Quinton for Cambridge

Quinton has provided strong constituent services and food/housing/homelessness assistance and been a relentless advocate for equitable and widespread testing, data transparency, the adoption of a contact tracing app, and more outdoor spaces to safely recreate.

He is a vocal proponent of state-level action on tenant protections and small business relief and stood with Harvard’s janitorial workers against contracted employee layoffs

He provides daily case updates and analysis at: covid.quintonzondervan.org

As chair of the Health & Environment Committee, Quinton is leading discussions on getting to net zero emissions, reducing building energy use, and strengthening the Tree Protection Ordinance

He led the successful effort to prevent Eversource from putting a 150-foot substation on Fulkerson Street across from KLO

He is working with Cambridge Community Growers to support their call for greater access to food growing space for Black and Brown community members in the city and particularly in the Port

Quinton is a strong supporter of the Green Roofs Petition which is now before the council

The Attorney General struck down Brookline’s fracked gas ban, but Quinton working with the Rocky Mountain Institute and other municipalities on new ways to advance it in 2021

Quinton is working directly with members of the unhoused community to advance their demands for safe, non-congregate housing options and better treatment in the existing shelters

He is exploring ways to finance and create additional affordable homeownership opportunities for first generation homebuyers, undoing a legacy of racist housing policies which denied Black and brown families the opportunity to build generational wealth

As chair of the Public Safety Committee, Quinton is leading discussions on eliminating military weapons from the police, shifting towards a community-based public safety response for mental health calls and routine traffic enforcement, strengthening accountability around the use of force policy, and scrutinizing police surveillance technology

He led the effort to reallocate money from the massive police budget towards racial justice initiatives in other departments, in solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives call to defund the police

Quinton worked with colleagues and advocates to strengthen the Cycling Safety Ordinance; now we can expect a full buildout of the protected bike lane network within five years.

Quinton joined colleagues in voting against part of the budget, which caused the City Manager to finally authorize the broadband feasibility study, which will build on the digital equity study begun last year.

Cannabis Business Permitting Ordinance

Green Cambridge was founded in the early 2000s by environmentalist residents to
“create a more sustainable city and to protect the environment for the health and safety of all.”

In 2011 the group was considering disbanding, and recruited Quinton to take the helm instead. Under his tenure the organization initiated many new programs in the city, including a commercial recycling awareness campaign, a rain barrel installation program in partnership with the city, a solar discount program and a tree protection program. In 2017 Green Cambridge hired its first ever Executive Director, and after winning election to city council Quinton resigned as President of the nonprofit. He continues to serve on the board and has greatly diversified its membership and programming.

Green Cambridge has since taken on stewardship of the Alewife reservation through the acquisition of the Friends of Alewife organization, created an urban farm in East Cambridge, taken over the management of the Riverside community garden and is supporting community led urban agriculture and racial justice efforts in the Port.

In 2015, Quinton co-founded MIT Alumni for Climate Action Leadership (MITACAL), now merged with MIT Alumni for Climate Action (MACA). MITACAL actively supported the longest MIT student sit-in in history in front of President Rafael Reif’s office. The students demanded that MIT divest from fossil fuels and take action on climate change. While these demands have yet to be fully met, MIT has since improved its climate stance, and MACA continues to organize the alumni community to help advocate for strong global action on climate change.

Quinton is an inaugural member of the 350 Mass Cambridge/Somerville chapter. 350 Mass has been on the forefront of the climate fight in Massachusetts for many years, bringing together a wide range of activists to fight for a better future. Quinton served on the board of 350 Mass for several years and currently serves on the board of the companion political organization, 350 Mass Action.

In 2013, Quinton co-authored the Net Zero Zoning Petition with Mike Connolly and John Pitkin. The petition called for all large new construction buildings to be net zero emissions. The petition was not adopted, but the City Manager created the Getting to Net Zero Task Force, which Quinton served on for 18 months.

The task force produced the Net Zero Action Plan (NZAP) which was adopted by the city council in 2015. While the city has held up its end of the bargain and is constructed all new municipal buildings net zero since 2018, the private sector has yet to construct a single net zero building, and the first requirements, for small residential construction, which are supposed to kick in next year (2022) are held up at the state in the form of the proposed net zero energy stretch code.

Quinton continues to be a leader in this space and is actively working with the Rocky Mountain Institute and activists across the state to advance building electrification and net zero buildings.

Quinton served on the Climate Action Protection Committee (CPAC) from 2008 until he was first elected in 2017, and served three years as chair of the committee. CPAC advises the Cambridge City Manager on matters of climate policy.

Quinton’s advocacy led the Rossi administration to conduct a Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Cambridge, and in 2015 after the Net Zero Action Plan (NZAP) was adopted by City Council, CPAC took on the task of preparing an annual review and report to the council of progress on the NZAP goals.

Quinton served for many years on the rodent task force, which advised the DPW Commissioner. During his tenure the task force helped review a new dumpster ordinance, and advised the city on other measures to deal with the problem.

Unfortunately the rodent infestation continues, and as City Councillor Quinton continues to work with DPW on improvements to our waste management system that will help address this issue.