All:
Halloween is rounding into form and there are lots of great City events around town for people of all ages to enjoy the holiday. I always enjoy going through different neighborhoods this time of year to see all the wonderfully creative decorations.
The end of October also brings election season. I like to keep these newsletters separate from my own candidacy, so here are a few public service announcements about the election: All the relevant information about how to vote is included on the Election Commission website. If you’re not already registered to vote, the last day to register is Saturday, October 25 (today!). You can register in person or online. There is early voting by mail and early voting in person at three different locations, and of course you can vote on election day (November 4) from 7:00am to 8:00pm. In addition to the normal municipal elections of City Council and School Committee, there is also a ballot question related to the adoption of a new City Charter.
I wrote a letter to the state legislature as part of a policy order advocating for the new charter document and outlined some of the changes. I encourage you to read the short letter and also to watch this very short video I published talking about some of the changes in the new charter. TL;DR: Our charter hasn’t been changed in 80 years! The new charter is a modern and clear plain-language document that expands review and democratic accountability measures within our government, standardizes best practices, and sets up a process by which we can further refine the charter. I encourage you to vote for the new charter.
As many of you know, I have been very committed to working to support Harvard and our community in responding to attacks from the federal government. Harvard is our city’s largest employer and the Harvard community is intertwined with the Cambridge community in so many ways. I was honored to moderate a panel last week on Harvard’s response thus far to the impact of federal actions. It is an uphill battle, but solidarity from our City, our institutional partners, and our community is essential in weathering these uncertain times. That fight took me to Swarthmore College last weekend, where I was able to see their latest geothermal project. I am continuing to work to pilot more geothermal opportunities in Cambridge as we continue to invest in clean energy locally.
One last reminder, the City of Cambridge is seeking members to serve on the Building Energy Use and Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) Review Board. BEUDO is a key component of the City’s Net Zero Action Plan, a community-driven roadmap to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions citywide by 2050. The newly created Board and its members will begin meeting in early 2026 and be tasked with reviewing and making decisions on applications from property owners subject to the requirements of the Ordinance and with reviewing and approving detailed regulation language in future years. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, October 27, 2025. Interested members should apply by using the City’s online application system at www.cambridgema.gov/apply.
The City and the School Department held an opening celebration and open house for the Tobin Montessori & Darby Vassall Upper Schools last weekend. I know some residents were not able to attend the opening celebration due to numerous important events that weekend, so I have asked the School Department to schedule other opportunities for a community open house. It is a wonderful facility that will enrich our community for many decades to come, and we should be proud of it and be able to appreciate it.
And finally, the Transportation Department has launched the Speed Hump Pilot Program. This program is many years in the making and is designed to make residential streets safer and more comfortable for everyone. It is partially funded by Participatory Budgeting and will deliver 48 new speed humps on key residential streets citywide. The first nine speed humps are scheduled for installation in October 2025. If you’d like speed humps considered in your neighborhood, submit a request through the city’s Traffic Calming Request Form.
Below are 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, please feel free to reach out at any time.
Patty
Council Updates
Health and Environment Committee Updates
Urban Forest Master Plan Update: Monday, October 27, 11:00am-1:00pm
- (Meeting materials)
- In the same way that I held a number of H&Env committee meetings throughout the process of updating the Zero Waste Master Plan, which was completed earlier this year, this is the first meeting to discuss the process of updating the Urban Forest Master Plan, which has a budget line associated with it for FY26. The original Urban Forest Master Plan was published in 2020. I am excited to begin this process and analyze the results of the first 5 years of the UFMP.
Electrification and Energy Capacity Planning: Wednesday, October 29, 3:00pm-5:00pm
- (Meeting materials, when available)
- This meeting will build on some of the work from the April 11, 2023 H&Env cmte meeting, as well as the Jan. 24, 2023 Econ Dev cmte meeting w/ Eversource on BEUDO electricity planning, and the annual planning board utility reports, of which the most recent was in June. The idea of the meeting is to discuss how the City and utilities are planning on expanding capacity for clean energy and electricity. We will also be including information about thermal energy network planning and solar expansion in this meeting. Eversource will have representatives available and will be able to discuss barriers to large scale electrification planning as well as local transmission planning at the transformer level.
Solar Energy Systems
- After some pushback from the rest of the Council on my proposal to protect existing solar energy systems, this proposal was sent back to committee for more deliberation. I will be holding another meeting this fall as a joint H&Env and Housing Committee meeting to try to come to a compromise in order to protect residential solar panels.
Finance Committee Updates
- I have been working with City staff in the Budget and Finance departments to host another meeting on medium- and long-term budget planning. Similar to the meetings I have held in previous years, this meeting will force the Council and the City to grapple with difficult realities of a growing budget and slowing development patterns. After discussing with staff and the Mayor’s office, we determined this meeting would benefit from including the School Committee as well, so now this meeting will be held as a Roundtable meeting on November 10 in lieu of a regularly scheduled Council meeting.
Mass Ave and Cambridge St Zoning
I have gotten a number of emails related to Mass Ave and Cambridge Street zoning petitions. I wanted to include my response here so that everyone had an opportunity to see where I land on each of the proposals. There is also a bit of misinformation in the community about what is actually in each of the proposals, so I include a quick summary as well. I encourage you to read, and I’m happy to answer any questions: 10.24.25 Mass Ave and Camb St Zoning Petitions response
City Council Meeting - Monday, October 27, 2025
City Council Meeting – Monday, October 27, 2025
Linear Park Construction and Detours
Construction on Linear Park begins this Monday. The project will require full closures of the shared-use path for an extended period, anticipated to last for as long as 14 months. During that time, the City has published detour routes for the construction period, directing pedestrians and cyclists along nearby streets, including portions of Clifton Street, Whittemore Avenue, Dudley Street, Shea Road, Harvey Street, and Cameron Avenue, which may also add to vehicle congestion on those streets as well. I cosponsored a policy order for Monday that seeks to study additional connectivity in the area and to meet with the community affected by these detours. I fully expect City staff to work to meet with the community as these detours begin on Monday and work to improve them over time once they can analyze the changing traffic patterns, which will take some time to understand and get used to. I am committed to ensuring those community conversations happen early and often during this closure.
Vacant Storefronts and a Porter Square Business Improvement District
Related to the zoning petition for Massachusetts Ave, the Mass Ave Planning Study also recommended a number of other strategies to improve the Mass Ave corridor – one of which was to study the formation of a business association of business improvement district (BID) like in Harvard Square or Central Square. CDD will begin studying those ideas this year using a grant received from the Massachusetts Downtown Initiative. Additionally, CDD received a separate grant to help fill occupancy of long-term vacant storefronts. This funding will go towards tax credits and business incentives to occupy vacant storefronts – and this program will be available citywide. Once the state agreements are in place, staff plan to market the new Vacant Storefront Tax Credit and connect with a consultant for the North Mass. Ave. business association or BID study.
Local Events/Notes
City of Cambridge Halloween Events and Important Safety Tips
Halloween Safety Tips For general Halloween safety, all children are reminded to wear reflective colors, carry a flashlight when it gets dark, and use extra caution crossing streets. Young children should be accompanied by an adult or a responsible older child. When wearing a costume, watch for trip hazards, especially on stairs. Allow plenty of clearance if passing a heat source or open flame when in costume. Open flames should never be used as Halloween decorations or costumes. Any treats given to kids should be checked out by an adult for safety purposes. In case there is a need to call for help, carry a cell phone and, as always, call 911 right away or pull the nearest City fire alarm box.
Halloween Open Houses at Most Cambridge Fire Houses
(except Headquarters, 491 Broadway, which is closed for reconstruction) Friday, October 31, 4-6 p.m. All are welcome to drop in and visit with the firefighters and check out the apparatus, tools, and equipment. Children are invited to wear their costumes. Candy donated by Cambridge Brands will be distributed to visitors. Glow sticks will also be distributed and vouchers for one scoop of ice cream from JP Licks will be given out as long as supplies last. Please keep in mind that fire companies are in service during the Open House and may have to respond to emergency calls.
Members Sought for Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) Review Board
The City of Cambridge is seeking members to serve on the Building Energy Use and Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) Review Board. BEUDO is a key component of the City’s Net Zero Action Plan, a community-driven roadmap to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions citywide by 2050. The newly created Board and its members will begin meeting in early 2026 and be tasked with reviewing and making decisions on applications from property owners subject to the requirements of the Ordinance and with reviewing and approving detailed regulation language in future years. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, October 27, 2025. Interested members should apply by using the City’s online application system at www.cambridgema.gov/apply.
Learn about the McGrath Highway Project
The MassDOT design team will hold an outreach pop-up event for the McGrath Highway project at Cambridge Crossing on Saturday, October 25 near the Lechmere Station 11:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m.. While most of the project will be in Somerville, some elements will cross the city line. For project information.
Participatory Budgeting
The twelfth PB cycle has started, and the City wants to hear your ideas for projects! How would you spend $1 million to improve our community? City of Cambridge Participatory Budgeting
Home Energy Assistance Program
Home Energy Assistance Program to accept applications beginning October 1. The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), formerly called the Fuel Assistance Program) helps income-eligible Cambridge and Somerville residents pay their winter heating bills between November 1 and April 30. Applications for the 2025-2026 heating season will be accepted beginning October 1. For information on how to apply, visit www.cambridgema.gov/HeatingHelp
Thank You
Thank you to everyone for reading. If there are any topics you want me to cover in future newsletters, I’m always happy for the input! As always, please feel free to reach out to my aide, Patrick (phayes@cambridgema.gov), or me for any of your City Council needs.
You can find all previous newsletters on my website. Please share with anyone you think would be interested: https://pattynolan.org/news/