City Politics
Harvard, MIT Students Denounce Schools’ Push to Use Global Carbon Offsets to Satisfy Proposed City Requirement
Ninety students from Harvard and MIT penned an open letter Wednesday supporting Cambridge’s proposed Green New Deal legislation while criticizing the two universities’ push to use global carbon offsets to satisfy the proposed emission reductions without paying compliance fees.
Cambridge City Council Calls On Harvard to Return Human Remains of Enslaved People, Native Americans
Following reports last week that Harvard University holds the human remains of at least 19 individuals who were likely enslaved and nearly 7,000 Native Americans, the Cambridge City Council adopted a policy order urging the University to relinquish the remains to their descendants during a Monday meeting.
Yi-An Huang ’05 Selected by Council to Serve as Cambridge’s Next City Manager
The Cambridge City Council selected Yi-An Huang ’05 to serve as the next city manager on Monday, concluding a months-long search to hire the city’s next top official.
Cheryl Watson Fisher
Affordable housing, climate change, universal pre-K, and equity — these are just a few of the issues that Cambridge City Manager Finalist Cheryl Watson Fisher said she hopes to tackle if appointed in June.
Norman Khumalo
City Manager Finalist Norman Khumalo said he is driven to Cambridge as a “community in transition” in his candidate questionnaire. Cambridge, he wrote, is “pursuing contemporary ideals and in some cases losing ground on gains achieved in the past.”
Iram Farooq
City Manager Finalist Iram Farooq — the only candidate currently working in the city government — describes Cambridge in her candidate questionnaire as “a mecca of learning, an engine of innovation, of commerce, and economic opportunity.” All of this, she writes, makes Cambridge “uniquely positioned to lead.”
Yi-An Huang
City Manager Finalist Yi-An Huang ’05 — if appointed in June — said he hopes to spur Cambridge to “be more ambitious and act with greater urgency.”
Meet the Finalists to Become Cambridge’s Next City Manager
With the upcoming departure of Louis A. DePasquale in July, the search for the next Cambridge city manager — the most influential government post in the city — is well underway. The Initial Screening Committee, composed of four City Councilors and 15 Cambridge residents, has narrowed down its list of potential candidates to four finalists. The City Council will publicly interview each of the candidates on June 1 and will vote on the next city manager during its meeting on June 6.
Proposal to Limit Memorial Drive Weekend Closures to Sundays Sparks Resident Backlash
Cambridge City Councilors debated a proposed policy order limiting the weekend closures of Memorial Drive to Sundays during its meeting Monday night. In advance of the meeting, a petition circulated by Cambridge Bicycle Safety collected nearly 2,200 signatures in opposition to the change.
Cambridge Announces Four City Manager Finalists
Cambridge’s Initial Screening Committee announced four finalists who will move forward in the search for a new city manager earlier this month.
Mass. State Rep. Calls on University VP to Increase Transparency for Allston Multimodal Project
Earlier this month, Massachusetts State Representative Michael J. Moran and University Executive Vice President Katherine N. “Katie” Lapp exchanged a pair of letters discussing Harvard’s communication with Allston residents about its plans for the Department of Transportation’s I-90/Allston Multimodal project.
Cambridge Advances $3M Community Safety Department Proposal Seeking to Provide Non-Police Public Safety Alternatives
The Cambridge City Council Finance Committee unanimously voted on Tuesday to advance a $3 million proposal for a planned Community Safety Department.
Cambridge Begins Evaluating Candidates for Next City Manager
An initial screening committee composed of Cambridge City Councilors, representatives from community organizations, and local residents has begun meeting to evaluate candidates for Cambridge’s next city manager, the city’s most powerful government post.
Cambridge Has $88 Million in Federal Relief Funds. Now, Officials Face a Daunting Question: Where Should it All Go?
The City of Cambridge currently has access to $88.1 million in federal funds, much of which has gone unspent. Now, the city faces the daunting task of deciding where it goes.
Cambridge City Councilors Debate, Delay Vote on Mass. Ave. Bike Lane Proposal
On Monday, the Cambridge City Council discussed a proposal to construct bike lanes on parts of Massachusetts Avenue between Harvard Square and North Cambridge, ultimately delaying a vote until later in the month.
Cambridge Planning Board Evaluates Two Climate Change-Related Zoning Proposals
The Cambridge Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend adding an emissions accounting section to the city’s zoning code to combat climate change during a virtual meeting Tuesday evening.
Moving Beyond ‘Pandemic Mayor’: Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui Talks Goals for Second Term
With her second term well underway, Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui said in a Thursday interview that she hopes to break out of the mold of “pandemic mayor.”
‘Willing to Run a Marathon’: Allston-Brighton Residents Push Back on Harvard’s Expansion
The Coalition for a Just Allston and Brighton, a group of Allston-Brighton residents and non-profit organizations, led a protest condemning Harvard’s expansion plans in the Allston-Brighton neighborhood earlier this month.
Harvard Professors Discuss Black History at Cambridge Forum Event
Harvard Professor Danielle S. Allen, who unsuccessfully ran for governor of Massachusetts, spoke at a panel on Black history at the Cambridge Forum on Monday.
Bike Lane Delay in Porter Square Stirs Conflict in City Council Meeting
A delay in the construction of bicycle lanes in the Porter Square neighborhood of Cambridge stirred disagreement among residents in a Cambridge City Council meeting Monday evening.
Chain of International Supermarkets in Boston Stops Stocking Russian Products
BazaAr Supermarkets, a small chain of international stores in and around Boston, has stopped stocking products imported from Russia in a show of support for Ukrainian people.
Cambridge to Distribute New Trash Carts to All Residents in June
Cambridge’s Department of Public Works will be distributing new trash carts to “all buildings where the City collects their trash” in June to replace residents’ current trash barrels.
Cambridge City Council Releases Leadership Profile for Next City Manager
The Cambridge City Council released a draft leadership profile for Cambridge’s next city manager during a Wednesday afternoon meeting. The profile stresses the “opportunities and challenges” the new manager will face with regards to housing, transportation, and climate.
Advocates Call for New Cambridge City Manager to Prioritize Lowering Housing Costs
Local affordable housing advocates are calling for Cambridge to select a city manager who will prioritize lowering the city’s high cost of living as the search to replace Louis A. DePasquale begins.
Cambridge Launches $2.5 Million Small Business Relief Program
The City of Cambridge announced a $2.5 million restaurant and nightlife relief grant program for businesses impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this month.