Cambridge City Council
Residents Call For Toner’s Resignation at City Council Meeting
For the first time since Cambridge learned of City Councilor Paul F. Toner’s criminal charges, residents were given the opportunity to publicly address the charges at Monday’s City Council meeting.
Toner, Facing Calls to Resign Over Brothel Charges, Is Quietly Stripped of Committee Chairships
Cambridge City Councilor Paul F. Toner has been removed from his position as the co-chair of five Council committees — the most of any councilor — after being charged last week as a client of a brothel network, Mayor E. Denise Simmons announced in a Wednesday letter to councilors.
Harvard Chabad Petitions to Change City Zoning Laws
Harvard Chabad is petitioning the city of Cambridge to change its zoning laws to exempt religious buildings from certain restrictions in an apparent effort to move forward with plans to expand its headquarters, currently blocked by the Board of Zoning Appeals.
How City Councilor Paul Toner Fought To Keep Hearings in Brothel Case Private
Cambridge City Councilor Paul F. Toner — who faces charges for allegedly patronizing a Cambridge brothel network — spent nearly a year trying to prevent his name from surfacing in the case prior to his arraignment.
As Commercial Development Grows in Cambridge, City Looks to Increase Linkage Fee on Commercial Projects
The Cambridge City Council kickstarted a process to potentially raise linkage fees on commercial development on Monday, voting unanimously to plan a study that will recommend how much to raise the Nexus Zoning Fee.
Toner Resists Calls To Resign in First Statement From City Hall
Cambridge City Councilor Paul F. Toner resisted calls to resign in a statement at the beginning of Monday’s Cambridge City Council meeting. Toner was charged with sexual conduct for a fee on Friday after allegedly patronizing a brothel network.
11 More Men, Including City Councilor, Named and Charged with Soliciting Prostitution Through Brothel
A Cambridge clerk magistrate charged another 11 men — including Cambridge City Councilor Paul F. Toner — with allegedly patronizing the high-end brothel ring that operated in parts of Cambridge.
State Rep. Mike Connolly Calls on City Councilor Paul Toner To Resign After Brothel Hearing
Massachusetts State Representative Michael L. Connolly called on Cambridge City Councilor Paul F. Toner to resign after he was formally charged with a misdemeanor in connection with a brothel network operated in Cambridge.
After Toner Identified as Suspected Brothel Client, City Council Splits Over His Next Steps
City Councilor Paul F. Toner, who allegedly patronized a high-end brothel run out of Cambridge, is the first elected official in Cambridge to publicly face criminal charges in more than a decade. In public statements Friday, his colleagues on the Council were divided over his future.
Cambridge City Councilor Paul Toner Charged With Buying Sex Through Brothel Ring
Cambridge City Councilor Paul F. Toner was charged with buying sex from a high-end brothel network that operated in parts of Cambridge and Watertown at a Friday hearing.
Developers Announce Proposed Affordable Development Size Will Not Be Reduced Despite Backlash
Non-profit developers in charge of a proposed eight-story affordable housing project in the Baldwin neighborhood announced Thursday that they will not be reducing the size of the building any further despite backlash from residents who believe the complex will be too large.
‘What’s the Hold Up?’: Cambridge City Councilors Disagree on Whether Central Square is Ready for Rezoning
Cambridge City Councilors voted to prioritize the rezoning of northern Massachusetts Avenue and of Cambridge Street over that of Central in a committee meeting on Tuesday amid disagreement on whether Central Square is ready for rezoning.
City Council Approves New 4-Year Contract for City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05
The Cambridge City Council voted unanimously to renew its contract for City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 for an additional four years on Monday, despite previous internal disagreements about the length of the contract.
‘Federal Funding Cliff’: Cambridge Prepares for Possible Cuts
The City of Cambridge receives $23 million in federal funding — with millions more going to independent programs like the Cambridge Housing Authority and Cambridge Health Alliance.
City Council Takes Next Steps in Bid To Combat Affordable Housing Crisis
The Cambridge City Council spent more than a year debating an upzoning proposal before passing the legislation last month — marking a new phase in the fight against the housing crisis in Cambridge.
City Council Names Cambridge a Sanctuary City for Transgender and Nonbinary People
The Cambridge City Council unanimously passed a resolution declaring Cambridge a sanctuary city for transgender and nonbinary individuals in their Monday meeting.
Eversource and Cambridge City Council to Hold Public Meeting About Energy Rates
The Cambridge City Council plans to hold a public meeting with the city’s energy provider, Eversource, to allow residents to hear from company representatives about high energy costs this winter.
Vice Mayor Says Federal Funding Cuts May Pose Long-Term Challenges for CPS Budget
Vice Mayor Marc C. McGovern warned that the budgeting process for Cambridge Public Schools could be more difficult with recent threats to federal funding at a joint roundtable between the CPS School Committee and Cambridge City Council.
DPU Orders Mass. Gas Companies to Cut Bills by 5 Percent
The companies have until Feb. 24 to file their proposals for adjustments, which will take effect on March 1. The move will afford residents some respite, with lower bills expected for the “peak season” months of March and April.
City Council Plans To Put Proposed Charter Changes on 2025 Ballot
The Cambridge City Council set a tentative timeline for residents to approve changes to the city’s charter in a Nov. 2025 ballot measure — more than three years since the city voted to update the charter on a regular basis.
In ‘Landmark’ Vote, Cambridge Ends Single-Family Zoning
The Cambridge City Council voted 8-1 to approve a proposal eliminating single family zoning city-wide in a meeting Monday night, capping off over a year of laborious dealmaking between activist residents, experts, and councilors.
City Council Approves Surveillance Technologies Despite Resident Pushback
The Cambridge City Council narrowly approved the Cambridge Police Department’s request to obtain two surveillance technologies amid fierce pushback from residents, but postponed voting on the purchase and use of drones by city police.
Chabad, Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeals Schedule Mediation Resolution Hearing
The long-running legal dispute between Harvard Chabad and the Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeal has entered a new phase as both parties prepare for an alternative dispute resolution hearing scheduled for Feb. 12.
Residents Call for Increased Communication in City Meeting to Address Gun Violence
Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine A. Elow, Mayor E. Denise Simmons, and City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 faced heated questions from residents over the Cambridge Police Department’s response to an unsolved fatal shooting in North Cambridge at a Tuesday night community meeting.
City Council Moves Forward with Multifamily Zoning Proposal, Despite Attempt to Amend
After dozens of Cambridge residents spoke in favor of preserving the city’s current multifamily zoning proposal, the Cambridge City Council voted to reject an amendment that would allow developers to build fewer stories without affordable housing units.