[00:00:02]
A QUORUM OF THE CITY COUNCIL BEING PRESENT, I WANT A CALL.
[ROLL CALL]
JUNE 1ST, A REGULAR MEETING OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS PRESENT.PRESENT PRESENT, COUNCIL OF FLAHERTY.
PRESENT, COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER.
YOU HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS RECORDED AS PRESENT, AND ONE RECORDED AS ABSENT.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND PAUSE FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
PER CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025, ADOPTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR, THE CITY'S AUTHORIZED TO USE REMOTE PARTICIPATION AT MEETINGS OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL.
IN ADDITION TO HAVING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL PARTICIPATE REMOTELY, WE'VE SET UP ZOOM TELECONFERENCE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
YOU CAN ALSO VIEW THE MEETING VIA THE CITY'S OPEN MEETING PORTAL OR ON THE CITY'S CABLE.
CHANNEL 22 TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
YOU MUST SIGN UP AT WWW.CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV/PUBLIC COMMENT.
YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL WRITTEN COMMENTS FOR THE RECORD TO THE CITY CLERK AT CITY CLERK@CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV.
WE WELCOME YOUR PARTICIPATION AND YOU CAN SIGN UP UNTIL 6:00 PM 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 THIS MEETING.
[PUBLIC COMMENTS]
COMMENT.PUBLIC COMMENT MAY BE MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL LAWS CHAPTER 30 A SECTION 20 G AND CITY COUNCIL RULES 20 3D AND 37.
ONCE YOU FINISH SPEAKING, THE NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CALLED INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO ALLOCATE THE REMAINDER OF THEIR TIME TO OTHER SPEAKERS.
I ASK THAT YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND RECORD, NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AND THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING ON.
WE HAVE 44 SPEAKERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP.
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
WE CAN GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT NOW.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE BRENNAN WATERS, FOLLOWED BY DAVID HALPERIN AND SUZANNE BLEIER.
WE WILL GO TO DAVID HALPERIN IN DAVID, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
DAVID, IF YOU CAN JUST PAUSE FOR A MINUTE.
WE'RE HAVING AN ISSUE WITH OUR SOUND.
DAVID HALPER, IF YOU CAN TRY AGAIN, PLEASE.
UH, DAVID HALPERIN, 14 VALENTINE STREET, UNIT THREE.
UM, GOING TO OPPOSE POLICY ORDER NUMBER FOUR.
UM, IT'S GREAT FOR THE CITY TO TRY TO PRESERVE AND INCREASE THE TREE CABINET FEE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE HAVE TO WAIVE POLICY TRADE-OFFS.
HOUSING HAS BEEN THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR RESIDENTS OF THE CITY YEAR AFTER YEAR.
UM, WE ALREADY HAVE A VERY STRONG, UH, TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCES AND IT'S CLEAR MANY OF THE PROVISIONS PROPOSED TONIGHT, UM, SUCH AS SPECIAL PERMIT REQUIREMENTS ARE INTENDED TO MAKE TREE REMOVAL SO CONSTRAINING AS TO STOP ALL DEVELOPMENT UNDER THE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING ZONING, PARTICULARLY IN WEST CAMBRIDGE.
UH, MORE RENTERS AND MORE PEOPLE LIVING IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUCH AS AN IZ UNIT SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, LEAFY GREEN WEST CAMBRIDGE.
UM, THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE INTENT BEHIND THE, UH, BEHIND THE ENDING INCLUSIONARY ZONING IN CAMBRIDGE, WHICH WAS, YOU KNOW, WHEN INITIATED THE MULTIFAMILY ZONING PROCESS.
UM, IT'S SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE THAT IN PRACTICE WHILE ALSO FREEZING NEIGHBORHOODS IN AMBER AS SUCH AS MAKING IT SO PROHIBITIVE, UH, TO CUT DOWN ANY TREES, YOU KNOW, AT ALL REGARDLESS OF REPLACING OR COMPENSATION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SUZANNE BLEIER, FOLLOWED BY PAUL KUIA, THEN HINDU.
SUZANNE, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I WANNA SPEAK ON TWO THINGS THIS AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING.
THE FIRST IS TO ASK YOU TO, UM, RECONSIDER YOUR DECISION ON LABS ON CAMBRIDGE.
AND THE REASON I BRING THIS UP IS THAT, UM, MUCH LIKE BANKS AND UH, CANNABIS STORES, IF OWNERS ARE GONNA BE HOLDING
[00:05:01]
OUT FOR LABS, THEY'RE GONNA BE HOLDING OUT FOR THE TOP DOLLAR, UM, LEASES AND THAT'S GONNA MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND IT'S GONNA MAKE IT MUCH HARDER FOR RESIDENTS OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD TO BE ABLE TO FIND STORES LOCALLY AND MEETING PLACES.UM, AND LABS GENERALLY ALSO HAVE, UH, NON-TRANSPARENT WINDOWS SO IT DOESN'T MAKE THEM REALLY INTERESTING IN LIVE PLACES TO WALK BY.
SO I HOPE YOU WILL RECONSIDER THAT.
I ALSO WANNA SPEAK TO THE, THE TREE ORDINANCE AND TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE FACING ENORMOUS GLOBAL WARMING AND MANY OF OUR, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS ARE ACTUALLY BUILT ON LAND THAT WE HAVE TAKEN.
BASICALLY THESE ARE LANDS THAT WERE RECUPERATED FROM, UH, FLOOD ZONES AND PUT TREES DUE IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING OXYGEN AND SHADE TO LOWER HEAT ISLAND IMPACTS, PARTICULARLY IN OUR DENSER NEIGHBORHOODS.
THEY ALSO ADDRESS THE WATER FROM RAIN AND SNOW AS IT IS COMING DOWN AND MOVING, UM, INTO THE SOIL AND BEYOND.
ALSO, THERE'S STUDIES AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY WHICH POINT TO HOW CRITICAL TREES AND GREEN SPACES BUSHES ARE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN JUST FOR DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH, AND WHETHER IT'S SHADE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT OR HEAT ISLAND IMPACTS OR JUST OUR BASIC SURVIVAL IN, IN THIS ERA OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
A ONE INCH, UM, UH, DIAMETER SAPLING.
MOST OF THEM, I THINK THREE QUARTERS DIE IN THE FIRST YEAR, SO YOU CAN'T OFFSET THE IMPORTANCE OF MATURE TREES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PAUL RELIA.
PAUL, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD PAUL, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF.
UM, HI, MY NAME IS PAUL RELIA NINE DASH FIVE BELLA CIRCLE.
I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK AGAINST POLICY ORDER FOUR.
IN SHORT, THE POLICY ORDER DOES VERY LITTLE TO ACHIEVE ITS STATED GOALS AND A LOT TO HARM OUR GOAL OF IMPUTE IMPROVING HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.
THE ONLY PRACTICAL CONSEQUENCE OF THIS POLICY ORDER IS TO ADD BUREAUCRACY TO THE HOME BUILDING PROCESS.
IF WE WANT TO SERIOUSLY FOCUSING ON PROTECTING AND ENCOURAGING CAMBRIDGE TREES A GOAL I APPLAUD, WE SHOULD REJECT THIS POLICY ORDER AND WRITE ONE THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.
TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL, WE SHOULD FUND A REFRESH OF OUR EXISTING SUCCESSFUL URBAN FORESTRY PLAN AND TRUST OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF'S GUIDANCE.
CAMBRIDGE HAS SEEN MEANINGFUL GROWTH IN TREE COVERED IN RECENT YEARS.
DESPITE THE MISLEADING CLAIMS IN THE POLICY ORDER AND STAFF ARE MORE THAN CAPABLE OF DESIGNING THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO MODERNIZE IT.
WE SHOULD STRIVE NOT MERELY TO PRESERVE OUR EXISTING TREE COVER, BUT TO GROW IT.
LET ME SUGGEST ONE AREA FOR IMPROVEMENT.
REPLACING POORLY UTILIZED HARD SURFACE WITH GREEN SPACE AND TREES.
A TRIP, A TYPICAL PARKING SPOT GENERATES A HUNDRED GALLONS OF STORMWATER RUNOFF OR ONE INCH RAINFALL.
THE THRESHOLD THAT TRIGGERS STORM WATER OVERFLOWS, I ESTIMATE BASED ON THE COST OF THE TANK, UH, TOBIN AND VASSAL THAT ARE STORED AND WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN IS PROVIDING AN $1,800 SUBSIDY TO EVERY PARKING SPOT IN CAMBRIDGE.
IF WE WANT TO GROW OUR TREE COVER, LET'S FOCUS ON CONVERTING ORALLY UTILIZED HARD SURFACE TO GREEN SPACE WITH TREES.
ADDING UNNECESSARY BUREAUCRACY FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF MAKING IT HARDER TO BUILD HOMES SHOULD BE BENEATH US IF WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR HEALTH AND OUR TREES.
I WELCOME SERIOUS POLICY PROPOSALS.
THIS POLICY ORDER IS NOT THAT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HINDU, FOLLOWED BY ALEJANDRO PAZ, THEN JAMES SAAL CHEN.
GOOD EVENING CITY COUNSELORS AND CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS.
MY NAME IS HINDU AND I LIVE AT 25 GROSS YEAR ROAD.
I WANT TO EXPRESS MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE POLICY WATER STRENGTHENING TREE PROTECTION IN CAMBRIDGE.
I WANT TO TELL YOU WHY THIS IS PERSONAL TO ME.
WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I WERE SEARCHING FOR A HOME IN CAMBRIDGE, WE FELL IN LOVE WITH OURS THE MOMENT WE SAW A MAGNIFICENT NORWAY MAPLE IN THE BACKYARD.
MY HUSBAND WHO'S SITTING HERE, HIS CHINESE NAME IS YON AND F MEANS MAPLE.
SO WHEN WE SAW THIS NAMESAKE TREE, WE FELT THE HOUSE WAS MEANT TO BE.
OUR MAPLE IS 65 FEET TALL, 30 INCHES IN DIAMETER, AND ITS CANOPY SPANS THE BACKYARD OF FOUR ADJACENT LOTS.
IT IS CERTIFIED BY A LICENSED ARBORIST AS AN EXCEPTIONAL TREE UNDER CAMBRIDGE'S LOCAL TREE ORDINANCE.
THAT TREE IS NOW AT SERIOUS RISK.
THE PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION AT 19 LEXINGTON AVENUE, THE LOT DIRECTLY ABUTTING OUR WOULD EXCAVATE DIRECTLY INTO ITS CRITICAL ROOT ZONE AS CLOSE AS TWO FEET FROM THE TRUNK BASE.
THE CERTIFIED ABST CONCLUDES THAT
[00:10:01]
THIS IS LIKELY VERY LIKELY TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE TREE.A NORWAY MAPLE OF THIS SIZE DEPENDS ON THE SHALLOW ROOT SYSTEM FOR ITS STRUCTURAL SUPPORT.
CUTTING THROUGH THESE ROOTS DOESN'T JUST HARM THE TREE.
IT CAN DESTABILIZE A 65 FOOT GIANT STANDING NEAR FOUR RESIDENCES AND THEIR OCCUPANTS.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE DURING A STORM WOULD BE CATASTROPHIC.
THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT TREE, THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT HOUSING.
IT IS A MATTER OF SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC SAFETY.
OUR SITUATION ILLUSTRATES EXACTLY THE GAP.
THIS POLICY ORDER, UH, ADDRESSES UNDER CURRENT RULES, DEVELOPERS ARE NOT ADEQUATELY HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE HOUSE AND STABILITY OF SIGNIFICANT AND EXCEPTIONAL TREES ON ABUTTING PROPERTIES.
THIS ORDER, THE GAP TIME EXPIRED.
WE URGE THE COUNCIL TO PASS IT TONIGHT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALEJANDRO PAZ, FOLLOWED BY JAMES ZAL, THEN MAX KAPLAN.
ALEJANDRO, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UM, MY NAME IS ALEJANDRO PA, UH, AND I LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE PORT.
I AM COMMENTING ON POLICY ORDER NUMBER FOUR.
UM, I WANTED TO SAY THAT I OPPOSE, UH, THIS ATTEMPT TO UPDATE THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE, WHICH I BELIEVE IS CURRENTLY WORKING WELL.
SO, UH, ACCORDING TO THE 2025 TREE CANOPY ASSESSMENT, THERE WAS A 5% ABSOLUTE INCREASE IN THE CITY'S TREE CANOPY FROM 2018 TO 24.
AND SO WITH THIS TREND IN MIND, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE PREMATURE TO CURRENTLY REVISIT, UH, THIS, UM, ORDINANCE, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF HOW, UH, THE PROPOSED, UH, POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS COULD SLOW DOWN, UH, THE CITY'S CURRENT EFFORTS TO MAKE IT EASIER TO BUILD HOUSING.
SO IN LIGHT OF THAT, I URGE THE CITY TO, UH, CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE NO ON THIS POLICY ORDER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JAMES ZAL.
THANK YOU MRS. JAMES Z 2 0 3 PEMBERTON STREET.
CAMBRIDGE'S STREET PROTECTION ORDINANCE IS ALREADY SHOWING RESULTS IN GROWING OUR TREE CANOPY.
THIS EFFORT HAS TAKEN YEARS AND IT'LL PROBABLY TAKE EVEN LONGER.
OUR HOUSING SHORTAGE IS ANOTHER LONG-TERM ISSUE, ONE THAT, UH, ADVERSELY AFFECTS TOO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR CITY.
BUT THE CHANGES SUGGESTED IN THIS POLICY ORDER SEEMED DIRECTLY TARGETED AT BADLY NEEDED ADDITIONAL HOUSING AS IF THERE WERE NO BETTER WAY TO PROTECT TREES THAN TO BLOCK RESIDENCES FOR PEOPLE WHO WOULD SHARE IN THEIR BENEFITS.
THE IDEA OF REQUIRING APPROVAL OF BUILDING PLANS BEFORE GETTING A TREE REMOVAL PERMIT MEANS THAT EVEN IF THE TREE PERMIT IS APPROVED, THE CHANGED BUILDING PLANS WILL THEN NEED TO GO THROUGH APPROVAL AGAIN.
IN ADDITION, THE SPONSORS HAVE CHOSEN TO IMPORT ZONING CONCEPTS LIKE SETBACKS AND SPECIAL PERMITS, WHICH BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN PREVENTING HOUSING CONSTRUCTION FOR DECADES.
SPECIAL PERMIT HEARINGS ALONG WITH COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND UH, PLANNING BOARD DESIGN REVIEWS HAVE BECOME VENUES FOR FIERCE POWER FIGHTS AS PEOPLE WHO HAVE STABLE HOUSING TRY TO DELAY OR BLOCK HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED IT.
FAIR ACCESS TO HOUSING HAS BEEN THE LAW IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1968.
ALTHOUGH SOME LAWS AND PRINCIPLES ARE NOW BEING CAST ASIDE LATELY, I HOPE THAT CAMBRIDGE WILL NOT GO DOWN THAT PATH.
WITH RESPECT TO HOUSING IN OUR CITY, PLEASE DO NOT PASS THIS POLICY ORDER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MAX KAPLAN, FOLLOWED BY NEIL MILLER, THEN NONI VALENTINE MAX.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
HI, THIS IS MAX KAPLAN 45 YORKS ROAD UNIT 3 0 5.
I'M CALLING IN TO OPPOSE POLICY ORDER FOUR.
UH, THIS POLICY ORDER SEEMS REALLY HARMLESS AT FIRST.
WHO DOESN'T LOVE TREES, BUT LIKE SO MANY THINGS, THERE'S A HIDDEN TRADE OFF HERE AND ANYONE WHO KNOWS THE HISTORY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN CAMBRIDGE CAN SEE THAT WHAT LOOKS LIKE A TREE ORDINANCE IS ACTUALLY AN ATTEMPT TO BLOCK HOUSING.
WE HAVE AN EXISTING TREE ORDINANCE THAT'S TOTALLY SUFFICIENT, AS MANY BEFORE ME HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT.
AND THIS POLICY ORDER ADDS NOTHING BUT AN EXTRA PATHWAY FOR WEALTHY RESIDENTS TO BLOCK NEEDED MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
IF WE TRULY WANTED TO PROTECT AND ADD TREES, THERE ARE TONS OF POLICIES THAT WE
[00:15:01]
COULD ADOPT AND I WOULD SUPPORT MANY OF THEM.UH, PAUL KUIA SPOKE BEFORE ME ABOUT A FEW OF THEM THAT I WOULD SUPPORT, BUT THIS POLICY ORDER AIN'T IT, AND I URGE THE COUNSEL NOT TO PASS IT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NEIL MILLER.
WE'RE GOING TO GO TO NONI VALENTINE.
NONI VALENTINE, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF.
UH, NONI VALENTINE, WASHINGTON AVE.
I TURNED THE CORNER TO MY STREET AND SAW THAT THE THRIVING STREET TREE WAS DEAD.
WHAT HAPPENED? I WAS A, UH, IT WAS A REMINDER THAT STREET TREES ARE VULNERABLE.
IT TAKES 35 YEARS FOR ONE IF IT DOES SURVIVE TO STORE THE CARBON OF ONE MATURE TREE.
BUT A TREE CAN BE TAKEN DOWN IN MINUTES.
THERE GOES CARBON STORAGE, THERE GOES TRANSPIRATION THAT COOLS US.
THERE GOES HABITAT FOR TINY AND BIGGER LIFE.
THERE GOES STRUCTURE OF SOIL THAT HOLDS WATER.
THERE GOES CHEMICAL SIGNALING THAT PESTS ARE NEARBY.
THERE GOES REGULATION OF CLIMATE AND WATER CYCLES.
WE TAKE THESE OFFERINGS UTTERLY FOR GRANTED.
IF WE'RE NOT STRUGGLING THESE DAYS OVER TAKING DOWN A TREE.
IT'S A BIT LIKE TEASING NATURE, WHOSE BALANCING ACT IS UNDER STRAIN AS IF TO SAY, HOW FAR CAN YOU GO? WE'RE INVITING WATER RUNOFF, EXHAUSTING HEAT, AND A DROUGHT AND FLOOD CYCLE.
WE'RE DIS INVITING BIRDS AND POLLINATING INSECTS AS IF THEY ALSO DON'T KEEP US GOING WITH INCREASING OUR DEVELOPMENT.
WE NEED TO BE SMART ABOUT BUILDING IN TREE PROTECTION AT EVERY TURN TO GET THROUGH THIS CENTURY INTACT.
WE'RE IN A NEW REALITY THAT WE HAVEN'T CAUGHT UP WITH YET, WHICH REQUIRES LIVING SYSTEM CENTERED BUILDING.
TREES ARE LIVING SYSTEMS. WE CAN'T ASSUME WE'LL REPLACE THEM WHILE MAXIMIZING FLOOR SPACE, BUT NEED TO PUT EXISTING TREES CLOSE TO THE HEART OF THE BLUEPRINTS.
WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PLANT OUR WAY OUT OF THIS.
HAVE A SHAKE YOUR START AND NEED OPTIMAL CONDITIONS OF SOIL, VOLUME, SPACE, WATER, AND LIGHT.
PLEASE INCREASE TREE PROTECTION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALEXANDER LEMAN, FOLLOWED BY HEDY ABEL.
THEN SASHA JOYCE LOUDERBACK ALEXANDER, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
HI, UH, MY NAME IS ALEX LUMAN.
I LIVE AT, UH, 3 7 8 WASHINGTON STREET AND I'M SPEAKING ON THE TOPIC OF THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
UH, JUST YESTERDAY, THE BARRIER ORGANIZATION PENINSULA FOR EVERYONE PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE.
THE TITLE ATHERTON SPENT 140 5K TO DELAY CALTRAIN ELECTRIFICATION.
THE REST OF US PAID 400 MILLION AND WAITED THREE EXTRA YEARS.
IN FEBRUARY, 2015, JUST AS THE CALTRAN ELECTRIFICATION PROJECT CLEARED ITS ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, ATHERTON FILED A LAWSUIT UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT CITING AMONG OTHER THINGS TREE REMOVAL.
ATHERTON ULTIMATELY LOST THE LAWSUIT.
THE TREES CAME DOWN AND THE TRAINS GOT BUILT, BUT THE LAWSUIT CAUSED DELAYS, WHICH CASCADED INTO YEARS.
THE DELAYS LED TO HUNDREDS AND MILLIONS IN COST OVERRUNS.
AND SO NOW THERE IS LESS MONEY IN POLITICAL WILL LEFT FOR FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE PRODUCTS, PROJECTS SONO WAY ATHERTON DID WIN AND THEY CREATED A MULTI-YEAR DELAY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF REAL GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE NAME OF THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT.
THE PROPOSAL TO EXPAND THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE MAY NOT QUITE BE APPLES TO APPLES WITH THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT.
THE CARTOONISHLY, WEALTHY ATHERTON VILLAINS OF THE CALTRAIN STORY AREN'T QUITE THE SAME AS THE HOMEOWNERS OF CAMBRIDGE, BUT THE POLICY ORDER STATES MANY TREES ON PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PROPERTY ARE NOW BEING CUT DOWN AS AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF THE MULTIFAMILY ORDINANCE PERHAPS, BUT SURELY LOGIC WOULD SUGGEST THAT FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF HOUSING, MULTIFAMILY CONSTRUCTION WOULD PRESERVE MORE ROOM FOR TREES AND NOT LESS.
THE POLICY ORDER ALSO FAILS TO NOTE THAT THE CAMBRIDGE CANOPY HAS INCREASED 5% FROM 2018 TO 2024.
SO THE ALLUDED TO PROBLEM OF TREE LOSS DOESN'T SEEM WELL ESTABLISHED.
AND SO THIS POLICY ORDER SEEMS LIKE A SOLUTION IN SEARCH OF A PROBLEM, UNLESS OF COURSE THE PROBLEM THAT THIS IS A SOLUTION FOR IS NOT TREE CANOPY, BUT IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ITSELF.
AND SO IN THE IMMORTAL WORDS OF DAVID MONICA OF MARBLEHEAD, MASSACHUSETTS, ARE WE BEING PHRASE THANK YOU.
[00:20:01]
IS HEDY SIBEL, FOLLOWED BY SASHA JOYCE LAUTERBACH HEDY.I URGE THE COUNCIL TO VOTE FOR POLICY FOUR.
HOW IMPORTANT ARE TREES ECOLOGIST? SUSAN SARD SAYS, WHEN A FOREST BREATHES OUT, WE BREATHE IN.
WE ARE LITERALLY INTER INTERDEPENDENT TREES DON'T TAKE, THEY GIVE SHADE, AIR, HABITAT, FOOD, COMMUNITY, AND JOY TONIGHT, I HOPE YOU CAN GIVE FOR THEM.
I SEE TOO MANY HEALTHY TREES COMING DOWN IN CAMBRIDGE.
IT'S HEARTBREAKING AND IT'S ILLOGICAL.
SHOULD WE BE LOSING TREES WHEN THE CAMBRIDGE URBAN FOREST IS PLANNING TO INCREASE THE CANOPY FROM 30 TO 35% COVERAGE? WE NEED TO REVIEW THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR REMOVAL.
LARGE TREES CAPTURE MORE CARBON THAN SAPLING REPLACEMENTS.
IT WOULD BENEFIT OUR CITY TO PRESERVE OUR SIGNIFICANT AND EXCEPTIONAL TREES AND TO GIVE THESE TREES GREATER WEIGHT.
WHEN DECIDING ON PERMITS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION DESIGNS, WE MUST ENCOURAGE BUILDERS TO AVOID THE REMOVAL OF SIGNIFICANT AND EXCEPTIONAL TREES.
PUBLIC STREET TREES ALSO NEED OUR PROTECTION.
THEY MITIGATE HEAT AND THEIR PRESENCE CREATES A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND WELLBEING.
SUMMER SHADE FROM A WELL-PLACED TREE BLOCKS 70 TO 90% OF SOLAR RADIATION AND REDUCES AIR CONDITIONING NEEDS BY 20 TO 35% THAT WE HAVE LARGER, OLDER TREES ON OUR STREETS IS A MIRACLE FOR THESE TREES ARE PLANTED AS ISOLATED SPECIES IN HEAT PRODUCING CONCRETE AND SUBJECTED TO ROAD SALT TREES WORK TO IMPROVE OUR LIVES AND HEALTH, REGARDLESS OF INCOME OR POLITICAL AFFILIATION THERE.
IF THERE IS A SINGLE BASELINE ACTION TOWARD CLIMATE EQUITY, IT IS TO PRESERVE AND PLANT TREES IN ALL NEIGHBORHOODS.
PLEASE AMEND AND STRENGTHEN THIS.
KEEP OUR TREES FOR THOSE WHOSE TIME EXPIRES.
YOU ARE WELCOME TO PLEASE EMAIL YOUR REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENT TO CITY COUNCIL@CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO SPEAKER NUMBER 13, SASHA JOYCE LAUTERBACH, FOLLOWED BY YOUNG KIM.
THERE'S SOMEHOW IS, UH, I THAT'S MY WIFE.
SHE'S THE ONE WHO OWNS THE PROPERTY, SO MAYBE THAT'S WHERE THE CONFUSION IS.
IF YOU WANT, CAN STATE YOUR FULL NAME FOR THE RECORD.
MAYOR SIDDIQUI AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY AGAINST POLICY ORDER NUMBER FOUR.
THIS CB SIR, IF YOU CAN PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
YES, MY, MY NAME IS PETER STURGIS AND I LIVE AT 98 LEXINGTON AVENUE.
MY WIFE AND I HAVE LIVED IN OUR TWO FAMILY HOUSE FOR OVER 50 YEARS NOW WITH THREE GENERATIONS OF OUR FAMILY.
WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING IN CAMBRIDGE.
IN FACT, JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WORKING WITH OTHER NEIGHBORS, WE SAVED A THREE FAMILY ON LEXINGTON AVENUE FROM BEING TORN DOWN AND ADDED TO AN EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY THIS EVENING.
I'M HERE TO TESTIFY AS AN ABUTTER ABOUT A VERY SPECIFIC CONCERN IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AT 90 LEXINGTON AVENUE, THE POSSIBLE DESTRUCTION OF A NUMBER OF LARGE SIGNIFICANT TREES ON OUR PROPERTY.
WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED, LIKE OUR NEIGHBOR, THAT BY AN ARBORIST THAT THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE OF THESE TREES EXTENDS INTO THE CONSTRUCTION FOOTPRINT OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT, WHICH INCLUDES THE EXCAVATION OF THE ENTIRE BACKYARD TO CREATE A BASEMENT APARTMENT.
THIS EXCAVATION WILL CLEARLY ENDANGER THESE TREES, LIKELY KILLING THEM AND CAUSING THEM TO FALL, POSSIBLY INJURING PEOPLE OR DAMAGING NEIGHBORING PROPERTY.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, AND AS WAS JUST ALLUDED TO, TREES OF THESE SIZES ARE IRREPLACEABLE, AT LEAST DURING MY AND MY CHILDREN'S LIFETIME.
THE POLICY ORDER BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IS DESIGNED TO GIVE THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO REVIEW AND CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
IT IS NOT AMENDING THE ORDINANCE AT THIS TIME.
WITH THE RIGHT PROTECTIONS IN PLACE, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND URBAN CANOPY PRESERVATION NEED NOT BE IN CONFLICT.
CAMBRIDGE'S TREES ARE AN ASSET WORTH PROTECTING FOR ALL RESIDENTS, INCLUDING THOSE IN NEIGHBORHOODS MOST AFFECTED BY THE INCREASED URBAN DE DENSITY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS YOUNG KIM, FOLLOWED BY ELIZABETH KEATING, THEN LIZ LOYA YOUNG.
THE WAY THE BUDGET APP APPROPRIATION AUTHORIZATION IS IN CALENDAR.
[00:25:01]
THREE THROUGH 14 ARE BEING PRESENTED.TONIGHT IS EXACTLY THE TYPE OF ISSUES CITY COUNCIL RULES TO REFORM IN CALENDAR.
ITEM TWO SHOULD BE ADDRESSING, BUT IT'S NOT.
THE LARGER AND LONGER LIVED IN AND INITIATIVE BECOMES THE MORE IMPORTANT IT IS THAT THE PUBLIC BE ABLE TO TRACE ITS COMPLETE FINANCIAL HISTORY.
GOOD GOVERNANCE REQUIRES NOT ONLY AUTHORIZATION OF SPENDING, BUT TRACEABILITY OF SPENDING ACROSS THE ENTIRE LIFECYCLE OF AN INITIATIVE.
YOU ADOPTED A POLICY ORDER ON MARCH 2ND DIRECTING THAT THE CITY MANAGER'S RECONCILIATION REPORT BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE FINANCIAL COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION BEFORE ADDITIONAL CAPITAL APPROPRIATION ARE VOTED.
YET TONIGHT YOU ARE BEING ASKED TO VOTE ON THOSE APPROPRIATIONS AND THE PUBLIC RECORD DOES NOT CLEARLY SHOW THAT THE THAT REVIEW CONNECTS TO THE ACTIONS BEFORE YOU.
THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD SET A STANDARD BY ENSURING THAT COUNCIL DIRECTION COMMITTEE REVIEW, STAFF WORK, PUBLIC INPUT AND FINAL ACTION CAN BE EASILY TRACED TOGETHER WHEN THEY CANNOT.
THE PROCESS ITSELF NEEDS FIXING.
THE SAME PRINCIPLE APPLIES BEYOND THE CAPITAL APPROPRIATION.
WE ARE HEARING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MFH AMENDMENTS AND THERE IS A TREE PROTECTION POLICY ORDER ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
BUT NO MATTER HOW CAREFULLY THE CITY AMEN THE UH, ORDINANCES, THOSE EFFORTS WILL HAVE LIMITED VALUE IF RESIDENTS ARE NOT GIVEN A MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE CONCERNS.
WHILE THOSE CONCERNS CAN STILL AFFECT THE OUTCOME THE COUNCIL SHOULD TAKE THANK THE LONG VIEW.
IF YOU CAN PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ELIZABETH KEATING, FOLLOWED BY LIZ LOYA, THEN KAREN BETTE.
HI, THIS IS ELIZABETH KEATING.
I LIVE AT AIDING LEXINGTON AVENUE AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER FOUR, STRENGTHENING THE TREE PROTECTION.
WHAT WE HAVE IS CURRENT SITUATION WHERE TWO REALLY IMPORTANT PRIORITIES FOR THE CITY.
THE SECOND IS ADDRESSING THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE OR INCLUSION.
IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I'D LIKE TO PRESS THE CITY COUNCIL TO PLEASE SPEND MORE TIME LOOKING AT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE IS CONSTRUCTION.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF EFFECTS THAT ARE NEGATIVE.
ONE IS THE DAMAGE TO THE ROOTS AS THE CONSTRUCTION IS OCCURRING.
THE SECOND IS THE LONG-TERM EFFECT OF HAVING PERMANENT STRUCTURES PLACED OVER THE ROOT STRUCTURE.
STAR STARVING THE TREES OF WATER.
THIS IS NOT A HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION, THIS IS NOT A REASON.
THIS IS NOT BEING DONE TO DELAY CONSTRUCTION.
THIS IS A MATTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
I WANNA REFER YOU TO ACTUALLY THE SCENARIO WHEN HURRICANE SANDY STRUCK THE CITY, UH, ON THAT DAY, TWO VERY LARGE TREES WENT DOWN ON LARGE ROAD WHERE I LIVED AT THE TIME.
IT WENT DOWN BETWEEN TWO HOUSES, THE FIRST TREE DAMAGING THE ROOF IN UPPER FLOORS.
THE SECOND TREE WENT DOWN ON MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY DIRECTLY ON TOP OF THE HOUSE LEVELING THE HOUSE.
I REALLY WOULD LIKE THE CITY, UH, COUNCIL TO PLEASE CONSIDER THIS AS A SERIOUS THING THAT HAS IMPACT ON PEOPLE'S PERSONAL SAFETY AND ON PROPERTY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LIZ LOYA, FOLLOWED BY KAREN BURETTE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
IF YOU CAN TRY ON MUTING AGAIN.
I'M SPEAKING IN STRONG SUPPORT OF PROTECTING OUR MATURE TREE CANOPY.
MATURE TREES PROVIDE EX EXPONENTIALLY GREATER BENEFITS THAN YOUNG PLANTINGS.
AND ONCE THEY'RE REMOVED, THOSE BENEFITS ARE LOST FOR DECADES.
ONCE A MATURE TREE IS GONE, IT IS NOT REPLACED IN OUR LIFETIME.
A SINGLE MATURE TREE CAN ABSORB ROUGHLY 40 TO 50 POUNDS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EACH YEAR, HELPING TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE AT A MEANINGFUL SCALE.
IT CAN ALSO INTERCEPT AND ABSORB HUNDREDS TO THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF STORM WATER ANNUALLY, OFTEN ESTIMATED BETWEEN 704,000 GALLONS, REDUCING RUNOFF AND HELPING PREVENT FLOODING IN OUR INCREASINGLY VULNERABLE URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
WHILE LIVING AT 37 HOMER AVENUE, ONE OF THE FAMILIES IN OUR FOUR UNIT BUILDING WANTED TO CUT DOWN A HUNDRED PLUS YEAR OLD TREE.
[00:30:01]
AFTER DISCUSSING HOW MUCH WATER IT RETAINS AND HOW OUR BUILDING WAS IN A FLOOD ZONE, THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND.THEY ARE NOW GRATEFUL THE TREE REMAINS BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT CONSIDERED THE IMPACT OF FLOODING.
AND IN A DENSE CITY LIKE CAMBRIDGE, THESE FUNCTIONS ARE CRITICAL.
WHILE MATURE TREES ARE REMOVED, WHEN MATURE TREES ARE REMOVED, WE LOSE IMMEDIATE COOLING, FLOOD PROTECTION, AND AIR QUALITY BENEFITS THAT SIMPLY CANNOT BE REPLACED BY PLANTING SAPLINGS, IT'S MATURE TREES.
PROTECTING MATURE TREES IS ONE OF THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE AND IMPACTFUL CLIMATE ACTIONS WE CAN TAKE.
I URGE THE COUNCIL TO STRENGTHEN PROTECTIONS SPECIFICALLY FOR TREES.
ONCE A MATURE TREE IS GONE, IT'S NOT REPLACED IN OUR LIFETIME.
PLEASE AP TO PRESERVE WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE AND FOR THE INCREDIBLE SPECIES THAT CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND I DO APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S CONVERSATION AND POINTS THAT THEY'VE BROUGHT UP BOTH FOR AND AGAINST THE POLICY ORDER.
AND IT IS A HARD CONVERSATION, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WHERE WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR TREES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KAREN VETTE, FOLLOWED BY ANDREW ZU, THEN GIA JING LEE.
BRUSH IT FROM 51 CUSHING STREET IN STRAWBERRY HILL AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE POLICY ORDER FOR THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
MATURE TREES ARE VITAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR CITY THAT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE STORMWATER RUNOFF.
THEY LOWER PEAK VOLUMES DURING SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS AND THEY MITIGATE LOCALIZED FLOODING THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WHILE VALUABLE ALTERNATIVES LIKE GREEN ROOFS AND PERMEABLE PAVERS CAN REPLICATE THE MASSIVE MAINTENANCE FREE STORMWATER CAPACITY OF MATURE TREES.
A SINGLE TREE, AS LIZ JUST SAID, CAN INTERCEPT THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF WATER ANNUALLY THAT WATER IS CAPTURED LIKE A SPONGE AND IT EVAPORATES.
IT NEVER HITS THE GROUND, ALLOWING THE GROUND TO ABSORB MORE STORM WATER AND ALSO THE ROOTS OF THE TREE ARE DRAWING UP HUNDREDS OF GALLONS OF SOIL DAILY AT TIMES IF IT'S A LARGE MATURE TREE.
SO IT'S AN INCREDIBLE ASSET TO OUR STORM WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
THEY ALSO FILTER OUT URBAN POLLUTANTS BEFORE IT REACHES THE ALEWIFE BROOK AND BEFORE IT REACHES THE CHARLES RIVER, WHILE ALSO REDUCING THE VOLUME OF RUNOFF THAT WOULD TRIGGER COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW EVENTS AND CAUSE TOXIC WASTE TO ENTER RESIDENTIAL, UM, RESIDENTIAL AREAS NEARBY.
SO I WANNA NOTE THAT I AM PRO DENSITY.
I THINK THERE IS ROOM FOR MORE HOUSING IN CAMBRIDGE, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S AT ALL COSTS.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR TREES.
SO WITH AN ALREADY STRAINED CITY STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, RISING WATER TABLES, AND INCREASING STORM INTENSITIES, STRENGTHENING THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE IS CRITICAL NOW MORE THAN EVER TO PROTECT THESE INDISPENSABLE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS. THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANDREW ZOO.
SO AND I LIVE AT 2 9 2 PROSPECT STREET.
I SPEAK TODAY IN STRONG OPPOSITION TO POLICY ORDER FOUR.
SPEAKING AS A PUBLIC TRANSIT ADVOCATE.
I'VE HAD TO WATCH TIME AND TIME AGAIN AS CONSERVATIVES, REACTIONARIES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WEALTHY HOMEOWNERS USE AND ABUSE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS TO DESTROY SOUND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY.
PEOPLE WANT TO WORK AND STUDY HERE IN CAMBRIDGE.
THAT IS AN UNDENIABLE FACT AND THAT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE ANYTIME SOON.
AND SECONDLY, IF THOSE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WORK AND STUDY HERE CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE HERE, THEY'RE GOING TO GO LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND I CAN ASSURE YOU, AS SOMEONE WHO USED TO LIVE IN SUBURBIA FOR A MAJORITY OF MY LIFE, THEY ARE FAR LESS KIND OF TREES OUT THERE THAN THEY ARE HERE.
OR TO PUT IT IN OTHER TERMS, FOR EVERY FLOOR, EVERY STORY, EVERY UNIT OF HOUSING WE GIVE UP ON BUILDING HERE BECAUSE GOD FORBID WE CUT DOWN ONE TREE.
IT IS ACRES, A FOREST WETLAND, AND NATURAL HABITAT DESTROYED OUT THERE.
1740 MASS HAVE IS GOING TO PUT 71 UNITS ON ONE AND A HALF ACRES IN LINFIELD.
36 ACRES JUST GOT FLATTENED FOR 66 UNITS.
ONE COUNSELOR WANTS TO BLOCK HOUSING TO PROTECT TREES.
LET'S TALK ABOUT 22 ACRES OF FOREST GONE IN HOPKINSON.
ANOTHER COUNSELOR WANTS TO PREVENT MARKET RATE HOUSING 'CAUSE IT'S NOT AFFORDABLE ENOUGH.
I HEAR ANOTHER 13 ACRES OF WETLAND PAVED FOR MCMANSIONS IN MARLBORO IN A STATE AND COUNTRY WHERE THE GREATEST SOURCE OF PERMANENT DEFORESTATION IS LOW DENSITY OR SUBURBAN SPRAWL.
BUILDING TALLER AND DENSER IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPERATIVE AND I AM HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED IN THE SPONSORS OF THIS POLICY ORDERS, ATTEMPTS TO CRY OUT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT WHILE SMOTHERING INTO CRIB.
THE HOUSING POLICIES OUR CITY HAS CREATED THAT COULD HELP THE ENVIRONMENT SUPPORTING POLICY ORDER FOUR IS NOT GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY.
IT IS ENVIRONMENTAL IRRESPONSIBILITY
[00:35:01]
AND COMPLETE HYPOCRISY FROM COUNSELORS AND CITIZENS SEEMINGLY SO CONCERNED ABOUT IT.SO DO THE RIGHT THING AND END THIS CHARADE RIGHT NOW BY VOTING AGAINST POLICY ORDER FOUR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GIA JING LEE, FOLLOWED BY JANA ODETTE, THEN ZION SHEAN.
WE'RE AT SPEAKER NUMBER 20, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I'M SPEAKING ON IN REFERENCE TO CMA 20 26 70 ON THE ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN AMENDMENTS POLICY ORDER NUMBER FOUR ON TREE PROTECTION AND FY 27 BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
I'M A CAMBRIDGE RESIDENT MEDICAL SCIENTIST, SYSTEM STRATEGIST AND VOLUNTEER WITH THE CITY'S COMPOSTING AND RECYCLING PROGRAMS AT THE CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
CAMBRIDGE HAS MADE MEANINGFUL COMMIT COMMITMENTS TO CLIMATE RESILIENCE, ZERO WASTE AND PUBLIC HEALTH THAT IS COMMENDABLE, BUT POLICY LEVEL COMMITMENTS MUST FLOW CONSISTENTLY THROUGH EVERY DEPARTMENT AND EVERY CAPITAL DECISION.
WHEN THEY DON'T, WE HAVE AN IMPLEMENTATION GAP DEPENDING AND HENFIELD REPORT UNDER ARTICLE 20 26 30 IS ONE CURRENT EXAMPLE.
I PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED A DETAILED TECHNICAL BRIEF TO THE CITY ON THIS PROJECT.
THE UPDATED DPW PLANTS POSTED ON MAY 27TH WITHOUT PUBLIC REVIEW PROPOSED REPLACING 53,000 SQUARE FEET OF NATURAL GREEN SPACE WITH SYNTHETIC MATERIAL DIRECTLY CONTRADICTING OUR ZERO WASTE AND CLIMATE GOALS.
END OF LIVE TURF RECYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE REMAINS LARGELY UNAVAILABLE IN THE US AND LONG-TERM PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS FOR CHILDREN ARE STILL BEING STUDIED.
TO DATE, TO DATE, NEARLY 2000 RESIDENTS HAVE SIGNED A PETITION.
TRANSPARENT GOVERNANCE MEANS ENGAGEMENT HAPPENS BEFORE DECISIONS ARE MADE, NOT AFTER.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT AS A DEMONSTRATION THAT CAMBRIDGE'S VALUES APPLY CONSISTENTLY ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS, ALL PROJECTS, AND ALL COMMITMENTS.
WE ARE GONNA GO BACK FOR A MINUTE TO BRANDON WATERS.
BRENNAN, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I LIVE AT 14 REMINGTON STREET.
UH, I'M CALLING IN TODAY TO VOICE MY OPPOSITION AGAINST THE POLICY ORDERS TO ADD NEW REQUIREMENTS TO THE 2021 TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
AS WORDED, IT WILL HARM OUR CITY'S ABILITY TO HOUSE ITS RESIDENTS.
OUR CITY RESIDENTS, WHEN SURVEYED ALWAYS LIST THE COST OF LIVING AS THEIR TOP PRIORITY, UM, AND THEIR TOP PRIORITY FOR THE COUNCIL.
THEY'VE ALSO VOTED TO THIS EFFECT IN PREVIOUS ELECTION, CULMINATING IN THE MULTI ZONING FAMILY REHAUL LAST YEAR.
THE POLICY, THESE POLICY ORDERS MAKE IT HARDER TO BUILD HOUSING IN CAMBRIDGE AND HARDER TO HOUSE OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, MOREOVER, DENSE HOUSING IS GREAT ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY.
EVERY TIME A SMALL HOUSE FOR ONE FAMILY OR A LARGE MULTI MANSION, UM, IS TURNED INTO AN APARTMENT BUILDING, MORE RESIDENTS CAN LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE, WHICH MEANS THEY DON'T LIVE FAR AWAY.
THEY DON'T DRIVE INTO THE CITY.
UM, THEY CAN GIVE UP THEIR CARS IF THEY WISH, ET CETERA.
UH, THESE HAVE MASSIVE POSITIVE BENEFITS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
PLEASE ENSURE THESE NEW PROPOSALS ARE SOUND, ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND, AND ACTUALLY MEET OUR CLIMATE RULES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JANA ODETTE, FOLLOWED BY ZION SHEERAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US SPEAK TONIGHT.
UM, I'M SPEAKING STRONG, UM, SUPPORT FOR POLICY ORDER NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS TO INCREASE THE TREE CANOPY, UM, PROTECTION.
AND I THINK THAT THE, THE BASIC ISSUE HERE, WHICH WAS ARTICULATED BEFORE I GOT HERE, BUT PRE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS, WAS THAT WE ARE BOTH TRYING TO PRESERVE, UM, AN EXISTING AND VERY, VERY IMPORTANT STORM WATER RUNOFF.
FOR EXAMPLE, UM, HABITAT SHADE, GIVING MATURE TREES VERSUS, UH, INCREASING THE DENSITY OF OUR CITY.
AND CLEARLY THOSE ARE, THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE IN CONFLICT, BUT THEY SEEM TO BE IN CONFLICT RIGHT NOW.
UM, WHAT I WANTED TO SAY WAS THAT I THINK THAT UM, NOT ONLY IS THE STORM WATER RUNOFF EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, AND I MEAN EXTREMELY, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT MOST OF THE SAPLINGS THAT ARE PLANTED DON'T SURVIVE.
SO WHILE IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE, AND I LIVE ON LARGE ROAD WHERE, UH,
[00:40:01]
LIZ KEATING TALKED ABOUT HURRICANE SANDY AND THE FACT THAT, UM, WHAT SHE DIDN'T SAY WAS THAT THE, THE FACT THAT THE WATER SEWER SEPARATION PROJECT HAD JUST GONE THROUGH.AND SO THEY HAD, UM, GONE RIGHT THROUGH THE ROOTS OF, OF VERY MATURE TREES.
SO THAT'S WHY THE WIND BLEW THOSE TREES OVER.
UM, I THINK THAT THE DEAL IS THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT THE IMPACT WE'RE HAVING ON OUR STREETS AND ON OUR PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING HERE.
UH, WHAT IT MIGHT BE FOR, UH, JUST TO, TO TO TO TAKE DOWN MATURE TREES.
AND I'M SOMEDAY I WILL ACTUALLY WRITE THESE OUT BEFORE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ZION SHEAN, FOLLOWED BY OWEN POWER, THEN JESSICA GRIMSBY.
ZION SHEAN, UH, WASHINGTON STREET.
UM, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT POLICY ORDER NUMBER FOUR.
UM, UM, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT POLICY NUMBER ORDER NUMBER FOUR.
UM, PERSONALLY, I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY TODAY AND I DECIDED WHEN I WALKED IN, MY GRANDFATHER USED TO ALWAYS SAY THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE THE NEXT GENERATION BETTER THAN THE PRIOR ONE.
HE WANTED HIS GENERATION TO BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE ACCESSIBILITY TO ACCESS THAN HIS FATHER DID, AND HE WANTED TO SEE HIS SON AND HIS GRANDSON AND SO ON HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW LOOKING AT IT, HOUSING MARKET, YEAH, IT'S NOT AS GOOD.
IT'S NOT AS EASY FOR US TO BUY HOMES.
IT'S ALSO NOT AS EASY FOR US TO PAY FOR COLLEGE.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT OTHER GENERATIONS DID.
DO WE REALLY WANT TO ADD THE ENVIRONMENT ONTO THAT.
THE ENVIRONMENT IS SOMETHING THAT IF WE SCREW IT UP, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK IN FIVE YEARS, 10 YEARS, 50 YEARS FROM NOW AND GO, OH YEAH, THAT WAS TOO BAD, WE'RE GONNA FIX IT TOMORROW.
SO I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WHEN WE'RE JUST MAKING THESE DECISIONS ABOUT TREES THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND A LOT LONGER THAN A LOT OF US, AND WE'LL BE HERE A LOT LONGER IF WE ALLOW THEM TO, THAT WE ALLOW NATURE TO DO WHAT IT DOES BEST AND THRIVE.
AND IF WE'RE GOING IN CUTTING ALL THE TREES DOWN, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK BACK AND REGRET, NOT JUST FOR ME, BUT FOR MY CHILDREN AND MY GRANDCHILDREN.
WE WILL MOVE TO SPEAKER NUMBER 23, OWEN POWER, FOLLOWED BY JESSICA GRIMSBY, THEN TIAN FANG OWEN, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
HI, UH, THIS IS, UH, E IAN POWER.
UM, I AM, UH, DIALING IN TODAY TO, UH, I GUESS VOICE MY CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, THE, THE TREE STUFF AND, UH, AND HOPE THAT THE EXPRESS MY HOPE THAT THE COUNCIL DOES NOT, UH, MOVE THE POLICY ORDER FORWARD.
UM, I THINK THAT SORT OF MY CONCERNS ARE AT, AT TWO LEVELS.
ONE, THE MACRO, UH, POINT THAT THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY.
UH, VO MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY VOICED.
UH, I, I DON'T THINK I'M BEING UNFAIR IN SUMMARIZING THIS POLICY ORDER AS SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, MANY TREES ARE NOW BEING CUT DOWN BECAUSE OF THE MULTIFAMILY ZONING ORDINANCE.
THEREFORE, WE NEED TO ADD ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS TO THE ORDINANCE TO PROTECT THE TREES.
AND I JUST, I DON'T THINK THAT'S AN ACCEPTABLE TRADE OFF.
WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE OVER THE SMALL NUMBER OF TREES THAT MAY GET CUT DOWN BY BUILDING THAT HOUSING.
UM, THE SECOND PIECE IS, I, I I GUESS MORE OF A QUESTION THAN A COMMENT, WHICH MAY BE THE FIRST TIME ANYBODY HAS EVER UTTERED THAT COMBINATION.
UM, BUT I, I'M NOT AN ARBORIST, BUT AS BEST I CAN TELL, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE ALREADY REALLY ELABORATE RULES ON THE BOOKS THAT GOVERN TREE REMOVAL AND REQUIRE MITIGATION EFFORTS.
AND, AND THESE RULES APPLY TO EVERY TREE WITH A DIAMETER MORE THAN SIX INCHES, WHICH DOESN'T SEEM, FEELS LIKE IT PROBABLY CAPTURES A LOT OF TREES.
I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT ADDITIONAL LIKE BENEFITS THIS POLICY ORDER BESTOWS.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIMITED RESOURCES TO STUDY THINGS, SO WHY, YOU KNOW, WHY, WHY SPEND THOSE RESOURCES STUDYING MORE TREE PROTECTION WHEN THERE'S ALREADY A REALLY ROBUST SET OF PROTECTIONS ON THE BOOKS? I GUESS I, I, I DON'T GET IT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JESSICA GRIMSBY.
WE ARE GONNA MOVE ON TO IAN FANG, FOLLOWED BY VALERIE BONDS.
MY NAME IS TIAN FANG FROM HARVARD STREET AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT ITEM NUMBER THREE.
THE ORDINANCE CHANGES UNDER THE ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN 2.0.
UM, I HAVE VOLUNTEERED IN RECYCLING COMPOSTING
[00:45:01]
WASTE DIVERSION FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS.BULK OF MY TIME IN CAMBRIDGE, UH, IN EDUCATIONAL, PUBLIC CORPORATE, AS WELL AS MUNICIPAL SETTINGS.
I'VE ALSO WORKED ON CIRCULARITY PROFESSIONALLY, UH, INCLUDING AUTHORING A WHITE PAPER ON BEHAVIORAL ENABLERS FOR RECYCLING AND WASTE REDUCTION ACROSS NUMEROUS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EVENTS THAT I'VE PERSONALLY ATTENDED.
MOST RESIDENTS I MEET ARE ALREADY ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORTERS OF OUR WASTE DIVERSION PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE RECYCLING PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER HERE IN CAMBRIDGE.
BUT I'VE ALSO SPOKEN WITH DOZENS OF RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO PARTICIPATE BUT CAN'T BECAUSE THEIR LANDLORD DOES NOT OFFER COMPOSTING OR RECYCLING AT THEIR BUILDING.
AND A LOT OF TIMES THESE RESIDENTS ARE FROM PUBLIC HOUSING OR LOWER INCOME HOUSING AS WELL.
SO WE DON'T HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO A LOT OF THE WASTE DIVERSION AND ZERO WASTE PROGRAMS THAT WE ALREADY OFFER IN CAMBRIDGE.
IN MY PROFESSIONAL ROLE, WE FIND THAT CONVENIENT ACCESS TO SERVICES IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST DRIVERS IN UPTAKE.
YOU CAN'T EXPECT PEOPLE TO TAKE THEIR COMPOST SEVERAL BLOCKS DOWN THE STREET TO PUT IT IN ONE OF THE FIVE MUNICIPAL LOCATIONS.
THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGE REQUIRING ZERO WASTE PLANS AND FOOD WASTE.
DIVERGENT COMPLIANCE FROM LARGER MULTI-UNIT AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO MOVING CAMBRIDGE CLOSER TO A ZERO WASTE GOALS.
CAMBRIDGE IS ALREADY A VANGUARD IN WASTE REDUCTION.
THOUSANDS OF HOUSEHOLDS NOW DIVERT FOOD WASTE AND RECYCLABLES WITHOUT ANY ISSUE WHATSOEVER.
THE NEXT STEP IS TO PASS THE NEW ORDINANCE CHANGES UNDER THE ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN TO ENSURE BROADER ACCENTS FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF CAMBRIDGE.
THE NEXT PERSON THAT'S SIGNED UP, VALERIE BONDS HAS NOT JOINED US.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO LIZA OLIVER, FOLLOWED BY NATALIA.
JANICE P LIZA, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
HELLO, MY NAME IS LIZA OLIVER AND I LIVE AT FOUR WYMAN ROAD.
I AM CALLING IN TO URGE CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT POLICY FOUR.
I THINK IT'S REASONABLE AND SENSIBLE TO GIVE PERMISSION TO CUT DOWN A TREE ONLY AFTER IT'S CERTAIN THAT THE PLAN THAT REQUIRES IT TO BE TORN DOWN IS APPROVED AND PERMITTED SO WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO GO FORWARD.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVOCATES ARE TREATING TREE PROTECTION AS MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE TO THE MFHO.
ARE THEY REALLY SO ENTRENCHED IN THEIR OWN POSITION THAT THEY CAN ONLY SEE MALICIOUS INTENT IN NOT TAKING DOWN TREES UNTIL IT'S KNOWN FOR CERTAIN THAT THE PROJECT'S GOING TO GO FORWARD? THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT REQUIRES THE CITY TO BALANCE ITS PRIORITIES WITH ONE ANOTHER, NOT PIT THEM AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.
AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVOCATES INSIST WE DO THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A ZERO SUM GAME AND IT'S NOT RESPONSIBLE TO TREAT IT AS SUCH.
MANY HAVE NOTED THAT WE ALREADY HAVE STRONG TREE PROTECTIONS, NAMELY THE FINES FOR TAKING THEM DOWN.
BUT THOSE FINES, WHILE THEY MAY BE A HINDRANCE FOR INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS, ARE A PITTANCE FOR THE WEALTHY DEVELOPERS WHO CAN AFFORD TO PAY TENS AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FEES BECAUSE OF THE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THEY'RE GOING TO BE MAKING FROM DEVELOPING THESE SITES.
FURTHER, THE INCREASE IN CANOPY, THE CANOPY THAT OTHERS HAVE NOTED IS AN INCREASE THAT OCCURRED BEFORE THE MFHO WENT INTO EFFECT.
THE FACT IS THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF TREE CANOPY IN THIS CITY COMES FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY, NOT PUBLIC, AND WITH SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF PRIVATE PROPERTY RECENTLY UP ZONED, WE NEED TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE TO KEEP UP WITH THAT CHANGE.
CURRENT TREE PROTECTIONS IN THE FORM OF FINES ARE NOT SUFFICIENT IN LIGHT OF HOW EASY IT IS FOR MULTIMILLIONAIRE DEVELOPERS BUYING THESE PROPERTIES TO PAY THEM.
WHY CUT DOWN A TREE IF WE DON'T HAVE TO? ALL THIS POLICY ORDER DOES IS ENSURE THAT A TREE WON'T BE CUT DOWN IF IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE.
AND THAT'S IF THE PROJECT IS PERMITTED TO MOVE FORWARD.
PLEASE SUPPORT ORDINANCE FOUR, POLICY ORDER FOUR.
WE ARE GONNA GO BACK TO VALERIE BONDS, WHO'S NOW JOINED US, FOLLOWED BY NATALIA GENESEE.
SO FIRST WE'LL HEAR FROM VALERIE BONDS.
WE'RE GONNA GET TO YOU IN ONE SECOND, SO SORRY.
I WAS SO ENRAPTURED WITH THE TREE DISCUSSION.
UH, AS GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNSELORS, THIS IS VALERIE BARNES FROM EIGHT 12 MEMORIAL DRIVE.
AS WE RECOGNIZE JUNE AS ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH, I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER A FORM OF HARM THAT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED.
POLICIES THAT CREATE FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS, STRESS, ISOLATION, AND BARRIERS TO INDEPENDENCE FOR OLDER ADULTS.
MANY SENIORS IN CAMBRIDGE LIVED ON FIXED INCOMES.
WHILE SOME MAY APPEAR FINANCIALLY SECURE, MANY ARE MANAGING RISING HOUSING COSTS, FOOD COSTS, MEDICAL EXPENSES, PRESCRIPTION COST, TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES FOR OLDER ADULTS, A VEHICLE IS OFF THE DAUGHTER LUXURY.
VALERIE, I'M SORRY, THIS IS, UH, THIS
[00:50:01]
IS NOT ON THE AGENDA, THE SENIOR PARKING FEE EXEMPTION.'CAUSE WE DID, WE ALREADY, WE DISPOSED OF THE POLICY ORDER ON THAT.
SO, UH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA PER THE RULES, UH, WE YOU CAN'T SPEAK TO IT UNLESS THERE'S A SUSPENSION OF THE RULES.
I'LL FIND ANOTHER WAY TO EXPRESS MY OPINION.
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS, CAN YOU SPEAK INTO THE MIC? THANK YOU.
UH, MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD SUSPEND THE RULES IN ORDER TO LET MS. BOND SPEAK.
I, SHE, I MAY HAVE MISINFORMED HER BY LETTING HER THINK IT WAS ON THE AGENDA.
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS HAS, UM, MOVED TO, UH, ALLOW HER TO VALERIE TO SPEAK.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDING THE AFFIRMATIVE VALUE.
UH, THE PROPOSED ELIMINATION, EXCUSE ME, THE PROPOSED ELIMINATION OF SENIOR PARKING FEE EXEMPTIONS IN THE INCREASE IN PARKING COSTS MAY SEEM SMALL IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CITY BUDGET, BUT FOR MANY SENIORS, EVERY ADDITIONAL FEE MATTERS.
THESE ADDED COSTS CAN FORCE DIFFICULT CHOICES BETWEEN TRANSPORTATION, MEDICATION, FOOD, AND OTHER NECESSITIES.
DURING ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH, WE SHOULD BE STRENGTHENING PROTECTIONS THAT HELP SENIORS AGE WITH DIGNITY, INDEPENDENCE, AND SECURITY NOT CREATING ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL BURDENS THAT INCREASE VULNERABILITY IN ISOLATION.
THE SENIOR PARKING EXEMPTION FEE WAS ESTABLISHED TO RECOGNIZE THE LIFETIME CONTRIBUTIONS SENIORS HAVE MADE TO CAMBRIDGE THROUGH PROPERTY TAXES, SALES TAXES, EXCISE TAXES, VOLUNTEER SERVICE, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP.
I RESPECTFULLY URGE THE COUNCIL TO PRESERVE THE SENIOR BIOGRAPHY EXEMPTION FOR ALL SENIORS AND SEEK ALTERNATIVE REVENUE SOLUTIONS AND DO NOT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT OLDER ADULTS.
A COMMUNITY IS JUDGED BY HOW IT TREATS ITS ELDERS.
LET US DEMONSTRATE THE CAMBRIDGE VALUES, RESPECTS, AND SUPPORTS ITS SENIOR CITIZENS.
FOLLOWED BY THOMAS CHECO, THEN JALEN BERNARD.
I AM A SERVER AND BARTENDER AT THE HYATT REGENCY CAMBRIDGE.
SO WHEN I GOT HIRED AT THE HOTEL LAST YEAR, I WAS SO EXCITED.
I HAD ALWAYS HEARD THAT THE HOTEL JOB IS A GOOD JOB WITH A GOOD BENEFIT.
BUT VERY QUICKLY I LEARNED THAT HYATT CAMBRIDGE ISN'T LIKE THE OTHER HOTEL.
WE GOT PAID FAR LESS FOR DOING THE SAME WORK.
UM, I HAVE TO PAY A LOT OF MONEY FOR HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN THAT DOESN'T PROTECT ME AND MY HUSBAND IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO US.
THIS IS WHY I JOINED MY COWORKER IN MARCH, UM, TO ASK MY COMPANY FOR FAIR PROCESS TO ORGANIZE.
THEY IGNORE US FOR TWO MONTHS.
11 DAYS AGO, MY COWORKER AND I MADE A DIFFICULT DECISION.
WE CALL FOR THE BOYCOTT OF OUR HOTEL.
SO MANY OF US CAME TO SUPPORT US IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL WHEN WE ARE NOW OUR BOY COURSE.
I ASKED MY MANAGER TO MY SUPERVISOR TO STEP OUT FOR A QUICK MINUTE JUST TO CHECK MY COWORKER OUT.
WHEN I CAME OUT INTO THE TOUR, I WAS SO MOVED.
UM, IT'S MADE ME SO HAPPY THAT I WAVE HIGH TO MY COWORKER AND ALL OF THEM DOWNSTAIRS SIX DAY AFTER I, I WAVE HIGH AT TO EVERYONE ON THE PICKET LINE FROM THE TOURIST I WAS READING UP BY THE COMPANY.
I HAD NEVER BEEN WRITTEN UP BEFORE.
I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT IN THE YEAR OF 2026 IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, A HOTEL WORKER CAN STILL BE PUNISHED LIKE THIS IN EXERCISING HER.
I AM ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO SEND THE MESSAGE TO HYATT THAT THIS IS NOT OKAY.
IS THIS NOT OKAY TO IGNORE YOUR EMPLOYEE WHEN THEY ASK FOR A FAIR PROCESS? IS THIS NOT OKAY TO SILENT WOMAN WORKER TO SPEAK UP FOR THEMSELVES? PLEASE? I'M ASK.
ALL I'M ASKING YOU IS STAND WITH US IN THIS BOYCOTT AND TO HYATT REGENCY CAMBRI.
I ASK, UM, TO REFRAIN FROM CLAPPING 'CAUSE OF DECORUM ROLES AND SO FORTH, BUT THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TOMACO, FOLLOWED BY JALEN BERNARD, THEN JP SHIPLEY TOMA.
[00:55:01]
GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE CITY OF C OF THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, UH, COUNCIL.MY NAME IS TOMAS CHECO AND I'M STEPPING IN, IN A VERY SHORT NOTICE TO READ THIS SPEECH FOR MY COWORKER, PATTY OLA.
I AM A SERVER AT THE HYATT REGENCY CAMBRIDGE.
I'VE WORKED MY WHOLE LIFE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IN MANY PLACES IN THE CITY, AND I RAISED MY FOUR SONS AS A SINGLE MOM ALL WHILE OWNING AND RUNNING A RESTAURANT, SMALL RESTAURANT IN MEDFORD.
NEVER IN ALL MY YEARS AS UH, IN, IN ALL THE PLACES I'VE WORKED, I HAVE EVER BEEN TREATED LIKE I HAVE BEEN TREATED THESE FOUR YEARS AT THE HYATT.
A HYATT MANAGER ONCE TOLD ME THAT I COULDN'T WAIT ON A PRIVATE PARTY, SERVE ON A PRIVATE PARTY BECAUSE MY COWORKER WOULD DO A BETTER JOB.
AND I QUOTE, STANDING THERE AND LOOKING PRETTY, ANOTHER MANAGER JOKED TO MY FACE THAT I MUST MUST HAVE BEEN WORKING AT THE HOTEL FOR 50 YEARS.
AND WHEN CUSTOMER BECOME VERBALLY ABUSIVE, I FEEL ZERO ASSURANCE THAT OUR MANAGERS WILL BE THERE TO DEFEND AND PROTECT US.
I JUST FEEL LIKE THE HYATT WANTS TO USE A WOMAN LIKE ME AND PUSH THEM, PUSH US OUT JUST LIKE THEY DID WHEN THEY HIRED FIRED A HUNDRED HOUSEKEEPERS AND REPLACED THOSE WOMEN WITH TEMP WORKERS MAKING HALF THE PAY LAST YEAR.
THEY DROPPED MY FULL-TIME STATUS.
I AM NOW DISQUALIFIED FROM HEALTH BENEFITS OR PAID TIME OFF.
NONE OF MY COWORKER FEELS LIKE, FEEL LIKE WE CAN SURVIVE.
AND WHEN WE TRY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT TO ASK FOR A FAIR PROCESS, WE GET RETALIATED JUST LIKE CENA, FIVE DAYS AFTER I WAVE HIGH TO EVERYONE ON THE PICKET LINE FROM THE TERRA WHILE WEARING MY UNION BUTTON, I WAS ALSO WRITTEN UP.
PLEASE DO NOT PATRONIZE THIS HOTEL UNTIL THEY AGREE TO A THIRD PROCESS.
PLEASE DO NOT SPEND YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY ON A PLACE THAT DEGRADES AND DISRESPECT EMPLOYEES.
IF WE STAND TOGETHER ON THIS BOYCOTT, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE FAITH THAT WE TIME THE HYATT WILL LEARN ITS LESSON AND WE CAN MAKE A HA THE HYATT A MORE WELCOMING PLACE TO WORK AND TO STAY.
JUST AS A REMINDER TO FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE, THERE ISN'T TO BE ANY CLAPPING, SNAPPING OR ET CETERA.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JALEN BERNARD, FOLLOWED BY JP SHIPLEY.
JAYLEN, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF.
HEY, HOW ARE YOU DOING? UH, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR SIDIKI IN THE CITY OF COUNCIL FOR, UH, HAVING ME TODAY.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO CALL IN AN OPPOSITION TO AGENDA ITEM THREE.
UM, THERE'S JUST A COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE CONCERNING TO ME IN A YEAR WHERE TAXPAYERS, UH, WELL TAXES HAVE INCREASED IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A LITTLE CONCERNING TO ME THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A OVER 66% REDUCTION IN TRASH.
UM, ALSO MANDATING COMPOST TO ME CITYWIDE.
UM, TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A GOOD IDEA, BUT THAT PROGRAM SEEMS VERY EXPENSIVE.
AND MY THING IS LIKE IF WE FOCUSED ON, UM, IF WE FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, GETTING THIS WORD OUT TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND LIKE SURVEYING AND ASKING PEOPLE WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT REDUCING THIS TRASH IN THIS YEAR WOULD BE A BETTER IDEA.
AND THEN ALSO TOO, WITH THE MANDATING OF COMPOSTING, MY THING IS THAT THERE'S NO CLEAR POLICY ON WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IF YOU DON'T COMPOST.
SO FOR THOSE REASONS OF NOT KNOWING WHAT THE PENALTIES ARE OF NOT COMPOSTING WHEN IT'S MANDATED, AND THEN ALSO TOO WITH THE SUCH A HEAVY REDUCTION OF TRASH, I THINK THAT WE REALLY NEED TO EVALUATE THIS AND GET MORE RESIDENTS INVOLVED WITH THIS DECISION BEFORE WE JUST PASS THIS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JP SHIPLEY.
I DO NOT SEE JP SHIPLEY ON THE ZOOM.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO WILLIAM SAWYER, FOLLOWED BY TI WILLIAM, YOU THINK THAT WAS BAD? I THINK YOU EXPLAINED IT.
THANK YOU COUNSELORS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
I'VE BEEN LIVING THERE FOR 17 YEARS.
I'M ALSO A UNION LEADER WITH THE LOCAL 26 AT HARBOR UNIVERSITY DINING SERVICES.
I'M HERE TODAY TO SAY THE HYATT REGIONS HYATT HOTEL WORKERS.
CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS LIKE ME HAVE YOUR BACK.
YOU NEED TO BE HEARD TO BE SAID.
YOU HAVE A FAIR SHAKE ABOUT BEING, UH, TREATED FAIRLY.
[01:00:01]
YOU DESERVE A FEAR PROCESS TO JOIN A UNION JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.HISTORY HAS PROVEN THAT BOYCOTTS ARE NOT EASY, BUT CHANGE NEVER COMES EASY.
IT TAKES WORK AND TAKES SACRIFICE.
I COMMEND THE HYATT WORKERS FOR TAKING THIS STEP.
I THANK THE COUNCILORS FOR ALLOW THESE WORKERS TO SHARE THEIR STORY TONIGHT BEFORE VOTING ON WHETHER TO ENDORSE THIS BOYCOTT.
AND ALSO, I WANNA SAY THAT YOU, I KNOW THAT HOW YOU FOLKS ARE BECAUSE IN 2016 YOU HELP US WHEN WE DID STRIKE BACK WITH HARVARD UNIVERSITY AND I GOT ALUMINUM AWARD FOR FROM YOU FOLKS.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S HOW YOU FOLKS THINK.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NHE TI FOLLOWED BY SARAH NELSON.
HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN.
I JUST WANNA, UM, SPEAK IN, IN OPPOSITION TO POLICY ORDER NUMBER FOUR.
UM, AS, AS MANY OTHER FOLKS HAVE TODAY.
I THINK THE CITY HAS DONE, UH, A GREAT JOB ON TWO FRONTS.
UM, ONE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WORKING TO INCREASE THE CANOPY COVER AS WE'VE SEEN SINCE 2018 TO 2024, A 5% INCREASE IN THE CANOPY COVER.
UM, THAT'S ABOUT 25% OVERALL, FIVE PERCENTAGE POINTS.
AND UH, SECONDLY IN, IN WORKING TO INCREASE THE HOUSING STOCK IN THE CITY THROUGH THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE THESE THINGS SHOULD, SHOULD BE IN OPPOSITION.
I I THINK WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TREE CANOPY COVER, AS WE ALL KNOW, GIVEN GLOBAL WARMING AND SO ON SO FORTH.
UM, AND ONCE AGAIN, WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB HERE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS OF INCREASING THE COVER.
UH, AND AT THE SAME TIME, THIS, THIS ORDINANCE THAT, THAT, UM, THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE HERE FOR POLICY ORDER NUMBER FOUR, WHAT IT COULD DO IS SIGNIFICANTLY SLOW DOWN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSING, WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED AND ADD ADDITIONAL BURDENS TO A PROCESS THAT HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN QUITE BURDENSOME AND EXPENSIVE GIVEN THE COST OF LABOR, GIVEN THE COST OF MATERIALS, GIVEN THE COST OF LAND.
SO I SUPPORT THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE HOUSING, UM, AND, UH, MAKE OTHER EFFORTS TO SUPPORT TREE CANOPY.
BUT ADDING THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSING IS NOT THE RIGHT PLACE FOR IT.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO CONSIDER WHERE TO PUT, UH, ADDITIONAL TREE COVERAGE LIKE THEY'RE DOING ON LINEAR PARK NEAR MY HOUSE HERE IN, IN NORTH CAMBRIDGE.
A WONDERFUL WAY TO ADD EXTENSIVE TREE CANOPY COVER WITHOUT HAVING ANY IMPACT ON HOUSING.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SARAH NELSON, FOLLOWED BY DANA BOLSTER.
I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF POLICY FOUR.
IN THE SUMMER WHEN MY KIDS WERE SMALL, WE'D WALK ONE SIDE OF RIVER STREET IN THE MORNING, THE OTHER IN THE AFTERNOON, STAYING COOL ON OUR WAY TO AND FROM PRESCHOOL.
DUE TO STREET CONSTRUCTION, ALL OF THE MATURE TREES ON ONE SIDE OF RIVER STREET WERE REMOVED TWO YEARS AGO.
WE DON'T JUST LOSE OUR NATURAL AIR CONDITIONING.
WHEN WE LOSE TREES, WE LOSE AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE.
LARGE STUDIES SHOW NEIGHBORHOODS WITH 30% TREE COVER HAVE ROUGHLY A THIRD FEWER NEW CASES OF DIABETES, LOWER RATES OF HYPERTENSION, AND NEARLY 40% FEWER HEAT RELATED DEATHS.
GREENER STREETS ARE LINKED TO LOWER ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION.
THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NOW FORMALLY RECOMMENDS URBAN REFORESTATION TO PREVENT CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND THE HEALTH ECONOMICS ARE EXTRAORDINARY.
IN PORTLAND, A STUDY DEMONSTRATED THAT A SINGLE TREE THAT REQUIRES A HUNDRED DOLLARS OF MAINTENANCE ANNUALLY GENERATED OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN ANNUAL HEALTH BENEFITS.
OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE DOES NOT VALUE TREES HIGHLY ENOUGH.
PHILADELPHIA SET A 30% CANOPY TARGET AND FOUND IT WOULD PREVENT 400 PREMATURE DEATHS PER YEAR, MOSTLY IN LOWER INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS.
SOME OF THE MOST HEALTHY CITIES IN THE WORLD HAVE STRONGER POLICIES THAN WE DO.
FOR EXAMPLE, SINGAPORE MANDATES THAT NEW BUILDINGS REPLACE EVERY SQUARE FOOT OF CANOPY LOSS TO THE CONSTRUCTION MEASURED NOT BY GROUND COVERAGE, BUT BY ACTUAL LEAF AREA VISIBLE FROM THE SKY.
WHEN OUR CITIZENS WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM ME.
A MATURE PIN OAK THAT HAS PROTECTED MY NEIGHBORHOOD FOR GENERATIONS IS AT RISK OF BEING CUT DOWN SO THAT TWO NEW HOUSING UNITS CAN HAVE SEWER AND WATER.
HUNDREDS OF NEIGHBORS WERE AT RISK
[01:05:01]
OF LOSING THAT TREE FOR HOUSING FOR POSSIBLY AS FEW AS TWO PEOPLE.THANKFULLY, BECAUSE OF THE TREE HEARING NEIGHBORS WERE ABLE TO OFFER ALTERNATE SOLUTIONS, INCLUDING THE USE OF THEIR OWN YARDS FOR THE CONNECTIONS.
SARAH, PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DANA BOLSTER.
DANA, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES FOR THOSE WAITING.
MY NAME IS DANA BOLSTER AND I LIVE AT 21 BROOKLINE STREET NUMBER 1 0 5.
I'M SPEAKING ON POLICY ORDER NUMBER FOUR RELATED TO SUPPOSED TREE PROTECTION.
AS AN ENVIRONMENTALIST, I REALIZED THAT IN A TIME OF CRISIS, IT IS ALL TOO EASY TO FIXATE ON TRYING TO MOP UP EVERY SOLITARY PUDDLE RATHER THAN TO ADDRESS A ROOT CAUSE OF THE ISSUE, WHICH IS TO FIX THE LEAK IN THE ROOF.
THIS IS WHAT I THINK ABOUT EVERY SINGLE TIME I MEET AN EXHAUSTED SUPER COMMUTER WHO IS FORCED TO SPEW EXHAUST INTO OUR AIR WEAR AND TEAR RUBBER AGAINST MILES AND MILES OF CONCRETE, CONTRIBUTING TO ONE OF THE LARGEST SOURCES OF MICROPLASTIC POLLUTION IN THE WORLD, WHICH STREAMS INTO OUR STORM DRAINS.
RIVERS AND OCEANS, NOT TO MENTION, REQUIRE ENTIRE FORESTS TO BE PAVED OVER IN CONCRETE.
THESE COMMUTERS DON'T WANT TO HURT THE ENVIRONMENT OR HARM HUMAN HEALTH, BUT THEY DO EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THEIR ENTIRE WORKING LIVES.
THEY HAVE TO BECAUSE WE ARE IN A CRISIS AND ALL TOO OFTEN, THEY SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE ANYWHERE WITHIN MILES OF WHERE THEY WORK, FORCING THEM TO DESTROY THE ENVIRONMENT IN INVISIBLE BUT INSIDIOUS WAYS THAT IN FACT CREATE AND EXACERBATE ASTHMA, HEART PROBLEMS AND MORE.
IF THEY IN, THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE THEY COULD, IF THEY CHOOSE, TAKE A SHORT T RIDE OR EVEN WALK.
DO NOT PLACE GRATUITOUS AND UNNECESSARY BARRIERS TO ALLOWING PEOPLE TO LIVE HERE WHERE THEY WORK.
DO NOT PRESERVE A TREE AT THE EXPENSE OF LITERAL FOREST.
DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR PEOPLE.
PLEASE OPPOSE POLICY ORDER NUMBER FOUR.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ETHAN FRANK, FOLLOWED BY PAT PATRICK BAR.
UH, PATRICK BARRETT IS NOT GOING TO JOIN US, SO WE'RE GONNA GO GO TO ETHAN FRANK, FOLLOWED BY AMY WALTZ.
HELLO? YES, ETHAN, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
OH, SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE MY NAME ON THE SCREEN, SO I GOT VERY CONFUSED.
UM, I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD THIS STAT BEFORE, BUT A FULLY MATURE TREE ABSORBS 50 POUNDS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EVERY YEAR.
UM, MEANWHILE, ONE CAR, UH, EMITS ON AVERAGE 10,000 POUNDS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EVERY YEAR.
AND THIS DOESN'T EVEN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THE VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS, WHICH CAUSE ASTHMA.
SO ALLOWING A BUNCH MORE PEOPLE TO LIVE IN A HOUSE BUILT IN A WALKABLE CITY LIKE CAMBRIDGE INSTEAD OF COMMUTING IN FROM THE SUBURBS IS IN MY MIND, 100% WORTH CUTTING DOWN A TREE OR TWO.
AND THESE TREES WOULD BE REPLANTED UNDER OUR EXISTING TREE ORDINANCE, WHICH IS WORKING VERY WELL, AND WE SHOULDN'T RUSH IN UPDATES TO IT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AMY WALTZ.
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO JAMES WILLIAMSON.
HELLO, MY NAME IS NORA GROINS.
I AM SPEAKING ON THE CITY MANAGER'S AMENDMENTS TO THE FY 27 SUBMITTED GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
I AM A PROUD PARENT OF A CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL'S ALUM AND A PARAPROFESSIONAL AT GRAHAM PARK SCHOOL.
I WANNA MAKE THE NEED FOR A LIVING WAGE FOR ESPS, PARAS, SUBS, AND CLERKS.
CRYSTAL CLEAR WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE IN FOUR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AT CPS.
MY TAKE HOME PAY FOR ONE FOR TWO WEEKS IS $1,237.
[01:10:03]
THAT'S COMES OUT TO $17 AND 68 CENTS AN HOUR.WHEN I ADD TOGETHER MY HOUSING, CAR EXPENSES, PHONE AND UTILITIES, THE TOTAL IS $3,402.
THE DEFICIT IS $926 AND 36 CENTS.
BEFORE I EVEN BEGIN TO ACCOUNT FOR FOOD, HEALTHCARE, CLOTHING, ET CETERA, I HAVE A DEFICIT CLOSE TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
I AM FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE OTHER RESOURCES TO MAKE UP THIS DIFFERENCE, BUT MANY ESPS DO NOT, AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TAP INTO MY SAVINGS TO DO A JOB I LOVE FOR THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
BEING A PARAPROFESSIONAL OR OTHER ESP IS INTENSE, DEMANDING, CRITICALLY IMPORTANT WORK.
I CANNOT IMAGINE HAVING THE ENERGY FOR AN ADDITIONAL JOB OR TWO AFTER THE SCHOOL DAY ENDS.
WE PROTECT AND SUPPORT THE PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND EMOTIONAL SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOLS.
WE PRESENT LESSONS, RUN SMALL GROUPS, SCAFFOLD CAREFULLY, AND IF GOD FORBID, A DANGEROUS INTRUDER WALKS INTO THE BUILDING, WE LOCK THE DOORS OF THE CLASSROOM, GATHER THE STUDENTS IN A CORNER, AND PREPARE OURSELVES TO THROW OUR BODIES OVER THE KIDS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
SORRY, THE YOU TIME'S GONE RAN OUT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SARAH ROSENBERG, FOLLOWED BY JO D KIARA.
I LIVE AT 1 67 PUTNAM AVE AND I'M SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM CMA 2026 DASH 1 66, THE AMENDMENTS FOR THE GENERAL FUDGE FUND BUDGET.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN CAMBRIDGE.
I WENT TO CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UM, I HAVE SPENT MY ENTIRE CAREER IN THIS CITY WITH THESE CHILDREN.
THE ZERO WASTE PLANS AND THE CLIMATE INVESTMENTS MATTER DEEPLY TO ME, BUT THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY ITEMS ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA THAT SPEAK TO WHAT KIND OF CITY WE WANNA BE.
OUR CEA BARGAINING TEAM, THE CAMBRIDGE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, HAS BEEN WORKING SINCE LAST SPRING TO PUT TOGETHER A CAREFUL, THOUGHTFUL BUNCH OF PROPOSALS FOR OUR EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS, LIKE NORA MENTIONED, THAT'S THE CLERKS, THE SUBSTITUTES, AND THE PARAPROFESSIONALS.
WE'VE SPENT OVER 40 HOURS AT THE BARGAINING TABLE IN GOOD FAITH, AND THIS EVENING WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A SESSION, BUT IT WAS CANCELED BECAUSE THE CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL COMMITTEE COULD NOT SHOW UP WITH A MONEY PROPOSAL.
THE PARAPROFESSIONALS CLERKS AND SUBSTITUTE SUBSTITUTES THAT WE REPRESENT SHOW UP EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR OUR CAMBRIDGE KIDS.
THEY'RE BEING PAID POVERTY WAGES IN ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES IN THE COUNTRY.
THE MIT LIVING WAGE CALCULATOR TELLS US THAT IT WILL COST OVER $70,000 JUST TO LIVE HERE.
A STARTING PARA EARNS LESS THAN HALF OF THAT, LESS IN FACT, THAN WHAT A SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER MAKES.
THESE ARE HARDWORKING PEOPLE BEING PRICED OUTTA THE CITY THEY SERVE.
THE CITY'S BUDGET NEEDS TO PROVIDE FOR OUR PEOPLE.
ACCORDING TO THE CITY'S OWN BUDGET DATA, THE MONEY IS THERE.
THE QUESTION HAS NEVER BEEN ABOUT WHETHER CAN AFFORD LIVING WAGES FOR OUR PROFESSIONAL OR EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS.
THE QUESTION IS WHETHER CAMBRIDGE IS WILLING TO PRIORITIZE THEM.
CAMBRIDGE, COME TO THE TABLE WITH SOME MONEY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JO DE CHIRA, FOLLOWED BY ED HENLEY.
I LIVE AT 38 BOYLESTON STREET IN BOSTON.
UM, I AM ALSO SPEAKING ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 GENERAL BUDGET.
I AM A CLASSROOM TEACHER IN THE CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS WELL, AND I'M HERE TO ALSO ADVOCATE FOR INCREASING THE BUDGET IN ORDER TO ALLOW FOR LIVING WAGES FOR CLERKS, PARAS, AND SUBSTITUTES IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THESE EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE IN MY CLASSROOM AND MANY OTHER CLASSROOMS AROUND THE CITY ARE ON THE FRONT LINES OF RAISING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CHILDREN DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
THEY SACRIFICE THEIR MEALS, THEIR BATHROOM BREAKS, THEY'RE HOLDING THEIR BLADDERS FOR MANY HOURS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE BEST EDUCATION POSSIBLE FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR CITY.
IT IS FRANKLY SHAMEFUL THAT I WORK IN A CITY AND MANY OF YOU LIVE IN A CITY THAT IS NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE A LIVING WAGE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THIS HIRE TIRELESS WORK.
CAMBRIDGE IS A CITY THAT HAS SO MUCH BIOTECH, SO MUCH ACADEMIA, AND IT'S ABSURD THAT WE CANNOT PAY EDUCATORS ENOUGH THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO RELIABLY PUT
[01:15:01]
FOOD ON THE TABLE, PAY THEIR RENT, PAY THEIR MEDICAL BILLS, AND MANY FOLKS ARE WORKING SECOND AND THIRD JOBS, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE WORKING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, OFTEN 10 TO 12 OR MORE HOURS A DAY JUST IN ORDER TO MAKE ENDS MEET.WE GIVE TONS OF TAX BREAKS TO INSTITUTIONS LIKE HARVARD AND OTHER CORPORATIONS AND BIOTECH.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT THINGS, SIMILARLY TO WHAT SARAH SAID, THIS IS A VALUES QUESTION.
ARE WE PUTTING OUR VALUES IN RAISING CHILDREN WHO ARE WELL EDUCATED AND GOING TO GO OUT INTO THE WORLD TO BE CARING INDIVIDUALS? OR ARE WE PRIORITIZING THE BOTTOM LINES OF CORPORATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS IN OUR CITY? THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ED HENLEY, FOLLOWED BY MOLLY BROOKS, THEN LIBBY SHAW.
I LIVE AT 2 37 FRANKLIN STREET.
I AM SPEAKING ON POLICY ORDER NUMBER FOUR.
AS A 50 YEAR RESIDENT IN BLUE COLLAR WORKER WITH THE CAMBRIDGE HOUSING AUTHORITY, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES EMERGENCY NIGHT CREW FOR HALF A DOZEN YEARS.
IN THAT ROLE, I WAS ABLE TO SEE ALL THE PROPERTY THAT THE CO HOUSING AUTHORITY OWNED 50 YEARS AGO.
THERE WERE PRECIOUS FEW TREES ON THE CHA PROPERTY, ASIDE FROM THE PREVIOUS ELM TREES ON THE SPINE OF WASHINGTON.
ELMS. THIS LACK OF TREES WITH THEIR ABILITY TO CLEAN THE AIR AND REDUCE OUR STRESS LEVELS ALLOWED CRAZY HIGH TEMPERATURES THAT DID NOT ABATE IN THE EVENING.
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS DONE MUCH TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF QUALITY HOUSING, WHICH INCLUDED INTELLIGENTLY ADDING TREES TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THE DIFFERENCE IN TEMPERATURES HAS BEEN AMAZING.
THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES MORPHED FROM BEER DRINKING, NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH A COLD BEER, BUT NOT FOR THE REASONS OF COOLING OFF TO MUCH MORE FAMILY FRIENDLY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU PASS ORDINANCES THAT KEEP TRUE TO MAINTAINING A GOOD TREE COVER IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
LET'S NOT GO BACK TO THE HEAT SINKS OF 50 YEARS AGO.
LET'S INCREASE OUR HOUSING SUPPLY IN A WELL THOUGHT OUT AND APPROPRIATE FASHION AS BEFITS THE GREAT AND THINKING COMMUNITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MOLLY BROOKS, FOLLOWED BY LIBBY SHAW.
AND OUR FINAL SPEAKER WILL BE HEATHER HOFFMAN.
MOLLY, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
HI EVERYBODY, MY NAME IS MOLLY BROOKS.
UM, I AM A RESIDENT OF CAMBRIDGE.
I HAVE BEEN FOR FIVE YEARS NOW.
I LOVE BEING ABLE TO LIVE WHERE I WORK, KNOW MY NEIGHBORS, AND AT THE SAME TIME, THIS CITY HAS FAILED MYSELF AND SO MANY OTHER OF MY FELLOW EDUCATORS.
I'M A NINTH GRADE HISTORY TEACHER AND SOMETHING THAT I ALWAYS WANT MY STUDENTS TO KNOW IS THAT THEIR VOICE MATTERS, AND WHEN THEY WORK TOGETHER WITH OTHERS, THEY CAN SEE CIVIC PROGRESS.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY HIGHLIGHT IN THIS DISTRICT IN ITS TIME THAT OUR REPRESENTATIVES SHOW THAT THROUGH OUR BUDGET AS WELL.
PERSONALLY, MYSELF, UM, I'M STILL RELATIVELY NEW-ISH TO TEACHING.
UM, IT'S YEAR SIX FOR ME, WHICH SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME, BUT MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THIS FOR THE LONG HAUL.
RIGHT? UM, IN THESE PAST FIVE YEARS OF WORKING IN CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UM, SOME THINGS THAT I HAVE HAD TO DO IS WORK TWO OR THREE JOBS TO BE ABLE TO PAY MY BILLS.
UM, I HAVE HAD TO BORROW MONEY FROM FRIENDS BECAUSE I WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO EITHER PAY AN AUTO BILL OR MAKE RENT BY THE END OF THE PAY CYCLE BETWEEN PAYCHECKS.
I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO GET A LOW BALANCE NOTIFICATION FROM MY BANK TO MY PHONE MINUTES BEFORE I HAVE TO GO TO TEACH AND KEEP THAT STRESS IN THE BACK OF MY MIND.
AND THAT GOES TO WITH SAYING, I AM A CLASSROOM TEACHER, SO I MAKE MORE MONEY THAN OUR EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS.
SO OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS, OUR CLERKS, OUR SUBS, THEY DESERVE SO MUCH MORE.
I AM SO UPSET KNOWING THAT MY FRIENDS AND FELLOW EDUCATORS EVEN HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS LIKE CHOOSING WHEN TO TURN THEIR HEAT ON IN THE WINTER BECAUSE THEIR PROFESSION, THEIR LIVELIHOOD, IS NOT VALUED ENOUGH THROUGH THEIR THIS BUDGET.
WE NEED AN INCREASED BUDGET SPECIFICALLY TO SUPPORT OUR LOWEST PAID EDUCATORS IN THIS DISTRICT AND JUST MAKE THE LIVELIHOOD BETTER FOR EVERYBODY.
THIS CITY HAS THE MONEY WE SHOULD BE MODELING TO OTHER PLACES.
THIS IS WHAT HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION LOOKS LIKE AND WE VALUE OUR EDUCATORS.
WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO AMY WALTZ, NEIL MILLER.
THEN WE'LL HAVE LIBBY SHAW AND HEATHER HOFFMAN.
UM, THERE IS GREAT URGENCY TO REDUCE OUR CLIMATE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS IF WE, AS
[01:20:01]
WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN MASS EXTINCTIONS NOT ONLY AFFECTING INDIVIDUAL SPECIES, BUT ENTIRE ECOSYSTEMS, WHICH ALSO AFFECTS HUMAN SURVIVAL.RECENT SCIENCE INDICATES WE HAVE ALREADY EXCEEDED THE CORAL REEF CLIMATE TIPPING POINT AND ONE QUARTER OF SEA LIFE RELIES ON THEM.
RECENT SCIENCE ALSO INDICATES WE ARE PERILOUSLY CLOSE TO MULTIPLE IRREVERSIBLE CLIMATE TIPPING POINTS.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER? WHY DOES CAMBRIDGE TRASH MATTER? BECAUSE MOST OF IT IS FOOD WASTE.
AND, UM, CAMBRIDGE, ALONG WITH REGIONAL DENSE POPULATION WASTE AND INCORRECTLY DISPOSES TONS OF FOOD, REDUCING THE FOOD WASTE AND PLANT RICH DIETS ARE THE MOST IMPACTFUL SOLUTIONS FOR ADDRESSING CLIMATE.
ACCORDING TO, UH, PROJECT DRAWDOWN, TWO OF THE MOST, UH, THIS, ALONG WITH THE REDUCING FOSSIL FUELS, OF COURSE, IT HELPS PUTS THE EMERGENCY BREAKS ON HUMAN RELATED METHANE PRODUCTION.
EAST CURB EASY, CURBSIDE FOOD COLLECTION IS A KEY SOLUTION.
THE KITCHEN FOOD WASTE BIN CAN TYPICALLY SAVE CONSUMERS ABOUT ONE THIRD IN GROCERY COSTS AS A SIDE BENEFIT WHEN IT IS ALSO USED TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE.
UM, WHEN PEOPLE ASSESS THEIR FOOD WASTE, BY SEEING WHAT GOES IN THERE, THEY CAN ADJUST PURCHASING AND FOOD STORAGE HABITS AND REDUCE THEIR FOOD WASTE.
ADDITIONALLY, IT OFFERS HUGE REDUCTIONS IN CITY TRASH DISPOSAL EXPENSES, REDUCING FOOD WASTE AND SEPARATING FOOD WASTE FROM THE TRASH HAS LARGE DUAL IMPACT IN REDUCING METHANE FROM AGRICULTURE, WHICH IS THE LARGEST METHANE.
AS WELL AS, UM, UH, KEEPING IT OUT OF THE LANDFILL.
UM, I'M, I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF, UH, PASSING THE FOOD WASTE.
UM, THE ZERO WASTE FOOD, THE ZERO WASTE PLAN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NEIL MILLER.
NEIL, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
HI, IT IS NEIL MILLER, 4, 2, 5, MASS.
I, UH, WANTED TO COMMENT ABOUT POLICY ORDER NUMBER FOUR.
UH, I THINK IT'S REALLY NATURAL AFTER PASSING, UM, BIG PIECES OF LEGISLATION LIKE THE FAMILY HOUSING LAST YEAR TO REVIEW HOW THINGS ARE PLAYING OUT, UM, START LOOKING AT THE DATA AND PEOPLE SOLICIT PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES.
UM, BUT I HAVE SOME REALLY SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED RIGHT NOW.
I THINK REINSTATING, UM, SPECIAL PERMIT REQUIREMENTS INCREASING, UM, THE WAITING TIME THAT PEOPLE BUILDING HOMES NEED TO WAIT BEFORE THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD, WILL MAKE HOUSING MORE EXPENSIVE.
IT WILL TAKE LONGER TO BUILD, UM, AND IT WILL INCENTIVIZE HOMES THAT ARE LESS AFFORDABLE.
UM, AND IT SEEMS PREMATURE TO TAKE ON THESE CHANGES RIGHT NOW BEFORE PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING IS ACTUALLY GETTING BUILT.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BRING TOGETHER THE DATA.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE, UM, THAT SOME OF THE COUNSELORS HAVE GONE OUT AND TALKED TO CITY DEPARTMENTS TO SEE WHAT PERMITS ARE MOVING FORWARD AND WHAT INQUIRIES THEY'RE GETTING.
UM, AND I WOULD LOVE TO, UH, IF THIS PROCESS CONTINUED WITH MORE INFORMATION COMING OUT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT CHANGES MIGHT BE NECESSARY.
UM, BUT THE COST OF HOUSING IS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE THAT PEOPLE ARE FACING IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, INCREASING FINES FOR TREE, UH, REMOVALS ISN'T GOING TO BRING DOWN THE PRICE OF HOMES FOR PEOPLE.
I THINK WE SHOULD BE REALLY FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A PLACE WHERE THEY FEEL STABLE IN CAMBRIDGE.
WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM JAMES WILLIAMSON NEXT.
YOU CAN HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU.
I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS KIND OF A NIGHTMARE HERE.
UM, UM, SO, UH, JAMES WILLIAMSON, UH, 55 YEAR RESIDENT OF CAMBRIDGE.
I AM SPEAKING TO THE TWO ITEMS. TWO OF THE ITEMS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH AUTHORIZING LOANS FOR ONE IS FOR $10 MILLION.
I THINK THE OTHER IS SAYS IT'S FOR $8 MILLION FOR STREET REPAIRS.
UM, I GUESS I, I, I, WE, MANY OF US COULD USE, UH, DIGITAL NAVIGATORS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET TO THE PART OF THE CITY BUDGET THAT EXPLAINS
[01:25:01]
WHAT THIS IS.IT'S NOT OBVIOUS FROM THE, AS IT APPEARS ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, WHAT THESE THINGS ARE FOR.
I WAS ABLE TO FIND OUT THAT, UM, THE FIRST, THE $10 MILLION THAT ONLY SAYS FROM, UH, NASA, FROM, UH, FROM BIGELOW MAYBE, IS IT TO, TO SYDNEY MISSPELLED, UH, AS CINDY, UM, IS IN FACT FOR, UH, SEPARATED BIKE LANES ALONG RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF CENTRAL SQUARE.
UH, THAT PORTION HAS BEEN, COULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE WAY IT'S DESCRIBED, UM, IN THE AGENDA, BUT IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN REMOVED.
I, I SUSPECT, TO, TO HIDE THE FACT THAT THIS IS WHAT THIS $10 MILLION IS MAINLY FOR.
UM, I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN CENTRAL SQUARE EVEN KNOW THAT THIS IS, UH, GONNA BE HAPPENING AND WHAT THEIR VIEWS ABOUT IT MAY BE.
UM, I'M NOT CERTAIN THAT EVERYBODY AGREES, UH, BUT I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A REALLY ROBUST DISCUSSION.
AND I WOULD LIKE THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER PUTTING $10 MILLION FOR BIKE LANES RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF CENTRAL SQUARE ON HOLD UNTIL PEOPLE HAVE A REAL ROBUST DISCUSSION, DEBATE, AND DELIBERATION ON IT.
UM, AND GET A CHANCE TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS, INCLUDING BUS WRITERS LIKE ME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LIBBY SHAW FILE, FOLLOWED BY HEATHER HOFFMAN.
I'M ACTUALLY A RESIDENT OF WATERTOWN.
THE, UH, THE, UM, ALSO VERY URBAN TOWN NEXT DOOR TO CAMBRIDGE PAYING.
WE'VE BEEN PAYING A LOT OF ATTENTION OVER THE YEARS TO THE WAYS THAT, UH, CAMBRIDGE HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF CANOPY LOSS, UM, THAT WE SAW CAMBRIDGE INVEST LOTS AND LOTS OF MONEY, POSSIBLY, UH, AS MUCH AS A MILLION A FEW YEARS AGO INTO, UH, CAMBRIDGE URBAN FORESTRY PLAN.
UM, AND IT'S VERY CONCERNING TO SEE, UM, CAMBRIDGE, UM, APPARENTLY, UH, GIVING UP ON PROTECTING, UH, EXISTING, UH, SHADE TREES.
UM, IN THE FACE OF, UM, OF THIS, THIS APPARENT ZERO SUM FALLACY THAT, THAT IF YOU PROTECT YOUR EXISTING SHADE TREES, YOU'LL, YOU'LL, UH, SOMEHOW LOSE YOUR OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE FACE EXACTLY THE SAME KIND OF ISSUE IN WATERTOWN, AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO BOTH.
AND WE REALLY BELIEVE IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO BOTH.
EXISTING TREES ARE, WE NEED, WE NEED, OF COURSE, LOTS MORE TREES.
PLANTING NEW TREES IS TERRIFIC.
I THINK PERHAPS THE 5% INCREASE IN CANOPY AND CAMBRIDGE IS PROBABLY DUE MOSTLY TO A LOT OF LITTLE TREES BEING PLANTED.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THOSE TREES, IF YOU WANT A 40-YEAR-OLD TREE AND THE EX EXPONENTIALLY GREATER BENEFITS YOU GET FROM A 40-YEAR-OLD TREE, YOU HAVE TO WAIT.
WE NEED OUR EXISTING TREES WHEREVER THEY ARE.
THEY DO SO MUCH FOR US, AND I'M REALLY HOPING THAT THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL IS GOING TO BE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU LOSE WHEN YOU LOSE EXISTING SHADE TREES AND WILL WORK HARD TO TRY TO PROTECT THE EXISTING SHADE TREES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS HEATHER HOFFMAN.
HELLO, HEATHER HOFFMAN, TWO 13 HURLEY STREET.
STANDARD COMMENT ABOUT LITIGATION.
I WISH THAT YOU CARED A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE, UM, LAWSUITS AGAINST THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE FOR WHICH ALLEGED SERIOUS VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW.
UM, RATHER THAN THE FEEL GOOD STUFF AGAINST THE, THE ORANGE GUY, UM, WITH RESPECT TO ZERO WASTE.
UM, I WONDER IF YOU THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT CONSTITUTE WASTE, LIKE ALL OF THE CONSTRUCTION WASTE THAT PEOPLE ARE SO DESPERATE TO HAVE SO THAT THEY, THEY CAN BUILD MORE EXPENSIVE AND BIGGER THINGS AND MAKE NO ROOM FOR TREES.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE CITY COUNCIL RULES, I'D LOVE TO SEE MORE DEMOCRACY IN THEM.
YOU GOT RID OF IT AS MUCH AS YOU COULD IN THE CHARTER.
SO HOW ABOUT YOU AT LEAST PRETEND IN THE RULES? UM, I AM GLAD TO SEE EFFORTS TO FEED PEOPLE, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND THEN WITH RESPECT TO PRESERVING TREES, SOMEONE RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF ALL OF THESE PUBLIC COMMENTS SAYING THAT TREES ARE EVIL AND THEY'RE JUST A PROXY FOR STOPPING DEVELOPMENT, SAID THAT WE SHOULD LISTEN TO OUR PROFESSIONALS.
[01:30:01]
WELL, I WAS ONE OF THE TWO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AT THE, UM, MEETING ON THE URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN, THE, UM, FIVE YEAR REPORT.AND THE THINGS LISTED IN THIS POLICY ORDER ARE EXACTLY WHAT THE PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK FOR THE CITY SAID THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
SO THERE, PLEASE DO LISTEN TO THE PROFESSIONALS.
UH, IT IS VERY DISAPPOINTING TO ME THAT THE MULTIFAMILY UPSO SAID, WE WANT TO REDUCE YARDS.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE STATED GOALS, AND HERE YOU ARE DOING IT.
THAT IS ALL THAT WE'RE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT ON A MOTION BY VICE MAYOR TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.
THERE'S NO SUBMISSION OF THE RECORD.
THERE ARE NO RECONSIDERATIONS.
WE ARE GOING TO GO TO THE CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA.
UM, I THINK THIS WILL, THIS WILL BE, UH, RELATIVELY QUICK TO DISPOSE OF AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO MOVE SUSPENSION ON THE RULES TO BRING FORWARD POLICY ORDER NUMBER ONE, COUNCILOR MCGOVERN HAS MOVED THAT WE GO INTO SUSPENSION TO TAKE POLICY ORDER ONE OUT OF ORDER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY, AYE, I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF THE VOTE.
[POLICY ORDERS]
TO POLICY ORDER NUMBER ONE THAT THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL GO ON RECORD EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR UNITE HERE, LOCAL 26 IN THE BOYCOTT OF THE HYATT REGENCY CAMBRIDGE.THIS WAS FILED BY COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN, MYSELF, COUNCILLOR SIMMONS, AND COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER, COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
UM, I WILL BE BRIEF, UH, THANK YOU TO ALL THE FOLKS FROM UNITE HERE, LOCAL 26 WHO CAME OUT.
UM, I WENT OUT, UH, BEFORE THEY HAD THEIR MOST RECENT, UM, OR THEIR, THE, THE LARGE PICKET A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
I WENT OUT AND MET WITH, UH, SOME OF THE WORKERS THERE.
AND, UM, THE MANAGEMENT STAFF CAME DOWN AND I SAID TO THE MANAGER, I SAID, YOU KNOW, I REALLY HOPE THIS DOESN'T, THAT THERE ISN'T RETRIBUTION AND THAT THIS DOESN'T BECOME A PROBLEM.
THEY JUST WANT TO TAKE A VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT TO UNIONIZE.
UM, AND I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU GUYS CAN APPRECIATE THAT.
AND HE ASSURED ME THAT THERE NO OBSTACLES AND THAT, YOU KNOW, NO PROBLEM.
AND WE'RE NOT GONNA STAND IN THE WAY.
WELL, SINCE THAT TIME, UM, THEY HAVE, UH, STOOD IN THE WAY, AND AS WE HEARD IN PUBLIC COMMENT, A COUPLE WORKERS WHO ON THEIR BREAK CAME OUT TO WAVE TO THEIR COWORKERS WHO WERE PICKETING, WERE LATER WRITTEN UP FOR DOING THAT, BUT NOT, THEY DIDN'T SAY FOR DOING THAT FOR OTHER REASONS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I I REALLY WAS HOPING THAT THIS COULD BE DONE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, QUIETLY AND, AND, AND DONE THE RIGHT WAY.
AND IT, IT APPEARS THAT THE HYATT IS, IS, IS NOT GOING IN THAT DIRECTION.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE LOCAL PEOPLE, LOCAL WORKERS.
UM, WE STAND BY WORKERS IN CAMBRIDGE.
THIS IS NOT A LOCAL BUSINESS AS IT'S THE HYATT, RIGHT.
WHICH IS A BILLION DOLLAR PLUS COMPANY, BUT IT IS LOCAL IN TERMS OF IT IS OPERATING HERE IN CAMBRIDGE.
AND I HOPE THAT WE WOULD SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE WE EXPECT ANY BUSINESS OPERATING IN CAMBRIDGE TO TREAT THEIR WORKERS, UM, WITH THE RESPECT THAT THEY DESERVE.
AND RIGHT NOW, THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.
SO, MADAM MAYOR, I WILL YIELD.
UM, WANNA ECHO WHAT COUNCILOR MCGOVERN SAID, AND JUST ASK IF I COULD BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR.
AND THERE MAY BE OTHERS WHO'D LIKE TO BE ADDED.
SO I, I'LL GOING TO GO AROUND VICE MAYOR ZI.
ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT? YEAH, COUNCILLOR NOLAN, SAME THING TO BE ADDED, BUT JUST TO REITERATE WHAT COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN SAID, BUSINESSES IN CAMBRIDGE NEED TO FOLLOW FAIR PRACTICES.
THE RIGHT TO UNIONIZE AND THE FIGHT TO UNIONIZE IS THE ONLY WAY THIS ENTIRE COUNTRY BUILT UP A MIDDLE CLASS.
SO I'M HAPPY THIS IS BEFORE US.
I'M VERY HAP UNHAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE WORKERS AND ALSO THAT GLAD THAT SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WERE ABLE TO BE THERE, BUT WOULD, WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED.
IT HAS TO BE A STRONG SHOW OF SUPPORT TO SAY WE EXPECT BETTER.
WE'LL GO TO COUNCILOR FLAHERTY AND THEN COUNCILOR ZUZI.
I HOPE THE MEMBERS OF LOCAL 26 UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO REACH OUT TO THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD AND REPORT VIOLATIONS.
IF THERE ARE, UH, ACTIVITIES THAT ARE PREVENTING
[01:35:01]
YOU FROM UNIONIZING THERE AT THE HYATT, WELL PICK UP THE TELEPHONE.AND, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE A CITY COUNCIL AND A CITY THAT STANDS BY UNIONS.
SO BEST OF LUCK TO YOU UNIONIZE.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR TOO.
I, I THINK WE'VE HEARD FROM EVERYONE, BUT, UH, MY COLLEAGUES, UM, DID A GREAT JOB OF, UM, YOU KNOW, SAYING HOW WE DO SUPPORT YOU.
SO, UH, COUNT ON US AND, UH, KEEP US INVOLVED.
UH, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD, UH, AND ADD THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL TO THE RESOLUTION.
WE HAVE ADOPT, WE HAVE AMENDED THE RESOLUTION, AND NOW WE WILL GO AHEAD AND ADOPT THE RESOLUTION AS AMENDED.
THE POLICY ORDER HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
SO WE'LL NOW GO BACK AFTER WE'VE ADOPTED THAT POLICY, OR NUMBER ONE, WE'LL GO BACK TO THE
[CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA]
CITY MANAGER AGENDA, CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA, I'LL GO TO COUNCILOR NOLAN.UH, NUMBER TWO AND NUMBER THREE, COUNCILLOR NOLAN POLLS NUMBER TWO AND NUMBER THREE, PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL, COUNCILLOR ZUI.
COUNCILLOR ZUI POLLS NUMBER FIVE.
AND WE WILL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON THE BALANCE OF ONE, FOUR, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, AND NINE.
AND YOU HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, AND ONE RECORDED IS ABSENT.
COUNCILOR NOLAN, WE HAVE, WE'LL GO TO NUMBER TWO.
A COMMUNICATION TRANSMITTED FROM IAN WONG, CITY MANAGER RELATIVE TO AMENDMENTS TO THE FY 27 SUBMITTED GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA ITEM.
COUNCILLOR NOLAN WILL MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO BRING FORWARD SUPPLEMENTAL CITY MANAGER AGENDA ITEM C 2026 DASH ONE 70, ALONG WITH THE POLICY ORDER, UM, 20 26, 1 10.
SO WE CAN GO AHEAD ON ALL THOSE.
AND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
THOSE ITEMS ARE BROUGHT BEFORE US.
COUNCILOR NOLAN? SO THIS IS ABOUT THE BUDGET ADOPTION, CORRECT? YES.
WE HAVE A SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA ITEM.
SO, UM, I ALSO WANNA MOVE SUSPENSION OF THE RULES.
DID WE BRING FORWARD COMMITTEE REPORTS, NUMBER ONE, TWO, AND THREE AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS ITEMS THREE FOR 14, WHICH ARE THE 12 LOAN ORDERS? SO, ON THAT MOTION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT.
COMMITTEE REPORTS NUMBER 1, 2, 3, BROUGHT FORWARD ALONG WITH UNFINISHED BUSINESS ITEMS THREE TO 14, 12 OF WHICH ARE LOAN ORDERS.
SO, JUST, SO FOR ANYONE WHO HASN'T BEEN THROUGH THIS PROCESS BEFORE, WE'LL BE DOING A NUMBER OF ROLL CALLS.
SPECIFIC FOR THE RECORD, WE ENSURE THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE LOAN ORDERS WILL BE A SEPARATE ROLL CALL.
ADOPTING THE BUDGET WILL BE A SEPARATE ROLL CALL.
SO BEAR WITH US AND UNDERSTAND THIS IS A MOMENTOUS DAY, AND IT IS A KEY PART OF OUR ROLE AS COUNSELOR.
AND THE CITY STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING LITERALLY TOWARDS THIS FOR, FOR MANY MONTHS.
[COMMITTEE REPORTS]
A CMA ITEM NUMBER TWO, THE AMENDMENT TO THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, WHICH PROPOSES AN INCREASE IN THE FY 27 BUDGET OF 250,000 THAT WOULD SUPPORT HOUSING INITIATIVES OF 200,000 AND IMMIGRANT LEGAL SERVICES OF 50,000.SO FOR ANY OF YOU, IF YOU, WHEN YOU REVIEW THE AGENDA BEFORE I, I MOVE TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATIONS, PLACE IT ON FILE, UM, AND REFER TO THE COMMITTEE REPORTS THREE AND THREE A ON THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR IF, UH, EVERYONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO, UH, REVIEW THIS.
AND ALSO WHETHER THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS TOP NOTCH FINANCE TEAM WANTS TO WEIGH IN ON THIS.
I HAVE COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY BRIEFLY, REALLY, UH, EXCITED ABOUT THIS AMENDMENT, UH, WHICH INCLUDES SOME, UH, FUNDING FOR THE SOCIAL HOUSING TASK FORCE WORK THAT IS, UH, ONGOING.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE FIRST MEETING SCHEDULED FOR THAT BY THE END OF THE MONTH.
UH, AND FUNDING FOR THE CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, WHICH IS GETTING OFF THE GROUND AND THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITEMENT AND, AND WORK ABOUT THAT HAPPENING.
SO, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY EXCITED TO, UH, SEE THIS COMING FORWARD AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEPS ON BOTH OF THOSE.
[01:40:01]
AND I'LL JUST BRIEFLY COMMENT.UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, AS WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ON WITH WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND, UM, SUPPORTING OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS, UH, I THINK IT'S, UH, REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DID, UM, INCREASE THE, UH, FUNDING FOR THAT POSITION, WHICH WAS PART-TIME, UH, NOW MAKING IT, UH, FULL-TIME BECAUSE OF THE NEED.
UH, AND SO I WANNA APPRECIATE THAT.
UH, AND ALONG WITH THE WORK, THE EXTRA FUNDING TOWARDS ALL THE HOUSING WORK THAT THE CITY CONTINUES TO DO.
ANYTHING FROM CITY MANAGER? UH, SURE.
THROUGH YOU, MAYOR SADIKI, UM, APPRECIATE JUST THE WORK OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE FINANCE CO-CHAIRS TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, REALLY FELT LIKE WE, UH, HAVE CONTINUED TO CREATE MORE COLLABORATION AND ALIGNMENT ACROSS THE BUDGET PROCESS STARTING EARLIER.
AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT I THINK WE ARE LOOKING AT MORE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES, UM, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE BOTH SEARCHING FOR EFFICIENCIES, UM, DOING THAT TRANSPARENTLY TOGETHER.
UM, AND I THINK IT'LL BE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO FY 28 AND FY 29, UH, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BOTH FIND WAYS TO MAKE GREATER INVESTMENTS IN OUR PRIORITIES, UM, AND ALSO FIND WAYS TO, UH, CREATE RESOURCES.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE IN THIS, UH, ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT FOR A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO COME.
UH, JUST WANNA APPRECIATE, UM, ALL OF THE WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS PROCESS, AND PARTICULARLY, UM, DEPARTMENT HEADS AND FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION STAFF, UM, ALL OF THE TEAMS ACROSS THE CITY THAT PUT TOGETHER THE PLAN FOR FY 27, UH, AND FOR THE BUDGET AND FINANCE TEAM, UH, THAT REALLY GUIDED US THROUGHOUT THIS.
UM, WE REALLY HAVE MOVED INTO ESSENTIALLY A 12 MONTH BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, AND I THINK IT SHOWS IN TERMS OF THIS DOCUMENT AND THE WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UM, TO PROCESS DECISIONS AND, UH, AND HAVE MORE BACK AND FORTH, UH, BOTH WITH THE COUNCIL AND, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT FINDING WAYS TO ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY MORE IN THIS PROCESS AS WELL.
SO, APPRECIATE WHAT TOOK, WHAT IT TOOK TO GET HERE AND VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS BUDGET.
SO THEN I MOVE TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATION, PLACE THE COMMUNICATION ON FILE AND REFER COMMITTEE REPORTS THREE AND THREE A ON THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
AND ON THAT MOTION, WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL.
AND YOU HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, AND ONE RECORDED IS ABSENT.
IN THE NEXT, UH, MOTION I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS TO ACCEPT COMMITTEE REPORTS ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
ACTUALLY, I THINK WE'VE ALREADY PUT THREE ON FILE AND PLACED THEM ON FILE.
THOSE ARE THE, FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON ACCEPTING COMMITTEE REPORTS, NUMBER ONE, TWO, AND THREE AND PLACING THEM ON FILE.
AND YOU HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
AND NOW TO MY COLLEAGUES INTO THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY.
THIS MOTION IS ADOPTION OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET AS AMENDED, WHICH IS IN THE AMOUNT OF 1,000,000,018 THOU 18 MILLION $105,440.
PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL COUNSELOR ZUBI.
THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR, I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I'VE REALLY APPRECIATED DIVING INTO THIS WORK WITH THE FINANCE TEAM.
UM, I WANNA JUST COMMENT ON THIS 'CAUSE I WILL BE A YES VOTE FOR THE WATER FUND AND THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND.
UM, BUT DON'T THINK I CAN SUPPORT THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET BECAUSE I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S DOING ENOUGH FOR LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE HEARING FROM RESIDENTS ON, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING OUR ESPS AND GETTING A, A LIVING WAGE.
BUT, UM, WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT I, I AM VOTING PRESENT BECAUSE I DO RECOGNIZE THAT THE CITY MANAGER AND THE FINANCE STAFF, UM, HAVE AGREED TO A REAL PRIORITIES PROCESS, UM, FOR THE UPCOMING BUDGET CYCLE.
SO, WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT NUANCE, IF IT'S MEANINGFUL TO ANYBODY, UM, ESPECIALLY SINCE I VIEW A BUDGET AS A MORAL DOCUMENT.
UM, SO HOPING TO SEE, UH, MORE COMMITMENTS TO THE DIGNITY OF WORKING PEOPLE AND, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO HOLDS MY VALUES REALLY CLOSE, UM, AND US HAVING A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AND EXPECTING THAT POTENTIALLY COULD GO FOR MANY YEARS.
UM, REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT PIECE.
[01:45:01]
PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL ON ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COUNCILOR NOLAN? YEAH, I, I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES', UM, COMMENTS.AND I ALSO WANNA SAY, THIS IS A PHENOMENAL BUDGET.
EVERY DAY I PICK UP THE PAPER OR I READ A NEWS SCROLL, AND EVERY TOWN AROUND US IS CUTTING STAFF OR PASSING AN OVERRIDE OR HAVING TO DO IT.
SO I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A REAL TESTAMENT TO OUR COUNCIL PRIORITIES, OUR CITY'S VALUES, AND THE FACT THAT WE MADE IT THROUGH HERE WITHOUT NEEDING TO CUT THINGS.
EVEN THOUGH THIS INCREASE IS FAR LESS THAN PRIOR INCREASES, IT IS STILL AN INCREASE, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL.
SO I WANNA APPRECIATE ALL OF THE COLLEAGUES IN THIS ROOM, THE COMMUNITY ITSELF AND, AND THE CITY.
NOT JUST THE CITY STAFF SITTING HERE, BUT REALLY CITY STAFF THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE THEY HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING OUR SERVICES.
WE'RE IN FACT EXPANDING SOME OF THEM, AND WE'RE DOING IN A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WAY.
WE WILL GO TO VICE MAYOR ZI, AND THEN COUNCILOR MCGOVERN.
UM, AS I'M SURE THE CITY MANAGER KNOWS, I THINK THAT THE BUDGET HAS BEEN ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE I'VE GIVEN THE MOST FEEDBACK IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS COULD BE A LOT BETTER.
AND I REALLY DO THINK THAT THIS YEAR THE PROCESS HAS BEEN A LOT BETTER THAN IN PAST YEARS.
I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN EXPLICIT CALLS FOR INPUT, A LOT MORE OF BRINGING US ALONG, A LOT MORE DETAILS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND STAFF AND THE CITY MANAGER FOR THAT, IN THAT I THINK IT'S BEEN FAR BETTER THAN IN PAST YEARS.
AND I'M VERY HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS AS WELL.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, THROUGH YOU.
I ALSO WANNA OFFER MY THANKS TO THE TEAM.
UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE ANY BUDGET, THERE'S, THERE'S ALWAYS THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE MORE OF AND WANNA MOVE AROUND.
BUT, YOU KNOW, OVERALL, UM, AS COUNSELOR NOLAN SAID, BLESS AS COUNSELOR NOLAN SAID, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, THE FINANCIAL PICTURE THAT'S OUT THERE, AND YOU LOOK AT WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE GOING THROUGH, AND, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT POORER COMMUNITIES.
I'M TALKING ABOUT WEALTHY COMMUNITIES AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING, AND, AND YOU LOOK AT OUR BUDGET, UM, IT IS REALLY REMARKABLE.
AND I, AND I, AND I THINK PEOPLE SOMETIMES DON'T ALWAYS, BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD, SO WE'VE BEEN SO FINANCIALLY STRONG FOR SO LONG AND WE DO SO MANY THINGS, THERE'S ALWAYS THIS TENDENCY TO SAY MORE, MORE AND MORE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS BUDGET DOES TAKE CARE OF WORKING PEOPLE.
YOU LOOK AT THE MONEY WE'RE PUTTING INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU LOOK AT THE MONEY WE'RE PUTTING INTO HOMELESSNESS, YOU PUT INTO, LOOK AT THE MONEY WE'RE PUTTING INTO FREE PRESCHOOL.
YOU LOOK AT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, BACKFILLING ALL THE FEDERAL CUTS SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T LOSE THEIR HOUSING.
AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE DIDN'T, I JUST, JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS, 'CAUSE WE DID HEAR DURING, 'CAUSE SOME OF US WHO WERE ON SCHOOL COMMITTEE AT, YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO, 'CAUSE WE DID HEAR THIS, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE CALLERS KNOW, AND PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE KNOW THE CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT HAVE ANY LINE ITEM AUTHORITY OVER THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
SO WE CANNOT INCREASE THIS BUDGET.
IF WE SAID, LET'S GIVE $3 MILLION MORE TO THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE WANT TO GO TO PARIS.
THEY'RE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO DO THAT.
UM, AND SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THAT.
THAT HAS TO COME FROM THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
AND WE EITHER VOTE THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE BUDGET UP OR DOWN.
SO THAT'S ON THE SCHOOL, THAT'S THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE'S WORK.
UM, AND THEY'RE IN CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.
AND I REALLY HOPE THAT THEY DO COME TO AN AGREEMENT THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, INCREASE PAY FOR PARAS.
AND IF THAT COMES UP AND THEY CAN'T MANAGE THAT WITHIN THEIR OWN BUDGET, THEN IT COMES, THEN THAT'S ANOTHER DISCUSSION.
BUT, UM, THAT'S, WE DON'T HAVE THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO DO THAT.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW BECAUSE THIS IS OFTEN WHAT HAPPENS.
UM, PEOPLE COME TO US AND WE HAVE TO SAY, WELL, IT'S, WE'RE NOT THE ONES THAT CAN DO IT.
UM, BUT OVERALL, I THINK THIS IS, AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS A VERY GOOD BUDGET.
IT'S EASY TO PASS BUDGETS WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF MONEY AND YOU CAN JUST DO ANYTHING.
IT'S MUCH HARDER WHEN YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU'RE GONNA MOVE THINGS AROUND.
AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME THAT WE'VE HAD TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD BUDGET.
UM, AND, UH, AGAIN, I'M PROUD TO BE IN A CITY THAT, UM, KNOW IS WILLING TO INVEST IN THINGS LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOUSING.
AND, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF.
WELL, YOU, MADAM MAYOR, I, I'D LIKE TO JOIN IN THE COUNCIL'S THANKS TO STAFF, UH, FOR TWO REASONS FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL WORK YOU'VE DONE ON THE BUDGET.
IT REALLY IS AN AMAZING DOCUMENT.
UH, THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF INFORMATION IN THERE.
AND AS A FIRST TIME COUNSELOR, UH, I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL INDIVIDUALLY FOR TAKING THE TIME TO EXPLAIN THE PROCESS, HOW OUR MONEY IS SPENT, HOW IT'S APPROPRIATED, WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS, UH, WHAT THE SHIFT MAY LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
[01:50:01]
UH, I'VE ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH.AND I, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK TO CONST MCGOVERN'S POINT, WE DON'T HAVE ANY LIGHT ITEM VETO'S, UH, POWER WITH RESPECT TO THE, UH, TO THE BUDGET.
AND THAT'S JUST THE WAY OUR SYSTEM IS SET UP.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE IS WE DO IN A, UM, CHALLENGING ECONOMIC TIME, UH, PROVIDE THE RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE WITH THE GOLD STANDARD OF SERVICES WE DO.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'RE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO DO THAT AS THE ECONOMIC, UM, UH, STRESSORS CONTINUE ON OUR COMMERCIAL SPACE AND OUR LAB MARKETS AND, UH, THE OTHER THINGS, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
UH, AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO BE THE HISTORICALLY, UH, EXCEPTIONAL AND SUSTAINABLE CITY THAT WE ARE.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE.
YOU HAVE MY TRUST AND CONFIDENCE I YIELD.
I JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL AS WELL.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE BUDGET DISCUSSION IS GETTING TO MEET CITY STAFF WHO SPEAK WITH SUCH PASSION AND EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE, AND IT'S WONDERFUL HEARING ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS. UM, AND IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM.
SO IT'S REALLY BEEN A PRIVILEGE.
IT'S, IT'S A GREAT, UH, IF YOU, ONE OF YOU INTO THE CITY, YOU READ THE BUDGET BOOK AND YOU ATTEND THE BUDGET HEARING.
SO I THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK.
AS YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T LIKE DEBT.
I, UM, I TRUST YOU AND I, I KNOW YOU'RE VERY THOUGHTFUL AND I KNOW YOU EVEN HAVE WORKED TO REDUCE OUR, WELL, WE'RE THE DEBT'S GROWING, BUT ANYWAY, BUT WE, I APPRECIATE YOUR FORETHOUGHT, YOUR PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE.
I REALIZE WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, AND I APPLAUD YOU FOR THAT, HAVING THAT LONG VIEW.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, LET'S, UH, AND IF YOU EVER NEED TO CUT 10 TO 20 MILLION, I CAN TELL YOU SOME PLACES I THINK WE CAN DO THAT.
BUT LET'S SEE WHERE THINGS GO.
UM, ANYWAY, IN THE MEANTIME, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK.
AYE, COUNCILMAN SABRINA WHEELER.
WE HAD A LOT OF GREAT DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS, AND, UH, I WAS JUST GONNA CALL THE QUESTION.
SO COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER HAS CALLED THE QUESTION, WHICH IS A NON DEBATABLE MOTION.
AND SO WE HAVE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THAT VOTE.
SO, UH, THAT VOTE WOULD BE TO CALLING THE QUESTION, IT'S A YES OR NO VOTE.
WE'RE RECORDING THE AFFIRMATIVE, SO WE NOW GO DIRECTLY TO CALLING THE QUESTION.
IT'S GOING TO BE TO VOTING, AND IT'S A ROLL CALL VOTE ON ADOPTION OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET AS AMENDED.
AND YOU HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
UM, NOW THE NEXT ITEM UP IS ADOPTION OF THE WATER FUND BUDGET IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,104,062.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
NEXT UP IS THE ADOPTION OF THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND BUDGET IN THE AMOUNT OF $45,173,083.
THEN WE'LL GO TO A ROLL CALL ON ADOPTION OF THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND BUDGET.
[01:55:01]
SIDIKI.AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND AND THE WATER BUDGET AND THE GENERAL FUND HAS AMENDED, HAVE BEEN ADOPTED.
[UNFINISHED BUSINESS]
ORDERS.WE HAVE BEFORE US 12 TOTAL LONG ORDER, UH, LOAN ORDERS, WHICH WERE ON THE CALENDAR ITEMS, UH, THREE THROUGH 14.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE CAN VOTE THESE ALL IN A GROUP.
SO WE WILL BE DOING AN INDIVIDUAL ROLL CALL.
I AM SEEING NODDING FROM SO BEAR WITH US.
IT'S ACTUALLY EXCITING BECAUSE THESE ARE ALL PROJECTS WE, UH, WANT TO MOVE FORWARD.
I WILL NOTE THAT WE ARE APPROPRIATING THE MONEY.
THERE MAY BE CHANGES ALONG THE WAY TO THE VARIOUS WAYS.
SOME OF THESE ARE, UM, ARE DEPLOYED OR IMPLEMENTED.
SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE ONLY VOTING ON THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, NOT NECESSARILY ANY CHANGES.
I'M SEEING AGREEMENT THERE AND WE KNOW THERE'S SOME OF THESE THAT WE MAY BE HAVING DISCUSSING IN THE FUTURE.
SO THE FIRST ONE WAS CALENDAR ITEM NUMBER THREE, CMA 20 26 95, WHICH IS A LOAN ORDER FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE IN THE AMOUNT OF $10 MILLION.
DISCUSSION ON THIS LOAN ORDER.
HEARING NONE, WE'LL GO AHEAD TO A ROLL CALL.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE LOAN AND ORDER FOR 10 MILLION HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
WE'LL GO TO CALENDAR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
THIS IS FOUR VARIOUS STREETS AND SIDEWALKS OF FOR 13 MILLION.
I MOVE THE ADOPTION OF CMA 20 26 95.
THE SLO ORDER FOR VARIOUS STREETS AND SIDEWALKS IN THE ORDER IN THE AMOUNT OF 13 MILLION.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE LAW AND ORDER FOR VARIOUS REASONS, SIDEWALKS HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE, COUNCILLOR NOLAN.
IT'S A LOAN ORDER FOR AN ENTERPRISE RESOURCE SYSTEM IN THE AMOUNT OF $12 MILLION.
JUST WANNA REAC ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I, I MENTIONED THIS WHEN IT CAME UP ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA.
I'LL BE A NO VOTE ON THIS JUST BECAUSE I THINK TECH IS MOVING REALLY FAST RIGHT NOW.
AND THIS IS A LOT OF MONEY TO BE INVESTING IN WHEN WE DON'T KNOW WITHIN A YEAR IF THERE'S GONNA BE AN UPDATE THAT'S FAR, UM, CHEAPER OR MORE EFFICIENT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT'LL YIELD.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON THE LOAN ORDER FOR 12 MILLION FOR THE ENTERPRISE RESOURCE SYSTEM.
AND YOU HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS RECORDING THE AFFIRMATIVE.
AND ONE RECORDED IS A NEGATIVE.
THAT LOAN ORDER HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
ITEM NUMBER SIX, COUNCILLOR NOLAN.
IT'S A LOAN ORDER FOR THE REMEDIATION AND IMPROVEMENTS AT GOLD STAR MOTHERS PARK.
IN THE AMOUNT OF $14 MILLION, I MOVE ADOPTION.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS? HEARING? NONE.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, THE LOAN ORDER FOR THE RE REMEDIATION IMPROVEMENTS AT GOLD STAR MOTHERS PARKS BEEN ADOPTED.
WE'LL GO TO CALENDAR ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, COUNCILLOR NOLAN.
THIS IS CMA 20 26 100, WHICH IS A LOAN ORDER FOR MUNICIPAL FACILITIES IMPROVEMENT PLAN ON THE AMOUNT OF $28,500,000.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON ADOPTING THAT LOAN ORDER.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE THAT LOAN ORDER FOR THE MUNICIPAL FACILITIES IMPROVEMENT PLAN HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
WE'LL GO TO CALENDAR ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
THIS IS A LOAN ORDER FOR SCHOOL BUILDING UPGRADES.
NUMBER 1 0 1 A LOAN AND ORDER FOR SCHOOL BUILDING UPGRADES IN
[02:00:01]
THE AMOUNT OF 12,795,000.AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE LAW AND ORDER FOR THE SCHOOL BUILDING UPGRADES HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
WE'LL GO TO CALENDAR ITEM NUMBER NINE, COUNCILLOR NOLAN MAYOR SIDIKI.
THIS IS TO ADOPT CA UH, CMA 2026, NUMBER 1 0 2, WHICH IS A LOAN ORDER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BALDWIN NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE AMOUNT OF $8,375,000.
COUNCIL COUNCILOR FLAHERTY? YES.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BALDWIN NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT LOAN ORDER HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
ITEM NUMBER 10, COUNCILLOR NOLAN, MAYOR SIKA.
NUMBER 1 0 3, WHICH IS A LOAN ORDER FOR PROTECTION AGAINST FLOODING IN EXTREME HEAT IN THE AMOUNT OF $500,000.
WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL ON CALENDAR.
ITEM NUMBER 10, COUNCILOR ZUBIE.
THOSE THAT LOANER FOR FLOODING AND EXTREME HEAT BEEN ADOPTED WILL GO TO CALENDAR.
MAYOR, I MOVE ADOPTION OF CMMA 2026, NUMBER 1 0 4, WHICH IS A LOAN ORDER FOR COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW CONTROL PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $7,500,000.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON THAT LOAN ORDER.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDING THE AFFIRMATIVE.
THAT LOAN ORDER FOR COMBINED SEW OVERFLOW CONTROL PROGRAM HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
WE'LL GO TO CALENDAR ITEM NUMBER 12, COUNCILLOR NOLAN.
I MOVE ADOPTION OF CMA 2026, NUMBER 1 0 5, WHICH IS A LOAN ORDER FOR HARVARD SQUARE SEWER SEPARATION AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $1 MILLION.
ANY DISCUSSION HEARING THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE LAW AND ORDER FOR HARVARD SQUARE HAS BEEN ADOPTED, WILL GO TO CALENDAR.
ITEM NUMBER 13, COUNSELOR NOLAN.
NUMBER 1 0 6, WHICH IS A LOAN ORDER FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF OZONE GENERATORS AT THE WATER DEPARTMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $310,000.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDING THE AFFIRMATIVE.
THAT LOAN AND ORDER FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF OZONE GENERATORS.
GEN GENERATORS HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
ITEM NUMBER 14, COUNCILOR NOLAN.
NUMBER 1 0 7, WHICH IS A LOAN ORDER FOR WATER WORKS CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AT THE WATER DEPARTMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $2 MILLION.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL CO.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, A LOAN ORDER FOR WATER WORKS.
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AT THE WATER DEPARTMENT'S BEEN ADOPTED.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE SUSPENSION OF THE RULES IN ORDER TO MOVE RECONSIDERATION ON EVERY VOTE TAKEN RELATED TO THE BUDGET AND LOAN ORDERS, HOPING THAT THE SAME WILL NOT PREVAIL ON THAT MOTION.
TO REMOVE SUSPENSION OF THE RULES, WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL.
[02:05:01]
SIMMONS? YES.AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDING THE AFFIRMATIVE.
COUNCILOR NOLAN, I MOVE RECONSIDERATION.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A VOTE ON RECONSIDERATION.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE END.
SO WE'RE WRAPPED UP WITH THE AGENDA.
I THINK WE'VE DISPOSED OF ALL OF THE MATERIALS THAT WE NEEDED.
THIS IS A COMMUNICATION TRANSMITTED FROM IAN HUANG, CITY MANAGER RELATIVE TO THE REAPPOINTMENT OF CONRAD CRAWFORD, TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CAMBRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FOR A TERM OF FIVE YEARS.
I'M, UM, VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, MR. CONROE BEING WILLING TO SERVE IN THE CRA AND THIS, OUR, OUR RULES REQUIRE THAT THIS NOMINATION BE BROUGHT FORTH BEFORE A COMMITTEE, BEFORE IT COMES TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS DONE.
UM, THROUGH YOU, MAYOR SIDIKI.
UM, I THINK THE RULES, WHICH ARE, UH, ACTUALLY WE HAVE RULES ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEW TERM.
UM, I THINK THEY, I BELIEVE THAT ACTUALLY THE PROCESS IN THE EXISTING RULES WAS THAT, UH, WE WOULD BRING FORWARD A NOMINATION FOR THE CAMBRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OR THE CAMBRIDGE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UM, THOSE WERE IN THE COUNCIL RULES MEANT TO BE REFERRED TO A COMMITTEE AND THEN COME BACK.
UH, IN THE PAST, UH, WE HAVE SUSPENDED THE RULES TO PASS THEM FORWARD.
I'M NOT ACTUALLY SURE HISTORICALLY, THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAPPENED IN COMMITTEE THAT THEN WERE USEFUL TOWARD A DECISION.
UM, BUT PRETTY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE COUNCIL MAY HAVE TONIGHT.
UM, AND ALSO HAPPY IF THERE WERE A DESIRED PURPOSE FOR THAT COMMITTEE HEARING, UM, TO, TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION AND SEE IF IT, SEE IF IT'S NECESSARY.
UM, BUT WE HAVE SUSPENDED THE RULES AND NOT DONE THAT IN THE PAST, UH, WHICH IS ALSO THE AMENDMENT IN THE NEW RULES THAT IS ACTUALLY UP FOR DISCUSSION TONIGHT AS WELL.
I'M HAPPY TO, I JUST THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR.
THE EXISTING RULES RIGHT NOW REQUIRE THIS, AND IT HASN'T BEEN DONE.
SO I'M HAPPY IF WE SUSPEND THE RULES, BUT I DO THINK WE SHOULD MAKE SURE IF THE RULES CHANGE FINE.
BUT THERE WAS, THERE WAS, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WE'D BE FOLLOWING OUR OWN RULES.
WE'VE HAD SOME CASES WHERE WE DON'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS DO THAT.
SO I WANNA, AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT AT ALL ABOUT, I LOVE THE WORK OF THE CCRA.
AND I KNOW, UH, CONY CRAWFORD IS AMAZING.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE FOLLOWING ON RULES.
SO IF WE NEED TO MOVE SUSPENSION, WHICH I BELIEVE WE PROBABLY DO IN ORDER TO EVEN ACCEPT THIS APPOINTMENT TO MOVE SUSPEND, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSION HERE AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID OFTEN, PARTICULARLY FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
AND THE ONLY TWO EXCEPTIONS ARE THE HOUSING, CAMBRIDGE HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND THE CAMBRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, BOTH OF WHICH ALSO ARE IN STATE LAW ABOUT HOW APPOINTMENTS ARE MADE, WHICH I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, IT SAYS THE MAYOR OR THE CITY MANAGER MAKES RECOMMENDATION.
THE COUNCIL WILL NEED TO APPROVE FOUR OF THE, OF THE, OF THE FIVE.
BUT, UM, IF, IF WE NEED TO MOVE SUSPENSION, THAT'S FINE.
SO, COUNCILOR NOLAN HAS MOVED TO, UH, SUSPENSION.
THOSE AGAIN? SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT.
SO WE CAN, I'LL GO BACK TO YOU.
I, I BELIEVE SINCE WE'RE IN SUSPENSION, THEN, HOWEVER, THE, THE MOTION HAS TO BE MADE THAT WE WILL SUSPEND THE RULE THAT REQUIRES A RE REFERRAL TO COMMITTEE BEFORE COMING TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
I HAVE THAT, THAT WAS PART OF THE SUSPENSION.
UM, SO JUST BEFORE YOU, TONIGHT IS THE REAPPOINTMENT OF CONRAD CRAWFORD, WHO'S BEEN, UM, ON THE CRA BOARD SINCE IT WAS REFORMED IN, UH, 2012.
WE'VE EXPERIENCED A, UM, UH, SOME RECENT TURNOVER.
SO WE'VE HAD THREE NEW BOARD MEMBERS JOIN, UH, RECENTLY.
CONRAD IS CURRENTLY THE CHAIR OF, UM, THE BOARD, AND WE'RE EXPECTING A TURNOVER OF ANOTHER, UM, BOARD MEMBER NEXT YEAR.
SO HE'S KIND OF BECOME OUR SAGE AND OUR STABILITY IN OUR, UH, BOARD GOVERNANCE AS WE UNDERTAKE, AS YOU'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, LOTS OF NEW PROJECTS.
UH, WE THINK THAT HAVING, UM, SOME STABILITY ON THE BOARD IS VERY IMPORTANT.
SO IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR WORK, UM, OR THE
[02:10:01]
WORK OF CONRAD, HAPPY TO, UM, TAKE THEM ON.BUT, UH, WE'RE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF HIS LEADERSHIP IN THE BOARD.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THIS REAPPOINTMENT? HEARING NONE, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON THE REAPPOINTMENT.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
WE HAVE REAPPOINTED CONRAD CRAWFORD.
WE'LL GO AHEAD TO CITY MANAGER.
THIS IS A COMMUNICATION TRANSMITTED FROM YAN WONG, CITY MANAGER RELATIVE TO THE TRANSFER OF $500,000 FROM THE GENERAL FUND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, SALARIES, AND WAGES ACCOUNT TO THE GENERAL FUND, FIRE DEPARTMENT, TRAVEL AND TRAINING ACCOUNT.
UH, I JUST WONDERED IF THIS WAS FOR RECENT INJURIES.
IS THIS, UM, SOMETHING THAT'S DONE REGULARLY? AND THEN ON THE ITEM BEFORE, UM, WE'RE APPROPRIATING AN ADDITIONAL $200,000 FOR VARIOUS THINGS.
WEREN'T, WOULDN'T THOSE COSTS HAVE BEEN ANTICIPATED, AND WHY WEREN'T THEY PART OF YOUR REGULAR BUDGET? UM, THROUGH, THROUGH YOU, MAYOR SIDIKI, UH, THANK YOU.
THROUGH YOU, UH, MAYOR SIDIKI.
YEAH, WE, WE'VE EXPERIENCED A SPIKE IN INJURIES THIS YEAR.
UM, WE HAVEN'T HAD TO COME BEFORE THE COUNCIL FOR THE PAST FIVE PLUS YEARS.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S DIFFICULT TO PREDICT YEAR BY YEAR.
UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF, UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT ON INJURY LEAVE THAT ARE SCHEDULED TO HAVE SURGERIES WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS THAT'S, UH, REQUIRING ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
SO IS THIS, UM, SO THIS IS, WAS UNANTICIPATED, RIGHT? YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE INJURIES, BUT LIKE, SO THAT WOULDN'T BE PART OF YOUR REGULAR BUDGET, IS IT? IS IT ALWAYS, UH, ARE WE ALWAYS GONNA PAY FOR, UH, FUNDS FOR, UM, FOR INJURIES? AS AN ADDITIONAL LINE ITEM THROUGH YOU, MADAM DIRECTOR JENNINGS.
SO THIS IS TYPICAL OF OUR PRACTICE, AS HAS BEEN.
WE, WE TYPICALLY MAKE TRANSFERS AS, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF MENTIONED, IT CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT TO PREDICT WHEN A MEDICAL CLAIM WILL COME IN.
UM, THERE ARE SMALL AMOUNTS BUDGETED WITHIN CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS FOR WORKERS' COMP MEDICAL CLAIMS, BUT USUALLY THE CLAIMS, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY CAN COME IN, THEY CAN VARY IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT COMES IN.
I WILL SAY THAT MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE LOOKING AT CENTRALIZING, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION OF WORKERS' COMP MEDICAL CLAIMS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE RELATED DEPARTMENTS, UH, USING A THIRD PARTY VENDOR.
SO THAT WILL ADD SOME EFFICIENCY TO THAT PROCESS, HOPEFULLY.
I YIELD ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? YES, COUNCILOR FLAHERTY.
AND, UH, I'D JUST LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THAT TODAY WAS THE FUNERAL OF ROBERT KILDUFF, WHO WAS THE BOSTON FIREFIGHTER WHO DIED FIGHTING A BLAZE.
AND HE WAS A REMARKABLE HUMAN BEING.
I DIDN'T KNOW HIM PERSONALLY, BUT I KNOW SOME PEOPLE THAT HE WORKED WITH.
AND IT'S A DANGEROUS JOB BEING A FIREFIGHTER.
AND WE ARE A, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY DENSE URBAN AREA, AND IT'S A TREACHEROUS POSITION.
SO, UM, I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT I WANT TO THANK THE CAMBRIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR ITS SERVICE, FOR ITS COURAGE AND, UH, FOR KEEPING ALL OF US SAFE IN OUR HOMES.
AYE, I DO NOT SEE, UH, ANYONE WHO, ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
SO, HEARING NONE ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR SUI, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND PLACE THIS, UH, ON FILE, ADOPT THE ORDER.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
SO WE CAN GO AHEAD TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL CITY MANAGER AGENDA.
[02:15:01]
COMMUNICATION TRANSMITTED FROM YAN WONG, CITY MANAGER RELATIVE TO PROPOSED CHANGES.THE CITY'S ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN.
COUNCILOR NOLAN HAD ALSO NO SUSPENSION TO ALLOW POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE, WHICH WAS ON THE ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN ORDINANCE CHANGES, WHICH WAS FILED BY HER COUNCILLOR ZUBY.
AND I'LL GO TO COUNCILOR NOLAN.
UM, MAYOR SADIK, I CAN TALK NOW ABOUT THE ZERO BASED MASTER PLAN.
IS THAT CORRECT? SO, BEFORE US IS A, UM, SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA ITEM FROM THE CITY MANAGER, UH, ON PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CITY ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN.
ALL THESE WERE REVIEWED IN THE HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING RECENTLY.
SO I WANNA, UM, SET THE CONTEXT AND, UH, THE CITY MAY WANT TO ADD TO IT AS WELL BEFORE US IS THE, IS THE ORDINANCES RELATED TO THE ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN 2.0? SO EVERYONE REMEMBERS THE ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN 2.0 CAME OUT OF A MULTI-YEAR PUBLIC PROCESS THAT STARTED IN 2023.
IS THAT RIGHT? I'M LOOKING AT MY NOTES.
THEN IN, UH, OCTOBER OF 2023 AND HAS GONE ON FOR THE LAST LITERALLY, UM, TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
UH, MANY HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS, DOZENS OF PUBLIC MEETINGS, EVENTS, COMMUNITY OUTREACH INITIATIVES.
I KNOW THAT MR. ORRIN, WE HEARD IN PUBLIC COMMENT, THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF, IN THE SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE RECYCLING ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE RACK CAME TO THE HEALTH ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING LAST WEEK AND TALKED ABOUT THE DOZENS OF EVENTS THAT THEY ATTENDED.
SO THIS UPDATE IS THE RESULT OF NUMEROUS ROUNDS OF COUNCIL INPUT, ALONG WITH YEARS OF STAFF RESEARCH AND OPERATIONAL WORK THAT INFORMED THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE DOCUMENT THAT THIS CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO FORMALLY ADOPT THAT REPORT LAST JUNE.
AND THE ORDINANCES BEFORE US TODAY ARE THE UPDATES ON THE FIRST PART OF THE ACTION PLANS CALLED FOR IN THE ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN 2.0.
THAT PLAN WAS ACTUALLY COMPLETED IN MARCH OF 2025.
THE COUNCIL THEN DELIBERATED AGAIN, HAD A COUPLE MEETINGS, HAD SOME INPUT, AND THEN PASSED THE, UH, PLAN UNANIMOUSLY A YEAR AGO IN JUNE OF 2025.
SO IT'S A FULL YEAR SINCE WE ADOPTED THE PLAN.
JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS EVERY SINGLE CHANGE THAT'S BEFORE TODAY IN ORDINANCE WAS IN THAT PLAN.
IT'S JUST THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE THAT GOES WITH THAT PLAN.
SO IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE SAYING ANYTHING NEW HERE.
IT PUTS WHAT WE ALREADY DISCUSSED AND EVERY SINGLE CHANGE, WHICH WE'RE ALL BY THE WAY, IN THE, UM, SHORT TERM PLAN IS WHAT IS WHAT WE WENT OVER.
UM, SO EVERYONE WERE OPENLY DISCUSSED AND COMMUNICATED AND GOT FEEDBACK ON TO JUST MAKE A FEW POINTS.
THE STATE IS ALREADY PLANNING TO REQUIRE FOOD WASTE, DIVERSION AND COMPOST BY 2030 FOR RESIDENCES.
SO THE FACT THAT CAMBRIDGE IS TRYING TO DO THIS IS, UH, IS LAUDABLE AND HALF OF CAMBRIDGE TRASH IS DIVERTABLE RIGHT NOW.
HALF OF IT BELONGS IN EITHER RECYCLING OR FOOD WASTE BY WEIGHT.
THAT'S WHAT ALL OUR AUDITS SHOW.
AND ONE REASON TO DO THIS IS TRASH IS THE THING IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE FOR THE CITY TO DISPOSE OF.
THE ACTUAL AMOUNT WE HAVE TO PAY PER TON FOR TRASH IS FAR ABOVE RECYCLING AND FOOD WASTE DIVERSION.
THE MORE WE CAN GET PEOPLE TO REDUCE THE ACTUAL, UH, AMOUNT OF TRASH THEY HAVE, THAT'S WHY WE WANNA GET TO ZERO WASTE.
THE MORE WE CAN GET, UH, RESIDENTS REDUCED TRASH, ACTUALLY THE BETTER OFF WE ARE FINANCIALLY.
ALSO, THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD ALREADY HAS REDUCED THE TRASH QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND IT'S DOWN TO, I THINK, 23 POUNDS OF TRASH PER PERSON, WHICH IS ONLY HALF OF WHAT IS EXPECTED AND IS IN THE ORDINANCE ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT FROM, UM, FROM RESIDENCES.
AND THERE'S ALWAYS AN OPTION FOR, FOR MORE TRASH BARRELS IF YOU REALLY NEED THEM.
THAT'S ALWAYS, UM, SOMETHING THAT THE STAFF STEPS UP AND DOES.
AND TO THE TIMING IS THAT DPW STAFF WILL BE WORKING TO IMPLEMENT THESE ORDINANCES OVER TIME AND WILL PRIMARILY FOCUS ON EDUCATION.
UH, THE SKIP THE STUFF BEGINS SIX MONTHS AFTER PASSAGE, SO THAT STAFF CAN DO ADDITIONAL OUTREACH AND RESTAURANTS HAVE TIME TO ADJUST.
THE REFUSE AND LITTER UPDATES WILL BEGIN AFTER UNTIL SIX MONTHS AFTER PASSAGE.
AND SAME THING WITH THE BRING YOUR OWN BAG UPDATES.
UM, THE ORDINANCE DOES ALSO HAS EXEMPTION LANGUAGE IN IT.
SO THE COMMISSIONER CAN EXEMPT BUSINESSES FROM THE REQUIREMENTS TO GO UP TO AN ADDITIONAL YEAR IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC REQUIRE REQUIREMENTS WOULD CAUSE UNDUE HARDSHIP.
SO ON THE OUTREACH, 'CAUSE WE'VE HEARD SOME CONCERN OF WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? I WANNA REMIND US ALL AND DOCUMENT THE FACT THAT THE ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN WEBPAGE HAS A 26 PAGE DOCUMENT THAT ACTUALLY OUTLINES THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
DPW REACHED OUT EXPLICITLY TO EACH OF THE BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS, THE CHAMBER, THE CENTRAL SQUARE BID, HSBA KENDALL SQUARE ASSOCIATION, EAST CAMBRIDGE IN 2024, STARTING IN 2024 TO GO OVER THE PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN 2.0.
AND ALSO HAD SEPARATE DISCUSSIONS WITH LARGE PROPERTY OWNERS AND MANAGERS ABOUT THE CHANGES INCLUDING HARVARD MI TIMCO, BOSTON PROPERTIES, DIVIV CO WEST, AND OTHERS.
[02:20:01]
ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING.UH, ALSO, I, IN MY ROLE AS CHAIR BEFORE EACH OF OUR MEETINGS FOR THE HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT SEPARATELY REACHED OUT TO BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS IN EARLY 2025 WITH INVITES TO THE HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING, AND ALL THE DRAFT MATERIALS WERE INCLUDED IN THAT.
SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN, UH, PASS THESE ORDINANCE CHANGES TO A SECOND READING TONIGHT.
AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED AND WORKED ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND NOT A SINGLE CHANGE IN THE ORDINANCE IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS EXPLICITLY TALKED ABOUT AND COMMITTED TO BY THIS COUNCIL A YEAR AGO IN JUNE OF 2025, BASED ON THE PUBLICATION OF THE REPORT IN MARCH OF 2025 FOR THE STEPS TO TAKE FOR THE ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN 2.0.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE ALL HAD THE CONTEXT FOR THIS IMPORTANT UPDATE TO OUR WORK AS A CITY.
WE HAVE COUNCILLOR SIMMONS AND THEN COUNCILLOR SUI.
I JUST WANNA BE ON THE RIGHT PAGE.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SUPPLEMENTAL THAT THE CITY MANAGER JUST BROUGHT IN, AND DID I UNDERSTAND THAT THE POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE IS BEFORE US AS WELL? YES.
AND NO, IT'S POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE.
UM, AND WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH POLICY NUMBER, POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE? I'M JUST, I'M A BIT CONFUSED.
UH, THE POLICY ORDER, UH, IS HAS THE ORDINANCE CHANGES AND SO, UH, BASICALLY THE SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA REFLECTS THESE UPDATED ORDINANCE CHANGES.
AND SO, UM, THE VOTE WOULD BE TO PASS THE POLICY ORDER, UM, IF THAT IS THE WILL OF THE BODY.
UM, AND SO WE'RE JUST HAVING DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
WELL, I WANTED TO, YES, COUNSELOR SIMMONS.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR THROUGH YOU TO YOU.
UM, I WANTED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME WITH THIS SINCE I WANTED TO EXERCISE MY CHART RIGHT ON THE POLICY ORDER.
BUT EVERYTHING ELSE, OFFICER SIMMONS EXERCISES HER CHARTER RIGHT ON POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE.
SO WE WILL GET TO THAT POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE AT A LATER AT A NEXT MEETING.
AS FAR AS THE SUPPLEMENTAL, UM, AGENDA ITEM, I THINK IT'LL JUST GO HEAD UNDER UNFINISHED BUSINESS OR PLACED ON FILE UNFINISHED.
BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE, THOSE ARE THE CHANGES THAT WE POTENTIALLY ADOPT IN THE FUTURE.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED, WE DON'T NEED A, WHICH I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM.
UM, SUPPLEMENTAL CITY MANAGER AGENDA ITEM, UM, WILL BE PLACED ON THE TABLE OR IT'S NOT PLACED.
SO THE POLICY ORDER, WE SO EX THE COUNCILOR SIMMONS EXERCISE OR CHARTER, RIGHT? RIGHT.
THIS CITY MANAGER AGENDA ITEM, SUPPLEMENTAL.
THAT WAS THE ORDINANCE CHANGES.
AND SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'LL JUST GO UNDER THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS CALENDAR.
BUT MEGAN, IF ANY WE NEED TO VOTE TO PUT IT ON THE TABLE, WE CAN.
IS THAT, I THINK YOU VOTE TO PUT IT ON THE TABLE.
THE, THE MOTION THERE WAS TO PASS TO A SECOND READING, BUT WE'RE NOT PASSING IT TO A SECOND READING BECAUSE PLACE IT ON THE TABLE.
THE POLICY ORDER WAS NOT A, YOU KNOW, THE EXERCISE, SOME OF THE EXERCISES CHART.
SO WE'LL JUST, WE CAN PLACE IT ON THE TABLE, BUT WE NEED A VOTE YES TO DO THAT.
UH, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON THAT.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
THAT SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA ITEM NUMBER IS, UH, PLACED ON FILE.
MADAM MAYOR, IT'S, UH, PLACED ON THE TABLE.
I'D LIKE TO SUSPEND, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND, TO PULL THE CITY COUNCIL RULES OFF OF THE CALENDAR AND BRING THAT BEFORE US, UM, IN THE HOPES THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT TONIGHT AFTER A COUPLE WEEKS OF COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
SO, COUNCILLOR, SABRINA, WILL, UH, WHEELER WOULD LIKE TO MOVE SUSPENSION TO TAKE AN ITEM OFF THE TABLE.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE TO DO A VOTE TO TAKE IT OFF ON THE TABLE ITSELF.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT.
WE'RE IN SUSPENSION NOW TO TAKE THE COMMUNICATION FROM CITY COUNSELORS CHIEF AND SABRINA WHEELER TRA TRANSMITTING THE PROPOSED 20 26, 20 27 RULES OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL.
OFF THE TABLE, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL.
[02:25:01]
YES.AND YOU HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS RECORDING THE AFFIRMATIVE AND YES.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDING THE AFFIRMATIVE.
[CALENDAR]
TAKE THAT TABLED ITEM NUMBER TWO OFF THE TABLE.THANKS, MADAM MAYOR THROUGH YOU.
UM, THESE CITY COUNCIL RULES WERE TABLED AT OUR LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH WAS TWO WEEKS AGO.
SO I CHECKED IN WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE AND THE LAW DEPARTMENT TO DOUBLE CHECK WHERE WE WERE AT WITH THE DISCUSSION WHEN THE RULES WERE TABLED.
UH, I WAS INFORMED BY THE CLERK'S OFFICE THAT WE GOT THROUGH ALL THE AMENDMENTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED AT THE LAST MEETING.
THOSE INCLUDE ADJUSTING PUB, THE PUBLIC COMMENT NUMBERS, UH, AND CONFIRMING THAT PUBLIC COMMENT IS REQUIRED AT COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
THOSE MEN HAS INCLUDED ADJUSTING THE END TIME FOR MONDAY NIGHT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS TO BE 10:00 PM INSTEAD OF 9:00 PM THERE IS ONE ADDITIONAL AMENDMENT BEFORE US, UM, THAT WAS SUGGESTED BY THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND WRITTEN BY THE CITY SOLICITOR, MEGAN BAYER, UH, SOLICITOR BAYER IS HERE TO EXPLAIN THAT AMENDMENT.
WE SHOULD ALL, ALL HAVE THAT AMENDMENT BEFORE US.
UH, AND IT WAS SENT TO THE CITY CLERK, UH, AND MS. STEFAN AND BELIEVE IT CAN BE PULLED UP ON THE SCREEN.
UM, SO WE JUST, UH, ASK THAT IF SOLICITOR BAY COULD EXPLAIN THAT AMENDMENT.
UM, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION, UH, AT THE LAST MEETING AND, UM, OFFLINE ABOUT WHETHER TO HAVE THE RULES PROVIDE THAT THE MEETING GOES UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK ON MONDAY, AND THEN IF THE AGENDA IS NOT COMPLETE BY 10 O'CLOCK TO CONTINUE THE MEETING ON TUESDAYS, UM, THEREAFTER, UH, AND HAVING THE CLERK'S OFFICE ALWAYS POST A MONDAY NIGHT MEETING AND A CONTINUED TUESDAY MEETING.
UM, THE SUGGESTION HERE WAS WORKING WITH THE MAYOR AND COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER TO, UH, HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY AND RECOGNIZE THAT THERE MIGHT BE A POTENTIAL WHERE THE COUNCIL DOES NOT ALWAYS NEED TO CONTINUE THE MEETING TO TUESDAY.
UM, AND THAT THE COUNCIL, MANY TIMES DOES GET THROUGH THE MEETING BEFORE 10 O'CLOCK.
UM, SO WE COULD MAKE THE TUESDAY MORE OF A, UM, SITUATION THAT COMES UP IN, YOU KNOW, THIS SOMETIMES UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF HAVING A PARTICULARLY LONG AGENDA OR PARTICULARLY HOT TOPICS THAT WILL GENERATE A LOT OF PUBLIC COMMENT AND A LOT OF DISCUSSION.
SO THIS LANGUAGE WAS TO REMOVE THE, UM, TUESDAY FROM BEING THE NORM, AND INSTEAD GIVE THE MAYOR AS CHAIR OF THE BODY DISCRETION WHEN THE REGULAR AGENDA IS POSTED ON THURSDAY TO LOOK AT THE AGENDA AND SEE IF IT LOOKS LIKELY THAT THE MEETING WOULD NEED TO EXTEND PAST 10 O'CLOCK.
AND IF SO, WORK WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE BY NOON ON FRIDAY TO POST A TUESDAY MEETING.
UM, OR ALTERNATIVELY, IF THE MAYOR DOES NOT DO THAT.
BUT THEN ON A MONDAY EVENING, THE MEETING IS GOING LONG AND IT IS, UM, 10 O'CLOCK, AND THE BODY WANTS TO ADJOURN AND CONTINUE THE MEETING, A MEETING WILL BE POSTED THE FOLLOWING DAY FOR 48 HOURS LATER, WHICH WOULD BE THURSDAY.
SO THIS LANGUAGE, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVES THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT AND SETS THE EXPECTATION FOR THE PUBLIC THAT THIS WON'T BE THE NORM, BUT THIS COULD HAPPEN AND THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF IT DID HAPPEN.
YEAH, JUST TO ADD ON WHAT SOLICITOR BAYER IS SAYING, I THINK THAT THIS AMENDMENT HELPS CLARIFY THAT THE GOAL FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS IS TO BE DONE ON MONDAY NIGHTS BY 10:00 PM THAT IT'S NOT TO HAVE TUESDAY MEETINGS EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
AND THAT TUESDAY MEETINGS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, A RARE RECURRENCE.
IT ALSO LAYS OUT, YOU KNOW, IN THE UNCOMMON EVENT THAT IT SEEMS LIKE A COUNCIL MEETING WILL GO MUCH LATER THAN 10:00 PM BASED ON THE AGENDA, THE PROCEDURE FOR DOING THAT ON TUESDAYS, UH, OR, OR, UH, THURSDAYS.
AND GIVING SOME FLEXIBILITY THERE.
AND OF COURSE, AS WE TALKED ABOUT LAST WEEK, IF IT SEEMS LIKE THE COUNCIL MEETING IS JUST GONNA GO A LITTLE BIT BEYOND 10:00 PM WE CAN ALWAYS SUSPEND THE RULES LIKE WE DO FOR COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND GO FOR ANOTHER 15 MINUTES OR 20 MINUTES.
THIS IS JUST IN THE CASE WHERE WE'D HAVE A, A MEETING THAT GOES MUCH LONGER THAN 10:00 PM AND LAYS OUT THE PROCEDURE FOR THAT.
BUT ALSO SAYS CLEARLY IN THAT LAST SENTENCE, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL IS TO BE DONE ON MONDAY NIGHTS.
UM, SO I THINK THIS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
AND JUST TO, UM, REALLY DOUBLE DOWN ON THE AMENDMENT THAT PREVIOUSLY WHAT WE VOTED ON LAST WEEK WAS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING WILL RESUME, UM, THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY AT 1:00 PM AND SHALL CONTINUE UNTIL THE CONCLUSION OF ALL BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA OR UNTIL 5:00 PM WHICHEVER OCCURS SOONER.
AND SO WHEN WE, WE GIVEN SOME OF THE DISCUSSION AND WE WANTED TO PROVIDE, UH, AND BASED ON SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE SOLICITOR TO ADD THAT FLEXIBILITY.
[02:30:01]
SO THE REALLY, IT'S UP TO THE BODY.WE CAN VOTE THIS UP OR DOWN, UH, BUT WE'LL HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION.
I HAVE COUNCILLOR NOLAN AND COUNCILLOR ZUI, COUNCIL MEMBER GOVERN.
THANK YOU, UH, THROUGH YOU, MAYOR.
I DON'T MIND HAVING IT BE 11 OR 12, BUT WHAT I DO WANNA MAKE SURE IS PART OF WHAT, UM, COUNCILOR, SO, WHICH I WOULD PREFER THAN EXTENDING THE MEETING, BUT WHAT COUNCILOR BINNA WHEELER SAID, WHICH IS WE CAN ALWAYS, IF IT'S CLOSING ON 10 O'CLOCK AND WE SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'LL JUST BE ANOTHER HALF HOUR, WE DON'T THINK IT'LL BE ANOTHER TWO HOURS.
SHOULDN'T WE PUT SOMETHING THAT RULES TO THAT EFFECT? OR IS IT JUST A SIMPLE SUSPENSION OF THE RULES IN ORDER TO EXTEND IT? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE GIVE OURSELVES THAT FLEXIBILITY, BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY TRICKY.
WE DON'T WANNA RUSH OURSELVES BECAUSE WE, I BELIEVE WE DO DO IMPORTANT WORK, AND I WANNA HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT RUSHING CONVERSATION OR DELIBERATION.
AND YET WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT STARTING PROBABLY AROUND 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, WE MAY NOT MAKE ALWAYS THE RIGHT THE BEST DECISIONS.
BUT I DO WANNA, I, I WANNA RAISE THAT QUESTION OF IS IT AS SIMPLE AS A SUSPENSION? THE RULES TO SAY WE THINK WE'RE GONNA GO ANOTHER HALF HOUR, WHICH WE OFTEN DO IN, IN COMMITTEE MEETINGS, COUNCIL, UH, CITY SOLICITOR,
THAT'S WHAT, UH, LIKE COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER SAID, THAT'S WHAT YOU CURRENTLY DO.
OR MAYBE YOU SAID IT, COUNCILOR NOLAN, BUT ONE OF YOU SAID IT, UH, YOU CURRENTLY DO FOR COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
AND I THINK IF YOU PUT IT INTO THE RULES, THEN YOU START SAYING THE STOP TIME IS 10, UNLESS WE GO A LITTLE BIT FURTHER AND THEN IT'S 10 15.
BUT THEN IF WE WANNA GO A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, IT'S 10 30.
SO JUST PUT IN A STOP TIME AND THEN SUSPEND THE RULES.
IF YOU WANNA GO LONGER, COUNCILOR NOLAN YIELDS WILL GO TO COUNCILOR ZUI.
SO I UNDERSTAND, UM, THE CITY SOLICITOR WANTING TO GIVE US MORE FLEXIBILITY.
BUT I, I JUST KNOW IT'S SO HARD TO SCHEDULE COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
SO IF WE HAVE THIS FLEXIBILITY, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU CAN'T SCHEDULE MEETINGS FOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON OR MAYBE THURSDAY AFTERNOON, SO YOU LOSE TWO TIME SLOTS.
UM, BUT YOU, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE YOU'RE PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETINGS AHEAD.
AND AS MUCH AS I, I DON'T WANNA MEET TILL MIDNIGHT OR 1:00 AM EITHER I, AND I THINK WE MAKE BETTER DECISIONS WHEN WE'RE FRESH.
I WONDER IF IT WOULDN'T BE BETTER JUST TO MOVE IT TO TUESDAY AT ONE.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TWO SLOTS TAKEN AND NOT ONE POTENTIALLY.
I, I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS.
CITY SOLICITOR, UH, THANK YOU.
MY THOUGHTS ARE THAT THIS GIVES THE MAYOR THE DISCRETION.
AND SO IF THERE ALREADY IS A COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, THEN THE MAYOR MIGHT SAY, WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO DO IT ALL MONDAY OR SCHEDULE IT FOR WEDNESDAY MORNING IF THAT'S FREE.
UM, I GUESS THE WEDNESDAY MORNING SCENARIO ISN'T EXPLICITLY IN THE RULES, BUT I THINK THERE WOULD BE DISCRETION FOR THE MAYOR, UM, TO FIND A TIME THAT WORKS.
UH, AND THEN WITH THE, THE THURSDAY, THE REASON WE DID THAT IS IF IT'S A DECISION THAT'S MADE ON A MONDAY NIGHT, WE STILL NEED THE 48 HOURS NOTICE.
SO THAT'S WHY, UM, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE THURSDAY TO GET PICK UP IF IT'S NOT ALREADY PLANNED.
WELL, LET'S GIVE IT A TRY AND SEE HOW IT GOES.
UH, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR THROUGH YOU.
UM, SO LET ME, SO LET'S SAY WE'RE, WE'RE MONDAY NIGHT, YOU KNOW, THINGS GO LONGER, UM, THAN WE EXPECT.
CAN WE, I MEAN, WE CAN DO THIS NOW, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE CAN JUST ADJOURN THE MEETING AND THEN CALL ANOTHER MEETING FOR THURSDAY, RIGHT? IT DOESN'T HAVE TO.
WE HAVE THAT ABILITY, RIGHT? SOLICITOR? I THINK IT'S THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR.
AND, UH, THIS IS NOT SETTING OUT ANYTHING NEW.
THIS IS AUTHORITY THAT'S ALREADY WITHIN THE COUNCIL.
UM, THE THOUGHT BY PUTTING THIS IN THE RULE IS JUST TO SET EXPECTATIONS, UM, SO THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS THAT THIS COULD BE A POSSIBILITY.
SO THE COUNCIL KNOWS THAT, BUT I AGREE IT IS ALREADY WITHIN THE COUNCIL'S AUTHORITY.
UM, COUNCILOR MCGOVERN THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR.
UM, SO I THINK I SAID THIS LAST WEEK, UM, I, I KIND OF FEEL LIKE THIS ISN'T THAT WE HAVE TO DO ALL THIS AND MAKE ALL THESE DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT WE HAVE WORKS REASONABLY WELL.
I, I I, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S INCUMBENT ON INCUMBENT ON US TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MANAGING OUR TIME, UH, AND, AND, AND MANAGING THE MEETING.
[02:35:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, I, AGAIN, I I DON'T, I DIDN'T SUPPORT THE LAST ONE.I JUST, I THINK I LIKE IT THE WAY IT IS.
UM, I THINK WE CAN TWEAK IT A LITTLE BIT AND WE CAN BE A LITTLE MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, MANAGE OURSELVES A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
UM, BUT I DO APPRECIATE, I MEAN, I KNOW HOW HARD
AND I DO WANT TO JUST SINCERELY SEND MY APPRECIATE, THERE'S A TON OF RULES.
THERE'S A TON OF THINGS, A LOT OF PEOPLE THROWING THEIR STUFF AT YOU.
AND YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A LONG TIME.
AND WE DO OWE YOU, I THINK, UM, NOT ONLY THE GRATITUDE, BUT TO GET THIS DONE.
SO I'M NOT GONNA PLAY WITH IT.
I JUST DON'T THINK I WOULD, I'M GONNA SUPPORT THIS.
AND I JUST WANNA, I'LL GO TO COUNCILOR FLAHERTY AND THEN, UM, CONS ZUBIE AND THEN COUNCILLOR SIMMONS.
BUT WHAT DID PASS LAST WEEK WAS IF THE MEETING IS RECESSED ON MONDAY AT 10:00 PM THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING WILL RESUME THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY AT 1:00 PM AND SHALL CONTINUE UNTIL THE INCLUDE CONCLUSION.
SO THIS IS AN ATTEMPT FOR SOME FLEXIBILITY.
UH, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR ON THAT.
WELL, THROUGH YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, AND I KNOW THAT THE CITY SOLICITOR UNDERSTANDS THIS, WHEN YOU'RE A LAWYER AND YOU DRAFT, UH, AN ORDINANCE OR SOME PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT CREATES AN EXCEPTION, IT'S WITHOUT EVEN INTENDING IT, THERE'S A BUILT-IN INCENTIVE.
IT'S, YOU ARE INCENTIVIZED TO USE THE EXCEPTION.
SO WHERE THIS LANGUAGE CREATES SOME FLEXIBILITY, WHAT IT DOESN'T DO IS, UM, DESCRIBE IT AS A SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE, WHICH THEN REQUIRES THE MAYOR TO, UM, IN MAKING A PREEMPTIVE DECISION TO CONTINUE THE MEETING FROM A MONDAY TO A TUESDAY TO POLL THE MEMBERS AND DETERMINE IF THERE'S A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS WHO ARE ABLE TO BE PRESENT ON A TUESDAY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO COUNCIL MCGOVERN'S POINT, IT'S WHENEVER WE CREATE AN AN EXCEPTION TO THE RULE, WE'RE INCENTIVIZING THE USE OF AN EXCEPTION.
UH, WHICH I THINK IS A BAD IDEA FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, INCLUDING WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS SAID.
IT LIMITS STAFF TIME, IT LIMITS OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT ANYBODY ELSE'S SCHEDULE IS LIKE IN THE BODY, BUT I ASSUME EVERYBODY HAS PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATIONS.
MY TUESDAYS CAN BE BOOKED FOR MONTHS, UH, IN ADVANCE.
UH, I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I AM NEXT TUESDAY AFTERNOON, BUT I'M CERTAIN I'VE GOT AN OBLIGATION.
SO THE SCHEDULING OF HAVING A, UM, THE POSSIBILITY OF A BLOCK SCHEDULING ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON AFTER ALREADY MAKING A BLOCK SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY EVENINGS, WHICH ALSO DRIFTS INTO OBVIOUSLY THE FULL DAY MONDAY IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, UH, IT'S, IT'S A, A DIFFICULT SITUATION FOR SCHEDULING.
UM, SO I, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE FLEXIBILITY OF THIS AND, UH, I THINK MAYBE IF THE LANGUAGE INCLUDED ONLY IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, UM, AND THE MAYOR, UM, WOULD HAVE THE DISCRETION AFTER POLLING THE MEMBERS, UM, TO PREEMPT TO, TO MAKE A PREEMPTIVE, UH, SCHEDULED MEETING FOR, FOR TUESDAY.
I SUPPOSE THAT'S THE TYPE OF EXCEPTION.
THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT'S WORKABLE.
BUT AGAIN, WHEN YOU CREATE AN, IN AN EXCEPTION TO THE RULE, IT ALMOST ENCOURAGES PEOPLE.
OR WE CAN DO IT ON TUESDAY, WHICH I DON'T THINK IS THE INTENT OF DRAFTING THIS.
THE INTENT, I THINK, IS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE, WE'RE ALL MINDFUL OF ONE ANOTHER'S TIME THAT WE GET TO THE BUSINESS BEFORE US, THAT WE DON'T PONTIFICATE AND ASK QUESTIONS THAT MAYBE ARE NOT DESIGNED TO ELICIT AN INTELLIGENT RESPONSE, BUT RATHER TO MESSAGE, UH, TO WHATEVER OUR BASE IS, THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT'S, UM, THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
SO FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, I, YOU KNOW, WITH SOME CHANGE IN THE LANGUAGE, MAYBE WE CAN DO SOMETHING WITH THIS.
SO I YIELD, I HAVE COUNCILOR ZUBIE, COUNCILLOR SIMMONS, AND THEN I'LL GO TO COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR.
JUST A QUESTION FOR THE CITY SOLICITOR, WOULD IT BE HELPFUL AT ALL TO LIKE, HAVE LANGUAGE THAT SAYS, AT LEAST IF WE DON'T FINISH A COUNCIL MEETING, THAT WE ARE UNDER A REQUIREMENT TO HAVE THAT FOLLOW UP MEETING WITHIN LIKE, A SPECIFIC TIMELINE, LIKE WITHIN THE WEEK OR BEFORE THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING? SHE MAKES ME CRAZY.
WELL, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WELL, I'M, FROM MY HOW I UNDERSTAND IT, IT LEAVES DISCRETION, RIGHT? FOR WHETHER
[02:40:01]
THURSDAY OR NOT HAPPENS CITY SOLICITOR THROUGH MADAM MAYOR.SO IF THE, SORRY, I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK THIS THROUGH.
IF ONLY A MONDAY MEETING IS SCHEDULED, UM, AND THE BUSINESS ISN'T CONCLUDED AND THE MAYOR THEN HAS THE OPTION OF SCHEDULING A THURSDAY MEETING.
BUT IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, UM, IF, IF THEN THOSE ITEMS DON'T AUTOMATICALLY BECOME PART OF THE NEXT MONDAY'S AGENDA.
SO I THINK AT SOME POINT THERE WOULD NEED TO BE A CONTINUED MEETING SCHEDULED, EVEN IF IT DIDN'T FOR EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES FIT INTO THAT WEEK.
UM, THERE WOULD NEED TO BE SOME MEETING SCHEDULED OR THESE, THE ORIGINAL ITEMS WOULD NEED TO BE POSTED ON THE NEXT MONDAY'S AGENDA IN ORDER TO BE TAKEN UP AND RESOLVED.
AND WOULD THAT BE LEFT AT THE DISCRETION OF THE MAYOR? LIKE WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAN MOVE THOSE ITEMS THAT WEREN'T ADDRESSED TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING? UH, UNDER, THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR, UNDER THE OPEN MEETING LAW, THE AGENDA IS, UH, UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE CHAIR OF A BODY.
UM, SO I THINK YES, THE MAYOR COULD, IF THAT THURSDAY MEETING NEVER HAPPENED AND IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WASN'T GONNA BE A MEETING WITHIN THE WEEK TO CONTINUE THOSE ITEMS, COULD ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MONDAY MEETING INCLUDE THE UNFINISHED ITEMS, COUNCIL ZUBY.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT MAKES SENSE TO ADD THAT LANGUAGE OR NOT, JUST AT THE END OF THE DAY, RECOGNIZING THAT THAT MIGHT PUT SOME PRESSURE ON THE MAYOR, UH, IN TERMS OF EXECUTION.
SO JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR US TO JUST SET EXPECTATIONS.
I KNOW WE KIND OF LEFT THE TUESDAY AFTERNOON, BUT DIDN'T PUT LIKE MAYBE A THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
UM, THAT COULD BE HELPFUL, BUT JUST SOME THOUGHTS I HAD.
I, I YIELD, I MEAN, I THINK IDEALLY WE WANNA BE DONE VERY BY THESE MEETINGS AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THE COUNCIL, RIGHT? JUST A REMINDERS SUPPORT STAFF.
THERE ARE PEOPLE, WE DON'T WANNA GO TILL MIDNIGHT.
I WOULD LOVE TO BE WRAPPED UP, UM, MINDFUL OF PEOPLE NEED TO BE HEARD, BUT THE GOAL IS TO REALLY FINISH OUR BUSINESS.
'CAUSE THAT'S OUR ROLE AND THAT IS UP TO EACH OF US.
AND HOW CLEAR AND CONCISE AND CONS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE CAN BE.
I'LL GO TO COUNCILLOR SIMMONS.
AND THEN BACK TO CONS, COUNSELOR, SABRINA WHEELER.
UH, THANK YOU THROUGH THE CHAIR TO MY COLLEAGUES.
JUST A COUPLE THINGS THAT COME TO MIND.
UM, WE WERE, AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS A MAJOR DEPARTURE, THIS PARTICULAR SECTION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, ARE WE GONNA DO, AND THIS IS I GUESS THROUGH THE, THROUGH YOU MADAM CHAIR, TO THE CHAIR OF GOVERNMENT OPS, DO YOU ANTICIPATE DOING SOME SORT OF TRAINING? WELL, LEMME TAKE A STEP BACK.
ARE YOU, DO YOU INTEND TO DO SOME TRAINING AND OUTREACH OR SOME SORT OF FORUM TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE'RE MAKING THIS CHANGE? WHATEVER CHANGE IT MIGHT BE? I JUST WOULD RECOMMEND THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, THROUGH, UH, THE GENTLEMAN, MR. PRICE, SOMEHOW WE SHOULD CONVEY THIS AND MORE IN, MORE THAN JUST ONCE, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA KNOW, PARTICULARLY IF YOU'RE BIFURCATING.
NUMBER TWO, I HAVE NOT HEARD, AND I DON'T WANNA PUT THE CLERK IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE ON THE SPOT, BUT FUNCTIONALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW THIS IS GOING TO WORK, WORK FOR THEM, PARTICULARLY IF, IF IT GOES ON TO A THURSDAY, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT SETTING THE AGENDA? BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE SITTING IN A MEETING, YOU'RE NOT SETTING IN, YOU'RE NOT SETTING THE AGENDA.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS.
SO I'M, I'M NOT SAYING LET'S NOT DO SOMETHING.
I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT THE OPERATIONS PART OF IT.
UM, MY COLLEAGUE SAYS, WELL, YOU KNOW, LET'S TRY IT AND SEE HOW IT WORKS.
UH, LET'S WORK IT, LET'S WORK OUT THE KINKS IF WE CAN AND THEN SEE HOW IT WORKS.
BUT THAT'S JUST HOW I'M THINKING.
I'M ALSO CONCERNED, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MY COLLEAGUE HAD SAID THERE, THERE ARE OTHER, SOME OF US THAT MAY WORK A PART-TIME JOB, A FULL-TIME JOB, GO TO SCHOOL, DO SOMETHING OTHER, OR IN ADDITION.
YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU COME BACK ON A TUESDAY AND THERE'S NO QUORUM, THERE'S NO MEETING.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE SHOULD THINK THROUGH.
UM, AGAIN, THE IMPACT ON THE CLERK'S OFFICE, AND THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
ON THE ONE HAND, I APPRECIATE US BEING THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THE STAFF, PARTICULARLY THE CLERK'S OFFICE WHO WORK FULL TIME ALL THE TIME, OVERTIME, EVERY TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS COUNCIL CAN DO ITS, ITS WORK.
UM, I THINK FOR ANY RULE CHANGE TO, TO REALLY
[02:45:01]
WORK, WE AS A BODY, AND I KNOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HAVING SOME ROBERTS RULES TRAINING SOMETIME SOON, IS TO EXERCISE, UM, RESTRAINT, UH, EVERYTHING YOU, EVERYTHING YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY IT ON THE FLOOR.YOU CAN WORK IT OFF OFF THE FLOOR.
HOW DO WE USE OUR TIME BETTER? PUBLIC COMMENT GOES VERY, VERY LONG.
I DON'T WANNA DO AWAY WITH IT.
WE'VE HAD LONG CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENT.
WILL WE ONE, MAKE IT FIVE MINUTES, UH, LONG, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A LITTLE LONG.
FOLKS COME TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEY SEE IT AS A RIGHT AND AS, UH, A FORMER CITY SOLICITOR, NOT THE, SO I'M NOT TRYING TO THROW YOU UNDER THE BUS.
MEGAN, A FORMER SOLICITOR SAID, PUBLIC COMMENT IS A PRIVILEGE THAT WE GIVE TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.
THE PEOPLE THAT WANNA SPEAK TO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT.
AND I'M NOT SAYING CUT IT, I'M JUST SAYING, BUT THAT REALLY HAS AN IMPACT.
A MEETING'S GOING TO RUN LONG IF PUBLIC COMMENT RUNS LONG.
AND I DON'T, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THAT.
YOU KNOW, DO YOU CAN'T HAVE IT ANY EARLIER.
AT LEAST I DON'T THINK YOU CAN.
SO SOMETHING FOR US TO THINK ABOUT.
AND THEN THE IMPACT, JUST RECENTLY, WE CHANGED THE RELATIONSHIP THAT THE MAYOR HAS ON THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
AND THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE EXERCISED THAT THAT NEW RULE CHANGE BY NOT ELECTING THE MAYOR TO CHAIR.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE MAYOR DOES NOT HAVE TO GO TO THOSE MEETINGS.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE A MEETING THAT'S GONE ON TUESDAY AND IT BLEEDS INTO THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING ON THE FIRST AND THIRD, UH, TUESDAY, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING FOR US TO THINK ABOUT.
SO ONE, YOU KNOW, THIS, THE COUNCIL COULD USE A LITTLE PRACTICE, EVERYONE INCLUDED.
I INCLUDE MYSELF ON HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE BE SUCCINCT IN OUR OWN DELIBERATIONS AND DEBATE.
HOW, HOW IS PUBLIC COMMENT GOING TO AFFECT ALL OF THIS? I KNOW THE MEETING IS RECESSED, PUBLIC COMMENT DOES NOT CARRY FORWARD.
BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANNA PUT THIS, LAY THIS ON THE TABLE AND COME BACK TO IT BE, I WOULD REALLY WANNA KNOW HOW IT'S GONNA AFFECT THE THURSDAY AGENDA SETTING.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE'S NO QUORUM? HOW THIS AFFECTS THE, UH, CLERK'S OFFICE.
IS THERE ANY, UM, UNINTENDED CONS, UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES IN HOW IT AFFECTS THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE? BECAUSE THE, THE MAYOR, EVEN THOUGH THE MAYOR IN THIS TERM DOES NOT CHAIR THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE IN O OTHER YEARS, THE MAYOR MAY CHAIR THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
AND HOW DOES HAVING A MEETING AT TUESDAY THAT'S ROLLING INTO FIVE, SIX O'CLOCK AFFECT THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE? SO I, I, I WILL YIELD THE FLOOR, BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
SO YES, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF SIMMERING, BUT IT AIN'T BAKED YET FOR ME.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
WE'LL GO TO COUNCILLOR, SABRINA WHEELER.
UM, I'LL NOTE THAT WE HAVE SOME NEW LANGUAGE, UH, FROM THE SOLICITOR THAT WAS JUST SENT OVER THAT I THINK WE CAN PUT UP ON THE SCREEN.
UM, JUST TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE DISCUSSION.
I THINK THE SOLICITOR TRIED TO DO SOME WORK ON THAT AND PUT SOME NEW ONES UP THAT WAS SENT OVER.
SO I THINK WE CAN CAN PUT THAT UP, WHICH ADDRESSES IT.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF THE POINTS.
COUNSELOR SIM UH, SIMMONS RAISE IN TERMS OF IMPACT ON THE CLERK'S OFFICE, I WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE WAS INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS.
THEY LOOKED OVER ALL THE, UH, SUGGESTED RULES AND LANGUAGE HERE.
UM, NOT JUST THE, THE CITY CLERK HERE TODAY, BUT OTHER STAFF FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE THAT THE LANGUAGE WE PUT FORWARD WAS LANGUAGE THAT THEY ARE SUPPORTIVE OF.
THE CLERK STAFF ARE, ARE HERE FOR OUR MEETINGS ON MONDAY NIGHTS.
AND IF OUR MEETINGS END AT 1:00 AM THEN THE CLERK'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM DON'T LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE RIGHT.
AND THEN HAVE TO GO HOME ANOTHER HOUR.
I MAY NOT BE HOME TILL 2:00 AM.
SO THIS LANGUAGE THAT'S PUTTING PUT FORWARD IS, IS DEEPLY CONSULTED OF THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND, AND THEY'RE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, THIS LANGUAGE.
THIS IS SUPPORTIVE OF THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO BE, JUST TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
UM, I THINK THE, THE SUGGESTION ABOUT MAKING SURE THIS IS PUBLICIZED AND DOING OUTREACH AROUND THAT IS A GOOD ONE.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS AND MAKE SURE FOLKS KNOW, AGAIN, SHOULD NOT BE A, A MAJOR CHANGE ENDEAVOR TO GET MEETINGS DONE BY 10:00 PM THIS IS A ENCOURAGEMENT TO, FOR US TO DO THAT.
BUT, UH, AND THE OFF CHANCE THAT THERE ARE MEETINGS THAT, THAT GO ON TO A TUESDAY, WE CAN PUBLICIZE THAT.
UM, AND ALSO JUST WANNA BE, UH, CLEAR IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S BEFORE US.
THE ONLY THING THAT'S, UH, BEFORE US RIGHT NOW IS THIS AMENDMENT.
SO WE CAN EITHER, IF WE DON'T PASS THIS AMENDMENT, WE CAN, WE WILL JUST BE ASSUMING THAT, UH, EVERY TUESDAY THERE'S A COUNCIL MEETING, WE'LL NOTICE THAT THAT'LL GO OUT THERE.
MAYBE IT WON'T BE THE CASE, BUT, UH, WE CAN, WE CAN EITHER ASSUME THERE'S GONNA BE A COUNCIL MEETING EVERY TUESDAY, OR WE CAN PASS THIS AND HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY AMENDMENTS BEFORE US TONIGHT.
UM, I, WE CAN DO ADDITIONAL TWEAKS.
YOU KNOW, KATIE, COUNCIL RULES ARE NOT SET IN STONE.
THERE WAS, COUNCIL FAHERTY HAD SUGGESTED MAYBE DOING, YOU KNOW, SMALL ADDITIONAL TWEAKS.
WE COULD EVEN DO THAT AT THE NEXT MEETING.
UH, I DO THINK IT'S A RESPONSIBILITY OF US TO PASS THE COUNCIL RULES.
THIS IS THE THIRD COUNCIL MEETING THAT THIS HAS BEEN ON THE RULES.
IT WAS, WAS ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA.
[02:50:01]
AT OUR LAST MEETING TWO WEEKS AGO.I DO THINK WE HAVE TO PASS THE COUNCIL RULES AT SOME POINT AND JUST, JUST TRY THEM OUT.
WE CAN MAKE ADDITIONAL TWEAKS, INCLUDING AT THE NEXT MEETING IF COUNCIL FAHERTY WANTS TO BRING SOMETHING.
NO OTHER COUNSELORS BROUGHT AMENDMENTS FORWARD TO THIS MEETING.
THIS IS THE ONLY AMENDMENT BEFORE US.
SO I, I HOPE WE CAN, UH, PASS THIS AMENDMENT AT THIS MEETING.
I'M VERY MUCH DOWN TO WORK WITH ANY COUNSELORS WHO WANNA DO TWEAKS AT, UH, AT AN ADDITIONAL MEETING.
UM, BUT I THINK THIS IS THE DISCUSSION.
UM, IT'S BEEN BEEN REALLY GOOD.
WE HAVE THIS AMENDMENT FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY AND THEN THAT INCORPORATES EVERYTHING.
UH, AND I'M GONNA CALL THE QUESTION ON THIS AMENDMENT.
SO COUNSELOR SABRINA WHEELER HAS CALLED THE QUESTION.
SO WE HAVE TO, THAT'S A NON-DEBATABLE MOTION.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO, THE VOTE WOULD BE TO ADOPT THESE AMENDMENTS.
SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT WAS PRESENTED, UH, AS HIGHLIGHTED LANGUAGE TO CONSIDER.
SO WE NEED TO DO A ROLL CALL ON CALLING THE QUESTION.
THAT'S IT CALLING THE QUESTION.
AND YOU HAVE THREE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND SIX RECORDED IN THE NEGATIVE.
SO CALLING THE QUESTION FAILS, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HAVE DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR, I APPRECIATE THIS.
UM, I'M HAPPY WITH WHETHER WE HAVE THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED, UM, TIME BE TUESDAY OR THURSDAY.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WE'RE REALLY JUST TRADING OFF.
EITHER WE END THE MEETINGS AROUND 10 OR SOME, WHICH WE WILL DO MOST OF THE TIME.
I THINK IT WOULD'VE BEEN GOOD TO KNOW HOW MANY TIMES THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
ON THE OTHER HAND, ON THOSE TIMES THAT IT DOES HAPPEN, IT'S GOOD TO, TO PROACTIVELY SAY, WHEN IS IT THAT WE'LL CONTINUE? AND I RECOGNIZE THIS THEN MEANS FOR, FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE OTHER SCHEDULE, THEN YOU CLEAR THAT PART OF YOUR SCHEDULE.
AND WE GET PAID A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR.
I THINK THAT MEANS THAT WE CAN EACH DECIDE THAT.
NOT JUST MONDAY NIGHTS, BUT SOME OTHER TIME DURING THE WEEK.
LET'S MAKE SURE THERE'S THE FLEXIBILITY THERE TO CONTINUE THE MEETING.
AGAIN, I DON'T, I THINK IT'LL BE A PRETTY RARE TIME THAT IT HAPPENS IN OUR, PROBABLY A FEW TIMES A YEAR.
BUT LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY FOR WHEN WE NEED TO.
AND THIS GIVES US ADVANCED NOTICE OF WHEN IT IS THAT WE MIGHT WANNA CLEAR OUR AGENDA FOR OTHER WORK.
WE HAVE COUNCILLOR ZUI AND THEN COUNCILOR GOVERN.
YEAH, I, I GUESS THE MORE I, AT FIRST I LIKE THIS IDEA OF OUR FINISHING EARLY AND CONTINUING THE NEXT DAY.
BUT NOW I, I JUST FEEL LIKE THEY'RE LIKE, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I'M SCHEDULED ALMOST EVERY MINUTE THIS WEEK.
AND I WOULD HATE TO HAVE TO LIKE COMPLETELY REORGANIZE MY SCHEDULE.
UH, LIKE IT'S NICE TO, IF WE CAN JUST BE EFFICIENT AND GET OUR BUSINESS DONE MONDAY NIGHT, WE CAN BE DONE.
AND IF MAYBE THE MAYOR IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE CUT OFF PUBLIC COMMENT AT FIRM ABOUT IT, OR MAYBE THE CLERK'S OFFICE WOULD DO THAT.
UM, BUT IF WE ACTUALLY CUT PEOPLE OFF, UH, 'CAUSE SOME PEOPLE SPEAK FOR 15 MINUTES, 20 MINUTES, AND IF WE'RE ALL INCENTIVIZED TO FINISH OUR BUSINESS ON MONDAY NIGHT, WE WILL.
SO I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE EASIER.
AND I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE MONDAY, UM, MEETING THAT WE'LL HAVE THIS SUMMER.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT'S USUALLY A VERY LONG MEETING, AND AT LEAST FOR ME, I'VE ACTUALLY, I'LL BE ON VACATION THEN I'LL BE SETTING A, I'VE SET ASIDE TIME TO HAVE A GOOD INTERNET CONNECTION THAT DAY.
I, I DON'T WANNA COME BACK THE NEXT DAY.
I, I WON'T BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE THE NEXT DAY.
SO I THINK IT MIGHT JUST BE EASIER TO KEEP THE MEETING ON MONDAY UNTIL WE GET THE BUSINESS DONE AND THEN TO DO SOME TIMEKEEPING SO THAT, UM, WE CAN BE DONE AT A REASONABLE HOUR.
I YIELD, I, I WILL JUST SAY WE'VE, WE'RE GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES, SO LET'S PLEASE WRAP THIS UP SOON.
WE CAN JUST VOTE THIS UP OR DOWN AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
COUNCILOR MCGOVERN AND THEN COUNCILLOR SIMMONS.
UM, I, I THINK TO THROUGH YOU, TO MY COLLEAGUE COUNSELOR SUZI, I THINK THE PROBLEM IS, 'CAUSE THIS IS WHAT I THOUGHT TOO WAS IF WE DON'T DO THIS, THEN WE'RE WHAT PASSED LAST WEEK STANDS? UM, HOW DO YOU AMEND IT? UM, OR SOMEONE TO COUNSELORS SABRINA'S POINT.
SOMEONE CAN THESE RULES, ANYONE CAN AMEND THESE RULES.
I THINK THE ONLY, I THINK WHAT I WOULD BE OPEN TO HERE MAYBE IS I THINK WHAT GETS ME A LITTLE WEIRDED OUT, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, IS, YOU KNOW, THAT THE, THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT THE, THE, THE MAYOR'S GONNA LOOK AT THE CA YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THE
[02:55:01]
AGENDA, TRY TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT IT'S GONNA GO LONG.AND IF SO IS GONNA DO THIS THING FOR TWO, I'D ALMOST RATHER SAY, IF WE DON'T ADJOURN BY 10, YOU KNOW, IF THE MEETING'S GOING PAST 10 O'CLOCK ON MONDAY, IT, WE OUGHT TO, WE DO A MEETING ON THURSDAY.
LIKE IT'S JUST, THERE'S TOO MANY VARIABLES IN THIS FOR ME.
I MEAN, IT'S LIKE, IF THIS HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, THIS PERSON'S DISCRETION, THEN THIS HAPPENS.
I DON'T KNOW, IT KIND OF FEELS ALL OVER THE PLACE TO ME.
I, AGAIN, I WOULD'VE PREFERRED WE STUCK WITH THE WAY IT IS.
UM, BUT WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? I MEAN, WHAT COULD THAT WORK? AND I GUESS I WOULD ASK THAT OF THE, I WILL SAY JUST THE THURSDAY PIECE NOW, CONFERRING WITH THE CITY CLERK IS NOT GOOD.
YOU KNOW, SO I JUST WANNA BRING THAT UP.
YEAH, I'D SAY WE, WE DID A TON OF MEETINGS AND TALKED ABOUT LIKE EVERY POTENTIAL OPTION.
COULD, COULD THIS BE TUESDAY MORNING? COULD THIS BE THURSDAY? WHEN DOES THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE NOTICED? LIKE ALL OF THE, THE POTENTIAL PIECES CAME UP IN THESE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
AND THEY'RE ALL REAL LOGISTICAL SCHEDULING CHALLENGES.
JUST SAY TO ANY, ANY COUNSELOR WHO WANTS TO BRING AN AMENDMENT, LIKE YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO THAT.
THIS IS THE THIRD, THIRD MEETING WE'VE HAD.
WE GOT AMENDMENTS FROM COUNCILOR NOLAN, FROM COUNCILOR ZUBIE.
ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO BRING AMENDMENTS EITHER NOW OR AT THE NEXT MEETING, I HOPE WE CAN, WE COULD JUST ADOPT.
BUT AGAIN, THE COUNCIL RULES ARE NOT LIKE AN ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE TO DO A WHOLE NOTHER THING.
WE CAN, WE CAN ADOPT THE RULES TONIGHT.
IF THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL TWEAK NEXT WEEK THAT YOU WANNA FIDDLE WITH THE LANGUAGE, WE CAN DO THAT EVEN NEXT WEEK.
YOU JUST BRING FORWARD AN AMENDMENT TO THE COUNCIL RULES.
I JUST, I HOPE WE CAN PASS THIS OR REJECT THIS AMENDMENT, BUT THEN ADOPT THE RULES TONIGHT JUST SO WE CAN, WE'RE IN MAY NOW, RIGHT? THESE ARE THE COUNCIL RULES FOR THE TERM.
WE'RE 25% OF THE WAY DONE WITH THE TERM.
I HOPE WE CAN, CAN ADOPT THE RULES.
I'M GONNA GO TO COUNCIL MCGOVERN.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN, AGAIN, I AGREE.
IT JUST SEEMS A LITTLE, IT JUST SEEMS WEIRD THAT WE'RE GONNA ADOPT SOMETHING AND THEN SOMEONE'S GONNA COME BACK NEXT WEEK AND AMEND THAT SAME, I MEAN, IT'S JUST, JUST MESSY.
UM, OKAY, I YIELD COUNCILLOR SIMMONS AND THEN VICE MAYOR.
UH, THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR THREE, YOU TWO, UH, MY COLLEAGUES, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE COUNCIL THAT WE WANT TO BE IN THIS, THE COUNCIL THAT WE ARE.
SO WE CAN, RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COUNCIL.
WE WANNA BE, DOESN'T, NO ONE HOLDS THE FLOOR MORE THAN THREE TO FIVE MINUTES.
THE COUNCIL THAT WE WANNA BE MOVES AND MOVES THROUGH THE MEETING.
LIKE THE CHAIR TRIES SOMETIMES NOT SO SUCCESSFULLY BECAUSE WE'RE HARD TO CORRAL.
AND I, AND THAT'S WHAT WE LIVE WITH.
SO I I, RIGHT NOW I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COUNCIL WE WANT TO BE AND NOT WHO WE ARE.
THAT BEING SAID, I, AND I HATE TO PUT THE CLERK'S OFFICE OR THE CLERK ON THE SPOT, BUT THURSDAY'S NEW TO ME AND I THINK IT IS GOING TO BE A HUGE PROBLEM.
AND SO I DON'T LIKE THE THURSDAY PART AT ALL.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM, IF SHE IS SO INCLINED, OUR HEAD CLERK TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S A PROBLEM TO EVEN TRY TO THINK, WELL, LET'S TRY IT OUT, IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER.
DISCIPLINE IS NOT OUR STRONG SUIT.
AND THEN JUST ONE OTHER THING.
AND I, I DON'T THINK MY COLLEAGUE IS TRYING TO BE, UH, CUTE WITH THIS, BUT YES, THIS IS, THIS IS A POSITION THAT DOES PAY.
BUT JUST BEAR IN MIND, IF THERE WAS A MAN OR A WOMAN, SINGLE PARENT HAD FIVE CHILDREN, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IS NOT A A LOT TO LIVE IN.
THEY LIVE ON, THEY'D HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE PAY, IT'S ABOUT HOW DO WE WORK EFFICIENTLY AS A COUNCIL TO DO OUR BUSINESS? I'M GONNA SAY IT AGAIN, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO GET RID OF PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT COME PUBLIC COMMENT HAS IT, IT, IT'S TWOFOLD.
IT, WE HEAR FROM OUR CONSTITUENCIES, BUT WE, IT ALSO TAKES TWO TO THREE HOURS ON A GOOD DAY.
AND SO I JUST WANT US TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
SO RIGHT NOW I WOULD SAY PULL 17 A OUT AND GO BACK TO WHAT IT WAS UNTIL WE CAN WORK, WORK OUT THESE QUIRKS.
ALTHOUGH I APPRECIATE THE WORK OF MY COLLEAGUE 'CAUSE MY FEAR IS WE ADOPT IT THEN WE DON'T GO BACK TO IT.
BUT YOU KNOW, THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAID WITH GOOD INTENTIONS.
AND, AND SO I'M JUST CONCERNED IF WE SAY, OKAY, WELL WE'VE DONE THIS FOR THREE, THREE WEEKS OR THREE MONTHS AND WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO AN ANSWER, LET'S JUST ADOPT SOMETHING THAT WORRIES ME.
IF WE HAVE TO STAY HERE TILL MIDNIGHT RIGHT NOW OUR RULES SAY WE HAVE TO STAY HERE TILL MIDNIGHT AND WE CAN DO THAT TO GET THROUGH THIS.
OR WE CAN GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL RULE 17 FOR THE TIME BEING OR TO HOW IT IS NOW WITHOUT THE THURSDAY IN IT.
BUT I DO WANT TO HEAR FROM THE CLERK ABOUT THIS THURSDAY PIECE.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S A PROBLEM.
AND I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE IN, IN, OR FOR CONSIDERATION WHEN IT, IT'S BRAND NEW CITY CLERK.
IT'S BRAND NEW TO ME ANYWAY, SO WE DID, WE DID ATTEND A COUPLE OF THE MEETINGS WITH THE, UM, SMALLER COMMITTEE.
UM, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE HAS SAID THAT WE WILL ABSOLUTELY WORK WITH WHATEVER THE CITY COUNCIL DECIDES.
UM, WE DID TALK ABOUT CONCERNS ABOUT COMMITTEE
[03:00:01]
MEETINGS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S RESOLVED THAT WE COULD SCHEDULE THEM AND THE MAYOR COULD CHOOSE ANOTHER TIME.THURSDAYS WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR US JUST BECAUSE WE ARE PREPARING THE AGENDA FOR THE FOLLOWING MONDAY.
SO THROUGH YOU MADAM OFFICER SIMMONS.
AND THEN PLEASE, WE HAVE TO, IT'S ALMOST NINE.
SO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA LOOK FOR A LITTLE GRACE HERE.
UM, SEE, THERE'S, THERE'S WHAT COMES OUT ON PAPER AND WHAT HAPPENS IN REALITY.
AND, AND, AND THE, THE CLERK, SHE IS THE STAFF TO THE COUNCIL.
SO I, I FEEL FOR HER BEING PUT IN A PLACE TO TELL THE TRUTH OPERATIONALLY TO HER BOSSES.
I, I THINK THURSDAY'S A BAD IDEA.
I WOULD SAY TAKE IT OFF THE TABLE FOR NOW.
GO BACK TO ORIGINAL RULE 17 OR NOT TAKE ANY VOTE AND HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE GOVERNMENT OPS TO WORK THIS OUT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT TODAY ON THE FLOOR.
THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF COMMITTEES.
ADOPT THE, GO BACK TO HAVING THE RULES, UH, UM, WORK WITH THE RULES.
I, IT'S RATHER, I'D RATHER DO IT WELL THAN DO IT QUICK.
WE'RE GONNA, I'M GONNA GO TO COUNCIL, UH, VICE MAYOR.
UM, I'LL KEEP IT SIMPLE, WHICH IS I'LL VOTE FOR THE AMENDMENT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE.
UM, I, I CAN WORK WITH THIS SCHEDULE, UH, JUST FINE.
BUT I THINK A BUNCH OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT IT.
AND SO AFTER WE VOTE ON THIS AMENDMENT, IF SOMEONE DID WANNA STRIP IT BACK TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE, I THINK AT THIS POINT, LIKE EVEN THOUGH THIS WOULD WORK BETTER FOR MYSELF AND I'M AN EARLY TO BED TYPE OF PERSON, UM, I UNDERSTAND IT WOULD PRESENT SOME DIFFICULTIES TO OTHERS.
AND SO IF SOMEONE WANTED TO DISTRIBUTE BACK TO WHAT IT WAS AT THIS POINT, I WOULD VOTE FOR THAT.
SO I'LL VOTE FOR IT UNTIL A DIFFERENT MOTION IS MADE.
I'M GONNA GO TO COUNCILLOR MINA WHEELER AND THEN CITY MANAGER WONG WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND.
UM, COUNCILLOR SIMMONS SUGGESTION ABOUT THURSDAY'S BEING BAD, I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO STRIKE, UH, AFTER THE COMMA ON MONDAY.
THE MAYOR CAN SCHEDULE A CONTINUED MEETING FOR THE FOLLOWING THURSDAY.
WE TAKE OUT ANY REFERENCE TO THURSDAY IN THE POLICY ORDER TO COUNCIL COUNCILLOR SIMMONS.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE OUT ANY REFERENCE TO THURSDAY, IS WHAT I'M PUTTING FORWARD.
I HOPE WE CAN PUT THAT UP ON THE SCREEN.
SO THE ONLY THING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS MONDAY OR TUESDAY, NO REFERENCE WHATSOEVER TO THURSDAY.
WE'LL REMOVE THAT OUT COMPLETELY.
SATISFY THE PART FROM COUNCILLOR SIMMONS AND THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
AND THEN I HOPE WE CAN, UH, ADOPT, UH, ADOPT AND AGAIN, THIS IS, THIS AMENDMENT IS COMING FROM ME, SO I DON'T EVEN THINK WE NEED A VOTE ON THAT.
WE CAN JUST DELETE THAT RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S NO REFERENCE WHATSOEVER TO THURSDAY.
WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT MONDAYS AND TUESDAYS.
UH, WE'VE, WE'VE ADDRESSED THAT CONCERN AND I HOPE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AMENDMENT.
AND JUST TO BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT WHY, I THINK THE WAY WE CURRENTLY DO BUSINESS IS EXTREMELY DISRESPECTFUL TO CITY STAFF.
WE SAY YOU'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA BE HERE AS LONG AS WE GOES.
THE NINE OF US AT THE COUNCIL.
WE'RE JUST GONNA TALK AS LONG AS WE WANT CITY STAFF.
YOU ALL HAVE TO SIT HERE AND WHENEVER WE'RE DONE, WE CAN DRIVE HOME.
IF YOU LIVE AN HOUR AWAY AT TOUGH BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, GOOD LUCK GETTING HOME AT 2:00 AM I THINK THAT IS EXTREMELY DISRESPECTFUL TO CITY STAFF.
I THINK WE SHOULD ADJOURN AT 10:00 PM 10 15, 10 20 IF WE NEED A LITTLE LONGER.
I'M DEEPLY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE WAY WE CURRENTLY DO BUSINESS, WHICH IS FORCING CITY STAFF TO GO HOME, 1:00 AM 2:00 AM SOMETIMES WHEN THEY LIVE AN HOUR AWAY.
I WANNA MAKE THAT REALLY CLEAR AS A MORAL IMPERATIVE.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT TRYING THINGS OUT.
THIS IS DEEPLY DISRESPECTFUL TO CITY STAFF THE WAY WE CURRENTLY DO BUSINESS.
I HOPE WE CAN TRY THIS OUT ENDING MONDAYS AND 10:00 PM IF THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL TWEAK WE NEED TO DO NEXT WEEK OR THE WEEK AFTER, HAPPY TO DO IT.
BUT I AM DEEPLY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE STATUS QUO THAT A COUPLE COUNSELORS HAVE SUGGESTED OF.
LET'S JUST KEEP IT AS WE CURRENTLY DO AND DO MONDAY NIGHT MEETINGS AS LONG AS THEY WANT.
I THINK THAT IS DEEPLY RESPECTFUL TO CITY STAFF.
AND SO I HOPE WE CAN ACCEPT THIS AMENDMENT, UH, AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, THE COUNCIL RULES.
WE HAVE COUNCIL ZUBIE THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR.
UM, JUST SINCE WE'VE SCRATCHED THAT OUT, I, I'LL, I'LL BE SUPPORTING THE AMENDMENT.
I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IF WE DO THIS POST UNFINISHED AGENDA ITEMS TO THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, WE MIGHT PUT OURSELF IN THIS LIKE CIRCULAR DILEMMA WHERE ANY UNFINISHED ITEMS GO ON TO MONDAY.
AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE A SCHEDULED MEETING, SO THEY KIND OF JUST GET PUNTED.
BUT I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I'LL BE SUPPORTING THE MEETING, UH, THE AMENDMENT, UM, AND KNOW THAT WE CAN JUST REEVALUATE WHEN NEEDED.
AND THEN I THINK WE'VE HEARD FROM EVERYONE MANY TIMES AND IT'S MY DISCRETION.
I DON'T WANNA HEAR FROM ANYONE ANYMORE.
YES, CITY MANAGER THROUGH YOU, MAYOR SIDIKI.
UM, I THINK JUST APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION.
COUNCILLOR SBR WHEELER FOR A LOT OF THE WORK ON THIS.
UM, I THINK MAYBE JUST TO ECHO, UH, CITY SOLICITOR BAYER, UM, NOTHING IN THE AMENDED VERSION OF 17 A IS, UH, ANYTHING MORE THAN WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE THE POWER TO DO IN TERMS OF RECESSING A MEETING AND THEN CALLING A DIFFERENT MEETING.
UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE IS STILL DISCUSSION NEEDED IN DEBATE ABOUT HOW TO SET NORMS AROUND WHAT TO DO IF WE ARE HITTING A 10:00 PM TIMELINE, UM,
[03:05:02]
YOU COULD ACTUALLY JUST STRIKE THE REST OF THE AMENDED LANGUAGE.LEAVE THAT OPEN FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.
UM, AND, AND INSTEAD OF PROVIDING GUIDANCE THAT AT THIS POINT MAYBE THE COUNCIL DOESN'T FULLY AGREE ON IN TERMS OF WHERE TO PUT THE ADDITIONAL ITEMS, WHETHER THAT'S ON A TUESDAY, A THURSDAY, A FRIDAY, A SATURDAY, OR JUST THE FOLLOWING MEETING, WE COULD FIGURE THAT OUT LATER.
AND, AND SINCE THIS, I THINK TO COUNCILLOR SPI WHEELER'S POINT, THIS REALLY IS THE ONLY AMENDMENT LEFT ON THE RULES.
IF WE JUST SAID IN RULE 17 A, WE WILL TARGET ENDING THE MEETING ON MONDAYS AT 10:00 PM WE CAN FIGURE OUT THE REST LATER.
SO, SO MOTION TO DO WHAT THAT MAN JUST SAID.
SO WE HAD THESE AMENDMENTS BEFORE US AND CITY MANAGER.
YOU'RE NOT THE CITY COUNSELOR, SO YOU CANNOT
SO, SO I NEED A COUNSELOR TO STRIKE EVERYTHING.
AND THEN WE, I'M MOVING ON, I'M MOVING AN AMENDMENT THAT WE DO, WE, WE GO FROM 17 ON RULE 17 A.
WE STOP AT, I CAN'T, I CAN'T SEE WITH MY GLASSES ON OR OFF.
ALL REGULAR MEETINGS SHALL BE HELD MONDAY AND END AT THE STRIKE.
THE RULE WILL BE ALL REGULAR MEETINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL BE HELD THAT WEEK.
STARTING ON MU SHALL HELD, SHALL BE HELD STARTING ON MONDAY AT 5:30 PM AND, AND, AND SHALL CONTINUE UNTIL EITHER THE CONCLUSION OF ALL BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA OR UNTIL THE MEETING RECESSES AT 10, WHICHEVER OCCURS SOONER.
SO, WE'LL, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A VOTE ON THAT DISCUSSION.
COUNCILLOR NOLAN? VERY BRIEFLY.
IT'S JUST VERY BRIEFLY AGAIN, THE SAME QUESTIONS BEFORE WE COULD SUSPEND THIS.
IF WE NEEDED TO GO TO 10 15 OR 10 30, CORRECT? YES.
WE CAN ALWAYS SUSPEND THESE RULES.
ON THIS MOTION TO STRIKE ALL THAT LANGUAGE.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, MADAM MAYOR COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER.
COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER HAS A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RULES.
ANYONE DON'T TEMP TO HAND THE FEE.
ALL THE, SO WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL ON ADOPTING ON THE RULES AS AMENDED.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDING THE AFFIRMATIVE.
WE'VE ADOPTED THE RULES AS AMENDED.
WE NOW MOVE ON TO POLICY ORDERS.
WE ARE AT 8:40 PM JUST SO FOLKS KNOW, WE'VE DISPOSED OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER ONE AND WE HAVE THE EXERCISE SOMEWHAT EXERCISES HARDER.
WRITE ON A POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE.
SO, PLEASURE, MADAM MAYOR OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
I WOULD LIKE TO PULL NUMBER EIGHT.
NUMBER EIGHT, COUNCILOR MCGOVERN.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCGOVERN POLLS.
DID ANYONE PULL? WE'VE PULLED FOUR AND WE'VE PULLED EIGHT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE FOUR WAS PULLED.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON THE BALANCE OF THE POLICY ORDERS 2 5 6 7, 9, 10 AND 11.
WHO? THE ADOPTION COUNCILOR ZUBIE? YES.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, THE ROLL CALL OF THE, THE BALANCE OF THE POLICY ORDERS ADOPTED.
WE'LL GO TO POLICY NUMBER FOUR, THAT THE CITY MANAGER IN COLLABORATION WITH THE URBAN FOREST DIVISION, D-P-W-C-D-D AND IS SPECIAL SERVICES, IS REQUESTED TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UPDATES TO THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE THAT WILL PROVIDE FURTHER PROTECTION TO THE CITY'S SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE TREES FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF THE CITY.
THIS WAS FILED BY COUNCILLOR ZUI, COUNCILLOR NOLAN, COUNCILOR ZUBIE.
I KNOW COUNCILOR MCGOVERN PULLED IT, BUT I WILL GO TO COUNCILLOR ZUZI AS THE LEAD SPONSOR.
[03:10:01]
SIDIKI.SO I WANTED TO SWAP IN, UM, UH, A, A A VERSION, A REVISED VERSION OF THIS WITH JUST A FEW TWEAKS THAT I WANTED TO EXPLAIN.
UM, THE TWEAKS JUST MAKE THE POLICY ORDER MORE ACCURATE IF YOU LOOK AT THE FOURTH, WHEREAS, SO WHAT WE'LL DO COUNCILOR ZUI IS THIS, YOU ARE, UH, MOVING TO SUBSTITUTE THE ORIGINAL POLICY ORDER WITH SOME NEWER LANGUAGE.
SO COUNCILOR ZUI IS MOVED TO DO THAT.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? HEARING NONE.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
THE MOTION TO SUBSTITUTE POLICY NUMBER FOUR HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
YOU CAN WALK US THROUGH WHAT YOU DID.
UM, I, WE MADE IT MORE ACCURATE.
SO IN THE FOURTH, WHEREAS WE STRUCK BOTH PUBLIC AND BECAUSE THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE PROTECTS PRIVATE TREES, NOT PUBLIC TREES.
AND THEN, UH, SIGNIFICANT OR EXCEPTIONAL WAS REDUNDANT BECAUSE THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE, UH, REQUIRES PERMITS TO REMOVE TREES OF SIX INCHES DIAMETER AND GREATER.
SO IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY'RE SIGNIFICANT OR EXCEPTIONAL.
AND THEN WE, UM, STRUCK SIGNIFICANT FROM THE, WHEREAS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AND PUT IN EXCEPTIONAL BECAUSE WE ONLY WANT TO REQUIRE EXTRA PROCESS FOR EXCEPTIONAL TREES, WHICH ARE TREES THAT ARE 30 INCHES IN DIAMETER OR GREATER.
SO, CAN I TALK ABOUT THE ORDER YES.
SO WHAT INSPIRED THIS POLICY ORDER IS, UM, LIKE YOU, I HAVE RECEIVED, UM, MANY, MANY COMMUNICATIONS FROM RESIDENTS AROUND THE CITY THAT ARE MOURNING THE LOSS OF MAJOR TREES ON, USUALLY ON PROPERTY LINES.
SO, YOU KNOW, ON, UH, 3 0 7 THROUGH NINE COLUMBIA STREET, 1580 MASSE, 48 GARDEN STREET, 1 74 HAMILTON STREET ON NEAR 90, UH, 90 LEXINGTON AND NEAR 90 JACKSON STREET, THERE WILL BE, IN ALMOST ALL CASES, A BUTTERS TREES WILL BE IMPACTED BY THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE.
AND, UM, BECAUSE OF EXCAVATIONS WITHIN FIVE FEET OF THE LOT, LINE, UH, MATURE AND SOMETIMES SIGNIFICANT OR EXCEPTIONAL TREES WILL BE KILLED.
AND THEY MAY NOT BE KILLED IMMEDIATELY.
BUT WHAT OFTEN HAPPENS IS THAT A TREE WILL DIE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS IF IT'S, IF IT'S, UH, ROOT, SIGNIFICANT ROOT CRITICAL ROOT ZONE IS, UM, COMPROMISED.
SO, UM, SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT TREES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
'CAUSE I'VE STARTED LIKE WALKING EVERYWHERE AND NOTICING THAT MOST OF OUR MATURE TREES ARE EITHER STREET TREES THAT WE PROTECT, UH, OR ELSE THEY'RE TREES ON THE LOT LINES.
AND THEY'RE THERE BECAUSE THEY ARE OFTEN VOLUNTEERS.
THEY WEREN'T PLANTED, BUT THEY WERE ALLOWED TO GROW BECAUSE THEY WERE OUT OF THE WAY OF YARDS AND WHATEVER PEOPLE WERE DOING IN THEIR YARDS.
SO, UM, BECAUSE OF OUR NEW ZONING, A LOT OF THESE TREES ALL OVER THE CITY ARE AT RISK OF, OF BEING KILLED, UM, SORT OF INADVERTENTLY.
AND I WILL ALSO TELL YOU PARTLY WHAT INSPIRED THIS WAS THERE WAS A, A GREAT OUTCRY CRY OF MANY RESIDENTS ABOUT THE STREET TREE THAT WAS IMPACTED BY DEVELOPMENT AT 1 0 1 PLEASANT STREET, AND THEN, UH, A STREET TREE THAT IS BEFORE WHAT WILL BECOME THE HARVARD'S, UM, NATIVE AMERICAN CENTER.
SO I, I THINK, UM, I, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN DOING GREAT WORK ON OUR TREE CANOPY AND WE SPENT LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS TO HIRE REED HILDERBRAND TO STUDY OUR CANOPY TO INVENTORY OUR TREES, AND TO COME WITH STRATEGY, COME UP WITH STRATEGIES TO, TO PROTECT THOSE TREES.
UM, WE RELY IN LARGE PART, UM, FOR OUR 30% TREE CANOPY ON PRIVATE TREES, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE, WE'RE ABOUT TO LOSE
[03:15:01]
A LOT OF THOSE PRIVATE TREES.SO THIS POLICY, UM, WAS INSPIRED TO INITIATE AN INITIAL DISCUSSION, UM, ON THE COUNCIL FLOOR ABOUT MAKING AMENDMENTS TO STRENGTHEN OUR EXISTING TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
UM, THAT WE WILL DISCUSS FURTHER AT A, AT A JUNE 22ND HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT, UM, COMMITTEE MEETING THAT COUNCILOR NOLAN WILL LEAD.
SO, DPW ACTUALLY SAID THAT IT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL IF TODAY COUNSELORS WOULD SORT OF SHARE WHICH SORT OF AMENDMENTS THEY MIGHT CONSIDER RELATING TO ADDITIONAL TREE PROTECTIONS.
AND I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN, UM, PROTECT OUR TREES AND BUILD HOUSING AS WELL.
I DON'T THINK IT'S AN EITHER OR.
WE NEED TO DO BOTH TO HAVE A HEALTHY CITY.
AND AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, TREES COOL US, THEY ABSORB WATER AND PREVENT FLOODING, THEY ABSORB, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY FILTER THE AIR, THEY FILTER TOXINS IN THE SOIL, THEY ADVANCE PUBLIC HEALTH, THEY ABSORB CARBON.
THEY DO SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE, ARE EXTRAORDINARY.
SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATION TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A HEALTHY, CONTINUE TO HAVE A HEALTHY TREE CANOPY.
'CAUSE THE, UM, ACTUALLY REED HILDEBRAND, UM, IS ALSO CONCERNED THAT UNLESS WE ENFORCE, UNLESS WE ENFORCE AND CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OUR EXISTING, UM, TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE, THAT WE WILL ACTUALLY LOSE.
UM, SO THE CANOPY THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING SO HARD TO GROW.
SO SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING ARE THINGS LIKE ENFORCING, UM, UH, EXISTING ENFORCING PROPERTY OWNERS TO APPLY FOR SPECIAL PERMITS TO CUT DOWN EXCEPTIONAL TREES.
AGAIN, THOSE ARE 30 INCHES IN DIAMETER OR WIDER.
THEY'RE REALLY BIG TREES THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR AN AWFUL LONG TIME, LONGER THAN ANY OF US REQUIRING, REQUIRING DEVELOPERS TO HAVE THEIR BUILDING PLANS APPROVED BEFORE RECEIVING TREE REMOVAL PERMITS.
SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT DEVELOPERS ARE CUTTING TREES BEFORE THEIR PLANS ARE EVEN APPROVED.
UM, AND MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE NEEDED TO CUT DOWN THE TREES.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE THE, THE, THE BUILDING PLAN SHOULD BE APPROVED BEFORE TREES ARE CUT DOWN.
COUNCILOR ZI, I'M ENFORCING THE RULES WE ADOPTED.
AND COUNCILOR MAY SPEAK UP TO FIVE MINUTES.
COUNCIL, I JUST WANNA CONSIDER IDEAS AND WE'LL DISCUSS THEM MORE ON THE 22ND.
UM, I TOO ARE BRINGING IN SOME AME AN AMENDMENT WITH, UM, THE VICE MAYOR AND COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER.
UH, I'LL JUST SAY IN GENERAL, UM, YOU KNOW, I, AGAIN, I, I I ALSO DON'T LIKE THESE EITHER OR CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK PEOPLE CAN SUPPORT HOUSING AND SUPPORT TREES.
UM, BUT SOMETIMES THERE ARE CHOI DIFFICULT CHOICES THAT HAVE TO BE MADE.
UM, I'LL JUST SAY OUTTA THE GATE ON THIS, I'M, I'M NOT CRAZY ABOUT THE, WE CAN DISCUSS IT LATER.
YOU KNOW, ANYTIME YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT INTRO REINTRODUCING SPECIAL PERMITS INTO HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, WE KNOW THE ROAD THAT THAT SOMETIMES GOES DOWN AND, AND LEADS TO DELAYS AND THINGS HAPPENING.
SOME OF THESE OTHER SUGGESTIONS, I, I THINK PROBABLY WOULD, WOULD BE FINE.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT I WOULD SUGGEST, IT'S NOT ON THIS LIST, AND I WON'T, IT'S NOT PART OF THE AMENDMENT, BUT TO THINK ABOUT, UH, I WAS AT, AT HAMILTON STREET, LOOKING AT THAT PROPERTY, UM, THE, IT'S ON A CORNER AND THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING, THE NEW DEVELOPMENT IS GONNA BE ON HAMILTON STREET, WHICH HAS BEAUTIFUL STREET TREES IN FRONT OF IT.
BUT UNDER THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE, THERE HAS TO BE A REQUIRED 10 FOOT SETBACK THAT CDD SAID TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO PLANT TREES ON THEIR FRONT LAWN.
NO ONE'S GONNA PLANT A TREE ON THAT FRONT LAWN BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE THESE BEAUTIFUL STREET TREES RIGHT THERE.
BUT IN THE BACK OF THAT BUILDING, THERE ARE SOME TREES ON THE PROPERTY LINE THAT WILL UNFORTUNATELY COME DOWN BECAUSE THEY'RE REQUIRED TO ONLY HAVE A FIVE FOOT SET BACK THERE.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY IF THEY CAN FLIP THAT AND PUT THE FIVE FEET IN THE FRONT AND PUT THE 10 FEET IN THE BACK, YOU, THOSE TREES COULD POTENTIALLY BE SAVED.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO DO THIS THAN WHAT'S HERE.
SO I'M FINE WITH HAVING THAT CONVERSATION.
BUT I DO THINK THIS IS REALLY ABOUT, AND I KNOW THIS MEETING IS COMING UP, AND I ASSUME THAT THAT'S WHY THE PETITIONERS DID IT THIS WAY.
UM, BUT THIS IS REALLY ABOUT MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AND, AND THIS IS WHY THIS IS
[03:20:01]
COMING UP.SO I THINK THIS CONVERSATION SHOULD BE TAKEN IN CONTEXT OF THE LARGER PICTURE WITH THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING REPORT THAT'S COMING BACK.
SO MY AMENDMENT, UM, YOU GUYS GOT IT RIGHT, IT'S COMING UP RIGHT NOW.
THEY GOT IT IS AN AMENDMENT WOULD BE TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL ORDERED THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS DIRECTED TO SEND THIS POLICY ORDER TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT FOR CONSIDERATION IN THEIR ANNUAL MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING REPORT AND ONLY PUT FORWARD RECOMMENDATIONS THAT DO NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
SO COUNCILOR MCGOVERN HAS PLACED THIS AMENDED FOR US DISCUSSION.
I HAVE COUNCILOR NOLAN, I HAVE THE VICE MAYOR ZIM, AND THEN COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER.
UM, I DO I HAVE A THIS ON THE AMENDMENT ONLY OR ON THE LARGER IT'S EVERYTHING.
SO AS LONG AS THIS DOESN'T REPLACE THE ORDER, JUST BECAUSE THE, THE HEALTH ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING IS SET UP AND THE WHOLE IDEA IS IT'S, IT WAS ALREADY SET UP MONTHS AGO ON THE URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN.
AND WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE, THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE, WHICH IS PART OF THAT PLAN.
THIS ADDITION, IT'S AN ADDITION.
THEN I, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE.
AND I THINK JUST LIKE I WANNA REITERATE WHAT COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN SAID, WHICH IS FOR ME, I'M SURE FOR SOME PEOPLE IT'S NOT LIKE, OH, WE CAN STOP ALL DEVELOPMENT IF WE PASS THIS.
IT DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND THAT IS MAYBE A DISAPPOINTMENT FOR SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE IN PUBLIC COMMENT.
BUT IT'S NOT ABOUT PREVENTING THE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, IT IS ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT I THINK COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN SAID IS, ARE THERE WAYS THAT WE CAN BOTH STILL INCENTIVIZE AND HAVE HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT, BUT BE MORE FLEXIBLE ABOUT HOW THAT IT, UM, IT HELPS THE TREES.
'CAUSE WE DO VIEW TREES AS, AS WE, WE KEEP SAYING IT'S INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE KEEP SAYING WE CARE ABOUT IT.
AND AS, UH, COUNCILOR ZUZI ALSO POINTED OUT, PART OF THE ISSUE IS, YES, WE HAVE INCREASED OUR TREE CANOPY, BUT THAT IS SLOWING DOWN AND STOPPING WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE CITY.
SO I'M, I THINK THIS IS A BOTH AND I THINK WE CAN, UH, BE MORE FLEXIBLE AND, UM, AND MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH DEVELOPMENT.
AND REMEMBER, THIS DOESN'T REQUIRE ANYTHING SPECIFIC.
IT SAYS, HERE'S SOME CONCERNS AND ISSUES WE'VE HEARD.
LET'S MAKE SURE WE DISCUSS IT.
LET'S, IT SAYS THE POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO JUST TO LET PEOPLE KNOW, I SIGNED ONTO THIS, NOT BECAUSE I WANNA ADOPT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE, BUT I WANT THEM TO BE ON THE TABLE TO SAY, HOW CAN WE DO THIS? THE FACT IS, IF I BILL RIGHT UP TO MY PROPERTY LINE AND I KILL MY NEIGHBOR'S TREE IN A FEW YEARS, I DO THINK I SHOULD PAY FOR IT.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE KIND OF THING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE'S MAYBE A BALANCE AND IT MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT, IN WHICH CASE WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO ADOPT IT.
SO, SO I THINK WE, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION IN, IN A COUPLE DIFFERENT PLACES.
SO I COULD CERTAINLY SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT AS LONG AS WE'RE CONTINUING TO HAVE THE OTHER CONVERSATION.
VICE, UH, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR.
SO I WANTED TO JUST GIVE TWO STORIES OF WHY, LIKE, IT'S ACTUALLY VERY IMPORTANT TO BE CAREFUL HERE AND THAT THERE IS A POSITIVE SUM SOLUTION, WHICH IS EVERYONE REMEMBERS 2072 MASS A RIGHT? IT'S A PROJECT, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH ONE STORY RETAIL AND A MOSTLY A EMPTY PARKING LOT RIGHT NEAR THE PORTER SQUARE TEE STOP.
SO WHEN PEOPLE SAY LIKE, HEY, BURHAN, LIKE A SPECIAL PERMIT IF IT'S POPULAR OR IF IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, LIKE OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN JUST GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND GET A SPECIAL PERMIT.
2072 MASS HAS BEEN GETTING A PERMIT FOR EIGHT YEARS.
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN IT WAS BEFORE THE PLANNING BOARD AND THE BZA AND THE MAJORITY, THE SUPER MAJORITY OF CITY COUNCILORS WROTE A LETTER TO SAY, HEY, CAN YOU PLEASE APPROVE THIS PROJECT? WE THINK IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
THAT WAS AN A HO PROJECT THAT WAS KILLED BY A SPECIAL PERMIT.
AND SO WHEN I SEE THINGS LIKE THIS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY MADE CHANGES TO GO FROM A SIX INCH TREE TO A 30 INCH TREE.
AND WE TALK ABOUT ADDING A SPECIAL PERMIT, NOT JUST TO MAR RATE HOUSING, BUT TO ALL HOUSING, INCLUDING A HO PROJECTS THAT IS A VERY BIG DEAL.
EIGHT YEARS TO PERMIT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, AND ON THE SECOND HAND IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, I SAW A LOT OF THE PENALTIES AND LIKE, I'M VERY SYMPATHETIC.
LIKE IF YOUR TREES ARE IMPACTED BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT YOUR NEIGHBOR'S DOING, LIKE YES, THERE SHOULD BE COMPENSATION.
SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE QUITE REASONABLE AND THERE ARE POSITIVE SOME SOLUTIONS.
YOU KNOW, UH, ME AND YOU KNOW, ANOTHER COLLEAGUE OF MINE WHO CARED VERY MUCH ABOUT TREES, QUENTIN ZONDERVAN, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BACK IN THE DAY ABOUT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, JEFFERSON PARK, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE, OH, THE BUILDING CAN ONLY GO TO SIX STORIES, BUT WE WANTED TO SAVE MORE OF THE OPEN SPACE, SAVE MORE OF THE TREES, IF ONLY THERE WAS A WAY TO DO SO THAT COULD BOTH GET THE HOUSING UNITS WE NEEDED AND HAVE THAT OPEN SPACE.
AND SO COUNCILOR VIN AND I WORKED TOGETHER AND WE INTRODUCED AN AMENDMENT TO THE O THAT SAID, HEY, IF YOU'RE SAVING TREES OR SAVING OPEN SPACE, YOU COULD TAKE THOSE UNITS AND YOU WON'T LOSE THEM.
RIGHT? AND SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS LIKE, UH, BOTH PRO HOUSING MOVE AND REQUIRED A WILLINGNESS ON HIS PART TO BE ABLE TO SAY LIKE, YES, THOSE UNITS CAN GO ON TOP OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURE, BUT ON
[03:25:01]
HIS PART, LIKE GOT TREES AND OPEN SPACE SAVED.AND SO THERE'S NOT ONLY NEGATIVE SUM SOLUTIONS, THERE'S POSITIVE SUM SOLUTIONS THAT CAN HELP BOTH CASES.
AND I SAW THIS POLICY ORDER AND I ONLY SAW PENALTIES.
NO CREATIVE SOLUTIONS OF WHERE WE CAN GET BOTH THE HOUSING WE NEED AND THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IN THE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, SAYING LIKE, THESE THINGS ARE BAD, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T ADD ANY ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS, I THINK COULD BE REALLY GOOD.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS ORDER SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, LET'S CONTINUE IN A SPIRIT OF POSITIVITY WHILE KEEPING THE INTENT OF THE POLICY ORDER VERY MUCH THE SAME.
AND SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THIS PASSED.
THANK YOU COUNCILLOR, SABRINA WHEELER.
UM, HAPPY TO SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT.
AND THEN IF THAT PASSES TO SUPPORT THE UNDERLYING POLICY ORDER, I GO BACK TO THINKING ABOUT THE ORIGINAL TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE, WHICH I THINK PASSED THE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY.
I THINK EVERYBODY VOTED FOR IT.
EVERYBODY AGREED THIS WAS, WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS IMPORTANT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT OUR TREE CANOPY AND BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT, AND THAT WAS JUST A FEW YEARS AGO THAT THIS COUNCIL PASSED THAT.
UM, I THINK THIS AMENDMENT IS A GOOD COMPROMISE.
THAT'S, THAT MAKES CLEAR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOWN TO THINK ABOUT STRENGTHENING THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE, BUT WANNA BE CLEAR THAT IT'S NOT COMING AT THE EXPENSE OF, UH, HOUSING AND MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, AND JUST TO EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT, I THINK IT, IT SHOULD BE SUPER CLEAR TO EVERYBODY, UH, BY NOW THAT I'M AGAINST, YOU KNOW, ANY POLICIES THAT, UH, PREVENT OR SLOW DOWN THE CREATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I, I THINK ABOUT, UH, A MEETING I JUST HAD THE OTHER DAY WHERE SOMEONE WAS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NEW BUILDINGS, INCLUDING ONES THAT ARE GONNA HAVE INCLUSIONARY UNITS AND SAYING, ASKING ME, UH, IF WE COULD DO A SHADOW STUDY FOR ALL OF 'EM.
AND LIKE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS GOOD ON PAPER, RIGHT? DO LET'S DO A SHADOW STUDY FOR EVERY, EVERY NEW TALL BUILDING AND SEE WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE.
THE REASON I WOULD NOT BE IN SUPPORT OF A SHADOW STUDY FOR EVERY NEW BUILDING IS THAT IT SLOWED DOWN THE AMOUNT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THAT IS THE DIRE CRISIS WE'RE FACING IN CAMBRIDGE.
EVERY TIME WE PUT OUT A SURVEY, TWO THIRDS OF RESIDENTS SAY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE.
UH, AND SO WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT ANYTHING THAT IS GONNA IMPACT THAT.
UM, I THINK THIS POLICY ORDER IS JUST ASKING CDD TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE, UH, AND, AND COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND I THINK THERE ARE WAYS THEY COULD STRENGTHEN IT.
ONE THAT I THINK OF IS WE HAVE CASES WHERE A TRIPLE DECKER GETS TORN DOWN AND IT GETS REPLACED BY A GIANT SINGLE FAMILY HOME.
AND THAT CUTS SOME TREES DOWN.
IF YOU'RE GONNA TEAR DOWN THREE UNITS OF HOUSING AND REPLACE IT WITH ONLY ONE MASSIVE MCMANSION, WE SHOULD MAKE IT REALLY HARD FOR YOU TO CUT DOWN TREES.
IF, HOWEVER, YOU'RE, YOU, UH, ARE MAKING UP MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE NEED SOME MORE FLEXIBILITY THERE.
SO IT'S NOT A ONE SIZE ALL FITS SOLUTION.
I THINK WE CAN HAVE MORE TRUE PROTECTIONS IN SOME INSTANCES AND NOT DO IT AT THE EXPENSE OF ADDING MORE HOUSING.
SO HOPE WE CAN ADD THIS AMENDMENT, UH, AND THEN DOWN TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE POLICY ORDER.
COUNCILOR FLAHERTY THROUGH YOU, MADAM CHAIR, I'VE GOT A STORY ABOUT WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT, AND THAT'S THE STORY THAT I'M REFERRING TO IS THE STORY OF THE LORAX.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU KNOW THE STORY OF THE LO ACTS.
IT'S A BOOK THAT I READ TO MY CHILD ALMOST EVERY NIGHT, THE LER WA WHO WAS INTERESTED IN BICKERING AND BICKERING AND BICKERING, CHOPPED DOWN A TRUFFLES TREE.
AND, UH, HE MADE A SNE AND HE SOLD THE SNEED.
AND THEN HE STARTED BICKERING AND BICKERING AND CREATED MORE MACHINES AND CHOPPED DOWN ALL OF THE TRUFFLES TREES AND ALL OF THE, UM, ANIMALS IN THE HABITAT LEFT.
AND AT THE END, AFTER THE LORAX WHO SPOKE FOR THE TREES ENDED UP LEAVING, UH, THE ONCE LAW WAS FOUND BY A YOUNG BOY.
AND THE LER SAID, UM, UNLESS SOMEONE LIKE YOU CARES A WHOLE AWFUL LOT, NOTHING IS GOING TO GET BETTER.
AND HE GAVE THE LITTLE BOY A SEED, THE LAST SEED OF THE TRUFFLE TREES BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL GONE.
SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT STORY ABOUT WHY WE SHOULD PROTECT THE TREE ORDINANCE HERE IN CAMBRIDGE AND WHY IT'S SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ZONING ORDINANCE AND WHY WE SHOULD CONSIDER THIS IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE REASONS THAT THE NON, ONCE LIZ MENTIONED TO US IN PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT STORM WATER AND ABOUT NATURE AND ABOUT ROOT PROTECTION, UH, AND ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, ALL THE REASONS WHY WE SHOULD DO OUR VERY BEST, UH, TO PASS THIS.
AND I'VE GOT NO PROBLEM WITH THE AMENDMENT.
THERE'S NO SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS HERE FROM THIS POLICY ORDINANCE.
BUT THERE SHOULD BE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW WE PROTECT OUR TREE CANOPY IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, BECAUSE LIKE THE, ONCE THEY LEARNED AFTER CHOPPING DOWN ALL THE TRUFFLE TREES IN THE LORAX, WHEN THEY'RE GONE, THEY'RE GONE.
SO I YIELD, I LOVE THE LORAX, UM,
[03:30:01]
SO WE HAVE HEARD FROM EVERYONE, I THINK WHO WANTED TO BE HEARD ON THAT AMENDMENT.SO WHAT I SUGGEST IS, YES, COUNCILLOR SUZI IS ON THE AMENDMENT.
SO I, SO I LIKE COUNSELOR MCGOVERN'S CREATIVE SOLUTION FOR 1 74 HAMILTON STREET, WHICH IS JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM ME.
AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, SO THE REASON THAT I INTRODUCED THIS POLICY ORDER WAS BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT TREE PROTECTION WOULDN'T BE DONE AS PART OF THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE.
IT WOULD NEED TO BE DONE SEPARATELY THROUGH THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
I THINK THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN BE, UM, PROTECTING TREES WITHOUT NEGATIVELY IMPACTING HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
BUT IN SOME CASES, UH, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE, AND, AND I AGREE WHAT CDD REALLY NEEDS TO BE THINKING ABOUT ARE SETBACKS, BECAUSE IF THE SETBACKS ARE FLEXIBLE AND BIGGER, THEN THE BUILDING DOESN'T HAVE TO CUT DOWN THE TREE ROOTS, UH, IN THE CRITICAL TREE ZONE, UH, CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.
SO I, I, I GUESS I WILL NOT BE VOTING FOR THIS AMENDMENT THOUGH.
I, I DO THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR CDD TO BE CONSIDERING IT AS THEY RE CONSIDER AMENDMENTS FOR THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE.
BECAUSE I THINK IN SOME CASES, THE LUXURY HOUSING HOUSES THAT MOSTLY ARE, WHAT'S BEING BUILT, THAT ARE BEING BUILT ON THE SITES WILL NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT SMALLER.
SO I, I DO THINK IT WILL, IT IS, UH, IF YOU HAVE LARGER SETBACKS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, THOSE LUXURY UNITS ARE GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT SMALLER.
SO IT WILL, IM, IT MAY IMPACT HOUSING, BUT WE'LL END UP WITH BETTER HOUSING AND A BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR THE GOOD OF CAMBRIDGE.
ANYONE ELSE? SO WE HAVE THIS AMENDMENT BEFORE US.
I SUGGEST THAT WE DO A ROLL CALL ON THE AMENDMENT.
AND YOU HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND ONE RECORDED IN THE NEGATIVE.
WE HAVE AN AMENDED SUBSTITUTED POLICY.
ORDER BEFORE US ANY DISCUSSION BEFORE WE GO AHEAD AND VOTE TO ADOPT? YES.
I MOVE TO BE, UH, ADDED AS A COWAN, PLEASE.
WE CAN NOW GO AHEAD AND ADOPT THE POLICY.
ORDER AS AMENDED AND DO A ROLL CALL.
AND YOU HAVE NINE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE POLICY.
NUMBER FOUR IS AS AMENDED IS ADOPTED.
WE'LL GO TO POLICY RULE NUMBER EIGHT, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DISAPPROVE FURTHER USE OF SOUND THINKING'S, ACOUSTIC GUNSHOT DETECTION TECHNOLOGY, AKA SPOT SHOTTER BY THE CITY PURSUANT TO THE SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY.
THIS WAS FILED BY COUNCILOR ZUBI, COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER, COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN, AND COUNCILLOR NOLAN.
UH, AS I'VE UNDERSTOOD, AFTER SOME DISCUSSION WITH STAFF, THE PAST PAO LEFT SOME DISCRETION WITH THE CITY MANAGER.
SO I'VE PUT THIS ON THE FLOOR WITH COLLEAGUES WHO ALSO CO-SPONSORED THE PAST PO TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IT'S THE COUNCIL'S DECISION, THAT THE COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY, UM, NOT THE CITY MANAGER BASED ON OUR ORDINANCE.
AND THIS LANGUAGE CAME AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY SOLICITOR.
AND BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY DEBATED THIS TOPIC AND PASSED IT, I WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO CALL THE QUESTION.
SO, COUNCILOR ZUBIE HAS CALLED THE QUESTION, AND SO THAT IS A NON DEBATABLE MOTION.
AND SO WE HAVE TO GO FIRST TO VOTE ON THAT, AND THEN WE HAVE TO GO DIRECTLY TO ADOPTING THIS POLICY ORDER.
SO I'M CALLING THE QUESTION COUNCILOR ZUBE? YES.
COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER? YES.
AND YOU HAVE SIX MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
[03:35:01]
AND ONE RECORDED IS PRESENT.SO WE GO DIRECTLY TO ADOPTING THE POLICY ORDER.
SO WE HAVE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE VOTE.
I CAN MOVE TO SUBMIT MY AMENDMENT.
THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE ORDINANCE PER THE RULES.
MEGAN, YOU CAN, PER THE MOTIONS THAT ARE NON AVAILABLE, WE CAN'T DEBATE THIS MOTION.
AND THE AMENDMENT IS NOT BEFORE US.
NO, WE'RE GONNA, WE HAVE TO GO, WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY, WE HAVE TO DISPOSE OF THE MOTION.
AND IF IT FAILS, WE CAN COME BACK TO YOUR AMENDMENT THAT YOU'D LIKE TO PUT ON THE FLOOR.
SO WE HAVE TO GO DIRECTLY TO ADOPTING THE POLICY ORDER.
COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER? YES.
AND YOU HAVE FIVE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
TWO RECORDED IN THE NEGATIVE AND TWO RECORDED AS PRESENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE SUSPENSION OF THE RULES IN ORDER TO MOVE RECONSIDERATION.
HOPING THE SAME WILL NOT PREVAIL.
COUNCILOR ZUBY HAS MOVED SUSPENSION.
AND THEN I CAN YOU CAN STATE YOUR POINT OF ORDER 'CAUSE I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF THE VOTE.
SO THIS IS JUST TO BE ON IN SUSPENSION.
AND YOU HAVE SIX MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND THREE RECORDED IN THE NEGATIVE.
WHAT'S YOUR POINT OF ORDER? COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY? UH, MY POINT OF ORDER.
IF THERE'S AN UNLAWFUL, UH, POLICY ORDER BEFORE THE BOARD, WHICH DOESN'T FOLLOW THE STRICT LANGUAGE OF THE ORDINANCE, UM, IS THE, UH, CORRECT PROCESS OR WHAT IS THE CORRECT PROCESS TO INSERT AMENDMENT TO, UH, FOLLOW THE ORDINANCE, WHICH OUTLINES THE STEPS OF THE PROCESS TO GET TO WHERE THE POLICY ORDER ASKS US TO BE.
SO BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE, WE HAVE TO GO TO RECONSIDERATION.
IF THAT FAILS, WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THAT FIRST.
IF IT FAILS, YOU KNOW, I CAN GO TO CITY SOLICITOR ON, UM, YOU KNOW, FUTURE AMENDMENTS.
UH, BUT WE LIKELY CAN'T RECONSIDER THIS EXACT VOTE IF RECONDITION RECONSIDERATION FAILS.
SO WE HAVE TO DO THE RECONSIDERATION VOTE FIRST.
SO I WOULD SAY IF THAT FAILS, THEN I'LL GO BACK TO YOU CITY SOLICITOR TO CONFIRM KIND OF THE, HOW THIS HAS WORKED IN THE PAST.
BUT THE WHOLE POINT OF A RECONSIDERATION VOTE IS IN THIS, WHATEVER WE'VE PASSED TONIGHT, CANNOT THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN CAN'T BE RECONSIDERED.
SOLICITOR, YOU CAN SPEAK BEFORE WE GO.
I WAS JUST, UH, TO YOU MADAM MAYOR ARE GONNA ADD, IF RECONSIDERATION PASSES, THEN COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THEN IT WOULD BE BACK BEFORE THE COUNCIL FOR AMENDMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
BUT IF RECONSIDERATION DOESN'T PASS, THEN THIS, UH, VOTE STANCE.
COUNCIL, CAN I HAVE ANOTHER POINT OF INFORMATION? YES.
SO, UM, LET'S SAY WE HAVE A DIFFERENT PRESIDENT AND WE FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH SURVEILLANCE.
SO HOW SOON COULD WE, UH, SUPPORT, UH, LIKE BRINGING SHOTS SPOUT BACK IF WE, SO IF WE, IF IT'S VOTED, UH, AND WE FINALIZE IT SO THERE'S NO RECONSIDERATION OF THE VOTE IN THREE YEARS, I MEAN, CAN WE VOTE IT, CAN WE, WE CAN A VOTE TO CHANGE THIS, RIGHT? OR HOW, HOW, WHAT'S THE PERIOD UNDER WHICH CITY COUNCIL WE MUST FOLLOW THIS POLICY ORDER SOLICITOR, UH, THANK YOU.
I, I THINK IF THERE'S A CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS STAFF CAN COME FORWARD ON THE MANAGER'S AGENDA IN THE FUTURE WITH A
[03:40:01]
SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY IMPACT REPORT, ASKING FOR APPROVAL OF A GUNSHOT DETECTION, UM, SYSTEM.AND IF IT'S DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, THEN THE DISAPPROVAL OF THE CURRENT, UH, USE OF THE SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY, THEN THE COUNCIL COULD CONSIDER IT IN THE FUTURE.
OTHER QUESTIONS? I'VE GOT A POINT TO THE VOTE.
SO UNDER, UH, THE SURVEILLANCE, UH, TECHNOLOGY ORDINANCE 2.1, 2.060 SUBSECTION C, THERE ARE CERTAIN CONDITION, PRESENT CONDITIONS, PRECEDENT TO TAKING A VOTE.
THE FIRST CONDITION PRECEDENT IS THAT THE CITY, UM, CITY COUNCIL SHALL CONDUCT, UH, AN EXAMINATION OF THE ANNUAL SURVEILLANCE REPORT, WHICH TO MY KNOWLEDGE HASN'T BEEN DONE.
SECONDLY, PURSUANT TO THE SAME SECTION, SUBSECTION C, THE SECOND CONDITION PRESIDENT IS THAT THE CITY, UH, IN ORDERING IN, IN MAKING THIS DETERMINATION SHALL DETERMINE, MAKE A DETERMINATION WHETHER REASONABLE SAFEGUARDS EXIST TO ADDRESS ANY REASONABLE CONCERNS REGARDING PRIVACY, CIVIL RIGHTS, AND, UH, CIVIL LIBERTIES, UH, FOR THE CONTINUED USE OR NON CONTINUED USE.
AND THEN FINALLY, AGAIN, AS A CONDITION PRECEDENT TO, UH, UNDER THE SAME ORDINANCE AND SUBSECTION C, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL MUST MAKE A DETERMINATION OF A BALANCING BETWEEN THE BENEFITS, OPERATIONAL COSTS, AND CIVIL RIGHTS OR LIBERTIES.
AND THEN THERE'S THREE, UM, DIFFERENT VOTES THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CAN TAKE.
RECOMMEND MODIFICATIONS, REQUEST A REPORT BACK FROM THE CITY MANAGER OR DISAPPROVE FURTHER USE OF SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY.
ALL OF THOSE CONDITION PRECEDENTS, PRECEDENTS, ALL OF THOSE CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO A VOTE MUST BE TAKEN ACCORDING TO THE ORDINANCE BEFORE A VOTE CAN BE ENTERTAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO, SO COUNCIL 30, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE PROCESS? SO IT, COUNCIL 30, AS I SAID EARLIER, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THE PRESS COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE IF THIS RESCISSION DOESN'T PASS, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE THE OPTION TO BRING IN ANY AMENDMENTS THAT YOU'D LIKE.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS POLICY ORDER WAS PUT IN PLACE BECAUSE IT WAS RECOMMENDED, AS COUNCILLOR ZUBI SAID FROM THE LAW DEPARTMENT TO PUT THIS EXACT LANGUAGE BEFORE THE BODY AND THE MEETINGS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN DID HAPPEN FACTUALLY.
AND SO I WOULD RECOMMEND, UM, THAT WE GO TO THE RECONSIDERATION VOTE.
UM, THAT'S I THINK THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION HERE.
UM, JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
UM, I DON'T THINK EVEN IF THIS RECONSIDERATION VO VOTE, I MEAN, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO VOTE NO, BUT EVEN IF PEOPLE VOTED YES, UH, BECAUSE COUNCIL OF FLAHERTY WAS NOT ON THE PREVAILING SIDE, HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FILE FOR RECONSIDERATION.
SO REGARDLESS, HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FILE FOR RECONSIDERATION.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO SOMEONE ELSE WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT.
BUT AGAIN, IT WOULD BE THE ONLY OPTION TO ACTUALLY HAVE SOMEONE DO SOMETHING.
COUNCIL ZUI THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR.
AND JUST TO AGAIN BE CLEAR, THE POLICY ORDER WAS WRITTEN WITH THE MUNICIPAL CODE IN MIND.
SO THE EXACT SAME LANGUAGE THAT YOU'RE OFFERING HERE WAS PLACED INTO THAT POLICY ORDER.
AGAIN, THIS COMES FROM CONFIRMATION AND SPEAKING WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT ON WHAT STEPS NEED TO BE TAKEN.
AGAIN, TO REAFFIRM THE FACT THAT THE COUNCIL HAS THE DECISION AND NOT THE CITY MANAGER I'LL YIELD.
AND, AND, AND COUNCILOR FLAHERTY IN RESPONSE TO THAT, THE CITY COUNCIL DOES HAVE THE AUTHORITY AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL PERFORMS THE FUNCTIONS THAT ARE LAID OUT BY 2.1, 2.060 SUBSECTION C, THERE MUST BE A FINDING ON EACH STEP OF THE PROCESS.
THERE HAS BEEN NO FINDING BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO WE HAVE A RECONSIDERATION MOTION BEFORE US THAT WE HAVE TO VOTE ON.
SO I WOULD GO AND PROCEED TO THE VOTE.
COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER? NO.
AND YOU HAVE SIX MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE NEGATIVE THREE.
RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE RECONSIDERATION FAILS.
SO WE ARE DONE WITH THE POLICY ORDERS.
[03:45:01]
DISPOSED OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE TABLED.WE NOW MOVE ON TO APPLICATIONS
[APPLICATIONS]
AND PETITIONS.PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR NOLAN TO ADOPT THESE APPLICATIONS AND PETITIONS.
THOSE TWO APPLICATIONS AND PETITIONS ARE ADOPTED.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO COMMUNICATIONS.
[COMMUNICATIONS]
WE HAVE COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE JUNE 1ST MEETING.PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL PLACED ON FILE ON COUNCILLOR SIMMONS'.
MOTION TO PLACE THESE ON FILE.
[RESOLUTIONS]
THERE ARE SIX RESOLUTIONS.COUNCILOR, EY PULLS NUMBER FOUR.
COUNCILOR DID SIMMONS, DID YOU WANNA PULL ANYTHING? ARE YOU SET? I'M GONNA TRY TO WRITE THE RESOLUTIONS.
YOU'RE GONNA CHARTER WRITE RESOLUTIONS? YEP.
SO COUNCILLOR SIMMONS EXERCISES HER CHARTER RIGHT ON THE SIX RESOLUTIONS? YES.
WE MOVE ON TO COMMITTEE REPORTS WE'VE DISPOSED OF MOST OF THEM.
SINCE COUNCILOR ZI HAD ALREADY PULLED NUMBER FOUR BEFORE THE CHARTER, RIGHT? DO THAT, DOES THAT APPLY OR NO? IF COUNSELOR, SO I'M NOT COUNCILOR SIMMONS IS EXERCISER CHARTER, RIGHT? THESE WILL BE BACK BEFORE US NEXT WEEK.
SO, COMMITTEE REPORTS WE'VE DISPOSED OF ONE THROUGH THREE ON THE BALANCE OF THE COMMITTEE REPORTS.
THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT.
WE HAVE NO ROUND TABLE MINUTES.
WE DO HAVE FOUR COMMUNICATIONS
[COMMUNICATIONS FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS]
FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS ON ADOPTING THESE FOUR COMMUNICATIONS.COUNSELOR NOLAN, I'D LIKE TO PULL NUMBER FOUR.
NUMBER FOUR HAS BEEN UP PULLED ON THE BALANCE.
ONE, TWO, AND THREE HAVE BEEN ADOPTED.
WE'LL GO TO COMMUNICATIONS FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS.
NUMBER FOUR, FROM THE FINANCE CO-CHAIRS COUNCILLOR NOLAN.
I HAD PULLED THIS, UH, COUNCILLOR ZUBIE AND I WORKED, UM, ON AN UPDATED MEMO ON THE PROCESS FOR IDENTIFYING FUTURE BUDGET PRIORITIES THAT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COUNCIL TO REVIEW AND UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE PROCESS.
WE HAD THE APPROACH WAS WE HAD A, A FEBRUARY MEETING WHERE WE CONFIRMED A LIST OF INITIATIVES.
WE HAD A, A FOCUS SET OF PRIORITIES, WHICH WAS THE APRIL MEETING.
WE NOW, UH, ARE DEFINING A WORKING PROCESS TO MOVE FORWARD THAT IS OUTLAID IN THIS MEMO.
THERE'S THREE, UH, MAIN AREAS THAT WE WILL BE MOVING FORWARD ON THAT THE CITY STAFF IS ALREADY WORKING ON, WHICH IS SOCIAL HOUSING, SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND CHILDCARE EXPANSION.
MANY OF THOSE ARE ALREADY IN PLACE, BUT I DID WANNA WANNA POINT OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT IN THIS MEMO, WHICH, UH, WE ALSO REVIEW THE CITY STAFF, THAT ANY COUNSELORS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS OR UPDATES OR WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE NEXT STEPS IN ANY OF THESE AREAS, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT WE CAN USE THE MEMO AS A, AS A, AS A STATUS UPDATE SO THAT YOU CAN ALL, UH, BUILD ON THAT.
BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU, UM, FOR THE NEXT STEPS.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEPS.
BUT THERE'S SOME, SOME THINGS THAT, PARTICULARLY ON THE, UM, SUPPORTIVE HOUSING THAT, THAT IT'S A LITTLE BIT UN UNCLEAR WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT TO MY COLLEAGUES AND, AND ENSURE THAT FOLKS KNOW THAT WHILE THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD, THERE'S STILL, UH, SOME WORK TO BE DONE AND TO HEAR FROM US OVER THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS.
ANY OTHER PERSON ON THIS HEARING? NONE ON ADOPTING COMMUNICATION AND REPORTS OF OTHER CITY OFFICERS.
ALL THOSE ON, PLACING THEM ON FILE.
THE AYES HAVE IT, THAT COMMUNICATION FROM OTHER CITY OFFICER IS PLACED ON FILE.
ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? COUNCILOR ZUZI? UH, TOMORROW AT THREE O'CLOCK WE HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD AND LONG-TERM PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING ABOUT CAMBRIDGE STREET TO TALK ABOUT SETBACKS, STEP BACKS, OPEN SPACE AND WET LABS AMONG OTHER THINGS.
AND THEN LATER AT 6:00 PM THE MWRA CAMBRIDGE AND SOMERVILLE ARE HOSTING, UM, MEETING ABOUT OUR CSO, THE BIG CSO PLAN.
AND THEN ON, UH, THURSDAY THE FOURTH, WE HAVE S'S GRADUATION AT 4:00 PM SO THOSE ARE THE BIG THINGS GOING UP.
OH, BIODIVERSITY DAY IS SATURDAY JUNE 6TH AT DANAY PARK FROM 11 TO TWO.
AND THERE'S A STEEL BAND PERFORMING AT THE CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY AT THE MAIN BRANCH FROM ONE TO TWO 30 ON SATURDAY AS WELL.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THE, UH, HIGH SCHOOL EXTENSION GRADUATION ON JUNE 3RD, UH, AT FIVE.
SO I WANTED TO MENTION THAT COUNSELOR NOLAN.
AND ALSO THIS SATURDAY IS ONE OF THE BEST EVENTS IN THE CITY, ALTHOUGH THERE'S HEART, A
[03:50:01]
LOT OF COMPETITION.THE DANCE FOR WORLD COMMUNITY, WHICH IS A FESTIVAL THAT HAPPENS, IT'S ON SATURDAY, JUNE 6TH.
IT'S, UH, PRODUCED BY JOSE MATEO BALLET THEATER.
IT'S FREE AND HAS AN INCREDIBLE RANGE OF DANCE PERFORMANCES.
SO, UH, UM, FROM 12 TO 6:00 PM THE ENTIRE, UH, STREET WILL BE FLOODED WITH SEVERAL STAGES OF MORE DANCE, UH, DIVERSITY THAN, UH, I THINK ANYWHERE ELSE.
ON A MOTION TO ADJOURN BY COUNCILOR ZUBIE.
THOSE AGAINST, YOU KNOW, THE AYES HAVE IT.