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Regular City Council Meeting

March 9, 2026 ·05:30 PM Final
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Agenda — 41 items

  1. 1 Minutes of the Regular City Council meeting held on November 24, 2025
  2. 2 The City Council held a Special Meeting on December 17, 2025 to review the City Manager’s evaluation.
  3. 1 ASR 2.27.26 FInal Combined
  4. 2 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the City of Cambridge retaining its Triple A (AAA) rating from the nation's three major credit rating agencies.
  5. 3 Transmitting a Communication from City Manager Yi-An Huang relative to the 2025/2026 Green Jobs Initiative Report.
  6. 4 Transmitting a Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of the Mass Save Community First Partnership Grant in the amount of $256,500, to the Grant Fund Office of Sustainability Other Ordinary Maintenance Account. These funds will be used to contract for outreach services to support energy efficiency programs for residents and small businesses.
  7. 5 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to 2026-2027 Housing and Zoning priorities.
  8. 6 Transmitting a communication from City Manager, Yi-An Huang, regarding a free cash appropriation in the amount of $400,000 to the General Fund Law Dept Travel and Training (Judgement and Damages) account for the settlement payment relating to Ahern v. Sig Sauer, Inc. and City of Cambridge (United States District Court District of Massachusetts, Docket No. 1:21-cv-11007-DJC).
  9. 1 City Council opposition to the Department of Education's Proposed Reclassification of Professional Degrees.
  10. 2 Recognize March 2026 as National Social Worker Month in the City of Cambridge.
  11. 2 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.
  12. 3 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.
  13. 1 Condolences To The Family of Alfredo Roderick Brown
  14. 2 Condolences to the Family of Sylvia Kantor
  15. 3 Condolences to the Family of Joseph Sater
  16. 1 The Housing Committee held a public hearing on December 16, 2025 to begin a discussion around social housing as referenced in POR 2025 #131.
  17. 2 The Government Operations, Rules, and Claims Committee held a public hearing on January 29, 2026 to discuss City Council Rules for the 2026-2027 term.
  18. 1 Communicating information from the School Committee.
  19. 2 03.05.26 Health and Environment Committee Schedule Communication
  20. 3 A communication was received from Interim City Clerk, Paula M. Crane, regarding an update regarding legislative activity.
  21. 1 Awaiting Report Status Update 3.9.26
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 5 Restricting Eligibility for On-Street Resident Parking Permits in New Transit-Oriented Developments.Original Awaiting Report 31839
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. 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.
  31. 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.
  32. 11 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.
  33. 12 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.
  34. 13 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.
  35. 14 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.
  36. 15 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.
  37. 16 That the City Manager is requested to assess opportunities to improve the consistency of how meeting information is posted and accessed on the City’s website.
  38. 17 That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to produce and deliver to the City Council, prior to the adoption of the FY27 Capital Budget, a consolidated capital lifecycle reconciliation for all major capital initiatives.
  39. 18 That the City Manager is requested to confer with relevant City staff and report back with information on the exploration of a potential Cambridge Snow Corps program.
  40. 19 That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments as well as the Election Commissioners to review guidance from the IRS and consult with other municipalities in order to simplify our processes for paying election workers.
  41. 20 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.