DOES HARVARD DO MORE AROUND HOUSING SUPPORT, UH, FOR CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS? SO THAT'S, UM, SOMETHING I'M VERY, UM, INTERESTED IN THIS YEAR.
I DID HEAR ABOUT, I HEARD SOME FEEDBACK FROM FAMILIES AROUND THE CRIMSON SUMMER ACADEMY, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S THREE SIX STUDENTS, WHICH IS, THE MODEL IS VERY, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S THE MODEL IS WHAT IT IS, AND IT'S, IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE.
UM, I DO THINK THERE'S, UM, MORE NEED, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK I HAVEN'T UNDERSTOOD A LITTLE BIT WHY IT CAN'T GET SCALED EVEN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO THERE'S MORE CAMBRIDGE STUDENTS, IT'S THREE SIX CAMBRIDGE STUDENTS, WHICH IS, IS A GOOD NUMBER.
BUT I, I THINK LIKE IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, HOW MANY, WHAT IS, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE TOTAL, OVERALL, HOW MANY STUDENTS HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT PROGRAM, AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A WAY TO, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE TO SCALE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE? SO MORE STUDENTS BENEFIT, BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD THAT AS A NEED, AND I'VE HAD TO TELL FAMILIES THEY'RE VERY STRICT ON CRITERIA.
THEY CAN'T GET YOU IN, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF OPTIONS.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING I'M JUST WANTED TO KIND OF DELIVER SOME WHAT I'VE BEEN HEARING.
UM, BUT OVERALL, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF STRONG PROGRAMS. UM, I THINK THERE'S A LOT THAT YOU ALL DO.
I THINK OUR GOAL AS A, AS A COUNCIL IS TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN PARTNER BETTER, DO MORE TO HELP RESIDENTS UNDERSTANDING THERE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, WE'RE IN A, A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT THAN WE WERE, UM, YOU KNOW, PRE COVID AND ALL THAT.
BUT, UH, I DO THINK THERE'S, THERE'S SOME WAYS THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND THINK ABOUT WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO.
SO I'LL YIELD, BUT THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.
UH, JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT WAS A GOOD OVERVIEW OF HARVARD'S BROADER ENGAGEMENT IN CAMBRIDGE, AND I REALLY DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THOSE PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS.
[00:45:01]
THANK YOU FOR PUTTING EFFORT INTO THOSE COLLABORATIONS.I, I DO KNOW, I'M STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE CITY EVALUATES THE CASH BASED PIECE OF THE PILOT CONTRIBUTION, ESPECIALLY RELATIVE TO HARVARD'S FOOTPRINT IN CAMBRIDGE, AND HOW POTENTIALLY THIS CAN INFORM THE NEXT AGREEMENT.
THERE ARE TWO MAIN QUESTIONS THAT I'M SITTING WITH RIGHT NOW.
UM, ONE I THINK IS A LITTLE MORE GEARED TO, TO THE CITY MANAGER, BECAUSE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HEARING FROM RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW THE CITY'S ADVOCATING FOR THEM IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS.
SO IS THERE MORE THAT YOU CAN SHARE, UM, SPECIFICALLY TO HOW THE CITY HAS ENGAGED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OVER THE PAST YEAR IN THIS NEGOTIATIONS PROCESS? OR HOW WE CAN MAKE SOME OF THAT WORK MORE VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, UM, ESSENTIALLY WITH THE, WITH THE GOAL OF PURSUING SOMETHING THAT IS A FAIR CONTRIBUTION? UM, YOU KNOW, I I WOULD SAY, UH, WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION OVER THE LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, EXPLORING, UM, WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE FOR A LONGER TERM AGREEMENT.
I THINK THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING WE BOTH WANT, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE DIFFERENT STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS.
I MEAN, I THINK ULTIMATELY THIS IS A NEGOTIATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE UNIVERSITY.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I CERTAINLY INVITE THE CITY COUNCIL TO, UH, OFFER THOUGHTS IN TERMS OF, UM, HOW WE WOULD APPROACH THIS.
UM, AND, UH, IN AREAS THAT, UM, THAT YOU'RE MOST INTERESTED IN SEEING.
UH, I MEAN, IN MANY WAYS, THE PILOT SPECIFICALLY WE HAVE, AND I THINK THIS HAS BEEN THE SHARED VIEW OF THE UNIVERSITY, FOCUSED ON THE PILOT PRIMARILY AS A FINANCIAL, UM, NEGOTIATION.
UM, AND SO TO, TO SOME OF THIS CONVERSATION ON ALL OF THE ADDITIONAL WORK THAT'S KIND OF HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE SORT OF RESISTED FINDING A FINANCIAL VALUE AND NEGOTIATING OVER THAT.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A FEELING THAT THE UNIVERSITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A WILLING PARTNER.
AND, AND I WOULD CERTAINLY INVITE, UM, FROM THE CITY COUNCIL IF THERE ARE AREAS THAT WE WANT TO DEEPEN OUR RELATIONSHIP, WHETHER IT'S IN YOUTH PROGRAMS OR OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS ARE COMING TO THE UNIVERSITY AND HAVING IDEAS, UM, ABOUT WHERE THERE CAN BE, UM, SOME SHARED WORK.
UM, AND I THINK WE SEE THAT PART OF THE RELATIONSHIP AS MORE, UH, BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR BEING IN COLLABORATION.
UM, SO I THINK THIS IS MORE ABOUT THE COUNCIL HAVING A VOICE IN HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, UM, THE FINANCIAL AGREEMENT.
UH, I THINK TO YOUR, TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT LIKE WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A FAIR AGREEMENT, UM, MAYBE THAT IS THE CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL AND, AND HAPPY TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS IN TERMS OF HOW WE WOULD DEFINE THAT.
UM, I THINK, I THINK IN, IN THE CONTEXT OF VOLUNTARY AGREEMENTS BETWEEN UNIVERSITIES AND THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES, UM, I WOULD BOTH SAY THAT THE CURRENT STATE IS COMPETITIVE IN, IN THE RANGE OF WHAT YOU'RE SEEING, UM, IN OTHER UNIVERSITIES, BUT ALSO THAT COMPARISON POINTS ARE A LITTLE HARD TO DRAW.
UM, HARVARD IS NOT EXACTLY THE SAME AS MOST UNIVERSITIES.
UM, AND WHEN YOU DO COMPARE, UH, THINGS LIKE ENDOWMENT SIZE OR BUDGET, HARVARD STANDS A LITTLE BIT HEAD, SHOULDERS AND, AND MAYBE, MAYBE MORE THAN THAT, UH, ABOVE OTHER UNIVERSITIES.
AND, UH, AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO TRUE ON, ON OUR SIDE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE, THE, THE STRONGEST PILOT AGREEMENT THAT, THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN RECENT YEARS IS THE ONE THAT YALE UNIVERSITY SIGNED WITH NEW HAVEN.
UM, AND THAT IS A VERY, VERY GENEROUS, UH, PILOT AGREEMENT.
IT OFFERS REALLY SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS.
IT'S A LITTLE SHORTER TERM, AND SO THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO RENEGOTIATE IN THE COMING YEARS.
UM, BUT THAT'S ALSO A DIFFERENT CONTEXT WHERE, UM, NEW HAVEN AS A COMMUNITY, UH, DOESN'T HAVE AN ENORMOUS COMMERCIAL BASE.
AND THE CITY FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE IS IN REALLY TOUGH SHAPE.
AND IN MANY WAYS, THE CONVERSATION, AS I UNDERSTAND IT WITHIN, UH, WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY WAS THAT THE UNIVERSITY, UM, NEEDED TO OWN, TO A MUCH GREATER EXTENT, THE FACT THAT THE CITY AROUND THEM WAS REALLY SUFFERING AND WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE THE INVESTMENT THAT, THAT IT NEEDS TO.
UM, SO, SO I THINK, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
COUNCILOR ZUBI, AND, AND WOULD CERTAINLY WELCOME THOUGHTS ACROSS THE COUNCIL IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU WOULD SEE AS SOMETHING THAT'S FAIR, UH, AND HOW WE WOULD DECIDE THAT.
AND, AND I THINK ALL OF THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF BOTH THE FACT THAT HARVARD IS OUTSIZED IN ITS, UM, SIZE AND SCALE, UM, YOU COULD SAY THE SAME THING ABOUT THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE AND OUR BUDGET.
UM, BUT THEN ALSO THAT, UM, THAT THAT RELATIVE TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO THE CONTRIBUTION, UM, IT'S, UM, IT'S SOMETHING TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
[00:50:01]
A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING MAKES SENSE TO ME TOO.I, I APPRECIATE YOU THROUGH YOUR CHAIR.
I APPRECIATE SHARING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP FOR YOU.
HOW MUCH IS YALE UNIVERSITY GIVING TO NEW HAVEN AS OF RIGHT NOW, PER YEAR? UM, LET ME, IF YOU CAN JUST GIVE US A COUPLE MINUTES, WE CAN PULL IT UP AND PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
I THINK THE, I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT THE NUMBER.
HARVARD STUDENTS PROVIDED ALL THESE NUMBERS.
YEAH, THERE WAS A GREAT ARTICLE.
YALE PROVIDES 22.5 MILLION ANNUALLY.
IT'S A FOUR YEAR, I'M SORRY, IT'S A SIX YEAR COMMITMENT.
AND I CAN GIVE YOU OTHER COMPARABLES.
PRINCETON, UH, FOR FIVE YEAR, 7.9 MILLION.
CORNELL HAS THE LOWEST, WE WON'T MENTION THAT NUMBER 'CAUSE THAT'LL PUT US AT A DISADVANTAGE IN NEGOTIATIONS.
UPENN IS 10 MILLION, DARTMOUTH IS 8 MILLION.
AND APPARENTLY HARVARD, AGAIN, THIS IS RESEARCHED BY A HARVARD STUDENT.
UH, THEIR, THEIR TOTAL PILOT FOR BOTH BOSTON AND CAMBRIDGE IS 15.7 MILLION.
THANK YOU COUNSELORS, SUZI, FOR SHARING THAT.
I, I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS I LEARNED AS A, AS A HARVARD STUDENT WAS WE NEVER LET YALE BEAT US.
SO I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAYBE LEAVE US WITH THAT TO SOME EXTENT.
UM, I, I DEFINITELY DO THINK, IF I'M BEING QUITE CANDID, WE COULD DO A LITTLE BIT MORE, AND I HOPE TO SEE A BIT, A BIT MORE SUBSTANTIALLY FROM HARVARD'S PILOT NEGOTIATIONS, ALL, ALL IN THE SPIRIT AGAIN, OF, OF, OF, WE, WE REALLY ARE, UM, A POWERHOUSE.
AND, UH, IT'S INTERESTING TO HEAR THAT THESE OTHER, UH, IVY LEAGUE INSTITUTIONS TO SOME DEGREE ARE, ARE PAYING MORE TO THEIR RESPECTIVE CITIES.
THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD WAS, UM, GEARED, UM, MORE TOWARDS THE HARVARD REPRESENTATIVES.
I MEAN, CONSIDERING THE RANGE OF CONTRIBUTIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT YOU ALL HAVE SHARED ABOUT, FROM YOUR JUDGMENT, DO YOU THINK HARVARD'S CURRENT PILOT CONTRIBUTION REFLECTS A FAIR SHARE OF THE CASH BASED RESPONSIBILITY, ESPECIALLY RELATIVE TO THE TAX EXEMPT STATUS? AND IF NOT, LIKE IF, IF YOU THINK THERE IS A GAP, I, I MEAN, WHAT COULD WE BE DOING TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, IN THE NEXT AGREEMENT SO THAT IT'S ALIGNING MORE WITH OUR CITY'S LONG-TERM NEEDS? 'CAUSE AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM MY COLLEAGUES, I, THERE'S SO MUCH WORK TO BE DOING AND THERE'S SO MUCH TO APPRECIATE FROM THE INSTITUTION, UM, AS WELL, LIKE WHETHER IT COMES TO HOUSING OR FOOD ACCESS.
SO WOULD LOVE TO ALSO HEAR A LITTLE MORE ON THAT, MR. LUCY.
WELL, I WOULD SAY A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE THING, CONTEXT MATTERS WHERE, WHERE THE SCHOOL, THE EXAMPLE OF NEW HAVEN AND YALE IS DIFFERENT FROM HARVARD AND CAMBRIDGE, RIGHT? THE EXAMPLE OF CORNELL KIND OF BEING UP, NOT TO BE INSULTING, BUT A LITTLE BIT OF MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.
AND THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T START FROM SCRATCH, AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, WE'VE HAD A VOLUNTARY PAYMENT PROGRAM FOR DECADES HERE.
SO WE'RE NOT STARTING FROM A PLACE WHERE WE DON'T HAVE INFORMATION.
WE HAVEN'T HAD DIALOGUE WITH THE CITY.
AND THEN FINALLY, I GUESS I WOULD JUST SAY IT'S ALL ABOUT BALANCE AT THE UNIVERSITY.
WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING ENOUGH FUNDING TO ADVANCE OUR TEACHING AND RESEARCH MISSION WHILE DOING ENOUGH FOR THE CITY TO, TO HELP THEM ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, ALL THE ISSUES THAT THE CITY'S FACING.
WE'VE, AND WE'VE HEARD QUITE A BIT FROM THE, THE COUNCIL TODAY.
SO I THINK I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I, I DO AGREE THAT CONTEXT MATTERS AND, YOU KNOW, COMPARISONS WITH NEW HAVEN CAN BE INFORMATIVE AND, YOU KNOW, DESPITE THE, THE, THE RIVALRY THERE.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, I'M KIND OF HOLDING THIS PIECE OF IT BEING A KEY QUESTION FOR US.
LIKE, WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE FRAMEWORK FOR CAMBRIDGE SPECIFICALLY? I MEAN, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE SCALE OF THE UNIVERSITY HERE, UM, HOW WE DEFINE WHAT IS A FAIR AND SUSTAINABLE PILOT CONTRIBUTION, CONTRIBUTION IN THAT LOCAL CONTEXT.
I, I DO RECOGNIZE THAT THE ENDOWMENT ITSELF IS MADE UP OF A, LIKE YOU SAID, DIFFERENT FUNDS THAT COMES WITH SPECIFIC DONOR INTENTS AND WANNA ALSO RECOGNIZE THE PILOT TO IS, IS A VOLUNTARY AGREEMENT.
AND I THINK RECOGNIZING THAT BECAUSE IT'S VOLUNTARY, THE KEY QUESTION THAT WE'RE HOLDING IS WHAT KIND OF STANDARD OF FAIRNESS ARE WE USING TO EVALUATE THAT CONTRIBUTION?
[00:55:01]
AND, AND THAT'S KIND OF SOMETHING THAT I'LL BE, I'LL BE SITTING WITH OVER, UH, THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.AND JUST AGAIN, WANNA REITERATE, UM, APPRECIATION FOR THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT YOU'VE PUT INTO THESE COLLABORATIONS, UH, WITH OUR CITY, FROM OUR, FROM OUR SCHOOLS, UM, AND FROM HOUSING AND, AND FROM THE WAY YOU ENGAGE WITH THE CITY, I'LL YIELD MY TIME.
I, I THINK WE'VE GOT A, UM, A MORE ACCURATE, UM, REFLECTION OF THE NUMBERS THAT WE'LL BE PUTTING ON THE SCREEN.
IS THAT ACCURATE OR AM I GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF? SO, FOR PURPOSES OF THE RECORD, I'LL JUST, UH, SAY THAT WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO COUNCILOR NOBLE AND AND COUNCILOR NOLAN AND COUNCILOR ZUBIE, MAYBE THE HARVARD STUDENTS, DON DON'T ALWAYS GET IT RIGHT ALL THE TIME.
SO, UM, GAIL ALSO, OH, WELL, I MEAN, WE'VE GOT ALL THE BASES COVERED.
YOU KNOW, IT'S AN OLD JOKE THAT I LIKE TO TELL, SO I'LL TELL IT NOW.
I'M WHAT THEY CALL A TRIPLE EAGLE.
AND PEOPLE SAY, WHAT THE HECK IS THAT? WELL, IT'S A GUY THAT NEVER GOT INTO HARVARD, BUT THE PUNCHLINE IS THAT GUY NEVER APPLIED TO HARVARD.
SO NAOMI, DO YOU HAVE A, UM, A DOCUMENT THAT YOU CAN PUT UP ON THE SCREEN FOR US? THANK YOU.
I I REALLY THOUGHT THOSE HARVARD STUDENTS WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT NUMBERS, UM, THROUGH YOU CHAIR.
SO, SO MAYBE JUST TO, JUST TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE'RE SHOWING, UH, AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET SOME PRINTOUTS, UM, AND WE CAN GET THIS SUBMITTED AND POSTED AS WELL.
BUT, UM, UH, THIS IS JUST A QUICK ANALYSIS OF THE MAJOR UNIVERSITIES AND PILOT AGREEMENTS THAT, UH, WE COLLECTED.
UM, I, I PRESUME THIS SHOULD MATCH PRETTY WELL UP TO, UH, WHAT OTHERS HAVE PUT TOGETHER.
I THINK JUST TO CALL OUT A COUPLE OF KEY DETAILS THAT WE TRIED TO CAPTURE TO MAKE THIS A LITTLE MORE APPLES TO APPLES.
UM, SO FIRST IS, UH, WE DID JUST NOTE WHAT THE UNIVERSITY'S RELATIVE ENDOWMENT SIZE AND OPERATING EXPENSES ARE.
UM, SO SCALE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
UM, AND WHAT WE'RE CAPTURING IS ANNUAL PILOT DOLLARS TO THE CITY.
AND SO SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT DO GET REPORTED IN THE MEDIA ARE A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED BY IN KIND DONATIONS, UH, WHICH WE'RE NOT COUNTING.
AND SO, UH, I THINK WE'VE TAKEN THOSE, WE'VE SEPARATED THOSE IN KIND DONATIONS OUT.
UM, AND THEN I THINK THERE IS SOME RECOGNITION THAT FOR THE MOST PART, OTHER UNIVERSITIES ARE ALL IN RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE CITY.
UM, AND HARVARD HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN RELATIONSHIP WITH BOTH CAMBRIDGE AND BOSTON.
UM, AND SO I THINK JUST TO CALL IT OUT, WE HAVE, UM, INCLUDED BOTH THE CAMBRIDGE AND THE BOSTON FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION AS PART OF A PILOT PROGRAM.
BOSTON DOES DO THIS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY, BUT WE'VE DONE SORT OF THE APPLES TO APPLES IN TERMS OF THE DOLLARS.
MR. LUCY? YEAH, I I WOULD JUST ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH SOME OF THESE PILOT AGREEMENTS TOO, YOU REALLY HAVE TO READ THEM.
'CAUSE THEY INCLUDE SCHOLARSHIP DOLLARS.
WE DON'T INCLUDE SCHOLARSHIP DOLLARS THAT GO.
SO I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY A GOOD EFFORT TO TRY TO GET THE APPLES AND APPLES.
'CAUSE IF, IF WE DID ADD UP, YOU KNOW, COUNCILOR NOLAN, IF WE DID ADD UP THE COST OF ALL THESE PROGRAMS AND PUT THEM INTO A CHART LIKE THIS, WE WOULD, IT'D BE ENORMOUS.
SO, UM, BUT AS PART OF THE DIALOGUE THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE CITY MANAGER, WE'VE DECIDED NOT TO DO THAT.
IT'S ONE OF THE PRINCIPLES FOR TALKING ABOUT OUR VOLUNTARY PAYMENT COUNCIL
UM, I, I'M JUST TRYING TO BRING UP, IT WASN'T, IT WASN'T THE MARCH 20, UH, EIGHTH 25 HARVARD CRIMSON ARTICLE, BUT IT WAS A FOLLOW UP, WHICH HAD A MAP AND YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, PUSH ON THE MAP MAP.
AND I THINK THESE HARVARD STUDENTS DID.
THEY TRIED, THEY DID IT, THEY DID A GOOD JOB.
BUT IT WAS FROM MAYBE SOME OF THE FIGURES WERE FROM 25 LITTLE DIFFERENT DEMARI.
ANYWAY, I, I DIDN'T MEAN TO CONFUSE THE CONVERSATION.
I, I, I HAD THOUGHT THEY DID A GR GREAT IN DEPTH REPORTING.
UM, I WAS INCREDIBLY IMPRESSED WITH YOUR REPORT AND I'M INCREDIBLY IMPRESSED WITH HARVARD'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND I DO FEEL LIKE MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, HARVARD AND MIT MAKE CAMBRIDGE THE DYNAMIC PLACE THAT
[01:00:01]
WE ALL WANNA LIVE.UH, YOU KNOW, I, I, UH, YOU'RE OUR CHIEF EMPLOYER, YOU ARE, UM, YOUR BRILLIANT STUDENTS ARE HERE.
WE, UH, THERE'RE ALL THESE STARTUPS THAT BEGIN HERE BECAUSE OF YOUR STUDENTS.
UM, I JUST, I THINK YOU AND MIT MAKE US THE EXCITING PLACE THAT WE ARE.
SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOUR BEING HERE.
UM, I'M ALSO AWARE, I, I LOOKED AT THE ARTICLE, THERE WAS A HARVARD MAGAZINE ARTICLE PUBLISHED, UM, APRIL 10TH, 26TH.
UH, HARVARD WEATHERS A YEAR OF TURMOIL.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THAT, YOU SHOULD CERTAINLY READ THAT.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A TOUGH TIME FOR HARVARD AND MIT TWO AND I'M SYMPATHETIC TO THAT, WHICH IS WHY, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, CITY MANAGER, WONG, I THINK I, I WOULD RECOMMEND, IF I WAS NEGOTIATING THIS, I, I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET A BETTER DEAL IF WE DO ANNUAL COMMITMENTS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
'CAUSE I THINK TIMES ARE GONNA BE TOUGH FOR CAMBRIDGE AND HARVARD FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE THAT WE'LL BOTH, UM, RES, YOU KNOW, BE RESTORED TO OUR FULL GLORY SOON.
BUT I THINK WE'RE, WE'LL GET A BETTER DEAL IF WE WAIT TILL WE FEEL MORE HOPEFUL ABOUT OUR FUTURE.
I THINK MAYBE WE NEED A CHANGE OF ADMINISTRATION IN WASHINGTON, AND I THEN I THINK THINGS WILL BEGIN TO BE LOOKING UP.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS MAKING, UM, AN AGREEMENT YEAR BY YEAR FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, JUST BECAUSE I, I THINK IT'S THE MOST RESPONSIBLE WAY TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND AGAIN, I, I THINK WE CAN, HARVARD CAN BE MORE GENEROUS AND I THINK WE CAN NEGOTIATE BETTER IF HARVARD HAS RECOVERED.
UM, YEAH, SO MY QUESTION, MY COLLEAGUES ASKED MY QUESTIONS.
UH, I, I HAD WONDERED WHERE WE WERE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS AS THE GOAL TO HAVE A DECISION BY JUNE.
AND THEN I ALSO, I SEE WE'VE GOT OUR ASSESSOR HERE.
WE'VE GOT A STRATEGIC ADVISOR HERE.
AND, AND THEN I'M LOOKING AT YOU, CLAIRE.
WE'VE GOT OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, UH, SPINNER FOR FINANCE.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF, IF YOU HAVE, UH, INSIGHTS THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE THAT WOULD INFORM THE CONVERSATION THROUGH YOU.
SHARE FLAHERTY IF YOU'D LIKE TO, UH, ADD ANYTHING TO THE DISCUSSION.
I'VE GOT SOME COMMENTS TO MAKE TOO, BUT YEAH.
UM, YEAH, I THINK I WOULD SAY THAT WHAT WE HAVE IS A REALLY GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH BOTH HARVARD AND MIT.
AND WHAT I DON'T WANNA SEE LOST IN OUR DISCUSSION IS THAT THEY ARE BOTH TOP 10 TAXPAYERS FOR THEIR TAXABLE PROPERTY THAT IS HERE IN THE CITY.
I MEAN, WHAT IS EXEMPT IS MEETING TWO CRITERIA, AND THAT IS OWNERSHIP AND USE.
SO THEY ARE USING THIS AS A EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE.
UM, THE STUFF THAT IS EXEMPT IS HOUSING FOR STUDENTS.
IT IS, UH, LABORATORY SPACE THAT IS SPECIFICALLY BEING USED FOR THE UNIVERSITY.
UM, SO I, I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT IT TO BE LOST IN THE DISCUSSION HOW MUCH THAT THEY ARE PAYING IN TAXES FOR THE TAXABLE PROPERTY THAT THEY OWN.
UM, I THINK THE OTHER THING IS TO BE CONSCIOUS OF LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE VALUE OR WHAT IS THE, THE PERCEIVED VALUE ON THEIR EXEMPT PROPERTY, THAT THAT REALLY IS A MADE UP NUMBER, THAT THAT'S NOT BASED ON ANYTHING THAT IS NOT PROPERTY THAT HAS REGULAR TRANSACTIONS.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT CLASSROOMS RENT FOR.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT CLASSROOM LAB SPACE WOULD RENT FOR.
WE DON'T KNOW NECESSARILY KNOW WHAT THE DORMS WOULD RENT FOR.
AND SO THOSE ARE ALL KIND OF MAKE BELIEVE NUMBERS, AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE DON'T PUT A LOT OF STOCK IN, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT BASED IN REALITY.
AND I THINK THE OTHER THING IS THEY LEGALLY DON'T HAVE TO PAY PERIOD.
AND SHORT OF CHANGING THE STATE LAW, THAT IS NOT GOING TO TO CHANGE OUR POSITION WITH WHAT IS TAXABLE AND WHAT IS EXEMPT.
AND SO I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO BE CONSCIOUS OF WHAT IS REALITY AND WHAT IS POSSIBLE TO CHANGE AND WHAT IS, UM, MEANINGFUL.
AND WHAT I THINK IS MEANINGFUL IS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITIES, AND THAT IT IS NOT AN ADVERSARIAL RELATIONSHIP.
THAT IS A RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE IN HELPFULNESS AND COOPERATION AND SOMETHING THAT IS FAR MORE VALUABLE FOR US THAN HAVING AN ADVERSARIAL RELATIONSHIP.
AND, UH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A, A COMMENT AND MAYBE I HAVE ONE QUESTION AS WELL, AND THAT'S, THAT'S
[01:05:01]
ACTUALLY A VERY IMPORTANT POINT, DIRECTOR WILLETTE, AND I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THAT, TAKING THAT, UM, TAKING A MOMENT TO EXPLAIN THAT BECAUSE I DID HAVE A QUESTION RELATED TO THAT.UM, BUT SORT OF AS AN INTRODUCTORY COMMENT, I'D LIKE TO, AS CONSTABLE MCGOVERN MENTIONED, I GREW UP IN CAMBRIDGE AND MAYBE AS A, UH, CAMBRIDGE KID, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD A, UH, A CHIP IN YOUR SHOULDER ABOUT HARVARD, BUT THAT WENT AWAY VERY QUICKLY AS, UH, I RECOGNIZED ITS VALUE TO THE CITY AND ITS VALUE IN MY LIFE.
AND AS YOU KNOW, I WORKED COLLECTING TICKETS AT THE HARVARD STADIUM WHEN I WAS A KID IN HIGH SCHOOL.
I, I GOT A, UH, YOU KNOW, I GOT A PART-TIME JOB THERE, AND RIGHT AWAY I LIKED HARVARD AND, UH, YEAH.
AND, YOU KNOW, HAD OTHER ODD JOBS AROUND HARVARD.
BUT AS I WAS LOOKING AT THE, UM, TO GO REPORT FROM 2025, I CAME ACROSS A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN A VERY PERSONAL WAY, I USED TO GO THERE EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MORNING WITH MY SON, AND I SEE THE PHOTOGRAPH OF, OF ALL THE, UH, ANIMALS DEPICTED IN THERE.
AND THAT'S HOW MY SON LEARNED.
AND WE SPENT HOURS AND HOURS RUSHING THROUGH THAT MUSEUM.
AND YEAH, AND I ENJOYED IT AS MUCH AS HE DID.
AND I HOPE EVERY CAMBRIDGE RESIDENT DOES THAT.
AND THAT'S A GIFT FROM HARVARD THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME AND MY SON AND MY FAMILY AND ALL OF US.
MY SON ALSO WRESTLED, UM, AS I'M SITTING HERE THINKING ABOUT THIS, HE PARTICIPATED IN A WRESTLING PROGRAM AT THE MAC THAT'S PUT ON BY ONE OF THE HARVARD, UH, ASSISTANT WRESTLING COACHES, COACHES, COACH MOS.
AND IT'S A TREMENDOUS, UM, ASSET TO BEING A MEMBER, JUST BEING A RESIDENT IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
MY SON LEARNED TO WRESTLE THERE.
IT WAS TR THE FIRST NIGHT WE WERE THERE, THIS, UH, THIS COACH HAD ALL THE KIDS IN THE HARVARD WRESTLING ROOM WALKING ACROSS THE ROOM, UH, AS PART OF THEIR WARMUP ON THE HANDS.
AND THEY WERE ALL KIDS FROM CAMBRIDGE OR SOMERVILLE OR BELMONT, WHO ARE ALL LEARNING TO WRESTLE THERE.
AND MANY OF THEM WENT ON TO EARN COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS, UH, THROUGH WRESTLING AS A PROFESSIONAL OF, I HAVE INTERSECTED PROFESSIONALLY WITH MEMBERS OF THE HARVARD LAW SCHOOL LEGAL AID TEAM.
I'VE SEEN THEM, UH, REPRESENTING PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING EVICTED.
THESE ARE REAL PRO BONO EFFORTS BEING MADE BY STUDENTS WHO ACTUALLY ARE EXCEPTIONAL, EXCEPTIONAL, UH, LEGALLY, AND THEY PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL ADVICE TO PEOPLE IN NEED.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO WORK AT HARVARD ABOUT WHAT A GREAT PLACE IT IS TO WORK.
AND, UM, I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL I WENT THROUGH THIS TOWN GOWN REPORT THAT HARVARD UNIVERSITY, UM, UM, IN THE LAST 10 YEARS HAS PAID $65 MILLION IN TAXES TO THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
THAT'S A, AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT.
UM, AND IN ADDITION TO WELL OVER A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN CONSTRUCTION SUPPLIES AND SERVICES IN CAMBRIDGE, AND THEN IN THE HANDOUT TODAY, I HAD NO IDEA, AND I WAS GONNA ASK THE QUESTION THAT HARVARD HAS PAID THIS 4,400 PEOPLE WORKING FOR HARVARD RESIDENTS OF CAMBRIDGE, WHICH IS A DRAMATIC NUMBER.
AND HARVARD HAS PAID $517 MILLION IN WAGES, SALARIES, AND BENEFITS TO CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2025.
I MEAN, THAT'S HALF OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET HERE IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
AND A THIRD OF THAT GOES TO THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
WHEN I THINK OF THE IMPACT THAT HAS HAD ON THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, THAT'S IN MY VIEW, REMARKABLE.
UM, AND WE ARE IN UNCERTAIN TIMES, AND HARVARD IS STILL IN A, UH, IN A POSITION OF AGREEING TO NEGOTIATE WITH US OVER VOLUNTARY PAYMENTS THEY'RE MAKING, WHICH I THINK SHOULD BE CREDITED.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HARVARD SHOULD DO BETTER WITH HOUSING FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS.
UH, THE COLLATERAL BENEFIT IS SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS RENT FROM PEOPLE OWN HOMES IN CAMBRIDGE, AND THERE'S A BENEFIT TO THAT.
BUT HAVING SAID ALL THAT AND ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HARVARD DOES, AS HARVARD UNIVERSITY KNOWS, THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM WHO, UM, ARE ON THE CITY SIDE OF THE TABLE HAVE A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CITY.
AND, UH, AND I KNOW THAT THE CITY MANAGER WILL NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH AND TREAT HARVARD AS THE INEXTRICABLY INTERTWINED PARTNER.
BUT I HAVE TO SAY, UM, I NEED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CRIMSON SUMMER ACADEMY AND ALL THE OTHER WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HARVARD DOES BECAUSE TO COUNCIL MCGOVERN'S
[01:10:01]
POINT, I'M NOT SO SURE THAT EVERYONE IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE UNDERSTANDS NOT ONLY WHAT HARVARD DOES, BUT HOW TO BECOME INVOLVED IN IT AND, AND TAKE ADVANTAGE, UH, OF SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS. UH, AND I WISH I HAD DONE MORE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT MYSELF.I'M GLAD TO KNOW IT NOW, AND I'LL HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT INFORMALLY AFTERWARDS.
BUT ALL OF THESE THINGS, I THINK, SPEAK TO THE GOODWILL BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE UNIVERSITY, AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE INEXTRICABLY INTERTWINED.
AND IN MANY WAYS, WE ARE ONE BRAND.
HARVARD AND CAMBRIDGE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER.
SO AS LONG AS WE KEEP ROWING THE, UH, ROWING THE CANOE IN THE SAME DIRECTION, MAYBE WE'LL BE OKAY AT THE END OF ALL THIS.
SO THESE ARE UNTER UNCERTAIN TIMES, AND I HOPE WE WORK TOGETHER RECOGNIZING OUR SHARED NEEDS AND OUR SHARED GOALS.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, UH, COUNSEL, I, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE THE CITATION FOR THE WRONG INFORMATION.
IT WAS FROM FEBRUARY 24TH, 25, HARVARD CRIMSON.
BUT, UM, BUT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ASK AGAIN.
SO WHAT IS THE DEADLINE? WHAT ARE, ARE YOU SHOOTING FOR, UM, AN AGREEMENT BY THE END OF JUNE, AND, AND WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO KNOW? AND, AND ALSO, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU ALL WANT TO SHARE, UH, THROUGH YOU CHAIR? YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE CONTINUING TO TALK.
UM, I, I DON'T THINK THE DEADLINE HAS TO BE JUNE.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN, UH, GET SOMETHING WRAPPED UP AND IT DOESN'T LAST TOO LONG.
UM, BUT I ALSO FEEL A LITTLE BIT LIKE WE KNOW THE UNIVERSITY'S GOOD FOR THIS PROGRAM, AND WE KNOW WHERE EACH OTHER LIVE.
SO, UM, IF THIS TAKES A LITTLE BIT LONGER, THEN UH, THEN WE CAN, WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT.
WELL, THIS HAS ALL BEEN OUTSTANDING UNLESS MR. LUCY, ANY LAST FINAL WORDS? UM, CHAIR, CHAIR, FLAHERTY.
YOU ALSO HAVE COUNCILOR, UM, ZUBIE HAS HER HAND UP AND SO DOES COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER.
WHY DON'T WE CALL ON COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER SINCE HE HAS AN, AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
THANKS, MR. CHAIR, THROUGH YOU.
UM, JUST, UH, I'M SORRY TO NOT BE ABLE TO JOIN THERE IN PERSON, AND WE'LL HAVE TO, TO RUN SHORTLY, BUT JUST WANTED TO APPRECIATE, UH, TAKING THE TIME FOR THIS CONVERSATION.
I'M GLAD WE'RE TAKING THE TIME TO REEVALUATE OUR PILOT AGREEMENT WITH HARVARD.
UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, HAS A VERY SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE IN HISTORY IN CAMBRIDGE, UH, LARGEST EMPLOYER.
AND I THINK THERE IS A LOT THAT, UH, THE CITY CONTRIBUTES, UH, TO HARVARD IN THE FORM OF, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES AND TOWARDS OF EDUCATION, UH, FOR THE FAMILIES THAT, UH, ARE OF HARVARD EMPLOYEES IN TERMS OF OUR PARKS AND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT SERVICES.
AND THE PILOT AGREEMENT IS HOW WE RECOGNIZE THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS.
UH, HARVARD IS A NONPROFIT AS A STATUS, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT, UH, EVERYONE RECOGNIZES THAT A NONPROFIT WITH A $50 BILLION ENDOWMENT IS A VERY DIFFERENT THAN A HOMELESS SHELTER OR SOME OF THE OTHER NONPROFITS WE HAVE IN THE CITY.
AND THE PILOT AGREEMENT IS HOW WE CONTRIBUTE TO THAT.
UM, I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, YOU KNOW, LAND VALUE IN CAMBRIDGE, UH, THAT HARVARD HAS, AND IF YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT WOULD BE IF IT WERE TAXABLE, UH, AS THERE IS A STATE BILL ON THAT WOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN THAT.
I THINK EVEN, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS WHO'VE DONE THE CALCULATIONS, EVEN AT 25% OF WHAT THE TAXABLE VALUE WOULD BE, WOULD BE A A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR TO THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
THAT'S, UH, A QUARTER OF WHAT IT WOULD BE OF THE TAXABLE VALUE UNDER THE STATE LEGISLATION.
UH, THE ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION RIGHT NOW IS, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN 10% OF THAT.
SO WE, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE MORE OF A CONTRIBUTION HERE, UM, THAT WE COULD USE FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS AND CHILDCARE, UH, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, HARVARD DOES CONTRIBUTE, BUT IT, IT IS ONE OF THE, UM, WEALTHIEST AND, UH, MOST PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITIES IN THE WORLD AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE, UH, YOU KNOW, SET THE PILOT CONTRIBUTION ACCORDINGLY.
UH, SO WE'LL CONTINUE PUSH THAT AND, UH, THANKS.
CONVERSATION, WHATEVER YOU WANT.
COUNCIL ZUBIE, THANK YOU THROUGH YOU CHAIR.
UH, JUST A QUICK TWO FOLLOW UP.
AS I WAS READING A BIT MORE ON THE, THE PRESENTATION ON THE, ALSO THE UNIVERSITIES WITH THEIR PILOT AGREEMENTS.
I, I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT PEER ARRANGEMENTS LIKE YALE UNIVERSITIES AND PRINCETON UNIVERSITIES WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE CITIES, NEW HAVEN AND PRINCETON, THAT THERE SHOULD BE A REASONABLE EXPECTATION THAT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY IN OUR CITY SHOULD NOT NECESSARILY LAG MEANINGFULLY BEHIND COMPARABLE PEER COMMITMENTS.
AND THIS ISN'T A SUGGESTION TO SAY IT HAS TO BE SPECIFICALLY IDENTICAL, BUT I DO THINK WE SHOULD BE AIMING FOR AT LEAST A COMPARABLE SCALE, UM, PARTICULARLY AS WE LOOK FORWARD
[01:15:01]
TO THE NEXT PILOT.AND, AND I SAY THIS, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY BECAUSE WE SHOULDN'T LET YALE WIN, BUT BECAUSE WE SHOULDN'T LET OUR RESIDENTS LOSE, UM, LOSE OUT ON MORE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, TO BE ABLE TO GET MORE ACCESS TO FOOD OR, OR ACCESS TO HOUSING, UH, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE OUR CITY, UM, MORE DIGNIFIED.
SO, UH, I'LL YIELD THERE, BUT DEFINITELY SITTING WITH SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT WERE JUST SHARED.
UM, I THINK IT'D BE REALLY INTERESTING AS WE THINK ABOUT FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS, I'D LOVE TO SEE MORE IN THE AREA, NO SURPRISE OF CONTINUING OUR COLLABORATION AND EXPANDING THEM IN THE AREA OF SUSTAINABILITY.
I KNOW THAT HARVARD'S BEEN PARTNER IN SOME OF THE GROUNDBREAKING WORK, FOR INSTANCE, TO INVESTIGATE A, UH, USING THE CHARLES RIVER AS A, AS A THERMAL ENERGY NETWORK.
BUT I THINK DOING MORE OF THAT PARTNERSHIP WORK WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S, UH, IT, IT'S SOMETHING OUR RESIDENTS COULD REALLY BENEFIT FROM.
WE'VE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT SHARING INTELLECTUAL RESOURCES AS WELL.
SO BETWEEN HAVING HARVARD NOT JUST IN THE PRO LEGAL, IN THE PRO BONO LEGAL, UH, CLINIC THAT, UH, COUNCILOR FLAHERTY MENTIONED AND HAS BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PREVENTING EVICTIONS, FOR HELPING, UH, PEOPLE WITH, WITH, WITH LEGAL NEEDS, AND THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT TO EXTEND THAT TO OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY AS WELL.
IT ALSO MAY HELP THE CITY IF IT MEANS THAT WE CAN USE TOP-NOTCH GRAD STUDENTS INSTEAD OF PAYING CONSULTANTS.
AND IT WOULD GIVE THE, THE GRAD STUDENTS ACTUAL REAL WORK TO DO THAT COULD BE USED IN THE CITY AND IT WOULD ALSO SAVE THE CITY MONEY.
SO THAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF, IT COULD BE A WIN-WIN.
AND PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF SUSTAINABILITY, AS WE KNOW, WE'VE FALLEN WAY BEHIND ON, ON BASICALLY ACHIEVING ANY OF OUR GOALS AND IN SO MANY OF THE AREAS OF SUSTAINABILITY, DESPITE HARD WORK AND A LOT OF PLANS.
AND I THINK IF WE WORK MUCH MORE CLOSELY WITH HARVARD, TO HAVE THAT BE PART OF THE ONGOING WORK THAT, THAT WE GO TOGETHER.
I KNOW IT WASN'T IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT I THINK IT'S A CRITICAL PART.
IT'S SOMETHING BOTH OF US KNOW, WHETHER IT'S STOPPING, UH, DAMS FROM OVER TOPPING AND FLOODING ALL OF THE ALSTON CAMPUS AS WELL AS HALF OF HARVARD SQUARE, TO ENSURING THAT WE'RE NOT ALL DYING FROM, UH, AIR QUALITY THAT IS COMPROMISED BY THE RANGE OF WAYS THAT WE ARE POISONING OUR ENVIRONMENT.
SO, NOT TO END ON THAT NOTE, BUT I, I, I THINK THAT'S AN EXAMPLE WHERE WE ASKED OF WHERE ELSE WE SHOULD GO IN, IN FUTURE PILOTS.
AND I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION AS WELL.
AND I JUST WANT TO CALL OUT AND MENTION THE, UH, THE FACT THAT 23 STUDENTS FROM CAMBRIDGE ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY.
AND, UH, IF MAYBE IN YEAR 2030 OR 31, WE CAN GET THAT NUMBER UP TO AROUND 25, MAYBE WE HAVE A COUPLE OF CAMBRIDGE KIDS WHO SAY THANKS, BUT NO THANKS TO HARVARD UNIVERSITY.
UH, AND SEEING A MOTION TO ADJOURN FROM COUNCIL MCGOVERN.
MOVE TO ADJOURN AND, UH, THE HAVE IT ROLL CALL.
DO WE WANT TO DO A ROLL CALL ON THAT? YES.
AND YOU HAVE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE IN FAVOR.
COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER IS ABSENT.
AND YOU HAVE SIX MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND THREE RECORDED AS ABSENT.