All:
Sunday is International Women’s Day, March 8, and a time to research and reflect on the contributions of women who are too often neglected by historians and thus unknown by the wider world. Sunday also marks the beginning of Daylight Savings Time – time springs ahead by one hour early Sunday morning. Set your clocks Saturday night so you don’t miss anything on Sunday. The Cambridge Fire Department suggests taking this time to check your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and change the batteries in your detectors (unless they have sealed, long-life batteries). Learn more.
I was happy to be able to tour the new affordable housing development by Just A Start at 52 New Street. It’s an incredible facility and will provide 106 new affordable units and is built to Passive House standards.
Trivia (although not trivial) question: Have you heard of Eunice Hinton Carter and/or Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, two sheroes I recently discovered? If not – learn and enjoy and be inspired!
This past week – I loved being part of the always inspiring Cambridge NAACP MLK day brunch – which honored incredible people and featured a wonderful talk by Dr. Brandon Terry. An extra highlight was to be in the venue: a fossil fuel free very beautiful and energy efficient Rubinstein Treehouse at Harvard. The Harvard Square Business Association sponsored their annual Women’s Breakfast – in the wonderful Lovestruck Book store – and once again I was grateful to learn, and be in community with so many wonderful Cambridge (mostly) women. To cap off the week, this morning I went to the Feminist International Women’s Day Breakfast at Simmons – which brought joy and inspiration.
Participatory Budgeting has started in Cambridge. There is more information at the bottom of this newsletter, and you can vote here.
Not a lot of items on the agenda for Monday, although we will have a break from our normal business meeting at 6:30pm to hold a public hearing to discuss the City Manager’s reorganization of the Housing Department. As per our new City Charter, all departmental reorganization by the City Manager requires a public hearing for the City Council to review. I am supportive of the City Manager’s vision for a more integrated Housing Department which will align all housing and homeless services and programs under one department.
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
The incredible new affordable apartments at 52 New Street from Just A Start
Had an amazing time this morning at Simmons University celebrating International Women’s Day
Council Updates
Health and Environment Committee
I submitted a communication this week to the entire Council informing them of the tentative schedule for the Health and Environment Committee. I try to update the Council and the community from time to time on the trajectory of meetings and the rough calendar in the spirit of collaboration and so that everyone has an opportunity to prepare for and comment on items beforehand. You can see the tentative calendar here.
Automated Traffic Enforcement
My policy order from last week passed and the law department will work to draft a new home rule petition to ask the state for the ability to implement automated traffic enforcement for violations like running red lights, extreme speeding, or other moving violations. The policy order also sends our support to our state delegation for the existing state bills from Rep. Steve Owens and Sen. Will Brownsberger.
Please write to the Council (at council@cambridgema.gov) or come speak at the meeting (sign up here) about any of the items below.
City Council Meeting - Monday, March 9, 2026
Parking Permit Costs
This policy order was “tabled” last week after discussion at each of the last two meetings and we will discuss it again this week. The policy order asks the Cambridge Department of Transportation to adjust the fees of a resident parking permit, which haven’t been adjusted since 2013, to accurately reflect the costs of administering the program. It also asks to implement a low-income fee structure for residents in lieu of a blanket senior exemption. This ensures that we aren’t subsidizing permit holders – any fee below $75 means the resident car owner is being subsidized by all resident taxpayers, whether they own a car or not.
Green Jobs Annual Report
As part of the Green Jobs Ordinance that I helped work to pass several years ago, we require an annual Green Jobs Report. The report for 2025 is on the City Manager’s agenda for this Monday.
Housing and Zoning Priorities Memo
In order to help prioritize housing and zoning work across the council term, CDD has presented a memo to the City Council with a proposed timeline of the housing and zoning initiatives currently underway or anticipated that CDD recommends prioritizing over the next year along with a brief description of each item for discussion.
Local Events/Notes
Mothers Out Front is Recruiting New Volunteers
Come join Mothers Out Front to celebrate spring and learn how to take climate action together in our community. Join us in crafting advocacy messages for local officials on March 15, 3:00pm – 4:30pm at the Cambridge Main Public Library. Mothers Out Front volunteers will be happy to share about our work, and how to get involved—even if you only have a little time. We hope you can join us! There will be snacks, good company, and meaningful climate work. Free and open to all. Bring friends, bring kids, and as always, you don’t need to be a mother to join in! RSVP here: bit.ly/MOFCambridge
Mothers Out Front Statewide Assembly
And this weekend is the annual statewide assembly for Mothers Out Front. March 8, 2026 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM at Framingham State University, 100 State St, Framingham, MA 01702. Please join us for the annual statewide assembly! We are so looking forward to coming together as a community, hearing from an inspirational keynote speaker, and learning more about the best ways to move forward during these troubling times. There will be two breakout sessions as well as opportunities to socialize and meet others from across the Commonwealth. Child care will be provided but you must request it on your RSVP form. Additionally, there will be an option to join other MOF members for a casual dinner after the assembly for relationship-building! (Members would pay for this dinner themselves) Details to follow. We look forward to seeing you!
Participatory Budgeting
Voting for Participatory Budgeting starts March 5-15. The City of Cambridge is excited to once again invite community members to vote on projects aimed at improving the city as part of the 12th Participatory Budgeting (PB) process. From March 5 to March 15, 2026, all Cambridge residents aged 12 and older, including non-US citizens, all 6th graders, and university students, will have the opportunity to participate. Learn more.
18th Annual Chocolate Tasting Event
The wait is over! The Harvard Square Business Association is delighted to announce the return of the 18th Annual Chocolate Tasting Event! After two postponements due to inclement weather, this free, family-friendly and eagerly anticipated sweet celebration will take place on Saturday, March 7th on Brattle Street (between Eliot and Church Streets) from 1:00pm – 2:00pm. Best of all – the weather forecast is calling for temperatures close to 50 degrees and no rain or snow in sight! Come early and be prepared to indulge in scrumptious treats! This chocolate extravaganza attracts hundreds of chocoholics!
Women’s History Month
The Cambridge Historical Commission Celebrates Women’s History Month. As a joint project of the Cambridge Commission on the Status of Women and the Cambridge Historical Commission (CHC), the Cambridge Women’s Heritage Project (CWHP) was created to bring women’s contributions into focus, ensuring that they are included in the City’s rich history. During Women’s History Month, the project feels especially resonant. It reminds us that history is not fixed; it is something we build, revise, and enrich. We invite you to follow the CHC on social media throughout March as we highlight some of the women and woman-focused organizations that built and strengthened our community. Visit the Cambridge Women’s Heritage Project database: https://cwhp.cambridgema.gov/
Community Friday Nights
Cambridge Youth Programs announces Community Friday Nights. Cambridge Youth Programs (CYP), a division of DHSP, is excited to announce Community Friday Nights, a weekly event series designed to bring residents of all ages together for engaging activities, meaningful connections, and opportunities to build stronger relationships within the neighborhood and across the city. Beginning on Friday, February 27, the free events will take place on Fridays at the Russell Youth and Community Center, 680 Huron Ave. from 6 – 8 p.m. Learn more.
Cambridge Snow Center
The City will use the Cambridge Snow Center website, along with social media and other communication methods, to keep the public informed about Cambridge-specific impacts. www.cambridgema.gov/snow
Winter Resources for Unsheltered Residents
Cambridge has a network of homeless service providers, faith-based partners, and public services that coordinate efforts during extreme weather conditions. Learn more.
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/