Regular City Council Meeting

A quorum being present, I call tonight's October 5th, 2026 regular meeting in the Cambridge City Council to order. The first order of business is a roll call of members present.

absent, Vice Mayor Azeem?

Absent. Councilor Flaherty? Present. Councilman McGovern? Present, Councillor Nolan? Simmons, absent. Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler?

Present.

Present. Councilors Zusy? Present Mayor Siddiqui? Present You have seven members recorded as present and two recorded as

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance and pause for a moment.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, 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. Thank you for joining us. 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 reporting this meeting. I will ask the body, are there any announcements that councillors have? Councillor Zusy.

There will be a Cambridge Women's Business Month celebration at 212 Kitchen. On Western Ave, Wednesday night at 5 to 7.30 p.m., and then on the 8th, Thursday at 6.30 at Transition House, they will be hosting their Red Door Benefit.

Thank you, Councilor Zusy. Anyone else with announcements that they'd like to share before we move on? We'll move to public comment. Public comment may be made in accordance with 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 on the agenda that you're speaking on. Right now we have about 86 speakers, so each speaker will have one minute. We'll go ahead and start calling the speakers. Thank you, Naomi.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. Our first speaker is Angel Ponte followed by Jessica Van Meer then Deb Olkin. Angel? It looks like Angel has not joined us. We'll go to Jessica Van Meer. Jessica, you have one minute. We will go back, Jessica. Go ahead.

Just put the mic on. Just press a button, yeah.

Great. Does that work? I'm speaking in favor of Charter Right 2. This policy was written by sex workers and survivors from Cambridge. It's been endorsed by Freedom Network, the largest anti-trafficking organization in National Survivor Network, one of the largest organizations of trafficking survivors in the country Jane Doe Inc., Mass Now!, The Network Love Red, YW Boston and Families for Justice as Healing among others All of us are here today because we want to end exploitation in the sex industry. As with any sensitive issue, not all affected people agree just as not all women support decriminalizing abortion When people disagree it's important to look at the evidence Just like abortion, criminalizing sex work on either side of the transaction doesn't stop it from happening. It just makes it less safe. In other exploitative industries like domestic work we say the solution is giving people more labor protections We don't say the solution to trafficking of domestic workers is to criminalize hiring a maid. The same is true for sex workers.

They want labor rights, not criminalization of their customers. Please pass Charter Right 2 in its original language. Thank you.

Thank our next speaker is Deb Olkin. Deb, you have the floor. You have one minute. Please go ahead. Deb, you're unmuted but we're not hearing you. Please go ahead.

My name is Deb Olkin. I'm at 39 Bellas Circle. I am speaking about policy order number two Cambridge is under court order to curb the dumping of sewage into public waterways. Because my neighborhood still has a combined sewer system, during storms both stormwater and our untreated raw sewage overflow is dumped into the alewife brook. We are the largest contributor of CSO sewage discharge in the MWRA system. The draft CSO plan is not climate resilience, It relies on a CSO sewage storage tank rather than pursuing sewer separation. You have a generational opportunity to use MWRA funding to update the city's infrastructure. Please modify policy order number two to call for sewer separation rather than praise a sewage storage tank. Thank you.

Thank you, our next speaker is Ashley Pittman followed by Jennifer Wade and then Mary Carol McKinnon. Ashley, you have one minute please go ahead

Please support, oh my address is 47 Cogswell Ave number 19. Sorry. Please support policy number eight. The bike lane situation on Outer Huron Avenue is being portrayed as a zero-sum game where bicyclists are pitted against Strawberry Hill residents and others who want, and frankly need parking in the area. However, it could be turned into a win-win scenario and Policy Order 8 accommodates this outcome. Why not install speed bumps or rumble strips to outer Huron Ave which would slow motor vehicle traffic? If we use that design, then we could also save the 52 to 54 parking spaces along the Fresh Pond Reservation side of the street. Cyclists would benefit from slower traffic speeds while Parkside Place residents and others in the Strawberry Hill area would benefit Over 1,500 people have signed a petition to save that parking.

Please support Policy Order 8. Thank you.

Thank you. I live on Bella Circle, about 30 feet from where the city wants to build a CSO sewage storage tank at 135 Sherman Street and my neighbors and I have been working very hard over the past year, as many of you in this room know advocating for this to instead be a storm water tank with sewer separation in our neighborhood. So we believe that not only would this have fewer health and quality of life impacts on neighbors, it would also provide a substantially higher level of CSO control in 2050 and beyond. I was desperately hoping to be here tonight to support the CSO policy order, but I cannot advocate for it as currently written. Specifically, I would like to respectfully request that the council strike the clause singling out the Sherman Street tank for praise Thank you.

Thank you. We're going to go back to our first speaker that we skipped earlier, Angel Ponte. Angel if you can unmute yourself, you have the floor. You have one minute. Please go ahead. Angel, you're unmuted. You just have to go ahead and speak. You're muted on both our side and your side. Angel. All right, Angel if I can suggest if you just completely leave the Zoom altogether and sign back in I will look for you or you can raise your hand when you come back we're going to move on to the next speaker Our next speaker is Mary Carol McKinnon. Mary Carol, one minute. Please go ahead.

Thank you. I speak in support of this policy order as a sex worker of more than two decades, as the co-chair of BSWOC and from my interactions with thousands of sex workers and survivors. I cannot overstate the negative impacts that criminalization of sex work has had in my life even when my work did not fall directly under prostitution law. This is true for my peers and why we are here. Our call for decriminalization is longstanding and united. When our labor is criminalized in any form, We struggle to access much of what you and other non-criminalized workers enjoy as a matter of daily life. It is epistemic violence to fail to acknowledge that sex workers make decisions with agency and expertise about our lives. We do know what our labor means, we do know how to conduct it. We are asking for a basic human recognition that we are workers with agency who make decisions that make sense for us

Thank you so much for your support of our basic needs.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Judy Hunt followed by Kathy Donnelly, then Joseph Poirier. Judy, one minute.

My name is Judy Hunt. I live at 40 Bella Circle in North Cambridge. I want to thank the council members who have worked on this policy order number two that advocates for the virtual elimination of CSOs. However, I and many of my neighbors ask you to please remove the clause supporting the 135 Sherman Street CSO. The proposed project essentially kicks the can down Instead of committing to sewer separation, it's only a partial fix. A short-term solution that does not achieve long term mitigation. We strongly support sewer separation with green storm water infrastructure Recently, the Boston City Council unanimously adopted a resolution opposing the current draft updated CSO plan. Please remove the clause supporting the Sherman Street CSO. Finish sewer separation in North Cambridge, join Boston and stand up to climate change.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Cathy Donnelly. Cathy, you have one minute. Please unmute yourself. You have the floor.

Hello my name is Kathy Donnellly and I'm speaking in support of policy number eight While I do think bike safety is an important aspect of the city, I do think that the city should take a look at the current situation of bike lanes and the hazards proposed that the hazards that they have before adding new ones. I think the existing infrastructure needs a hard look before adding more. The bikers would just... pushed out into Grove Street, which would be a nightmare for drivers, pedestrians and bikers. So please let's pause and think about how we can do this better. Thank you

Thank you. Our next speaker is Joseph Poirier. Joseph has not joined, we're going to move to Heather Penskofer followed by AJ Sonalkar then Molly Lynch Heather, you have the floor. Please unmute yourself.

Hello, I'm Heather Penskofer of 42 Valentine speaking on policy order number eight. I regularly bike the outer Huron route with my school-aged child along with dozens of other families that attend the new German elementary school down the street. So let's be entirely honest about what a vote delay means today. It's choosing to leave cyclists completely unprotected next to traffic, moving at 35 miles an hour on Freshman Parkway It means prioritizing car throughput over safety. I'm here for the families biking to the youth center, Glacken Field and playground and to the new school not for the people wanting Street parking for a golf outing. Pausing the project until 2030 leaves an active hazard untouched. 31 pedestrians and cyclists have died in Cambridge streets since 2005. Protect the children and vote no on policy order number eight.

Thank you. Our next speaker is AJ Sonalkar. AJ, you have one minute. Please go ahead.

Yeah, I'm against canceling the bike safety project on Huron Street. I use the bike lanes consistently. My son is 11 years old. We bike consistently to Danny Park and Russell Field. And every time there's a lack of bike safety, it makes it much harder to bike. For example, Tuesdays is my son's soccer practice in Russell Field. To drive from Harvard Square to Russell Field takes me 40 minutes by car. On a bike, it can take me 20 minutes. This is a real problem in Cambridge right now that if I cannot bike safely to a place after use the car and that's creating a huge time disadvantage considering I have to take my time to drive my son. If my son can take a scooter or bike places especially as he gets 12, 13, 14 with safe bike streets Thank you. Our next speaker is Molly Lynch. Molly, you have one minute. Please go ahead.

Good evening. My name is Molly Lynch. I'm a licensed clinical social worker specializing in trauma, violence and justice. And I'm here in the strong support of Charter Right 2 and the full decriminalization of consensual adult sex work. I have worked with unhoused street-based sex workers in the Mass and Cass area, many of whom have been displaced in recent months throughout Boston surrounding communities including Cambridge. I want to emphasize something that I have learned from the time with the people I work with. Sex workers are experts in their own safety They screen clients, they negotiate boundaries. They share information about dangerous people and they look out for one another but when their clients fear arrest interactions become more hurried and hidden leaving workers with less ability to take protective measures Criminalizing buyers does not eliminate dangerous clients or exploitation. for sex workers to protect themselves from those dangers. Sex work will not disappear simply because we make it more dangerous to conduct. Thank you.

Thank our next speaker is Joshua Gauthier, followed by Nahit Trivedi then Sarah Block. Joshua one minute.

Good evening, my name is Joshua Gothier. I'm a 23-year old cyclist and I live at 34 Belmont Street. I am here tonight to urge you to reject policy order number eight to delay the outer Huron safety improvements The infrastructure has seen discussion for almost 10 years and I regularly ride along outer Huron, and I experience firsthand how hazardous this corridor currently is. Vehicles routinely travel at high speeds, and the current street design forces cyclists to merge directly into the center of the travel lane to share the road with fast-moving traffic. Without a bike lane, you're putting cyclists and drivers at serious risk of injury and death. Additionally, our region has seen devastating high-profile cycling tragedies as recently as this summer. These infrastructure choices directly impact public health and delaying this expansion leaves residents without safe transit choices. Dedicated bike lanes and traffic calming measures do far more than protect cyclists. They can reduce speeding, lower carbon emissions, make our city safer, cleaner and more livable. Please vote no on the delay and move forward with the Outer Huron project as planned. Thank you and have a great evening.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Nahid Trivedi, followed by Sarah Block then Patricia Satterstrom. Nahid, one minute.

Good evening, my name is Nihit Trivedi. I live on 41 Magoon Street. I'm here to first speak in support of finishing the Huron Avenue bike lanes against delay I've been living here 15 years, and when I first moved here, I biked everywhere for several years. And I had multiple accidents, in one my bike... Thank you for joining us. Over the last few years, the city is much safer. I bike everywhere now as much as I can with my children as well, including in North Cambridge where I live and West Cambridge where we're talking about. And I periodically go to the Russell Youth Center as well and so I support continued expansion of the lanes and hope you will not Thank you for joining us.

Your time has expired. We will go to Sarah Block, followed by...

Patricia Satterstrom Sarah, you have the floor. You have one minute. Please go ahead.

Hi, this is Sarah Block 24 Shepherd Street. I'm urging you to continue the important safety project on Upper Huron Connecting around Fresh Pond will be a really great recreational activity and connect people who are commuting or going to the destinations at that area like the youth center, the golf course. I think there's a VFW. I think it's important to remember that people use all modes of transportation for important destinations, not just motor vehicles Thanks so much for your time and I also support the sex work charter right too. Thanks so

Our next speaker is Patricia Satterstrom, followed by Vivek Sikri, then Benjamin Bartorski. Patricia, you have the floor. You have one minute. Please go ahead.

Hi, my name is Patricia Satterstrom. I live in Fresh Pond Place directly next to the Youth Center and right across from the bike lane and I am strongly in support of continuing the bike lane and against policy eight. My family consists of two adults and two children, and we bike everywhere In particular, I'm here to speak for my 13-year old son who is an active child and goes between Grove Street Park Glockenpark regularly with middle school friends, and it is very dangerous for them to bike that route. They have to go into traffic sharply and then go down the street It is too fast and too unsafe the way it is currently set up. And that is a very popular route with young teens and teens going between the parks.

Thanks and I really hope that you will continue making our streets safer with the bike lane.

Thank you, our next speaker is Vivek Sikri. Vivek, you have one minute please go ahead.

Hello, city councilors. This is Vivek Sikri, 64 Alston Street. Before I start, I should say I'm a member of the Cambridge Transportation Board, but the views I'm expressing are my own. I am against canceling the bike safety project and delaying for another five years. I hope we can, instead of continuing to relitigate whether we need people on bikes to be safe. We can just accept that we do because obviously we do. Climate change, congestion, cost of transportation, ease of transportation. The equity factor, it's way more expensive to own a car. So why should people who don't have that much money have to compromise their safety?

I feel like the city needs to double down on bike lanes and really not go back and reconsider things. Thank you very much. Bye-bye.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Benjamin Batorski, followed by Keely Cieslik and then Paul Pierce. We are at speaker number 18 for those who are wondering. Benjamin, you have the floor. You have one minute. Please go ahead.

Hi, thank you very much. My name is Ben Maturski. I'm at 15 Ellsworth. I want to reiterate what I said last week that the moving forward of my plan on Broadway has really changed my commute and it's been a massive improvement and I want to thank the city for having such ambition. I would like to see this ambition continued with Outer Huron, so I am against delaying the bike safety project there Just as a quick story, I had a pretty negative interaction with the neighbor about bike lanes this weekend. I think discussions like this one make those negative interactions happen more and more I would like to see the city have more ambitious plans. There has to be a solution to parking that doesn't involve putting at risk residents and putting at-risk the plans for inclusive infrastructure, so I'd just like to better solutions come out of the city and not be continuously arguing about delaying kind of settled city ordinance. So thank you very much, I also want to say my support for Charter Right 2 in supporting sex workers. Thanks a lot.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Keely Cieslik followed by Paul Pierce, then Sasha Cohen.

Hi there, my name is Keely Cieslik. I am a labor and employment attorney at Justice At Work. Justice At work is a workers' rights law office. I work at the intersection of workers' right and immigrants' rights I'm speaking in favor of charter right number two and its original language as submitted by BSWOC. I represent workers in low-paying industries, and I've supported survivors of labor trafficking. And this takes place in a wide range of industries and workers themselves understand when they've experienced that trafficking, and it's for workers to determine. I believe that all people should be able to work safely and seek help when they experience violence or exploitation but criminalizing consensual adult sex work does not eliminate trafficking. Research shows that partial criminalization can harm sex workers' health and safety and shows that a policy like Charter Right to full decriminalization is in the interest of the health and safety and dignity of adult sex workers engaging in their labor. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Paul Pierce. Paul, you have one minute. Please go ahead.

Hello. Can y'all hear me?

We can.

My name is Pop Garrison. I'm an MIT student, and I'm reading a testimony on behalf of an anonymous sex worker. I support the full decriminalization of sex work and urge you to please vote yes on Charter Right 2. I've been a sex worker for 11 years. I want sex workers to be able to call the police or medical assistants in emergency. Without worrying that they themselves will be arrested. When workers are not criminalized but customers and third parties who aid workers are, screening clients becomes harder which makes it harder for workers to negotiate safer conditions and seek help when something goes wrong. I have a personal experience with this as an abusive ex unrelated to my own work, assaulting myself and more than 10 other people. For me choosing to report my abuser meant walking into the police station wondering if I would be arrested for reporting the crimes of rape and strangulation It didn't matter that he filmed his crimes, gave me a brain injury and more. I was still terrified that I would be arrested for the work that I did. I knew the law but not necessarily see me as a victim. The fear I felt is exactly what the criminalization of sex work creates. Criminalization of gives abusers more power by making it dangerous for workers to seek help full decriminalization would also disempower abusers who actively seek out sex workers under the assumption that they won't report the crimes committed against them because of the risk reporting the crimes presents

Please vote yes on Charter Right 2 and support the full decriminalization of sex work.

Thank you, our next speaker is Sasha Cohen followed by Patricia Barger then Sheena Doom Sasha's not in the Zoom. We will go to Patricia Barger, followed by Sheena Doom.

Good evening, Chairperson, Councilors. Patricia Bargers, 652 Huron Ave. Agenda 8 is the topic. I and 1,400 West Cambridge residents join your three councillors who have asked council to postpone the rollout of outer Huron bike lanes to Grove-Belmont. We understand only too well the lack of limited street parking in this neighborhood available. which the bike extension will rob Park Place residents of 44 on-street parking sites. These residents are unable to rent and pay the in-house parking fee of $325,000 In addition, the Belmont City Council will not be addressing Their bike extension on Grove anytime soon with a new library bills, skating rink and high school charges to address. Bike lanes are not high on their list of priorities

Also cyclists using existing lanes September to June. I see maybe three to four Tobin riders Thank you, Patricia.

Your time is expired. You can email the remainder of your comment to citycouncil at cambridgema.gov and copy clerk at cambergema. gov Our next speaker is Sheena Doom followed by Meg Stone Sheena. Sheena has not joined us, we will go to Meg Stone. Meg you have one minute.

Hi, my name is Meg Stone and I am supporting the full decriminalization of sex work charter right to policy order 10 as both a Cambridge resident and the executive director of impact. and Abuse and Violence Prevention Organization. I know you've heard from a number of advocates, but I wanna uplift one other organization that supports full decriminalization and that is the Network La Red, a statewide organization that addresses abuse in LGBTQ plus communities. LGBTQ plus community are among the most vulnerable to trafficking I encourage you to proceed with clarity about what trafficking is and what it isn't, especially since my colleagues at Freedom Network USA and the International Labor Organization have shown that the vast majority of is not insects work, but agriculture and manufacturing.

Our farmers market workers deserve labor protections, but they don't deserve partial decriminalization because other farm workers are trafficked.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Catherine Ann, followed by Matt Fritzmauer, then Rachel Frieden. Catherine, one minute.

Thank you. I'm reading an anonymous testimony on behalf of a client as a client sex workers have helped me explore myself without judgment i was able to build confidence experience intimacy that was missing in my life form friendships and learn how to explore interpersonal relationships Thank you for watching. I want to see a world where they can work safely without needing to look over their shoulder everywhere they go. The path to that world is through decriminalization. San Francisco was the first city to recognize same-sex marriage Our state was the first to follow. This is an opportunity for Cambridge Mass to lead the way yet again towards a country that is more just by protecting safe, consensual sex work in the United States. Sex work will happen whether it's decriminalized or not. Decriminalization will bring the industry into the light and allow for safer working conditions. I believe Cambridge can protect people from trafficking, violence, and exploitation while also respecting the dignity, safety,

Please support our charter right in its original language.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Matt Fritzmauer. Matt, you have one minute. Please go ahead.

Hello, my name is Dr. Matthew Fritz-Maurer I'm here to testify in support of charter right number two. I'm dialing in from Denver Colorado Charter Right 2 will recognize sex workers' humanity, strengthen relationships between them and their government, and improve public safety. I'm here to speak especially as a member of government who's grappled with these issues. I run Denver's Workers' Rights Enforcement Agency and each year we enforce the rights of thousands of workers and collect millions of dollars and in particular, I've made it a priority for us to investigate strip clubs where sex workers often suffer wage theft retaliation and other kinds of abuse. I've spoken to worked with and learned from dozens of sex workers and as a result they've shared things with me that they never would have if we'd stigmatized them including information about crimes. And so I support full decriminalization, criminalizing the work, the workers and the clients prevents people from coming forward and it precludes collaborating with the government.

But full decrim will create a safer environment, and we'll all benefit from that.

Thank you. We're going to go back to an earlier SKIP speaker, Joseph Poirier. Joseph, you have the floor. You have one minute. Please unmute yourself.

Hi, this is Joe Poirier, 87 1⁄2 Sherman Street. I just wanted to encourage the council to support the Outer Huron Bike Lane project occurring. I bike up there with my kids fairly often and it would be so great to have a protected option to connect to Belmont. We go shopping, we see family in Watertown, we do a lot of things using that road. via bike. So we would really appreciate it if that project went forward, thank you very much.

Thank you our next speaker is Rachel Fraden. Rachel one minute please go ahead.

My name is Rachel Fraden, and I am here to advocate for the- Rachel, if you can pull the mic down. Sorry. Oh, sure. Thank you. Is that better? Yes. My name is Rachel Freyden and I'm here to advocate for the decriminalization of sex work. I am a trans woman, and my day job is primarily managing these social media for trans women influencers who do various kinds of sex work to survive along with doing sex work on OnlyFans myself. As a trans woman, we have significantly less economic opportunities than others due to rampant transphobia and many times we have no other choice but to do sex work just to exist. As an example, one of my trans women clients was an animator in the animation industry but due to Hollywood becoming more conservative under Trump she has been unable to find studio animation work

Auspensively due to trans women being considered controversial of a hire, so she is now forced to do OnlyFans and Patreon to survive. Regardless of whether we deem sex work morally bad, it is a matter of survival for many trans women like myself

Thank you. Our next speaker is Raina Levin followed by Eve Carr, then Lyssa Galluccio. Raina one minute please go ahead.

Hi, my name is Raina Levin of 111 Magazine Street. I'm speaking against canceling the bike safety project. I want to note that I don't have a car. I rely on biking, walking and the T. I visit Fresh Pond regularly and pretty much always on my bike. I actually learned to ride a bike as an adult in Boston, on the Southwest Corridor and it took years for me to feel comfortable biking outside of dedicated bike paths. I can tell you from my own experience that a gap in a network, even a small one, a quarter mile like the outer Huron One will prevent people from using that and makes the people who do use that path in much more danger. And a small gap like that would have stopped me a few years ago from biking. We have the opportunity for safe paths and well-connected networks that can connect Cambridge residents for our wonderful parks. So please do not cancel or postpone this bike safety project. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Eve Carr. Eve, you have one minute. Sorry, one second. We're having a little bit of technical difficulties today. Eve if you can unmute yourself please go ahead. You have the floor.

Thank you. Good evening. I'm a cyclist and I am grateful for all the bike lanes that have been put in. I also go over to Fresh Pond to play golf, and I notice that there's nobody on the bike lane anymore So I'm sort of driven to feel that the people with the cars have to have a voice because there's no bike traffic there on the roads. Here on Avenue. So I've noticed it and so I just feel that, you know, there has to be room for so many of the people are going to have a hardship if This passes when there isn't really, I haven't seen that much need for the bike lane. But I am grateful for all the ones like Broadway they were just mentioning. I think they should respond to need as well.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Lissa Galluccio. Let's say you have the floor, you have one minute please go ahead

Hi, this is Lissa Galluccio, 34 High Street. I'm speaking in favor of Charter Right 1. Please pass the policy order to delay the outer Huron Ave bike lane. Do so to help the residents at 700 Huron Ave who cannot afford to park in their garage. and the residents who deserve accessible parking, including the Cambridge veterans who build community at the VFW, the Cambridge seniors using our Russell Youth Center and the residence to participate in the Cambridge program. To address the speed of cars in the last .2 miles of Huron Ave, please build a speed hump. This will increase safety for our pedestrians, drivers exiting vehicles and bikers. Delay these bike lanes for one year and examine how to preserve more parking. I'm confident that you can govern with nuance and empathy and center our Cambridge residents who may not have the loudest voices but have enormous need and the least mobility.

Thank you. We're going to go back to an earlier skipped speaker, Sasha Cohen. Sasha, you have the floor. If you can unmute yourself, you only have one minute. Please go ahead.

Great. My name is Sasha Cohen, long-time resident of Cambridge Port. I'm in... I'm here in support of charter right number two. I implore you to govern based on the data that researchers and scholars have presented you this week and last, along with the lived experience of sex workers in this city do not be misled by ideologically motivated organizations funded by outside parties composed of individuals who have no personal stake in the outcome. I love living in Cambridge because of our rich history Sex work will happen no matter what, but it's up to you to govern in a way that makes it safe for that community. Thank you

Thank you. Our next speaker, we are at speaker number 31, Hijab Chowdhury. I'm sorry if I'm mispronouncing that. The job has not joined. We will go to Paula Cortez, followed by Siobhan McDonough, then Suzanne Blier. Paula, you have one minute.

Thank you. My name is Paula Cortez. I speak in favor of supporting the revised policy order number eight, a reasonable compromise. Reducing the pause time to one year. Please read the revisions. This is not a highly cycled route, remember there are already bike lanes there And if the city repainted the lines and installed speed humps, it would increase visibility and safety for everyone. You proudly promoted Celebrating Disability Pride event two days ago, yet this bike project is designed to make access to those disabilities Those with disabilities using the Youth Center along Huron Ave. We are many, over 1,600 signatories and others who will appreciate and remember your vote tonight.

I hope for a yes for equity, inclusion and good sense. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Siobhan McDonough. Siobhann, you have one minute. Please go ahead.

My name is Siobhan McDonough. I live on Ellery Street. I'm here to speak in opposition to Charter Right 1 and in support of Charter This city has put a lot of emphasis in the past on being a sanctuary city. That's something that I think is really important to a lot us, but it isn't a sanctuary if it only works for people who can afford it and I think that's what really connects both of these issues Thank you. from all walks of life and on sex work. It's very similar, I'm a unionist, I support graduate worker unions in the UAW. Graduate workers are many of whom are sex workers who are doing that to get through college These are all interconnected issues, and they're all about building a sanctuary for all of our residents.

Please support residents from all walks of life. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Suzanne Blier. Suzanne has not joined us, we will move to speaker 35 Kate Zamparelli Kate has not joined. We are going to go... I'm sorry, Kate you have one minute please go ahead

Thank you. If you're cycling down Huron to Grove, chances are you are exiting Cambridge not stopping to soak in fresh pond. The number one priority for everyone who enjoys the city's gem is safety. Why is the city rushing to remove 44 parking spaces when Fresh Pond is a destination point, not a through-point enjoyed by elderly disabled veterans? Those with dogs to walk, heavy golf bags. Bags filled with baseballs, basketballs, soccers, tennis equipment Little kids who want to sled in the snow In short, the majority of us Who want and need parking Please note that Outer Huron Avenue has a protected bike lane that leads into a painted lane designation. This now matches the recent bike lane incorporation on Oxford Street, which is much more of a safety risk as it is basically an extension of Harvard's heavily traversed campus. After last week's property tax hike discussion,

Why on earth would the city ignore a significant revenue producer? The revenue from the golf course is five times more than your $200,000 contribution to the Watertown Cambridge Greenway.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Audra Doody, followed by Jan Forte then Sharon Hsu. Audra you have one minute please go ahead.

Good evening mayor members My name is Audra Doody. I'm the co-CEO of Safe Exit Initiative. We support people that have been impacted by the sex trade. I am here tonight in full opposition to policy of the policy order to criminalize sex work. This order will not make sex work safer. I do believe in the partial decriminalization model known as the equality model or survival model but I do believe we need to hold sex buyers accountable. Sex buyers are often predators, they don't ask how old you are if you wanna be there. I am a survivor and I've seen it firsthand. We're objects to be used in abuse. I have talked to thousands of survivors of the sex trade not one of them was there by choice. We already don't have enough willing participants and that's how young people are sucked into it and trafficked into the sex trade in Massachusetts we have policing policies that do not go after the sellers of sex instead they look at the demand side This policy order will hurt people and get more vulnerable folks sucked into life. We need more resources. Thank you so much for your time have a good evening

Thank you. Our next speaker is Jan Forte, followed by Sharon Hsu then Monique Fisher. Jan? I don't see Jen. We'll move on to Sharon Sue. Sharon is not here either. We will go to Monique Fisher. Monique is not in the Zoom. We will go to Quinn Curry. Quinn, you have the floor. You have one minute. Please go ahead. Quinn Curry, if you can unmute yourself. You have the floor.

Hi. Thank you. My name is Quinn. I was pushed into the sex industry as a teenager It was ugly. I didn't want to be there, and I'm here in support of Charter Right 2 anyways. The fact is those men didn't hurt me because they're a lack of punishment In fact, to be punished they would have had to hurt me in the first place. It's a step too late. They were able to hurt because I had lack of power, political power to keep myself safe and determine the trajectory of my own life. The fact is full decriminalization, not partial and not the equality model. Only full decriminalization has been proven to afford both trafficking victims and sex workers More political power, actual political power. I should have never gone through what I went through.

No one should have. And it's only through that power that we can prevent it

Thank you. Our next speaker is Miguel Chavez, followed by Laura Chavez then Julie Matheson Miguel, you have the floor. Please go ahead. You have one minute.

Hello, my name is Miguel Chavez. I support policy number eight to pause work on the Huron Avenue bike lane for the purpose of reconsidering and replanning it in a way that better serves the entire community. My family lives on Cushing Street at the epicenter of the proposed parking removal, and I'm a father of an autistic son. Something as simple as finding a safe place to park can make an enormous difference for us. I constantly have to think about where I can safely get my son out of the car and reduce the risk of him wandering into the street and this concern goes beyond my family. Participants in the Saturday autism program in this area will also be directly affected by the proposed reduction in parking For this family, convenience and safe access is not simply a matter of comfort. It can be a matter safety and accessibility. I support bicycle safety and bicycle infrastructure, but the people who will regularly use this bicycle lane represent only a portion of our community.

While the consequences of eliminating such parking will affect many others, including residents Thank you.

Thank you our next speaker is Laura Chavez. Laura, you have the floor please go ahead you have one minute Laura, it looks like you're logged in on two devices. I am trying to unmute you. Laura?

Hi, I'm Laura Chavez. I live in Cushing. My husband just explained or presented part of our why we support to pause this bike lane extension not only for the people with disabilities but also because Our cars have been hit twice on Cushing Street, once by a fire truck and once by school bus. Those streets are already saturated. If you put more cars, it's not going to be safe for a fire truck to pass by. We have a school on our street. We It's already a busy street. And plus, we have a new building coming with six units and no parking, no off-street parking. So there will be more cars parked on our... It seems like the city is counting on these streets to support all this additional parking and not provide any source of relief.

Where are people going to park their cars? Thank you. Me too.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Julie Matheson followed by Brenda Finn, then Claudia Torres. Julie, you have the floor. You have one minute. Looks like Julie has not joined us. We're going to move on to Brenda Finn. Brenda, one minute. Please go ahead.

Brenda Finn, 7 Malcolm Road, Policy Order Number 8. I support the pausing of the proposed bike lanes. I am concerned about the proposed loss of resident parking in an area which is densely populated and which serves residents making use of the Russell Community Center, the playground, VFW, and the golf course. About a year ago, we had some programming initiated for seniors at the Russell Community Center and use of a space that had been underutilized during the mornings and early afternoons. For the past year, parking has been a challenge. With the proposed loss of daytime resident parking spaces, parking in the area will be even more difficult and will most likely result in the loss of hard-won senior participation in programs. And for many of us seniors, bike travel poses a threat to both health and safety.

Finally, I'd like to thank Councilors Zusy, Flaherty and Simmons for listening to constituents on this issue.

Our next speaker is Claudia Torres. Claudia, one minute.

My name is Claudia Torres, staff attorney at Justice At Work and a Cambridge resident. I'm testifying in support of Charter Right Number 2 in its original language. I want to address arguments against decriminalizing all aspects of consensual adult sex work, not just the supply side. We hear that partial decriminalization makes customers accountable for structures of gender and sex inequality. That is bad policy. If we apply that principle consistently, there would be no jobs in this world. We hear that full decriminalization would facilitate rape or trafficking but rape, sexual assault, trafficking and sex involving children or without consent remain crimes. To my knowledge, there is no evidence that these harms increased because of full decriminalization. Freedom Network USA and the National Survivor Network both anti-trafficking organizations We also hear that full decriminalization would remove protections for vulnerable people, but vulnerability does not make meaningful consent impossible.

Whether coercion is present is a fact-intensive context-specific inquiry. Thank you, Claudia.

Your time has expired. Please email us the remainder. Our next speaker is Francesca Ackerman followed by Beth Melovczyk then Kristen Anderson We're at speaker 46. Francesca?

Hello, I'm speaking in support of Charter Right Number Two. I'm an autistic trans woman. I've been a sex worker for three years I began this work after 15 years of working full-time job after full- time in various fields with little more to Show for it, then poverty and mental illness. My deliberate choice of becoming a sex worker has improved my quality of life and mental health. It's given me time to take care of myself physically and emotionally while pursuing work that can sustain me financially and in terms of answering my true callings. The full decriminalization of sex work will make my life much safer. I can vet people properly and not sneak around with men whose fear of arrest makes them far more dangerous to engage with. regardless of anyone's moral opinion sex work is a job people will always do

Thank you, Francesca.

Your time is expired. We're going to hear from Suzanne Blier, followed by Monique Fisher, then Beth Malachick. Suzanne, you have the floor. You have one minute. Please. Suzanne was just in a Zoom and now she's not. We'll go to Monique Fisher. Monique, you have the floor?

OK. Thank you, Monique. Monike Fisher. Cogswell-Abb, I wrote an email to the city council on voting for policy order eight. And I'm reading this from a friend As I'm unable to attend the meeting this evening, I'm writing to support postponing the elimination of 44th Street parking spaces along Huron Ave. I've been playing golf at Fresh Pond Golf Course once or twice a week since 1987. To have such a beautiful, well-maintained public golf course in the heart of Cambridge is a source of pride and gratitude for me and so many who cherish this resource. Over the years, I've enjoyed and benefited from improvements made to the golf course, Glocken field or tennis court, fresh pond reservation.

We should all be proud of the commitment to recreation in Cambridge. I've witnessed firsthand over the past 30 years, the increase in use and enjoyment

Thank you, Monique. Please email us the remainder of your comment. Our next speaker is Beth Malachik followed by Kristen Anderson then Emily Alice. Beth, you have the floor. You have one minute.

Beth Malofchuk, We need sewer separation. Tampons, prophylactics and poo belong at Deer Island not in East Arlington backyards and basements Thank you for being part of the solution Climate breakdown is here Events in Nepal show us how unforgiving it is CSO elimination, sewer separation and green infrastructure. It's time. CAM-401A and Tannery Row must be closed. Open sewers, the entitlement of open sewers assumed by MWRA and partners must end. It's a regional system with regional challenges we need comprehensive solution the 45 dollars per household per year is a doable solution Thank you very much. And I hope you will strengthen your letter as suggested by Save Alewife Brooke.

Again, we want CSO elimination, sewer separation and green infrastructure. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Kristen Anderson followed by Emily Alice. Kristen, you have one minute. Please go ahead.

Hi, I became sick after being exposed to Elwhife Brook sewage flood water that came into my house. So thank you for the CSO policy order asking for virtual CSO elimination. Please pass this policy order without the clause about Sherman Street storage because the long-term climate resilience solution is not storage, it is sewer separation with stormwater wetlands. MWRA is using the prospect of hundreds of millions of dollars in municipal costs to deter the city from pursuing real solutions to end CSOs. MWRA was created by the legislature to fund cleaning up the CSOs. It is literally MWRAs responsibility This is a regional problem that requires regional funding. MWRA should use its regional funding mechanism to pay for virtual CSO elimination projects. Cambridge should not have to pay. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Emily Alice followed by Andrew Sebald, then David Halperin. Emily, one minute.

I'm Emily Alice. I've experienced doing in-person escorting for about a decade and I'm speaking in favor of sex work decriminalization. First, we are here because people get murdered, go to jail and as I spoke about last week get their kids taken away for sex work because it is criminalized. Second, I'm a graduate student at Harvard Divinity School where I am studying chaplaincy in spiritual care Entering Harvard as a middle-aged single mom with a sex worker background, I experienced intense imposter syndrome. But in moving through my coursework and engaging with my peers, I discovered that the intunements and skills they are imparting to my program were actually ones I already have in spades. and that is because I've spent literal years walking with people through terminal illness, divorce, job loss, births, deaths, childhood trauma, depression, anxiety Body image issues. I've had paraplegic clients, you name it. I provided intimate care to other humans as they move through almost every challenging experience a person can have and that makes me a criminal.

No sex worker has to see their job as some higher calling to be safe and paid. But we have spent so much time and effort out here demanding people not harm us that we are all for going over pressing compelling conversations.

Thank you, Emily. That's your time. If you can please email us the remainder of your comment. Our next speaker is Andrew Siebold, followed by David Halperin, then Eppa Rixley. Andrew, one minute.

Andrew, Policy Order Charter Right 2 I'm a cancer survivor living in Cambridge who does sex work to pay my skyrocketing medical bills, which stand to increase next year even with assistance from state subsidies. Thank you for watching. Please listen to me and my community and prioritize our voices. We're the ones whose incomes and safety will be directly impacted by this order. Thank you. and their goal of targeting clients puts my housing and healthcare in jeopardy. Vote yes on this order, FW.

Thank you our next speaker is David Halperin David, you have the floor. Please unmute yourself. One minute.

Good evening. David Hoppin, 14 Valentine Street, Unit 3. I'm speaking in favor of The tax abatement strategy for partially funding inclusionary zoning. We're facing a very, very difficult economic time for building right now. And you know despite that the housing shortage continues to We need to figure out how can we get things built. You know, given that reality is otherwise largely out of our control. I think tax management strategy It involves a few trade-offs. If we don't do this and those buildings are delayed or not built, then we're not going to get that tax revenue anyway. I also hope we can extend this to the whole city and not just C1. West Cambridge and other more historically exclusive parts of the city should have to do their fair share for affordable housing.

Thank you so much.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Eppa Rixey, followed by Anne McDonald, then Nicole Barna. Eppa, you have the floor. You have one minute.

Hi, my name's Epa Rixey. I live at 126 Harvey Street and I'm on the steering committee for Save the Elwhaite Brook in the Cambridge CSO and Stormwater Advisory Committee. I'm speaking in support of policy order number two on sewage pollution planning A 25-year level of control or virtual elimination is the right goal, and I urge the Council to push as hard for this goal as possible. We would love to see this accomplished through sewer separation Green stormwater infrastructure, stormwater wetlands and brook restoration rather than gray infrastructure that does little to improve the degraded state of the brook. Regional funding for this is paramount. We need regional funding to solve this regional problem. The pollution comes from surrounding communities as well as Cambridge and Somerville, and it doesn't stay in the Brook. It goes on to the Mystic and the Harbor supporting regional solutions. This is a critical environmental justice issue, not just the pollution but also the potential to offer a much better park in the backyard of numerous environmental justice communities, something that is not accurately reflected in the current planning process.

I appreciate the leadership of the council on this issue.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Anne McDonald. Sorry, my screen is freezing a little bit. Anne, you have the floor. Please go ahead. One minute.

Hi, I'm Anne McDonald commenting on policy order number two. I live on Columbus Ave just across from the Alewife Brook and have been breathing in the sewage and sediment odors as I walk along the brook for 20 plus years. I lived through the Whittemore neighborhood sewer separation as part of the last CSO control plan and I was naive to believe that that was the end of sewage in the brook. So I joined Save the Alewife Brook to advocate for the river, the creatures, the environmental justice populations living nearby and all of us who deserve a healthy sewage-free ecosystem. So I'm thankful that the Council is pushing for regional responsibility and for the virtual CSO elimination, and requesting a range of CSO control options at the higher levels of control than what is currently shown in the draft plan. I believe that separated sewers and green stormwater infrastructure should be central to the final solution, but I understand the Council's reluctance to get specific in this PO. So I then request that you please remove the clause on the Sherman Street tank and keep the higher level of control as the main focus. Thank you.

Hi, Nicole Barna, 29 Bella Circle speaking on policy order number two. I urge the councilors to reject this policy order and to reject the draft CSO plan The current plan continues to sacrifice our environment by releasing sewage into waterways, especially when the proposed Sherman tank reaches capacity. Please include language in the policy order that asks for virtual elimination of CSOs through sewer separation and green stormwater infrastructure, infrastructure that can adapt to varying levels of stormwater and population growth. Please do not support the Sherman Street sewage tank. Why create an additional repository of sewage that then needs to be remediated in an area that is already polluted and neglected, as evidenced by the Alewife Garage project? The Commuter Rail, and the Winter Snow Dumping Ground in Danahy Park. Who will manage this tank and ensure that it does not create health issues through a concentration of human waste in a dense urban neighborhood? Please do not spread the crap around. Thank you.

Our next speaker is Peter Boschko followed by Nancy Grabowski, then Patrick Herron. We are at speaker number 55, Peter Boscho. Nancy Grabowski, Patrick Herron

Thank you. Good evening, Madam Mayor, members of the City Council. My name is Nancy Russell Grabowski and I live at 4 Celestine Terrace. I've come tonight to speak in support of the Charter Right Item No. 1, the proposed bike lanes on Huron Avenue. My son's a participant of the Cambridge Program for Individuals with Special Needs, and it's run through the Human Services Department. The Cambridge program has approximately 80... Participants who have disabilities. Some require walkers, wheelchairs and some have other issues which limit their mobility. Eliminating parking on Huron Avenue by the Community and Youth Center along the golf course would come at a very high cost to safety. The proposal as written would eliminate the option for safe disembarkment of clients from buses to access the community and youth center. When the city decided to name the youth center after my late mother Mayor Sheila Russell, she asked if they'd call it a community and youth center.

She'd be very disappointed to learn that the proposed bike lanes are limiting access to the community and youth center with all the paths and trails around Fresh Pond. Thank you, Nancy.

That's your time. Please email us the rest of your comment. Our next speaker is Patrick Herron, followed by Rabbi Yoni, then Eulon Bresnahan. Patrick, one minute.

Good evening, Mayor and members of the Council. My name is Patrick Herron. I'm the Executive Director of the Mystic River Watershed Association and resident on 320 Huron Ave. I want to express my deep appreciation for the City Council for your leadership and support on virtual elimination of combined sewer overflows. Addressing CSOs and clean water is one of the most complex public health and environmental challenges our region faces, but taking this critical step forward for the long-term health of Alewife Brook and our waterways and our communities is much needed. What I will say stands out in this whole process is the amount of time the counselors took in reaching out to various stakeholders, to city staff. Thank you. Our next speaker is Rabbi Yoni.

Rabbi Yoni has not joined us. We're going to go to Yulan Bresnahan. Yulan, you have one minute. Please go ahead.

Hi, thank you. Good evening. My name is Elan Bresnahan. I'm here to speak on Charter Right 2. I say that proudly because being a sex worker has never made me less deserving of safety, dignity or humanity. Behind the label of sex worker is a We are parents raising children, students building futures and people doing our best to navigate life just like everyone else. Thank you for joining us. We can protect people experiencing exploitation, and we can do that without treating consenting adults like criminals. Please don't just speak about us. Listen to us. Our lives deserve Thank you, Yvonne.

Please email us the remainder of your comment. Our next speaker is Amy Flax followed by Rebecca Layton and Kirill Alexandrov. Amy, you have one minute. Please go ahead.

Thank you. I'd like to speak about the – to urge you to vote no on policy order number eight. I'm asking not to undermine the progress at the last minute which essentially this is whether it's one day, one year or five years. of a project that has been part of an original plan since 2015, the Byte Network Vision and has already been fully designed. And it will address yes so small but very important gap in the network I think that there has been sufficient meetings about this. It's been going on for a year.

including parking mitigation to deal with a parking area where people currently have no regulation.

Thank you, Amy. Apologies. Your time has expired. Please send us your comment via email. We're going to move on to Rebecca Layton followed by Kirill Alexandrov then Seth Taylor. Rebecca, you have one minute. Please go ahead.

Hi, thank you for having me. My name is Rebecca Layton-Shibe. I am here tonight to support the full decriminalization of sex work. I'm a survivor of sex trafficking as well as a former sex worker. Tonight I speak to you as a Survivor Leadership Program Manager at the National Survivor Network. Yenison is a national network of human trafficking survivors who support human rights and public health approach to anti-trafficking and the full decriminalization of sex work. The survivor model or equity model are not representative of what all survivors have advocated for. Survivors are not a monolith. While I do not speak for all survivors, the NSN and many of our members and partners have been advocating for sex work decriminalization for many years. Criminalizing sex work does not end trafficking or ensure justice for survivors. The conflation of sex just seeks to further harm, marginalize and create violence towards our communities while people who have access to

Resources and positions of power rarely see justice and accountability. And I will send you the rest of my testimony. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Carol Alexandrov followed by Seth Taylor, then Dan Totten. We are at speaker number 62. Carol please go ahead.

After reading the recent IZ report, I admired its attempt at post-structuralist contradictory conclusions But it really made me wonder about the big picture of the 20% inclusionary zoning. Is 20% actually achieving any results anywhere? Has there been a single instance in a city where 20% IZ actually worked? My understanding is that most serious cities have gone down to 5% given their lack of results over the past few years. Didn't our sister city San Francisco go down to five percent like everyone else? Also, CDD's conclusions contradict the RKG conclusions in multiple places. Why? Where does CDD get their data and ideas from One big one is doing a financial reassessment every 1 to 2 years, but CDD suggests 4 to 5 years. Or why didn't the study look at places where there's 0% IZ to create a baseline of cause and effect?

Given the effects of AI biotech industry downturn in the current U.S. government and the wars going on, coupled with a specter of rent control... Thank you, Carol. Your time is expired.

Please send us the remainder of your comment. Our next speaker is Seth Taylor followed by Dan Totten then Andrew Kim. Seth, one minute.

My name is Seth Taylor. I'm a Cambridge property owner and co-founder of a lab company in Cambridge called Smart Labs. Commercial property, mostly lab space, pays two thirds of our tax levy and it's weakening. In 2020, we began losing customers to labs outside of Cambridge. Brokers promised cheaper rent, free parking and easier commutes. And MassBio found that 57% of life science workers drive 45 minutes alone while only 7% bike. Since 2022, Labyrinths are down more than a quarter from the peak and our premium over Boston has nearly vanished. Cambridge is no longer special Lower rents mean lower values, so the city raised commercial rates by 22% in 26 and 21% in 27. and tenants are expected to see this pass on through their triple net. So all the tenants in biotech companies see this on their actual rent statement. And so what we're seeing here is we're at 165% of 175% state cap

So you just can't keep passing the bill to companies. Thank you Seth, your time is expired.

Please send us the rest of your comment. Our next speaker is Dan Totten followed by Andrew Kim then Susan DeCunha. Dan, one minute.

Hi, Dan Totten, 54 Bishop Allen Drive. After expressing solidarity with the sex workers I do want to take a minute to talk about inclusionary because we are On an important night here where we finally, after years and years, have a report that tells us what is deemed to be economically feasible by the city's capitalist consultants. and I just want to remind all of you that when we passed the multifamily zoning ordinance not too long ago, that 20% was pitched as part of the deal. That was a deal that I got behind because I want one-fifth of those buildings, gross floor area to go to people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get it. And I'm just here tonight to say that the report doesn't force you to lower the percentage and Andrew Kim, Andrew, one minute.

Hello, I'm sharing a testimony. Dear Cambridge City Council, my name is James DeNova. I'm 46 and I've worked in Brighton and Cambridge as a professional dominatrix for four years. I am writing in support of Charter Right 2 in its original language regarding the safety of sex workers in Cambridge. Choosing sex work, I made a conscious choice. I came from Russia to the US 15 years ago and got a master's in project management from Northeastern. In spite of graduating as one the best in my class, I wasn't able to find a job in Boston that could cover my rent and student loan despite struggling for two years. When I started working as a dominatrix, it really transformed my life. I'm struggling to afford living in Boston being single with no kids and a sick parent. I know that many women who do sex work to support themselves and their families is the only way to make ends meet. This is why I think that sex work has to be decriminalized.

Please, help us continue supporting ourselves with sex work and not living in constant fear all the time. Thank you, Jane Znova.

Our next speaker is Susan DeCunha, followed by Audrey Morrissey. We are at Speaker 66. Susan, please go ahead.

Hi, I'm Susan De Cunha. I live on Alston Street. Thank you very much. if his parents want to attend the game they live too far away to get there any other way. They live in Cambridge and they need to park to attend I'm in favor of delaying the removal of parking spaces. All of us, however we travel in Cambridge have to accept delays detours and inconveniences for the common good I would suggest that while other solutions are looked for,

that everything be done to slow down, to keep the speed limit at or below 20 miles an hour which it is and I would ask bicyclists to accept the delay of using the sidewalk if they don't feel safe on the street. Thank you.

Thank you, our next speaker is Audrey Morrissey followed by Jacob Brown then Michael Siegel. Audrey has not joined we will go to Jacob Brown

Hi, my name is Jacob Brown. I'm a resident of Cambridge. I am reading a testimony on behalf of an anonymous sex worker in support of charter right number two. Yeah, it says, I've grown up in the Boston area and Cambridge has always been a part of why I view this area at home. The vibrant arts community, pursuit of education and commitment to growth have always made me feel welcome. I began independent sex work as a young adult in my twenties and the independence both financially and otherwise has allowed me to pursue my education. I'm disabled and as a result unable to do school or work full-time without serious repercussions on my health. Sex work has allowed me to set my own schedule and work within my capacities, Since I've been able to meet with clients, I have become able once again take classes and pursue my education in a way that is sustainable. Without the flexibility and financial freedom this job has granted me, I would not be able to continue my education. Sex work between two informed and consenting adults is not a threat to the safety of our community as a whole. Decriminalization would increase safety for workers myself, and many other workers are limited by fear of arrests of ourselves and our clients.

And this makes this work riskier and puts us at risk of greatest harm. Thank you for your time. I urge you to support charter right number two.

Thank You. Our next speaker is Michael Siegel Michael has not joined. We are going to Jean Devine. Jean, you have the floor. You have one minute. Please go ahead.

Can you hear me?

We can. Please go ahead.

Okay. Hi, my name is Jean Devine. I live in Belmont, Mass., but I teach in Cambridge. For nearly a decade, I've taught Cambridge students how to improve ecosystems and advocate for environmental justice. I'm here to argue for the end of CSOs at Alewife Brook. and to advocate for sewer separation and green, not gray storm infrastructure solutions. My students have learned how to make riparian edge gardens. They'd be happy to help do this. Ecosystems and all the animals and all of the people would be grateful not to have any more pollution in the El Life Brook. They also kayak down the Charles River, and they have to contend with the pollution there as well. Stop and close these CSOs once and for all. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Willow Aguiar, followed by Molly Brooks, then Ruth Allen. Willow? Willow has not joined us. We are gonna go to Ruth Allen, sorry Molly Brooks then Ruth Allen. Molly you have the floor please unmute yourself

Hi, Molly Brooks, 70 Matanon Road. I am speaking in support of policy order number one or 185 because for most of us it's near impossible to afford to live in this city as a resident and a teacher at CRLS I have been working in Cambridge Public Schools for six years, so every day I encounter so many visceral examples of the socioeconomic divide in this city. There's a near non-existent middle class and we need to support our working class residents and families' right to fair housing. I love being a teacher and a community member in Cambridge, but I worry myself that I can't maintain that long term. But more so my heart breaks for my lowest paid coworkers like our paras and our subs as well as to my students who get priced out of the city every year. So let's help each other maintain a fair and diverse city. I also speak in support of Charter 2, Policy Number 10 to decriminalize sex work. There is value when all labor and sex workers deserve safety, justice, and autonomy. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Ruth Allen. Ruth, you have one minute. Please go ahead. Sorry, Ruth if you can try to unmute yourself?

Yep.

There you go.

Thank you. This is Ruth Allen, 48 Fenno Street Cambridge I'm speaking on behalf of Policy Order 8 The stretch of this bike lane really needs to be redesigned. We need to pause and think, and read the neighborhood. The ability of residents to access the Sheila Russell Center, the baseball fields, the golf course, and the playgrounds is being completely shut off from certain people. The Cambridge program's clients and support staff really needs access to this area. Parking is imperative to these people. It's not a nicety, it's a necessity The elderly programs, child programs, high school programs, grammar school programs access is being impacted once we pull this. Not to mention the people who cannot afford to pay the rent on the parking spaces We have so many options which should be looked at first without removing access for people. Let's slow down, do it right for the first time.

What we have now is not a solution and it's not a fight. Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Michael Shively. Michael has not joined us. We are going to move on to speaker number 75, Maggie Allen followed by Chrissy Bates then Mark McCurry. Maggie is not in the Zoom. We'll go to Chrissy Bates.

Hi Cambridge! So I'm Chrissy Bates. I am a leader on Young Dems Massachusetts. Charter number two is basically standing up for human rights. It is disability justice, And if you were an organizer or like a community advocate and you felt really strongly about your nonprofit or your cause, wouldn't you be here this evening? This room is filled with the experts. These are the experts that are working boots on the ground. I would encourage you to adopt the language as it is. Again, I'm a leader and Mass Young Dems. It's an organization, and we should be listening to survivors that are actually here. So thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Mark McCurry. Mark, you have the floor one minute please go ahead

Hello, City Council. My name is Mark McCurry and I'm speaking today against the proposal to cancel the bike lane safety project on Huron Street. I'm a new resident to Belmont and I live next to Fresh Pond on Colby Street. I purchased my home last year because I frequently bike and drive through Cambridge. I choose where I bike based upon where there is safe infrastructure to do so, and by speaking to other residents they choose to do the same When safe infrastructure is available, I've seen firsthand that many families and many local residents do use the available routes in a volume that just seems to increase every single year that I've been here. I urge you to help construct this link without delays and help build a more robust cycling network. Cambridge is saturated in car traffic and cycling offers a more efficient means of transportation than individualized cars. Thank you very much for your time today.

Thank you. Our next speaker is Robin Miller, followed by Rita Romero then Alexandria Powell. Robin, you have the floor please unmute yourself one minute

Hi, thank you. My name is Robin Miller and I'm here to respectfully urge the Cambridge City Council not to endorse full decriminalization of the sex trade As a survivor of the commercial sex trade and prostitution, I was bought and sold on the street for six years, trafficked by a third party exploiter. I've served as a case manager and advocate supporting and serving survivors through direct service for over 14 years. In the six years I was trafficked, I was assaulted countless times by men who bought me. I've lived with CPTSD for 27 years. The harms don't go away. I was raped, beaten to the point of being unrecognizable, robbed, kidnapped and threatened with guns. This is also true for the people I have served. Men purchasing access to my body represented every part of society. Professionals, working class men, people with money and people without it. Their social status did not protect me. Consensual safe sex work will never be possible You cannot screen out a rapist.

You cannot scream out a serial killer and a buyer can not reliably determine what coercion, trafficking addiction poverty or desperation exists behind the person standing in front of them. I told every buyer I was there by choice

Thank you. Our next speaker is Rita Romero followed by Alexandria Powell, then James Williamson. Rita, one minute.

My name is Rita Romero. I am a sex worker. I have been a sex work for over 20 years. I plan on being a sex workers for the next 20 years Personally, I don't charge for sexual acts. I charge for my time and my time only. Sex is never guaranteed, and what happens in your time with me after you have passed my screening will depend on your behavior. I make the decisions. That's my job, in a nutshell. Your job is to listen to and speak for your constituents. You have heard an overwhelming amount of support for this policy order, you have heard what your community wants and needs, your job is not to sit here and make decisions about your thoughts and opinions. Your job is to listen to and speak for your community. Please do your job so we can do ours safely. I am a survivor of sex trafficking.

I choose to do this work, and I choose

Thank you. Our next speaker is Alexandria Powell, followed by James Williamson, then Daniel Dottie. Alexandria one minute

Good evening, thank you council members. My name is Alex Powell I'm a case manager at Safe Exit Initiative we support individuals that have been impacted by the sex trade across the street I'm speaking in opposition of CR2 from my seven years working as a case manager in support of both youth and adults. and speaking from my own love experience I don't see a way to make these sex trades safe um As a queer non-binary individual, it angers me and saddens me when it's used as an argument that marginalized folks need this as a means of survival. We should be looking at other What is pushing people to the margins of society and focusing on expanding access to housing and other needs? instead. And I would like to remind people that the sex trade is... Thank you.

Thank you. Our next speaker is James Williamson. James, you have the floor. You have one minute. Please go ahead.

You can hear me?

We can. Please go ahead.

Thank you. Appreciate it, Ed. I live in North Cambridge and I think it seems very reasonable the proposal to pause not cancel but pause The extension of the so-called protected bike lane to outer Huron Ave. I want to sort of raise some questions about the underlying... Why is the safety, alleged safety of bicycles the only thing that seems to matter in this city? I'm getting run over every single day by bicyclists ignoring rules of the road, which would make them safer. If safety is so important, why are rules for bicyclists being enforced in this city? I could go on at greater length but the clock is running down.

So I think you should pause.

Thank you. Our next speaker is, I believe we already heard from Kristen Anderson. We're going to go on to Daniel Dottie Daniel has not joined us. We will go to Heather Hoffman. Heather, you have the floor?

Hello, Heather Hoffman, 213 Hurley Street. I'm going to start out with huzzah for Steve Kaiser and a hope that we can figure out how to not have Raw sewage running in our streets, in people's homes, into East Arlington, in our rivers, etc. A whole lot sooner. And I hope that the And now I'd like to talk about inclusionary zoning. This report seems to me to contradict so many of the things we've been told, that just building market rate housing will make this a paradise. all kinds of things.

I hope that we can have a meeting where we can actually talk about what this says and whether any of it makes sense, thank you.

Thank you our next speaker is Kayla Kittredge Kayla, you have one minute. Please go ahead.

My name is Kayla Kittredge and I'm the independent candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts because our Commonwealth should protect people's dignity, not punish them for trying to survive. That is why I support decriminalization of consensual sex work between adults. We cannot call ourselves progressive while criminalizing people for navigating an economic system that has failed to provide them with housing, health care, livable wages and basic security. Thank you for joining us. Poverty, survival, the failure of our government to provide people with a livable wage and affordable housing. If someone cannot afford a roof over their head, healthcare, childcare are basic necessities I can promise you putting them in handcuffs does not solve that problem.

If this council truly wants to keep people safe, then start by protecting the people who are most vulnerable. Thank you, Kayla. Your time has expired. Please email us the remaining testimony of your comment.

Folks, we do not, as I mentioned last week, please no clapping. There may be people who disagree with you, who may not feel comfortable with that, so please, we're almost through this. Naomi, please go ahead.

Madam Mayor, that was everyone who we had signed up and I've gone back and looked for folks that were skipped. I think we're good.

Thank you, Naomi. That concludes public comment on a motion by Vice Mayor Azeem to close public comment. We'll do a roll call.

Councilor Al-Zubi? Yes. Yes, Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes, Council of Flaherty? McGovern, Nolan, Simmons, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Zusy, Mayor Siddiqui, and you have nine members recorded in the affirmative.

Public comment is now closed. There's no submission of the record. We'll go to the city manager's agenda. There are five items. Pleasure of the City Council. Al-Zubi, and then Councilor McGovern. I'll pull number five. Number five. And that is what Councilor Montgomery wanted to pull as well. Hearing no one else, we can go ahead and on a motion by Councilor Zusy to do a roll call on items number 1, number 2, and number 3. We'll do a

Al-Zubi, Vice Mayor Azeem, Councilor Flaherty, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons. Yes, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler? Yes. Yes, Councillor Zusy? Yes, Mayor Siddiqui? Yes Yes and you have nine members recorded in the affirmative

The balance is adopted and approved, and we'll go to city manager agenda item number four. This is a communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, conveying response to Waiting Report 26-32 regarding food vending in parks. Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler, you have the floor.

Thanks, Madam Mayor. Through you I just want to say thanks for this response and make a referral to send it to committee so we can talk about next steps. I'm really excited about this response that about the pilot program to allow for food vendors in city parks As the city manager response say, this has a chance to enhance the overall park experience and also create opportunities for local entrepreneurs in small businesses. There is a slogan that's been in the labor movement for a long time that originated right here in Massachusetts, Bread for All and Roses Too. I think allowing food vendors in city parks is literally about that first part. It's about making it easier to get bread in city I think we all learned a lot from the World Cup experience this summer. Being able to have watch parties in different squares, having Outdoor consumption zones and having last call be a little bit later at bars in the city. And things didn't go crazy. This was a great experience.

I think there's more we can learn from that of making it easier to have joy in the City government should be about housing and transportation and public safety, but it could also be about how we bring a little bit more joy into the world and facilitate community building. And having food vendors in city parks is one small way we can do that. So I'm interested if there are questions or discussion from other counselors, and then I will make a motion to send this to the Government Operations Committee. So that we can get updates on the next steps for the pilot program in more detail, as well as any updates to city regulations that may be needed, which the City Manager response mentions as well. I'll go back.

Do any folks want to say anything? Councilor Zusy.

I just wanted to say, again through you Mayor Siddiqui, I think this is a good idea. It's a great idea to pilot it. I just don't want to add to the rat problem. So it will be very interesting to see whether the vendors actually really do clean up after themselves, and it'll be interesting to where there is a market for the food vendors. Thank you.

I'll just say glad we're trying new things and thank you for the response as well. Looking forward to further... Nolan did not see your hand. Go ahead

Sorry, I'll be brief. But I also wanted to thank the city for this response and remind all of us that we are seeking ways to enliven various parts of our city in our squares from we're still waiting for a report on the We've been looking also at working with DCR or some other element of the state so that we can bring a beer garden to the river. At some point, we've enlivened a magazine beach partly through the Zusy, and others. So I agree this is a great thing I really look forward to discussion in committee Thank you so much. I yield.

Hearing from no one else, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler has moved that we send city manager agenda item number four to the government ops committee. So we'll go ahead and do a roll call on that.

Al-Zubi, Vice Mayor Azeem, Councilor Flaherty, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons, Councillor Sobrinho-Wheeler. Yes, Councilor Zusy? Yes. Yes, Mayor Siddiqui? Yes And you have nine members recorded in the affirmative

City Manager Agenda Item Number 4 has been referred to the Government Ops Committee. We will go to City Manager agenda item number 5 This is a communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to an inclusionary zoning report. This was pulled by Councilor Al-Zubi and then I'll go to Councilman McGovern and then Vice Mayor Azeem. Councilor

Thank you. Through you, Madam Mayor, I just want to say thank you for the long-awaited report. I have two quick comments for now. I'm going to be continuing to digest this report. The study I saw found that 34.6% would need to be priced affordably units to households earning 80% of AMI or less to maintain the city's current socioeconomic diversity level. So part of what I read in that is we're essentially below what our own study says is needed, not above it. We've also seen from the study 2014 to... to 2024, about a quarter of the new homes built here were affordable. And yet the share of the renters who are low and moderate income still fell from 48% to 42.9%. I find that pretty interesting. Second, on why projects are stalled.

The report seemed clear that the biggest problems lie in the interest rates and the construction costs which we don't really have control over I will be focusing my time on helping our constituents directly than helping larger corporate style developers. And it also mentioned that lowering our percentage helps only at the margin, if anything. I would have loved to see more from the perspective of tenants, but those are just some quick thoughts I've had on this report as it's come out and hope we can continue the dialogue.

Al-Zubi yields. We'll go to Councilor McGovern and then Vice Mayor Azeem.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I actually can yield. I wasn't going to really say much about the report at this time other than I'm glad we finally have it in front of us and and can begin the discussion. And I was just going to suggest that we send it to ordinance so that Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler and I can start getting things scheduled.

Please proceed. I also was not going to make substantive comments today, just saying that I reached out to staff and... about having a housing committee hearing. And there was feedback, I think from other counselors that it would be nice to have everyone be part of those conversations. So I would just make or let the Councilor McGovern make a motion for this to ordinance for discussion.

Thank you. Thank you for the report. The only thing I just want to make sure as we, I know it's going to go to ordinance, I thought it might go to housing for vetting but it doesn't make a big difference as long as the council can I think it does a real disservice. And I'm not saying that CDD does not work hard, particularly you Mr. Carter. What I am saying is when we pass our own deadlines then we don't get to do the work as we should and people suffer for that. So as this goes on to the ordinance committee, I just want to make sure that through community development we put in the guardrails to make

I have Councilor Nolan and then Councilor Flaherty.

Thank you, Mayor Siddiqui. Thank in some ways understandable, and yet it's unfortunate because as the report Pretty much summarizes that, yes, there's a concern and interest of the city in ensuring that the percentage of affordable units continues. And we could justify that is the goal. There's also other ways in which The report is very clear that the city does not have the ability to make every project feasible, but if we do nothing then it'll make a difficult situation worse. I think that's a quote from the report so as we decide how to move forward As many people said, let's refer this but then let's very quickly discuss the various options in front of us in order to make some difference because right now we know when the report documents that For a variety of conditions, the housing that we seek to have is not being built and we have a range of options we may consider.

It's going to be very interesting to see which ones we decide. are ones that are worth pursuing, but I am definitely wanting that conversation to happen so that we can get it moving. So thanks so much and I yield.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you to staff for a very robust report. I just want to make certain that our ordinance committee builds in time for public comment. Folks reaching out to me about the report, and I'm sure that there are many that haven't reached out that would like to weigh in. So I just want to make certain that we do that once we refer this to ordinance.

Thank you, Mayor Siddiqui. I just wanted to say this report was one of the hardest documents we've had to read since I've been on the City Council over the last two years. There was an awful lot in it. And so I look forward to further discussion. felt as though that made building much more expensive for developers. And yet then in the meantime, we gave them all this height There are no longer FAR restrictions. Projects are as of right. So I wish we had just lowered inclusionary rather than giving all that height and FAR away, but it's hard. It's hard to change things, but I found it. It's really interesting how Boston and Chelsea in Malden and San Francisco, how they're adjusting to the difficult

macroeconomic hurdles. And so I think it's obvious that we will need to do something. I hope that whatever we do, we can be incentivizing growth on the transportation corridors which is where growth should happen And I think the idea of providing some temporary property tax relief is interesting. Maybe it could be tied to the Treasury rate index so that as – Thank you very much. but I think if we can help developers develop and pay less to borrow money, that would be a great thing. And then the other thing I thought was really helpful is...

The developer feedback, talking about... I know we're working on reducing permitting delays. But that it takes a year to permit a project is problematic and that it can take three years to, I didn't know that term property stabilization but I looked up. That it could take three from start to finish for a project So that's expensive for developers too. And then I also think we've got to get better at the wait list friction for inclusionary projects. So that means it's another word that I had to look up a little bit, but that means that we need to make sure that we place people in inclusionary units as soon as they're available so that developers aren't losing more money as they're waiting for those units to fill. So again, I look forward to this discussion and I think there are a lot of levers

that we have to pull, and I'll be looking forward to your guiding us in which levers to pull.

Thank you. I yield. So I'll just briefly acknowledge all the work that did go into this and thank you to ACM Peters and Chief Cotter for the accompanying, I think, thoughtful memo. And I know that there's... A lot. I really appreciate the recommendations provided a lot of nuance around, you know, where and how various tools could be applied. And so I know there's a lot Thank you very much. So with that, on a motion that was by Councilor McGovern to refer this to the ordinance committee, we'll do a roll call.

Al-Zubi, Vice Mayor Azeem, Councilor Flaherty, Councillor McGovern, Councillor Nolan, Councillor Simmons. Yes. Yes. Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler? Yes. Counselor Zusy? Yes Mayor Siddiqui? Yes You have nine members recorded in the affirmative

City Manager Agenda Item No. 5 is referred to the Ordinance Committee. We now move on to Policy Orders. There are two policy orders. Pleasure of the City Council. So, oh, who said something? Councilor Al-Zubi? Yes, Councilor Al-Zubi. I was going to poll number two. Okay, number two is polled. Poll number one. Sabrina-Wheeler, pose number one. So number one that the proposed language for tenant notification of property sale be forwarded to the ordinance committee for hearing and report this was filed by Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler, Councilor Al-Zubi, Councilman McGovern Sobrinho-Wheeler.

Thank you to the co-sponsors. This policy order asks the Law Department and Ordinance Committee to review an ordinance similar to one that's already been enacted by our neighbor in Somerville that will require building owners to notify their tenants within 48 hours of putting buildings on the market for sale. If this policy order passes, we would convene an ordinance committee meeting to talk about the language of the ordinance in more detail. This is building on the language that we already have in our tenant notification ordinance that requires building owners to notify their tenants of their rights. I've reached out to the law department and the housing department on this, and they did not have any questions. They noted that the key is always on enforcement which is the same thing with our building enforcement tenant notification ordinance But also note there's a bill in the state legislature to enact tenant opportunity to purchase, which would really be the piece that's helpful here. To allow tenants in a building the opportunity to buy their building when it goes up for sale, give them the first right to donate that right to an affordable housing nonprofit.

We can't enact an opportunity to purchase ourselves in Cambridge under Massachusetts law, but this would be a compliment to it in some ways. Helpful in getting that started to require the notification at least. So I hope we can move forward with this tonight.

Anyone else would like to? I have Councilor McGovern and then I'll go to Councilor Nolan.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. Through you, I thank you to Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler for leading on this. We have heard a couple of people say concern that this is about... This is about just notifying people and I don't think it's too much of a hardship. Obviously, a lot of thought, I think in preparation goes into someone deciding to sell their property. and so taking the extra step of notifying your tenants a couple days before that your property hits the market so that they're not surprised or give them a couple day's notice is really not Thank you very much. Not a heavy lift, but very important. So I'm happy to be a co-sponsor.

Thank you, Mayor Siddiqui. I'd love to be added to this. It's a good order as Councilor McGovern and Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler said it builds on what our neighbors in Somerville are doing and it's a common sense policy. And it's just basic rights that if you're living in a place, why not give someone notice? There is a question of the tenant opportunity to purchase which Thank you. I will note, of course, it may be hard to enforce proactively but we do need to set a standard. Let folks know. I think as Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler said, we've had this in some of our tenant information but that hasn't stopped this kind of thing from happening so let's make sure

wherever we go with this as it moves forward to let tenants know and let landlords know that it's just something they should do. Hopefully, they would want to do it anyway but we can put in the proverbial stick in addition to a carrot of just Wanting hopefully all landlords to be one of the good ones. Thank you, I yield.

So Councilor Nolan has moved to be added to the policy order. We'll go ahead and do a roll call.

Al-Zubi? Yes. Yes, Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes, Councilor Flaherty? Yes! Yes, Councillor McGovern? Yes yes, Councillor Nolan? Yes Yes, councillor Simmons?

I'm sorry?

Yes Councillor Simmons? Siddiqui. Yes, and you have nine members recorded in the affirmative.

Councillor Nolan is added. We'll go to Councillor Flaherty.

Just one point. I think it's a great idea of the notice but There are legal ramifications to including right of first refusal and I'm sure the city solicitor will instruct everybody on this. McGovern. I just declared this is not

Talk about right of refusal? That's a separate thing that's being debated on the state. That purposely wasn't put in.

Right, and I get that. Oh, I'm sorry. Future orders. Any future orders? I just mentioned that so everyone has an idea.

Thank you, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler for bringing this forward. I'm glad to be a co-sponsor and I think it's really about communication as being part of As Councilor McGovern said, tenants should not have to find out through a listing or sign or word of mouth. I think there needs to be better and clearer direct notice. You know, we're about more information about where they can go for additional support. So we'll go ahead and refer this to the ordinance committee for hearing and report on your motion. Councilor Sperino-Wheeler will do a roll call.

as amended.

As amended.

Councilor Al-Zubi? Yes. Yes. Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes, yes. Council of Flaherty? Yes! Yes. Council McGovern? Yes Counselor Nolan? Yes Yes. Counselor Simmons? Yes, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler? Yes. Yes. Councilor Zusy? Yes Mayor Siddiqui? Yes You have nine members recorded in the affirmative

Policy Rule Number 1, as amended, is referred to the Ordinance Committee for a hearing and report. We'll go to Policy Rule 2, that the City Manager is requested to work with relevant city staff to advocate for a stronger level of CSO control and virtual CSO Elimination by 2050 Al-Zubi pulled it but I will go first to the lead Motion maker and then back. We'll go to Councilor Nolan first

Thank you Mayor Siddiqui and thank you not only to the fellow co-sponsors but also to advocates and the city staff all around. We've been working with folks across the city and also in the community This has been an issue for months. We've all heard about it. We had a committee hearing more than a year ago about this. The reason it's on the agenda for tonight to remind us all is comments are due on the plan that is going forward with the MDRA by the end of this month. So for the council as a whole to take a stand, it is important that we do it obviously this month The overall goals of the policy order, I won't go into full detail, but it really is to advocate for the strongest level of CSO control possible, ensuring that typical year calculations are rigorous enough to grow as the climate crisis continues to worsen. As we've heard over and over again, these elements of weather have been increasing just even in the last 10 years as we know from the last Thank you for joining us.

Thank you very much. Somerville, and hopefully other MWI ratepayers. But not just that, also recognize that the state and the federal government should also have a broad interest in ensuring that this type of project goes forward. And on the Cambridge specific site, urge the staff to develop and publish clear plans for long-term projects We want to do all of this without undermining the work of the DPW staff. And I will notice we heard in public comment, there are people who feel like well you could have been much stronger on this language it should go even further and then other people saying oh maybe it goes too far so I think this is a really excellent compromise to say we really do as a city stand very much in line with what the Boston City Council passed, to say that we want stronger levels of control and just to let people know that the language was picked very carefully to say virtual elimination

In full disclosure, that doesn't mean we don't expect that there will never be inundation. That's different than saying zero ever possibility of a 25-year storm. I know that may seem like a small difference to people, but it's a very clear difference that is important for us to acknowledge. Again, there is some language in the policy order that DCM Watkins has said is off a little bit on some of the numbers. Thank you for joining us. are doing their best and we feel like this could really help the city to push the MWRA and the legislature and all the other players to say while the city stands behind this, the City Council really wants more because as we heard in public comment Thank you so much for joining us.

I'm happy to go into more detail if needed, Mayor Siddiqui. But I yield for now and I look forward to my comments of my colleagues.

Councilor Nolan yields. We have a few folks who are lined up. We'll go to Councilor Al-Zubi.

Thank you. Through you, Madam Mayor, I really appreciate what Councilor Nolan just shared and to the co-sponsors for working on this. I do have a quick amendment to add to it. I Personally, working towards virtual elimination is the way to go. And I really want to encourage DPW to be intentional with engaging on that piece specifically in the PO. The amendment that I have adds one whereas clause that names the public health concerns of what these overflows actually put into the Charles River and the Elwhife Brooks, similar to kind of what Councilor Nolan just referred to. This is something that was part of a series of points that were advocated for by community members, and I hope at the very least we can include this. So I will yield since I've proposed that amendment.

So, Councilor Al-Zubi has proposed this amendment. We can discuss it along with the policy order before us. I have a few people signed up. Councilor Zusy and then Councilor Flaherty.

I will be supporting this policy order with the addition of the amendment. Supporting the city and the MWRA in their planning. This is going to be a long-term project. It's going to and so I think it's good for us to be on the record in support for this plan. I'm not sure if my colleagues knew that tonight I couldn't be two places at once, but at the Moore School Jim Wilcox is speaking with Cambridge Port residents about Magazine Beach. 10 million gallon tank put under the soccer field at Magazine Beach. And Magazine Beach Partners, which I led for many, many years is actually supporting this

We hope it will be as least disruptive as possible and that maybe the head house, Maybe the tank can be accessed from the cottage farm plant. Maybe people will still be able to play soccer on that soccer field. This is going to be a huge disruptive... Project that will go on for many years with lots of dirt, leaving Magazine Beach and going I don't know where. But again we're supporting this because must respond to climate challenges of the future and there aren't many open spaces where you can put a 10 million gallon tank. So even though this is going to be disruptive, it's going to cost a lot of money. I realize that this is something we need to commit to. Again if we can do more sewer separation

and if we can encourage, I realize there isn't a lot of room for green infrastructure but if we include green infrastructure that would be great. I wanted to ask a quick question of Deputy City Manager Kathy Watkins, I just wanted to hear you speak. You and engineer Wilcox have been working on this for years Do you want to speak to the policy order and the amendment and its importance?

Sure, I can. Through you, Mayor Siddiqui, as Councilor Zusy recognized, City Engineer Wilcox is not able to be here because he is continuing the engagement on this critical project and so you know this has been a multi-year process in terms of getting to this point where it's really a very complex plan between MWA Cambridge and Somerville that is reviewed and approved by DEP and EPA. So we are fully committed to continuing sewer separation, continuing to improve our facilities, continuing And I applaud Councilor Nolan, who also really tried to collaborate with us and work on the details of this because we have a plan that's about this thick. So to try to convey it down into A two-page council order is challenging. And so I do want to recognize both the strong desire and demand for increased level of control,

Thank you very much. and then the three parties will continue to work over the next year, year and a half on developing a final plan. And so I think it's helpful to have feedback but Also, just want to be really clear that the process would then go through that process over the next year and a half to really look at all of the public comment that we've gathered and understanding how can the draft plan be improved. and Dunn in a way that really is financially prudent as well. to go up to a 25-year level of control increases the cost of that plan to $4.74 billion dollars. Thank you very much.

Where are the benefits and what are those projects that make sense to do? I think it's helpful to have this sort of laid out in terms of desire for increased control and then we would have that process to really work with the partners, work with DEP and EPA on what does that final plan look like is the best way, again, to continue to address CSOs in our system. Which I think Councilor Nolan, you know, we've been working on this for 30 years and it is a long process. But again, continue to be committed and engaged to the process.

Thank you. We will go to Councilor McGovern, actually I had said Councilor Flaherty and then Councilor

First of all, I really like the amendment. I think it's very articulate and succinct and to the point there must be a writing course at Harvard because Councilor Al-Zubi is both articulate and neverly, My question about the policy order is this. With a yes vote on this, are we saying that we support an increase from $1.3 billion to $4.74 billion and is that cost then contemplated to be born by ratepayers, or is there a... Ancillary Fund or mechanism that would be something that we could look at to help us afford for that, afford this.

Through you Mayor Siddiqui, there's a couple Answers to your question. So one is, you know, increased level of control. It depends on what level of I think the way Councilor Nolan has worked, tried to write this is that continue to advocate for increased level of control while continue to look at those. So it's not necessarily saying do this $4.74 billion plan. Lisa, that's not how I'm reading that. I would defer to Councilor Nolan if she has a different interpretation. But as I read it... Okay, so it's not to say like oh we need the 25-year level control and this body is committing to advocate for a $4.7 billion plan but to continue to look at what additional levels of control could really work

In terms of the funding, I think one of the things that's really helpful about the order is to advocate for state funding. So which there are a lot of benefits, and so we would certainly advocate for that. One of the things I want to point out about MWA funding is that MWA just like air sewer funds is also from rate payers now It's over a wider area, and so you get more rate payers that you are dividing the cost by. But that includes our own rate payors. So if you look at our sewer rate, the biggest portion of that is debt service and WRA. wherever it ends, either on MWRA or in the city, it comes back to ratepayers. So I think that is why sort of putting in this are there state funds that we should be advocating for? But there's currently no state funds identified for this and the cost of really being a portion between MWRA, the City of Cambridge, and the City

Anyone who hasn't spoken would like to be heard? Yes. Councilor McGovern.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. Through you, I think this is for Councilor Nolan. In the original document, the 7th whereas it will be the 8th This is the one about the Sherman Street project. I've heard some concerns in public comment and some folks contacted me earlier today about concerns about this particular whereas. And I just, I don't see it... By having it in there, I don't see it as something that hurts what the ordered sections are trying to do. I'm not sure if taking it out would hurt what the Thank you very much.

As deputy manager, city manager Watkins said to get down into a two-page. and touch all the points. But that one particular whereas has brought up some issues, We'll go to Councilor Nolan.

Thank you, Mayor Siddiqui. Briefly, thank you, Councilor McGovern. Yes, we've gotten some concerns and questions and I have spoken with those numbers as well. I do think it's important to keep in because even though it seems that it's somewhat separate, As I understand, and I would love to defer to DCM Watkins after this because the way that we will be addressing both CSOs and stormwater is through a number of of Initiatives, and other projects. This is one that the Sherman Street, the Bella Circle is one in a very short time period, far shorter than any alternatives that are being considered whether it was in the streets or much larger would help reduce flooding and would help deal with many of the CSOs that we're seeing. It's, I think important to precisely that control and to let people know The city, and again, DCM Watkins can confirm this.

If this is put in and if it ends up being in the final plan, which is still a year and a half away, that tank is going to be able to be Thank you for joining us. Thank you for joining us. doing everything we can and it will actually help that neighborhood in a much shorter time frame. Thank you, I yield now to DCM Watkins

Through you, Mayor Siddiqui. I think it is a really important project and I want to be really clear. It pretty quickly addresses the most active CSO we have in this system. and that regulator structure is right there at that lot. And so it is the immediate location that makes the absolute most sense as a way to address that most active combined sewer overflow location. Now, what I will also say is this is something that we are looking at proceeding independent of the plan because the current system has activations at that location that do not meet the requirements in place before this new plan. and so we are working with MWA in pushing them to fund the bulk of this improvement because it is required to meet the current CSO control plan at 401A. And again, I just emphasize that it is the most active Thank you for the explanation.

Anyone else who hasn't spoken, who'd like to speak? I have Councilor Al-Zubi back to you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I just wanted to correct while I appreciate your compliment. The amendment came in part from our loquacious community members who are committed to advocating for our city and Again, really appreciate the policy order too because it brings in a level of reckoning with the place that we're at and the work that DPW has been doing all year long.

So the motion from Councilor Al-Zubi was for this, adding this amendment before us. So let's go ahead and do a roll call on adopting the amendment.

Yes, Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes. Yes, Councilor Flaherty? Yes! Yes, Councillor McGovern? Yes Yes, councillor Nolan? Yes Yes, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler? Yes. Yes, Councillor Zusy? Yes Yes, Mayor Siddiqui? Yes And you have nine members recorded in the affirmative

I think that is all who would like to have spoken. I want to also acknowledge Councilor Nolan and the work she's done around this and to the city, Many individuals, LaBelle Circle Neighbors and Save the Brook and a lot of others. I mean, I think... Generally, I'm sure there's maybe not full agreement on everything but I am hopeful for what's to come and I appreciate folks coming and sharing their opinions. So with that, on a motion by Councilor Al-Zubi to adopt the Policy Order No. 2 as amended, we'll do a roll call.

McGovern, Nolan, Simmons, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Zusy, Mayor Siddiqui, and you have nine members recorded in the affirmative.

Poster number two is adopted as amended. We now move on to the calendar. The calendar has a few items. The first item is charter right number one. This is postponing the rollout of the outer Huron bike lanes from the bicycle safety ordinance until we... I'll go to you. Thank you very much, Mayor Siddiqui.

I'm proposing an amendment to my policy order tonight that you've all received a copy of, and maybe we can put it on the screen for others can see it as well. I have heard you. We have heard too, and we're trying to be responsive. And again, I want to reiterate I am a cyclist. I appreciate the safe bike lanes and I appreciate about all these other competing needs for parking that outweigh the need for the bike lane. So what we've heard from the Bicycle Safety Committee and from the Department of Transportation

is that if we do some things, like if we put in unregulated places along the golf course side of the street during the day and then we have permit parking only at night and if we enforce the parking lot at the golf course so that only golfers can park there, So it's been suggested to us that if we make those changes, then there won't be a problem. But so what we're introducing here Thank you.

This fall to demonstrate its success in good faith and make concrete and transparent efforts to show that this strategy will work and there will be no need for additional parking places. So again, the idea is to... Thank you very much. and disallowing non-golfers from parking in the golf parking lot works, then let's roll out those bike lanes. But if it doesn't work Then let's rethink our strategy. So the concern is, and again I Most of us are backed, we're endorsed by the Bicycle Safety Committee.

I realize in challenging them with this It is a risky thing, but I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do. There are so many recreational amenities that are impacted by these bike lanes and the VFW Hall. And all those residents, again 30% of the 500 residents at Parkview Place are low income and a lot of them are parking on the street because it's too expensive to park at Parkview, I'm sorry, Parkside Place. So we've got... We will be disabling... The VFW Hall from having events. The Youth Center from attracting elders, from their being able to engage disabled youth in their programs will be making it hard for the West Cambridge baseball players and their families to attend events.

It'll impact the golf course, there are tennis courts, there're basketball courts, There are just so many impacts, and there is not documented need for this lane at this time. And that's why I'm sticking my neck out and saying let's be thoughtful about this Again, delay by one year. Make the changes that the Department of Transportation is recommending. See if they work. If they work, that would be great. But if they don't, let's rethink our strategy. So that is what I'm proposing today and I hope you'll support me in this. signed this petition saying that all these taxpayer-funded public amenities are going to be detrimentally impacted by this lane that very few people use. And I will tell you, people do use the lane that goes to Glackenfield.

They do use a lane that does to the golf course though and one of two people that I think have not many people bicycle to the Golf Course There are people that bike to the youth center, but this lane – and it's a community center. It's for elders too. But this lane goes beyond the youth and it seems unlikely, Grove Street.

Thank you, Councilor Zusy. So yeah, we do have... Procedural question. Yes, procedural question. I think I know what it is and so... You do? We do with there was a substitute PO from last meeting that is in our packet. Because this is an amendment, we have to basically go by order of amendments and so the clerk and we conferred was that the recommendation was Zusy, and see where that lands. And then, Councilor McGovern, we can go to your substitute. Councilor

I have a question about that. What was charter written was our substitute? And the original.

It is a little murky, but Councilor Zusy did say I want to exercise my charter on it.

Okay. Well, then I'll speak to the amendments if I may.

So yes, we can speak to amendments before us from Councilor Zusy there also. Before us will go to anyone who likes to be heard. Yeah. Councilor McGovern and then Councilor Simmons.

Thank you. I certainly do appreciate moving from a five-year delay to a one-year is not going to take place until late spring, early summer of next year anyway. Which allows them time to do some of the things that Councilor Zusy has brought up which I'm interested in and looking at There's been talk about installing some meters during the day, but overnight parking for residents in the evening. as well as continuing to work with Parkside Place around some of their available parking, that there's time to do that. I don't see a need to delay beyond that. And I do want to point out

We've heard a lot in this whole conversation about the city not listening and taking into account what the residents have talked about. And I just want to point out that The original plan, and I spoke with Ms. McKenna today, the original plan was originally to remove somewhere around 81 spaces After public comment, it says in the order 44 she told me 37, whatever, give or take. So basically almost cutting the amount of removed parking spaces in half based on public input. That seems to me to be listening to the public. The city heard concerns about the lack of parking for disabled residents, so they put handicapped spaces into the plan, handicap spaces that don't exist today. Seems to be listening to the community.

They heard concerns about the removal of the loading zone in front of the community center. They put the loading back in So I just, you know, in context of all this and this, you Thank you very much. I'm not sure what delaying a year, I think we'll probably end up very much in the same spot because if we end up getting to the point of any parking being removed folks are going to be Thank you very much.

And so I think that that is possible. And in my discussion with Ms. McKenna, that is impossible for them to do by the time any parking would be removed. So I think the substitute gets us there without adding additional months of delay. which I'm not sure is going to lead us to a better place. So, although like I said, I appreciate moving from five years to one year, I still don't think that's necessary. before any parking is removed in the next several months anyway. And I encourage the traffic department to do that and to come up with additional solutions, and I think some of the solutions that Councilor Zusy and others have raised McGovern-Yields.

Thank you. First of all, I just want to acknowledge my colleague and the original sponsor of the underlying order for thoughtfulness. When we think about community engagement, I think what we have done here Under Council Lucy's leadership, listen to the community. We have 1,500 I believe people who have signed on that have said we really want some relief, we want some thoughtfulness, we As mentioned earlier, this area of the stretch of street feeds the golf course. and what's important about the VFW in the community and youth center is it took years for us to get it. It's a community amenity we just opened it up for senior citizens in a better way Thank you for joining us.

All we are asking through this amendment is to have a thoughtful process so that we, as I often say, do it the right way because you often have the right intentions. But we had the right wrong outcome. So I'm in full support of Councilor Zusy's amendment. I thank her for her thoughtfulness and trying to meet people. Flaherty. Thank you. Through you, Madam Chair.

I'm going to speak like a lawyer and then as person who lives in that neighborhood. Because I do live in that neighborhood. As a lawyer, and I read the Cyclic Safety Ordinance, which, you know, I support safety and biking in Cambridge, especially when I think of... The probably thousand kids that bike to and from school every single day. Paragraph D in the definition section, which is the entire purpose of the cycling safety ordinance, reads connectivity. The definition of connectivity. shall mean the provision of a permanent separated bicycle lane system reflects desired routes between all major origins and destinations in the city. Clearly, this stretch of lower Huron Ave or whatever people are calling it out of Huron Av doesn't meet that criteria. It runs to nowhere. It

and extension of the bike lane which connects to a contemplated bike network system that Belmont may or may not do in the future, maybe when they regionally support multifamily housing in Belmont which I hope they do but it's unlikely. So as a lawyer, I don't think that it's supported by the Cycling Safety Ordinance by its terms and definitions. And therefore, I do not think the city has the jurisdiction to make this implementation of a separated bike lane there. As a neighbor, someone who lives in that neighborhood I can tell you I know it very well. My grandmother's house is about 10 doors from there. One of the commenters said, I think there's a VFW there. I was perplexed by that. This is a hub of activity in West Cambridge. Tennis courts, basketball courts.

Baseball fields, the golf course, the VFW with services, the special needs, services elders, veterans, community events. I attended a funeral last Friday. Faduki Puglisi, who is the owner of Guidos, which was an institution in West Cambridge. And his bereavement after the funeral was at the VFW. Zero parking on Friday at 1130. Zero and they parked in the residences on Cushing and other streets and walked up to get to the VFW to mourn with the family. And it's simply an impact that I don't think is being spoken about here and Farmer Council. These are real people that live in that neighborhood. Someone said there's 1,400 or 1,600 people in that

Some of the speakers, I think it was the Chavez family, said their cars have been hit by school buses, by fire trucks on Cushing. It's a real neighborhood with real people who live there that are feeling the impact of the multifamily housing zoning ordinance and are now having parking taken away from them. The people who When I coached there in West Cambridge Little Baseball League, I had a couple of players from 700 here on. The grandparents couldn't come to the games because there was no parking. This is a real impact. This has impacted people's lives and their ability to actively engage and participate in the recreational activities that are supported by the city of Cambridge in this beautiful gem. Thank you very much.

in Fresh Pond to make the city very livable, enjoyable and just... I support Councilor Zusy's amendment. Thank you very much. Each year, it's not an appropriate place for a separated bike lane right now. If Belmont actually creates a bike lane and I drove through Belmont over the weekend going to Dookie's funeral There are separated bike lanes by paint just as they are on lower Huron-Gona Grove. Thank you very much.

including using some of the land along the Fresh Palm Reservoir that's separated by a chain link fence and maybe we could have bike lane there and not interfere with the parking. It's just a thought. I'm not a traffic engineer, but that's all I have. I yield my time.

We will go to Councilor Nolan and then Councilor Al-Zubi

Thank you, Mayor Siddiqui. I think it's a procedural question because I spoke last week about why I wouldn't be supporting the original policy order and I know we have the substitute in our packet, which I do intend to support. But I had assumed usually we vote substitutes before we vote amendments even to an underline. So can I just have clarification about the order of this? Because I still intend to support the substitute. I think it's A very thoughtful substitute that makes sure that we will do what we can, but it doesn't include any delay, which is what I will be supporting. However, if you first have to vote the amendment then I'd rather vote for a one year than a five year, but then that will just be upended and replaced by the substitute if the substitute passes. So I'd love some clarification on order of voting.

So as I mentioned, Councilor Nolan, I conferred with the clerk earlier and the clerk is welcome to jump in but As I said, procedurally I recommend that you either do a yes or no vote on the amendment and then from there we will dispose of that amendment. If you want to vote yes so that it's the language that you like before you, even if you're going to vote for the substitute... That's fine procedurally. I think we need to dispose of that, and then we'll go to the substitute and vote for the substitute. So that's... Thank you. Thank, sorry do I have the floor? Yes go ahead.

Thank you for that explanation then I think I will vote for the amendment because if If something's going to pass of these, I'd rather have it be one year than five years. However, I am very clear that I will be voting for the substitute because I prefer that over even the one-year delay. So thank you.

Al-Zubi.

Thank you, through you Madam Mayor I would definitely be curious to hear from the Department of Transportation on what Councilor McGovern had brought up in terms of working on some of those strategies to address the parking needs I will say it's interesting for me because we had a study done a few years back on the parking spaces available at any given time of the day, both on the weekdays and the weekends. and all those spaces were not filled. And so I would be curious to hear from my colleagues on how they engage with that piece of the parking need while at the same time a study showing that not all parking spaces were filled in the first place. So I guess I'll defer to Commissioner McKenna and then, yeah, I'll yield. Commissioner?

Through you, Madam Mayor. I just wanted to clarify, you're talking about the occupancy study that the Parkside building did?

I believe so, but it was referring to the curb occupancy in general for the 2021 study.

So I think that, you know, there are certainly times of the year when the occupancy is lower. And then there are times of The occupancy study was done and I don't know offhand when the park side did their study where they were looking at both their kind of internal occupancy in the parking garage, and then the on street occupancy as well.

I appreciate that. My question was less in reference to the study and more in reference what the Department of Transportation is doing, to Councilor McGovern's point on the strategies to address parking needs so that we can creatively work on those in the meantime while the project moves forward.

Apologies, absolutely So I think we're looking at various approaches. One of them is to change the way that the streets are regulated and the way the remaining parking is regulated So currently there is a lot of unregulated parking in that area. It leads to some folks leaving vehicles there for extended periods of time, There are limited numbers of locations in the city where someone who doesn't have a resident parking sticker can leave a vehicle for a long period of time, and that is one of them. So with the remaining parking in the section of Huron Ave, in the project area. We're talking about continuing to have unrestricted parking during the day because that addresses the needs of the golfers and other visitors to the recreational centers. and then to have resident parking only overnight.

And that will ensure that those spaces are available for residents when the demand is highest overnight, and we'll also ensure vehicles aren't left there, non-resident vehicles aren t left there for long periods of time. We're also looking at ways of helping the golf course have better compliance with the golf parking lot only being used by golfers We've recently got an opinion from the law department that we are able to enforce under a particular regulation that would allow us to work with the golf course. to have them give their golfers placards to put in their car when they're in the parking lot, and that way parking control officers could come in and give tickets to anybody who is not there appropriately. and hopefully that should help really optimize the use of that parking for the golf course.

Then we're also looking at some parking changes a little bit further along Glackin Field just to have a little more of the same approach as the other end where we'll have unregulated during the day and then restricted to residents overnight for especially on the residential side of the street. We have been trying to find some off-street spaces. We have not been successful in doing that. So that as of right now, we're going to continue to see if there's any space to move with that. But as of

Thank you for sharing all of those approaches. In the 27 seconds I have, are we exploring Parkside Place as one of those places in which we can try to explore the shared usage?

That is the primary location that we thought could be a possibility, and we will continue to work on it. But as of now, it's a no from the ownership. Okay.

That's helpful. I'll yield. Thank you.

So Councilor Al-Zubi yields. I have a few other hands up. Has anyone who hasn't spoken would like to speak on this? I'll go to Councilor Zusy and then Councilor Nolan.

Thank you very much again. So thank you, Commissioner McKenna for being here to answer questions. Can the golf course start implementing these placards so that non-golfers won't be able to park there? And how quickly could the city put the residential parking only signs up? It seems like if they were put up sooner rather than later, we'd have a much better sense for... What's going to happen with parking as we lose 44 places?

Sure. Through you, Madam Mayor. There's no obstacles to us starting the enforcement in the golf course. Parking lot, except that full disclosure. We just determined that this was something we could definitely do and we haven't had extensive conversations yet with the golf course but I'm hoping that they will be supportive of this and it would just be a matter of kind of getting it in place and notifying people and things like that. We could also put up resident parking restrictions fairly quickly. My concern about the amendment as it stands now is that I think it will be very challenging to kind of measure success during this period where There is still all of the parking available, the unrestricted parking available in the location that will eventually be the bike lanes.

And we wouldn't want to take that away now because that seems a little punitive to take So I think that would make it very challenging to know what success looks like. Zusy.

Yeah, that's really helpful and I just wanted to make sure my colleagues knew so the thought is The area, the hub might get 12 places back if the golf course is able to enforce its parking lot. Who parks there? So that would be good. That would be 12 places, and I talked with my contact at Parkside. It sounds like we're not going to get the places at Parksite. So I really appreciate your efforts to resolve this. It's a very challenging problem, but it's worth solving because... The elimination of, let's say we're down to 32 places now. The elimination if 32 places is dramatically gonna impact the neighborhood and again I support bike lanes but I just feel like this is

This is going to cause a, it's going to be challenging. Thank you. I yield.

Councilor Zusy yields. I have a few folks who raised their hands. I've Councilor Nolan, Councilor McGovern and then Councilor Simmons.

Thank you, Mayor Siddiqui. I'll be quick. This is pretty confusing to me about the order of business, so I just want to say I had said I would vote for the amendment, but I think I should not vote for it. So I don't confuse people with my intention. I do intend to support the substitute. Thank you. Councilor McGovern.

Thank you, Ben. A quick question on the – so you're talking about these placards to ensure that people who are parking in the golf course parking lot are using the golf What happens at night currently when the golf course is closed? activity that goes on at the VFW in the evening or at the community center in the

Commissioner? Through you, Madam Mayor. I think that that's something that has happened informally. It's my understanding and just from observation when I've been at events out there as well I think overnight can be a little more challenging just because I would imagine that the golf demand starts pretty early. But it's certainly something that we could explore with the golf course and see what A reasonable way to formalize that a little bit?

Yeah, through you Madam Mayor. I think again it's certainly worth exploring because if we can Open those spaces for overnight parking for people who either live in the neighborhood or in the 700 Huron, or even just for the other community events that happen in the evening. I would hate to see no use in having those spots empty when those things are going on, right? So we should try to maximize usage as much as we can.

Councilor Simmons.

Through you, Madam Mayor, to the Traffic Department. So just so I understand, or the body understands, you've talked to Parkside. They have told you in writing that they would allow us to have parking for free.

Commissioner? Three, Madam Mayor. No I'm sorry if I was unclear before we've talked to Parkside they have told us in writing no they are not interested in renting the spaces

Parkside is a part of the solution.

Correct, Parkside is not. As of right now I think we can continue to speak with them and see if there are ways we could, if there's anything that would make it more appealing to them to do this but as of right

Through you, Madam Mayor to the Traffic Department. If they were willing, would that be free?

Commissioner? Simmons. Through you, Madam Mayor. No, I think it would likely be something that we would need to pay for. Councilor Simmons? I would say we the city in issues of whether there's any additional charge is something that could be worked out. Do you, Madam Mayor, to the Traffic Department?

If this is a real thing because there's a part of me that feels like this is not real that I think the council should see that in writing. We're trying to make a decision based on something that's not actually there, which is a little difficult to wrap one's head around Because if we hear, well, with talking to Parkside, it says, oh, this is possibility. That possibility is for a fee that troubles me. And so I think it should trouble the city. because it's an additional expense to us that in these very difficult times we may be able bear in the short term but not in the long term. and then so we give this benefit, we vote this based on information that we get from transportation department, traffic department whatever you call yourself these days. And we vote on that to have it That doesn't feel quite right.

And so I think we need some assurances, which is another reason why. I think the amendment should be supported. and I just feel unsure with given the information we have. And I think we need the time to do it accurate Madam Mayor, you have the floor.

Simmons-Yields, Deputy City Manager.

Just through you Mayor Siddiqui I just want to clarify because I think last week we maybe were more optimistic when this had first come up about Thank you very much. It is something that we had reached out to, particularly just like we've done with the zoning changes that allowed other businesses along other corridors, along Mass Ave and Cambridge Street. In this instance sort of the city operations and I put that sort of in quotes, of Thank you for joining us. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Through you to Madam Deputy and to the Transportation Department that I would please ask that we don't

Thank you very much. and policy-making body to make an adequate, accurate and fair decision about something that's very important particularly to the biking community.

I don't see anyone on the Zoom. Has anyone who hasn't spoken would like to speak? I'll just say quickly, I think we appreciate that Councilor Zusy went back and amended and changed it from five-year to one year. I think based on what I've heard, they're... There is some desire to delay, to look at solutions but I do think a majority also feels that this work can be done to looking at the parking and making best efforts. At the same time, not postponing and moving forward with safety improvements while continuing to address Parking. I think the proposed substitute strikes a balance around moving forward but continuing to work with residents and stakeholders on access in parking,

coming back with a response to say like, this is exactly what we did. Here's other things that we've tried before this goes into construction in Spring, Summer would be really ideal. So right now I would say let's go ahead and dispose of the amendment and then do the substitute We'll do roll calls please

Al-Zubi, no. No. Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes. Yes. Councilor Flaherty? Yes! Yes. Counselor McGovern? No. No Counselor Nolan? No No. Counselors Simmons?

Yes

Yes, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler? No. No. Councilor Zusy?

Yes.

Yes. Mayor Siddiqui? No and you have four members recorded in the affirmative and five recorded in

So the amendment fails. Councilor McGovern, I'll go to you for the substitute if you'd like to say anything.

I would not call the question.

So if you call the question, we have to do two votes. Then pass. You'll pass. So does anyone would like to talk about the substitute? Councilor Zusy.

I'll be voting against this substitute. because it just says everything is wonderful. There's no change. I guess I want all of you to know that I've been working on this with Commissioner McKenna since December, with neighbors, with all parties and with the bike committee. We've been trying to solve this problem since December and I just haven't seen solutions, which is why I introduced the policy order. So I think this policy order it doesn't It doesn't do anything.

against it because I think it sends the wrong message. Thank you, I yield.

The separated bike lanes, irregardless of whether or not it meets the criteria of connectivity or not. And we'll continue to talk about and say that we did all that we could to remedy the impact on the neighborhood. And I think that's, in my view... Thank you very much. and this was at 11.30, 11.45 after the funeral mass and there is no parking and it's not mid-golf season and there weren't any baseball games This has a real impact and to remove additional parking further burdens that neighborhood. And I think it can't be overstated that the impact of this is severe

Even if connectivity were met, which I don't see how it can factually, this is not a route that satisfies... Kids were biking to Ranger Latin every day, which is my primary concern about safety of bicycles in the city of Cambridge. This is a route that serves a singular purpose and that singular purpose is to allow People who live in Belmont to commute through Cambridge to wherever they go. And I appreciate and accept that. If there were a separated bike lane system in Belmond, maybe... Thank you very much. and let's see if there's any future advantages. But at the moment, I simply can't support the substitute amendment.

I yield.

Councilor Flaherty yields. Anyone else who hasn't spoken who'd like to be heard? Hearing none. Do you want to be heard? No, just go into the vote. Councilor McGovern moves to do a roll call on the substitute order.

Al-Zubi, Vice Mayor Azeem, Councilor Flaherty, McGovern, Nolan, Simmons, Sobrinho-Wheeler. Yes, Councilor Zusy?

No.

No. Mayor Siddiqui?

Yes. So the substitute has been adopted. Clerk, anything we need to do now? So we've disposed of that. We now move on to Charter Right Number 2. So the charter right number two, that the city manager is requested to confer with a relevant staff and departments to implement the recommendations. Following the May 2025 Human Services and Veterans Committee meeting, such as strengthening anti-poverty measures, establishing a dedicated care team call and referral line, prioritizing commercial sexual... expectation and trafficking prevention efforts for the LGBTQIA plus youth, and reporting back to the city council on progress. The charter is exercised by Councilor Nolan last week. Councilor

Thank you, Mayor Siddiqui. We've heard a lot of comments about this and some really heartfelt conversations from people who are very invested in ensuring that the city council and Very vulnerable people, particularly those who are involved in the sex trade and which includes many people we heard tonight from people who are Involved in consensual sex work as they define it and others who have been trafficked themselves We've heard, I think a pretty unanimous request for us to do what we can as a city to protect and provide some support for those People in the sex trade who are the sellers and particularly in any situation to, as the policy order makes it very clear, sex trafficking is not Thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you for joining us. The people who are involved. So I want to be very clear, this isn't just from people outside we heard and I have talked to many people who In the ecosystem of this particular line of work who are urging us to do full decriminalization and people who just as strongly Thank you for joining us. Sobrinho-Wheeler and I are offering an amendment to take out. There's a Order Clause that would put the Council on, with no caveats, on record as fully supporting and asking the Statehouse to move towards full decriminalization.

Now that I've talked to a number of more people, that's not something I'm comfortable with as a language. I am comfortable with us doing all we can to provide for the safety and security and health as much who are involved in adult consensual sex. but not necessarily those who buy it. That's still, for me an open question about whether that is the safest and best way to support these workers. I know many of the workers themselves came before us tonight and said yes it is you should listen to us this is what we want and then other Thank you for joining us. Thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you for joining us. The city staff, and that's a separate ordered in the policy order asking the city manager to follow those recommendations. That's really something that I think the council should completely 100% endorse. So I hope that the amendments are accepted so that we can then support a policy order that is more in line with what I believe is best for the city.

Councilor Nolan yields, we'll go to Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler.

Thanks, Madam Mayor. Whatever type of work you are in cannot have worker protections when your work is criminalized and criminalizing sex workers makes their work less safe and not more safe. We've heard powerful testimony about this tonight and last week and we've seen how this works in other industries, protecting sex workers by ending criminalization of their consensual adult sex work is one key step. It's not the end to protect and empower workers but it's a step that's needed to make that possible to give one recent example from another industry because cannabis is no longer criminalized. There are worker protections and there are regulations and there unions in the cannabis industry, and this was not possible when cannabis was criminalized We have worked with the law department on this language of policy order. It cannot change the law, that would be done at the state level but it does send a message to our state and county elected officials And thanks to Councilor Nolan for thinking about this.

I personally preferred the language in the original policy order, but after talking with advocates about the amendment, I'm happy to incorporate this Zusy. Thank you, Madam Mayor, through you I too will support

The amendments, I agree with what my previous colleagues have said. Thank you very much. We should do. These are, you know, folks who are doing this willingly and I want to also point out that this policy order is, you and anyone who is being forced into this business against their will.

But I also want to, I really want to thank the folks who spoke tonight and the advocates who were pushing us on the original order for their willingness to come up with some compromise language that that still achieves I think what the ultimate goal is, is to go on record and to advise the police and let the police know that we are not looking to criminalize sex workers. It is, even though it's slightly different than what was originally there, it is still a huge step forward I think and something that we can continue to build on and work on as time goes on. which I and I'm sure others are committed to doing. I know Councilor Al-Zubi and I as co-chairs of the Human Services Committee can continue discussions. Thank you very much.

feel comfortable with this and are willing to make these compromises says a lot to me about their willingness to compromise and push this forward. And I think this is necessary, quite honestly, to get the votes that we need to pass this And so I will be supporting them and obviously voting for the amended version in the end. Thanks.

Yeah, hi. I'm just regretting I should have... I don't know if the police are available or the... Domestic and Gender-Based Violence Prevention Initiative. I don't know if anybody's home. Okay, I should have put in a request because I had wanted to ask whether the... Thank you so much for being here. So what I had wanted to know is... So we've heard from many, many passionate speakers and I appreciate all the testimony. But my questions are... So are the Cambridge Police Department currently involved in enforcing... Are they putting sex workers in jail?

And then is the domestic and gender-based violence prevention initiative already addressing this need? I mean, this is your work. So I didn't know whether this policy, I'm not sure what this policy will do. I don't know how it's going to strengthen protection. So I'd really love to hear about like what you're doing and how this would strengthen that. Thank you.

Through you Madam Mayor. So A, the Cambridge Police Department and I don't want to speak for them but this is from conversations with them in their current records They don't have a practice of arresting sex workers. There have been, and I'm so sorry all of my batteries on everything have died but I believe about four arrests in the past five years for people who are conducting sex work. And that is aside from the larger brothel arrest that happened in a few years. That was not Cambridge police, that was a federal undertaking. So they do not count that because I was not driven by them. So that is not their practice. In terms of the work at the Domestic Gender-Based Violence Prevention Initiative, we have been working really hard to learn from the people on the ground And I've had this conversation with my colleagues.

As Councilor Nolan and others have mentioned, there are various views on the issue of decriminalization but there is unanimous understanding of the needs The immediate needs to protect sex workers and what that looks like. And so we have, in my role and my team's role, we are doing our very best to make sure we are in communication Thank you for joining us today. Again, I urge you to pay attention particularly to the recommendations because there is unanimous agreement regarding the need and the impact of those recommendations and how they can be helpful and beneficial Thank you so much. I feel so lucky that you're here.

So do you feel as though you need a referral line or that we would need a special referral line just for this purpose?

Through you, Madam Mayor, absolutely. There is consensus across the board about the inability to or the lack of trust in being able to reach out to law enforcement. is something were to be done to you or to happen while you are engaged in sex work. So again, people's People's Needs for Census Safety, right? It doesn't necessarily matter what Cambridge Police's practices are. It's kind of the same thing we say Cambridge Police won't cooperate with ICE or anything like that. Our immigrant community, right? That doesn't necessarily mean they believe that. Doesn't mean they have full trust in law enforcement, right ? So it's kind of the same thing as like you can say Cambridge police can say and act And so giving them another way to reach out for help.

or to say like this is what's going on, or as it has been brought up to me like hey I've come across these young people being trafficked in these areas. We want to make sure they have a pipeline to do that.

Yeah, thank you. That's so helpful to hear. Thank you so much. Councilor Simmons.

Just so I understand, as I understand it. The Cambridge police do not actively or aggressively arrest individuals that participate in this industry.

Is that correct? Through you, Madam Mayor. Yes, that is correct. Through my conversations with them, that

Thank you very much. to their uncomfortableness, which I know is not a word but I can't think of one right now. And I believe that Councilor McGovern in his speech as a part of Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler, McGovern, Siddiqui and Nolan have put in there that that's not the case. I just want us to be Clear that this is not to say that they're not doing it. I want to hear that from you. My understanding of Cambridge Public Safety is that they are proactive around protecting all people in whatever industries or proclivities they may have, that we are not punitive.

And I would like to hear that assurance from you, that that's your understanding. Not that you know—I'm not going to bring out the Bible and ask you to put your hand on it, but I just want to be clear in that if I understand from talking to my colleagues This is just to reinforce that practice by public safety.

3, Madam Mayor, that is correct. Every conversation with them has been that this is, again, for a long time this has not been their practice. Thank you very much. Arrest people for sex work. That is not their practice. Again, it's the law so they can't avoid the law but it is not a priority. I'll say it like that and that's how they said it to me actually. It is a very, very, for the police department to go after sex workers.

Through you, Madam Mayor, to Ms. Gregory. Due to your knowledge, and I understand that you may not know, and if you don't, it's to say that Do we have other law enforcement entities? Will they have to, to your knowledge, have to adhere to the same principle?

Do you, Madam Mayor, to Ms. Gregory? I think that would be important.

It's one thing to hold our own public safety department accountable, but if we have other operators that don't share the same values, then it's not as effective as a paper. It's no more than the paper that it's printed on. It's one thing if we just say the CPD, but if MIT, Harvard – and this is not to cast any aspersions on MIT, Howard or the DCR, but they do operate in our limits. So this is just a half a loaf and not a full loaf. And then around the, is it a hotline? Is that what we're saying? Or something like that? Some phone thing? Who's paying for that? I thought there was a lifeline.

Dr. Gregory? Maybe. So through you, Madam Mayor, this would be a referral line that the care team... would establish. And again, this is a conversation that I've had with Director Matthew as well and so she is open to that. I do want to put on the record Every recommendation that mentions a specific department has been discussed and agreed to by that department. And they have the funds to do that? I cannot speak to that, but there she is at agreement with the need for a warm life.

That may be a problem. I yield.

Councilor Simmons yields. Anyone who would like to speak? I'll go to Vice Mayor Azeem.

The amendments are before us, right? I just wanted to call the question.

Okay, so Vice Mayor Azeem has called the question. There will be two votes. First on calling a question that's a yes or no vote and then on the amendments themselves. So to call on calling the question we'll do a roll call

Al-Zubi. Yes. Yes, Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes. Councilor Flaherty? Yes Councilor McGovern? Yes, Councilor Nolan?

Yes

Yes, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler? Yes. Yes, Councillor Zusy? Yes Yes Mayor Siddiqui? Yes And you have nine members recorded in the affirmative

We go, the calling of the question is passed. So we'll go straight to voting on the amendments that are before us during a roll call.

Councilor Al-Zubi? Yes. Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes Councilor Flaherty? Present McGovern, yes. Councilor Nolan?

Yes.

Yes. Councilors Simmons? Yes Counselor Sobrinho-Wheeler? Yes Yes. Counselor Zusy?

Yes

Yes, Mayor Siddiqui. Yes. And you have eight members recorded in the affirmative and one recorded as present.

We have an amended policy order before us. Councilor Al-Zubi?

Thank you. Through you, Madam Mayor, now that we have the amended policy I would just like to be added as a co-sponsor of this order. Definitely want to thank everybody who wrote to us on this including those who wrote against it and thank you to the trafficking survivors who are being vulnerable in sharing their stories. Thank you very much. I really hope that doesn't cause us to continue refraining from having these conversations because As we know, it's continued stigmatization can lead to a lot of shame and isolation. I do believe the concerns for the safety of our young people are taken seriously in this and this PO addresses them At the end of the day, like Councilor McGovern says, it tells us that we are opposing trafficking and the exploitation of minors.

That'll never be okay, and it's calling on the city to work on making trafficking prevention for LGBT people QIA plus use the priority as well as the referral line and anti-poverty measures. So really appreciate the work done on this, and I'll yield back to you.

So Councillor Al-Zubi has moved to add herself as a co-sponsor to the amended policy order, so we'll go ahead and do a roll call.

Yes, Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes. Council of Flaherty? Yes McGovern, Nolan, Simmons, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Zusy, Mayor Siddiqui, and you have nine members recorded in the affirmative.

And now we have this amended policy order before us. I'll just echo some of what my colleagues have said and appreciate everyone who's spoken Thank you to the many groups and organizations who've reached out for many, many months. And to our director Gregory for your support and your expertise as well as the many advocates, and those who reached out. I think what's become clear is that there is a diversity in experiences of sex workers, and I speak with my colleagues. also think it's really important how we can prioritize the things that are in our control, especially with some concrete things that came out of that Human Services Committee meeting. I appreciate everyone who's worked on this.

With that, I think... Yes, Councilor Simmons?

Thank you very briefly. I am concerned. This is an important piece of legislation that we are voting on that does... Thank you very much. I just think it's important that we do mention this in some way to other law enforcement agencies that were in our I mentioned MIT, Harvard and the D.C., at least let them know that we have supported so that they know our thinking, that they and that they will observe behavior. We can't make them because they don't work for us, but to let them know that this is a stance that we have taken and we certainly want them to be aware of it and to follow suit. I yield the floor.

Thank you, Councilor Simmons. I agree it is an important point and Director Gregory. Hopefully we can follow up on some piece of that. So hearing from no one else, we can go ahead and adopt the amended policy order.

Yes, Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes. Yes, Councilor Flaherty? Present. Present. Councilor McGovern? Yes Yes, Councillor Nolan? Yes Yes, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler. Yes. Yes, Councillor Zusy? Yes. Mayor Siddiqui? Yes You have eight members recorded in the affirmative and one recorded as present

So the policy order as amended is adopted. I wanted to go back to Charter Right Number 1. We missed a vote. Thank you. and that amended the original policy order but we actually have to vote the policy order as amended. I apologize, we can go ahead and do a roll call.

Yes, Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes. Yes, Councilor Flaherty? No. No. Councilor McGovern? Yes, yes. Yes.

Simmons.

No, Councilor Simmons is a no. Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler? Yes. Yes. Councilors Zusy? No. No. Mayor Siddiqui? Yes yes and you have six members recorded in the affirmative and three recorded in the negative.

The policy order as amended is adopted from charter right number one. We move on to unfinished business. This is the resolving fund ordinance to establish a new revolving fund for the renewable energy Greenhouse Gas Reduction to Serve the City's Municipal Energy Use. This was passed with second reading and counsel on September 14th. It's eligible to be ordained today, so I say we go ahead and do a roll call on adopting the Resolving Fund Ordinance.

On ordination, Councilor Al-Zubi? Yes. Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes Councilor Flaherty? Yes Yes. Councilor McGovern? Yes Simmons, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Zusy, Mayor Siddiqui, and you have nine members recorded in the affirmative.

The revolving fund ordinance is ordained. We do not have any applications. We have 196 communications on a motion by Councilor Zusy to place all communications on file. We'll do a roll call.

Yes. Councilor Flaherty? Yes. Yes. Councillor McGovern? Absent. Councillor Nolan? Yes, yes. Councillor Simmons? Absence Siddiqui, and you have seven members recorded in the affirmative.

The communications are all on file. There are two resolutions. Are there resolutions that my colleagues would like to pull? Hearing none on a motion by Vice Mayor Azeem adopting the resolutions, making them unanimous upon adoption. We'll do a roll call.

Councilor Al-Zubi? Yes. Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes Councilor Flaherty? Yes Simmons, you're voted as yes. Yes. Councilor Simmons is a yes. You have eight members recorded in the affirmative and one recorded as absent.

Those resolutions are adopted. There are no committee reports. There is one communication report from other city officers. We'll move to place that on file on a motion by Vice Mayor Azeem. We will do a roll call.

Al-Zubi, yes. Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes. Councilor Flaherty? Yes Yes. Councillor McGovern? Yes Councillor Nolan? Yes Yes. Yes, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler? Yes. Counselor Zusy? Yes Mayor Siddiqui?

Yes You have nine members recorded in the affirmative That communication report from other city officers is placed on file We move on to late resolutions. We do have some late resolutions, so we'll suspend the rules. We'll do a roll call on suspension and then go to the late resolutions

Yes. Yes, Councilor McGovern. Yes. Councilor Nolan.

Yes but if they could be sent to me that would be great.

Yes Councilor Simmons. Yes, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler. Yes. Yes, Councillor Zusy. Yes Mayor Siddiqui. Yes And you have nine members recorded in the affirmative

Where the suspension passes, we're on to the late resolutions. There are four late resolutions Councilor Zusy you have the four Thank you I just wanted to pull two and three

Number two is to honor Steve Kaiser, who I think many of you probably know. Steve has pneumonia and he's been at Mount Auburn for several days Hopefully he'll be moving to rehab very shortly. But anyway, this resolution was inspired by Minka van Boezekam who just thought it would give Steve a lift. Steve has, you know, he's three degrees. Vice Mayor Azeem, I know you've got one really great degree from MIT but Steve has three in mechanical engineering and he has dedicated his life to really being A citizen engineer and historian, and it's extraordinary what he's accomplished for the city. And I think many of you know of his work to record the history of the Inner Belt.

If you go to the Historical Commission website, there's a lot of stuff there that he drafted. organized all these interviews, these videos of people that were involved with the Inner Belt which would have torn up Cambridge Port and Thank you very much. wrote a policy order about Bonnie's. We're going to miss Bonnie's Garden Center. And then also honoring Peter DeCamp-Hames. I don't know if you're familiar with his artwork. He was very influenced by Noguchi. He died a few years ago, but he is going to be remembered at an event in October. It'll be the two-year anniversary of his death. But I visited his studio just recently.

And it was one of the most magical places I've ever been in the city. Anyway, so I just wanted to bring attention to his extraordinary work He was an early Cambridge Port Open Studios artist and very, very supportive of other artists as well. So, please join me in honoring his legacy as an artist and member of the community too. Thank you.

Thank You Councilor Zizzi for your comments

Siddiqui.

Yes, Councilor Nolan and then Councilor Flaherty.

Yeah these many of these are wonderful although I don't And I just looked them up online with the late orders. I didn't have them earlier, but unless there's a timeliness, I think it would be our rules practice say that Any late resolution should only be brought in as late resolutions so that the community can know. If there's a reason, like for instance, or some kind of service. So it just in the future would be really helpful to know why when things are submitted late You know the rationale for it because it I think does the community a disservice to not have it beyond the full regular agenda

Sorry, Councilor Zusy. We don't have a meeting next week but I agree with you. In the future when folks speak about it you could say why you're bringing them in late. Flaherty.

Through you, Madam Mayor, and I'm not sure what the process is to be added as a co-sponsor. I think everybody gets added on the resolutions but I wanted to speak to Barney's What a great place, tremendous family, very connected with the resolution that I filed. The Puglisi family from the Mount Aubin neighborhood, historic neighborhood, legends in the city of Cambridge. and when I visited them recently, a little known fact is the Mount Aubin Basketball Association which was a basketball league which no longer exists was played at Glacken and I was given a CD Thank you for watching. and he thought he was a fabulous basketball player.

And I think that the CD demonstrated that it's true, his next assist will be his first assist. He shot every time he got the ball That's the point.

Thank you, Councilor Flaherty for sharing. So we'll go ahead and adopt all of these late resolutions number one two three and four making them unanimous upon adoption. We'll do a roll call

Al-Zubi, yes. Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes. Councilor Flaherty? Yes, Councilor McGovern? Yes Counselor Nolan? Yes Yes. Counselor Simmons? Yes Yes, Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler? Yes. Yes. Councilor Zusy? Yes Mayor Siddiqui?

Yes And you have nine members recorded in the affirmative On a motion by Vice Mayor Azeem to adjourn we'll go ahead and do a roll call

Yes, Vice Mayor Azeem? Yes. Councilor Flaherty? Yes, Councilor McGovern? Yes Counselor Nolan? Yes Yes, Counselor Simmons? Yes Councilor Sobrinho-Wheeler? Yes Yes, Mayor Siddiqui? Yes. And you have nine members recorded in the affirmative.

We're adjourned. Good night. It's 9-0-4. See you in two weeks.