TAX RATE PROPOSAL AND SELECTED COMMENTARY

MIDSHORE RIVERKEEPER CONSERVANCY (MRC) – Project Clean Stream
The MidShore Riverkeepers are the local organizers for Project Clean Stream, a watershed wide event to improve the health of the Chesapeake and its tributaries. The event is a nice opportunity to clean up our environment and our neighborhood. MidShore Riverkeepers provides support with supplies and removal of bagged garbage.
This year’s clean up event will occur on Saturday, April 1st, 9am-noon. CAN members have registered cleanup teams for the West End Avenue and Long Wharf Park / Municipal Marina areas. CAN Block Captains or other CAN members who would like to lead a clean up effort in a particular area, or otherwise participate as a volunteer, should contact Judd Vickers at judd.vickers@gmail.com AND Suzanne Sullivan at suzanne@midshoreriverkeeper.org.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION (HPC) UPDATE
The Cambridge Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) has experienced a significant change in membership in the last six months. The previous Chairperson’s term expired, the Vice Chair moved out of the area, and one member resigned. As a result we have three new members and a new chair and vice chair. The commission is now composed of Ron Berman, Chair; Sharon Smith, Vice Chair; and members Susan Morgan, Herschel Johnson, and George Vojtech.
The commission is embarking on an ambitious improvement plan that centers around three goals:

1. Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of HPC meetings and decisions 2. Increase community involvement and support
3. Protect and improve the historic housing stock in Cambridge.
We expect work on these goals to extend over several years, and hope that subsequent commissions continue working the plan.
On a related note, the City anticipates engaging an experienced preservation consultant to assist with completing the development of new Design Guidelines. The current guidelines are twenty years old and are silent on things such as solar panels, and don’t adequately address newer building materials. An attempt was made by an earlier commission to write new guidelines in 2014, but was stalled by resident concerns and staffing changes.
Sharon Smith HPC Vice-Chair