CAMBRIDGE, MD. - Controversy swirls around the Cambridge waterfront development as community members and the city voice concerns over transparency and governance issues within the Cambridge Waterfront Development Incorporated (CWDI).
Sharon Smith, a board member with the Cambridge Association of Neighborhoods (CAN), explained her concerns with CWDI's lack of communication, stating, "There's a growing concern across the community of the apparent lack of transparency of what the CWDI organization is doing with the Cambridge Harbor." Smith highlights rumors circulating within the community. She says, "There are a lot of rumors abound about deals that are being made with say property given to a non-profit. And the Y which the citizens of Cambridge are very much against."
"If there were more details available to the citizenry, there wouldn't be so many wild rumors about what might be happening," Smith adds.
In response to these concerns, Mayor Rideout proposes amendment changes to CWDI's Articles of Incorporation. They include,
If the mayor is ever vacant, the commission president will take they mayor's place as the sole member.
Any sole member will have access to corporate documents,
The Mayor or Sole Member will be able to sit-it in on open or closed meetings.
The City, County, and State will have the authority to replace any appointee on the CWDI Board of Directors.
Matt Leonard, Executive Director of CWDI, refrains from passing judgment on the proposed amendments, citing the need for legal advice. "We need legal advice. I'm not an attorney. [The mayor] is proposing changes to the articles of incorporation," Leonard states.
Cambridge City Manager Tom Carroll expresses optimism about the project's future, viewing the proposed changes as an opportunity to realign the project's trajectory. "We think it's an opportunity to get this project back on track, and I think Mayor Rideout's comment that we hope that CWDI embraces this is really our hope," Carroll comments.
Mayor Rideout invites public comments and advice from the CWDI board of directors and plans to convene another meeting in 10 days. CWDI indicates they will review the proposed changes with their attorney and board sometime in May.
Ahead of the morning's meeting, CWDI's attorney penned a letter to the city, expressing opposition to the proposed amendments. The letter argues against the mayor's interpretation of corporate governance and warns against altering CWDI's charter, citing potential disruptions to the partnership between the city, county, and state.
