Regular City Council Meeting

Agenda — 46 items

1. 1 Minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting held on September 8, 2025.
2. 2 Minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting held on December 22, 2025.
3. 1 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to a federal update including an update on relevant court cases.
4. 2 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Sara Rivera as an Election Commissioner for a term effective April 13, 2026 and expiring March 31, 2030.
5. 3 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Bicycle Committee Appointments.
6. 4 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Pedestrian Committee Appointments.
7. 5 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the transfer of $73,000.00 from the General Fund Police Salary and Wages account to the General Fund Police Travel and Training (Judgment and Damages) account to cover current and anticipated settlement costs for police personnel injured in the performance of their duties.
8. 6 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $37,411.95 from the Metropolitan Mayors Coalition's Community Safety Initiative Shannon grant to support hot spot patrols, youth violence reduction strategies, and the Focused Deterrence program, as well as the Teen Public Art program “Upcycling and Entrepreneurialism” through the Community Art Center.
9. 7 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $15,560.00 from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education grant to encourage participation of new and existing Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors.
10. 8 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $4,954.00 from the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance grant to support operations of the men's emergency shelter.
11. 9 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $13,064.00 from the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance grant to support workforce development at the Cambridge Salvation Army and training and professional development for shelter staff.
12. 10 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the Police Review & Advisory Board Quarterly Report for the period of Fall 2025 through the First Quarter of 2026.
13. 11 A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, regarding an update on the City Manager Performance Review Process.
14. 1 That the City Council go on the record urging Harvard administration to end the practice of time caps for non-tenure track teaching faculty and urging Harvard administration to acknowledge the labor contribution and employee status of all its researchers, regardless of funding source, and contractually recognize these researchers’ protected right to union representation.
15. 2 That the City Manager is requested to direct the Cambridge Department of Transportation (CDOT) and any other relevant departments to halt any further design, engineering, procurement, or construction activities related to implementing a reconfiguration of Garden Street to restore two-way motor-vehicle traffic.
16. 3 That the City Manager is requested work with relevant City departments to provide a report on how the decision to install artificial turf at Ahern Field was made, the rationale for artificial turf, and what process was taken to ensure community concerns and public health considerations were fully addressed, and to ensure that construction will not move forward until a report is delivered.
17. 4 Chapter 2.129 Welcoming Community Ordinance
18. 1 Resolution on the death of Lloyd C. Sicari.
19. 2 Resolution acknowledging Patriots Day 2026.
20. 3 Resolution on the death of Nissa Larsen.
21. 1 The Finance Committee held a public hearing on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 to review and discuss the Police Department budget for FY27 before it is submitted to the City Manager, as required under Cambridge Municipal Code Chapter 2.74.040.
22. 2 The Ordinance Committee held a public hearing on March 11, 2026 to have a conversation regarding zoning recommendations to strengthen active use requirements on Cambridge Street and Mass Ave as a follow-up to the recently adopted zoning petitions following the Our Cambridge Street Planning Study and Mass Ave Planning Study.
23. 3 The Ordinance Committee held a public hearing on April 6, 2026 to continue the discussion that was held at the March 11, 2026 hearing regarding zoning recommendations to strengthen active use requirements on Cambridge Street and Mass Ave as a follow-up on the recently adopted zoning petitions. 1. That the Ordinance Committee recommend to the full City Council that the City Manager direct the Community Development Department and relevant staff to include a requirement for special permits for formula businesses on Cambridge Street. 2. That the Ordinance Committee recommend to the full City Counc
24. 4 That the City Manager is requested to direct the Community Development Department and relevant staff to include a requirement for special permits for formula businesses on Cambridge Street as discussed at the April 6, 2026 Committee meeting.
25. 5 That the City Manager is requested to direct the Community Development Department and relevant staff to prepare a draft zoning petition to strengthen Active Use requirements on Massachusetts Avenue per the recommendations and Option 2 on Cambridge Street, while keeping Warren Street in the CAM-6 District.
26. 6 That the City Manager is requested to direct the Community Development Department to create draft language to propose changing the section of O’Brien Highway to B.A. Zoning District.
27. 1 A communication from Mayor Siddiqui transmitting a memorandum regarding information from the School Committee
28. 2 A communication was received from Interim City Clerk Paula Crane, regarding an update regarding legislative activity.
29. 1 Resolution recognizing Cambridge-El Salvador Sister City and the work of San José Las Flores
30. 1 Awaiting Report Status Update 4.13.26
31. 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.
32. 2 That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant departments to review the current legal landscape and provide recommendations for how to regulate construction of large data centers in Cambridge.
33. 3 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
34. 4 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
35. 5 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
36. 6 Restricting Eligibility for On-Street Resident Parking Permits in New Transit-Oriented Developments.Original Awaiting Report 31839
37. 7 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.
38. 8 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.
39. 9 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.
40. 10 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.
41. 11 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.
42. 12 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.
43. 13 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.
44. 14 That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to instruct all City departments, boards, commissions, and offices to discontinue all official posting and engagement on X within 60 days; and to include an explanation of why the City will no longer use X.
45. 15 That the City Manager is requested to direct the Community Development Department and the Transportation Department to meet with Harvard's Office of Community Relations and the Longwood Collective (MASCO) to harmonize institutional bus protocols with public-facing commitments.
46. 16 That the City Manager is requested to direct relevant City departments and staff to examine and report back on whether the city can require single-stall public bathrooms to be gender-neutral.