City Council Meeting – May 19th, 2025

Meeting Link

Reconsideration

• #1 (POR 2025 #70) Instructs the CDD to draft a zoning proposal to codify first-floor retail by right in residential districts
• #4 (APP 2025 #19) Curb cut – Matt Mayo – 49 Alpine Street

City Manager’s Agenda

Reports, Communications, and Responses to Council Requests

• #1 (CMA 2025 #119) An update on Federal funding
• #4 (CMA 2025 #122) The City is purchasing 47 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) from AVIVE Inc, and awarding a five year contract to RealConnect for monitoring and maintenance
• #9 (CMA 2025 #127) The Cambridge Out of School Time (OST) Expansion Study Report
• #10 (CMA 2025 #128) “Executive Summary of the City’s Community Benefits Advisory Committee’s work over the past several years”
• #11 (CMA 2025 #129) The Planning Board has forwarded a positive recommendation of the Cannabis Repackaging Petition
• #12 (CMA 2025 #130) The Planning Board has forwarded a positive recommendation of the BioMed Realty, L.P. zoning petition to the City Council
• #13 (CMA 2025 #131) City staff have communicated all concerns about live tracking of the EZRide service to its operator Transportation Management Association (TMA), which responded saying that it has resolved all complaints about incorrect live data

Appropriations and Grants

• #2 (CMA 2025 #120) $100,000 from the MA Electric Vehicle Incentive Program grant to help install seven new level 2 electric vehicle charging heads
• #3 (CMA 2025 #121) $150,000 transfer to help onboard 10 new firefighters and equip them with personal protective gear and equipment, and station uniforms
• #5 (CMA 2025 #123) $34,300 from the MA Cultural Council grant to support the Arts Council’s Artist Grant Program
• #6 (CMA 2025 #124) $298,794.13 from the MA Housing and Shelter Alliance grant to fund emergency shelter operating costs at the Cambridge Salvation Army Men’s Shelter
• #7 (CMA 2025 #125) $8,615 from a Cambridge Public Health Commission grant to fund the Center for Families program
• #8 (CMA 2025 #126) $5,000 from the Project Bread Summer Eats grant to fund the Summer Food Program by Project Bread

Policy Orders

That the council…

• #1 (POR 2025 #75) declare June 19, 2025 as a Day of Reflection on Mass Incarceration, support the Juneteenth Festival at Cambridge Common, and commend the work of The Black Response Cambridge in creating the film “Where Do Black Men Live?” the City of Cambridge
• #3 (POR 2025 #77) “go on record in support of HD 1811/SD 1114 and HD 1693/SD 1124 and the
  Clean Slate Massachusetts campaign”

Requests that the city…

• #2 (POR 2025 #76) explore with the Government Operations Committee whether the functions of the Peace Commission should be taken over by another City Commission or Department, such as the Human Rights Commission

Charter Rights

• #1 (POR 2025 #71) meet with the Harvard Square Business Association to explore the possible redevelopment of the currently abandoned Harvard Square MBTA tunnel into a, “revitalized commercial or cultural space,” and to provide $72,000 to fund an RFP for a tunnel engineering study

On the Table

• #1 (CMA 2025 #113) City staff have met with Interim Superintendent David Murphy and will further investigate allowing the general public to use the King Open school parking lot during off hours

Applications and Petitions

• #1 (APP 2025 #20) Temporary Banner – Gail Wang – Mount Auburn Street and Massachusetts Avenue in front of City Hall announcing Boston Dragon Boat Festival
• #2 (APP 2025 #21) Temporary Banner – Bailey Clurman Chamber of Commerce – Across Massachusetts Avenue in front of City Hall announcing Cambridge Taste
• #3 (APP 2025 #22) Curb Cut – Andrew Jawa – 11 Union Street