* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [ROLL CALL] [00:00:04] A QUORUM OF THE CITY COUNCIL BEING PRESENT. I CALL TONIGHT'S JUNE 8TH, REGULAR MEETING OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL. TO ORDER THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS PRESENT. COUNCILOR ZUBE, PRESENT VICE MAYOR Z. PRESENT PRESENT, COUNCIL COUNCILOR FLAHERTY. PRESENT. PRESENT, COUNCILOR MCGOVERN. ABSENT COUNCILLOR NOLAN, ABSENT COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. PRESENT. PRESENT, COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER. PRESENT. PRESENT, COUNCILOR ZUI. PRESENT. PRESENT, MAYOR SIDIKI. PRESENT. PRESENT. YOU HAVE SEVEN MEMBERS. RECORDED, PRESENT, AND TWO RECORDED IS ABSENT. PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND PAUSE FOR A MODE OF SILENCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. OKAY, PER CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025, ADOPTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR, THE CITY IS AUTHORIZED TO USE REMOTE PARTICIPATION AT MEETINGS OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL. 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] 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'VE FINISHED 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 ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AND THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING ON. WE HAVE 132 SPEAKERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP. EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE ONE MINUTE WE'LL GO PROCEED TO PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS JOSEPH ALETTA, FOLLOWED BY SUZANNE BLI. THEN SARAH RAG JOSEPH, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. JOSEPH, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF, PLEASE GO AHEAD. YEP. HI, JOE ALETTA, 68 WALKER STREET. UH, IN SUPPORT OF PO NUMBER FIVE, I WANNA CORRECT THE RECORD ON THE IMPACT OF CAMBRIDGE'S MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE AND A CLEAR REBUTTAL TO THE DISINFORMATION FILLED OPINION PIECE OF THE SAME NAME WEEKS AGO. RATHER THAN ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION OF THE GLARING PROBLEMS WITH THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, THE ARTICLE DISTRACTS AND DEFLECTS BY NITPICKING OVER THE ACCURACY OF MARGINALLY VERIFIABLE SPECIFICS. IRONICALLY, THE ARTICLE THEN GOES ON TO GASLIGHT THE READER AS TO THE SUCCESS OF THE INCLUSIONARY ZONING COMPONENT OF THE MFH WHILE ADMITTEDLY BEING UNABLE TO PROVIDE VERIFIABLE SPECIFICS. MOST EGREGIOUS IS THE DEFINITION OF AFFORDABILITY AND THE CONTENTION THAT BECAUSE MORE SMALLER UNITS ARE BUILT, THEY'RE SOMEHOW AFFORDABLE. YES, ON AN ABSOLUTE BASIS, THE 250 FOOT, 250 SQUARE FOOT MICRO STUDIOS BEING BUILT ON NINE WYMAN ROAD WILL BE QUOTE UNQUOTE MORE AFFORDABLE AT $300,000 EACH. SOME OF YOU HAVE ROOMS BIGGER THAN THAT, SO YES, THE MFH HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN SENDING YOU TO YOUR ROOM. THIS ARTICLE CONCLUDES BY SAYING THAT THE DISCUSSIONS WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT IF MISINFORMATION IS BEING CIRCULATED. YES, INDEED IT WILL. I SUGGEST YOU STOP DOING JUST THAT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SUZANNE BLEIER, FOLLOWED BY SARAH RAG SUZANNE. SUZANNE HAS NOT JOINED US. WE WILL GO TO SARAH RAG, FOLLOWED BY NORA ALLEN WEES, THEN JOHN FROYO. SARAH, ONE MINUTE. JUST MAKE SURE THE BUTTON'S ON. HOW ABOUT NOW? THERE WE GO. OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR SIDIKI, COUNSELORS AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. MY NAME IS SARAH RAG AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TRANSITION HOUSE. I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE. UM, TRANSITION HOUSES EXISTED IN IN CAMBRIDGE FOR 50 YEARS. WE'VE BEEN SERVING SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. WE WERE FOUNDED HERE, WE'RE BASED HERE, AND EVERY DAY WE HELP CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS FIND SAFETY, HOUSING AND SUPPORT. LIKE MANY SURVIVORS SERVING ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS, WE'RE LOSING SIGNIFICANT FUNDING DUE TO FEDERAL CUTS. THESE CUTS DO NOT REFLECT A REDUCTION IN NEED. SURVIVORS STILL NEED EMERGENCY SHELTER, COURT ADVOCACY, COUNSELING, [00:05:01] AND SAFETY PLANNING, AND THAT NEED CONTINUES TO GROW. WHEN A CANTE BRIDGE EXPERIENCES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THEY DON'T CALL WASHINGTON. THEY CALL US. WHAT IS AT RISK IS NOT JUST ONE ORGANIZATION, BUT THE NETWORK OF LOCAL SERVICES THAT HELPS KEEP SURVIVORS SAFE, HOUSED AND CONNECTED TO THEIR COMMUNITY. CAMBRIDGE HAS ALWAYS STEPPED UP TO PROTECT ITS MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS, AND I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE AND EXPLORE PATHWAYS TO SUSTAIN THESE ESSENTIAL SERVICES. THE SURVIVORS WE SERVE ARE YOUR CONSTITUENTS, OUR NEIGHBORS, AND MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY. THEY DESERVE TO KNOW THAT CAMBRIDGE STANDS WITH THEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NORA ALLEN WILES. NORA, ONE MINUTE. GOOD EVENING COUNSELORS AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I'M NORA ALLEN WILES, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONS AT ON THE RISE, A NONPROFIT IN CAMBRIDGE SERVING HOMELESS WOMEN AND GENDER DIVERSE SURVIVORS. LOCATED AT 3 41 BROADWAY. I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE TO STABILIZE CRITICAL VICTIM SERVICES FOR CAMBRIDGE SURVIVORS. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR THE CITY TO PERMANENTLY REPLACE FEDERAL FUNDING. RATHER, IT IS A RESPONSE TO A UNIQUE CONVERGENCE OF FEDERAL FUNDING DISRUPTIONS THAT THREATEN CRITICAL SERVICES AND COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS RELY ON ON THE RISE. AND OUR PEERS HERE ARE FACING THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF THE POST COVID FUNDING CLIFF AND SIGNIFICANT SHIFTS IN FEDERAL PRIORITIES RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING LOSSES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027 THAT WILL DIRECTLY IMPACT SURVIVORS ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY AND MEANINGFUL SERVICES. FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, THIS INVESTMENT IS ABOUT PRESERVING CRITICAL COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SURVIVORS. ONCE PROGRAMS ARE CUT AND EXPERIENCED STAFF LEAVE, REBUILDING THAT CAPACITY IS FAR MORE EXPENSIVE THAN STABILIZING IT. THANK YOU, NORA. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER THANK YOU IS JOHN FROYO, FOLLOWED BY HUBERT MURRAY. THEN CAROLYN, BERT JOHN THE FLOOR. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JOHN FROYO. I AM FROM DENOVO. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR ENTERTAINING POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE. IT REALLY IS THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE IS REALLY UNIQUE AND FOR THE CITY TO BE EVEN CONSIDERING SOMETHING LIKE THAT, TO ME IT'S AMAZING. BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW DENOVO, I, UM, WE PROVIDE FREE LEGAL AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. THEY OUR LEGAL SERVICES. WE PROVIDE FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS AND FAMILY LAW. WE PROVIDE IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES, HOUSING SERVICES, AS WELL AS DISABILITY SERVICES. WE ALSO HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENT WHERE WE PROVIDE FREE MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED, LIKE OUR PARTNERS TRANSITION HOUSE BACH ON THE RISE AND OUR MAPS WE'RE FACING A SEVERE FUNDING CRISIS BECAUSE WE HAD SOME FEDERAL CUTS AND WE'RE LOSING ABOUT $160,000 IN REAL TERMS, THIS MEANS THAT WE'LL BE LOSING ONE ATTORNEY AND A HALF OF A SOCIAL WORKER. WE URGE YOU THIS, THIS CUT CAME AS A SHOCK TO US. WE URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THAT POLICY ORDER 'CAUSE IT WILL PROVIDE US WITH A ONE YEAR BRIDGE. THANK YOU, JOHN. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. FOR EVERYONE WHOSE TIME IS RUNNING OUT, PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENTS TO CITY COUNCIL@CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV AND COPY CLERK@CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HUBERT MURRAY, FOLLOWED BY CAROLYN ALPERT. THEN LIZ LOYA. HUBERT HUBERT, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. PLEASE GO AHEAD. UM, TO THE PERSON AT THE MIC, ARE YOU HUBERT? NO. NO. ALRIGHT. HUBERT HAS NOT JOINED US. WE WILL GO TO CAROLYN ALPERT. THANK YOU. I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF PO FIVE AND THE BROWN PETITION. TODAY THE CITY COUNCILORS WERE MAILED A PDF CONTAINING SIGNATURES FROM OVER 2,500 CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS PLEADING FOR ZONING AMENDMENTS. YOU'LL RECOGNIZE THE VOICES OF COMMUNITY LEADERS AND LONGTIME RESIDENTS PLEADING FOR PROTECTION FROM THIS SUDDEN UNRESTRAINED ONSLAUGHT OF DEVELOPERS AND FINANCIERS WHO ARE EXPLOITING THE PERMISSIVENESS OF THE NEW ZONING TO CARVE UP OUR NEIGHBORHOODS FOR MARKET RATE CONDOS AS FAST AS THEY CAN. WE'VE HAD IT WITH THE A, B, C FINANCED AFFORDABLE HOUSING SLOGANEERING THAT IS MASKING NAKED GREED AND DESTRUCTION OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. HARDEST HIT ARE THE ALREADY MULTIFAMILY MIDDLE CLASS NEIGHBORHOODS, LONGTIME RESIDENTS FORCED OUT OF THEIR HOMES, CONTRACTORS ACT ANSWERING TO NO ONE STEALING LIGHT AIR, OPEN SPACE PARKING, AND COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE. PLEASE ACT SOON. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LIZ LOYA, FOLLOWED BY CAROL [00:10:01] ALEXANDRO. THEN JAYLEN BERNARD. LIZ, PLEASE GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. THANK YOU COUNSELORS. MY NAME IS LIZ BYRON LOYA 21 FIELD STREET. I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE AND BROWN CITIZEN PO PETITION. MANY PEOPLE TONIGHT WILL SHARE INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF AMENDING THE ZONING. I AM USING MY TIME TO PRESENT A SERIOUS ISSUE OF PUBLIC TRUST. ACCORDING TO PUBLICLY AVAILABLE RECORDS FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF CAMPAIGN AND POLITICAL FINANCE COUNSELORS, MCGOVERN AND SIMMONS RECEIVE MORE CAMPAIGN FUNDING FROM REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT CONSTRUCTION AND LAND USE LAW INTERESTS THAN ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL. OF THE APPROXIMATELY $150,000 IN RECENT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE LEADING CAMBRIDGE DEVELOPMENT AND LAND USE FIRMS, MCGOVERN AND SIMMONS HAVE RECEIVED 92% OF THE TOTAL SHARE OF CONTRIBUTIONS. NO ONE ELSE IS CLOSE. THESE ARE NOT ABSTRACT DONORS. THEY ARE THE SAME DEVELOPMENT LAW FIRMS AND BUILDERS WHO REGULARLY APPEAR BEFORE THIS COUNCIL AND WHO DIRECTLY BENEFIT FROM POLICIES THAT MAKE BUILDING AND APPROVALS FASTER. IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE. WE ARE HERE FOR MERIT, NOT MONEY. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CAROL ALEXANDRA, FOLLOWED BY JALEN BERNARD. NO SUNSHINE, NO SETBACKS, NO GREEN SPACES, NO PARKING, NO THANK YOU. PLEASE AMEND YOUR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING UPZONING TO A MORE HUMANE POLICY THAT INCREASES SETBACKS AND SUNSHINE. REQUIRED GREEN SPACE REQUIRED PARKING WHILE DECREASING HEIGHT TO MATCH ABUTS. AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THE MANY VERY STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CIRCULATING PETITIONS AND WEB POST THINGS, THE MAJORITY OF CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS DON'T WANT THIS UPZONING IN ITS CURRENT FORM. SO MANY PARKING SPACES HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN AWAY AND AT THIS RATE, ONLY THE VERY RICH WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD OFF STREET PARKING. WHILE THE REST OF US HAVE TO FIGHT FOR FEWER AND FEWER SPOTS, PLEASE LISTEN TO ACTUAL CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS RATHER THAN TRYING TO BUILD FOR AN UNWANTED FRENZY OF SPECULATIVE DENSITY. WE VOTED FOR YOU TO LISTEN TO THE WILL OF CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS, NOT THE INTERESTS OF OUT OF TOWN DEVELOPERS OR SOME IMAGINED GROUP OF FUTURE RESIDENTS. CAMBRIDGE FAMILIES ARE BEING DRIVEN OUT OF CAMBRIDGE AS WHO WANTS TO RAISE A FAMILY IN THESE RECTANGULAR BOXES POPPING UP EVERYWHERE. THANK YOU. THE HYPER HAS EXPIRED PASSION. PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENTS. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JALEN BERNARD, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL YAMAN. THEN LIZ SPEAKMAN. JAYLEN, ONE MINUTE PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. HEY, HOW IS EVERYONE DOING? THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, MADAM MAYOR SIDIKI AND THE COUNCIL FOR HEARING ME TODAY I'M CALLING IN ABOUT CHARTER, RIGHT NUMBER ONE. UM, I AM CALLING IN TO, UH, REQUEST THAT YOU GUYS, UH, PUT THIS ON HOLD AND YOU ASK THE DIVISION TO COME BACK WITH CLEAR POLICIES ON HOW, UM, COMPOST IS GONNA BE MANDATED THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, UM, AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR REDUCING TRASH TONNAGE. AND IF THERE'S FINES, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE ON FIRST OFFENSE, SECOND OFFENSE, THIRD OFFENSE, OR SUBSEQUENTLY THE SECOND YEAR OR FIRST YEAR OF OFFENSES. AND THEN I'M ALSO CALLING IN ON THE CITY MANAGERS AND CITY MANAGERS. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 11. I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE TURF FIELD GOING IN AT A HEARN FIELD. UM, I BELIEVE THAT IT WILL, UH, ALLOW FOR MORE TIME FOR OUR YOUTH TO BE ON THE FIELD OPPOSED TO GRASS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WITH WEATHER AND INCLEMENT WEATHER, YOU CANNOT PLAY ON IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MICHAEL YAMAN, FOLLOWED BY LIZ SPEAKMAN, THEN ROBERT BINSTOCK. MICHAEL HAS NOT JOINED US. WE WILL GO TO LIZ SPEAKMAN. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LIZ SPEAKMAN. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE BOSTON AREA RAPE CRISIS CENTER AND I REALLY APPRECIATE POLICY ORDER 1 21 AND WANNA THANK MAYOR SADIKI, COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN, COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER, AND COUNCILLOR SUZI FOR CO-SPONSORING. I ALSO WANNA IN ADVANCE THANK THE OTHER COUNSELORS FOR VOTING. YES, BOSTON AREA RAPE CRISIS CENTER HAS BEEN A STAPLE IN THE CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY FOR OVER 50 YEARS, PROVIDING MUCH NEEDED RESOURCES FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. WE WILL BE FACING AN ALMOST $500,000 CUT STARTING JULY ONE, UM, WHICH WOULD MEAN STAFFING, WHICH MEANS CRITICAL SERVICES FOR OUR NEIGHBORS. SO WE APPRECIATE THE CITY'S WILLINGNESS TO HELP TRY TO SUPPLEMENT THAT WHILE WE FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN COVER THOSE COSTS MOVING FORWARD. UM, AND THAT WE STAND WITH OUR SISTER ORGANIZATIONS ON THE RISE, TRANSITION HOUSE MAPS AND DE NOVO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ROBERT BINSTOCK. ROBERT, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. [00:15:02] BOB BINSTOCK, 1 57 HAMILTON STREET POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE AND THE PETITION OF DOUGLAS BROWN CASE STUDY IN MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AND ZONING. 1 74 HAMILTON SERVICEABLE. THREE FAMILY BOUGHT FOR 3 MILLION BY A DEVELOPER WHO COULD HAVE REHABBED IT AS A FOUR FAMILY, BUT WILL INSTEAD TEAR IT DOWN AND BUILD A MUCH LARGER STRUCTURE OF THREE UNITS SELLING FOR 10 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TOTAL. WHY? BECAUSE FOUR FLOORS AND MINIMAL SETBACKS ALLOWS THE DEVELOPER TO MAKE MUCH MORE MONEY. SO THE AVERAGE PRICE OF HOUSING UNITS ON THAT BLOCK AND IN OUR CITY GOES UP, NOT DOWN. THERE'S AN EPIDEMIC OF THIS ACROSS THE CITY. I JUST RECEIVED A NOTICE OF FOUR, UH, DEMOLITIONS BY THE SAME DEVELOPER IN A SMALL AREA THIS MONTH. WHY ARE WE PRIORITIZING DEMOS OF USABLE MULTIFAMILY HOUSES AND HUGE DEVELOPER PRO PROFITS OVER AFFORDABILITY, OVER EXISTING TENANTS, OVER MATURE TREES AND GREEN SPACE, MORE SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION AND THE NEIGHBORS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MATT KELLY, FOLLOWED BY MIKAEL DALE, THEN HEDY SEBEL. MATT, UH, GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. I AM MATT KELLY. I LIVE AT 13 OAKLAND STREET IN INMAN SQUARE. I'D LIKE MANY PEOPLE HERE TONIGHT AND WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE IDEA OF TURF AT A HEARN FIELD. I WOULD ASK THE COUNCIL TO HALT ANY PLANS TO PUT TURF ON A HEARN. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE PUBLIC AND PARTICULARLY THE RESIDENTS OF EAST CAMBRIDGE, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THEY WANT. THAT ASSUMES THAT THEY EVEN KNOW THAT THIS ISSUE IS BEING RAISED AND UP FOR CONSIDERATION. MOST OF US HAD NO IDEA UNTIL VERY RECENTLY THAT THIS WAS IN FACT SOMETHING THAT MIGHT HAPPEN. I UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENTS THAT TURF MAKES IT BETTER FOR SOCCER AND ATHLETIC FIELDS. I UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE DIDN'T DO THAT AT SENATE PARK, WE MADE A MESS OF SENATE PARK. THAT IS MORE A LESSON TO BE LEARNED, NOT A DECISION NEVER TO BE MADE AGAIN. MY KIDS ARE ON THE SAME SOCCER TEAMS THAT PLAY FOR THE RECORD. THEY DON'T WANT TURF, UH, ON A HERN EITHER. WE NEED MORE OPEN SPACE IN CAMBRIDGE. WE DO NOT NEED ARTIFICIAL GRASS ANYMORE THAN I NEED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN MY LIFE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MIKHAIL ESTE, FOLLOWED BY HEDY SEBEL, THEN KAREN BURKAY. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MIKA DEL. I'M THE CURRENT CHAIR OF THE BOARD FOR TRANSITION HOUSE AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER THREE. I'M ALSO A SURVIVOR OF CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND I KNOW FIRSTHAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY TRANSITION HOUSE AND OUR PARTNER AGENCIES, SOME OF WHO HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN HERE TONIGHT. AFTER SIX YEARS OF ABUSE, MY STEPFATHER TRIED TO SMOTHER MY MOM WITH A PILLOW. SHE SURVIVED, AND THE NEXT DAY WE FLED TO A SHELTER IN A NEARBY TOWN. I KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT THIS SHELTER SAVED MY LIFE. I SURVIVED. BECAME A CPA, GOT A PHD, AND I'M HERE TODAY ASKING THAT WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE OTHER SURVIVORS WITH A CHANCE FOR SAFETY, STABILITY, AND HEALING ALONG WITH A CHANCE FOR BETTER LIFE. THIS COUNCIL IS PRO IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING CITIZENS OF CAMBRIDGE WITH THESE VERY THINGS AND THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY TRANSITION HOUSE DO JUST THAT. PLEASE ENSURE THAT SURVIVORS DON'T LOSE ACCESS TO SUPPORT BECAUSE OF FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS BEYOND OUR CONTROL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HEDY SEBEL, FOLLOWED BY KAREN BURETTE, THEN MARYLEE MEYER HEDY. HI, MY NAME IS HEDY SIEBEL. I LIVE AT 41 STERN STREET. I SUPPORT POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE AND THE BROWN CITIZENS PETITION. SOMETIMES A BOLD IDEA, HOWEVER, WELL-MEANING LIKE THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE. MISCARRIES, WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR ITS SUCCESS WILL NOT BE THE STUBBORN INTENSITY OF ITS VISION, BUT RATHER ITS COMMUNITY SUPPORT. AND THE NECESSARY DETAILS FOR THOUGHTFUL EXECUTION AMENDMENTS TO THIS ORDINANCE ARE ITS CRITICAL DETAILS. EVEN AS RECLINE ADMITS THAT HE AIRED IN HIS BOOK, ABUNDANCE LEARNING. SINCE PUBLISHING THAT TOP-DOWN POLICY DOESN'T ENFORCE CHANGES WITHOUT AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY BUY-IN CAMBRIDGE IS A BELOVED PLACE. BUILDING A DENSE AND AFFORDABLE CITY HAPPENS BEST WITH COMMUNITY SUPPORT. I ASK YOU ALL TO STOP THE POLITICAL FIGHTING, THE BINARY THINKING AND NAME CALLING AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM RESPECTFULLY. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KAREN BURETTE, FOLLOWED BY MARYLEE MEYER, THEN PHYLLIS SIMPKINS. KAREN, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES WE CAN. ALL RIGHT. MY NAME IS KAREN BRUSH FROM 51 CUSHING STREET. I URGE YOU TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER FIVE TO EVALUATE THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS FOR SETBACKS IN GREEN SPACE. SOME SAY WE MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN HOUSING AND CLIMATE [00:20:01] RESILIENCY THAT WE MUST ENDURE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF NEW DEVELOPMENT. I REJECT THAT EITHER OR MENTALITY WE CAN AND WE MUST HAVE BOTH AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND FLOOD RESILIENCY VIA SMART ZONING. THE CITY IS SPENDING TENS OF MILLIONS TO REDUCE COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS. IF NEW HOUSING STRIPS AWAY THE PERMEABLE SOIL AND MATURE TREES THAT ABSORB RAIN, WE UNDO THAT INVESTMENT RUNOFF WILL OVERWHELM OUR SYSTEM FILLING BASEMENTS WITH E COLI LATE IN STORM WATER AND SEWAGE. AND AT-RISK AREAS LIKE THE PORT AND ALEWIFE, WE DO NOT HAVE TO ENDURE PREVENTABLE DISASTERS. CAMBRIDGE CAN BUILD BOTH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WE NEED AND THE FLOOD RESILIENCY OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARYLEE MEYER MARYLEE MARYLEE. IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. HI, MARYLEE MEYER 10 DANA STREET. I SUPPORT FIXING MULTIFAMILY ZONING, WHICH SEEMS TO IGNORE AMONG OTHERS. SENIORS, LOW INCOME, BLUE COLLAR RESIDENTS IN FAVOR OF FORMULAIC LUXURY DEVELOPERS AND INVESTORS. MOST OF THESE PROJECTS DON'T TRIGGER, UM, INCLUSIONARY THE FACT THAT RENTERS ARE BEING DISPLACED EXACERBATES THE HOUSING ISSUE, HAVING REALISTIC CONCERNS DOES NOT EVISCERATE HOUSING, ROOF DECKS AND FACULTIES ARE NOT OPEN SPACE. YEARS AGO, A DEVELOPMENT ON, ON MASS AVE WAS CON, UM, WAS RECONFIGURED TO ACCOMMODATE A SIGNIFICANT COPPER BEACH TREE CREATING OPEN SPACE ON THE CORNER. USE PERCENTAGE INSTEAD OF DIMENSION TO GAUGE HOUSE PLACEMENT AND SAVE A TREE THE SQUARE. UM, FOR-PROFIT, UH, WAREHOUSES. WE ARE GETTING OUR GENERIC SOLACE AND EXCLUSIONARY. UH, MERCEDES IS CHEAPER THAN A BENTLEY, BUT DOES THAT MAKE THE MERCEDES AFFORDABLE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PHYLLIS SIMKINS, FOLLOWED BY YOUNG KIM, THEN DAVID HALPERIN. PHYLLIS. HI, I AM PHYLLIS SIMKINS. I LIVE AT 2 49 HURON AVENUE IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE, DEVELOPERS ARE TEARING DOWN HOMES ACROSS CAMBRIDGE AND BUILDING LUXURY HOUSING THAT FOCUSES ON PROFITS. MFH NEEDS MODIFICATIONS NEAR ME. 36 HUTCHINSON, A TWO FAMILY WITH A DRIVEWAY WILL BE A NINE UNIT FOUR STORY CONDO BUILDING WITH BALCONIES, OVERHANGING, REDUCED SETBACKS AND NO PARKING. NINE WYMAN, A SINGLE FAMILY HOME WILL BE A SIX STORY, 56 UNIT BUILDING WITH BALCONIES, OVERHANGING, REDUCED SETBACKS AND NO PARKING ARCHITECT. DAN ANDERSON FOR THESE D AND D PROJECTS IS ALSO AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF THE PLANNING BOARD. WHEN ASKED AT THE HUTCHINSON ZOOM ABOUT THE BALCONY OVERHANG, HE OVERHUNTING, HE REPLIED, THE BALCONIES ARE TWO AND A HALF FEET OF THE FIVE FOOT SETBACK AND THAT'S ALLOWED, THESE PROJECTS HAVE ABUTTERS. THE BALCONIES WILL BE 30 INCHES. THAT'S THIS, THAT'S THE LENGTH OF MY ARM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PILLOW COMMENT. CAMBRIDGE CAN DO BEST. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. THANKS. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT. IF YOU'RE STANDING, THERE IS SPACE IN THE ACKERMAN ROOM TO WATCH. WE DON'T WANT THE DOOR TO BE BLOCKED, SO, UM, FEEL FREE TO GO IN THE ACKERMAN ROOM. AND VIDEO, UH, IS AVAILABLE THERE AS WELL. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS YOUNG KIM, FOLLOWED BY DAVID HALPERIN. THEN CHEVON MCDONOUGH YOUNG HAS NOT JOINED US. WE WILL GO TO DAVID HALPER. DAVID, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. AND FOR THOSE WAITING, WE ARE AT SPEAKER NUMBER 21. GOOD EVENING. DAVID HALPRIN 14 VALENTINE STREET, UNIT THREE. UM, I'M SPEAKING IN SEAN IN OPPOSITION TO, UH, BOTH POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE AND, UH, THE, UH, THE BROWN PETITION. UM, THE, THE POLICY ORDER, UM, RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, DEVELOPER SKIRTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU KNOW, REQUIREMENTS WHILE HAVING PROVISIONS THAT WILL CLEARLY MAKE INCLUSIONARY IMPOSSIBLE TO BUILD NEIGHBORHOODS ANYMORE. AND THIS IS JUST LIKE VERY CLEARLY CONTRADICTORY. WE NEED MORE HOUSING. WE, WE CAN'T, UM, WE CAN'T MOVE BACKWARDS ON OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOALS. WE CAN'T HIT OUR AFFORDING HOUS HOUSING GOALS WITH JUST THE A HO, UM, THE BROWN PETITION. ADDITIONALLY, WE'LL DOWN ZONE THE A SHOW, UM, THE UL FAMILY ZONING WAS A HISTORICAL ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR CAMBRIDGE. WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF IT. UM, PLEASE DO NOT, UH, PAR IT BACK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SHAVAN MCDONOUGH, FOLLOWED BY LAWRENCE ATKINS, THEN DEBBIE SHAPIRO SHAVAN. [00:25:01] MY NAME'S SHAVAN MCDONOUGH. I LIVE ON WALDEN STREET. I'M A MEMBER OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST OF AMERICA AND UAW 2320. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO POLICY ORDERS TWO, FOUR, AND FIVE ON POLICY ORDER TWO. ONE REASON THE COUNCIL VOTED TO REMOVE SHOTSPOTTER WAS THAT IT LED TO OVER POLICING OF WORKING CLASS AND OPPRESS COMMUNITIES. NOW WITH SHOTSPOTTER GONE, GONE, SOME COUNSELORS WANNA SEND MORE COPS THERE ANYWAY. WE KNOW MORE POLICING DOESN'T MAKE PEOPLE SAFER. TAKE THE MONEY THAT WOULD GO TOWARDS PAYING THOSE COPS OVERTIME AND INSTEAD INVEST IT IN THOSE COMMUNITIES DIRECTLY IN POLICY ORDER FOUR. UM, THIS IS COUNSELOR FLAHERTY TRYING TO USE HIS LEGAL EXPERIENCE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER. UH, THE COUNCIL SHOULD REALLY REJECT THIS ANTI-DEMOCRATIC LEGAL GAMESMANSHIP AND ON POLICY ORDER. FIVE, WE HAVE A CRISIS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN CAMBRIDGE. WE NEED TO DO MORE TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT AND TO BUILD PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THESE AMENDMENTS DON'T DO THAT. THEY'RE LARGELY AESTHETIC CHANGES THAT WOULD ALLOW FEWER PEOPLE TO LIVE HERE. THIS IS NOT A SERIOUS SOLUTION TO THE HOUSING CRISIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LAWRENCE ATKINS. MR. ATKINS, ONE MINUTE. GOOD EVENING. LAWRENCE ATKINS, 45 HAY STREET. UM, I CALLED IT OUT LAST TIME. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. UH, WE STILL HAVEN'T HAD THAT TOWN HALL MEETING FOR THE POLICING TO TELL US ANYTHING. WE STILL HAD A BLANK CHARGE. THIS IS NOT ON THE AGENDA. PLEASE REFER TO AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA. AND ALONG WITH THAT, LARRY, I ALSO WANNA MAKE COMMENT ABOUT THE HOUSING. WE'RE NOT EVEN TRYING TO ACHIEVE IT. WE'RE PASSING THE BUCK ALONG THAT WHEN THE $600,000 UNITS, THEN THEY'RE GONNA BE AN OVER ARMED LAW OF WAVE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IT'S NOT GONNA COME. WE'RE MAKING FALSE PROMISES ON THE SCIENCE THAT THERE ISN'T A SOUL UP HERE THAT CAN MAKE A PROMISE TO IT OTHER THAN THE DISTORTION OF CAMBRIDGE IS SURE TO HAPPEN. I FEEL THAT THE ICD IS PROBABLY DOING THE BEST IT CAN, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE THE PERSONNEL. IT NEEDS TO EVEN BE EFFECTIVE FOR ALL THESE UNITS THAT YOU PLAN ON PUTTING OUT THERE. RESPECTFULLY. YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR PATH. AND EVERYBODY SEE THESE PEOPLE AT THE VOTING BOOTH. 'CAUSE IF YOU CAN'T CHANGE IT NOW, TAKE 'EM OUT AND SEND THEM HOME. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DEBBIE SHAPIRO, FOLLOWED BY GIA JING LEE, THEN MARILYN FRANKENSTEIN. DEBBIE, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. GOOD EVENING. UM, MY NAME IS DEBBIE SHAPIRO. I'VE LIVED 40 YEARS ON BROADWAY, MID CAMBRIDGE HERE TO SUPPORT POLICY ORDER FIVE MORE HOUSING WITHOUT MORE PARKING. MAKES NO SENSE. TRADESPEOPLE CAREGIVERS, OLDER AND DISABLED PEOPLE CAN'T DO WITHOUT CARS. FAMILIES CAN'T GROCERY SHOP OR TRAVEL TO THEIR KIDS' GAMES WITHOUT CARS. 70% OF CAMBRIDGE HOUSEHOLDS HAVE AT LEAST ONE CAR AND PEOPLE MOVING INTO THESE NEW UNITS WILL HAVE THEM TOO. MY TWO BLOCK AREA ALONG BROADWAY BETWEEN EL ELLSWORTH STREETS IS GROUND ZERO FOR THIS COMING CRISIS. RIGHT NOW, SIX NEW PROJECTS, OVER 200 NEW UNITS ARE IN PROCESSOR PLAN. THAT'S AT LEAST 140 MORE CARS IN JUST TWO BLOCKS AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE'RE LOSING THE MAJORITY OF EXISTING PARKING ON BROADWAY TO BIKE LANES. SO DEVELOPERS ARE OFF THE HOOK FOR PARKING. BICYCLISTS GET MORE ROAD SPACE AND DRIVERS ARE LEFT TO BATTLE IT OUT WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS. IN A HUNGER, HUNGER GAMES TYPE COMPETITION THAT LEAVES THEM FEELING HELPLESS AND FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY. I RESPECTFULLY URGE YOU COUNSELORS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JIA JING LEE. THEN WE WILL HEAR FROM YOUNG KIM JIA JING. ONE MINUTE. GOOD EVENING. JUDGING JING LEE SECOND STREET. I'M SPEAKING REGARDING CMA 20 26 1 7 4. THE WORLD CUP IS COMING TO OUR BACKYARD WITH GAMES AT GILLETTE AND THAT IS EXCITING. EVEN AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SOCCER, THE STANDARD IS NATURAL GRASS-BASED SURFACES BECAUSE SURFACE QUALITY MATTERS FOR SAFETY, PERFORMANCE AND PLAYERS BODIES. SO C SHOULD NOT REDUCE AIR HAND FIELD TO MORE BOOKABLE HOURS. BOOKABLE IS NOT THE SAME AS SAVEABLE. SAFELY PLAYABLE THE REPORT CLAIMS TURF MEANS MORE USE, BUT IT DOES NOT PROVE MORE SAFE. PLAYABLE USE OR WEATHER DOES NOT MEAN ALWAYS PLAYABLE. RECENT TURF CANCELLATIONS SHOW THAT AND THE REPORTS REPORT'S OWN HEAT PLAN IS TO MODIFY OR CANCEL ACTIVITIES. DO NOT ACCEPT THIS REPORT AS COMPLETE POST THE SURFACE DECISION REQUIRE AN INDEPENDENT GRASS VERSUS TURF COMPARISON AND REAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BEFORE MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM YOUNG KIM, FOLLOWED BY MARILYN FRANKENSTEIN. THEN MICHAEL PACINO YOUNG. [00:30:13] YOUNG. ARE YOU READY? UH, ONE SECOND PLEASE. I MADAM MAYOR, WE'RE GONNA GO TO MARILYN FRANKENSTEIN WHILE WE WAIT AND COME BACK TO MY HE WILL COME BACK TO YOU. COME BACK TO YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE MARILYN FRANKENSTEIN. MARILYN, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD. MARILYN FRANKENSTEIN, CAMBRIDGE RESIDENT SPEAKING AGAINST THE KOOL LIKE ATTEMPT TO OVERTURN DEMOCRATICALLY PASSED POLICY ORDERS TO STOP SHOTSPOTTER. THIS WAS PROCEEDED BY AN EVIDENCE FREE OP-ED IN WHICH COUNCILORS SIMMONS AND FLAHERTY STATE THAT THE DEBATE OVER SHOTSPOTTER HAS ELEVATED IDEOLOGY OVER FACTS. IN FACT, MOST OF THE TESTIMONY OF ACOUSTIC AND CIVIL LIBERTIES EXPERTS ORGANIZED BY THE BLACK RESPONSE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS CITED EVIDENCE SUCH AS AN ANALYSIS OF CHICAGO CRIME DATA PROVING POLICE RESPONDED FOUR MINUTES FASTER TO THE MOST SERIOUS 9 1 1 CALLS IN THE SIX MONTHS AFTER MAYOR JOHNSON SCRAPPED SHOT SPOTTER AND ALSO SHOT SPOTTER WASTED OFFICER'S TIME BY SENDING THEM ON WILD GOOSE CHASES. ON WHAT EVIDENCE OTHER THAN THE FOR PROFIT COMPANIES PR STATEMENT DO THE COUNSELORS BASE THEIR CLAIMS? THE SHOTSPOTTER'S LISTENING DEVICE IS EFFECTIVE AND DOES NOT TRACK INDIVIDUALS OR SHARE INFORMATION WITH ICE. THANK YOU MARILYN. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS YOUNG KIM, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL PACINO. THEN ANN FLECK HENDERSON YOUNG. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, PLEASE GO AHEAD. YOUNG KIM 17 NOR STREET, I AM TRULY LOST AS TO HOW WE GOT HERE WITH THE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE. AFTER TWO JOINT HOUSING AND TP MEETINGS, THERE WAS NO AGREED UPON PATH FORWARD YET TONIGHT WE HAVE BOTH PR NUMBER FIVE AND THE BROWN PETITION BEFORE US. WHILE CDD IS APPARENTLY STILL PREPARING MATERIAL FOR JUNE 25TH JOINT MEETING, THE BROWN PETITION IS A USEFUL STARTING POINT, BUT I BELIEVE WE ARE MIXING TOGETHER THREE SEPARATE ISSUES, DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS, PARKING POLICY, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCEDURES. MORE IMPORTANTLY, MFH IS NO LONGER THE ONLY AS OF RIGHT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT PATHWAY. WE NOW HAVE M-F-H-A-H-O, MASS AVENUE AND CAMBRIDGE STREET. BEFORE MAKING PEACE MILL AMENDMENT TO ANY ONE ORDINANCE, THE COUNCIL SHOULD EXAMINE THE LARGER FRAMEWORK GOVERNING ALL FOUR PATHWAYS. THANK YOU YOUNG. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENTS. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MICHAEL PACINO, FOLLOWED BY ANNE FLECK HENDERSON, THEN ROBERT LOBA. MIKE, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD. UM, DEAR COUNSEL, UH, DEAR COUNSEL, UM, I'M MICHAEL PACINO FROM WEST CAMBRIDGE. I'M HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BROWN PETITION. UM, CAMBRIDGE'S CURRENT HOUSING PRICES IS HERE BECAUSE OF SIMPLE MATH. THERE ARE FAR MORE PEOPLE WHO WANNA LIVE HERE THAN THERE ARE HOMES. I'M A TEACHER AND I BOUGHT IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, EIGHT YEARS AGO AND WELL BEFORE THE ZONING LAW, I SAW THIS NEIGHBORHOOD BECOME SOMEWHERE THAT FAMILIES LIKE ME COULD NO LONGER AFFORD TO LIVE BECAUSE THERE SIMPLY AREN'T ENOUGH HOMES HERE. I WANT MY CITY TO BE A PLACE WHERE, UM, PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO'VE CHOSEN TO MAKE THEIR LIVES IN PUBLIC SERVICE AND EARN MIDDLE CLASS SALARIES, A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN RENT, OWN, AND THRIVE. I FEAR THAT ANY ADJUSTMENT THAT ANY ADJUSTMENT TO HEIGHT, SETBACK, AND DESIGN REQUIREMENTS, COMMUNITY AND ENGAGEMENT IS GOING TO, UM, SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING NEW HOMES. UM, ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE? I REALLY WANNA BE DEEPLY, DEEPLY THOUGHTFUL AND I THINK, UM, THESE TWO AMENDMENTS DO NOT ACHIEVE THAT. UM, IF PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT DEVELOPER PROFITS, I'D RECOMMEND THEM TO AL. COUNCILMAN ZUBIE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANN FLECK HENDERSON, FOLLOWED BY ROBERT LOACKER, THEN ADRIANA LEVITT. MY NAME IS ANNE FLACK HENDERSON. I LIVE AT ONE 13 RICHDALE AVENUE. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC ORDER NUMBER THREE. I WILL REFER MOSTLY TO TRANSITION HOUSE, WHICH IS THE ONE OF THE AFFECTED AGENCIES I KNOW BEST. THE CUTS TO THE FUNDING FOR THE MASS OFFICE OF VICTIMS ASSISTANT ARE SUFFICIENTLY DRASTIC THANKS TO OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT THE LOSS TO TRANSITION HOUSE [00:35:01] WOULD REQUIRE CUTTING STAFF. THERE ARE NO EXPENDABLE OR UNNECESSARY STAFF AT TRANSITION HOUSE AND NEW STAFF CANNOT REPLACE THOSE LOST. IF TRANSITION HOUSES, SERVICES, OR THOSE OF ON THE RISE AND THE OTHER AFFECTED AGENCIES ARE COMPROMISED, CAMBRIDGE WILL TAKE THE COST ELSEWHERE. CHILDREN WITNESSING VIOLENCE AT HOME MAY NEED SPECIAL SERVICES IN SCHOOL. UNHOUSED WOMEN UNABLE TO FIND REFUGE DURING THE DAY WILL BE SITTING AGAINST BUILDINGS IN THE SQUARES OR BEGGING FOR FOOD SURVIVORS MAY BE SLEEPING ON SIDEWALKS. THANK YOU. THANK YOUR TIME. HAS EXPIRED, EXPERIENCED MORE VIOLENCE? PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ROBERT OCKER, FOLLOWED BY ADRIANA LEVITT THAN JANA ODETTE. ROBERT, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, PLEASE GO AHEAD. HI, I'M UH, ROB LOACKER, UH, 47 VASELINE, UH, COMMENTING ON POLICY ORDER FIVE. I'M A RESEARCH SCIENTIST AT MIT AND THIS WEEKEND I REVIEWED THE MOST HIGHLY CITED ACADEMIC WORK ON THE IMPACT OF UPZONING. UM, THIS RESEARCH SHOWS THAT UPZONING SOMETIMES INCREASES HOUSING SUPPLY, BUT SOMETIMES NOT. AND NOTABLY, HOUSING PRICES WENT UP AFTER UPZONING AND IN MANY CASES, LOW INCOME RESIDENTS LEFT AND HIGHER INCOME PEOPLE MOVED IN. IN OTHER WORDS, IT INCREASES GENTRIFICATION. IT'S THE GOAL HAD BEEN TO MAKE FOR GREATER ACCESS FOR THOSE WITH MODEST INCOMES. THE RESULT WAS THE OPPOSITE. UM, I LAED THE RECENT CAMBRIDGE DAY EDITORIAL ON SOCIAL HOUSING WRITTEN BY MAYOR SIDIKI AND COUNCILLOR, SABRINA WHEELER AND ZUBIE. THIS SEEMS A PROMISING PATH. I'D URGE THE COUNCIL TO PAUSE UPZONING AND WORK WITH THE LEGISLATURE ON SOCIAL HOUSING. THANKS. THANKS. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ADRIANA LEVITT, FOLLOWED BY JANA ETTE. I DO NOT SEE ADRIANA LEVITT IN THE ZOOM. WE WILL GO TO JANA ETTE, FOLLOWED BY CARRIE SAUNDERS. THEN WALTER LEWIN. WE ARE AT SPEAKER NUMBER 31. HI, MY NAME IS JANA ODETTE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING TONIGHT. AND I'M AT 1 76 LARGE ROAD. UM, I DIDN'T ACTUALLY PREPARE, BUT I MEAN I DID PREPARE, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE A SET THING AS I HOPED TO DO. UM, BUT I LIKE WHAT LIZ LOYA DID IN THAT SHE WAS VERY, UH, FOCUSED RATHER THAN ON THE, THE POLICY ORDER FIVE, WHICH I SUPPORT, UM, BUT RATHER ON THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS AND WHO THEY GAVE MONEY TO AND SO FORTH. AND MY QUESTION IS A QUESTION OF TRANSPARENCY. I DON'T KNOW WHERE DOUG BROWN GOT THE ZONING AMENDMENTS TO PROMOTE SENSIBLE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT, BUT I AM A TRAINED RESEARCHER AND I COULD NOT FIND EXCEPT FOR THE 400 PLUS PAGE PACKET, WHICH INCLUDED, YOU KNOW, DOUG'S, UM, AMENDMENT PETITION. UM, ANYWAY, SO NEXT TIME I WILL PREPARE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CARRIE SAUNDERS. CARRIE, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. HI, THANK YOU. I'M CARRIE SAUNDERS OF NINE ELLERIE SQUARE AND I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE. UM, I SUPPORT THIS POLICY ORDER, WHICH REFLECTS THAT THE ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH OF OUR CURRENT MULTIFAMILY ZONING DOES NOT WORK. I LIVE NEXT TO A WILDLY OUT OF SCALE PROPOSAL THAT WOULD PUT A SIX STORY 60 TO 70 FOOT TALL BUILDING ON A 30 TO 35 FOOT WIDE STREET. ALL OF THE ABUTTERS AND NEARBY HOMES ARE TWO TO THREE STORIES WITH A FEW FOUR STORY TOWNHOUSES. THE BUILDING WOULD LOOM OVER EVERYTHING AROUND IT, INCLUDING THE STREET WITH AN UNBROKEN FACADE RUNNING 75 FEET, UM, SETBACK 10 FEET FROM THE SIDEWALK. THIS IS A MAIN CORRIDOR SIZED BUILDING BEING SHOEHORNED INTO A SMALL SIDE STREET AND IT IS IN THE WRONG PLACE. FLEXIBLE SETBACKS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT DIFFERENT SITES CAN HANDLE BUILDINGS DIFFERENTLY. MAYBE YOU CAN KEEP A TREE OR HAVE A DRIVEWAY ON ONE SIDE IF YOU CAN GO NARROWER ON THE OTHER SIDE. OUR NEIGHBORING PROJECT COUNTS A ROOF DECK WITH A CAPACITY OF 50 PEOPLE. AS A LARGE PART OF ITS OPEN SPACE. THEY HAVE SUCKED UP THE SPACE FROM THE GROUND WHERE IT CURRENTLY BENEFITS EVERYONE TO PUT IT PRIVATE ON TOP OF A ROOF. THANK YOU, CARRIE. IT IS REDUNDANT. THANK, PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS WALTER LEWIN, FOLLOWED BY CAROLYN FULLER. WALTER LEWIN HAS NOT JOINED. WE WILL GO TO CAROLYN FULLER. CAROLYN, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. HI, MY NAME IS CAROLYN FULLER, 12 DOUGLAS STREET. UM, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT ONCE AGAIN TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF HOUSING. AND HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW WHY I AM HERE. I WANNA BE DOING OTHER [00:40:01] THINGS. WE'VE HAD ELECTION AFTER ELECTION THAT HAS CLEARLY STATED THAT CAMBRIDGE VOTERS WANT MORE HOMES AND I JUST, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S THIS MINORITY THAT KEEP TRYING TO SHOVE ANTI HOUSING AGENDA ONTO US. SO PLEASE ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. WE WANT MORE HOUSING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARK KEEBLER, FOLLOWED BY JAMES ZALD AND BILL NEY. MARK HAS NOT JOINED. WE'LL GO TO JAMES ZAL. JAMES, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. ONE MINUTE. THANK YOU. THIS IS JAMES, ALL 2 0 3 PEMBERTON STREET, AND I JOINED WITH MANY OTHERS HERE TONIGHT IN STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE ZEY FLAHERTY PO AND THE BROWN PETITION, BOTH OF WHICH WILL UNDERMINE THE WIDELY RECOGNIZED PROGRESS THAT CAMBRIDGE HAS MADE IN REDUCING THE PAINFUL CONSEQUENCES OF OUR HOUSING SHORTAGE. THE MOST APPALLING AND UNJUSTIFIABLE EFFECTS OF THESE REACTIONARY PROPOSALS WOULD BE TO MOVE OUR CITY BACKWARD AWAY FROM FAIRNESS AND EQUITY AND TOWARD THE EXCLUSION AND SEGREGATION THAT'S STILL WEIGH HEAVILY HERE. THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THE RESULTS OF THESE POLICIES BEING REQUESTED TONIGHT, THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. SIMILAR POLICIES HAVE BEEN, UH, IN PLACE FOR DECADES. THEY'VE BEEN BENEFICIAL TO THE FEW AMONG US WHO CAN PAY SEVERAL MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR A PLACE TO LIVE, BUT THE MAJORITY CANNOT. THERE'S MORE TO HOUSING THAN, UH, CONVENIENT ACCESS TO FREE PARKING AND ENSURING THAT THE APPEARANCE OF HOUSING MEETS THE APPROVAL OF OTHER PEOPLE. THANK YOU. PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENTS. WE'LL HEAR NEXT FROM BILL MCVEY, FOLLOWED BY LOUISE VENDEN, THEN ANN TENNIS. BILL, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, PLEASE GO AHEAD. BILL NEY 12 DOUGLAS STREET. I'M SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION TO PO NUMBER FIVE AND THE BROWN PETITION. DEAR MARION COUNSELORS, A COMMUNITY THAT DOESN'T DEFEND ITS CHILDREN FROM EXILE IS A DYING COMMUNITY THAT'S NOT CAMBRIDGE. WE'VE STEPPED UP TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR OUR CHILDREN AND NEIGHBORS TO STAY HERE WITH OUR NEW ZONING. WE'VE SEEN THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF OUR OLD EXCLUSIONARY ZONING. WAY TOO MANY BUILDINGS CONVERTED FROM AFFORDABLE TO LUXURY UNITS WITH NO NEW UNITS ADDED THE RESULT. MASSIVE DISPLACEMENT. WHY? ONE, THE NUMBER OF HOMES DETERMINES HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN LIVE HERE. TWO, CAMBRIDGE HAS NO UNDESIRABLE NEIGHBORHOODS. THREE, AS LONG AS WE LIVE IN A CAPITALIST SYSTEM, RESOURCES LIKE HOUSING GO TO THE RICHEST PERSON WHO WANTS THEM. THE BEST WAY WE HAVE OF SLOWING DISPLACEMENT IS BUILDING HOUSING THAT IS MORE ATTRACTIVE TO THE RICH THAN OUR EXISTING OCCUPIED HOUSING. PLEASE VOTE AGAINST ALL ATTEMPTS TO REDUCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR NEW ZONING. DON'T WEAKEN THESE PROTECTIONS AGAINST DISPLACEMENT BEFORE WE'VE EVEN SEEN HOW WELL THEY WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LOUISE VENDEN. LOUISE HAS NOT JOINED US. WE WILL GO TO ANNE TENNIS. ANN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. ANN. 10 71 GRIS WALL STREET REGARDING POLICY NUMBER FIVE, THE RESIDENTS OF CAMBRIDGE OF SPENT MUCH OF THEIR LIVES WORKING TO MAKE THIS CITY A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE. AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WHAT WE DO NOT BELIEVE IS THERE'S A NEED TO BASTARDIZE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS IN ORDER TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING. NO FRONTAGE, NO BACKYARDS, TOWERING UNITS OVER EXISTING HOMES. NO PARKING, NO GREEN SPACE, NO PLACE FOR RESIDENTS TO INTERACT. DEVELOPERS ARE KNOCKING ON DOORS AND CALLING OWNERS FROM ACROSS THE CITY. ASK THEM TO SELL. THEY WANT IN. THEY WANNA USE THE ZONING YOU PUT THROUGH TO MAKE THEIR MONEY. THE COUNCIL HAS OPENED THE DOOR FOR DEVELOPERS TO RUIN NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE RESIDENTS OF CAMBRIDGE HAS SPOKEN OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS. THE ONE THING THAT WE'RE REALIZING IS THAT THE COUNCIL THINKS THAT THEY KNOW BEST. REMEMBER, THIS COUNCIL REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE. WE WANT THE COUNCIL TO TAKE THE SUZIE FLAHERTY POLICY ORDER AND THE BROWN PETITION, READ IT, WORK TOGETHER AND COME BACK WITH TO US WITH SOMETHING THAT THE RESIDENTS CAN SUPPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO TWO PEOPLE THAT WE SKIPPED EARLIER. SUZANNE BLEIER. SUZANNE, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH ALSO FOR CALLING ON ME. UM, AND TENNIS REALLY SAID EVERYTHING, UH, THAT CAN BE SAID. UM, IT, THIS IS A REALLY MODEST PROPOSAL AND IT'S TIME TO REALLY RETHINK THIS AROUND CRITICAL [00:45:01] ISSUES OF SPACE AND COST AND HOW TO MAKE, UM, THIS INTO THE BEST THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE. EVEN MODESTLY. THESE, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION THAT IS BUILDING NO NEW UNITS OR MAYBE ONE OR TWO NEW UNITS. THEY'RE VERY, VERY FEW, MAYBE 15% THAT HAVE 10 PLUS UNITS, SO WILL BE, UM, WITH AFFORDABLE AND THE IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT ARE TERRIBLE. EVERY DEMOLITION, IT TAKES 40 PLUS YEARS JUST TO RECOUP EVEN IF YOU'VE GOT THE BEST STRUCTURE IN PLACE AND THEN YOU'RE CUTTING DOWN DEEPLY INTO THE WATERBED AND, AND IT WILL CAUSE FLOODING AND REALLY BE DESTRUCTIVE OF THE STONE FOUNDATIONS OF NEIGHBORS. EVERY TIME YOU FORCE OUT TENANTS FROM EXISTING HOMES, THEY HAVE TO FIND A NEW PLACE, WHICH IS MORE EXPENSIVE. THIS IS WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. IT'S NOT DOING WHAT WE WANT IT TO DO. WE NEED MORE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND PLEASE WORK TOGETHER TO BRING TOGETHER THE BEST THINGS. THANK YOU. THANKS SUZANNE. WE'RE GONNA NEXT HEAR FROM MICHAEL YAMAN. MICHAEL, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. THANK YOU. UH, MADAM CHAIRMAN, MY NAME IS, UH, MICHAEL YAMAN. I LIVE ON WYMAN ROAD, UH, AND I'M TESTIFYING IN STRONG SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE AND DOUG BROWN'S AMENDMENTS MORE THAN 2,900 CAMBRIDGE CITIZENS FROM ALL OVER THE CITY HAVE SO FAR SIGNED A PETITION ASKING YOU TO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO MODERATE ITS NEGATIVE IMPACTS. AND TONIGHT, BOTH THE ZONING PETITION AND, UH, THE POLICY ORDER. NUMBER FIVE, DO EXACTLY WHAT THESE FOLKS ARE ASKING FOR. THE ORDINANCE IS A NOBLE IDEA, BUT THE IMPLEMENTATION NEEDS SUBSTANTIAL MODIFICATION. LET US BE CLEAR. WE SUPPORT EXPANDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS IN CAMBRIDGE AND DON'T LET ANYONE DISPUTE OUR SUPPORT. BUT THE ZONING ORDINANCE IS CURRENTLY STRUCTURED AS HAVING UNINTENDED AND DISRUPTIVE IMPACTS ON OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. ALMOST ALL THE NEW DEVELOPMENT UNITS PROPOSALS ARE FOR MARKET RATE UNITS. THEY'RE ALSO DEMOLISHING MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS AND DISPLACING RENTERS AND WILL INCREASE HOUSING COSTS, NOT DECREASE THEM. PLEASE STOP THIS WHOLESALE GIVEAWAY. WE ASK YOU TO TEMPORARILY PAUSE THE PERMITT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ABOVE COMMENT. THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO OUR LIST IN ORDER WITH SPEAKER NUMBER 40 ELIZABETH MEYER, FOLLOWED BY JEREMY STORY, THEN PAUL FALLON. ELIZABETH ONE MINUTE. HI, ELIZABETH MEYER, EAST CAMBRIDGE RESIDENT. I'M HERE SPEAKING, UM, TO THE REPORT ON AIR AND FIELD, UH, NUMBER 1 74. UM, I LIKE TO SAY THAT THE USERS OF THE FIELD ARE PREDOMINANTLY GOING TO BE THE, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN EAST CAMBRIDGE AS WELL AS THE SCHOOLS, CHILDREN AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS IN WHATEVER TURN 1 58 SPRING STREET WILL TURN INTO UM, POSSIBLY AMIGOS AND POSSIBLY A PRESCHOOL SPACE. I THINK THAT UM, THAT SINCE I'M A UM, RESIDENT OF THE COMMUNITY, I BELIEVE THAT THE USE OF THE FIELD NOW IS FOR EVERYONE. THERE ARE DOG WALKERS, THERE ARE PEOPLE PLAYING PICKUP SOCCER AS WELL AS FLAG FOOTBALL, ALL SORT OF THINGS. AND IF YOU, UM, CHANGE IT TO PLASTIC TURF, I THINK IT'S A LESS DESIRABLE AREA TO SPEND TIME. SO I THINK, UM, THE GENERAL USE WILL GO DOWN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA GO BACK AND HEAR FROM MARK KEEBLER, FOLLOWED BY JEREMY, A STORY THEN PAUL FALLON. THANK YOU. UH, MY NAME'S MARK KEEBLER. I LIVE AT 52 PORTER STREET AND I'M HERE TO OPPOSE THE FLAHERTY SUSY POLICY ORDER. UH, I SUPPORT EVIDENCE-BASED REVIEW OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE. IT'S GOOD TO SEE HOW THINGS ARE WORKING, BUT WE ALREADY KNOW WHAT THESE PARTICULAR AMENDMENTS WOULD DO AND IT WOULD BE CATASTROPHIC FOR BUILDING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. RESTORING PARKING MINIMUMS IN PARTICULAR CAN COST SIX FIGURES PER SPACE IN CAMBRIDGE. THAT ALONE THREATENS TO KILL SMALL MID-SIZE MULTIFAMILY PROJECTS AROUND THE CITY AND RESTRICTING SIX STORY BUILDINGS TO ONLY THE WIDEST STREETS WOULD EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATE THE 20% AFFORDABLE REQUIREMENT IN MOST OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS. AND WITHOUT THAT HYPE ONUS, THESE PROJECTS JUST DON'T PENCIL OUT. SO HOUSING IS STILL AN EMERGENCY FOR YOUNGER WORKING, RENTING MIDDLE CLASS CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS. UH, I THEREFORE URGE THE COUNCIL NOT TO TAKE UP, UH, AND SIGNAL THIS PROPOSAL AND SIGNAL WILLINGNESS TO ROLL BACK THE CORE PROVISIONS WHEN WE KNOW THAT THE CONSEQUENCES WILL BE FORESEEABLE AND DAMAGING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JEREMY, A STORY. JEREMY, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD. HI, MY NAME IS JEREMY ASTOR AND I SUPPORT THE REV IZATION THAT'S A HARD ONE OF AIR HEARING FILLED WITH A, WITH NATURAL GRASS. I EMPLOY THE CITY COUNCIL TO REJECT THE AIR HEARING REPORT AND OPPOSED THE INSTALLATION OF A PLASTIC FIELD. THE COMMUNITY IS OVERWHELMINGLY AGAINST PLASTIC TURF. WHILE IN FAVOR OF YOUTH [00:50:01] SPORTS AT AHERN, OUR PETITION HAS OBTAINED OVER 2000 SIGNATURES, 75 OF WHICH ARE CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS. THIS IS THE MOST POPULAR PETITION ON CHANGE.ORG IN CAMBRIDGE IN THE LAST SIX YEARS AND THE FIFTH MOST POPULAR IN 14 YEARS. IN CONTRAST, THE PRO TURF PETITION HAS ONLY HAD ONE SIGNATURE IN OVER A WEEK, A SINGLE SIGNATURE IN OVER A WEEK DESPITE BEING SHARED BY MANY SPORTS LEAGUES. AT LEAST HALF OF THE SIX PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE FROM CYS STAFF THEMSELVES. WE'VE HAD 54 COMMENTS IN COMPARISON. TOTAL USE SPORTS PARENT DO NOT WANT THIS EITHER. MOST OF THE SPORTS LEAGUES IN SUPPORT OF TURNING AHERN INTO PLASTIC HAVE NEVER PLAYED IN AHERN OR INDOOR LEAGUES. DEAR MR. HONG, WE BE YOU NOT TO DESTROY OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PAUL FALLON, FOLLOWED BY MELISSA HEL, THEN CATHERINE AHERN. PAUL COUNCIL CHAIR. MY NAME IS PAUL FALLON. I HAVE LIVED AT SIX 18 HURON AVENUE FOR 34 YEARS. I AM HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE, MAKING ANY CHANGES TO THE MULTIFAMILY ZONING ORDINANCE. LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, THE CITIZENS OF CAMBRIDGE ELECTED SEVEN PRO ZONING CHANGE CANDIDATES VERSUS TWO IN OPPOSITION. A SUPER MAJORITY. NOW WE SEE REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO WATER DOWN THE NEW ZONING ORDINANCE DUE NOT GIVE IN. THE PROPOSED POLICY ORDER SAYS THAT IT IS TRYING TO RECTIFY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE THAT IS COMPLETELY WRONG. MORE PEOPLE, HIGHER DENSITY, FEWER CARS ARE EXACTLY THE INTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THE CURRENT ZONING ORDINANCE IS THE DIRECTION WE ALL KNOW THAT WE HUMANS NEED TO GO IN TO LIVE IN BALANCE WITH OUR PLANET. IT'S THE DIRECTION THE MAJORITY OF CAMBRIDGE VOTERS WANT TO SEE OUR CITY MOVE. DO NOT ORDER DOWN THE CURRENT ORDINANCE WITH THIS POLICY ORDER OR ANY OTHER ONE. STAY THE COURSE. YOU HAVE A SUPER MAJORITY ON YOUR SIDE. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MELISSA TAHOW, FOLLOWED BY CATHERINE AHERN, THEN JENNIFER BRITTON COLONIES. MELISSA, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MELISSA HEL. I LIVE AT 3 0 3 COLUMBIA STREET IN THE WELLINGTON HARRINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD. UM, MY FAMILY AND I HAVE BEEN IN OUR SMALL HOME FOR, UH, 25 YEARS AND LIFELONG CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS. I WANNA THANK MY NEIGHBORS FROM ACROSS THE CITY WHO HAVE ALREADY ARTICULATED IMPORTANT POINTS IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE. I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR THAT WE STRONGLY SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF HOUSING ACROSS OUR CITY. AND BY THAT WE MEAN HOUSING THAT IS WELL SITUATED, THAT IS AFFORDABLE, THAT IS ACCESSIBLE, THAT IS FAMILY FOCUSED AND THAT DOES NOT DISPLACE CURRENT RESIDENTS. HAVING DONE SOMETHING BOLD, THE ZONING ORDINANCE DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE'VE YET GOT IT RIGHT. I ENCOURAGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO REVISIT WITH RESPECT TO ALL OF THE POINTS THAT PEOPLE ARE MAKING THIS EVENING AND CURRENT NEIGHBORS SO THAT THIS DOES NOT REMAIN A DEVELOPER'S GAME OF NINE UNITS OF UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CATHERINE HEARN, FOLLOWED BY JENNIFER BRITON COLONIES. THEN LIZA OLIVER. CATHERINE. HELLO, MY NAME IS CATHERINE AHERN. I LIVE AT 13 SEVENTH STREET. I'M HERE REGARDING AGENDA ITEM 11 ABOUT AHERN FIELD. I'M NOT RELATED TO THE FIELD. UM, THERE ARE MANY LOGICAL ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST REPLACING AHERN FIELD WITH TURF, BUT FOR ME THIS IS ABOUT VALUES. THIS DECISION GETS AT THE HEART OF THE KIND OF CITY CAMBRIDGE WANTS TO BE AND THE STORY IT TELLS ABOUT ITSELF. MUCH LIKE ANY CIVIC MYTHOS, THE WORK OF GOVERNING AND THE ACT OF BEING A NEIGHBOR IS THE WORK OF CLOSING THIS INEVITABLE GAP BETWEEN OUR IDEAL AND OUR REALITY. IT IS THE WORK OF LEAVING THINGS BETTER THAN WE FOUND THEM. SIMPLY PUT THE DECISION TO TURN A HEARN FIELD IN EAST CAMBRIDGE INTO A TURF SPACE WOULD MOVE US FARTHER, NOT CLOSER TO THE CITY WE ALL STRIVE TO LIVE IN AND HELP REALIZE, I ENCOURAGE US ALL TO RETURN TO THE HEALTHY PARKS AND PLAYGROUND TASK FORCE REPORT PUBLISHED IN 2009, WHICH MAKES THE CASE THAT HEALTHY PLAY DEPENDS ON CONTACT WITH NATURE DIVERSE OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTS AND COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACES. HERE THE CITY ITSELF MAKES AN ARGUMENT AND LAYS OUT A STRATEGY THAT IS IN DIRECT CONFLICT WITH THE CURRENT PLAN TO TURN AHERN FIELD INTO A MANUFACTURED SERVICE. THANK YOU CATHERINE. THANK YOU. THAT'S YOUR TIME. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JENNIFER BRITTON COLONIES, FOLLOWED BY LIZA OLIVER. THEN LUCA PALOMA PO JENNIFER YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD. HI, GOOD EVENING. UM, MY NAME IS JENNIFER BRIT COLONIES. I'M A RESIDENT AT 2 0 9 HURLEY STREET IN EAST CAMBRIDGE. I'M ALSO SPEAKING ABOUT, UM, AHERN FIELD AND UM, IN SUPPORT OF, UM, MYSELF AS A NEIGHBOR AND A PARENT. I'M A PARENT OF A SOCCER PLAYER AND, UM, WOULD LIKE TO KEEP [00:55:01] THIS, UM, AS IS TO LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE. UM, ALSO A NURSE PRACTITIONER AND I SEE DAY IN AND DAY OUT THE EFFECT OF, UM, PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ACCESS TO GREEN SPACES, LIVABLE SPACE WHERE THEY CAN EXERCISE. UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA TO HAVE MORE PLAYABLE TIME ON THE FIELD, BUT UM, NOT AT THE COMPROMISE OF PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND WELLBEING. UM, WE DO SEE THAT PLASTICS, MICROPLASTICS, THESE ARE NEUROENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT LONG-TERM HEALTH RAMIFICATIONS. AS A PARENT, I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THIS AS A GRASS FIELD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO LOUISE VENDEN, WHO HAS JOINED US. LOUISE, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. PLEASE GO AHEAD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, LOUISE VENDEN, KEN ROGERS STREET. WE HAVE REDUCED OURSELVES TO THE WORLD OF ALTERNATIVE ATTACKS AND PERSONAL ATTACKS THAT WELO IN OUR NATIONAL POLITICS. A, B, C CLAIMS DRAMATICALLY EXAGGERATE THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF PO FIVE BY SUGGESTING THEY EVISCERATE ZONING FORMS BRING BACK EXCLUSIONARY, ZONING AND GUT THE 100% A HO. WELL THIS FIVE R ALARM CALL TO ACTION WILL FLOOD YOUR INBOXES AND HE WITH TEAR ON FIRE STATEMENTS, THESE FOLKS CLAIMS DISRESPECT THE COUNSELORS WHO PROPOSE CONSIDERATION OF MFF CHANGES, ASKING FOR A REASONABLE DATA-DRIVEN EVALUATION OF A POLICY THAT HAS GENERATED PROPOSALS FOR HUNDREDS OF ADDITIONAL HOUSING UNITS AND SERIOUS CONCERNS FROM RESIDENTS AND NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE CITY. PROMOTING EMOTIONAL ATTACKS UNDERMINES THE SERIOUS DISCUSSIONS THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO HAVE. IMPOSING LARGE BUILDINGS TWICE AND THREE TIMES THE HEIGHT OF SURROUNDING HOUSING MAY LOWER VALUES OF EXISTING RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES. LOWER COST HOUSING IS BEING THANK YOU LOUISE FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA GO TO LIZA OLIVER. LIZA IS NOT IN THE ROOM. WE WILL GO TO LUCA PALMA PATH, FOLLOWED BY EMILY KLEINMAN, THEN ALAN PETERSON. LUCA, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. PLEASE GO AHEAD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, I'M LUCA PALM OF HEALTH LIVE AT 32 HIGH STREET. I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF PO NUMBER FIVE. I'VE LIVED IN CAMBRIDGE FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE AND GRADUATED FROM SIERRA LAST LAST YEAR. THIS CITY IS MY HOME AND IT IS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE TO ME. HOWEVER, I'VE SEEN IT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT YEARS. FOR THE WORST, THIS CAMBRIDGE'S SENSE OF COMMUNITY HAS BEEN BROKEN DOWN. MUCH OF THIS HAS BEEN DUE TO THE OVERDEVELOPMENT OF CAMBRIDGE. FRIENDS OF MINE FROM SCHOOL HAVE HAD TO LEAVE THE CITY DUE TO THE INCREDIBLY HIGH COST OF LIVING. THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE IS ACTIVELY MAKING THIS WORSE BY CREATING LUXURY FOUR-STORY UNITS. IT'S OVERTAKE NEIGHBORS AND COMMUNITIES. THIS IS UN DONE UNDER THE GUISE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT IT IS NOT AFFORDABLE. PROJECTS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, LIKE 95 CUSHING STREET AND 33 THING VELA AVE ARE LUXURY UNITS AT TOWER OVER HOMES AND CHOKE UP STREET PARKING. MY NEIGHBOR IN THING, VELA AVE IS A LIFELONG CAN BRIDGE AND HIS HOUSE WILL SOON BE SURROUNDED BY FOUR STORY LUXURY UNITS, CASTING SHADOWS IN HIS HOME IN RESTRICTING PLACES FOR HIM TO PUT HIS CAR. IS THIS HOW WE WANT TO TREAT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED IN AND LOVED CAMBRIDGE FOR DECADES? DO THIS. I ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO ADOPT POLICY OR THANK YOU LUCA. PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENT. WE WILL NEXT GO TO EMILY KLEINMAN. EMILY HAS NOT JOINED US. WE WILL GO TO ALAN PETERSON, FOLLOWED BY GIORGIO STEVENS. ALAN? YES, THANK YOU. I'M, UM, HERE TO SUPPORT OR ENCOURAGE THESE AMENDMENTS. UM, UH, NUMBER FIVE AND, UH, THE BROWN CITIZEN PETITION. UM, THE ENORMOUSLY DIFFICULT PROBLEM OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN WHO ARE FACING THIS ISSUE. UM, I LIVE AT 19 HASKELL STREET IN NORTH CAMBRIDGE. I'M ALSO A RETIRED REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER. REAL ESTATE HAS TO BE PAID TO BUILD THESE HOUSES. SOMEBODY'S GOTTA PAY FOR IT. OKAY? AND THE CITY NEEDS TO ORGANIZE ITSELF TO BUILD ITS OWN HOUSING. YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS TO BUILD YOUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN. YOU NEED TO AMEND THIS THING AND BE A LITTLE MORE REASONABLE. IT'S VERY COMPLICATED. WE NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING. BUT THE LAST, UH, OVERLAY ZONING ISN'T THE ANSWER. MORE THOUGHTFUL, UH, SOLUTIONS ARE THERE. THANK YOU. THANKS. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SPEAKER NUMBER 50 GIORGIO STEVENS, FOLLOWED BY CYNTHIA HIBBARD THAN ROBERT O'NEILL. GIORGIO. HI, I'M GIORGIO STEVENS AND I'M NINE YEARS OLD. I LIVE IN 1 79 SPRING STREET AND I THINK THAT THE GRASS AT AHERN FIELD SHOULDN'T BE REPLACED WITH TURF. [01:00:01] AND HERE ARE A FEW REASONS WHY. FIRST CAMBRIDGE'S STRENGTH IS THAT IT HAS THE MOST GRASS, WHICH MAKES ME THINK THAT WE SHOULD KEEP IT THAT WAY INSTEAD OF WEAKENING THE STRENGTH OF CAMBRIDGE. NEXT GRASS IS NATURAL TURF IS NOT. AND ALSO TURF RELEASES PLASTICS, WHICH CAN BE DANGEROUS. AND CYS WANTS TURF BECAUSE IT'S FLATTER AND MORE TIDY, BUT IT ALSO GIVES PAINFUL TURF BURNS, WHICH AREN'T FUN. PLUS, FOR THE FIRST INSTALLATION, IT'LL COST THREE TO $3.5 MILLION AND YOU'LL HAVE TO REINSTALL IT EVERY EIGHT TO 10 YEARS. FOR THE REINSTALLATION, IT'LL COST 1 MILLION. FINALLY, I PLAY ON TEAM CROATIA FOR CIYS AND I PLAY ON GRASS AT AHERN. THAT'S WHY I HAVE A FULL SEASON STREAK. THANK YOU. UH, FOLKS, IF YOU CAN REFRAIN FROM CLAPPING, YOU CAN DO THESE HANDS INSTEAD. NO NOISE. YEAH. LOVE THAT. BUT NO CLAPPING FOR DECOR ROLLS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR. WE WILL GO TO SPEAKER NUMBER, SPEAKER NUMBER 51 CYNTHIA HIBBERT, FOLLOWED BY ROBERT O'NEILL, THEN CHRISTINA LUIS GOMEZ. CYNTHIA, GOOD EVENING. I'M CYNTHIA HIBBERT OF 23 ELLSWORTH AVENUE AND I'M SPEAKING TODAY FOR THREE 50 MASS, A CLIMATE JUSTICE ORGANIZATION. WE STRONGLY SUPPORT THE ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN ORDINANCE CHANGES REFERENCED IN CHARTERED RIGHTS. ONE AND EIGHT. 80% OF THE CITY'S SOLID WASTE COMES FROM COMMERCIAL, INSTITUTIONAL, LARGE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS THAT THE CITY DOES NOT CURRENTLY MANAGE. THE CHAPTER 8.24 ORDINANCE CHANGES WOULD APPLY TO THIS 80% AND FULFILL THE CITY MANAGER'S GOAL TO REALIZE THE FUTURE WITH LESS TRASH, MORE SANITARY NEIGHBORHOODS AND MORE EQUITABLE PROGRAMS. THE UPDATED BRING YOUR OWN BAG ORDINANCE AND THE NEW SKIP THE STUFF ORDINANCE OR COMMON SENSE IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN BOTH REDUCE WASTE AND SAVE BUSINESSES MONEY. REQUIRING FOOD WASTE DIVERSION FOR ALL BUILDINGS IS A QUADRUPLE WIN. IT WILL SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY, REDUCE RATS, PROVIDE ENERGY AND REDUCE LANDFILL WASTE. THE COUNCIL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY LAST JUNE A YEAR AGO TO ADOPT THE ZERO WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2.0. THE PLAN CANNOT HAPPEN WITHOUT THESE ORDINANCE CHANGES. THREE 50 AGREE, PUBLIC COMMENT. ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO MOVE THESE, THESE CHANGES. YOU CAN YOUR TIME EXPIRED. PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENTS. APOLOGIES MADAM MAYOR. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ROBERT O'NEILL, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTINA LOUISE GOMEZ. ROBERT O'NEILL, 1 75 HOLLOW WORTHY STREET. I SUPPORT URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT BOTH POLICY ORDER FIVE AND THE BROWN PETITION. MS. O'NEILL, IF YOU CAN SPEAK MORE INTO THE MIC, TO EVALUATE, UM, SORRY TO AMENDMENTS ARE NECESSARY TO LESSEN THE SIGNIFICANT LONG-TERM IMPACTS TO ABUTTING PROPERTIES, NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY, AS WELL AS MINIMIZE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS RESULTING FROM WHOLESALE, DEMOLITION, NEW CONSTRUCTION AND EXPANSION OF BUILDINGS TO WITHIN FIVE FEET OF PROPERTY LINES. ADJUSTMENTS TO SETBACKS. GREEN OPEN SPACE BUILDING HEIGHT, PARKING, AND SUBSTANTIVE DESIGN REVIEW ARE NEEDED TO ENSURE THE CITY'S DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH PROVIDES MORE NEEDED HOUSING IN INCREASED AFFORDABILITY WITHOUT INCREASED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, FEWER TREES, REDUCED CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND IRREVERSIBLY CHANGING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CITY THAT CURRENT RESIDENTS HAVE INVESTED IN AND MAKING AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO LIVE. HOW OUR CITY DEVELOPS AND GROWS SHOULD NOT BE LEFT TO DEVELOPERS WITH NO LONG-TERM VESTED INTEREST IN OUR PROPERTIES, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, OUR COMMUNITIES, AND OUR CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTINA LOUIS GOMEZ, FOLLOWED BY RAND WENTWORTH. CHRISTINA. CHRISTINA LOUIS GOMEZ FROM, I LIVE IN 1 41 TREATMENT STREET AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE AT HOME FIELD. MY SON PLAYS WITH CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER AT DHY PARK. SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH ARTIFICIAL TURF AND ITS APPEAL. IT LOOKS CLEAN, UNIFORM, WELL MAINTAINED, BUT I'VE ALSO SEEN THE ISSUES, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS PAST SATURDAY, A WARM DAY, THE TURF FELT MUCH HOTTER THAN THE SURROUNDING GRASS. THAT'S NOT JUST UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE KIDS, BUT ALSO INCREASES THE RISK OF DEHYDRATION, STRESS, AND BURN WHEN THEY FALL. LAST SUMMER, MY SON EVEN HAD TO LEAVE A A SOCCER SUMMER CAMP EARLY BECAUSE THE HEAT MADE HIM FEEL UNWELL. IF YOU'RE UNSURE, TRY YOURSELF. GO SIT ON THE TURF FOR ONE HOUR AND THEN SIT ON REAL GRASS. THE DIFFERENCE IS HUGE. ARTIFICIAL TURF ALSO SHEDS, MICROPLASTICS EXPOSES CHILDREN TO CHEMICALS WHOSE LONG-TERM EFFECTS WE DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND. EVEN IF THE TURF IS DIET GREEN, IT'S A STILL PLASTIC. PLEASE INVEST IN WELL-MAINTAINED NATURAL GRASS BECAUSE ALL RESIDENTS, INCLUDING THE KIDS, DESERVE THAT. THANK YOU, CHRISTINA. YOUR TIME IS UP. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RAND WENTWORTH. RAND, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD [01:05:02] RAND, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. MY NAME IS RAND WENTWORTH. I LIVE AT 19 BROWN STREET. I STARTED MY CAREER AS A COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER AND KNOW A LOT ABOUT THIS INDUSTRY THAT I TAUGHT AT THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND CITY PLANNING AT GEORGIA TECH, AND NOW I'M ON THE FACULTY AT THE HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL. FROM THIS CONTEXT, I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR THAT. THIS COUNCIL HAS A PROFOUND RESPONSIBILITY TO SHAPE THE CHARACTER OF THIS CITY FOR 50 AND A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW. I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE PROVISIONS TO INCREASE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, EXPAND DENSITY, ESPECIALLY IN COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND AROUND TRANSIT HUBS. BUT WE ARE NOW SEEING SOME NEED TO AMEND SOME OF THE PROVISIONS, AND I SUPPORT STRONGLY POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE AND DOUG BROWN'S CITIZENS PETITION. UH, WE THINK THAT THESE WILL ADDRESS NEGATIVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THE ORIGINAL POLICY. MOST CITIZENS OF CAMBRIDGE, I BELIEVE, WOULD SUPPORT COMMON SENSE JUSTICE. THANK JUSTICE. THANK YOU, RANDY. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENT TO CITY COUNCIL@CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NHI TREV, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL STEVENS. THEN ARJUN KUMAR NHE. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, PLEASE GO AHEAD. OKAY. I JUST WANNA SPEAK IN, UM, OPPOSITION TO POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE. UM, I, UM, APPRECIATE SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED AND AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE SERIOUS HOUSING CRISIS IN THE CITY. I DID HEAR A COUPLE COMMENTS THAT I WOULD JUST, UM, LIKE TO RESPOND TO SOME, SOME IDEAS THAT, UM, INCREASING OR UPZONING LEADS TO HIGHER, UH, REAL ESTATE PRICES. THERE ARE PLENTY OF EXAMPLES FROM PORTLAND, OREGON TO MINNEAPOLIS, AUSTIN, BUFFALO, CHARLOTTE, WHERE THOSE CITIES UP ZONED AND THE PRICES, UM, OF REAL ESTATE CAME DOWN, OR THE COST OF LIVING CAME DOWN BOTH FROM RENTS AND FROM THE COST OF HOUSING. AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO KEEP ITS FOCUS ON MAINTAINING THE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING OVERLAY, CONTINUING TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN BUILD HOUSING IN THIS CITY AND MAKE IT AFFORDABLE FOR MANY FAMILIES TO STAY HERE AS MANY OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE SUCCESSFULLY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MICHAEL STEVENS, FOLLOWED BY ARJUN JAI KUMAR, THEN LAURA HOLSON. MICHAEL, ONE MINUTE. HI Y'ALL. I'M, UH, MIKE STEVENS FROM 1 79 SPRING STREET. UH, AS JEREMY'S STORY REMINDED US BEFORE, THERE ARE TWO PETITIONS ABOUT THE TURF AT AHERN FIELD. I KNOW A PETITION IS NOT A SURVEY. UH, IT'S NOT A, UH, IT'S NOT A NEUTRAL, UH, PIECE OF DATA COLLECTION, BUT I WANNA ASSURE YOU THAT THOSE SURVEYS HAS PENETRATED VERY DEEPLY. THEY'VE BEEN, UH, SHARED BOTH OF THEM AND TO CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER'S CREDIT. THEY HAVE SHARED, UH, THE COMPETING PETITION AS WELL WITH THE SOCCER FAMILIES THROUGH THEIR LISTSERVS. THEY'VE BEEN ON CAMBRIDGE PARENTS LISTSERVS. UH, THEY'VE BEEN POSTED ALL OVER THE PLACE. I'VE SEEN, SEEN THEM ON SIGNS ALL OVER EAST CAMBRIDGE FOR BOTH OF THE TWO PETITIONS. THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN VERY, VERY WIDELY SEEN. UM, AFTER CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER POSTED THEIR PETITION TO THEIR LISTSERV WITH ALL OF THE SPORTS FAMILIES, UH, IT WAS QUITE REMARKABLE BECAUSE THERE WAS ACTUALLY A PRETTY BIG SURGE IN, UH, ANTI TURF PETITION SIGNERS. UM, IN FACT, RIGHT NOW, UH, 2,500 PEOPLE HAVE WEIGHED IN 2000 SUPPORT A GRASS FIELD, UH, AT AHERN, AND, UH, A LITTLE LESS THAN 500 I BELIEVE RIGHT NOW, UH, SUPPORT THE TURF. UM, SO I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT THE GROUP THAT'S ADVOCATING FOR TURF CLAIMS TO REPRESENT SOCCER FAMILIES AND SPORTS FAMILIES, AND, UH, AND THEY LARGELY DO NOT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ARJUN JAYMAR, FOLLOWED BY LAURA HOLSON ARJUN. ONE MINUTE. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ARJUN JAY KAMAR, 1 75 RICHDALE AVENUE. I'M HERE TO SPEAK REGARDING POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE. FIRST, I WANNA CONGRATULATE THIS BUDDY IN THE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE. IT'S A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT TARGETED AT ONE OF THE MOST ACUTE POLITICAL CHALLENGES OF THE DAY, WHICH IS AFFORDABILITY. I CAUTION AGAINST MOVING TOO QUICKLY TO TAKE MAYBE WELL-INTENTIONED STEPS THAT MAY RENDER IT TOOTHLESS. THE ORDER REFERS TO ADDRESSING UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, BUT RESPECTFULLY, I DON'T THINK THAT'S QUITE RIGHT. THE WAY THAT I'D PUT IT IS THAT THERE ARE TRADE-OFFS INHERENT IN ALL MAJOR POLICY DECISIONS OF THIS TYPE, AND THERE ARE SELDOM PERFECTLY ELEGANT SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS WITH THE GRAVITY OF AFFORDABILITY. AT BOTTOM, YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING MAJOR AND IT IS WORKING. PLEASE GIVE IT A CHANCE TO WORK. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LAURA HOLSON, FOLLOWED BY BUCHANAN EWING, THEN [01:10:01] SUNNY GUPTA. LAURA. HELLO, LAURA HOLSON, 37 FULKERSON STREET. NEWSFLASH AHERN FIELD IS NOT JUST FOR SOCCER, IT IS A COMMUNITY RESOURCE. ALTHOUGH THE CITY MANAGER REPORT CLAIMS THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, THIS IS NOT TRUE. THE COMMUNITY THAT LIVES AROUND THE FIELD, UH, HAS CLEARLY COME OUT TO VOICE SUPPORT FOR KEEPING THE GRASS. WE'VE MADE THIS CLEAR DURING THE TABLING EVENTS LAST YEAR AND WE ARE MAKING IT CLEAR RIGHT NOW WITH OUR, OUR PETITION THAT HAS OVER 2000 SUPPORTERS. FAKE GRASS WILL NOT SERVE OUR COMMUNITY IN AN EQUITABLE MANNER. IT IS TOO HOT, TOO UNSAFE, AND TOO PLASTIC TO WELCOME ALL OF THE USES THAT MANY PEOPLE ENJOY AT AHERN FIELD. PLEASE HEAR OUR VOICE AND KEEP OUR LITTLE SLICE OF NATURAL GRASS IN EAST CAMBRIDGE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BUCHANAN EWING, FOLLOWED BY SONNY GUPTA. THEN JOHANNI MARIA CASTILLO BUCHANAN HAS NOT JOINED. WE ARE MOVING ON TO SPEAKER NUMBER 60, SUNNY GUPTA. SUNNY, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, PLEASE GO AHEAD. HELLO. UM, GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. UM, THIS IS SUNNY GUPTA, RESIDENT OF UH, 37 FULL CARSON STREET, CAMBRIDGE. I AM HERE TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR KEEPING A HUNDRED FIELD AS A GRASS FIELD. A GRASS FIELD IS A HEALTHIER, MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE CHOICE FOR STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITY. IT HELPS REDUCE HEAT SUPPORT, WATER ABSORPTION, AND AVOID CONCERNS CONNECTED TO SYNTHETIC MATERIAL. 800 FIELDS SHOULD BE SAFE, WELCOMING AND SUSTAINABLE SPACE FOR ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PLAY TOGETHER AND ENJOY FOR YEARS TO COME. I URGE CITI TO CHOOSE NATURAL GRASS AND INVEST IN MAINTAINING IT. WELL, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JOHANNI MARIA CASTILLO, FOLLOWED BY ALEX MATTHEWS. THEN PAOLA BUKO JOHANNI. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, PLEASE GO AHEAD. HELLO, MY NAME IS JOHANNI MARIA CASTILLO. I AM, UH, SPEAKING ON ITEM NUMBER 11. I AM AN EAST CAMBRIDGE RESIDENT MOTHER OF THREE N SOCCER PARENT. I AM SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF SYNTHETIC FIELD IN EAST CAMBRIDGE. I HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW DIFFICULT IT CAN BE FOR LOCAL FAMILIES TO ACCESS FIELD. AS MY SON WAS GROWING UP, I HAD TO, UH, DRIVING TO DIFFERENT, UH, LOCATIONS LIKE MIIT AND HARVARD TO GET ACCESS TO PLAY WHILE I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE A CAR. MANY EAST CAMBRIDGE FAMILIES DO NOT HAVE THAT OPTION. I HEAR THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF VOTES, UM, IN AGAINST THIS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, FAMILIES LIKE MINE DO NOT SHOW UP IN PUBLIC SPACES TO SHARE THEIR CONCERNS OR TO SHARE WHAT UM, THEY REALLY WANNA DO OR WHAT THEY NEED. AND FOR FAMILIES LIKE MINE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY WANT AND REALLY NEED ACCESS TO PLAY FOR ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALEX MATTHEWS, FOLLOWED BY PAOLA BUKO. THEN LAURA BOOTH. ALEX, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. ALEX, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. WE'LL CIRCLE BACK TO ALEX MATTHEWS. WE'RE GONNA GO ON TO PAULA BUCO. PAULA, ONE MINUTE. YEP. HI EVERYONE. PAULA BUCO, 1 79 SPRING STREET. I USED A GEN AI TOOL THAT WE USE TO CHECK WHEN STUDENTS HAVE SHARED ANSWERS TO COMPARE THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT AND THE FIRST VERSION OF THE FAKE GRASP PETITION. THE ANSWER WAS NOTABLE OVERLAP IN LANGUAGE AND IDEAS. THERE IS ALSO STRONG SIMILARITY IN RHETORIC AND STRUCTURE. AND I WENT ON COMPARING SPECIFIC VOCABULARY, BOTH THE REPORT AND THE PETITION, LACK DOCUMENTATION. THE REPORT IS YET ANOTHER ATTEMPT BY A SMALL NUMBER OF WELL CONNECTED PEOPLE TO FORCE FAKE GRASS ON THE SAME PEOPLE THEY WANT TO HELP AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY WANT TO HELP. THE REPORT PROVIDES UNJUSTIFIED NUMBERS WITH MATH MISTAKES AND IT IS IN FACT CHECKED WHERE, WHERE ARE THE REPORTS FROM? THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND TECHNICAL EXPERTS ON THE HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF MICROPLASTICS AND HEAT MISINFORMATION LEADS TO DISINFORMATION IN EDUCATION. WE FAIL STUDENTS WHO FAIL TO SHOW EVIDENCE. I URGE YOU TO NOT TO PERPETRATE INJUSTICE AND TO RE BE REMEMBERED FOR LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE OF CAMBRIDGE WHO OVERWHELMINGLY WANT TO PLAY SPORTS. THANK YOU. MEET OTHERS ON REAL GRASS. THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS UP. YOU CAN EMAIL THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENTS. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LAURA BOOTH. HI, GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU. MY NAME IS LAURA BOOTH. [01:15:01] I LIVE AT 3 0 3 COLUMBIA STREET, LIFELONG RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE. I'M IN A BUTTER TO A PROJECT NOW IN PROGRESS THAT MY PARTNER MELISSA HEL SPOKE OF EARLIER. UH, AND IT'S FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE CURRENT DEVELOPER PLAYBOOK. NINE UNITS, NO AFFORDABILITY, NO ACCESSIBILITY. I SPEAK IN FULL SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND HOUSING STABILITY. THIS ORIEN, THIS ORDINANCE IS DISPLACING PEOPLE IN, IN SUPPORT OF CORPORATE GREED. MAKE IT 10 UNITS, MAKE IT 15 UNITS TO KICK IN AFFORDABILITY, PUT IN AN ELEVATOR TO MAKE UNITS ACCESSIBLE, PRESERVE GREEN SPACE, AND YOU WOULD HAVE MY FULL SUPPORT. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JESS, ME ROBLEY, FOLLOWED BY KAREN HARMON. HI, UH, JESS ROBLEY. 3 6 2 RING, JEFF, MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE TOWERS. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF CAMBRIDGE JUICE SOCCER, BUT INSTEAD SPEAKING AS A MOTHER REGARDING THE LIFE CHANGING BENEFITS, THE TURF AT RUSSELL FIELD HAS GIVEN TO MY SON IN THE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN THAT LIVE IN THE SURROUNDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITIES. SINCE MOVING TO THE TOWERS A DECADE AGO, RUSSELL FIELD HAS BEEN THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PART OF MY FAMILY'S SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS. HAVING ACCESS TO RUSSELL FIELD HAS ALLOWED OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE SPACE TO PLAY 365 DAYS A YEAR. THE BENEFITS TO THEIR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH SENSE OF SELF, THEIR ABILITY TO GATHER WITH THEIR PEERS AND BUILD A COMMUNITY IS INCALCULABLE IN A WORLD OF SCREENS AND IPHONE. RUSSELL FIELD HAS BEEN THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS TO THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE, PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND HAPPINESS BECAUSE WE'VE CHOSEN TO LIVE IN A CITY, MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR ME IS THE WELLBEING, OVERALL HEALTH AND HAPPINESS OF THE CHILDREN. I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY TO VOTE FOR PLASTIC OVER GRASS, BUT I ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT A HEARN IN THE CITY'S PLANS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KAREN HARMON. I DON'T SEE KAREN IN THE ZOOM. WE'LL GO TO JANET GATIS. JANET, YOU'RE UNMUTED. GO AHEAD. YES, I HEAR. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, JANET GATIS, 71 FOCUSING STREET. I'M SPEAKING AGAINST THE PLASTIC TURF FOR A HER AND FIELD. MY HUSBAND JOHN HAND AND I ARE IN OUR MID EIGHTIES. WE USE THE TRACK AT A HERD FIELD EVERY DAY FOR OUR WALK. WE GO FOUR TO SIX TIMES AROUND. WE ENJOY THE DOGS PLAYING ON THE FIELD, ROLLING ON THE GRASS. THE BIRDS LOOKING FOR WORMS AND CHIRPING IN HAPPINESS. WE ENJOY THE FOLIAGE ON THE TREES AS WE WALK BY. WE DO NOT WANT NATURE TO BE TAKEN FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. A DENSELY INHABITED AREA. THE GREEN GRASS IS OUR NATURE PLAYGROUND. BEING CLOSE TO NATURE IS IMPORTANT AS WE AGE TO KEEP US VITAL AND ABLE TO CHA TO AGE IN PLACE. WE DO NOT WANT THE PLASTIC TURF. PLEASE DO NOT PUT IT DOWN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANDREW ONG. ANDREW, YOU'RE MUTED. GO AHEAD. HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS ANDREW ONG AND I LIVE AT 64 WILLOW STREET. I AM THE PARENT OF THREE CHILDREN AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT AHERN FIELD. UH, MY CHILDRENS PLAY AT CYS AND WE DO NOT SUPPORT THEIR PUSH FOR A PLASTIC TURF FIELD. UH, CYS DOES NOT SPEAK FOR OUR FAMILY DESPITE THEIR CLAIMS TOO. ADDITIONALLY, I'M A FORMER COLLEGIATE SOCCER PLAYER AND I NEVER ONCE PLAYED ON A PLASTIC TURF UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL AND IT DID NOT HAMPER MY ABILITY TO GROW OR DEVELOP AS A PLAYER IN ANY WAY. HOWEVER, TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE CITY'S MAINTENANCE OF FIELD AND FACILITIES AND ITS IMPACT IT HAS ON THIS DECISION. PART OF THE CONVERSATION REVOLVES AROUND THE POOR CONDITION IN WHICH 800 FIELD REMAINS. HOWEVER, THE CITY'S PRIZE PARK, DANEE PARK HAS THREE TURF FIELDS, ALL OF WHICH ARE ALREADY AT END OF LIFE. TWO OF THEM ARE 12 YEARS OLD, YEARS PAST THE THE RECOMMENDED AGE. AND ANOTHER IS THAT AT 10 YEARS OLD, REPLACEMENT OF THOSE THREE FIELDS IS GONNA COST AT LEAST $3 MILLION EACH. A TOTAL OF 9 MILLION IS THE CITY LOOKING TO SPEND $12 MILLION ON PLASTIC FOOD THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO MAKE SENSE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CITY'S PRIORITIES, NOR THE COMMUNITY AND ITS NEIGHBORS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JOHN LIVELY, FOLLOWED BY YON KUNI. JOHN, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. JOHN LIVELY. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF. THANK YOU. I'VE UNMUTED MYSELF. HELLO CITY COUNCIL. I'M JOHN LIVELY, 10 UPTON STREET. APPEAR TO SPEAK ON CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA ITEM 11 IN SUPPORT OF ARTIFICIAL TURF AT AHERN FIELD. [01:20:01] UH, YES, I'M A COACH, A LEAD COORDINATOR FOR 225 KIDS TREASURER AND BOARD MEMBER OF CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER. AND I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THE GREAT IMPACT OF PLAY IN SPORTS ON YOUTH, BUT I'M ALSO A PLASTIC SUSTAINABILITY EXPERT WITH OVER 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND A DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC POLICY. AND MY MANY YEARS AT WORK HERE, THE TRADE-OFFS THAT CAMBRIDGE IS WRESTLING WITH RIGHT NOW ARE VERY DIFFICULT AND THEY'VE HAPPENED MANY TIMES AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL THAT THE CITY IS WRESTLING WITH THEM. HOWEVER, I'M FIRMLY IN SUPPORT OF THE TURF FIELD. I THINK IT WILL HELP UNLOCK MANY HOURS OF OUR KIDS PLAYING SPORTS OUTWEIGHING THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF A TURF FIELD AT AHERN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS YUN KUNI YUN. I'M APOLOGIZE IF I AM MISPRONOUNCING YOUR NAME. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. ONE MINUTE. THANK YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW WE CAN. PLEASE GO AHEAD. YES. YEAH. SO MY NAME IS Y KUNZ. UH, I LIVE AT THE FIVE WE MAIN ROAD. I AM HERE TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSALS IN POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE AND THE DARK BROWN PETITION. THIS FOR ANYBODY WHO HAVE READ THOSE. UH, THIS ARE VERY THOUGHTFUL AND VERY MODERATE PROPOSALS TO COUNTER THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. THE, UH, OF RIGHT ZONING IS PRODUCING ON THE STREET AT CAMBRIDGE. TO CHARACTERIZE THIS ANTI HOUSING IS DISINGENUOUS AND IS NOT FACTS BASED ANALYSIS. I LIVED AND WORKED IN THE CITY FOR MANY YEARS. I ASK EACH COUNSELOR TO LOOK AT THE FACTS, UH, WHICH MANY OF OUR SPEAKERS TODAY HAVE OUTLINED AND SEARCH YOUR CONS, UH, CONSCIOUS AND NOT BE INFLUENCED BY THE MONEY FROM DEVELOPERS. UH, YOU WERE ELECTED BY CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS. WE COUNT ON YOU, UH, WHEREAS THE DEVELOPERS WHO RUSHED INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THANK YOU, YUN, PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER. WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO BUCHANAN EWING, SEE IF THEY ARE ABLE TO UNMUTE. BUCHANAN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. ONE MINUTE. THANK YOU. UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN. PLEASE GO AHEAD. I I'M A LONG TIME RESIDENT. I MUST PARK ON THE STREET. SOME OF US MAY HAVE TO MOVE AWAY. OLD RESIDENTS WITHOUT DRIVEWAYS ARE BEING SQUEEZED OFF OUR OWN BLOCKS. FIRST BIKE LANES, REMOVE ON STREET PARKING FOR 20 YEARS ON UPPER ANITE PARK WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET OF MY HOME. NOW I HAVE TO PARK ON FAYETTE, INMAN AMORY AND AS FAR AWAY AS NORFOLK, OCCASIONALLY SECOND, DEVELOPERS CAN NOW PARK OR CAN NOW BUILD MULTI, UH, FAMILY BUILDINGS WITH NO ON STREET PARKING, NO ON ONSITE PARKING, EVEN WHEN THE STREET IS FULL. SO EVERY NEW CAR FROM THESE BUILDINGS WILL COMPETE FOR THE SAME OVERLOADED SPACES. UH, THESE POLICIES CREATE A PREDICTABLE CRISIS. UH, LESS SUPPLY, MORE DEMAND, NO REAL MITIGATION FOR PEOPLE WITH AGE-RELATED LIMITATIONS OR HEALTH ISSUES. UH, RIGHT, YOU KNOW, WALKING SEVERAL BLOCKS TO PARK AND THE SNOW AND ICE IS NOT GONNA WORK. SO I ASK, UH, THREE THINGS. ONE IS MEASURE THE PARKING NUMBERS IN POST THEM. TWO REQUIRE OFF STREET PARKING AND THREE, BUILD NEW PERMITS OFF. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. IF BUCHANAN, PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER. OUR NEXT SPEAKER, WE ARE AT SPEAKER NUMBER 71 JULIA STEVENS, FOLLOWED BY DEVI GUPTA, THEN PAUL COATE. JULIA. HI, I'M JULIA AND I LIVE AT 1 79 SPRING STREET. I'M HERE TO SUPPORT REAL WELL-MAINTAINED GRASS AT AHERN FIELD INSTEAD OF PLASTIC GRASS. AHERN FIELD IS EVERYBODY'S BACKYARD IN A PLACE WHERE FEW ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE ONE ATTACHED TO THEIR HOUSE. IT'S WHERE WE GO TO ENJOY PICNIC WITH FRIENDS, MEET FRIENDLY DOGS, OR OBSERVE BUNNIES WHILE THEY F CRAWL, LICK, HAVE WATER FIGHTS, LEARN TO DO CARTWHEELS, MEET NEW PEOPLE AT ANY TIME OF DAY. IT'S WHERE EAST CAMBRIDGE BABIES LEARN TO WALK. COVERING A HEARN FIELD AND ARTIFICIAL TURF IS TELLING ALL OF US THAT WE ARE NOT WELCOME UNLESS WE PLAY SOCCER, WHICH WE AREN'T EVEN ABLE TO PLAY. IF IT'S TOO HOT OUT, IT'S TURNING A FIELD FOR EVERYTHING INTO A FIELD ONLY FOR SOCCER. GRASS IS FORGIVING. AS I'VE ALREADY SAID. WHEN YOU FALL, YOU LAND ON A SOFT, FRESH SURFACE THAT WILL BOUNCE BACK AS SOON AS YOUR WEIGHT IS OFF OF IT. GRASS WON'T MELT YOUR SHOES OR RELEASE MICROPLASTICS INTO YOUR BODY OR THE ENVIRONMENT. WELL MAINTAINED GRASS DOESN'T COST $3 MILLION. PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T COVER AHERN FIELD IN REAL GRASS. GRASS IS FOR EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY, JULIA. YOU CAN EMAIL US THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DEA GUPTA, FOLLOWED BY PAUL CO, THEN RUTH ALLEN. MY NAME [01:25:01] IS DIVYA GUPTA. I LIVE NEAR AHERN FIELD IN EAST CAMBRIDGE. I LOVE AHERN FIELD BECAUSE THE GRASS IS REALLY SOFT AND ME AND MY FRIENDS PLAY THERE LIKE REALLY FREQUENTLY AND WE LOVE FLYING DOWN ON THE GRASS, LIKE RELAXING THERE, DOING WHATEVER. AND JUST LIKE BEING KIDS, UM, ARTIFICIAL TURF IS REALLY BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. IT HEATS IT UP. IT ALSO COSTS A LOT, LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS EVERY 10 YEARS PLUS TO MAINTAIN EVERY YEAR. AND IT'S INCONVENIENT FOR LOCALS BECAUSE THERE WON'T BE ANY DOCK WALKING THERE. NO RUNNING DURING HOT DAYS AND NO SPENDING TIME THERE JUST LYING DOWN ON THE GRASS LIKE DURING THE SUMMER OR ANYTHING. AND THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO PLAY HERE, THEY WON'T EVEN USE IT TOO OFTEN. THEY JUST OCCUPY LIKE, THANK YOU DEBRA. THAT IS YOUR TIME. WE'RE NEXT GOING TO HEAR FROM PAUL COTE, FOLLOWED BY RUTH ALLEN DID MOJE ROHANI. PAUL, THANK YOU. I'M PAUL CODY, 85 SIXTH STREET. I WISH I DIDN'T. UH, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT HEARN FIELD. I WISH I DIDN'T HAVE TO COME HERE TO SAY THIS, BUT LET ME TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED ABOUT A YEAR AGO TODAY, I WENT TO A OPEN HOUSE AT A HEARN FIELD TO TALK ABOUT THE CITY'S PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS AND WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT ONE OF THE PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS WAS TO REMOVE ALMOST ALL THE GRASS AND REPLACE IT WITH A BIG WAD OF UNRECYCLABLE PLASTIC. AND I THOUGHT, WELL, I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE THAT'S AN IDEA THAT WE DON'T LIKE ME. MY NEIGHBORS THINK THAT'S A BAD IDEA. AND I WAS INFORMED TOO BAD THAT PLAN IS ALREADY FINISHED. SO I WENT HOME PUZZLED. I LOOKED UP THE CITY BUSINESS AND SAW INDEED THIS PLAN HAD BEEN HATCHED WITH NO PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND VIRTUALLY NO NOTICE. LUCKILY, IT'S NOT TOO LATE FOR YOU TO UNDO THIS MISERABLE SITUATION. UNDO IT, PLEASE. THANK YOU. THANKS. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RUTH ALLEN, FOLLOWED BY MOSHE ROHANI, THEN CATHERINE SYLVESTRI. RUTH, ONE MINUTE. HI. THANK YOU. UM, I'M HERE TO DISCUSS ACTUALLY TWO IN SUPPORT OF, UM, NUMBER ONE THE MANAGER'S AGENDA. ITEM 11, MY NAME. I LIVE AT 48 FENO STREET, CAMBRIDGE. MY GIRLS HAVE BEEN PLAYING ON THE FIELDS IN DHE AS WELL AS A HEAR AND DIFFERENT ONES AROUND THE CITY. THESE KIDS NEED TO HAVE A FIELD THAT THEY CAN BE, UM, THAT CAN, THEY CAN ACTUALLY PLAY ON OR HEAR. YOU CAN'T PLAY ON. THESE KIDS ARE GETTING HURT. UM, THE NEW TURF IS DIFFERENT THAN THE OLD TURF. IT'S NOT ALL, UM, AS AS IT USED TO BE. SO WE REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, OUR KIDS, ESPECIALLY THE GIRLS WHO YOU KNOW, ARE TRYING TO PLAY, UM, THEY GET CANCELED ALL THE TIME. THESE WOULD NOT, WOULDN'T HAVE TO CANCEL AS MANY GAMES FOR THESE KIDS AND SUPPORT ORDER FIVE AND ALSO POLICE TABLE. UM, POLICY ORDER 20 26, 1 10. UM, FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, IT'S KILLING. THANKS, RUTH. PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MOSHE ROHANI, FOLLOWED BY CATHERINE SYLVESTRI. THEN JASON TARGA MOJE, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. GOOD EVENING. I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF PO NUMBER THREE. MY NAME IS MOJE ROHANI AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DE NOVO. AT A TIME WHEN MANY OF OUR MOST FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS ARE UNDER ATTACK, WE MUST REMAIN STEADFAST IN OUR COMMITMENT TO THOSE WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE. DE NOVO. ALONGSIDE OUR PARTNERS SERVE SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, HATE CRIMES, TORTURE, EXPLOITATION, AND OTHER FORMS OF VICTIMIZATION. YOUR SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE IS MORE THAN SUSTAINING SERVICES. IT IS ABOUT ENSURING THAT SURVIVORS CONTINUE TO HAVE ACCESS TO SAFETY, HEALING, JUSTICE AND HOPE. IT IS ABOUT DEMONSTRATING THAT OUR COMMUNITY BELIEVES THAT LIVES CAN BE REBUILT. HEALING IS POSSIBLE AND RESILIENCE CAN BE TAKE ROOT WHEN PEOPLE ARE SUPPORTED AND WHEN WE REFUSE TO LEAVE ANYONE BEHIND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CATHERINE SYLVESTRI. CATHERINE, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. [01:30:02] CATHERINE HAS NOT JOINED. WE'LL GO TO JASON TAR, FOLLOWED BY ALAN. JOCELYN, GOOD EVENING. I'M JASON TARGA OF FOUR OLIVE PLACE. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER AND I'M ONE OF THE GROUP OF 27 SPORTS LEADERS FROM CAMBRIDGE ORGANIZATIONS WHO WROTE INTO THE COUNCIL WITH SUPPORT FOR THE CITY'S PLANS THAT I HEARN. AND WE SUPPORT THIS PLAN NOT BECAUSE WE DON'T SHARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS OR BECAUSE WE WANT TO DEVELOP ELITE ATHLETES TO WIN STATE TITLES OR GO ON TO PLAY COLLEGE SPORTS. I AND THE YOUTH LEADERS IN GENERAL SUPPORT THE CITY'S PLANS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT HAVING LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY IS WORTH MAKING COMPROMISES FOR BECAUSE WE SHOULD ALL RECOGNIZE THAT SOMETHING HAS TO BE COMPROMISED. THERE IS NO GRASS FIELD IN CAMBRIDGE THAT COULD BE PLAYING ON WITHOUT CLOSURES AND REST, AND THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE THE PLAY THAT AHERN HAS. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR FAMILY TO SEE THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT SHELLING OUT THOUSANDS FOR CLUBBER TRAVEL SPORTS, THAT THE CITY VALUES THEM AND PROVIDES THEM THE BEST QUALITY EXPERIENCE THEY CAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALAN JOCELYN, FOLLOWED BY NICK HERBAL, THEN KATE GILMORE. ALAN, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. OKAY. HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. PLEASE GO AHEAD. MY NAME, MY NAME IS ALAN JOCELYN. I LIVE AT 36 BANK STREET. I'M SPEAKING TONIGHT AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE KERRY CORNER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IN SUPPORT OF POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE. WE ALL AGREE CAMBRIDGE NEEDS TO INCREASE HOUSING, PARTICULARLY AFFORDABLE. KERRY CORNER IS NOT ASKING TO STOP HOUSING. WE'RE ASKING TO BE BUILT IN A WAY THAT PROTECTS NEIGHBORS, LIVABILITY, AND TRULY DELIVERS AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOALS THAT OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTS. PLEASE LOOK MORE CAREFULLY AT REFERENCES, QUOTES, THE SUCCESSES IN PORTLAND, MINNEAPOLIS, HOUSTON, AND RALEIGH, THEY HAVE HANDLED THE, THE CHALLENGE WITH THE THOUGHTFULNESS IN CITY PLANNING NOT PRESENT IN OUR CITY'S BLANKET UP UPZONING. SINCE THE MULTIFAMILY ZONING CHANGE WERE ADOPTED, WE'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES ACROSS NEIGHBORHOODS DEVELOPMENT THAT APPEARS FOCUS MORE ON PROFIT AND INTENSITY THAN ON THE OUTCOMES THAT WERE PROMISED. IN PARTICULAR, RESIDENTS REMAIN CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF APPROVED PROJECTS AKIN TO THE SIX STORY HABAD FACILITY ON BANK STREET, ON PRIVACY, LIGHT, OPEN SPACE, TRAFFIC, SAFETY, FOOD SERVICE, HYGIENE, STREET CONTENT. THANK THANK YOU, ALAN. PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NICK HERBOLD. NICK, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD. GOOD EVENING, NICK HERBOLD AND I LIVE ON VASELINE. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE SYN, UH, AT HEARN. IF WE EXPECT AND HOPE THESE FIELDS, WE'LL SEE LOTS OF TRAFFIC FROM ACTIVE KIDS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE NEED DURABLE, UH, RELIABLE SURFACES. I HELP FACILITATE THE SOCCER NIGHTS PROGRAM IN NORTH CAMBRIDGE WHERE WE GET TO USE RUSSELL FIELDS. IT'S A WEEK LONG PROGRAM ENGAGING 350 PLAYERS AND VOLUNTEERS. WE ONLY RUN THE PROGRAM FOR ONE NIGHT, UH, ONE WEEK A YEAR, AND IT'S DEVASTATING WHEN WE NEED TO CANCEL. SO HAVING A TURF FIELD, UH, MAKES IT EASY TO RUN EVEN IN INCLEMENT WEATHER. AS A PARENT LOOKING TO RIGHT RAISE YOUNG KIDS, I RECOGNIZE HOW FORTUNATE WE ARE TO LIVE NEAR DANEE AND RUSSELL FIELDS. MY HOPE IN SUPPORTING THIS DECISION IS THAT FAMILIES IN EAST CAMBRIDGE HAVE WALKABLE ACCESS TO SIMILAR RESOURCES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SPEAKER NUMBER 80, KATE GILMORE, FOLLOWED BY MARY JANE KKI. THEN JACOB SILVERSON. KATE, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. GOOD EVENING, COUNSELORS. MY NAME IS KATE GILMORE. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE AT HOMEOWNERS REHAB AT TWO 80 FRANKLIN STREET. I'M SPEAKING THIS EVENING AGAINST POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE. IF YOU'VE WALKED BY TAKING THE BUS OR DRIVEN BETWEEN HARVARD AND PORTER SQUARES. RECENTLY YOU'VE SEEN FOUR MELLON STREET. OUR FIRST A HO PERMITTED A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE PROJECT. UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WERE MORE THAN 70% COMPLETE AND ON TRACK TO FINISH BY YEAR END, SO WE CAN WELCOME 29 FAMILIES INTO THEIR NEW HOMES IN EARLY 2027. BUT THIS POLICY ORDER WOULD'VE MADE OUR PROJECT IMPOSSIBLE. THE SIZE OF THE SITE DID NOT ALLOW FOR ANY SURFACE PARKING AND EXCAVATING FOR BELOW GRADE PARKING IS COST PROHIBITIVE. MORE THAN HALF OF OUR THREE BEDROOM UNITS WOULD'VE BEEN DOWNSIZED TO TWO BEDROOM UNITS TO ACCOMMODATE THE SETBACK REQUIREMENTS. THIS POLICY ORDER DIRECTLY CONFLICTS WITH THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT ENSURES INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES CAN STAY AND THRIVE IN CAMBRIDGE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARY JANE CARI, FOLLOWED BY JACOB SILVERSON. [01:35:01] HELLO, UH, MARY JANE CARI 1 0 3 AVON HILL STREET. UH, I AM HERE TO STRONGLY SUPPORT POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE. THIS IS DIRECTLY FROM THAT PROPOSED POLICY ORDER. THE ADOPTION AND INTERPRETATION OF THE MULTIFAMILY ZONING ORDINANCE HAS LED TO SIGNIFICANT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES ACROSS ALL NEIGHBORHOODS AS REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY HAS INCREASINGLY FOCUSED ON MAXIMIZING PROFITS WHILE AVOIDING THE PROVISION OF INCOME RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THAT IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH. THAT'S OBVIOUSLY AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE PRIVATE DEVELOPERS WILL LOWER HOUSING COSTS, THEY WILL NOT. WE'VE HEARD FROM PRIVATE FROM DEVELOPERS ABOUT THAT ISSUE. WE DO NOT NEED TO EVISCERATE OUR TREE CANOPY TO GREATER AVAILABLE OPEN SPACE, CREATE HE ISLANDS TO HOUSE MORE PEOPLE, WHICH WE NEED TO DO. THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS REPRESENT A REASONABLE WAY FORWARD TO ENRICH CAMBRIDGE AS A LIVABLE CITY WITH, WITH HOUSING THAT MEETS ENVISION CAMBRIDGE GOALS. NOW, I MAY BE DEMENTED AS THE ONLY PERSON IN THIS ROOM WHO BELIEVES IN ENVISION CAMBRIDGE, BUT I DO. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE INTERTWINED GOALS OF HOUSING SOCIAL JUSTICE, THANK YOU MARY, MARY JANE, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. PLEASE REVIEW THEM. PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JACOB SILVERSON, FOLLOWED BY CHARLES FRANKLIN. AH, OKAY. JACK SILVERSON 1 0 3 AVON HILL STREET CAMBRIDGE. I IMPLORE YOU TO PASS POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE. THE AIM IS TO IMPROVE THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE MANY NEGATIVE AND UNINTENDED YES, UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. I WOULD HOPE SO. IT IS PRODUCED DURING DESTROYING, NOT INCLUDING DESTROYING NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS. THE VERY THING PEOPLE SAY THEY WANT THE DESTRUCTION OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND PROPERTY VALUES BY BUILDING HOUSING WAY OUTTA SCALE TO THE EXISTING HOUSING, UH, ADDING HOUSING UNITS WITH NO REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROVISION OF PARKING WHILE PROMOTING THE BUILDING OF MARKET RATE HOUSING, WHICH WILL NOT BE AFFORDABLE TO THE VERY PEOPLE WHO WERE LED TO BELIEVE THAT THIS, THAT, UH, MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE WOULD HELP THE VERY PEOPLE WHO ARE TOLD THIS WOULD HELP THEM. IT'S NOT GOING TO HELP THEM BECAUSE IT'S ONLY GOING TO PRODUCE BY AND LARGE MARKET RATE HOUSING. I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN IT NEEDS TO BE SAID AND I WOULD IMPLORE THAT, THAT THE, THE CITY COUNCIL MAKE IT CLEAR TO ALL YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING, WHICH IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MARKET RATE HOUSING. AND THAT'S WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHARLES FRANKLIN. CHARLES, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD. CHARLES FRANKLIN ONE 60 HAMPSHIRE STREET. GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. THE 2026 UH, A HO REPORT HAS SHOWN DEFINITIVELY, DEFINITIVELY THAT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERLAY IS DOING WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO, BUILD HOUSING. SO FAR IT'S BUILT 1,500 HOMES. ALTHOUGH WE ARE BEHIND ON THE 2030 GOAL, WE ARE WAY AHEAD OF THE PREDICTION OF ZERO BY SOME OF ITS DOUBTERS. SWITCHING TO THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE, I CAN SEE ARGUMENTS FOR SOME ADJUSTMENTS SUCH AS STEP BACKS ABOVE CERTAIN HEIGHTS OR MAN REQUIREMENTS, AS THESE WOULD STILL ALLOW SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF HOUSING TO BE BUILT WHILE ADDRESSING SOME LEGITIMATE CONCERNS. HOWEVER, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY MEASURES SUGGESTED BY PO NUMBER FIVE SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED. THEY ARE EXACTLY COUNTER TO THE GOALS OF THE MFH PETITION, A MAJOR ONE OF WHICH WAS TO BRING EXISTING HOMES INTO COMPLIANCE. PLEASE VOTE THIS DOWN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KENNY HOTTA. KENNY, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD. MY NAME IS KENNY HODA, 3 0 3 THIRD STREET. I'M SPEAKING TO THE CITY MANAGER'S AHERN REPORT. I'M ALSO THE PARENT OF A SECOND GRADER AND ATHLETE, UH, IN CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND WE DO NOT SUPPORT PLASTIC TURF AT AHERN. MY FAMILY RENTS IN EAST CAMBRIDGE. WE DO NOT HAVE A BACKYARD. I FEEL THE NEED TO SAY THAT PLAINLY BECAUSE PARENTS RAISING CHILDREN IN HIGH RISES LIKE MINE AND WE ARE MANY HAVE BEEN DISMISSED BY PLASTIC TURF SUPPORTERS AS NIMBYS SIMPLY FOR ASKING FOR TRANSPARENCY AND SOLID INFORMATION BEFORE MAKING A DECISION THAT AFFECTS OUR CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL. I AM AGAINST THE THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS INSTALLATION OF TOXIC PLASTIC TURF AND THE SUBSEQUENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF MAINTENANCE AND REPLACEMENT COSTS THAT IT WILL GENERATE. WE ARE IN A FUNDING DROUGHT AND WE HAVE BIGGER NEEDS SUCH AS SUPPORTING POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE. PLEASE HELP MY NEIGHBORS FEEL WELCOME IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANN COBURN, FOLLOWED BY JENNIFER BRILL. THEN BEN WAGNER. [01:40:02] ANN HAS NOT JOINED US. WE WILL GO TO ANN COBURN. ONE MINUTE. HELLO. UM, MY NAME IS ANNE COBURN. I LIVE AT ONE 17 A OTIS STREET, WHICH IS BETWEEN A HEARN FIELD AND GOLD STAR MOTHERS PARK. AND I AM HERE TO SUPPORT GRASS AT A AHERN FIELD. THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE INTENDS TO SPEND AN EXCESS OF $3 MILLION ON INSTALLING ARTIFICIAL TURF AT AHERN FIELD. THAT'S ABOUT 20% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR THE ENTIRE 1 58 SPRING STREET AND AHERN FIELD REHAB PROJECT. TO ME, THAT'S AN ODD CHOICE FOR A FIELD NEXT TO THE FORMER KENNEDY LONG BUILDING, A SCHOOL THAT DEEPLY SUFFERED FROM LACK OF EQUITY AND WAS CLOSED PARTIALLY TO ADDRESS THAT LACK OF EQUITY. IF YOU WANT TO PURSUE REAL EQUITY, I SUGGEST REVIEWING THE ACTUAL DEMOGRAPHICS, FIELD USE AND DIVERSE COMMUNITY NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, INCLUDING THOSE WITH LIMITED MOBILITY. BECAUSE EAST CAMBRIDGE HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF DISABILITY IN THE CITY. YOU CAN'T REPLACE, YOU CAN'T REPLICATE RUSSELL FIELD IN EAST CAMBRIDGE BECAUSE GEOGRAPHY IS HISTORY. THESE ARE NOT THE SAME PLACES AND THEY HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JENNIFER BRILL, FOLLOWED BY BEN WAGNER, THEN CAROLYN HUNT. HI, I AM JENNIFER BRILL. I LIVE AT 1 38 WESTERN AVE. I'M SPEAKING ON POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE CURRENT IMPACT ON DIRECT ABUTTERS. SOME OF YOU KNOW ME PERSONALLY. I'M A SOCIAL WORKER. I SPENT THE LAST 40 YEARS PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO CAMBRIDGE'S MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS. MANY LIVE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I'M STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I'M NOT UNREASONABLE, I'M NOT WEALTHY, I'M NOT ANTI HOUSING. THE WESTERN AAV LOT IS BIG. SOMETHING WILL AND SHOULD BE BUILT THERE, BUT MICRO CONTEXT MATTERS. MY TWO STORY HOUSE FACES SIDEWAYS. YOU CAN'T SEE THIS, BUT THERE WOULD BE A SIX STORY WALL OF WINDOWS AND OVER HAVING HANGING BALCONIES LOOMING JUST SIX FEET FROM MY FRONT STOOP. THAT'S NOT REASONABLE. AS MOST OF YOU HAVE PRIVATELY AGREED DIRECT ABUTS NEED A VOICE AND NEED TO BE HEARD BY THE CITY, NOT JUST BY WRITING COMMENTS INTO A ZOOM WITH A DEVELOPER WHO HAS NO REASON TO LISTEN. AMEND THE MFO TO ALLOW FOR REASONABLE CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU, JENNIFER. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BEN WAGNER, FOLLOWED BY CAROLYN HUNT. THEN DAVE FLAY. BEN BEN IS NOT WITH US. WE'RE GONNA GO TO CAROLYN HUNT. HI, MY NAME'S CAROLYN HUNT. I LIVE AT 1 0 6 BERKSHIRE STREET AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT CMA 20 26 1 74. I'M HERE BY MYSELF BECAUSE MY HUSBAND AND KID, UH, JUST WRAPPED UP THEIR LAST, UM, CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER PRACTICE OF THE YEAR, UM, OVER HERE IN CAMBRIDGE PORT. AND THEIR WONDERFUL COACHES SURPRISE THEM, UH, BY HAVING A ICE CREAM TRUCK SHOW UP AND LET THE KIDS HAVE AS MUCH ICE CREAM AS THEY WANTED. THEY HAD A PIZZA PARTY. IT WAS AWESOME. UM, WE LOVE CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER. WE LOVE YOUTH SPORTS. MY KID'S BEEN PLAYING IN CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER FOR SEVEN YEARS. UM, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE HARD WORK, UH, THAT ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS DO FOR OUR KIDS. AND WE STRONGLY SUPPORT, UM, YOUTH, UH, ATHLETIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR KIDS. UM, BUT I'M VERY ANTI THE IDEA OF PUTTING IN FAKE PLASTIC TURF OVER A HORN FIELD. UM, WE HAVE BEEN GOING TO DONAHUE FOR ALL SOCCER GAMES FOR YEARS. THAT'S WHERE THEY PLAY THEIR GAMES. WE ALL GATHER, WE PRACTICE IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND WE WANNA KEEP IT THAT WAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DAVE SLANEY, FOLLOWED BY ZOA COBURN. ZELLER, THEN COURTNEY COGSWELL. DAVE, ONE MINUTE. HI, MY NAME IS DAVE SLANEY, 2 37 NORFOLK STREET. I'M SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION TO POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE AND THE BROWN PETITION. LAST YEAR, THE CITY COUNCIL FINALLY ACTED TO EFFECTIVELY ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE THE CONSTRUCTION OF DESPERATELY NEEDED HOUSING, INCLUDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. NOW, SOME PEOPLE WANT TO UNDO THE POSITIVE STEPS THE COUNCIL HAS TAKEN. IF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE A BETTER PLAN TO ACTUALLY BUILD MORE HOUSING, THEY SHOULD PUT IT FORWARD. IN THE MEANTIME, THE COUNCIL SHOULD NOT BACK AWAY FROM THE POSITIVE PRO-HOUSING STEPS IT HAS TAKEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ZORA COBURN ZELLER, FOLLOWED BY COURTNEY COGSWELL AND RACHEL HANKY. ZORA. [01:45:01] ZORA WAS TOO SAD TO COME, BUT SHE WANTED ME TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WHEN SHE THINKS ABOUT HOME, IT'S THERE. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS COURTNEY COGSWELL. OKAY. WE DON'T HAVE, YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE TO. I'M GONNA JUST LEAVE NOW. OKAY. COURTNEY. COURTNEY COGSWELL. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. COURTNEY, YOU NEED TO UNMUTE ON YOUR END. THERE YOU GO. HI, MY NAME IS COURTNEY COGSWELL. I LIVE AT 1 0 6 FIFTH STREET AND I'M SPEAKING ABOUT THE REPORT ON A HEARN FIELD. I LIVE TWO BLOCKS FROM AHERN AND STRONGLY SUPPORT KEEPING NATURAL GRASS THERE. ENGAGEMENT FROM EAST CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS DID NOT PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE DECISION FOR TURF. MY FAMILY ATTENDED THE JUNE 23RD POP-UP EVENT HELD AT KALO AND DID NOT COME AWAY FROM WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT TURF HAD ALREADY BEEN DECIDED BY THE CITY. SO IT CAME AS A GREAT SURPRISE WHEN THE MARCH 11TH PRESENTATION TOUTED ARTIFICIAL TURF AND SPORTS LIGHTING AS A FIXED DESIGN CHOICE AND THAT THE FIELD'S PRIORITY WAS ORGANIZED SPORTS. THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECTS CAUSED BY ARTIFICIAL TURF ARE WELL DOCUMENTED IN RESEARCH. CAMBRIDGE URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN FIVE-YEAR UPDATE SHOWS THAT WE HAVE THE LEAST CANOPY COVER IN EAST CAMBRIDGE. A HEAT ISLAND ADDING ADDED IS NOT LOGICAL AND UNDERMINES THE CITY'S SUSTAINABILITY GOALS. THANK YOU, COURTNEY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RACHEL HANKY, FOLLOWED BY SANDY GOULD. THEN ANDREW KIM. HELLO, RACHEL HANKEY, 17 DUNNE STREET. I'M A PARENT OF THREE CAMBRIDGE KIDS AND AN ORGANIZER OF YOUTH BASEBALL AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF CITY MANAGERS AHERN TO A FIELD RECOMMENDATION AND PLUG FOR CRS BASEBALL SEMI-FINALS TOMORROW. I HOPE TO SEE MANY OF YOU OUT THERE. UM, I'M, I HAVE READ THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT AND I UNDERSTAND THAT TURF HAS A HUGE ADVANTAGE OVER GRASS IN TERMS OF PLAYABLE HOURS AND ALL WEATHER USE GRASS IS NOT WELL SUITED FOR YOUTH SPORTS. I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT ADVOCATE AND I GIVE ALL OF MY TIME FOR YOUTH SPORTS AND I A HUNDRED PERCENT BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF IT. BUILDING COMMUNITIES, JUST LIKE WE'VE SEEN ON THE BASEBALL TEAM, IT BUILDS PEOPLE TALKING TO EACH OTHER ACROSS LANGUAGES, CULTURES. IT, IT CREATES MENTORS FOR KIDS. WE NEED TO SUPPORT YOUTH SPORTS. IT WILL HELP US BUILD COMMUNITY AND ADDRESS THEM OF A MORE MEANINGFUL ENVIRON. I MEAN THE MORE MEANINGFUL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES THAT WE HAD AHEAD, AHEAD OF US IF WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SANDY GOULD. SANDY, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD. HI, UM, MY NAME IS SANDY GOULD AND I LIVE AT 23 R FAIRMONT STREET IN CAMBRIDGEPORT. I'M SPEAKING IN REFERENCE TO CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA ITEM 11, CONVERSION OF A HEARN FIELD TO A SYNTHETIC SURFACE. I'M A LONG LONGTIME SOCCER COACH AND VOLUNTEER WITH CAMBRIDGE JUICE SOCCER AND OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, I'VE BEEN DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE GIRLS SOCCER PROGRAMS WITH CYS. I'M STRONGLY IN SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE A HEARN ATHLETIC FIELDS TO A SYNTHETIC SURFACE. I HAVE COACHED AND RUN SOCCER PROGRAMS AT A HEARN FIELD FOR MANY YEARS. IT, WHILE IT IS A WONDERFUL SPACE, THE GRASS IS OFTEN NEARLY UNPLAYABLE DUE TO POOR DRAINAGE AND HOLES THAT DEVELOP BECAUSE OF HARD USE. DURING ONE PARTICULARLY RAINY SPRING SEASON, WE HAD TO CANCEL ALMOST HALF OF OUR WEEKLY SATURDAY SESSIONS. AN ISSUE WITH THAT WOULD'VE BEEN AVOIDED WITH SYNTHETIC TURF. THIS FIELD SERVES A WIDE RANGE OF GROUPS, INCLUDING KLO ORGANIZATIONS, FORMERLY KLO ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL CHARTER SCHOOLS, SOFTBALL TEAMS FROM A BIOTECH LEAGUE, VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS AND ADULT FLAG FOOTBALL TEAMS. THIS USE IS SIMPLY TOO MUCH FOR OUR NATURAL GRASS FIELD. PLEASE SUPPORT THE CONVERSION TO A SYNTHETIC FIELD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANDREW KIM, FOLLOWED BY DANIEL MASCO, THEN GLENNA WYMAN. ANDREW, ONE MINUTE. THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS ANDREW KIM. I LIVE ON DUDLEY STREET AND I'M WITH THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST OF AMERICA. I'M HERE ONCE AGAIN TO SPEAK ON SHOT SPOTTER ON POLICY ORDER FOUR. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP A DEEPLY UNPOPULAR, UNFAIR, AND IMMORAL SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM IN THE CITY BY WEAPONIZING THE PROCESSES OF OUR DEMOCRACY AGAINST ITS SPIRIT. AND IT SHOULD BE EQUALLY OBVIOUS TO THE COUNCIL TO NOT UNDERMINE THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE OF CAMBRIDGE AND VOTE AGAINST THIS ORDER. AS TO POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO, THIS LOOKS LIKE A POLICY AWARDED IN ORDER TO GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF MEETING THE DEMANDS OF THE PUBLIC, YET DOES NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING INEQUALITIES THAT WERE A CENTRAL POINT OF OPPOSITION TO. SHOT SPOTTER, INVASIVE SURVEILLANCE CANNOT BE SOLVED WITH DIFFERENT SURVEILLANCE AND OVERPOLICING CANNOT BE SOLVED WITH MORE POLICE AND THE VAGUE GESTURE TO COMMUNITY PARTNERS. AFTER A FRANKLY NEAR EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND GOVERNMENT GROUPS CAST OUT UPON THE INTENT OF THIS POLICY ORDER TO ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE OF CAMBRIDGE, THE CITY NEEDS [01:50:01] TO SEEK NEW SOLUTIONS TO KEEPING ITS CITIZENS SAFE IN REAL CONCERT WITH ITS CITIZENS, NOT FALL BACK TO THE SAME METHODS THAT HAVEN'T WORKED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DANIEL MASCO. DANIEL, ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD DANIEL. YOU'RE UNMUTED, BUT WE CAN'T HEAR YOU. DANIEL. WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU. WE ARE GOING TO SPEAKER NUMBER 97 GLENNA WYMAN. GLENNA, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, GLENNA WYMAN. YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. UM, UH, I AM AN EAST CAMBRIDGE RESIDENT. I USE A HEARN FIELD AS A PLACE OF SOLAS TO WALK AROUND ON THE LOVELY GRASS. UH, ANYONE WHO LIVES IN EAST CAMBRIDGE KNOWS WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MOST PART WE DON'T REALLY HAVE YARDS IN OPEN SPACE AND ONE OF THE PARKS IS NOW, UH, CLOSED BECAUSE OF ASBESTOS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO UM, MITIGATE. UM, A HEARN FIELD IS VERY CLOSE TO WHERE I LIVE. WE SEE BUNNIES THERE. WE SEE ALL KINDS OF, YOU KNOW, PASSIVE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE GREAT LIKE PIG THINKING AND UH, WHATEVER. SO KEEP OUR HEARN FIELD GRASSES. UH, NUMBER TWO, I'M OPPOSED TO, UH, POLY POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO AND FOUR, UH, WHICH I BELIEVE ARE ATTEMPTS TO UNDERMINE THE, UH, SURVEILLANCE THAT SEEMS TO HAPPEN IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. AND NUMBER FIVE, I THINK IT SHOULD BE CHATTERED. IT SHOULD BE CHARTER. THANKS GLENNA. PLEASE EMAIL THE REST OUR, WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO DANIEL MACHU, FOLLOWED BY TIAN FANG. THEN O ROBERT SIMHA. DANIEL, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. PLEASE GO AHEAD. DANIEL MACHU 37 PARADOXES TERRACE. I'M SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION TO POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE AND THE BROWN PETITION. THIS POLICY ORDER IS BEING PROPOSED BY COUNSELORS WHO HAVE CONSISTENTLY OPPOSED MULTIFAMILY ZONING AND ARE PART OF THE SELF-TITLED REPEAL COALITION. I THINK IT'S CLEAR THAT WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS, THE FACT IS, IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO DISAGREE ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE CITY AND VOTERS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT MORE HOUSING IN THE CITY, WHICH WILL HELP ADDRESS THE HOUSING CRISIS. JUST BECAUSE THERE'S CONTINUED DISAGREEMENT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THERE ARE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. DIRECTING CITY STAFF TO RESEARCH ZONING POLICIES AND DIRECT OPPOSITION TO THE GOALS OF MULTIFAMILY ZONING IS NOT COMPROMISED, NOR DOES, NOR IS IT GOOD POLICY. PLEASE DO NOT INDULGE THIS POLICY ORDER OR THIS PETITION IF THERE ARE PRODUCTIVE THINGS TO RESEARCH OR TO DO THAT WILL HELP ADDRESS ACTUAL UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT WOULD BE PRODUCTIVE AND THAT IS NOT THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TIAN FANG, FOLLOWED BY O ROBERT SIMHA. THEN JENNY ILDA. TIAN HAS NOT JOINED US. WE WILL TRY O ROBERT SIMHA. HELLO. I'M NOT BAB SIMHA. I'M SPEAKING, UM, FOR HIM. HE HAS ASKED ME TO SPEAK IN HIS FIRST SLOT, IF THAT'S OKAY. NOPE, IT NEEDS TO BE THE PERSON THAT WAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. OH, OKAY. SO JUST, UH, ROBERT SIMHA IS ON THE ZOOM. ROBERT, IF YOU COULD UNMUTE YOURSELF, PLEASE GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. UH, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO, UM, DEFER TO, UH, ABIGAIL BOWEN IF SHE'S AVAILABLE. UNFORTUNATELY, ROBERT, WE CAN ONLY GO IN THE ORDER OF FOLKS THAT ARE SIGNED UP. SO YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD. I WILL SPEAK FOR, UH, WE'RE REPRESENTING THE CAMBRIDGE EAST CAMBRIDGE OPEN SPACE TRUST. UM, FOR E EAST CAMBRIDGE FAMILIES, A HUNDRED FIELD IS A BELOVED NEIGHBORHOOD GREEN SPACE, A PLACE FOR UNSTRUCTURED PLAY, COMMUNITY GATHERING AND CONNECTION TO NATURE IN AN INCREASINGLY DENSE AND WARMING URBAN ENVIRONMENT. THE NEARBY SPACES CITED IN THE CITY'S REPORT ARE SMALL, PASSIVE AND CONSTRAINED. THEY DO NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR WATER. A HERN, UH, FIELD PROVIDES, UH, WE URGE THAT, UH, THE FIELD REMAIN IN GRASS AND BE EXPANDED IN GRASS USES RATHER THAN THE SYNTHETIC TURF THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND FOR JUST FOR FUTURE REFERENCE FOR FOLKS, WE DO GO BY THE LIST IN THE ORDER THAT FOLKS WERE SIGNED UP AND FOR FAIRNESS, WE STICK TO OUR RULES. SO WE ARE GONNA GO ON TO JENNY CADO, SARAH NELSON, THEN ANNA AS STORY. AND ABIGAIL, YOU CAN EMAIL YOUR COMMENTS. JENNY CADO. [01:55:01] JENNY HAS NOT JOINED US. WE'RE GONNA GO TO SARAH NELSON, FOLLOWED BY ANNA ASTOR. MY NAME IS SARAH NELSON. I LIVE AT 17 ROCKWELL STREET. POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE IN BROWN CITIZEN POLY POLICY ORDER ARE NOT A REJECTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THEY'RE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT GROWTH WITHOUT GUARD RAILS IS NOT PROGRESS. IT IS NEGLIGENCE. NEW DEVELOPMENT IS CONCENTRATING IN THE MOST DENSE, DIVERSE AND THE HISTORICALLY RED LINE NEIGHBORHOODS, NOT BY PLAN, BUT BECAUSE THE LAND THERE IS CHEAPER WORKING FAMILIES BOUGHT THERE. NOW DEVELOPERS ARE BUYING THEIR HOMES AND BUILDING LUXURY HOUSING AND OUR INSPECTION SERVICES CAN'T KEEP UP. TWO WEEKS AGO, A DEMOLITION ON MY STREET PROCEEDED WITHOUT ASBESTOS CLEARANCE. THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING DROPPED ONTO AN ELECTRICAL POLE. MY NEIGHBOR WAS SITTING IN HER FRONT ROOM. ANOTHER WAS FILMING IN THE STREET. THERE WAS NO ONE MANAGING PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC, A CLOUD OF DEMOLITION DUST, LIKELY CONTAINING LEAD SPREAD ACROSS THE STREET WHERE TWO YOUNG CHILDREN LIVE ON ANOTHER PROJECT. NO ONE FIGURED OUT WHERE THE SEWAGE LINES WOULD GO UNTIL A MATURE PUBLIC TREE WAS IN THE WAY. WHEN YOU TRIPLE THE PERMITS, YOU TRIPLE THE MISTAKES AND SOME OF THOSE MISTAKES ARE DANGER. THANK SARAH. YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED. PLEASE EMAIL US THE REMAINDER. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS IN A STORY FOLLOWED BY ELLEN HAN, THEN MARIA KOVSKI. WE'RE AT SPEAKER NUMBER 1 0 2. ANNA, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN. THANK YOU. I'M A RESIDENT OF EAST CAMBRIDGE AND I URGE THE COUNCIL TO PRESERVE NATURAL GRASS AT AHERN FIELD AND PROVIDE APPROPRIATE MAINTENANCE TO IT. WE KEEP HEARING THE TURF BENEFITS CHILDREN BY ENABLING A FEW MORE HOURS OF ORGANIZED SPORTS PER WEEK, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE WEEK? WHAT ABOUT THE MANY MORE KIDS WHO DON'T PLAY SOCCER? THE KIDS WHO LIVE HERE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO KICK A BALL WITH THEIR FRIENDS, WALK THE DOG, FLY A KITE READ ON A TREE, AND THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO DO ANY OF THAT ON A PLASTIC FIELD THAT'S BAKING UNDER THE SUN. THAT'S ESPECIALLY UNFAIR TO CHILDREN WHO CAN'T OR, UH, PARTICIPATE IN ORGANIZED SPORTS AT ALL FOR PHYSICAL, FINANCIAL OR OTHER REASONS. THEY LOSE THE PARK ENTIRELY AND KIDS SHOULD BE ABLE TO PLAY SOCCER AND DO EVERYTHING ELSE ON A WELL-MAINTAINED MODERN GRASS FIELD. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PLASTIC. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ELLEN HAN, FOLLOWED BY MARIA KOVSKI. THEN CAROLINE HUNTER. ELLEN, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD. HI CITY COUNCIL. UH, ELLEN HAN. I RESIDE AT 1 39 OTIS STREET IN EAST CAMBRIDGE. I'M WRITING TO ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO PLEASE CONSIDER, UM, UH, THE, UH, THE PLAN AND SPEAK AGAINST ARTIFICIAL TURF AT A HEARN FIELD AND IN FAVOR OF MAINTAINING THAT FIELD AS NATURAL GRASS. UM, I URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO PLEASE CONSIDER AND WEIGH HEAVILY THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF ARTIFICIAL TURF IN EAST CAMBRIDGE AND INCREDIBLY, UH, DENSELY BUILT AND DENSELY OCCUPIED NEIGHBORHOOD, THE IMPACT OF A HEAT SINK, AS WELL AS, UM, MICROPLASTICS IN OUR ENVIRONMENT AND WATER. I ALSO URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO RECOGNIZE THAT A HEARN FIELD ACTS AS THE BACKYARD FOR MANY CITIZENS OF EAST CAMBRIDGE. AS YOU'VE HEARD TODAY, UM, MANY OF US LIVE ON VERY SMALL PROPERTIES WITHOUT ACCESS TO OUR OWN OUTDOOR SPACE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THIS A VIBRANT AND, UM, MULTIDISCIPLINARY, UH, YOUTH FIELD THAT WELCOMES ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARIA MAKO KOVSKI. MARIA HAS NOT JOINED US. WE ARE GOING TO CAROLINE HUNTER, FOLLOWED BY NEIL LEVITT, THEN PRISCILLA ALLEN. CAROLINE HUNTER, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. YES. HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN PLEASE GO AHEAD. YES. UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT TWO THINGS. SHOT SPOTTER TO USE CHICAGO DATA TO TRY TO ELIMINATE SHOT SPOT IN CAMBRIDGE'S LUAS CHICAGO IS 22 TIMES THE SIZE OF CAMBRIDGE. CHICAGO HAS 272.73 MILLION PEOPLE. CAMBRIDGE HAS 122,000. UM, CAMBRIDGE HAS 4.4 COPS PER THOUSAND PEOPLE. CHICAGO HAS 2.4, SO THE RESPONSE DATA AND THE USE OF THAT DATA IS FLAWED. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE HOUSING AND MULTI UM, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, IT'S ABOUT THE CITY LEADERSHIP ADJUSTING TO UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. EVERYBODY IS TALKING ABOUT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, BUT NO ONE WANTS TO ADDRESS IT. ADDRESS IT. THAT'S TRUE. LEADERSHIP. OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE PACE OF DEVELOPMENT. WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH POLICE TO SUPERVISE THE DEVELOPMENTS AND AS SARAH NELSON [02:00:01] SAID, WE'VE HAD UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES BY NOT HAVING ASBESTOS REMOVAL AND NOT HAVING PROPER SUPERVISION. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY TO ADJUST AND MAKE THE RESPONSIBLE CHANGES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NEIL LEVITT. NEIL, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. UH, I'M NEIL LEVITT AND I LIVE AT ONE 13, UH, SPRING OR SEVENTH STREET AND I'M TALKING ABOUT A HEARN FIELD AND I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP A HEARN FIELD GRASS. I'M BUILDING THE NEWEST FORM OF ARTIFICIAL TURF ON A HEARN FIELD, WELL SUBJECT SPORTS PLAYERS AND SCHOOLCHILDREN TO EXTREME HEAT. UM, ON IN MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, UM, POSSIBLY EVEN APRIL ON OCTOBER. RIGHT. UH, PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS. KEEPING NATURAL GRASS ON THE HEARN FIELD IS THE BETTER OPTION WITH AN INDOOR BACKUP PLAN ON DAYS WITH EXTREME HEAT, WIND-DRIVEN RAIN, AND OTHER FORMS OF INCLEMENT WEATHER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PRISCILLA ALLEN. WE ARE AT SPEAKER NUMBER 1 0 7. PRISCILLA, PLEASE GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. MY NAME IS PRISCILLA ALLEN OF 20 PETER STREET. I HAVE TWO SONS AT AMIGOS, BOTH OF WHOM ALSO PLAY SOCCER IN CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER ON DHE AND DONNELLEY FIELDS. I'M NOT IN SUPPORT OF REPLACING NATURAL GRASS AT A HERN FIELD, HOWEVER, WITH HOT PLASTIC GRASS, I LARGELY QUESTIONED THE MODUS BEHIND SUCH A COVERT PUSH FOR FAKE GRASS. CYS KICKSTART DIRECTOR ANDY FARR, WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF THE PRO TURF PETITION, IS ALSO CO-FOUNDER OF HANDS-ON CONSULTING, WHICH FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS HAS BEEN IN THE BUSINESS OF QUOTE, INCREASING TOY AND CONSUMER PRODUCT SUCCESS AS STATED FROM THEIR WEBSITE FROM THOSE WHO ARE PRO TURF. DID HE ALSO MENTION THAT HIS BUSINESS SPECIALIZES IN PRODUCT LICENSING, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, STRATEGIC MARKETING, AND VARIOUS OTHER BUSINESS FOCUS OBJECTIVES IS THE PLASTIC FIELD, NOT BASICALLY A VERY LARGE PLAY SPACE. SO WHAT'S THE REAL MOTIVATION BEHIND REMOVING NATURAL GRASS TO REPLACE IT WITH FAKE GRASS? WHO'S REALLY BENEFITING HERE? KIDS PLAYING ON 130 DEGREE PLASTIC GRASS. I THINK NOT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANDREW FERRA, FOLLOWED BY SHA AAM, THEN DULSE FERRERA. ANDREW. WOW. HELLO MAYOR SAMBLE AND THE CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ANDY FERER FOR LAWRENCE STREET AND I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF THE CITY MANAGER'S. ITEM NUMBER 11, THE INSTALLATION OF A SYNTHETIC SURFACE AT HERHER AND FIELD. WHEN CAMBRIDGE RENOVATED CRLS, THE CITY MADE DELIBERATE CHOICES TO PRESERVE AND EXPAND SPACE FOR ART, MUSIC, THEATER, DANCE, AND SCIENCE. THOSE CHOICES ADDED COST AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, BUT THEY REFLECTED THE VALUES WE HAVE FOR EDUCATION. WE UNDERSTAND THAT CHILDREN NEED MORE THAN CLASSROOMS. THEY NEED RESOURCES THAT HELP 'EM PLAY AND GROW. IN 2011, 2012, CELEBRATE CRS INTRODUCE THE RENOVATED SCHOOL TO THE COMMUNITY. I LED TOURS INCLUDING FOR MARIANNE SCHLESINGER CLASS OF 1930, AGED 82 WHEN SHE SAW ALL OF THE ART AND OTHER SPACES. SHE SAID, WOW, WHAT FUN? CAMBRIDGE NEEDS TO MAKE THE SAME KIND OF INVESTMENT IN PLAY. PLAY IS NOT OPTIONAL. IT IS FUNDAMENTAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SHAA AAM, FOLLOWED BY DULSE FERRERA SHA. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD. HI, MY NAME IS SHAA ANUSHA AAM. I'M FROM NORTH CAMBRIDGE AND I'M SPEAKING ON CITY MANAGER'S REPORT 20 26 1 7 4. THROUGH MY EXPERIENCE WITH PROGRAMS LIKE SOCCER NIGHTS AND HAVING ATTENDED PAUSE WHEN IT WAS AT KALO AND CCSC, I'VE LEARNED ABOUT WHAT MATTERS MOST IS HAVING ACCESSIBLE, WELL MAINTAINED PUBLIC SPACES, WHICH DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN INSTALLING SYNTHETIC TURF, ALTHOUGH THAT IS WHAT I WOULD PREFER. UM, IT MEANS THAT THE CITY'S COMMITTING TO MAINTAINING THE FIELD SO IT REMAINS WELCOMING FOR EVERYONE WHO USES IT AS A FIELD SHARED BY TWO SCHOOLS AND EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY. AHERN IS AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE AND WHATEVER DECISION IS MADE, I HOPE THE CITY'S PRIORITY IS MAKING SURE IT'S A WELL KEPT PUBLIC SPACE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DULCE FERRERA, FOLLOWED BY ALEJANDRO PAZ. THEN ELAINE OSA DULCE. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, PLEASE. GO AHEAD. CE FERRERA, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF. YOU DO HAVE THE FLOOR. WE WILL CIRCLE BACK TO DULCE. WE'RE GONNA GO TO ALEJANDRO PAZ, FOLLOWED BY ELAINE OSA. THEN CYNTHIA HAYNES. [02:05:02] ALEJANDRO, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD ALEJANDRO. YOU'RE MUTED. OH, YOU JUST, UH UH. THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ALEJANDRO PASS AND I LIVE AT NINE HENRY STREET. I AM SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION TO POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE. I WANT TO COMMENT ON THE PROPOSAL TO EXAMINE REQUIRING OFF STREET PARKING FOR NEW HOUSING THAT HAS MORE THAN FOUR DWELLING UNITS. THIS PROPOSED CHANGE WOULD DO NOTHING FOR OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES, WHICH ARE BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOMES WHILE PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY. ARE THESE INTERNAL COMBUSTION MACHINES SUCH AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR CITY? I SAY LET A PROPERTY OWNER DECIDE IF THEY THINK CARS ARE MORE VALUABLE THAN PEOPLE. ALSO, WHY ARE WE TRYING TO MANDATE PARKING WHEN SUCH A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF RESIDENTS IN THE CITY ALREADY LIVE HERE HAPPILY WITHOUT OFF STREET PARKING OR CARS ALTOGETHER? I THINK THE CITY COUNCIL DID THE RIGHT THING LAST YEAR WHEN IT ENDED EXCLUSIONARY ZONING AND THIS POLICY ORDER WOULD SET US BACK. I URGE YOU TO VOTE NO ON POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE. THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA PAUSE FOR ONE MOMENT JUST SO OUR CLERK CAN GET OUR TIMER BACK UP. WE ARE GONNA GO TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER, ELAINE DEROSA, FOLLOWED BY CYNTHIA HAYNES. THEN TINA OU. ELAINE, PLEASE GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ELAINE DEROSA. I LIVE AT FOR PLEASANT PLACE. I'M TESTIFYING IN OPPOSITION TO POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE AND THE BROWN PETITION. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ANY OF THESE CHANGES WOULD ELIMINATE THE CONTINUATION OF THE 6 0 5 YEAR IMPACT OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERLAYS, PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT. TO DATE, 16 PROJECTS, A THOUSAND HOMES FOR FAMILIES. MANY WHO WERE DRIVEN FROM THIS CITY BECAUSE OF UNAFFORDABLE RENTS. THE CAMBRIDGE CD'S FIVE YEAR A HO REPORT, WHICH IS ON THE CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA TONIGHT HAS CLEARLY DOCUMENTED ITS SUCCESS AND PROJECTS AN ADDITIONAL 300 HOMES COMING THIS YEAR. CAMBRIDGE AND THE STATE ARE FACING AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS. OUR GOVERNMENT AND OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD BE PORT SUPPORTING AND CELEBRATING PROGRAMS THAT HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING. NOT DISMANTLING THEM. PLEASE VOTE. NO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CYNTHIA HAYNES. UH, CYNTHIA HAYNES, 5 61 PUTNAM AVE. I VOTE FOR AMENDMENTS TO POLICY NUMBER FIVE BECAUSE THERE ARE NO GUARDRAILS WITH DEVELOPMENT. I LIVE NEAR THE DEMOLITION SITE AT TWO 70 SYDNEY STREET, WHICH HAS BEEN TAGGED ASBESTOS. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? THERE ARE TOO MANY DEVELOPERS AND NOT ENOUGH STAFF TO PROVIDE PROPER OVERSIGHT. THE ASBESTOS HAS BEEN EXPOSED FOR THREE MONTHS. IT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED THAT PEOPLE AVOID WALKING ON THE STREET NEAR THE PROJECT. BUT HOW DO WE STOP THE WIND FROM BLOWING IT? A PLASTIC SHEET FLAPPING IN THE WIND HELD DOWN BY A BALE OF HAY DOES NOT SAY SAFETY. ADJACENT STREETS ARE CHESTNUT, HENRY AND PUTNAM AVE. THIS IS A HEALTH THREAT BECAUSE A HUMAN BODY CANNOT REMOVE INHALED ASBESTOS FIBERS FIXED IT IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TINA OU, FOLLOWED BY DANA BOLSTER. TINA, ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS TINA OU AND I LIVE AT ONE 13 AND A HALF PLEASANT STREET. I'M SPEAKING TONIGHT AS THE DIRECTOR OF COC AND A LONGTIME CAMBRIDGE RESIDENT TO OPPOSE POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE, THE BROWN PETITION AND ANY AMENDMENTS THAT WOULD WEAKEN CAMBRIDGE'S MULTIFAMILY ZONING ORDINANCE. IT'S STRIKING TO ME THAT THIS POLICY ORDER IS ON THE SAME AGENDA WHERE THE FIVE-YEAR REPORT ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING LAY OVERLAY SHOWS THAT A HO HAS BECOME AN ESSENTIAL TO IN CREATING NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE HAS ALREADY PUT MORE INCOME RESTRICTED, AFFORDABLE HOMES INTO THE PIPELINE THAN CAMBRIDGE INCLUSIONARY ZONING HAS GENERATED IN YEARS. BUT WHAT I MIGHT MUST ASK IS WHY IT IS THAT CAMBRIDGE HAS PASSED THESE TWO MAJOR SUCCESSFUL PIECES OF HOUSING LEGISLATION IN RECENT YEARS, BUT A SMALL AND LOUD MINORITY OR CONSISTENTLY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO OVERTURN OR WATER DOWN THESE POLICIES [02:10:01] BY CREATING MORE HURDLES IN ROADBLOCKS, I ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL TO OPPOSE ANY OF THESE EFFORTS, WHICH WILL OUT IN THE L LOSS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO DULSE FERRERA DULSE. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR IF YOU CAN UNMUTE ONE MINUTE. HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU. PLEASE GO AHEAD. HI. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I'M D FIRA AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES AT THE MASSACHUSETTS ALLIANCE OF PORTUGUESE SPEAKERS MAPS AT 10 46 CAMBRIDGE STREET. I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF ORDER NUMBER THREE. MAPS PROVIDES CRITICAL CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY TAILORED SERVICES TO SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL SEXUAL ASSAULT. IN UNDERSERVED PORTUGUESE SPEAKING, IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, WE HAVE WORKED TO BUILD TRUST AND WE MOVE LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL BARRIERS TO ASSESSING SERVICES. CURRENT FUNDING CUTS THREATEN THE PROVISION OF CRITICAL SERVICE TO SURVIVORS, AS WELL AS PROGRESS MADE TO ENSURE SURVIVORS CAN ACCESS THE HELP THEY NEED. ON BEHALF OF MAPS AND THE NETWORK OF CAMBRIDGE PROVIDERS, I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT ORDER NUMBER THREE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DANA BLISTER. DANA HAS NOT JOINED US. WE WILL MOVE ON TO ALFRED DERO, FOLLOWED BY REBECCA BJORK, THEN ALEX DICKEL. AND WE'RE HAVING SOME, SOME ISSUES WITH THE TIMER, BUT I AM, UH, I HAVE A TIMER ON MY LAPTOP, SO I WILL STOP YOU AT ONE MINUTE. THANK YOU. ALFRED DERO HAS NOT JOINED. WE WILL GO TO REBECCA BJORK. REBECCA HAS NOT JOINED. WE WILL GO TO ALEX DICKEL. ALEX IS NOT IN THE ZOOM. WE'RE GONNA GO TO RAQUEL ESRI. RAQUEL, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. PLEASE GO AHEAD. OKAY. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. I AM HERE TODAY BECAUSE I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE CREATION OF THE SYNTHETIC SOCCER FIELD IN CAMBRIDGE. THIS PROJECT IS ABOUT MUCH MORE THAN A FIELD. IT IS ABOUT GIVING OUR CHILDREN A SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE PLACE TO PLAY, GROW, AND BE PART OF THEIR COMMUNITY. MANY FAMILIES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DO NOT HAVE I TRANSP TRANSPORTATION LIKE ME. FOR SOME OF US GETTING TO OTHER FIELDS SUCH AS DANEE PARK CAN BE DIFFICULT AND TIME CONSUMING, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT THE CAR. AS A RESULT, MANY CHILDREN MISS OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN SPORTS AND HEALTHY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. EVERY CHILD DESERVES THE TO PLAY CLOSE TO HOME. A LOCAL SYNTHETIC FIELD WOULD PROVIDE A RELIABLE SPACE FOR RECREATION, EXERCISE, QUEL, AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARINA G**O ATLAS, FOLLOWED BY JUAN MENDEZ, THEN MARTHA KINGSBURY MARINA. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, PLEASE. GO AHEAD. HI THERE. MARINA G**O ATLAS OF 37 PLEASANT STREET IN STRONG SUPPORT OF PO NUMBER THREE PO. NUMBER FIVE, THE BROWN PETITION, AND IN OPPOSITION TO CMA 20 26, 1 74 PO NUMBER THREE IS AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE. PO NUMBER FIVE SUPPORTS DE MINIMUS URBAN PUBLIC HEALTH THROUGH SUFFICIENT LIVING SPACE. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY. IT ALLOWS OPEN SPACE, PROTECTS TREES AS CRITICAL PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE AND US. EPA TELLS US OF WELL-PLACED WEST-FACING TREES SAVE OVER 30% OF HOME ENERGY BILLS. AND THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT SETBACKS. CAMBRIDGE NEEDS TO INVEST IN HEALTHY, LIVABLE PROS, PROSOCIAL SPACES FROM GREEN SPACE TO AIR QUALITY, SHADE, TREES, SUNLIGHT, A ACCESS INFRASTRUCTURE AND BENEFITS FROM STORMWATER MI MITIGATION TO EXCESS HEAT MITIGATION, MOST DEADLY WEATHER CONDITION. AND I'D BE REMISS TO SAY, AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL AND PFAS RESEARCHER, THAT IS HEALTHY OR SAFE, IT HARMS CHILDREN'S HEALTH. AND THIS IS PREVENTABLE AND IT'S LINKED WITH GLIOBLASTOMA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I URGE YOU TO REJECT POLLUTION FROM BRICK OR HAZARDOUS WASTE CONTAMINANTS TO VIOLATION OF WATER QUALITY PERMITS AND OPPOSE ANY BOONDOG. THANK YOU. THANKS MARINA. UH, PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JUAN MENDEZ, [02:15:01] FOLLOWED BY MARTHA KINGSBURY. JUAN JUAN HAS NOT JOINED. WE'RE GONNA GO TO MARTHA KINGSBURY. I'M MARTHA KINGSBURY. I LIVE AT 3 41 HURLEY STREET, UM, NEAR SIXTH STREET AND HURLEY. SO I'M RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM AHERN FIELD. I CAN'T BELIEVE IN 2026. WE'RE STILL ARGUING ABOUT THE, THE BLESSINGS OF PLASTIC THAT, UM, THAT WE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS, WHAT PLASTIC ITSELF IS DOING TO US, TO OUR ENVIRONMENT, HOW WE ALL LIVE WITH MICROPLASTICS IN OUR BODY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE WHO LIKE SPORTS THINK THAT, THAT PLAYING ON PLASTIC IS A GOOD IDEA. IT'S, IT'S KILLING US. IT'S RUINING US. IT'S KILLING OUR OCEANS. IT'S KILLING OUR, OUR, OUR EARTH. AND YET WE ARE HERE TRYING TO ARGUE THAT THE IDEA OF PUTTING PLASTIC GRASS IN AHERN FIELD IS A GOOD IDEA. I, I HAVE TO SAY, I'VE, I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO PEOPLE ALL NIGHT LONG AND I'M JUST, I'M JUST ASTONISHED. I'M ASTONISHED BY THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO LIKE THINK THIS IS THE WAY THAT OUR KIDS ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO PLAY. NOT ON GRASS. ON. THANK YOU MARTHA, ON GRASS. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. JUST ON PLASTIC. PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ABIGAIL RANDS, FOLLOWED BY JOHN PITKIN. THEN ED HENLEY. ABIGAIL, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, PLEASE. GO AHEAD. MY NAME IS ABIGAIL RME. I LIVE AT RE SQUARE. I AM IN FAVOR OF POLICY ORDER FIVE. THIS IS A YES AND SITUATION. CAMBRIDGE IS NOBLY PROGRESSIVE ON HOUSING. BUT LET'S BE PROGRESSIVE ON EVEN MORE FRONTS. LET'S USE THIS MOMENT TO ENCOURAGE LONG-TERM HEALTH AND CLIMATE RESILIENCY. AS AN ARCHITECT AND EDUCATOR, I ADVOCATE TO SHAPE OUR ORDINANCE WITH DESIGN STANDARDS THAT BRING MORE PEOPLE ALONG. LET'S WRITE ZONING STANDARDS THAT THOUGHTFULLY RETURN OPEN SPACES TO THE GROUND PLANE, INCREASE SETBACKS AND STEP BACKS. THESE ARE NOT AESTHETIC WHIMS. THIS IS NOT ABOUT BRICK AND METAL SIDING. IT IS ABOUT CODIFYING THE OUTDOOR CONNECTIONS, VEGETATION AND SLICES OF SKY. WE SUBCONSCIOUSLY SHARE AND ALL BENEFIT FROM DEVELOPERS ENABLE THE HOUSING DENSITY WE NEED. THEY'RE IMPORTANT, BUT OPEN SPACE DESIGN STANDARDS WON'T BLOCK NEW HOUSING IN CAMBRIDGE. INSTEAD, IT MIGHT GALVANIZE A CULTURAL RESIDENCE AND DEVELOPERS COLLABORATING TO BUILD INTERCONNECTED SOCIALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY RESILIENT. CAMBRIDGE FOR TODAY AND FOR TOMORROW. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JOHN PITKIN, FOLLOWED BY ED HENLEY. THEN JIM GRAY. JOHN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, PLEASE. GO AHEAD, JOHN, WE CANNOT HEAR YOU. YOU SORRY. SORRY. THE, THE HEAD WAS, UH, HAD A PHONE GOING OFF IN THE BACKGROUND. UH, JOHN PITKIN 18 FAYETTE STREET SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF POLICY AUDITOR NUMBER FIVE AND AND THE BROWN PETITION. I WANNA THANK COUNCILLOR ZUI AND, UH, DOUG BROWN FOR PUTTING THESE IDEAS FORWARD. THEY NEED CONSIDERATION. NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING IS HOUSING FOR PEOPLE OF FAMILIES AND PEOPLE OF ALL AGES 12 MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR, WHAT WE'RE GETTING IN MID CAMBRIDGE. IT HAS BEEN PROPOSED UNDER THIS ORDINANCE AND THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR PROJECTS THAT ARE SHOW SHOWN IS NOT THAT WE DO ACCOMMODATE SOME TRANSIENT HOUSING AND TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR PEOPLE FOR BASICALLY POSTGRADUATE AND EARLY CAREER HOUSING FOR FOLKS IN THAT STAGE OF THE LIFECYCLE. WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF THAT IN MID CAMBRIDGE. TOO MUCH OF IT DESTROYS THAT WILL DESTROY OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THERE NEEDS TO BE A BALANCE. I SUPPORT THIS PETITION. LET'S BUILD THE KIND OF HOUSING PEOPLE CAN LIVE IN 12 MONTHS A YEAR THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ED HENLEY, FOLLOWED BY JIM GRAY AND DAN TOTTEN. ED, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. HI, MY NAME IS ED HENLEY. CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN. PLEASE GO AHEAD. I LIVE AT 2 37 FRANKLIN STREET MANNING APARTMENT SENIOR HOUSING. I'M SPEAKING FOR POLICY FIVE TO GET THE ZONING RIGHT. THE CHANGE THAT WE NEED TO MAKE AS A COMMUNITY IN CAMBRIDGE AND MASSACHUSETTS WITH REGARDS TO THE NEEDED HOUSING IS FAIRLY OBVIOUS. MOST EVERYONE IS ON BOARD WITH THAT, BUT SOMETIMES UNEXPECTED RELATED ISSUES CAN BE THE CONSEQUENCE [02:20:01] AND WE NEED TO FIGURE IT OUT GOING FORWARD. LET'S NOT PIT NEIGHBOR AGAINST NEIGHBOR OR ISSUE AGAINST ISSUE. IF IT TAKES STOPPING AND RECONFIGURING HOW TO GET THE DEVELOPMENT WE WANT, LET'S THINK THAT THROUGH NOW AND DO IT RIGHT. SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME. APPROVE POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE. LET'S NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE BIGGER PICTURE AS WE TRY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH MORE AFFORDABLE STYLE HOUSING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JIM GRAY, FOLLOWED BY DAN TOTTEN. I DON'T SEE JIM GRAY. WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO DAN TOTTEN, FOLLOWED BY ADRIANA HAUSMAN. DAN HI, UH, DAN TOTTEN, 54 BISHOP ALLEN DRIVE. UM, A LOT ON THE AGENDA. I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE, UH, FEDERAL STABILIZATION FUND AND JUST KIND OF PUT IT OUT THERE THAT, UM, THAT I BELIEVE, UNLESS I'M MISTAKEN, THAT MONEY WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO, UM, BACKSTOP THE 128 HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE RECEIVING FEDERAL MONEY TO GET OFF THE STREET AND GET HOUSING. AND, UM, I DON'T REALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS OTHER THING. AND I BELIEVE SINCERELY THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR MONEY IN WHATEVER'S HAPPENING. BUT I, I JUST, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS, AGAIN, UNLESS I'M MIXING THINGS UP, THAT, THAT, THAT IS PART OF THIS CONVERSATION THAT WHAT'S WHAT HAPPENS IF AND WHEN THAT GETS CUT. 'CAUSE I'VE SEEN SOME HOUSING AUTHORITIES, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN CUT THIS MONTH. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE TAKEN CARE OF. THANKS. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ADRIANA HOUSEMAN. ADRIANA, ONE MINUTE PLEASE. HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. GREAT. SO I AM ADRIANA COHEN HOUSEMAN. I AM A CAMBRIDGE PARENT. I'M ALSO A PEDIATRICIAN AND, UM, A, A PARENT OF, UH, MULTIPLE CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER, UM, KIDS. SO I URGE CITY, UH, THE COUNCIL TO PAUSE THE AHERN FIELD TAR TURF PROJECT UNTIL THERE'S BEEN INDEPENDENT EVIDENCE-BASED COMPARISON THAT INCLUDES MODERN GRASS NATURAL ALTERNATIVES. MY CONCERN IS THAT CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE, ARTIFICIAL TURF, CAN BECOME EX EXCEEDINGLY HOTTER THAN NATURAL GRASS, INCREASING HEAT EXPOSURE FOR CHILDREN AND PLAYING SPORTS AND ALSO DOING OTHER ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS, UM, AFFECTING ELDERLY AND OBVIOUSLY INDIVIDUALS, UM, WHO ARE AT RISK. UM, THESE CONCERNS ARE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WHEN WE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EAST CAMBRIDGE AS EAST CAMBRIDGE HAS FEWER GREEN SPACES AND OTHER, UM, CITY, UM, AREAS AND TURF GETS EXCEEDINGLY HOT DURING THE SUMMER TEMPERATURES. SO, MYRA, THANK YOU. PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER OF YOUR COMMENT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS IRENE KANG, FOLLOWED BY CLARK JACOBSON, THEN AMY WALTZ. IRENE. HI, MY NAME IS IRENE KONG. I LIVE AT ONE 13 SEVENTH STREET, APARTMENT TWO IN EAST CAMBRIDGE. I'M HERE TO OPPOSE ARTIFICIAL TURF AT AHERN FIELD AND TO URGE THE COUNCIL TO DEMAND AN INCLUSIVE DECISION MAKING PROCESS. AS A FORMER VARSITY SOCCER PLAYER AND MOTHER OF A-C-S-U-S STUDENT WHO PLAYED SOCCER, I VALUE SPORTS. BUT AHERN FIELD IS NEXT TO A SCHOOL AND SERVES DIVERSE COMMUNITY NEEDS. THE CITY CLAIMED THEY DID COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, YET THE TURF DECISION WAS MADE BEFORE ANY COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND CONCERNS HAVE BEEN IGNORED. IN ABSENCE OF A CITY LED EFFORT TO GATHER BROADER INPUT, LOCAL ADVOCATES LAUNCHED AN INDEPENDENT NEUTRAL SURVEY. THE RESULTS ARE TELLING AN OVERWHELMING 87% PREFERRED NATURAL GRASS. EVERY SINGLE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD, PARENT SURVEYED PREFERRED GRASS. EVERYONE WHO PREFERRED TURF EITHER LIVES OUTSIDE THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR, OR DOES NOT CURRENTLY HAVE KIDS. THIS HAS BEEN EXHIBITED THIS EVENING AS MOST OF THE SPEAKERS IN FAVOR OF TURF ARE CYS AND SPORTS BOARD MEMBERS AND COACHES WHO LIVE IN OTHER PARTS OF CAMBRIDGE. THEY DO NOT REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF FAMILIES WHO WANNA KEEP THE GRASS WITHOUT TRANSPARENT, INCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS. THANK YOU. WILL NEVER THANK I. YOUR TIME IS UP PUBLIC TRUST. I PLEASE EMAIL THE REMAINDER. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CLARK JACOBSON, FOLLOWED BY AMY WALTZ. CLARK IS NOT WITH US. WE'RE GONNA GO TO AMY. AMY, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF, PLEASE GO AHEAD ONE MINUTE. AMY, YOU'RE STILL MUTED. WE WILL TRY TO COME BACK TO AMY AT THE END. UM, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KATHLEEN HIGGINS, FOLLOWED BY CONRAD CRAWFORD, [02:25:01] THE NOAH STA. KATHLEEN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, PLEASE GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN. OKAY. MY NAME IS, UH, KATHY HIGGS. I LIVE AT 3 45 NORFOLK STREET. I OPPOSE POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE AND THE BROWN ZONING PETITION. TOGETHER THEY WILL EVISCERATE THE MULTIFAMILY ZONING ORDINANCE WITH AMENDMENTS THAT WOULD CRIPPLE HOUSING FOR AFFORDABLE PROJECTS, INCLUDING THOSE BILLED WITH THE A-H-L-C-D-D HAS A FULL PLATE MOVING CAMBRIDGE FORWARD FOR ITS RESIDENTS. IT SHOULD NOT BE MOVING BACKWARD TO REVISIT WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN THOROUGHLY VETTED AND ACCEPTED. PLACING ALL KINDS OF RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT CAN BE BUILT MEANS NO HOUSING WILL BE BILLED FOR DECADES. WE HAVE NOT BEEN BUILDING WHAT WE NEED AND RATHER THAN BEING THE RESULT OF MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING, ZONING DISPLACEMENT WAS RAMPANT BEFORE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING ZONING REVERSED THE INCENTIVES AS CAROL CAROLYN FULL AND FULLER SAID VERY WELL. THIS IS A WELL FINANCED MINORITY SEEKING TO UNDO THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE WHO CLEARLY VOTED FOR THE CITY TO MOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF HOW MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CONRAD CRAWFORD, FOLLOWED BY NOAH STA CONRAD, PLEASE GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. THANK YOU. UM, THANK YOU COUNCIL AND UM, THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY FROM EAST CAMBRIDGE AND THE REST OF THE CITY THAT IS SPOKEN IN FAVOR OF KEEPING THE FIELD AT A HEARN AS GRASS. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO A HEARN FIELD IN THE CONTEXT OF OTHER GREEN SPACES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE CITY'S ANALYSIS REPORT. UM, AND LOOK CLOSELY AT THE, AT THE SITES THAT ARE LOCATED IN EAST CAMBRIDGE AND AND DESIGNATED AS GREEN. UM, HURLEY FIELD OR HURLEY PARK IS HARDSCAPE SILVA PARK IS HARDSCAPE. UM, MODERNA, WHICH IS PRESENTED AS A PRIVATELY OWNED PUBLIC OPEN SPACE IS HALF FENCED OFF AND DESIGNED IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT SUPPORT RECREATION OR EVEN PASSIVE RECREATION. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO POINT TO THE CITY REPORTS AND SPECIFICALLY THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND TECHNICAL REPORT, WHICH IDENTIFIED FULKERSON AT CHARLES STREET AS ONE OF THE HOTTEST PARTS OF THE CITY AND TURF FIELD WILL EXACERBATE THAT HEAT. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT I WAS A PARTICIPANT IN THE URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN AND THE CLIMATE. THANKS CONRAD. PLEASE EMAIL US THE REMAINDER. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NOAH STA. NOAH, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD, NOAH. YOU'RE MUTED. IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF, WE WILL COME BACK TO NOAH AT THE END. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MAUREEN FOLEY, FOLLOWED BY CATHERINE ROSE, THEN PAULA PHIPPS. I MAUREEN FOLEY IS NOT ON THE ZOOM. WE WILL GO TO CATHERINE ROSE. CATHERINE ROSE HAS NOT JOINED. WE'RE GONNA GO TO PAULA PHIPPS. PAULA, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. PAULA PHIPPS, IF YOU COULD UNMUTE YOURSELF. THERE YOU GO. OKAY, THANK YOU. I'VE LIVED THREE BLOCKS FROM A HEARN FIELD FOR ALMOST 25 YEARS AND I HAVE MANY CONCERNS ABOUT THE TURFGRASS PROPOSAL. FIRST OF ALL, THE SAFETY, THE HEALTH IMPACTS DUE TO MICROPLASTICS TOXIC CHEMICALS. AND THANK YOU TO SOMEBODY FOR INCLUDING ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS. PEOPLE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS THESE WILL HAVE ON YOUTH INJURIES ON HOT TURF GRASS ARE WELL DOCUMENTED. THE OTHER, THE SECOND POINT IS THE HEAT GENERATION TEMPERATURE INCREASE WITH TURF GRASS INSTALLED IS 35 TO 55 DEGREES HIGHER. IF YOU TRY TO FIND OUT FAHRENHEIT, IF YOU TRY TO FIND OUT ABOUT COOLING TURF GRASS, THE EXPENSE IS ENORMOUS TO KEEP IT AS COOL AS A NATURAL GRASS FIELD WOULD BE. SO SOME SORT OF COST ANALYSIS SHOULD PROBABLY BE DONE. WATER INFILTRATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND WITH NATURAL FEELS. THANK YOU PAULA, PLEASE EMAIL US THE REMAINDER. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DARIA MALDONADO, FOLLOWED BY TUNE K GUN LUCK. DARIA DARIA IS NOT WITH US. WE'RE GONNA GO TO TUNE K. GUN LUCK. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD. HELLO, MY NAME IS LUC AND I AM, UH, AT 27 KELLY ROAD. [02:30:01] I'M HERE TO SUPPORT POLICY NUMBER FIVE. MY OBSERVATION IS THAT THE UP ZONING AS IS, UH, IS EITHER CREATING LUXURY HOUSING OR DAMAGING THE FAMILY FRIENDLY NATURE OF CAMBRIDGE. UH, I HAVE TWO EXAMPLES. ONE OF THEM IS THE GIANT HOLE ON HAY STREET RIGHT NEXT TO MLKA TRIPLE TECH DECORAT IS TURNED DOWN. UH, A BIG OLD TREE IS KNOCKED DOWN, A YARD IS GONE. NINE UNIT RECTANGULAR CONDO BUILDING IS BUILT RIGHT UP TO THE PROPERTY LINE WITHOUT PARKING. IT'S ADVERTISED AS FAM BIKE FRIENDLY. YOU CANNOT RAISE A FAMILY IN IN NEW ENGLAND ON A BIKE RAISING A FAMILY NEEDS ADEQUATE PARKING. IT'S DRIVING THE FAMILIES AWAY FROM CAMBRIDGE TO SUBURBS. ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THE 19 K ROAD, WHICH IS IMPROVED TO BE A HOUSE WORTH OVER $3 MILLION. THESE ARE NOT AFFORDABLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HEATHER HOFFMAN, FOLLOWED BY MARY KWANG. THEN JUSTIN SAFE, WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF FOLKS WHO HAVE JOINED US SINCE WE PASSED THEIR NAMES, SO WE'LL TRY TO PICK THOSE FOLKS UP AT THE END. NEXT UP IS HEATHER. HEATHER, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. PLEASE GO AHEAD ONE MINUTE. HELLO, HEATHER HOFFMAN, TWO 13 HURLEY STREET. WITH RESPECT TO THE BROWN PETITION, I ASSUME YOU WILL DO WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO AND ADVANCE IT TO HEARINGS. WITH RESPECT TO THE FLAHERTY AND ZEY PROPOSAL, I GUESS I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT PEOPLE ARE TERRIFIED THAT ANYTHING MIGHT BE STUDIED TO SEE IF IT ACTUALLY WORKS AS ADVERTISED. IT WAS NEVER EVER INTENDED TO PRODUCE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THAT'S JUST WHAT THEY TOLD YOU. READ THE READ THE UH, PETITIONS. WITH RESPECT TO A HEARN FIELD, EAST CAMBRIDGE HAS BEEN ASKING FOR ATHLETIC FIELDS FOR DECADES. THE CITY DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD NOT HAVE THE SEVEN AND A HALF ACRE PARK AT THE WHOOPI CENTER THAT WE WERE PROMISED FOR 20 YEARS. WHY IS THAT? THE CITY WILL NEVER PROVIDE US WITH PROPER ATHLETIC FACILITIES. THANK YOU, HEATHER. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARY KWONG. MARY, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES WE CAN. HI. UH, OKAY, GREAT. UM, GOOD EVENING, COUNSELORS. MY NAME IS MARY KWONG AND I AM A RESIDENT OF THE RIVERSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD. I'M SPEAKING TODAY TO URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO RECONSIDER OUR CURRENT FAMILY, UH, ZONING PROJECTS POLICY. SPECIFICALLY THROUGH THE LENS OF STREET SAFETY AND PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE. I AM SEEING BUILDING PERMITS, ARCHITECTURAL PLANS TO BUILD SIX STORY BUILDINGS WITH NO PARKING NEXT TO OUR SCHOOLS, INCLUDING CRLS KING OPEN AND A RESIDENTIAL LOT NEXT TO THE MARTIN LUTHER KING BEING SOLD. HIGHLIGHTING ITS RIGHT BY RIGHT CONVERSION TO A SIX STORY BUILDING, TAKING AWAY PARKING FOR A 53 UNIT BUILDING WITH NO PARKING REQUIRED FOR THIS NEW BUILDING GIVEN THE GIVEN CAMBRIDGE'S EXIST, UH, SORRY, GIVEN CAMBRIDGE'S EXISTING PARKING SHORTAGES, ADDING HIGH DENSITY HOUSING WITHOUT ADEQUATE PARKING FORCES, VEHICLES TO CIRCLE AROUND BLOCKS AND ENDLESSLY CREATING HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR STUDENTS, CHILDREN AND PEDESTRIANS. THANKS MARY. THAT'S YOUR TIME. PLEASE EMAIL US THE REST. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JUSTIN SAFE. JUSTIN, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE. GO AHEAD. JUSTIN, YOU'RE UNMUTED. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. HI. JUSTIN'S SAFE HOUSING COMPONENTS EITHER DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEIR OWN PACKAGE TONIGHT WOULD DO. CLAIMANT WILL HAVE THIS IMPACT WHEN IT WILL HAVE MASSIVE IMPACT OR THEY DO KNOW AND THEY DON'T CARE. NEITHER IS A GOOD LOOK AND THEIR ACTIONS SUGGEST IT'S THE LATTER. OUR NONPROFIT AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDER HRI INFORMED YOU TONIGHT AND JUST TO STAR MEMBERS OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THEY WERE NOT CONSULTED ABOUT THIS PACKAGE. IF YOU TRULY CARED ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN CAMBRIDGE, WOULDN'T YOU REACH OUT TO THOSE EXPERTS? THOSE BEHIND THESE VAGUE PETITIONS OF DROP THE MASK REVEALING THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. MAKE NO MISTAKE, THEY SUPPORT A FULL RETURN TO RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION. AS WE SEE IN TODAY'S REPORT, ON THE 100% AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERLAY, WE'VE GOT MORE THAN A THOUSAND AFFORDABLE HOMES IN THE PIPELINE. THIS PACKAGE WOULD DECIMATE THOSE NUMBERS. A RECENT A HO PROJECT REPORTED PARKING SPOTS COSTED $300,000 A PIECE CANNOT IMPOSE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF PARKING COSTS AND CLAIM TO CARE ABOUT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, AFFORDABILITY. AND THESE AMENDMENTS ALSO DETER AFFORDABLE INCLUSIONARY HOUSING AND SOCIAL HOUSING. CDD IS PROJECTED MULTI-FAMILY ZONING WILL CREATE [02:35:01] 660 AFFORDABLE INCLUSIONARY HOMES. PETITION PROPONENTS MEANWHILE HAVE BEEN SPENDING MONTHS ATTEMPTING TO BLOCK INCLUSIONARY HOMES FROM WEST CAMBRIDGE. THERE ARE LOTS OF WAYS YOU COULD. THANKS JUSTIN. PLEASE EMAIL US THE REMAINDER. NEXT UP WE HAVE ALEX DICKEL, FOLLOWED BY AMY WALTZ. THEN NOAH STA. ALEX, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE PLEASE GO AHEAD. HI, MY NAME IS ALEX DICKEL. I LIVE AT 41. I'M SPEAKING ON POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE. IT'S THE START OF A CLEAR BACKDOOR APPROACH OF UNDOING MAJOR PORTIONS OF LAST YEAR'S MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE. FIRST, THOUGH, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT ONE OF THE SPONSORS OF THIS BILL, LESS THAN A MONTH AGO, SAT IN HIS CHAIR SAYING, THIS COUNCIL SHOULD RESPECT THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL'S DECISIONS. WHILE I WHOLEHEARTEDLY DISAGREE WITH THAT STANCE, PERHAPS THIS COUNCIL SHOULD BE CONSISTENT ON APPLYING THEIR STRANGE INTERPRETATION OF HOW A COUNCIL SHOULD WORK. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THOUGH, THIS POLICY ORDER IS AN ACT OF POLITICAL THEATER. VOTE YES WOULD WASTE CITY STAFF TIME AND RESOURCES THAT COULD BE BETTER USED TO FIGURING OUT HOW TO UPDATE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT OUR INEVITABLE POPULATION GROWTH. THIS PO ASKS THE CITY TO EXAMINE, UH, EXCUSE ME, INSTEAD OF ARGUING FOR SETBACKS. UH, THIS, UH, WE SHOULD BE LETTING NARROW, EXCUSE ME. WE SHOULD BE NARROWING OUR STREETS AND PROVIDING PUBLIC GREEN SPACE, NOT PRIVATE. INSTEAD OF PUSHING OUR AFFORDABLE UNITS TO UNPLEASANT TO LIVE IN MAINE. THOROUGHFARES, LET'S RESTRICT THE TRANSFORMATION OF TWO AND THREE FAMILY BUILDINGS IN GIANT SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT CATER ONLY TO YOUR WEALTHY CAMPAIGN DONORS. LET'S GIVE THE NEW ZONING TIME TO WORK. PLEASE VOTE NO ON THIS PO THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AMY WALTZ. AMY, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF. YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, AMY, YOU'RE UNMUTED, BUT WE DON'T HEAR YOU. HI. HI. UM, HOUSING, UH, SORRY. UH, CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ARE EXTREMELY URGENT AND IRREVERSIBLE CHANGES ARE ALREADY IN PROGRESS. THE ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN WAS APPROVED A YEAR AGO, YET IT DOES NOT GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL IT IS FINALIZED. THIS PLAN IS A WIN FOR RESIDENTS, A WIN FOR THE CITY, AND A WIN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE. PLEASE PASS THIS TONIGHT SO CAMBRIDGE CAN MOVE FORWARD THIS SUMMER. SECONDLY, GRAPHS IN O ON O HERN IS IMPORTANT FOR NUMEROUS ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS AND HEALTH IN INCREASED HEAT. ADDITIONALLY, HOUSING SHOULD BE PURSUED IN CONCERT WITH BEST ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE PRACTICES. REVISION IN ZONING ARE ESSENTIAL FOR BEST RESULTS, UM, ESPECIALLY CONCERNING UNLIMITED DEMOLITION AND CONSTRUCTION. THERE ARE WAYS TO PURSUE HOUSING THAT DON'T ALSO, UM, IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE. SO THANKS AMY. PLEASE EMAIL US THE REST. OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS NOAH, STAFF. NOAH, YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE, PLEASE GO AHEAD. HELLO, UH, NOAH STAFF 84 PRESCOTT STREET. UH, SPEAKING ABOUT POLICY OR NUMBER FIVE, I DO NOT SEE HOW INCREASING REGULATION AND ROLLING BACK MANY OF THE INTENTIONAL DECISIONS TO MAKE HOUSING EASIER AND CHEAPER TO BUILD WILL BENEFIT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ANY WAY. I THINK IT IS APPARENT THAT THIS PROPOSAL IS DESIGNED TO RETURN CAMBRIDGE TO ITS FORMER STATUS AS ONE OF THE LE AS ONE OF THE MOST UNDERBUILT CITIES IN THE NATION AND CONTINUE TO MAKE IT A CITY FOR THE WEALTHY RATHER THAN THE CITY. FOR THE MANY PEOPLE WHO WORK AT ITS BUSINESSES, SUPPORT ITS ECONOMY AND MAKE IT A VIBRANT COMMUNITY AND NOT JUST A WEALTHY LANDOWNERS ENCLAVES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR. THAT IS ALL 150 PEOPLE THAT WERE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. THANK YOU NAOMI, FOR USHERING US THROUGH. SO THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT. VICE MAYOR ZE MAKES A MOTION TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAINST SAY NO. THE AYES HAVE IT. THERE'S NO SUBMISSION OF THE RECORD, THERE'S NO RECONSIDERATIONS. AND BEFORE WE GET TO THE CITY MANAGER'S, UH, AGENDA, I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO JUST REMIND THE BODY, UH, ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS TO OUR CITY COUNCIL RULES THAT WE ADOPTED LAST WEEK. FIRST, WE NOW HAVE STATED END TIME AT 10:00 PM THIS GIVES US TODAY UNDER TWO HOURS TO GET THROUGH THE AGENDA. SO WE'LL NEED TO MOVE EFFICIENTLY. IF WE DO REACH 10 AND HAVEN'T CONCLUDED OUR BUSINESS, WE CAN EITHER RECESS OR SUSPEND THE RULES IN ORDER TO CONTINUE AND FINISH TONIGHT. SECOND, THE NEW RULES ALSO PLACE LIMITS ON FLOOR TIME. EACH COUNSELOR MAY HAVE THE FLOOR UP TO TWO TIMES PER AGENDA ITEM. AND EACH TIME YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, YOU MAY ASK UP TO TWO QUESTIONS TO CITY STAFF. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, YOU MAY SPEAK UP FOR SPEAK FOR UP TO FIVE MINUTES. AND I WANNA BE CLEAR THAT THE STAFF RESPONSES COUNT WITHIN THAT FIVE MINUTE WINDOW, NOT [02:40:01] SEPARATELY. TO HELP EVERYONE MANAGE THEIR TIME, WE'LL BE USING A CLOCK THAT WILL COUNT DOWN FROM FIVE MINUTES. WHEN TIME RUNS OUT, THE ALARM WILL GO OFF AND I'LL BE ASKING YOU TO WRAP UP YOUR COMMENT AND I ASK FOR EVERYONE'S COOPERATION IN MOVING THINGS ALONG. AND SO WE'LL SEE HOW THAT GOES WITH THAT, LET'S [CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA] GET STARTED. WE ARE ON THE CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA. WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE COUNCIL? MADAM MAYOR? UH, COUNCIL ZUBE. I'D LIKE TO PULL NUMBER 11. COUNCIL ZUBE POLLS. NUMBER 11. I KNOW OTHERS WANTED TO PULL NUMBER 11 AS WELL. COUNCILLOR SIMMONS THREE. NUMBER THREE? YES. UM, I DO NOT SEE ANYONE. UM, YES. COUNSELOR MCGOVERN. SEVEN. SEVEN SEVEN. OKAY, SO WE'VE PULLED NUMBER THREE, SEVEN, AND 11 AND WE WILL DO A ROLL CALL ON CITY MANAGER'S. AGENDA ITEMS NUMBER 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, AND 10. MOVE TO PROVE THE BALANCE ON A CONS. ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. COUNCILOR ZUBE? YES. YES. VICE MAYOR. YES. YES. COUNCILOR FLAHERTY. YES. YES. COUNCILOR MCGOVERN. YES. YES. COUNSELOR NOLAN IS ABSENT. COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. YES. YES. COUNSELOR SABRINA WHEELER. YES. YES. COUNSELOR ZUI. YES. YES. MAYOR SIDIKI. YES. YES. AND YOU HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS RECORDING THE AFFIRMATIVE. AND ONE RECORDED IS ABSENT THE CITY MANAGER AGENDA ITEM BALANCE IS APPROVED. WE'LL GO TO CITY MANAGER. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE. THIS IS A COMMUNICATION TRANSMITTED FROM IAN WONG, CITY MANAGER RELATIVE TO A RESPONSE TO AWAITING REPORT. ITEMS 26 DASH 39 RELATIVE TO THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE CITY'S LGBTQ PLUS PRIDE CELEBRATIONS ON JUNE 20TH. COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR THROUGH YOU TO THE CITY MANAGER. I WAS JUST READING YOUR MEMO RELATIVE TO, RELATED TO THE CITY'S PRIDE, LGBTQ PLUS, UH, PRIDE CELEBRATION. UH, THANK YOU FOR THIS OUTLINE. IT'S VERY HELPFUL. ONE, UH, CURIOSITY. I HAVE, IT DOES SPEAK ABOUT THE FILM, SHORT FILM. THE DADS WILL BE INSIDE, UH, CITY HALL, BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY MENTION OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE BAY BAYARD RUST AND BREAKFAST. AND SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE A BAYARD RUSTIN, UM, PRESENTATION. EXCUSE ME. I ALWAYS SAY BREAKFAST 'CAUSE THERE IS A BAYARD RUSTIN BREAKFAST. UM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF PE LET ME JUST SAY THIS, UH, THE BAYARD RUSTIN COMMITTEE HAS MET AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE THE PRIDE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE MET. AND I BELIEVE THE, UH, AWARDEE FOR THIS YEAR IS HAROLD COX. MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW HAROLD COX. HE WAS THE FORMER CHIEF PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE FOR OVER A DECADE. HE'S GONE ON TO DO MANY, MANY OTHER THINGS SINCE THEN. BUT IT'S VERY GOOD TO SEE THIS GENTLEMAN COMING BACK TO THE CITY, UH, IN THIS WAY BY BEING ACKNOWLEDGED. I KNOW THAT THE, UH, PRIDE EVENTS TEND TO BE OUTSIDE AS MORE OF A PARTY. UH, THEN, UM, THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS LEND ITSELF TO UH, PRESENTATION. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S SOMEONE HERE THAT CAN SPEAK TO IT. OTHERWISE I WILL GLADLY RECEIVE IT BY EMAIL, UH, OF RUN OF THE SHOW SO THAT I CAN INFORM THOSE THAT WANNA COME AND SUPPORT AND ACKNOWLEDGE MR. COX WHEN HE GETS THIS PRESENTATION, WHAT TO EXPECT, UH, THROUGH YOU. MAYOR SIDIKI, UM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GREGORY, I BELIEVE IS ONLINE AND, UH, AND I THINK SHE CAN GIVE YOU A RESPONSE. COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. EXCELLENT. ED GREGORY, IF YOU WANNA TURN ON YOUR CAMERA AND MIC, YOU'VE BEEN PROMOTED TO RESPOND. GOOD EVENING. UM, THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR, IF YOU CAN REPEAT THE QUESTION. I'M SO SORRY. I'VE BEEN ONLINE, BUT THE INTERNET IS A LITTLE CHOPPY QUESTION. NO WORRIES. UH, THROUGH THE CHAIR TO MS. GREGORY. I WAS LOOKING OVER AND, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE THE CITY MANAGER OF FOR SENDING US THIS UPDATE ON THE PRIDE CELEBRATION THAT'S GOING TO BE ON JANUARY 20TH. UH, IT DOES LAY OUT SEVERAL THINGS THAT ARE GONNA BE HAPPENING. DOES NOT MENTION THE PRESENTATION OF THE BAIRD RUSTIN AWARD. AND SO I'M TRYING TO GET A SENSE, UH, BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME AWARE THAT HAROLD COX, A FORMER CHIEF PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER, WILL BE RECEIVING THE AWARD, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW OR WHERE TO DIRECT THEM IS. UM, I IT'S A BIG PARTY ON THE STREET AND THAT'S [02:45:01] LOVELY. UH, BUT IT SOMETIMES MAKES IT HARD, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION DOESN'T LIFT IT TO THE DIGNITY THAT I THINK IT, UH, IT CERTAINLY DESERVES. SO I JUST WANTED TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE, UM, IS THAT GOING TO BE BEFORE OR AFTER THE SHORT FILM? THE DADS. HOW, HOW DOES THE COMMISSION SEE THAT HAPPENING? THANK YOU SO MUCH. AWARDS AND ALL SPEAKING PORTIONS OF THIS, OF THE EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE AT 11:30 AM UM, I HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH PROFESSOR COX AND ALL OF THE OTHER AWARDEES. THEY, UM, TWO HAVE ACCEPTED THAT THEY WILL BE PRESENT, INCLUDING PROFESSOR CO. UM, THEY HAVE BEEN INVITED TO BE ON THE STAGE BY 11:15 AM UH, AND IN PLACE FOR YOUR REMARKS AS WELL AS, UH, MAYOR SIKI IN THE PRESENTATION OF ALL THE AWARDS. I THINK YOU MADAM CHAIR TO MS. GREGORY. SO, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THE STAGE IS, IS IT GONNA BE A STAGE IN THE CITY HALL OR IS IT GOING TO BE ON THE SIDE? SORRY, PROBLEM . SO THAT'D BE HELPFUL. 'CAUSE AGAIN, I'M TRYING AS, UH, PEOPLE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, I THINK YOU, MS. WATKINS, MAYBE MEMBER HAROLD COX. SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF US THAT KNOW AND SAYS, WELL, WHERE'S IT GOING TO BE HELD? AND SO I'M JUST TRYING TO PROPERLY, UH, DIRECT PEOPLE. SO IS IT GONNA BE OUTSIDE IN THE STREET? WILL YOU BE ABLE TO, IF IT IS OUTSIDE IN THE STREET, WILL BE ABLE TO HEAR 'CAUSE THE MUSIC WILL HAVE STOPPED PLAYING. I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF HOW THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. GO THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR. UM, THERE, THE EVENT WILL BEGIN WITH JUST MUSIC PLAYING AND ALL THE EVENTS ACCESS AND OPEN. UM, AT 1130 THE MUSIC WILL STOP AND AGAIN, THE SPEAKING PORTION WILL BEGIN. THE STAGE WILL BE ON INMAN STREET, UM, RIGHT BELOW DOTTIE DOYLE. AND THIS INFORMATION IS BEING SHARED WITH THE AWARDEES. UM, AND IF I CAN ALSO PUT THIS IN AN EMAIL TO COUNCIL SO THEY CAN, YOU CAN SHARE IT, UH, WITH ANYONE YOU WOULD LIKE TO AS WELL. UH, THANK YOU. THROUGH YOU MADAM CHEER. THAT'S TIME. COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. OKAY. VERY CAN WRAP UP. UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, CAN WE GET THAT IN WRITING? THAT'S ALL. AND YEAH, WE, I THINK I JUST GOT THE RUN OF SHOW, SO I'LL MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THAT. VERY GOOD. YOU'LL BE PRESENTING THAT AWARD. THANK YOU. I YIELD THE FLOOR. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE WILL GO AHEAD ON COUNCILLOR SIMMONS MOTION TO PLACE THIS ITEM ON FILE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT. CITY MANAGER AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE IS PLACED ON FILE. WE'LL GO TO CITY MANAGER. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, THIS IS A COMMUNICATION TRANSMITTED FROM IAN WONG, CITY MANAGER RELATIVE TO A FIVE YEAR PROGRESS REVIEW OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERLAY. COUNCIL MCGOVERN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR THROUGH YOU. I JUST WANTED TO, NOT USED TO BE IN TIME. UM, I JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS FORWARD. THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF DISCUSSION TONIGHT WITH POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE AND THE, AND THE BROWN, UH, PETITION. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK AROUND ABOUT THE A HO AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO BRING FORWARD FOR A COUPLE REASONS. ONE, TO CLARIFY THAT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERLAY AND MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS WITH TWO DIFFERENT PURPOSES, TWO DIFFERENT SETS OF TOOLS TO ADDRESS OUR HOUSING CRISIS. THE OVERLAY, WHICH WAS PASSED, IT'LL BE SIX YEARS IN OCTOBER, RIGHT, SIX OR SEVEN, SIX I THINK, UM, WAS DESIGNED TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPERS. AND BY AFFORDABLE IN THIS CASE, I MEAN 100% SUBSIDIZED LOW INCOME HOUSING, MAKE IT EASIER FOR THOSE DEVELOPERS TO BE ABLE TO BUY PROPERTY THAT THEY WERE PREVIOUSLY BEING, THAT PREVIOUSLY WERE UNABLE TO PURCHASE BECAUSE THEY WERE BEING OUTBID BY FOR-PROFIT DEVELOPERS. IT HAS WORKED, HRI JUSTICE START THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND EVEN SOME NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPERS IN THE CITY HAVE MORE PROPERTY NOW THAN THEY HAVE EVER HAD BEFORE. AND THAT IS ALL TURNING ITSELF INTO 100% LOW INCOME HOUSING THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE WHOSE PRIMARY, PRIMARY FOCUS WAS ON INCREASING THE HOUSING STOCK OVERALL, OF WHICH SOME WOULD BE LOW INCOME THROUGH INCLUSIONARY. AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT LATER. THERE ARE TWO DISTINCT THINGS. UM, MANY OF US WERE AT 52 NEW STREET TODAY. IT WAS THE FIRST APPROVED AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT FIVE YEARS AGO. AND IT JUST OPENED 106 UNITS, RIGHT? HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE, FAMILY SIZED UNITS TOO, THAT ARE GOING TO, UH, LIVE, UH, GET TO LIVE AND STAY IN CAMBRIDGE, UM, BECAUSE OF THE OVERLAY. AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I HEAR PEOPLE SAY, THE OVERLAY'S NOT WORKING OR WE, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, THE THE HEIGHT IS TOO MUCH OR THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER THING. I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO SIT WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT I SIT WITH, COUNCILOR [02:50:01] SIMMONS SITS WITH KNOW COUNSELOR ZUBIE SITS WITH MOST OF US SIT WITH WHO BENEFIT FROM THOSE UNITS. BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE BUILDING ITSELF, IT'S ABOUT WHAT THE BUILDING PROVIDES. AND WE HEARD TODAY FROM A WOMAN WHO TOLD HER STORY OF COMING HERE FROM HAITI WITH, AT THE TIME AN 8-YEAR-OLD CHILD PREGNANT, HER HUSBAND WAS IN FRANCE AND WAS GONNA JOIN HER HERE HE DIED. SHE FOUND HERSELF IN A COUNTRY ALONE WITH TWO KIDS AND FACING, LOSING HER HOUSING AND IS NOW IN THIS BUILDING, BEAUTIFUL NEW BUILDING UNDER THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERLAY. THE LIVES OF THOSE KIDS ARE A HUNDRED PERCENT BETTER. THE LIVE, LIVE LIFE OF THAT WOMAN IS A HUNDRED PERCENT BETTER. THAT'S WHAT THIS DOES IN ANY ATTEMPT TO UNDERMINE IT OR MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO BUILD OR TO PRIORITIZE THINGS ABOVE PEOPLE HAVING AN AFFORDABLE ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD IS NOT A ROAD WE SHOULD GO DOWN. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS FORWARD, MR. COTTER. UH, WE GOT A MINUTE AND 30 SECONDS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON IT, BUT WE HAVE OVER A THOUSAND HOMES FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE IN THE CITY BECAUSE OF THE OVERLAY. THE FACT THAT THEY'RE NOT HAPPENING FAST ENOUGH. I AGREE. I WISH WE COULD SNAP OUR FINGERS AND HAVE 'EM HAPPEN TOMORROW. BUT THAT'S NOT THE OVERLAYS PROBLEM. THAT'S THE FUNDING PROBLEM. THAT'S BECAUSE THESE DEVELOPERS HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH SO MANY HOOPS TO GET FUNDING TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THAT'S NOT THE OVERLAY'S FAULT. SO, MR. CARTER, FEW MIN A A MINUTE, UH, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS REPORT? SPEED TALK. DON'T BREATHE, GIVE YOU SOMEONE ELSE. I'LL GIVE YOU A THANK YOU THROUGH YOU. UH, MAYOR SIDIKI? YES. SO, UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE THE FIVE YEAR REPORT ON THE A HO AND NOTE THAT IT'S BEEN, UH, VERY SUCCESSFUL IN CREATING A VERY DEEP PIPELINE OF NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND THAT BY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE MEAN, AS YOU SAID, JESUS, UH, COUNCILMAN MCGOVERN, A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING WHERE EVERY UNIT IS AFFORDABLE. UH, CREATED WITH FUNDING FROM THE, THE CITY THROUGH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST AND, AND WITH OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, UH, SUCH AS THE STATE YOU NOTED. WE CELEBRATED TODAY THE OPENING OF 106 UNIT BUILDING, UH, OF 106 AFFORDABLE UNITS CREATED THROUGH THE, THE OVERLAY. SO, UH, IT HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. UH, MORE THAN A THOUSAND UNITS ARE NOW, UH, COMPLETE OR IN THE PIPELINE. UH, I BELIEVE THERE'S MORE THAN 400 UNITS THAT ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. WE'LL BE SEEING MANY MORE UNITS COMING ONLINE IN THE COMING MONTHS AND, AND MORE, UH, A HO PROJECTS COMING INTO THE PIPELINE AS NEW SITES ARE ACQUIRED IN ADVANCE THROUGH THE A HO. I'LL YIELD MY 10 SECONDS. THANK YOU COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE COUNCILLOR SUI WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK. ANYONE ELSE WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK BEFORE I GO BACK TO COUNCILOR SUI? OKAY, SO COUNCILLOR SUZI, PLEASE GO AHEAD. UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CITY AND TO THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT. UM, I THINK THE FIVE YEAR REPORT IS VERY IMPRESSIVE. UH, THAT THERE'S 16 PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE IS AMAZING. A THOUSAND UNITS BUILT, 300 MORE COMING. UM, I THINK THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY AND I JUST HOPE, UM, PEOPLE REALIZE THAT WHEN COUNSELOR, UM, FLAHERTY AND I ARE PROPOSING AMENDMENTS THAT WILL IMPROVE THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE, OUR, OUR, OUR GOAL IN DOING THAT WAS NOT TO, UM, CUT IMPACT. YEAH. THE, UH, A HO NOT OFFICIALLY BEFORE US, SO JUST LET'S KEEP IT TO THE REPORT. ANYWAY. GREAT JOB. GREAT JOB. THANK YOU. OKAY, THANK YOU COUNCILLOR SUZI, WE WILL GO TO COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. I, I, I TOO JUST WANTED TO, UH, STATE HOW THRILLED I WAS THAT WE ARE TELLING THIS STORY, WE SHOULD HAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE, WE SHOULD, AND I SAID, YOU SMILE, BUT I'M VERY SERIOUS. PEOPLE DO NOT REALIZE THE AMOUNT OF WORK, HOW HARD WE HAVE WORKED TO MAKE THESE HOMES, THESE PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE HOMES AVAILABLE TO SO MANY CAMBRIDGE CITIZENS. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT AND SHOULD BE SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I HOPE WE DO FIND A WAY TO REALLY, UH, THROUGH TOWN HALL MEETINGS OR TAKE OUR SHOW ON THE ROAD JUST TO DEMONSTRATE THE GREAT WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS ARE DOING, UH, THAT IS EQUAL TO THIS. I MEAN, IN THE PORT ALONE, THERE'S CLOSE TO A HUNDRED UNITS. I LIVE IN THE PORT. IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE. UH, I CAN'T THINK OF THE CHERRY STREET BEING DEVELOPED OR IT SAYS BROADWAY PARK THREW ME TOTALLY OFF. IT'S A PARKING LOT ON BROADWAY STREET. IT TOOK ME A LITTLE WHILE TO FIGURE IT OUT. BUT I'M VERY PLEASED 'CAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND COULD NOT GET IT DONE. AND THROUGH THIS, THE, THESE AMENDMENTS, WE HAVE A WONDERFUL STORY TO TELL. AND SO, UM, YOU'RE RIGHT, UH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MCGOVERN FOR JUST INFORMING PEOPLE. AND MAYBE IT'S WORTH SAYING OVER AND OVER AGAIN WHAT IS AND WHAT IS NOT. SO I WOULD JUST SAY WE HAVE TO BE MUCH BETTER AT TELLING THE STORY MORE OFTEN AND AS FAR AND AS WISE AS WE CAN SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AFFORDABILITY, [02:55:01] WE HAVE TO BE DELIBERATE, WE HAVE TO BE THOUGHTFUL, WE HAVE TO BE FOCUSED ON DOING IT, AND WE'RE ALL NOT GOING TO GET EVERYTHING WE WANT. BUT IF WE ARE REALLY, UH, COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT CAMBRIDGE HAS A DIVERSE POPULATION, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO MORE OFTEN. SO THANKS FOR ALL THE WORK THAT EVERYONE HAS DONE, INCLUDING MY COLLEAGUES PRESENT IN PAST THAT HAVE WEIGHED IN TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE. I YIELD THE FLOOR. THANK YOU COUNCILOR SIMMONS. ANYONE ELSE? AND I'LL JUST SAY BRIEFLY AND YOU CAN TIME ME TOO. UM, IS THAT IN 2015, AS THE REPORT SAYS, THERE WERE ONLY TWO ACTIVE NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, UH, UNDERWAY IN 2015. AND NOW IN 2026, THERE'S 16 DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE UNDERWAY, WILL, THAT WILL PRODUCE OVER MORE THAN A THOUSAND NEW HOMES. SO THIS IS, IT IS REMARKABLE, UH, TO MY COLLEAGUES' POINTS. WE, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER IN 2018 WHEN COUNCILLOR SIMMONS AND I WERE CO-CHAIRS OF THE HOUSING COMMITTEE, AND COUNCILOR MCGOVERN WAS MAYOR. WE DIDN'T HAVE THE VOTES, RIGHT? AND WE KEPT AT IT. AND, UH, THANKFULLY WE HAD COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER JOIN US IN 2020. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE, THE VOTES WE NEEDED. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A, IT TOOK A LONG, LONG TIME. AND SO, UM, IT IS REMARKABLE AND IT WAS GREAT TO, TO BE THERE TODAY. SO, UH, I HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UH, THAT, THAT PROGRESS. FOUR MINUTES LEFT. SO WE'RE GOOD. UH, ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO TALK ON THIS? HEARING NONE ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN TO PLACE THIS COMMUNICATION ON FILE CITY MANAGER. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAIN SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT. THAT IS PLACED ON FILE. WE'LL MOVE TO CITY MANAGER. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 11, A COMMUNICATION TRANSMITTED FROM IAN WONG, CITY MANAGER RELATIVE TO AWAITING REPORT. ITEM NUMBER 26 DASH 25 REGARDING REPORT ON HOW THE DECISION TO INSTALL ARTIFICIAL TURF WAS MADE. THIS WAS PULLED BY COUNSELOR ZUBI. AND THEN I HAVE COUNSELOR, UH, ZUZI. AND THE ACTION HERE TODAY, IF IT'S THE WILL OF THE BODY, IS TO PLACE IT THIS ON FILE. I JUST WANNA REMIND FOLKS UP ABOUT THAT. UP UP FRONT I HAVE COUNCILLOR ZUBIE, COUNCILLOR ZI, COUNCILLOR, SABRINA WHEELER, AND THEN COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY. THANK YOU. THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR. UM, I GOT A LOT TO SAY, SO I'M GONNA TRY TO RUN THROUGH THIS AS FAST AS I CAN. UH, I'VE GOT TWO QUESTIONS. FIRST, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MAINTENANCE COSTS ARE? I DIDN'T REALLY SEE THAT IN THE REPORT, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST POINTS IN THIS CONVERSATION. SO, CURIOUS TO LITTLE HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW THE MAINTENANCE COSTS HAVE BEEN OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS ON THE, ON THE FIELD. UM, I, I CAN START 'CAUSE I THINK THERE'S A HIGH LEVEL RESPONSE AND THEN IF THERE'S SPECIFICS, UM, IN THE REPORT WE TALK ABOUT, UM, I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER, WE'VE INCLUDED ABOUT $36,000 FOR, UM, AVERAGE ANNUAL MAINTENANCE ON A GRASS, UM, FIELD. UM, THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE WATER. SO THERE IS ALSO, AND DEPENDING ON THE YEAR, THAT CAN RANGE BETWEEN 300,000 GALLONS TO OVER A MILLION GALLONS OF WATER IN TERMS OF IRRIGATION. SO THAT COST IS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT. UM, THE ANNUAL COST IN TERMS OF MAINTAINING, UM, THE, THE SYNTHETIC TURF FIELD IS ABOUT $5,000 PER YEAR. SO THOSE ARE THE, UM, MAINTENANCE COSTS. I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THE MORE SIGNIFICANT COST IS THE, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION COST, BUT THE MAINTENANCE COST IS ABOUT 36,000 PLUS THE WATER VERSUS $5,000 ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THAT INFO. AND I, I DID APPRECIATE THAT THE REPORT TRIED TO ADDRESS CONCERNS AROUND WEATHER, LIKE FLOODING OR HEAT. UM, AND THEN WE HAD MICROPLASTICS IN THERE, BUT I DIDN'T SEE MUCH DATA THERE, THOUGH THAT WAS A LITTLE SAD TO SEE. SO ARE YOU ABLE TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHY THERE ISN'T MORE INFORMATION OR DATA ON THIS? UM, I EVEN LOOKED TO SEE IF THE WORD FLOOD WAS MENTIONED AND IT, AND IT WASN'T. SO I'D BE CURIOUS TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. SO THREE MAYOR SIDIKI, UM, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF MICROPLASTICS, THAT IS A VERY MUCH EVOLVING, UM, ISSUE. AND SO THERE ISN'T A LOT OF DATA. SO A LOT OF THE DATA THAT YOU'LL SEE ON MICROPLASTICS IS REALLY, UM, INCLUDES INFORMATION ABOUT CRUMB RUBBER. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND IS JUST TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A STEP BACK, UM, IN TERMS OF HOW WE GOT TO THIS DECISION. AND PART OF IT WAS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NEEDING TO SUPPORT THE USES OF THE FIELD AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO BALANCE THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. AND SO EVERY TIME WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, REPLACE AN ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELD OR DONE A NEW FIELD, WE'VE CONTINUED TO UPDATE THOSE SPECIFICATIONS. AND SO WE NO LONGER USE THE CRUMB RUBBER. IT USES A NATURAL INFILL, WHICH REDUCES THE HEAT, UM, VERSUS THE TRADITIONAL CRUMB RUBBER THAT YOU'VE SEEN. AND SIMILARLY WITH THE MICROPLASTICS AND OTHERS, WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT THOSE KINDS OF DETAILS TO AGAIN, CONTINUE TO REDUCE THOSE CONCERNS AS WE CAN. GOTCHA. THANK YOU. UM, [03:00:01] THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW, ALTHOUGH I, I REALLY DO THINK THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ARE, ARE REALLY VALUABLE TO THINK THROUGH. AND I KNOW I WAS RECENTLY TALKING TO THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AROUND THE EXTREME HEAT PROTOCOL AND JUST CONSIDERING THAT, UH, ARTIFICIAL TURF LIKE THE HEAT IS A LOT HIGHER, UPWARDS OF ONE 70 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. I AM, ONE SUGGESTION I HAVE IS THAT WE INCLUDE TURFS AS A PART OF THE EXTREME HEAT PROTOCOL BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF KIDS WHO NEED TO TAKE MORE BREAKS AND HYDRATE OUTSIDE OF JUST THE CONVERSATION ON, UH, THIS FIELD RIGHT NOW. UM, FROM WHAT I HEARD FROM PUBLIC COMMENT, AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, IT'S A, IT FEELS LIKE A QUESTION ABOUT HOW WE CAN INCREASE THE USAGE OF THESE FIELDS FOR OUR SPORTS. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. I THINK THAT'S A VERY VALID POINT. UM, AND I, AND I SUPPORT IT. I, I LOVE SPORTS, I LOVE THE POWER OF IT. UM, I'VE SPENT SO MANY YEARS IN THE SPORTS WORLD DOING WORK TO DO THAT BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED MORE YOUNG PEOPLE PLAYING SPORTS, WHETHER IT'S FOR INTERPERSONAL SKILLS, INTERPERSONAL SKILLS, MENTORSHIP, DISCIPLINE. I MEAN, WHAT YOU GET OUTTA SPORTS IS, IS BEAUTIFUL. AND AT THE SAME TIME I'M LIKE HOLDING THIS TRADE OFF OF THE REALITY, IT NOT BEING AN ATHLETIC FIELD, THAT NOT EVERYONE IS AN ATHLETE WHO USES THAT FIELD. UM, TURF ON THE OTHER HAND HAS A LOT OF DOWNSIDES FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. LIKE I MENTIONED, THE ENVIRONMENT FROM THE HEAT PERSPECTIVE, PLASTICS, MAYBE WE DON'T KNOW AS MUCH. FLOOD DIDN'T COME UP. UM, BUT ALSO FROM AN INJURY SUSCEPTIBILITY PERSPECTIVE, WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING ON A ARTIFICIAL TURF, YOU ACTUALLY GET MORE GRIP AND THAT LENDS ITSELF POTENTIALLY MORE ACL INJURIES, HAMSTRING INJURIES, MCL MENISCUS, I MEAN, I SAY THIS AS SOMEONE WHO'S PLAYED ON A LOT OF ARTIFICIAL TURF. UM, AND THEN THE ONE OTHER THING THAT I WANNA MENTION IS I'VE, THE AMOUNT OF TIME I'VE PLAYED ON ARTIFICIAL TURF, YOU CAN LIKE SEE THE HEAT RADIATING OFF THE TURF TO THE POINT WHERE I THINK YOU COULD PROBABLY BRING A SKILLET AND COOK AN EGG. UM, AND ACCORDING TO THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS, EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, A FT LIKE ARTIFICIAL TURF USERS SHOULD BE LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY USE THE FIELD, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S EXCEEDING TEMPERATURES ABOVE 120 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. SO WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IT, WE WANNA BUILD EQUITY SO THAT WE CAN IMPROVE YOUTH ACCESS TO SPORTS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE CLIMATE CHANGE. SO WHEN WE DO THIS CHANGE AND THEN IN THE FUTURE WE NEED TO GO TO GRASS FIELDS BECAUSE IT'S TOO HOT, WE'RE PUTTING OURSELVES IN A VERY INTERESTING SITUATION. UM, I'LL YIELD FOR, FOR NOW, AND AS A REMINDER, WE CAN COME BACK THE, YOU KNOW, ON THIS DISCUSSION TO YOU AT THE END. WE'LL GO AHEAD. RIGHT NOW I HAVE IN THE ROSTER COUNCILOR ZUZI AND THEN COUNCILLOR SERINA WHEELER. COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY, AND THEN COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN. COUNCILLOR ZUZI, YOU HAVE THE THE FOUR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WAS INCREDIBLY IN, I'VE MET WITH THE PRO TURF, THE PROGRESS GROUPS ACTUALLY SEVERAL TIMES AND I'M IMPRESSED WITH BOTH GROUPS PASSION AND ALL THE REASONS. LIKE THERE ARE LOTS AND LOTS OF PROS AND CONS TO EACH, UM, EACH WANTS JOY, EACH WANTS INTERACTION, EACH WANTS SOCIETY, EACH THAT BOTH GROUPS WANT THE SAME THING. BUT YOU KNOW, I'LL TELL YOU, I WAS IN EAST CAMBRIDGE THIS WEEKEND AND I WAS BIKING BY A BIKED BY A HEARN FIELD TWICE. AND I THINK WHAT REALLY IMPRESSED ME WAS IT'S BESIDE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND IT'S IN A VERY DENSE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT'S WHY I THINK PUTTING IN A PLASTIC FIELD THERE IS SO WEIRD. LIKE IT'S ONE THING TO PUT IT AT DANAY, WHICH IS A TRASH MOUNTAIN. UM, BUT IT'S ANOTHER THING WHERE THERE'S VERY, YOU KNOW, TO PUT IT IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THERE'S VERY LITTLE OPEN SPACE, UM, TO PUT A PLASTIC CARPET. UH, AND I AGREE WITH THE NEIGHBORS. UM, AGAIN, I WANT KIDS PLAYING SOCCER AND I, I WONDER IF WE COULD HAVE THE TURF FIELD, COULD IT BE AT GOLD STAR MOTHERS PARK? THAT'S ANOTHER POSSIBILITY. 'CAUSE 'CAUSE A, A HEARN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE REDOING THAT ALREADY. WHY NOT KEEP A HEARN FIELD OPEN AND GRASS, UM, AND PUT THE TURF ELSEWHERE. UM, I'M IMPRESSED THAT OVER 2000 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED A, UM, A PETITION SAYING THEY REALLY WANT GRASS VERSUS 400 FOR TURF. I'M IMPRESSED WITH, UM, LIKE THE LACK OF FORMAL COMMUNITY PROCESS THAT, THAT THERE WAS RELATING TO THIS. I, I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD LEARN FROM THIS, UM, EXPERIENCE. I FEEL AS THOUGH TOO OFTEN THE CITY BECAUSE, UM, WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT PROBLEMS TO MANAGE OR CHALLENGES TO MANAGE. SOMETIMES WE'RE PATERNALISTIC AND WE MAKE DECISIONS WHAT WE THINK ARE THE BEST DECISIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND I, I REALLY BELIEVE IN THE WISDOM AND INTELLIGENCE AND THOUGHTFULNESS OF OUR RESIDENTS. I I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE STARTED WITH THAT PROCESS AND THEN COME TO A CONCLUSION RATHER THAN SORT OF DECIDING [03:05:01] WHAT WOULD BE BEST FOR THE PEOPLE. I THINK IN THIS CASE, UM, I THINK WE'RE RECOMMENDING THE WRONG DECISION. I THINK ONCE I, I FEEL LIKE IN 10 YEARS WE WILL CERTAINLY NOT WANT A TURF FIELD AT A HEARN BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE WAY TOO HOT AND IT'S GONNA BE FLOODING WAY TOO MUCH. UM, BUT ONCE YOU TURN A GRASS FIELD TO A TURF FIELD, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S SORT OF HARD TO GO BACKWARDS. SO I WORRY ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THAT AS WELL. I, AGAIN, I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER TO THINK ABOUT PUTTING THE TURF ELSEWHERE. SO I WANTED, I WANTED TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS IN MY TWO MINUTES. UM, ONE, UH, THE EAST CAMBRIDGE PLANNING TEAM WROTE AN EXCELLENT LETTER ABOUT THIS AND THEY ASKED HOW ABOUT EXPLORING UNCON UNCONVENTIONAL LOCATIONS FOR A TURF FIELD, GARAGE, GARAGE, ROOFTOPS LEASED INSTITUTIONAL SPACE, COVERED BUBBLE STRUCTURES. I WONDERED IF YOU HAD DONE THAT. AND I'D ALSO WANNA HEAR MORE ABOUT MAINTENANCE BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THERE'S AN ISSUE. UM, ARE WE REALLY AERATING AND SEEDING ALL OUR FIELDS, UH, LIKE IN A THOUGHTFUL WAY? I KNOW YOU ARE AT MAGAZINE BEACH AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. BUT THEN ALSO PARENTS HAVE ASKED, BEEN ASKING ME ABOUT THE SYNTHETIC FIELDS. ARE THEY STERILIZED? HOW IS THE INFILL TESTED? WHAT ARE WE DOING CURRENTLY TO MAINTAIN THE, THE TURF FIELDS? SO THROUGH YOU MAYOR SADIKI TO OUR PANEL SURE. THROUGH YOU MAYOR, I WILL TRY TO, 'CAUSE IN OUR ONE MINUTE I'M NOT SURE WE CAN, OUR WHOLE PANEL CAN ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. SO LET ME START AND TRY. UM, SO THE TESTING THERE IS REGULAR TESTING DONE MULTIPLE TIMES A YEAR AT THE TURF FIELDS FOR THE COMPACTION AND THE SORT OF THE BOUNCE. UM, AND THERE'S A TECHNICAL TERM FOR THAT THAT ADAM COULD SPEND MANY MINUTES TALKING ABOUT, BUT THEY ARE TESTED REGULARLY AND THAT IS HOW WE MONITOR THE FIELDS AND DETERMINE WHEN THEY ACTUALLY NEED TO BE REPLACED. UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS REGULARLY IN TERMS OF THE MAINTENANCE OF OUR GRASS FIELDS. WE ABSOLUTELY RE-SEED AIR RATE, UM, IRRIGATE. WHAT WE DO NOT DO IS CLOSE THEM DOWN FOR REGULAR PERIODS OF TIME. SO IF YOU REALLY WANNA GRASS FIELD TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND TO BE ABLE TO LOOK BETTER AND HAVE GRASS AND NOT GET AS RUN DOWN AS THEIR GRASS FIELDS DO. IN ADDITION TO ALL THOSE PRACTICES THE DPW ACTIVELY DOES, YOU WOULD ALSO NEED TO CLOSE THEM DOWN FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME. AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS THAT, IS THAT YOU WANNA CLOSE THEM DOWN IN THE SPRING AND THE FALL WHEN THE GRASS CAN REALLY GROW, WHICH IS THE EXACT SAME PEAK TIME AS AIR YOUTH SPORTS ARE USING THOSE FIELDS. WE CAN COME BACK TO YOUR, YOUR SECOND ROUND COUNSELOR, SUZI, WE'LL GO TO COUNSELOR FLAHERTY FOR YOU MADAM MAYOR. UM, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS, BUT I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE RACHEL HANKEY'S COMMENTS TONIGHT. SHE'S THE, UH, MOTHER OF THE KID WHO PITCHED A FANTASTIC GAME AGAINST BC HIGH LAST SATURDAY AND THEY BEAT THE NUMBER ONE SEED IN THE STATE AND I'M A BC HIGH GRAD AND IT WAS SPECTACULAR TO BE THERE AND SEE THESE KIDS THAT I'VE KNOWN FOR THE BETTER PART OF A DECADE THROUGH COACHING IN WEST CAMBRIDGE AND ST. PETER'S, CYO AND JUST SEE THEM COMPETE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS IN THE JOY THEY EXHIBITED AND THE CLOSENESS OF THEM. AND THEY'RE PLAYING TOMORROW IN LYNN. I EXPECT TO SEE ALL OF YOU THERE. IF YOU NEED A RIDE, I'LL GIVE YOU A RIDE. SO MY QUESTION IS, UM, WE HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE IN EAST CAMBRIDGE, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY DID. I HAVE. UM, AND THERE WAS SOME FAILURES IN THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, I GUESS. AND IS THERE A WAY, IS THERE A MECHANISM WE CAN EMPLOY OUR, UM, COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THIS CHAMBER? LIKE TEST, TEXT, MESSAGING TO, UH, THAT NEIGHBORHOOD TO REALLY IDENTIFY PEOPLE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AND GET THEIR RESPONSES OR AT LEAST GIVE 'EM ALERT. THAT'S NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO HAS BEEN THERE, HAS THERE BEEN SOME THOUGHT ABOUT INSTALLING MISTING OR A COOLING, UH, SYSTEM TO DEAL WITH? UM, YOU KNOW, INVARIABLY I'M SURE THERE WILL BE SOME HEAT ON THE TURF. I'VE BEEN ON TURF ON HOT DAYS, I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE. UH, AND UM, OH YEAH, FINALLY ON THE REPORT, UM, I, I SAW PERCENTAGES OF USE AND HOW WE CAN INCLUDE OR INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HOURS OF USE. AND I KNOW THAT THE CENTRAL COMPONENT OF USING A HEARN FIELD, UH, IS FOR YOUTH ATHLETICS. UH, I MEAN I, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO I PLAYED SOFTBALL ON THAT FIELD AND IT WAS IN HORRIBLE CONDITION THEN. UH, AND FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, I HAVEN'T PLAYED ON IT MANY, MANY YEARS. UH, IT LOOKS TO BE IN HORRIBLE CONDITION. UM, IS THERE A, UH, AN ESTIMATE OF THE PASSIVE USE AS COMPARED TO THE, UM, ACTIVE USE OF, [03:10:01] OF UH, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZED PLAY OR JUST KIDS USING THE FIELD IN THAT WAY? UM, SO THOSE ARE MY THREE QUESTIONS. I'M SORRY TO RUSH THROUGH IT, BUT WE'LL GET OUR TIME. ALL RIGHT THERE. LOOK AT THAT. WE SPLIT THE TIME. WE'LL DO GREAT. YES. UM, AND AGAIN, I'LL START, I'D SAY THAT IN TERMS OF USAGE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT IS WE FOCUS A LOT ON SORT OF THE PROGRAMMED USAGE IN TERMS OF YOUTH SPORTS. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS CHALLENGING ABOUT A HEARN FIELD IS THAT IT PROVIDES, UM, IT IS ACTIVE BASICALLY ALL DAY LONG BETWEEN THE SCHOOL, BETWEEN DAYCARES, BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOODS, NEIGHBORHOOD FOLKS USING IT AND THE YOUTH PROGRAMS. AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT USES THAT TAKE PLACE OVER ALL DAY LONG AND EVENING. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS ALSO IMPORTANT IS TO REMEMBER THAT THIS IS THE ENTIRE COMPLEX OF THE, IT'S NOT JUST THE FIELD. LIKE WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED HERE TODAY ON THE FIELD, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES THE OTHER PLAYGROUND AREAS, OTHER, UM, OPEN SPACE AREAS AROUND THE, THE SCHOOL. UM, THE PLAN DOES INCLUDE PLANTING 34 ADDITIONAL TREES. AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER ELEMENTS BESIDES JUST THE TURF FIELD. SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. I ALSO THINK WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE HEAT, AND THIS GOES BACK TO WHAT COUNSELOR ZUBIE BROUGHT UP AS WELL, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR WE'VE REALLY TRIED TO FORMALIZE OUR HEAT PROTOCOL AND IT'S THE FIRST YEAR I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL, HAVE A MORE ORGANIZED RESPONSE TO HEAT EVENTS. UM, AND ONE OF THOSE IS COORDINATING WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, SPORTS AND THINKING ABOUT, AND THIS IS FOR ALL FIELDS AND SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE TURF FIELDS. 'CAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE ARE SAYING LIKE, OH, I PLAYED ON TURF FIELDS BEFORE AND YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THOSE ARE CRUMB RUBBER AND SO THIS WILL BE LESS HOT THAN THAT, STILL HOTTER THAN GRASS SINCE WE WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT THAT. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE STRATEGIES, THINKING ABOUT WHEN ARE THE GAME TIMES, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING WATER STATIONS IN PARK SO PEOPLE HAVE EASY ACCESS TO WATER, ADJUSTING THE GAME LENGTH THINKING, MAKING SURE THERE'S NEARBY SHADED AREAS. SO THAT'S WHERE I TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PLANNING ADDITIONAL TREES AND THOSE OTHER AMENITIES IN THE PARK SPACE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND THEN ALSO THINKING ABOUT COOLING TIME OUT. SO WE'RE THINKING ABOUT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT STRATEGIES, AND AGAIN, THIS IS ACROSS ALL OF OUR FIELDS AND SPORTS SO THAT WHEN WE'RE DECLARING SAYING IT IS A HEAT EMERGENCY, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO REALLY STEP BACK AND SAY, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE KIDS ARE SAFE? UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS THAT AGAIN, THE SORT OF THE BUSIEST TIME FOR PROGRAMMED YOUTH ACTIVITIES IS REALLY THE SPRING AND THE FALL. AND THEN FOR THE SCHOOL IT'S REALLY THROUGH THE SCHOOL YEAR. AND SO YOU'RE SHORTER, YOU'RE BALANCING LIKE, YES, WE CAN PLAY MORE OF IT ON, USE IT MORE DURING RAINY WET DAYS, BUT THERE MAY BE HOT DAYS WHERE WE DON'T USE IT. AND SO AGAIN, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE ABOUT TRADE OFFS AND WE TRY TO BE REALLY CLEAR THAT WE DON'T SEE ANY OF THIS AS LIKE THERE'S THIS PERFECT ANSWER. UM, AND IN TERMS OF OUTREACH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS. HOW'S THAT? WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU COUNSELOR FLAHERTY. COUNSELOR SABRINA WHEELER. THANKS, MAYOR SIKI THROUGH YOU. UM, FOLKS HAVE MADE GOOD POINTS ABOUT THE SCIENCE, UH, AND PERSONAL IMPACTS ON THIS. SO I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT A BIT ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE PROCESS AROUND IT. UM, THIS TOPIC FIRST CAME TO MY ATTENTION IN MAY, 2025 WHEN THERE WAS A LINE ITEM FOR A HEARN FIELD IMPROVEMENTS THAT SHOWED UP IN THE CITY BUDGET, UH, WITH CITY MANAGER REQUESTING $7.5 MILLION. AND IT WASN'T CLEAR AT THE TIME WHAT THE BUDGET LINE MEANT BECAUSE, UH, THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY CITY COUNCIL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PUTTING TURF FUNNY HERE, HEARN FIELD, BEFORE MAY, 2025. AND I, I DON'T THINK THERE HAD BEEN ANY PUBLIC, PUBLIC FORUMS ABOUT IT EITHER, IF I'M WRONG ABOUT THAT. AND THERE WAS A, A COUNCIL MEETING OR A PUBLIC MEETING IN EAST CAMBRIDGE BEFORE MAY, 2025. YOU KNOW, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. UM, BUT I NOTICED THAT, UH, AT A TIME WHEN THE CITY STAFF AND COUNCIL WERE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THE NEED TO REDUCE CITY SPENDING BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK. SO ON MAY 14TH, 2025 AT 12:37 PM I SENT AN EMAIL TO CITY MANAGER AND STAFF SAYING, I HOPE YOU'RE DOING WELL. COUNCILORS, NOLAN SIDIKI AND MYSELF HAD A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSED $7.5 MILLION FUNDING ALLOCATION FOR AHERN FIELD IN THE CURRENT BUDGET. IN THE SPIRIT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE COUNCIL NOT APPROVING FUNDING REQUESTS THAT ARE NOT THE HIGHEST PRIORITY, WE BELIEVE IT MAY MAKE SENSE, UH, TO REDUCE THE PROPOSED ALLOCATION IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. AND IT'S INTERESTING 'CAUSE I I HADN'T RAISED ANYTHING ABOUT AHERN FIELD PUBLICLY. THIS WAS A PRIVATE EMAIL TO CITY STAFF. BUT I WENT BACK TODAY AND LOOKED AT THE EMAILS THE CITY COUNCIL RECEIVED TO OUR GENERAL CITY COUNCIL EMAIL BEFORE AND AFTER I SENT THAT, BEFORE I SENT THAT EMAIL, WE HADN'T RECEIVED ANY EMAILS FROM FOLKS ABOUT AHERN FIELD. 90 MINUTES AFTER I SENT THAT EMAIL, WE STARTED GETTING EMAILS IN SUPPORT OF A HEARN FIELD. UH, AND WE ULTIMATELY GOT MORE THAN A DOZEN EMAILS IN SUPPORT OF A HEARN FIELD, UH, IMPROVEMENTS IN THE 48 HOUR PERIOD AFTER I SENT THAT EMAIL. AND IT'S POSSIBLE THAT TIMING IS TOTALLY COINCIDENTAL. UM, BUT IT ALSO SEEMS POSSIBLE THERE WAS SOME COORDINATION BETWEEN CITY STAFF AND RESIDENTS ADVOCATING FOR TURF ON A HEARING FIELD. THERE'S NOTHING, YOU KNOW, NECESSARILY NEFARIOUS ABOUT THAT, BUT IT WAS A BIT CONFUSING THEN TO FIND OUT A YEAR LATER. THERE WASN'T AS MUCH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AROUND THIS AS THE CITY COUNCIL THOUGHT THERE HAD BEEN WHEN WE, WE, UH, HAD THIS IN OUR BUDGET. AND YOU, I'LL BE HONEST, I AM NOT AN EXPERT ON THE SCIENCE OF GRASP VERSUS TURF. I [03:15:01] HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK INTO EVERY SINGLE PRO AND CON BECAUSE THAT HAS NEVER ACTUALLY COME BEFORE US FOR A VOTE OR, OR EVEN A REAL, UH, DISCUSSION. AND WE HAVE A MILLION OTHER ITEMS BEFORE US, INCLUDING AT OUR AGENDA TONIGHT. UM, BUT I AM A CITY COUNSELOR AND I'M, I'M FRUSTRATED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WAS AT BEST, YOU KNOW, NOT REALLY ENGAGED ON THIS ISSUE ISSUE AND MAYBE ACTUALLY PROVIDED WITH CONFUSING INFO TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE THERE WAS UNANIMOUS SU SUPPORT FOR, FOR TURF WHEN IT CAME UP LAST YEAR, WHEN WE KNOW NOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT MORE FOLKS WHO ARE OPPOSED TO IT. UM, I TRIED TO RAISE THESE QUESTIONS MORE THAN A, MORE THAN A YEAR AGO. WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT DISCUSSION THEN BECAUSE OF THE CHALLENGES IN OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE PROCESS THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH, UH, THAT MAKE IT REALLY HARD FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO HAVE MEANINGFUL INPUT IN THE CITY BUDGET. UH, YOU KNOW, AND FOLKS HAVE ASKED ME, WHO HAS THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY HERE? AND, YOU KNOW, CLEAR THEN CLEAR NOW IT IS ULTIMATELY THE CITY MANAGER WHO HAS THIS, THIS AUTHORITY ON THIS. THE CITY, CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, CAN ASK, WE COULD, WE COULD ALL NINE OF US SAY ONE THING AND THE CITY MAN, CITY MANAGER COULD STILL DO ANOTHER THING. THAT'S THE STRUCTURE OF OUR GOVERNMENT RIGHT NOW. BUT I THINK IT'S, IM IMPORTANT TO, TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW THIS WAS SET UP. AND IF THIS WERE SOMERVILLE AND, YOU KNOW, MAYOR JAKE WILSON WE'RE SAYING, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA PUT TURF ON THIS FIELD, AND I WAS ELECTED BY THE VOTERS AND I, THIS IS THE DECISION I'M MAKING AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, YOU CAN VOTE ME OUT. RESIDENTS OF CAMBRIDGE DON'T HAVE THAT CHOICE RIGHT NOW. THERE, THERE'S NO WAY TO REALLY GO TO THE TOP IF THEY AREN'T INVOLVED WITH THIS DECISION. AND IF YOU WANT, WANT THE SYSTEM TO WORK, YOU KNOW, THE CITY MANAGER REALLY HAS TO ENGAGE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON ISSUES AHEAD OF TIME TO MAKE SURE THERE IS REAL BUY-IN FOR THAT. AND I DON'T, DON'T KNOW IF THAT HAPPENED HERE. UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS JUST A REPORT. SO THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO TONIGHT IS PUT IT ON FILE. BUT, YOU KNOW, I AM FRUSTRATED AT HOW WE'VE GOTTEN TO THIS POINT AND DO THINK WE COULD HAVE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN A YEAR AGO BEFORE THE BUDGET ALLOCATION WAS EVEN PROPOSED AND NOT, YOU KNOW, NOW WHEN WE'RE JUST A, A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THINGS BEING IMPLEMENTED. UM, SO I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO, TO ENGAGE ON THIS. UM, BUT WE'LL YIELD BACK FOR NOW. UM, I CAN PROVIDE SOME RESPONSE, UH, THROUGH YOU, MARY SIDIKI IN 60 SECONDS. UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD, I WOULD JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UM, I THINK IN TERMS OF, UM, HOW WE'VE DONE THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATION OVER GRASS VERSUS TURF, UM, THERE COULD BE A LOT IMPROVED. UM, I WOULD ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, REFLECTING ON THIS CONVERSATION, UH, AND I'D SAY LOOK AT COMMUNITIES BOTH LOCALLY AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I THINK THIS IS ACTUALLY AN INCREDIBLY HARD CONVERSATION EVERYWHERE IT'S BEING HAD. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF FOLKS SAW THE ARTICLE ABOUT THE DEBATE IN NANTUCKET, UM, OR THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE IN NEW JERSEY, UM, OR EVEN OUR NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY IN ARLINGTON. UM, I THINK EVERY COMMUNITY IS WEIGHING THESE TRADE-OFFS, AND I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT THEY REALLY ARE TRADE-OFFS. UM, TURF IS NOT GRASS. AND THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT, ESPECIALLY THIS MOMENT IN TIME WHERE WE'RE LOSING SOME SENSE OF THE NATURAL. AND YET AT THE SAME TIME, GRASS IS NOT ABLE TO HANDLE THE KIND OF FREQUENT ACTIVITY THAT, UM, WE, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE OUR KIDS PLAYING AND PARTICIPATING IN. UM, I THINK I CAN, I THINK JUST TO, JUST TO SAY IN OTHER COMMUNITIES WHERE THIS HAS BEEN A LONG CONVERSATION, LIKE ARLINGTON, UM, THEY HAVE LANDED ESSENTIALLY WHERE WE ARE NOW, WHICH IS THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A CASE BY CASE CONVERSATION. AND ALSO, UM, A LOT OF THE TESTING AND VERY STRICT REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE ARE THE ONES THAT THEY'VE ADOPTED. AND SO THEY'VE HAD THE SAME BACK AND FORTH DEBATE. THEY'VE ENDED UP ACTUALLY WITH A CRU RUBBER FIELD THAT THEY'RE EXTENSIVELY TESTING. UM, BUT IN MANY WAYS I THINK COMMUNITIES ARE LANDING IN A SIMILAR SPOT. WE'RE GOING TO GO TO COUNCILOR MCGOVERN AND THEN VICE MAYOR. THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR THROUGH YOU. UM, FIRST I WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN CONTACTING US, UM, AND WHO TESTIFIED WHETHER THEY SUPPORT TURF OR, OR GRASS. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A VERY, PEOPLE ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS. WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ULTIMATELY TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE'S KIDS AND, AND ENJOYMENT AND UM, AND, AND OPEN SPACE, UH, IN NEIGHBORHOODS. SO IT'S, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE, UM, THE WORK THAT PEOPLE HAVE PUT INTO THIS. UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF, THIS HAS BEEN REALLY, UH, DIFFICULT FOR ME ANYWAY. I AM, IN SOME WAYS IT'S BEEN MORE DIFFICULT FOR ME THAN THE HOUSING CONVERSATION BECAUSE I KNOW WHERE I STAND ON HOUSING . UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, I'M A YOUTH SPORTS PERSON. I COACH OR DID COACH GREW UP PLAYING CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER COACH, CAMBRIDGE YOUTH SOCCER, PLAYED LITTLE LEAGUE COACH, LITTLE LEAGUE, UM, DO A SPONSOR USE SPORTS ALL OVER THE CITY AND ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPORTS. UM, SO I'M, YOU KNOW, SO I GET THAT AND I GET THE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE USING THE, IF THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THIS FIELD IS FOR SPORTS USE, THEN THERE ARE A LOT OF VALID ARGUMENTS. THE TURF, [03:20:01] YOU KNOW, MAKES SENSE. BUT IT'S MORE THAN THAT, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE ACT SPORTS AND THE ACTIVITIES DURING THOSE SPORTS. IT IS ABOUT PEOPLE WHO USE THAT SPACE, UM, WHEN IT'S NOT ORGANIZED SPORTS, RIGHT? AND, AND TO THAT GRASS SEEMS TO MAKE A WHOLE LOT MORE SENSE, RIGHT? WHO DOESN'T LIKE GRASS? I JUST, I FINALLY GOT A LAWNMOWER. I'M CUTTING MY GRASS MYSELF AND I LOVE IT AND IT SMELLS WONDERFUL. UM, AND SO IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT I GUESS MR. MANAGER, I GUESS A FEW QUESTIONS. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, WHEN I LOOK AT THE, THE REPORT AND I LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND I KNOW THAT YOU, THERE WERE MEETINGS AND THERE WAS COMMUNITY OUTREACH. I DON'T KNOW HOW IF WE DID THAT WELL, WE END UP WITH A PETITION OF 2000 PEOPLE SAYING, WELL, WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS WAS HAPPENING AND WE DON'T AGREE WITH IT, SO DO WE DO, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S BEEN DONE. LIKE, DO WE EVER, WE TALK ABOUT PROCESS ALL THE TIME. DO WE EVER GO BACK AND LOOK AND DO LIKE A POSTMORTEM ON WHAT WE DID AND WHAT WE DID WRONG AND MAKE THOSE CORRECTIONS THE NEXT TIME? 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE HERE A LOT WHERE, YOU KNOW, DECISIONS GET MADE AND PEOPLE SAY WE NEVER KNEW ABOUT IT, OR, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T THINK OUR CONCERNS WERE ADDRESSED. SO, SO THAT'S ONE THING I WANNA SORT OF PUT OUT THERE, IS THAT REGARDLESS OF WHERE THIS LANDS, THAT HAS TO, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO BETTER THERE. AND THEN SECOND, I WOULD SAY, AND COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER MENTIONED THIS, UM, JUST WHERE THE POWERS GIVEN OUR CITY CHARTER KIND OF LIE. AND SO WE COULD PLACE THIS ON FILE, WHICH IS NORMALLY WHAT WE DO. IT DOESN'T MEAN WE AGREE WITH IT. IT JUST MEANS YOU GAVE US THE REPORT WE ASKED FOR, WE COULD SEND IT BACK TO YOU FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION. BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WOULD SENDING IT BACK TO YOU FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION, ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING, HAVE YOU MADE UP YOUR MIND? IS THIS A DONE DEAL AND WE JUST NEED TO JUST, IT'S DONE? OR ARE YOU OPEN TO MAKING A CHANGE AND GOING TO GRASP? BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO ALSO WASTE PEOPLE'S TIME AND ENERGY IF YOU'VE MADE UP YOUR MIND AND IT'S GONNA BE TURF AND THAT'S IT. WHETHER I LIKE IT OR OTHER PEOPLE LIKE IT, UM, OR NOT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO DRAG PEOPLE ALONG FOR A REALLY EMOTIONAL AND HARD CONVERSATION FOR NO REASON. SO IS THIS A DONE DEAL, UM, THROUGH YOU MAYOR SADIKI? I THINK MAYBE FIRST I CAN HAVE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER WATKINS, JUST GIVE A SENSE OF LIKE, TIMING AND WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS. AND THEN I'LL, I'LL TALK A BIT AND WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA GO OVER 60 SECONDS. SO I THINK THE PROCESS QUESTION IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ONE. SO WHEN WE WERE AT CITY COUNCIL FOR THE APPROPRIATION, FOR THE BUDGET HEARING LAST YEAR, WE TALKED ABOUT A FERN FIELD BEING A TURF FIELD. AND SO, UM, STAFF WENT INTO THE PROCESS WITH THE COMMUNITY BEING VERY, TRYING TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT THAT WAS NOT A DECISION. SO THAT WOULD'VE JUST A DECISION THAT WAS ALREADY MADE. 'CAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE GET ACCUSED OF AND WE WANT, AND THAT WE'RE REALLY SENSITIVE TO IS GOING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE, OH, WE HAVE ALL THESE OPTIONS. WHAT DO YOU LIKE? AND IF WE'VE ALREADY MADE A DECISION, WE WANT TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT. SO I THINK THAT IS ONE PIECE OF THIS DISCUSSION. I THINK WE DO ALWAYS DO SORT OF A POSTMORTEM IN TERMS OF WHAT WENT WELL, WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T WORK. AND SO THAT IS ABSOLUTELY PART OF THE ONGOING PROCESS AROUND ANY OF THESE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS. BUT TO THE SECOND POINT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO . UM, YOU KNOW, I'D SAY THE WAY THAT I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS AND, AND I JUST REALLY WANNA RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS ACTUALLY MEANT TO BE HOW WE HAVE SOME OF THESE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE BOTH THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN ENGAGED ON THIS TOPIC AND THE MANY THAT I TALKED TO CERTAINLY OVER THIS WEEKEND. UM, I THINK THESE TRADE OFFS ARE REAL. AND UM, AND I THINK IT'S ALSO DIFFICULT BECAUSE MY SENSE IS THAT WHEN GIVEN AN OPTION BETWEEN A GRASS FIELD AND A TURF FIELD, EVERYONE IS GOING TO CHOOSE A GRASS FIELD. YEAH. AND I THINK THAT'S THE ENERGY THAT WE ARE FEELING. UM, THE CHALLENGE IS THAT IN REALITY, THE CHOICE THAT WE HAVE IS NOT SIMPLY BETWEEN A GRASS FIELD AND A TURF FIELD. IT'S BETWEEN GRASS FIELDS THAT CAN'T WITHSTAND THE KIND OF FREQUENT USE AND THE NEED FOR MORE SPORTS TIME IF WE SUPPORT MORE SPORTS TIME, UM, IN A TURF FIELD. AND I THINK THAT'S MUCH TO WHAT DEPUTY CITY MANAGER WATKINS NOTED, THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN TO MAINTAIN OUR GRASS FIELDS. AND THE IDEA THAT WE CAN SIMPLY MAINTAIN THEM MORE IS NOT ACTUALLY REAL IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THEM MORE, MORE WE NEED TO REST THEM AND WE NEED TO REST THEM AT EXACTLY THE TIME WHEN THEY'RE IN DEMAND. AND WHEN THEY'RE IN DEMAND IS FOUR TO 7:00 PM ON WEEKDAYS. AND THAT'S WHERE WE REALLY GET CHALLENGED. AND, AND I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, PART OF, UM, WHAT YOU ARE HEARING FROM THE CITY AND KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE IS SOME CHARACTERIZATION TO SAY THE CITY ADMINISTRATION ISN'T LISTENING, THAT WE HAVEN'T ENGAGED THE COMMUNITY. I THINK [03:25:01] WHAT YOU ARE HEARING IS FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BUILDING AND MAINTAINING THE FIELDS IN THE CITY, THEY'RE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SCHEDULING THEM. THEY'RE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SEEING THE UTILIZATION. AND IT'S THE ORGANIZATIONS, THE VOLUNTEERS REALLY WHO ARE LEADING OUR SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BOOKING AND SCHEDULING. AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE TELLING US AS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP THEM CONTINUE TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH TO PLAY SPORTS. THEY'RE THE ONES TELLING US THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ACCESS AT THE TIMES THAT THEY NEED IT. AND I THINK IT'S TOUGH BECAUSE IN THESE CONVERSATIONS, I KNOW EVERYBODY IS WELL-MEANING AND POINTING TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO. I GUARANTEE THAT IF THERE WERE EASY OPTIONS, IF MIT OR HARVARD WAS SITTING ON A FIELD THAT WASN'T BEING USED, WE WOULD BE USING IT. IF THERE WAS AN EASY WAY TO BUILD MULTI-STORY GRASS FIELDS, WE WOULD BE DOING THAT AS WELL. BUT A LOT OF THESE REALLY AREN'T OPTIONS AND COMMUNITY AFTER COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN FACED WITH THIS EXACT DECISION AND HAD THESE SAME CONVERSATIONS. AND IT IS JUST ULTIMATELY A TRADE OFF WHERE WE, WE ARE PROPOSING AND WE ARE PLANNING AND WE HAVE BEEN MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PLAN TO BUILD OUT A TURF FIELD THAT I THINK WILL ALLOW FOR SIGNIFICANTLY MORE YOUTH SPORTS AND ESPECIALLY IN EAST CAMBRIDGE. AND I THINK I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT THAT DOES HAVE SOME KIND OF COST AND WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MITIGATE THOSE. UM, AND I THINK THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITY TO COME TO THE COUNCIL AND TO HAVE THAT RECOMMENDATION. AND I THINK AT THIS POINT WE ARE VERY FAR ALONG IN THE PROCESS AND, UM, AND I THINK WE SHOULD STAY THE COURSE. AND I RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S A HARD THING TO SAY. WE HAVE VICE MAYOR, UM, THANK YOU. UM, MR. CITY MANAGER, I WAS JUST, UH, INTERNALIZING THAT RESPONSE. UM, I GUESS I HAVE A QUESTION. UH, GIVEN WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS, WE'VE HEARD LIKE PERHAPS THE COST OF THE FIELD WOULD BE A COUPLE MILLION DOLLARS AND TURNING INTO TURFS IF WE ENDED UP NOT PROCEEDING, WOULD WE HAVE A FEW EXTRA MILLION DOLLARS WE COULD PERHAPS PUT INTO THE SCHOOL NEXT DOOR OR SOMETHING, UM, THROUGH YOU MAYOR? SO THERE WAS MONEY THAT WAS APPROPRIATED FOR THE FIELD. SO IT WAS FOR SPECIFIC PARK USE. UM, THE INCREMENTAL COST BETWEEN A FULL GRASS FIELD AND THE TURF FIELD IS BETWEEN 600,000 IN A MILLION. SO THE NUMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN STATED, UM, DON'T INCLUDE THE DIFFERENCE. 'CAUSE YOU WOULD OBVIOUSLY REDO THE FULL TURF FIELD AS IF IT WAS GRASS, NATURAL TURF. YOU WOULD ALSO FULLY RECONSTRUCT THE FIELD WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, IRRIGATION AND WITH DRAINAGE AND ANY NUMBER OF OTHER IMPROVEMENTS. SO THE DIFFERENTIAL COST IS MUCH SMALLER THAN, UM, WHAT'S BEEN REPORTED. GOT IT. OKAY. UM, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I CAME HERE TODAY, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING A VERY STRONG OPINION ON THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GRASS AND TURF, BUT MUCH RATHER SEEING THIS AS A CHANGE OF USE, RIGHT? WHICH IS LIKE, I THINK THAT IT'S INHERENTLY KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT PRODUCTS THAT WE'RE OFFERING, WHICH IS IF YOU HAVE TURF THAT'S MEANT FOR MORE, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, PRACTICING SPORTS, BUT FROM ALL ACROSS THE CITY WHO WANNA COME AND USE THOSE FIELDS. AND THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF FIELDS AND THERE IS A HIGH INTEREST IN SPORTS. AND YOU KNOW, THE PRODUCT THAT'S KIND OF THERE RIGHT NOW IS GRASS, WHICH IS MORE FOR THE LOCAL PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO WANNA GO ON A WALK, WHO WANNA FEEL THAT, UM, AND YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO TAKE A PICNIC IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY AND MAYBE SOME LIGHT SPORTS SHOES AS WELL. BUT I THINK THEY'RE INHERENTLY DIFFERENT SORTS OF THINGS. UM, I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN IN COMPRESSED AND LIKE A LITTLE BIT OVERWHELMED WITH THE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY IN THAT I THINK THAT IN MY FIVE YEARS OF CITY COUNCIL, I'VE NEVER ONCE SEEN PUBLIC COMMENT WHERE THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WERE NEW FACES. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT IS A CREDIT TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO'VE COME FORWARD. UM, I THINK AT THIS POINT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY AT THE BEGINNING OF IT, BUT IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S A PRETTY STRONG, UM, UM, INTEREST IN IT STAYING IN THE GRASS, UH, SORT OF THING. AND I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO RECONCILE THAT. I THINK THAT WE TALK ABOUT DOING THIS ON A CASE BY CASE, UH, BASIS, RIGHT? UM, BUT I THINK MAYBE THAT IS WRONG. LIKE, I THINK THAT WITH OTHER SORTS OF THINGS SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CYCLING SAFETY ORDINANCE OR OTHER SORTS OF THINGS WE'VE BEEN LIKE, YOU KNOW, EACH INDIVIDUAL DECISION IS REALLY HARD, BUT IF WE THOUGHT AT A CITY LEVEL OF LIKE, HERE'S THE AMOUNT OF TURF THAT WE WANT SO WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THE AMOUNT OF SPORTS USE YOU WANTED, AND HERE'S THE AMOUNT OF GRASS THAT WE NEED FOR ALL SORTS OF NEIGHBORHOOD USES, MAYBE WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT IT IN A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A COMPREHENSIVE MANNER THAN ON A CASE BY CASE. UM, POINT. AND SO I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT TO SAY AT THIS POINT BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I'VE, UM, ALSO TAKEN THE POSITION THAT VERY STRONGLY IF THE COUNCIL FEELS LIKE A DECISION SHOULD BE MADE, A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAT WE SHOULD ADHERE BY THAT DECISION. AND I FEEL THAT IT ACTUALLY HELPS JUSTIFY THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT WHERE I'M VERY PROUD THAT WE'RE BASICALLY THE ONLY CITY IN MASSACHUSETTS [03:30:01] NOT LAYING OFF PEOPLE RIGHT NOW. AND I THINK THAT THIS SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IS A LITTLE BIT FRAGILE, WHERE PEOPLE NEED TO FEEL LIKE ACTUALLY CHA DECISIONS CAN GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, EVEN IF THERE IS SUNKEN COSTS, YOU KNOW, UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FEEL LIKE IT'S THE WRONG DECISION. SO I'M NOT EXACTLY LIKE VERY SATISFIED WITH THAT ANSWER. UM, AND I DO HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS AN ABILITY TO NOT LET THIS BE THE END OF THIS CONVERSATION. ANYONE WHO HASN'T SPOKEN YET WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER, CAN I, OKAY, CAN I JUST YES, GO AHEAD. THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR. UM, YOU BRING UP REALLY GOOD POINTS ABOUT THE FIELD AND THE MANY USES OF THE FIELD. UM, AND I JUST WANNA POINT TO TWO QUICK THINGS. ONE IS THE SITE AND THE DESIGN PROCESS THAT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH, UM, IS DESIGNED TO TRY TO ACCOMMODATE THE MOST HOURS, THE MOST USED FOR THE MOST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE. LOTS OF THE PEOPLE THAT USE THAT SITE FOR PASSIVE RECREATION ARE THOSE BRINGING THEIR KIDS TO OUR FOOD PROGRAM OR OUR BASKETBALL LEAGUES OR OUR STREET HOCKEY LEAGUES. AND THEY'RE HANGING OUT, THEY'RE USUALLY HANGING OUT IN THE SHADED AREAS. UM, OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE FIELD. WE'VE TRIED TO BE REALLY INTENTIONAL ABOUT LISTENING TO WHAT PEOPLE WANT, UM, AND PROVIDING THAT WITH OUR DESIGN TEAM. SO WHEN YOU ASK FOR A DEEPER CONVERSATIONS BUSINESS, I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CONTINUE TO SEE WITH OUR DESIGN TEAM AS WE CONTINUE TO ROLL THROUGH, UM, THE PROJECT. AND THE THING THAT DOESN'T SHOW UP ON ANY OF THESE IS THE AMOUNT OF NUMBERS THAT WE, THAT, THAT WE CAN'T USE THE FIELD FOR. UM, BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CITYWIDE INVENTORY, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND THINGS THAT GO UP AND DOWN FOR FIELDS AND OUR INVENTORY CHANGES EVERY YEAR, BUT, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF PLAY WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, THERE'S A DRASTIC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS SIDE, THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN AND THE NORTH AND WEST SIDE OF TOWN, AS IS STATED IN THE REPORT. SO WE REALLY LOOKED AT THIS AS A TOTAL INVENTORY THING. AND THEN ALSO I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF FOLKS, UM, OVER THE YEARS, LIKE THE IMPACT OF THEIR PROGRAM FLAG FOOTBALL WAS A SIGNIFICANT ONE WHERE 70% OF THEIR KIDS, UM, FOR WHATEVER REASON, WEREN'T ABLE TO OR DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO THE NORTH AND WEST SIDE OF THE CITY, BUT WHEN IT WAS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY WERE ABLE TO COME OUT AND PLAY. UM, AND, UM, I THINK THAT THAT MATTERS QUITE A BIT. UM, AND THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE HELD, UH, CLOSE TO OUR HEART IS LIKE ALL THE TESTIMONIALS AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN FOR DEMAND AND USAGE AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO OFFER PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY OVER THE YEARS. SO THE CONVERSATION WILL CONTINUE, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM ALL SIDES, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THE MOST AMOUNT OF HOURS FOR THE MOST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE FOR THE MOST AMOUNT OF TIME. THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN THE GOAL. COUNCILOR SIMMONS, DID YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? COUNCILOR MCGOVERN, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP AND WE'LL GO TO COUNCILOR AND IT'S 9:03 PM UM, YEAH, I MEAN, I, I MEAN THIS IS, THIS IS TOUGH. THIS IS FRUSTRATING. I THINK, YOU KNOW, UM, I I, I HEAR, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE CITY IS SAYING AND, AND I, AND I DON'T DISAGREE THAT YOU CAN GET MORE USE OUT OF A TURF FIELD THAN OUT OF A GRASS FIELD IN THIS CLIMATE, YOU KNOW? UM, BUT AGAIN, IT COMES BACK TO IS THIS, IS THIS, AND SHOULD THIS BE MORE THAN JUST A PLAYING FIELD FOR ORGANIZED SPORTS? AND IT SOUNDS LIKE TO FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY IT IS. SO IF, IF WE, I GUESS I HAD MENTIONED, I HAD SAID THAT WE COULD SEND THIS BACK. I GOT A NOTE SAYING, I DON'T THINK WE, THAT WE CAN, I KNOW WE'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST AND I'M NOT SURE WE'RE ALLOWED TO, SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE ACTUALLY CAN, I THINK MAYBE THE ONLY OPTION WE HAVE IS TO PUT IT ON FILE. UM, MAYBE THE CLERK CAN CAN COMMENT ON THAT IN A SECOND. UM, BUT I THINK THERE NEEDS TO, YOU KNOW, IF THIS IS GONNA GO FORWARD WITH TURF, I THINK THERE REALLY NEEDS TO BE SOME REAL WORK DONE WITH FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY. I THINK THERE REALLY NEEDS TO BE SOME REPAIR WORK DONE THERE. UM, I, I THINK THE IDEAS THAT COUNCILOR FLAHERTY AND ELZU BROUGHT UP ABOUT COOLING AND, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST WORKING INTO OUR HEAT PROTOCOL, BUT IF SPRINKLERS OR OTHER THINGS TO HELP, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY IT'S THE HEALTH OF THE KIDS THAT, THAT I THINK IS MOST IMPORTANT. UM, BUT MAN, THIS, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S FRUSTRATING BECAUSE HERE WE ARE IN A, IN THIS TOUGH BUDGET TIME AS COUNCILOR, UH, VICE MAYOR EEM SAID, AND WE'RE INVESTING MONEY IN NEW FIELDS, WHICH MOST OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE NOT DOING. AND INSTEAD OF CELEBRATING THAT, THERE'S PEOPLE THAT FEEL REALLY HURT AND DAMAGED BY THIS PROCESS. AND THAT'S JUST, I WISH WE COULD ALL BE EXCITED ABOUT IT, BUT THE WAY THIS UNROLLED AND THE WAY THIS HAPPENED, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO REALLY FEEL HURT BY THIS DECISION AND, AND, AND UPSET WITH THIS DECISION. AND I JUST, I REALLY WISH THAT THAT WASN'T, WASN'T THE CASE. UM, BECAUSE EITHER WAY WE LOOK AT IT, IT'S GONNA BE AN IMPROVEMENT OVER WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE DUST BOWL IN SOME WAYS IT'S THERE AND, AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE FIELD, IT'S ABOUT THE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING. BUT I MEAN, WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS HERE, MADAM MAYOR THROUGH THE CLERK? [03:35:01] I MEAN, WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THIS? SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT COUNSEL, WE TYPICALLY, WE CAN WE MOVE TO, WE, WE PLACE THIS ON FILE, ANY COUNSELOR CAN MAKE A MOTION AT ANY TIME AND SAY, I MOVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO X THAT MOTION CAN GET CHARTER AND SOMEONE CAN BRING IN A MOTION AT AN NEXT MEETING. BUT TYPICALLY IT'S TO PLACE THESE GET PLACED ON FILE. THAT IS ALWAYS OUR PROCEDURE. OKAY. UM, THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR. SO IN, IN TERMS OF TIMING ON THIS, AND MAYBE IT WAS IN HERE AND I JUST, I JUST MISSED IT. UM, WHEN ARE YOU PLANNING ON MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS? IS THIS REALLY A DECISION THAT HAS TO BE MADE NOW? CAN THERE BE MORE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS? AND THEN AGAIN, WOULD THAT CONVERSATION MAKE A DIFFERENCE, UM, THROUGH YOU MAYOR SIDIKI? SO THE DESIGN TEAM IS ACTIVELY WORKING ON THESE DESIGNS. UM, AND, UM, AND SO IT IS LIKE, IT IS ONGOING. AND SO WHEN PEOPLE TALK, YOU KNOW, THE ORIGINAL ORDER CAME IN AND SAID DON'T START CONSTRUCTION. AND SO WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT, BUT THE DESIGN IS ONGOING. THE DESIGN TEAMS ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THE BID DOCUMENTS WITH THE GOAL OF HAVING THOSE DONE IN JULY SO THAT WE CAN GET DETAILED PRICING. AND SO CONSTRUCTION CAN ACTUALLY BEGIN. UM, AND SO IT IS AN IMMINENT PROCESS THAT IS UNDERWAY. OKAY. AND DO WE COUNCIL, SORRY, THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR. UM, DO WE, UM, IN WHO'S INVOLVED IN SORT OF MAKING THIS DECISION? BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND SOMETIMES OUR GOALS CONFLICT, RIGHT? AND SO DID WE TALK TO THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY OR ARE THEY SAYING THAT THE TURF IS OKAY AND MEETS OUR GOALS? OR WERE THEY, YOU KNOW, HOW, WHO MADE THIS DECISION ULTIMATELY? UM, THREE MAYOR STICKY, WE CAN GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL DECISION, BUT YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND EVERY TIME WE'VE HAD A TURF DISCUSSION, WE'VE ACTIVELY INVOLVED THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH. THEY'VE BEEN AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THIS AS WE'VE LOOKED AT WHAT IS THE BEST DETAIL, HOW DO WE REDUCE RISK, UM, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS THE BEST PRODUCT IT CAN BE? AND SO THAT'S GOING BACK PROBABLY 10 YEARS NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THESE CONVERSATIONS. UM, DURING THIS PROCESS, WE ALSO TALKED WITH OFFICE SUSTAINABILITY WHO PUT US IN CONTACT WITH SOME OF THE FOLKS THEY'VE BEEN DEALING WITH AT BOTH HARVARD AND MIT, UM, WHO'VE HAD VERY SIMILAR CONVERSATIONS AS WE HAVE IN TERMS OF, UM, THE TURF FIELDS PROVIDING MUCH MORE USE, UM, THEIR PLAYERS ACTUALLY PREFERRING THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE CONSISTENT. UM, THEY KNOW THEIR PRO THEIR PRACTICES AREN'T GONNA GET CANCELED FOR THE EXACT SAME REASONS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. AND THEN ALSO SPECIFYING VERY SIMILAR DETAILS AS WE ARE TO AGAIN, CONTINUE TO REDUCE THOSE RISK, TO REDUCE THE HEAT IMPACTS. AND SO GET THE BEST PRODUCT. THANK YOU. UH, MY TIME IS UP. COUNCILOR SUZI. UH, THANK YOU MAYOR SIDIKI. SO I WANTED TO GO BACK TO MY QUESTION ABOUT COULDN'T, UM, WHY NOT PUT THE TURF FIELD AT GOLD STAR MOTHERS PARK? WE HAVE 14 MILLION, UH, BUDGETED FOR THAT. AND THEN ANOTHER IDEA, UH, WE'RE ABOUT TO SPEND 10 MILLION ON THE FIRST STREET GARAGE. WHY NOT PUT A TURF, UM, WITH A BUBBLE ON THE TOP OF THE FIRST STREET GARAGE. THAT WOULD BE A, IT WOULD BE A FOUR SEASON, UH, FIELD. UH, SO KIDS COULD PLAY ALL YEAR LONG. APPARENTLY THERE'S ONE OVER A GARAGE NEAR MGH, SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER OPTION. SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THOSE IDEAS, UM, THROUGH YOU MAYOR. UM, I DON'T KNOW, ANNA, IF YOU WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER FIELDS. WE DID LOOK AT GOLD STAR MOTHERS DID NOT RECOMMEND THAT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. UM, IN TERMS OF THE FIRST STREET GARAGE, THAT $10 MILLION IS REALLY ON VERY, UM, CRITICAL, UM, STRUCTURAL ISSUES. AND SO THAT IS NOT ABOUT SORT OF ADDING ADDITIONAL WEIGHT OR ADDING ADDITIONAL FACILITIES TO THAT. SO THAT'S NOT BEEN SOMETHING THAT WOULD BUDGETED AND WOULD BE A MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT COST. AND I DON'T KNOW THE FEASIBILITY OF THAT. I WILL SAY, THIS GOES BACK TO THE CITY MANAGER'S IDEA, LIKE COMMENTS A LITTLE BIT BEFORE WHERE, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME THIS COMES UP IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT HARVARD. AND SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO THAT AS MUCH AS WE CAN. AND I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STRUCTURAL IMPACTS OR THE COST IMPACTS, WHICH WOULD BE MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN, UM, UPGRADING AN EXISTING GRASS FIELD. UM, AND I DON'T KNOW, ADAM, IF YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OTHER LOCATIONS THAT WE DID LOOK AT. SURE. AND THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA INTRODUCE KEVIN BUTTA, WHO'S A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, WORKS WITH DPW. AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER ON THIS PROJECT AND SEVERAL OTHERS, UH, THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR, WE DID LOOK AT GOLD STAR MOTHERS, AND THE RECTANGLE THAT FITS ON GOLD STAR IS ACTUALLY QUITE A BIT SMALLER THAN A HEARN. SO THAT WAS THE MAIN REASON, EXCUSE ME, THAT WE RULED OUT GOLD STAR BECAUSE IT COULD NOT ACCOMMODATE AS [03:40:01] LARGE A SOCCER FIELD OR A RECTANGLE MULTI-SPORT RECTANGLE, UM, AS WELL AS A HEARN COULD K SUZI. UH, SO AS AN OPTION, I, I JUST THINK IF WE'RE CLEVER ENOUGH AND CREATIVE ENOUGH, WE CAN COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT SOLUTION BECAUSE A, A HEARN CURRENTLY IS SORT OF A COMMON, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A PARK AS WELL AS A PLAYING FIELD. SO ANYWAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, THE YOUTH SPORTS COMMUNITY AND THE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A GROWING GROUP PLAYING, UH, YOUTH SOCCER. I, I, I APPRECIATE THEIR COMMITMENT TO ENABLING KIDS' ABILITY TO PLAY BY PROVIDING MORE PLAYING FIELDS, BUT THEN YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BALANCE THAT OUT AGAINST THE UNORGANIZED PEOPLE THAT JUST LIKE A GRASSY LAWN, UM, UH, THAT THEY'RE NOT AS ORGANIZED AS THE YOUTH SPORTS GROUP. SO I I, IF, IF WE GAVE YOU ANOTHER WEEK, DO YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH SOME OTHER ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS? THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE. I THROUGH, UM, MAYOR SIDIKI, I HONESTLY, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IS THE CASE. THIS TEAM HAS WORKED EXTREMELY HARD LOOKING AT A LOT OF ALTERNATIVES TO TRY TO FIND SPACE IN EAST CAMBRIDGE TO HAVE AN ALL WEATHER FIELD. UM, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE REPORT WAS THE DIFFERENT VARIETY OF SPACES IN EAST CAMBRIDGE. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE A LOT OF DIFFERENT NEEDS. UM, THERE ARE OTHER AREAS THAT CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SORT OF A VERY INFORMAL OPEN GRASS SPACE. SO IF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR THAT OR, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF DOG PARK AREAS IN EAST CAMBRIDGE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS AS WE HAVE BEEN RENOVATING DIFFERENT PARKS, YOU'RE REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THAT FULL PORTFOLIO OF OPEN SPACES. AND, UM, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A SOLUTION THAT, BUT FOR A WEEK THAT THIS TEAM WOULD NOT HAVE ALREADY FOUND ZUZI. DARN. I WISH, I MEAN, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE VOLPE SITE WILL BE, I KNOW IT'S CALLED KENDALL CROSSING NOW, BUT IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WON'T BE DEVELOPING AS QUICKLY AS WE THOUGHT IT WOULD. WOULDN'T THERE BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME PLAYING FIELDS THERE IF MIT SUPPORTED THE IDEA UNTIL LIKE THINGS PICK UP THINGS, UM, THROUGH YOU? I, I DO NOT BELIEVE SO. SO I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY THAT'S HAPPENING THERE. UM, AND AGAIN, SPORTS FIELDS ARE NOT SORT OF QUICK TEMPORARY THINGS. IT CAN BE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT COSTS. THERE'S PROBABLY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, GOING IN AND EXCAVATING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. THERE'S A LOT OF UTILITY WORK THAT'S ONGOING ON THAT SITE. AND SO I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF CONSTRAINTS THERE, UM, THAT WOULD NOT MAKE THAT A VIABLE OPTION. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I YIELD, SO I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT ONE OPTION THAT I HAD NOT MENTIONED RELATED TO THIS WAS THAT THE COUNCIL CAN PLACE, CAN TABLE THE COMMUNICATION, UM, AND THEN AT WHATEVER POINT IT CAN BE TAKEN OFF THE TABLE. BUT THAT IS A NON DEBATABLE MOTION SO SOMEONE CAN MAKE THAT MOTION. UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL JUST, I HAVEN'T, UM, SPOKEN ON THIS. AND SO WHAT I'LL SAY IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT I'VE HEARING FROM THE EVERYONE, UM, AND FROM THE, THE STAFF IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S I THINK A LOT OF CONCERN AROUND PROCESS AND I THINK THE STAFF HAS ACKNOWLEDGED, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S FALLEN SHORT. AND, BUT I DO THINK THERE IS, THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS STILL THAT SOME OF THE BODY DOES HAVE AND CONCERNS. AND SO I WANNA, SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING. YOU ALL HAVE RECOMMENDED THIS. I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF CONCERNS THAT THE BODY HAS. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE GO FROM HERE I THINK IS, IS, IS IS HARD. I THINK THE, THE MANAGER HAS SAID THAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, REALLY WANNA RECOMMEND THIS BASED ON THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE. THEY, THEY'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S NO, UM, OPTIONS THAT THERE ARE TRADE OFFS. I UNDERSTAND. I THINK, I THINK THAT FACTUALLY I DO UNDERSTAND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT POSITION. AND AT THE SAME TIME, THERE'S A LOT ON THIS AREA THAT HAS BEEN UNCOVERED THAT I MYSELF DIDN'T KNOW, UM, ABOUT, UH, TO MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES' POINTS. AND SO, UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE ACTION RIGHT NOW THAT'S BEFORE US IS TO PLACE THIS ON FILE IF THAT'S THE WILL OF THE BODY. SO MADAM MAYOR? YES. COUNSELOR ZUBI. I'D LIKE TO MOVE A MOTION TO TABLE THE CMA. SO COUNCILOR ZUBE HAS MOVED TO TABLE THIS COMMUNICATION. SO THAT'S A NON DEBATABLE MOTION. WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL ON TABLING THAT COMMUNICATION. COUNCILOR ZUBE? YES. YES. VICE MAYOR ZE? NO. NO. COUNCILOR FLAHERTY? [03:45:03] NO. NO. COUNCILOR MCGOVERN? YES. YES. COUNCILOR NOLAN. ABSENT. COUNCILOR SIMMONS? NO. NO. COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER. YES. YES. COUNCILOR ZUI. YES. YES. MAYOR SIDIKI. YES. YES. AND YOU HAVE FIVE MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THREE RECORDED IN THE NEGATIVE. AND ONE RECORDED IS ABSENT. THE MATTER IS TABLED. WE WILL GO ON TO POLICY ORDERS. I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO BRING FORWARD CHARTER. RIGHT. NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS THE ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN ORDINANCE CHANGES. I PULL FOUR AND FIVE. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. WE'RE GOING TO JUST, I'M, CAN SOMEONE SUSPEND THE RULES? I MOVED. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF SUSPENSION TO BRING CHARTER. RIGHT. NUMBER ONE FORWARD, SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAINST SAY NO. THE AYES HAVE IT. I WANTED TO BRING THIS FORWARD. THIS [CALENDAR] IS THE, UM, ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN ORDINANCE CHANGES THE CHARTER RIGHT. WAS EXERCISED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. I KNOW THAT COUNSELOR NOLAN HAS, THIS IS KIND OF HER BABY. AND SO, UM, AND SHE'S NOT HERE. SO I'M GOING TO MOVE TO TABLE THIS. AND SO THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GONNA DO. SO, GREAT. SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON THAT. ON TABLING ZERO. WASTE MASTER PLAN ORDINANCE CHANGES. COUNCILOR ZUBIE? YES. VICE MAYOR? YES. YES. COUNCILOR FLAHERTY? YES. YES. COUNCILOR MCGOVERN. YES. COUNSELOR NOLAN. ABSENT. COUNSELOR SIMMONS? YES. YES. COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER. YES. YES. COUNCILOR ZUI? YES. YES. MAYOR SIDIKI. YES. YES. AND YOU HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. AND ONE RECORDED IS ABSENT. THAT ITEM ON ZERO WASTE MASTER PLAN ORDINANCE CHANGES IS TABLED. WE'LL GO BACK TO POLICY ORDERS. [POLICY ORDERS] PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL POLL FOUR AND FIVE. COUNCILOR FLAHERTY POLLS FOUR AND FIVE. MAYOR, AND THEN COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. AND THEN COUNCILLOR ZUBY. COUNCILOR SIMMONS, WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PULL? TWO. NUMBER TWO. MM-HMM . I'LL PULL NUMBER THREE. YEP. YOU'RE GOOD. OKAY. SO WE'VE PULLED 2, 3, 4, AND FIVE. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON ADOPTING POLICY OR NUMBER ONE, COUNCILOR ZUBIE. YES. VICE MAYOR ZE. ABSENT. COUNCILOR FLAHERTY? YES. YES. COUNCILOR MCGOVERN? YES. YES. COUNCILOR NOLAN IS ABSENT. COUNCILOR SIMMONS? YES. YES. COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER. YES. YES. COUNCILOR EY. YES. YES. MAYOR SIDIKI. YES. YES. AND YOU HAVE SEVEN MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. AND TWO, RECORDED IS ABSENT. PAUSER NUMBER ONE IS ADOPTED. WE'LL GO TO POLICY RULE NUMBER TWO, THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS REQUESTED TO CONFER WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF THE COMMUNITY SAFETY DEPARTMENT, THE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAMS, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE LAW DEPARTMENT, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT CITY DEPARTMENTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO DEVELOP OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY ADDITIONS PLAN FOR THE AREAS OF THE CITY. PREVIOUSLY SERVED BY SPOT SHOTTER TECHNOLOGY, THIS WAS FILED BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS AND COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY, COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. UH, THANK YOU. UH, THIS IS ON POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO, CORRECT? YES. NUMBER TWO. ALRIGHT. UH, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR. THE COUNCIL RECENTLY MADE THE DECISION TO DIS DISCONTINUE THE USE THE CITY'S USE OF SHOTS SPOTTED TECHNOLOGY. I BELIEVE WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ASK AN IMPORTANT FOLLOW UP QUESTION. WHAT COMES NEXT? I'M SORRY, CAN YOU SPEAK INTO THE MIC? I AM. THE PURPOSE OF THIS, THIS ORDER IS TO SIMPLY ASK THAT WE TAKE A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT WHAT ADDITIONAL STEPS, RESOURCES, AND INVESTMENTS MAY BE NEEDED TO CONTINUE STRENGTHENING NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY IN CAMBRIDGE. RESIDENTS IN CAMBRIDGE AND IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE IN THEIR HOMES, ON THEIR STREETS, IN THEIR PARKS, AND IN THE PUBLIC SPACES THAT MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SPECIAL. IF THE CITY CHOOSES TO MOVE AWAY FROM ONE APPROACH, I THINK IT'S ONLY RESPONSIBLE THAT WE TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK AT WHAT ADDITIONAL STEPS WE CAN TAKE TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING SAFE AND HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS ORDER ASKS FOR A THOUGHTFUL REPORT ON THE RANGE OF POSSIBILITIES, INCLUDING COMMUNITY-BASED VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORTS, YOUTH OUTREACH, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS LIGHTING AND INVISIBILITY, IMPROVED COMMUNICATION WITH RESIDENTS, TARGETED PATROL STRATEGIES, AND OTHER EVIDENCE-INFORMED APPROACHES THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS BELIEVE MAY BE EFFECTIVE. I HOPE MY COLLEAGUES WILL JOIN ME IN SUPPORTING THIS ORDER SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER ALONGSIDE OUR RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO BUILD NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE PEOPLE FEEL SAFE, SUPPORTED, AND CONNECTED. WITH THAT I YIELD COUNCIL ERDI, DID YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING ON THIS? JUST VERY QUICKLY. I, I, THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR, I CHAMPION EVERYTHING THAT, UM, MY COLLEAGUE COUNCIL SIMMONS HAS SAID. THESE ARE REAL ISSUES. THERE ARE REAL LIVES AND REAL PEOPLE LIVING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN CAMBRIDGE THAT DESERVE, UH, THE RESPECT AND DIGNITY OF, UM, ITS MUNICIPALITY MAKING SURE, UH, THAT WE'RE USING WHATEVER TOOLS WE HAVE AT OUR, UH, DISPOSAL TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE. [03:50:01] UH, AND THAT'S REALLY A NON-NEGOTIABLE, UH, POINT. SO I YIELD WE'LL GO TO COUNCILLOR ZUBIE. THANK YOU. THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR. UM, I'M GONNA MOTION TO PUT FORTH AN AMENDMENT AND I WOULD SCRATCH THE FIRST AMENDMENT YOU GOT. 'CAUSE I WENT AHEAD AND CONCEDED THE FIRST ORDER THAT I HAD STRUCK OUT. SO WHAT YOU SEE IN THE MOST UPTODATE AMENDMENT IS, UM, THE THIRD, WHEREAS CLAUSE, THERE'S A PART OF IT THAT I STRUCK, UM, AND BLESS AND AN ADDITIONAL PART THAT I, COUNCIL, CAN YOU SPEAK CLOSER TO THE MIC? AND NAOMI IS SAYING THERE'S TROUBLE HEARING. YEAH. IS THIS BETTER? OKAY, COOL. UH, SO IN THE WAREHOUSE CLAUSE, THE THIRD ONE I STRUCK THE LANGUAGE, WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, STRATEGY, STAFFING, PARTNERSHIPS, OR INVESTMENTS MAY BE NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY'S NOT MERELY REMOVING AN EXISTING TOOL, BUT ACTIVELY AND CONCURRENTLY STRENGTHENING. AND I CROSSED THAT OUT, ADDED THE LANGUAGE, HOW THE CITY CAN CONTINUE EVALUATING AND IMPROVING. AND THEN IT'S BROUGHT OUR APPROACH TO NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY BASED ON AVAILABLE EVIDENCE, COMMUNITY INPUT, AND DEMONSTRATED NEED. IN THE FIRST ORDERED, I JUST REMOVED THE ADDITIONS, AND IN THE LAST ORDER I STRUCK OUT THAT PIECE, WHICH I'M, I DON'T NEED TO WALK THROUGH. THE MAIN POINTS IN WHICH I'M BRINGING THIS FORTH IS THE, THE WAY THAT THIS WAS FRAMED, IT WAS FRAMED ON THE PREMISE THAT SHOTSPOTTER WAS HELPING, WHICH IT ARGUABLY WAS NOT. AND THAT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL HAD VOTED ON. AND I, I DO SHARE THE CONCERN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. I REALLY DO. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, AND I WOULD LOVE TO EXPLORE THAT WITH YOU. I AM OKAY WITH SUPPORTING THIS WITH THE AMENDMENTS, BUT I KNOW LIKE, OFF THE TOP, I DON'T PERSONALLY SUPPORT SOME OF THE IDEAS ON THIS LIST. THERE'S A LOT GOING ON ON THERE, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT WE CAN GET A REPORT ON THE FEASIBILITY OF SOME OF THESE AND GET MORE INVOLVED AS A COUNCIL THAN JUST LIKE LISTING THEM OUT AND THEN CALL FOR IMPLEMENTATION. SO I'M HOPING THE AMENDMENT'S PASSED, AND IF NOT, I'LL MOST LIKELY BE A PRESENT VOTE. BUT JUST WANTED TO OFFER THIS FOR THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER. I HAVE COUNCILOR SBR WHEELER, AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, VICE MAYOR AZI, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COUNCILOR ZUZI. SO COUNCILOR SERENA WHEELER, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANKS. MAD MAYOR THROUGH YOU. YEAH. SIMILAR TO WHAT I SAID, I THINK THE LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, I THINK THERE'S A, A GOAL FROM EVERYONE ON THE COUNCIL HERE TO INCREASE PUBLIC SAFETY. AND I THINK THAT'S THE UNDERLYING GOAL OF BOTH THE POLICY ORDER, UH, AND THE AMENDMENTS FROM COUNCILOR ZUBIE. UM, I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, ORIGINAL POLICY ORDER, UH, AS, AS WRITTEN WHILE HAVING A GOOD INTENT IS A BIT CONFUSING. IT SORT OF IS ASKING A LOT OF CITY STAFF WITHOUT PROVIDING A LOT OF GUIDANCE ON, ON HOW TO DO IT OR, OR EVIDENCE AROUND THINGS. AND SOME OF THE PIECES THAT WERE SUGGESTED IN THE ORIGINAL POLICY ORDER DON'T SORT OF HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH SHOT SPOTTER. LIKE, UM, UH, HAVING THE REACHING OUT TO THE CARE TEAM AND THE COMMUNITY SAFETY DEPARTMENT, HAVING THEM MORE PRESENT IN THE COMMUNITY IS SOMETHING I'M VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF. THAT'S, THAT'S NOT REALLY CONNECTED TO SHOT SPOTTER. UM, SO I THINK THE AMENDMENTS FROM COUNCILOR ZUBI THAT I'M A CO-SPONSOR OF HELP CLARIFY THAT, HAPPY TO, TO PASS THOSE AMENDMENTS AND THEN PASS THE UNDERLYING POLICY ORDER, UM, AND THINK THAT, UM, IS A GOOD GOOD COMPROMISE YIELD BACK, I HAVE VICE MAYOR Z AND THEN COUNCILOR ZUI. UM, SO I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT SHAS SPOTTER. I MEAN, IT'S GONE. WE SHOULD LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE STOP DEBATING WHETHER IT WAS HELPFUL OR NOT. AND SO I'M FINE WITH REMOVING THAT IF THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE WANT. I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE IS IN LIKE, IS THE INTENDED RESULT SUPPOSED TO BE DIFFERENT? LIKE, I THINK THAT FUNDAMENTALLY AS I SEE IT, THE QUESTION IS LIKE, HEY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT SUMMER IS A TIME OF LIKE HIGH GUN ACTIVITY IN CAMBRIDGE. THERE'S A COUPLE SPOTS WHERE WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT CAN WE DO SOMETHING EXTRA TO HELP ENSURE THAT IT'S SAFE, RIGHT? UM, AND THEN TO GET A REPORT BACK WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OF LIKE, HERE'S SOME OPTIONS. IS LIKE THE ACTUAL LIKE GOAL THE SAME WITH THESE AMENDMENTS? ARE WE JUST FIGHTING OVER LIKE, YOU KNOW, STRUCTURAL, LIKE HOW WE FEEL ABOUT CHAT SPOTTER? I'M NOT REALLY SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS CHANGED BESIDES THAT. SO YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS? YES. I'LL GO TO THE COUNCILOR ZU. YEAH. SO THE FIR AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, THE THIRD, WHEREAS CLAUSE, AGAIN TAKES TO COUNT THE FACT THAT SHOT SPOTTER, IT ARGUES THE PREMISE THAT SHOT SPOTTER DID HELP. AND SO THAT'S THAT PIECE. AND THEN THE SECOND PART OF IT IS JUST TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE SHOULD BE ENGAGED IN THESE CONVERSATIONS AND WE SHOULDN'T JUST MOVE TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION. SO I, I DON'T THINK IT NECESSARILY SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGES THE POLICY ORDER AT ALL. IN FACT, I WORKED TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS AS CONCISE AS POSSIBLE WITH THE AMENDMENTS MADE SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A CONVERSATION FROM THIS BECAUSE WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. AND I THINK THAT COUNCILOR SIMMONS DOES RAISE A GOOD POINT ABOUT HAVING THAT CONVERSATION. SO YIELD. THANKS MAYOR. SO I GUESS THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION I HAVE IS JUST ON THIS LAST ORDER THEN, RIGHT? IT SAYS INCLUDES RECOMMENDED ACTIONS COSTS, AND SO IS THE GOAL THAT WHATEVER WOULD COME BACK WOULD BE LIKE MORE ABSTRACT. SO IT WOULD BE LIKE, HERE ARE FIVE THINGS WE COULD DO INSTEAD OF, HERE ARE FIVE THINGS THAT WE COULD DO [03:55:01] WITH, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, A COST ESTIMATE AND LIKE, WE RAN THIS BY CITY DEPARTMENTS AND WE THINK THAT THEY'RE READY TO GO. AND YOU GUYS CAN CHOOSE COUNCILOR ZUBI. I'M NOT SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION. I, THE, THE ORDERED BEFORE THAT TALKS ABOUT SPECIFICS THAT WE CAN UNPACK AND WE WOULD GET THE FEASIBILITY OF THOSE IN A REPORT. SO WE WOULD JUST BE ABLE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THOSE, WHICH I THINK IS VALID. LIKE WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT THOSE. I THINK THAT PART OF THAT ORDERED IS TALKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH IS A WHOLE NOTHER PIECE. SO I YIELD FOR NOW, I THINK THAT I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT THE WEAR AS IS WHATEVER WE DO WITH THEM, BUT I, I FEEL LIKE I'D LOVE TO UNPACK THE ORDER MORE AND MAYBE THAT WILL HAPPEN AS WE CONTINUE ON IN THE CONVERSATION. I HAVE COUNCILLOR ZUI, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR CITY. I, I SUPPORT THE AMENDMENTS TO THE POLICY ORDER. I THINK THEY JUST MAKE IT TIGHTER. UM, AND WHAT I ALSO LIKE ABOUT IT IS WE DON'T HAVE ADDITIONAL MONEY. UH, SO I, I AGREE THE INTENTION OF THE POLICY ORDER AS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED AND EVEN CON CONTINUING ON, IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS FEEL SAFE, RIGHT? UM, SO WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING IS WORKING, UM, SMARTER EVALUATING EXISTING PROGRAMS AND WORKING SMARTER RATHER THAN ADDING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND STAFFING. SO THAT, THAT'S WHY I, UH, SUPPORT, UH, COUNSELOR ZUBE AND COUNSELOR SABRINA WHEELER'S AMENDMENTS. I JUST THINK IT'S A, IT'S A, A TIGHTER VERSION OF THE PO POLICY ORDER. UH, AND IT, AND IT DOESN'T TALK ABOUT ADDING ON, BUT EVALUATING AND WORKING SMARTER. THANK YOU. I YIELD COUNCILORS AS HE YIELDS. WE WILL GO TO COUNCILOR MCGOVERN. THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR THROUGH YOU. UM, JUST ON THE AMENDMENTS, UM, THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND THE, WHEREAS I WONDER IF THE, UH, SPONSORS OF THE AMENDMENT WOULD CONSIDER, UM, BECAUSE I I I THINK THE PART OF THE, THE LINE, WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, STRATEGY, STAFFING, PARTNERSHIPS, OR INVESTMENTS MAY BE NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY, I THINK I'M FINE WITH THAT. I THINK WHERE IT GETS STICKY IS WHERE, WHERE IT SAYS NOT MERELY REMOVING AN EXISTING TOOL, BECAUSE THAT'S THE SHOT SPOTTER PIECE. WHAT IF WE JUST REMOVED NOT MERELY REMOVING AN EXISTING TOOL SO IT READ, UM, THE DISCONTINUATION OF ANY PUBLIC SAFETY TOOL SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SERIOUS REVIEW OF WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCE OR STRATEGY, STAFFING, PARTNERSHIPS OR INVESTMENTS MAY BE NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY IS ACTIVELY AND CONCURRENTLY STRENGTHENING HOW THE CITY CAN CONTINUE EVALUATING. SO YOU, YOU, YOU, I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO TAKE OUT THE WHOLE LINE IS WHAT I'M SAYING. UM, AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION, OR I GUESS IT'S, THERE'S THAT ONE LITTLE ADD, UH, DELETION THERE ON THE LAST, IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THE GOAL OF ELIMINATING THE, IN THE LAST ORDERED, UM, THAT DELETION AND WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THAT. BUT I THINK, I THINK WE CAN GET, I THINK WE CAN, ON THE FIRST ONE, I THINK WE CAN GET TO WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS. UM, IF WE JUST SHORTEN WHAT GETS DELETED, BUT THEN I'M, I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE LAST DELETION TOO. COUNCILOR ZUBIE. YEAH. SO BACK TO THE THIRD WAREHOUSE CLAUSE. I, I'M OKAY WITH UN STRIKING. WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, STRATEGIES, STAFFING, PARTNERSHIPS OR INVESTMENTS MAY BE NEEDED TO ENSURE THE CITY AND THEN CUT IT OFF THERE FOR HOW THIS I'M OKAY WITH MAKING THAT CONCESSION ON THE LAST ORDERED. AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S BASED ON THE PIECE OF IMPLEMENTATION. LIKE HERE'S THE, THE, THE ORDERED BEFORE TALKS ABOUT SPECIFIC IDEAS. AND I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GET THE FEASIBILITY OF THOSE IDEAS AND HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT AND THEN TALK ABOUT WHAT NEXT STEPS COULD LOOK LIKE. BUT THIS POLICY ORDER IS JUST MOVING TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION ALREADY. SO I'M, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS. I JUST DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE SAYING, HERE'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO AND THEN HERE'S THE IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE FOR IT. THAT'S WHERE THAT COMES FROM. SO COUNCIL ZUBIE WILL CONCEDE THAT TO YOUR RECOMMENDATION. COUNCIL MCGOVERN, WHICH IS NAOMI IF YOU CAN HELP OUT WITH THIS, IS TO KEEP IN WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, STRATEGIES, STAFFING, PARTNERSHIPS OR INVESTMENTS, MAYBE NEAR NEEDED PERIOD. CORRECT. UH, MADAM MAYOR, IT WOULD KEEP IN WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. STRATEGIES, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. RIGHT. BUT THEN IT SAYS IT WOULD STOP, IT WOULD ELIMINATE NOT MERELY REMOVING AN EXISTING TOOL, BUT THAT WOULD BE DELETED. EVERYTHING ELSE WOULD STAY IN. SO IT WOULD READ WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, STRATEGY, STAFFING, PARTNERSHIPS, OR INVESTMENTS MAY BE NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY IS ACTIVELY AND CONCURRENTLY STRENGTHENING [04:00:01] COUNCIL. ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT? I'M NOT ABLE TO EDIT THIS FILE THAT WAS SENT, SO I CAN'T MAKE THE CHANGE IN REAL TIME. OKAY, FOLKS GET IT. SO WE'RE UN STRIKING. WHAT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, STRATEGIES, STAFFING, PARTNERSHIPS, OR INVESTMENTS MAY BE NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY IS NOT REMOVING AN ADDITIONAL TO EXISTING TOOL? NO, NO, NO, NO. YOU'RE, YOU'RE STRIKING, YOU'RE RE YOU'RE THE ONLY THING YOU'RE STRIKING IS NOT MERELY REMOVING AN EXISTING TOOL. YEAH. BUT EVERYTHING ELSE STAYS IN. YEAH. OKAY. DO FOLKS UNDERSTAND THAT? SO THIS IS ON THE AMENDMENT, WE'RE VOTING ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, YES. OKAY. SO, SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT. AND THEN THERE'S A FEW MORE AMENDMENTS. SO DO FOLKS HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH THOSE AMENDMENTS BEFORE WE GO VOTE? DO I GET THE FLOOR? COUNCILLOR SIMMONS? GREAT. UH, SO, UH, TO MY COLLEAGUE, UM, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU PUT IN TO THIS. I WISH YOU HAD REACHED OUT TO US SO WE COULD HAVE KIND OF REALLY HAD A CONVERSATION ON THE FLOOR AND COME WRITE IT BACK TO THE FLOOR AS A UNITED FRONT. 'CAUSE IT'S HARD TO PIECE PARSE THIS OUT, UM, ON THE FLOOR LIKE THIS. AND I'M SO COGNIZANT OF THE TIME AND THIS IS SO IMPORTANT, I WOULDN'T WANT TO RUSH IT. SO I'M GOING TO EXERCISE MY CHARTER, RIGHT. COUNCILLOR SIMMONS EXERCISES HER CHARTER, RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE, THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS REQUESTED TO USE FEDERAL STABILIZATION FUND, PROVIDE ONE TIME STABILIZATION PA STABILIZATION PAYMENTS TO CAMBRIDGE BASED AND CAMBRIDGE SERVING ORGANIZATION IMPACTED BY FY 27 MOVA CUTS REPORT BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL WITH THE PROPOSED FUNDING PLAN AND TO WORK WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND THE OTHER CITY STAFF TO ENGAGE WITH THE BROADER CAMBRIDGE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY TO ASSESS THE FULL SCOPE OF FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING REDUCTIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE CITY'S SAFETY NET SERVICES. THIS WAS FILED BY MYSELF, COUNCILOR GOVERN, COUNCILLOR, SABRINA WHEELER, AND COUNCILLOR SUZI. AND I'LL JUST, UH, BE BRIEF AND SAY THAT THIS FALL POLICY ORDER WAS FILED AFTER HEARING DIRECTLY FROM NONPROFIT SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO FOCUS ON SERVING VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE AND WITH CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY MANAGER WHO HAS ALSO HAD HIS, UH, SHARE OF CONVERSATIONS. I WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO SPOKE DURING PUBLIC COMMENT AND WHO HAS BEEN VOCAL ABOUT THE IMPACTS, UM, THAT THEIR ORGANIZATIONS ARE EXPERIENCING FROM FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACTIONS. AS A REMINDER, THE FEDERAL GRANT STABILIZATION FUND WAS CREATED JUST OVER A YEAR AGO TO HELP ADDRESS THE FUNDING GAPS RESULTING FROM THE ACTUAL OR ANTICIPATED LOSS OF FEDERAL FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT BENEFIT THE MOST VULNERABLE CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS. I HAVE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ONE PIECE OF THIS POLICY ORDER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT FUNDING CUTS ARE NOT LIMITED TO THIS AREA ALONE. IT WOULD NOT BE SOUND FISCAL MANAGEMENT TO DRAW FROM THIS POOL ONLY REACTIVELY ONLY. WHEN ORGANIZATIONS COME TO US, WE NEED TO BE MORE THOUGHTFUL AND MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER AMOUNT WE DRAW ON NOW AND FOR ALL GRANTS GOING FORWARD TAKES THE FULL LANDSCAPE INTO ACCOUNT. UM, THAT WAY WE CAN EQUITABLY FILL GAPS ACROSS THE BOARD AND BE IN A POSITION TO HAVE BROADER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHERE SUPPORT IS OR WILL BE NEEDED MOST. SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, GIVE, UH, THAT CONTEXT. I DID HAVE LIKE A FEW QUESTIONS TO STAFF, BUT I DON'T SEE THEM UP HERE . UM, BUT DO OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COUNCIL ZUBI. THANK YOU. SO YOU MADAM MAYOR, UM, I JUST HAVE QUICK QUESTIONS TO THE, UH, CO-SPONSORS OF THIS BECAUSE I'M DEFINITELY VERY INCLINED TO SUPPORT IT, BUT ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS THAT I UNDERSTAND ARE BUDGETED IN THIS. SO DO WE HAVE A CONFIRMATION OF OR NOT ON WHETHER THIS WOULD PUT THOSE AT RISK IS MY UNDERSTANDING? SO THE, THERE'S TWO KINDS OF, THERE'S A FEW VOUCHERS THAT THE CITY'S FUNDING. SO THE CITY IS FUNDING THE, WE PUT 1 MILLION IN THE BUDGET IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET FOR VOUCHERS. WHICH ONE ARE YOU, WHAT ARE YOU REFERRING TO SPECIFICALLY? I AM REFERRING TO THE 128 HOUSEHOLDS, SO I'M NOT, I I THINK IT'S, SO THERE'S THE 1 MILLION MIXED STATUS FAMILIES, THE 1 MILLION THAT RECEIVED VOUCHERS FROM THE TRANSITIONAL WELLNESS CENTER AND THEN THERE'S THIS EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THIS WOULDN'T, SO IN THE THIS YEAR'S BUDGET WE HAVE MUNICIPAL SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. WE WERE FUNDING 2 MILLION IN OUR BUDGET FOR MUNICIPAL SUPPORTIVE HOUSING VOUCHERS. SO I THINK THAT'S AN OUTSTANDING QUESTION. YES. COUNSELOR MCGOVERN, I THINK WE MOVED THAT MONEY INTO THE REGULAR BUDGET. RIGHT? YEAH, THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING. THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING TOO. WHAT CAME OF THE EMERGENCY FUND WAS MOVED OVER INTO [04:05:01] NEXT YEAR'S LINE ITEM BUDGET. I'M PRETTY SURE. MM-HMM . BUT ONCE THE CITY MANAGER'S BACK WE CAN CONFIRM THAT. BUT THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING. OH, SO HIS PLAN IS TO COME BACK. HIS WATER IS HERE , SO I IMAGINE HE'LL BE BACK. OKAY. I GUESS FOR IN THE MEANTIME, AGAIN INCLINED TO SUPPORT THIS, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T LIKE PIT THE EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS ON IT. SO I GUESS WAS THE INTENTION FROM THE PEOPLE WHO CO-SPONSORED IT TO POTENTIALLY REPLACE THE DECISION TO BACKSTOP THE EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS? IF THAT'S THE CASE OR TO DO BOTH IF IT IS, IF WE ARE WORKING IN THIS CASE. SO I THINK THIS WAS NOT TO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF COMPETING DEMANDS AND INTERESTS, RIGHT? BUT THIS WAS NOT TO PIT FOLKS AGAINST EACH OTHER IN THAT WAY. IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, THERE IS MUNICIPAL HOUSING VOUCHERS FOR MIXED STATUS FAMILIES, WHICH ARE AT 1 MILLION. AND SO I THINK WE ARE, WE ARE FUNDING, WE ARE FUNDING THOSE FAMILIES. THERE COULD BE POTENTIAL CUTS THAT COME THAT WE ARE NOT, HAVE NOT HEARD OF LIKE THE CONTINUUM OF CARE FUNDING, FOR EXAMPLE. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, KNOW, WE'LL HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT AS WE GO. BUT THIS WAS AN IMMEDIATE, UM, FALL THAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW THAT WE WANTED TO CONSIDER CITY MANAGER. UH, YES. APOLOGIES. WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? THE QUESTION WAS DID THE EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS GET BUDGETED IN OUR BUDGET OR, AND MOVED OUT OF THE FEDERAL STABILIZATION FUND? UM, SO THERE WERE TWO VOUCHER PROGRAMS THAT WE STARTED. UM, ONE WAS FOR PEOPLE TRANSITIONING OUT OF HOMELESSNESS AND WE HAD FUNDED THAT OUT OF THE FY 26 BUDGET. SO THAT DID NOT COME OUT OF THE FEDERAL STABILIZATION FUND. THE OTHER VOUCHER PROGRAM, THE MIXED STATUS HOUSEHOLDS DID COME OUTTA THE FEDERAL STABILIZATION FUND, BUT WE USED IT AS ONE TIME BRIDGE FUNDING FOR FY 26 AND WE HAVE BUILT IT INTO THE FY 27 BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED. UM, SO THE FEDERAL STABILIZATION FUND STARTED WITH $5 MILLION. UH, WE PULLED OUT $1 MILLION ONE TIME FOR MIXED STATUS HOUSEHOLDS, AND THEN $250,000 AS PART OF THE SNAP BENEFITS, UM, PROGRAM. THAT WAS ALSO ONE TIME. SO THERE'S $3.75 MILLION OF ONE TIME FUNDING IN THE FEDERAL STABILIZATION FUND. AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO CLARIFY, COUNCIL ZUBI. GOTCHA. SO THE EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS ARE COMING FROM WHERE THEN IN THE BUDGET? UM, THE FUNDING FOR MIXED STATUS HOUSEHOLDS IS BUILT INTO THE FY 27 OPERATING BUDGET. OKAY. I WILL USE, WE CAN POINT TO THE PAGE NUMBER IF YOU WANT. THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. YEAH. THANKS. AND, AND IF I WERE JUST TO ADD, LIKE, I THINK WE HAVE, GENERALLY SPEAKING, SEEN THE STABILIZATION FUND AS BRIDGE FUNDING. AND SO SINCE WE DID A FREE CASH ALLOCATION, IT'S ESSENTIALLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACT ON VERY QUICKLY. UM, AND THEN WE CAN ALWAYS PLAN FOR THE COMING FISCAL YEAR. IF WE HAVE LONGER TERM FUNDING, YOU KNOW, MIXED STATUS HOUSEHOLDS. WE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE, UM, OBLIGATIONS. WE CAN BUILD IT INTO THE NEXT BUDGET AS LONG AS WE HAVE TIME TO PLAN. SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE THAT'S NOT ZUBIE. THANK YOU. SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE WOULD BE WORKING TOWARDS BACKSTOPPING EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS DEPENDING ON WHERE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MOVES ON THIS. UM, SORRY, THAT WAS MIXED STATUS HOUSEHOLDS. UM, I THINK IN TERMS OF THE EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS, UH, THERE IS NOT A CLEAR PICTURE OF EXACTLY WHERE THOSE ARE GOING TO LAND WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. UM, AND, AND THERE'S BOTH QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF THE EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM THAT WAS SET UP IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, AND THEN ALSO THE CONTINUUM OF CARE FUNDING, WHICH WE'RE BOTH IN ACTIVE LITIGATION WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON, AND ALSO WAITING FOR A FINAL DETERMINATION FROM HUD ON WHAT THE FUTURE OF THAT PROGRAM WILL LOOK LIKE. SO COUNCILOR ZUBI, WE HAVE TO MOVE ON BECAUSE WE'VE HAD BACK AND FORTH. I CAN GO BACK. YOU SURE? OH, YOU'LL VICE MAYOR. UM, I, I'D ACTUALLY LOVE TO PICK UP WHERE COUNCILOR ZUBI LEFT OFF. UM, SO IF THOSE PROGRAMS END UP GETTING CANCELED, EITHER THE BIDEN ERR PROGRAM OR OTHER, THAT FUNDING WOULD SUPPLEMENTARY FUNDING, IF WE WANTED TO BACKFILL THAT COME FROM THIS EMERGENCY STABILIZATION FUND, UM, THROUGH UMER SADIKI, THAT WOULD BE THE MOST LIKELY PLACE THAT WE WOULD LOOK FOR FUNDING, UM, IN RECOGNITION THAT ALSO THE SCALE OF BOTH OF THOSE PROGRAMS IS MORE THAN THE MONEY WE HAVE IN THE FEDERAL STABILIZATION FUND AT THIS POINT IN TIME. SO WE COULD ONLY VICE . OH, THANK YOU. UM, SO WE COULD ONLY FUND IT TO, YOU KNOW, [04:10:01] THE AMOUNT OF, UH, TO THE TUNE OF 3.75 MILLION OUT OF, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY IT COST, YOU KNOW, FIVE OR $10 MILLION IN TOTAL. AND IF WE, YOU KNOW, SPEND THAT MONEY ON OTHER SIDES THAT WE ONLY HAVE 2.75 MILLION, WE COULD ONLY FUND IT OUT OF THE 2.7 EXTENT, SEVEN FIVE EXTENT, UH, THROUGH YOU MAYOR SIDIKI. UM, YES, UH, I THINK WE'VE ALWAYS RECOGNIZED, AND, AND I THINK, I THINK WE'VE ALWAYS RECOGNIZED THAT THE FEDERAL STABILIZATION FUND WAS, UM, AN AMOUNT WHERE WE WERE NOT SURE HOW LARGE THE GAP MAY BE. AND I THINK, I THINK THE LAST 18 MONTHS HAS PROBABLY FELT LIKE THERE'S BEEN LESS IMPACT DIRECTLY IN TERMS OF CITY FUNDING AS WE MAY HAVE EXPECTED BACK IN FEBRUARY, 2025. UM, BUT I THINK WE ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALSO, I THINK YOU'RE POINTING TO THE RIGHT QUESTION, WHICH IS HOW DO WE MAKE DECISIONS ON IMMEDIATE NEEDS IN RECOGNITION OF THE FACT THAT THERE MAY BE FUTURE NEEDS THAT ARE HARD TO, UM, HARD TO ASSESS, AND ALSO THAT IT MAY BE THE CASE THAT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO FUND, UM, ALL OF THE GAPS THAT MAY OPEN UP OVER TIME. THANKS, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU. UH, SO I GUESS THEN MY FINAL QUESTION IS, WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE ODDS THAT WILL NEED THIS FUNDING FOR THAT PURPOSE, UH, THROUGH MAYOR SADIKI? IT'S TOUGH TO SAY, UM, ON ODDS. SO I WOULD, I WOULD ACTUALLY HESITATE TO EVEN GIVE A PROBABILITY, EVEN THOUGH I TEND TO TEND TO LIKE THINKING IN TERMS OF PROBABILITIES. UM, I ALSO THINK THE OTHER DYNAMIC IS BEYOND SIMPLY THE HUD PROGRAMS. UM, WE ALSO DON'T FULLY KNOW HOW MANY ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES WILL COME THROUGH BOTH IN THE STATE BUDGET AND THEN FURTHER FEDERAL ACTIONS. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY HARD TO ASSESS. I THINK WE'RE IN A PERIOD OF GREAT UNCERTAINTY ON THIS FRONT. UM, I THINK IF I WERE TO JUST OFFER THOUGH, I DO FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, HAVING HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND HAVING TALKED TO THE MAYOR AND COUNSELORS TO SAY IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, THIS DOES FEEL LIKE A, A REALLY IMMEDIATE NEED, UM, THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT IN THE VERY SHORT TERM. LIKE THE IDEA OF FINDING SOME AMOUNT OF BRIDGE FUNDING TO LESSEN THE IMPACT AND GIVE EVERYBODY MORE TIME TO PLAN, UM, DOES MAKE SOME SENSE, DOES MAKE A LOT OF SENSE. AND I THINK IT IS PART OF WHY WE CREATED THIS FUND COMM MAYOR. THANK YOU. UM, SO I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT THE POLICY ORDER UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ACTUALLY ARE TRADE-OFFS THAT EXIST. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALL HOPE AND PRAY THAT WE DON'T NEED THIS MONEY FOR OTHER THINGS. WE WILL GO TO COUNCILLOR ZUI AND THEN COUNCILOR GOVERN, AND THEN COUNCILOR FLAHERTY. THANK YOU, MAYOR SIDIKI. SO I AGREE. I SUPPORT THE I A CO-SPONSOR. UM, I DO THINK THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF NEED TO BROADLY ASSESS OTHER POTENTIAL GAPS THAT WE HAVE TO FILL AND TO ALLOCATE FUNDS ACCORDINGLY. I RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR THIS FUNDING, BUT I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE'LL FILL THE WHOLE GAP OR THAT WE SHOULD FILL THE WHOLE GAP BECAUSE I, AGAIN, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE MONEY IN THE RAINY DAY FUND. I THINK VERY WELL, WE COULDN'T LOSE FUNDING FOR OTHER, UH, PROGRAMS. SO I THINK THE IDEA OF PROVIDING SOME SORT OF BRIDGE, NOT A COMMITMENT TO THE WHOLE 1.6 7, 6 5 7 OH, UM, IS APPROPRIATE. AND, UH, I THANK YOU. AND I YIELD WHO WOULD A COUNCILOR MCGOVERN, UH, THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU. UM, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA THANK THE MAYOR FOR HER LEADERSHIP ON THIS, UM, AND, AND WORKING WITH THE, WITH THE NON-PROFITS. UM, SO I JUST, I GOT A LITTLE, MY HEAD STARTED TO SPIN A LITTLE BIT WITH THAT EXPLANATION. SO IF YOU CAN JUST KINDA DUMB IT DOWN FOR ME A LITTLE BIT HERE. THERE ARE TWO SETS OF VOUCHERS THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH THE EMERGENCY HOMELESS VOUCHERS, RIGHT. AND THAT WAS PART OF THE CONVERSATION AROUND SPALDING CLOSING AND, AND ALL THAT. AND THEN THERE'S THE MIXED STATUS FAMILIES. IF I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY, AND MAYBE I'M, AGAIN, MAYBE I DIDN'T, THAT THE FUNDING FOR BOTH OF THOSE ARE GOING TO BE IN THE 27 BUDGET? YES. OKAY. SO IT'S NOT COMING. SO THE, UM, THOSE 128 OR SO HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE RECEIVING THE EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS WILL BE FUNDED FOR 2027? NO. NO. OKAY. THOSE ARE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. UM, OKAY. WELL, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I WOULD LOVE TO GO FOR IN MY THREE MINUTES AND 40 SECONDS RAILING ON THE FACT THAT IT JUST REALLY, [04:15:02] I GOT, I GOT YELLED AT FOR USING, YOU KNOW, SAYING GD AT LAST MEETING. BUT IT REALLY BOTHERS ME THAT WE ARE PUT IN THIS POSITION BECAUSE OF A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT DOESN'T GIVE A, YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE TO SIT HERE AND HAVE A DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA GIVE SOME FUNDING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING VITAL WORK AROUND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ABUSE AND, AND IMMIGRATION AND PUT THAT UP AGAINST HOUSING PEOPLE. AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE PUT IN THIS POSITION SUCKS. AND I DON'T CARE IF PEOPLE YELL AT ME FOR SAYING THAT. UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO DEAL WITH EMERGENCIES AS THEY COME UP. THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THIS, OF THIS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, LOOK, NOBODY ON THE, ON THIS COUNCIL, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD DISAGREE, HAS FOUGHT HARDER FOR VOUCHERS AND OTHER SERVICES FOR UNHOUSED PEOPLE THAN I HAVE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT GONNA, YOU KNOW, SIMPLY SAY WE CAN'T FUND THOSE THINGS ANYMORE. MY INTENTION IS THAT IF WE RUN OUTTA MONEY THROUGH THE EMERGENCY FUND, THAT WE'RE GONNA FIND ANOTHER WAY TO PAY FOR THOSE VOUCHERS. I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT PUTTING ANYBODY OUT ON THE STREET. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE DO HAVE AN IMMEDIATE NEED RIGHT NOW WHERE THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT LAYING PEOPLE OFF LIKE TOMORROW IF THEY DON'T GET SOME HELP. AND SO IT STINKS THAT WE'RE IN THIS POSITION. I HATE IT. UM, AND IT'S SO HARD TO, AS THE VICE MAYOR ASKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PREDICTING, YOU CAN'T PREDICT A G*****N THING ABOUT THIS GOVERNMENT AND WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO AND HOW THEY'RE GONNA MAKE CUTS. SO WE'RE GONNA BE, UNFORTUNATELY, FORCED INTO THIS SITUATION A LOT WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE TRYING TO BACKFILL SOME REALLY DAMAGING CUTS BY THIS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND IT STINKS. UM, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO DO THIS, UM, BECAUSE THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE VITAL AND THEY NEED THE FUNDING NOW. AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THOSE VOUCHERS AND OTHER VOUCHERS TO KEEP PEOPLE HOUSED. COUNCILOR FLAHERTY THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR, I UNDERSTAND WE'VE GOT 3.7 MILLION FROM THE FEDERAL STABILIZATION FUND. WE NEED 1.6 MILLION TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS THAT DEAL WITH VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, RAPE, ET CETERA. WE'VE GOT AN ABILITY TO DO IT, AND WE CAN DO IT RIGHT, UH, THROUGH YOUR MAYOR SIDIKI. I THINK THE $1.6 MILLION REPRESENTS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WAS REQUESTED FROM THE STATE MOVA FUND AND FY 26. UM, I THINK IN THE CONVERSATION THAT I WAS HAVING, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE BREADTH OF THE POTENTIAL NEED ACROSS MANY OTHER AREAS, UM, I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY MORE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE KEEPING THEM WHOLE RELATIVE TO FY 26 RATHER THAN, UH, FUNDING MORE THAN FY 26. AND I THINK IT'S ALSO A QUESTION IN TERMS OF WHETHER WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN FULLY FUND, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THE FULL MILLION DOLLAR GAP, UM, OR WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET, UM, AS CLOSE AS WE CAN. UM, SO I THINK THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS AND, UM, DISCUSSIONS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, CERTAINLY INTERESTED IN THE COUNCIL'S THOUGHTS. UM, AND WOULD ALSO JUST RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS BOTH AN IMMEDIATE NEED THAT IS DEEPLY AFFECTING A NUMBER OF SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING WITH VERY VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN A TIME OF CRISIS. UM, AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE A BROADER SECTOR THAT ALSO, UM, IS EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT KINDS OF PRESSURES AND CUTS AS WELL. AND SO I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE SUPPORTING BOTH, UM, THE IMMEDIATE NEED, BUT ALSO WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT, UM, HOW WE'RE, UM, HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING, UH, THE BROADER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ALSO EMERGING. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILOR FLAHERTY. THANK YOU. AND, UH, MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR TO THIS. WE'LL ADD YOU COUNCILOR FLAHERTY. UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADDING COUNCILOR FLAHERTY SAY, AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT. ANYONE WHO HASN'T SPOKEN YET WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS BEFORE I GO BACK TO COUNCILOR ZUBI, WE'LL GO BACK TO COUNCILOR ZUBI THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I, I THINK WE'RE, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION AROUND THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF HOUSING, ESPECIALLY FOR LOW INCOME FOLKS. AND I REALLY RESPECT THIS POLICY ORDER, AND I WANNA BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT. I'M JUST WORRIED ABOUT THE IMPACTS THIS MIGHT HAVE ON HOW THE CITY NAVIGATES ITS EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN TRUMP IS, UM, ALREADY MAKING THOSE IMPACTS ON OTHER CITIES. SO I WOULD LIKE SOME MORE TIME WITH THIS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS FINANCIALLY. SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CHARTER RIGHT, COUNCILLOR ZUBIE EXERCISES HER CHARTER, RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO POLICY RULE NUMBER FOUR, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL COMPLETE THE REQUIRED REVIEW AND DETERMINATIONS PRESCRIBED BY SECTION 2.1 8 0 60 C BEFORE TAKING ANY FUTURE VOTE REGARDING THE CONTINUED USE OF SHOT SPOTTER OR ANY OTHER SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY. THIS WAS FILED BY COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY AND COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY, [04:20:01] YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. SO THIS IS A, UH, A POLICY ORDER THAT'S DIRECTED, UH, SPECIFICALLY TO OUR PROCESS, TO OUR PROCEDURE. RULES MATTER. LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. RULES MATTER. OUR RULES ARE CALLED ORDINANCES. ORDINANCES ARE A STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION THAT A MUNICIPALITY, UH, ENACTS THAT DECIDES HOW WE GOVERN THAT, UM, THAT, THAT GIVES DETERMINATIONS, GIVES, UH, RULES THEIR TEETH. AND IN THIS INSTANCE, THE SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY ORDER, UH, THE SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY ORDINANCE IS VERY CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS. UH, AND IT SAYS THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN BEFORE WE HAVE A VOTE. AND THOSE THINGS DID NOT HAPPEN. UM, IF WE LOOK AT 2.12 8.060 SUBSECTION C, UM, SUBSECTION C IS CLEAR, IT'S UNAMBIGUOUS. IT SAYS THAT, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL MUST MAKE SPECIFIC DETERMINATIONS BEFORE VOTING TO DISPROVE ANY SORT OF SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY. AND WE DIDN'T DO THAT IN THIS CASE. THE, UH, 2.12 8.060 SUBSECTION C DOES NOT TALK ABOUT SUBCOMMITTEE HEARINGS. IT DOESN'T TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE HEARINGS. IT TALKS ABOUT THE CITY COUNCIL, AND IT SAYS, BASED UPON A REVIEW OF THE ANNUAL SURVEILLANCE REPORT, WE'VE GOTTA DO TWO THINGS. WE'VE GOTTA MAKE A, UH, A DETERMINATION WHETHER THE COSTS OUTWEIGH THE BENEFITS OF WHATEVER SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY IS. SECONDLY, WE'VE GOTTA MAKE A DETERMINATION WHETHER THERE ARE REASONABLE SAFE SAFEGUARDS WHICH EXIST THAT CAN, UH, ADDRESS THE PRIVACY CONCERNS. WE DID NEITHER OF THOSE TWO THINGS. AND THEN THIRDLY, AFTER WE MAKE THOSE DETERMINATIONS, THE ORDINANCE REQUIRES THE CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE THREE CONSIDERATIONS. WHETHER, UH, TO ASK THE, UM, CITY MANAGER FOR A REPORT, MAKE MODIFICATIONS, OR VOTE TO DISPROVE, WE DIDN'T DO THAT. AND SO THIS POLICY ORDER SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO THE PROCEDURE. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION IN THIS CHAMBER ABOUT RULES. THIS IS A RULE, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE RULES AND TO FOLLOW RULES. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON WHY WE FOLLOW RULES THAT, AND BASICALLY THE CONSTRUCTION IS, IT'S THE PLAIN AND ORDINARY MEETING OF THE WORDS. THERE'S NO AMBIGUITY, THERE'S NO INTERPRETATION THAT'S, UH, CONFUSING ANY OF THIS LANGUAGE. THE WORDS MEAN WHAT THEY WORDS, WHAT WHAT THEY SAY. AND IT'S, IT'S NOT CONFUSING. BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UM, HERE IN THIS CHAMBER, UM, WE'RE OFTEN, ALL OF US, MYSELF, ARE TALKING ABOUT THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION THAT DOESN'T FOLLOW THE RULE OF LAW. AND THAT'S TRUE. THEY DON'T FOLLOW THE RULE OF LAW. AND WE SHOULD, WE'VE GOTTA UPHOLD THE RULE OF LAW. WE'VE ALSO GOTTA BE, UH, WE HAVE TO. AND WHAT THE REASON WHY WE FOLLOW ORDINANCE IS, IS SO WE CAN ENSURE, UH, CONSISTENCY AND PREDICTABILITY SO PEOPLE KNOW, UM, HOW WE'RE GOING TO DECIDE ISSUES. AND WE'RE ALSO MAINTAINING OUR OWN ACCOUNTABILITY AND BEING TRANSPARENT. ALL OF THESE ARE THE GOALS OF HAVING ORDINANCES. WE'VE GOT AN ORDINANCE THAT WE DIDN'T FALL IN THIS CASE, THIS IS A PROCEDURAL FAILURE. WE TOOK A VOTE, UH, WHICH WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN. AND, UH, IN MY VIEW, THAT VOTE IS THEREFORE INVALID. UM, AND THIS POLICY ORDER ASKS US TO DECLARE THAT VOTE INVALID AND WE CAN RETURN AND WE CAN GO THROUGH THE PROCESS EXACTLY THE WAY WE SHOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DID HAVE A POLICY ORDER THAT REPORTED ON, UH, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE WORK. AND IT TALKED ABOUT WHAT IT DID, BUT IT DIDN'T TALK ABOUT WHAT IT WAS REQUIRED TO DO. IT DIDN'T TALK ABOUT, UH, UM, BENEFITS OUTWEIGHING COSTS, OR COSTS OUTWEIGHING BENEFITS. IT DIDN'T TALK ABOUT WHETHER THERE WERE REASONABLE, UM, SAFEGUARDS THAT COULD BE USED TO ADDRESS ANY PRIVACY CONCERNS. WHAT IT TALKED ABOUT FUNDAMENTALLY, UH, WHICH IS IMPORTANT, IT TALKED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT EVEN A LIMITED SORT OF, UM, ACOUSTIC DETECTION COULD BE USED, UM, UM, BY, UH, THIS DATA SHARING ARRANGEMENT THAT WE HAVE OR SOUND THINKING HAS THROUGH THE, UM, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND AND SE SECURITY, AND WHETHER, UH, THIS MIGHT LEAD TO, UH, SOME SORT OF ENFORCEMENT, UH, BY THE ICE AGENTS VALID CONCERN. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THE ORDINANCE REQUIRES US TO DO. AND SO THIS IS NOT A, UM, A PROCEDURAL ORDER, [04:25:01] UH, A POLICY ORDER THAT ASKS TO MAKE, UM, A SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE, UH, BUT RATHER ENCOURAGES ALL OF US TO FOLLOW OUR RULES. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLAHERTY. THANK YOU. THAT'S YOUR TIME. I YIELD. WE ARE AT 9:56 PM WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL MOTION TO EXTEND BY 30 MINUTES. COUNCILOR SABRINA MU ER MOVES TO EXTEND THE MEETING FOR ANOTHER 30 MINUTES. SO WE'LL END AT 10 30. DISCUSSION? YEAH. I, I, COUNCILOR MCGOVERN, I'D REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET THROUGH THE HOUSING STUFF AT THE VERY LEAST, SO WE MIGHT NEED MORE TIME THAN THAT. SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANNA GO 30 MINUTE INTERVAL. SO WE JUST WANT TO EXTEND IT FOR AN, YOU KNOW, LONGER THAN THAT SO WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP COMING BACK TO A VOTE. I DON'T KNOW IF 30 MINUTES IS ENOUGH. I COULD DO EXTEND BY AN HOUR. YEAH, LET'S JUST EXTEND BY AN HOUR. AND IF WE DON'T NEED IT, WE DON'T NEED IT. SO WE, COUNCILOR SERINA WHEELER IS MOVING TO EXTEND TO GO UNTIL 11. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL. COUNCILOR ZUBIE? YES. YES. VICE MAYOR. YES. YES. COUNCILOR FLAHERTY? YES. YES. COUNCILOR MCGOVERN? YES. YES. COUNCILOR NOLAN. ABSENT COUNCILLOR SIMMONS? NO. NO. COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER? YES. YES. COUNCILOR ZUI? YES. YES. MAYOR SIDIKI? YES. YES. AND YOU HAVE SEVEN MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. ONE RECORDED THE NEGATIVE. AND ONE RECORDED IS ABSENT. COUNCILOR FLAHERTY IS FINISHED. WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK NEXT? COUNCILOR SABRINA. COUNCILOR SIMMONS. THANKS. MAD MAYOR. I'LL BE, UH, BRIEF ON THIS. 'CAUSE WE VOTED ON THIS TWICE ALREADY. AT TWO SEPARATE MEETINGS. WE FOLLOWED ALL THE REQUIREMENTS. THE LAW DEPARTMENT SAID. SO IF THEY HAD THINK WE HAD, THEY WOULD BE HERE. THEY'RE NOT. I PERSONALLY THINK THIS POLICY ORDER IS, IS OUT OF ORDER. 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO PUT FORWARD THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN VOTED ON. WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON THIS. YOU CAN'T PUT FORWARD ANOTHER THING. I'M NOT GONNA TO, YOU KNOW, ARGUE THAT POINT. BUT I DO THINK LIKE TOO A SPORTS METAPHOR THAT I, I KNOW MY COLLEAGUE APPRECIATES. I THINK THERE'S A THING WHERE, WHERE, UH, SOMETIMES, AND I, I'VE DONE THIS MYSELF AS A KID, BUT YOU LOSE A GAME AND THEN YOU'RE MAD, YOU LOST, AND YOU, YOU ACCUSE THE OTHER SIDE OF CHEATING. YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT GETS BORING AFTER A WHILE. UM, AND IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE KNOW WHERE THIS IS GONNA LAND. WE KNOW, I THINK KNOW WHERE GOES HERE IS GONNA LAND ALL THE QUESTION. SO, SABRINA, UH, COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER HAS CALLED THE QUESTION, SO WE HAVE TO VOTE ON CALL IN QUESTION AND DO A ROLL CALL ON THAT, AND THEN WE HAVE TO PROCEED TO THE VOTE. COUNCILOR ZUBIE? YES. YES. VICE MAYOR. YES. YES. COUNCILOR FLAHERTY? YES. YES. COUNCILOR MCGOVERN? YES. YES. COUNCILOR NOLAN. ABSENT COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. NO. NO. COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER. YES. YES. COUNCILOR ZUEY. YES. YES. MAYOR SIDIKI. YES. YES. AND YOU HAVE SEVEN MEMBERS RECORDING THE AFFIRMATIVE. ONE RECORDED THE NEGATIVE AND ONE RECORDED IS ABSENT. SO WE HAVE TO CALL, WE HAVE TO GO DIRECTLY TO VOTING ON ADOPTING THE ORDER. COUNCILOR ZUBY? NO. NO. VICE MAYOR ZE. NO. NO. COUNCIL OF FLAHERTY? YES. YES. COUNCILOR MCGOVERN? NO. NO. COUNCILLOR NOLAN. ABSENT COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. YES. YES. COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER. NO. NO. COUNCILOR SUSY? NO. NO. MAYOR SIDIKI. NO. NO. AND YOU HAVE TWO MEMBERS RECORDING THE AFFIRMATIVE. SIX RECORDED IN THE NEGATIVE. AND ONE RECORDED IS ABSENT. PAUL SER NUMBER FOUR IS NOT ADOPTED. WE MOVE ON TO PAUL SER. NUMBER FIVE, THAT THE CITY MANAGERS REQUESTED TO DIRECT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT CITY DEPARTMENTS TO EXAMINE AND REPORT BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL WITH A FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS WITH FINDINGS, OPTIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE FOLLOWING. PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE MULTI-FAMILY ZONING ORDINANCES WAS FILED BY COUNCILOR FLAHERTY AND COUNCILLOR ZI. COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU. DREW. YOU MADAM CHAIR. THIS ISN'T A GAME. UH, THIS IS THE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING ZONING ORDINANCE. NOBODY CHEATED WHEN IT WAS, UH, VOTED ON AND IT WAS ORDAINED. UM, AND THE IMPACTS ARE REAL THAT ARE BEING FELT IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE. AND THE IMPACTS ARE THAT THE, UH, SINGLE FAMILY, TWO FAMILY AND THREE FAMILY HOMES ARE NOW INCENTIVIZED TO BE DEMOLISHED AND REPLACED WITH FOUR STORY BUILDINGS WITH ZERO AFFORDABILITY COMPONENTS. ZERO AFFORDABILITY COMPONENTS, NO SETBACKS, NO SIDE YARDS, NO BACKYARDS. AND WHAT THIS HAS DONE IS DISPLACED MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES. ALL OF THIS HAPPENS, UM, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE ARE MAYBE THE SECOND OR OR THIRD MOST DENSE CITY IN MASSACHUSETTS. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED IN THE WAKE OF US PARTNERING WITH THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND SPENDING 10 YEARS OF OUR LIVES WORKING ON THE GREEN LINE EXTENSION TO MAKE SOMERVILLE AND MEDFORD MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE HIGH PAYING JOBS IN KENDALL SQUARE. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED, AND IT EXISTS ON EVERY STREET, EVERY BLOCKS, EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE. AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THIS [04:30:01] ZONING ORDINANCE IS THAT DEVELOPERS HAVE CAUGHT WIND OF IT. AND, UH, DEVELOPERS, UH, UNLIKE, UH, GOVERNMENTS, AND UNLIKE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, DEVELOPERS, PRIVATE DEVELOPERS ARE DRIVEN BY MARKET FORCES. THEY'RE IN IT TO MAKE A PROFIT. THIS COMES FROM A FELLOW WHO LIVED, UH, THROUGHOUT COLLEGE WITH A GUY WHO BECAME A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER. HE'S ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS IN LIFE. HE'S A GREAT FAMILY MAN. HE'S A TREMENDOUS FRIEND. UH, HE'S A, UH, HE'S A WONDERFUL FATHER. I'LL TELL YOU ONE THING. HE'S NOT, HE'S, HE'S NOT BENEVOLENT. HE'S IN IT TO MAKE MONEY. AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING WHAT THEY ARE DOING THROUGHOUT THE CITY, EVERY SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD IN THIS CITY ARE IN IT TO MAKE MONEY. AND WHAT THEY WILL DO IS THEY WILL MANIPULATE THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ZONING ORDINANCE TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY TO INCREASE PROFIT MARGINS. THEY HAVE FIDUCIARY DUTIES TO THEIR INVESTORS. THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE. THAT IS REAL. THAT'S HAPPENING ON, UM, UH, I CAN GO THROUGH THE ADDRESSES AND I'M SURE EVERYONE HERE IN THE COUNCIL DOESN'T HAVE TO HEAR ABOUT CUSHING STREET. WYMAN STREET, UM, COPLEY STREET. HUTCHINSON STREET, IT, IT GOES ON AND ON. UM, IN MED CAMBRIDGE, IN CENTRAL SQUARE, IN EAST CAMBRIDGE, IN NORTH CAMBRIDGE, IN WEST CAMBRIDGE. AND THIS THE ULTIMATE LOGICAL CONCLUSION OF ALL THIS WILL BE IF AMENDMENTS ARE NOT MADE. AND AGAIN, THIS POLICY ORDER IS ASKING FOR FEASIBILITY STUDIES. THIS IS NOT A DROP DEAD LIST OF AMENDMENTS THAT MUST BE MADE. THESE ARE THINGS THAT I BELIEVE ARE IMPORTANT THAT COUNCILORS ZUI BELIEVES ARE IMPORTANT, THAT CAN IMPACT, UH, THE ZONING ORDINANCE IN A VERY POSITIVE WAY SO THAT MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES ARE NOT CONTINUALLY FORCED OUT OF THE CITY. AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS. THAT'S WHAT IS HAPPENING. AND IF IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN, WE WILL BECOME A CITY, UH, NOT OF FAMILIES, NOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. AND WE SHOULD BE A FAMILY OF A, A CITY OF FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS. BUT WE WON'T BE, WE, WE, WE WILL BECOME A STOPOVER. WE'LL BE A CITY THAT'S INHABITED BY, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT TO SPEND THEIR LIVES HERE, WHO ARE MAKING AN AWFUL LOT OF MONEY IN, UH, HIGH PAYING JOBS, MAYBE IN KENDALL SQUARE OR WEALTHY EMPTY NESTERS. AND THAT'S THE HOUSING THAT'S BEING PRODUCED. UH, IT'S NOT FAMILY HOUSING. IT'S NOT HOUSING WITH MULTIPLE BEDROOMS, UH, FOR CHILDREN AND FOR FAMILIES THAT WILL, UM, CONTINUE TO MAKE CAMBRIDGE THE VIBRANT AND SUSTAINABLE CITY. IT HAS BEEN THROUGH ITS HISTORY AND THE LOGICAL, UH, CONCLUSION OF ALL THIS WILL BE IN THE PROCESS. WE WILL, MAYBE NOT IN OUR GENERATION, BUT IN THE NEXT GENERATION, BE A CITY VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE CITY THAT WE ALL LIVE IN RIGHT NOW. AND OUR FAMILIES, OUR CHILDREN WILL BE THE ONES THAT FEEL THE EFFECTS OF THIS. BUT RIGHT NOW, IN THIS CITY, RIGHT NOW, WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS, UH, TREMENDOUS MARKET UPHEAVAL, TREMENDOUS DISRUPTION AND CONSTRUCTION IS NOT, NOT CONSISTENT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM WITH IMPROVING THE STATED GOAL OF THIS MULTI-FAMILY ZONING ORDINANCE, WHICH IS TO INCREASE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK. THAT IS NOT HAPPENING. THAT IS NOT HAPPENING NOT FROM THE ZONING ORDINANCE. AND THEREFORE, WE SHOULD DIRECT THE CDD TO CONSIDER ALL POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS. AND THIS IS NOT AN ENDLESS, BUT THIS IS A LIST WHERE WE BEGIN. I YIELD, IT'S UP TO FIVE MINUTES. JUST A REMINDER. UH, SO WE'LL GO TO VICE MAYOR COUNCILOR ZUI AND THEN COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER. I DON'T, HE HAD HIS HAND FIRST. UM, I'D LIKE A ME A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES TO BRING FORWARD PETITION. ONE COUNSELOR PETITION, ONE VICE MAYOR MOVES TO BRING THE ZONING PETITION BEFORE US TO SUSPEND THE RULES. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAINST SAY NO. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE ZONING PETITION HAS BEEN RECEIVED, RECEIVED FROM DOUG BROWN TO AMEND THE CURRENT ARTICLES AND OR SECTIONS NUMBERED AND ENTITLED ARTICLES 2 5 6, 11 AND 19, HEIGHT SETBACK, PARKING, OPEN SPACE AND DESIGN REVIEW REQUIREMENTS VICE. THANK YOU. UM, SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS BOTH OF THESE TOGETHER SINCE THEY'RE SIMILAR IN NATURE. UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WE HAVE OUR DIFFERENCES IN OPINIONS ON HOW WE FEEL ABOUT HOUSING. I LOOKED AT THE CENSUS DATA, WE'RE 50TH OUT OF 50 STATES IN TERMS OF PERMITTING. AND SO WE'RE NOT REALLY DOING AS WELL AS WE MIGHT THINK WE ARE. UM, AND I DO THINK THAT HOUSING HAS A POSITIVE EFFECT. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT FROM, [04:35:01] YOU KNOW, DEMOCRATS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY FROM, YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT OBAMA WHEN HE TOOK THE DNC LAST YEAR TO ELIZABETH WARREN WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, A PERSON PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH CAMBRIDGE AS A SUPPLY AND DEMAND ISSUE. UM, THE GOVERNOR WILL SAY THE SAME THING. UH, THE NEWLY ELECTED, UH, MAYORS OF NEW YORK AND POTENTIALLY THEROS RUNNING FOR LA HAVE SAID THE SAME THING. AND SO I WOULD SAY THIS, YOU KNOW, NOT CONSENSUS ON ANYTHING IN THIS COUNTRY, BUT IT'S ABOUT AS BROAD A CONSENSUS AS YOU CAN REACH. NOW, I DO THINK THAT THERE IS SPACE FOR AMENDMENTS AND, YOU KNOW, I THANK COUNCILOR AND COUNCILOR FLAHERTY FOR BRINGING THESE FORWARDS. WE HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED FOR THE 25TH. AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A NATURAL TIME TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE. I THINK THE IDEA OF TOTALING SETBACKS, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S INTERESTING. I WOULD LOVE TO TALK MORE ABOUT IT. I'M NOT INHERENTLY AGAINST IT. AND SO I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE WORTHWHILE TALKING ABOUT AND MIGHT BECOME POSITIVE AMENDMENTS. AND I THINK THAT ANYTHING THAT AFFECTS HOUSING, I THINK WE'LL HAVE A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT CONVERSATION ABOUT. AND SO I, I THINK THAT WE CAN FORWARD THOSE TO COMMITTEE. AND I'LL SAY THAT THE COM THE PETITION IS A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT ONE IN THAT THE PETITION, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY IMPACTS THE A HO. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IN PUBLIC COMMENT, AND I KNOW OTHER COLLEAGUES WANNA SPEAK TOO, SO I WON'T TAKE THAT AIR. BUT I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DO NOT LIKE CITIZENS PETITIONS IN THIS NATURE OR IN THIS WAY BECAUSE BASICALLY WE ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO FORWARD THIS TO ORDINANCE COMMITTEE. AND IT WILL DEFACTO TAKE EFFECT WHEN IT IS FORWARD TO ORDINANCE COMMITTEE. SO EVERY PROJECT THAT IT'S MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE CITY, BOTH MARKET RATE HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, I DON'T BELIEVE A SINGLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT THAT'S UNDER PROJECTION RIGHT NOW WOULD MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THIS NEW WAS LOOKING FOR IT. SO THEY'RE ALL GONNA HAVE TO BE PUT ON HOLD WHILE WE'RE DEALING WITH THIS. AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR TO, YOU KNOW, HOLD HOSTAGE EVERY PROJECT IN THE CITY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, 10 PEOPLE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY WANNA DO. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE SET UP A PROCESS, YOU KNOW, COUNSELORS WITH VERY DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON THINGS, HAVE HAD TWO COMMITTEE HEARINGS. WE'VE HAD A THIRD ONE ON THE BOOKS. WE ARE TRYING TO WORK OUT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN AGREE ON AND WHAT WE CAN'T. AND I DON'T THINK THAT CITIZENS PETITIONS ARE REALLY HELPFUL IN THIS SPECIFIC WAY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE TO FORWARD IT TO, UH, COMMITTEE. BUT I DID WANNA SAY THAT I'M NOT PARTICULARLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO PASS FORWARD, UH, POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE TO THE HOUSING COMMITTEE. SO PROCEDURALLY, I'LL JUST REMIND THE EVERYONE THAT VICE MAYOR IS CORRECT, THE ONLY ACTION WE CAN TAKE ON THE PETITIONER TO REFER TO THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE AND PLANNING BOARD FOR HEARING REPORT, WE CAN DO THAT SEPARATELY. RIGHT NOW. COUNSELOR, UH, VICE HAS MOVED TO REFER POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND LONG TERM PLANNING MEETING ON JUNE 25TH. THAT'S THE MOTION. THE HOUSING COMMITTEE. THE HOUSING COMMITTEE, YEAH. SO THAT'S A, THAT'S UP FOR DISCUSS. WE CAN DISCUSS THAT MOTION I HAVE AND WE CAN DISCUSS THE POLICY ORDER. WE HAVE COUNCILOR ZUI, COUNCILLOR, SABRINA WHEELER, COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN. JUST I HAVE A POINT OF INFORMATION FIRST. SO SINCE I WAS A CO-SPONSOR OF THE POLICY ORDER, SHOULDN'T I HAVE SPOKEN FOR SECOND? WE USUALLY JUST GO TO THE MAIN SPONSOR. THAT WAS WHAT WE DO. OKAY, SO NO TIME STARTED. SO THE WHOLE POINT OF, UH, OF COUNCILOR FLAHERTY AND I INTRODUCING THIS POLICY ORDER WAS TO GET SOME DISCUSSION ON THE FLOOR ABOUT AMENDMENTS TO INFORM THE MEETING ON THE 25TH BECAUSE, UH, LIKE WITH THE, THE TREE ORDINANCE DISCUSSION LAST WEEK, IT WAS HELPFUL. IT'LL INFORM THE DISCUSSION ON THE 22ND. UM, WE'RE EAGER TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS. WE PUT SOME THINGS OUT THERE AND WE'RE EAGER TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK. BUT ISN'T IT A, A GOOD THING TO MAKE SOMETHING BETTER AND CORRECT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES? SO, UM, COUNCILOR FLAHERTY AND I ARE NOT ASKING TO RESCIND THE ZONING. WE'RE PROPOSING TO MAKE IT BETTER AND WE'RE OFFERING DIFFERENT SUGGESTIONS. AND I GUESS IF WE'RE LOOKING AT, I, I GUESS I DON'T HAVE TO JUST, UH, TALK SO MUCH ABOUT THE BROWN PETITION, BUT WE WERE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HEIGHT, UH, SETBACKS. I'M, I'M GLAD THERE'S SOME SYMPATHY FOR THAT. IT SEEMS LIKE WE REALLY NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THEM FLEXIBLE SO THAT IF YOU HAVE A HOUSE THAT'S ON A NON-CONFORMING LOT, YOU CAN BE FURTHER FROM IT, OR A MATURE TREE, YOU CAN MOVE IT OVER SO YOU CAN PUT THE BUILDING AT THE PROPER PLACE ON THE SITE. SO I HOPE THAT YOU WILL ALL BE OPEN TO THAT DISCUSSION HEIGHT. UM, THERE IS A REAL ISSUE, AND I THINK THIS, I I IDEA OF EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF RELATING THE HOUSE OR THE BUILDING TO THE WIDTH OF THE RIGHT OF WAY. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY RIGHT OF WAY IS LOT LINE TO LOT LINE. UM, SO, UH, [04:40:01] SO A SIX STORY BUILDING WOULD ONLY BE ON A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE, NOT ON NARROW STREETS. THE IDEA IS THAT TO CONSIDER RIGHT OF WAY WIDTHS OF 55 FEET OR, UH, UM, AND THAT AGAIN WOULD BE LOT LINE TO LOT LINE AND GREATER. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WORTHY OF DISCUSSING, DISCUSSING, UM, UH, THE BROWN PETITION HAS SOMETHING ELSE, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD CON. UM, THE HEIGHT CONTEXT, WE'RE INTERESTED BOTH OF US, ALL OF US IN OPEN SPACE. AND I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT GREEN ROOFS AND BALCONIES SHOULD NOT QUALIFY AS OPEN SPACE, NOR SHOULD PERMEABLE PAVERS. WE NEED THE OPEN SPACE TO BE AT THE GROUND LEVEL SO IT'S TRULY PERMEABLE AND IT'LL BE HELP US. WE WE'RE LESS LIKELY TO FLOOD IF WE'VE GOT TREES THAT ABSORB HUNDREDS OF GALLONS OF WATER AND WE'VE GOT TRULY PERMEABLE GROUND TO ABSORB WATER. UM, AND THEN WE DON'T WANNA HAVE CANYONS. WE DON'T WANT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY. WE WANT GOOD DESIGN. WE DON'T WANT, UM, MAXIMUM BUILDING WALL LINKS TO BE, UH, LONGER THAN 25 TO 40 FEET ALONG THE SETBACK LINE. UM, AND OR A BUILDING 25 TO 40 FEET, UM, UH, UH, TO SET BACK AN ADDITIONAL. WE, WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE JUST, JUST DON'T HAVE LONG WALLS OF BUILDINGS, WHETHER IT'S GOING BACK ON A LOT OR THE FACE OF THE LOT, UM, FOR THE SAKE OF PRIVACY, LIGHT AND NEW PLANTINGS. AND WE WANT ALL OF US TO EVERYONE TO THINK ABOUT PARKING. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE RIGHT THING IS TO ASK ABOUT PARKING. UH, WE HAD ASKED FOR ONE PARKING PLACE PER UNIT. IF THERE ARE OVER FOUR UNITS, UH, THE BROWN PETITION ASKS FOR HALF A PARKING PLACE. BUT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT SOMETHING RELATING TO PARKING IN THE, THE ZONING ORDINANCE. SO, UM, PLEASE SHARE YOUR IDEAS. AGAIN, OUR GOAL IS TO HEAR FROM YOU AND TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS ORDINANCE BETTER, UM, BETTER FOR THE WHOLE WHOLE CITY. AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THE POINT THAT I, UM, THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE, I MEAN, IT'S FABULOUS. WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE A HO WE'VE PRODUCED, AGAIN, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'LL SOON BE, UH, 1300 UNITS. THE THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE WAS NEVER GONNA COMPLETELY SOLVE OUR HOUSING CRISIS. REMEMBER IT, IT WAS A TOOL. SO WE'LL NEED TO BE LOOKING AT IT ALONG WITH OTHER THINGS LIKE REGISTERING OUR AIRBNBS. APPARENTLY WE'LL BE HEARING BACK ABOUT THAT ON THE 22ND. SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. WE'VE JUST ALLOCATED FUNDS TOWARDS THAT GROUP. UM, EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF PRODUCING HOUSING, UM, WHILE ENCOURAGING OUR UNIVERSITIES TO PRODUCE MORE GRADUATE HOUSING CONSIDERING THE CREATION OF A PRIVATE DORMS, SOCIAL HOUSING, OTHER THINGS. SO THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN ALSO BE INCENTIVIZING THE PRODUCTION OF MIDDLE CLASS HOUSING. UM, SO OUR GOAL IN THE MEANTIME IS THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE IS MOSTLY GOING TO PRODUCE MARKET RATE HOUSING. AND HOW CAN WE DO THAT IN A WAY THAT IS MEETS OUR BROADER GOALS? THANK YOU COUNCILORS. EY THANK YOU COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER. THANKS MADAM MAYOR THROUGH YOU. UM, HAPPY TO DISCUSS THIS HERE AND AT THE HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING. UM, IN TERMS OF CONTENT OF THE POLICY ORDER, I, I DON'T THINK IT MAKES SENSE. YOU KNOW, REQUIRING SIDE SETBACKS OF 10 FEET FOR ANY NEW HOUSING WOULD MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO BUILD SO MUCH OF THE HOUSING WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN CAMBRIDGE, INCLUDING THE TRIPLE DECKER THAT I LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE FOR. SO A BUNCH OF TIMES I COULD REACH OUT MY WINDOW AND TOUCH THE HOUSE NEXT TO ME. THAT IS NOT A 10 FOOT SETBACK. IF YOU GO A QUARTER, QUARTER MILE OVER TO EAST CAMBRIDGE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF HOUSING IN EAST CAMBRIDGE DOES NOT HAVE TIE 10 FEET SIDE SETBACKS. EAST CAMBRIDGE IS GREAT, IT'S FINE. I SAID THIS TO A COUPLE FOLKS AND THEY SAY, WELL, YOUR HOUSING IS ALREADY BUILT SO IT WOULDN'T AFFECT YOU. YOUR HOUSE WOULD STILL BE THERE. TO WHICH I SAY, WHY DO YOU WANNA PREVENT MORE HOUSES LIKE MINE FROM BEING WE BUILT? WHY DO YOU WANNA PREVENT THOUSANDS OF HOUSES LIKE WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN EAST CAMBRIDGE AND WELLINGTON, HARRINGTON AND CAMBRIDGEPORT AND MID CAMBRIDGE AND NORTH CAMBRIDGE AND RIVERSIDE. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS HAS HUNDREDS OF HOUSES THAT DON'T HAVE 10 FOOT SIDE SETBACKS. I ALSO WANNA CORRECT ONE THING ABOUT DEVELOPER CONTRIBUTIONS. UH, I WAS LOOKING AT OCPF AND THIS POLICY ORDER SPONSOR ACTUALLY RECEIVED THE MOST CONTRIBUTION FROM DONORS WHO WORK IN REAL ESTATE, WHICH IS KIND OF FUNNY. I'M NOT SUGGESTING THERE'S ANYTHING NEFARIOUS THERE. UH, I DON'T ACCEPT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM DEVELOPERS. UM, BUT IT'S VERY FUNNY THAT THE PERSON WHO DID IS ALSO VERY CLEAR THAT THEY'RE OPPOSED TO THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE. IT'S PRETTY BIZARRE TO SUGGEST THAT REAL ESTATE INTERESTS ARE CONTROLLING CITY COUNSELORS WHEN YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT THEY'RE DOING. BUT IF CITY COUNSELORS ARE ACCEPTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM REAL ESTATE CONTRIBUTIONS AND THEY'RE OPPOSED TO MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING, WELL THOSE ACTUAL CONTRIBUTIONS DON'T HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THEM. [04:45:01] SOMEHOW IT DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE. UM, ALSO PUSH BACK ON THE SUGGESTION THAT I'M, YOU KNOW, NOT NOT LISTENING TO RESIDENTS OR ANY OF FELLOW FOLKS ARE, I'M THE CHAIR OF THE HOUSING COMMITTEE. I HAVE DONE MULTIPLE COMMITTEE MEETINGS THIS TERM, UH, ABOUT THE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD LONG-TERM PLANNING COMMITTEE AND COUNCILLOR SUI. I SPENT MANY HOURS TALKING WITH RESIDENTS. PLENTY OF AREAS OF AGREEMENT ACTUALLY FROM THOSE CONVERSATIONS. JUST BECAUSE I OR ANY OTHER COUNSELOR DISAGREES WITH THE NEED FOR SOME OF THE SPECIFIC POLICY CHANGES DOES NOT MEAN WE'RE NOT LISTENING. WE JUST DON'T AGREE. WE HAD AN ELECTION LAST YEAR WHERE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING WAS EASILY THE TOP ISSUE IN THE ELECTION. SEVEN OUT OF NINE COUNSELORS WHO GOT ELECTED WERE CLEAR THAT THEY SUPPORT THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE. VAST MAJORITY OF US ARE LISTENING TO RESIDENTS. I THINK IT'S THE MINORITY OF VOTES WHO ARE NOT LISTENING TO THE ELECTION RESULTS. UH, AND I, THE ONE PIECE I AGREE WITH COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY ON, I THINK DEVELOPERS ARE, ARE IN IT TO MAKE MONEY. A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE ON THAT. WHEN YOU'RE MAKING A SINGLE FAMILY HOME THAT YOU SELL FOR 2 MILLION, $4 MILLION, YOU'RE ALSO IN IT TO MAKE MONEY. UH, IF YOU'RE MAD ABOUT PEOPLE MAKING MONEY OFF OF HOUSING, YOU'RE NOT MAD ABOUT ZONING. YOU ARE MAD ABOUT CAPITALISM. AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN'T CHANGE WITH A ZONING TWEAK SOMEHOW. I DON'T THINK WHAT THE SPONSORS ARE ACTUALLY MAD ABOUT IS CAPITALISM BECAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER THEM CANVASSING WITH ME FOR BERNIE SANDERS IN 2020. MAYBE THEY WERE, MAYBE I JUST DIDN'T SEE THEM. UM, AND BY THE WAY, IF YOU WANT MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS, THE SIX STORY BUILDINGS ARE THE ONES THAT GONNA ARE GONNA HAVE 'EM. NINE WYMAN STREET SIX STORIES IS GONNA HAVE 10 AFFORDABLE INCLUSIONARY UNITS. IF AFFORDABLE UNITS IS THE THING YOU'RE TRYING TO MAXIMIZE FOR, YOU ACTUALLY WANT MORE SIX STORIES. I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS WHAT THE SPONSORS WANTED, BUT I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THEY ACTUALLY WANT MORE SIX STORY BUILDINGS. MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO, TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT. THE LAST THING I WANNA SAY, IF SOMEONE DOESN'T WANNA LIVE IN, UH, A HOUSE LIKE MINE THAT HAS LESS THAN A 10 FOOT SETBACK, NO ONE IS FORCING THEM TO. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BUILD MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING, NO ONE IS FORCING YOU TO, IF YOU WANT TO BUILD A NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOME, YOU CAN STILL DO THAT. THIS DOESN'T FORCE ANYONE TO MAKE CHANGES TO THEIR OWN HOUSE. WHAT THIS POLICY ORDER DOES DO IS TRYING TO LIMIT AND PUT MORE RESTRICTIONS ON THE TYPES OF HOUSING WE CAN HAVE IN CAMBRIDGE. IT'S TRYING TO MICROMANAGE WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT HAVE. AND IT WOULD PREVENT A LOT OF THE GREAT OLDER, MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WE HAVE IN EAST CAMBRIDGE AND CAMBRIDGE PORT AND ALL THESE, OUR OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS WE CURRENTLY HAVE FROM BEING BUILT. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE HOUSE I LIVE IN? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE HOUSES THAT MOST OF US LIVE IN? WHY DO YOU WANNA BAN THE CITY FROM HOUSING HOUSES LIKE OURS? I, I DON'T GET IT. HAPPY TO SEND THIS TO THE HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING, BUT I'M, I'M VERY PERPLEXED FOR THIS DISCUSSION AND I YIELD BACK. WE HAVE COUNSELOR MCGOVERN NEXT, SINCE WE HAVE TWO THINGS IN FRONT OF US. DO I GET 10 MINUTES? NO. DAMN. NO. OKAY. UM, SO ON POLICY OR NUMBER FIVE, LOOK, I'VE SAID ALL ALONG THAT I WOULD BE OPEN TO AMENDMENTS TO THIS ORDINANCE THAT WOULDN'T RESULT IN STALLING HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. UM, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT THIS LIST, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THESE NUMBERS COME FROM. I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S 35 FEET VERSUS 40 FEET OR 30 FEET. UM, YOU KNOW, SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THESE COME FROM. I'M SURE THEY COME FROM SOMEWHERE. BUT, UM, COLLECTIVELY THIS WOULD STOP, ESSENTIALLY STOP HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND WOULD MAKE HOUSING MORE EXPENSIVE. BECAUSE HERE'S THE REALITY GUYS. IF YOU INCREASE THE COST OF, OF BUILDING HOUSING, WHICH WE ARE ALREADY THE MOST EXPENSIVE, I THINK, OR ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE PLACES TO BUILD ANYTHING, AND THEN YOU INCREASE THE COST OF BUILDING THAT BY PUTTING IN MORE AND MORE REGULATIONS AND MORE AND MORE CONDITIONS THAT SHRINK THE LIVABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE, THEY'RE GONNA CHARGE MORE FOR THOSE UNITS TO OFFSET THE COST THAT THEY'RE LOSING. AND SO I DON'T THINK THIS IS GONNA HELP WITH THAT. I HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT IT. THE, THE ONE THAT REAL, I MEAN THE, THE PARKING, I, I DON'T AGREE WITH THE ONE THAT REALLY GETS ME THOUGH. AND, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S, THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE TO DIG DEEPER INTO SOME OF THIS IS THE EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF RELATING BUILDING HEIGHT TO WIDTHS OF RIGHT OF WAY SIX STORY BUILDINGS ONLY ON MAJOR THOROUGHFARES SIX STORY BUILDINGS. WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION FOR OVER A YEAR, SIX STORY BUILDINGS IS HOW YOU GET INCLUSIONARY UNITS IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS. INCLUSIONARY UNITS ARE SUBSIDIZED LOW INCOME UNITS. SO IF YOU, IF YOU SAY WE'RE NOT GONNA BUILD, AND MOST RESIDENTIAL STREETS ARE NOT 55 FEET WIDE. SO IF YOU SAY YOU CAN'T BUILD A SIX STORY BUILDING ON ANY STREET THAT'S NOT 55 FEET WIDE, YOU'RE BASICALLY SAYING YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET ANY INCLUSIONARY UNITS IN THOSE BUILDINGS. AND YOU ARE PUSHING THOSE INCLUSIONARY UNITS, THOSE LOW INCOME FOLKS OUT TO THE THOROUGHFARES, THE CORRIDORS, AND NOT WITHIN NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I THOUGHT ONE OF THE POINTS THAT WE ALL AGREED ON WAS THAT WE WANTED TO DO AWAY WITH EXCLUSIONARY ZONING, WHICH DID EXACTLY THAT AND SAID, THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AREN'T GONNA HAVE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING AND THEY'RE GONNA BE MORE EXPENSIVE. SO THAT ONE IS REALLY, I, I KNOW THAT THIS THAT'S ABOUT SHADOWS AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE INTENT WAS, BUT THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT WOULD BE [04:50:01] BASICALLY SAYING LOW INCOME FOLKS THROUGH INCLUSIONARY ZONING. YOU GO LIVE ON THE CORRIDORS AND NOT IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. THAT'S WHAT THE RESULT WOULD BE. AND I THINK THAT WOULD, I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT PEOPLE WANT. UM, HAPPY TO SEND THIS TO HOU TO THE HOUSING COMMITTEE, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND TALK MORE ABOUT IT. UM, BUT AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS IN THE TOTALITY. UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THIS IS UNCOMFORTABLE, RIGHT? AND THERE'S A LOT OF, I I AGREE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY UPSET. BELIEVE ME, I MET WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE AND A LOT OF THIS IS BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY DOING WHAT THE INTENTION WAS. THE, THE FIRST THING IN THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE, WHEN YOU GO TO CD'S PAGE, IT'S NOT ABOUT INCREASING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IT TALKS ABOUT INCLUSIONARY, RIGHT? WHICH IS WHERE THE SIX STORIES COMES FROM. BUT IT'S THE NUMBER ONE GOAL IS TO, UM, INCREASE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING IN ALL NEIGHBORHOODS IN CAMBRIDGE. AND SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING BEING BUILT IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE NOT USED TO SEEING MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING BUILT IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. AND THAT'S MAKING PEOPLE UPSET LEGITIMATELY. I'M NOT, I DON'T REGURG ANYBODY THEIR FEELINGS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU TAKE WYMAN STREET, FIRST OF ALL, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT AS WYMAN STREET, I BELIEVE, AND SOMEONE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THE ACTUAL ADDRESS IS GONNA BE HURON AVE. SO TALKING ABOUT A SIX STORY BUILDING ON HURON AVE SOUNDS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN TALKING ABOUT A SIX STORY BUILDING ON WYMAN STREET. UM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN BUILT ON THAT LOT IF BEFORE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING IS A FOUR PLUS MILLION DOLLAR HOME TO HOUSE ONE FAMILY BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE. NOW YOU'RE GETTING 50 UNITS OF WHICH 20% OF THEM ARE GONNA BE FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE. LOOK, I MET WITH THE GUY WHO LIVES RIGHT NEXT DOOR. I UNDERSTAND FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, HE'S GONNA HAVE A SIX STORY BUILDING, THE BACK OF A SIX STORY BUILDING FACING HIM AND I, I'M NOT UNSYMPATHETIC TO THAT. UM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WOULD I RATHER HAVE 50 UNITS OF WHICH 10 OR 11 OF THEM ARE GONNA BE LOW INCOME VERSUS A FOUR PLUS MILLION DOLLARS SINGLE FAMILY HOME? YEAH, I WOULD. SO, UM, THE BROWN PETITION, I, WE HAVE TO SEND IT FORWARD, AS YOU SAID. UM, MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT ABOUT THAT IS WHAT IT'S GONNA DO. THE, THE A HOI TALKED TO THE A HO DEVELOPERS NEW STREET WOULD NOT HAVE 106 UNITS IN IT IF THE BROWN PETITION HAD BEEN IN PLACE AHEAD OF TIME. UM, AND WE HAVE TO BE REALLY CAREFUL OF THE A THANK YOU COUNCILOR MCGOVERN WHO HASN'T SPOKEN, WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK. I HAVE COUNCILOR ZUBIE THANK YOU THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR. I, UH, I'LL BE BRIEF. I I DEFINITELY KNOW THAT I'M OPEN TO DIALOGUE ON THIS REFERRING IT TO COMMITTEE. UM, I, I DO THINK PART OF THIS IS US NEEDING TO BE HONEST AT BETWEEN WHAT'S ON THE POLICY ORDER AND WHAT ACTUALLY, UM, IS AN AUTHENTIC ATTEMPT TO GET SUPPORT WITH THE IMPACTS THAT THE ORDINANCE HAS ON DEVELOPMENT AND NEIGHBORHOODS. AND ALSO WHAT PART OF THAT IS JUST A MEANS TO BLOCK DEVELOPMENT. I THINK THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. AND IF WE CAN HAVE THAT AUTHENTIC DIALOGUE ABOUT IT, I, I'M WILLING TO ENGAGE ON THAT. I, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE. I THINK IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE UPDATING THAT, UM, SO THAT WHAT WE JUST PASSED DOESN'T LEAD TO MORE MATURE TREES BEING CUT DOWN TO MAKE ROOM FOR HOUSING. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S MOVING ALONG. ANOTHER OPTION THAT WE COULD CONSIDER IS, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY ALLOWING LESS OPEN SPACE VERY IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO PARKS WHEN WE'RE THINKING THROUGH HOUSING. AGAIN, I'M SOMEONE WHO CARES AT THE VERY END OF THE DAY ABOUT AFFORDABILITY AND WHAT THAT MEANS AND LOOKS LIKE. UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE, WE'RE EXPECTING MORE CONVERSATIONS TO COME ON INCLUSIONARY ZONING. UM, AND SO FOR ME, LIKE HOLDING THAT PIECE OF IT'S GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, BECAUSE THAT COULD BE AT RISK AND THAT CAN ALSO IMPACT HOW WE EVEN NAVIGATE THIS CONVERSATION AS WELL. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE PIECES I'M SITTING WITH. UM, BUT REALLY JUST GETS BACK TO ME AT THE POINT OF WE SHOULD BE CENTERING DEVELOPING HOUSING AS A HUMAN RIGHT AND THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT HOUSING, WHICH WE SHOULD NAVIGATE TOOLS LIKE ZONING, UM, TAKE AWAY FROM THIS IDEA THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY SHOULD BE TREATED AS A HUMAN RIGHT AND IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE BUILD. UM, SO THAT WE'RE NOT SO RELIANT ON MARKET RATE FORCES ALL, ALL YIELD. ANYONE WHO ELSE WHO HASN'T SPOKEN? I'LL JUST SAY BRIEFLY THAT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CDD HAS BEEN WORKING ON A RANGE OF AMENDMENTS BASED ON THOSE TWO MEETINGS WE HAD WITH NEIGHBORHOOD LONG-TERM PLANNING. MELISSA'S LOT, YOU KNOW, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT MELISSA'S STILL HERE AND UH, THEY ARE GOING TO COME BACK WITH AMENDMENTS. AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK TO THE POINT THAT WAS JUST EARLIER MADE, WHETHER THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S THESE AMENDMENTS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY WILL WE'LL KNOW [04:55:01] PRETTY QUICKLY WHAT THEY'RE SUGGESTING. AND SO, UM, I THINK REFERRING IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE AND YOU CAN, WE'LL, WE'LL DISCUSS THIS IN, UM, THAT HEARING. WE CAN DISCUSS IT IN HOUSING COMMITTEE AND HAVE A FURTHER CONVERSATION. I MEAN, SOME OF THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT OFF THE BAT, I THINK I COULD OPINE WHERE MAYBE CDD WOULD BE, UH, 'CAUSE I THINK THEY'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, COUNSELORS ON THIS. SO I THINK REFERRING IT, UM, AND HAVING THAT DISCUSSION AT JUNE 25TH TO SEE WHAT THEY'VE COME UP WITH IS, IS, UM, I THINK THE, THE BEST ROUTE TO GO VICE. MAYOR AZIM, YOU HAD A COMMENT BEFORE WE GO AHEAD. YEP. I JUST HAD TWO BRIEF COMMENTS. UM, I I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT I, YOU KNOW, NO SIK STORY, NO INCLUSIONARY BUILDING AT 20% HAS BEEN BUILT, THAT HAS NOT BEEN SIX STORIES. AND LIKE THAT'S FUNDAMENTALLY HOW WE GOT HERE. AND SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SHORTER BUILDING, IT'S JUST NOT GONNA HAVE INCLUSIONARY. WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT AT 20% IN CAMBRIDGE. UM, SO JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP. AND THEN, UM, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THE PARKING PART IN PARTICULAR IS SOMETHING THAT I'M VERY SYMPATHETIC TO. LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WILL WE HAVE NEW CARS OR NEW RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, IF THEY BRING IN CARS, WHAT WILL THAT IMPACT? IT DOES IMPACT STREET PARKING IN PARTICULAR. AND I THINK THAT THE REASON THAT THIS PROCESS IS A LITTLE BIT MESSY IS THAT IT FEELS LIKE, YOU KNOW, EVERY OTHER WEEK WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF BROAD OR TALKED ABOUT OF LIKE, HERE'S AN AMENDMENT AND ALL THAT AND WE'RE STILL WAITING TO GET RESPONSES FROM OTHER STUFF, WHICH WE SHOULD GET SOON, RIGHT? SO LIKE WE TALK ABOUT AMENDMENTS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I SAW THIS, I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA WAIT TILL WE HAVE THAT 25TH MEETING WHERE CDDD WAS GONNA PROPOSE AMENDMENTS, RIGHT? WE TALKED ABOUT PARKING AND WE PASSED A POLICY ORDER EARLIER THIS YEAR SAYING THAT WE WANNA LIMIT AND THAT IS STILL COMING BACK. AND NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS OTHER WAY TO LIMIT PARKING. AND SO I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD RESOLVE THE FIRST SERIES OF QUESTIONS BEFORE WE START BRINGING IN THE SECOND SERIES. SO WE HAVE A FEW MORE HANDS AND THEN I, WE HAVE TWO VOTES BEFORE AS MOTION TO REFER AND THEN WE HAVE TO REFER THE PETITION AND THEN GET THROUGH THE REST OF THE MEETING IN A HALF AN HOUR. COUNCILLOR UZI? UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THE, I THINK IT SHOULD BE REFERRED TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND LONG-TERM PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMITTEES, THE, THE JOINT COMMITTEES. UH, AND UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'LL BE HEARING BACK ABOUT THE PARKING, OUR POLICY ORDER ON THE 22ND. SO THAT INFORMATION WILL BE COMING BACK TO US BEFORE OUR MEETING, UH, OUR JOINT MEETING. THANK YOU. I YIELD, SO CONS, ZUI IS AMENDING THE MOTION TO ADD TO THE HOUSING COMMITTEE AND TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD LONG-TERM PLANNING COMMITTEE. VICE MAYOR, DO YOU HAVE? SURE, SURE. OKAY. YES. UM, I HAVE COUNCILOR FLAHERTY VERY QUICKLY, MADAM CHAIR. AND JUST SO THE RECORD IS CLEAR, NINE WYMAN STREET IS EXACTLY THE, UH, EXHIBIT THAT PROVES THAT THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING ZONING ORDINANCE DOES NOT WORK BECAUSE AS COUNSELOR, UH, MCGOVERN MENTIONED THE NUMBER ONE GOAL IS TO CREATE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING, BUT 56 WYMAN AND EVERY, IT'S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE. YOU CAN LOOK AT THE, AT THE PROPOSAL, UH, NINE WYMAN HAS 56 UNITS. ONE UNIT I THINK IS THREE BEDROOMS, ONE UNIT. THE REST ARE EITHER ONE BEDROOM OR STUDIO APARTMENTS. MAYBE THERE'S TWO UNITS THAT ARE THREE BEDROOMS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GETTING WITH OUT OF THE 56 UNITS AT NUMBER NINE WYMAN. AND SO THAT'S NOT MEETING THE GOALS THAT ARE LAID OUT BY CDD OR WHICH ARE THE STATED GOALS OF THE ORDINANCE. SO THAT'S A REASON WHY THIS MULTIFAMILY ZONING ORDINANCE REALLY ISN'T SATISFYING THE GOALS THAT WERE SET OUT TO ACCOMPLISH. AND FINALLY, AND I'LL YIELD, UM, THIS IS A REGIONAL PROBLEM AND I THINK EVERYONE RECOGNIZES THIS. THIS IS A REGIONAL PROBLEM. IT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO CAMBRIDGE, IT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO MASSACHUSETTS, IT'S A NATIONAL ISSUE. BUT IF WE WANNA MAKE AN IMPACT, WE SHOULD BE PARTNERING WITH OUR MUNICIPAL PARTNERS AND HAVING REGIONAL DISCUSSIONS AND HAVE A REGIONAL SOLUTION, SORT OF LIKE WE DID WITH THE GREEN LINE EXTENSION. BUT I'LL YIELD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MADAM CHAIR LER SIMMONS, ARE YOU SET? OKAY, SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO REFER THE POLICY RULE NUMBER FIVE TO THE HOUSING COMMITTEE AND TO THE JOINT HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD LONG-TERM PLANNING, PLANNING MEETING ON JUNE 25TH ON MULTIFAMILY AMENDMENTS. CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL ON THAT? COUNCIL ZUBE? YES. VICE MAYOR? YES. YES. COUNCIL COUNCILOR FLAHERTY? YES. YES. COUNCILOR MCGOVERN? YES. YES. COUNCILOR [05:00:01] NOLAN IS ABSENT. COUNCILOR SIMMONS? YES. YES. COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER. YES. YES. COUNCILOR ZUI? YES. YES. MAYOR SIDIKI. YES. YES. AND YOU HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND ONE RECORDED IS ABSENT. SO POLICY ORDER NUMBER FIVE IS REFERRED. WE HAVE THE [PETITIONS] PETITION BEFORE US, UH, ON A MOTION BY COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER TO REFER TO THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE AND PLANNING BOARD FOR HEARING AND REPORT. WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL. COUNCILOR ZUBE? YES. VICE MAYOR? YES. YES. COUNCIL OF FLAHERTY? YES. YES. COUNCIL MCGOVERN? YES. COUNCILOR NOLAN IS ABSENT. COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. YES. YES. COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER. YES. YES. YES. COUNCILLOR ZUI. YES. YES. MAYOR SIDIKI. YES. YES. AND YOU HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND ONE RECORDED IS ABSENT. PETITION IS REFERRED. WE'RE BACK TO THE CALENDAR. WE HAVE RESOLUTIONS. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, AND SEVEN. I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADOPT THESE RESOLUTIONS, MAKING THEM UNANIMOUS UPON ADOPTION. SO MOVED ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY TO DO THAT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAINST SAY NO. THE AYES HAVE IT. THOSE RESOLUTIONS ARE ADOPTED. WE'VE DISPOSED OF THE PETITION. WE'RE NOW ONTO THE COMMUNICATIONS [COMMUNICATIONS] ON FILE ON A MOTION BY COUNCILOR SIMMONS TO PLACE THOSE COMMUNICATIONS. THERE ARE A HUNDRED, THERE ARE 93 COMMUNICATIONS ON FILE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAINST SAY NO. THE AYES HAVE IT. THOSE ARE PLACED ON FILE. WE HAVE THREE RESOLUTIONS. [RESOLUTIONS] PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL WITH THE ADOPTION, MAKING THEM UNANIMOUS UPON ADOPTION. COUNCILLOR SIMMONS MOVES THAT WE ADOPT ALL THREE RESOLUTIONS, MAKING THEM UNANIMOUS UPON UNANIMOUS UPON ADOPTION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAINST SAY NO. THE AYES HAVE IT. THOSE ARE ADOPTED. WE HAVE TWO COMMITTEE REPORTS. [COMMITTEE REPORTS] ACCEPT THE REPORTS AND PLACE ON FILE ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS TO ACCEPT THE REPORTS AND PLACE THEM ON FILE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAINST SAY NO. THE AYES HAVE IT. THOSE ARE ACCEPTED AND PLACED ON FILE. WE HAVE NO ROUND TABLE MINUTES. WE ARE ONTO COMMUNICATIONS [COMMUNICATIONS FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS] FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS. THERE ARE TWO. IT'S ON FILE ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS TO PLACE THESE TWO COMMUNICATIONS FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS ON FILE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAINST SAY NO. THE AYES HAVE IT. THOSE ARE PLACED ON FILE. MOVE ADJOURNMENT. WE, [LATE AGENDA ITEMS REQUIRING SUSPENSION OF THE RULES PER RULE 36A] WE DO HAVE A LATE POLICY ORDER. WE SURE DO. UH, WE HAVE A LATE RESOLUTION BY YOU, COUNCILLOR SIMMONS. SO I'M READY TO GO. WE WILL HAVE TO, THIS IS A HUNDRED AND FIRST BIRTHDAY TO TRUE MILLER BACON. AND PER THE RULES, WE HAVE TO REQUIRE SUSPENSION OF THE RULES ON SUSPENSION TO BRING THIS FORWARD. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAINST, THEY KNOW THE AYES HAVE IT. WE HAVE THIS RESOLUTION BEFORE US ON ADOPTING THE LATE RESOLUTION. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UM, MAKE THAT UNANIMOUS UPON ADOPTION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAINST SAY NO. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE LATE RESOLUTION IS ADOPTED. ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE BODY? OUR ANNOUNCEMENTS? YES. WE, WE HAVE A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS. YES. UH, ARE WE UNDER THE NEW RULES? WE ARE. BECAUSE THE ANNOUNCEMENT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. THAT WAS GONNA BE ONE OF MY ANNOUNCEMENTS. IS THAT FOR AS A REMINDER, WE'LL NOW BE DOING ANNOUNCEMENTS AT THE BEGINNING. I'M, WE MISSED THAT. SO NO MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS. SORRY. SO , WE'LL SUSPEND THE RULES TO MAKE, DO THE ANNOUNCEMENTS RIGHT NOW. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAINST SAY NO. THE AYES HAVE IT. WE HAVE ANNOUNCEMENTS. COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN, UH, JUST ONE ON WEDNESDAY, THIS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10TH AT 6:00 PM A FREE VIRTUAL, UM, DISCUSSION SPONSORED BY THE HEALTHY CHILDREN'S TASK FORCE, PEER RELATIONSHIPS IN THE DIGITAL AGE. A PANEL DISCUSSION ABOUT BULLYING, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND REASONS FOR HOPE. WE HAVE THREE EXPERTS FROM BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL WHO WILL BE PRESENTING AND, AND TALKING, UM, ABOUT THIS REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE. UH, YOU DO NEED TO REGISTER AHEAD OF TIME AND YOU CAN DO THAT AT BITLY B LY SLASH PEER RELATIONSHIPS. AND, UH, IT SHOULD BE A VERY INFORMATIVE CONVERSATION. COUNCILLOR ZI. WE WILL HAVE A MEETING OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, COMMITTEE TOMORROW AT 3:00 PM ABOUT OUR INNOVATION ECONOMY. UH, PLEASE COME, WE'RE GONNA HAVE LEADERS OF OUR COWORKING AND, UH, LAB SPACES, MANY OF THEM HERE, AND I THINK THAT'LL BE A DYNAMIC CONVERSATION. THERE'S ALSO A MEETING AT, FROM SIX TO EIGHT, UH, AT GOLD, UM, AT MILLER'S RIVER ABOUT GOLD, STU STAR MOTHERS PARK, AND, UH, PLANS FOR THAT SITE. UH, THEN ON WEDNESDAY, THE CAMBRIDGE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, CAMBRIDGE LEARNING, I'M SORRY, CAMBRIDGE LEARNING CENTER IS HAVING A FUNDRAISER AT EF ON THE SECOND FLOOR. AND AT [05:05:01] AT, UM, STREET THEORY COLLECTIVE WILL BE HAVING A SORT OF A CELEBRATION OF NONPROFITS. AND THEN ON FRIDAY, THE, THE PLAY IS HERE. THE PLAY WILL BE HAPPENING IN THE CHAMBER ABOUT HOW WE CAME TO, UH, BECOME A LIFE SCIENCE CENTER BY DECISIONS MADE IN THIS VERY CHAMBER. SO, UM, COME TO THE REHEARSAL FRIDAY NIGHT AND, UH, COME TO IT, UH, OVER THE NEXT DAYS. THANK YOU COUNCILOR FLAHERTY. TOMORROW FOUR O'CLOCK, THE RING LATIN BASEBALL TEAM TAKES ON CATHOLIC MEMORIAL IN LYNN AT FRAZIER FIELD. AND IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE, YOU REALLY WANNA SEE THIS. THIS IS HISTORIC. THE TEAM HAS NEVER GONE THIS FAR IN THE STATE TOURNAMENT. THEY'RE ONE OF FOUR TEAMS STILL PLAYING. IF THEY WIN TOMORROW, THEY'LL BE PLAYING FOR THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. THEY'VE GOT A GREAT TEAM OF GREAT KIDS, AND IT IS VERY EXCITING. LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE, DON'T MISS IT. AND I'LL ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE THE CSI GRADUATION TOMORROW HERE, UH, STARTING AT FIVE 30, THE COLLEGE SUCCESS INITIATIVE. SO IF YOU'RE ABLE, PLEASE DO JOIN FOR THAT ON A MOTION TO ADJOURN BY COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. THOSE AGAIN? SAY NO. THE AYES HAVE IT. WE'LL SEE YOU ON JUNE 22ND. GOODNIGHT EVERYONE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.