Neighborhood Update

Wednesday night I stopped by the Agassiz Baldwin Neighborhood Council Meeting. There’s a lot happening in the neighborhood – here’s a few highlights:

Shady Hill Square -- Neighbors are very concerned that development may take place on the Shady Hill green. It’s a remarkable community – it’s one of the few intact examples of the Garden city movement, reflecting utopian ideals in architectural design and landscape architecture. I’m trying to get the Cambridge Historic Commission to re-instate the landmark designation process they started eight years ago, before I was on the city council. I’ve also been working with neighbors to help them understand and navigate the city bureaucracy as they try to stop building from taking place. So far, we’ve been successful as the Inspectional Services Department has issued a stop work order while they review the circumstances surrounding the issuance of a building permit. If you’re interested in some of the background and history of the site, check out the Historical Commission’s 2000 report – as usual, the Historic Commission has produced a terrific summary of a piece of Cambridge’s history.

Aging in Place – Brief discussion of the aging in place project that the Agassiz Neighborhood Council has been promoting. (Also a good story in Saturday’s Boston Globe ) Cambridge at Home is having a launch party Sunday 10/21 – their website is www.cambridgeathome.org. Aging in place is an issue Cambridge and all communities will struggle with more and more each year – how do we enable people to stay and grow older in their community? Associated questions, such as how to provide needed services efficiently and equitably, inevitably arise and will be part of the discussion.

Maud Morgan Visual Art Center/Agassiz Preschool

Interesting discussion, very much at the early stages, about a possible collaboration between the Agassiz Baldwin Community, Lesley University and the Agassiz Preschool. The idea is that the Agassiz Baldwin Community would trade the space they had been planning for the Maud Morgan to the Agassiz Preschool and Lesley would house the Maud Morgan Art Center in conjunction with the Art Institute of Boston. While there are many complicated issues that need to be addressed by each organization, it’s good to see people brainstorming and taking the risk to discuss such a collaboration.

Off to doorknock – more blogging later.

Green Meeting

We held a joint meeting of the Planning Board and the Ordinance Committee Tuesday night. While holding a joint meeting was unusual, I thought it made a lot of sense in this instance.

I’ve been a leading advocate for green building in Cambridge -- in January I filed an order requesting that the city require large developments to be built green, to meet LEED building standards. The Planning Board raised a series of questions about the proposal, from whether the city had the legal authority to impose these requirements to how the requirements would be enforced. As chair of the Ordinance Committee, I thought it would more productive for us to have a joint meeting rather than simply reacting to the Planning Board’s brief report. My hope was that the city council could better understand the Planning Board’s concerns and determine how best to address them.

I thought the meeting was helpful and productive. (I’m often impressed by the thoughtfulness that so many Cambridge residents bring to their volunteer work on Cambridge boards and commissions.) The Planning Board seemed to welcome the opportunity to amplify their concerns. Having their input will be helpful to me as I guide the Ordinance Committee to our final green building policy. We want to make sure the policy is effective, and having more in-depth discussions with the policy implementers helps advance that goal.

In addition, we discussed additional ways to ensure our city’s zoning code lines up with our overall policy goals. For example, we want to encourage green roofs, but in many instances green roofs count against a project’s FAR (floor area ratio). In the year ahead, I will work with the Community Development Department and the Planning Board to make our zoning code more efficient and more green.

I thought the meeting was a successful experiment I’d be willing to do again.

Arts in the city

Cambridge arts and artists were in full force over the weekend. Friday night after campaigning, I took my daughter to see the Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre's production of Covens. Beautiful, powerful and provocative, it runs through October 28 and is definitely worth seeing. The setting of the Sanctuary Theatre at the Old Cambridge Baptist Church added to the experience. It's a wonderful space -- I'm glad the city has helped in its restoration with community preservation grants.

Arts Central, was held this weekend -- a great effort by the Central Square Business Association to promote arts, businesses and Central Square. (I missed the fashion show this year -- I was a model a few years ago but it's probably better for all involved if I don't quit the day job...)

I also had the chance to stop by Joan Brigham's garden for her Duchamp Readymade Installation and talk. The exhibit's great -- Joan's replicas and updates of Duchamp's Readymades are fabulous, and I want her to include it on a future Friends of the Cambridge Library Secret Gardens Tour. Her talk was enlightening, presenting a modern day twist on Duchamp's views on utility, art and context.

For me, the weekend was yet another reminder of the importance of our arts community in what makes Cambridge Cambridge.

Candidate; Verses Candidate

While most of my focus has been on my own election campaign, we have another election coming up: the election for Cambridge's first Poet Populist. I'm pleased to announce we will have
a public reading by the poet populist finalists on November 1st, from 6-8 pm, at the Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, 400 Harvard Street in Harvard Square. This is a great chance to hear some of Cambridge's finest poets, and to become more informed as you cast your poet vote!

I inititiated the Cambridge Poet Populist program to heighten awareness and appreciation of poets and poetry in our community. After all, Cambridge represents the long and short of poetry, from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to e.e. cummings! More importantly, there are some wonderful poets writing and performing in our community, and we need to celebrate and spread their accomplishments.

Cambridge residents will be able to vote for our poet populist -- a poet of the people, for the people, selected by the people. Voting will take place in the first part of November, and we will announce our poet populist later that month. I'll post more details on the election as we get closer. Thanks for Nick Licata of the Seattle city council, who started the Seattle Poet Populist program and encouraged me to do the same for Cambridge.

See you on the poetry campaign trail!

Walking the (Public Safety) Walk

Wednesday afternoon I went on the North Cambridge Community Safety Walk. Not a huge turnout of residents, but I think it was helpful for those able to attend. It was definitely useful for the city officials who were there -- we were able to identify some potential troublespots or areas needing attention. I'm putting in council orders for this week requesting some additional police emergency call boxes, a stop sign, better enforcement of parking regulations to keep open fire lanes and repair of an unsafe utility pole.

Walking through parts of the neighborhood with community members is a vital part of community policing. Thanks to Commissioner Haas and the many members of the Cambridge Police Department and Cambridge Housing Authority for taking the time to hear and respond to residents' concerns.

Opportunity or Cost

I enjoyed Steve Bailey's column in the Boston Globe this morning. He highlights the willingness of Calloway Labs to hire ex-offenders. Bailey's close is a reminder why we need CORI reform : "Nationally, about 600,000 people will get out of prison this year. In a state where the resident workforce grows not at all, ex-prisoners can be an opportunity - or a cost. Crime is one industry that is always hiring. No experience required."

She Blinded Me With Science

Yet another reason why we love our unique city. Cambridge is not only the life sciences capital of the world, we are the improbable science capital of the world. If you want to advance scientific learning on such topics as how sheets become wrinkled, whether the five second rule is valid for food dropped on the floor, or the nature of belly button lint, you have to go through Cambridge.

I'm looking forward to trying some Yum-A-Moto Vanilla Twist ice cream at Toscanini's at 11 a.m. We'll see whether this ice cream "cannot or should not be repeated."

She Blinded Me With Science

Holding the Line

Last Monday September 24 (yeah, I know I’m behind on my blogging…), the city council voted on property tax classifications which lead to the setting of the tax rate for the city. I’m pleased to say that this year, 79% of residential tax bills will stay the same or decrease. In addition, 13% of bills will increase by $100 or less.

This is a remarkable accomplishment, particularly given the extensive capital projects underway in Cambridge – the renovation of the main library, the new public safety facility,
the West Cambridge Youth and Community Center and the War Memorial facility, to name a few.

Two of my goals on the council have been to fight for sound fiscal policies and to make the budget process more open and transparent.

By controlling new spending, we have been able to minimize the impact of property taxes on Cambridge homeowners. The city has also been working out a long term approach for our budget. Long term planning, by projecting revenues, projects and operating expenses several years out, minimizes spikes in the budget. Reducing these spikes in the city’s annual budget makes it easier for families to manage their personal budgets.

It’s vitally important to make it easier for citizens to understand the city’s budget and tax policy. That’s why I have pushed for the city to send residents more information on the city’s budget – we provide more information than any other community in Massachusetts. I’m proud that thanks to my leadership on the Special Committee on Taxation, we now send out three newsletters annually: Understanding Your Taxes Newsletter, Property Tax Update Newsletter, and Property Tax Exemptions and Tax Deferral. These three newsletters are sent out around the time tax bills are sent out.

I urge people to pay particularly close attention to the exemptions and deferral newsletter. If you think your property is assessed too high, you can apply for an abatement. It is particularly important that you meet the deadline for filing an abatement AND that you pay the amount due on your property tax bill by that deadline. Under state law, if you have not paid the tax bill and filed for an abatement by the deadline, you are not eligible to receive an abatement.

I want each taxpayer to get every exemption he or she is entitled to receive. One of the most important exemptions is the residential exemption for owner-occupied residences. If you are an owner occupant, check your tax bill to make sure you are receiving the residential exemption. There is a list of all residential exemptions in the newsletter – please check the list and make sure you are receiving all eligible exemptions.

No one likes taxes, but I want to make sure our system of taxation in Cambridge is as fair and open as possible. I have significant concerns with the property tax – it’s regressive and hurts long-time residents who simply want to stay in their homes. Unfortunately, state law forbids Cambridge from using more equitable alternatives. By supporting the Municipal Partnership Act I am fighting to change that. However, that will be a long, tough battle against entrenched interests at the state level.

If you have questions on your taxes, you can call 617-349-4110 or e-mail assessors@cambridgema.gov. In addition, I am happy to meet with constituents who have questions about taxes (or any other issue with the city). I will gladly go with constituents when or if they meet with the city administration. In any case, you can reach me at 617-492-7426 or email brian@brianmurphy.org.