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PARTICIPATE REMOTELY, WE HAVE 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 HAVE TO SIGN UP AT WWW.CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV/PUBLICCOMMENT.
YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL WRITTEN COMMENTS FOR THE RECORD TO THE CITY CLERK AT CITYCLERK@CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV.
WE WELCOME YOUR PARTICIPATION AND YOU CAN SIGN UP UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF PUBLIC COMMENT.
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.
ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE BODY? ALL RIGHT, NO ANNOUNCEMENTS AT THE MOMENT? WHAT? HUH? OH YES, OF COURSE.
ELECTION DAY IS TOMORROW, SO YES.
YES, SPEAKING OF THE ELECTION, JUST AS A REMINDER, IF YOU HAVE NOT RETURNED YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT, THE CITY JUST PUT OUT A NOTICE TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW NOT TO MAIL IT.
THERE ARE DROP BOXES ACROSS THE CITY.
THEY NEED TO BE IN THOSE DROP BOXES BY 8:00 PM.
THERE'S FOUR, I THINK, OR FIVE DROP BOXES, BUT DO NOT MAIL, MAKE SURE YOU EITHER BRING IT TO YOUR POLLING PLACE OR PUT IT IN AN OFFICIAL DROP BOX.
AND, AND ONE MORE - YES, COUNCILOR NOLAN? YEAH, ONE MORE THING.
THE, THE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY PASSED A, A POLICY ORDER REMINDING PEOPLE THAT LINES COULD BE LONGER BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ONLY THE, UH, CANDIDATE BALLOT, UH, WHICH WILL BE ON THE BALLOT, BUT NINE BALLOT QUESTIONS.
AND FOR MOST OF THE CITY, THERE'S ACTUALLY A 10TH ADVISORY NON-BINDING REFERENDUM QUESTION, BUT THE NINE BALLOT QUESTIONS ARE QUITE, COULD BE QUITE LENGTHY.
AND COUNCILLOR ZUCI IS PRESENT? COUNCILLOR ZUCI? PRESENT.
[PUBLIC COMMENTS]
ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT.PUBLIC COMMENT MAY BE MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL LAWS, CHAPTER 30A, SECTION 20G, AND CITY COUNCIL RULES 23D AND 37.
ONCE YOU FINISH SPEAKING, THE NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE CALLED.
INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO ALLOCATE THE REMAINDER OF THEIR TIME TO OTHER SPEAKERS.
I ASK THAT YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AND THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA THAT YOU ARE SPEAKING ON.
WE HAVE 13 PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP, SO EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS KENNETH CARSON, FOLLOWED BY MISSY ARELLANO, THEN SUZANNE BLIER.
KENNETH, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
KENNETH CARSON, 99 HENRY STREET MAGAZINE BEACH PARTNERS.
AND I'M SPEAKING ON CITY MANAGERS ITEM ONE, OPPOSING THE DRAFT PLAN TO CONSTRUCT STORAGE TANKS, UH, A STORAGE TANK UNDER MAGAZINE BEACH.
THERE WAS AN ORIGINAL PLAN THAT DID NOT INCLUDE THE TANK OR ANYTHING ELSE AT COTTAGE FARM.
AND THEN MASS DEP ASKED FOR MORE.
THEY ASKED FOR THE HIGHEST FEASIBLE LEVEL OF OUTFLOW CONTROL AT COTTAGE FARM.
IN RESPONSE, MWRA AND THE CITIES PROPOSED THIS HUGE TANK.
IT'S NOT FEASIBLE BECAUSE IT VIOLATES MASSACHUSETTS LAW PROTECTING PARKLAND.
THE TANK BENEFITS ARE MINIMAL.
IT REDUCES OUTFLOWS AT COTTAGE FARM SOME, BUT THEY'RE ALREADY INFREQUENT.
THE LAST ONE WAS IN MAY OF 2025, AND THEY'RE TREATED.
THEY'RE HARMLESS AND NOBODY NOTICES THEM.
SO THERE'S NO PRACTICAL BENEFIT.
THE COST ON THE OTHER HAND IS $190 MILLION AND FURTHER COST IS PERMANENT HARM TO THE PARK, OVER TWO ACRES TAKEN, AND NUMEROUS FULLY MATURE SHADE TREES, UH, WILL BE TAKEN AS WELL.
SIX TO EIGHT YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION LOSS IS AS FOLLOWS.
THE SWIMMING POOL AND SPRAY DECK AT MAGAZINE BEACH, THE PICNIC AREA, MEM DRIVE BIKE PATH, PEDESTRIAN OVERPASS, BASEBALL DIAMOND, TWO SOCCER FIELDS, THE OUTDOOR GYM, THE KAYAK AND CANOE LAUNCH, AUDUBON NATURE CENTER AT POWDER MAGAZINE, THE PATIO OUTLOOK AT POWDER MAGAZINE, TWO OVERLOOKS ON THE RIVER, TRAILS AND BENCHES BY THE RIVER, SUMMER PROGRAMS LIKE YOGA AND BACHATA LESSONS, HABITAT FOR 169 SPECIES OF MIGRATORY BIRDS, AND THE PEACE AND QUIET AT MORE SCHOOL.
IF MWRA AND THE PARTNERS MUST SPEND $190 MILLION TO SATISFY DEP - THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT.
WITH REAL BENEFITS THAT DON'T HARM.
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EMAIL US THE REMAINDER.FOR ANYONE WHOSE TIME RUNS OUT, PLEASE EMAIL US YOUR COMMENT AT CITYCOUNCIL@CAMBRIDGEMA.GOV.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MISSY ARELLANO, FOLLOWED BY SUZANNE BLIER, THEN BENJAMIN MA.
I'M AN EDUCATOR, AN ARTIST, AND A MOTHER, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE ORDER OF, FOR THE CAMBRIDGE KIOSK.
UM, I'M A DAUGHTER OF A REAL ESTATE AGENT WHO ALSO FLIPPED HOUSES AND SOLD THEM ON THE MARKET.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT LIVING THROUGH A RENOVATION IS TERRIBLE.
YOU CAN'T SHOWER, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T COOK, AND IT FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE BEING IN YOUR HOME.
AND SO I THINK ALL OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THE KIOSK HAS OFFERED AND DONE IN THIS LAST YEAR, CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT IT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND BARRICADED LITERALLY BY SCAFFOLDS AND CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AND NOISE AND DUST AND JUST, UNFORTUNATELY, CONSTRUCTION IS NOT NICE TO LOOK AT.
BUT AS I WAS READING THROUGH THE, THE AMENDMENTS HERE, IT ALSO HAS SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION THAT STOPPED ME IN MY TRACKS THAT MORE THAN 250,000 VISITORS HAVE STOPPED THROUGH THE KIOSK IN THE LAST YEAR, MAKING IT THE MOST V - TOP VISITED PLACE IN CAMBRIDGE, WHICH I THINK IS ACTUALLY REALLY FANTASTIC IN SAYING THAT IT DOESN'T OFFER ANY KIND OF PURCHASING.
YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY TO GO THERE.
AND FOR ME, IT'S BEEN A GREAT HONOR AND, UH, TO WORK WITH THEM.
I'VE RUN PROGRAMMING WITH THEM.
THEY'VE, THEY'VE SAID YES TO THINGS AND I'VE GONE BACK AND THINGS THAT HAVEN'T WORKED, WE'VE LOOKED TO FIND A NEW, BETTER WAY TO PROVIDE IT AND MAKING SURE THAT THIS PROGRAMMING IS ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE.
I'VE WORKED WITH FAMILIES, WITH KIDS, SENIORS, AND EVEN UNHOUSED PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPRESSED THANKFULNESS FOR THAT SPACE BEING THERE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH AN OPPORTUNITY SO THAT THEY COULD DO SOMETHING INSTEAD OF WALKING AROUND THE STREETS UNTIL THE SHELTER OPENED UP AT NIGHT.
I THOUGHT THAT PARTICULAR INSTANCE WHEN I WAS SPEAKING WITH THIS ONE PERSON WHO CAME THROUGH THE KIOSK WAS VERY, VERY POWERFUL AND SHE WAS SOMEBODY WHO HAD GROWN UP IN CAMBRIDGE, HAD SEEN OUT-OF-TOWN NEWS AND, AND UNDERSTOOD THAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT DO THAT.
THANK YOU, MISSY, YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SUZANNE BLIER, FOLLOWED BY BENJAMIN MA, THEN YOUNG KIM.
SUZANNE BLIER, FIVE FLOOR PLACE.
UM, I TOO OPPOSE STORAGE UNDER MAGAZINE BEACH AND HO - THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THAT FORWARD.
ON DISABILITIES, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE SPACES FOR PARKING FOR DISABILITIES IN FRONT OF OUR LARGER NEW UNITS.
I SUPPORT RENT TO OWN, THAT'S FABULOUS.
WE REALLY NEED TO SUPPORT PUBLIC STEWARDSHIP FOR THE KIOSK.
THE CITY FOUNDRY OVERSIGHT IS THE, I THINK THE REDEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND OCCASIONALLY THEY HAVE SALES OF FOOD AND OTHER THINGS, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
WE COULD LEASE PART OF THE KIOSK TO CARDULO AND SOMEONE COULD PICK UP COFFEE OR A DRINK THERE AND IT WOULD HELP TO PAY FOR HEAT.
WE HAVE GREAT PROJECTS THERE BY HARVARD AND OTHER STUDENTS, UM, RING, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UM, HOW WOULD IT BE SUPERVISED? MAYBE THE HARVARD SQUARE ADVISORY.
UM, BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE PRIVATE.
IT'S A PUBLIC SPACE AND WE CAN DO SO MUCH MORE WITH IT.
FINALLY, I WANNA THANK, UH, REALLY THANK THE CITY CLERK.
THIS IS OFF, UH, THE AGENDA, THE CITY CLERK AND THE CITY STAFF FOR THE WONDERFUL NEW WEBSITE.
MY STUDENTS COULD FIND THINGS.
AND IT'S BEEN, UH, A BANE OF MY EXISTENCE AND OTHERS FOR A WHILE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BENJAMIN MA, FOLLOWED BY YOUNG KIM, THEN ALEXANDRA BESTONE.
I'M SPEAKING ON POLICY ORDER THREE ABOUT REVIEWING DEMOLITION AND TREATMENT REMOVAL PERMITS TOGETHER WITH BUILDING PERMITS.
UM, I LIKE TO SAY THAT I SUPPORT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE I THINK THESE DECISIONS ARE REALLY CONNECTED.
UM, IF A NEW PROJECT MEANS TEARING DOWN A BUILDING OR, YOU KNOW, REMOVING MATURE TREES, THE CITY SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE FULL IMPACT OF THAT PROJECT AT THAT SAME TIME.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN STUDYING PRESERVATION IN CAMBRIDGE THIS SEMESTER.
UM, AND ONE THING THAT'S REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME IS JUST HOW EASY IT IS TO FOCUS ON A NEW DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT THINKING ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT'S BEING LOST.
I'M DEFINITELY NOT AGAINST DEVELOPMENT AT ALL, BUT I THINK CAMBRIDGE, YOU KNOW, NEEDS TO KEEP GROWING AND CHANGING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK HAVING A MUCH MORE COORDINATED PROCESS COULD HELP THE CITY MAKE THE DECISIONS MUCH MORE THOUGHTFULLY AND GIVE RESIDENTS A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT A PROJECT
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ACTUALLY MEANS FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS YOUNG KIM, FOLLOWED BY ALEXANDRA BASTONE, THEN DASHA GOODWIN.
YOUNG KIM, 17 NORRIS STREET ON POLICY ORDERS NUMBER TWO AND NUMBER THREE.
I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO AMEND THE ORDER NUMBER TWO SO THAT ACCESSIBLE HOUSING INCLUDES THE PRACTICAL ABILITY TO REACH ONE'S HOME.
THAT MEANS, UH, UH, PROPORTIONATE ACCESSIBLE PARKING, ACCESSIBLE PICKUP AND DROP OFF AND UNOBSTRUCTED ACCESSIBLE, UH, ROUTE TO ONE'S HOME.
ELIMINATING ACCESSORY PARKING REQUIREMENT SHOULD NOT UNINTENTIONALLY ELIMINATE ACCESSIBILITY FOR PEOPLE WITH, UH, DISABILITIES.
WE HAVE THREE PRONGED PROBLEM.
UH, ON ONE HAND, CITY RE- REMOVED THE ACCESSIBLE REQUIREMENT ON, BUT THE, UH, MASS, UH, STATUTE IS, UH, REQUIRES, UH, HANDICAP PARKING IF, UH, CITY, UH, REQUIRES, UH, P - UH, ACCESSORY PARKING AND THE, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, THE, UH, UH, FAIR HOUSING REQUIRES ACCESSIBLE, UH, UH, PATHS.
SO THIS THREE HAS TO BE, UH, UH, RECONCILED.
AND ON, UH, ON THE, UH, POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE, I ASK YOU TO DIRECT THE CITY STAFF TO EVALUATE, UH, SEQUENTIALLY INTEGRATED AND HYBRID PERMITTING APPROACHES WHILE LEAVING DEVELOPERS FREE TO CHOOSE THE APPROACH THAT MAKES THE MOST ECONOMIC SENSE SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE, UH, REQUIREMENT.
I SENT YOU ALL A FLOW CHART OF THE PROCESS THAT I SEE BASED ON MY FLOW CHART DAYS, AND, UH, IT CLEARLY SHOWS ALL THE WEAK LINKS.
AND I, I'M MORE THAN WILLING TO WALK THROUGH THIS FLOWCHART WITH ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED, BOTH THE CITY COUNCILORS AND THE CDD MEMBERS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALEXANDRA BASTONE, FOLLOWED BY DASHA GOODWIN, THEN ROB JOHNSON.
ALEXANDRA, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
UH, MY NAME IS ALEXANDRA BASTONE.
I'M A CURRENT SENIOR AT HARVARD COLLEGE, AND I WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT THE HARVARD KIOSK.
I'M ALSO TAKING A HARVARD CLASS TAUGHT BY SUZANNE BLIER, AND IT'S A GREAT CLASS.
AND ONE OF THE, UM, REQUIREMENTS IS TO SPEAK AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, SO THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR ME TO GET OUTSIDE MY COMFORT ZONE AND PRACTICE PUBLIC SPEAKING.
WE'VE HAD WONDERFUL SPEAKERS COME TO OUR CLASS, LIKE COUNCILLOR ALZUBI, WHICH HAS BEEN FANTASTIC.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO THROW SOME IDEAS OUT ABOUT OTHER USES FOR THE KIOSK.
UM, WE HAD DENISE GILSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT HARVARD SQUARE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, WHO SPOKE AND REALLY ADVOCATED FOR, UM, NOT HAVING THE KIOSK BE USED AS LIKE A COFFEE SHOP THAT COULD COMP - THAT COULD COMPETE WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES.
I THOUGH A GREAT IDEA WOULD BE, UM, TO PURPOSE IT AS A FLYBY FOR HARVARD STUDENTS, UM, WHO STRUGGLE TO FIND LUNCH IN BETWEEN CLASSES.
AND IN ANNENBERG, IT'S REALLY CROWDED AND THE LINES ARE LONG, SO PERHAPS PART OF THE KIOSK COULD BE USED FOR THAT.
AND THE OTHER HALF COULD BE RUN BY CRIMSON KEY TO RUN THEIR CAMPUS TOURS, UM, AND HAVE, LIKE, A FLYER OR TOUR HUB OUT OF THE KIOSK.
UM, WE ALSO WATCHED A SHORT FILM TODAY IN CLASS THAT DATED BACK TO THE '90S WHEN TASTY, WHEN THE TASTY SHOP WAS IN PLACE OF WHERE CVS IS NOW.
AND I THINK ANOTHER GREAT IDEA COULD BE A CUTE MOM AND PA SHOP, UM, THAT COULD GO IN THERE.
UM, JUST SOME IDEAS, FOOD FOR THOUGH, PUN INTENDED.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DEISHA GOODWIN, FOLLOWED BY ROB JOHNSON, THEN MELISSA LEVINE.
I LIVE AT 175 CHESTNUT STREET.
I AM A BOARD MEMBER OF MAGAZINE BEACH PARTNERS.
I'M SPEAKING ON CITY MANAGER AGENDA ITEM ONE, THE MWRA PROPOSAL TO CONSTRUCT A CSO TANK UNDERNEATH MAGAZINE BEACH PARK.
THE COSTS ARE ENORMOUS, YET THE CHARLES RIVER QUALITY BENEFIT IS MINUSCULE.
OUR MAGAZINE BEACH PARK HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED FROM A DERELICT, ABANDONED PLACE INTO A BEAUTIFUL NATURAL AND RECREATIONAL RESOURCE.
THIS ACCOMPLISHMENT HAS BEEN THROUGH THE CONSIDERABLE COMBINED EFFORTS
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AND INVESTMENT BY THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, THE MASS DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION, THE CITIZENS OF CAMBRIDGE, AND NUMEROUS NONPROFIT PARTNERS.A SPECIAL THANKS TO FORMER MAYOR HENRIETTA DAVIS AND TO COUNCILLOR KATHY ZUSI FOR SPEARHEADING TWO DECADES OF RENEWAL CAMPAIGNS AND SPARKING NEIGHBORHOOD OWNERSHIP OF THE PARK.
THE MWRA PLAN WILL RUIN THE ENTIRE PARK DURING CONSTRUCTION AND LEAVE THIS RESOURCE SEVERELY TRUNCATED BY SEVERAL FENCED OFF AREAS WHEN COMPLETE.
THE MWA SHOULD STRONG, SHOULD BE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE SITES AND ALTERNATIVE TECHNICAL APPROACHES, AS WELL AS THE IMPACT OF THIS GINORMOUS PLAN ON CAMBRIDGE AND SOMERVILLE RATE PAYERS.
CITIZENS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, REMEMBER, WE STOPPED AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY FROM RIPPING THROUGH OUR CITY.
NOW OUR CHALLENGE IS TO STOP THIS MWRA PLAN TO DEVASTATE OUR BELOVED MAGAZINE BEACH PARK.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ROB JOHNSON, FOLLOWED BY MELISSA LEVINE, THEN ANSHAL CHOPRA.
HI, R- ROB JOHNSON, 20 FAIRMONT AVE.
UM, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON, UH, ITEM NUMBER ONE ON THE CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA AS WELL.
I TOO OPPOSE, UM, CITING A UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK UNDER MAGAZINE BEACH, BUT I WILL SAY THAT I DO SUPPORT THE MWRA'S OBJECTIVE TO REDUCE COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS, AND YES, IT'S GONNA COST RATE PAYERS A LOT OF MONEY.
I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, BUT IT, PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND OUR WATER QUALITY IN THE CHARLES RIVER REQUIRES AN INVESTMENT, AND I'M WILLING TO PAY FOR THAT.
WHAT I'M HERE TO SAY AND ADD TO THE CONVERSATION IS I VERY MUCH SUPPORT WHAT I UNDERSTAND TO BE THE CITY'S POSITION THAT THE MRW, MWRA MUST CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES AND MINIMIZE IMPACTS TO PARKLAND.
WHAT I HOPE I'M PERHAPS ADDING TO THE CONVERSATION IS THAT THAT'S MERELY STATING AN OBLIGATION OF LAW BECAUSE IN 2022, THE STATE PASSED MASS GENERAL LAW CHAPTER 274 SAYING THAT, UH, ESSENTIALLY GIVING TEETH TO ARTICLE 97 OF THE CONSTITUTION WHICH SAYS YOU CAN'T TAKE PUBLIC PARKLAND FOR ANOTHER USE WITHOUT TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF THE CONS, THE LEGISLATURE.
UNFORTUNATELY, TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF THE LEGISLATURE IS FAR TOO EASY TO ACHIEVE.
SO THIS NEW LAW IN 2022 ADDED TEETH TO THAT SAYING THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA PROPOSE SUCH A CHANGE, YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT A ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS TO THE LEGISLATURE, TO THE EA, AND TO THE PUBLIC, AND THAT THAT ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS HAS TO INCLUDE A PROPOSED, UH, MITIGATION PARCEL THAT WOULD REPLACE THE LAND TAKEN.
IT HAS TO BE AT LEAST OF EQUAL, UM, SIZE, COMPARABLE LOCATION OF EQUAL VALUE, AND YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT A EEA STANDARD APPRAISAL, UM, TESTIFYING TO THE, THE VALUE OF THE PARCEL YOU PROPOSE TO TAKE.
SO IF THE MMRW - MWRA IS SERIOUS ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL, IT'S TIME TO APPRAISE THAT PRECIOUS WATERFRONT PARCEL, TELL US WHAT IT'S WORTH, AND THEN PROPOSE ALTERNATIVES OF COMPARABLE VALUE.
IT'S GONNA BE VERY MUCH WORTH THEIR TIME TO CONSIDER PRIVATE PARCELS THAT WOULD HAVE FAR LESS IMPACT ON THE PUBLIC THAN THAT PARCEL.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MELISSA LEVINE, FOLLOWED BY ANCHEL CHOPRA, THEN ZALO BRANDON.
MELISSA, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, TWO MINUTES.
UM, MY NAME IS MELISSA LEVINE, AND I'M SPEAKING ON ITEM ONE.
UM, FOR MANY OF US IN CAMBRIDGEPORT, MAGAZINE BEACH IS OUR ACTUAL BACKYARD.
THIS CURRENT PROPOSAL WOULD TAKE AN ENORMOUS TOLL ON OUR COMMUNITY FOR A BENEFIT THAT HAS NOT ADEQUATELY BEEN DEMONSTRATED.
WE JUST FINISHED A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR DECADE-LONG PARK RENOVATION, AND NOW WE ARE BEING ASKED TO ACCEPT ANOTHER SIX TO EIGHT YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION DURING WHICH MOST OF OUR PARK WILL BE INACCESSIBLE.
I URGE YOU TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVES, MAKE MAGAZINE BEACH THE LAST RESORT.
WE NEED OUR PARK, OUR TREES, OUR OPEN SPACE, AND OUR POOL, NOT ANOTHER DECADE OF CONSTRUCTION.
SAY NO TO THE MRA AT MAGAZINE BEACH, PLEASE FIND AN ALTERNATIVE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANSHAL CHOPRA, FOLLOWED BY ZALO BRANDON, THEN JAMES WILLIAMSON.
UH, I'VE SEEN THE CAMBRIDGE KIOSK THROUGH MANY EYES, UH, AS A GRADUATE STUDENT, AS A COMMUTER WHO SEEKS RESPITE IN A RUSH OF EVENING TRAFFIC, AND AS AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER WHO'S SEEN THE SPACE EVOLVE INTO A VERY THOUGHTFULLY PLANNED CULTURAL HUB.
WHILE I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO CONTINUE TO REVIEW AND REFLECT ON, ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE KIOSK,
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I URGE THE CITY TO BUILD ON AND ADAPT ON THE CURRENT STEWARDSHIP MODEL, HONORING THE INVESTMENT AND THE COMMUNITY INPUT THAT HAS BROUGHT US HERE RATHER THAN UNDOING, UH, THE EFFORT TO START FROM SCRATCH.OVER THE PAST YEAR, I'VE SEEN THE KIOSK COME TO LIFE WITH PERFORMANCES, MINI GOLF, ART, AND RESOURCES FOR VISITORS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE.
AND DESPITE SEEMINGLY UNENDING CONSTRUCTION AND LONG WINTERS AND TIGHT BUDGETS, CULTURE HOUSE HAS SHAPED THE KIOSK INTO, UH, AN ESSENTIAL CULTURAL ANCHOR FOR HARVARD SQUARE.
THIS DECEMBER, THE KIOSK WILL HOST RESIDENT ARTS, ARTISTS AND EDUCATORS WHO WILL BRING YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMMING, MAKING THE KIOSK ONE OF CAMBRIDGE'S FEW FREE DESTINATIONS FOR ART AND CULTURE.
THIS MODEL IS A PRODUCTIVE, RIGOROUS PUBLIC PROCESS, AND CULTURE HOUSE HAS RESPONDED DIRECTLY TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS ASKED FOR.
THEY'VE COMPLETED MONTHS OF RESEARCH, AND THE TEAM HAS LEARNED WHAT BRINGS CAMBRIDGE RESIDENTS JOY, DELIGHT, AND CONNECTION, AND STARTING OVER WOULD UNDO THAT INVESTMENT AND HARD WON LESSONS JUST AS THEY BEGIN TO PAY OFF.
SO WITH THAT, I STRONGLY ENVI - ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO VOTE TO CONTINUE THE CURRENT MODEL AND ASSESS IT FULLY ONCE THE PLAZA CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE RATHER THAN HOLDING THIS EFFORT MIDSTREAM.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ZALO BRANDON, FOLLOWED BY JAMES WILLIAMSON, THEN HEATHER HOFFMAN.
ZALO, IF YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN.
I'M A RESIDENT OF NORTH CAMBRIDGE, AND I'M ALSO AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE KIOSK.
UM, I, I'LL KEEP IT BRIEF BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE ANCHAL REALLY SAID EVERYTHING THAT I WAS GONNA SAY, JUST WAY BETTER THAN I POSSIBLY COULD.
UM, BUT YEAH, I FEEL LIKE THIS PARTICULAR POLICY ORDER IS PREMATURE GIVEN THE ONGOING CONSTRUCTION TO THE SPACE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I ALSO AGREE THAT WE SHOULD BE HAVING AN ONGOING CONVERSATION REGARDING, UH, THE STEWARDSHIP MODEL, BUT WE'RE WAY TOO PREMATURE.
I DON'T WANNA UN- UNDO ANY WORK THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS IN CREATING THIS SPACE.
AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE IF THERE ARE PROGRAMMING CONCERNS, THAT CULTURE HOUSE HAS BEEN OPEN AND RESPONSIVE AND JUST WONDERFUL STEWARDS OF THE SPACE.
UM, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYBODY WHO FEELS LIKE THE PROGRAMMING IS NOT ADEQUATE TO REACH OUT TO THEM BECAUSE IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE WHEN I'VE HAD, UM, EVENTS THAT I'VE WANTED TO SEE.
I'VE, YOU KNOW, THROWN PEOPLE IN THEIR DIRECTION AND THEY GOT RIGHT ON THE CALENDAR.
IT, IT IS ALREADY A VERY PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE SPACE, AND I IMAGINE WITH THE OPENING OF THE PLAZA, IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE SO.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JAMES WILLIAMSON, FOLLOWED BY HEATHER HOFFMAN.
UM, ISN'T IT SUPPOSED TO BE THREE MINUTES? UH, DID THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT ARE SENT OUT WHEN YOU SIGN UP SAY THAT IF THERE ARE LESS THAN 20 SPEAKERS, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THREE MINUTES? WE UPDATED OUR RULES.
UM, SO, UH, I, UH, I THINK THE, UH, KIOSK HAS BEEN A TOTAL FAILURE.
UM, SORRY, I DON'T MEAN TO HURT ANYBODY'S FEELINGS, BUT, UM, I THINK THIS IS A WIDELY HELD, UH, VIEW AND FEELING IN THE, IN, UH, IN THE CITY.
UM, YES, THE CONSTRUCTION, UH, THE ENDLESS CONSTRUCTION IS A HORRENDOUS DISGRACE AND, UH, DESERVES, UH, YOU KNOW, INTERROGATION, FURTHER INTERROGATION BY THE CITY COUNCIL FOR A, A REALLY HONEST, UH, EXPLANATION.
UH, BUT THE KIOSK ITSELF REALLY OUGHT TO BE A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO GO TO, AND I DON'T THINK IT CURRENTLY IS, UH, THE, THERE CAN BE ART THERE, THERE CAN BE CULTURAL ACTIVITIES THERE, BUT I, I DON'T THINK IT'S A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANNA VISIT.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE, BRINGS PEOPLE IN, MAKES, LEADS PEOPLE TO WANNA VISIT IS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO IN AND YOU CAN GET A NEWSPAPER.
THIS CAME UP, UH, THE, THE, UH, TASK FORCE WORKING GROUP OR WHATEVER, THIS WAS A, A, A SORT OF A BROAD CONSENSUS, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE BEFORE MY TIME RUNS OUT, THE, THE, THE S - THE NEON SIGNS THAT'S
[00:25:01]
BRANDED AS KIOSK ARE HORRENDOUS.I, I'VE ASKED DAN WOLF, WHO PRESIDES OVER THE, THE SUBSEQUENT KIOSK ADVISORY GROUP, I'VE ASKED HIM NUMEROUS TIMES HOW, WHO PUT THE, WHO DECIDED TO HAVE THAT HORRIBLE KIOSK SIGNS THERE? I NEVER, I'VE NEVER GOTTEN A STRAIGHT ANSWER FROM HIM.
I'VE NEVER REALLY GOTTEN A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHO THE TEAM ARE THAT RUN THIS WHOLE THING.
I THINK WE D- DEFINITELY NEED A NEW STEWARDSHIP MODEL, AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE INDEPENDENT AND, AND IT SHOULD BE, NOT BE RUN BY THE HARVARD SQUARE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HEATHER HOFFMAN.
HEATHER, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
HELLO, HEATHER HOFFMAN, 213 HURLEY STREET.
I'D LIKE TO START BY, UM, HAVING A, A LITTLE GIGGLE ABOUT THE $50,000 COMING FROM THE BIG UGLY COURTHOUSE, BEING AS HOW IT STILL DOESN'T HAVE ANY COMMERCIAL TENANTS.
IT WAS A GREAT BET THE CITY MADE ON THAT TEAM ROLLING OVER EVERYBODY.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO MAGAZINE BEACH, I WAS VERY PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT THE IMMEDIATE, AND AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, UNANIMOUS REACTION OF EVERY PART OF THE CITY TO THIS, GOOD GOING, PLEASE DO MORE OF THAT.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO MAKING INFORMATION ABOUT VARIOUS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, UM, ALL AVAILABLE IN A COMPREHENSIBLE MANNER AND IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, INCLUDING THE CITY, UM, AND PERHAPS WE WILL HAVE PLANS ALL SHOWING THE SAME THING, THE PEOPLE MAKING, UM, DECISIONS BASED ON PLANS WILL, WILL ALL KNOW THE SAME THINGS AND OTHER, UM, AMAZING STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE, UH, TOPA LEGISLATION, UM, TODAY I WAS AT THE REAL ESTATE BAR ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING AND, UM, I WAS TREATED TO, UM, A LUNCHTIME GREED AGAINST ALL KINDS OF THINGS, INCLUDING AT GREAT LENGTH TOPA.
YOU'LL BE PLEASED TO KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO DESTROY THE WORLD.
SO GOOD GOING, I SUPPORT IT TOO.
THAT IS ALL THAT WE'RE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
WE WILL, UM, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO WE CAN GO AHEAD ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR NOLAN TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT.
THERE'S NO SUBMISSION OF THE RECORD.
THERE ARE NO RECONSIDERATIONS.
[CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA]
ON TO THE CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA, PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL.COUNCILOR ZUCI? UH, ONE AND TWO, PLEASE.
COUNCILLOR NOLAN? NUMBER THREE.
SO WE'LL GO TO CITY MANAGER AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE.
THIS IS A COMMUNICATION TRANSMITTED FROM EON WONG, CITY MANAGER, RELATIVE TO AWAITING REPORT 2026-66 REGARDING DISCUSSIONS WITH MWRA ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS TO WATER QUALITY AND ADVANCEMENT OF CSO INFRASTRUCTURE WITHOUT TAKING A PUBLIC PARKLAND OR PROLONGED DISRUPTION TO MAGAZINE BEACH.
I WILL GO TO COUNCILOR ZUCI, AND YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR SIDDIQUI.
UM, I JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE THE CITY MANAGER AND THE WHOLE COUNCIL'S, UM, SUPPORT FOR PROTECTING MAGAZINE BEACH.
AND I'M ALSO REALLY GRATEFUL TO THE CHARLES RIVER CONSERVANCY, THE CHARLES RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION, UM, MASS AUDUBON, MIKE CONLEY, AND SO MANY OTHERS JUST COMING OUT IN SUPPORT OF THE PARK.
UM, AND I THANK, UM, OUR, UM, CITY ENGINEER, JIM WI- WILCOX, FOR PRESENTING WITH, UH, LUCHICA HILLER, UH, JUST LAST WEEK TO A VERY, UH, UH, DIVORCE, UH, CAFETERIA WHICH WAS FILLED WITH RESIDENTS, UM, EAGER TO PRESERVE THE PARK THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS WORKED WITH THE CITY AND DCR, UH, TO MAKE BETTER, TO REVITALIZE OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS.
UH, IT'S BEEN A LONG PROCESS AND THE PARK IS LOOKING PRETTY SPECTACULAR.
[00:30:01]
SO I THINK THE WORRY NOW IS, AND I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY IN THE MEMO, UM, THAT JOHN NARDONE SUBMITTED, WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS THE FOCUS OF THE MEMO IS ON JUST NOT HAVING THE FENCE AROUND THE 2.3 ACRE, UM, TANK AT THE PARK.AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERNS AND ALL THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS' CONCERNS ARE FAR BROADER THAN THAT.
I THINK WE'RE ALL WONDERING, I MEAN, AS WE REALIZE THAT IT WILL BE SIX TO EIGHT YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION, THAT 8.3 ACRES OF THE PARK WILL BE USED AS THE STAGING AREA, THAT IT'S LIKELY THE TREES WILL BE CLEAR CUT, THAT THE PARK WILL BE OUT OF USE.
UM, UH, WE DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
SO I THINK, I, I FEEL AS THOUGH THE COMMUNITY AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UM, HAVE COME OUT, UH, UH, AND CLEARLY STATING THAT WE NEED TO DO, WE NEED, UH, MORE THAN THE LACK OF A FENCE AT MAGAZINE BEACH.
WE REALLY DO NEED AN, AN ALTERNATE LOCATION.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT THE MEMO SAYS TO FULLY EVALUATE LO - UM, ALTERNATIVES.
AND I THINK THAT SUGGESTS ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS INCLUDING G- GOOSE MEADOW, UM, SOME SITES ON WAVERLY ROW.
I MEAN, THERE ARE OTHER, UM, AREAS, UM, TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACTS ON OPEN SPACE AND THE GUIDED LONG-TERM PROTECTION OF THIS CRITICAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE.
I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO SAY IN OUR, UM, POLICY ORDER, WE NOTED TO CONSIDER SITES NEAR THE COTTAGE FARM FACILITY, INCLUDED BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE GOOSE MEADOW, THE ADJACENT PARK OF THE COTTAGE FARM FACILITY AND POTENTIAL PRIVATE PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS OR CO-LOCATION OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AND THEN REPURPOSING THE EXISTING COTTAGE FARM FACILITY TO INCLUDE COMPONENTS OF THIS FACILITY AND THEN REEVALUATING SECURITY PROTOCOLS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND NOW PRESIDENT OF MAGAZINE BEACH PARTNERS, KEN CARSON'S EXTRAORDINARY LETTER ABOUT MAGAZINE BEACH THAT, UM, F- FOR MAGAZINE BEACH PARTNERS, WHICH QUESTIONS WHETHER THE TANK IS NEEDED.
LIKE I'VE, I'VE WANTED TO BE SUPPORTIVE BECAUSE I, I WANT US TO HAVE CLEAN WATER.
UM, I REALLY RESPECT THE WORK THAT THE CITY HAS DONE OVER MANY, MANY DECADES TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE CLEANER WATER.
BUT IF, IF WE'RE NOT GONNA GET A LOT OF GAIN AND, UH, IF WE'RE GONNA BASICALLY DESTROY THIS PARK, UM, I THINK WE'VE GOTTA THINK ABOUT IT A- AGAIN.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO RESPOND TO OR DO YOU WANNA WAIT UNTIL THE END FOR FOLKS? UM, WE CAN, I MEAN, MAYBE, UM, JIM WILCOX AND GO INTO A LITTLE BIT OF DETAILS ABOUT, UM, SORT OF HOW THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT YEAR OF THE PLANNING PROCESS WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, SO JUST TO PUT A LITTLE CONTEXT ON HOW THIS PROJECT ALTERNATIVE CAME ABOUT, UH, THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, CITY OF SOMERVILLE AND MWRA SUBMITTED A DRAFT CSO CONTROL PLAN TO THE EPA AND DEP BACK AT THE END OF APRIL OF THIS YEAR THAT REPRESENTED FOUR YEARS WORTH OF WORK BETWEEN THE THREE PARTNERS TO PUT TOGETHER THIS PLAN.
AND THE TANK AT MAGAZINE BEACH WAS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVES FOR CSO CONTROL FOR DISCHARGES THAT CURRENTLY HAPPEN AT THE COTTAGE FARM FACILITY, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO MAGAZINE BEACH.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE, UM, CSO CONTROL PLAN ENDED LAST FRIDAY.
UM, WE RECEIVED HUNDREDS OF COMMENTS ON THE PLAN, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE IT'S FOR BOTH THE CHARLES RIVER, UH, MYSTIC RIVER AND ALEWIFE BROOK.
SO WE NOW AWAIT FEEDBACK FROM DEP AND EPA ON BOTH OUR PLAN AND ALSO ALL THE COMMENTS.
AGAIN, THIS, UH, TANK IS ONE ALTERNATIVE, UM, IN A NUMBER OF ALTERNATIVES THAT ARE PROPOSED FOR CSO CONTROL ALONG THE CHARLES RIVER.
UM, OTHER ALTERNATIVES ARE SEWER SEPARATION, UM, STORAGE TUNNELS, UM, WHICH WOULD ALSO REQUIRE SPACE AT MAGAZINE BEACH.
UM, BUT THAT IS THE PROCESS WE'RE GOING THROUGH NOW IS WAITING ON SOME FEEDBACK.
UM, THE CURRENT SCHEDULE IS FOR THE THREE PARTNERS TO SUBMIT A FINAL CSO
[00:35:01]
CONTROL PLAN IN MAY OF NEXT YEAR.UM, AND OBVIOUSLY ALL THE ALTERNATIVES THAT WERE RECOMMENDED WILL BE REVIEWED AND BASED ON COMMENTS WE RECEIVED BACK REVISED IF NEEDED.
SO COUNCILLOR ZUZI, YOUR TIME WAS UP, BUT WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU.
I HAVE COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN, AND THEN I WILL GO TO COUNCILLOR NOLAN.
UH, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, THROUGH YOU.
UM, WANTED TO JUST THANK THE MANAGER, I, YOU KNOW, FOR YOUR, I THINK, VERY CLEAR AND STRONGLY WORDED LETTER.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS, UH, I WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRAL DIVISION LITTLE LEAGUE WHEN THAT FIELD WAS BEING BUILT AND WAS PART WORKING WITH THE CITY AND DCR IN, IN GETTING THAT LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD.
AND THEN, UM, AS MAYOR WORKED WITH COUNCILOR ZUZI, WHO WAS NOT COUNCILLOR ZUZI AT THAT POINT, UH, AND CITY MANAGER DIPASQUALE TO GET MONEY FROM THE CITY TO SUPPORT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SPLASH PAD AND THE REDESIGN OF MAGAZINE BEACH.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF, OF WHAT'S GONE ON THERE FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THE IDEA OF LOSING THOSE FACILITIES IS JUST, IT'S UNCONSCIONABLE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR LETTER.
I, I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN WE WRITE LETTERS AND DO THINGS WITH THE STATE, WE KINDA DON'T WANNA BE TOO HARSH OR TOO STRONG.
I THINK YOUR LETTER WAS, WAS VERY STRONG IN MAKING IT CLEAR THAT WE DO NOT SUPPORT THIS AND THE COUNCIL PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
WE ALL GOT ON THAT POLICY ORDER THAT COUNCILOR ZUZI HAD SIGNED, UH, HAD FILED, UM, YOU KNOW, TO SHOW OUR UNITY IN, IN, IN IMPOSING THIS PLAN.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO PUBLICLY STATE THAT AND TO THANK YOU AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE CAN TURN THIS AROUND.
COUNCILOR MCGOVERN YIELDS, WE WILL GO TO COUNCILLOR NOLAN FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
I REALLY, UH, I JUST WANNA REITERATE SOME OF WHAT, UH, COUNCILOR ZUZI AND, AND MCGOVERN SAID IN APPRECIATING THE CITY'S VERY STRONG LETTER THAT WAS SENT OUT PRETTY MUCH IMMEDIATELY AS IT DIRECTLY TIES TO MAGAZINE BEACH BECAUSE JUST TO REMIND PEOPLE, WE, THE CITY HAD NO ADVANCED NOTICE OF THE MAGAZINE BEACH PLAN.
THE COUNCIL I KNOW HAS, HAS, UM, WEIGHED IN ON THE LARGER PLAN AND WE HAVE SOME, UH, WAY, SOME, UH, VERY STRONG LANGUAGE FROM THE COUNCIL SIDE TO SAY WE REALLY HOPE THAT SOME OF THE OTHERS, THE, THE ALEWIFE AND, AND CAM 401A AND SOME OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS OF THIS PLAN, UH, SHOULD BE BROADER AND STRONGER AND, AND BE TAKEN CARE OF.
ON THE MAGAZINE BEACH PART, WE HAD NO ADVANCED WARNING.
SO I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE CITY DOING THAT.
AND THE CITY COUNCIL ALSO WEIGHED IN ON IT.
SO APPRECIATIVE TO THE, UH, COUNCILOR ZIZI AND OTHERS, AND I THINK THE WHOLE COUNCIL SIGNED ON, UM, TO ITERATE TO THE POWERS THAT BE THAT IT'S REALLY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ADDRESS THIS.
UM, WE DO HOPE THAT THIS IS PART OF THE PLAN BECAUSE IT'S REALLY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ADDRESS THIS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY SENSE OF, THROUGH YOU, MAYOR SIDDIQUI, TO THE CITY, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THE COUNCIL CAN DO TO ENSURE THAT THIS MOVES FORWARD IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT, UH, MAKE, UH, PERMANENT PARKLAND? I THINK WE'RE PRETTY SURE WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR STATE DELEGATION THEY WILL NOT APPROVE AN ARTICLE 97 CHANGE, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE ISSUE OF EVEN IF THAT HAPPENS EVENTUALLY OF THE SIX YEARS OF, AS WE HEARD IN PUBLIC COMMENT OF, OF THE POOL, OF THE FIELDS, UM, THANKS TO JUST A SIDE NOTE TO COUNCILOR MCGOVERN, THE CENTRAL BASEBALL WAS ACTUALLY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR WELCOMING KIDS OF VARIOUS ABILITIES.
UM, I KNOW MANY KIDS, UM, INCLUDING MY SON WHO BENEFITED FROM THAT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S SOMEWHAT SEPARATE, BUT IT'S NOT SEPARATE BECAUSE MANY, MANY YEARS OF NOT HAVING THOSE FIELDS.
SO IF THERE'S, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THE COUNCIL CAN DO AND WHAT ARE WE HEARING FROM THE STATE, UH, AGENCIES ON THIS? UM, THROUGH MAYOR SIDDIQUI, I WOULD ADD A FEW COMMENTS.
ONE IS THAT, I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAD BEEN ENGAGED WITH THE MWA, AND SO WE SORT OF KNEW ABOUT THE PROPOSAL IN TERMS OF THE STORAGE.
THE, THE, THE IDEA THAT THAT WOULD BE PERMANENTLY FENCED OFF WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS KNOWN AND WAS NOT SORT OF AN IMPACT THAT WAS PART OF THE CONSIDERATIONS AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITH THEM.
AND SO I THINK MWA HAS HEARD VERY CLEARLY THAT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS THAT EITHER A, NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE, RIGHT? UM, AND SO I THINK THAT IS SORT OF OFF THE TABLE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, EVEN AT LAST WEEK'S MEETING, MWA HAS SHIFTED A LOT IN TERMS OF THAT.
UM, AND SO I THINK, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING MORE THAT WE NEED TO DO IN TERMS OF BEING VERY CLEAR THAT THAT TYPE OF LONG-TERM IMPACT IS ABSOLUTELY OFF THE TABLE.
UM, I THINK AS THEY'RE LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVES, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME QUESTION ABOUT SOME OF THE ESTIMATES FOR CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS AND, YOU KNOW, WAS, WOULD IT REALLY TAKE SIX TO EIGHT YEARS? AND SO I THINK THERE'S SOME DIGGING INTO THOSE.
AND I THINK ALSO BACK TO COUNCILOR ZUZI'S POINT ABOUT LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, TAKING A LITTLE BIT OF A STEP BACK ABOUT THE BROADER RANGE OF ALTERNATIVES AT COTTAGE FARMS. SO I THINK THAT IS PART OF THE NEXT
[00:40:01]
YEAR LONG PROCESS AS THEY'RE WORKING TO FINALIZE THE PLAN.SO I THINK WE'VE ALL SENT, YOU KNOW, STARTING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY COUNCIL AND STATE REPS AND DCR HAVE SENT VERY CLEAR MESSAGES THAT, UM, AND THAT HAS BEEN HEARD VERY CLEARLY BY MWA IN TERMS OF, UM, NOT BEING AN APPROPRIATE IMPACT.
SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING NECESSARY AT THIS POINT IN TERMS OF, UM, I THINK WE'VE ALL SPOKEN IN PRETTY, UM, SINGLE VOICE AND PRETTY CLEARLY TO THE STATE AND MWRA.
I LOOK FORWARD TO NOW THAT THE COMMENT PERIOD IS OVER, I KNOW THE, THE DRAFT PLAN WILL THEN BE REVISED AND CERTAINLY GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT MAGAZINE BEACH, BUT ALSO RECOG - COGNIZANT THAT IT'S NOT OVER.
THERE STILL NEEDS TO BE A PLACE FOR THAT.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE LARGER PLAN OF, OF ALEWIFE AND OTHERS, WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT HOPEFULLY THE VIRTUAL LEVEL OF CONTROL WILL BE, UH, IN THE NEW PLAN.
UH, WE WILL GO TO COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY.
I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION THROUGH YOU, UH, MAYOR SIDDIQUI.
ARTICLE 97 APPLIES TO THIS ELEMENT OF THE CSO PROJECT OVERALL IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
SO EVEN IF THIS PORTION OF THE PROJECT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY, THE LEGISLATURE WOULD STILL HAVE TO APPROVE BY A TWO-THIRD VOTE THE TAKING OF THIS LAND, RIGHT? UM, THROUGH MAYOR, SO THE USE OF PARKLAND WOULD NEED TO BE APPROVED.
SO IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION IS.
SO, YOU KNOW, COUNCILLOR ZUZI BROUGHT UP THE IDEA ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, OPEN SPACE ON THE OTHER SIDE, WHICH I THINK WOULD HAVE MUCH LESS IMPACT AND, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE AND COULD BE VALUABLE IN TERMS OF REHABILITATING THAT SPACE INTO A MORE USABLE SPACE.
BUT EVEN THAT WOULD REQUIRE ARTICLE 97.
THE REST OF THE PLAN THAT DOES NOT IMPACT, UM, OPEN SPACE WOULD NOT REQUIRE ARTICLE 97.
COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY? AND THROUGH YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
SO ULTIMATELY, WE DO HAVE A, UM, A POSITION OF STRENGTH, SOME LEVERAGE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS.
YEAH, THROUGH YOU, MAYOR CIDI, I MEAN, I THINK WE DO AND IT'S BEEN CLEAR AND I THINK MWA HAS ACCEPTED AND HAS MOVED ON FROM THIS IDEA OF CERTAINLY THE FENCING OFF, WHICH WOULD NEVER GET ANY SUPPORT.
AND IF THERE'S GONNA BE USE OF MAGAZINE BEACH IN ANY WAY, BEING IT ON THAT SIDE OR ON THE OTHER SIDE, IT WOULD NEED TO BE A PLAN THAT IS MUCH MORE UNIVERSALLY SUPPORTED IN ORDER TO MEET THAT CRITERIA OF GETTING ARTICLE 97 APPROVAL.
AND THANKS TO THE CITY MANAGER FOR STANDING UP.
CITY MANAGER? AND THROUGH MAYOR SIDDIQUI, UM, I, I THINK IN MANY WAYS, THIS PROCESS IS BOTH REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THESE PROJECTS ARE PRETTY ENORMOUS.
THEY TAKE MANY, MANY YEARS TO PLAN.
UM, BUT THE DECISIONS CAN HAVE SUCH AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE HEARING EVERYBODY'S VOICES.
IT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE EVERYBODY ENGAGED AND PAYING ATTENTION.
UM, AND JUST WANNA THANK FOLKS FOR TURNING OUT.
UM, I KNOW THIS WILL BE A CONTINUED CONVERSATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO A MORE FINALIZED PLAN, UM, ACROSS CAMBRIDGE, SOMERVILLE, MWA, UM, AND THE STATE, UH, AND JUST WANNA, WANNA APPRECIATE ALSO, UM, KATHY AND JOHN AND, AND JIM WILCOX AND LUCICA.
SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF STAFF THAT ARE WORKING REALLY CLOSELY, UM, AND, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE TO KEEP THE COUNCIL INFORMED, UM, AND THE COMMUNITY INFORMED AS WE'RE, UH, SEEING THIS PLAN EVOLVE AND BE MORE RESPONSIVE, UH, AND FIT BETTER OUR COMMUNITY'S NEEDS.
ANYONE ELSE WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK? I'LL JUST SAY, I THINK, UM, KEEPING US INFORMED, KEEPING THE COMMUNITY FORUM AS THE CONVERSATIONS PROGRESS, UM, WOULD BE GREAT.
BUT YES, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SPOKE.
HEARING NO ONE ELSE, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ACCEPT THE REPORT AND PLACE IT ON FILE.
THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT.
CITY MANAGER AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE IS PLACED ON FILE.
WE'LL GO TO CITY MANAGER AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO.
THIS IS A COMMUNICATION TRANSMITTED FROM YAN WONG, CITY MANAGER, RELATIVE TO THE APPROPRIATION OF $50,000 FROM FREE CASH, THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT STABILIZATION FUND.
I HAVE COUNCILLOR, UH, ZUCI, WHO'S UP.
COUNCILOR ZUCI, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
AGAIN, THANK YOU, CHAIR SIDDIQUI.
SO TO ME, WHAT I FOUND INTERESTING IN THIS REPORT WAS THAT WE HAVE 186,808, YOU KNOW, 186,818,652,000 IN FREE CASH.
AND THAT SEEMED LIKE MORE THAN WE HAD, UM, AT THE, AT THE LAST, LAST TIME WE HEARD ABOUT IT.
AND ANYWAY, I WAS THRILLED THAT THE COFFERS HAVE, UM, BEEN
[00:45:01]
REPLENISHED, BUT I, I WAS SURPRISED THAT WE...SO WE GOT THE $50,000 FROM LEGGETT MCCALL WHO JUST HAD TO SELL THE BUILDING BECAUSE THEY WENT BANKRUPT, RIGHT? AND, UH, TO SOMEBODY ELSE THAT WOULD ASSUME THEIR DEBT.
SO I, I JUST THOUGH THAT WAS INTERESTING AND I FELT A LITTLE BAD ABOUT IT, FRANKLY.
UM, AND MAYBE, MAYBE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS EVEN WHEN A C - IN A, WHEN A PROJECT GOES BANKRUPT.
BUT I ALSO WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE FIRST STREET PARKING GARAGE AND WHEN THAT WILL BE REPAIRED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WHEN I TOURED THE BUILDING, THE RENOVATED BUILDING, THE PERSON FROM LEG- LEGGETT MCCALL TOLD ME HOW IMPORTANT IT WOULD BE FOR THEM TO HAVE ACCESS TO PARKING, UH, TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING IN THE WAY OF THE NEW OWNER'S, UM, SUCCESSFUL ABILITY TO FILL THE BUILDING WITH TENANTS.
COUNCILOR ZUCI, THAT'S A BIT OUT OF THE SCOPE FOR THIS.
IT'S ABOUT THE MITIGATION, THE $50,000.
SO I THINK - OKAY, WELL, I'LL, I'LL LEAVE THAT.
YOU CAN MAYBE ANSWER IT IN AN EMAIL, GET BACK TO...
IT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE OF THE APPROPRIATION.
SO IF A COMPANY GOES BANKRUPT ON A PROJECT, THEY STILL HAVE TO PROVIDE US WITH COMMUNITY BENEFITS? IS THAT, THAT'S JUST WHAT HAPPENS? THROUGH MAYOR, UM, I MEAN, I CAN ANSWER AT A HIGH LEVEL.
SO, UM, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REQUIREMENTS AS PART OF THE LEASE AGREEMENT.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
SO YOU MAY RECALL THAT THE CITY EN- ENTERED INTO THIS LEASE AGREEMENT WITH LEGGETT MCCALL TO LEASE THEM PARKING SPACES.
AS PART OF THAT LEASE AGREEMENT, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF COMMITMENTS THAT WERE MADE TO, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY, THE BENEFITS FUND.
UM, THERE'S SOME FOR SENIOR PROGRAMMING.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COMMITMENTS THAT WERE MADE AS PART OF THAT LEASE AGREEMENT, AND THAT LEASE AGREEMENT IS STILL IN, IN PLACE.
AND SO THEY CONTINUE TO PAY FOR THE LEASE, UM, FOR THOSE PARKING SPACES AS WELL AS THOSE OTHER COMMITMENTS IN THE LETTER OF WHICH THIS IS ONE.
THAT, THAT'S, UM, THAT'S HELPFUL.
AND I HOPE THE NEW OWNER OF THE BUILDING WILL BE ABLE TO FIND TENANTS BECAUSE THE VIEWS ARE SPECTACULAR AND THE LOCATION IS AMAZING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS APPROPRIATION? HEARING NONE, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON THE APPROPRIATION AND PLACING THE COMMUNICATION ON FILE.
COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER? YES.
THAT'S EIGHT MEMBERS VOTING IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ONE RECORDED AS ABSENT.
THE APPROPRIATIONS ADOPTED AND THE CITY MANAGER AGENDA ITEM TWO IS PLACED ON FILE.
WE'LL MOVE TO CITY MANAGER AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE.
THIS IS A COMMUNICATION TRANSMITTED FROM IAN WONG, CITY MANAGER, RELATIVE TO THE APPROPRIATION OF ONE MILLION FROM THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT STABILIZATION FUND TO THE GRANT FUND, HUMAN SERVICES, OTHER ORDINARY MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT.
WE WILL GO TO COUNCILLOR NOLAN.
THIS IS, UM, IN MANY WAYS, AN EXCITING APPROPRIATION SINCE THIS IS, UH, IN THE NEW COMMUNITY BENEFITS, UH, UH, WORLD OF WHERE WE'RE ORGANIZING TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S MORE TRANSPARENCY ABOUT THIS.
I PULLED THIS BECAUSE I AM CURIOUS ABOUT WHEN THE GRANT AWARDS WILL BE ANNOUNCED, UNLESS I MISSED IT.
UM, THE WEBPAGE NOTED THAT IT WAS EXPECTED IN MID-OCTOBER, UM, AND WHETHER IT'S USUAL TO APPROPRIATE THE AMOUNT FROM THE STABILIZATION FUND BEFORE THE GRANTS ARE AWARDED.
AND JUST THE, THE PAGE I'M QUOTING IS THAT IT WAS, IT WAS SAID THAT THE LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WERE INVITED TO APPLY BEGINNING JULY 21ST.
THEY WERE ABLE TO APPLY THROUGH AUGUST 21ST AND THAT THE FUNDS WOULD BE ANNOUNCED, AWARD RECIPIENTS WOULD BE ANNOUNCED IN MID-OCTOBER.
SO UNLESS I MISSED IT, I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE TIMELINE AND WHEN IT IS THAT WE WILL UNDERSTAND THIS.
UH, THROUGH YOU MAYOR SIDDIQUI, UM, I THINK WE ARE PREPARING TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
IT, IT FELT APPROPRIATE TO HAVE THE MONEY APPROPRIATED FIRST BEFORE THE GRANTS WERE ANNOUNCED, BUT I'LL TURN IT OVER, UM, TO, UH, TO MS. CLARK TO, TO JUST EXPLAIN SOME OF THE TIMELINE AND, UH, AND WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS.
UM, THROUGH YOU, MAYOR SIDDIQUI.
UM, YOU'RE INDEED RIGHT WITH THE, THE TIMELINE THAT WE ANTICIPATED, UM, AT FIRST WITH THE MID-OCTOBER TIMEFRAME.
UM, WE'VE WORKED THROUGH, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF, UM, UM, IDENTIFYING GRANT AWARDEES.
[00:50:01]
WE DO ANTICIPATE AN EARLY NOVEMBER, UM, ANNOUNCEMENT.WE WOULD, AS, UM, CITY MANAGER WONG SAID, WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE FUNDS IN HAND BEFORE WE ACTUALLY, UM, COMMUNICATE WITH THE POTENTIAL AWARDEES.
SO I GUESS IT WOULD BE THE PRACTICE THEN TO APPROPRIATE BEFORE WE HAVE THE...
SO SINCE WE ARE IN EARLY NOVEMBER, LIKE, HOW EARLY? LIKE IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN WILL WE KNOW THIS? THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR.
UM, WE ANTICIPATE THAT BY, UM, THE END OF NEXT WEEK THAT WE WILL HAVE NOTIFICATIONS OUT AND AN ANNOUNCEMENT AS WELL.
SO THE END OF NEXT WEEK, SO NOVEMBER 10TH OR 12TH OR WHATEVER.
IDEALLY BEFORE THE HOLIDAY, BUT DEFINITELY BY THE END OF THE WEEK, WHICH WOULD BE NOVEMBER 13TH.
AGAIN, I, I, I CAN SUPPORT THIS APPROPRIATION.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO EXPLAIN WHY IT IS THAT WE'RE APPROPRIATING WITHOUT KNOWING THE, UM, THE SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS.
AND IT WOULD BE GOOD TO JUST HAVE THAT...
WE DON'T HAVE TO UPDATE EVERY SINGLE WEBPAGE, BUT AGAIN, I LOOK, I DID MY HOMEWORK AND LOOKED IT UP AND WAS SURPRISED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THOSE.
OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? I'LL JUST SAY, I THINK THIS IS OBVIOUSLY, SINCE WE MADE THE UPDATES TO THE ORDINANCE, THESE ARE THE F- FIRST GRANTS THAT WILL INCLUDE CAPITAL EXPENSES, SO THAT'S GREAT.
UM, I GUESS A QUICK QUESTION I HAVE IS AT THIS POINT, HOW MUCH IS LEFT IN THE FUND AT THE MOMENT AFTER THIS APPROPRIATION? THANK YOU, UM, MADAM MAYOR.
AT THIS POINT, WE, UM, HAVE APPROXIMATE...
WELL, WE HAVE, UM, 1.6 MILLION DOLLARS AND WE ARE REQUESTING TO APPROPRIATE, AND I'M ROUNDING, UM, WE'RE REQUESTING TO APPROPRIATE A MILLION DOLLARS, SO THERE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 600 LEFT THAT WOULD BE UNAPPROPRIATED.
AND THEN WITH THE 50,000 WE JUST DID, RIGHT? YES.
THAT'S, UH, KIND OF THE ONLY QUESTION I HAD.
I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BODY, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND WE WILL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON ADOPTING THE ORDER AND PLACING CITY MANAGER AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE ON FILE.
THAT'S EIGHT MEMBERS VOTING IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND ONE RECORDED AS ABSENT.
WE ARE DONE WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA.
[POLICY ORDERS]
NOW MOVE TO POLICY ORDERS, PLEASURE OF THE CITY COUNCIL.COUNCILLOR ZUCI? UH, UH, THREE, PLEASE.
ANYONE ELSE? HEARING NONE, ON A MOTION B...
ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS TO ADOPT THE BALANCE OF THE POLICY ORDERS.
THE BALANCE OF THE POLICY ORDERS OF ONE AND FOUR ARE ADOPTED.
WE'LL GO TO POLICY ORDER NUMBER TWO.
THIS IS THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS REQUESTED TO WORK WITH THE CAMBRIDGE COMMISSION FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, THE CAMBRIDGE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, AND RELEVANT CITY DEPARTMENTS TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC AWARENESS OF DISABILITY RIGHTS, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS, AND AVAILABLE COMPLAINT PROCESSES, AND TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS TO COMMUNITY INTEGRATION WITHIN CITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
THIS WAS FILED BY MYSELF, COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER, COUNCILOR MCGOVERN, AND COUNCILLOR ZUZI.
BEFORE I GO TO COUNCILLOR ZUCI, I'LL JUST, UH, SPEAK BRIEFLY AND SAY UNDER THE CURRENT FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION, WE'VE SEEN ACTIONS THAT THREATEN DECADES OF PROGRESS IN DISABILITY RIGHTS, PARTICULARLY THE PROTECTIONS THAT ENSURE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES CAN LIVE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES WITH THE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS THEY NEED, RATHER THAN FACE UNNECESSARY CIVILIZATION.
AND UNDERSTANDABLY, THIS HAS CREATED TREMENDOUS FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY AMONG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR ALLIES.
AND THIS POLICY ORDER IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CAMBRIDGE TO MAKE CLEAR WHERE WE STAND, AND IT SENDS A MESSAGE THAT WE BELIEVE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES DESERVE AUTONOMY, DIGNITY, SELF-DETERMINATION, AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO FULLY PAR- PARTICIPATE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND IT REAFFIRMS THAT DISABILITY RIGHTS ARE CIVIL RIGHTS AND THAT CAMBRIDGE WILL NOT STAND BY QUIETLY WHEN THOSE RIGHTS ARE THREATENED.
AND HISTORICALLY, OUR COUNTRY HAS TOO OFTEN RESPONDED TO DISABILITY AND DIFFERENCES THROUGH SEPARATION AND SEGREGATION RATHER THAN INCLUSION AND ACCEPTANCE.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE REALLY WORKED HARD TO MOVE AWAY FROM THAT HISTORY AND WE CAN'T GO BACKWARDS AND WE SHOULDN'T.
AND SO I WANNA, AT THIS MOMENT, TAKE
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A MOMENT TO THANK THE CAMBRIDGE COMMISSION FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WHO HELPED BRING THIS POLICY ORDER FORWARD AND ADVOCATED.UH, AND SO THANK YOU, RACHEL, UH, FOR BEING HERE, UH, AND TO ALL THE CO - MY COLLEAGUES WHO FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT TO COUNCILOR ZUZI AND OPEN IT UP.
UH, THANK YOU, CHAIR SIDDIQUI.
UM, I AM A PROUD CO-SPONSOR OF THIS POLICY ORDER.
I THINK YOU ALL KNOW I GREW UP WITH A DISABLED BROTHER AND, UM, MY FAMILY COULD PROVIDE HIM WITH THE SUPPORT HE NEEDED, BUT NOT EVERY FAMILY DOES, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL DISABLED PEOPLE HAVE ACCOMMODATIONS AND SUPPORTS.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO JUST MAKE THE POINT THAT THIS REQUIRES FUNDING, AND, UM, MANY OF OUR UNHOUSED WOULD HAVE BEEN INSTITUTIONALIZED FOR MENTAL ILLNESS OR DISABILITIES IN DECADES PAST.
AND IF WE'RE NOT GOING, IF WE'RE GOING TO, IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO INSTITUTIONALIZE, THEN WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE FOR DISABLED PEOPLE.
UH, LEAVING THEM OUT ON THE STREET IS NOT A VALID OR HUMANE OPTION.
SO, UM, UH, WITH THIS POLICY ORDER AND WITH SUPPORT FOR DISABILITIES RIGHTS COMES RESPONSIBILITY, AND THAT IS, UM, FUNDING PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT SERVICES THAT, UM, WILL PROVIDE FOR, FOR THESE, THESE RESIDENTS.
YES, I, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY? I'D LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A CO-SPONSOR.
WOULD THE WHOLE COUNCIL LIKE TO BE ADDED? IT'S A GREAT IDEA.
SO ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR NOLAN TO ADD THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT.
HEARING NO ONE ELSE, WE CAN GO AHEAD.
ONLY BECAUSE, UH, I REALIZE DIRECTOR TANNENBAUM IS HERE, IF THERE'S ANYTHING SHE WANTS TO ADD TO THIS CONVERSATION.
I JUST KNOW WHEN PEOPLE MAKE AN EFFORT TO COME TO A MEETING, SOMETIMES THERE'S SOMETHING TO SAY, BUT...
THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR, I'M RACHEL TANNENHOUSE, UH, SHE/HER/HERS.
UM, I'M THE ADA COORDINATOR FOR THE CITY AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CAMBRIDGE COMMISSION FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
I'D LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE BOARD, TO THE COMMISSION, WHO ASKED THAT WE PUT THIS FORWARD.
UM, I WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR THAT THIS IS A SITUATION THAT IS SCARING A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I'M NOT GONNA PUT LIPSTICK ON THIS PARTICULAR PIG, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, LIKE, IT IS...
I D - I'M CERTAIN THAT NOT EVERYONE IN THE ROOM, BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE IN THE ROOM HAD THIS AHEAD OF TIME, WAS ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WATCHING AND ALL THAT, WAS ABLE TO READ ALL THE LINKS AND STUFF, BUT BASICALLY WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS THE LAW ITSELF HAS NOT CHANGED, UM, BUT THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS OR RATHER IS NOT BEING ENFORCED IS CHANGED AND THE RESULT CAN IN FACT BE FORCED INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE VERY, VERY SCARED.
UM, AND, UM, I, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S...
THEY WANTED TO HEAR FROM LOCAL FOLKS, AND I THANK EVERYBODY FOR SIGNING ON.
THAT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME, AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR MY WHOLE BOARD, BUT I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT IT MEANS, THAT IT MEANS THE WORLD TO THEM AS WELL.
I CAN'T WAIT TO WRITE THE EMAIL TO LET THEM KNOW THAT EVERYBODY SIGNED ON- ON- ONTO THEM.
I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THE RESPONSES FOR IT, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE VERY, VERY WORRIED, AND THEY WANTED TO HEAR FROM THEIR LOCAL FOLKS, THE PEOPLE WHO THEY WORK WITH IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES, TO KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAVE OUR BACKS, UM, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, THAT YOU UNDERSTAND.
AND I'M GONNA BE HONEST WITH YOU, I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WITHOUT DISABILITIES ALSO NEED TO BE AWARE OF, WHETHER OR NOT YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE WITH DISABILITIES, BECAUSE, UM, I THINK THAT WE ARE AT A TIME WHEN, UH, DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS AND DIFFERENT, UH, IDENTITIES ARE BEING PATHOLOGIZED, AND SO THE THINGS THAT, UH, CAN BE CALLED MENTALLY ILL OR THE THINGS THAT CAN BE CALLED, OR AS THEY PUT IT, MENTALLY DISABLED IN, IN THE PARTICULAR, UH, MEMO THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PUT OUT, THEY DID NOT PARTICULARLY DIFFERENTIATE AMONG DIFFERENT KINDS OF DISABILITIES THAT INVOLVE ONE'S MIND.
UM, ALSO, THEY SAID THEY'D GET BACK TO US LATER ABOUT PEOPLE WITH...
[01:00:01]
SO THAT WASN'T OMINOUS.UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY TO KEEP IN MIND THAT, UH, THEY LEAVE A LOT OF DOORS OPEN WITH US.
WE ARE SO PROUD AND GRATEFUL TO HAVE OUR LOCAL FOLKS BEHIND US.
AND, UM, THIS IS, THIS IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.
LIKE, I APPRECIATE WHAT EVERYBODY HAS BEEN SAYING.
UM, I ALSO APPRECIATE THAT OTHER, THAT, THAT, UH, COMMUNITY INTEGRATION IS A BIG THING.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE REALIZING THAT DISABILITY ISSUES, EVERY ISSUE IS A DISABILITY ISSUE.
EVERY ISSUE FROM HOUSING TO TRANSPORTATION TO PARKING IS A DISABILITY ISSUE, AND THAT EVEN IF YOU THOUGH DISABILITY WAS NOT YOUR, YOUR THING, DISABILITY IS ABSOLUTELY YOUR THING.
UM, AND I, I THINK THAT, UM, SO I, I SEE THAT SOME FOLKS SAT UP AND, AND TOOK NOTICE OF, OF, UH, THIS PARTICULAR THING AND I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE THAT.
UH, BUT I WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF INVOLUNTARY INSTITUTIONALIZATION BY THE STATE, BY THE SYSTEM.
AND IT HAS NOT BEEN THAT LONG IN HISTORY SINCE THAT WAS A MATTER...
WELL, ACTUALLY, LET ME CORRECT THAT.
AT THIS TIME, THE NATIONAL POLICY IS IN FACT TO WAREHOUSE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN, UM, YOU KNOW, PRISONS, PARTICULARLY PEOPLE OF COLOR, UM, AND, UH, PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS AND NURSING HOMES.
AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING TO TRY, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TONIGHT IS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT FEWER OF US ARE FORCED TO GO TO THOSE PLACES WHEN IN FACT WITH PROPER SUPPORTS WE COULD BE LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ENSURING THAT WE DO GET TO REMAIN PART OF THE COMMUNITY, THAT WE DON'T GET PUT AWAY SOMEWHERE.
COUNCILOR NOLAN, YOU SET? PLEASE EXTEND OUR REGARDS TO THE, UM, COMMISSION.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL ON, UH, NOT A ROLL CALL, DO A VOICE VOTE ON ADOPTING THE ORDER, POLICY NUMBER TWO AS AMENDED.
THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT.
THE POLICY ORDER AS AMENDED IS ADOPTED.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO POLICY NUMBER THREE.
THIS IS THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS REQUESTED TO CONFER WITH THE RELEVANT CITY STAFF TO CONSIDER AN INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS IN WHICH DEMOLITION AND TREE REMOVAL PERMITS ARE REVIEWED WITH AND ISSUED CONCURRENTLY WITH THE BUILDING PERMITS ISSUING DEMOLITION AND TREE REMOVAL PERMITS IN CONJUNCTION WITH BUILDING PERMITS.
THIS WAS FILED BY MY, BY, BY COUNCILOR ZUZI, COUNCILOR NOLAN, AND MYSELF.
COUNCILOR ZUCI, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
UM, THE, THE GOAL OF THIS POLICY ORDER, UH, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T END UP WITH A BUNCH OF VACANT LOTS ALL OVER THE CITY AND THAT WE'RE NOT CUTTING DOWN TREES PREMATURELY BEFORE PROJECTS ARE PERMITTED AND BEFORE WE REALLY REALIZE THAT WE NEED TO TAKE DOWN THOSE TREES.
UM, BUT I REALIZE THAT THIS POLICY ORDER IS NOT READY FOR DISCUSSION YET.
SO WELL, I WILL EXERCISE MY CHARTER RIGHT.
COUNCILLOR ZUCI EXERCISES HER CHARTER RIGHT ON POLICY ORDER NUMBER THREE.
WE ARE DONE WITH THE POLICY ORDERS.
WE ARE NOW MOVING TO THE CALENDAR.
WE HAVE ONE ITEM THAT'S ON THE TABLE.
I WILL ENTERTAIN A MO- MOTION TO MOVE IT OFF THE TABLE.
MADAM MAYOR, UH, CAN I PULL IT OFF THE TABLE? YES.
COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER HAS MOVED TO TAKE THE ITEM OFF THE TABLE.
THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT.
THE POLICY ORDER IS OFF THE TABLE.
THIS IS THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS REQUESTED TO REVIEW AND CONSIDER THE HARVARD SQUARE KIOSK OPERATING AND STEWARDSHIP MODEL.
THE CHARTER RIGHT WAS EXERCISED IN COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 20TH AND IT WAS THEN TABLED AT OUR SPECIAL MEETING ON OCTOBER 28TH.
I WILL GO TO COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER WHO HAD ORIGINALLY EXERCISED HIS CHARTER RIGHT.
COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
I HAVE A BRIEF AMENDMENT THAT SHOULD, WAS SHARED WITH ALL THE COUNCILORS.
SHOULD HAVE IT ON YOUR DESKS AND BELIEVE IT CAN BE PUT UP ON THE SCREEN.
UM, IT'S, I THINK IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO DO A REVIEW OF CITY CONTRACTS, UM, AND GOOD TO REVISIT AND SEE WHAT'S WORKING AFTER SOMETHING HAS BEEN GOING FOR A BIT AND CHECK IN.
I BELIEVE THE GOAL OF THE POLICY ORDER IS ABOUT REVIEWING THE MODEL FOR THE HARVARD KIOSK, UM, AND THE ASSOCIATED RFP, NOT ABOUT THE CURRENT OPERATOR OR ANY PARTICULAR OPERATOR.
SO I JUST HAD A BRIEF AMENDMENT TO CLARIFY THAT AND TO ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT ABOUT SORT OF HOW THE KIOSK HAS BEEN OPERATING, ABOUT THE NUMBER OF VISITORS WHO'VE COME, UH, SINCE THE CURRENT MODEL O - UH, OPENED, UH,
[01:05:01]
JUST A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO.AND THEN, UH, AFTER THOSE, UH, HOPEFULLY ARE PASSED, I AM DOWN TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS POLICY ORDER.
COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER HAS OFFERED THESE, UH, AMENDMENTS IN RED AND ADDED, UM, SOME WORDS AND SOME, UH, WHEREAS IS.
AND SO THOSE ARE UP BEFORE US.
UH, WE CAN, UH, DO A VOTE ON, UM, VOTE ON ADOPTING THOSE OR NOT.
I HAVE A FEW PEOPLE SIGNED UP.
COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN, AND THEN I WILL GO TO COUNCILLOR NOLAN.
UH, THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR, THROUGH YOU.
UM, SO ON THE AMENDMENTS AND THE, AND THE ORDER, I JUST, I'LL REPEAT WHAT I SAID WHEN I FILED THIS, IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT, UH, MEANT TO SAY THAT, THAT CULTURE HOUSE IS DOING ANYTHING WRONG OR, OR ISN'T, UM, YOU KNOW, DOING WHAT THEY DO.
UM, IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF THAT LOCATION.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, H - THAT LOCATION COULD BE, UH, MORE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAN IT, THAN IT IS RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, JUST TO BE CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT AN, AN INDICTMENT ON CULTURE HOUSE, I, IF, IF CULTURE HOUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND CULTURE HOUSE WOULD BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR ANY RFP, UM, THAT GOES OUT.
UM, IF THEY WERE NOT TO WIN THAT RFP, UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD CERTAINLY LOVE TO SEE CULTURE HOUSE IN SOME OTHER LOCATION IN THE SQUARE OR EVEN IN CENTRAL SQUARE IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT.
I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT FOR THAT SPOT, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS THE LEAD ON THIS, ON THIS POLICY ORDER.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE LEGAL COME UP BECAUSE WHEN THE ORIGINAL POLICY ORDER MENTIONED ANOTHER ORGANIZATION, UM, AND WE RAN IT PAST LEGAL AND WAS TOLD WE SHOULD NOT NAME ANY PARTICULAR ORGANIZATION IN THE POLICY ORDER BECAUSE IT COULD L - CORRUPT THE RFP PROCESS IN SOME WAY.
SO IN TERMS OF THESE AMENDMENTS THAT SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT CULTURE HOUSE, UM, IS THAT A PROBLEM GIVEN THAT WE COULDN'T NAME ANOTHER ORGANIZATION? IS IT OKAY TO NAME THIS ORGANIZATION OR IS THAT STILL LEGALLY NOT ADVISABLE? UH, THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR.
UH, LOOKING AT THE LANGUAGE AS PROPOSED, UM, A- AS THE CITY SOLICITOR ADVISED, BECAUSE THE RFP PROCESS SHOULD BE OPEN TO ALL, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS NOT TO REFER NECESSARILY TO ANY SPECIFIC ORGANIZATION, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T TAINT THE RFP PROCESS SUCH THAT IF, SAY, CULTURE HOUSE WAS AWARDED, SOMEONE COULD CLAIM, "OH, WELL, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE POLICY ORDER, YOU FAVORED THAT ORGANIZATION AND THEREFORE YOU TAINTED THE PROCESS," OR VICE VERSA, IF SAY CULTURE HOUSE WASN'T AWARDED, THEY COULD CHALLENGE IT SAYING THAT, WELL, YOU KNOW, UH, THE PROCESS WAS, UH, IMPLICATED.
UH, LOOKING AT THE LANGUAGE, UH, RIGHT NOW, UM, I DO NOTE THAT THE WHEREAS DOES NOTE THAT, UH, CULTURE HOUSE IS NOT, THAT GOING THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS IS NOT NECESSARILY A, UH, A NEGATIVE REFLECTION UPON THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE CURRENTLY THERE.
UM, MY CONCERN, HOWEVER, REMAINS THAT BECAUSE THERE IS REFERENCE REGARDING AN ASSOCIATED RFP AND A NOTE THAT CULTURE HOUSE COULD, UH, I- IS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY IT JUST LIKE ANY OTHERS THAT, AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH THE LANGUAGE IS, UM, NOT NECESSARILY FAVORING THAT ORGANIZATION OVER ANOTHER, THE FACT THAT YOU ARE REFERENCING AN RFP PROCESS AND THAT ORGANIZATION THAT'S CURRENTLY THERE, I, I, I THINK THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT, AGAIN, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY REFERENCE IT OR ANY OTHER, UH, ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE POLICY ORDER, AGAIN, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THE EVENT THAT THERE IS AN RFP PROCESS, THAT THERE ISN'T ANY POTENTIAL IMPLICATION TO THE PROCESS.
COUNCILOR MCGOVERN? I'LL YIELD FOR NOW, MADAM MAYOR.
I HAVE COUNCILLOR ZUCI NEXT, AND THEN I KNOW THERE'S SOME CLARIFYING QUESTIONS, SO WE'LL GET TO THOSE.
UM, I'M JUST WONDERING IF IN THIS CONTEXT THOUGH WITH, UM, UH, COUNCILOR SABRINA WILLER'S, UM, AMENDMENT, WHICH I THINK IS EXCELLENT, UM, WE'RE REALLY, IT REALLY IS JUST SAYING THAT THE CITY HAD, HAS PARTNERED WITH CULTURE HOUSE.
IT'S NOT TALKING ABOUT THE NEW RFP, IT'S MORE SHARING THE HISTORY OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THE KIOSK, UM, SINCE 2025.
SO I WONDER IF IT CAN'T BE THERE, BUT IF YOU THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR IT NOT TO BE THERE, IT COULD JUST BE REFERENCED AS HAS PARTNERED WITH AN ARTS AND CULTURE NONPROFIT.
[01:10:01]
MENTIONED THAT WAY.BUT AGAIN, I, I THINK CULTURE HOUSE HAS DONE INTERESTING WORK AS A MU - YOU KNOW, A LONGTIME MUSEUM CURATOR.
I JUST DON'T THINK THE WORK THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE KIOSK, WHICH I DO THINK, UM, NEEDS TO BE, BE LESS OF, IT NEEDS TO BE A MORE ACTIVE PLACE, A MORE VITAL CENTER FOR HARVARD SQUARE.
AND I, I DO FEEL AS THOUGH CULTURE HOUSE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB CONSIDERING ITS CHALLENGES, UM, THAT THE S - THAT THE PLAZA HAS BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND IS A CONSTRUCTION SITE.
UM, BUT I JUST THINK GOING FORWARD, WE NEED SOMETHING, UM, FAR MORE DYNAMIC AND, UH, REALLY A PORTAL TO THE LARGER WORLD, WHICH IS WHAT OUT OF TOWN NEWS WAS.
AND I WANTED TO ALSO SAY SOMETHING THAT I LIKE ABOUT THE POLICY ORDER, THE, UM, IS THAT I, I DO THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO RETURN THE ORIGINAL SIGN TO THE KIOSK.
SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS POLICY ORDER, UM, I HOPE, WITH SABRINA, UH, JEVEN WHEELER'S AMENDMENTS.
I HAVE COUNCILLOR NOLAN, AND THEN I'LL GO TO COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER.
I, I THINK THE REALITY IS WE DON'T KNOW IF CULTUREHOUSE IS THE RIGHT OPERATOR BECAUSE IT'S BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND IT'S BEEN A CONSTRUCTION SITE AND, AND CERTAINLY I'M ONE OF THE ONES WHO HAVE GONE BY THERE AND FELT LIKE IT IS TOTALLY UNDERUTILIZED.
AND I, I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OR SOMETHING ELSE.
SO I VERY MUCH SUPPORT THE IDEA OF OPENING UP, UNDERSTANDING AND HAVING A BROADER CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THE VISION FOR THIS IS.
ALSO, THE SQUARE AND THE WORLD HAS CHANGED SINCE WE INITIALLY OPENED IT, AND IT MAY BE WHAT WAS CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE A COUPLE YEARS AGO IS NO LONGER SOMETHING THAT WILL DRAW PEOPLE IN AND BE A REAL ASSET TO THE SQUARE.
SO I, I ALSO DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE WHEREAS IS NOT AN ORDERED.
IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH AN RFP.
IT'S JUST A STATEMENT OF FACT.
BUT IF WE HAVE TO TAKE IT OUT, IT, IT SEEMS, UM, UH, UNNECESSARY BECAUSE IT, IT'S JUST GIVING SOME OF THE IMPORTANT HISTORY.
BUT I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS WITH THE AMENDMENTS AND HOPE THAT WE CAN GO FORWARD AND HAVE, HOPE THAT CONSTRUCTION IS DONE AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A REALLY VIBRANT SPACE THAT DRAWS PEOPLE IN AND IS, IS, IS PART OF THE, THE LIFE OF THE SQUARE, WHICH HAS BEEN STRUGGLING FOR MANY, MANY YEARS WITH THAT CENTRAL PART UNDER CONSTRUCTION THROUGH A VARIETY OF, UH, CIRCUMSTANCES, MOST OF WHICH HAVE BEEN BEYOND THE CITY'S CONTROL.
UM, COUNCILLOR NOLAN YIELDS, I'M GONNA COME BACK TO COUNCILOR MURNER BECAUSE THERE'S OTHER FOLKS WHO WANNA TALK.
UM, I HAVE COUNCILOR ALZUBI AND THEN I HAVE COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY.
YEAH, THANK YOU SUE, MADAM MAYOR.
I, I, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH COUNCILLOR NOLAN.
UM, THERE COULD BE A POSSIBILITY THAT THE CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING IN THE AREA IS A CONFOUNDING VARIABLE OF HOW WE'RE ASSESSING THE CURRENT ACTIVITY OF THAT SPECIFIC KIOSK.
I THINK WE'LL ALSO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE LIKE HOW WE DEFINE WHAT'S CONSIDERED ACTIVE AND FOR WHOM.
UM, I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS WHO USE THE KIOSK, UM, I MYSELF HAVE SEEN THE ARABIC CALLIGRAPHY THERE.
UH, SO AGAIN, LIKE PART OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE ACTUALLY CREATE FOR OUR PUBLIC IS GONNA BE VERY RELEVANT TO WHAT THE PUBLIC NEEDS, AND I HOPE THAT THAT IS CENTERED AT THE VERY FOREMOST.
UH, THAT IS THE PRIORITY, LIKE, DOES IT SERVE THE PUBLIC'S NEEDS AND HOW ARE WE DEFINING THE PUBLIC'S NEEDS? UM, BECAUSE THE REALITY IS FOR SOME PEOPLE, IT HAS BEEN A GREAT SPACE, UH, ESPECIALLY TO EXPLORE A LOT OF DIFFERENT CULTURES, UH, AND IDEAS THAT HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN TOUCHED UPON HISTORICALLY IN THAT AREA.
AND I SAY THAT, UM, AS SOMEONE WHO'S, MOST OF MY TIME IN CAMBRIDGE HAS BEEN IN THE HARVARD SQUARE AREA, I'LL YIELD.
COUNCILLOR ALZUBI-YIELDS, WE WILL GO TO COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY.
UH, I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN HARVARD SQUARE TOO, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCILLOR ZUCI'S REMARKS ABOUT THE CULTURE HOUSE.
AND IN, FROM HER PERSPECTIVE AS A MUSEUM CURATOR, UH, SOMETIMES IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S, IT'S A MUSEUM THERE.
IT'S QUIET, IT'S NOT ACTIVE, IT'S NOT DYNAMIC.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE AMENDMENT IS IF THE RFP IS OPENED UP AGAIN AND CULTURE HOUSE IS AWARDED BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CHANGE IN THEIR BUSINESS MODEL, THEN A COMPETITOR WHO DOESN'T, UH, ISN'T SELECTED BY THE CITY HAS, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHALLENGE THAT SELECTION OF THE CULTURE HOUSE.
SO IT'S PROBABLY NOT PRUDENT TO PUT THE LANGUAGE IN.
BUT MY VIEW OF THE KI- KIO - OF THE KIOSK SHOULD BE A VERY ACTIVE USE.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT THE LATIN FOOTBALL TEAM PLAYING AT FENWAY PARK THIS THANKSGIVING.
WE SHOULD HAVE A RALLY, A CITYWIDE RALLY AT THE KIOSK WITH, UH, FIRE ENGINES AND A MARCHING BAND AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE SENDING
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THE TEAM OFF FOR A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT, UH, FROM THE KIOSK.I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S MY SORT OF IMAGINATION ABOUT THE ACTIVE USE OF THAT SPACE.
AND, UM, THERE'S MULTIPLE THINGS.
WE COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON ABOUT WHAT COULD BE USED THERE.
CHRISTMAS CAROLING, WE SHOULD HAVE SANTA THERE WITH KIDS HAVING A PHOTOGRAPH WITH, WITH SANTA.
UH, THERE'S JUST SO MANY THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE IN A DIFFERENT WAY FOR EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I'LL JUST END BY SAYING THAT, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, AND I HAVEN'T DONE THIS IN A LONG TIME, I TRIED TO BUY A BOSTON GLOBE, A SUNDAY BOSTON GLOBE IN HARVARD SQUARE, AND IT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
YOU CAN'T GET THE GLOBE IN HARVARD SQUARE, SO MAYBE THEY COULD SELL THE PAPER THERE TOO.
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS, ARE YOU SET? OKAY.
WE WILL GO TO COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER.
I WAS JUST ASKING MR. VELOSO, UH, WOULD YOU SUGGEST FOR EDITS TO THE AMENDMENTS OF THE POINTS YOU MADE, I THINK ARE GOOD ONES.
UM, I WAS THINKING JUST STRIKING THAT SECOND WHEREAS, AND THEN IN THE FIRST WHEREAS, TAKING OUT, UH, THE WORD CULTURE HOUSE TO THE WORD SOMERVILLE AND JUST REPLACING THAT WITH, UH, THE WORDS AN ORGANIZATION, AND THEN THE REST OF THE WORD WHEREAS IS JUST FACTUAL WOULD SAY SINCE 2025, THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE HAS PARTNERED WITH AN ORGANIZATION TO OPERATE THE HARVARD KIOSK DURING WHICH TIME IT HAS HOSTED A VARIETY OF LOCAL MUSICIANS, PERFORMERS, ARTISTS, ALL OF THAT IS JUST FACTUAL.
UM, AND THEN WE'D GET RID OF THAT SECOND WHEREAS.
DOES THAT SEEM ALL RIGHT FROM YOUR END? SOLICITOR? THE ONE THAT SAYS THEY'D BE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.
UH, I, I WOULD SUPPORT STRIKING THE, THE SECOND WHEREAS.
I, I THINK MY CONCERN WITH THE FIRST, UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENT WHEREAS IS IT'S STILL REFERENCING AN ORGANIZATION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IS PROVIDING ACTIVITIES WHICH IF SOMEONE WERE TO DO SOME RESEARCH WOULD IDENTIFY AS CULTURE HOUSE AND THEN A- AGAIN, IN THE EVENT OF AN RFP COULD, UH, AGAIN, REFERENCE THAT WHEREAS AS A, YOU KNOW, A POTENTIAL INDICATION OF SUPPORT, AGAIN, IF THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO CHALLENGE THE RFP.
I, I THINK WHAT YOU COULD SAY IS THAT SINCE 2025, THE HARVARD KIOSK HAS HOSTED A DIVERSITY OF LOCAL, YOU KNOW, CULTURAL ACTIVITIES WITHOUT ANY REFERENCE TO ANY ORGANIZATION, UH, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING THAT KIND OF SPECIFIC ACTIVITY THERE.
UH, AGAIN, IF, IF THERE IS INTEREST IN PRESERVING THE WHEREAS, UH, AGAIN, UH, I THINK OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE, AGAIN, NOT TO REFERENCE ANY SPECIFIC ORGANIZATION.
UM, BUT, UH, YEAH, JUST LOOKING AT THE FIRST.
UH, IF I MAY, MADAM MAYOR, UH, STRIKE THE PERIOD, UH, THE COMMA AS WELL.
UH, HARVARD KIOSK HAS HOSTED A DIVERSITY OF LOCAL MUSICIANS, PERFORMERS AND ARTISTS ACROSS A VARIETY OF, UH, OF MEDIUMS, UM, ACCORDING TO DATA COMMISSIONED BY THE CITY.
UM, I'D SAY THAT IS BETTER BECAUSE IT'S NOT REFERENCING A SPECIFIC ORGANIZATION, AND IT'S JUST NOTING, AS THEY SAY, DATA AS TO WHAT ACTIVITIES, UH, OR CULTURAL ACTIVITIES ARE BEING PERFORMED AT THE KIOSK.
AGAIN, HOWEVER, UH, I'D SAY OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT, UH, TO STRIKE THE SECOND WHEREAS, AND, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THE FIRST WHEREAS IS ALSO NECESSARY GIVEN THE CONTEXT.
I THINK JUST TO ASK, I MEAN, I, I THINK I UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE CONCERNS THOUGH.
UM, I THINK IN SOME REGARDS, FROM THE LEGAL PERSPECTIVE, THE POLICY ORDER OVERALL GREATLY IMPLIES CONSIDERATION OF THE EXISTING CONTRACT ANYWAYS, WITH OR WITHOUT MENTIONING THE SPECIFIC ORGANIZATION.
I'M MAYBE MORE JUST QUESTIONING WHETHER WE'RE BEING A LITTLE OVERLY CONSERVATIVE IN TERMS OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE RFP PROCESS.
THERE IS AN EXISTING OPERATOR, EVERYBODY KNOWS WHO IT IS, THAT'S A PUBLIC FACT.
UM, THE POLICY ORDER REFERENCES A DESIRE FROM THE COUNCIL TO RECONSIDER THE MODEL, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WAS DEVELOPED AS PART OF AN RFP PROCESS AND HAS A CURRENT OPERATOR.
I SUPPOSE I'M JUST ASKING WHETHER IT MAKES AN ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE WHETHER WE'RE NAMING THE ORGANIZATION THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS OR WHETHER WE'RE NOT.
YEAH, RESPECTFULLY, AS ALSO AND A LAWYER, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF US.
I, THIS IS, I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THIS.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE MAKING, I THINK, I, I THINK WE CAN MAKE THE CHANGES THAT YOU'VE, COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER,
[01:20:01]
YOU'VE SAID TO STRIKE THE SECOND WHEREAS, AND THEN I THINK WE CAN KEEP THE SENTENCES, BUT I'M NOT WORRIED.ANYONE ELSE? SO COUNCILOR SABRINA WHEELER, YOU'RE GONNA STRIKE THE SECOND WHEREAS THAT'S GONE.
WE'LL DO, SINCE 2025, THE HARVARD SQUARE KIOSK HAS HOSTED A DIVERSITY OF LOCAL MUSICIANS, PERFORMERS, AND ARTISTS ACROSS A VARIETY OF MEDIUMS, SHOWCASING CAMBRIDGE'S ARTIST'S WORK TO MORE THAN 250,000 VISITORS AND BECOMING ONE OF THE TOP VISITORS' DESTINATIONS IN CAMBRIDGE ACCORDING TO DATA COMMISSIONED BY THE CITY.
AND THEN JUST FLAGGING, THERE IS A, A CHANGE A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN AS WELL, WHICH, UH, SHOULD BE AVAILABLE.
IS, IS THAT 250,000 VISITORS TO THE ACTUAL KIOSK AND HOW IS THAT COUNTED? IT JUST, YOU GOT - COUNCILOR SERENA WHEELER? IT'S, UH, THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR.
IT'S, UH, WAS DATA COMMISSIONED BY THE CITY, UH, POLICER AI.
IT WAS, UH, TOP 10 DESTINATIONS AND A NUMBER OF VISITORS.
I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD HOW IT WAS CALCULATED.
WE'D HAVE TO ASK THE, UM, CITY DEPARTMENTS WHO COMMISSIONED IT, BUT I CAN FORWARD YOU THE EMAIL THAT WAS, UH, WHAT I GOT THAT HAD THE, THE DATA NUMBER.
I WOULD GUESS THAT'S TO HARVARD SQUARE, NOT NECESSARILY THE KIOSK.
IT WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE KIOSK AS THE, AS THE REPORT, BUT I'LL, I CAN SEND IT TO YOU IN CASE YOU WANNA FOLLOW UP.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE VOTE ON THE AMENDMENTS AND DO A ROLL CALL? HEARING NONE, WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL ON THE AMENDMENTS BEFORE US.
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS? COUNCILLOR SIMMONS? NO.
COUNCILLOR SABRINA WHEELER? YES.
THAT'S SIX MEMBERS VOTING IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, TWO IN THE NEGATIVE, AND ONE ABSENT.
SO THE AMENDMENTS HAVE PASSED.
WE HAVE THE AMENDED ORDER BEFORE US.
DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDED ORDER? ALL THOSE? SO YES, COUNCILLOR NOLAN.
JUST SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO NOW IS REVIEW THE RFP AND IT COULD BE A, A CHANGED MODEL OVER TIME.
THIS DOESN'T PREDESTINE THAT ANY, THAT THE RFP STAYS EXACTLY THE SAME, CORRECT? IT MAY BE THROUGH YOU TO THE INTENT OF THE - SO I HAVE M - UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, MELISSA PETERS HERE, WHO CAN SHARE ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS.
THANK YOU THROUGH YOU, MAYOR SIDDIQUI.
UH, SO I ALWAYS APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK, UM, AND UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT ALWAYS.
AND SO WE ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE THE CURRENT CONSTRAINTS.
IT'S BEEN NOTED THE PLAZA'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION, BUT ALSO AS THIS POLICY ORDER REFERENCES, UH, THE CURRENT RFP IS LIMITING IN TERMS OF WHAT THE OPERATOR CAN DO.
THAT RFP WAS INFORMED THROUGH A COMMUNITY PROCESS, THE 2017 TO 2018 HARVARD SQUARE PLAZA, UM, KIOSK AND PLAZA WORKING GROUP.
AND THEY HAD A SERIES OF MEETINGS THAT INFORMED WHAT THE OPERATOR COULD BE AND HOW IT WOULD BE GOVERNED.
THAT WAS THE BASIS FOR THE RFP.
UM, BUT THAT WAS ALSO, UH, UH, SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS AGO.
UM, I DEFINITELY THINK WE SHOULD REVISIT WHAT WE ALLOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS A CONCERN OF, UM, VENDING, UM, ADVERTISEMENTS.
UM, IN FACT, THE COMMITTEE D - WAS DECIDED THAT, UM, THE, THE OUT OF TOWN, UH, NEWS KIO - UH, THE NEON SIGN SHOULD NOT GO BACK ON THE BUILDING.
SO THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT I THINK WE SHOULD REVISIT.
UH, OPINIONS CHANGE, UM, TIMES CHANGE, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO GO BACK TO, UM, WE HAVE AN EXISTING HARVARD SQUARE KIOSK COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE THE HARVARD SQUARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, WE'D LOVE TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
UM, HAVE THEM INFORM THE, WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE RFP SO THAT WHEN WE GO OUT, UM, THIS SPRING, SUMMER, THAT IS THEN USED TO EVALUATE, UH, POTENTIAL NEW OPERATORS AND EVERYBODY, UM, WHO MEETS THOSE, UH, QUALIFICATIONS CAN APPLY.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS, UH, THE WORLD HAS CHANGED ALSO.
REMEMBER, 2017, 2018, WE DID HAVE COVID COMPLETELY TRANSFORM THE WORLD AND ALSO BE GREAT TO INCLUDE HARVARD STUDENTS AS WELL
[01:25:01]
WHO USES THAT.I KNOW HARVARD, THE INSTITUTION HAS A SEAT ON THE THING, BUT NOT BROADLY BASED STUDENTS.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS OPEN TO THE NEXT RFP MAY WELL BE INFORMED BY SOME COMMUNITY PROCESS AND INCLUDING OBVIOUSLY I RESPECT THE WORK OF THE KIOSK ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND, AND ALL THE OTHER GROUPS IN YOUR DEPARTMENT, UM, A- ACM PETERS.
SO I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND ASSURE EVERYBODY THAT THIS WILL BE, UH, ABLE TO OPEN UP TO, UM, IT WON'T BE THE EXACT SAME RFP BECAUSE THE WORLD HAS CHANGED AND WE WILL.
JUST A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU, UH, CHAIR SIDDIQUI.
I HAD THOUGHT THAT THE CON - CULTURE HOUSE'S CONTRACT EXPIRES IN DECEMBER.
IF THE NEW R- RFP WON'T BE DRAFTED TILL NEXT SPRINGER, SUMMER, WILL THEIR CONTRACT BE EXTENDED FOR A YEAR OR WHAT WILL HAPPEN? UH, THANK YOU THROUGH YOU, MADAM MAYOR.
THEIR CONTRACT EXPIRES DECEMBER 2027.
SO WE WOULD ISSUE THE RFP IN THE SUMMER OF, OF NEXT YEAR.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE DO A ROLL CALL ON ADOPTING THE ORDER AS AMENDED? HEARING NONE, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A POLL, UM, A ROLL CALL ON ADOPTING THE POLICY ORDER AS AMENDED.
EIGHT MEMBERS VOTING IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
POLICY ORDER AS AMENDED HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
WE ARE DONE WITH WHAT'S ON THE CALENDAR.
[APPLICATIONS]
ONE APPLICATION AND PETITION.THIS IS A SIGN DESIGN REPRESENTING PUROVITA MI- MIAMI REQUESTING PERMISSION FOR A DOUBLE-SIDED BLADE SIGN AT THE PREMISES, NUMBER 95 MOUNT OBERN.
ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN TO ADOPT THE APPLICATION AND PETITION.
THE APPLICATION'S BEEN ADOPTED.
[COMMUNICATIONS]
ON TWO COMMUNICATIONS.THERE ARE 102 - PLACED ON FILE.
COMMUNICATIONS ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS TO PLACE ALL COMMUNICATIONS, ALL 102 COMMUNICATIONS ON FILE.
THOSE COMMUNICATIONS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED.
[RESOLUTIONS]
ONTO THE C- CONSENT RESOLUTIONS.ARE THERE ANY THAT MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO PULL? MOVE ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION MAKING THEM UNANIMOUS UPON ADOPTION.
COUNCILLOR SIMMONS MOVES TO ADOPT ALL SIX RESOLUTIONS, MAKING THEM UNANIMOUS UPON ADOPTION.
THOSE AGAINST SAY NO, THE AYES HAVE IT.
THOSE CONSENT RESOLUTIONS ARE ADOPTED.
THERE ARE NO COMMITTEE REPORTS.
[COMMUNICATIONS FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS]
THERE ARE TWO COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS ON MOTION BY - PLACED ON FILE.BY COUNCILOR SIMMONS TO PLACE THESE TWO COMMUNICATIONS ON FILE.
THOSE COMMUNICATIONS OR REPORTS FROM OTHER CITY OFFICERS ARE PLACED ON FILE.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY LATE RESOLUTIONS.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY LATE POLICY ORDERS.
AND ON A MOTION BY COUNCILLOR SIMMONS TO ADJOURN, IT'S SEVEN...