City Council Agenda & Weekly Newsletter (6/10/17)

Below is this week’s newsletter. If you would like to subscribe please let me know (there’s a Subscribe option on this website; click on the Menu button at the top left of this page).

Greetings —

We will hold a regular City Council meeting this Monday (6/12). I am still traveling, but will be back for Monday’s meeting (see the agenda here). It’s lengthy and includes: a memo recommending that a traffic signal be installed at the Sparks and Brattle intersection; a memo about seating at Fresh Pond; a memo about revenue from Hubway sponsorships; a memo about pedestrian crossing signs; a request for further discussion of the impact of the Boston Calling music festival on Cambridge residents, and a request for a review of the impact of new alcohol licensing regulations.

Cambridge Community Electricity Program 
The City’s new Community Choice Aggregation program will increase the amount of renewable energy in our electricity supply without increasing costs for consumers. You may have gotten a letter in the mail regarding this program, and you can learn more here. There will be three information sessions this month (6/12, 6:00pm, Lesley University, 1815 Mass Ave 3-076; 6/13, 12:30pm, Citywide Senior Center; 6/26 6:00pm, City Hall Annex).

Retail Strategic Plan Hearing
This Wednesday at 4:30pm I will chair a committee meeting to discuss the final report from the retail strategy consultant on demographic and economic data and ways to support local businesses through changes in the retail economy.

Participatory Budgeting 
The City of Cambridge Budget Office is launching the 4th Annual Participatory Budgeting Cycle in which community members will decide how to spend $800,000 on one-time capital projects to improve Cambridge. Community members can submit ideas between June 1 and July 31. Volunteer Budget Delegates (apply here) will research and develop the ideas into final proposals. In December, residents ages 12 and up will be able to vote to choose the projects. To submit an idea, please visit the Participatory Budgeting website, or contact the Budget Office at pb@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-4270 or in person at City Hall. 

Final Paving of Concord Ave Project area continues
Weather permitting, final paving of streets in the Concord Ave area will go through June 20th. The updated street-by-street schedule is postedhere under the Documents tab. Be prepared for night work and traffic and bus detours. Call 617-498-4704 to hear the latest schedule updates.

Noteworthy public events and hearings.  Visit the Calendar section of my website to see these and future public events:

Sat., 6/10, 9:00am-12:00pm, Pentecostal Tabernacle (77 Columbia St.) & Reservoir Church (170 Rindge Ave.)
Safer Homes, Safer Communities: Cambridge Gun Buy-Back Day. These drop-off locations are a safe way to drop off unwanted guns with no questions asked and no ID required. As an incentive, residents will be given gift cards when they drop off a gun and children who drop off toy guns will receive a gift card for ice cream. 

Sat., 6/10, 9:00-11:00am, City Hall (795 Mass Ave.)
28th Annual Pride Brunch, hosted by the Mayor & LGBTQ+ Commission. After the brunch, a free shuttle will leave from City Hall to transport attendees to the Boston Pride Parade.

Sat., 6/10, 9:30am-12:00pm, meet at Alewife T Station wooden benches by Steel Place entrance.
4th Annual Pedestrian Committee Walk. Join the Pedestrian Committee and explore the hidden gems of the Alewife area.

Sat., 6/10, 10:00am, Meet at entrance near 200 Cambridgepark Drive.
Alewife Stormwater Wetlands Tour.

Sat., 6/10, 10:30am-12:00pm, Cambridge Public Library (449 Broadway).
Urban Gardening: Improving your Garden Soil.

Sat., 6/10, 12:00-8:00pm, Harvard Sq. (around 1151 Mass Ave.)
Dance for World Community Festival sponsored by Jose Mateo Ballet Theater. Free dance performances inside and out. Street dance party from 6-8pm.

Sat., 6/10, 1:00-4:00pm, Maud Morgan Arts (20 Sacramento St.)
Agassiz Baldwin Backyard Block Party. Music, games, and food.

Sat., 6/10, 2:00-4:00pm, Neville Place (650 Concord Ave.)
Reflecting on Fresh Pond: Art, Prose, and Poetry Share.

Sat., 6/10 and Sun., 6/11, Weeks Footbridge.
38th Annual Dragon Boat Festival.

Sun., 6/11, 9:30am-12:00pm, Entrance to Cambridge Cemetery.
Firefighters Memorial Sunday to show respect for all members of the Cambridge Fire Department.

Mon., 6/12, 4:30-5:30pm, City Hall Steps (795 Mass Ave.)
Loving Day Ceremony. Join us as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court case that overturned state laws prohibiting interracial marriage.

Mon., 6/12, 5:30pm, City Hall (795 Mass Ave.)
Regular City Council meeting. You can view the agenda here. As always, the meeting will be televised and live-streamed. 

Mon., 6/12, 6:00pm, Lesley University Room 3-076 (1815 Mass Ave.) 
Cambridge Community Electricity Program public information session.

Mon., 6/12, 6:00-8:00pm, City Hall Annex (344 Broadway) 
HomeBridge Information Session. HomeBridge assists first-time home-buyers to purchase a home in Cambridge.

Tues., 6/13, all day, State House (24 Beacon St.)
Carbon Pricing Lobby Day with MassCAN.

Tues., 6/13, 12:30-2:30pm, Citywide Senior Center (806 Mass Ave.)
Cambridge Community Electricity Program Information Session.

Tues., 6/13, 1:00pm and 7:00pm, Central Sq. Theater (450 Mass Ave.)
“One Drop of Love: A Daughter’s Search for her Father’s Racial Approval”. This is a free performance sponsored by the City’s Citizens Committee on Civic Unity, the YWCA, and the Central Sq. Theater. Fanshen Cox DiGiovanni’s one-woman show explores the intersections of race, class, and gender in search of truth, justice and love. Space is limited; reserve tickets here.

Tues., 6/13, 4:00-6:00pm, City Hall (795 Mass Ave.)
Public Safety Committee hearing to discuss communication between the city and residents, including various types of Commonwealth Connect reporting mechanisms and data collection (including short-term rental activity, mosquitos, and bicycle safety).

Tues., 6/13, 5:00-7:00pm, EF Education First (2 Education Circle)
10th Annual Benefit for Bridge: A Decade of Success. Celebrate theCommunity Learning Center’s Bridge to College Program.

Tues., 6/13, 6:00-8:00pm, CRLS (459 Broadway)
CPS Town Hall on the District Plan, which will provide the opportunity to learn about the comprehensive process to develop a vision for the future of CPS.

Weds., 6/14, 12:00-1:30pm, City Hall (795 Mass Ave.)
Office Hours. Stop by to talk about issues in your neighborhood or other matters before the Council. Please contact my legislative aide Nora Bent if you plan to come or to schedule another time to meet. You can reach Nora at 617-349-4277 or nbent@cambridgema.gov.

Weds., 6/14, 2:00-4:00pm, City Hall (795 Mass Ave.)
Human Services & Veterans Committee hearing to discuss the opioid crisis.

Weds., 6/14, 4:30-6:00pm, City Hall (795 Mass Ave.)
I will be chairing an Economic Development & University Relations Committee Hearing to discuss the final recommendations from the consultants conducting the Retail Strategic Plan.

Weds., 6/14, 6:30-8:00pm, City Hall (795 Mass Ave.)
Vail Court Community Meeting. The City recently acquired the Vail Court property (Bishop Allen Drive) and will be redeveloping it for affordable housing. Come learn more about the project.

Thurs., 6/15, 9:00-11:30am, City Hall Annex (344 Broadway).
Envision Cambridge Economy Working Group Meeting.

Thurs., 6/15, 6:00-8:00pm, Central Sq. Library (45 Pearl St.)
Community Meeting about Proposed Surveillance Ordinance.

Thurs., 6/15, 6:00-8:30pm, City Hall Annex (344 Broadway).
Envision Cambridge Housing Working Group Meeting. 

Thurs., 6:00-8:30pm, Cambridge Common & Hong Kong Restaurant (1238 Mass Ave.)
History in the Making: Artist Talk with Allison Smith & Judith Leeman.Learn more about the evening here.

Thurs., 6/15, 6:30-8:30pm, Friends Meeting House (5 Longfellow Park)
Willard St. drainage improvement project community meeting.

Thurs., 6/15, 6:30-10:00pm, Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House (71 Cherry St).
Sweet Soul Supper to support the Margaret Fuller House. Tickets range from $90-120. Learn more about the Margaret Fuller House here.

Fri., 6/16-Sun., 6/18, St. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church (14 Magazine St.)
Greek Festival! See schedule here.

Fri., 6/16, 2:00-4:00pm, Putnam Ave. Upper School (100 Putnam Ave.)
Putnam Avenue Upper Schools Graduation.

Sat., 6/17, 9:00am-1:00pm, Volpe (55 Broadway)
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day. See list of accepted items here.

Sat., 6/17, 10:00am-2:00pm, BC High (150 Morrissey Blvd, Boston)
Standing with Refugees panel discussion and interactive experience hosted by the Catholic Charities of Boston.

Sat., 6/17, 10:00am-6:00pm, Hoyt Field (Gilmore St. & Western Ave.)
24th Annual Hoops ‘n’ Health Basketball Tournament and Health Fair.

Sat., 6/17, 2:00-10:00pm, Harvard Sq.
Make Music Harvard Sq.

Jan 

Jan Devereux
City Councillor
jdevereux@cambridgema.gov
jandevereux.com

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Jan Devereux
City Councillor
Cambridge, MA