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I WANTED TO CALL TODAY'S JUNE 23RD SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER.
TODAY, WE'LL BE HAVING A MID-YEAR CHECK-IN ON THE CITY MANAGER'S 2026 PERFORMANCE REVIEW PROCESS, AND A DISCUSSION ON PROGRESS TOWARD ANNUAL GOALS.
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESSES, A ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS PRESENT.
PRESENT, COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER.
RECORDED IS PRESENT, AND THREE RECORDED IS ABSENT.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND PAUSE FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS UNDER GOD, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
AND THEN PAUSE FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
PRAYER CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025, ADOPTED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR, THE CITY'S AUTHORIZED TO USE REMOTE PARTICIPATION AT MEETINGS OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL.
IN ADDITION TO HAVING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL PARTICIPATE REMOTELY, WE'VE SET UP A ZOOM, TELECONFERENCE, OR 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 10 30.
RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGN UP.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE ALSO 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.
SO GIVEN THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, WE'LL GO STRAIGHT INTO THE AGENDA.
[ A communication was received from City Manager Yi-An Huang, transmitting a memo relative to a mid-year update and the City Manager Performance Review Process. ]
WE HAVE WILL HAVE IT FACILITATED BY THE CHAIR OF GOV OPS.UH, AND SO I'LL PASS IT, UH, TO HIM.
AND, UM, THANKS TO COUNSELORS AND THE CITY MANAGER FOR COMING FOR THIS.
I WAS GONNA TALK THROUGH, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS, WHICH IS ALSO IN THE, THE PACKETS AND THE, UH, MATERIALS THAT WAS POSTED ON THE OPEN MEETING PORTAL.
UM, AND THEN I WAS GONNA TURN IT OVER TO THE CITY MANAGER TO TALK THROUGH, UM, UH, SOME OF THE, THE RUBRIC AND NEXT STEPS, UM, ON THAT, AND THEN OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM CITY COUNSELORS.
UM, THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S MEETING IS THE MID-YEAR CHECK-IN.
THIS IS PART OF THE CITY MANAGER EVALUATION PROCESS.
UH, IN TERMS OF THE COUNCIL DOING THIS PROCESS, STILL RELATIVELY NEW.
THIS IS ONLY THE, I THINK THIRD OR FOURTH YEAR WE'VE DONE IT.
IN MY FIRST TERM, WE DID NOT DO AN ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE CITY MANAGER.
I'M GLAD IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE DOING NOW.
IT IS NOW, UH, A REQUIREMENT OF THE CHARTER.
FROM OUR, OUR PREVIOUS UPDATE, IT IS A TIME FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO THE CITY MANAGER, UH, TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING WELL, WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED, UH, BOTH IN THE CITY MANAGER'S ROLE AND IN THE BROADER CITY PERFORMANCE.
UH, IN TERMS OF THE STRUCTURE OF OUR CITY GOVERNMENT, THE COUNCIL DOES NOT DIRECT CITY STAFF FROM ANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE GO THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER.
AND SO THIS IS OUR TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE OPERATIONS OF THE CITY, THE FUNCTIONING OF THE CITY, WHAT IS WORKING WELL, WHAT NEEDS TO BE, UH, IMPROVED, ANY SPECIFIC, UH, POINTS OF, OF CONFLICT OR, UH, THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP.
UM, THE SPECIFIC PART IN THIS PROCESS RIGHT NOW IS THE MID-YEAR CHECK-IN.
WHERE WE'RE ARE ARE HALFWAY THROUGH 2026, TALK ABOUT, UH, THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
AND THEN IN THE, UH, SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR, WE'LL DO THE FORMAL EVALUATION PROCESS AND, UH, PROVIDE SCORES ON DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, NARRATIVE FEEDBACK.
AND THE CHAIR OF GOVERNMENT OPS MYSELF WILL COMPILE THOSE, UH, INTO A, AN OVERALL REVIEW, WHICH WE'LL THEN DISCUSS THROUGH.
SO I'M JUST GONNA TALK THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF THAT PROCESS, WHICH IS ON, UH, PAGE ONE IN THE PACKET FOR ANYONE, UH, WHO HAS QUESTIONS.
THE MAYOR WILL CALL A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL, CHAIRED BY THE GOVERNMENT OPS FOR A MIDYEAR CHECK-IN AFTER THIS.
UH, THE NEXT PART OF THE PROCESS WILL BE IN NOVEMBER, UH, NOVEMBER 13TH, WHERE WE'LL HAVE THE CITY MANAGER'S SELF REVIEW THE RESULTS OF THE, UH, RESIDENT SURVEY, THE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY, AND FEEDBACK FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S DIRECT REPORTS.
UM, ON DECEMBER 4TH, THE CHAIR WILL GATHER FEEDBACK FROM THE CITY COUNCIL USING THE EVALUATION TEMPLATE ON THE CITY MANAGER'S PERFORMANCE, WHICH AGAIN, IS IN THIS PACKET.
UM, I, AS THE CHAIR, WILL THEN MAY WRITE A CONSOLIDATED REVIEW OF THE NINE CITY COUNCILORS REVIEW USING THE EVALUATION TEMPLATE.
SIM SYNTHESIZES THE THEMES AND KEY POINTS, UH, AND THEN ON DECEMBER 18TH, THE CITY MANAGER PORT PERFORMANCE REVIEW WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CITY MANAGER IN A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL WILL PRESENT THAT
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CONSOLIDATED REVIEW AND DISCUSS THAT AGAIN, UH, AT A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL.UM, AND THERE'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO RESPOND BOTH VERBALLY DURING OPEN SESSION AND IN WRITING TO THE EVALUATION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, SO TODAY WE'RE GONNA, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT PROCESS, WOULD ENCOURAGE COUNSELORS TO LOOK THROUGH THE RUBRIC HERE, WHICH, UH, HAS BEEN COMPILED WITH THE CITY MANAGER BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM COUNSELORS AND MYSELF AND THE CITY MANAGER.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT IS, IS MISSING OR, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT RUBRIC, NOW IS THE TIME TO RAISE THOSE AS WELL AS FEEDBACK, UH, FROM JANUARY TO JUNE OF THIS YEAR, THINGS THAT HAVE GONE WELL, THINGS THAT NEED TO BE IMPROVED, QUESTIONS ABOUT CITY MANAGER PERFORMANCE OR BROADER CITY OPERATIONS.
THIS IS THE TIME FOR THOSE IN THE MID-YEAR CHECK-IN.
I WAS GONNA GO NOW TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, WITH THAT, WE CAN MOVE RIGHT THEN OVER TO THE CITY MANAGER.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CITY MANAGER WONG TO TALK THROUGH THE EVALUATION PROCESS, TALK THROUGH THE MATERIALS, AND THEN WE CAN OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, THROUGH YOU CHAIR SABRINA WHEELER.
UM, AND JUST EXCITED TO DO AM MIDYEAR CHECK-IN.
UM, I'VE ALWAYS FOUND, I THINK THIS PROCESS IS VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE STRUCTURE AROUND HOW WE'RE DISCUSSING HOW WE WORK TOGETHER.
UM, AND, UH, TRIED TO LAY OUT SOME OF THIS, UM, IN, IN THE MEMO, BUT MAYBE JUST TO TALK IT THROUGH VERY QUICKLY, UM, VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AND GETTING THE NEW TERM, UH, STARTED OFF, UH, REALLY WELL AND ORGANIZED, UM, WORKING WITH THE MAYOR, THE VICE MAYOR COMMITTEE CHAIRS, AND ACROSS THE WHOLE COUNCIL.
UM, WE HELD DISCUSSIONS ON GOAL SETTING.
WE REAFFIRMED FOCUS AREAS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL OVER THE TERM CORE VALUES.
UM, CITY COUNCIL RULES HAVE BEEN UPDATED.
UM, AND THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE IDENTIFIED, UM, THREE MAIN PRIORITIES THAT WE WANTED TO WORK ON.
AND SO, UH, REALLY QUITE A BUSY SIX MONTHS IN TERMS OF GETTING ORGANIZED FOR THE TERM AND APPRECIATE THE COLLABORATION ACROSS, UH, THE FULL COUNCIL ON, ON ALL OF THOSE, UH, PIECES OF WORK.
IN TERMS OF THIS REVIEW PROCESS, I THINK THE BIGGEST CHANGE FROM THE LAST YEARS, UM, I THINK THE FEEDBACK HAS BEEN THAT THE FOCUS IS A LITTLE TOO MUCH ON THE INTERNAL ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE OF THE CITY.
UM, AND THERE'S A DESIRE FOR MORE OF OUR WORK AND CONVERSATIONS, ESPECIALLY ON OUTCOMES THAT MATTER MOST TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO BE PART OF THESE DISCUSSIONS.
UM, SO I, I WOULD SAY, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT'S PROBABLY WHERE WE WANNA, UM, WHERE I'M TRYING TO FOCUS MORE THAN IN TERMS OF PROVIDING A REPORT ON, UH, ON HOW WE'RE WORKING ACROSS HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SUSTAINABILITY, UH, AND, AND SORT OF GOVERNMENT, UH, GOVERNANCE OPERATIONS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY REFLECTED MORE IN THE TEMPLATE, UM, WHERE I THINK THE OVERALL RATING CATEGORIES AND PERFORMANCE REVIEWS THAT WE'RE USING, IT'S THE SAME TEMPLATE, BUT THE IDEAS FOR THOSE TO BETTER REFLECT THE WORK THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY, RATHER THAN SIMPLY THE THINGS THE CITY IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE.
UM, SO I'D SAY THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHANGE IN THIS PROCESS.
UH, WE STILL HAVE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE GOALS, UM, THAT WE'VE SET, WHICH ARE MORE ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE OF THE CITY, UH, KEY INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT WILL STRENGTHEN THE CITY, UM, AND SOME OF OUR CORE OPERATIONS.
AND THEN MEASURES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ON, UH, ON SERVICE LEVEL REQUESTS, SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS, UH, FOR CQ CLICK FIX, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SCORES, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COMMUNITY SURVEY AND OUR FISCAL POSITION.
UM, BUT I THINK, I THINK THE, THE SORT OF MESSAGE I GOT AS WE WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS IS THERE'S MORE INTEREST IN, UH, THE BROADER OUTCOMES.
UH, I THINK IN TERMS OF REPORT ON THE FIRST SIX MONTHS, THEN I WOULD SAY, UH, WE HAVE ACTED VERY QUICKLY TO ADVANCE DISCUSSIONS ON THE THREE BUDGET PRIORITY AREAS.
AND SO, UM, WHERE WE LANDED WAS, UH, SOCIAL HOUSING, SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, AND EXPANDING CHILDCARE ON ALL THREE OF THOSE.
WE HAVE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS AND ADVANCING DISCUSSIONS.
THE SOCIAL HOUSING TASK FORCE HAS BEEN CREATED AND WILL HOLD ITS FIRST MEETING TOMORROW ON JUNE 24TH.
UH, WE HAVE BEGUN INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS ON DEVELOPING MORE CONCRETE OPTIONS FOR FURTHERING OUR COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
UM, AND, UH, AND WE ARE WORKING WITH COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN AND COUNCILLOR AL ZUBIE, THE CO-CHAIRS OF HUMAN SERVICES TO SCHEDULE A COMMITTEE MEETING FOR THE FALL WHERE WE CAN BRING, UH, A CLEARER LIST OF THINGS THAT WE COULD CONSIDER, UM, AND, AND START PRIORITIZING.
AND WE ARE HOLDING A JOINT CITY COUNCIL AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE ROUNDTABLE TO BEGIN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CHILDCARE EXPANSION, UH, NEXT MONDAY ON JUNE 29TH.
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KICK OFF, UM, A CLEAR CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR EXPANDING CHILDCARE AND THE UNIVERSAL PRE-K PROGRAM.UM, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK THE IDEA OF US CREATING MORE CONCRETE PRIORITIES AND THEN BEING ABLE TO DEVOTE, UM, THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO MOVE THOSE FORWARD, AND THEN TO FIT THOSE INTO, UM, OUR WORK PLANS AND ULTIMATELY TO FIT THOSE INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS, UM, IN THE COMING YEARS, I THINK THAT'S, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S A REALLY STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD AND APPRECIATE, UH, PARTNERING WITH THE COUNCIL ON ALL OF THOSE.
UM, I'M ALSO JUST REALLY EXCITED WE HAVE BOTH GOTTEN THROUGH THE FY 27 BUDGET PROCESS.
THAT IS A PROCESS THAT, UH, CONTINUES TO CREATE GREATER STRUCTURE AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY.
UH, REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THE FINANCE AND THE BUDGET TEAM HAVE DONE.
UM, BOTH IMPLEMENTING A COMPLETELY NEW BUDGET SYSTEM WHILE ALSO HOLDING, UH, OUR FIRST COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO ENGAGE FOLKS ON THE BUDGET.
UM, AND THEN CONTINUING TO FIND WAYS TO, UH, CREATE EFFICIENCIES AND, AND BE ABLE TO GET A BUDGET PASSED THAT REFLECTS OUR VALUES, THAT MAKES INVESTMENTS IN THE THINGS WE CARE ABOUT.
UM, BUT THAT ALSO RECOGNIZES WE ARE IN AN ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN.
UM, WE CONTINUE TO DO WORK ACROSS ALL OF THE COUNCIL FOCUS AREAS.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THIS PROBABLY WASN'T THE TIME TO LIST EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING ON, UH, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SUSTAINABILITY, GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, UM, BUT, UM, BUT MAYBE THE ONE AREA I DID WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IS BECOMING A GROWING FOCUS.
UM, I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNSELOR ZUI FOR, UH, CALLING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AND REALLY STARTING TO FOCUS ON, UH, OUR INNOVATION ECONOMY.
UM, I THINK IT HAS BECOME MORE CLEAR AS WE ARE GOING THROUGH THESE LAST COUPLE OF BUDGET CYCLES, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FLEXIBILITY WE'VE HAD TO MAKE ALL OF THESE INVESTMENTS IN OUR SCHOOLS, UNIVERSAL PRE-K, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ALL OF THAT HAS COME BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY STRONG ECONOMIC BASE WITHIN THE CITY.
UH, AND THAT ECONOMIC BASE IS NOT DOING AS WELL AS IT HAS BEEN OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
SO, OVER THE LAST TWO BUDGET CYCLES, A LOT OF OUR CONVERSATION HAS BEEN, UH, WELL, WHAT DO WE DO TO MANAGE OUR BUDGET GROWTH? WHAT DO WE DO TO MANAGE THE TAX LEVY TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THAT? BUT WE'VE NOT SPENT NEARLY AS MUCH TIME THINKING ABOUT THE CITY'S ROLE, UM, IN INVESTING IN THAT ECONOMIC GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY.
AND, UH, AND I THINK THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE REALLY STARTED TO BRING THAT CONVERSATION INTO CITY HALL TO SAY, THE CITY HAS A HISTORY OF HAVING DONE WORK TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS AN ECOSYSTEM HERE THAT REALLY IS THE ENVY OF PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD.
UM, WHAT HAS BEEN CREATED, YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT 50 YEARS AGO, THE CITY COUNCIL PASSING NEW RULES ON RECOMBINANT DNA, MAKING THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT IN KENDALL SQUARE, UM, ZONING FOR INNOVATION.
SO ENSURING THAT STARTUPS AND ENTREPRENEURS HAVE SPACE THAT THEY CAN WORK IN, ALL OF THAT WAS NURTURING THE ECOSYSTEM THAT OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS WE HAVE BEEN USING TO FUND ALL OF THE PRIORITIES THAT, UM, THAT WE SEE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I THINK WE, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO SIT PASSIVELY AND JUST WAIT FOR OUR LOCAL ECONOMY TO COME BACK TO LIFE.
SO I THINK THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT, THAT WE'VE STARTED ON JUNE 9TH, BUT I THINK THERE'S MORE FOR US TO DIG INTO.
AND, AND I DO THINK AS WE GET INTO THE FALL, A MORE INTENTIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ROLE THAT WE PLAY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND JUST A SMALL EXAMPLE THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN LIVING IN THESE WEEKS IN THIS SUMMER, IS EVEN THE VIBRANCY OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE WORK THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING ON THE WORLD CUP, UM, THE WORK THAT WE DO THROUGH THE LICENSE COMMISSION TO LOOSEN SOME OF THOSE REGULATIONS TO ALLOW FOR BARS TO OPEN LATER FOR, UM, PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, WALK AROUND AND DRINK DURING THESE BIG EVENTS.
UM, THAT IS PART OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT APPROACH, WHICH MAKES THE CITY EXCITING, VIBRANT, A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANNA LIVE.
UM, SO I THINK THIS, THIS QUESTION OF HOW WE MAKE PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN THIS ECOSYSTEM, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO LEAN IN.
AND, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT MORE OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, SO I'D SAY I ALSO PROVIDED SOME UPDATES ON SOME OF THE KEY ADMINISTRATIVE INITIATIVES.
HAPPY TO TALK THROUGH THOSE OR TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT, BUT I THINK I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS DISCUSSION.
AND, UH, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR YOUR, YOUR WORK AND YOUR COLLABORATION.
WE'LL OPEN IT UP NOW TO QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION FROM THE COUNCIL.
I'M HAPPY TO GO FIRST, BUT FIRST WE'LL SEE IF MY COLLEAGUES WANNA START, WANNA JUMP IN.
UM, BUT YEAH, DO YOU WANNA START COUNCIL? NO.
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REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, THIS PROCESS, AND I HOPE IT'S A MODEL FOR THE REST OF THE CITY TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING REVIEWS, WHICH INSTEAD OF BEING VIEWED AS SOMETHING THAT IS, OH MY GOSH, I HAVE TO DO, GET THE EVALUATION, IT REALLY IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO VERY POSITIVELY ENSURE THAT TIME IS TAKEN TO REFLECT ON, UH, HOW AN EMPLOYEE'S WORK IS UNFOLDING AS OPPOSED TO A STRICT EVALUATION.THE WORD REVIEW IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT, I THINK.
UM, AND THIS IS A PERFORMANCE REVIEW, NOT EVALUATION.
I HAVE IN THE, UH, IN THE PAST ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT HOW ENSURING THAT IN ORDER TO PROPERLY JUDGE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE SMART GOALS ARE INCORPORATED AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.
IT'S REALLY EASY TO SAY BE MORE COLLABORATIVE, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT, AND YOU CAN EVEN SAY HOLD MORE MEETINGS, BUT IF THE MEETINGS DON'T LEAD TO, UH, SOME BENEFIT OR SOME SPECIFIC GOAL, THEN IT'S REALLY HARD TO JUDGE WHETHER THAT IS APPROPRIATE.
SO I, I THINK I PROVIDED A FEW EXAMPLES OF SOME, SOME SMART GOALS THAT WE MIGHT WANNA CONSIDER IN THE, IN THE LONG TERM REVIEW.
IS THIS A AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST TALK GENERALLY ABOUT WHERE I SEE WHERE WE'RE AT THROUGH YOU, MAYOR SADIKI, TO THE CHAIR? UM, SO I JUST WANNA COMMENT ON A FEW OF THE, UM, REALLY POSITIVE, UH, THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN.
WE HAVE SEEN DEPARTMENTS DELIVERING MORE LONG-TERM PLANS AND COMING FORTH BEFORE THE COUNCIL TO ENSURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THOSE, UH, WORK PLANS LIKE CDD SAYING, OKAY, HERE'S THE 17 OR 112 INITIATIVES WE'RE WORKING ON.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE PRIORITIZE THEM.
AND I, I DON'T SAY THAT SNARLY, IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE WORKLOAD OF THE DEPARTMENTS.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN MISSING IN THE PAST.
OFTEN AS WE HAVE OFTEN HEARD, WE'RE JUST THROWING STUFF OUT THERE AND THEN IT LANDS, AND THEN WE'RE LIKE, WELL, WHY ISN'T THIS REPORT HERE? WHICH I CERTAINLY HAVE SAID MYSELF, BUT THE MORE THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND HOW WORK THAT WE DO FITS INTO THE PRIORITIES AND THE WORK PLAN FOR THE DEPARTMENTS, I THINK THE, THE BETTER.
AND THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPING, YOU KNOW, DPW HAS OFTEN DONE THAT WITH SOME OF THEIR FIVE AND 10 YEAR PLANS.
SO I THINK IT, IT'S REALLY USEFUL FOR US TO, TO DO THAT TIMELINES, I THINK HELP ALL OF US HELP THE COUNCIL, BUT ALSO HELP THE COMMUNITY AND HELP THE STAFF.
I ALSO THINK THERE'S BEEN, UH, SOMETHING OF A, OF A CHANGE IN SOME OF THE CULTURE OF ACTUALLY LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE COUNCIL IN A DEEPER WAY THAN SOMETIMES SOME PEOPLE FELT IN THE PAST.
FOR ME, PERSONALLY, I THINK THE OR HEARN FIELD DEBATE REPRESENTED THAT, THAT THERE WAS A VERY CLEAR, I I KNOW IT'S STILL CONTROVERSIAL, AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE FEEL LIKE IT WAS, IT WAS MAYBE NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE MOVED FORWARD, BUT I THINK IT REALLY IS EMBLEMATIC AND SYMPTOMATIC IN A VERY POSITIVE MOVE FORWARD TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? IN JUDGING EVERYTHING, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE DECISION THAT WE THOUGHT HAD BEEN MADE BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS.
AND I THINK THAT REPRESENTED A NICE BALANCE.
SO I WANNA GIVE KUDOS TO THAT.
UM, AND CERTAINLY WE CAN'T UNDERESTIMATE BRINGING US THROUGH A BUDGET IN THIS CHALLENGING TIME WHEN, IF YOU TALK TO ANYONE AROUND HERE, EVEN REALLY STRONG CITIES LIKE BOSTON, WHERE THEY, THEIR DECISIONS WERE TO LAY OFF, IN BOSTON'S CASE, PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF WORKERS IN EVERY OTHER CITY, IT'S TENS OF WORKERS OR PASSING AN OVERRIDE IN ORDER TO JUST KEEP THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEM OPERATING AT EXACTLY THE SAME LEVEL.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, PROVIDE SOME RELIEF, BUT ALSO CONTINUE TO GROW OUR BUDGET, ALBEIT NOT AT THE SAME PACE OF THE PAST.
AND I DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE DIFFICULTY OF THAT.
I ALSO THINK THE, FOR INSTANCE, THE WORK ON THE COMMISSIONS, YOU KNOW, IS, IS ALSO A POSITIVE.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR FOR A LONG TIME.
WORKING TO EASE PERMITTING IN PROJECTS, WHILE MAINTAINING SAFETY IS ANOTHER REALLY KEY ELEMENT THAT, THAT, UH, ALSO BRINGS IN, I THINK A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS FROM ISD TO LICENSING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WORK MOVING FORWARD.
IT'S MOVING FORWARD A LITTLE MORE SLOWLY THAN MANY OF US WOULD'VE LIKED, BUT I RECOGNIZE IT IS MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND I, I THINK I OWE THAT THE DCM WATKIN SOME MORE, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT PEOPLE I'VE TALKED TO WHO HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD IDEAS ON THAT AND ON, UM, I THINK THERE'S STILL SOME, SOME DELTA, YOU KNOW, IT'S PLUS AND DELTA TO THINK ABOUT.
I THINK, UH, BEING MORE PROACTIVE WITH MANY OF THE INITIATIVES AND INCLUDING THE COUNCIL IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ELEMENT THAT IS SLOWLY MOVING.
BUT I, I THINK PART OF THE, THE CHALLENGE IN THE CITY IS THERE HAS BEEN A CULTURE THAT HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL BECAUSE IT'S, UH, THE, AND SOME OF IT I THINK IS STILL PREVAILING, WHERE THE COUNCIL IS VIEWED ALMOST LIKE AN IMPEDIMENT AND SOMETHING TO GET THROUGH AND CONTROL AND JUST, UH, PLACATE INSTEAD OF TRUE PARTNERS, TRUE EQUALLY RESPECTED AND EQUALLY, UH, INFORMED, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE CAPABLE OF AND DESERVING OF TRUE COLLABORATION.
I THINK I UNDERSTAND THAT CULTURE IS CHALLENGING TO CHANGE, AND YET IT IS NOW THREE, FOUR YEARS INTO THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION.
SO I HOPE THAT IT, THAT KIND OF CHANGE CONTINUES AND PERHAPS ACCELERATES.
'CAUSE I THINK WE STILL SOMETIMES ARE VIEWED AS A BARRIER AND NOT A TRUE PARTNER.
FOR INSTANCE, EVEN LAST NIGHT I HAD TO RAISE THE QUESTION OF, IN, IN LOOKING AT
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ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, THE COUNCIL WASN'T EVEN INCLUDED IN THE TIMELINE UNTIL THE VERY END.THAT'S AN EXAMPLE WHERE WE NEED TO CHANGE THE MINDSET.
SO WE ARE TRULY VIEWED AS TROUBLING AND AS NINE DIFFERENT PEOPLE AS WE ARE AS A BODY, AS LIKE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT CAN REALLY CONTRIBUTE TO, TO THE, THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF THE CITY.
UM, I THINK THE JUDGMENT SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT, UH, I HAVE HEARD FROM SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT THEY DON'T FEEL EQUALLY RESPECTED BY THE CITY.
IT'S ANOTHER THING I THINK WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON.
THERE'S A LOT OF ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT AND SUPPORT FOR THE ADMINISTRATION, YET THERE'S ALSO, I THINK WE HAVE TO CONVEY THAT THE CITY IS OPEN TO CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.
THERE'S STILL A LITTLE BIT OF THAT RESIDUAL FROM LAST ADMINISTRATIONS, FRANKLY, OF REAL RESISTANCE TO, UH, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM AND, AND NOT REALLY WANTING TO, TO HEAR AND LISTEN.
I CERTAINLY THINK I HAVE STRENGTHS, AND I ALSO KNOW I HAVE WEAKNESSES, AND I DON'T LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT 'EM.
BUT I ALSO KNOW IF I CAN ACTUALLY HEAR THEM AND CHANGE AND, AND TAKE THEM IN, THEN I'M GONNA BE A BETTER, UM, POLICY MAKER.
UM, THE, YOU KNOW, SOME EXAMPLES ARE, IT'S, IT'S HARD FOR THE, FOR THE, IT IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR THE COUNCIL IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS TO HAVE TWO DEPARTMENT HEADS LEAVE WITH ONE DAY'S NOTICE AND JUST BE THROWN INTO, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, OF COURSE, THERE'S ALWAYS RESTRICTIONS ON HOW IT IS THAT, THAT THAT UNFOLDS IF PERSONNEL MATTERS ARE INVOLVED.
BUT I DID WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT, THAT THAT WAS CERTAINLY A CHALLENGING TIME FOR, I THINK ME AND FOR SOME OF THE COUNCIL OVER THE LAST YEAR.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THOSE CULTURE CHANGES, TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BE TRUE PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS, HOPEFULLY A LITTLE MORE SMART GOALS IN THE, IN THE EVALUATION AND BUILD UP ON OUR STRENGTHS AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY CONTINUE TO EVOLVE THE CULTURE SO THAT INSTEAD OF BEING DEFENSIVE, IT REALLY IS OPEN TO, UM, TO POSITIVE CHANGE IN A WAY THAT INCORPORATES TRULY THE VOICES OF A RANGE OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY.
I SEE COUNCILOR ZI SAW HER FIRST, AND THEN VICE MAYOR AZI.
UM, I FELT LIKE THE BUDGET HEARINGS WERE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET A SENSE FOR THE FULL BREADTH OF THE CITY'S WORK, UH, AND HEAR DIRECTLY FROM ITS LEADERSHIP.
IT WAS, IT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE AND INFORMATIVE.
I REMAIN CONCERNED ABOUT OUR, OUR INCREASING OUR BUDGET AT 4.1%, UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS REQUIRED 2.1% CUTS ACROSS THE BOARD.
WHEN WE SHOULD BE REDUCING COSTS FURTHER TO ACCOMMODATE TO THE PRESENT AND FUTURE LOCAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE LESS REVENUE.
I ALSO APPRECIATE THE NEED FOR THE CITY TO MAINTAIN ITS OUTSTANDING SERVICES.
WE'RE USED TO THEM, AND THEY HELP TO MAKE CAMBRIDGE THE DYNAMIC, WELCOMING AND INVITING PLACE THAT IT IS FOR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES ALIKE.
BUT DO WE NEED TO HOST A FREE PARTY THREE TIMES A WEEK? UM, AS OF LATE, DO WE NEED TO PAY $40,000 PER PUPIL WHEN MOST COMMUNITIES PAY 23 TO $25,000? SHOULD UNIVERSAL, UNIVERSAL PRE-K COSTS 31 TO $50,000 PER PUPIL.
I FULLY APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROGRAM, BUT IT HAS A VERY HIGH PRICE TAG.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE CITY INVESTING FURTHER INTO, ITS THE THREE IMPORTANT INITIATIVES.
THEY'RE ALL GOOD SOCIAL HOUSING, SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND CHILDCARE EXPANSION WITHOUT MAKING CUTS ELSEWHERE.
REMEMBER, WE'RE GONNA HAVE LESS MONEY.
UH, SO WE MUST CREATE, UH, EVALUATE EXISTING PROGRAMS AND CREATE GREATER EFFICIENCIES AND, AND PARE DOWN PROGRAMS BEFORE ADDING OTHERS, UM, WHILE APPRECIATING THE CITY'S ONGOING INVESTMENTS IN OUR WATER AND SEWER AND SAFE STREETS AND BUILDINGS AND PARKS.
I ALSO WORRY ABOUT OUR CONTINUED BORROWING.
I KNOW WE GOT A REALLY GREAT RATE THIS YEAR, BUT WE NOW HAVE A DEBT OF ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS WITH LESS REVENUE IN THE NEXT YEARS, WHICH WILL MAKE IT HARDER TO PAY BACK.
UM, FINALLY, IN CONSIDERING OUR KEY INITIATIVES, I THINK UPZONING THE CITY OR, OR HOW WE MANAGE THE UPZONING OF THE CITY SHOULD BE ALSO INCLUDED.
WE'VE GOTTA CONSIDER HOW THIS WILL BE DONE, AND THIS WILL BE YOUR GREATEST LEGACY.
UM, IT MUST BE, IT MUST BE DONE WELL WITH ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND FAIRNESS FOR ALL INVOLVED.
UM, I ALSO AGREE WITH YOU THAT CAMBRIDGE MUST, UH, WORK HARDER TO REMAIN A VITAL CENTER FOR INNOVATION.
WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW TO MATCH OUR MILLIONS OF, OF, UH, SQUARE FEET, OF EMPTY LABS AND OFFICES WITH OUR STARTUPS.
THEY DO FUND ALL OUR AMAZING SOCIAL PROGRAMS. AND THIRD, UM, IT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL THAT WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON TRANSPARENCY AND EN ENGAGEMENT.
OUR CITIZENS ARE THE CITY'S USERS AND REGULARLY SHARE AMAZING INSIGHTS,
[00:25:01]
AND WE MUST CONSIDER THEIR COUNCIL AND NOT IGNORE THEM.WE, WE CAN'T GOVERN BY IDEOLOGY.
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE REALITY CHECKS.
UM, ALSO, I REALLY WANT US TO BETTER PREPARE OUR KIDS FOR JOBS OF THE FUTURE.
THE WORLD IS CHANGING, AND I, I, I KNOW WE'VE GOT TONS OF PROGRAMS, BUT, UM, WE'VE REALLY GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT OUR, OUR, OUR STUDENTS ARE PREPARED FOR JOBS THAT WILL BE HERE IN FIVE AND 10 YEARS.
UM, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXTRAORDINARY WORK.
AGAIN, THE CITY DOES AMAZING THINGS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTFUL LEADERSHIP.
I SEE YOU AS MORE THAN OUR ADMINISTRATOR.
I SEE YOU AS OUR LEADER AND, UM, AND YOU AND OUR CITY STAFF SHOULD BE ADVOCATING FOR WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY RATHER THAN LIKE BOWING DOWN TO THE POLITICAL COUNCIL.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A ROLE, WE WERE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE, BUT WE'RE REALLY RELYING ON EXPERTS, UM, YOU AND OUR, YOUR STAFF TO REALLY, UH, GUIDE US ON WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY AND TO THINK EVERYTHING THROUGH.
AND WITH THAT, I YIELD VICE MAYOR.
UM, YOU CAN CERTAINLY FEEL LIKE, I THINK THAT WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR BUT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE ROLE AS WELL, AND I'M SURE THAT COMPLICATES THINGS.
UM, I TRY TO KEEP THINGS VERY TANGIBLE.
AND SO I WANTED TO SAY THERE WAS TWO THINGS THAT I COMPLAINED A LOT ABOUT AT THE LAST YEAR THAT HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THOSE.
ONE IS THAT, UM, I THINK WE HAD A COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS, AND PERHAPS YOU FELT LIKE IT WAS BEING A LITTLE BIT UNFAIR OR HARSH, BUT THE BUDGET PROCESS WAS A LOT BETTER THIS YEAR.
I THOUGHT THAT I ADDRESSED ALL MY CONCERNS.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, VERY BIG CHANGE IN MY OPINION FROM LAST YEAR.
AND SO JUST THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I FELT LIKE IT WAS REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL EVEN DOWN TO HAVING OUR THREE PRIORITIES.
AND IF WE HAVE EXTRA MONEY WHERE THAT MONEY WILL GO, LIKE, I THINK THAT REALLY, REALLY HELPS CLARIFY THINGS.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND WAS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, A HEARN FEEL AND THE, LIKE NEW SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND EVERYTHING ELSE, THERE'S BEEN A BUNCH OF CONTENTIOUS DECISIONS WHERE PERHAPS STAFF HAD A DIFFERENT OPINION.
AND I THINK THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY VERY HELPFUL THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU GUYS LEFT THE DECISION TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I THINK THAT THERE'S CERTAIN DECISIONS OF HIGH IMPACT WHERE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WILL BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT, BUT I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY VERY HELPFUL FOR THE LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT FOR PEOPLE TO FEEL LIKE, HEY, THERE'S THIS EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT IS VERY TANGIBLE, MEANS A LOT TO PEOPLE, AND MAYBE IT'S NOT THE LONG-TERM OPTIMAL DECISION IN SOME SORT OF TERRAIN, BUT LIKE FOR RIGHT NOW, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, HEARING THAT FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AND BEING ABLE TO DO THAT, I FELT WAS REALLY, REALLY MEANINGFUL.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I'D PREPARED MUCH LESS POSITIVE REMARKS IF IT HAD GONE THE OTHER WAY,
BUT LIKE, UM, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE NOT THERE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU TWO PIECES OF, YOU KNOW, UM, CREDIT FOR THOSE.
AND THOSE WERE MY TWO BIGGEST CONCERNS LAST YEAR, AND SO HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.
UM, I THINK THAT FOR THE NEXT YEAR, I HAVE TWO OTHER SIMILAR PIECES, WHICH IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE TALKED IN SOME WAYS FOR THIS TO DEATH, BUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, THE LAYOFFS THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, FUNDAMENTALLY THERE'S THIS FEELING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY MANAGER GETS TO MAKE A DECISION OF HIRING, WHICH OF COURSE YOU GUYS GET TO, BUT THEN IT GOES TO THE CITY COUNCIL, AND WE'RE KIND OF LEFT WITH LIKE, DUE DEFEND THIS, DO YOU CRITIQUE THIS? AND I THINK THAT FUNDAMENTALLY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE A, UH, AN ACTION THAT'S GONNA GENERATE A LOT OF CONTROVERSY, UM, AND YOU WANT US TO BE IN A PLACE WHERE WE CAN DEFEND THOSE ACTIONS, WE NEED TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION EARLIER BEFORE DECISIONS ARE MADE.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT AND ALSO UNFAIR, STRANGE TO HAVE MADE A, A CONTROVERSIAL DECISION, IT COME TO THE FLOOR AND THEN FOR THEIR EXPECTATION TO BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, US TO SAY LIKE, HEY, LIKE THIS WAS A CITY MANAGER'S DECISION, HANDS OFF.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE MAYBE HE MADE THE RIGHT CALL WHEN, LIKE, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING BE GOING ON BEFORE THE DECISION WAS MADE.
AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE FINE WITH JUST BEING, YOU KNOW, UM, UNPOPULAR AND SAYING LIKE, THIS IS MY REALM, AND LIKE, I DON'T CARE IF EVERYONE OPPOSES ME, THAT'S FINE.
BUT LIKE, IF YOU EXPECT SUPPORT FROM OUR SIZE, IT'S REALLY HELPFUL TO BE BROUGHT IN EARLIER IN THE PROCESS.
AND THEN THE SECOND THING WAS A VERY, VERY CONCRETE, UM, AND A LITTLE BIT, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE SIMILAR TO THE BUDGET PROCESS AND BRING A, A TECHNICAL PIECE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE STILL HEAR A LOT ABOUT LIKE, HEY, INSPECTION SERVICES, CDD, TRANS TRAFFIC AND PARKING ARE DOING REALLY WELL TOGETHER.
AND I'LL SAY LIKE, ALMOST EVERY WEEK, IT IS MY EXPERIENCE THAT SOMEONE WILL GIVE A COMPLAINT ABOUT, LIKE, IT'S REALLY, REALLY FRUSTRATING TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND I KNOW THAT TO SOME EXTENT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON IT, BUT I ALSO LIKE KNOW THAT IT CAN BE REALLY HARD TO CHANGE A PROCESS AND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF STAFF WHO ARE JUST USED TO, WITH THE WAY THINGS WORK AND LIKE, ACTUALLY WE BE BETTER THAN COMPARABLE CITIES.
[00:30:01]
AND I JUST WANTED TO REAFFIRM THAT, LIKE, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IF THERE'S A SINGLE OPERATIONAL THING TO FIX ON THE NEXT YEAR, LIKE, I THINK WE NEED A LOT MORE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THOSE THREE DEPARTMENTS AND SPECIFICALLY ON PERMITTING SO THAT IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE GETTING THE RING AROUND, BUT INSTEAD, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN JUST HAVE ONE MEETING WITH ALL THREE OF THEM.I KNOW IT'S HARD PHYSICALLY, IT'S HARD FOR A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER REASONS, BUT LIKE, IT'S REALLY, REALLY HARD WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LIKE NINE WINEMAN STREET AND THERE'S, THERE'S A DESIGN AND IT'S LIKE, OH, WELL ACTUALLY THIS WON'T BE THE REAL DESIGN BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T GONE AND TALKED TO THE PEOPLE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, STORM WATER YET.
AND THEN I'M LIKE, OKAY, WELL, LIKE WHY ARE WE GETTING PEOPLE RILED UP OF WHEN THIS WON'T BE THE ACTUAL DESIGN? RIGHT? AND I THINK THAT LIKE, FIGURING OUT A WAY TO KIND OF GO THROUGH THIS FASTER AND IN A MORE STREAMLINED WAY WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
AND SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, LIKE ON THE OPERATIONS, THAT'S LIKE A PLACE WHERE I WOULD LIKE A LOT OF FOCUS OF THE NEXT YEAR.
I THINK THE, THE ONE, UM, UH, JUST ON, WE SORT OF TALKED ABOUT THE EVALUATION PROCESSING CATEGORIES IN THE LAST MEETING, SO I WON'T BELABOR THAT TOO MUCH.
BUT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD TO SEE SORT OF TWEAKS TO IT.
THINK IT, IT CONTINUES TO GET, UH, BETTER WHILE, WHILE, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING PERFECT AND IT IS, IS A CHALLENGE, I THINK IT IS JUST A CONTAINER FOR US TO TALK ABOUT, UH, CITY MANAGER EVALUATION, WHAT'S GOING WELL, WHAT'S NOT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, ON THE ONE HAND COULD INCLUDE MORE SPECIFICS ON HOW ARE THINGS GOING ON HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION ON THE OTHER SIDE, IF WE HAD THOSE CATEGORIES, I THINK PEOPLE WOULD WOULD SAY, OH, WE'RE JUST MAD ABOUT THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING WITH HOUSING.
I'M GONNA GIVE 'EM A BAD REVIEW HERE.
AND IT'S NOT SO MUCH AN EVALUATION OF THE, THE CITY MANAGER OR STAFF AND MORE JUST AN EVALUATION OF THE POLITICS.
SO I GET WHY WE HAVE THESE CATEGORIES.
UM, I DO STILL THINK THERE, YOU KNOW, COULD BE TWEAKS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE COUNCIL IS THE BEST ONE TO REVIEW CULTURE IN THE CITY.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY CULTURE IS NOT IMPORTANT, BUT THE STAFF IS, OR THE COUNCIL IS JUST INTERACTING WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A REALLY NITTY GRITTY VIEW OF CULTURE, UH, IF THAT SHOULD BE A CATEGORY.
AND ON THE FLIP SIDE, YOU KNOW, I THINK MAYBE IT WOULD BE GOOD TO INCLUDE A CATEGORY AROUND BUDGET HERE, GIVEN THAT IS THE BIGGEST THING THE COUN THE CITY DOES.
UH, CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT HAVE DIRECT POWER IN INCORPORATING THE BUDGET.
THAT'S A CITY MANAGER FUNCTION.
THAT MIGHT BE A CATEGORY WE WANNA ADD, UM, IN THE FUTURE.
UM, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SORT OF FEEDBACK ON EVALUATION CATEGORIES.
AND THEN TO JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SORT OF ROSES AND THORNS, UM, YOU KNOW, ROSES ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UH, SOME THINGS OTHER COUNSELORS HAVE MENTIONED.
REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE SOCIAL HOUSING TASK FORCE.
WE HAVE OUR FIRST MEETING ON THAT TOMORROW.
UH, GREAT TO SEE THAT COMING TOGETHER.
I THINK THAT HAS CLEAR FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNCIL AND INTEREST FROM THE COMMUNITY AND, AND EXCITING TO SEE THAT MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO EXCITED ABOUT THE, THE FUNDING AND THE BUDGET FOR THAT TASK FORCE AND THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST THAT, THAT'S GREAT.
AND I THINK RESPONSIVE TO QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL.
UM, I WAS ALSO TRYING TO THINK BACK TO THINGS EARLIER IN THIS YEAR.
IT'S SOMETIMES HARD TO REMEMBER WHAT WAS ACTUALLY THE PAST SIX MONTHS VERSUS, YOU KNOW, A YEAR AGO OR, UM, BUT THE UPDATES TO THE WELCOMING COMMUNITY ORDINANCE AND RESPONDING TO ICE.
I THINK THAT WAS JANUARY, FEBRUARY WHEN A LOT OF THE THINGS IN IN MINNEAPOLIS AND OTHER PLACES WERE GOING ON.
IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THE, THE CITY MOVE QUICKLY ON THOSE TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA ALLOW FOLKS IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS TO HAVE THAT JOINT ANNOUNCEMENT WITH BOSTON.
THAT WAS A, A ACCOMPLISHMENT, UH, AND A, A GREAT THING TO SEE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN I DO THINK THE, THE BUDGET PROCESS, UM, AND THIS IS MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WHERE COUNSELORS COME AT THINGS DIFFERENT, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGET IS ACTUALLY EXTREMELY HEALTHY.
IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE OTHER CITIES ARE AT AND THEY'RE HAVING TO DO LAYOFFS, THEY'RE HAVING TO THINK ABOUT PROP TWO AND A HALF OVERRIDES AND, YOU KNOW, AT 99% OF THEIR LEVY LIMIT.
WE'RE, WE'RE NOWHERE NEAR THAT.
OUR BUDGET IS EXTREMELY HEALTHY.
WE HAVE A AAA BOND READING FOR LIKE THE 25TH YEAR IN A ROW.
UH, OUR, OUR BUDGET IS IN A VERY GOOD SPOT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT I HEAR FROM FOLKS IS, IS MORE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF WE'RE WE STILL HAVE THESE NEW DEVELOPMENTS COMING UP AND KNOCKING ON OUR DOOR AND SO MUCH HAPPENING AND, AND DEVELOPERS COMING AND ASKING FOR, FOR ZONING RELIEF.
HOW ARE WE SEEING ALL THESE THINGS AND WE'RE NOT DOING MORE? HOW ARE WE NOT DOING THE RISE PROGRAM? HOW ARE WE NOT DOING I'M XY, Z, WHY ARE WE NOT SPENDING MORE TO REALLY LIFT UP OUR RESIDENTS WHEN WE HAVE THESE GLEAMING TOWERS AND, AND KENDALL SQUARE? SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR IT FROM DIFFERENT FOLKS, BUT JUST TO SAY I, YOU KNOW, FROM EVERY OBJECTIVE MEASURE, I THINK OUR, OUR BUDGET IS IN A VERY GOOD SPOT.
UM, AND IF ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, COULD BE DOING MORE, UM, AND IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, YOU KNOW, UH, I'M GLAD WE'VE GOT THE PRIORITIZATION PROCESS AND THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR NOLAN AND COUNCILOR ZUBIE FOR, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON THAT AND HAVING THE, THE PROCESS WHERE COUNSELORS PUT IN PRIORITIES AND WE TALK ABOUT THOSE AND WE'VE, WE'VE NOW PUT THOSE TOGETHER.
I THINK THAT IS A, A GREAT IMPROVEMENT AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN CONTINUE TO SEE PROGRESS ON THAT IN TERMS OF WHAT IT MEANS THAT WE'VE SAID SOCIAL HOUSING AS A PRIORITIZATION AND AFTER SCHOOL AND, AND PRE-K PROGRAMS OR PRIORITY, AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK ON THAT.
AND I THINK THAT IS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT.
UM, THE SECOND CATEGORY I HAVE WAS SORT OF THE, THE FINGERS CROSSED CATEGORY OF THINGS THAT I, I, UH, POLICIES HAVE, YOU KNOW, BEEN WORKING ON THAT WE'VE, WE'VE NOT FINISHED YET,
[00:35:01]
BUT I HOPE WE WILL.AND THAT INCLUDES CHANGING THE CURB CUT POLICY SO THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT.
I THINK WE, I UNDERSTAND WE, OR THERE'S SOMETHING COMING ON THAT SOON, BUT THAT IS A POLICY ORDER I PUT IN LIKE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO NOW THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN WAITING ON, AND WE'D LOVE FOR A, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE MORE FAST FEEDBACK ON THAT.
BUT NO, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS, BUT THAT IS IN THE FINGERS CROSSED CATEGORY WHERE I THINK SOMETHING IS COMING SOON.
AND ALSO THE, THE MAXIMUM UNIT SIZE POLICY, WHICH I THINK IS, IS COMING AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION AROUND UPDATES TO THE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING ORDINANCE.
UM, YOU KNOW, KNOCK ON WOOD, HOPEFULLY BY THE NEXT TIME WE DO THIS, I CAN MOVE THAT UNDER THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS CATEGORY.
BUT I THINK THINGS ARE COMING THERE.
UM, AND THEN THE FINAL, FINAL ARE, UM, SORT OF ROOM, ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, UH, PIECES TO WORK ON.
AND I THINK A LOT OF THOSE GO TO THE STRUCTURE OF CITY GOVERNMENT AND THEY'RE JUST GONNA CONTINUE TO BE CHALLENGES, BUT, BUT HOPEFULLY CAN CONTINUE TO IMPROVE ON THOSE.
ONE, I THINK COUNCILOR NOLAN MENTIONED ALREADY, WHICH, YOU KNOW, CHANGES FROM DEPARTMENT HEADS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE COMMISSIONER LEAVING THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONER LEAVING.
UM, AND THAT'S A PIECE WHERE WE'VE HAD, HAD THOSE BIG CHANGES AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, HAVE NOT SEEN BIG, UH, YOU KNOW, DEFICITS IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
AS A RESULT, I THINK FOLKS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE LARGE PART, THINK THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS, IS MOVING AHEAD AS IT WAS BEFORE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS MOVING AHEAD AS IT WAS BEFORE, AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF FEEDBACK I'VE GOTTEN FROM RESIDENTS.
UM, AND SO THAT IS A PIECE WHERE IT'S BOTH, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE, LITTLE SURPRISING, A LITTLE CONFUSING, AND THE WORK OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS HAS, HAS GONE ON AHEAD.
I THINK IF THAT WERE NOT THE CASE, WE WOULD HAVE MORE FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON HERE, HOW COME IT'S NOT GOING ON.
BUT, BUT THOSE TRANSITIONS HAVE LARGELY NOT SEEMED TO IMPACT THE WORK THAT MUCH.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT IS, THAT IS JUST A CHALLENGE OF OUR, THE STRUCTURE OF OUR CITY GOVERNMENT WHERE THOSE DEPARTMENT HEADS LEAVE AND WE GOT, YOU KNOW, OUTREACH FROM RESIDENTS AND REPORTERS TO SAY WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE POLICE COMMISSIONER.
AND I THINK SOMETIMES RESIDENTS THINK, OH, THE COUNCIL MUST HAVE MORE INFO FROM THE CITY MANAGER.
THEY'RE NOT SHARING, AND WE'LL JUST SAY PUBLICLY, LIKE, NO, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING MORE THAN WHAT WAS IN THE PAPER ABOUT WHY THOSE DEPARTMENT HEADS LEFT.
THAT IS A, A FEATURE, YOU CAN SEE THAT AS A FEATURE OF THE SYSTEM OR AS A BUG OF THE SYSTEM, BUT I, I TRULY DO NOT KNOW ANY MORE THAN THAN WHAT'S PUBLIC.
AND THAT THE CITY MANAGER AND, AND WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONCE YOU TELL, TELL NINE COUNSELORS, YOU'RE EXPENSED ESSENTIALLY TELLING THE PUBLIC.
AND SO YOU, YOU JUST CAN'T SAY THINGS AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING OR YOU THINK THAT'S A BAD THING, BUT THAT IS JUST THE STRUCTURE OF OUR SYSTEM RIGHT NOW.
UM, UH, AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE I THINK DOES, DOES GO ALONG WITH THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ASPECT.
AND I THINK OTHER FOLKS HAVE MENTIONED IT JUST SORT OF, YOU KNOW, PUSH AND PULL AROUND A HEAR FIELD.
AND I THINK JUST LAST NIGHT AROUND SOME OF THE LICENSE COMMISSION CHANGES OR PROPOSALS AROUND, UH, UPDATES TO HOW OFTEN YOU CAN GET A DRINK.
AND THAT IN BOTH THOSE CASES WAS SOMETHING THE COUNCIL HAD NOT ASKED FOR.
WE NEVER PUT IN A POLICY ORDER SAYING, DO A TURF FIELD HERE.
WE NEVER PUT IN A POLICY ORDER SAYING, HEY, THE LICENSE COMMISSION SHOULD LOOK AT DOING A POLICY THAT SAYS YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE DRINK FOR 30 MINUTES.
AND SO WHEN THOSE THINGS CAME FORWARD, IT WAS A QUESTION OF WHO, NOBODY EVER, THE COUNCIL NEVER ASKED FOR THIS.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS WHO, WHO DOES.
AND, UH, AND THAT IS A, I THINK AN ISSUE WITH THE STRUCTURE OF OUR CITY GOVERNMENT OR JUST A QUESTION OF WHEN, WHEN RESIDENTS HEAR ABOUT THESE THINGS AND GET UPSET ABOUT THEM, WHO DO THEY, WHO DO THEY TALK TO? WHO DO THEY, WHO CAN THEY TAKE OUT? THEY CAN'T, CAN'T, YOU KNOW, VOTE OUT THE CITY MANAGERS.
THEY GO TO GO TALK TO THE COUNSELORS WHO THEY CAN VOTE FOR OR AGAINST, THEN WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO THEM.
AND THAT IS JUST A, A THING THAT WE'VE GOTTA, I THINK THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PIECE, WE DID A POLICY ORDER LAST NIGHT.
I THINK ALL OF US ON THE COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, BANGED OUR FIST AND SAID, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T WANT THESE CHANGES FROM THE LICENSE COMMISSION.
THE BEST THING WOULD BE IF IT, THEY DIDN'T HAPPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE OR THAT THAT ENGAGEMENT HAPPENED AHEAD OF TIME.
AND THAT IS THE THING I THINK WE'RE ASKING FOR NOW.
CAN THERE BE MORE, AS THE PERSON WHO OVERSEES THE LICENSE COMMISSION AND, AND THE, UH, ARON FIELD KIND OF DISCUSSIONS, CAN THERE BE MORE OUTREACH AND DISCUSSION THERE? AND THAT IS JUST HOW, HOW OUR SYSTEM IS SET UP RIGHT NOW.
I WILL SAY ON THE FLIP SIDE, WHEN THINGS GO REALLY WELL AND THE COUNCIL DIDN'T ASK FOR THEM, YOU KNOW, WE, THAT IS A THING ALSO, I THINK OF ALL THE THINGS WITH THE WORLD CUP AND THE WATCH PARTIES AND THE OPEN CONTAINER ZONES THAT I THINK IS A, IS A BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT.
I DON'T THINK WE EVER PUT IN A POLICY ORDER ASKING FOR A BUNCH OF WORLD CUP PARTIES, BUT THOSE ARE GREAT, AND THAT'S HAPPENED, AND, AND THE COUNCIL DIDN'T DIRECTLY ASK FOR THAT.
SO I WILL JUST SAY THERE ARE ARE THINGS ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT AS WELL THAT HAPPENED.
COUNCIL CAN'T BE ON TOP OF ALL OF 'EM AND THAT WE, WE SHOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, CELEBRATE WHEN THINGS GO WELL.
AND THAT IS, IS ONE THAT THE CITY SORT OF JUST TOOK ON, ON ITS OWN AND THE CITY MANAGER, AND WE DIDN'T ASK FOR THE OPEN CONTAINER ZONE THING JUST MOVED REALLY FAST FROM THE STATE LEGISLATURE, BUT THE CITY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF IT.
AND I, I THINK IT, IT'S GOOD THAT WE DID.
AND SO JUST NAMING THAT PIECE AS WELL, THERE ARE OUR PROS AND CONS OF THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO MOVE FAST HERE.
UM, THAT'S ALL THE FEEDBACK I HAD FOR NOW.
UM, AND I'LL GO BACK FOR OTHER COUNSELORS.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR THROUGH YOU.
UM, I AGREE WITH MUCH OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID, NOT ALL OF IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE A, UH, A COMPLICATED SYSTEM.
[00:40:01]
YOU KNOW, ON ONE HAND, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR YOU SHOULDN'T BOW DOWN TO THE COUNCIL, AND YET WE'RE DOING GRASS AT A HEARN FIELD, RIGHT? WHICH YOUR RECOMMENDATION WAS TURF AND YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS STUDIED IT AND THOUGHT TURF WAS THE BEST SOLUTION.AND THEN YOU HEARD OPPOSITION FROM THE COMMUNITY AND FROM THE COUNCIL, AND YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND.
SO SHOULD YOU BOW DOWN TO THE COUNCIL OR SHOULD YOU NOT? I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON WHAT SIDE OF THE COIN YOU'RE ON.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK IT, IT'S DIFFICULT WHEN YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, NINE DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
I THINK COUNCIL SABRINA WHEELER'S CORRECT.
AND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT FROM OUR SIDE, IT GETS, IT CAN GET FRUSTRATING WHEN, UM, THINGS COME OUT IN MAYBE THE PUBLIC BEFORE WE FULLY KNOW OR UNDERSTAND WHAT'S COMING, EVEN IF WE'RE NOT PART OF THE DECISION MAKING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WOULD LIKE GETTING THE PHONE CALLS FROM REPORTERS BEFORE WE GET THE PHONE CALLS FROM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY.
SO, UM, KEEPING US, YOU KNOW, IN THE LOOP IS IMPORTANT.
UM, I WOULD AGREE THAT, THAT MOVING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, MANAGING OUR, OUR FISCAL, UM, RESPONSIBILITY IS IMPORTANT.
I DON'T THINK PUBLIC EDUCATION AND CHILDCARE AND HOUSING WOULD BE THE THREE AREAS I WOULD WANT YOU TO GO AFTER.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA GROW, UM, GIVEN THE, THE TIGHTER FINANCIAL PICTURE, WHICH COULD, YOU KNOW, BECOME EVEN MORE TIGHT THAN WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE PREDICTING.
AND SO HOW ARE WE GONNA BALANCE THAT? UM, I GUESS A QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS, YOU KNOW, GOALS ARE FUNNY THINGS, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU CAN HAVE THE VERY ASPIRATIONAL GOALS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY REALISTIC TO ACCOMPLISH IN A YEAR, AND THEN YOU GET, YOU GET EVALUATED ON THOSE.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOCIAL HOUSING, UM, YOU LOOK AT CHILDCARE, YOU LOOK AT, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THESE, THESE AREN'T, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A SOCIAL HOUSING BUILDING BY THE TIME WE EVALUATE YOU AGAIN, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE, UM, SOLVE THE CHILDCARE PROBLEM OR THE, OR THE HOUSING CRISIS BY THE, BY THE TIME WE EVALUATE YOU AGAIN.
SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING SOME, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK, I MEAN, YOU LISTED HERE SORT OF IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS, THE PROGRESS THAT, THAT WE'VE MADE AND THAT, THAT YOU'VE MADE AS THE CITY MANAGER AND HOW WE SHOULD BE EVALUATING YOU.
WHAT, WHAT'S A REASONABLE EXPECTATION, UM, SIX MONTHS FROM NOW WHEN WE DO YOUR YEARLY REVIEW? IS IT THAT THE SOCIAL HOUSING TASK FORCE HAS ISSUED RECOMMENDATIONS? IS IT ON, IN TERMS OF SUPPORTIVE HOUSING? IS IT THAT WE'RE WE, WE'VE DEALT WITH TWO 40 ALBANY STREET OR WE'VE WE'RE DOWN THE ROAD ON DEALING WITH TWO 40 ALBANY STREET.
I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT'S SORT OF A, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR SENSE OF A REALISTIC, UM, ASSESSMENT, UM, THROUGH YOU MAYOR SADIKI OR CHAIR SABRINA REAL, I'M NOT, NOT SURE WHICH, BUT BOTH
UM, I DO THINK WE NEED MORE MECHANISMS TO WORK WITH.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE SORT OF HAVE RIGHT NOW ONE OPTION ON THE MARKET DEVELOPMENT SIDE WITH AN INCLUSIONARY COMPONENT.
AND THEN THE OTHER END WE DO A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, WITH STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING.
UM, AND, AND THERE'S NOT MUCH IN BETWEEN.
SO FINDING THE POSSIBILITY OF A DIFFERENT MODEL THAT'S MORE MIXED INCOME OR THAT, UH, THAT IS ABLE TO BE FINANCED, I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE WORK OF THE TASK FORCE TO, UH, TO START TO EXPLORE, LOOK AT OTHER CITIES.
UM, I THINK IN, IN THAT RESPECT, I WOULD PROBABLY SET EXPECTATIONS AROUND THOSE DIFFERENT TIMELINES.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE PROJECTS, UM, IT GOES THROUGH A TON OF APPROVALS, STATE AND FEDERAL, UM, YOU KNOW, LIMITATIONS ON RESOURCING.
THOSE PROJECTS ARE USUALLY FOUR TO SIX YEARS IN THE MAKING FROM WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY LIKE HAVE THE LAND AND HAVE A PROJECT IDENTIFIED TO WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO OCCUPY THE BUILDING ON THE MARKET SIDE.
YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE PROJECTS THAT GO BETWEEN TWO AND FOUR YEARS, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE AND COMPLEXITY.
SO FROM WHEN WE ACTUALLY GET THROUGH THE SOCIAL HOUSING TASK FORCE, IDENTIFY AN ACTUAL PROJECT, I WOULD PROBABLY EXPECT THE TIMING FROM WHEN YOU START THAT PROJECT TO WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO MOVE PEOPLE IN TO BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THAT TWO TO FOUR YEARS IN THAT FOUR TO SIX YEAR TIMEFRAME.
[00:45:01]
UM, THE MORE TRANSFORMATIVE WORK THAT WE DO TOGETHER, UM, WHICH I THINK AS YOU'RE NOTING COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN ARE A LITTLE HARDER TO SEE ON A SIX MONTH OR A 12 MONTH TIMEFRAME, BUT THEN WE LOOK ACROSS FIVE YEARS AND WE CAN SEE THAT WE WENT FROM, YOU KNOW, TWO PROJECTS AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAD TWO PROJECTS AND 60 UNITS IN THE PIPELINE AND THE AFFORDABLE SIDE TO NOW WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, NOW WE HAVE A THOUSAND UNITS IN THE PIPELINE AND, UH, AND WE HAVE A BUILDING, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERLAY BUILDING OPENING AT 52 NEW STREET.SO I THINK THAT'S THE STORY OF, OF, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN REALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE OVER TIME WHEN WE'RE WORKING ALL TOGETHER AND ROWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION.
UM, AND I THINK, I THINK THAT'S THE WORK THAT, UM, THAT WILL CONTINUE TO DO ON, ON HOUSING IN PARTICULAR.
AND THEN IT'LL BE IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE ALSO FINDING SMALLER WINS, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE SHOWING IMPACT IN THE IMMEDIATE TERM AND, AND I THINK THE WORLD CUP WATCH PARTIES, THANK YOU FOR JUST SHOUTING THAT OUT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF, I THINK, YOU KNOW, TEAMS FROM, YOU KNOW, MATT NELSON IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, UH, PARTY SAFARI AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, DOING A LOT OF PLANNING IN ADVANCE, UH, BUT ALSO BEING READY TO MOVE INCREDIBLY QUICKLY WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE STATE AT THE LAST MINUTE SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE REGULATIONS.
UM, AND, AND I THINK FOR ALL THE, FOR ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD WITH SOME OF THE DRAFT REGULATIONS THAT THE LICENSE COMMISSION HAS PUT OUT, UM, THEY ACTED INCREDIBLY FAST.
YOU KNOW, THOSE REGULATIONS AT THE STATE LEVEL CAME OUT, I THINK ON LIKE FRIDAY AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THE LICENSE COMMISSION PICKED THEM UP ON TUESDAY AND HAD THEM PASSED AND WE HAD A WATCH PARTY ON FRIDAY.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER EXAMPLES RECENTLY OF THE CITY MOVING THAT QUICKLY.
UM, SO, UM, SO I THINK THAT'S THE WORK THAT, THAT WE'RE HOPING TO CONTINUE TO DO TOGETHER.
UM, AND, AND I APPRECIATE JUST THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNCIL WHERE, UM, MAYBE MY LAST NOTE WOULD BE, UH, COUNCILOR MCGOVERN TO YOUR NOTE, AND I THINK SOME OF OTHER PEOPLE'S COMMENTS ABOUT THIS IS A PRETTY COMPLICATED SYSTEM AND FORM OF GOVERNMENT WE HAVE.
I THINK A LOT OF IT IS THAT WE ARE FUNDAMENTALLY A PLACE WHERE WE ARE SHARING POWER IN WAYS WHERE, WHERE SO MANY MORE PEOPLE HAVE A VOICE THAN IN MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES.
UM, SO THERE ACTUALLY ISN'T AS MUCH CONCENTRATION OF POWER AS PEOPLE SOMETIMES ARE LEADING OR ARE LED TO BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, EACH COUNSELOR HAS A REAL VOICE IN THIS CHAMBER.
THE COUNCIL AS A BODY HAS A REAL VOICE IN DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING.
THE COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS, UH, IN WAYS THAT, THAT ARE NOT AS TRUE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND I THINK, I THINK WHAT, WHAT MY HOPE IS IS THAT WE NAVIGATE THAT SHARED POWER STRUCTURE WELL, WHERE WE CAN GIVE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY TRUST THAT THERE IS LEGITIMACY IN DECISIONS.
THEY HAVE A VOICE IN THE PROCESS.
IT DOESN'T MEAN EVERYBODY GETS WHAT THEY WANT.
UM, BUT WE ARE BEING VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE DECISIONS THAT GOT MADE, WE CAN'T GET IT RIGHT EVERY TIME.
BUT THEN IF PEOPLE HAVE AN ISSUE, THEY KNOW WHERE TO COME AND, AND THEN WE CAN, WE CAN WORK IT OUT FROM THERE THROUGH YOU MADAM MAYOR.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT QUITE GOT TO MY QUESTION, WHICH MAYBE I DIDN'T ASK THE QUESTION, UH, CLEARLY, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS, GIVEN THAT THIS IS YOUR MID-YEAR REVIEW AND WE'RE GONNA BE REVIEWING YOU IN ANOTHER SIX MONTHS, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S, WHAT'S A REAL, HOW DO I REVIEW YOU WHEN THE GOAL IS SOCIAL HOUSING AND AS YOU SAID, IT TAKES FOUR TO SIX YEARS AND WE'RE FAR AWAY FROM EVEN THAT CLOCK STARTING.
UM, WHAT WOULD BE I, I'D LIKE TO SEE AND MAYBE TO, UH, COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER IS THE HEAD OF GOVERNMENT OPS, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT WHAT SHOULD I REALISTICALLY EXPECT PROGRESS TO LOOK LIKE IN, IN, IN SIX MONTHS IF I'M GONNA EVALUATE YOU ON, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE A SOCIAL HOUSING BUILDING YET.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT A FAIR EVALUATION OF YOU, RIGHT? BECAUSE OF COURSE WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ONE IN IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
BUT IT'S ALSO IF WE COME BACK IN SIX MONTHS AND OH, THE TASK FORCE HAS MET THREE TIMES, THAT'S NOT EXACTLY A GREAT EV YOU KNOW, SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WE WANT THE GOALS TO BE REACHING AND WE WANT TO PUSH 'CAUSE WE WANT PROGRESS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE REALISTIC IN WHAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND SO AS WE LOOK AT THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS, UM, RUBRIC OR YOU KNOW, THIS EVALUATION MOVING FORWARD, UM, YOU KNOW, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S FAIR TO YOU.
I WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S FAIR TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO US TO BE ABLE TO EVALUATE YOU ON REALISTIC GOALS, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE GOALS ARE SO HUGE, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S ONE THING IF WE SAID YOUR GOAL WAS OKAY BY NEXT YEAR, I MEAN THE CURB CUT IS A, IS A, IS A, IS A GOOD EXAMPLE WHERE, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL SABRINA WHEELER FILED
[00:50:01]
THAT, YOU KNOW, OVER A YEAR AGO, IF ONE OF THE GOALS WAS IN THE, IN A YEAR, YOU'RE GONNA GET THE CURB CUT ORDINANCE PASSED AND IT'S A YEAR AND A HALF.YOU DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T DO IT RIGHT.
UM, BUT SAYING, GEE, WE WANT YOU TO, YOU KNOW, WE WANT A SOCIAL HOUSING PROGRAM.
WELL, THAT'S A, THAT'S
SO, UM, JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IN, IN GIVING A LITTLE MORE GUIDANCE TO US ON HOW TO EVALUATE THIS PROGRESS OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
I MEAN, I THINK MILESTONES IS THE RIGHT, IS THE RIGHT FRAMEWORK.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE SOCIAL HOUSING TASK FORCE DOES HAVE A PRETTY CLEAR WORK PLAN.
I CAN PROBABLY CHECK IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE ACTUALLY LAID OUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, THE AGENDA FOR THE SOCIAL HOUSING TASK FORCE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHICH OF THE WORK STREAMS ARE MOVING THROUGH.
AND SO WE COULD SAY LIKE, THIS IS WHERE WE EXPECT TO BE BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
UM, I, I DO THINK THAT THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE SOCIAL HOUSING TASK FORCE, I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'RE GONNA BE DONE BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT IS JUST GONNA BE LINING UP A MORE CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT WORK PLAN ON THE MAJOR, YOU KNOW, THE MAJOR WORK STREAMS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, THE MAJOR INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY LINE UP WITH, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR'S REVIEW OR NEXT YEAR'S REVIEW.
UM, I THINK THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THINGS I'M PRETTY HAPPY TO, UH, TO BE MORE CLEAR ON.
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK CURB CUTS IS, IS ONE OF THE, IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK I, I KNOW LIKE COUNCILLOR SINA WHEELER, WE'VE BEEN BACK AND FORTH AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOW WE, HOW WE GET THAT BACK.
UM, UH, I BELIEVE THAT WE DID COMMUNICATE CURB CUTS IS COMING AT THE SUMMER MEETING.
IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A WAIT.
UM, I THINK IT DOES GET BACK TO CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PRIORITIZATION AND, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN PERHAPS DO SOMETHING MORE SIMILAR TO, UM, WHERE WE ARE.
I, I THINK WE'VE LANDED IN A REALLY GOOD PLACE WITH HOUSING AS AN EXAMPLE, WHERE WE HAVE A PRETTY CLEAR WORK PLAN.
AND OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS WE'VE REALLY BEEN ABLE TO DELIVER AND KEEP TO IT ON THE MAJOR PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
UM, I GUESS I WOULD, I WOULD CHALK UP THE CURB CUTS DELAY TO THE CHALLENGE WHERE THE LAW DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS PRIMARILY WORKING THROUGH A LOT OF THESE ORDINANCE CHANGES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE ASK A LOT OF OUR LAW DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND SO, UH, CURB CUTS HAS ENDED UP BEING MORE ON THE BACK BURNER.
AND, AND I THINK IF WE ARE, UM, ABLE TO COMMUNICATE MORE CLEARLY WITH THE COUNCIL ABOUT SOME OF THE INCOMING PROJECTS THAT THE LAW DEPARTMENT PICKS UP, AND TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE GOT TO DELAY SOME OF THESE SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS OUT, LIKE CURB CUTS, UM, THAT, THAT'S MAYBE ON US TO, UM, TO BE MORE, MORE TRANSPARENT ABOUT.
UM, SO I, I THINK SOME OF THIS DOES COME TO HOW WE DO A BETTER JOB, WORK PLANNING, PRIORITIZING, AND THEN COMMUNICATING BACK TO THE COUNCIL MORE TRANSPARENTLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT ON SOME OF THESE THINGS SO THAT WE CAN GET OTHER THINGS OUT.
YOU SAID COUNSELOR MCGOVERN? COUNCILOR SIMMONS.
I THINK A LOT OF, UH, GREAT THINGS HAVE BEEN SAID, SO I'LL TRY NOT TO REPEAT EVERYTHING.
UM, I THINK WE'VE HAD A REALLY PRODUCT PRODUCTIVE, UM, KIND OF SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MANAGING A LOT OF THE COUNCIL WORK AND BIGGER TICKET ITEMS FROM KIND OF MANAGING THE COUNCIL AGENDAS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE IMPERFECT PROCESSES DESIGNED TO GIVE SOME STRUCTURE AND CLARITY, UH, AND PILOTING THAT PRIORITIZATION PROCESS WITH THE FINANCE CO-CHAIRS.
I THINK CONVENING THE TASK FORCE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING GROUPS, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S TIMELY BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SOCIAL HOUSING ONE DURING TOMORROW.
SO, UM, I THINK THE COLLABORATION HAS BEEN, UM, STRONGER.
UH, I HAD A FEW POINTS I THINK THINKING THROUGH THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED IS THE, THE MEMORIAL DRIVE SHOOTING AND SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM THERE.
UM, AND THINKING ABOUT, UH, HOW TO GET OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND IT'S NOT, EVEN IF IT'S NOT NECESSARILY INFORMATION TO SHARE, UH, BUT HOW WE CAN BE WORKING TOGETHER BETTER IN THOSE MOMENTS OF CRISES.
SO I THINK, UH, THERE'S THAT, I WANTED TO BRING THAT UP.
UM, I'M TRYING TO DO THE COMPLIMENT SANDWICH.
[00:55:01]
THING I, I THINK YOU CARRIED AND THE, THE TEAM CARRIED THROUGH FROM LAST YEAR'S GOALS THAT WASN'T MENTIONED IN THE LETTER, AND I WANTED TO MENTION IT BECAUSE IT WAS A BIG BODY OF WORK, WHICH WAS THE CLASS IN COMPENSATION STUDY, UM, TO ADDRESS NON-UNION COMPENSATION.AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A PARTIALLY MET GOAL LAST JUNE, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN MET, UH, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK THAT WAS DONE, AND SO WANTED TO KIND OF JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UH, AND WANTED TO, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, TO SAY THAT.
UM, THE OTHER THING I'VE ALSO, WITH THIS MID-YEAR CHECK-IN BROUGHT IN UP FOR ME WAS, UH, I THINK THE EXPLICIT MENTION OF FEDERAL RESPONSES, UM, IS NOT IN THIS YEAR'S TEMPLATE, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH BRINGING UP.
I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO THE SOLICITOR AND HER TEAM, UH, WHO'VE BEEN REALLY ACTIVE AND EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING.
UH, UH, AND I THINK AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO ON THINKING ABOUT, UH, THE, THE, THE KIND OF WHAT COMES NEXT AND BEING KIND OF AS PROACTIVE AS POSSIBLE.
AND I WAS REFLECTING ON LAST NIGHT'S CONVERSATION AND THINKING ABOUT HOW LAST YEAR WE HAD CREATED THE FEDERAL STABILIZATION FUND, AND WE HAD, I THINK WE HAD ASKED HOW WOULD WE MAKE DECISIONS ON HOW TO USE THAT FUND AND, UH, HOW TO DO SO COLLABORATIVE PROACTIVELY.
UH, AND I THINK SOME OF THE COMMENTS WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM NONPROFITS FACING CUTS VERSUS PEOPLE ADVOCATING FOR KIND OF SAVING IT FOR FUTURE, UM, CUTS, HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR KIND OF PROBABLY JUST MORE, UM, UH, STRATEGIC APPROACH.
AND I'M GLAD THAT THE POLICY ORDER PASSED BECAUSE IT DOES CALL FOR US TO DO SOME MORE ENGAGEMENT.
AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DO THAT, DOING THAT.
I THINK, UH, IT IS A HUGE, I THINK IT WILL STILL CONTINUE TO BE A HUGE PART OF THE WORK IN THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF.
AND SO, UH, I WANTED TO MENTION IT.
I WAS REFLECTING UPON, UM, TWO THINGS IN THE KEY INITIATIVES, WHICH WAS ALSO THE WORK AROUND THE, UH, ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING AND TO COUNSELOR MCGOVERN'S POINT LITTLE AROUND LIKE THAT WORK.
OBVIOUSLY, AS IT SAYS IN THE MEMO, IT'S MULTI-YEAR, AND IT'D BE REALLY GOOD TO KNOW BETWEEN NOW AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, NEXT TIME.
UM, WHAT EXACTLY UNDER THAT ARE WE ACCOMPLISHING? UH, I KNOW FROM WHAT OUR, UH, UM, FISCAL, UH, CLAIRE, I JUST CALL YOU CLAIRE
I THINK THERE WAS SOME FEEDBACK THAT THE COUNCIL RECEIVED FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY FELT, UM, KIND OF BLINDSIDED ABOUT THE STORAGE TANK.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S AN AREA, I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AS WE, YOU KNOW, REALLY DEVELOP THIS PRIORITIZED PLAN, I THINK THE COUNCIL IS OPEN TO WHAT STAFF THINKS SHOULD BE THERE, BUT THAT DECISION SHOULDN'T BE MADE PRIOR TO THE COUNCIL SAYING, OKAY, IT'S MUNICIPAL PROPERTY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA, WE THINK THIS IS THE BEST USE.
SO I THINK THERE HAS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COLLABORATION THERE.
UM, SO I KNOW THERE'LL BE A FOLLOW UP, UH, ROUND TABLE, BUT I THINK GETTING OUR FEEDBACK EARLY, UM, IS REALLY CRITICAL THERE.
SO I WANTED TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT THAT.
I WANTED TO ECHO ON, I, I THINK WE ALSO LANDED, UM, ON AMENDMENTS TO THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT ORDINANCE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WAS IMPORTANT.
UM, ECHOING ALL THE POSITIVE COMMENTS AROUND PUBLIC PROGRAMMING AND WORLD CUP.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, OTHER COOL THINGS THAT, UM, CDD IS, IS TESTING OUT.
I THOUGHT THE HOUSING CDD WORK PLAN WAS VERY HELPFUL.
UH, IT GAVE US KIND OF A BETTER SENSE OF WHERE THINGS GO ONCE THEY LEAVE THE CHAMBER.
AND I THINK IT'D BE PERHAPS HELPFUL TO SEE THAT FOR OTHER AREAS.
WE TEND TO ASK, UM, A LOT AROUND.
AND LAST NIGHT WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PARKING, UH, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND SO I, I THINK JUST MORE CLARITY AROUND THAT, UH, IS HELPFUL.
I THINK MY COLLEAGUES MENTIONED MOST OF IT.
OH, I LIKED THE NOTE IN YOUR LETTER AROUND THE, UH, RECOMBINANT DNA.
I ACTUALLY SAW THE PLAY ON SATURDAY NIGHT.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAS SEEN IT.
UM, JUVAN AND I ACTUALLY HAD A CHANCE TO TALK WITH THE CAST FOR A BIT, UH,
[01:00:01]
PRIOR TO, AND WHAT IT BROUGHT UP FOR ME WERE, WAS THAT THIS COUNCIL WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO ENGAGE IN SOME MORE CONVERSATIONS AS IT RELATES TO AI AND, YOU KNOW, SELF-DRIVING CARS AND KIND OF THAT FUTURE PIECE OF WORK.AND I THINK I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EVERYONE, A NEW CITY MANAGER AROUND THE ROLE OF AI IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S A KEY INITIATIVE, BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE WORK THAT, UH, IS REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, AND A FOCUS FOR, FOR ME.
UH, AND SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT THAT BROUGHT UP FOR ME.
UM, AND THEN AROUND THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WORK, I'D SAY, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IT LAST NIGHT, BUT TO REITERATE LIKE THE REALLY, THE COUNCIL BEING A PART OF THAT, UH, IS REALLY, UH, PARAMOUNT.
AND SO FIGURING OUT HOW WE, UH, DO THAT, UH, WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, LET'S SEE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S WORK AROUND THE TODDLER CARE HAPPENING AND THERE'S A WORKING GROUP AND SO FORTH.
I THINK IN GENERAL, UM, WHEN THERE ARE ANYTHING IN MY OPINION THAT'S POLICY RELATED THAT THE COUNCIL WILL BE INVOLVED IN, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE FROM THE BEGINNING.
UH, AND SO I THINK WE ARE THE LEGISLATIVE BODY, SO ANYTHING AS IT PERTAINS TO LEGISLATION, WE SHOULD BE A PARTNER, UM, WITH, UM, EARLY.
AND SO I WANTED TO JUST BRING THAT UP GENERALLY AS AN AREA THAT I THINK WE'VE, WE ARE PROGRESSINGLY GETTING BETTER AT.
BUT I THINK WE CAN ALWAYS DO MORE IN THAT AREA TO HAVE THE COUNCIL'S ROLE AND VOICE, UM, BE A PART OF A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF THIS IMPORTANT WORK THAT'S HAPPENING.
SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, UM, THROUGH YOU MAYOR SADIKI.
I THINK JUST ONE, ONE QUICK NOTE.
I THINK THERE ARE MORE CONVERSATIONS WE SHOULD BE HAVING ABOUT AI.
UM, AND IT'S BOTH SOMETHING THAT'S INCREASINGLY CLEARLY AN ENORMOUS ECONOMIC DRIVER TOWARD, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BOSTON CAMBRIDGE REGION AND THE STATE OVERALL.
UM, IT IS GETTING BUILT INTO EVERYTHING THAT WE SEE, UH, IN TERMS OF OUR DAILY TOOLS, BUT ALSO A LOT OF THE INNOVATION THAT'S HAPPENING, UM, AROUND THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AI CHATBOTS, BUT REALLY A LOT OF THE, UH, RESEARCH ON CANCER TREATMENTS, PROTEIN FOLDING, UH, ROBOTICS, NANOTECHNOLOGY, QUANTUM IS ALL BEING DRIVEN BY, UM, THE EXPLOSION OF AI TOOLS.
UM, AND I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE MORE ENGAGED SOMEWHERE, AS YOU NOTED TO, UH, THE COUNCIL PLAYING A REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RECOMBINANT DNA.
UM, WE ARE IN A SIMILAR MOMENT RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO I THINK, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE CAN START ENGAGING ON MUCH MORE, UH, INTENTIONALLY.
UM, AND I THINK EVEN DOING SOMETHING LIKE A ROUND TABLE, UM, OVER THE SUMMER MIGHT BE, MIGHT BE WORTHWHILE, UM, MOVING A LITTLE MORE QUICKLY GIVEN HOW FAST, UH, THIS FIELD IS DEVELOPING.
UM, AND, AND WE CAN FIND A WAY TO, TO, TO DO, UM, A GOOD DISCUSSION ACROSS THE COUNCIL ON WAYS FOR THE COUNCIL TO BE ENGAGED, WAY FOR THE CITY, THE CITY TO BE ENGAGED, UH, AND REALLY HOW WE BRING THE COMMUNITY ALONG.
UM, I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT WE SEE IN THESE CONVERSATIONS IS THAT, UM, THE DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN KENDALL SQUARE AMONGST THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DRIVING THIS TECHNOLOGY ARE MOVING SO QUICKLY, AND SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE JUST STILL TRYING TO CATCH UP AND UNDERSTAND HOW IS THIS, THIS IS GONNA IMPACT PEOPLE'S LIVES.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS REALLY OUR ROLE TO TRY AND, UH, CREATE MORE ENGAGEMENT ON AND, AND ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS FOR PEOPLE.
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS, UH, THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR THROUGH YOU AND THROUGH THE CHAIR OF GOVERNMENT OPS.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR, UH, MAKING SURE WE STAY ON TA TA TIME AND TASK RELATIVE TO THE CITY MANAGER.
UH, SO I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT'S GONE INTO IT.
I PROBABLY HAVE A VERY UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE.
UM, I'M MAYBE THE ONLY PERSON IN THIS ROOM THAT'S SERVED UNDER FIVE CITY MANAGERS, AND SO I HAVE A BIT OF A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, ALTHOUGH I DO APPRECIATE A LOT THAT HAS BEEN SAID.
UH, JUST TO START TO GIVE A LITTLE HISTORY, I HAVE WORKED WITH CITY MANAGERS THAT, UM, REALLY STRICTLY PERFORMED UNDER THE, THE CHARTER.
AND YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THIS, MR. CITY MANAGER, WHEN YOU FIRST SAT DOWN AND TALKED, I SAID, YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION, YOU KNOW, WHAT ROLE YOU GOING TO PLAY IN TERMS OF HOW YOU'RE GONNA WORK WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND YOU TOOK THE MOST LIBERAL ONE, AND THAT'S FINE, THAT'S, IF IT WORKS FOR YOU, IT WORKS FOR ME.
BUT I REMEMBER, UH, THERE WAS A TIME WHERE YOU WOULD NOT DARE GO TO A STAFF PERSON
[01:05:01]
TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.NOW, PERSONALLY, I THINK YOU SHOULD BUILD UP A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A, A FIREWALL, BUT THAT HORSE HAS PROBABLY LEFT THE BARN.
UH, AND THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT IT'S, I KNOW YOU MUST HAVE A HARD TIME WORKING WITH NINE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES.
I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THAT'S LIKE FOR A STAFF PERSON AND YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHERE'S THE BUFFER FOR THEM? UH, BUT THAT BEING SAID, I THINK YOU REALLY TRY TO DO, TO WORK, UH, IN WHAT'S, I WOULD SAY IS AN INCREDIBLY DEMANDING JOB.
AND YOU OFTEN HAVE TO TAKE A LARGE AMOUNT OF CRITICISM IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FROM NINE, SOMETIMES VERY OPINIONATED BOSSES.
I'M NOT OPINIONATED, OF COURSE, AND TO YOUR CREDIT, UH, YOU OFTEN TAKE THIS IN STRIDE WITHOUT FLINCHING OR LASHING OUT IN ANGER.
I DO APPRECIATE THAT EVEN WHEN WE HAVE OUR HEATED MOMENTS, IT REMAINS JUST THAT A MOMENT AND THAT, AND THEN WE ARE ABLE TO SET ASIDE, MOVE ON AND FIND WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S MUCH, I KNOW THAT IS MUCH EASIER SAID THAN DONE, AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT QUALITY FOR CITY MANAGER TO HAVE IF THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE MEASURED.
UH, AND SO THAT I WOULD SAY IS, UH, PART OF THE GOOD NEWS OR THE POSITIVE PARTS, I THINK, UH, YOU'RE, I FIND YOU REASONABLY, UM, EASY TO WORK WITH CONGENIAL.
I THINK YOU'RE REASONABLY FAVORED IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I SAY REASONABLY BECAUSE
ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD POINT OUT IS A BIT MORE BALANCE IN REACHING OUT TO COMMUNITIES.
UM, I, I WANNA JUST KIND OF REITERATE SOMETHING ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES SAID IN TERMS OF AREAS OF, UM, IMPROVEMENT, IF YOU WANNA CALL IT THAT, UM, IS HOW DO WE GET BETTER FROM A COMMUNICATION LEVEL OF ONE, FINDING THINGS OUT, LIKE IT'S BEEN SAID, BEING MORE IN THE LOOP.
UH, IT'S, THIS IS NOT UNIQUE TO YOU.
UH, WE'VE HAD THE SAME SITUATION WITH OTHER CITY MANAGERS, BUT IT IS HARD BECAUSE YOU CAN CHOOSE TO BE THE PUBLIC FACE, BUT WE ARE THE PUBLIC FACE.
UH, SO WE DON'T GET A PASS, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T WANNA GO TO A MEETING OR BE RESPONSIVE WHERE YOU COULD TAKE THAT STRATEGY IF YOU WISH.
SO FOR US, OR FOR ME, LET ME SPEAK FOR MYSELF.
I WOULD LIKE A BETTER WAY OF MAKING SURE WE KNOW THINGS BEFORE WE HEAR OF THEM IN OTHER, UH, PLACES.
UM, SO HOW CAN YOU, YOU KNOW, USE EV WE AS A COUNCIL, BUT YOU IN PARTICULAR USE THE WORD TRANSPARENCY A LOT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS TO YOU.
UH, 'CAUSE IT MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO OTHER PEOPLE, BUT TRANSPARENCY FOR, FOR ME, IS SORT OF BEING ABLE TO FORECAST AND LET SOMEONE KNOW.
UM, WHEN I SERVED WITH YOU, UH, IN THE, WHEN I WAS MAYOR, I FELT THAT WE HAD A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP IN TERMS OF KNOWING WHAT, UH, THINGS WERE HAPPENING.
BUT AS A COUNCIL, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THAT SAME LEVEL OF INFORMATION AND, AND WE CAN'T DO OUR JOBS IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT.
SO AGAIN, UH, I'VE SAID IN MY PREAMBLE, I, WHERE I THINK YOU DO A, A GOOD JOB, THE AREAS THAT I WOULD LOVE YOU TO LOOK AT BY WAY OF IMPROVEMENT, UM, AS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
NOW, WHEN I SAT DOWN WITH YOU, WHEN YOU FIRST CAME HERE, I SAID, WHEN, UM, WHAT'S IMPORTANT, TWO THINGS WERE IMPORTANT TO ME, AND YOU WORKED ON BOTH OF THEM.
UH, ONE WAS AROUND PERSONNEL AND YOU GOT THAT DONE AND THE DEI AND YOU GOT THAT DONE.
UM, ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW WHERE I AM ABOUT IT NOW, UH, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL SAY THAT FOR ANOTHER TIME, BUT, UH, YOU DID HIRE AN IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PERSON.
I THINK MY LEVEL OF WHAT I THINK COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SHOULD BE AND, AND HOW WE DO IT PROBABLY A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
AND HOW DO WE GET CLOSER TOGETHER ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, TO COIN A PHRASE BY CONGRESSWOMAN PRESSLEY, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE CLOSEST TO THE PAIN SHOULD BE CLOSEST TO THE POWER.
AND LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
UM, YOU GAVE US A RECOMMENDATION, UM, AROUND TURF VERSUS GRASS.
I WENT WITH YOU ON THE TURF AND I FELT YOU HUNG ME OUT TO DRY.
UH, YOU TOOK THAT LEVEL OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH WAS, I THINK WAS UNDERREPRESENTING HOW PEOPLE FEEL IN THE LARGER SENSE.
AND KIND OF, I'LL JUST SAY CAVED WASN'T A GOOD MOMENT FOR ME, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, EM, EMPLOYEE, ANOTHER THING, EMPLOYEE SUPPORT.
AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE AND CITY GOVERNMENT AND SPEND A GOOD DEAL OF TIME TALKING TO PEOPLE, UM, THAT WORK FOR
[01:10:01]
US.UM, I LIKE TO SEE YOU STAND, YOU KNOW, TO COIN THE SONG.
STAND BY YOUR MAN, STAND BY YOUR EMPLOYEES.
IF YOU, YOU KNOW, WE, THERE'S A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH AROUND WHAT HAPPENED AROUND THE DISSOLUTION OF THE, UH, COMMISSIONS.
I'M NOT GONNA BEAT THAT HORSE.
BUT IF WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT, ONE OF THE THINGS I FELT THAT I WOULD'VE LIKED TO SEE YOU DO MORE OF IS DEFEND THE PEOPLE THAT EXECUTED WHAT I BELIEVE WAS YOUR WISHES.
SO, UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S I IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND, AND, AND THEN GOING BACK TO THE THING ABOUT STANDING YOUR GROUND.
IF YOU THOUGHT TURF WAS A GOOD IDEA, THEN WE DEPEND ON YOU, YOU KNOW, UH, TO GIVE US GOOD INFORMATION SO WE CAN MAKE A, A GOOD DECISION.
UH, THE LAST, THE LAST TWO THINGS VERY QUICKLY IS I WOULD LIKE TO S SEE, I THINK YOU HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH, UM, I THINK YOU HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
I WANT US TO BENEFIT FROM THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UH, AND I, YOU KNOW, WE DO IT THROUGH OUR, THE, THE MAYOR, FORMERLY THE CHAIR, BUT NOW I'M STILL A MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE, AND SHE'S VERY GOOD ABOUT GIVING US MISSIVES ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS THAT WE MIGHT NOT KNOW.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT FORECASTING, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT'S HAVING A CONVERSATION AROUND THE KENNEDY SCHOOL, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE IMPACT ABOUT THAT? AND I DON'T WANNA HEAR THAT, THE 11TH HOUR.
UH, AND THEN LASTLY, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO RECOMMEND TO US MORE ROUND TABLES AND LET, I'LL TELL YOU WHY.
AND, UM, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE APPLAUD THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, AND PART, PART OF THE REASON IS ALL OF OUR FAULTS, THE BUDGET, UH, MEETINGS, AND, UM, THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM, IT'S JUST FOLKS WANNA KNOW MORE AROUND WHAT DEPARTMENTS DO, AND THAT SPILLS INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS, AND IT MAKES IT, IT, SO THE BUDGET PROCESS BECOMES A DUAL PROCESS AS OPPOSED TO THE PROCESS OF WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, WHICH IS, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU BE MORE PROACTIVE AT GIVING THE CITY COUNCIL MORE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH ROUND TABLES TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH DEPARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST IN.
THE POLICE SEEM TO BE A DEPARTMENT WE TAKE A LOT OF INTEREST IN.
WHY DON'T WE HAVE A ROUND TABLE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS? AND IN THE CORRECT CONTEXT, UM, DHSB TO A LESSER DEGREE, DPW, THERE'S A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS, MOSTLY OUR LARGER ONES THAT IT'D BE GREAT IF WE COULD HEAR MORE ABOUT THEM, AND SO THAT WE'RE NOT USING THE BUDGET PROCESS AS A PART OF THAT.
SO I WANTED, I, I'M LOOKING FOR YOU TO BRING MORE OF YOUR COM CREATIVE IDEAS AROUND HOW WE CAN GOVERN BETTER.
YOU SAY IN YOUR OPENING LETTER, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP.
I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THAT LETTER, BUT YOU AND I CAN SIT DOWN OVER A CUP OF COFFEE AND WALK THROUGH THIS LETTER BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO DO IT.
BUT YOU DO START WITH PARTNERSHIP.
AND WHEN I THINK OF PARTNERSHIP IS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE OUTLIED.
SO ALL IN ALL, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, YOU DO THE JOB ADEQUATELY.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE ATTENTION TO.
THEN THE LAST THING I WOULD ASK, DO YOU FIND THESE MEETINGS HERE PRODUCTIVE AND HELPFUL, UM, THROUGH YOUR MAYOR SADIKI? YEAH, I THINK, I THINK THESE ARE ACTUALLY REALLY HELPFUL.
YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THAT, UM, IT IS, IT IS HELPFUL TO BE HAVING A MORE REGULAR CONVERSATION JUST TO GET THINGS OUT.
UM, AND I HAVE ACTUALLY FOUND THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, NOT, I WOULD SAY LIKE IDEAS COME OUT THAT EVEN IF YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO POINT TO SOMETHING INCREDIBLY SPECIFIC TO SAY THERE'S BEEN LIKE A DRAMATIC SHIFT, I DO THINK THEY HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW TO WORK WITH THE COUNCIL AS A BODY.
UM, AND UM, AND I THINK EVEN, EVEN, UM, EVEN IN TODAY'S DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS FROM COUNSELORS WHERE, WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY BE SAYING LIKE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT I THINK WE ARE HEARING THEMES THAT HELP US, UH, FIND A MORE HEALTHY AND STRONG PARTNERSHIP, AS YOU'RE NOTING COUNSELOR SIMMONS.
UM, AND I THINK HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, I DO FIND THAT THIS MID-YEAR CHECK-IN, WHICH I THINK WE ACTUALLY HAD MISSED LAST YEAR IS HELPFUL BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S ANOTHER TOUCH POINT.
AND SO WE'RE NOT GOING SORT OF A WHOLE YEAR BEFORE WE SAY LIKE, OKAY, LET'S SIT BACK AND TALK ABOUT HOW ARE THINGS GOING, HOW ARE WE WORKING TOGETHER? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT'S SORT OF THE ITCH IN YOUR BACK THAT YOU WANT SCRATCHED? AND AND I THINK THOSE ARE REALLY HELPFUL TO HEAR THE YOU MADAM CHAIR.
UM, JUST TO THE, THIS IS HARD, THE YOU MADAM CHAIR TO THE CHAIR TO YOU.
[01:15:01]
WITHOUT BEING ONEROUS, HOW DO WE HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS? THAT'S, I SAY ROUND TABLES COULD BE ONE OF THEM.BUT THE OTHER THING IN TERMS OF, I KNOW WE CALL IT GOAL SETTING, BUT I SOMETIMES WONDER IF WE ARE ON THE SAME HEADING IN THE RIGHT, SAME DIRECTION.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING, ANY TRAIN WILL GET YOU THERE.
AND I'M SOMETIMES WONDERING, BECAUSE WE, WHAT I LOVE ABOUT CAMBRIDGE AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT WHAT WE DO, WE ARE WILLING TO DO EVERYTHING, BUT I HATE ABOUT CAMBRIDGE IS WE'RE WE'RE WILLING TO DO EVERYTHING.
AND IF THAT, AND IT JUST, IT CAN'T.
SO WHAT'S THE PLAN? AND, AND, AND WHERE ARE WE GOING? I YIELD, WE HAVE COUNCILLOR
I'M SORRY, I, I SPOKE BEFORE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ADD ONE MORE THING, WHICH IS I WOULD REALLY LOVE IT IF ALL PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE GONNA GO BEFORE THE COUNCIL WERE PRESENTED, I THINK THEY'RE LEGALLY, THEY HAVE TO BE POSTED TWO DAYS BEFORE THEY'RE PRESENTED.
IT, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THEY WERE POSTED TWO DAYS BEFORE, UH, THE COUNCIL MEETING OR, UH, SO THAT WE CAN PREPARE.
SOMETIMES I FEEL AS THOUGH WE'RE BEING ASKED TO CONSIDER LIKE MAJOR, MAJOR THINGS, BUT WE GET THE INFORMATION SOMETIMES THE MORNING OF, SOMETIMES IT'S JUST THE DAY BEFORE.
I FEEL LIKE WE CAN'T DO, UM, I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE BEING SNOOKERED A LITTLE BIT OR PLAYED.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE INTENTION.
I'M SOMEONE THAT WORKS WITH DEADLINES, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE PRESENTATIONS POSTED AT LEAST ONE DAY BEFORE MEETINGS, AND SO DOES THE PUBLIC SO THEY CAN RESPOND AS WELL.
I FEEL LIKE WE'VE, UH, WE'VE SLIPPED ON THAT AND, AND WE NEED TO, UH, WE NEED TO LIKE START BEING BETTER ABOUT THAT.
UM, THROUGH MAYOR, YOU KNOW, I'D SAY, UM, I THINK WE ARE ONE OF THE VERY FEW COMMUNITIES THAT POSTS EVERYTHING FOR THE MONDAY CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS TWO DAYS IN ADVANCE.
THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT IS SIMPLY THAT THE AGENDA IS POSTED.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE STRUGGLED MORE JUST BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVEN'T MADE THE JUMP AND SAID LIKE, WE'RE GONNA START DOING THIS FOR EVERY COMMITTEE AS WELL.
UM, AND, AND I WOULD MAYBE ACKNOWLEDGE AND SAY, THIS HASN'T COME UP, BUT, UM, I THINK THERE IS IMPROVEMENT THAT WE COULD COLLECTIVELY FIND ON HOW WE ORGANIZE FOUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
UM, I, I DO THINK THAT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES HAS BEEN THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COMMITTEES WHERE THERE ARE TWO COUNSELORS WHO ARE CHAIRS.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE CHAIRS ARE TALKING TO EACH OTHER.
UM, AND THEN I THINK BETWEEN HOW WE GET ORGANIZED AROUND THE AGENDA, WHO OWNS THE AGENDA, UH, MATERIALS AND GETTING EVERYTHING POSTED, UM, I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY DO A BIT OF A BETTER JOB MAKING SURE THAT THAT ALL HAPPENS.
UM, AND, AND THAT ALSO IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE FULLY CONTROL THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE.
UM, IT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT ACTUALLY GETS WORKED OUT WITH THE COMMITTEE CHAIRS THEMSELVES.
UM, AND SO, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE ALL BUSY AND SOMETIMES THINGS FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
UM, BUT, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, HAVING A CLEARER, UH, SET OF MAYBE DEADLINES, UM, WOULD PROBABLY HELP.
UM, I KNOW THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET WORKED OUT FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND THE CLERK'S OFFICE DID A GOOD JOB OF FINALLY PUTTING, PUTTING YOUR FOOT, FEET DOWN AND SAYING LIKE, THIS IS THE DEADLINE.
AND IF IT DOESN'T MAKE IT, IT DOESN'T MAKE IT, UM, IT MAY BE THE CASE THAT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING MORE SIMILAR ON THE COMMITTEE SIDE.
I, I WOULD JUST SAY, SO WE HAD A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING THAT, UM, COUNCILLOR NOLAN LED ABOUT, UH, THE ENVIRONMENT HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MONDAY AT 11:00 AM WHERE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FIVE YEAR REPORT FOR THE URBAN MASTER PLAN AND UPDATES TO THE TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE THAT WASN'T POSTED UNTIL THE MORNING OF.
AND AGAIN, I WANNA CONGRATULATE STAFF ON, ON DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB WITH THAT PRESENTATION.
AND AGAIN, I, I DO THINGS TO THE LAST MINUTE TOO, BUT I THINK IT REALLY, WE OWED THE COMMUNITY, WE OWED THE COUNCIL, LIKE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IMPORTANT ENOUGH THINGS WE COULD HAVE HAD A MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE MEETING THAT WASN'T EFFECTIVE MEETING, AND WE COULD HAVE MAYBE EVEN MOVED TOWARDS MAKING SOME DECISIONS IF WE'D BEEN GIVEN AT LEAST 24 HOURS TO REVIEW THAT MATERIAL.
I HAVE COUNCILLOR SIMMONS, UH, VERY QUICKLY, MADAM TO THE CHAIRS.
I THINK THAT MAKES IT THE EASIEST.
UH, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL ZUI SAID ABOUT, UH, PRESENTATIONS AND, UH, AND, AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND SUPPORT IN SOME WAYS ABOUT, UH, PRESENTATIONS.
AND SO I'M GONNA ASK THE CHAIR OF GOVERNMENT OPS IS WHEN WE THINK ABOUT PRESENTATIONS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, THAT THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE LEANING MORE INTO? AND WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? UH, I KNOW WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW MANY SLIDES SHOULD BE IN A
[01:20:01]
PRESENTATION, LIKE 60 SEEMS TO BE A LOT.AND PARTICULARLY IF YOU WALK AND SIT DOWN AND THEN HERE'S 60 SLIDES AT THAT'S AN HOUR AND, UH, TWO, AND THAT'S NOT, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO DO THINGS.
SO, UH, THROUGH YOU MADAM CHAIR TO THE CHAIR, I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD, IF YOU WILL, UM, IS THAT SOMETHING WE SHOULD TAKE UP IN COUNCIL RULES? IS THAT REALLY SOMETHING, OR IS THAT, OR DO WE BELIEVE IS A COUNCIL, THAT'S SOMETHING UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE CITY MANAGER, AND IF IT IS, CAN WE PUT THAT IN WRITING? CAN WE MODEL SOME SORT OF WAY TO TIGHTEN THAT UP? BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE BRING IN 20, SOME PEOPLE BRING IN 60, AND I THINK WHEN WE HAD TOURISM THEY HAD 75 AND THAT WAS WAY TOO MUCH.
I, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT UP 'CAUSE IT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF, UM, HOW WELL WE WORK IN TERMS OF GETTING INFORMATION, GETTING IT 48 HOURS SHOULD BE A STANDARD.
UM, BUT THE WHOLE, BUT FOR ME THAT WAS WAY TOO MUCH INFORMATION FOR A COMMITTEE TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE IN A TWO HOUR PERIOD OF TIME.
SO I DON'T YOU, NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
IF YOU WANNA DEFER THIS ANSWER, WE CAN TALK OFFLINE, BUT I WOULD REALLY BE INTERESTED IN HOW DO WE, WHAT DO WE DO AROUND THAT? YEAH, NO THANKS.
UH, COUNCILOR SIMMONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO, UH, SPEAK TO THAT BRIEFLY.
I THINK, UM, THE WAY WE'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST SO FAR HAS BEEN TO LEAVE IT UP TO THIS QUESTION OF THE COMMITTEE CHAIRS TO, YOU KNOW, GET THE PRESENTATIONS FROM CITY STAFF, LOOK OVER IT.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, I'M LEADING A, A SOCIAL HOUSING TASK FORCE MEETING TOMORROW.
I GOT THE SLIDES FROM CITY STAFF YESTERDAY, LOOKED THROUGH THEM, THEY ASKED, YOU KNOW, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE? CAN WE GET THEM POSTED? DOES THIS SEEM ABOUT THE RIGHT TIME LENGTH? I ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH THE, THE TIMING OF THE MEETING WITH THEM AND SAID, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE X AMOUNT OF TIME FOR CITY STAFF PRESENTATION.
WE HAVE PRESENTATIONS FROM NYU FURMAN CENTER THAT'S GONNA TAKE THAT AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND WENT THROUGH THAT WITH THEM, TALKED THROUGH IT.
LET'S SAY WE'VE LEFT THAT UP TO THE DISCRETION OF CHAIRS WORKING WITH CITY STAFF.
WE WANNA BE MORE PRESCRIPTIVE ABOUT THAT.
WE CAN AND SAY, YOU, YOU CANNOT HAVE MORE THAN 20 SLIDES.
STAFF PRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE MORE 30 MINUTES.
I'M OPEN TO HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
I DO THINK THAT, IT SORT OF REMINDS ME OF THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE LICENSE COMMISSION WE JUST HAD LAST NIGHT THOUGH.
WHERE, UM, DO WE SAY YOU CAN ONLY HAVE A DRINK EVERY 30 MINUTES, OR DO WE LEAVE THAT TO THE DISCRETION OF THE BARTENDER TO SAY, HEY, I'M, I'M NOT SERVING SOMEBODY WHO'S REALLY INTOXICATED.
WHAT DO WE TRY TO REGULATE AND WHAT DO WE TRY TO LEAVE UP TO THE DISCRETION AND MAKE SURE THE CHAIRS ARE DOING THEIR JOB.
THE OTHER ONE, MAKE SURE THE CHAIRS ARE SITTING DOWN AND SOME CHAIRS DO THAT REALLY AHEAD OF TIME.
SOME CHAIRS MAYBE DON'T AS MUCH.
AND THEN THE STAFF HAVE A, A PRESENTATION, UH, THAT'S A LITTLE LONGER.
WE COULD PRESCRIBE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE OR WE COULD JUST TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CHAIRS ARE, ARE FOLLOWING UP.
BUT DOWN TO HAVE THAT, THAT CONVERSATION TO YOUR, YOUR GENERAL QUESTION.
UH, THANK YOU MR. CHAIR THROUGH YOU, MADAM CHAIR TO, TO THE CHAIR.
I THINK I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I UNDERSTAND EVERYONE SORT OF WALKS TO THE BEAT OF A DIFFERENT DRUM, BUT WHEN WE, WE TALK SO MUCH ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND EXPECTATIONS AND INVOLVEMENT BE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THE MEETINGS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, THAT DOES KIND OF CLAMP DOWN ON KIND OF INVOLVEMENT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING I, I'M ALL RIGHT WITH IN SOME PLACES BECAUSE IT'S WHERE WE DO OUR WORK.
AND IT ALWAYS COMES BACK TO THE FLOOR AT A, UM, AT A COUNCIL MEETING.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE VARIATION OF HAVING SUCH A WIDE RANGE, I THINK IT MAKES IT HARD FOR PEOPLE AND IT, I THINK IT'S A LOT.
SO I'M GONNA YIELD THE FLOOR ON THIS.
LET'S SIT DOWN AND KIND OF TALK ABOUT IT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN BRING BACK TO THE, THE COUNCIL FOR EVERYONE'S BENEFIT.
BECAUSE I MEETS, IT'S LIKE, THIS IS MY TIME TO GIVE MY DISSERTATION.
I WANT YOU TO HEAR EVERY PREPOSITION, BUT IS THAT THE BEST PLACE TO DO IT OR WAY TO DO IT? SO I, I WILL YIELD THE FLOOR ON THAT.
LET'S DETERMINE IS THIS UNDER THE GOVERNANCE, UH, UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY MANAGER.
AND THEN WE CAN SAY, CITY MANAGER, COULD YOU DO THUS? AND SO IF IT'S UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE COUNCIL, THEN WAS PROPOSED, AND IF IT DOESN'T, IF IT STAYS THE WAY IT IS FINE.
BUT IF WE CAN MODIFY IT TO MAKE IT SO IT'S NOT SO MUCH, UM, I CERTAINLY WOULD APPRECIATE AT LEAST HAVING THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, JUST ON THIS QUESTION, I, IT, IT DOES SEEM, IT DEPENDS ON THE SUBJECT OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE STATUS OF IT.
SO THE, THE HEARING THAT WAS DONE, I THINK IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A STAFF OVERSIGHT BECAUSE I HAD REVIEWED THE PRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, FIVE DAYS BEFORE AND THE STAFF JUST HAPPENED TO WORK ON IT, BUT IT GOT DELAY.
IT, IT WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A DELAY.
AND, AND I THINK THE STAFF RECOGNIZED THAT, BUT IT CERTAINLY WOULD BE GOOD.
BUT THERE'S OTHER MEETINGS WHERE MAYBE IT'S A FIVE SLIDE PRESENTATION BECAUSE IT'LL ALL BE DISCUSSION AND OTHERS WHERE WE ACTUALLY NEED THE, THE DATA.
I THINK THE TIMING IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD ALL BE WORKING ON.
UM, I JUST WANNA FOLLOW UP ON, ON A COUPLE OF THE POINTS MADE AND SOMETHING I DIDN'T, UM, SAY.
I, I THINK SOME OF THE TIMING OF RESPONSES IS, AND THROUGH YOU, THE CHAIRS TO THE CITY MANAGER SEEMS
[01:25:01]
TO BE THAT WE HAVE RE WE HAVE, WE REQUEST A LOT OF EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT, BUT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, OR EVEN JUST A YEAR AND A HALF, WE REALIZED THIS WARP SPEED OF THE WHAT HAS BEEN THROWN AT THE CITY, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN TOTALLY OVERWHELMED BECAUSE WE HAD ALL THE NORMAL WORK OF IT.AND THEN EVERY COUPLE WEEKS WE GET A LIST OF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE RE REPORTS THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS INVOLVED IN BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT THE FINANCES OF THE CITY JOINING AICA AMICUS BRIEFS.
WE JUST GOT ANOTHER NOTICE YESTERDAY THAT THERE'S A NEW AMICUS FILING BASED ON SOME OTHER, SO I APPRECIATE THAT AND WONDER, WHILE WE DEFINITELY, AND I'M TOTALLY IN FAVOR OF KEEPING THE BUDGET, THE ONE AREA CAMBRIDGE SHOULD RIGHTFULLY BE A LITTLE CONSERVATIVE IS IN OUR BUDGETING BECAUSE THAT ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK.
I DO WONDER IF THERE'S SOME WAY THAT WE MAY NEED TO, UH, BEEF UP OR UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, THE OVERLOAD OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
BECAUSE AS I THINK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL TOTALLY THRILLED THAT MAYBE CURB CUTS IS GONNA COME FORWARD.
I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT'S A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY.
I, I THINK SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR THAT DELAY WAS ACTUALLY FULLY ON THE COUNCIL THAT IT HAD BEEN REFERRED TO COMMITTEE THAT NEVER MET.
SO I WANNA UNDERSTAND AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHILE THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE'RE WAITING FOR THE CITY, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE CITY IS WAITING ON US AND WE SHOULD OWN THAT AS WELL.
ON THE SHORT TERM RENTALS, WHICH WE FINALLY GOT LAST NIGHT, I MEAN, THAT STARTED IN 2023 AND YET IT WASN'T UNTIL MAY OF 2026 THAT WE ACTUALLY GOT THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE AGAIN, I CONSISTENTLY NUDGED AND PUSHED AND TRIED TO BE NICE ABOUT IT, BUT IT WAS CERTAINLY GETTING SOMEWHAT FRUSTRATING.
'CAUSE I KNOW CHECKING OUT THAT IT WAS LITERALLY, UM, PEOPLE HAD RAISED ISSUES WITH US.
THERE HAD NEVER ONCE BEEN A REPORT ON IT.
THE COUNCIL DIDN'T ASK FOR IT UNTIL I ASKED FOR IT IN I THINK 2022.
AND THEN IN 2023 WE WORKED ON IT.
SO, BUT THAT'S AN EXAMPLE WHERE I ALSO APPRECIATE THE, THE DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED HAVE A LOT ON THEIR PLATE.
SO PART OF THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS MOVING FORWARD IS WE SHOULD CONSIDER HOW IS IT THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT PRIORITIES ARE SET IN, IN, IN A VERY UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE.
IF, IF THE, THE STOP IS THE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF HOURS CITY SOLICITOR OR A HUNDRED CERTAINLY THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE WORKLOAD BECAUSE OF, UH, US NEEDING TO DEFEND, UH, FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE ONSLAUGHT THAT IS THREATENING THE VERY FABRIC OF OUR CITY FROM, YOU KNOW, DEPLOYMENT OF FEDERAL AGENTS TO, TO CRITICAL SERVICES AND BUDGETING.
SO I'M JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE THAT I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO IT BECAUSE IT, IT HAS BEEN, BEEN CHALLENGING.
AND I KNOW ON AI AS WELL, IT WAS TWO FULL YEARS AGO THAT I CAME BACK FROM NLC SAYING WE NEED TO BE DOING MORE ON AI.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S ANOTHER INITIATIVE THAT IT'S, THAT'S KIND OF MOVING AT WARP SPEED AS I THINK THE MAYOR KNOWS FROM HAVING, UH, COMMUNICATED WITH OTHER CITIES.
WE NEED TO TO BEEF THAT UP AND DO MORE BECAUSE IT MAY ALSO HELP US IN SO MANY WAYS.
UM, ON, ON I I WILL SAY ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IS WHAT WE HOPE TO AND EXPECT TO SEE, WHETHER IT'S IN SOCIAL HOUSING OR THE EXPANSION OF THE CPP OR THE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
I ALSO THINK, UH, WELL IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE BUDGET THAT REQUIRES IT, BUT ON SUSTAINABILITY WE ARE WAY BEHIND ON GOALS AS A COMMUNITY.
THE CITY HAS STEPPED UP AND DONE ALL OF ITS WORK AND YET AS A COMMUNITY FOR 10 YEARS NOW, WE'VE REALLY BEEN STAGNANT ON MANY OF THE, THE ACTUAL OUTCOME OF ALL OF THE AMAZING PLANS THAT WE HAVE AND REGULATIONS THAT WE HAVE.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE STALLED ON, IT'S ONE THING I'M WORKING ON WITH STAFF ON, YOU KNOW, GETTING RESIDENTIAL IN INCLUDED IN SOMEWHAT SO MUCH OF OUR WORK.
BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND, WHILE IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ONE OF THE BUDGET PRIORITIES, 'CAUSE IT MAY NOT REQUIRE THAT, IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS, IT GOES AT PUBLIC HEALTH, AT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AT SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
WE'VE MADE REAL PROGRESS BECAUSE OF STEPS THIS COUNCIL HAS TAKEN AND THE CITY HAS TAKEN IS, IS REALLY WHERE THE ONLY PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE.
THE CITY AND THE COUNCIL WORKING TOGETHER.
AND SO NOW WE NEED TO INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY IN THAT AS WELL.
AND I THINK THERE'S WAYS THAT WE CAN, UM, BUDGET FOR THAT.
SO NOT BUDGET FOR THAT, BUT IN, IN TERMS OF INCLUDE THAT IN SOME OF OUR WORK GOING FORWARD AS A, AS A TEAM.
THAT'S, I, I YIELD ANY FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BODY.
I'LL PASS IT BACK TO THE CHAIR OF GOOPS FOR NEXT STEPS.
UH, THANK YOU TO COUNSELORS FOR PARTICIPATING TODAY AND FOR THE CITY MANAGER FOR GIVING THE OVERVIEW.
THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION.
WE HAVE SOME NEXT STEPS IN TERMS OF CONVERSATIONS COMING OUT OF IT.
UH, AND THEN FOLLOWING THIS THOUGH, WE WILL COME BACK IN NOVEMBER, UM, FOR THE FULL YEAR REVIEW AND, UH, I'LL BE COLLECTING INDIVIDUAL REVIEWS FROM CITY COUNCILORS THERE AND THEN CO-LEADING THEM, UH, INTO THE CITY COUNCIL REVIEW OF THE CITY MANAGER.
AND WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER DISCUSSION, UH, AT THE END OF THE YEAR ABOUT THE FULL YEAR EVALUATION OF THE CITY MANAGER.
UM, BUT THAT'S IT I THINK FOR, FOR MY SIDE TODAY.
ALRIGHT, WELL WE ARE GOING TO ADJOURN ON A MOTION
[01:30:01]
BY COUNSELOR SABRINA WHEELER.ACTUALLY, WE CAN JUST DO A VOICE VOTE BECAUSE NO ONE'S ON ZOOM.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.