Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Action on Cambridge (MA) City Manager Deferred; Action taken on City Clerk Retirement

Last night, January 30, 2012, the Cambridge City Council had in front of it three proposed actions with regard to the Cambridge City Manager, Robert Healy, and with regard to my choice for acting city manager, Cambridge City Clerk D. Margaret Drury.

The three motions were:

1. Councilor Kelley’s motion to set up a committee to start looking for a new city clerk in light of her impending retirement, posted at http://www2.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?item_id=33957.

2. Councilor Kelley’s motion to set up a committee to set up review of the Cambridge City Manager’s status and to discuss his intentions with regard to another contract with him, posted at http://www2.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?item_id=33958.

3. Councilor Maher’s motion to appoint Donna Lopez as Interim City Clerk in light of Ms. Drury’s anticipated retirement on February 29, 2012, and to authorize Drury and Lopez to plan the transition, posted at http://www2.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?item_id=33977.

Councilor Kelley’s motions were deferred to the next meeting by Councilor Davis’s exercise of her rights under the Cambridge Charter.

Councilor Kelley informed the City Council that he would not be attending next Monday’s meeting but would be amenable to a special meeting earlier than that with regard to the election of the mayor (that city councilor who functions as the chair of the city council and school committee).

Councilor Maher’s motion seemed to pass without negative comment although there were comments from the the councilor sitting as the chair (Councilor Reeves) that confused me.

Donna Lopez is highly qualified to succeed Margaret Drury as Cambridge City Clerk.