City Manager’s Agenda
#1 (CMA 2024 #67) Legal Opinion on Whether/How the City Can Regulate Micro-Mobility Devices
The state legislature passed an “E-bike law” in 2022 that defines “e-bike” and adds regulations about where e-bikes can be used and what limitations cities can add. According to the city solicitor, state law:
- explicitly allows the City to regulate e-bikes on Bike Paths and Trails
- likely doesn’t preempt the City from regulating e-bikes on Bike Lanes, Bike Routes, and public ways
- likely preempted from regulating e-scooters, e-skateboards, and other e-micromobility devices on Bike Paths, but can regulate them on public ways
In addition to the city solicitor’s opinion, the CDD attached a memorandum underlining the importance of e-micromobility for “improving the transportation ecosystem in Cambridge.”
#2 (CMA 2024 #68) The Current State of Tenants Resources
The Office of the Housing Liaison (OHL) and the Department of Human Service Programs’ Multi Service Center (MSC) are tasks with supporting tenants. The city funds two legal service agencies to accept referrals from their staff: De Novo Center for Justice and Healing (De Novo) and Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services (CASLS). The OHL and MSC can also provide resolution mediation services. The OHL is recommending increasing the budget for rental assistance in anticipation of APRA funding running out.
To ensure knowledge of the Tenants’ Rights Ordinance and the Tenant Rights and Resource Guide, the Law Department is recommending an amendment to the ordinance to require an annual city reminder to landlords.
#6 (CMA 2024 #72) – A Summary of The Planning Board’s Annual Town-Gown Meeting
The Town-Gown Meeting is held annually with the Planning Board and the school’s three largest universities: Harvard University, Lesley University, and the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. The Hult International Business School gives a presentation every other year, and didn’t join this year.
The Town-Gown reporting process provides information about the educational missions of the
universities, their current and future programs, and development plans for the physical campus
Grants and Appropriations
- #3 (CMA 2024 #69) – $51,469 from the state’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs account
- #4 (CMA 2024 #70) – $17,661 from the state’s Low-Income Home Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) to the Grant Fund Human Service Programs account
- #5 (CMA 2024 #71) – $20,000,000 from Free Cash to the Debt Stabilization Fund, used to mitigate anticipated debt service costs in future years major capital projections
Policy Orders
#1 (POR 2024 #49) – Requesting amendments to the Parking and Zoning ordinances
As a follow up to the Economic Impact Study and CDD 2022 Parking Study, this order requests that the city draft amendments to parking ordinances that would allow off street private parking spaces to be more readily shared with nearby businesses. This would to mitigate loss of on-street metered parking spaces due to the Cycling Safety Ordinance.
#2 (POR 2024 #50) – Requesting amendments to the Cycling Safety Ordinance
To address address concerns raised by residents and business owners about the potential loss of parking due to bike line construction on Cambridge Street, Main Street, and Broadway, this PO requests that the city draft amendments to the Cycling Safety Ordinance. These amendments would move the required completion date from May 1, 2026 to November 1, 2027. Further, it asks that bike lanes not be installed on those streets until either July 1, 2025 or until the Parking Ordinance is amended as suggested by PO #1 (POR 2024 #49), whichever is sooner.
Other Policy Orders
- #3 (POR 2024 #51) – Requesting that the city hold a meeting with residents of Appleton and surrounding streets and neighborhoods to review the traffic department’s findings on how to address traffic concerns there
- #4 (POR 2024 #52) – Support for H.2963, a state house bill aimed at getting fair compensation from universities and other organizations that are exempt from property taxes
- #5 (POR 2024 #53) – Designating Week of April 14 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
- #6 (POR 2024 #54) LATE – Requesting that the Amendments to the Tenants’ Rights Ordinance from CMA 2024 #68 be forwarded to the Ordinance Committee
Applications
- #1 (APP 2024 #14) – A zoning petition to allow multi-family housing city wide along with increases in density
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