March 22 Cambridge City Council Meeting: Preview

CAMBRIDGE, MA — The Cambridge City Council’s next meeting is Monday night at 5:30 and the councilors are set to discuss these five resolutions and policy orders:

1. Opposing wood burning biomass plants — Councilors say that regulation changes the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources proposed in December would “wrongly incentivize the construction of a large-scale wood-burning biomass plant” that was proposed last year in Springfield. The councilors say that wood-burning biomass releases pollutants into the atmosphere, and are encouraging the state department to withdraw the changes to the Renewable Portfolio Standard, which have been in place since 2012.
   
2. In Support of the FARE Act — This act would make public transportation free on days of statewide primary and general elections. Public transportation is a lifeline for our residents, especially lower-income residents and communities of color who are more likely to lack access to cars,” the resolution reads. “The cost of public transportation is often burdensome, and can create a barrier to civic participation, especially for low-income or BIPOC communities who face a disproportionately high number of hurdles to the voting box, and typically vote at lower rates than white or higher-income residents.” The passage of this resolution would show the council’s support of the act in the legislature.
   
3. Making Remote Participation in City Council Meetings Permanent — The mayor, vice mayor, and two city councilors are requesting the Government Operations, Rules and Claims Committee schedule a public hearing about a potential change to the council rules that would create a permanent remote participation option for all city council meetings. The resolution cites an ordinance discussed in Boston’s city council this week, which proposed the same thing.
   
4. Cambridge Minority Business Enterprise Program and the Open Data Portal — Councilors are asking for an update on when information from the Enterprise Program will be available on the Open Data Portal—a partnership that was discussed in November 2020, according to the resolution. The councilors are calling on several city departments to meet and figure out when they can make the addition, and report back to the council.
   
5. Opposing The MBTA Service Cuts — Councilors are proposing to go on record and oppose all cuts to the MBTA, which have sparked frustration and outrage across Cambridge, Boston, and the greater area. The resolution notes that the cuts hurt people most affected by the pandemic, including people of color, non-English speakers, and people with disabilities.

Other things on the table include discussing a plan to vaccinate Cambridge Public Schools staff, considering changes to the Tree Protection Ordinance, and a resolution to stand in solidarity with the Asian community and condemn white supremacy.

Find meeting info and the Zoom link here.