Newsletter #6

Hello.

We at the Cambridge Brickwalk Conservancy, Inc. (CBC) hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  We had good news just before the holiday from the IRS. They have approved our request for tax exemption so now we can start to raise money for our organization to assist the City of Cambridge to preserve and maintain our brick sidewalks.

I have continued going to meetings to raise the awareness of CBC in the City. Last week I spoke to the Cambridge Pedestrian Committee about our purpose. There was a presentation by the DPW on materials used in Cambridge sidewalks.  These meetings are open to the public and are a good way to learn about not only what is going on in Cambridge but how the process works.

I joined the Participatory Budget Steering Committee representing the CBC to become part of a new process in Cambridge asking residents how to spend $500,000 of the City’s capital funds.  Capital funds can be used for physical improvements to City-owned property such as improvements to public playgrounds or parks, repairing streets and sidewalks, installing accessibility ramps on public property, installing benches or street lights, creating a community garden, resurfacing a basketball court, etc. Here’s an idea – do a test all brick ramp!  Design, install and maintain the brick ramp correctly.

Through December, there will be a series of Idea Collection Assemblies and Pop-Up events across the city to solicit project ideas from the community. In January and February, volunteer Budget Delegates will review these ideas to turn them into concrete proposals. Then in March, Cambridge residents ages 12 and older will be able to vote on their favorite capital projects, worth up to $500,000. 

It is exciting to be part of the process and it may help us decide how to best proceed as our organization grows.  I will continue to update you on the process and what is new at Cambridge Brickwalk Conservancy, Inc.

We wish you the happiest of holidays and a wonderful New Year!

Diane Beck
Vice President and Director,
Cambridge Brickwalk Conservancy