Public meetings this week look at setting City Council goals for the term and evaluating the city manager, housing and diversity hiring, and a Patriot’s Day celebration filled with history, treats, a horse riding in from Boston and a Humvee.

Cambridge residents’ water and sewer bills are rising – though by less than $100 on average – for reasons ranging from inflation to the war in Ukraine.

Cambridge maintains its top credit scores for the 25th year in a row and is one of only 24 cities nationwide with a trifecta of highest-possible ratings, said City Manager Yi-An Huang, but several factors threaten the city’s long-term financial standing.

A hearing on racial and gender disparities in how Cambridge awards contracts could be held before April, after a report found that minority-owned professional-services firms accounted for 1.3 percent of vendors.

Cambridge is getting a Sustainability Office that will be led by a chief climate officer – a new role – who will report directly to City Manager Yi-An Huang.

Cambridge is getting ready to implement a plan for Central Square … from 13 years ago. It’s also preparing to act on one from 11 years ago. And six years ago.

Requests by Cambridge’s City Council have gone weeks, months or years before a formal response from previous city managers. An “Awaiting Report Status Update” changes that dynamic.

Cambridge, with its rich history and vibrant community, deserves a governance structure that reflects its current needs and future aspirations.

The City of Cambridge removed words – “Globalize the Intifada” – painted in Central Square’s Graffiti Alley out of a concern that they can advocate violence and could intimidate the Jewish community.

A period of austerity that’s been warned about for years has arrived, and elected officials have to start setting priorities for what projects get a go-ahead for the next five to 10 years and what must be scaled back or halted.