City Council Meeting – June 23rd, 2025

Meeting Link

City Manager’s Agenda

Appropriations and Grants

• #1 (CMA 2025 #160) $540,000 from free cash for the settlement payment relating to lubavitch of Cambridge, inc. v. Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeal and City of Cambridge
• #2 (CMA 2025 #161) $31,377.13 to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs to support services for Cambridge older adult residents
• #3 (CMA 2025 #162) $2,000 grant from the National League of Cities to the Cambridge Youth Council to fund supplies, food, and contracts for upcoming projects
• #4 (CMA 2025 #163) $101,463 from the Cambridge Housing Authority for the Cambridge Employment Program
• #5 (CMA 2025 #164) $2,000 grant from the Social Capital Inc. awarded to the Moses Youth Center to support, “a future teen-led event in Cambridge focused on raising awareness about teen substance abuse”
• #6 (CMA 2025 #165) $569,252.50 grant from the Summer Food Program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide meals to Cambridge youth during the summer months when schools are closed
• #7 (CMA 2025 #166) $22,427.50 from the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant to, in partnership with the City of Somerville, “assist with community engagement focused on creating a regional resilience hub network across the Lower Mystic Watershed”
• #8 (CMA 2025 #167) $100,000 from the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant to, “support community engagement focused on extreme heat resulting in a small community-led seed project”
• #9 (CMA 2025 #168) $2,800,000 from the U.S Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities grant program ($2,400,000) and from the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Transportation Improvement Program ($400,000), to fund the design costs of a new off-road bridge over the Fitchburg Rail Line that will connect Danehy Park to the Rindge Avenue Neighborhood
• #10 (CMA 2025 #169) $18,767.24 from the HOME Grant Program Income to fund the development of affordable housing
• #11 (CMA 2025 #170) $4,800 from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Income to fund the development of affordable housing
• #12 (CMA 2025 #171) $4,941,224 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded via the Continuum of Care Program Competition to, “be contracted with homeless services providers and cover the costs related to serving homeless persons”
• #15 (CMA 2025 #174) $250,000 from the Mitigation Revenue Stabilization Fund to fund the Citywide Transit Service Gap and Shuttle Study

Appointments

• #13 (CMA 2025 #172) Human Services Commission – Appointments: Kwame Dance and Yemi Kibret. Reppointments: M. Amaris Kinne, Duane Brown, Frederick Cabral, Collin Fedor, Christopher Fischer, and Bran Shim
• #14 (CMA 2025 #173) The American Freedmen Commission – Xenia Bhembe, Jeff Davis, Paula Paris, Cheyenne Wyzzard-Jones, Kashish Bastola, Melissa Jackson Collins, George Greenidge, Gassendina Lubintus, Sukia Akiba, Thabiti Brown, Kwame Dance, Natassa Mason

Reports and Communications

• #16 (CMA 2025 #175) Bringing the “Regulation of vicious dogs” city ordinance into compliance with State law
• #17 (CMA 2025 #176) Amendments to the Short-Term Rental Ordinance

Policy Orders

That the council…

• #1 (POR 2025 #94) go on record, “expressing its profound disappointment over Apex Clean Energy’s decision to forgo the use of local union labor on the Bowman Wind Project”
• #2 (POR 2025 #95) meet for its special summer meeting on August 4, 2025
• #4 (POR 2025 #97) urge, “Mass General Brigham to recognize the MGB Primary Care Physician union and immediately begin good faith negotiations”
• #5 (POR 2025 #98/LATE), go on record in support of H2343/S3653 “An Act Expanding Truck Safety”

Requests that the city…

• #3 (POR 2025 #96) “draft amendments to the Community Benefits Ordinance that allow for the use of funds for capital expenses”

Charter Rights

• #1 (RES 2025 #148) “That the City Council go on record thanking SEIU 32BJ for their vigilance, partnership and advocacy on behalf of unionized workers”