Regular City Council Meeting

A quorum being present, I wanted to call tonight's March 16th, 2026 regular meeting of the Cambridge City Council to order. First order of business is a roll call of members present.

Al-Zubi, present, present, Vice Mayor Azeem, absent, Councilor Flaherty, present, Councilor McGovern, present, Councilor Nolan, absent, Councilor Simmons, absent, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler. Present. Present, Councilor Zusy. Absent, Mayor Siddiqui. Present. Present, that's five members present, four recorded as absent.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance and pause for a moment of silence. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it sheds one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Per Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2025 adopted by Massachusetts General Court and approved by the Governor, the City is authorized to use remote participation at meetings of the Cambridge City Council. In addition to having members of the council participate remotely, we've set up Zoom teleconference for public comment. You can also view the meeting via the city's open meeting portal or on the city's cable channel 22. To speak during public comment, you have to sign up at www.cambridgema.gov slash public comment. You can also email written comments for the record to the city clerk at cityclerkatcambridgema.gov.

We welcome your participation and you can sign up until 6pm. Please note that the City of Cambridge audio and video records this meeting and makes it available to the public for future viewing. In addition, third parties may also be audio and video recording this meeting.

Vice Mayor Azeem? Present.

We'll now move on to public comment. Public comment may be made in accordance with the Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 30A, Section 20G, and City Council Rules 23D and 37. Once you finish speaking, the next speaker will be called. Individuals are not permitted to allocate the remainder of their time to other speakers. I ask that you state your name and address for the record and the item that you're speaking on. We have seven speakers who have signed up. Each speaker will have three minutes. We can go ahead and start calling on them.

Our first speaker is Jacqueline Wilson. Jacqueline's not in the Zoom. Our next speaker is Eva Paddock. Eva, you are unmuted. Go ahead.

I'm unmuted. Yes, I would like to address, oh, sorry, Everpaddock, 312 Walden Street, Cambridge, obviously. I would like to ask that the council reconsider the Proposition of increasing or charging seniors for parking permits. I've been following conversation and there's some comment that $75 isn't very much and it's so much per A minute or per week, but $75 goes a long way towards medical things like co-pays. And so I'm requesting that we do not charge seniors for parking permits. I'm on the, oh, there it says board on the council of aging. Thank you very much.

Thank you, our next speaker is Annie Michael. Annie is not in the Zoom. Our next speaker is Kit Lilly. Kate, you are unmuted, go ahead.

Okay, thank you. My name is Kit Lilly. I live at 58B Hammond Street. I've lived in Cambridge for about 30 years. I have been doing animal rescue work for about 25 years after I retired from my corporate job. and I wanted to speak on the pet inclusive rental housing and you know we have helped over 22,000 cats in eastern Massachusetts since I founded Charles River Alley Cats and from being out on the street working in communities, I can't tell you how important this initiative is. There are so many pets and I'll speak to cats specifically since that's what I know that are at risk of being abandoned or have been abandoned because

Their owners find themselves in the situation where they have to move and there are not pet-friendly rentals available. We also get requests to take surrendered cats. Since COVID, all of these problems have been exacerbated. So I would really urge the council to strongly consider adopting the pet inclusive rental housing initiatives that are up for vote. It's not just good for the animals, but it's heartbreaking when you see the impact on an owner when they have to give up. It's good for the people and it's good for the pets.

Thank you. Our next speaker will be John Pitkin followed by Victoria Ruff. John? John has not joined us. We will go to our next speaker, Victoria Ruff, followed by Heather Hoffman. Victoria has not joined. We will go to Heather Hoffman. Heather, you have the floor. You have three minutes. Please go ahead.

Yeah. Hello, Heather Hoffman, 213 Hurley Street. I would like to echo what the previous speaker said about pets. Pets are incredibly important to the mental and physical well-being of many people and especially people whose whose lives are kind of a problem otherwise because They failed to have rich parents or something. So I hope that this will pass at both levels. With respect to permitting, I just love to see all of these things about how rules get in our way.

I agree that we can do a better job of making it possible for people to follow the rules. We need to look at rules and see if they're fulfilling a need and then make sure that that need is being met with respect to plants. I point out that humans don't just eat plants. We also burn ancient plants in the form of fossil fuels and we And we also benefit from plants cleaning our air, helping to deal with the water that falls from the sky. and other things.

And the city of Cambridge tends to be pretty hostile to those types of plants. As far as I can tell, the city talks a good game about trees and then cuts them down, reclassifies them as not trees and other things so that they can cut them down. So I hope that even though this doesn't seem to deal with that particular aspect, you will nonetheless I'm so happy that the law department and the city have Money and Time to Spare on all of this litigation, which I nonetheless support. But I wish that they would pay attention to some other things. And with respect to micro mobility devices,

We need to think long and hard about what happens to people on wheels and the change that I can feel in myself and see in others of entitlement. Micromobility devices are just fine, but they're also dangerous and we need to deal with that aspect. Thank you.

Thank you. Councilor Simmons. Present.

Madam Mayor, I'm going to recall the people that we skipped. John Pitkin. I do not see John. Victoria Ruff. Jacqueline Wilson, Annie Michelle. Madam Mayor, that is all.

We have one more person who signed up. Harriet Ahouse.

Harriet, you have the floor. You have three minutes. Please go ahead. Harriet, we're not able to unmute you for the Zoom. You may need to log out and log back in. Madam Mayor, we're not able to hear from Harriet, and now that is all that we're signed up to speak.

Okay, we will leave the public comment open until six, and then we can come back and close public comment. There's no submission of the record. There are no reconsiderations. So we move on to the city manager's agenda. Pleasure of the city council. Well, let's pull number one, which is the federal update. And then are there any other items that colleagues would like to pull? I will pull number three. And then on a motion by Councilor Simmons to do A roll call on the balance of two, four, five, six, and seven.

Al-Zubi, yes, yes, Vice Mayor Azeem, yes, Councilor Flaherty, yes, Councilor McGovern, yes, yes, Councilor Nolan, absent, Councilor Simmons, yes, yes, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler, yes, yes, Councilor Zusy. Absent, Mayor Siddiqui. Yes. Yes, that's seven members voting yes, two recorded as absent.

Balance is adopted. We'll go to city manager agenda item number one, transmitting a communication from city manager Ian Huang, regarding a federal update, including an update on relevant court cases.

Thank you. Through you, Mayor Siddiqui, I think we've been holding to our biweekly updates just to ensure that the federal litigation tracker is We haven't seen any new substantive Thank you. Thank you very much. And as of today, we're still seeing continued congressional negotiation over how to fund the Department of Homeland Security and what kind of restrictions or constraints or regulations may be imposed upon ICE. And so I think those are important conversations that we know our congressional delegation is working really hard on. In terms of the litigation tracker, this is updated.

There haven't been any substantial changes, but we are involved in some additional amicus briefs over the last month. and so happy to highlight those or also just see if there are any questions about any of the cases that are working their way through the system.

Pleasure of the City Council on any questions they have. I think, I guess I'll bring up, you know, city manager, you and I had a brief conversation around immigration issues, and we know that Boston, there's been Definitely with the individual who died in ICE detention there's been, you know, a lot of concerns you know around what may be coming and I know Boston has taking action with United Way and the Boston Bar Association for kind of a fund and the city is helping. I think what I mentioned earlier to you is to see, check in with our Folks, Human Rights Commission and Immigrant

I would love if you could just check in on that.

Through you, Mayor Siddiqui, I'm happy to. I agree. Some of our conversation was talking about how one of the new patterns we're seeing is people are being detained, shipped off out of state, and then when they're released, they're just being left there and so we're certainly in touch with a lot of organizations that are providing some of those supports but I think We are certainly interested in proposals for ways that the city could help with some of this. So we'll have that conversation through CERC and then happy to report back.

Great, thank you. I don't see any other hands up on this and so we can go ahead and place city manager agenda item number one on file. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against say nay. The ayes have it. City Manager agenda item number one is placed on file. We can go back. I think we have someone who's come back for public comment.

Our next speaker is John Pitkin. John, you have three minutes. Please go ahead.

You have to turn the mic on.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, City Councilors. I think you can hear me now. I'm speaking on calendar item number two, which has to do with raising the fee for participating in the resident parking program. from $25 to $75. As a former member of the Board of Traffic and Parking, I think it's important that the Council understand the facts. Some of the Factual basis for this order seemed to be inconsistent with my knowledge of what has been the case in the past and I believe is still the case. It states, the order states that the cost of operating the parking permit program should be paid by users and not pushed onto all residents including those who do not own cars and the city should seek to ensure fees charged to match costs. The city used to, according to under general law 844, the city used to operate what's called a parking fund.

So all of these, all these, all these finances were very clear. I looked up the situation in 2008, so that's almost 20 years ago. It states in the budget, the parking fund is a critical source of city revenue, providing funds to 13 budgets, including... Allocation to Capital. In that year, the total of the parking fund was $18.6 million. It included $9.4 million in fines. Presumably many of those were for resident parking. and $9.2 million was used for operating what was then the traffic, parking and transportation department. $6 million went to other city departments. How has this changed? The parking fund was clearly a cash cow for the city. Years ago, why is that not true today? The notion that the city funds are subsidizing drivers is... seems preposterous in that context.

I would also point out that the estimate of $75 cost for administering the program seems far out of line given that the State Bureau of RMV charges $25 to register a car. It seems to be a similar sized program. Why is it that it costs the city $75 to do roughly the same Thank you.

We'll now move on to city manager agenda item number three. This is transmitting a communication from city manager Ian Huang regarding response to rating report 26-05 relative to the streamlining. The residential permitting process. I pulled this just because I know that this is kind of more of an interim update and sharing how You are all thinking about what this looks like and then thinking through what you'll bring to the council and with a focus on actually what can can actually be done locally right because there's a big I was just wondering if you could walk us through the memo.

Great. Thank you to you, Mayor Siddiqui. First, I want to take the opportunity to introduce Jen Kyra, who some of you may have had the privilege of meeting. She's our new Deputy Chief of Planning at Community Development. and Jen is taking the lead on this project. So this project really is an effort along with all the other work we've been doing on zoning and fees of what levers the city has that it controls to help facilitate housing development and so Certainly as we've wanted to look and review all of the city's codes, policies, and make sure they're on their own and the cumulative impact as well of We're really looking at these through Two Lens, those that have significant cost and time associated, which adds risk and uncertainty to development.

We recognize that the codes that have been put in place obviously were put in place because of good policy or a goal that's being achieved, so we really want to and so forth. So wanted to provide this update on kind of the scoping, how we're working with other developments to identify that list, come up with the recommendations of what the city could do to remove some of those policies or streamline those policies or even the processes itself. And then on the state side, look at things that we could advocate on the state side to help. We might not have direct control, but could influence and use our advocacy role. to move that forward.

Great, thank you. And this is being internally led? There's no kind of outside consultant? That's correct. And then the update you said we'd get is late spring? We're targeting mid-June. Mid-June. And I'll ask another question. Are you envisioning some of this to come back to the committees, housing committee, neighborhood long-term planning? What do you envision?

There certainly will be a list of recommendations and we certainly would want to talk with council about how we evaluate those and certainly we can come back to committees or full council with the final report.

Great. We'll look forward to Seeing these recommendations, I think this is an important discussion to have and we'll see where we can make progress. So thank you so much. Any other questions on this? Yes, Councilor Simmons.

Thank you. I don't have my computer so I didn't have, I don't see where the backup is that you're talking to. I don't see the material because it's not, I can't find it in the written agenda. It's hiding. Thanks. I'm not going to read it now, but I thank you. That was it. I just didn't see it in the hard copy.

I don't see any other questions from my colleagues. So all those in favor of placing city manager agenda item number three on file, say aye. Aye. Those against say no. The ayes have it. We have placed city manager agenda item number three on file. So we are done with the city manager's agenda for today.

But please stay.

You're free to go. And I believe Councilor Zusy has joined us as well. And Councilor Zusy and Councilor Nolan are at the National League of Cities Conference.

McGovern.

Oh, wonderful. We now move on to policy orders. We have one policy order. Council Member McGovern.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I want to take care of a little bit of housekeeping. Just quickly, this policy order is regarding three bills that are currently at the State House. Senate Bill 1022 and House Bill 1559 are bills to make sure that Pet owners are not discriminated against or denied housing, which often happens in House 4835. is a bill specifically for seniors. Different housing authorities have different rules around seniors having pets and I think Cambridge does a pretty good job. I know there's a lot of seniors in our senior housing that are allowed to have pets and how important that is and that companionship is for them, but it's very different. across the state. So these would bring parity across the state.

I was neglectful in forgetting to add the most cat friendly mayor in maybe the nation. Our very own Mayor Siddiqui. Every time we are out of town, she makes me visit a cat cafe, which is always fun, and I neglected to put you on this, so I would like to add you as well.

Thank you so much for having me, Councilor Simmons.

Simmons would like to be added as well.

Okay, so we will go ahead and add myself and Councilor Simmons on a voice vote to this policy order. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against say no. The ayes have it. We are on this policy order. Thank you, Council Member McGovern, for bringing it forward and for adding me and coming to the cat cafes. Any other comments on this? Hearing none, all those in favor of adopting the amended order say aye. Aye. Those against say nay. The ayes have it. We've adopted policy order number one as amended. We now move on to the calendar. I think we can pass over the calendar. We'll go to applications and petitions. There are none. We will go to communications. There are 24 communications on a motion by Councilor Simmons. to place all communications on file. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against say no.

The ayes have it. The communications are placed on file. We now move on to resolutions. There are nine resolutions. Are there any resolutions the City Council would like to pull? Yes, Councillor Simmons.

Number eight, please.

Simmons will pull number eight.

And then we have number two and number five.

Resolutions number two and number five. So we've pulled two, five, and eight. And on the balance of one, three, four, six, seven, and nine, We'll go ahead and, on Councilor Simmons' motion, adopt them, making them unanimous upon adoption. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against say no. The ayes have it. Those resolutions are adopted. We now move on to the Simmons. I was going to ask Councilor Flaherty if

First of all, I want to seek unanimous consent to bring two and five together because they're similar. And we want to marry them. So I don't know if Councilor Flaherty wants to. Yes, please do. Sure.

On that motion by Councilor Simmons. All those in favor say aye to take two and five together. Aye. Those against say no. The ayes have it. Two and five we can take together. And the request is to add, Councilor Simmons, you'd like to be added to number two.

No, I want to talk to Councilor Flaherty to see if we could... Councilor Flaherty's on number two, and then he's on number five. And I just wanted to talk through you to my colleague, what would be your preference? Try to ask, well, Councilor Nolan's not in person, but we could either keep number five, or if it was important for you to be the lead, I could demur, and you could be the lead, and we could still keep number five.

My preference is to follow through you, Madam Mayor. My preference is to follow your advice and counsel and do exactly what you ask me to do. So much learning. Nothing more and nothing less.

With that, I respectfully ask if we delete it, number two, or we send it and then just have number five. I don't know if there's discussion about that or anyone else wants to be. Do you want to speak? Do you want to say something about Ms. McCauley?

Go ahead.

So we're going to go ahead and per the rules, we'll go ahead and do, we'll withdraw the resolution number two, but we'll do a roll call on withdrawal.

Very good. Thank you.

Al-Zubi, yes, yes, Vice Mayor Azeem, yes, Councilor Flaherty, yes, Councilor McGovern, yes, Councilor Nolan, absent, Councilor Simmons, excuse me, Councilor Simmons. Yes. Yes. Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler. Yes. Yes. Councilor Zusy, absent. Mayor Siddiqui. Yes. Yes. Seven members voting yes.

Resolution number two has been withdrawn. We'll move on. and go ahead and adopt resolution number five. Making it unanimous upon adoption. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against say nay. The ayes have it. Resolution number five is adopted. We'll move on to resolution number eight. Congratulations to the team behind Eastern Edge Food Hall on the opening of this new space in Kendall Square. This was filed by myself. Councilor Simmons, would you like to speak to it?

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. One, I wanted to first ask to amend it by being added as a co-sponsor, and two, just very briefly wanted to say it was an extraordinary event. If you've not been to the Eastern Edge Food Hall, you're missing a real treat. It has a number of different vendors there. It has a great price point, wonderful ambiance. I'm hoping to get back there soon. And again, it was quite lovely. Mano's there, our favorite, favorite and favorite. Chef, plus a number of other very nice restaurants. And so I'm looking forward to presenting again. Happy to have seen it, this economic development at its best, diversity in economic development. as well. I ask this to be added, and with that, I yield the floor.

Great. No, happy to add. And I'll just say that what's also amazing is that these are entrepreneurs that have been supported by the city's small business programs, various technical assistance, for some of them it's their first kind of brick and mortar location and I want to kind of just appreciate all the folks who are involved and making this possible. It's at 290 Main Street, so right off Kendall Square. So definitely check it out and go there. We'll go ahead and add Councilor Simmons on a voice vote to the resolution. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against say nay. The ayes have it. We have an amended resolution. Now on adopting the resolution as amended, making it unanimous upon adoption. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against say no. The ayes have it.

The amended resolution is adopted. We can now go ahead and close public comment on a motion by Council Member Govern to close public comment. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against say no. The ayes have it. Public comment is now There are two committee reports. Pleasure of the City Council. on a motion by Councilor McGovern to place committee reports one and two on file. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against say no. The ayes have it. Those two committee reports are placed on file. We now move on to communication and reports from other city officers. There are two on a motion by Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler to place these two communications and reports from other city officers. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against say no. The ayes have it. These two communications and reports from other city officers are placed on file.

We now move on to late resolutions. We have two late resolutions, so we'll go ahead and do a roll call on suspending the rules to bring those forward. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against say no. The ayes have it. We are in suspension. So we have two late resolutions. We have one from Councilor Flaherty on Vincent J. Borelli, and then we have one from Councilor Simmons on the passing of Edward Bernice. We'll go to Councilor Flaherty first and then Councilor Simmons.

Yes, thank you, Madam Mayor. And through you, I just want to note the passing of Mr. Borrelli, father of Joe and Anthony, who spent his entire life in Mount Auburn. And this man was... Truly a gift to that entire neighborhood and a gift to anyone who knew him. He was a gentleman, thoughtful, kind. Every kid who went to the Hagerty School knew him because he lived right next door to it. And he maintained a garden in his backyard a vegetable garden and he had a fig tree there. And it was the most peaceful, serene place I think I've ever visited in that neighborhood and I had some time I had the happy opportunity to spend some time with him in the last several months in his backyard.

and it was truly a moment of grace and he just was a dignified man and it's a real loss for the entire Mount Aubin community and neighborhood He was a true friend, a real gentleman, a caring, kind, thoughtful, compassionate man, and for any person that had the chance to sit under Mr. Borrelli's fig tree for a few minutes of conversation with him. You left a better person. You left more worldly, more understanding. and you left as a kinder, more compassionate and loving person. And I guess in the final analysis, We're all measured by the love that we have in our lives, and by that measure, Mr. Borrelli was a giant. So God bless him and to his family, my deepest condolences.

Thank you, Council Authority. Councilor Simmons?

You want me to go to the next one? Yeah. Not vote for his.

We can vote for yours, Councilor Flaherty, first. So our condolences to the family. All those in favor of adopting the resolution, Simmons. Make it unanimous upon adoption. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against say no. The ayes have it. The resolution is adopted. It is unanimous upon adoption. Councilor Simmons.

Thank you. I rise in respect and remembrance of Edward Ed C. Burness. Ed, you may have known and worked for us, the city of Cambridge, for over 40 years. That is a The young age of 20. He was drafted into the Army and served for one year in Vietnam in the 1st Infantry Division. It's called the Big Red One. After he left Vietnam, he met his wife, for life, some of a resident, and they raised their two children. A very typical New Englander, loved the Celtics and the Patriots, that's okay.

But what I'm sad about, and it's been a period of, it's really been a season of intention, so many people having transitioned. It's sad to see a girl at the young age of 77 But I think it's quite fitting that we remember him, remember his work, who he was, and who he continues to be in our hearts and in our minds. And so I'm hoping my colleagues will see fit to adopt this late resolution making it unanimous upon adoption. And I will then yield the floor with that. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilor Simmons, for bringing this forward. Our condolences. We can go ahead on your motion to adopt this resolution, making it unanimous upon adoption. Do a voice vote. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Those against say no. The ayes have it. The resolution that is unanimous is adopted. We have no late policy orders, so we move on to announcements. Any announcements from the body? No announcements? Yes, Councilor Flaherty.

I have an announcement. Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, and we were visited today by the mayor of Galway, our sister city, and I had the luck to bump into him and speak to him. and he had his photograph taken here in front of my desk and told me that there was a member of their the similar form of governance in Galway. There was a member on there, city council named O'Flaherty, Terry O'Flaherty, a woman. and he said maybe it's a similar trait that in short order she took over that body and conducted business and everyone followed her lead. So he said, obviously this will happen in short order for you on the city council.

So I just wanted to give you all fair warning that the mayor of Galway has deemed... that this will take place. So I wish you all a very happy and prosperous St. Patrick's Day tomorrow.

Thank you, Councilor Flaherty, and I want to thank Councilor McGovern and Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler for joining the visit today from the Mayor of Galway.

I know, Madam Mayor. Yes. I was just going to note that one of the interesting things from that meeting was the councilors in Galway said they also have lots of fights over bike lanes. Unless we think it is just Cambridge or just the United States, this is a cross-country, cross-shared experience, which is always great to share. Good point.

Any other announcements? I think we have a few committee hearings. Not this week, but That guy. There was going to be one on the 18th, but that got moved to the next week. So we are done. So we will go ahead on a motion by Councilor McGovern to adjourn. All those in favor say aye. Those against say no. The ayes have it. We're adjourned. Good night, everyone.