City Council Meeting – August 4th, 2025

Meeting Link

City Manager’s Agenda

Reports and Communications

• #1 (CMA 2025 #190) A federal update including an update on relevant court cases
• #2 (CMA 2025 #191) An update on Teamster strike and Republic Services
• #7 (CMA 2025 #196) The city is working to create a plaque to be placed at City Hall that demonstrates that the Cambridge City Council upholds of the separation of church and state and gender equality
• #9 (CMA 2025 #198) An update with details on the status of the potential use of civilian flaggers
• #16 (CMA 2025 #205) “A request for approval to seek authorization from the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General (the “IG”) for the City to use the Construction Manager at Risk (“CMaR”) procurement and construction method (the “CMaR Method”) in connection with the First Street Garage Life Safety Priority Project”
• #18 (CMA 2025 #207) Design plans for Linear Path will be updated to include a new connection between Linear Park and the neighborhood at Westley Avenue
• #19 (CMA 2025 #208) A list of publicly accessible spaces, both publicly and privately owned and indoor and outdoor
• #20 (CMA 2025 #209) The submission of the 2025 Affordable Housing Overlay Annual Report
• #21 (CMA 2025 #210) The potential implementation of a City of Cambridge Electronic Records Archiving Policy
• #22 (CMA 2025 #211) An update to the Cambridge Municipal Code clarifying that Cambridge city employees shall not participate in federal immigration enforcement
• #23 (CMA 2025 #212) A Planning Board report regarding the Marasao, et al., Zoning Petition
• #24 (CMA 2025 #213) The city’s updates to the Marasao, et al., Zoning Petition to ensure that the inclusionary requirement for any nonreligious use property that is going above four stories is kept

Appropriations and Grants

• #3 (CMA 2025 #192) An authorization request for the Purchasing Agent to award a 5 year contract
• #5 (CMA 2025 #194) $704,800 from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission Community Mitigation Fund
• #6 (CMA 2025 #195) $16,600 from the Cultural Investment Portfolio Program Grant to help educate and inform the public about the city’s architectural and social history
• #10 (CMA 2025 #199) $30,000 from the MA Department of Mental Health’s Jail Diversion Program to fund the co-response program
• #11 (CMA 2025 #200) $263,815 from the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant to support the Families program
• #12 (CMA 2025 #201) $46,000 from the Children’s Trust Fund grant to support the Families program
• #13 (CMA 2025 #202) $1,089,817 from the Adult and Community Learning Services grant for core ESOL and ABE services
• #14 (CMA 2025 #203) $1,437,938 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developmen for the Continuum of Care Program
• #15 (CMA 2025 #204) $2,161.22 received by the Friends of the CLC to support an ESOL part-time teacher/advisor to offer the Eco Club class to CLC students
• #17 (CMA 2025 #206) $500,000 transfer to cover the costs of anticipated payments of workers compensation medical bills for personnel injured in the course of their job

Appointments

• #4 (CMA 2025 #193) Commercial Parking Control Committee: Nathaniel Kay, Casey Szilagyi, Dana Ray Bullister, Jacqueline Palavicino, Patrick Magee
• #8 (CMA 2025 #197) Community Preservation Act Committee: John Nardone

Policy Orders

Requests that the city…

• #1 (POR 2025 #106) conduct a comprehensive review of current permitting fees for
  residential development projects
• #2 (POR 2025 #107) allocate $25,000 in feasibility funds to support an exploratory process to evaluate the creation of a Business Improvement District in Porter Square
• #3 (POR 2025 #108) ensure that the overnight use of the garden area between St. James Episcopal Church and the Beech Street condos is actively monitored
• #5 (POR 2025 #110) develop a plan to install needle drop boxes in identified problem areas throughout the city

That the council…

• #4 (POR 2025 #109) declare August 9, 2025, as Rocky Horror Day in the City of Cambridge.
• #6 (POR 2025 #111) support the Representative McGovern Resolution on nuclear deproliferation
• #7 (POR 2025 #112) go on record urging Governor Maura Healey and the MA Legislature safeguard the constitutional rights of indigent defendants by increasing compensation rates for bar advocates
• #8 (POR 2025 #113) recognize August as National Black Business Month 2025

Applications and Petitions

• #1 (APP 2025 #28) Curb Cut – Lucas Ingemi – 9 Vincent Street
• #2 (APP 2025 #29) Projecting Sign – Meaghan Moriarty representing 212 Kitchen – 212 Western Avenue
• #3 (APP 2025 #30) Projecting Blade Sign – Craig Murphy representing Charles Schwab – 1430 Massachusetts Avenue
• #4 (APP 2025 #31) Zoning Petition – Martin Bakal – Table 4.30, Sec. 4.40 Footnote with the intent of Restrictions on increasing pavement in Open Space Districts