Council Updates, Election Results, Thanksgiving, And More

All:

This is my first newsletter since Election Day: thank you to everyone who participated in our democratic process last week. I am honored to have been reelected, along with all five other incumbents who ran, and I am excited to be joined on the city council by three newcomers: Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler, who previously served on council from 2020-2021, as well as Ayesha Wilson and Joan Pickett. Election season can be a stressful time not only for candidates running, but for residents, who have to grapple with many different concerns when going to the polls. I commend everyone who took the time to consider issues in deciding on their vote for candidates to represent them. I’d also like to thank the incredible city staff and dedicated volunteers who have worked tirelessly to run the election and count ballots. This afternoon, the Cambridge Election Commission will work to count provisional and overseas absentee ballots and finalize the election results. Per state law, the election results will be finalized tonight, but you can view the unofficial results of the 2023 municipal election here. Note that the School Committee election result may lead to a recount, since now only three votes separated the sixth and seventh place finishers. Depending on the final results this afternoon, a recount may be requested.

I was delighted to see that CDD recently announced the launch of a community solar plan. This is something I have long pushed for in Cambridge and am grateful to Malcolm Bliss, who has worked to have this more widespread in Cambridge – one of the goals of the Climate Crisis Working Group. We know that access to renewable energy is essential, not only in reducing reliance on fossil fuels, but also in ensuring that the transition to clean energy is an equitable one. Renewable energy transition is a challenge, and an opportunity. There are environmental and financial benefits to investing in renewable energies and as a city, we need to commit to ensuring those benefits are distributed equitably throughout the community. Community solar gives us an opportunity to do that, allowing all Cambridge residents, whether you own or rent your home, to invest in solar projects and leverage the benefits of renewable energy.

I was able to attend several great events this week and I’d like to highlight a few of them here. Tuesday evening I attended an event for Green Energy Consumers Alliance, a group that works to assist consumers and communities take advantage of the benefits of transition to renewable energy. And that group helped launch and continues to advocate for many programs Cambridge uses, including municipal electricity aggregation. I was also able to meet Secretary Tepper who is key to many of the Healey-Driscoll administration’s efforts at addressing the climate crisis.

On Wednesday morning I was at an event for the release of the 2023 Greater Boston Housing Report Card. The report has a lot to unpack and I will need to spend some time with my colleagues and city staff to discuss implications for Cambridge. I enjoyed seeing my former colleague, Luc Schuster, present the report’s findings, and hearing from a panel of experts on what the region can do next. One concept that was highlighted in the report that I’m excited to explore is the idea of community land trusts. What remains clear is that we need to do a lot more regionally to combat rising housing costs and provide more access to affordable housing.

Last night I attended an event at MIT that is a joint effort with My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) and LemelsonMIT for the introduction of a great program that paired 18-24 year old’s with adult mentors to develop a product to address a mental health need they identified in their community. There were inspiring presentations that once again made me hopeful for our future. The program was LIFT: Leaders Inventing the Future Together. MBK is a stellar non-profit dedicated to the empowerment and success of Cambridge youths and families of color.

This morning the city council met to discuss an update to the city manager review process. As those of you who follow my work closely know, accountability and goal setting are paramount to my work on council. I am grateful to City Manager Huang for agreeing to and working to complete this review process. Part of the reason we are doing this process was the charter change that requires an annual review. Including a 360 degree review, where direct reports have a part in the process, is a best practice that we are hopefully modeling for the city. This is a review that, to the best of my knowledge, has never been completed, and I’m proud to be working to implement this kind of increased accountability throughout the city.

Last Monday, in lieu of a regular city council meeting, we met for a roundtable to discuss city-owned property in and around Central Square and how that property can be used to address city goals. Located in the heart of the city and in the shadow of City Hall, Central Square is often remarked upon as a key center of the city and the main cultural district in our city, and our discussion on Monday highlighted many of the goals and potential for the future of Central Square. If you missed the meeting, you can review the meeting materials or the recording of the meeting. I think the biggest takeaway from the meeting was that we have an incredible opportunity to leverage our existing properties to transform the Square in a way that improves our community for everyone. And that the city owned parcels are only part of the puzzle that needs to be considered – the entire area has had plans and reports – now we need to act on those and consider the square as a whole. The work done on this update shows a long-term and multi-staged strategy to develop properties. As we continue to work towards this effort, I remain committed to leveraging our existing footprint and working with neighbors to ensure that the Square grows cohesively and thoughtfully. I think this meeting was a good step forward.

And finally, Happy Thanksgiving! My plans are to be with my family and hopefully get outside on the Friday after Thanksgiving, either hiking or shopping at some of our local small businesses. I hope you are all able to enjoy time with friends and family.

Below are some comments on a few top line items and a few quick notes for Monday’s meeting. If you have questions or comments on these or anything else I’ve been working on, please feel free to reach out at any time.

Patty