Regular City Council Meeting

Agenda — 27 items

1. 1 Vote Certification Document -
2. 1 TRANSMITTING A COMMUNICATION FROM CITY MANAGER, Yi-An HUANG, RELATIVE TO A FEDERAL UPDATE INCLUDING AN UPDATE ON RELEVANT COURT CASES.
3. 2 Vote Certification Document -
4. 1 That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to raise the fee of the parking permit program for all residents to $75, consider how to include a self-identified check off option so as not to increase administrative costs for a subsidized fee of $25 for residents who live in affordable housing, are enrolled in a program such as SNAP or are low income, remove the senior exemption for the residential parking permit program and lower the number of cars that individual residents are allowed to get a residential parking permit for from four to two.
5. 2 That the City Manager is requested to work with the City Council and relevant City departments on the process by which Cambridge can expand free early child care offerings, including models for means-tested programming, and exploration of non-City funding sources, from the state or foundations.
6. 3 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 25-69, regarding a review of the previous home rule petition and prepare a new petition that would allow Cambridge to enact a Real Estate Transfer Fee to be sent to the state legislature.
7. 4 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a plan to align all housing and homeless services and programs into a unified Housing Department.
8. 1 Vote Certification Document -
9. 7 Section 4.50 of the Cambridge Zoning Ordinance
10. 1 Vote Certification Document -
11. 1 Awaiting Report Status Update
12. 1 That the City Manager is requested to work with the School Department, the Department of Public Works, and other relevant departments to ensure that all city owned parking lots, with a focus on school complexes, including the still under construction parking at Tobin/Darby Vassal school complex, could be made available for after-hours use by residents. Original Awaiting Report Item AR-25-29
13. 2 The City Manager is requested to consult with the appropriate City departments, including the City Solicitor’s Office, to establish a formal policy that clearly defines the City’s role and financial responsibilities in supporting large-scale public events hosted by Cambridge-based non-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Original Awaiting Report Item AR-25-48
14. 3 The City Manager is requested to work with all relevant departments to seek input from the community as well as direct outreach to condo owners and short-term rental operators and develop additional recommendations based on the discussion in the Ordinance Committee. Original Awaiting Report Item AR-25-51
15. 4 Review the previous home rule petition and prepare a new petition that would allow Cambridge to enact a Real Estate Transfer Fee to be sent to the state legislature. Original Awaiting Report AR-25-69
16. 5 Restricting Eligibility for On-Street Resident Parking Permits in New Transit-Oriented Developments.Original Awaiting Report 31839
17. 6 Direct appropriate City departments, including the Department of Transportation, to evaluate and install a series of speed humps along Fayerweather Street, with particular attention to the stretch between Walnut Street and Field Street. Original Awaiting Report #31840
18. 7 Direct the City Solicitor and the Community Development Department to review and report back to the Council on (i) legal parameters related to City funding and Tourism Destination Marketing District restrictions, and (ii) oversight and accountability related to the operation of the visitor information kiosk, and related governance expectations, including alignment with City priorities. Original Awaiting Report ID #31841
19. 8 Work with relevant departments to prepare for a Council discussion on best future uses for City-owned properties and the processes for redevelopment. Original Awaiting Report #31842
20. 9 That the City Manager work with relevant departments to incorporate plant-based solutions into the Sustainable Cambridge initiative and purchasing practices in City-operated and School-related events.
21. 10 That the City Manager work with relevant City departments to prioritize pilot projects in 2026 without the use of a consultant for an extensive pedestrianization study, and in the medium-term consider how additional pedestrianization of a section of Brattle Street by restoring two-way traffic to JFK Street could enhance the Square.
22. 11 That the City Manager provide an update to the council, including (but not limited to): current implementation status, including vouchers issued to former residents of the Transition Wellness Center; final prioritization criteria adopted; staffing structure and support services; strategies employed to address voucher discrimination and support successful lease-up; program parameters; challenges encountered during implementation; and plans for ongoing program assessment and evaluation.
23. 12 That the City Manager conduct a comprehensive review of existing safety and security measures at Cambridge City Hall, including an assessment of physical access controls, visitor screening practices, on-site security staffing and training, emergency response and evacuation protocols, and the use of security technologies such as surveillance systems and alarm monitoring.
24. 13 The City Manager is requested to direct the relevant City staff and departments to examine if and how the City may prevent the hiring by the Cambridge Police Department of any sworn officer who was hired by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, or Customs and Border Patrol, and report back to the City Council in a timely manner.
25. 14 The City Manager is requested to direct the Community Development Department (CDD) to examine the feasibility, legal considerations, and administrative requirements of permitting qualified third-party guarantors or co-signers for applicants to Inclusionary Housing units and provide recommendations as to whether such a policy could responsibly expand access to these units.
26. 15 The City Manager is requested to direct the Law Department to draft ordinance language restricting the use of City-owned or City-controlled property, facilities, resources, and personnel for the purposes of federal civil immigration enforcement, and that the Law Department evaluate whether these protections should be adopted as an amendment to the Welcoming Community Ordinance.
27. 16 The City Manager is requested to direct the appropriate departments to review the city’s digital equity work to date, including the study’s recommendations and all steps taken since the study conclusion in order to update the evaluation of existing internet access programs, assessing whether residents’ digital needs are or could be better provided for and to propose how we can better meet their needs and to report back to the Council by June 2026 on internet access programs.