A ‘ghost bike’ commemorating the death of a cyclist in Porter Square is knocked over on January 20, 2019. (Photo: Marc Levy)
Reuse of golf courses, search for staff
municipal Council, 5:30 p.m. Monday. Early in the pandemic, city staff backed out of temporarily converting the 50-acre, nine-hole Thomas P. O’Neill Jr. Golf Course near Fresh Pond to general recreational use; there is a call to reconsider whether a sport is the best use of the land – and perhaps to reduce the course to six holes, as “national golf attendance has declined”. Other proposals seek a faster process for demolishing and rebuilding after a disaster such as a fire; safety improvements on Broadway by the high school, where a student was recently hit by a car; and to embark on a city manager search that “we’re way behind the times,” Vice Mayor Alanna Mallon said two weeks ago. (Which didn’t stop that order from being filed until Monday.)
This is not the only ongoing research. City Clerk Anthony Wilson quits May 31, the end of his three-year contract, and the mayor proposes that Councilors E. Denise Simmons and new Councilor Paul Toner be tasked with finding the next one, after Wilson gives his opinion in September. This week, City Auditor James Monagle – who provides council with financial information and promotes “honest, efficient and fully accountable city government” – gives notice after 20 years and plans to leave the same day as Wilson.
The city manager has an update to the Net Zero action plan adopted in 2015 to provide a roadmap for eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from buildings in Cambridge by 2050, and changes to propose for the City Buildings Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance.
The council meets at City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. Televised and watchable by Zoom videoconference.
Housing Progress Updates
Housing Committee, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday. This committee led by Councilors E. Denise Simmons awaits updates on the challenges of Covid-19 and ongoing work on housing issues by the Department of Community Development, Cambridge Housing Authority and non-profit developers Homeowner’s Rehab Inc. and Just A Start. The committee meets on the third floor of the City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge. Watchable by Zoom videoconference.
Youth Resource Officer Program
School committee round table, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Committee members receive an introduction to the Youth Resource Officer Program. Officers are interacting with young people in schools and at city teen centers and other out-of-school settings, with a focus on middle school students and Cambridge Safety Net Collaborative hijacking cases, according to police. The hijackings disrupt what is known as the school-to-prison pipeline. Televised and watchable by Zoom videoconference.
Bike paths through Porter Square
Massachusetts Avenue Bike Path Meeting, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. The installation of bike and bus lanes from Dudley Street to Alewife Brook Parkway along North Massachusetts Avenue in November was not easy politically and led the city council to direct city staff to get more comments on the impact of the pathways. this meeting picks up where this project left off, extending the avenue lanes from Beech Street to Roseland through Porter Square, with background information on the Cycling Safety Ordinance, a discussion of “Constraints and Opportunities” along the corridor, an overview of lane construction options and a time for residents to ask questions about the plan. Watchable by Zoom videoconference.
BioMed 585 Third St. Tower
planning board, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. That hearing at 585 Third St. has been rescheduled for December 7 – but Cambridge has been waiting since 1999 to fill the gravel pit around which Kendall Square grew. BioMed Realty is seeking zoning permits for its planned 16-story mixed-use building with 500,000 square feet of gross floor area, where it would put labs and offices atop an arts performance center and a indoor-outdoor public space. Televised and watchable by Zoom videoconference.
No more city manager search
Government Operations, Rules and Claims Committee, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. This committee, led by Vice Mayor Alanna Mallon, will consider the next steps in the search for the next City Manager, although the first thing to watch on this topic is Monday’s City Council meeting, which will decide any matters delayed from the City Council meeting. board two weeks ago. . The committee meets at City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square.
License Mystery Program
licensing board, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday. New day! New hour! No agenda! The commission says the articles will be posted – as required by law – 48 hours before the hearing. Watchable by Zoom videoconference.
A BETTER
Please consider making a financial contribution to maintain, grow and improve Cambridge Day.
