2026-09-23 - City Council Executive Session
Summary
Only the open-session portion before the executive session is recorded.
- The Council opened in public session with six members present and three absent, and noted remote participation is authorized by state law.
- The meeting was called to discuss litigation strategy in two pending civil cases involving the city, one in Land Court and one in Middlesex Superior Court, because open discussion could harm the city's litigating position.
- There was no public comment.
- On a roll call the motion to enter executive session passed with six members in favor and three absent.
- The Council did not plan to return to open session and was to adjourn from executive session.
Sources
- Video: https://cambridgema.v3.swagit.com/videos/402026
- Agenda: https://cambridgema.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingId=2832
Video
Transcript
Machine voice-to-text from the Swagit video; all caps in the original and names may be misheard.
Transcript
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. GOOD
AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. WITH THE QUORUM [ROLL CALL] BEING PRESENT, I CALL. TODAY IS SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2026. EXECUTIVE SESSION MEETING TO ORDER. THE CITY COUNCIL WILL MEET IN OPEN SESSION AND THEN MOVE INTO
AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS STRATEGY WITH RESPECT TO LITIGATION KNOWN AS COLUMBIA STREET LLC VERSUS CITY DOCKET NUMBER 25 MISC OH 0 0 0 7 46, WHICH IS A CIVIL CASE IN THE LAND COURT AND OND 1 70
40 INVESTORS, LLC VERSUS CITY DOCKET NUMBER 26 CV 0 2 2 9 5, WHICH IS A CIVIL CASE IN MIDDLESEX SUPERIOR COURT. DISCUSSING THESE MATTERS IN AN OPEN SESSION MAY HAVE A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON THE
LITIGATING POSITION OF THE CITY. THE CITY COUNCIL IS BEGINNING THIS MEETING IN AN OPEN SESSION AND WILL MOVE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR DISCUSSION. THE COMMITTEE WILL NOT BE RETURNING TO OPEN SESSION
AND WILL ADJOURN IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS PRESENT, PLEASE. CLERK COUNCILOR ZUBE. ABSENT VICE MAYOR ZE. PRESENT. PRESENT, COUNCILOR FLAHERTY.
PRESENT. PRESENT, COUNCILOR MCGOVERN. ABSENT. COUNCILOR NOLAN. PRESENT. PRESENT. COUNCILOR SIMMONS. ABSENT COUNCILLOR, SABRINA WHEELER, PRESENT, COUNCILLOR ZUI. PRESENT. PRESENT, NEAR SIDIKI. PRESENT.
PRESENT. YOU HAVE SIX MEMBERS RECORDED AND AS PRESENT. AND THREE, RECORDED AS ABSENT. PER CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025. ADOPTED BY MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR. THE
CITY'S AUTHORIZED TO USE REMOTE PARTICIPATION AT MEETINGS OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL. THERE'LL BE NO PUBLIC COMMENT. TODAY, VICE MAYOR Z MOVE MOVES AND MAKES A MOTION TO MOVE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL. COUNCIL ALBIE. ABSENT VICE MAYOR Z. YES. YES. COUNCIL OF FLAHERTY? YES. COUNCIL MCGOVERN. ABSENT. COUNCILOR LAN? YES. YES. COUNCILOR SIMMONS. ABSENT. COUNCILOR SABRINA WHALER.
YES. COUNCILOR EY? YES. YES. MAYOR SIDIKI. YES. YES. AND YOU HAVE SIX MEMBERS RECORDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND THREE RECORDED AS ABSENT. WE'LL MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. * This transcript was created
by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.