"The neighbors put forth a lot of effort...we came up with compromise language that appeased both the city and community interests," said Chief Public Health Officer Harold D. Cox.
Discussion on the ordinance ran from 6:30 until 8:30, when it was voted on.
Through an hour and a half of public comment, beginning with State Representative Alice Wolf, many residents came up to the microphone in support of the ordinance, citing their children's safety, personal health issues, and the environmental impact of asbestos particles.
Although a couple of residents expressed minor concerns with specifics of the ordinance, every speaker agreed with the need for strong regulations to prevent asbestos from being released into the air.
After each councillor gave a brief statement, a roll call vote was taken.
All nine members voted for the proposal, and when the mayor pronounced the ordinance approved, the audience exploded in a rousing standing ovation.
"I'm really thrilled, the councillors were the heroes that we thought they could be...it really mattered that all the neighbors showed up," Birk said after the meeting.
The concerned citizens filed into the hall, hugging and congratulating each other for a hard fought battle won.
Read more in News
Made of Dough?Recommended Articles
-
City Council Delays Pay HikeThe Cambridge City Council last night voted to hold a public hearing before approving pay raises for elected city officials.
-
Asbestos Pipes Removed From Widener's D-LevelTo reach a leak in pipes in the Widener stacks, contractors commissioned by Harvard have removed asbestos pipe insulators in
-
Abestos Removal Poses No DangersThe signs, still posted in and around various Harvard houses after summer construction, warn ominously of asbestos removal efforts. But
-
Asbestos to Be Removed From 29 Garden StreetAsbestos tiling will be removed today from offices located at 29 Garden Street, according to a memo received late yesterday
-
Council Ratifies Model Cities BillAn ordinance establishing the nation's only Model Cities agency controlled by neighborhood residents whizzed through the Cambridge City Council last
-
Residents Vote to Control Model City Program HereThe residents of Cambridge's model cities neighborhood are now voting on whether to accept a proposed city ordinance which would
