City Manager Addresses October GAC
Cambridge City Manager Robert Healy was the guest speaker at the October Government Affairs committee meeting. The City Manager gave a brief presentation on the state of the city, with a focus on the City’s finances and improved infrastructure. He reported that the current budget required no increase in the tax levy, the first time since 1996. This was possible due to continued efforts to control costs, improvements in the commercial real estate market, increases in hotel and motel and excise taxes, and increased returns on City investments. Healy thanked the business community for its continued support to maintain strong city finances.
The City manager reported on a number of infrastructure improvements have been completed, including the renovations at Donnelly and Russell Fields, and on-going improvements to the City’s sewer system are showing positive results. Healy mentioned that areas that had historically had flooding problems where sewer work has been completed had no problems even with the above average rainfall in October. Other infrastructure projects are set to begin which will impact debt service beginning next year. The bidding process for construction of the library expansion project has started and a firm has been selected to design the interior of the new Police Department headquarters. The City is also in the process of purchasing the West Cambridge Veterans of Foreign Wars post that will be renovated for a West Cambridge Youth and Community Center. The City also continues to use Community Preservation Act funds for development of affordable housing.
Healy also said that Cambridge continues to be a desirable place to live and work. Continued increases in residential property values are one indication of this. The City also conducts an annual survey of residents regarding quality of life and of City services. Last year the survey found that 89% of respondents identified Cambridge as a good to excellent place to live.
October 24 City Council Meeting
Clean Up the Squares
The City Council passed several Orders asking the City Manager to work with the Police Commissioner to address concerns in the City’s squares regarding quality of life issues. These include concerns about individuals taking over benches and other public spaces for entire days, concerns about public drinking and other inappropriate behavior, trespassing and a general sense of a lack of safety in some areas. Councillors mentioned Harvard, Central, and Inman Squares and major avenues including Massachusetts and Cambridge Street. The Council would like to see more foot patrols in these areas and more enforcement by the police of existing laws.
Make the Streets Safer
Several orders were submitted asking the City Manager to work with the Transportation and Parking Department and the Police Department to address dangerous intersections, speeding vehicles, and trucks operating on streets where truck traffic is banned. Councillors also asked for replacement of signs in areas where it is illegal to bicycle on the sidewalk and for increased enforcement of laws applicable to bicyclists. Specific areas mentioned included bicycles on the sidewalks in Central Square, truck traffic on Gore Street, and speeding vehicles on River Street and Blanchard Road.
